This is cheating a bit, we didn't take Hans to Iceland but it was such a brilliant trip that I wanted to share the pictures on here. We usually take a trip in Hans for the February half term holiday, but this year we fancied something different. We liked the idea of a bit of sun, and somehow ended up booking flights to Iceland. Go figure! We flew into Keflavik on the Saturday and picked up our hire car - essential for seeing the best of the area. We only had two full days so we had lots to cram in. Our apartment was in the heart of Reykjavik, by the city hall, meaning we could walk to the city sites but we also had plenty to see outside the city too. Our first evening was spent getting our bearings and searching out a dinner that didn't bankrupt us. Reykjavik is a stunning city, even in the dark! Our next day was a full of Reykjavick extravaganza, starting with a trip to the Sun Voyager sculpture at sunrise, then onto the Whales of Iceland museum, Thufa sculpture at the harbour and exploring Hallgrimskirkja and Harpa in the daylight. After a quick lunch, we took a quick drive to Perlan, which is an old water tower that is currently being renovated into visitor centre. The views over Reykjavik are wonderful. Then it was time for the main event - the Blue Lagoon! There's not much to be said about the Blue Lagoon except that it's bloody amazing. If you can, you must go. It's fabulous. Monday was spent on the road, following the Golden Circle (or part of it), a well known tourist route that takes in waterfalls, Thingvellir National Park, geysers and more. There are numerous tour companies that can shuttle you by coach if you don't want to drive, but we found by having our own car that we were in control of how long we stayed at a location, or even continue on if places looked busy. The road from Reykjavik quickly became snow covered and we had to take our time, but that just means you have more time to look around. Our first stop was at Oxararfoss waterfall in Thingvellir. It was lovely and quiet and we had plenty of time to take in the landscape. Next up was Geysir, which isn't actually the main feature! There's all sorts of geothermal activity at this location, from bubbling pools of boiling water, steaming vents and spouting geysers. The really exciting one is Stokkur, and it caught out us a treat. It gave a fairly limp bubble when we first arrived and we waiting expectantly for the next one. We certainly weren't expecting the huge explosion of water that followed - it covered us and everyone else watching. By this point it was mid afternoon so we grabbed our packed lunch and set off for the next location - Gullfoss. On the way, we passed some Icelandic horses and couldn't resist saying hello. Gorgeous. Gullfoss, a huge waterfall, was busy with coaches and traffic. The huge off road coaches parked here show just how inhospitable the weather on Iceland can be, and we experienced it at Gullfoss. The wind could have cut you in two, it was almost difficult to walk, and Tommy did his best to get a picture but was rather disappointed with the results. Wind and tripods don't mix! Despite that, it was still amazing to see. The roar from the water is unforgettable. The weather was beginning to turn nasty, with freezing rain and strong winds, and it wouldn't be long until it started to get dark, so we decided to head back to Reykjavik instead of continuing on the southern half of the Golden Circle. The snow we had driven through earlier had all gone and was replaced with rain and more rain. It was a relief to get back to our cosy apartment and a hot dinner. Tuesday dawned wet and even windier and I was slightly concerned about our flight home! During a dry spell, we visited the Bridge Between Continents, where a footbridge crosses the gulf between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. Really interesting to see and fascinating for the girls but bloody hell, it was cold! We then took shelter that the Viking Museum near the airport, which was crammed full of artefacts and information, including a full size Viking ship that has sailed from Iceland to New York. The Tornadoes were suitably impressed, especially TT1, who is Viking daft. Then it was the airport and our flight home, which thankfully wasn't too wild. We felt sorry for the folk who were just arriving, faced with hurricane force winds the next day and everything closed or cancelled. We were very fortunate indeed. So that was Iceland. Not the sunny break we planned at all but utterly amazing all the same. We'll be back! We don't usually go abroad - see where else we've been in February.
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