Day 1 in Oxted!

We arrived around 12:30pm to the airport, with an hour delay from Chicago. Madi and I were a bit tired when we landed as it’s always hard to get good sleep on a plane, especially when it was so chilly! Lewis (our host) was kind enough to pick us up.. it was very funny to experience the feeling of drivin on the other side of the road! Their home is very nice and Madi and I have our own room and bathroom on the third floor, they even have a cute little dog Scooby. We spent the afternoon walking around the cute town. We grabbed a delicious salad lunch, checked out a few shops, grabbed a few groceries and walked home. Next we needed just a fifteen minute power nap and then had a pasta dinner and glass of wine with Lewis and . Off to bed we went at 9pm and slept all the way until 7!

Day 2!

7am we were up and at it! We got ready made breakfast and Lewis brought us to the train to make sure we figured it out. As we were on the platform ready to go I realized I forgot my phone! I panicked as it had my London pass on it but we were able to run to a bank for WiFi and call Lewis who brought it back. We miraculously sprinted back to the train and made our train to the London Bridge station.

First stop was a coffee and then to the Tower of London! We used an audio guide and explored the massive fortress for a couple hours. It was really incredible! Next we did the tower bridge experience where we were able to stand on a glass floor over the river. HMS Belfast was our next stop, and we did \240an audio guide. The famous ship played a role in WW2 including Normandy and the Korean War. After being on the boat for a bit we felt a little sick and could not imagine living in such tight spaces for so long!

We walked to Shakespeare’s globe via a nice stroll on the Thames but unfortunately the last tour was sold out. Fortunatly right across the river was St. Paul’s Catherdal. We were blown away with the beauty of this church and did an audio tour to learn about the history and art. Here we hiked up 528 steps to the top and had a spectacular view of the city! After this stop we did some walking around and exploring. We found the Leadenhall market, which dates from the 14th century and is one of the oldest in London.

Being two hungry yet indecisive gals we left the market and headed down the south bank area which stretches from the globe down to the eye! We ate on the river and had some delicious toasted sourdough topped with with goat cheese avacado and roared pepper.

Walking down the bank we saw lots of food trucks and some street performers. Next up we took the Thames river cruise from the London eye back to the tower bridge. Stumbling upon a massive building called Sky Garden where we somehow passed the dress code and made it up to a gorgeous view of the city. The bar was spectacular with little gardens inside. Straight to another amazing view we went to the shard, the tallest building in London. 72 floors up we saw the entire city!

Lastly we made it to a English pub called the Borrowing and Banker by the train station. We had amazing homemade English pies! So good! We 10:07 train back home.

Total walking mileage: 15.37 miles

Last night I had horrible night sleep but that’s ok as I knew we had a fun day in store! We took the 9am Train to Victoria and sat next to a nice chatty retired man. First stop was Westminster Abby where we were blown away! The detail of the church, tombs, and monuments is unlike anything else. Over 300 people are buried here including roaylty, Shakespbere and Winston Churchill. Afterwards we spent a lot of time wandering the famous historic streets. Seeing the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben was neat but unfortunately they are under major construction. #10 Downing Street was a quick stop as the police don’t let you see too much. We attempted to go to the churhill war rooms but unfortunately the line was 2 hours long.

We wandered along the massive Hyde park and the lovely streets \240looking for coffee but no such luck. Fun fact: Central Park was inspired by Hyde park. Eventually we gave up and went to Buckingham Palace where we were in awe. The fountain, gardens, flags, guards, and even the detail of the gates were spectacular. Next we headed to find our hop on hop off and managed to finally managed to find some coffee before starting the journey. We traveled along Hyde park to Kensington Palsce in a beautiful and bougie area where many fomous people like Taylor swift and Paul Macartney have homes. We hopped off the bus and toured the palace. It was incredible to hear about princess Diane and her fashion along with the history of the royalty and about their lives in the palace.

