Iceland - Day One

In November Stuart and I packed up our suitcase and headed to Reykjavik. We had previously visited Iceland in 2010 and this was the first time we have ever had a second holiday somewhere we had been before. But what can I say, Iceland has enchanted me. The first time we visited everywhere was covered in a romantic layer of snow and ice but when we jumped off the plane this year we were surprised to be greeted with blue skies, snow free roads and no hint of the low temperatures of the previous holiday.

I have to admit, on our previous trip to Iceland's capital city, our time was mainly spent in the hotel, or in coaches shuttling us out to see the country. For this trip we had a little more time so it was exciting to be able to spend sometime outside, exploring Reykjavik without having to worrying about frostbite or slipping on ice. We arrived late on Thursday afternoon and I was surprised at how quiet the place was. The harbour was completely deserted and many of the buildings seemed to be in darkness. I think in the summer months the harbour would be buzzing with life, with whale watching trips and tours along the coast on offer, but in winter it seems people are more interested in heading out into the countryside to find the Northern Lights and enjoy the solitude of the island.

We wandered along taking in the beautiful changing colours of the sky, which leads me to one of my favourite things about Iceland; the sunsets. In the winter months, if seems like the sunrises and sunsets last for hours. Half the day is decorated with pink, red and dark blue skies. I don't think the photos I took on that first evening did the sunset any justice but hopefully as the week progresses you'll get an idea of the beauty of Iceland.

After pottering around the town for a while and competing to see who could take the best photos, Stuart and I headed off for a curry to warm us up (hey, it wasn't snowing but it is still cold in Iceland in November) but not before one last photo of possibly my perfect town house.