Iceland & Sweden 2019
- Jer
- Feb 25, 2019
- 25 min read
Updated: Aug 21, 2021
Introduction
It was in December and we were just feeling slightly dreadful because usually December was the time that we went for year-end family trips. However, nothing was really materialised because everyone in my family had many affairs to handle (except me because I ORD-ed loh!). Until one day, my sister said "Can we go somewhere during Chinese New Year period?" that we decided to get to brainstorm on a place to go for the long holiday. We worked around the fact that my sister have 4 days of leave remaining for use and found the perfect slot between 2-11 Feb. Now, it was just up to the location. My dad was not very open to many nearby countries that we went a few times already (Australia and Japan) but wanted to go to a chilly country to spend the winter season. My dad also had said before that his bucket list included going to see the Northern Lights and so we shortlisted to Norway and Iceland. For Norway however, it required us to connect to another domestic flight in Norway to travel up North so that we were in the Auroral Zone and we decided that it was cheaper to fly to Iceland instead of staying in Norway (albeit only a little difference in cost). Thus, we have secured the destination and now, we just needed to find ways to get there.
Details Of The Trip
Duration of the Trip: 2 - 11 Feb 2019, (9D9N, Day of 2 Feb and Full Day of 11 Feb in the air)
Lovely places visited (Iceland):
- Gunnhver Geothermal Area
- Reykjanes Lighthouse
- Viking Village
- Þingvellir National Park
- Geysir
- Gullfoss
- Reynisfjara (Black Sand Beach) and Reynisdrangar
- Jökulsárlón
- Diamond Beach
- Fjaðrárgljúfur
- Katla Ice Cave
- Seljalandsfoss
- Goðafoss
- Jarðböðin við Mývatn (Mývatn Nature Baths)
- Námafjall Geothermal Area
- Grjótagjá
- Kirkjufell and Kirkjufellsfoss
- Old Akranes Lighthouse
- Sólfar
- Hallgrímskirkja
Lovely places visited (Sweden):
- IKEA Möbelvaruhus Kungens Kurva
- Meatballs for the People
- Gamla Stan
- Stockholm City
Flights Taken:
- QR943: Singapore to Doha, 2/2/19 (A350-900XWB, Registration Code: A7-ALM, Age: 2.4 Years)
- QR171: Doha to Stockholm, 2/2/19 (A350-900XWB, Registration Code: A7-AMH, Age: 0.2 Years)
- FI307: Stockholm to Keflavik, 3/2/19 (B757-200, 80 Years of Aviation Livery, Registration Code: TF-FIR, Age: 25.1 Years)
- NY112: Reykjavik to Akureyri, 7/2/19 (Bombardier Dash 8 Q400, Registration Code: TF-FXB, Age: 18.2 Years)
- NY167: Akureyri to Reykajvik, 7/2/19 (Bombardier Dash 8 Q400, Registration Code: TF-FXB, Age: 18.2 Years)
- FI306: Kelfavik to Stockholm, 9/2/19 (B757-200, Registration Code: TF-ISJ, Age: 19.6 Years)
- QR172: Stockholm to Doha, 10/2/19 (A350-900XWB, Registration Code: A7-ALY, Age: 1.3 Years)
- QR944: Doha to Singapore, 11/2/19 (A350-1000XWB, Registation Code: A7-ANC, Age: 0.6 Years)
Day 1
(Qatar Airways A350-900XWB resting its wings at Terminal 1)
While researching for airfares, we discovered that Qatar Airways were offering flights to the Sweden and Norway at prices below $1000, and so we embarked on a trip to Europe on Qatar Airways. It was a morning flight and Qatar deploys A350-900s and A350-1000s to Singapore and so it meant that the new plane was a happy thing for us to enjoy! After 14hr 10mins in the air with a relatively short 1hr transit time in Doha, we reached Stockholm at 7.40pm at night. Starving, we grabbed dinner in the airport at Trattoria Milano. We got ourselves a salmon pizza. After which, we caught a free shuttle bus from the airport to our accommodation, Connect Hotel Arlanda, to rest for the night.
