When I was planning our Icelandic adventure, I wrote a list of all of the things that I thought would be fun to do. This included Snowmobiling and a Golden Circle tour. Luckily Mountaineers of Iceland run a ‘Pearl Tour’ which incorporates both. Hurrah! It’s a full on day, but is totally worth the early start. 

We were picked up at around 8am from The Centrum Hotel in Reykjavik via a SuperJeep and a driver called Bjarni. Bjarni was very welcoming and told us lots of cool facts about Icelandic life.

  
We drove through Reykjavik as the sun rose and Bjarni informed us of the days’ itinerary. We had a long drive through lava fields and the Icelandic countryside. I had brought a book with me, but was so mesmerised by the island’s beauty that it didn’t make it out of my bag. 

  
I loved seeing the wild horses and little summer houses that have been made out of rocks that fell during an earthquake. They call Iceland the land of fire and ice and you can really see why when driving through the lava fields that are covered in snow and discussing volcanic activity.

  
Riding in the SuperJeep was thrilling enough in itself. They are total beasts which take on the extreme weather like a warm summer’s day in the park. They are capable of handling what’s thrown at them (although it’s often a bumpy ride!).

I spent most of the journey feeling like I was in a real life episode of Ice Road Truckers and totally loving it. It was honestly so much fun. 

  
The first location we visited on our tour was Gullfoss, the golden waterfall. It was absolutely stunning and very cold (-11) which made me wish I had stocked up on winter attire in the Sweaty Betty sale. We loved having a nose at this natural phenomenon before warming up in the cafe. They serve gorgeous cakes and have free wifi, so we were very comfortable hanging out there for twenty minutes.

  
One very bumpy but incredibly fun ride later, we found ourselves at the snowmobile centre. The snow was the deepest I’ve ever seen and my husband and I were reminded once again that we should have stocked up on winter wear before our Icelandic trip! 

  
Thankfully, they have everything inside for you to borrow; snow suits, gloves, balaclavas and helmets. I loved wearing the snow suit. It was so warm and comfortable, I feel like I really need one in my life now, although I don’t think they are necessary in London.

   
 
Soon it was time for us to go snowmobiling. I was a little nervous after the safety demonstration reminded me of how dangerous they are, but once I was on it I really felt like I was living the dream. Riding along the glacier with the sun catching the snow just enough for it to sparkle and looking around the vast area, I was shown just how insignificant we are in this magnificent world. For that hour I felt free. Free from everything, responsibilities, worries… Truly free. I didn’t even worry about being catapulted off into oblivion (which almost happened three times), just enjoyed the ride and the view. 

  
Snowmobiling on Langjökull glacier was absolutely mind blowing. It isn’t for everyone’s budget and our tour costed around £510 for us both, but if you can do it, GO!

  
After our incredible adventure on the glacier, it was time to hit up the Geysirs of which Geysirs all over the world are named after. Iceland oozes natural beauty and the Geysirs are just another notch on it’s belt of elegance. It was wonderful walking around in the winter sunshine trying to predict when the ‘big one’ will surprise us with a watery eruption (still talking about the Geysirs!!!). 

  
There is also a restaurant which excited me as I’m all about food. I was actually quite worried about being out for the day in case there wasn’t anywhere to eat, but fortunately I stuffed my face at both stops, so it was absolutely fine. 

There are a couple of shops near the Geysirs that sell souvenirs and winter clothing. I was really disappointed to see quite a few items of real fur up for sale. We really don’t need that in this day and age and I was quite upset about it.

   
 
Our next and final stop was at Pingviller National Park which is where the first ever parliament was formed many moons ago. It’s also where Phil and I lost our group and spent four miles and forty five minutes looking for them whilst thinking I was going to die as it was getting dark and we were stranded in temperatures of -16. Luckily we managed to track them down after bumping into another Mountaineers employee.

  
The park is incredible, we loved having a wander, keeping our eyes peeled for mink and arctic foxes. I imagine it’s completely different in the summer, luscious green blankets and abundant wildlife.

  
We had such a fun day exploring Iceland and I would highly recommend our trip if you can.

Have you visited any of these places?

L x
 

It was about a year ago that I discovered the beauty of Airbnb. I was planning our mammoth honeymoon and just couldn’t find a hotel that I liked in Long Beach, CA. I spent hours combing through every website that I could think of to no avail. We had quite specific requirements and were travelling in the height of summer which slimmed down our chances of finding exactly what we were after. We wanted somewhere nice and comfortable, on the beach and close to local amenities. We also wanted free wifi and car parking along with an in room safe. The safe was the hardest thing to come by when looking for a place to stay. Lots of hotels had them behind the desk, but I felt safer leaving all of our valuables in a safe that we had direct access to. After searching and searching I was beginning to lose hope and that’s when Airbnb stepped in. I had heard about it and decided to look it up as a last resort. It was there that I found a gorgeous apartment in Long Beach, a few minutes’ walk from the marina and beach. Restaurants right by the front door, free parking and free wifi. It also had a lockable cupboard that we felt safe leaving our goodies in. Best of all, it was a quarter of the price of a hotel in the same area! 

We had a really good experience and fell in love with Long Beach during our stay. I was so glad that I had found the little gem that is Airbnb.
  

A couple of weeks ago I was searching for a place for us to stay in Reykjavik, Iceland. My requirements weren’t quite as strict as our trip to California as we haven’t hired a car in Iceland, but we still wanted somewhere in a good location with wifi. As I had left it quite late to book, I once again found myself struggling to find a nice hotel (I actually found one, but it was nearly £2000 for our six day stay and I thought it wasn’t worth it!) and once again turned to my old friend Airbnb. Here I found lots of nice looking apartments and managed to find a great one that I thought would be perfect. I was absolutely right as we are currently enjoying a lovely stay in a clean, bright apartment in Reykjavik. Obviously there are draw backs such as no maid/room service, but we have so much privacy and freedom.   

