When we went to Berlin in 2019, we said we wanted to come back here and spend a good amount of time as we loved it so much. I know an often stated phrase when you go somewhere that you would love to live there, but with Berlin it is absolutely the case! It reminds me a lot of my home city Melbourne – a place with an immense heart and energy.
This trip was to return to Berlin, take advantage of needing to fly into another major German city but seeing some of that – being Munich, and going to Iceland which has long been on my list of places to see in my lifetime. And of course returning via one of my favourite places anywhere Singapore – flying Singapore Airlines means a definite stopover.
Munich
We were travelling at the beginning of May so heading into mildish weather in Germany. We arrived in Munich, flying with Singapore Airlines and their partner airline Lufthansa. After a long flight, we arrived early morning into Munich. We caught the airport shuttle bus from the airport which would drop us near Munich’s central train station – Haupthanhof – where out hotel was near.
As we drove in, the thing that really struck me was how green Munich was. Many parks, and once getting closer to the city centre, the huge park areas. We also saw a very German site, two mean naked having just had a dip in the lake – with no worries about doing so in the middle of the city!
Our hotel was the 25Hours Hotel Royal Bavarian in a renovated old building. And of course Munich being in the Bavarian region. This was our first stay in a 25Hours hotel and it was a very good experience. The staff were very friendly and in a very genuine way. The central train station area – like most in big cities – aren’t always the fanciest, but they are always central, lively and easy to therefore walk or catch a train – or tram in Munich – anywhere.
The hotel was colourful, a lovely glass atrium and hanging plants. Our room was very nice and spacious and very quiet considering the location. Also very colourful, a big entry area, super comfortable bed and lovely big windows . We broke the rule of trying to get your body clock to local time, being very tired we had a nap, freshened up, had a snack and tea at the lovely lounger area in the hotel, and then set-off to explore the central city area. We walked down to Marienplatz, visited the massive Frauenkirche (the largest cathedral in Munich) and had a look at the stunning, Gothic architecture of Neues Rathaus (Town Hall). We had an early dinner at the very popular hotel restaurant Neni – definitely book even if you’re a hotel guest. Wonderful and delicious Middle Eastern fusion food, very friendly service.
On our first full day in Munich we did a lot of walking. Our first stop was at the Residenz Museum. This was home to the rulers of Bavaria until WW1 and it was incredibly ornate and opulent – the room of mirrors with tiny porcelain vases and the massive hall with alfrescos a highlight.
We walked up to the University area where there are many little cafes and book shops. We then walked to the top of the English Garden and saw the surfing area. A very curious thing to see in the middle of a German city. We had seen people on arrival in Munich carrying surf boards and then I read in the guide book about the surf area. It was a small area – near a brick bridge with rushing water feeding the lake that runs through the gardens that creates small waves. I didn’t look overly safe as there it was so close to the wall. Again an interesting sire for an urban park in Germany!
We walked back towards the area around the Residenz Museuam which has some very lovely shops and cafes, namely the absolutely lovely (and fancy) Alois Dallmayr. The array of food, wine, cakes, chocolate is stunning. There’s a rather fancy restaurant/cafe on the ground floor and the second floor housed a gorgeous coffee house. We got some delicious things from the food hall and sat in the Residenzmuseum gardens to have lunch as it was a lovely sunny and mild day.
After some more walking around the gardens near the museum, we went back to Alois Dallmayr and had afternoon tea in the lovely, convivial café with very friendly staff and a very happy atmosphere. Just delightful. It had been a big day of walking so we had dinner and a drink at the very nice 2Hour hotel bar.
Our next day was a full day visiting the outskirts of Munich. A friend in Melbourne’s father lived just outside of Munich and had very kindly offered to take us on a tour of the area. We caught the train to where they lived Planegg and drove out to the countryside to visit Andechs the site of a monastery – Kloster Andechs – and – being Munich – as beer hall and brewery. As we learnt, monasteries were the original brewers of beer and continue to do so.
We went for a walk around the area and then took the steep walk up to the Pilgrim Church of the rococo era so very opulent, and took in the views – there were fantastic views of the surrounds and toward a lake. It was a little cloudy so we couldn’t see the alps, but on a clear day were told you could see right up to the alps. We then went to the beer hall for a very Bavarian lunch – coleslaw, potato salad, herring and of course beer. I think I only drank about half of my beer – I was impressed by the locals at that hour drinking down their steins.
