Let's Swim at Seljavallalaug (At Our Own Risk)

Home to less than 326,000 people, the island of Iceland is the most densely populated country of Europe.  Two-thirds of the residents live in or around the nation's capital, Reykjavik, leaving the rest of the 40,000 square miles up to one's self to discover.  Located only about 20 miles from the capital, many tourists (and even Icelanders) tend to miss Seljavallalaug, for there is no direct path to this hidden cove.

Photo courtesy of wikimedia.com

Built in 1923, the pool of Saljavellir is one of the oldest public pools in Iceland.  Located in the valley, the pool is about a 10-15 minute walk from the closest road and parking area.  Once at the pool, one's view is not only the magnificent cliffs and rolling hills, but also the steaming waters rushing out of the mountains.  The pool is comfortably warm and typically secluded, so many Icelanders take advantage and bathe in the midst of Mother Nature. 

Just in case one wants to change after his or her swim, there is still a men and women's changing room in the white hut behind the pool.  Included in the changing room is just that: a changing room.  There are no toilets nor showers.  

Unfortunately, Seljavallalaug sits right beneath the infamous volcano Eyjafallajokull, which erupted in 2010.  Simply put, ash completely covered not only the pool, but also polluted air and delayed air traffic all over Europe for a week.  

In the summer of 2011, volunteer crews cleaned up and restored the pool of Saljavellir.  The hot pool is still accessible to the public, but officials warn tourists to swim at their own risk.  Maintenance is only kept up once a year, but fortunately volunteer work comes to the rescue yet again.  

Photo courtesy of www.iceland.de

The hot pool is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.  So whether the weather is rain, shine, snow, or anywhere else in-between, visitors can guarantee themselves a hot treat in Seljavallalaug, Iceland.

First Destination: Plitvicka Jezera, Croatia

Have you ever wondered if those pre-loaded desktop wallpapers are completely Photoshopped?  I mean, come on!  If these places were really so beautiful, why aren't there any tourists in the photos?  

I have wondered this for a while myself as well.  I then came to realize that, unfortunately, people tend to overlook a lot of naturally beautiful and culturally rich places of the world and gravitate towards places they're familiar with.  To break this status quo, we need to make ourselves uncomfortable and nose-dive into the unknown.  As we see on our wallpaper, the unknown can be a beautiful place.

Croatia's "Plitvička Jezera" National Park

Plitvička Jezera National Park is nearly 5,000 miles away from my home state, Illinois.  Having less than one million tourists visit per year, Croatia's National Park is still a well kept secret of Europe.  

Surprisingly, the park - which was founded in 1949 - is the oldest National Park of Southeast Europe.  In 1979, the park was also added to the UNESCO World Heritage registrar; it was one of the first natural sites in the world to be named.  

The park covers about 74,000 acres of land and has 16 lakes.  Being home to numerous lakes, waterfalls and wildlife, this National Park is a definite must-see!  If you ever happen to be one of the fortunate 0.00012% of humanity that visits Plitvička Jezera each year, here are some of the attractions and features of the park:

• There's an online virtual tour of the park that you can access here.  Included on this tour is a 360° panoramic view of the park.  Get familiar with the park before you visit so you can create your own list of "must sees".  
• Bring your hiking boots, for there are a vast number of hiking trails in the park.  Ranging from 15 minutes to eight hours, there's sure to be a trail for you!
• Tour the lakes on an electric boat.  The park offers an electric boat service that runs from one end of a lake to another, so if hiking isn't for you, there's still a way to get those breath-taking views.
• Purchase a two-day pass.  There are three hotel services in the park, and purchasing a two-day pass is a much better deal than the single day pass.  The hotels and restaurants serve traditional Croatian dishes (goulash, anybody?) to satisfy your tastebuds after a long hike in the park. 

Don't have time to visit in the summer?  Not to worry!  Plitvička Jezera has beautiful views with the same history all year round.

How's that for a new desktop wallpaper?