Iceland - Unlike anywhere else we've ever seen

Next on our adventure was Iceland. It was The Bearded One's suggestion and I wasn't so sure. I'd not really heard much about the place, I just associated it with freezing cold. He filled me in on the research he'd been doing - Blue Lagoon, the Northern Lights and some little springs of water that erupted every 10 minutes or so. It was sounding better than I thought, although the cold was still going to be there. Then he showed me some photos he'd found online and I was sold, this place looked beautiful. So we booked our trip and prepared ourselves for the weather.

I think our trip was destined to test us from the start... We missed our flight by only a few minutes and managed to get a flight on the same day, but from a different airport. It was quite a stressful day, but after a 4 hour bus journey, we got on that plane (phew!) When we finally landed in Reykjavik, we were greeted by an awful storm, it made a UK storm look like it was spitting with rain. The host of our apartment kindly met us at a hostel nearby and took us to where we were staying. As if the rain wasn't bad enough, the wind was so strong, it felt like someone was trying to get into our apartment through the night. We were so exhausted from our day though, that it didn't bother us too much.

Through all of the 'excitement' of the day before, I had completely forgotten about how cold I was worried it was going to be. It wasn't until we were up and out on our first full day of our stay that I noticed it. The weather was still very windy, but there wasn't any rain so it felt that much colder. It's the type of dry-cold that hurts and the wind doesn't let you speak, let alone catch a breath, but that could of just been because of the storm.

We visited the Blue Lagoon, which I couldn't recommend enough. Its an area of water, in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by the most amazing views. The water is so warm - like a lovely bath, although areas of the water were quite hot. It was so surreal - being freezing cold, in a swimsuit, in this postcard-perfect picture, swimming around in warm water. It was seriously beautiful. I was in awe the whole time, feeling like we weren't supposed to be there, it really was that strange. There was a swim-up bar, mud masks and waterfalls, as well as seating areas in the water. Not only was it an amazing experience, the staff were so helpful. We had booked to go to the Lagoon from the airport (it was closer there to where was were staying and they have storage for your luggage), but with us having to get another flight and being delayed getting there, they were more than helpful at rearranging our visit, at no extra cost. In fact, the people of Iceland in general were really great. They all spoke perfect English, had a great sense of humor and couldn't do enough for you.

That evening we went in search of the Northern Lights. We were taken on a coach trip, driving around an hour or so to try and find them. It was so strange, there were 4 coaches all together, all following each other trying to find them. The drivers were all speaking to each other on walkie talkies, literally following the lights. It was like we were in Mission Impossible or something. It needs to be a clear night, but still seeing the lights isn't guaranteed. In fact, you are extremely lucky if you DO see them. So we found ourselves in the middle of nowhere, in temperatures that were around -15 degrees, waiting in silence for something to happen in the sky. My god, then did it happen! First it looked like a white jet stream from an aeroplane, which turned into big green splashes, then those lights danced around with pink lights. The whole thing lasted around 45 minutes and it was the weirdest thing. It felt like we were being invaded by aliens or something, it was like we had just discovered something that had never been seen before. Everybody on the tour was gasping and cheering at times and The Bearded One and I couldn't believe that we'd been so lucky. It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen with my own eyes!

One strange thing about Iceland is that in the Winter they don't get many hours of daylight. When we were there, it was getting light at around 10.30am and then dark again by 4pm ish. It was strangely spooky starting your day off in the dark and it totally added to the character of the city.

The next day the storm was so bad that most excursions were cancelled. We had planned to go see the Geysir's and go whale watching, so it was a shame we missed out but better to stay safe... Or at least we thought...! We walked into the city center to spend a day there. It was a very difficult walk to say the least - the wind was extreme, to the point where I was being raised into the air and The Bearded One had to hold me down. We were totally in control, until we got to an open area in between 2 large buildings, then we got swept away by the high speed winds into a main road. We got up, which was tricky, slipping and sliding everywhere in the wind. We held onto a road sign in the middle of the 2 lanes in the road, then I was being pulled by the winds back into the road and The Bearded One was holding onto me, not saving himself at all (totes marrying him FYI). Then 2 security guards at a nearby hotel had to rescue us - they escorted us, via a moving car pulling us along for shelter, to the safety of a cafe. It was so so so scary at the time, but is majorly laughable now. There was one point, holding onto that road sign, where I thought we would be there all day.

To recover from the ordeal, we found a few pubs in the city center and toasted to us being alive and safe, through literally almost crying with laughter. Then we did some shopping and exploring and ended the day by eating some delicious food.

It really was a great break away to an amazing place. I would recommended it to anyone who wants to go somewhere different and see some incredible things. Even the scenery around the city, harbor, etc, is truly beautiful. I'll be honest, its cold. Like really cold. It was in early December anyway. But my advice would be to wrap up with as many layers as you can, wear waterproofs and the appropriate footwear, and you will be good to go.

The Geysir's and whale watching will have to wait until our next visit, we will definitely be going back to Iceland!