Day 9 - The Trip Home

Today we travel back home to see our much missed pooches. BUT WAIT ! Mark has another idea on how to use the few hours before our airport transfer so away we go to the Perlan museum which feature a huge man made ice cave inside. The museum seeks to explain how icebergs are formed and how they are currently threatened. It was an altogether enlightening but depressing exhibit. And damn it was cold in there.

At the top there was a 360 degree observatory of the whole city.

We got our shuttle on time and the flight was easy but long. We’re back home now and happy to get back to normal. Both exhausted but we had a great time and saw so much.

Thanks for following along with us on our UK adventure!

Oh, and in case you were wondering, yes I did go back and buy the book of magic spells ;)

Wondering: how do you say washroom in Icelandic

Oh.

Laughing so hard I almost snyrt my pants.

Day 8 - The Golden Circle (2/2)

Last stop of the day was to a huge crater that was formed from a volcanic explosion thousands of years ago. Now there is a shallow lake at the bottom of the crater, which was frozen solid. This is a tourist spot that encourages people to walk down to the crater bottom via stairs they’ve added or walk along the rim at the top.  I chose to do neither and just admire from a safe distance. Mark took a walk around the rim and witnessed a selfie-taking dude almost slip and fall to his death. Regained his footing just in time. That’s about a 10 storey drop to the icy crater floor. Guy woulda died for sure.

With our long day’s trip completed we rode back to the hotel then went to find a restaurant for dinner.  Mark got to have some more fish and chips. Amazingly, none of the times he ate in Britain did the fish come in newspaper. Finally, here in Iceland, proper newspaper wrapped fish!

Day 8 - The Golden Circle (1/2)

Last full day in Iceland and we did not waste a minute. We saw so much beautiful landscape today that it all sort of melds together.

A lovely energetic woman named Halla was our tour guide and she was full of so much interesting information about all we were seeing. Our first stop was to Pingvellir, a national park that showcases only 1 of 2 places in the world where you can see a tectonic plate rift between 2 land masses. Most rifts occur under the ocean. In one spot the crack is very narrow so Mark took the opportunity to straddle the divide. One foot in on the North American continent, the other on the Eurasian continent. Whoa.

On our way to the next stop we took a moment to say hello to some local horses. They’re a different breed than you find anywhere else and have been on the island since Viking times. A local farmer is making a good buck letting tour groups stop to visit with his horses and buy some ‘horse candy’ to feed them.

I loved the horses! Next stop was an old Icelandic dairy farm that made delicious fresh Skyr (Icelandic yoghurt) and the best tasting feta cheese I’ve ever had.

Then off to the Gulfoss waterfall for more sightseeing. The landscape here is so beautiful.

It was getting to be noon so our next stop was the famous Geysir - the geyser after which all other geysers are named. Also at the geyser was a tourist building where we got some lunch. We each had a  simple veg & lamb soup from a cantina recommended by Halla. That was a mighty fine soup, the reviews on Icelandic soups are not wrong.

Day 7 - Chasing the Northern Lights

So before we set out to Iceland I checked the weather forecasts. Current forecasts and historical trends show the temperature tends to keep around 0. That to me does not seem terribly cold so I prepared for the worst but expected the best. Apparently I did not account for the brutal windchill. It is always windy here. So while the temp was 0, it felt more like -15 to -20. Good thing I came prepared.

After our morning at the Blue Lagoon we went back to the hotel, had a much needed nap (the hot water drains alllll the energy from you) then got cleaned up for a nice dinner at the Sky bar on top of our hotel with beautiful vistas of the city.

After 9pm we went to meet our Northern Lights excursion team. They picked us up in a Mercedes 4x4 all-terrain SUV type vehicle and we headed out of the city about 45 min away.

The conditions for seeing the lights are pretty precise. Everything needs to line up, with a healthy dose of luck. These guys knew some typically good spots, and we were very lucky to be treated to a showing soon after we arrived. The lights in the sky are faint to the naked eye, and don’t look nearly as brilliant as they do on film. Still, it was amazing and glad we got to experience it despite the mindnumbing cold.

Day 7 - Blue Lagoon

Oops I need to catch up on these blog posts! We have been so busy doing stuff the past few days that I haven’t had time. I’ll try to get it all done in bite size chunks.

First full day in Iceland we caught the 9am transfer to the famous Blue Lagoon. It was a chilly 1 degree Celsius with a windchill of -5 or so. And we’re to go swimming outdoors...it’s a concept that is hard to compute.

40 min drive and we are in a vast lava field with steam rising from the Lagoon. We get a bracelet to pay for any services inside and head for the locker rooms. Once in your swimsuit and showered, head outside and get in that water as fast as you damn well can! Standing wet and barefoot outdoors in -5 degree weather turns uncomfortable in a big hurry.

