Winter Island Hopping 2024 - Iceland: Hotel Rangá and HotTubs

 We did not have a break in the weather today, so we decided just to enjoy another day around Hotel Ranga.  

Views from outside of the Hotel

Inside views

Iceland's only indigenous mammal, the arctic fox.  In the summer brown like this, in the winter snow white

Icelanders and their hot water.  It’s not just about getting clean, it’s a national pastime. They use the warm geothermal waters to heat large lagoons, community swimming pools and in the case of our hotel three hot tubs.  There is something appealing about being surrounded by subfreezing temperatures, several feet of snow, and wind blowing at 20 mph, while sitting in a barrel of water naturally heated from the water from a nearby spring.  So in I hopped.  Icelanders are highly educated and I think even the hot waters have a Ph.D in philosophical thought.  For whatever reason, while sitting in the tub with several people I never knew,  we discussed geothermal power, the Aurora Borealis and the fine dining in the restaurant.  Refreshingly, not a word was said about sports, war or presidential politics.  I think these waters are the glue that binds the nation and could save mankind. 

Me and my glass of wine

Me, and two ladies from Milwaukee, only one got in.

Me, the lady from Milwaukee, a lady from Brazil, and a gentleman (behind the robes) from central England.  I left before the arrival of any other countries.

Sandy and I decided to have dinner in the bar/lounge.

As this was a slow day for us, I had plenty of time to think of Iceland.  Settled first by the Viking, Ingólfur Anmarson, who had been exiled from Norway for being too bloodthirsty.  What must a Viking do to be “too” bloodthirsty?  Apparently he looked at the lava beds, hot springs and perfectly unpronounceable names (Eyjáfjallajökull … are they serious?) and then said here, I will build a farm, then a nation.  The rest is Icelandic history.