Joyeux Noel 2015 | Glacier Lagoon Edition | Jökulsárlón, Iceland

Last year, Markus and I sent out our first ever holiday postcard. It was a huge hit and I wanted to continue the tradition this year. Even though Markus and I had some wonderful professional photos taken for our 10 year wedding anniversary, they didn't scream Christmas. Before we went to Iceland, I researched a few areas and found the perfect location: Jökulsárlón, the glacier lagoon in Southern Iceland. 

Jökulsárlón is absolutely incredible and one of my favorite places in Iceland. I've never seen anything like it and it took my breath away. I remember as the glaciers started to pop up on the side of the highway, I gasped so loud that it startled Markus. We were supposed to be able to go on boat tour and see the glaciers up close and personal, but the tour was cancelled. I was disappointed, but it gave us more time to find the perfect spot for our holiday card. I could write paragraphs about how beautiful the place was, but I think the photos would be a much better representation! I definitely recommend listening to "Hoppípolla" by Sigur Rós while you peruse the photos below! 

Also, Happy Holidays dear readers! Thank you for following my adventures this year and I truly appreciate all of you. It still boggles my mind that people are interested in our travels. I can't wait to see what 2016 will bring and to share them with you!

Pétursey Mountain | Where the Wildlings Are | Iceland

After our first day of driving all over the Southern coast of Iceland, we headed toward our accommodations for the night. When I looked at the location on the map, it looked like it was in the middle of nowhere. On the way to the guesthouse, we turned down an isolated dirt road. We drove for what felt like forever, but it was only 15 minutes. It was early in the evening, maybe close to 7 pm. The sun was still out and it would stay that way. During the summer, the sun never really sets and it never gets completely dark.

As we finally approached the Vellir Guesthouse, the beautiful Pétursey Mountain came into view. It reminded me a bit of Ayers Rock in Australia. It wasn't as majestic, but it was still quite stunning. When we checked into our room, we looked out the window and had this magnificent view. The following morning, we couldn't help ourselves and frolicked about before we began another day of exploring.

Where the Wildlings Are | 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.

Where the Wildlings Are | 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!

Where the Wildlings Are | Roadside Edition | Iceland

Markus and I spent most of the first day in Iceland stopping at every beautiful spot we came across. On the second day, we continued to pull over. Iceland is just too beautiful and we couldn't help ourselves. When you are continually seeing stunning landscapes, it would be a crime not to stop and take a moment.

Where the Wildlings Are | Skógafoss Waterfall | Iceland

The final stop of our first day in Iceland was Skógafoss Waterfall. Even though we saw Seljalandsfoss right before, it was still absolutley stunning. It's one of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland measuring 200 ft tall and 83 ft wide. The fall has been featured in both The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Thor: The Dark World. Iceland is a country full of fantasy and magical tales and Skógafoss also has it's own lore. 

It's said that the first Viking, Þrasi Þórólfsson, hid a treasure chest in a cave behind the waterfall. Years later, the chest was discovered by a local man. He was unable to get the entire treasure, but managed to detach one of the rings on the side of the chest.  He then gave the ring to a local church and later was donated to the Skogar Museum. It's also said that when the sun is shining, you can see gold glittering through the water.