Sunday, 16 March 2014

Iceland!


Ben and I spent days exploring this incredible country. Iceland really is a land of contrasts - from the lava-scarred Reykjanes peninsula to the snow covered mountains of the interior. One minute you are driving through flat lava-scarred Reykjanes planes and half an hour later you are driving through the snow covered mountains, where literally all you can see is fields and fields of snow. My biggest piece of advice is to hire a car – it is cost effective and the best way to see all the nooks and crannies of this incredible country.

Our first stop was the Bridge between Two Continents - where you can cross the rift that separates the European and American continental plates, Slightly contrived but a lot of fun and marked by a sign welcoming you to each continent.





We then headed to the Blue Lagoon, which was the perfect way to relax and unwind before driving to Reykjavík.
















The next day we decided to drive to the black sandy beaches of Vik The weather in Iceland is extremely changeable, which we soon discovered at our first stop at Seljalandsfoss. It was sunny and amazing as we drove to the falls but as soon as we pulled up it started snowing. I was pretty excited as this was the first time I had seen it snow for years and years. This powerful waterfall plummets two hundred feet into a deep pool and allows you to walk behind this beautiful waterfall.


 Our next stop was Skogafoss, which is one of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland with a width of 25m and plummets 60m. Once you brave the climb up the side of the falls, the view from the top is spectacular – showcasing the incredible diversity of this country.




Whilst we were not organised enough to book a glacier walk, we still trekked to the Solheimajokull glacier to marvel at its spectacular beauty. Once again, as soon as we left the car the weather turned and started snowing. So it was kind of a blessing in disguise that our disorganisation prevented us from partaking in a glacier walk. We still managed to climb partway onto the glacier and check it out.



Next stop for the day was Dyrholaey, which is a promontory reaching out into the ocean. However, the road to Dyrhaloaey was submerged underwater so we weren’t able to make it there – but people highly recommended it to us.





We finally reached our destination of the black sandy beaches of Vik. We strolled along these stretches of black basalt sands until once again the weather turned and it started hailing. It was strange to see these black beaches turned completely white under a blanket of hail.



Saturday, 15 March 2014

Blue Lagoon



Our first stop was the one I was most looking forward to and one that did not disappoint - the Blue Lagoon. You can't imagine how cold it is when you step out the doors and stand in front of the Blue Lagoon  but it is entirely worth it once you have immersed yourself within the milky blue waters . With the outside temperatures around 1 degree celsius, the 37 degree celsius warmth of the waters meant whatever plans we had for the day quickly disappeared. Buy a drink from the floating bar, relax and unwind. It is perfect!


                    

Tuesday, 25 February 2014

Borough Market!





On the last weekend of winter, London put on a spectacular show. There was no better way to celebrate the beauty of the city than a walk along the Thames to Borough Market. This was my first time at the markets and they were incredible. It is a foodies paradise! It offers a vast array of fresh produce from fruits and vegetables, to cheese, meat, seafood - pretty much anything you could want. At one fruit store, the owner gave us the most delicious mango to sample and at a a very reasonable price of 3 mangos for 2 pounds I will definitely be back to buy more!

The bustling atmosphere, friendly and skilled traders, amazing produce make this market a delight to visit.

Borough Market
Open: Lunch Only Mon - Tues 10am to 5pm
Full Market: Wed - Thurs 10am to 5pm, Fri 10am to 6pm, Sat 8am to 5pm

Monday, 23 December 2013

Christmas in London!



The Christmas lights in London went on the weekend I arrived (9th of November) and the festive season proves the distraction that the locals and tourists need from the ever darkening days and plummeting temperatures. It is Christmas here and you can feel the cheerfulness everywhere as people don their Christmas jumpers and head to the many markets and festivities that abound in London. Or maybe that is just me!

MERRY CHRISTMAS     

My favourite Christmas Markets in London:
Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park - It is a Christmas carnival meets traditional markets. It has something for everyone including a giant ferris wheel, carnival rides, ice skating rink all set in picturesque Hyde Park.
Southbank Christmas Markets - set along the waterfront it is the perfect place to grab a mulled wine and explore.
Somerset House - This is THE place to go ice skating in London (but be warned, bookings sell out quickly!)

Streets to Visit for Christmas Lights:
Regent St
Oxford St
Carnaby St
Covent Garden
Trafalgar Square



Sunday, 15 December 2013

Lille!






On a whim we decided to head across the Channel into France and onwards to Lille.  It took us around 3.5 hrs to drive there including 30mins on the Channel crossing. I am all about weekends away when it is so easy to be in another country. This is a luxury that Britons take for granted!

Lille is a quaint city in the North of France and our main reason for visiting was the Christmas Markets. The whole city puts on an amazing display, which feels slightly more authentic than London, with a festive ferris wheel (which I managed to convince everyone to go on!), somewhat traditional german markets (full of useless trinkets and mulled wine) and lights on every corner. Feeling festive, I donned my Christmas jumper and pranced around the town.