But omg the warmth of the water! It’s soooo warm. Between 95 and 105 Fahrenheit all year, heated by geothermal activity. The depth of the Lagoon only gets about to chest deep at the deepest point we found. The bottom is compacted to feel like concrete for most of it but gets pebbly if you wander to the far edges. There is a waterfall that pounds your back with the force of a shiatsu massage, but if you prefer you can get an actual in-water massage treatment. Several steam rooms and dry saunas to mix it up. There is a swim up bar for drinks and a swim up mud mask station. The natural silica in the water is supposed to be great for the skin. I didn’t really feel any difference with my skin afterwards but my nails did seem more brittle.

Also So surreal seeing all the lifeguards in parkas.

Very relaxing but after over an hour we were feeling a bit overheated (despite my ears feeling like they were getting frostbitten) so we packed up.

Mark was glad to finally be able to show off his Icelandic tattoo that he’s had for several years to people who might recognize it, and a few did. It’s an Icelandic rune called Vegvisir and is a protection symbol for safe navigation.

Day 6 - From England to Iceland

Packed our bags and back on the train to Gatwick for a noon flight to Reykjavik. Beautiful sunny clear day for the flight. We arrive 3pm in Iceland and boarded a 45 minute bus transfer to the city. We’re staying at the CenterHotel Arnarhvoll by the sea. Beautiful mountains are just across the sea.

We got settled and the it was off to find the location of the restaurant I had booked for dinner weeks ago. A nice seafood grill restaurant with a set tasting menu called Sjvargrillid. The food included seafood and lamb, both cooked and uncooked. It was phenomenal, both Mark and I agreed possibly the best meal we’ve ever had (including fish n chips)!

After dinner we took a walk around the city center. This is such a beautiful friendly city. The fellow at a little book store seemed pretty insistent on selling me a book of magic Icelandic spells. I didn’t buy it, but I still might.

In the center of town is the Hallgrimskirkja church (Lutheran). It’s quite imposing at night. Tallest structure in Iceland.

Day 5 - Book of Mormon

Though I tried to get my hands on Hamilton tickets for months, no luck so I had to settle for my second choice Book of Mormon. We caught the afternoon show at Prince of Wales. Hilarious show, loved it, laughed our a$$es off.

On our way to the theatre we passed the M&M store where a big yellow M&M was waving and taking pics with tourists. Then right in front of us a homeless looking fellow started hurling profanities at the M&M and weakly attempted to physically assault the M&M who took refuge back in the store. Huh. Poor M&M I’m sure is not being paid enough for that kind of abuse.

We popped into an Irish pub near the theatre for a bite before the show. It was called Waxy O’Connors and the hobbit-ness of this pub is amazing. There was a tree in the middle of the place. An actual tree. And little nooks with tables all over, so you’d go up and down stairs every few steps to another landing or alcove. We found a cute little quiet corner with a fireplace and stained glass on the walls. The food and atmosphere were great. I wonder how many drunk people fall down these staircases daily?

After the show was more opportune shopping, and I picked up some fine British cosmetics at Charlotte Tilbury near Charing Cross. I’m loading up on stuff we can’t get at home!

Dinner was my choice, and I wanted some good London curry. So we went to a nice Indian restaurant nearby and I got my fix. Mark was sad there was no fish n chips.

Off to Iceland in the morning!

Day 4 - Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath (2/2)

Last stop was the ancient Roman city of Bath. I had a special interest in Bath because in tracing my Sargent lineage on Ancestry recently I found my 12th great-grandfather was born in Bath in 1575. The city certainly does look ancient, with many Roman architectural features.

The main attraction at Bath is the Roman Baths, a stone temple building built over a hot spring bubbling up hot water into pools in the middle of the structure. It was a lovely shade of putrid green and we were warned repeatedly not to touch the contaminated waters. Nooooo problem. Then at the end of the tour they offer a drink straight from a spring. I touched this water and It was hot, and smelled like sulphur and silver spoons. Decided not to sample that, thank you.

As I write this we’ve been on the motorway for over 3 hours as there’s been a few traffic accidents to detour around. I’m hoping we get back to London soon, I’m pooped. And Mark needs to find more fish n chips.

Found some at Garfunkel’s. Verdict: still not as good as Cheshire Cheese from night 1.

Day 4 - Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath (1/2)

Up early today for a full day’s trip outside the city. First stop at Windsor Castle to admire the artwork and decor of the Royal apartments. Wish I could have taken some pictures inside but ‘by Royal decree’ that’s a no-no and based on what I’ve seen/heard so far disobeying the Royals is not a great idea. We walked around inside St Georges’s chapel exactly where Harry and Meagan will be married in 2 months. This is the chapel:

King Henry VIII’s tomb is right in the middle of the church aisle, so he gets walked on countless times a day. That seems odd to me. The grounds and the inside are beautiful.