Day 2
(Connect Hotel Arlanda)
We all woke up at 6am and were all just chilling in our hotel room before going for breakfast at the main lobby. Our accommodation was lovely as it had a large dining area right in front of the reception area and also had a fireplace that was kept burning fiercely. The breakfast spread provided was also wonderful as we had choices from an array of cold cuts and breads, which was impressive. They also offered yoghurts and juices which was great as well. Our flight was at 1-ish in the afternoon, so we headed to the airport via the shuttle bus at around 10am.
(A special livery Icelandair!!)
Our flight was slightly delayed and I was slightly annoyed by it but when I took to the windows to check the plane for our flight, I saw a special blue livery airplane with the image of Iceland's greatest glacier stretching across its fuselage. I was so excited that I had the chance to board such a special plane (I mean planes in different livery are always a tad special than others... right?) but a pity the view was blocked by the Norweigan Air Shuttle plane. Oh wells...
(Our ride for the trip: Hyundai Tucson AWD)
Our flight took off slightly late and we arrived in Iceland at around 330pm local time. As the planner, I wanted to get things moving on and wanted to get into our rental car and maximise the time left for the day. However, our car rental company (Lava Auto) was late by around an hour and we were very late by the time we managed to settle down and move off in our vehicle. Nevertheless, we stopped by at the local supermarket Bónus Supermarket to stock up on water before heading down to the Gunnhver Geothermal Area.
(Top: Information about Gunnhver, Middle: Gunnhver Geothermal Area, Bottom: Reykjanes Lighthouse in the background)
This geothermal area is constantly spewing steam from its mud pools but a pity that we could not get really close to it as the snow leading to the area was knee deep and the sky was getting dark so we snapped some photos of it. The nearby Reykjanes Lighthouse in proximity was also visible so we took some photos with the minimal light available and the lighthouse in the backdrop.
It then took us about an hour and a half from the area to get to our accommodation located in the town of Hafnarfjörður, which has a rich history related to elves and vikings.
(Top: Hotel Viking, Bottom: Interior of Fjörugarðurinn)
After checking into the accommodation (Hotel Viking), we proceeded to the restaurant Fjörugarðurinn, located right opposite to try some of the local viking delicacies.
(Some viking food we just felt that we had to try)
We had a try at the pork ribs, garlic bread, bacalao, pasta and the lobster soup. While my parents were full of praises with the pork ribs, my sister felt that the pasta was a little cheese overload. For me, my bacalao was just something I was not used to having. It was so salted that I struggled to finish it, having to drown myself in water with every few bites of the fish. The lobster soup was something my family unanimously voted that it was the worst as it left a very bitter aftertaste and the soup's taste stayed in your mouth for a very long period. Hm, maybe perhaps we were expecting something of a bisque standard so it was just not something we would want to try again in Iceland.
After we were done, we just headed back to our beds in the hotel and rest early as we were setting off early again the next day.
Day 3
(Morning buffet spread!!)
We woke up the next day pretty early at around 7am and proceeded to check out the last complimentary breakfast of our trip. Hotel Viking provided us with a selection of breads and cereals, but they also provided us with my favourite: smoked salmon! Yes! Albeit the cuts were ultra bad, but this smoked salmon was paired with a kind of mustard sauce (something very similar to that of IKEA's Gravalax) and I was just clearing my plate with it by making sandwiches and wolfing down. Not only so, they provided a waffle-making machine so we made some wonderful waffle too, perfectly crispy and of decent thickness. Yay!
(Dashboard Views ft. Pink Hour of Iceland)
We made it a point that my dad could only travel when it is daybreak (unless absolutely necessary to move out in the early morning) as we had heard from word of mouth that Iceland's roads are slippery and may have ice formed on the road. To minimise the risk of having to drive on those in poor lighting conditions, we decided to move out in the morning where roads are visible. We were covering the famous Golden Circle today, a famous tourist route for the 3 attractions linked within close proximity of each other.
(Top: Sunrise at Þingvellir National Park, Middle: The ridge that separates the two continental plate, Bottom: Icelandic Flag viewpoint)
The first stop was Þingvellir National Park. This park is famous for its ridge and was once the site for the national parliament back in 930AD. When we reached there, there were already many tourists there. The sun was also rising and we managed to snap a beautiful sunrise shot. My parents stayed behind at the information center while my sister and I decided to head in further and take some photos at the beautiful Iceland flag overlooking a nearby church and the national park.