We walked back to the hop on hop off and traveled all the way back to Westminster area hearing all about the history and buildings along the way. Taking a long stroll to the opposite side of the bridge we ran into a cool street X where we were ran into a cool Cuban looking restuant. The happy hour deals were amazing so we had to stop! Pitchers and tapas were shared and the chicken chorizo kabob was to die for. We also had fun chatting with locals \240as the place became packed. The place became back! Eventually, after a few hours at the Cuban restaurant, we decided to head to the train but came across Flatiron square. This area was amazing with tons of food trucks, bars, and picnic tables. Even on a Wednesday it was packed!! We stayed for a drink and split a pizza before going to the train. On the way we searched hard for a chocolate chip cookie Madi has been craving all day but no such luck. She finally got one at a grocery store back in Oxted, but then burned it in the microwave! 😂

Mileage: 11.36

Today we got up at 6:30 to shower and get on our way to the Windsor castle. We’re becoming quite good with the trains as we even made transfers today to get to Windsor. Immediately upon stepping out of the station we could see the massive castle. We made our way up the road and waited in a big line to get in. Security was tight as this is the queens home and we learned it is the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world. We were really only allowed to see a very small portion of the castle but it was still quite impressive. My favorite room was St. George’s where there were hundred of crests of knights. They are all very remarkable to see, although those knights who have committed a crime or been dishonorable have their crests whited out as a sign of shame. We also were able to see an old yet active church within the castle.

Afterwards we wandered around the town and saw lots of shops and resturants, many of which with fun royal names. We had a yumm lunch before taking the train out of the city. We were planning on going to the Hampton court palace but as we were at our transfer stop the next train was cancelled. The train stop was not nice and we didn’t want to wait over an hour so we decided to go to Kew Gardens. We’re both so happy this happened as we loved the gardens and felt like we’d seen a lot of castles and palaces. We walked quite a lot around the massive gardens seeing lots of plants and gardens. There are some beautiful buildings and temples around the property. I even made it up the 17 meter high tree top look out! I became desperate for some ice cream and all the ice cream trucks in the gardens were closed but I finally got a delicious cone on our way out! Yesterday we looked up roof top bars and found a really cool one with a deal for happy hour and a free drink for our first visit so we had to go! Bar Elba was right by the station which was perfect because I felt like I could not walk any further. The drinks were delicious and it was very packed! Eventually we decided to go back to Flatiron square, the area we stumbled upon last night. It was also packed and we grabbed a drink and finally found a spot at a picnic table. We ended up meeting a great group of people around our age! I had some delicious Asian food from one of the many food stands. We had to go as the last train is 11:07 and we would have been stranded if not.. Thank goodness Madi and I are pro speed walkers!

Fun british word differences::

rubbish (trash), holiday (vacation), give way (yield sign), take away (To-go), toilet (bathroom)((not Lou)),

Total mileage: 12.66

Today we made breakfast and hopped on a train around 10:30 into the city. We wandered a bit around the streets of Westminster to Trafalgar Square. We walked through the beautiful St. James park and eventually made it to the square where the national galley is right in the center. We saw a lot of art from many very famous artists including Michelangelo, Remenberant, Da Vinci, Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh. The latter three were were some of our favorite (pics below). After the gallery we wandered a bit and then decided to go across town to the Borough market. On the way grabbed a little lobster on a stick appetizer from a little Singapore restaurant. We were beyond blown away by the size and in heaven with all the food. There were sooo many food stands we just couldn’t believe it! We grabbed a drink, tried about 25 samples from all over and then decided to split the enormous fish and chips. Afterwards we spent some time wandering around and visited the desert area where we tried even more samples, but we were so full we didn’t even get one.

We then hiked back to the other side of town and visited Covent Garden. It is a very neat area with a lot of nice shopping. We saw a tight rope street performer and then noticed a cool bar looking over a small square. We went up and shared a bottle of rose. The World Cup was going on and we ended up having a blast watching the Spain vs Portugal match. Although it ended in a tie it was a very exciting 3-3 match. Here we also saw a group of guys doing a street performance below. They were actually quite good despite how long it took them to do each dance.. as they were trying to attract a crowd for more tips. We then adventured on our mile and a half journey back the train station and headed home. (Side note: we have yet to take the tube as we love to walk and see as much as we can) When we arrived in Oxted we grabbed some chicken kabob wraps from about the only place left open as we hadn’t even had dinner yet! They turned about to be amazing and so flavorful!

