Iceland - Such a Drama Queen!

"Today Iceland showed us what a drama queen she can be.  All stormy attitude and lots of waterworks.  But then, every once in a while, she would brighten up and give us a smile that melted our hearts.  A glimpse of something warm that made us fall in love with her, in spite of all the drama.  Maybe even because of the drama.  

She's a very mercurial lady.  Ever changing.  Every few miles, a complete new wardrobe.  Pristine and cold in white snow with steam coming off of her.  Then clothed in a rocky palate of black, white and shades of grey.  All color leached from the landscape.  Later, sleek and sexy, sheathed in endless waves of rolling black sand.  Waterfalls cascading like long, luxurious locks of silver hair.  And suddenly, gloriously awash in my favorite color green, all curvy and earthy.  

There are signs everywhere of her infamous temper tantrums.  Gouges and cracks in the earth.  Huge boulders strewn about helter-skelter.  And then some smaller rocks stacked neatly into pyramids, as if one of her elves came along behind her to tidy up a bit.  She is epic and aged.  Her varied and dramatic landscapes, all fire and ice.  Quite the diva is Iceland.  How could you not fall in love?"

I wrote this in the car on our first long day touring Iceland.  I think I might have gotten a bit carried away.  But, Iceland certainly stirs up those emotions.  Our first day was the longest.  We arose before dawn to pick up the rental car and then headed east along the southern coast.  

As soon as the sun rose, I started taking photographs as we periodically stopped along the way.  It was cold and wet, so most of our time was spent in the toasty car with the seat warmers cranked up listening to Icelandic radio.  But the views were glorious!  We planned to drive at least as far as Vik and then depending on time maybe venture out to the Glacier Lagoon. 

I still can't get over all of the various landscapes.  My photos just don't do her justice.  It's all about the earth and the land in Iceland.  It's as if it's a living thing.  I've never seen anyplace like it. 

It took about 5 hours to get to Vik and the rain was really coming down so we didn't get to explore as much as I wanted.  Of course, we decided to venture on to the lagoon.  It was another two hours east, but the sight of the glaciers was worth it!  More on that in my next post.  

What's your favorite dramatic landscape in Iceland? 

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In partnership with Visit Iceland, we received a discounted rate from Hertz Car Rental Iceland.
 All photos, writing and opinions are my own.
As always, I promise to be open, honest and transparent with my readers.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

London Street Photography Walk

I've been limping around in pain for the past few weeks.

Matt thinks that I'm just trying to one-up his dislocated knee.

But, according to Dr. Google, I'm suffering from Retrocalcaneal Bursitis.

It's also known as "pump bump" which I find pretty ironic

as I haven't worn heels since I moved to London.

All I know is that it hurts and makes me hobble like an old lady.

I'm pretty much over it.

A few weekends ago, I hobbled my way through a  

London Street Photography Walk with Fox & Squirrel.

Our guide for the day was Stuart Beesley who is an incredible photographer

as well as a great teacher and encourager.

(Not to mention 2010 Travel Photographer of the year.)

We didn't focus on the technical stuff or the camera settings.

The six of us all had different cameras and often people just use their cell phones on the tour.

Instead, we focused on expanding our eye, finding inspiration

and stretching our comfort zones when shooting out on the street.

As we walked through Camden Market and Primrose Hill,

Stu gave us simple assignments and then 15-20 minutes to see what we could come up with.

He was always close by with a suggestion or feedback.

The first assignment was pretty easy.

I'll see if you can figure out what my instructions were.

A bustling place like Camden Market can be very overwhelming.

Sometimes you just get into Point & Click Mode.  This assignment trained us to focus on the details.

 This next assignment was my favorite and it's definitely something that I want to explore further.

As we walked up and down the High Street, we were told to pay attention to the reflections.

Lighting, architecture, color and people.  Everything seemed to suddenly pop

when viewing it through a pane of glass.  Pretty cool, huh?

There were several assignments that were extremely challenging for me.

But, I'm so glad that I did them.  I really struggle with taking photographs of people.

I feel very conspicuous and naughty.   And I ALWAYS get caught and often yelled at.

Stu said I should just relax, act confident and calm.  Like I might actually know what I'm doing.

This was extremely challenging for me (because I don't actually know what I'm doing.)

I'm sure I had this crazed, stalker smile on my face.

And, to make matters worse, my Nikon has a loud, satisfying CLICK whenever I take a picture.

So just imagine.  The limp.  The crazy smile.  And the loud clicking noise.