(Top: Strokkur, Middle: The spewing of Strokkur, Bottom: The actual Geysir)
The next stop was Geysir. Everyone heard of the word Geyser in our geography textbooks, but ever wonder where did this word originate from? It turns out that this word was taken from the Geysir in Iceland. While Geysir itself does not erupt often, the nearby Strokkur erupts more often at frequencies of around 5mins per shot. The water shoots up in the air and creates such a marvellous sight of this natural formation.
(Top: Information about Gullfoss, Bottom: Gullfoss crashing down)
The last stop of the Golden Circle was at a waterfall named Gullfoss. It is a majestic waterfall that looks so pretty as everything was covered in snow and ice and the formation was just gorgeous. A pity that the sun was not in the correct direction as the water could have shone a slight golden hue due to sediments in the water. We also could not see any rainbows above the waterfall sadly.
(Top: Information about Reynisfjara, Bottom: Me in my hood standing on the iconic black sand)
After completing the Golden Circle, we were off to South Iceland, as we embarked on our journey to head to the village of Vík around 2.5 hours away, stopping by Hella, a small town along the way, to refuel and have lunch. We were headed there as Iceland is famous for the black sand beaches instead of the usual yellow/brown sand that we always see and the most famous beach is located nearby named Reynisfjara. By the time we reached, the skies were gloomy and it was drizzling.
(Top: Dyrholaey, Middle: Basalt Columns of Reynisfjara, Bottom: Reynisdrangar afar)
The black sand beach however was still full of people and many wanted to take photos with the famous basalt columns located along the beach. This natural landform formed by the cooling of lava is a sight to behold as it looks like a bunch of organ tubes and they were not easy to climb as the height of the columns were very irregular. Oh wells, I just had to settle with standing on the column to take a pose. Not only so, the famous basalt formation called Reynisdrangar out in sea was also another attraction as the legend says that the formation was actually two trolls dragging a boat but got turned into stone when daylight struck. Just had to take the photo of that iconic formation. A promontory nearby named Dyrholaey can also be viewed from this beach.
(Our Airbnb located far at the top of the cliff)
We stopped by Vík before heading to our accommodation to stock up our food and drink supplies. We then drove for another hour before arriving at Mörtunga, our AirBnB for the next 2 nights.
Day 4
(Top: We made it to see the wonderful view, Bottom: The broken chunks of ice at Jökulsárlón)
We headed out shortly after daybreak and headed straight to the scenic Jökulsárlón. This glacial lake is famous as it is formed from the largest glacier by volume and the 2nd largest glacier by area in Europe which is known as Vatnajökull. Upon arrival to the place, it was clear to us why this was such a famous tourist attraction as the entire place was just dotted with chunks of ice broken off from the nearby huge glaciers. The glaciers were also coloured a very unique hue of blue which was ultra pretty.
(It may not be a Golden Gate Bridge but it certainly is pretty as a backdrop)
After snapping some quick photos because the winds were ultra strong (we were snapping photos on the top of a very steep hill of snow), we headed back to the car and drove to the nearby beach that was 3mins away and on the other side of the glacial lake known as the Diamond Beach. This beach got its name as the chunks of ice from the huge glaciers break apart into smaller pieces as they collide or hit the rocks near the shore. This causes varying sizes of ice to be left on the shore and it resembles diamonds due to its clear appearance. We had some fun and decided to snap some photos (including my dad whom just decided he wanted to have some fun with the photos).
(Top: A throne-like ice befitting for a king, Bottom: My dad joining in the fun as he pictures himself riding on the waves)
However, there was a turn of events to our subsequent itinerary as it was reported that bad weather would be causing the roads leading back to our Airbnb to be closed from 4pm. Not only so, we actually planned for an ice cave tour on this day but they had cancelled it in view of the bad weather forecasted. As such, we decided to rush back to our Airbnb.
(Skaftafell glacier from a distance)
Along the way, we passed by the Skaftafell Glacier which was where we were supposed to have our ice cave tour. We decided to stop and snap some photos but the moment we stepped out, we already could tell why the roads were about to close. The winds were blowing like no tomorrow as we struggled to come out from the car and had troubles standing still on the icy floor as the winds battered us and we had to grab onto each other to get back to the car.