After lunch we drove to Starnberg and went on the ferry on Lake Starnberg. It was a truly lovely day getting to see other parts Bavaria and outside the city. We caught the train back to lunch central late afternoon and had dinner at a little Thai place Kaimug in the underground shopping area leading to Karlsplatz.
Our last day in Munich was a museum visiting day and lots more walking. Munich has a huge number of museums and art galleries and picking which ones isn’t easy! We walked towards Karlsplatz and then on to the Jewish Museum. After that we walked to the Schwabing area and visited the Haus der Kunst. This had been established during WW2 and the Third Reich to house stolen art the labelled ‘perverse’, which however turned out to be popular. The Huas der Kunst had been established in it’s current form claiming back it being a house of innovative art, including the display of Yiddish words in large bold letters on the outside of the building. There isn’t a huge amount to see, but it’s worth a visit for the claiming back of history, the vast interiors and I have to say, the stunning museum and café Goldene bar – Die Golden Bar. The café and bar is in a vast high ceilinged room with magnificent gold mosaics of world maps. The food was also delicious. During summer it would be fabulous to sit outside and enjoy a cocktail – today was unfortunately wet and not cold, but not warm.
On the way back to the hotel we stopped by our favourite Alois Dallmayr to get some delicious things for dinner in our hotel room, and after dropping them at the hotel, caught the tram to the Maxvorstadt and Kunstreal areas where most of the art galleries were located.
We went to the Museum Brandhorst, had afternoon tea at the gallery café and then visited the galleries. The huge ‘rose’ paintings by Cy Twomby were a highlight. We then went to the Pinakothek der Moderne which was excellent and I would say a must visit if you have to pick one art gallery. The vast interior had what looked like jelly fish moving up and down from the ceiling, and the massive It was a very interactive, immersive gallery with a mix of galleries of art and design. The huge, stingray like sculpture hanging from the ceiling dominating a large stair case was quite spectacular.
The next day was travelling by train from Munich to Berlin. We had an early breakfast at our hotel, took the short walk across the road to the Munich central station and caught our train to Berlin – leaving right on time at 7.56am. The train to Berlin was just over 4 hours. It was very easy and we had good seats. As the train went along to more stops, the train filled up and many people were sitting on the floor. I would highly, highly recommend booking ahead to ensure you get a seat as it’s a popular and regular travel route for locals and tourists alike!
Berlin
We spent 10 days in Berlin, going back to some posts from before and exploring different areas. I still feel like we have just scratched the surface. There is so much to see, so much history, great food and museums and just hanging out – particularly this trip when the weather was just stunning.
Rather than giving a day-by-day breakdown, I will write about the highlights – although that may take just as long! Berlin is definitely (apart from my hometown of Melbourne!) my favourite city – such an amazing energy, international and somewhere you think, I could live here. It reminds me a lot of Melbourne – it might not always be physically beautiful, but it has a heart.
Where we stayed
We stayed in the same are as from our last visit in Prenzlauer Berg. This was a part of the ‘East’ and a huge amount of gentrification has occurred. Some beautiful apartment buildings, many lovely trees, sidewalk cafes, little interesting food and other shops, a Thursday and Saturday farmers market, some small interesting museums and great location for S and U Bahn. There are other areas of Berlin like Kruezberg which is the ‘happening area’ or Friedrichshain – the party area – but for us Prenzlauer Berg is quite laid back, lovely to wander around and the ideal place to stay.
We stayed at an AirBNB with superb views over Berlin, very comfortable, lovely and sunny with a balcony – I felt like moving in!
The food
As comes across in my website, food is one of the main attractions for me of travel – it’s how you get to know the soul of a city. Berlin is a great food city – great markets, amazing little bakeries, excellent food stores, food from all over the world and cool restaurants. Some of the highlights from this trip.
We always do food tours usually at the start of our trip to get an idea for good places to go to. Walk With us have a number of tours around Berlin catering to different interests. I booked their Berlin Gourmet Food Tour which was in the area where we were staying. It ended up just being us with two guides – Alex (one of the owners) and Marcus – and it was just excellent. Lots of variety from traditional food at a restaurant that had been running since the 1920s, to regional food and wine stores, pastries, and chocolate. There was a lot of food! The highlight of the tour and of all the food in Berlin, was Happies. I have written a separate piece on Happies and will extol its virtues below!
