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...
Europe
Standby Gone Bad: Our Family Christmas in Norway Saga Part 1 | Stranded in Oslo, Norway at OSL, Oslo Airport, Gardermoen with 3 Children Praying for Christmas Presents
Catherine - 0
Our family trip to Norway was one of those standby adventures gone wrong, but one we probably should have known better to anticipate. I was stressed for weeks leading up to this vacation. We had three flights to take after disembarking the Disney Wonder cruise ship, and making our way to our Christmas destination in Norway. That meant three...
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...
Europe
Airbnb Gone Bad: Our Family Christmas in Norway Saga Part 2 | Stranded in A Stinky Airbnb with 3 Children Praying for Fresh Air
Catherine - 0
We knew it would be an adventure to travel for Christmas, especially through two different climates and with a suitcase full of Christmas presents, but we didn’t quite anticipate everything that could go wrong, would go wrong. On our first leg of the trip from Salt Lake City, Utah to Galveston, Texas one of our bags of luggage was...
Europe
Christmas Traditions and How We Started the Book of the Trip in Iceland: Someone to Watch Over Me by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir
Catherine - 0
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...
Europe
Destination: Iceland | Creating Family Memories Celebrating Christmas in the Land of Fire and Ice – Family Adventure #22
Catherine - 0
Iceland is one of the most intriguing places we’ve ever been. It was unique unto itself, and the culture was fascinating. The way that the people in Iceland honor the land, and the sea, and they way that they celebrate life and respect their ancient beliefs of Norse mythology was compelling to be a part of. We were treated...
Our most magical experience during our family trip to Scandinavia was Husky dog sledding in Norway through the snow blanketed fields of Tromsø.
Truly, we had some incredible experiences in the land of Trolls - a spiritual excursion to witness the Northern Lights in Kirkenes, an authentically cultural journey through the North Cape on the Hurtigruten, and even celebrating...
Europe
Braving the Elements: Driving in Iceland During the Winter with Toddlers and Failing Miserably at Seeing the Northern Lights
Catherine - 0
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...
Europe
Ice Skating on The Biggest Bread Soup in the World: Tjörnin Pond in Reykjavik, Iceland with Kids | A Favorite Icelandic Christmas Pasttime
Catherine - 0
In the winter, Tjörnin Pond, in the city center of Reykjavik, is a gathering place to play ice hockey and soccer, and to go ice skating. This can be done formally or informally, as there is no where to rent ice skates for the pond. This means you’ll want to either bring your own skates or step out in your boots...
Europe
An Icelandic Christmas with Kids at the Christmas Village of Hafnarfjörður & Christmas Buffet at Fjörukráin Viking Restaurant in Reykjavik
Catherine - 0
When we visit a new place, we love living as the locals do - participating in local customs, eating the native foods, walking through their neighborhoods, and everything else. When we came to Iceland for Christmas, we wanted to have an Icelandic Christmas. We wanted to eat skate on Þorláksmessa, (dish of putrefying shark), and reindeer on Christmas. We...