After which, we decided to stock up on more groceries and headed back to our Airbnb to rest till the next day. Surprisingly, I managed to crash for 12 hours straight from 4pm to 4am.
Day 5
(Early morning drive out, on the right is the edge of the hill)
After having rested in our Airbnb and hearing the wind howl throughout the night (we actually was worried that the car would be blown off because we were located right beside a cliff), we set off early once again and headed back in the direction of Reykjavik. Firstly, we went to the nearby village of Kirkjubæjarklaustur to visit the canyon Fjaðrárgljúfur.
(Probably was imagining myself zooming in Fjaðrárgljúfur like some action movie)
As we went there went it was snowing, we waded in snow but we still managed to hike up to take in the view of the canyon (though everything was snowy so it did not look as impressive as the photos we saw online of people hiking near the stream). We decided to head back to the car shortly even though there was a waterfall at the end of the hike but it was simply too steep and difficult to walk up.
(Simple yet satisfying food)
We hit the road once again and headed to our next itinerary. Yesterday while we were cooped up at our Airbnb, my sister and I felt that it was such a waste if we came all the way to Iceland without going to an ice cave and so we decided to book the ice cave tour on another website (Tip: Iceland's Ice Cave tours usually offer full refund if it is cancelled due to bad weather!). It was located at Vík and so we headed back to the town and had our lunch at a gas station. The gas stop offered some burgers and we dug into the burgers as we were so hungry by then. Oh review about the burgers? Simply good as the runny egg oozed on the meat patty in the burger and topped with fries with their special seasoning sprinkle, mm best affordable meal in Iceland yet.
(Superjeep as they call it)
The gas station was also the meetup point for our ice cave tour operated by Katlatrack. We climbed onboard a superjeep and headed out into the icy terrain as the jeep traversed with ease. After a 40 minutes, we arrived at an open area near the foot of Katla (Katla is the name of a volcano). The tour guide explains to us that every year, the ice cave location changes and they have to explore for those big enough to bring tour groups in.
(Top: A walk through the snow to the entrance of the cave, Bottom: An example of the natural formation of an ice cave)
The guide gave us crampons and helmets fitted with flashlights (Oh these are good quality ones that really dig into the snow) to put on and we soon headed into the ice cave. Upon climbing up a flight of steep stairs, the cave emerged and the interior just gave me goosebumps as the ice cave was such a pretty natural formation.
(Top: Ooh icy cold, Bottom: The "ripple-like" patterns)
The ice wall had a ripple like pattern within it and within the walls it was bubbles of air as well as sediments trapped within the different layers so it was a suspension trapped in the ice. There was also a long icicle formed in the middle of the cave that the tour guide helped us to snap photos of us with it.
(You can most probably imagine the headroom I had)
Diving further into the ice cave, he brought us to another smaller ice cave that required us to duck down as it was narrow (I am 179cm tall and you could imagine how much my back hurt after coming out). After duck walking a few metres, the guide told us to switch off the flashlight and it was pitch black in the cave. He asked us to listen out for sounds and sure enough we heard a breeze passing through the cave. He explained that the ice cave formations are as such because the wind constantly blows through the caves and over time, the ice and sediments form layer by layer which causes the patterns we see on the walls of the cave. After around a 1.5hr there, we were done and headed back on the superjeep back to Vík. Overall, it should be an experience not to miss when you go to any snowy countries because it was really fun to be in touch with the snow and ice in the cave.
(Top: Information about Seljalandsfoss, Bottom: So sad the snow covered the walking trail behind the falls)
We met up with our parents and headed along to our next location: Seljalandsfoss. It was filled with tourists by the time we go there and we paid the 700ISK parking fee before heading out (The parking warden here was even more strict in SG, the moment we arrived he happened to come to our vehicle and checked, luckily my dad and I quickly ran to the car if not we got summons already). What is unique about Seljalandsfoss is that usually there is a path that is open to public where you could walk behind the majestic waterfall. However, when we went there, the path was fully covered in snow and they blocked people from walking. Ah wells, but we still snapped a photo of the nice looking waterfall (though we have no idea why it was so "green" because in the morning Vík was still covered in snow but over here the snow was as though melting away already).