Total mileage: 13.20

This morning Madi I got to the train early and grabbed a coffee before heading on board. We arrived into London Victoria and began walking to the Trafalgar Square. Along the way we walked through the outskirts of the Buckingham palace and Hyde’s Park. Hundreds of people were lining the gates of the palace and the surrounding areas so we became curious. It was the ceremony for the changing of the national guards! Horses and soldiers in uniforms marched past us down the roads parallel to Hyde park. Many police men lined the streets on their horses and in their cars. We then walked to the Trafalgar Square where there was an event called West End Love going on. There were performances from all the major broadway shows for free!! The line to get in was humongous..circling the national gallery. But luckily it only ended up being 25 minutes. The actual cast from plays each preformed anywhere from 2-5 songs. We saw Kinky boots, Chicago, Le Mis, Thriller, Mamma mia, Phantom of the opera, Tina Turner, Strictly Ballroom, Dream girls and a few others. We could not believe how amazing this event was and we had a blast!!

Next we made our way to Covent Garden around 4 pm. We began walking up and down the adorable streets of convent browsing around and made our way to China town for a bit and then back to he center of covent garden. We popped in some dessert shops looking for samples and some clothing shops too but we were not in the mood to shop so of course we decided on happy hour! We found a bar which had happy hour deals so we grabbed a candy cocktail. Our drink was lite on fire and came in a skull glass. We then walked to another local pub where we again we able to grab a happy hour drink! We watched some of the World Cup game and talked with the security guard who gave us great recommendations for future bars.

Once we finished our drink we walked around the corner to the bar recommended to us. It was in a basement with multiple rooms, 2 Dj’s, 2 bars and large tables to sit at. We ordered drinks and a pizza all under happy hour deals, only 3 pound each! We ended up getting the happy hour deals until 9:30! We danced and had a great time!

At 9:45pm we left the bar and began walking to London Victoria train station in hopes of making the 10:21 train. We made it! Hopped on the train to Oxted to and fell right asleep once we made it home.

Total mileage: 10.52

Today we woke up and after some research realized we wanted to change our plans up and head to Bath instead of into the city. Off to the train station we went only to find out the trains to downtown were all canceled. The train service provided a bus to a nearby town Purley where we then caught a train to Victoria. From Victoria we decided to walk to Paddington station as we missed the next train to bath anyways, and had an hour to make the almost 3 mile walk. We strolled around the, as they would say here, posh area of south Kensington and passed many designed shops. Through hyde Park we walked and saw horses, art, museums, and more. I found out that although Hyde park seems insanley big it is actually quite a bit smaller than Central Park. We then hopped on the train at Paddington and realized our train passes allow us to sit in first class! Due to it being a much larger train than we’ve been used to, first class was super nice and they even brought us water and snacks.

Upon arrival in Bath we headed straight to lunch at a Moroccan restaurant! The food was amazing! They had a two course lunch special that Madi and I each got and shared everything. The flavors were delicious and really hit the spot. Next we wandered a few streets and headed to the Roman baths. We were both pleasantly surprised to find that it is a whole museum with a full audio tour. We learned all about the Romans and that the built this complex by 76AD. It is also the only thermal springs in the U.K. They worshiped the goddess Sulis and the complex/town became known Aquae Sulis. There were multiple different baths, temples, shrines and more here. We felt one of the baths and it was extremely hot, although you can’t bath in them now as the pipes are lead.

Afterwards we strolled around town and tasted fudge samples at local shops. We stumbled upon a little street fair, browsed a few shops, and checked out the old church named Bath Abby. Next we both got some ice cream and headed to the picturesque \240Pulteney bridge. We weren’t hungry for dinner and most of the town was dying out and closing up so we decided to take the train back in order to get back a little earlier than usually and have a relaxing night.

Total mileage: 11.52

Typical Madi slept past her alarm so I showered first and we got ready for the day. Off we went to Victoria and headed to a little fancy area on the west side of London known as Sloan square. We stopped at a \240very cool place called Corbert where we split a pot of coffee. \240There are shops in this area so we stopped in Zara and Madi got a jacket. Next we walked to Harrods the famous department store in London. We were beyond blown away by is size and all the fancy designer shops. Next we headed up to the portobello market on portobello road near knotting hill. On our way we walked through the extremely posh area of Kensington palace with the most beautiful and massive homes. The market spans along one street for many blocks. As it was already around 2pm and we had just walked miles to get here we were starving and had to get food. We stopped at a Spanish tapas place as were intrigued by the outdoor seating area and 3 tapas for 10 pound deal. Unfortunately the food was not too great and left us feeling a little gross. From here we did a lot of browsing in shops and street vendors but didn’t purchase anything.

