Recently, two very good girl friend's and I booked a holiday to Iceland with the aim to see the Northern Lights, something on all our "Before I'm 30..." bucket lists. Poor but still with the carpe diem sort of attitude I was so excited for the opportunity, even if it did make a huge dent in my tiny bank balance.
This trip deserves a full and lengthy blog because it is, without question, the best holiday and the most beautiful country I have ever visited.
Sunday 10th February 2013
Our trip began on a rainy Sunday evening. After an amusing confusion at the car park ticket barrier, we eventually made it Gatwick North Terminal and settled down with a pint. The flight was a late one, and despite the airport being nearly empty we still ending up running the length of the terminal to the plain. But once on the plain the panic was forgotten as we had acres of leg room, pillows, complimentary drinks and a full selection of films and television programmes.
Arriving in Iceland at midnight was not only chilly and tiring, but slightly manic. Firstly I had to battle a woman who had the same suitcase as mine. Same except for the fact hers had a bronze lock... and a massive rip in it, as I had breathed a sigh of relief when I realised it was not my case on the carousel just moments before.
Then our transfer was late, and my LORD do people not handle these situations well? There was pushing, shoving and probably biting somewhere along the line. People who had pushed their way on then refused to sit down because they had abandoned half their families outside of the bus, making it impossible for the driver to know how many seats were still free. Very frustrating, but climbing into a warm bed with a view of a corridor and what can only be described as half a pillow, was just luxurious by 3am.
Monday 11th February 2013
After very little sleep, but a nice shower and a large bready-eggy-cheesey-hammy breakfast, we set off for the day. It was of great surprise that our hotel actually looked out onto mountains - our corridor-view rooms had not done them justice. And my God are they beautiful mountains. As you wander along the harbour more mountains appearing, varying in shape and snow cover, but combined with the sun rise and the blue, still harbour water, it was calming and overwhelmingly gorgeous.
We wandered into town of Reykjavik and found that Icelandic houses are just... cute. Coloured wood-effect houses with white window frames and sloping roofs. Each one unique and adorable. However I think what stood out to us the most was how quiet Reykjavik is. Two thirds of Iceland's 320,000 population live there, but even that is only 20,000 more than the population of Southend-on-Sea, and has nothing on the 8 million people who live in the capital of England. I think Iceland's serenity just added to how beautiful it was.
We stopped at a Cafe which overlooked the Cathedral, an impressive building that you can see from almost anywhere in town. We had a pancake and a cup of hot chocolate and saw our first taste of how lovely the people of Iceland are. Plus had free WiFi so we could plan our next movements.
Next was a hearty walk through some residential areas where people nail shoes to trees and grow plants out of them, to the Perlan viewing point. Also known fondly as "The Great Boob of Reykjavik" The Pearl can also be seen from anywhere in the city, and from its freezing balcony you can see the whole city, plus the beautiful landscape surrounding it. It was seriously breathtaking. One thing I love about many European cities is the fact they have these high points you can visit so you can see the entire city from one place - something I think parts of England sorely lack.
Downstairs we indulged in a little Icelandic history in the Saga museum. It was really fascinating and obviously an opportunity to pose with the waxworks made there.
Next stop was, of course, Iceland's Phallalogical Museum. Which is what you think it is. What was weirder than the thousands of animal penises in jars, however, was the slightly overweight man who ran this strange shop-size exhibit at the end of the high street, and how he casually brought out a large, wooden (wait for it) penis shaped box to put our money in and handed us "Catalogues" that explain what all the penises are. I'm not sure if he collected them all himself, but I wouldn't be surprised. It was an interesting exhibit, did you know pigs have curly penises? And did you know that Sperm Whale penises are terrifyingly large? Well now you do, thanks to the fact we've maintained very strong levels in immaturity in our 20s.
The first meal of Iceland was a burger restaurant (locally sourced meat I hasten to add). Something I'd spotted earlier in the day, and oh my it was a good shout. A gigantic burger, fantastic service and only cost us £15! Whoever said Iceland was expensive lied horribly. Nom. Nom. Nom.
After a much deserved nap, we headed our on our Northern Lights excursion. The forecast was "Minimum" so we weren't particularly hopeful, even when the driver said the conditions were perfect to see them. Wrapped up warm, heading out to the National Park where there was less light pollution, we suddenly spotted a glow in the sky. The guide made the driver pull over and we saw a beautiful display at just 10.15pm - two hours earlier than the apparent optimum time. They were indescribably beautiful. On a backdrop of thousands of stars you could only dream of seeing in the UK, these green lights danced across the horizon line and off into the darkness. At that moment we also saw a shooting star and Claire received news that her brother's baby might be on the way - Couldn't have been a more exciting moment.
On arrival at the National Park the lights seemed to have drifted off a bit. The glow was very faint, but by this point it didn't matter to any of us if we saw them again because the displayed we'd just seen had been so dazzling. After a very freezing hour, and mostly failed attempt to take pictures, we heading back on the bus to go back to Reykjavik, feeling thoroughly satisfied with our trip.
(Picture by Rhiannon)
On the way back, the driver pulled over again because they spotted an orange-coloured glow just outside of Reykjavik and he wanted us to see the different colours. After five minutes we set back onto the coach, ready for a good night's sleep, when the arrive shouted us back onto the bus. Out of the nowhere, there was a huge light across the entire sky, white, green, purple and orange... It was just like you see postcards and pictures of and it was absolutely stunning. We couldn't have dreamed of having a better experience and we couldn't believe it was our first attempt to see them. My pictures aren't great so here's one by Aaron Buis, a lovely American guy (and new hero to Asian tourists world wide) would took some fantastically beautiful photos.
