Earlier this week one of our photo bloggers, Geoff Spiby, posted a fantastic sequence of his latest trip to Iceland (Iceland: Reykjavik to Sigluforder in 30 photos). If you haven’t seen it yet, do yourself a solid and check it out. Here’s one of the pics below.
The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) and a cottage near Akureyri in the north of Iceland.
It rekindled a dormant desire of mine to head north and explore the barren landscape on the edges of (and inside) the Arctic Circle. I’ve never been further north than the UK so heck, even a trip to Norway, Sweden or Finland would go far to satiate my appetite for cold-climate exploration. Plus, the photo opportunities, especially up around the Northern Lights, are remarkable. Check out these two cool time lapses: Why I shoot lights at night and Awesome time lapse of Iceland’s midnight sun and you’ll see what I’m talking about. If that’s not got you packing your furry coat and galoshes (why not? It’s winter in South Africa anyway) then check out this recent time lapse of Iceland’s volcano, Eyjafjallajökull. Most remember it for causing absolute chaos to Europe’s air traffic but personally, I think it’s quite beautiful.
Visiting the Arctic Circle
If all that has got you seriously considering a trip north, check out Justin Fox’s feature on The Ice Hotel in Sweden: Lapland’s fairy castle, it may just be the perfect place to stay. Or you could hop on Northern Europe cruise, starting at R23 186 for 13 nights, including flights, full board and four-star accommodation on and off the boat, it’s not a bad way to embrace the cold.
