Relaxing in Reykjavik

I woke up feeling sad after realizing that today was going to be our last full day in Iceland. I don't feel ready to go back to Canada. Oh well, I guess that's what happens when you are having a good time. We didn't have big plans for the day so we decided to go back to our favourite things in Reykjavik: shopping a bit on the main street (Laugavegur) in the morning, having a hot dog for lunch at one of the kiosks and going back to the sports centre for a last swim at an outdoor pool with the kids.  

The little guy we met at a parking lot.

 Since we still had some time left in the evening, we went to check out the Nauthólsvík Geothermal Beach. This is an artificial beach, opened in 2001, with golden sand and hot water. It's so funny to think that Iceland is surrounded by water but people hardly enjoy their beaches due to the cold weather. So, here is the solution: a heated beach.

 The water was not warm when we were there, but apparently it gets up to 19 degrees in the summer.

From: http://www.visitreykjavik.is/nautholsvik-geothermal-beach

The sea temperature varies from around -1,9°C during the coldest months and around 17°C in the summertime. Average temperatures are between 3°- 5°C in the winter and 12°- 15°C in the summer. The temperature of the sea inside the lagoon itself is higher in the summer, averaging at between 15°- 19°C, due to the geothermal heating. It's also significantly warmer during the winter in opening hours when the overspill from the hot-tubs warm the lagoon. Keep in mind that this also depends on the tide. During high-tide when the lagoon floods temperature differences are negligible.

Since I don't have too much to write about today, here are 

SOME OF MY OBSERVATIONS ABOUT ICELAND:

1- everything is extremely clean and organized. Nothing is broken or falling apart.

2- Icelandic people are super friendly when you talk to them, but they will not initiate a conversation.

3- during a week here I saw a police car three times only. I never saw a police officer just walking on the streets.

4- everybody, I mean, everybody speaks fluent English.

5- people don't hang out outside too much in small cities. Whenever we drove by small towns, we didn't see anybody walking on the sidewalks.

6- Icelandic people take their personal hygiene very seriously. People have full soapy showers naked before entering any public swimming pool. And shoes are not allowed in the change rooms.

7- there is not a diverse wildlife in Iceland. On farms we saw mostly horses and sheep, not even cows.

8- Icelandic people wear nice stuff. I never saw anyone wearing sweat pants or Walmart-like clothes. (btw, there are no Walmarts, neither Mac Donald's in Iceland).

9- they love their hot dogs and burgers/sandwiches places, but you don't see too many big American chains, except Subway.

10- there are a lot of young and old people walking around downtown Reykjavik. I don't know where all the middle age people hide.