An Icelandic Weekender

Reykjavik Town still lit up for Christmas

So shortly after I'd ate my body weight over Christmas, we boarded the plane to Iceland (which I surprisingly didn't need two seats for) clutching to the hope that the thermal socks we were wearing would brace us for what lay ahead. We were welcomed to Reykjavik with gale force winds, and a bus driver who told us that this weekend they were experiencing unusual blizzards due to a southern wind. But a blizzard didn't scare us, so shortly after arriving at our hotel - Reykjavik Lights - we threw on some more thermal layers and braved a 20 minute walk along the coast to Reykjavik, and forgot what it felt like to be warm for the majority of the rest of the trip. 

If your going to Iceland in winter pick an excursion company and stick to them, because its too dangerous to hire a car and impossible to get public transport to all the major sights. It's easy to snigger at that, but you'd regret being in a car when all main roads from the extremely remote, southern side of the island back to Reykjavik are closed due to a blizzard and you desperately need to pee. In that situation, you thank your lucky stars that you are on a tour bus with a driver who knows his way back around the island, and more importantly where the nearest petrol station is to pee and stock up on snacks, at least I did anyway. We used Reykjavik Excursions, who drove us to a multitude of places and told us stories of naughty elves and stone spirits all the way. Hear are my reviews of two of their most popular tours...

Northern Lights Tour - Around £30 and they take you to a tba location depending on wheres the highest chance of getting action, and you can retake the trip every night until you get lucky! Please wear lots of socks (I almost lost my toes at a pitch dark beach) and be prepared for faint flickers of lights being the most you see. The bright blues green and red's you see on a camera are a result of looonnnng shutter speeds and they almost never look that way to the naked eye. Even without the lights, however, the locations are amazing, and the stars are shining and if you happen to see a faint flutter of green in between the stars and horizons, you worry less about trying to magnify it on your camera. What's really amazing is that you can go on the trip for free for up to two years, so I look forward to going back and having another chance at seeing the lights in years to come. 

Not the lights...light pollution.

 Golden Circle with Fontana Baths -  This trip is a bit more expensive at around £50 for a bus between venues. But my god the venues are worth it. First we stopped at at a national park for sunrise where we were told the departure time and were free to explore. I might be obsessed with a sunset, but this sunrise was one of the most breathtaking moments of my life.

Sunrise at Thingvellir National Park

 After a drive through the beautiful Longavartn region, where the rising sun streams in between woodlands and quaint wooden cabins, you then stop at the Geysir, where there are also log cabin canteens with a legendary fish stew and volcano baked rye bread.

The Geysir 

The Gulfoss waterfall

To end a strenuous day hiking up stairs to waterfalls and waiting for an erupting Geysir, your dropped at the relaxing Fontana baths (where you dont pay to get in but you do have to pay for your towels!). With a selection of naturally heated saunas, jacuzies and pools all set in view of Fontana lake it would just have been rude of me not to swim in the lake too (although I had to get a member of staff to unlock the gate to the lake after her saying "are you sure? It will be cold" numerous times).

Overall Iceland was an amazing experience, a weekend full of intense hikes to natural beauties like waterfalls or glaciers that make you feel like your at end the earth (try the souther wonders tour for this) and contrastingly relaxing in what has to be the worlds best and most natural spa's (the best being Blue Lagoon, and yes, it is actually bright blue). The magic of its natural wonders, 'coolness' of up and coming Reykjavik and the captivating local myths and legends make Iceland a completely unique and magical encounter. 

An Idiots Guid to Amsterdam - everything we did wrong, so you can do it right!

Four eighteen year olds girls, stepping out of Amsterdam Cantral Station to get their first glimps of the city cloaked in the fog of early morning, their breath literally being taken away by, yes, the beauty, but mostly the cold. What could go wrong?! Well, plenty, as although Amsterdam may look like the setting of a fairytail, it wasn't without its trails for us, but heres some idiot proof tips to make sure you don't make the same mistakes as us!