We had booked a dinner get together at the house of the owners – they had been holding special dinners with a small group at their house. They unfortunately didn’t have enough people so that had to be cancelled. Their website looks like this is no longer offered. They very generously gave us a free tour which was their Beer Craft Beer in Friedrichshain. I’m not a big beer drinker so this wouldn’t have been a tour I’d normally book, but it was still fun and great to see another part of the city.
Walk With Us Tours took us to Happies. We returned there and should have again! It was one of those food experiences which filled you with complete joy, with the food, the atmosphere, the staff emitting this sense of warmth, and yes happiness. Happies had started in a previous location and had searched for the perfect location in the area, funding a gorgeous spot on one of the lovely tree lined streets of Prenzlauer Berg. The café was crowd funded and the pictures of all those people had been incorporated into the artwork on the wall of the café.
The owner Uli Marschner hand makes a modern take on germknodeln yeast dumplings from Austria and Bavaria. The dumplings themselves are the happies. Each dish has a story and a name and they are made with love and filled with tasty, delicious fillings and flavour combinations. On our second visit had the Krische – dhal, chutney, tomato, yoghurt and coriander (stunning!); and the Barbel – goat’s cheese, honey, roasted walnuts, rocket cashew pesto and cranberries. We then had dessert dumplings – I mean you have to! The Frauke – white chocolate, mint, rhubarb, salted pistachios and vanilla sauce; and the Netti – plum jam, brown cardamom butter, grey poppy seeds and icing sugar (one of the most delicious things I have eaten!).
If you go to Berlin you must go to Happies! You can also find them on Instagram – happiesberlin
Restaurants
There were some great places to eat and drink in Prenzlauer Berg but a highlight for a number of reasons was Kanaan. A jointly run Palestinian and Jewish restaurant with staff from all over. Their motto was Make Humus Not War – featured in a sign outside the restaurant. It was a vegetarian degustation – so much delicious food – and excellent service. The whole place was generosity – of food, service and spirit, which needs to be supported more now than ever!
We also returned to Katz Orange – having been recommended to go there on our last trip to Berlin. Katz Orange is in a lovely old building, very cool and in the Scheunenvietel area – one of the many areas in Berlin we didn’t really explore.
The carry and drinking wine on footpaths
Beer is sold everywhere in Berlin – book shops, corners stores, everywhere. They have the carry – basically you can buy a beer on the way home, going for a walk, and drink a bottle of beer. And there is a return for beer bottles so people leave them by bins so people who are homeless or need money can collect them and not have to rummage through rubbish!
There’s also little bars and wine shops everywhere with a few seats out the front or a bench by the window where you can sit with a bottle or a glass of wine and watch the world go by. Simply delightful! Again, it was absolutely superb weather and winter would be different, but that neighbourhood, community feel is in the many neighbourhoods of Berlin.
Bakeries
Great bakeries are everywhere and from all parts of the world. We had a fabulous Portuguese bakery near our apartment and the lovely bakery/café Cafe Anna Blume, and then of course the baked goods at the Farmer’s Markets. And then the bread shops with gorgeous dark, grainy ryes. A favourite was Gorilla in Neukolln which we found after a visit to Tempelhofer – an area once unfavoured due to the association with Templehofer in WWII and now little cafes, restaurants and small art galleries popping up, and lovely old apartments being renovated due to being located so near to this huge public space for riding bikes, walking dogs, community gardens. Neukolln is also a very diverse and multicultural area. Gorilla is a very cool bakery with an open kitchen – where you can see the baking process – with gorgeous savory pastries for a light lunch where you can sit by the large glass windows and watch the world go by. Very warm and inviting.
Markets
We were very lucky to be about a 10 minute walk away to the Kollwitzplatz farmers markets which were on every Thursday (a smaller number of stall holders) and Saturday. Kollwitzplatz is a very nice area – a few streets away from the area where we stayed with gorgeous tree lined streets, interesting little shops and food stores and near the Jewish Cemetery (a place of great peace). We also had a superb ramen there in a little pop Japanese restaurant. The farmers markets on Saturday were amazing – so much beautiful produce, baked goods, fresh pasta, fish, flowers, wine – everything. We were lucky to be there for the white asparagus season and visited the markers a few times to take delicious things back to our apartment for lunches and dinners.
