Blue Lagoon | Grindavík, Iceland

Blue Lagoon is easily one of the most photographed destinations in Iceland. It's easy accessibility and facilities, make it a hotspot for travelers. We intentionally scheduled our day at Blue Lagoon late in our trip so that we could feel relaxed before we came back home. The geothermal spa is located in a lava field and the water is rich with silica and sulfur. Markus and I spent all morning lounging around in the water soaking up all the good stuff, drinking wine and taking it easy. We chose the premium package and were given two different types of masks, silica mud and algae. So it was a lot of fun swimming around with masks with a bunch of complete strangers. 

Everything about the Blue Lagoon was incredible and amazing and a place that I definitely recommend. If you can spend the whole day there, that would be the best. Also, if you eat a meal there, hand down, the Lava Restaurant is very good. Markus and I had langoustine soup, rib of beef  and Arctic catfish. There wasn't a single bad dish and all three were really delicious. Overall it was one of my favorite experiences in Iceland and a place that I could go to again.

Hallgrímskirkja & Cafe Loki | Reykjavík, Iceland

Hallgrímskirkja is one of the most popular sites in Reykjavík. It's easily found in the city centre and can be seen from afar throughout the city. The Lutheran church took 41 years to build and was designed to resemble the basalt lava flows that can be found throughout Iceland. After spending a lot of time out in the wilds of the country, it was cool to see such a uniquely designed building, which Reykjavík definitely does not lack. It's also worth the small fee to go up to the tower and see the stunning views of the city. 

Before Markus and I travelled to Iceland, we watched Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Foods Iceland episode. He ate a lot of strange things, but the food that looked the most interesting was fermented shark. I didn't know where we were gonna find it, but I was determined to get it. Luckily right across the street from Hallgrímskirkja is Cafe Loki. If you want to try traditional Icelandic cuisine on a budget, this is the best place to do it.

Markus and I decided to be really adventurous and we ordered the Icelandic Braveheart which consisted of Brennivins shot, rye bread & flatbread, dried fish with butter and four pieces of fermented shark. We also ordered Icelandic meat soup to try and supplement the meal. It was a good thing we did, because the shark was awful. I tasted like the way ammonia smells. Apparently the Brennivins shot is meant to make it go down easier, but that made it worse, because it tasted like rubbing alcohol. I wish it tasted sweet and nutty like Zimmern claimed, but this was a major fail. 

Þingvellir, Geysir & Kerið | Iceland

I've finally reached the end of our road trip through Iceland! It took a while, but we finally made it friends. On our last day, Markus and I packed in a ton of spots and places and drove through the popular tourist route, the Golden Circle. First we stopped at at Þingvellir, then Geysir and finished the day at Kerið. I think by the end, we were ready to stay put in one place and stop living out of a tiny car. I will say that the I didn't regret one minute of our road trip. At first, we were a bit hesitant to do it, but in the end, we knew it would be an unforgettable experience. If you ever make it to Iceland, I recommend that you drive around the whole country and not stick to Reykjavik. Iceland is a beautiful country that is meant to be explored. 

Þingvellir is one of the most significant places to visit in Iceland. It's known for being a historical, geological and cultural site and is one of the most popular. It's been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The world's oldest existing parliament can be found here as well as the canyon that separates two tectonic plates, which Markus and I dove through later in the week. 

About 60 km west of Þingvellir is Geysir or sometimes known as The Great Geysir. After seeing a million waterfalls, it was cool to see water coming from a different direction. 

Another popular spot on the Golden Circle tour is Kerið, a volcanic crater. There are several craters in the area and it has been dubbed Iceland's Western Volcanic Zone. It was an incredible thing to see and the perfect end to our road trip! 

Icelandic Horses & Hraunfossar| Húsafell, Iceland

Before Markus and I headed over to Hraunfossar, we took an unexpected detour. As we were driving on Route 1 toward Reykjavik, there was a portion that was unpaved and really rough. We decided to take another road that ran parallel with Route 1. Not really sure why we thought this was a good idea, but in the end it was. The road was higher up on a mountain. While we were driving we came across a team of Icelandic horses. Iceland is well known for their smaller pony sized horses. I ran out of the car immediately to get a close up. I wanted to pet one, but being allergic to all animals, I kept my distance. After spending some time squealing over their cuteness, we continued on our tour of West Iceland.

