Excited

prague.cat at Krosslaug

Feeling free 😇🤗•#kaufmanci #Iceland #Island #krosslaug #hotsprings #geothermal #geothermalpool #hotpot #westiceland #icelandnature #icelandtravel #nature #naturelovers #travel #roadtrip #ontheroad #ontheroadagain #superexcited #lovetravel #kolemsveta #kolemsvetasnikonem #acro #acroeverywhere #acrofamily #pooltime #topless #toplessgirls

The current affairs of Europe's soaking culture over the last few months: mostly closures due to Covid-19 measures followed by slow re-openings.

We'll focus solely on Iceland in this posting, so some side-notes on the Covid outcome from Iceland.

As the likes such as Blue Lagoon and other publicly and privately managed soaks were closed, this meant local soakers were left without their soaking solace. 

Though they could seek the unmanaged soaks elsewhere, some found their answer nearby (we're near Reykjavik) where an outlet from a geothermal power station sources a couple of pools before the water becomes one with the Northern Atlantic. 

This opportunity has always existed but seems to have gained sudden popularity  during the pandemic measures, as it's not controlled by any public or private entity, thus not subject to any forced closure. The Reykjavik Grapevine (May 5) reports:

'Several hot pools on the Reykjanes coastline have become a popular attraction for locals, despite private property warnings. With public swimming pools closed due to COVID-19, many bathers flocked to the area this weekend to enjoy the warm waters. But contrary to several social media posts’ claims, these hot pools are not natural. Bathers have inadvertently been swimming in the waste product from the nearby HS Orka geothermal power station.
Waters are usually a pleasant 35° Celsius, but if conditions in the power plant change they could suddenly rise to 100° Celsius, according to an HS Orka statement. Such temperatures could cause serious burns and have “disastrous” consequences for swimmers. The company also warns that there are very strong ocean currents near the pools and that it would be easy for a swimmer to be carried out to sea with little hope of rescue'.

The article fails to discern why this experience is any different from the Blue Lagoon. The former also sources it's hot waters from a geothermal power company.
As I've been at the place described myself, the pools are someway from the main discharge and contain already cooled-off water and / or sea water as waves can crash over into these pools.

This message seems to have failed to deter soakers, so the anti-propaganda upped the ante. The Reykjavik Grapevine, a day later:

'In the wake of HS Orka’s statement, Stolt-Nielsen has also came forward to warn swimmers that waste from its Reykjanes fish farm runs into the sea in the popular swimming spot. The company farms tropical fish for seafood production, principally caviar. It is not clear what waste products flow into the sea or the dangers they pose for swimmers'.

Again, when I was there, there was little to suggest that this was the case, the area was very pristine.

I've seen little news since, presumably the opening up of Iceland's many public pools has done more to channel the flows of soakers away from here.

Following, two recent photo's of soaking in the offending pools:

juliadalros 

Hugleiðsla 🙏🏼💛Hugleiðsla er eins og að mæta í ræktina. Það er ekki nóg að mæta einu sinni og einu sinni þu verður að hafa rútínu helst á hverjum degi annars er þetta bara erfiði og mikil ábyrgð.Að borða hollan mat er svipað þú finnur ekki hvað óhollur matur gerir líkamanum ef þú borðar mikið af honum. En ef þú borðar oftast hreint fæði þá finnuru vel hvaða matur gefur þér orku og öfugtÞegar ég hugleiði þarf ég lítið annað að gera. Því þá gef ég sjálfri mér rými til að hlusta á það sem mig vantar. Ég þarf ekki að plana það að borða holt eða hreyfa mig það gerist bara.Ég kem úr uppeldi sem hvorki mamma né pabbi voru til staðar fyrir mig og ég stíg upp úr unglings árum mjög týnd og reið. Mér fannst ég hafa ekkert að gefa og mér fannst eins og ég væri ekki velkomin í þennan heim. Svo eina sem ég fór að gera var að hugleiða alla daga og hef gert það í 4 ár. Í dag er þetta meira eins og að bursta tennurnar og ég finn það jafn vel ef ég sleppi því að bursta og þegar ég sleppi því að hugleiða. orkan sem ég gef frá mér er ekki jafn hrein. Ég verð auðvitað reið og sorgmæt en ég tek á móti því í hugleiðslu og bíð þeirri orku velkomna og fæ að hlusta á það sem hún hefur að gefa og kenna mér.Ég hef alltaf verið hrædd við það að taka pláss því ég hef verið hrædd við það að finna fyrir höfnun. En í dag veit ég að það eina sem ég þarf er ég en fyrst þarf ég að setjast niður og gefa þessu “sjálfi” rými svo ég geti hlustað og það geri ég með því að hugleiða. Ekki bara einstöku sinnum heldur alla daga því annars er þetta bara erfiði og mikil ábyrgð!Kannski er þetta góð áminning fyrir einhverja og þá er ég þakklát að hafa gefið mér tíma í að skrifa og taka pláss🧚‍♀️💞🙏🏼😇🤟

