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Exploring Kirkjufell : Scenic Viewpoints, Mountains + Waterfalls

June 11, 2015

As we continued our road trip around Iceland’s Snæfellsnes peninsula, another major stop we had our itinerary was Kirkufell. This mountain is a famous spot that many people visit in this area of the island, but every photo I had seen of it showed it as a sort of rounded top mountain, a very large hill almost. So as we drove the 45 minutes or so from the orange lighthouse at Iceland’s western tip of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, we were surprised to find in essence a giant mountain.

You see, from the side (the side you arrive at from the West), the mountain is actually very long. It’s only when you arrive at the view point for this site, that you see the narrow, rounded top view. This drive is also very scenic to get to Kirkufell and it’s neighboring waterfall, Kirkjufellfoss. The mountains were tipped with snow, but their sides were dark brown like mountains made from the darkest chocolate. The land in front a deep olive-y green covered in rolling grasses and moss, beaches covered in black stones and water so blue it was almost blinding.

We stopped at the viewpoint for a quick stop and some photos, but I thought the view from a small pull out farther East on the 54 near the town of Grundarfjörður offered a more scenic view of the whole area, mountain and landscape all in one shot with the ocean in front. So don’t forget about other spots to see the whole mountain of Kirkjufell instead of just the one shot everyone gets!

Tips for the area around Kirkjufell:

-Everyone stops at the viewpoint and goes up towards the small waterfall (Kirkjufellfoss) to get the standard cliche image of this mountain, but the viewpoint offers great views other than just that one.

-Head into the little town just East of the mountain for more viewpoints with different perspectives of the mountain.

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Steps for First Time Travel Abroad

May 21, 2015

We’re getting all ready to head to Iceland tomorrow and as I was preparing everything for our trip, I got to thinking about everything that is involved in the lead up to traveling abroad. It can often seem a daunting adventure, but for anyone thinking of heading abroad for the first time, it’s also an incredible experience worth having.

Traveling abroad is wonderful. It’s a unique experience that teaches us so much about ourselves and the world around us, but since I travel out of the country a lot, I often forget that a lot of people splurging on that plane ticket might be headed out of the country for the first time. So for those of you who may be planning trips to head overseas for the first time, first of all, well done! You won’t regret it! And second of all, here’s some steps to help you make the most of your trip and your time overseas.

Do your Research.

It’s really important to do your research before traveling. Know a little bit of the language, be familiar with local customs/traditions, familiarize yourself with a map of cities you’ll be visiting and what local foods might be. The more you know before you go, the easier your trip will be. If you leave knowing nothing, you’ll spend so much of your trip trying to take everything in, if you know a little, you’ll have more time and freedom to just enjoy the place.

Keep an Open Mind.

One of the things that travel teaches us, is to open our minds to things that are different than we might know. If you’re traveling abroad for the first time, keep an open mind to everything. Let yourself be immersed and you’ll be so glad you did. If you let yourself truly experience a place with an open mind, it will be much more of a life changing experience.

Leave time to Wander/Don’t overbook your trip.

A lot of first time travelers overbook themselves. Know ahead of time you might not see everything, but on that same note, you’ll end up seeing more if you leave time to wander and take in a place. Seeing more than just the tourist spots is what makes you a true traveler, so leave your itinerary open enough where you have time to really just “see” the place.

Embrace the differences.

One of things I hear a lot while traveling is people complaining about all the differences to their home country. On the same note as having an open mind, it’s important to let go and embrace what’s different. After all, what would be the point in traveling abroad if it were exactly the same as at home?

Document your experience.

Whether you achieve this by taking photos, writing in journals or blogging, make sure to document your experience. I go back and take a look at past trips of mine all the time to jog my memory or to relive a wonderful moment. It’s a big step taking your first trip abroad so make sure to document it!

Rooftops, Ocean Views & Cable Cars : Explore Lisbon

May 13, 2015

After my introduction to our time in Lisbon the other day, I got to thinking more about our time in Portugal. We really did end up leaving with a totally different view of the seaside city than when we had arrived and all in all, really enjoyed Lisbon. The colorful buildings, the red rooftops, the blue skies and the old world charm of the city really is lovely and with less crowds than other spots in Europe, Lisbon really is a great spot to see and experience.

We spent our time in Lisbon just wandering, with no real itinerary in mind. Being the last stop on our trip, we were pretty worn out and two days of wandering was just what we needed. We wandered the hilly cobblestone streets of the Alfama, took in the the gorgeous buildings in the Chiado neighborhood and did some local shopping in Baixa. We stopped to take in incredible ocean views, looking over red rooftops to the sea, and admiring the ancient but charming cable cars. The food was great, the views spectacular and the people lovely.

Don’t Miss in Lisbon

-Pizza at La Puttana – We were craving pizza on our last day and asked our hotel front desk for advice. They recommended La Puttana close to the LX Boutique Hotel and it was incredible!

-Sunset at the Abril Bridge – If you want to venture to the Abril Bridge from Lisbon, know it’s a trek on foot. We walked and it took about 45 minutes, then you have to cut through the underground tunnels to get across the train tracks and the busy road along the water. But once you arrive, it’s oh so worth it. Also, I recommend taking a cab back. We were lucky to just be able to flag one down, but you might want to call since there weren’t that many in the area near the bridge.