 1. READ THE SMALL PRINT WHEN BOOKING A HOSTEL

Hostel, hotel, whichever, Amsterdam is full of small, independent, affordable places to lay your head but even if you book your bed through a trusted website which you've used many times before - read the small print! We arrived to check in at 3pm (to the reception which was located in a Chinese takeaway, yes a takeaway!) only to find that the small print said the hostel would need to validate the card we paid the deposit with 48 hours before arrival. As we paid with a debit card, this obviously didn't happen so our room was given to someone else. Hotel Mavlana was, in this case, at fault, as they didn't email to ask for a new card or to notify us of cancelation, but to avoid being stranded in an unfamiliar city with no where to stay, read the fine print! This did turn out to be a blessing in disguise as we found an amazing replacement on the corner of dam square called "The Cornerhouse", who's amazingly friendly staff, comfy single beds and squeaky clean en suit rooms turned our first day round from hell to heavenly!

2. LEARN THE RULES OF NIGHTS OUT

You can't go to Amsterdam without letting off a little steam, but although the people seem friendly and the chairs seem comfy be careful when your getting drunk and other such things!  This seems like obvious advise, and applies to anywhere you go of course, but no where in the world is like Amsterdam! The most invaluable advise that I can give you is to stay on the ground floor, please god stay on the ground floor.
Although we were tired after an early flight and long day walking around, we got our glad rags on (by which I mean we showered as Amsterdam's night life doesn't require a dress and heels, but we transformed enough for the bar lady at our hotel to say we came down "like butterflies" after going upstairs looking so rough - is that a compliment or not?) and headed out. A few hours later, in fits of giggles, we decided to move from one bar to the next but as we approached the spiral staircase very typical for Amsterdam we realised our mistake as it seemed to spiral well out of our reach. 20 minutes later, after each step was stomped on with extra careful deliberation, we eventually made it outside (is this the reason amsterdamers don't wear heels?) at which point the air hit us and we realised that each windey road and each frosty canal bridge look frighteningly similar. Unlike back home, there aren't take aways open till the early hours either, so if you get the munchies you better hope that your hotel staff are friendly enough to whip something up, the kind lady at ours supplied us with the last piece of Apple pie and a plate full of whipped cream with crushed biscuits (but maybe that was to make up for insulting us earlier on?) but my advise is to have some snacks waiting for you in the room.

3. BUY YOUR TRAIN TICKETS BEFORE YOU GET ON THE TRAIN!

Thankfully this is the one thing we didn't actually get caught out on - although that was lucky as after getting on the wrong train back from a Kasabian concert we jumped on the first one back to central station without another thought, which happened to be a rather amusing journey with a drunk guy singing one line of R Kelly's 'Bump and Grind' repeatedly ("my minds telling me noooooooo"). But on another occasion - one where we thankfully had a ticket - we were told by a very scary, butch, lady (in a contrastingly small, pink uniform) that if you don't have one already, the usually €3 ticket costs €40 or more to buy it on the train.

4. KNOW THE ADRESS OF YOUR ACCOMODATION

Getting  into a taxi  back to the hostel after a big night out seems like the sensible thing  to do, only it's less sensible if the name of the hostel which you bark at the driver as you drift off to sleep is a common name, and you only realise that you've been taken to a hotel on the other side of town half an hour and a €40 bill too late! Thankfully our driver turned off the meter and drove us back to Central Amsterdam for free (although we still had to pay the initial €40) but this could easily have been avoided by saving the name and ADRESS of our hotel in our phones and showing the taxi driver.

Your probably reading this thinking what a bunch of idiots (and you are right in doing so) but "the dam" finds a way of distracting you from the things that usually seem obvious. Other "tips" I could give you based on my experience is don't wander round the nunary giggling thinking it was a park, or to avoid German people intent on recreating the playground "pile on" in Players bar but I expect that anyone who goes will have their own unique stories of strange goings on with or without for warning! Overall it is a city you never forget, although you may not completely remember everything you do there!

