Exploring Paris

Exploring Paris

by | Oct 25, 2017 | Vacation

Paris Fall 2017 street sign

We arrived in Paris sleepless and desperate for a shower that didn’t smell like eggs. Our AirBNB wasn’t available for a few hours, so we found a place to park our bags at a cafe a few blocks away. After several days of averaging around $75 a piece for a meal in Reykjavik, we ate like kings and splurged on a $22 five course brunch. After a nap and a shower, we regained the composure of normal humans and spent the evening meandering from Marais to the Eiffel Tower.

We spent the next few days in a similar fashion — walking too much and eating too much in between museum visits and trying to make it to as many of the shops on our bookmarks list as possible.

 

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Adventures in Reykjavik

Adventures in Reykjavik

by | Oct 20, 2017 | Vacation

We had booked our flights to Reykjavik before we had even come close to settling on a final wedding date. Eager to take advantage of some killer pricing, we booked flights with my family about a year out and hoped everything would fall into place in the meantime.

Ed Sightseeing at hotsprings outside of Rekjavik Iceland

We left Pittsburgh around dinnertime and after a few airport cocktails were able to sleep most of the six hour flight into Reykjavik. It was still dark as we navigated our way from the rental car pick-up into the city to grab a leisurely breakfast before meeting back up with my family for some groggy sightseeing.

Outside Reykjavik Iceland Hot Springs

Sunny Reykjavik Iceland Hot Springs

The landscape is like being on another planet, ranging endlessly and interspersed with mossy fields and snow peaked volcanoes. We’d probably over-packed for the cold, and were lucky enough to have pretty mild weather the entire trip, with temperatures hovering in the mid 40s.

Sunny Reykjavik Iceland Hot Springs

Moss covered lava rocks outside of Reykjavik Iceland

Girl in Moss covered lava fied

Apotek Restaurant Reykjavik Iceland

We’d been properly warned about the price of eating out, but were surprised by an incredible dinner at Apotek our first night. An eight course tasting menu set a high bar for the rest of our meals for the week.

Girl in beanie outside sightseeing in reykjavik schott leather

After staying at a hotel our first night, we shifted into an AirBNB that seemed to be kept in some magical mid-century time capsule. Impeccable linoleum details in the kitchen almost made me regret tearing nearly every inch of fiberglass tile out of our house. Aside from a shower that was heavy in sulphur (think egg hair) I’m ready to house swap with Bjarni whenever he’s ready.

Midcentury Modern Kitchen Airbnb Reykjavik Iceland

Family in Mid-century Modern Kitchen Airbnb Reykjavik Iceland

Midcentury Modern Living Room Airbnb Reykjavik Iceland

White Land Rover in Lava Field Iceland

Church Landscape Reykjavik Iceland

Landscape Reykjavik Iceland

We had all the good intentions of turning in early on our last night so we would be well rested for our flight to Paris, but ended up pulling an all-nighter to catch another glimpse of the Northern Lights.

Northern Lights Iceland