Next we walked to the Churchill arms pub that I had been dying to see. The outside is covered in flowers and beyond gorgeous! We wanted to sit on the upper roof deck for a drink but for some reason it was closed. Since the inside was dark and it was a beautiful day we left. We wandered back towards Hyde park and stopped in Whole Foods for a bottle of rose champagne to take to the park. We sat in a lovely spot looking at the river and split a bottle and rested our legs for a while.

Around 6 \240we decided to make our way to the pub to watch the World Cup. We had about a 3 mile walk and were so tired we wanted to get a taxi. However, for the life of us we couldn’t get one to stop. We even asked someone why none would stop and they said the light has to be on. Well the whole walk we searched and no luck but we made it. We meet up with a few people we met last Thursday at flatiron square. I got a beer and Madi an apple spritz. We watched the exciting game where England beat Tunisia 2-1!! The pub went crazy! We stayed and chatted a bit with our friends before heading home.

Total mileage: 13.88

On our final day in London we decided to go back to the borough market for the morning! Into the city we went and decided to get our first brunch out of the house. We wandered the market for a minute and got some samples but were beyond starving so we went to get a sit down meal. We went to a cool place right by the market called the breakfast club. I had an amazing chorizo Benny and Madi some eggs and toast. We then wandered the dessert section of the market and ended up grabbing extremely big stuffed donuts, mine being chocolate. We felt a little bit sick afterwards and wandered the streets looking around where we hoped to find some sort of London memorabilia but no such luck. Due to deciding to take the overnight sleeper train up to Scotland we decided to head back to Oxted to get ourselves organized for our departure.

When we arrived back in Oxted we stopped for Madi to get some new sneakers and for a bottle of wine for the Johnstones. Laundry and a quick nap was next and then we came downstairs to chat with Nicki and Lewis. We wanted to try their favorite Indian take away place so we offered to buy for the four of us. We let them do the order as this is their favorite place and we are always up to try anything. The food did not disappoint! We ate while chatting and watching a little World Cup. Madi and I then packed up and finished cleaning and laundry. We said our goodbyes and thank yous and Lewis drove us to the train station. We are so lucky have been able to stay with them and they are very kind and helpful.

We made it to the city and then took the tube underground for the first time!! Pretty impressive we have walked everywhere within the city thus far, but with our giant luggage the 3 mile journey would not have been good. We made it to the Euston train station about 10:45 for our 11:50 train. Very disappointed is an understatement of how we felt when we found out we would not have our own room with beds but inside be in general seating with just two train seats. There wasn’t even WiFi or outlets! Luckily it was late and we were exhausted from the week that we were both able to get some sleep. There was an open row a little ways up that Madi moved to during the night so we could lay down which helped.

Total mileage: 7.34miles

Seven thirty came around quicker than we thought as we pulled into the train station in Edinburg. \240The weather was cold and rainy as we dragged our massive lug garb through the streets trying to find out Airbnb. \240We had to carry them up the tallest flight of stairs while feeling exhausted from the train ride and being a bit lost. However we made it and our host Dylan was so sweet and let us check in early to freshen up for the day before exploring. Around Nine we headed out to a little breakfast cafe Dylan recommended which was great and the servers wrote out some recommendations for us.

We booked tickets to The Real Mary Kings Close for the afternoon and headed out to explore the royal mile. We walked around noticing there seem to be cashmere shops everywhere. The national gallery was not too far so we decided to check it out. It was nice but nothing compared to London. Calton hill came upon us and the views were beyond breathtaking. The national monument and Nelson monument were both here and we hiked up the steps of the Nelson monument to get a spectacular view of the whole city. Back up the royal mile we went to browse around before our tour. Outside the oldest building on the city they have two people with birds you can hold and Madi and each held the most beautiful owl, it was so cool!

Off to the tour we went where we learned all about the history of the underground world from the 17th century. We learned that back in the day the royal mile was the only Main Street and off it are these extremely narrow streets each called a close that branched the city. This close we explored is underground from being built on in the eighteenth century for the royal exchange. The history was fascinating and made us really appreciate modern plumbing! All the bathrooms, which were basically shared buckets, were dumped out windows out the streets at 7am and 10pm each day. With Scotland’s rainy weather often sewage would be ankle deep around town. It’s no wonder the average life span was 40 and diseases were ramped.

