Iceland; My Top Ten Things To Do!

In April we ticked off a major item in our bucket list; a trip to Iceland. Because it's such a unique and beautiful country, it's a good idea to plan in advance what you want to do. It's lucky for me then that I'm married to the world's biggest planner because we literally saw everything there is to be seen.

I'm limiting this to my top ten with some tips at the end for brevity's sake; otherwise we'd be here all year!

Reykjavik

The Blue Lagoon

We were concerned before we went to the Blue Lagoon that it would be a tourist trap but we really loved it. It's a geothermal spa and is considered one of the 25 wonders of the world. You should pre-book tickets to save disappointment and there's four options; standard, comfort, premium and luxury. We went for the comfort package which included entrance to the lagoon, a silica mud mask while you relax in the water, a free drink of your choice, an algae face mask and a towel when you get out. I can honestly say it was one of the most relaxing and enjoyable experiences ever. Sipping Prosecco while wearing a cleansing mask followed by a moisturising mask and all the time floating about in lovely warm, soothing water is the very best. It's worth every penny. We felt so refreshed after it (except that himself's shoes were stolen in the changing rooms but that's another story). The Comfort package is €65 each. 

Reykjavik Cathedral

This is a must see. Obviously the building itself is beautiful but inside, it's so peaceful and sparsely decorated. No gilding the lily for Iceland, that's for sure! Entry is free but you can pay €6 to get the lift to the top where you can see stunning views of all of Reykjavik (that's the photo at the very start).

Walk around Reykjavik

I always say that the best way to get to know a city is to walk around and see it from ground level. Reykjavik isn't huge either so you'll get a feel for the place pretty quickly. There's lots of tourist shops to pick up gifts for home but they are all quite pricey! There's also lots of very cute and interesting little clothes/homeware spots and plenty of quirky coffee places etc. It's a very colourful, lively city.

Harpa Building

The Harpa is near the docklands in Reykjavik and is a concert hall/conference centre. It's an architecturally stunning building and is more than a little surreal from the inside looking out. You can pay for a tour of the building which we didn't do but we did pay in to a David Bowie photography exhibition, which was very cool. I think Bowie would've been happy to have his portrait hanging in such a bizarrely beautiful building. 

The Northern Lights

I don't have a photo of this for one very good reason- we didn't bring the correct lens for the camera so our trusty Canon couldn't actually pick up the Lights, which is really annoying. But yes, they are beautiful. We actually saw them on our first night there, which was super handy because it meant we didn't have to stay up any other night after that in the cold! I know there are tours that will bring you out in the hopes of seeing them but I can imagine that would be costly and has a strong risk of being unsuccessful. We had rented a car so were quite free from that perspective. It is kind of the quintessential thing to do/see while you're in Iceland but it's a good idea to go into it without getting all your hopes up! Tips below on how to catch them!

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon

Yeah, that's right, giant blocks of ice cracking and breaking away from each other on the lagoon, then floating out to sea. The bottom photo is of more blocks of ice that were washed up onto the beach. It was surprisingly warm that day so we were just wandering around beside all this ice but sweltering in our fleeces! We could've spent all day there, it was such a striking place.

Black Sand Beach, Vik.

I think the photos speak for themselves, but to emphasise it; I haven't used a filter, it's actually that monochromatic in real life. Black and white everywhere as far as the eye can see. Again, surreally beautiful. Like so many places in Iceland, we were in awe. 

Gulfoss Waterfall

Iceland is well known for its impressive waterfalls but I'm including this particular one because it's often mentioned alongside Niagara for it's scale. It's certainly worth a visit but the wind was bitingly cold that day so I didn't get too close! Beautiful though.

Thingvellir National Park

If you're into your history and like to know the roots of the places you visit, a trip to Thingvellir National Park is the place for you. This is where the first Icelandic parliament was originally founded in 930 and remained up til 1798. That big ridge of rock you can see there is the tectonic plate boundaries of the mid Atlantic ridge. So…not something you see very day. We walked the full park and there's plenty to see as you go around, lots of photo opportunities!

Geysir Hot Springs

This is more of the geothermal water that Iceland is famous for. Deep down in the geysir, the water temperature is 125 degrees Celsius so you can imagine the pressure form all of that seriously boiling water- it's not gonna stay down there for long. Obviously stay well back and enjoy it from a safe distance! It goes off every few minutes to much hand clapping from surrounding tourists, which is understandable because it is very impressive!

Top tips!

