Newly Engaged

We got engaged on Thursday 19 February, and what better way to celebrate than head off to Reykjavik for the weekend. I’ve always wanted to go to Iceland, specifically the Blue Lagoon, and to see (and photograph!!) the Northern Lights so we were excited.

Weather was predicted to be cold and it did not disappoint. Getting off the plane we were met with temperatures of minus 5 – but with the wind it was more like minus 12 – burrrrrrrrr. I was keen for this sort of weather though – it made the landscape look like a baron winter wonderland. The journey from Keflavik to Reykjavik was 45 minutes and in between the 2towns you struggle to understand or believe that anyone can live on this volcanic island.

Our hotel in Reykjavik (Hotel Odinsve) was in a brilliant,central location and being round the corner from Hallgrímskirkja (the BIG church) meant it was virtually impossible to get lost. A short stroll to the main shopping street and downtown meant we had basically everything on our doorstep.

The first of our planned tours, The Northern Lights, was due to go ahead on our first night (we booked it for then so we could cater for the likely eventually that the lights didn’t show up) but alas the incoming ‘snowstorm’ and associated cloud cover meant all tours were off. Strike 1

We used our first full day to get our barrings of the city. The forecasted snow had covered the city over the night and a lasting wind had settled on the island. Going to the top of Hallgrimskirkja, whilst brilliant and worthwhile, left us somewhat wind swept and impossibly cold. The wind did not let up all day and definitely took its toll on us. So after lunch at Cafe Paris – we headed back to the hotel to chill out and drink some of the vodka we got at the airport (at a fraction of the price of anywhere else in the city). Luckily, there was some maintenance works in the room below us and the Hotel, rather than waiting for us to complain (we probably wouldn’t have) offered us a complimentary dinner in the restaurant attached to the hotel, Snaps. We waited for confirmation on whether the Northern Lights tour was on, it wasn’t, so we went to dinner. Strike 2.

We had booked ourselves on the Golden Circle tour for the Monday – everyone and anyone who has been to Iceland goes on this tour and it lives up to it’s billing as an ‘essential’. More stunning scenery en-route to 3 staple landmarks; Gullfoss (golden falls), Strokkur Geyser, and the Thingvellir National Park (where the Eurasian and American tectonic plates meet). We even had a crafty stop to meet some Icelandic Horses (don’t call them Ponies!) A long day left us tired and, somewhat thankfully, the rescheduled Northern Lights tour was cancelled, again. Strike 3. We went for dinner at an authentic Icelandic restaurant…the Italian called ‘Rosso Pommodoro’ which was a brilliant way to celebrate our 2 year anniversary together.

Our second tour was booked for the next morning – a 2 part trip with Horseback riding in the morning and then a visit to the Blue Lagoon in the afternoon. I was incredibly sympathetic for my horse when he was the unlucky one in the crowd to be picked as my steed, although they are horses, they are small, and small I am not. We went on a 3 hour trek across the isolated farmlands and had a brilliant time – despite the blizzard conditions blowing in our faces for most of it. My horse (Patrick, as I christened him) was remarkably lazy, and pretty much did as he pleased – this didn’t bother me, he knew what was expected and did the bare minimum, a horse after my own heart. Frozen and achy the Blue Lagoon in the afternoon was the perfect remedy. The BL is a natural bath basically – hot, salty water from deep in the Earth’s crust is recycled to the surface to create this brilliantly relaxing experience. It helps that they serve beer in from a poolside bar – a 2 hour bath with a few pints, what isn’t to love!?

We checked our emails for the inevitable ‘Northern Lights tour cancelled’ but it never came – the tour was finally on. A rush back to the hotel and no dinner meant we were suitably irritable when departing for the Northern Lights. Our moods lifted when we found out there was a cafe at the location we’d be stopping at, only to have them smashed when the cafe only served cake, had an outrageously long queue and only took cash. OOPS. Nevermind, set the camera and point to the sky – I was hoping this would be the perfect end to a brilliant holiday. An hour or so passed – and all I had to show for it were a few long exposures of a lighthouse and blurry photos of stars as I struggled to focus. It was when I took yet another photo of the lighthouse that I saw my camera picking up something that wasn’t yet visible to the naked eye. THE NORTHERN LIGHTS. For the next hour they got stronger and more visible – resulting in me getting some of my favourite photos I have ever taken. Aside from the photos, the Lights were stunning and a really special moment to spend with my Fiancee, my future wife, and my best friend.

It was the perfect ending to a holiday I will never forget. Iceland showed us enough to want to go back and explore it’s natural wonders. See you soon Iceland.

Benny