After the tour we wandered to a shortbread shop where we split a cookie, \240and then checked out a fudge shop and after many samples bought a slice to share. We wandered a bit more and realized our desserts weren’t going to cut it so we headed to the Devils advocate on hidden back on advocates close for some food. The place was neat and we sat down for a glass of red wine and a delicious charcuterie board.

From our train travels and busy schedule we decided to head back to our Airbnb about 5pm. We chatted with Dylan and he set up our room for us and even set up a whisky tasting for us while we left for futbol practice. After a half hour nap we rose for our tasting and to watch the World Cup. We tried six different whiskys each about the tiniest taste possible so small that we probably only had an eighth of a shot glass, needlesss to say we are not whisky fans and will not be consuming anymore while here.

We decided it was only 8pm so we should go out and watch the end of the world up match and maybe some live music. We ended up walking in a pub for \240the last five minutes so we watched quick and ducked out to search for live music. The first few bars we tried didn’t have music starting till 10 or 10:30 and we were already getting tired. After trying to order some food and the kitchen being closed we left for something to eat while we waited for the music. There was an Italian place on the corner that looked good as we decided a lot of the Scottish pub food sounded too heavy. After sitting down I realized I was hungrier than I thought and got some yummy pizza. After the food we realized we were just too hungry and headed to bed.

Total mileage: 7.60 miles

Last night we slept a lot and it felt great! We dressed quickly and jogged to Arthur’s seat which was just down the road. Thinking we were going to jog up to the top was clearly way too ambitious. The hike was extremely steep and strenuous in many spots but it was beyond worth the work. The 360 degree views were breathtaking and more than I can put into words. We spent a bit of time looking around and wandering area. We came across the remains of an old church as well. We jogged a bit down and then walked from the royal mile back home and grabbed an ice coffee on the way. We grabbed a few more things for the day and headed out.

The girls at the coffee shop yesterday mentioned going to an area not too far called dean village so we headed that direction and walked through the princess street gardens. The village was so little and beautiful with a small river going through it. There wasn’t really even any restaurants or shops. We walked through a little path along the river and made our way back where we ran into grass marketstreet which is a popular area we hadn’t seen. There was a bar with the World Cup on a huge projector outside that we walked through on our way to lunch. There weren’t any open tabes and the game wasn’t very exciting so we didn’t stay long. We headed to the highly recommend Outsider for lunch where we saw the cafe J. K. Rowing wrote much of the first Harry Potter. I could see exactly where she got the inspiration for hogwarts from as the Edinburgh Castle is in view up on a hill. We also could see the castle from our lunch spot and the food was beyond amazing. The lunch specials are so good Madi and I split the mussels and each got the sea bass for only ten pound each!! The food was sooo good! By now it was already three o clock and we were feeling a bit exhausted from the day to tour the castle. We wandered up to the royal mile and grabbed some fudge samples before deciding to grab a bottle of wine for later and head back to shower and rest a bit.

We drank some wine and watched some world cup before deciding to grab a bit. Our host dinner brought us to a pub to try some haggis. Madi and I split a potato and haggis Mash and a falafel burger. The haggis and potato mash really just tasted like meatloaf or stuffing and potatoes. Next we wanted to hear some live music as so many places have it here. We went to a cool place right across from the flat where there was duo playing guitars and singing. We had a fancy cocktail and listened until they closed around 11:45 as they are also a small hotel. We checked out another spot but were not in the mood for dancing or staying out late so we headed back to bed.

Total mileage: 11.87

Cannot beleive its our last day in Edinburgh, time seriously flies! We woke up and headed straight to the castle as we knew it would get very busy as the day went on. They offer free thirty minute walking tours which we did and learned a bit about the history of the castle and those who stayed in it. The castle is built on a summit of rock which came from volcano million years ago and is has been a royal castle since at least the reign of King David the first in the 12th century. Beyond being situated on top of a massive hill the had extraordinary defense systems. We saw prisons, living barracks, Crown Jewels, and the national war memorial. It’s pretty neat that the war memorial, which honors those who have died fighting for their country through present day, is in the iconic castle. Also, the oldest building in Scotland can be found within the castle walls, St. Margaret’s chapel. It was built in 1130 and is stil inl use. In fact anyone of any denomination can get married in the chapel, however it can only hold about 15 people and would be quite cllaustrophobic.