• Be prepared for how expensive everything is. Having been to Norway before, we expected similar pricing and so we weren't surprised to see the locals buying their alcohol in the duty free when we landed, as we had seen the same in Oslo. We didn't pick up anything in the airport but it's not a bad idea to do so. We ended up stopping off at a supermarket for some craft beers and a bottle of wine that was much the same price as the airport so it hardly makes that much difference. You'll really notice the price hike when ordering a beer or a glass of wine in a restaurant, however so we ended up mostly not drinking with our meals. If you can, it's a good idea to pack a lunch for a day out and have plenty of snacks like fresh fruit with you- all available in the supermarkets, of course. Otherwise you end up eating a lot of junk food.
• Outside of Reykjavik, I could not find a decent cup of coffee for love nor money. I chanced one of the coffee machines that are at regular stops but it was vile. Save your cash and keep the memory of what coffee is supposed to be like in your mind (I'm only half joking there to be honest). Below is the delicious cup I had in Reykjavik. That cookie was good too..

• Food wise, you'll find that fish and lamb dishes tend to be the specialities. I don't eat lamb but himself enjoyed all the lamb that he tried while I revelled in big hearty bowls of fish soup after being out in the biting winds. The fish soup is kind of like a chowder, and I also had an amazing fish gratin that I'm still thinking about…We were advised by an Icelandic person not to eat whale- it's often listed on menus as a speciality but the locals frown upon it and would never eat it themselves, it's just a gimmick for tourists (a gimmick that involves killing whales). 

• We stayed in Skuggi Hotel in Reykjavik which was pretty reasonably priced, nicely decorated with friendly staff and it was centrally located but there's always Airbnb if you'd prefer your own space. When we checked in we got a booklet of discount vouchers which meant that I got 30% off my Icelandic woollen jumper! Score!

• So, the Northern Lights. You're more likely to see them at the start and at the end of the year. They're generally visible up until May but not after that so plan your dates accordingly. We went in April so I think we were just lucky really. You need a clear, dark sky and the locals should be able to tell you whereabouts they normally appear. Wrap up super warm (layers are your friend! I'm going to do a separate post on what to pack) and for the love of god, bring the right camera lens! There's also an online site that provides regular updates on the weather changes in Iceland (of which there are many) and that will give a better idea of your chances of seeing them. 
• If you're renting a car, be aware of potential add ons to the insurance when you arrive to collect it. When we got there they freaked us out completely about driving conditions- the risk of sand storms/grit storms/super strong winds that can pull your car door off etc. Basically, just drive carefully and keep an eye on that weather site I've linked in the previous bullet point.

And a waterfall rainbow for good measure!

Have you been to Iceland?

Any plans to go?

XX

Recently Read: May!

It's been a while since there was a book post around these parts, so here's all the books I read last month (sorry it's a bit late…as always).

Spectacles; a memoir by Sue Perkins
As I've mentioned before, I love autobiographies on audio because they're usually narrated by the author and tend not to require as much concentration as a work of fiction does in the same format. With this in mind and having seen plenty of positive reviews on Goodreads, I gave this a go. I've loved Sue (and also Mel, of Mel and Sue fame) since their Light Lunch days, which my sister and I used to greatly enjoy. I also love The Great British Bake Off, which is always an annual televisual highlight for me. Having said all of that, I'm not really sure what I was expecting of Sue's memoir but whatever it was, I was disappointed. It's narrated well, for sure but I felt like not that much actually happened in her life to warrant a book. That sounds harsh but a lot of her experiences seemed a bit ordinary to me, including an entire chapter donated to the story of her dog repeatedly having explosive diarrhoea in her car. It's not by any means the worst autobiography I've read but I wouldn't be going out of my way to recommend it either. (I'll take this opportunity to apologise to the aforementioned sister for buying this for her last Christmas.)

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald
This was an advanced reader copy, so a huge thanks to Netgalley for that! I started reading this in January and have only just finished it, so that might give you an idea of how much I put it down to pick up something else instead. This is actually an incredibly charming novel, it was just too slowly paced for me.
Sara is a young Swedish woman who decides on a whim to visit her pen-pal and fellow book lover, Amy in her small American town, Broken Wheel. When she arrives, she finds things aren't quite what she expected and feels a bit out of place. The townsfolk however, quickly take her under their collective wing and in an effort to pay them back for their kindness, Sara responds the only way she knows how; with books. At first the locals are reluctant but Sara is determined and believes there's a book for everyone.
One of the things I really loved about this book was all the book references. Harry Potter, Jane Eyre, Bridget Jones and Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, to name but a few. This is a story for people who really appreciate a good book and I love nothing more than a book about books. Have I used the word 'book' too often there? Nah, you can never say book too often.
Anyway, it moves along quite pleasantly without a huge amount happening although there is also a somewhat convoluted love story in there. Definitely a pleasant read, if you're looking for something lighthearted. 