(Our accommodation in Reykjavik, Bolholt Apartments)
Finishing up, we drove to a nearby Bonus supermarket and stocked up on dinner supplies before driving to our accommodation at Reykjavik at Bolholt Apartments. While we were in the apartments, we were still thinking: Hey we still have not seen the Northern Lights and it was such a pity because the past few days weather has been terrible and the cloud cover was not helping in any way so we searched on nice places in Reykjavik to see the Northern Lights and we found a nice place called the Grotta Lighthouse.
(Top: Emerald Green sky, Bottom: Without the clouds, the sky was just so starry)
Outcome? Nah, we did not get to see the Northern Lights though it kept us wondering why the sky was an emerald green which made us wonder if it was because there was Northern Lights but the clouds were simply covering it? With those questions, we headed back to our accommodation and rested for the night.
Day 6
(Turboprop is such a unique flying experience)
We kinda overslept and had a mad rush in the morning because today, we signed up for a day trip on Klook to Northern Iceland and had to catch a domestic flight to the town of Akureyri. We drove to Reykjavik Domestic Airport and got there surprisingly with much time to spare because it was located just a short 10mins drive away from city centre and there was not much of a morning traffic at 5am in the morning.
Soon, it was a 45mins up in the air, which I had my first experience of flying a turboprop plane. Albeit noisy, the 45mins was enjoyable as they served coffee and tea on this ultra short flight, sweet!
(Regional Airport of Akureyri)
We arrived at around 730am and chilled at the airside, having just a small snack and a cup of coffee before our tour guide was here to check the attendance. We soon headed off on the mini bus and it was off for our day trip into Northern Iceland.
(Early morning view of Akureyri)
The first stop we were at was on top of a cliff which provided a wonderful vantage of Akureyri town in the early morning. The view of the town was just so pretty that we took some snapshots while the sky became brighter.
(Top: Information about Goðafoss, Bottom: Goðafoss)
Next, our mini van travelled for about 40mins to reach our next location known as the waterfall of the gods, called Goðafoss. When we went there, our tour guide was not informed that the snow had covered the entire path to the waterfall in knee-deep level of snow. So here we were a bunch of tourists, walking in the snow and it was so tiring just to see the falls. When we got to the top, the falls was quite a picturesque scene as the water had frozen up and there were icicles with water crashing down (it was as though it was like a mini mini version of the Niagara Falls or something). We took some photos and resumed our journey of wading through knee-deep snow before reaching our vehicle and heading off to the next location.
(Top: Information about Skútustaðagígar, Bottom: Can you make out the slight shape of pseudo craters behind me?)
The next location we stopped at was the Skútustaðagígar craters. These craters are not real volcanic craters but rather are pseudo craters which was formed when lava eruptions from the nearby Krafla caldera ran across and caused steam eruptions. As a result, it forms a crater-like shape. When we went there, the snow had practically covered the entire Lake Mývatn and hence, it was impossible to capture a nice picture of the craters (the most we could do was a side view).
(Top: Gates leading to Dimmuborgir, Bottom: A unique rock formation with my dad)
We headed next on our little van to the next location known as the Dark City, Dimmuborgir.
This place was filled with many different rock formations of varying sizes. They even had one that mimicked a cave and they had placed some "treasures in it", fascinating place to have some shots.
(Top: Information about Jarðböðin við Mývatn, Bottom: Our lunch!)
After this, we headed to the main attraction of the day which is the Jarðböðin við Mývatn (Mývatn Nature Baths). Why do I say main? Well, how often do you have the opportunity to experience being in a natural hot spring bath in a freezing cold country like Iceland! Our tour guide merged the experience with lunch, so we had a try of the lunch there. We had lamp chop as well as some salmon on their local lava bread. The salmon was nice but I just have mixed feelings on the lava bread. The lamb chop was good though and it was also self-serve, which meant you pay at the counter and there is a table with the food prepared already and you can take up to three pieces of meat, along with potatoes, beans and pickled cabbage.