The Turkish Market along the canal in Kreuzberg (bordering Neukolln) is definitely worth a visit. Packed with people doing their fruit and veg shopping, BBQ corn and hot food, stalls selling all manner of thing for sewing, hats, clothes. And such a great location right along the canal. There’s also a branch of the vegan donut store Brammibals. And on that point too – so much great vegan food everywhere you go.
There’s also excellent all organic supermarkets, there was an excellent one near our train station Prenzlauer Allee; amazing food halls. So much!
Museums and galleries
There are so many great museums and galleries in Berlin including the cluster of large, classic galleries and museums on Spreeinsel (Spree Island) and all the way along Unter den Linden.
On this trip we explored some of the smaller museums and galleries. We were a short walk from the Kulturbrauerie which was once a brewery and now houses galleries, a museum on life in the GDR, shops, bike hire and food trucks (where we had lunch).
There was an excellent and very moving temporary exhibition about heavy metal in the former GDR. It was about more than the music – it was about people’s bravery to do something that was different in a restrictive world. The stories also about what happened when the wall came down and how going to music in a capitalist setting was more about commercialism than a true passion or music. We also visited the permanent exhibition about life in the GDR which was also very good and provides an excellent picture of what life was like.
The Jewish Museum in Western Kreuzberg. The museum has become well known and a landmark for the main building by Daniel Libeskind. The museum website has a range of information about the history of the museum and the meaning and concept behind the design of the Libeskind building which was designed to communicate the trauma caused by the Nazis’ crimes as a part of history of Berlin.
The building is a zig-zag, tall steel structure with voids at ‘cross-roads’ in parts of the building, and often narrowing walk ways. The museum notes that people have different feelings from being in the building, but its is somewhat disorienting and at times not knowing in which direction you are walking. One particular area or void is entered by a small door and inside there is a huge towering and narrowing ceiling with little light.
One part of the permanent exhibition leads you along a path with long cloth installations listing the progression of laws in Germany and other countries leading up to the Holocaust. A sobering reminder of how something like this doesn’t come out of nowhere, it is steady and deliberate.
Culture all round
Book stores
There are amazing bookstores everywhere in berlin, form a second hand bookstore on the corner of our street, to an independent English language bookstore called St George’s – in Kollwotzplatz the lovely area near where the farmers markers are held – to the huge Dussman – with everything you can think of, books, pens, gifts, records and coffee.
Saint George’s was a favourite and a demonstration of how it can be such a small world. On our second visit there we started chatting to the young guy working there when he said, I hear an Australian accent and asked where we were from. We are from Melbourne, so am I says the guy, where in Melbourne, Newport we say, oh I’m from Williamstown just down the road! We talked about the second book store near us in Seddon and he says yes know it well and the owner. Such a small world!
Dussman in Mitte is also somewhere on our last visit we went to more than once, and again on this visit. You can get lost in there for hours and luckily there is food and drinks to rejuvenate and keep you shopping for many more hours.
Music
Berlin is synonymous with music with many musicians having found inspiration there over many years – such as the Beatles and David Bowie.
I try and look now when we go anywhere if there is a music festival happening and found the XJazz Festival which was happening in the Kreuzberg in area that once was factories and has now become an arts hub. XJazz is in the jazz tradition, but emphasises genre-bending and contemporary forms of jazz, incorporating electronic, funk, soul and experimental sounds.
The festival took part in a music venue with a gorgeous sunny outdoor courtyard and connected ‘factory’ type area. It was a beautiful sunny, warm late afternoon and we watched a French electro funk band with a glass of wine and people dancing. Couldn’t get any better. We then saw an amazing goddess bass guitarist and singer from West Africa – Manou Gallo. Her band included a guitarist from Cameroon, and trumpeters from Cuba and France.
There was a small food area where we had great jerk eggplant, and then watched a little bit of a funk band from the UK Nubian Twist. We headed back to Prenzlauer Berg early.
This is a snap shot of the highlights for Berlin but – as we did this and last trip – it’s a great place to walk and explore all the different and such varied parts of the city. This is from what was the ‘West – home to Ka Da We the oldest department store in Berlin – to the classic area with museums and grand buildings, to the areas like Kreuzberg with such energy and graffiti everywhere. It’s somewhere we could definitely live and maybe at some point in our lives will stay for a few months. I just love Berlin!
Iceland
Iceland is somewhere I have wanted to travel to for a long time. Also beign a huge fan of Icelandic noir – such as Trapped – and the amazing Bjork, a small country that really extends out into the world with it’s culture and influence.
