Pool Party

One of my sweetest early memories is from 1977. We had recently moved into a new house on the north side of San Antonio while my father was stationed at Randolph Air Force Base. We had an enormous back yard and my parents brought my brother and I out into the thick spider grass to let us in on a big surprise. They were going to build us our very own pool! I remember being so happy that I did somersaults on the small hill in the yard. This is what every boy dreams of. In a few short months, we were going to be the kings of Oak Meadows Drive. Inviting our friends over for endless summer pool time. It started my life long love for the water. I conjured up that great memory today and played one of my favorite songs called Pool Party by Rudy Willingham. Listen to it here and try not to smile.

Iceland gets it too. This is a pool culture extraordinaire. Every day I’ve stumbled on every kind of pool you could imagine – imdoor, outdoor, hot, cold, fancy, basic and my favorite, the rocky and warm thermal pools that pop up along the roadside. I was about 55 miles into my ride today when I stopped for a soak in a rather crowded but beautiful thermal pool. I was joined by an Israeli family, two French women, a group of Japanese tourists and strangely enough – a couple from Capitol Hill in Seattle. I changed into my swimsuit by the roadside and soaked my tired legs and feet in the warm mineral waters while I marveled at the infinity pool effect looking across the ocean. The sun was bright and after the crowds disbursed, I spent about an hour dozing off. Just heavenly.

The ride today was 70 miles with two big climbs in the beginning. It really warmed up and it felt amazing to break into a full hot sweat as I chugged up the 5+ mile climbs. The views on the way down were incredible and this part of the Westfjords is really green with beautiful sandy beaches. The sheep were hanging out in the sand again enjoying the calm winds and warm sun too. I found a restaurant a few miles out from our guesthouse and had a burger from the special “2026 Eclipse Menu.” I suspect it is the same menu as before but just double the price! I paid over $40 for a burger and fries. Iceland is expensive but that was shocking.

There is going to be a total solar eclipse here on Wednesday afternoon and you can feel the crowds building. Everyone is getting themselves settled somewhere along the coast in the Westfjords to try to catch the event in its full glory. My last solar eclipse was in Mexico City in July 1991. It was an awesome experience – mostly because of all of the strange animal behaviors that it elicits. I will just be getting back into Isafjodur about that time and it would be a dream to catch it while I’m out on the bike.

I’m so happy we are on the other side of that storm and back in beautiful riding weather. It’s been fun to see more people gathering around the viewpoints and hot pools. I’ve stopped and talked to everyone that I’ve come across and really enjoyed the incredible gravel roads and views of this part of Iceland. I’m going to miss this place and already planning some of the other parts of the Island that I’d love to visit.