After the castle we decided to walk to New town along the busy princess street. We grabbed a cup of coffee and wandered the street towards the wavery market we read about. Unfortunately the market was not going on. I read about another Friday market across town and we thought since it was a nice day and we hadn’t been to the area we’d make the journey. Again we were sadly disappointed to find out the market wasn’t going on, quite a bummer. We walked back towards the royal mile and in a few shops. We ended up grabbing lunch back at the hula juice cafe as we wanted something light (unlike Scottish food). I got the poke bowl which here they do with Scottish salmon, yummy! After some food we decided to look for souvenirs, as neither of us had bought anything yet to bring home. Madi got some whisky for John and I bought some fudge at our favorite fudge place but we struck out on souviners. It’s pretty crazy how shops their are for whisky, cashmere, shortbread, and kilts. Madi and I decided not to buy something just to buy and given all the samples we’ve had we know the shortbread isn’t nearly as good as the fudge.

Next we went back to the apartment to shower and put on nicer clothes for the rest of the day. Off to the three sisters we went at four oclock \240to watch the Iceland game. It was crazy how many people were Iceland fans! I had a beer and Madi a glass of wine as we watched outside in the sun on the massive tv. They had live music going as well and it was a very fun atmosphere despite Iceland losing. After the game we decided to go grab some food. We walked to Waverley market street and found a fun pub with a beer garden. However we found out the menu was the exact same as last night and were not feeling it. We wandered up towards the royal mile to another cool pub where we sat down and realized they only served appetizers. We split a cheese board and headed on our way. Down the royal mile we went to another pub where we got a table by a tv to watch the next World Cup game. We split some nachos, lamb, and what turned out to be a fish soup. (The food took a while and by the time we got it we ate it so fast we forgot to get a picture). We decided that with leaving in the morning and wanting to get organized we’d call it an early night. We put on comfy clothes, did some laundry and watched some of a movie and headed off to bed. It felt nice to come back and relax a bit before heading to Iceland!

Total milage: 10.51

Today we headed to Iceland!!! I have put a video in from the amazing view from Dylan’s apartment that we said goodbye too. Such a nice host.. he even gave us some old jackets of his to take to Iceland (he is moving back to Australia soon and didn’t need them). Off to the bus station we took a quick thirty minute ride to the airport. Luckily we got there two hours early because the line was so long and machines were down. I thought for sure we’d be delayed but luckily we were not. After just a two hour fifteen minute ride we made it to Iceland!

Charlotte had arrived earlier and grabbed the rental car so it was a smooth and easy process to get on our way. I drove us to downtown Reykjavík to our Airbnb. The lady was soo sweet and showed us all around and even left a little food for us. After freshening up we headed to explore the town. We walked up some main streets and ventured to the famous church. Next we walked to a little market by the bus station but it was pretty small and not what we wanted. On our way back through town we saw the famous Reykjavík chip shop where we all shared some chips, or fries. We searched around for a good happy hour deal and realized quickly that everyone we’d talked to was right and this island is pricy. We found a good happy hour deal at a really cool bar downtown and each got a glass of house wine. We decided one was enough and as we hadn’t eaten much today we headed to grab a bite. After some research we decided on rio Reykjavík, a taco place known for great food at a reasonable price. \240We were laughing that each of us got one taco, and although yes is was amazing, 13 dollars did not seem reasonable. Making sure we got our drink at happy hour price we went to the bar attached to the restaurant and then brought it back into to the restaurant 😂 For some reference a cocktail is usually about 20-22 dollars.. we found happy hour wine for 6.50 at the taco place but everywhere else seemed to be more. Also, we checked menus at about ten restaurants and it was near impossible to find even a burger for under 18-20 dollars. Thus after dinner we decided to the head to the grocery store to pick up dinner for tomorrow night as we knew we’d be tired from a busy day and to also save some money! We got back to the apartment and did a little planning for tomorrow and had some fudge. Charlotte really hit a wall with her travels and Madi and I were exhasted from our journeys so far so we all decided to go to bed early. I’m lying in bed now and very very excited for our day tomorrow!!