A Book For Her by Bridget Christie
I bought this on sale on kindle for about a pound I think and it turned out to be a great purchase. The first line of the description really drew me in: "Bridget Christie is a comedian, feminist and idiot." The prologue had me laughing out loud and reading out sections to himself and the rest of the book carried on in the same thread. Similar to her stand up work, Christie manages to weave feminist issues such as female genital mutilation with humour- generally at her own expense. There's a few running gags that made me chuckle every time I came across them and some brilliant lines like:
 "I was given Catholicism by my parents, who I love. But it's a bit like being given a three legged dog. I'd rather have gone to the dogs' home and picked a dog myself, which had four legs, but we've made eye contact now. I can't just leave it there."
I loved this one, if you're into comedy and feminism (because why wouldn't you be!) then this is the book for you.

If I Did It; Confessions of the Killer (part OJ Simpson with extra commentary from The Goldman family)

A bit of background here; I recently watched The People vs OJ Simpson on BBC2, which I thought was great. I also have vague memories of the huge case that it was at the time so I wanted to read up on it a bit more. What happened with this book was that OJ Simpson had started writing it as a way to make money out of his ex wife's murder and that of Ron Goldman, the young man caught in the crossfire of Simpson's possessive rage. Most of the book is Simpson's own words; a "how-to", if he had committed the crimes. Goldman's family brought a civil case against him after he won the original case and they won this time. He owed them a huge amount of money in damages but as he showed no intention of paying it, they won the rights to this book. They've added their own comments and that of a personal friend of the family who was also a journalist involved in the court case. I listened to this on audio (obviously not narrated by Simpson), and found it almost unbearable to be listening to an abuser detail how "crazy" his ex was and how great he is and how really she was the abuser, not him etc etc. After finishing this, I couldn't actually tell you what the point of it was but I know it wasn't worth bothering with. 

A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing by Eimear McBride

This was a big award winner when it was released a couple of years ago and is the story of an incredibly grim Irish childhood. So far, so Angela's Ashes except this is written in a non-linear fashion, almost Ulysses-esque at times. I listened to this on Audio because I thought it might be easier to absorb but I think either way it would have been quite accessible- you get into the pattern of the writing quite quickly. The skill involved in the writing is obvious but I have to say I found the themes of Catholic oppression, misogyny, cancer, child abuse and sexual violence just a bit too much. 

(I'd like to take this opportunity to also apologise to my mother-in-law for buying this for her for Christmas a couple of years ago).

That's the lot for the minute. 

I've learnt that I need to stop buying my loved ones books that I haven't actually read myself….

But that aside, what are you reading right now?

To the comments!

XX

Bloom In The Park 2016

Although I've never been to Bloom before, we both had a day off work today and as the weather is SO glorious, we headed for the Phoenix Park for the 10th year of Bloom; a large outdoor and indoor event organised by Bord Bia with designer gardens, a lot of Irish food produce to sample and/or buy for later use, plants and garden decorations and equipment to buy, live cooking demonstrations, live music, a hammock and bean bag area for resting (yes, really) and a sculpture garden! Phew! I'm probably leaving something out there so if you are interested, you can have a look at their website HERE. 

For now though, here's some of our photos from the day:

I haven't shown any photos of the many food stalls, our refreshing drinks etc because they were on my phone which is now not cooperating (bar giving me the one photo of my sweating, below). Gah! However, if you want to see more of our day I'm on Snapchat @ Chloe M (Nursefancypants) and on Instagram @Nursefancypants.

If you are thinking of going, I'd highly recommend it, we really enjoyed it even though neither of us are gardeners! There's a real festival vibe to the day with people chilling out everywhere having a pint (or in my case a Dingle Gin cocktail), kids playing, lots of delicious food being eaten and overall, people just relaxing and having a good time. The garden exhibitions are just that; they're more like installation pieces in an open air gallery. Beautiful to walk through and appreciate.

On the less fun side of things; there's a free shuttle bus going from just over the bridge before Heuston station. It is free but expect queues- expect them coming back too! We had thought about walking but actually it's quite far in to the park so you might be better off just bussing it and saving your legs for walking around in there.

Prepare for the heat- bring sunscreen and a bottle of water and maybe a hat (especially for the young'uns). There's stations about the place with taps of fresh water to refill your bottles with, which is great for this weather. 

