Black Sand Beach Continued | Vik, Iceland

While Markus and I were in Vik, all I wanted to do was see the popular basalt columns. They have been photographed many times and are a must-see attraction. As I stated in my previous post, we missed them. Although, we were able to see these incredible rock formations that were absolutley stunning. I will always regret not seeing the columns, but I'm grateful that we at least had a chance to visit the black sand beach and see these formations.

Black Sand Beach | Vik, Iceland

One of the places I was most excited to see in Iceland was the black sand beach and basalt columns in Vik. When you research Iceland, the most common things that come up are waterfalls and black sand beaches. Unfortunately, I didn't get to spend as much time as I wanted there. 

Road tripping around Iceland is the best way to see the island, but it's easy to miss a few things. They only have one main highway that circles the entire country. It's easy to miss a few places if you're not paying attention, which happened to us. I thought that the basalt columns was further east, but in reality we were only a five minute drive away after this spot. It's okay though, Markus and I were still able to take some wonderful photos and explore a little bit of the black sand beach!

Kyoto Style Sushi at Izuju | Kyoto, Japan


While in Kyoto, I ate one of the best meals of my life at Izuju. Izuju specializes in Kyoto-style sushi, which is a bit more creative than sushi that we're accustomed to. I'm not a huge fan of mackerel but Izuju made me a believer. They pickle the mackerel, which gives it this flavor that is incredibly delicious. For one of their signature rolls, Sabazushi, they fill the entire body of the fish with rice. I thought it might be too meaty or fishy, but it was so tasty and I wished that more sushi rolls were like that. The rest of the sushi was just as good and I was glad that we ordered a variety. The meal itself wasn't too expensive and worth the money. It was one of my top three meals for sure and one that I will never forget!


Kinkaku-ji | Kyoto, Japan


Never in my life have I ever seen anything like Kinkaku-ji. After living in Korea for two years, I've seen so many different kinds of Asian temples, but nothing like this! The name translates to Temple of the Golden Pavilion and was originally a villa built in 1397 by a powerful statesman. In 1950, the villa burnt down when a monk attempted suicide. Afterward the pavilion was rebuilt in 1955. It's a close replica to the original villa and was covered with pure gold-leaf.

I loved Kinkaku-ji and the surrounding gardens were absolutely beautiful. It does get a bit busy with tourists but it's definitely a must-see when you're in Kyoto!