exclusivereykjavik

🛁Bathing in a natural Hot spring should definitely be on your “must do” list when visiting Iceland!! - -

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---#renewableenergy #hotsprings #iceland #beautiful #view #enjoy #life #icelandic #island #islandlife #everydayiceland #whyiceland #inspiredbyiceland #wheniniceland #mystopover #icelandtravel #visiticeland #discovericeland #exploreiceland #aroundiceland #unlimitediceland #islandia #icelandexplored #icelandsecret #alliceland #bestoficeland #absoluticeland #icelandtrip

Mana

hadde23 at Hrunalaug:

年20/20。Day 127. Covid-19 🦠 Archives. 2018かな〜. Special hot pot on another island. We spent the night and saw Aurora while we soaked. 🍑 🍑 Good mana spot. #hotsprings #hotspringsiceland #relaxingtime #iceland🇮🇸 #温泉 #温泉旅行 #おんせん♨️ #luckytobealive

More on the ins and outs during Covid-19 measures on Iceland.

The Reykjavik Grapevine (May 28) noted how at the end of May the behemoth of all Icelandic hot pots communicated the following:

'The Blue Lagoon company has announced an official decision to lay off 403 of its employees at the end of next month, Vísir reports. Manager and employee wages will be decreased thereafter'.

Oddly, this announcement was preceded by the public delight of the return to soaking. The Reykjavik Grapevine notes (May 18) on the end of pandemic closures:

'Public swimming pools in Reykjavik re-opened last night after almost two months of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hundreds of Reykjavik residents celebrated greatly anticipated openings with a midnight swim.
Reykjavik’s Mayor, Dagur B. Eggertsson, explained that the pools opened at 00:001 in order to reduce crowds later on in the morning. “Some people will be tired at work on Monday – but they won’t just be tired, first and foremost they’ll be clean and happy,” he wrote in a Facebook post'.

Probably the Blue Lagoon is too dependent on foreign visitors who are not coming (Hekla: Blue Lagoon Ultimate Travel Guide). 
Maybe they should have had a fierce discount to encourage locals and those would then have the opportunity to see for themselves whether or not the Blue Lagoon hype is all what it lives up to be (planetd (May 13): Blue Lagoon: is it worth it?).

On a sidenote, dustybackpacks (Jul. 3) adds that they went to the Blue Lagoon quite recently, as the entry prices had been temporarily dropped in price. Their verdict:

'If you have a short time in Iceland and the Blue Lagoon is something that you have been dying to go to, then by all means go and have a great time there! But, if you are on a budget and you aren’t quite sure if it’s worth it, then keep in mind all of the alternative pools around the island'.

In case you asking. The Daily Telegraph (Jul. 7):

'It’s just a few hours since I was given the all-clear from a not-too-comfortable but blissfully quick Covid-test at Iceland’s Keflavik airport, and I’m neck-deep in the milky-blue, geothermally heated waters of the famous Blue Lagoon. In normal times, the lagoon pulls in around a million visitors a year, but today just a couple of hundred people are wading around with the venue’s trademark white silica smeared on their faces. And almost all the voices I hear are Icelandic'.

Btw., Burgerabroad (Jul. 2) has an antidote:

'Get Naked in Reykjavik: How to Visit the Pool Like a Local'.