While my dad paid 4500ISK for entry, I paid 3000ISK as I went in with student price (Hey, save a student card in your phone cos it comes in handy haha). However, they do not provide towels so it was lucky we came prepared.
(Top: Jarðböðin við Mývatn, Bottom: Me just chilling and dipping in the springs)
The baths was actually very big but a part of the baths was closed off as the snow accumulated on the sidewalk. As such, we were restricted to one big bath, a small bath and two saunas. The big bath was at a 38 degrees celsius temperature and the moment when I first went in, I felt that it was not "shiok" at all. Instead, it felt slightly cold in the water. It was only when I went into the smaller bath at 41 degrees celsius that I felt "Yes, this is the feeling I am looking for in a hot spring bath". The saunas there were also much bigger than usual saunas and had a window which overlooked the baths so it was pretty good. I however, can't stand the humidity of sauna so escaped after at most 3mins haha.
(Top: Namafjall Hverir signboard, Bottom: The mudpots up close!)
After that wondeful experience in the nature baths, we went to the next location which is the Námafjall Hverir. This geothermal area, unlike Gunnhver, allows us to tread near the bubbling mudpots in the area. It is boiling hot so it is dangerous to walk across the mudpots but there was a viewing point so we could see the bubbling mud as well as smell the rotten egg, intoxicating the area.
(Top: Signboard of Grjótagjá, Bottom: The ridge forms as the plates diverge)
Our last location was Grjótagjá. This cave sits in between the North American Plate and Eurasian plate (yes, Iceland lies on two continents) and it is famous for being one of the Game of Thrones filming location but in reality, it is not allowed for people to go into the waters to film, maybe a dip of the feet is fine. It looked really dark inside and I was just very scared of slipping in and getting myself wet so I didn't take a photo inside the cave.
Ah, the day ended well as we proceeded back to the airport (albeit getting stuck in traffic for 2hrs due to an accident) and we took a night flight back to Reykjavik.
(Can you see what is peeking behind the propellor?)
While we were on the plane, my sister looked out of the window and saw a green streak across the sky (to be real honest, I saw white streaks instead of green). As such, I decided to try and capture a shot and see if it was really a possible aurora. Sure enough, based on the photo, it did seem like it was the aurora in the sky. Hyped up, we disembarked from the plane and rushed back to the previous place last night to take photos and....
(Top: An evident aurora behind our family, Bottom: Behold the Northern Lights)
(Ok, apologies for grainy photos) We saw it! We managed to see the aurora with the green hues and dancing in the sky, changing appearance every minute as I used my phone to snap photos (Thanks huawei for the awesome camera on the mate series). The reason why my photos were all quite blur was because there was strong winds blowing straight at me and my phone needed a 5 seconds exposure to take in the light. Other photos also turned out bad because there were inconsiderate users using car headlights to shine in the same direction as the aurora resulting in the yellow hues of disturbances. Nevertheless, the aurora photos are here to stay and it was so satisfying because our trip goal is finally achieved.
With our hearts content, we headed back to our accommodation and whipped up a good dinner before heading to sleep for the night.
Day 7
(Dashboard views in Iceland is always so amazing)
We woke up the next day slightly later than usual and we had nothing much to do so we decided to embark on a 2.5hr journey up west of Iceland because we want to see one of the famous icons of Iceland. 2.5hr later, we reached the Snæfellsnes peninsula to see the majestic icon of Iceland, Kirkjufell.
(Top: The most common photograph of Kirkjufellsfoss, Bottom: Snow coated mountain)
Most probably the most photographed mountain in Iceland, this icon has been mentioned in both the novel Journey to the Centre of the Earth as well as featured in Games Of Thrones. It towers majestically above and right opposite the road lies a small waterfall called Kirkjufoss. These two has always been photographed together but because it was winter, the falls were frozen and are unable to see the clear water flowing. Definitely a must see if you have the time here as there are other vantage points nearby of the Snæfellsnes peninsula.
(Akranes Lighthouse in the distance while sun was setting)
2.5hr is a long journey so we decided to start making it back to Reykjavik, passing by a gas stop to have a wonderful fast food meal (Iceland's petrol station has really nice food, no joke) and we passed by the town Akranes, which had quite a unique landmark in its coastal town, which was the Old Akranes Lighthouse. There are two lighthouses located in close proximity of each other, where the small one photographed was used until 1947 where the bigger one took over. I did not feel much about the big lighthouse so I decided to take the old lighthouse which matched the setting sun backdrop really well.