The guards marching outside are intimidating.

Now off to my bucket list destination: Stonehenge! The sun was out and we spent a good hour at the stones getting some great pictures and just soaking up the energy of the place. I’ve always wanted to see the stones and it did not disappoint.

Wondering: Is my hotel room haunted?

Didn’t really give it much thought before, but last night I woke up to a sound like someone whispering in my ear (Mark was asleep) and then it sounded like something fell off the table to the carpet. I was too afraid to look. Sheets over head and back to sleep! Although the hotel is fairly modern, this is Tower Hill where so many have died. Might there be ghosts??

Day 3 - Tower, Thames, The Eye and Piccadilly shopping

Day started with a tour of the Tower of London with a full guided commentary on the tower’s bloody history. Oddly the site of Anne Bolelyn’s execution is commemorated by a glass coffee table type thing. We visited the chapel on site that houses the remains of most of King Henry VIII’s executed wives and other royal members. Ooh and ahhed appropriately at the Crown Jewels, cracked jokes about the gold punch bowl the size of a child’s swimming pool, and generally were amazed at the history of the site.

Then off to the boat! We took a river cruise down the Thames to get to the Eye. The Brits use the Thames much like we use the GO, tap on tap off!

The Eye has been rated one of the most overrated tourist traps in Europe. I have to agree. There was only a short line thankfully due to it being off season, so we got into our pod quickly. The first ten minutes were sufficiently impressive, the next 20 dragged on until our pod made it back around to the bottom.

And now finally the moment I’d been waiting for: SHOPPING!! We headed up to Piccadilly and over towards Leighton Square to hit some shops including my favourite Kath Kidston and a wonderful tea shop called Fortnum and Mason. This street reminded us a lot of the shopping promenade rue Massena in Nice France.

Returned to the hotel happily exhausted and bags full.

Day 2 - London bus tripper + Jack the Ripper (2/2)

For 90 minutes we followed a self-proclaimed ‘Ripperologist” around east London after dark to hear all about the Jack the Ripper murders, see the places where the women lived and died, and heard theories on who Jack was and why he was never caught. The guide really knew his stuff. He even professed to have a direct personal connection to one of the grandchildren of a major character in the case.

Sufficiently spooky, creepy, and macabre. Just what we like.

Then it was time to go back to Keepers for a nightcap! (Did I mention I love this place?) Goodnight all! 

Day 2 - London bus tripper + Jack the Ripper (1/2)

No plans today until the evening so we decided to go check out the city via one of those hop-on/hop-off bus tours. We spent the whole afternoon bussing around the city, we saw all the major attractions at least from a distance. Tomorrow we plan to see a few close up. It was a grey drizzly day but not terribly cold and at least London did not get the snow some other parts of the country did.

We even came across an oddly named British pub...didn’t go in so I’m not sure what their gimmick was but anyway...

 

For supper we found an awesome little restaurant called “Keepers” with a bee keeper theme. I had goat cheese pizza with veggies and HONEY (for the record: YUM) and Mark continued his quest to find the city’s best fish and chips. Verdict: good but not as good as last night at Cheshire Cheese (not to be confused with Chucky Cheese).

Then it was off to our Jack the Ripper tour...

Day 1 - planes trains subways and automobiles + football

We left Toronto 8pm Friday en route to the UK! Brief stopover in Iceland in the middle of the night which was made longer due to fog conditions in London and we arrived an hour late into Gatwick at noon on Saturday. No time to waste we hopped the Gatwick Express train to London Victoria then hopped in a cab to the hotel near Tower of London.

Room was ready so we checked in, dropped our stuff, and off to find the tube. We had tickets to the 3pm match between Tottenham Hotspurs and Huddersfield at Wembley and no time to waste. The hour delay on the plane really screwed plans.

We figured out the tube map pretty quickly (given previous experience with the Paris subway!) and got to Wembley in about 40 min. We were late, the match was well underway, and the outside of the stadium a ghost town. We found our gate, endured the mandatory pat down, and headed to find our seats. Ghost town outside, pandemonium inside. These people love their football.

We had missed the first goal for the Spurs but saw the second goal. The fans were estatic. One young drunken hooligan a row or two behind took a gleeful swan dive into the seats just below and cracked a seat in two. Then another drunken middle aged fellow then shows up in the space he just vacated and sings at the top of his lungs “I BELIEVE I CAN FLY!!” while flapping like a big drunken bird.

Navigating a sea of 70k fans back to the tube we eventually made it back, found a pub for a quick dinner, and crashed. Felt like we’d been awake for days.

Mark loved his fish n chips with peas and sausage!