After we left those adorable little horses we continued on Route 1 toward Hraunfossar waterfall. I have to admit that by this time, I was kinda over waterfalls. Iceland is covered with them and it felt like we saw every kind of waterfall that existed. Despite this, it was still very beautiful and not like the others. Hraunfossar, sometimes called Lava waterfalls, is a series of smaller waterfalls that cascade into the Hvita River. The water of Hvita River was so bright blue and almost looked artificial. It was such a stunning contrast to the rock formations and purplish fauna.

Creepy Cinema 5 | Five Finger Discount

This year’s Creepy Cinema is much shorter than years past, but I still wanted to keep my promise and continue the tradition. It's been five years of scary flicks with Markus, so we decided to watch five movies that ranged different genres, tropes and time periods. There’s something for everyone on the list. There’s monsters, zombies, a freaky haunting and a creepy witch. I hope you enjoy my thoughts on these movies and hope you guys have a Happy Halloween!

Poltergeist - 1982
This is one of those movies that you expect everyone has seen at least once, but somehow I missed it. I think even my mom, who hates scary movies, has seen it.  She always compares the creepy medium lady to someone we know in real life. I didn’t know much about the plot before we watched it, and wasn’t sure what to expect. Poltergeist overall is pretty good. I wouldn’t say it’s a perfect movie, because there were definitely some slow parts as well as weird character development. I felt like the paranormal team could’ve been fleshed out a bit more. Despite there being a lot of focus on the mom, I still didn’t feel a connection to any of the family members. However the real draw to the movie is the special effects, which are great for the 80s and must have been groundbreaking back in the day.

The Fly - 158
As a fan of Vincent Price and old movies, this was the one that I was most excited for. The original House on Haunted Hill is fantastic, and I highly recommend it. I also had high expectations for this movie, and was not disappointed. Since I knew the basic premise and possibly the entire plot, I expected this movie to be boring and slow, but it wasn’t at all. The acting is top notch and despite knowing what was coming, I was completely absorbed in the story. I will say that there is a reveal at the end that I was not expecting, and even though it’s not as jarring by today’s movie standards, it was still haunting and unforgettable.

The VVitch - 2015
Of all the movies I’ve watched for Creepy Cinema, there is no comparison to The Vvitch. Robert Eggers, the screenwriter and director, has created something so haunting yet absolutely beautiful. Instead of relying on jump scares, like most horror films, this film expertly builds a rising atmosphere of paranoia and fear. It’s a film that really uses everything to tell the story. The cinematography is incredibly beautiful, the film score strikes the right tone and the 16th century setting itself invokes terror.  On top of all that, add in isolation, witches and the unexplainable...and it’s a recipe for something truly scary. Of all the five films I’ve watched this year, The VVitch was by far the best and one that I will recommend for years to come.

Scouts Guide to the Apocalypse - 2015
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a movie like this. Scouts Guide is a teen horror comedy and it has heaps of raunchiness and gore. The film follows three teenage scouts who must use their training to survive the zombie apocalypse. It has lots of teenage angst and humor, but was a lot funnier than I anticipated. There were lots of immature jokes, but I think that was the point. There’s one particular scene that involves a trampoline and the main character evading a horde of zombies, that caused me to just lose it.  I seriously couldn’t stop laughing. After watching such a stressful film, The VVitch, it was nice to see something lighthearted and silly. This isn’t the sort of movie that I would watch again, but it was definitely a lot of fun.

The Brainiac - 1962
Man, this movie had so much potential. When Markus explained the premise, I was excited to watch it. I mean, a vintage Mexican horror B-movie with cheap sets and a guy in a rubber suit; what’s not to like? Well this the film follows a heinous Baron as he is executed in 1661, only to reincarnate in 1961 and seek vengeance on the ancestors of those who killed him. It’s such an interesting story, but the execution falls flat. It’s such a shame because the sets have that b-movie charm, the acting is what you’d expect, and the monster is goofy yet somehow genuinely creepy. However it’s all delivered at a snail's pace! The film clocks in at an hour and fifteen minutes, but it feels like a three hour epic. I spent half of the movie on my phone wishing it was over. I like b-movies, especially from this era, but this one was a bit of a slog-fest.