Greek Island Hopping with busabout

The Greek Islands are well known for their jaw dropping views, friendly locals and mouth-wateringly fresh sea food. Less well known - to us British - is the concept of "hopping" around them with the company Busabout. Although a British company, they mainly attract Aussies, as it is a unique way to travel with all the benefits that come with group travel (our tour guide Micky called it a "good time atmosphere") but with all the flexibility of solo travel (as you pick your own accommodation and every excursion or pub crawl is completely optional). For me and my boyfriend Busabout was a perfect way to explore the Greek Islands, it offered us just the right amount of guidance, amazing friendships and alone time in perfect measure.

Mykonos - Paradise Beach resort

Paradise beach is exceptional value for money, with the choice between tents, huts, bungalows (which we stayed in) and dorm rooms there is an option to suit every budget. What's more, there are tunes playing all day from the bar, which puts you in just the right mood for the slightly-expensive-but-not-surprisingly-so two-for-one cocktails right on the beach.
If you need something from your room? No problem, the beach is a five second walk to the accommodation. Feel pekish? No problem, a two second walk down the beach will place you at a nice cluster of restaurants serving salads, sandwiches and some of the best stone oven baked pizzas I have ever had the pleasure of eating twice daily! Maybe then you will, like I did, take a nap on the beach, and what better way to be awoken than with catchy holiday tunes and men in pink hot pants announcing that it's happy hour? Paradise beach is a laugh to say the least!



Paros - Elizabeth Pension Guest House

After the craziness of Mykonos, Paros is a welcome haven. You can get lost wandering round the winding cobbled streets of the quaint town, let rip with some traditional plate smashing and laze on the beach in the heat. The optional bus about boat trip was one of the best trips of the whole holiday, with swim stops all around Paros you work up an appetite jumping off the boat and exploring caves before weighing anchor at a secluded beach where you can play volleyball or sunbathe while captain cooks up barbecued octopus, fresh greek salad, and shots of ouzo to wash it down.

Santorini - Hotel Antonia and Volcano View Hotel

For our first few days on Santorini we stayed at the recommended "Hotel Antonia" which is an extremely friendly family run hotel where a coffee is offered to you at every venture down to reception. As for the optional trips, the Santorini bucketlist was slightly overpriced and not much for our money, our friends rented out a car and saw the island for a fraction of the cost and at their own pace. The trip to Oia, on the other hand, at around €5 is not to be missed! After being driven to Oia, you walk through the shops and bars to the end of the island where you can perch on ancient walls and prepare for the sunset with your provided drinks and soulvjaki with all your busabout friends. If your brave enough, you can climb and sit on the ruins, or for the really gutsy jump down a level to escape the crowds and watch in privacy.  For our next two nights in Santorini, we splashed out on four star Volcano view hotel, which I would definitely recommend if you want some luxury and absolutely breathtaking views.

Ios - Far Out Village


Having lost most of our group by staying two extra days on Santorini, Ios wasn't the crazy party we had imagined. For those with the energy the pub crawl rivals those of Ibiza and Majorca, with body shots and giant jenga drinking games, and the hotel pool party is not far behind with blasting dance music and podiums to dance on. That is if you can make it out of your room after all the watersports available! We opted for the water safari where for €15 you kayak to a secluded beach for (yes another) barbecue, and ride back on a banana boat, which may not sound all that strenuous, but it is if you raced (and won) all the other kayaks to the beach like us!