We flew from Berlin to Iceland – a short 3 hour flight but with a 2 hour time difference between Germany and Iceland – arriving in Reykjavik late afternoon. The airport is a fair distance from central Reykjavik so we went for the airport bus.
Every time we told someone we were going to Iceland they either said – won’t you get trapped by that volcano or I’ve heard it’s so expensive (even people who knew nothing really about the country – on both counts).
Firstly, yes there is that volcano – which we discovered Icelanders delight over watching foreign journalists trying to say its name – but as the locals said, the whole of Iceland is volcanic and eruptions are part of life so they just get on with things. Secondly, the principle we applied – and generally do this wherever we go – if you spend your whole time trying to figure out currency conversions, you won’t enjoy your trip. Of course you have a budget and it’s not extravagance at all, but things cost different everywhere you go and Iceland is more isolated and has to import. But it has the freshest most delicious seafood you’ll have anywhere, and again as local told us, power and water virtually costs nothing as they have an almost endless source of thermal power. Everything is relative wherever you travel and experience a place for yourself, don’t let others dampen the experience.
We were staying at the Reykjavik Marina Bereya Hotel right on the docks of a working marina. We had a room with an absolutely stunning view out over the water and ice-capped mountains but also with fishing boats literally right outside our balcony. It was a great location being close to a quite different part of town near the docks – and near a superb chocolate shop – and a short walking distance into the main part of the city. Reykjavik is a smaller sized city and quite easy to get around and easy to walk – except on our last day when it was so windy you could barely stand up!
The hotel had a lovely open and welcoming lobby area with a bar and restaurant, little tucked away areas to sit, and interesting artwork. Our room was lovely, warm and comfortable and as I said, a spectacular view. That night we had dinner at a restaurant near the hotel and had an early night after a longish day of travel.
We also discovered many people stop in Iceland, mainly Reykjavik when they are on a cruise. With the war in Ukraine, many cruise ships avoid that area instead more come to Iceland. It was similar to the situation in Venice, huge ship loads of people stopping for one afternoon or night, flooding into the city all at once, and then leaving. When we said to the hotel we were staying 6 nights at the hotel they were surprised and said ‘just in Reykjavik!’, yes we said and they then said ‘that is really great you are doing that and seeing our city and country.
It was also why we decided not to go to the ‘Golden Triangle’ and the Blue Lagoon and instead went to less visited areas. One of our guides said that was good as the huge numbers of tourists at the main sites often were so overwhelming, on some days it was in the thousands and thousands
I know some have to pack in a short visit and just see the well known highlights, we were lucky to not have to. But if you have time – and this applies to any place – staying and exploring a city is a great experience, you put money into the local economy and you find out more about a place.
Our first full day in Reykjavik it was a public holiday so a apparently a bit quitter than normal. We set-off late morning to walk around the central area of Lougavegar and Skolavordustigur – one of the main shopping and tourist areas. Much of it is pedestrianised and Skoloavordustigur in the rainbow street – painted in rainbow colours and where Reykjavik Pride is held each year.
Early afternoon we walked down to the harbour front where the spectacular Harp concert hall is located to meet up for our Reykjavik food tour. The outside of Harpa is almost completely made of glass – looking like thousands of small individual blue-hewed panels.
The tour was excellent – a lot of food! It included Iceland’s ‘national dish’ at a hotdog stand; three excellent mainly seafood restaurants, including one we returned to with the famous Arctic Char; and the last stop a café looking out over the famous cathedral Hallgrimskirkja to have rye bread ice-cream. After the tour we went for a drink at a bar called Lemmy’s dedicated to Lemmy from Motorhead.
Reykjavik has excellent seafood and you can find it at small, casual cafes to more fine dining restaurants. The other thing to get used to at this time of year is the almost constant daylight – it doesn’t start to get dark until well after midnight and the sun rises before 4am (we know this as had a very early flight departing Iceland.
Our second day in Reykjavik was meant to be the much anticipated puffin and whale tour. I have wanted to see puffins in the wild for many, many years and have come close – many years ago in Canada – but never seen these gorgeous, little birds. However when we got to the office for the tour – at the docks near our hotel – it had been cancelled due to poor weather so we were offered and decided to rebook for the same tour in a couple fo days. A risk as the weather could still be the same, but they said weather predictions for that day looked like the best for the whole week so we took that risk!
