In early December 2003 we went to Scotland and Iceland for a week. The side trip to Scotland was really a bonus. I originally was planning the trip to Iceland, but was waiting for a response to an email question I sent the hotel. Before the hotel responded, I received an email from the airlines including Scotland for 2 nights for not much more money. So this became our 'Scotch with Ice' tour.

Our time in Scotland was spent in Glasgow. We had seen quite a lot of Scotland when we were there last, but luckily had not seen Glasgow. We knew there was a lot of shopping in the city, so we were looking at doing that. Fortunately, there was a Glasgow City Tour bus that allowed us to hop-on and hop-off at the city tourist spots. This made for a very effective way to see the city. On top of that, we used the city buses and Underground to get around.

When we arrived in Iceland, it wasn't what we thought it would look like. The airport is about 45 miles from the capital city, Reykjavik, where we were staying. During the bus ride we saw a lot of barren landscape of the volcanic variety (it's like Hawaii, but without the surf, sand, and sun). When we finally started seeing buildings, I thought we were in Reykjavik. But, we kept driving, and driving and there were more and more houses, restaurants, gas stations, mini malls, you name it. The city and surrounding area is really spread out. I thought we would just turn a corner and be in the city but it wasn't like that. The area and city center has a lot, but does not have a congested feeling at all. Reykjavik is a very nice European city with enough sights and shopping to keep you busy for several days. Did I mention there was no snow in Iceland, in December?

We also took a wonderful daylong 'Golden Circle' bus tour to see the countryside and get a different perspective of Iceland. We had a breakfast break in Hveragerði, a greenhouse community where Icelanders harness the natural geothermal energy of Iceland to grow vegetables, fruits and exotic plants. In Skálholt we saw the cathedral and the ancient seat of Icelandic Bishops in an active archaeological dig. Nearby we saw the mountain Hekla, an active volcano that last erupted in 2000. At Gullfoss (The Golden Waterfall), the falls drops over 105 feet into a 230-foot canyon. Our lunch break was an Icelandic buffet in the geothermal area Geysir (the word geyser comes from Iceland), where Strokkur (The Churn) erupts every 10 minutes just outside the window. We saw Kerið in Grímsnes, a 3000 year old crater that is 180 feet deep. The tour continued on to Þingvellir, a national park, where the Icelandic ancient parliament was formed. Finally, a short drive through a highly mountainous region brought us back to the capital in time for dinner.

Before we left Iceland, we had to visit the Bláa lónið (Blue Lagoon). In fact, I think it is required before leaving the country (they check to see if your passport is soggy). We went in the evening, which is a very eerie experience. As you arrive, the walk from the parking lot is through a long winding carved lava rock tunnel. It isn't really a tunnel, but you are surrounded on both sides by lava mounds at least 15 feet high with very little lighting on the path. From there, you get to the building that allows you into the Blue Lagoon. There is very little lighting in and around the Blue Lagoon. Add on top of that a mist over the water, a full moon, and the Northern Lights dancing in the sky and you may begin to get an idea of what it is like to be there at night. The Blue Lagoon itself is man made, but made to look natural, rugged, and random to create the feeling of being in a real lagoon. There were times we were floating around, but could see or hear no one despite knowing other people were near.