Reykjavik, Iceland

We woke up to snow across the fields and covering our car. After clearing the windows we headed off towards the capital city Reykjavik. While the snow the night before may of ruined our chances of seeing the Northern Lights, it made for a stunning sight in Reykjavik! We drove straight to Hallgrímskirkja, an iconic modern cathedral where you can climb the bell tower. From the top is a great view over the city and all the colourful houses leading to the sea.

With a reasonably clear day, we decided to head up the west coast from there. We originally had booked into the Blue Lagoon but it had been closed due to the risk of a volcanic fissure erupting nearby. The nearby town of Grindavik had been completely evacuated in November due to the threat and authorities had been monitoring it since. What we have come to realise about Iceland is that volcanic eruptions are so common that everyone just goes about their business and adapts as required. Having cancelled our trip to the Blue Lagoon, we found another hot spring to check out. After wandering around town for a while and grabbing a famous Icelandic hotdog for lunch we headed up the west coast.

Set overlooking the ocean, and with a backdrop of snow-covered mountains, Hvammsvik Hot Springs was stunning! With several different pools built into the shoreline, we had the place almost to ourselves. The one feature of where it was located was you could go from the hot pools into the ocean. At 2°C it took a bit of convincing but we both took the polar plunge. Tick that one off the list!

For our final night we booked a hotel outside the city and away from light pollution. Our final chance to see the elusive Aurora. Again, the weather blew in and we spent half the night sitting in the car along the roadside wishing for the clouds to clear and give us a fitting send-off. Not to be. By midnight the snow was just getting heavier and we were freezing. Seems that would stay on top of my bucket list for a while yet…Read more