So we spent the morning exploring the old harbour area which has interesting little shops and cafes and a few small museums. There is also the permanent art installation Þúfa which is located in the Grandi area on an outcrop of land at the entrance to the harbour. It’s a grassy mound that you can walk to the top of. The Visit Reykjavik website has a good description of the artist and the meaning behind it. Þúfa was designed by the Icelandic artist Ólöf Nordal. The word “þúfa” in Icelandic means a tussock, but it can also mean a small mountain or a hummock. On the top of the hill is a shed for drying fish.
The Grandi and Old Harbour area is great to wander and has some different and interesting eating options, including a newish food hall and the world renowned chocolate factory and shop Omnom.
We had lunch Kaffivagnin which has been around for some years. Not as new or fancy as some other places in Reykjavik but a great location and the most delicious fish cakes – served on a hot iron skillet.
We walked back along the harbour to the main central area and visited the Settlement Museum which is situated around an unearthed Viking long house. Really interesting with many artifacts on show and some really well presented information about the history of Vikings in Reykjavik and Iceland. The museum also links to a small city museum which is located in an old house.
That evening we had dinner at Seagreifinn – Sea Barron – which is famous for it’s langoustine soup. A lot of tourists go here and some people said it wasn’t the best langoustine soup in Reykjavik, but it was reasonably priced, quick and really quite delicious and warming for a cold Reykjavik evening. We had some of the soup, plus simple but delicious fish and vegetable skewers. We had an early night as had an early and long day the next day.
On our third day in Iceland we did a full day tour of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. We were picked up near the hotel at by our guide and driver Monica, who was originally from Hungary but had lived in Iceland for many years. The drive out of Reykjavik was great as we got to see some of the outer parts of the city and the countryside on the ay to our destination. We drove along a fjord where whales come to and briefly saw a whale, and driving through a tunnel which crossed under the fjord. We stopped at a service centre where many tourist buses stopped for snack and bathroom break.
The scenery on the drive was spectacular – lava fields, volcanic snow-capped mountains, and glimpses of a glacier. As we learnt, to get anywhere in Iceland – unless you go by plan – you have to drive right around the perimeter as the centre of the country is mountains and glaciers.
Our first stop was at an old back church. It was cold and windy – a precursor to what to experience that day! We then went to a horse farm where the bred the very hardy breed of Icelandic horse. We had a lovely home cooked lunch in the home of the owners of the farm.
We then went to a fishing village and did a walk along the peninsula which had amazing views including rocky outcrops where seabirds nested. Next was one of Iceland’s famous black sand beaches where there was a shipwreck and where scenes from Game of Thrones had been filmed. It was desolate, windy but stunning.
We drove through a small fishing village where occasionally cruise ships – with hundreds of people stop. Our guide told us the story of when this has happened and the one little coffee shop in town – which can fit about 6 people – was completely overrun and the tourists wandered through the town like something from a zombie movie.
Our last stop was to view a stunning mountain and nearby waterfall. It was the windiest and coldest spot I have experienced for some time – apart from minus 40 degrees in Canada many years ago. The water from the waterfall was literally blowing across horizontally and the wind was so strong I was genuinely scared I was going to get blown off my feet into the waterfall!
The drive back to Reykjavik was equally windy – the guide saying she will concentrate fully on the drive as you could feel the mini-bus being buffeted by the wind. I do wonder why travel sites and articles routinely suggest driving is an option in Iceland as the wind and roads are precarious at the best of times – as guides and locals told us, with many a tourist causing havoc on the roads. Our bus had a thick strap connected from the celling to the door and as our guide explained this was to stop the door being blown off, which has happened! She also told us a story about driving when there was ice on the road and getting stuck and then the tow truck itself getting stuck.
The scenery all around Iceland is wild and spectacular. I can see how people who would have come her many, many years ago would have thought that Iceland was the centre of the earth. One of the remarkable parts of landscape are the lava flow fields which extend across the country. Thousands of years old jagged, black, volcanic rock fields where nothing – except the occasional moss – grows.
We got back to Reykjavik and the hotel at around 8pm – a long day. We had a delicious, warming dinner at the hotel restaurant Slippbarinn, in particular the Icelandic classic dish Plokkfiskur (which we had on the food tour) which is pulled or shredded baked gratinated fish.
