{adventures abroad} iceland: day three - whale-watching & blue lagoon

on the morning of day three we headed back to the old port to go whale-watching in faxaflói bay. it was a perfect morning for it: sunny and clear and yes, a bit brisk, but that's what hot cocoa is for! on our way out of the harbor we stopped at lundey island, a popular puffin nesting site, to sneak a peek at what must've been a million puffins and other seabirds flying, swimming, fishing, and doing whatever else it is that seabirds do. later on, out in the bay, we were lucky enough to spot about 7-10 very sociable minke whales who stuck with us for the better part of an hour {i don't know if i've ever seen A so excited!}.

back on dry land, we got some lunch at a burger joint {seriously maybe the best burger i've ever had in my life} and then made our way back towards the city center for a stroll around tjörnin pond.

from the pond we walked up laugavegur to hallgrímskirkja, the tallest church in iceland {a stark contrast to the little white church at tjörnin pond}.  the concrete exterior, designed by state architect guðjón samúelsson, was inspired by iceland's distinctive basalt lava formations. we peeked inside for a bit before heading back to the hotel for a mini siesta...

later that afternoon we caught the bus to the blue lagoon, a surreal little geothermal oasis in the middle of the moon rock lava landscape outside of reykjavik. it's the by-product of a nearby geothermal power plant, and we had an amazing time: champagne, silica masks, waterfall massages, relaxation, rejuvenation. it was the absolute perfect way to end the day.