Total mileage: 6.92 miles

Good morning Iceland!! Today we got up and on the road at 8am for our personalized extended golden circle tour. First stop was the Pingvellir national park where we were immediately in awe by all the views. This park is unique as it’s where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are slowly spitting apart and thus creating deep fissures in the ground. We walked along the main path for a while seeing some small waterfalls and amazing views. Then we decided to do a hike out and back to some point about an hour and a half round trip. The hike was nice despite the mud. The area has a beautiful lake and big mountains in the background. Wet then departedfor bruarfoss or “bridge falls,” also known as the secret waterfall as there are very few tourists who go here. It was a little over a mile and a half hike along the river to get to the falls. The hike was a little challenging in that it was narrow, muddy, and full of many sticks and branches to navigate. Given this it was still extremely worth it!! The water was breathtakingly blue! We were all so amazed by the color and beauty. Unfortunately the flies were really bad and make it hard to be still and enjoy it for too long. We hiked back down along the river and were all so happy we did this off the beaten path adventure.

Next we drove to the famous Geysir which is a popular sight among many tourists. It reminded us of Yellowstone. There’s one big active Geysir which blows every five to ten minutes which is actually called Strokkur. The Great Geysir has actually been inactive since 1935. We didn’t spend too much time here as it’s was full of tourists. After departing we got on the road and saw a spot to pet horses so we made a quick pit stop! Then we headed to the Gullfoss waterfall, one of the more famous ones here. It’s actually two waterfalls, one after another, with about a 105 foot drop. This is another very big tourist spot but still very cool to see.

Back in the car we went and off to the Kerio crater. This is a volcanic crater that is beyond words astonishing. After the cone Volcano erupted and emptied its magma then depleted the magma and the weight of the cone collapsed on the empty magma chamber. \240I’d seen pictures but they did not even compare to the real thing. The crater is beyond massive and unlike most everywhere else it is composed of red, rather than black, volcanic rock. It started raining on our way there but We still walked around in the rain for a little and took some pictures. We then drove to some hot spring river baths on our way home that we weren’t sure if we were up for given the busy day we had and the weather. We got there and checked it out and saw it is an hour hike uphill to the river baths and then an hour back down. Having no energy and being wet and cold we decided to head back and maybe we’ll go back Tuesday morning if we don’t find an excursion to do or even Wednesday.

Dragging our feet back up to the fourth floor we made it to our apartment and hit the hot showers. I then FaceTimed with my most favorite parents and then we played some hearts with chips and dip and wine. We all helped then make delicious tacos/ burritos. I was hungrier than I thought and ate a ton! Next we did a little research on possible excusions for tuesday but they’re all decently expensive and don’t know if we will all agree on one but who knows! Off to bed now at 10 as we have another big day ahead!

Total mileage: 13.03 miles

Morning two in Iceland! We woke and we’re out the door and on the road shortly after eight. I drove us the just over two hour ride to the waterfall known as Skogafoss. The ride there was stunning. All the green mossy grounds and mountains look like nothing we’ve seen. There’s sooo many sheep, horses, and today even cows along the routes to see as well. We arrived at the waterfall and could see it from the road no problem. It is 82 feet wide with a 197 foot drop. There are an insane number of steep stairs to the top where we ventured. The look out flat form made my stomach drop! There is a hiking trail from here that follows the river up the mountain that we wandered up a ways. The views are absolutely incredible!! I don’t even know how else to describe it besides amazing. We saw some sheep and rams up here too. After a while we decided to venture back down as the path could go on for hours and hours. At the bottom we took some pictures and got very close to the base of the falls. The rain held off for the most part while we were here but you can feel a mist off the waterfall.