Traveling to Portugal?

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The Truth About Traveling : Sometimes You’re Tired

May 12, 2015

When we had Lisbon scheduled on our itinerary for this trip, I got a ton of suggestions to take the day trip from Lisbon to Sintra. I did the research, checked it out and truly had every intention of going, but in the end, we didn’t end going and here’s why: we were exhausted.

I know as a travel blogger I’m supposed to want to see everything, to power through the tiredness and just go, but the truth is, as I get older and as I travel more, I’m stating to realize more and more that that’s not the kind of traveler I want to be. I don’t want to drag myself somewhere just because every guide book and travel blogger says I should if all I want to do is curl up in the hotel room bed for a 2 hour siesta on my last day of vacation. And the thing is, that’s totally ok. I feel like a lot of times all I read about is how we should seize every opportunity, power through the jet lag and the exhaustion, because seeing a place even if you’re drop dead tired is still worth seeing it. I beg to differ…I want to really experience the places I visit, I want to take them in emotionally, I want to really see them and personally I can’t do that when I’m exhausted.

I’m totally that person that loves to go to bed at 8pm and wake up at 7am. I need a lot of sleep and as I get older, I’m realizing more and more that while traveling, I am just not willing to sacrifice that to add another place to the itinerary. And so my friends, I’m here to tell you that traveling is exhausting and sometimes, as much as you might want to see another place, sometimes you’re just tired and need to use your vacation to actually rest.

I will say that we loved our time in Portugal and I know we’ll be back at some point in the future, so not to worry Sintra, you’ll be on the itinerary the next time around, but this time, that 2 hour siesta and more time in Lisbon was just what the doctor ordered.

Morning at the Alhambra

May 1, 2015

When we added Granada to our Spain itinerary, there was no question that one of the main draws to this ancient Southern Spanish city is the incredible Alhambra fortress high above the landscape. We found out quickly, that while the Alhambra is definitely the top draw for people coming to Granada, this area has a lot more to offer as well and we’d love to go back, take in more of the area and the countryside. Alas, this trip though, with only 2 days in Granada, we spent a large majority of our time at the incredible Alhambra.

We headed out of our hotel bright and early to make our entrance time of 8:30. We bought tickets ahead of time (which you need to…read below in tips for more information) and wandered from our Hotel Casa 1800, down little alleyways in the freezing cold morning air towards Plaza Nueva (wear layers, it gets cold at night!) to grab a cab up the hill to the Alhambra. You can walk up, but we chose the 5 euro cab ride over a 40 minute trek first thing in the morning. Upon arrival at the top of the hill, we headed to the kiosks at the entrance to get our tickets and made our way through the entrance gates. I had read before hand that while most of the grounds you are free to wander at your own leisure, the Palacios Nazaries can only be entered at your ticket time. So for us, that was 8:30, and immediately after entering the grounds we made the 5-7 minute walk to this famous building on the grounds to make sure we could see it. They let groups in every 30 minutes, so make you sure you head here first whatever time your tickets are. This building is the one you always see photos of, intricate details, incredible architecture and insane views over Granada.

We spent the next few hours just wandering the grounds, taking in each building complex, admiring the ruins and admiring the insane views over Southern Spain. From the white washed buildings of the Albaicin, to the incredible snow capped Sierra Nevada mountains to the South, you could spend hours up there on the hilly fortress that is the Alhambra just admiring one of the most spectacular places I’ve ever seen. The views, the details, the history, our morning at the Alhambra was truly one to remember and after spending about 4 hours wandering the grounds, through orange groves and ruins, through old palaces and colosseum type rotundas, we meandered back through the gardens and water features toward the main gates and grabbed a cab back down the hill. Needless to say, this post is pretty picture heavy because the Alhambra is just too beautiful not to see every corner of it. Our morning there, especially being there at the first ticketed time with so few other people, made the experience all the more special. Standing at the top of the Alhambra’s oldest section, on top of a massive hill over Granada, looking out in the distance for miles over the breathtaking landscaping of Southern Spain, will always be a memory I’ll never forget.

Tips for your Visit to the Alhambra:

-Buy your tickets online in advance. Go to the Alhambra website and it will forward you to a link to buy tickets. We chose the first ones of the day (8:30am) which I would highly recommend to miss most of the crowds, plus the light for photos was amazing!

-Give yourself at least 15-20 minutes to arrive at the Alhambra entrance early to collect your tickets from the kiosks. We were running a bit behind and were hurrying to get tickets and make it to the Palacios Nazaries at our ticket time. The kiosks are next to the gift shop near the entrance.

-Head first to the Palacios Nazaries at your ticket time. We got there about 8:35 and they had just started letting our time slot in, but since that was the first of the day, I would make sure you get there before your start date during the later times. There will be a special line for this one building and they will need to scan your tickets so keep them handy.

-Keep your tickets handy throughout, as in most of the buildings throughout the grounds they will scan them again.

-Take your time. We spent about 4 hours wandering through, but if we hadn’t been really tired and the crowds were getting big, we could have spent a couple more easily. It’s a huge complex so take your time and just wander.

-No real food inside the gates, so bring your own. Since our ticket time was early, we didn’t have breakfast before thinking we’d grab something up there. Half way through we were starving, and other than a little coffee shop with small food and coffee, there is no real food up there. So eat before or bring snacks.