Athens - Athens Style Hostel

We started and ended our trip at Athens Style, a friendly hostel in a great location - one bus ride from the airport, which is easy enough to get to if you don't stupidly write down the wrong bus number like I did, but if you were to find yourself lost in Athens don't worry, the Greek are very friendly and bus drivers willing to stop in the middle of cross roads to let you out in the right direction! When you do make it to the hotel (hopefully in one piece), you'll find that it is in the heart of the cities' bustling Syntagma Square, opposite the antiques market and down the hill from the acropolis (which can actually be visible from the hostels trendy rooftop bar). The hostel offers a "free" walking tour (by which "free", means the guid is not qualified and so can only ask for a donation not a fee) but offers you local knowledge of the ancient sites and allows you soak up the history of athens without any rigid schedules dampening your spirit or heavy fees weighing down your pocket. Whats more entrance to all archaeological sites in Athens is free for all EU students!

Temple of Poseidon Sounion

We visited Sounion (the temple of the ancient greek god of the sea) at the end of our trip, and if you can find time for the two and a half hour, €12 bus ride from Athens it is not to be missed. On the lunch time bus you arrive in Sounion at around 3pm, enough time for an ice tea on the beach below before heading up the hill to the magical temple just before sundown. Wandering in and out of its shadows and gazing through it's majestic pillars at the warm glow of sunset - as the greeks did before you - was, in my opinion, the perfect end to a perfect Greek trip.

Best Sunset:  Santorini Volcano View Hotel 10/10
Best Pizza: Mykonos Paradise Beach 7/10
Best Crêpe: Syntagma Square Athens 5/10

Gracias Corona! - A trip winners review of Ibiza

So one friday morning I'm rushing around my house, trying to find a matching pair of socks in an attempt to not be late for work, when that familiar sound of a twitter notification chimed through the room.
"Pack your bags @jess_******* your going to ibiza!" was written across my screen.
My first thought was that some computer had tweeted me a virus, like when your tweeted how much someone can't believe what they've seen you do on "this video" and to click on the link to see for yourself, but after numerous "IS THIS A JOKE?!?!" emails to coronas lovely social media associate I was assured that it was neither a virus nor a joke, that I had unknowingly won a trip to Ibiza with CoronaUK! Turns out that a few days before I had retweeted a picture of a sunset that corona had put on (I like a good sunset!), unsuspectedly entering the competition, and a few days later I would be on a flight to the Baleariac island. No expenses were spared on this trip, but here are some tips on how to lap up some luxury while on budget thats slightly smaller than that of my friends at Corona!

Firstly the Corona Sunset festival, at around €35 a ticket it is most definitely worth it! With a laid back hippy vibe - a sort of mini hippy market brimming with henna ladies, handmade jewellery stalls and reasonably priced sweet smelling food from around the world - and the beautiful view of the sun setting behind Ibiza castle, it makes for a magical night in Ibiza, no matter what DJ's are playing that particular year. Without the pleasure of a hospitality wristband that I had (which included the ever present free bar that was almost the highlight of the whole trip), the drinks are ridiculously expensive and with the midday sun beaming down it is a good idea to go later to the festival. Obviously you don't want to miss the sunset or any good DJ's, but you can definitely soak up the sun sipping on sangria by the pool, skipping the sweaty dehydration part of the day, before you venture down to the marina for a night of magic, music and corona filled cocktails underneath the stars.

And after a night like that, you might be in need of some gorgeous place to help nurse a sore head, with the freshest of air to help a weak stomach. If so Calla Bassa beach is an answer to your prayers. If your on a budget, you are free to take a towel, set up camp on the beach and soak up the view of the hills au naturel. But if you have a bit of spare cash it is definitely worth paying for a bed (you could even split the price of a double bed, which comes with a mattress, between a group of you), which are surrounded by wind chimes and buddhas to relax you, and waitress to tend to your every need.

But the best advise I can give is most definitely to enter ANY free competition on any form of social media. Because to win a trip of a life time you have to enter the competition, like in the Italian story of the man who cries at the foot of a statue every night wishing to "please please" let him win the lottery, the statue one day replies "please please buy a ticket".

Sunset Rating: 6/10
Best Pizza: Deli opposite pacha which was still open at 6am 7/10
Best Crêpe: N/A