If you have one, bring one of those freezer bags you get in supermarkets to keep your chilled groceries cold. We bought butter and cheese and the butter had already started to melt, even though we bought it just before leaving, wrapped it well and thought it was protected from the heat. 

And just a plain old sturdy shopping bag, in case you do decide to do some shopping.

There are plenty of toilets, but as always, there's the same amount of men's to women's, which makes no damn sense at all. 

There were queues for the ladies toilets all day, I never once saw one for men*

Money wise, you could easily end up spending a small fortune, so set a limit and/or decide what you're interested in buying before you go in. 

You could also just eat all the samples and bring in your own sandwiches to further save some shekels but for us, getting lunch there was part of the experience. We had a big salad from The Happy Pear and some BBQ tandoori chicken and naan. Very nice. There may have also been a 99**

If you suffer from hay fever, take your antihistamines before you go in and bring them with you too!

It's €20 each for adults, open from June 2nd- June 6th, 9am to 6pm.

Have you been to Bloom? Are you going this year?

To the comments!

XX

*mutters about the patriarchy
**There was of course. It was a bloody heatwave, ice-cream all the way tbh.
*** I wasn't sponsored to write this post- we paid for our tickets in and all our own food and drinks. And it was worth EVERY PENNY! Hic.

Great Lengths Hair Extensions: Two Weeks In.

It's a full two weeks since I got myself some hair confidence and so I wanted to do an introductory post about my extensions; why I got them, how the application went and how I feel about them now that I've had two weeks to get used to them!

My hair history

I've never had Samson-esque hair, it naturally veers on the straight, thin and weak side but when I became quite ill in my mid-twenties, my hair, skin and nails all took a bit of a battering.

Three years on and as I'm still on life-maintaining medication, my hair is also still in a heap. My skin is better than ever and my nails are somewhat improved but my hair, particularly at the back remains a disaster. I've tried every product on the market but if you have weak hair there's not a huge amount you can do.

I hummed and hawed about getting extensions and read all of the advice on them but eventually just decided to go for it. Sure look, it's only hair and money at the end of the day and if it helps me to feel even slightly better about my currently negative body image then, why not.

Before!

Choosing a salon

On the advice of my massive friend Eilo (she'll appreciate that), I went in to Cowboys and Angels on South William St. I've previously been in before for colour and cuts but my research and my Eilo told me this was the place for extensions. Valerie Patterson is renowned in Dublin for being an extension wizard and so she set to work on my limp locks (the previous Saturday she had re-pinkified and lightly snipped my hair too). She created a 50 piece blend of blonde, pink and orange tones to perfectly match the rose-goldy blonde I was currently rocking.

The application process

The process itself took a couple of hours. The extensions are bonded to your own hair using heat and a protein polymer, rather than glue, and are then trimmed to sit naturally with your own hair. For me, it was all about volume- I didn't particularly want hair down to my waist, just more body. Which I got!

My before and after shots don't really do it justice to be honest but my Snapchat selfies (below) probably will show you how very happy I am with my new hair!

I also really liked my experience in Cowboys and Angels. I'll say at this stage that I was not paid to write this and I did pay in full for my extensions!

Valerie only advised me to buy the Great Extensions brush, which allows you to brush your hair through from root to tip, without pulling on or damaging the bonds. When I asked about special shampoos etc, she told me not to waste my money and to use what I have, just to make sure the conditioner went nowhere near the bonds. As it happens, I'm already using a sulphate free set from Kevin Murphy that is safe for use with extensions but I really appreciated Valerie's honesty. She saved me a good bit of cash there!

Extensions, pre-application. And, eh..ignore the many caffeinated beverages in the second photo (bit hungover that day) but that's the beginnings of them in, pre-cutting!

So, my thoughts so far:

• It does take a little getting used to. The first few days my scalp was tender but it's back to normal now and there's no extra weight there or discomfort.
• Styling my hair also takes longer than usual; not a huge amount more but I have to factor in longer drying time and then straightening/curling also.
• It's a small thing but I need a bobbin on hand to plait my hair nightly; doing so eases the pressure on the bonds from your hair being pulled as you move around in your sleep.
• I can't just throw my hair up into a messy bun anymore- although I now have the hair to make the messy bun look good, I also have the bonds there so there has to be a lot more tactical hair arranging. 
• It's definitely worth spending the money on the Great Lengths brush, which makes life just a bit easier.
• I was worried you'd be able to see the bonds but honestly, they're not particularly noticeable (see photo)

I've exposed the bonds in the first photo to show you what they look like, while the second one is my own hair back in place over the bonds.

