Today, after a morning running around west London looking at parks and palaces we flew to Reykjavik in Iceland. The Arctic blast Adele told us about was still here. The flight was a bit bouncy and we sat next to a French lady who hated all that sunshine interrupting her movie so she closed the blind and we had no view. Good luck getting out went you need a pee sweetheart.

After landing with empty bladders and no blood clots, we strolled through the less than busy Keflavik International airport and had a happy conversation with the customs lady as to "Why Iceland from Australia?". To which we reply "Because it is as far in the world as a plane can take us, so it seemed like a fun place to go". A laugh and a passport stamp (woo hoo) and off for Country #3 of the adventure.

Reykjavik is the world's most northern capital city on an island which all the Vikings cut all the trees down on over the previous few centuries. Hence, "Iceland" not lovely "Treeland". And as you all know ice is cold and so is Iceland. 2 degrees at the airport and an outside queue for the bus to Reykjavik city centre. But the trip into town was breath taking. It really is a moonscape with red, yellow and blue houses dotted along the coast and vast snow capped mountains in the back ground that was rapidly becoming the foreground as we got closer to the city.

City is a bit of an over statement. Iceland is not the most densely populated place and Reykjavik looks more like a clean well laid out country town. No exaggeration about the different coloured houses though. Many are made from corrugated iron entirely and painted to look like timber which would all need to be imported now. We arrived at the bus terminal and transferred to smaller buses for the hotel drop off in the narrow cobbled streets that make up the old town area we are staying in. Idiot me left my sunglasses on the bus. Hope they find them before we leave but several enquiries and nothing so far. Looks like duty free shopping next.

We have a room on the top floor of the hostel with much more space and comfort than London and a fantastic view across the harbour to the mountains. Yep they got closer

Written by Rod