\u00a0A journey of more than four thousand miles begins with…<\/h3>\n

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<\/p>\n

\n

Our Ride’s Here !<\/h3>\n

….a single step off the jetway onto the aircraft. \u00a0Adventure awaits those who are not afraid.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\n

And it’s a lot easier if you can ride in Business First!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Lucky us, our Global Entry cards, and print-em-at-home boarding passes got us the short lines, no undressing for the TSA Group Grope and, once on board… some sparkling wine with o.j. \u00a0And shortly after launch… here comes breakfast. \u00a0A lot of it. \u00a0And it was pretty good, all things considered.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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As we turned, heading East towards the rising sun, the mountains had just started to catch a few rays to begin warming the cool, blue landscape. \u00a0Adios, PDX, we’ll be back way to soon, a little heavier, and a LOT more tired.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Washington\/Oregon Wind Farms<\/h3>\n

I always enjoyed flying over Washington and Idaho… It kind of reminds me that getting a bit older and substantially more wrinkled isn’t such a bad thing. \u00a0These hills from 6 miles up look almost liked crushed velvet with soft earth tones delicately applied. \u00a0I can almost feel it’s softness…<\/p>\n

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Another advantage to riding in the front are the many World Clubs that “go with” the Business-1st ticket. “Free” food, booze, wi-fi, television, showers, etc. \u00a0(There ain’t no free lunch.)<\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

At JFK… look at how tiny the El Al 747-400 looks hiding behind the Emirates A380. \u00a0I hope that Winnie gets to fly the A380 some day… one just never knows.<\/p>\n

Then, hours later…<\/p>\n

We’re shuffling off the jetway in Keflavik. \u00a0Bleary eyes. \u00a0The ol’ bod is hurting in places that formerly did not hurt. \u00a0Greasy faced. \u00a0Gaack, what’s that coating my teeth? \u00a0Is this the same day?<\/p>\n

And we’re supposed to tour some kinda lagoon? \u00a0Can’t we just have a nap, instead?<\/p>\n

The “Blue” Lagoon, just outside of Keflavik, Iceland<\/h3>\n

<\/p>\n

First comes a hot, naked shower in a room with 50 other men. \u00a0No bathing suits allowed. \u00a0Get over it.<\/p>\n

And then… and then… into the mineral packed waters. \u00a0Ahhhhhhhh.<\/p>\n

and now, a brief word from our sponsor, The Blue Lagoon: \u00a0The Lagoon’s algae is only found growing in extreme conditions of heat and pressure.<\/p>\n

The lagoons geothermal seawater is part of an ecocycle where science and energy cohabit. \u00a0The seawater originates around 2000 meters below the surface of the earth\u00a0(think of that as 20 USA football fields laid end-to-end, plus a little extra room at the end)\u00a0and begins it’s filtering\u00a0seepage upward at 240 degrees Centigrade (or 464 degrees Fahrenheit) cooling as it rises. \u00a0By the time it gets to the top, it’s cooled to 37-39 degrees (100f). \u00a0The flow completely replenishes its two million gallons of geothermal seawater every forty hours. \u00a0The minerals, silica, and algae in the water kill “common bacteria” (that’s a code word for E. coli, I’ll bet) such that chlorine is neither needed, wanted, nor dumped into the lagoon. \u00a0The high temps, salinity, algae, and silicates are touted as having significant skin protecting and anti-aging effects.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

\n<\/span>Winnie’s dad and mom, George and Pat, were first into the healing waters. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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ThereThere are big wooden boxes filled with the healing silicates, other minerals, and algae. \u00a0Just scoop yourself out a few ladles-full and apply it to the portions of your body that you’d like rejuvenated!<\/p>\n

k,thx,i’mgonnauseoneextraladle. \u00a0juscause.<\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

I can feel it’s healing powers already!<\/h3>\n

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And a little bitty bit for Ms. Winnie.<\/h3>\n

Winnie just needs a partial scoop, because she moisturizes regularly.<\/p>\n

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Apply, rinse, and repeat. \u00a0I feel prettier already.<\/h3>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

And HA! \u00a0After that eternal plane ride, we are both<\/p>\n

FEELING 20 YEARS YOUNGER<\/h3>\n

after only an hour of “treatment”.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

And now, it’s time to head into Reykjavik and check out our hotel.<\/p>\n

As we checked into the Icelandair Marina Hotel, I just happened to notice this little signpost in the hall (opposite the bar) that leads to the WC’s:<\/p>\n

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This gentleman \u00a0will “point” you toward the bathrooms.<\/h3>\n

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The next thing we noticed upon check in were the hotel’s rather “Cheeky” signs around the hotel and in the rooms themselves asking you to “be nice”, chill out, and just go with it,..<\/p>\n

You know, I think I’d look rather formidable in a Viking helmet. \u00a0 Now if I could just get this thing off. \u00a0Whoa, I like the sword, too!<\/p>\n

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G & P like the Viking helmets, too.<\/p>\n

Looks like I’ve started something.<\/p>\n

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Winnie takes the Viking faery by the horns…<\/p>\n

She always was a “take charge” kind of gal…<\/p>\n

Time to grab a bite to eat.<\/h3>\n

<\/p>\n

Maybe. \u00a0Maybe not. \u00a0We’ll see.<\/h3>\n

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Perhaps something a little more mainstream…<\/h3>\n

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A “small” Fish & Chips,<\/h3>\n

followed by…<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n A frosty pint of the local brew to wash it down.<\/h3>\n Ahhhhhh. \u00a0 \u00a0Buuuuurrrrrpppp.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n It’s been a heckuva first day, and I’m thinking it’s not going to be difficult to fall asleep. \u00a0Tomorrow’s gonna be a big day. \u00a0G’night, all. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Zzzzzzzz.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0A journey of more than four thousand miles begins with…   Our Ride’s Here ! ….a single step off the jetway onto the aircraft. \u00a0Adventure awaits those who are not afraid. And it’s a lot easier if you can ride in Business First! Lucky us, our Global Entry cards, and print-em-at-home boarding passes got us … <\/p>\n Read more “ICELAND – Day One, The Adventure Begins”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6448,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[59,8,9],"tags":[61,60],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/timdurhamphotography.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6466"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/timdurhamphotography.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/timdurhamphotography.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/timdurhamphotography.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/timdurhamphotography.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6466"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"http:\/\/timdurhamphotography.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6466\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6543,"href":"http:\/\/timdurhamphotography.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6466\/revisions\/6543"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/timdurhamphotography.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6448"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/timdurhamphotography.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/timdurhamphotography.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6466"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/timdurhamphotography.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}