• I definitely feel more confident and feel better about my appearance in general. I've had people say they didn't notice the extensions and that's exactly what I wanted- they're not incredibly obvious to the naked eye. They sit perfectly with my own hair but I just have more of it now! It looks natural but enhanced at the same time, if that makes sense!

You know you're already obsessed when you start taking Snapchat selfies, immediately.

Would I recommend GL extensions?

Yes, most definitely. The hair that's used is real hair and is ethically sourced. It's very good quality and easy to style and it's given me a bit more pep in my step! I also love the freedom I have now- we have a lot of weddings etc this year and it's nice to know that when we're away somewhere, I'll be able to do my own hair and not have to try and find a hairdresser in the middle of nowhere. 

From the side and the back. Keep it in mind that it's very tousled here, hairdresser stylee ;)

Price

Price wise, it's different for everyone depending on how much hair you want. I went for one of the less expensive options as I got only 50 strands. You can get as many as you want which will obviously then impact how much you spend. Because my hair is light anyway, more than 50 might look a bit too much on me but if you have normal hair but want some more length, 75-100 strands might be more appropriate for you. 

Hopefully, I should get 5-6 months out of my extensions, if they're well looked after and if my hair continues to grow characteristically slowly. For me, that's another bonus as I don't enjoy going to the hairdressers and 5-6 months of hairdresser-free time is kind of glorious. 

Again, keep in mind both the hangover here and that I have had to filter said hangover from the photo. The hair, however, is unfiltered!

Have you been thinking about getting extensions? What's stopping you?
Or, have you had them and haven't gone back?
To the comments and let me know what you think!

XX

Accessory Picks For Summer From Penneys!

Summer is at last upon us and so an accessories shopping spree in Penneys was obviously on the cards. Most of these were bought with a gift voucher I had and there's a present in there too. I also picked up some t-shirts, leggings, sports bras and socks but I didn't think ye'd be overly interested in all of that jazz so here we are instead with the fun stuff!

We have a trip to Barcelona/South of France coming up so I wanted to get a pair of comfortable but cute tan sandals and these fit the bill nicely. These are partly made from real leather so that ticks the comfy box while the tassels and beading add a nice on-trend touch. These were €16.

Gin is my tipple of choice and so I couldn't resist a Gin Cooler flavoured lip balm, which actually smells mostly of Elderflower, one of my favourite accompaniments for the liquor itself. For €1.50, you're not going to be getting the greatest lip balm of all time; it's mostly just flavoured Vaseline to be honest but still quite nice!

That dreamy Coachella-vibey Snapchat filter that's doing the rounds obviously gave me ideas because I spotted these floral crowns and thought for €6, I may as well give it a go! I'll probably mostly wear this on holiday with a casual maxi dress and the afore-mentioned gin and elderflower in my hand! Can't. Wait.

I have a serious grá for a pastel-hued, pointy-toed heel, so these minty loves had to come home with me. I've lost the receipt for these but I think they were €12. 

This gorgeous bunny/cat make up bag was a gift and I love it! Although it's not technically a Summer specific item, there's something about bright white and pink that feels appropriate for this time of year!

This Missoni-esque clutch was around the €8 mark, if I recall correctly and has already become a firm favourite of mine. It folds out to reveal a much longer bag than you'd expect with lots of room inside and a zipped compartment too! I love the colours in this, it makes me want to put on tan and sunglasses and sip lemonade on my (non-existent) porch.

Terribly, I also don't remember how much this tan belt was but I remember not paying over a tenner for it, if that helps at all? Anyway, this is perfect for pairing with floaty Summer dresses that need a little pulling in at the waist and those low hanging boyfriend jeans that show off just a smidge too much pasty ass-crack. I'm not speaking from experience here by the way. Ahem.

Lastly then is this frankly ridiculous, lemon bag. I debated fiercely with myself in the store over this one. In fact, I spent waaay longer in there than was necessary or for that matter, enjoyable, just so I could assure myself I was making the right decision. For €11 or so, I think I made the right choice. I greatly enjoy a novelty bag and I really love both the colour yellow and lemons themselves. Also, this is a bit of fun to liven up a dull outfit. I'll no doubt only get to use it a few times this Summer but like the floral crown, buying fleeting trend pieces like these for a good bit cheaper is definitely the way to go. You could no doubt buy similar in Topshop and spend a small fortune but sure, this works just as well!

Have you found any fab Summer buys in Penneys or anywhere else for that matter?

To the comments!

XX