Today was the day – the puffin and whale tour! I checked my emails early and confirmed the tour was on!! The starting point was near the hotel for the Whale Safari. We got there early and got fitted out in our boiler suits and goggles – for the cold weather and wind spray out on the water. It ended up being a very sunny day out on the water, We had also layered up – as recommended – so we were quite warm in our many layers and boilers suits.
We were incredibly lucky with the weather – the water was calm and the sky clear and sunny. The safari was so named as you go out in a zodiac boat and sit on almost saddle-like seats that move as the boat speeds and bumps over the water and waves. It was a lot of fun!
We first went to a small island not far from the harbour front where there were lots of puffins nesting on the island and floating and fishing in the water. They are tiny birds but just so beautiful! We went further out towards open water and saw so much. Porpoises, dolphins – including a pod which followed the bota and swam under and around us – and of course whales. We mainly saw Minke whales which are smaller and not as inquisitive as Hump backs – which are also seen in the harbor at a different time of the year. We saw many and it was wonderful. The tour went for about 2 hours – which flew by. When we got back the driver took us for a fast spin around the harbour and along the waterfront near Harpa – lots of fun.
After going back to the hotel, we walked into town to have lunch and cake at one of the many excellent bakery cafes in Reykjavik Sundholt.
We then went to Sundhollin – one of the many public baths through out the city which are fed by hot, natural springs This one has been renovated and is a lovely, art deco building, not many people and a very local experience. It was just lovely sitting out in the open with a light rain falling as you sat in this gorgeous hot bath. Yes you can go to the Blue Lagoon – which no doubt is spectacular – but you can have this great experience in the hot springs with locals and in your dozens, rather than hundreds.
That night we had a superb dinner at Matarkjallarin (Food Cellar) a more upmarket restaurant.
On our last full day in Iceland we did a tour out to a lava tunnel – Raufarhólshellir. It was a very windy day – even more so than the day before – and rain, and this was just in Reykjavik. Out on the open roads it was even more so. So lucky we did the puffin and whale tour the day before! Even though the drive was just over 30 minutes from Reykjavik it was pretty hairy, although the driver said this was normal. Again, think twice about doing a driving tour of on your own of Iceland!! We also underdressed as for whatever treason I didn’t think to wear my thermals and my legs nearly froze! Down in that lava tunnel it was icy – weather wise and literally. It was cold on the surface but even colder underground – we were about 6 meters below the ground. There were ice formations from the ground and on the ceiling of the tunnel and caves.
The tunnel was formed by volcanic activity and eruption, and you walk below the ground in the path of the lava flow and the caves and tunnel it created. It was an absolutely unique and fascinating experience you are not likely to have anywhere else in the world and worth being freezing. If you go, layer up!!
We had another hair drive back to Reykjavik and went back to the hotel to thaw out. We then had a lovely, warming langoustine soup for lunch at Sea Barron.
We went out late afternoon for a wild, windy walk up to Harpa to explore a bit inside – such a gorgeous, spectacular building.
We then had an early dinner – as we had a very early start and long travel day the next day – at Messinn, where we had been on the food tour and had wanted to go back. They serve mainly seafood pan-fried and then baked on hot iron skillets including another Icelandic speciality Artic char – much like trout or salmon – served with potatoes, vegetables and a honey based glaze and sauce. Delicious!
Our last day in Iceland was a very early start at 4am – we did get to see a sunrise as the sun rises very early at this time if year and there is small window when there is no sunlight. It was beautiful even though we had had very little sleep.
It was a long travel day – taxi to Reykjavik airport, flight to Munich, and about 6 hours at Munich airport. We booked a hotel room at the Hilton for the day which ended up being cheaper than booking the hotel pods they have at Munich airport. It was worth it to be able to have a nap, shower and relax. Our flight from Munich to Singapore left at around 10.30pm and arrived in Singapore at around 5pm.
Singapore
We were staying at the Parkroyal Collection Pickering in a great location not far from Clarke Quay, the Singapore Art Gallery, China Town and Lau Pa Sat hawker market and a couple of MRT stations. The hotel often appears in pictures as it has vertical gardens down the outside of the hotel.
We had dinner and a drink at the hotel Lime Bar and an early evening swim. The pool is stunning and has an amazing view over Singapore. Gorgeous!
