When we traveled to Iceland, during the middle of December and the dark of winter, we had to pick our activities deliberately. With approximately four hours of daylight we couldn’t see everything, it just wasn’t mathematically or cosmically possible. The Golden Circle is 300 kilometers of Iceland’s most popular sites and attractions, including incredible sites that you can’t find...
With the exception of our two night Hurtigruten Cruise we spent a huge majority of our time eating items from the local 7-11, or Norwegian equivalent Narvesen, during our two week Christmas trip to Norway.
We found all the best Norwegian Candy, and not because we love "food-like" items that never have an expiration date, but because most of...
Driving in Iceland in the winter can, and most likely will be terrifying and treacherous. Many of the roads are actually closed during the winter because driving conditions are so poor, including the entire northeast region. Driving in Iceland isn’t too bad in the city, but once you leave Reykjavik, country roads aren’t a priority for snowplows. In addition...
All things considered, during our eight day trip in Norway we actually spent a majority of our time at the Oslo Airport, OSL. Three of those eight days were spent at the Oslo Gardermoen Airport in fact. We had zero success getting on a flight to Tromsø for Christmas, and we had zero success getting on a flight out of...
We found ourselves in Kirkenes after debarking from our two night cruise on the Hurtigruten. Kirkenes is a tiny little town of only 3,000 inhabitants on just over 500 acres, and was upgraded from a village just 20 years ago! The peninsula is sandwiched between the Bøkfjorden fjord, and the Varangerfjord fjord that borders Russia, and the city is...
When planning our trip to Iceland we knew we’d be stuck inside for a majority of our time. Between the four hours of daily sunlight, the cold winter weather, and considering the fact that the city shuts down entirely for two full days, we wanted a hotel with a pool that we could take the twins swimming and help...
We actually had our heart set on some Elephant Ears at the pier to be enjoyed while riding the Ferris Wheel at the end of the dock of Pleasure Pier, but unbeknownst to us, said Pleasure Pier is closed Monday thru Thursday! After drying a bucket of tears and wringing out our soaking clothes from the injustice of it...
“Boy Howdy Howdy”, is the one thing you’ll have running through your head year after year when you think back on your stay at the Hotel Cheyenne at the Disneyland Paris Resort. It’s like the song that never ends. Now, hear that in your head, and then add a french accent. It even sounds silly in your head. This...
One of my most favorite Icelandic Christmas traditions is the exchange of books on the evening of the 24th of December. After a feast, which begins promptly at 6p, presents are opened by all. Included in the gifts is always the traditional gift of a book. The rest of the evening and the entirely of Christmas Day is spent...
We started a tradition the year we went to Iceland: Buy a book in each place we visit. We started this tradition in Iceland, specifically, because we celebrated Christmas here and it is an Icelandic tradition to give or get a new book on Christmas Eve and spend the night reading it. This practice is called jólabókaflóð. We absolutely...
