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Category: The A-Z of Iceland

The A-Z of Iceland: F for Fontana | iamapolarbear.com

The A-Z of Iceland: F for Fontana

March 21, 2019

In today’s A-Z of Iceland, we’re off to the spa. F is for Fontana. Considering its position on the edge of the Golden Circle and the fact that it’s used by tour companies on their “Northern Lights and…” nights and also the fact that it’s amazing, Laugarvatn Fontana is surprisingly little-known. It’s the smallest of … More The A-Z of Iceland: F for Fontana

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The A-Z of Iceland: E for Eastfjords | iamapolarbear.com

The A-Z of Iceland: E for Eastfjords

March 7, 2019

In today’s edition of The A-Z of Iceland, I’m going to shine a little light on a lesser-known area of Iceland: the Eastfjords. Tourists flock to the south-west of Iceland. A lot of them cover the south coast, between Hveragerði and Jökulsárlón, the glacial lagoon. A reasonable number are drawn to the north, to Akureyri … More The A-Z of Iceland: E for Eastfjords

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The A-Z of Iceland: D for Dettifoss

The A-Z of Iceland: D for Dettifoss

February 21, 2019

Iceland has some spectacular waterfalls; indeed, I’ve heard it said that it has more waterfalls than people. Most people know Gullfoss, from the Golden Circle, and Skaftafell and Skogafoss on the south coast are very well known too. Dettifoss is well known in the north but a relatively small proportion of tourists make it so … More The A-Z of Iceland: D for Dettifoss

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The A-Z of Iceland: Camping | iamapolarbear.com

The A-Z of Iceland: Camping

February 7, 2019

The first time you hear the words “camping” and “Iceland” in the same sentence, it doesn’t sound appealing. When you’ve been there in the summer and seen how solid-roof accommodation both fills up and becomes stupidly expensive, suddenly camping in Iceland looks like a better idea. Here are a few things to know about camping … More The A-Z of Iceland: Camping

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The A-Z of Iceland: B for Bananas | iamapolarbear.com

The A-Z of Iceland: B for Bananas

January 24, 2019

Yes, well done me for choosing a subject for which I have no pictures! But there’s a reason for that. Welcome to the second episode of The A-Z of Iceland: B for Bananas! These are not just any bananas, these are Icelandic bananas! If you go to Iceland you’ll hear almost as much about bananas … More The A-Z of Iceland: B for Bananas

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The A-Z of Iceland: A for Alftavatn | iamapolarbear.com

The A-Z of Iceland: A for Álftavatn

January 10, 2019

Welcome to a new series for 2019, The A-Z of Iceland. These will be out every two weeks and will cover subjects from the truth of the Icelandic banana to abolished letters to sagas. We’re going to start with A for Álftavatn. Álftavatn is the second campsite on the Laugavegur Trail if you do the … More The A-Z of Iceland: A for Álftavatn

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Who am I?
I'm Julie, a travel, adventure and wellness blogger. I love Iceland, I love jumping into hot water and I do love a bit of snow.

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📌 Charles Bridge, Prague 📌 St Vitus Cathedral, Prague Well, this is the most terrifying book update I’ve ever done! I didn’t take pictures of all the springs in Karlovy Vary but here’s a sample - the really hot ones, the fun ones, the ones thick with orange mineral deposits and my personal favourite, the one you can bathe in. I didn’t enjoy sampling the hot mineral springs of Karlovy Vary but here are a few things from around the town that I did enjoy. Join me on a little tour of some of the statues around Františkovy Lázně, from the emperors who shaped the town and the region to the dubious fertility symbols. And who does the angry face on the side of the hotel remind me of? Let me take you on a really short tour of some of the mineral springs in the spa park of Františkovy Lázně. This is what spa means here, taking (drinking) the spring water and enjoying the curative properties of spending time in the gardens, out in the fresh air. I thought today I’d take you on a little tour of Mariánské Lázně, which is a smallish pleasant town with a Neo-Renaissance Neo-Classical Neo-Everything spa town bolted onto the side. It’s had its fair share of celebrity visitors over the last 150 years, it’s got an abundance of very mineral-rich fizzy springs which you have to sample and it’s dotted with weird artworks. I think I like Mariánské Lázně but I don’t think I need more than about two days there. This is the ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Hotel Nové Lázně in Mariánské Lázně, the most prestigious hotel I’ve ever stayed in (although not for quite such an outrageous price as I might have expected).

About Julie

I'm a blogger, adventurer, lover of hot water, amateur paddler and polar bear who wilts in hot weather. Time (by day, I'm a researcher) and funds keep me within Europe and I make regular trips up to the north, especially to Iceland. I like the occasional adventure across Europe by train and I'm starting to make use of my weekends for 48-hour adventures. This isn't my only creative outlet - I've written two travelogues (one on a winter adventure across the Arctic Circle and one on exploring volcanoes during a warm summer road trip around Iceland) plus a little book of Icelandic pools and I have a fourth book in progress right now.

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