Our first full day in Singapore we had a leisurely morning having breakfast at another spectacular Singapore hotel buffet, had a swim and relax by the pool and then set-off for a shopping explore day on Orchard Road. We always go to Kinokuniya in Ngee Ann City – the largest bookstore in South East Asia – and I leave my husband there for a few hours while I explore some other shops, and then come back to browse the incredible food and cookbook collection. I always come away with something I have never seen anywhere else before.
We were out most of the day and had an early dinner at one of the branches of Violet Oon in ION Orchard. We try to go to Violet Oon on our visits to Singapore – great service and superb food.
One of the great things about Singapore, which doesn’t always get focused on, is the excellent art galleries and museums. There are so many to choose from and located across the city, and they have the added bonus of taking cool relief from the Singapore humidity. I had booked for the ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands.
The ArtScience Museum is a land mark along the harbour – the building entrance is below ground but above ground is the main part of the building shaped like a giant white lotus. The main reason we went here was to see TeamLab exhibition Future World which is a permanent part of the museum. As with every TeamLab exhibition it was beautiful, immersive and wonderous! I love that they engage people actively in art and that it is accessible. One of the great parts was two areas where you could draw and scan these drawings which would then appear on a screen.
We were incredibly lucky as there was also an excellent exhibition about the life of Frida Kahlo – which later came to Victoria – and an exhibition called Goddess about women actors and sexism in the film industry. The exhibition had also been in Melbourne and I had missed it, so was very lucky to catch it here. Really excellent!
We then walked through the Gardens by the Bay to the hawker market Satay by the Bay. Had a fantastic lunch and then caught the MRT back to our hotel. We had a relaxing afternoon at the hotel and then went for a walk around the area and down to the Funan Shopping Mall. It’s a great small mall – amongst the many in Singapore – with interesting little shops, a rock climbing centre right in the middle and a really excellent food hall. People always say Singapore is expensive and there are many high end restaurants, but the food in the shopping mall food centres along with the hawker markets are so good and excellent value.
Our last full day in Singapore was absolutely excellent. We went to where I had been wanting to go for while to do the Southern Ridges Walk up to the Henderson Wave. We caught the MRT to Hor Park to start our walk. It took a little bit of investigation to find where the walk started which was quite good in a way as we walked through a large area with community gardens. However it was VERY hot and humid and it was seriously the sweatiest I have ever been and was bathed in sweat by the end! Doing the walk early in the morning would be recommended. I did take comfort in the fact that the locals doing the walk were also just as sweaty as we were. We only saw one other couple to tourists there. I would absolutely recommend doing the walk – it’s spectacular and hard to believe you are right in the middle of a big city!
You can do the walk along the forest floor or the tree tops. I’m not great with heights, but the forest walk is amazing and the elevated walkways wind through the tree tops and affords amazing views of the city. We went up across the bridge which goes over Alexandra Road which then leads to the Forest Walk through Talok Blangah Hill Park. You continue along the walk up to Henderson Waves, I know I am using the word spectacular a lot but Henderson Waves is this – this waved wooden walkway where you are literally walking in the sky above the tree tops.
You can continue on a longer which then takes you to a peak Mount Faber and where there is a cable car going across to Sentosa island. You can also tackle the walk from this side. We were so hot, sweaty and exhausted by then that that will be for another time!
We caught a bus down to the MRT – no more walking – and caught the MRT back to our hotel. Fortunately nobody bats an eyelid in Singapore when someone gets on a bus or train looking as hot and sweaty as we did – it’s a common site in Singapore! Book a hotel with a pool if you can in Singapore as after a hot, sweaty day in Singapore, having a swim is pretty great!
For dinner tonight we went to Lau Pa sat – which was only about aa 10 minute walk from our hotel. We went the back roads as there’s some great street art in this area around China Town. Lau Pa sat is one of my favourites – buzzing with locals and tourists alike, the big satay cooking area outside and a Michelin Star char kway teow stall – which of course we had – along with a tall cold Tiger beer. Apart from the char kway teow we ordered from a stall with an absolutely awesome woman running it – totally in charge. She was bad ass! We had an early night for an earlyish start the next day to fly back to Melbourne.
The trip had been just amazing. Visiting two of my favourite cities, Berlin and Singapore, seeing another part of Germany in Munich and seeing the absolutely amazing, wild beauty of Iceland. I would literally enjoy anywhere I travelled to. It is such a privilege to be able to travel and I am very aware of how lucky I am to do this.