Next we ventured just twenty minutes up the road to Solheimajokull, an outlet glacier that is part of the massive icecap of Mydralsjokull. Solheimajokull is five miles long and just over a mile wide. Sadly it’s receding an Olympic pool length every year and could be gone within decades. We took a walking path up to see it from a little distance and saw a gorgeous pool of water at its base. The glacier has striking white and blue features which contrast beautifully with the black ash. After we saw it and took a couple pictures the rain started coming down so hard it was like hail. We ran super fast back to the car which luckily was less than half a mile away. From here we traveled about twenty minutes to the small southernmost town known as Vik. We saw a pretty church and view of the ocean and filed up on gas. We were going to stop at a cafe for some coco but I also wanted to go to the famous black beach just a few minutes away. Due to the rain and cold we decided to go to a cafe at the famous beach since we wouldn’t want to walk around much. We drove to the black sand beach restaurant and all got a cup of nice hot coco. Char and I debated on getting lamb stew but when we saw it was nineteen dollars for one tiny bowl we said forget it. After warming up we ventured quick to the beach to check it out. It really is quite remarkable and the sand is very black. There are enormous basalt columns just off the shore that are very famous. They are even featured in the hit series game of thrones. This beach was listed by National Geographic among the top ten non tropical beaches to see. Also the waves here are massive!! There are no land masses between here and Antarctica so the waves built up a lot of strength and there are many warnings to stay back and be cautious. After a few minutes we headed back to the warm car and back towards home. We had saved one waterfall for the way back to break up the two and a half hour journey back. On the way I ate my pb and banana Sandwhich and apple.

On the drive we were all in awe at the landscape once again. It feels like everywhere we look should be on a postcard. Also, on our drives if Charlotte is driving I read my information document I made on all the sites we go to.. not sure if they care but I read it anyways 😊 \240We all can’t remember why sheep climb super high up the mountains but are fascinated. Charlotte was driving now and had to slam the breaks not to hit a sheep or lamb.. but maybe if we did we would have cooked up some lamb chops. Another random observation is that hitchhiking is a real thing here! We’ve seen four people today with their thumbs up on the side of the road.

Last stop today was Seljalandfoss, another waterfall! This was is right off the road and also quite impressive with a two hundred foot drop. What’s really neat is you can actually walk behind the falls. So although it wasn’t raining it still seems like it around the falls. Also it sounds like an airplane is constantly flying right over you with how loud it is. We walked behind it and took some pictures and then walked back to the car as we were ready to warm up and get back. Sadly we decided to skip the walk to the plane wreck. Although I really wanted to see it today’s weather did not make it ideal. It’s a two and a half mile walk from the road and the walk is not scenic at all. Since it’s cold and rainy we decided to just get home.

We stopped at a bonus store to pick up a couple things and I grabbed some European candy too 😊 we all took hot showers and got dressed for dinner. We Had a glass of wine and played some hearts before heading out to Salt, the dinner place we researched. We got there at 7:15 (on a Monday) and they had no room for us until 8:15. We checked some nearby menus but the seafood was ridiculously more expensive so we went back home and played another couple rounds of hearts. Luckily we were only a block away. Back we went at 8:15 and they seated us right away. I ordered the cod and it was amazing! So glad we splurged and tried the seafood. Madi had the Pearch and Charlotte a burger. It was crazy to us that this place was listed under cheap eats on trip advisor. My fish was 36 dollars and even charlottes burger was 27. After we walked to a popular place Charlotte researched called Pablo discobar.. it was really cool but the drinks were of course insanely expensive so we only stayed for one. Happy hour didn’t start there till eleven pm!! Crazy!! We were walking home when we heard some live music and decided to pop in. We ended up staying till bar close at 1 am listening and chatting with some nice Norwegians. When we left the bar it was so light out, a very weird feeling but also pretty cool! Off to bed we went!

Total mileage: 7.85

Today we slept in until a little after nine since we were up late last night. I made the pack of bacon our host left us along with some eggs and toast. After breakfast we got dressed and headed to the Reykjadalur Hot Spring Thermal River about 45 minutes away. Luckily it wasn’t raining and the sun was even trying to pop out a little. The hike up to the river was just over two miles with the first mile being a pretty significant \240incline. The hike was beautiful and we felt like dinosaurs should be roaming the mountains with us. The green mossy ground wirh the random rivers and falls everywhere is just beautiful. We also saw lots of sheep and horses from a group riding. Icelandic horses are very pretty with their unique coloring and they are much smaller than horses we are used to. \240We made it to the top and could tell by that hot spring surfer smell and the steam rising. The bathing area in the river is so neat and we found the farther upstream the warmer it is. Thus we went towards the top and sat in the river for a long while before finally forcing ourselves to get out. We dried off quick and made the journy down to the car. This was a great adventure and I’m super happy we went back to do it!