I would recommend reading the reviews extensively to make sure that you make a decision perfect for you and your needs. There are many different types of places to stay from dorms with shared bathrooms right up to huge houses beaming with luxury.
 

I am very much enjoying our time in Reykjavik and Airbnb has played a huge part in that. The hubby actually prefers having an apartment over a hotel because it’s like a little home from home. I will definitely think about Airbnb when booking our next adventure.
Have you used Airbnb?

L x

  I was so excited when I found out that we could easily travel to Olympia whilst on holiday in Zante. It’s where the first ever Olympic Games was held and I couldn’t wait to be absorbed by such culture and history. I’m not a massive fan of sports, but can appreciate the effort and dedication that goes into becoming a competing athlete. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from our trip, but I knew that I would instantly come away having learnt something new. Plus I’m such a sucker for anything of historic value.

 It was a mega hot summer’s day when we chose to visit and temperatures exceeded forty degrees, which is pretty much unheard of for us Londoners and we danced around the ground in search of shade, like little ants looking to return to their colony.

We took an early ferry across to the Greek mainland to make the most of our trip. I hadn’t visited the mainland before. The ferry was really reasonable and with the salty sea air flowing through my hair off we went on our adventure.

We had an English speaking tour guide show us around the grounds. I think having a guide is really crucial because there aren’t really any signs and they help you understand what it is exactly that you are looking at. He chose me to wear the crown (well a replica!) that the winner of the Olympic Games would have worn all of those years ago and I felt like a  Greek Goddess (sort of).

  
The remains are incredible. So much is still left in remarkable condition, despite being battered by all weathers, earthquakes and thousands of tourists.  
The original running track is still there and I even channelled my inner athlete and had a sprint on it.

 
The athletes would have walked through a corridor with a stone archway and into the arena. It’s still there and you really feel as though you have been taken back in time to when winning was everything. You can almost feel the pressure as you walk under the archway and into the vast arena.
  

The winners would have been crowned whilst stood on a podium, basking in their glory with crowds applauding. The winner must have felt so proud. 

  
For me it’s always all about the details and many of the artefacts display so much detail. You can instantly see what they were used for and how they have influenced our lives today.

 
There is also a lovely museum that has some amazing artefacts on display. It has a cafe and air conditioning, which was a welcome relief from hours of the intense heat and I very much enjoyed devouring an ice cream whilst letting the cool air tickle my skin.

   
Olympia is also quite a pretty little town with many shops, bars and restaurants. It’s worth having a look around if you are in the area. We found a spot with lots of sunflowers. I’ve always loved a sunflower, they take me back to when I was a child and life was simple. I used to love watching sunflowers go from a couple of inches to double my height in a matter of weeks. They always remind me of summers spent in a haze of being outdoors and with friends. 

Before we knew it, it was time to catch our ferry back to Zante, leaving behind the history of Olympia, but taking away new memories with us.

Have you visited Olympia? 

L x

  A couple of years ago my husband and I were looking for a last minute summer holiday. We weren’t sure where to go, but Europe is so dreamy in the summer, so we knew that was a good place to start our search. We love going to new places and had never visited Greece before. Soon enough we had chosen holiday favourite Zante as our place to catch some sunshine and relax. I was a bit apprehensive about our trip there as I know that many people go in groups to party and we were going as a couple for a break from everyday life. Whilst we enjoy having fun, we aren’t massive party goers  so we hoped that there would be enough for us to do. Turns out that Zante has a lot to offer and we had a perfect time.

  
We spent a considerable amount of time on boats, absorbing the gorgeous island. The Greek islands are simply stunning and deserve to be witnessed in their summertime glory. 

  
On one boat trip we went to the iconic shipwreck, where the sea is the most perfect turquoise. It’s almost as though somebody has dropped a large tin of the most voluptuous blue paint into the ocean and it’s just hanging out there for a bit whilst it mingles with the sea. The truth is it is always like that. Always bright blue and always gorgeous. It’s the kind of natural beauty that needs to be seen to be believed. I don’t really edit my photographs, so the colour you can see is pretty much the colour that it is.

  
We also visited ‘Turtle Island’ that is shaped like a turtle and we went turtle watching. There was a lot of love for that creature that day. It was most wonderful to see them wild and free. We also learnt about the conservation work that is going on in Laganas to provide the turtles with an untouched, natural and perfect spot to lay their eggs. The work they are doing to promote well being of the species is blimmin’ marvellous.

   
We explored the island quite a bit and went on a trip to the mainland where we visited the Olympia, but I’m planning a post about that trip for a later date. We loved spending our days in the warm summer air devouring ice cream and letting the sun kiss our skin.

  
There was a beach across the road from our hotel and we often favoured a swim in the sea over the crowded hotel pool where people reserved sun loungers from six in the morning (who has that kind of dedication?!). The salty sea water was so blissfully clear that you could see the tiny fish dancing around your feet to the beat of the ocean and it was heavenly.

 The beach was really peaceful and we had a lot of fun. I think that our trip to Zakynthos provided us with everything that we needed, a sense of adventure and discovery, a chance to switch off and relax, all with a healthy dose of vitamin D. I know that you can go to the Greek islands without spending all of your time in a haze of alcohol and still have a good time. You don’t have to be in a huge group either, it’s great for everyone and we are planning on visiting Greece again with friends this summer.

Have you visited any of the Greek islands? What did you get up to?

L X