The week before I went to Helsinki, I saw that line as the title of a piece about Iceland, which is actually about Hvammsvik Hot Springs, which I discovered in February and adore. But with plans to go to Helsinki just four days away, the phrase “holistic & healing” jumped right out at me. I … More Helsinki is the holistic, healing holiday destination you’ll never forget
One thing I’ve meant to do in Paris for years is the Catacombs. I knew very little about them; only that they were underground and went on forever. When I went to Paris last month, I added them to my tentative to-do list, having discovered that tickets only go on sale four days in advance and … More There are 6 million dead bodies under Paris
Ok, I’m ridiculous. I decided to use the Coronation weekend to go to Paris. I’ve said on many occasions that I don’t love Paris but I like it more as I get to explore on my own terms and it’s a very quick hop over from Southampton Airport and quite honestly, I was never going … More A night at the Paris Opera
It’s mid-May – at least, in my plan it is – and I’m finally delivering the last of the February 2023 Iceland posts! Well, I still have plans to tear RE apart in a long essay but this is the last of the proper “what I did” posts. I hid from the snow and the … More Guaranteed Northern Lights at Aurora Reykjavik
On the far side of Reykjavik’s Old Harbour, in the Grandi district, in a big ol’ warehouse, you can meet a whale. You can meet lots of whales. If the weather is too bad, or you’re too emetophobic, or you’re dubious about the ethics, and you’re not going out on a boat to look for … More I met a whale! (at Whales of Iceland)
On a rainy afternoon, I stopped by the Settlement Exhibition right in the middle of downtown Reykjavik. It’s part of Reykjavik City Museum – there are five exhibitions in the group which also includes Árbær Open Air Museum, the Museum of Photography, the Maritime Museum over at Grandi and Viðey Island, which I did a … More Going back in time at the Settlement Exhibition
This is the last of the Iceland content for a month or so! Today I’m taking you to Reykjavík’s Saga Museum, which I should have visited years ago. It’s sponsored the official city map for at least as long as I’ve been going, which surely makes it Iceland’s most prominent museum/indoor attraction and yet… I … More Hiding from the weather at the Saga Museum
The short answer to “is it worth paying for premium security?” is “sometimes”. I was innocently booking my airport parking (is Gatwick’s official parking usually half the price of Heathrow’s? Another reason to prefer flying from LGW!) when I spotted that you could upgrade to premium security for £5. I’ve never done it before but … More I paid for premium security. Was it worth it?
FlyOver Iceland is one of Reykjavik’s newest attractions, opened about two years ago by the same company behind the Sky Lagoon, and one of at least five indoor attractions in the Grandi district on the far side of the Old Harbor. I considered going in here last April and chickened out on the grounds of … More FlyOver Iceland – a virtual helicopter tour
It seems a bit redundant to post my February Week in Reykjavik Itinerary towards the end of March, especially when it had some up-and-down moments, but that’s just when Iceland Itineraries comes up in my posting schedule. Anyway, by now you’ll have seen most of what I did but I’m going to put it all … More An Iceland Itinerary: my actual February week in Reykjavik
I Am A Polar Bear 