• Your Guide To

Experienced and documented by Myra and Sefton from UK.

Our first day in Reykjavik was a very welcoming and wonderful experience. This was our first visit to Iceland. Our flight was very short, only 3hrs from England; as we came off the plane we were embraced by the crisp and fresh midnight air.

We started the next day by visiting the Pearl, which has a museum and some cafes, including a revolving restaurant. The panoramic view from the top of the Pearl is awesome in every direction. It is a fantastic amalgamation of the city, the bay, the snow capped mountains and low-lying clouds. Sometimes looking down we could see the geezer suddenly explode into a tower of steam.

Our next stop was the beach, which was rather unlike any other beach we had been to. It was quite chilly and the water cold, however we imagined being there in the summer, when hot water is channelled into a little pool that is actually in the sea.

We couldn't leave Iceland without experiencing the cultural activity of relaxing in the outdoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi hot tubs, heated by geothermic energy. As it was early spring it was crisp and cold as we skipped from pool to pool arranged in ascending order of temperature - ranging from 30 C to 60 C together with Saunas. In the cold air the pools gave an appearance of steam rising from hot cups of coffee. What we found so amazing about these pools, also with children's play areas and water slides, was that it only cost 3 pounds per person.

We ended the day by dining at a the restaurant, Kaffi Solon, where the food was delicious - consisting of a seafood platter - and were pleasantly surprised that the food cost only ten pounds per person and beers 4-5 pounds.

The last day of our stay in Iceland was spent by travelling across the country-side. It was a rather cold day, much colder than usually at this time of year as our friend and guide told us. Our first stop was Lake Laugarvatn, and we experienced a magical feeling here. The wind chill must have been +/- 5C but the water was boiling in certain spots of the lake. Our friend, Mr D, tested the water for us before letting us touch it, lest we went back to England with scorched hands!

Next we stopped at Geysir, we walked up a path which had geysers strewn on either side. The biggest of these is called Geysir. We were most impressed by the crystal azure pools of water, which were steamy and inviting. However we hastily descended down the hill to escape the cold. It was well worth battling the cold to see these magnificent creations of nature. The Icelandics then proved that they really are crazy, by eating ice-cream in the cafeteria at the bottom of the hill!

We were fortunate to see another brilliant facet of nature - a double rainbow. These rainbows were created from the mist blowing off the Gullfoss (literally meaning Gold Falls) waterfalls. In all their mightiness and power, they could well be classified as the "Niagara Falls of Iceland". On our way back, we stopped at a farm house near the village in Fludir. The warm people, the friendly dogs, the healthy cows, the handsome horses, all added to the charm of this wonderful place.

That evening we went to a choir in a modern church. A selection of Icelandic, Swedish and English songs were sung. Although we are not regular churchgoers, we found this a quite soothing and relaxing experience.

Before departing the next afternoon, we took a lazy stroll around the city centre. We stopped and had a relaxing coffee, sat outside a café basking in the sun. The sun was amazingly warm considering the temperature, due to the clear pollution free atmosphere and the clear blue sky.

Our trip was relatively short - just two and a half days. We were touched by the warmth and hospitality shown to us. Whilst amongst the natives, they made it a point to make us feel part of their culture. Having empathy towards us for not speaking their language, they spoke to us and to each other in English while in our company. Overall their great warmth made us feel like we would definitely like to visit them in the future. And maybe witness the Aurora Borealis!

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