Hint: the article is not as racy as the title presents itself.

lusi_jir at Landbrotalaug:

Zbožňuji vodu a koupání. Vzbudili jsme se v 5 ráno a šli si užít východ slunce v horkém prameni. Na Islandu to všude kouří a vře. Krásný kontrast k chladnu, které tu můžete cítit celý rok. Lze tady najít mnoho horkých pramenů a bazénů . Některé jsou bohužel kvůli turismu zavřené a některé jsou naštěstí skryté 🌊🐳I love water and swimming. We woke up at 5 in the morning and went to enjoy the sunrise in the hot spring. It smokes and boils everywhere in Iceland. A beautiful contrast to the cold, which you can feel here all year round. There are many hot springs and swimming pools. Unfortunately, some are closed due to tourism and some are upset#iceland#hot#hotpool#hotspring#sunrise#sunnyday#sunny#pool#swimming#earth#geothermal#vegan#natural#naturalbeauty

Shiny 

The Reykjavik Grapevine (May 27) presents Reykjavik's best pool. No Blue Lagoon mentioned (a non-contender perhaps?)? The winner (as in last years vote):

'Vesturbæjarlaug is smack in the middle of the hubbub and serves up a wonderful selection of hot tubs chock full of chattering artists, students, and other107 locals. The pool is unique in the sense that it offers up pretty much anything you’d need—a shiny outdoor pool, big hotpots, a large steam room, and a particularly lovely outdoor changing area, which you should take advantage of in the summer'.

Runners up: Laugardalslaug and Árbæjarlaug.

ingabirnaf at Grjótagjá

Vogagjà 🐬....#vogagja #myvatn #hotspringiceland #hotspringswimming #hotspring #exploringiceland #skinnydipping

Despite the Blue Lagoon predicaments (is bigger always better?), there's been some announcements of investment in Iceland's private pools.

Skylagoon?
Should open beginning of next year and situated just outside Reykjavik's center. Thinkgeoenergy (Jun. 13) gives us the blah-blah:

'Located in Kársnes Harbour, Kópavogur, just minutes from Reykjavik’s vibrant city centre and iconic urban landmarks, Sky Lagoon will showcase expansive ocean vistas punctuated by awe-inspiring sunsets, Northern Lights and dark sky views.
“We are thrilled to unveil plans to develop a remarkable geothermal lagoon experience along one of Iceland’s most stunning oceanfront locations,” says Dagny Petursdottir, General Manager, Sky Lagoon. “The rejuvenating and relaxing retreat, situated against the dramatic backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean yet so close to Reykjavik’s vibrant urban centre, will enable guests to connect with mind, body and spirit through the radiant powers of geothermal waters while taking in such impressive ocean views.”

IamReykjavik (Jun. 25) has more.

Earlier, from the Iceland Monitor (Apr. 19): 

'The National Planning Agency has ruled that a project involving a hotel and two geothermal lagoons at Efri-Reykir, Southwest Iceland, does not require an environmental assessment, Morgunblaðið reports. Once the 200-room hotel is in full operation, about 1,200 guests a day are expected. The hotel will be among the largest in the country outside an urban area'.

portugueses_em_viagem

Descobre a Islândia com os Portugueses em Viagem. Não precisas de trazer fato de banho 😁Sabe mais em portuguesesemviagem.com#portuguesesemviagem #iceland #viajante #explorer #lídernu #islândia #ousadia #banhostermais #nakedmen #nakedbath #adventure #nature #expedição #expediçãoàÍslândia #lídernu #lidernu

I heart Reykjavik went upcountry and has an updated version (Jul. 13) of their blog post on:

'Three days in Árneshreppur in Strandir (and a dip into Krossnes pool)'.
...
The main reason for our visit to Norðurfjörður, apart from checking out an area I hadn’t been to before (Hrannar spent some time there as a kid) was to check Krossneslaug pool off our bucket list.
...
What’s striking about Krossnesslaug pool, is the feeling that you’ve somehow landed at the edge of the world with its oceanside location. If you’re lucky, you’ll see some seals hanging around right next to the pool (we did) and if you’re really lucky, you might see some whales. Not to mention the midnight sun in summer.
The pool is open 24/7, and if you happen to visit when there’s no one there to take your money for using it, you can leave the entrance fee in an honesty box inside of the changing rooms. They also provide their bank account number if you prefer to transfer the money. The pool is very well maintained, and the money they make goes towards making sure it stays that way.
The pool is 12,5 meters and quite warm compared to pools in Iceland in general. There’s also a small hot tub with normal hot tub temperature (around 38°C). The changing rooms have baskets where you can store your belongings and two showers'.

beenwaytoolongatsea