If you ever get the chance to take a short trip and have no idea where in the world you should go...GO TO ICELAND! With a population of only 321,857 people and a total area of 103,000 km this wee little country is quite simply exquisite. With some of the most beautiful sites I have ever seen the nature in Iceland is apparent at every turn.
Here are some memories I took from my time here;
Grab your camera-the touristy bits:
After a night of numerous beers and too much spiced rum a trip to the world renowned Blue Lagoon Spa was just what the doctor ordered.
The prospect of this spa is mind boggling-picture this; freezing winds and drizzling rain, me in a bathing suit standing at the edge of a 'hot' spring telling myself "It's said to be relaxing..." I just couldn't believe anything about this experience would be anything but painful.
Alas I was wrong, I never wanted to leave this place! This man made lagoon is rich in minerals such as silica and sulphur and is said to contain magical healing powers.
We went as a group of 25 and got the comfort package, this included; entrance to the spa, use of bathrobe and towel, one free drink, a skin care voucher and volcanic or algae face scrub.
The salts of the lagoon and the algae face mask left my skin feeling super soft and my mind and body oh so relaxed...ahhh.
I went to Iceland with a bunch of Brummies and lived
The Golden Circle tour was amazing, getting to see some of the most beautiful sites in Iceland and probably the world.
The Greenhouse we visited is home to some of the best tomato soup I have ever tasted with tomatoes being grown for miles in this giant greenhouse.
We also got to see the majestic Gullfoss waterfall (Golden Waterfall) which was my personal favourite place we saw on the tour, it is breath taking!
Other stops include the wonderful geysir which erupts every 10 minutes and boy when it does, wow!
Whale watching was a highlight of the trip, sometimes it can be hit or miss as to what you see but we were lucky and got to see an amazing array of magnificent mammals including a hump back whale, minke whale, dolphins and porpoise!
And last but not least the most beautiful, breath taking, amazing, wonderful, magical part of the trip; The Northern Lights or should I say Aurora Bourealis.
Photographs could not capture the wonder of this amazing display, the colours going from electric green to pink and dancing in the sky. It was one of the most amazing sights I have ever got to see in my life and (as cheesy as it sounds) is a memory which I will treasure forever, especially as I got to share it with some amazing people including the gorgeous Mr Ryan Hodgins.
Nightlife:
Bars here are buzzing and the staff are always up for a laugh! We became regulars at the English Pub (how cultural) mostly because of the spinning wheel; a game of luck where you can win nothing or everything...everything being 10 beers, which we won!
Lebowkski bar was my ultimate fave, mostly because of the sign outside which read
"If you are racist, homophobic, sexist or an asshole don't come in."
a nostalgic bar which captured the essence of old school America, pictures of pin up girls decorate the walls and again they have their own infamous spinning wheel (which we won, again).
Christmas:
I am the anti-grinch at christmas, annoyingly jolly wearing my gaudy christmas jumper with bells on (literally) with pride...I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!!
You can imagine my excitement when I came across Santa's boots outside this quaint Icelandic christmas shop. They hand make most of their christmas decorations meaning you can get hold of something completely unique. Most of them are done in a classic christmas style; tin soldiers, Saint Nicolas and gingerbread men!
All is made complete by the Santa mail box outside so you can make sure your letter to Father Christmas is sent direct through santa mail!
The Fashion:
The icelandic folk are oh so fashionable and give us British a run for our money.
The men in particular grabbed my attention with their vintage trends, most sporting flat caps, brief cases and fabulous facial hair.
The city is filled with chic boutiques and hidden gems of vintage shops.
My fashion hot spots:
- Freebird
- Zack
- Nostalgia
Iceland, I love you.
Bex
Bex
No comments:
Post a Comment