A green light twinkled in the dark night sky giving it an
eerie glow. In a matter of minutes it had been joined by others and the show
began. The Northern Lights were dancing in front of my eyes. So beautiful, so surreal.
It was all I had dreamt about. Uplifting and magical, I felt so lucky that the
elusive lights had performed for me.
“Here is your present, birthday girl”, exuded my guide from
Superjeep, the tour company that specialises in Northern Lights Jeep Tours.
“I told you I would arrange for the Aurora Borealis to appear for you. Now we
will go to another place to see them better,” he said.
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| Northern Lights Courtesy of Superjeep |
Back in the jeep, we set off ready for Act II of the Northern Lights or the
Aurora Borealis. Bands of green and purple tinged with pink were skipping above
me. Sipping hot chocolate to ward off the cold, I drank in the views. It was a
birthday that I will never forget.
The Northern Lights are said to be formed when
electrically-charged particles from the sun, driven by the Solar Wind, enter
the Earth’s magnetic field and collide with atoms of oxygen and nitrogen. The
result is an array of colours and formations. To see them had been on my bucket
list for a while. As far as travel experiences go, and I have had quite a few,
this is hard to beat.
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| Gullfoss |
When you
have such a rapturous start to a trip you wonder where you can go from there.
Luckily, Iceland was up for the challenge. The land of fire and ice was
bursting with wonders to keep me on a high. From elves – though I never saw any
– to feisty geysers to spirited volcanoes and sulphur scents, Iceland dishes up
quite a menu.
Thingvellir National Park would win a beauty contest for its
exceptional good looks. Straddling the North American and Eurasian tectonic
plates, it is also the embodiment of Icelandic history.
Here in AD930, reputedly,
the oldest existing parliament in the world first assembled. Thingvellir is held dearly in the
hearts of the Icelandic people as it is considered to be the birthplace of the
nation.
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| Strokkur blasting water 30 metres |
Nestled in an active
volcanic area surrounded by mountains on three sides, and crossed by the river
Öxará, are some incredible rock formations, grass-covered lava
fields and stunning waterfalls. Lake Thingvallavatn
sits at its southern end. You get the feeling as you explore that the landscape has not changed much over thousands of years.
In Iceland the
weather can change in an instant. It had started windy and rainy, but the sun
made a timely appearance as we arrived at Gullfoss. The Golden Waterfall, as
its name translates, is one of Iceland’s most spectacular waterfalls. As a
rainbow flicked over the plummeting water all I could do was be humbled by
Mother Nature’s creativity and stare at is magnificence.
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| The Blue Lagoon |
She was about to show us more of her genius a little later
as we arrived at the Geysir Hot Spring Area in time to see the Strokkur
blasting water 30 metres (100 feet) into the air as hot mud pools bubbled
around us.
While the Blue Lagoon is a must on most people’s to-do list,
I found it, although worth seeing, a bit of a tourist trap and feel there are
better geothermal spas in the country to visit. However if time is short, go as
it is a unique experience.
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| Skogáfoss |
Driving through the ever-changing spectacular landscape of
the south of Iceland was like
travelling through a film set. From amazing rocky formations to
snow-capped volcanoes and glaciers, this was drama at its best.
The Skogáfoss Waterfall was magnificent as was the Walking
Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, so called
because you can walk behind it. The Eyjafjallajökull volcano
responsible for halting air traffic across Europe a few years ago was now
quiet.
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| From amazing rocky formations to snow-capped volcanoes and glaciers, this was drama at its best |
Another star was the volcanic black pebble sand beach of
Reynisfjara. It may be one of the country’s top tourist attractions but the
roaring waves do not just make an empty sound, they are dangerous so take care.
Iceland’s capital Reykjavik, where I was based, has a lovely
small town feel with a real heart. Only a few skyscrapers punctuate the skyline
and traffic jams are a rarity.
Over half of the population of the country lives here. When you think that
there are about 334,000 people in the country, it is indeed small. It may be a
cold, tiny country but its people certainly radiate an exceptional warm and welcome visitors with open arms.
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| Another star was the volcanic black pebble sand beach of Reynisfjara |
This is where companies should send people to learn about
customer service. It was excellent in every restaurant, café and shop I went
into. And everybody speaks exceptional English and exudes passion about their country.
The vibrant city, which you can walk around in a few hours,
has plenty of museums, galleries and theatres if you want a dose of culture.
There are beautiful public squares to relax in, or take an invigorating walk
along the waterfront and the harbour where you will find one of Iceland’s
significant landmarks, the Harpa, an impressive structure and home to the Iceland
Symphony Orchestra.
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| City Hall, Reykjavik |
Snuggled amidst the tourist shops in the main shopping drag
are lovely small boutiques specialising in Icelandic design. For wonderful
views of the capital head to the striking Hallgrimskirkja church, the city’s
renowned landmark which took 41 years to build.
Reykjavik’s food scene is exciting. Whether you want to try
fermented shark, meat soup or Icelandic fish and chips you will find plenty of
great restaurants. As they mainly use local fresh ingredients your taste
buds will have a sensory treat. While it is expensive it is value for money.
Unlike so many restaurants in the UK that serve bland food, every mouthful I
had there was a culinary experience.
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| Reykjavik Harbour |
At the Food Cellar, housed in a 160-year-old building,
serenaded by a piano player, I had cod that was so succulent it were as if I
tasted the fish for the first time. I could see why this is classed as one of
Reykjavik’s finest. Another fabulous place was Messine. This cosy, atmospheric
restaurant serves up generous portions of superb sizzling fish in a cast iron
pan.
Coming out of Messine, I looked up at the night sky and
there were the Northern Lights making their appearance one more time. A fitting
end to a very special trip.
By Daralyn Danns
Getting there
I booked through Regent Holidays (regent-holidays.co.uk)
A great company to book with. My consultant, Jane was knowledgeable, knew about
Iceland and was extremely caring. She ensured that I got the right holiday for
me
I travelled with Iceland Air
I stayed at the Borg. A lovely, small, luxury Art Deco hotel
in the heart of Reykjavik whose neighbours include the Houses of Parliament