Not very stealth like, I can assure you.

I did get a few sneaky shots, usually of people's backsides.  (Cuz that's not creepy at all.)

But, mostly I just got caught, so then I'd bolt away.

(Well, not actually bolt, because remember?  The limp.)

 You know this guy is thinking "Why the hell is that lady limping around,

taking pictures of us with that weird, frightened smile on her face? Stalker much?"

We ended up back at Camden Market for our final project.

I'm convinced that I was being trailed by two security guys because of my suspicious behavior. 

I'm proud to say that I completed each and every assignment.

I now have some tricks up my sleeve for finding inspiration and interesting shots.

More importantly, I spent some time outside of my Camera Comfort Zone

 and gained some much needed experience in getting more people in my shots. 

Which is a really good thing, because let's face it,

as beautiful as places are, the best stories are always in the people.

Fox & Squirrel offer a variety of London Walks including

Art Walks, Architecture Walks, as well as Fashion, Film and Food Walks.

The Street Photography Walk starts at 12 noon and ends at 3:30pm and costs £50.

How do you feel about photographing people out on the streets?

 Any tips and tricks to getting great shots without offending?

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  *I was a guest of Fox & Squirrel for the purposes of review.  All photos, writing and opinions are my own.
As always, I promise to be open, honest and transparent with my readers.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

 You can find this review and many others in my
London Attraction Guide.

The Best Hotel in London - The Milestone Hotel

Do you see what I did there?  I checked out again for a few days.

I had five posts scheduled for the week,

but my little post-it notes just marched on to a later date.  Again.

I've been focusing on a few big life issues that have taken center stage in my brain.

My Spousal Visa expires next month, so it's time to apply for my Indefinite Leave to Remain.

I'm studying for my Life in the UK test.  I'll post all about the process, once it's complete.

I'm also still taking UK driving lessons, which I don't wish to discuss.

I've ramped up the job search.

I've been going on interviews and meeting with placement agents.

Looking for a full-time job is a full-time job.  It's time to put that accounting degree to good use.

But it's Saturday, so let's not dwell on that stuff.

How about I whisk you away to a five-star London hotel?

A few weeks ago I attended a Brit Mums Travel Think Tank at The Milestone Hotel.

Talk about fancy.  It's a luxury, Grade II listed, boutique hotel in Kensington that was voted

the UK's Number 1 Hotel by Tripadvisor Traveller's Choice Awards 2014.

And after our event and spending some time with the staff there, I can certainly see why.

I've mentioned before that we usually stay in mid-range hotels.  Nothing too extravagant.

So, sometimes when I think of five-star hotels I think of a stuffy, posh place with

snooty staff where I'll feel like a hillbilly cousin.  This was not at all the case at the Milestone.

The thing that stood out the most was how welcoming the space and the people are.

Someday, I must get dressed up in a sparkly cocktail dress and sip champagne in this incredible Conservatory.

It's absolutely gorgeous down to every detail.

But, the best part was how warm and comfortable it feels.  You can tell that the staff really love the place.

They go out of their way to make sure their guests feel welcome, at home.

In 1998, the Milestone became a part of the Red Carnation Hotel collection.

At the heart of this hotel is a love story.  I think that must be why it has such a great feel.

 In the 1950's a young South African beauty fell in love with and married

a hotelier known for always wearing a small red carnation in his lapel.

If you like a good love story, take a look at The Red Carnation Hotels Story.

As you can see, it's just stunning.  Luxurious and elegant.

We toured several of the rooms, each more breathtaking than the last.

There was a lot of oohing and aahing.

They completely spoil their guests with a welcome drink upon arrival, round the clock room service,

twice daily maid service, in-room entertainment systems, complimentary wireless,

luxurious bath accessories, robes and slippers, and personal butlers.

They cater to families and business travelers, with thought to the smallest detail.

With rooms starting at £342 per night, we will be saving this one for a very special occasion.

However, I will be going back soon for their scrumptious afternoon tea.

They also offer a Gentleman's version and a Little Prince & Princess Tea for children.

I'm thinking that this would be the perfect spot for an upcoming #LDNBloggersTea.

What do you think?

Have you stayed in a five-star hotel in London?

If you have, I'm totally jealous.  You must tell me all about it.

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 *The BritMums Travel Think Tank were guests of The Milestone Hotel for tea.
 All photos, writing and opinions are my own.
As always, I promise to be open, honest and transparent with my readers.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

 You can find this review and many others in my
London Attraction Guide.