(Solfar looking so far)
We managed to arrive back into the city centre before the sun set (Winter in Iceland causes the sun to be only up for 8hrs so we had to maximise the use of the sunlight hours) and we decided to visit two of the Reykjavik icons, the first being Sólfar (The Sun Voyager). A dream boat and an ode to the sun, this artpiece is often mistaken to be a viking ship but I just think that it looks like a magnificent artpiece overlooking the waters with the mountains in a distance as you take some time to relax and breathe it all in.
(Top: Hallgrímskirkja in the afternoon, Bottom: Hallgrímskirkja at night with illuminations from the Lights Festival)
A quick photo and we went to the centrepiece of Reykjavik, the Hallgrímskirkja. This church overlooking Reykajvik is the largest in the country and the design simply reminds of the basalt columns of the Reynisfjara. We were at the church twice: Once before dusk and one at night as we wanted to catch the Reykjavik Lights Festival in action. With the colourful projections on the church walls at night, it livens up the atmosphere of the church which was actually very pretty.
(Sidetrack: My photo of Hallgrímskirkja at night was featured on Iceland's in-flight magazine Stopover Spring 2019 so do check it out on my instagram page https://www.instagram.com/jerjerjer.jpg/)
The chilly weather deterred us from exploring further so we were planning to go back to our accommodation. However, my sister said that we have not tried the famous Icelandic pylsur so we went to navigate our way in town and find Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur hot dog stand.
(Top: Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, Bottom: Hotdog)
Touting as one of the national foods of Iceland, the hotdog was a blend of different meat and it tasted very flavourful and matched the sauces and relish. Mmhmm as we proceeded back with a happy tummy and packed our luggage in preparation for the early morning flight the next day
Day 8
(Bon Voyage Iceland! Till we meet again!)
Next morning (very very early morning), we left our accommodation and headed to the airport. The airport was a 40mins drive away from Reykjavik so it meant we had to leave the accommodation at 4am since our flight was at 7am. We reached there and returned the car at the parking lot before checking in for the flight. It was not long before we were airborne and back to Stockholm! Byebye Iceland, thanks for the experience and I will see you soon hopefully in the near future!
(Icelandair with Reykjavik at the bottom)
We arrived in Stockholm just slightly before noon as we got onto the Arlanda Express and headed off to the city centre. Arlanda Express is the airport express train and it only takes 20mins from the airport to Stockholm with no stopover in between, how nifty!
(Top: Arlanda Express, Bottom: MAX Burgers local to Sweden)
We came out of the station and it was slightly drizzling so we decided to grab lunch at the nearby Max, their local fast food chain. After that, we went to check in at our accommodation for the night which was the Generator Hostel, located about a 7mins walk from the station.
(Generator Hostel? It feels more like a hotel to be honest!)
The room was spacious as it was located in a corner so my parents slept on the queen-sized bed while my sister and I occupied the bunk bed. We quickly placed our luggage in the hostel and headed out to the Stockholm City / T-Centralen Station where we got ourselves a 24-hr Unlimited Subway and Bus rides Access card. ( A little fun fact is that Sweden transport system is managed by MTR Corporation, which is the Hong Kong Railway system! The employees wear the MTR uniform bearing the iconic red logo too!)
(Stockholm Public Transport)
The 24-hr Access card allowed us to take public transport from Stockholm City to Skärholmen Station, where we took another bus to head over to our first attraction of the day, IKEA Möbelvaruhus Kungens Kurva. When people mention Sweden, the main things that people associate with are usually IKEA or if you are a music fan, ABBA. This prompted me to find the largest IKEA in Stockholm which was here.
(Top: Exterior of IKEA, Bottom: Interior of IKEA)
This IKEA spans across 5 floors and have a unique design which allows customers to walk down the levels slowly as they have a spiraling slope as well as small staircases that allow users to walk down the floors slowly and admire their products instead of everyone being crammed at escalators trying to head down floors. This IKEA also has its iconic restaurant and we just could not miss the opportunity to tryout some of their food.