(Picture by Aaron Buis)
Tuesday 12th February 2013
Tuesday got off to a slower start as we attempted to catch up on a little sleep. In the afternoon we headed to the Blue Lagoon, a big natural out door sauna. The weather was absolutely beautiful and we couldn't wait for a relaxing afternoon.
We arrived and hired a towel and bathrobe, and donned the electronic bracelets you use to get drinks and lock your lockers. We then had to shower before entry, and of course leave our generic bathrobes outside, meaning they all got taken so we'd already played a fun game of swapsies which carried on through the afternoon. It was freezing outside, but once you were in the water you'd think you were in a tropical country because it was so warm. We took some photos and cashed in on our free drink, definitely the sort of life I want to live. Several hours later, after another drink and an algae facial, skin soft and wrinkly from the salt, we left feeling refreshed and relaxed. It was an amazing afternoon and like nothing else I've ever experienced, truly truly beautiful.
The ride home was also an amazing experience as we drove through the most beautiful sun set.
We had planned to try some Icelandic cuisine that night, and after a long walk found the restaurant we had planned to go to was no longer serving puffin and shark, so we headed to an adorable, more expensive looking, restaurant we had passed on the way down; I think fate had a hand in this because it was one of the most interesting and beautiful meals I've ever had.
We opted for the tasting platter - which I think is very apologetic of the Icelandic, as lots of countries just expect you to eat an enjoy their food, whereas there they are happy for you just to taste.
Minke Whale: Tastes like the old plague-y, wooden smell they pump into old museums where they try to recreate life from 400 years ago. 1 Star.
Wind dried cod: Sawdust texture until mixed with butter, then generally very yummy. 4 Stars.
Puffin with cranberry compote: Not how we expected, less like chicken, more like fish with a sort of duck-like texture, but pretty damn nice. 3.5 stars.
Fermented Shark: Not even food. Just an experience. They give it to you in an airtight jar, presumably to keep back the smell, and recommend that you follow with a chaser of Brevinnin - an Icelandic Schnaps. We opted for a Rip-The-Plaster-Off sort of tactic - only to discover that it's so tough you can't easily get a fork into it. To begin with it actually didn't taste bad, if you could fight the awful rubbery texture - but then the burn begins. The sort of burn that I couldn't describe if I wanted to. The man on the next table asked if it was peppery or chili - but it was neither. So quickly went the shot as well, which made things worse but I suspect it killed a few taste buds which I am thankful for. 0 Stars for Taste, 5 Stars for uniqueness.
Main course was Catch of the day - Blue Ling with barley risotto in white wine sauce, which was just divine, and definitely got rid of the shark after taste. I am so glad I went with people who were willing to try to weird cuisine. It's all very "When in Rome" but I think its important to experience everything you can when you go to another country, and it's definitely a good story too!
Wednesday 13th February 2013
Another beautiful and early morning in my new favourite country, Reykjavik and time for the famous Golden Circle tour. This is a very age-friendly tour because you essentially sit on a bus and stare at the beautiful surroundings, getting out every so often to see more of the miracles that nature hath provided us.
We were a little late out of the bus station because we were on the longest bus in the fleet, so it has a little bit of trouble going down town, (yes, that is what she said). First stop was a massive greenhouse, definitely one of the duller parts of the day, but there were more plants in shoes, and it was kind of interesting to see how they make their own locally grown crops in such a harsh environment.
Next stop was the Gullfoss Waterfall - one of the most impressive things I've ever seen through streaming eyes and blue fingers. The wind was intense and I'm so glad I got some nice pictures because I couldn't bring myself to check. Following it up with a nice warm cuppa with a view of the mountains definitely made the experience worthwhile!
Stop number three was the Geysir park. Geysir is actually the name of the oldest, extinct Geysir in the park. The active one, Strokkur, (teehee) went off about every five minutes and was pretty impressive. I got this cool shot of it going off and the sign. I waited on bended knee in the freezing cold and battled some Japanese tourists who moved out of the way with about ten seconds to spare before the eruption. Lucky for them...
Followed up with some authentic Icelandic Meat Soup and posing in Viking wear and with old troll men definitely struck the balance between cultured&sensible and immature&amusing.
The Fourth and Final stop was in the National Park we were at for the Northern Lights, which is a pretty awesome geographical feat, as it is where the Eurasian and North American Tectonic plates meet... (well, are separating) so we walked from Europe to North America, as I understand it. And the views were incredible.
As designated Food Expert of the holiday, I had found a restaurant called the Hofnin (The Harbour) which was... On the Harbour. So, tired and weary, we set off through a beautiful pink, girly sunset to have our final meal.
And what a meal. I had Reindeer meatballs in a blue cheese sauce, and Claire and Rhiannon had some locally caught Arctic Char. YUM FEST.
Wanting to catch an early night, we headed back to the hotel at about 8.30 so we could get some Zeds before our 5am transfer to the airport. Glowing from our beautiful last evening on our beautiful holiday, Rhiannon (whose name in Latin means "Good at spotting stuff") noticed a glow in the sky... We couldn't quite believe it but there it was - The Motherhugging Northern Lights! At 8.30pm in the middle of Reykjavik. Words cannot describe how amazed we were, they performed a lovely little Goodbye Dance, then hung around for a while for us to get some extra amateur pictures.
Needless to say, Zeds were not caught after this due to feeling like children on Christmas Eve.
I am not exaggerating when I say this is the best holiday and the most beautiful country I've ever been to. It was an incredible few days and I saw things that were just too spectacular for words or pictures to justify it. We've decided we want to go Northern Lights hunting every few years, because quite frankly once is not enough!
Go to Iceland, go now!
