See the Northern Lights

In December 2007 I went to Reykjavik in Iceland, Suz had some Airmiles that needed using up so, knowing that No. 1 on my list of Things to Do Before I'm Fifty was to see the Northern Lights we decided to head up to the Arctic Circle.

We were warned that Reykjavik in December is cold, and expensive at any time of year and I can confirm that both of those are true, I can't remember the last time I was that cold. We decided to minimise the expense by renting an apartment rather than staying in a hotel which meant we weren't totally reliant on eating out all the time (hugely expensive) and we could spend our money on some excursions.

Firstly, Reykjavik is a great place to visit. Not particularly attractive from an architectural point of view but quirky and charming and small enough to walk around without needing to rely on public transport. The bars are warm and welcoming (if pricey) and the food is good quality, providing you stay away from the traditional Icelandic dishes which would test the appetite of the most determined foodie. Nearly everyone speaks English and they were without exception friendly and helpful.

The real attraction of visiting Iceland is the landscape. Iceland is mostly volcanic and the environment this has spawned is in part desolate and harsh (it has been used in the past to prepare astronauts of moon visits) and in part beautiful and dramatic. We didn't venture to far out of Reykjavik but if I ever gtt a chance it visit I would love to do the Golden Circle Tour which visits some of the real natural attractions the country has to offer.

We did visit the Hot springs which is a fabulous experience, the 10 second walk from the warm changing rooms to the springs is possibly the single coldest experience of my life, but the springs themselves were lovely and warm and sitting outside in the hot water watching the steam rise while ice crystals formed on my eye lashes was a great experience.

On our penultimate night we went on a visit to see the Northern Lights, we had been warned that there was no guarantee that we would see them and I'm sorry to say that, whilst we did experience them, the slight green smear that arced above us didn't live up to the expectation and I'd have to say that seeing the Northern Lights remains on my things to do list. Call me picky but what I really want is the kaleidoscopic spectacular I've seen in the pictures.

That said, I proposed to Suz while we were there under the lights and she said yes, so whichever way we look back on it it will still go down as one of the most memorable nights of my life.