(Top: With every IKEA comes a food hall, Bottom: Meatballs and Gravlax)
The meatballs sold here were delicious and while the taste of meatball did not differ much from those that we usually eat, the sauce it was drizzled in along with the berry jam was the prime factor as the sauce was much more rich in flavour and thicker and the jam was sweeter too. Mmhmm, the Gravlax was also very fresh as the salmon they used was simply superb along with the generosity of sauce given, the Gravlax just took my heart away haha.
(Passing on a chance for ice cream? Never)
We spent our time here all the way from 3pm to 5pm and we ended it off with an IKEA ice cream. Yum yum to the tum!
We then proceeded to take the bus back to Skärholmen Station where we took a train to Gamla Stan Station and took a bus which we proceeded to the famed restaurant for dinner, Meatballs for the People.
(Top: Exterior of Meatballs for the People, Bottom: Interior of Meatballs for the People)
This restaurant was recommended online and we wanted to have a chance in trying the actual Swedish meatballs (other than IKEA) so we went there. We waited for a 1.5hr before we were finally seated. The menu was pricey so we decided to share the meatballs, ordering 3 different types of meatball sets along with a bottle of Lingonberry Juice.
(Top: Ooh La La, meatballs!, Bottom: Lingonberry Juice cheers!)
We got 3 meats: Moose (Above), Boar (Left) and Beef (Right) and to be honest, the one I loved the most was the Moose while my parents liked the beef. The boar just did not have much flavour to it. The mashed potato was good too as it was very creamy and rich in flavour (not processed food). Lingonberry juice was ultra nice as it just tasted like a more sour version of the sweet Ribena (I know Ribena is blackcurrant but still tasted really similar). Mmhmm, money well spent and highly recommend to come here for some meatballs tryout,
With a full tummy, we took a bus back to our accommodation and rested for the night... Zzzzz...
Day 9
We woke up early as we had scheduled the whole of today to be joining free walking tours around Stockholm city. My mother was not keen on walking so my parents stayed in for the first tour while my dad joined for the second one.
(Top: Interior of Bröd & Salt, Middle: Varieties of pastries, Bottom: Bröd & Salt Cinnamon Bun)
My sister and I took the train one stop from Stockholm City / T-Centralen Station to Gamla Stan Station which was the meetup location for the first walking tour organised by Free Walking Tour Stockholm (stockholmfreetour.com) which was the Stockholm City Tour. Before that, we grabbed a cinnamon bun and some tea from Bröd & Salt. We met up with the tour guide and were joined by other tourists from other countries (We met Singaporeans too, they were students on exchange in Netherlands and came to Sweden for a weekend getaway) and explored many different locations!
It was noon when we finished so we went back to T-Centralen Station to meet up with our dad and went back to Gamla Stan Station where we commenced the second tour by another guide which was the Gamla Stan Tour. Again, photos away as we visited the old town in Gamla Stan.
I was an unfit boy so after we came back to T-Centralen Station, I chilled with my mum while my sister and dad went out to take some photos of the sunset. After that, we went to pick up the luggages from the hostel and headed back to the Stockholm Train Station where we took a return trip back to Stockholm Arlanda airport. Our flight was at 945pm at night so it allowed us to check-in and linger around the airport before catching our night flight back to Singapore.
First trip to Europe and my feelings...
(Big teddy at Doha Hamad International Airport)
Never have I imagined myself planning a trip within a short span of 2 months and actually managed to execute much of it without hiccups so I was really happy that the Europe trip was actually some memories I will treasure for life. Would I travel to Sweden/Iceland again? Heck yea! Maybe not in winter but spring/autumn season (Iceland just has 2 seasons so most probably want to see the attractions without snow to appreciate the greenery of Iceland). Sweden definitely does not consist of Stockholm so I would like to explore more Scandinavian countries in the future but for now, my wallet is crying be right back.
On a side note, we spent around SGD2.5k per pax (incl. SGD900 for flights) for this trip so it was not ultra damaging for a 9 Days Europe trip but its just that my wallet will think twice when I say I want to go Europe again. Till then, the winter wonderland Iceland and Northern Lights will always be in my memories... Mmhmm!
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