My sister in law and I just returned from Venice, Italy where we spent a few days before boarding a cruise on the Aegean Sea with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.
We had a wonderful time and since we had both been in Venice several times, I decided to explore some places I’ve not been before.
I’ve tried making it to Morano and Burano on more than one trip, but it just never worked out the way I wanted. This time it was on my top list of priorities. I booked a tour ahead of our arrival on Viator.
One of the highlights of our time on Burano was our guide’s recommendation of a jam packed gelato and shop that is filled with Italian food products and souvenirs.
Oh my goodness! The gelato is amazing!!
I spotted a flavor that I have never seen! Bellini flavored gelato! I had to try it, after all Bellinis are Venice, aren’t they?! My first taste of a real drink made with sparkling wine and white fleshed peaches was at Harry’s Bar in Venice.
The next time you are in Burano, I highly recommend going to Gelato Artigianale! It’s the only place I’ve ever seen Bellini gelato!
The same little shop also carries speciality pastas, limoncello and other Italian products that would make perfect souvenirs!
Reykjavik from the bell tower of Hallgrimskirkja Church with the statue of Leif Eiriksson below
My daughter, Ashley and I visited Iceland at the end of February this year. We absolutely loved the beauty of this diverse country and the friendliness of the people. It was a wonderful couple of weeks spending quality time together, experiencing new adventures and meeting some amazing new friends.
I’ve been wanting to share some of our experiences here as well as some practical advice. There are two places that we have been recently that everyone seem to us ask about. Cuba and Iceland.
I’ve been so busy with work and other travels that I’ve kept putting it off writing these posts. Being asked three times in a 24 hour period. Then hearing that Rick Steves was planning on publishing a guide book on Iceland this fall and his star researcher, Cameron Hewitt need travelers advice, pushed me to finally get these posts done! After all, the Rick Steves guide books have been extremely helpful all these years in planning trips to Europe. It is my chance to finally give back.
First things first
The flights to Iceland are cheap, but the costs while you are there are not. Don’t let that discourage you from going though. Iceland is an amazing country.
I wanted to experience the Northern Lights, so I chose to go during the winter months. I booked our trip for the end of February and beginning of March thinking that it wouldn’t be as cold as say December or January. The joke was on me though. We arrived in a frigid snow storm that ended up being the largest snowfall in the last 60 years in Reykjavik! Lesson learned. You can’t predict the weather! Oh… And take plenty of layers of warm clothing and snow boots. Layering is the key no matter what time of year you decide to go.
We took the bus into Reykjavik to our hotel. I booked online. The bus is the cheapest option for traveling to/from the airport, the Blue Lagoon and the airport. The only difficult part is the bus always goes to the terminal in Reykjavik before you grab a van to/from your hotel. I booked a private transfer back to the airport through our hotel because I was afraid that we may end up being late and I didn’t want to risk missing the hourly bus to the airport. The extra cost was worth peace of mind to me.
Our visit to The Blue Lagoon and our GoEcco 3 Day Ice Caving & Northern Lights tour both deserve posts of their own. Both well worth doing.
The Hotel that I highly recommend:
We actually stayed in two hotels in Reykjavik. On our first three nights we stayed at the Raddison Blu Saga. It was a large hotel outside the city center.
Our home away from home at Kvosin Downtown Hotel
On our return from our three day GoEcco ice caving tour, we stayed at the nicest boutique hotel in a great central downtown location near restaurants, tourist sites and shopping. They have lovely, modern decorated rooms with a small kitchen and a nice espresso machine. Reasonably priced. Free wifi. I highly recommend them.
Icelandic water from the tap is some of the best in the world. Bring along a stainless steel bottle and fill it up from the tap at your hotel. Icelanders think it’s silly when tourists buy bottled water. Ask for tap water in restaurants too.
Be aware that an inexpensive meal in Iceland means spending $22-35 US. Iceland is definitely expensive, but there are a few ways that you can save a little money and not go hungry.
Take snack foods with you. We packed peanut butter and crackers, protein and breakfast bars, nuts and other filling goodies to eat rather than paying for a full three meals a day. This enabled us to spend more time taking in the sights and more cash for souvenir shopping.
Look for a hotel or apartment with a kitchen or a microwave and coffee maker. We picked up packaged frozen dinners and ‘cup of soup’ from a grocery store for a couple of meals. Bonus is a good option. Their grocery stores are still more expensive than what we are accustomed to in the USA, but still way cheaper than restaurants. I brought along instant coffee, tea bags and creamer too.
The Icelandic hot dogs are tasty and a good value. They are available at about every gas station around Iceland. You will find them in beef or lamb. Try the lamb. Very good.
Restaurant recommendations:
We tried several restaurants that were recommended by locals which were moderately priced. These were our favorites. Reykjavik:
Open 11:30-23:30
Their menu is filled with Icelandic specialities like puffin, minke whale, and horse. Though we did not venture to try any of the fore mentioned dishes, we did try the lamb, the salmon and their really good burger.
Inside Uno Restaurant
Uno
Hafnarstraeti 3
Reykjavik 101, Iceland
Uno
We enjoyed this cozy restaurant on one of our first evenings in Reykjavik. Nicely appointed interior with many choices of reasonably priced food. They also have an outside seating area to enjoy your meal on a sunny day.
Nice treats to warm up with at Salka Valka – Fish & More
Salka Valka – Fish & More
Skolavordustigur 23,
Reykjavik 101, Iceland
Cozy little fish shop on busy Skolavordustigur street just down from
Hallgrimskirkja. Nice place to take a rest and warm up with a little lunch or dessert and coffee. Very friendly staff.
Fresh ground coffee at Reykjavik Roasters
Reykjavik Roasters
Karastigur 1 (corner of Frakkastigur)
Reykjavik 101, Iceland
Cute little coffee shop with coffee to enjoy there or to take away. They also sell pastries. Grab a fresh roasted cup of coffee and grab a window seat or take a cup with you and walk across the way to Braud & Company for pastry and head to Harpa Concert Hall like we did to enjoy a unique setting for breakfast. (Many thanks to Jonathan and Tomas for that great idea!)
Fresh made bread and pastries at colorful Braud & Company
Braud & Company
16 Frakkastigur
Reykjavik 101, Iceland
Wide selection of made from scratch pastries and breads that you are only able to take away. A great bakery that you can smell from blocks away early every morning. You are able to watch the bakers while standing in line waiting your turn. Highly recommend the croissants and cinnamon rolls.
Lots of shopping and coffee shops on the street just in front of Hallgrimskirkja Church
Souvenir shopping in Reykjavik:
Head to Laugavegur and Skolavordustigur streets for a wide selection of shops to pop into. You can find all types of souvenirs to take home. Be sure to compare prices as we found that there can be a very wide difference from one shop to the next on vertically the same items.
I fell in love with all the handmade woolen accessories. I purchased socks for everyone on my gift list. They are so warm and cozy!!
A special souvenir to remember Iceland in your home everyday
My daughter loved all the hides. She ended up purchasing two as souvenirs to decorate her home. She purchased a sheep hide at a darling shop at 22 Skolavordustigur street (one building down from Fish & More Restaurant) just down from Hallgrimskirkja Church on the right side. They had a nice selection at a good price. This shop had a wide assortment of reasonably priced souvenirs of all kinds. Worth a visit.
She also purchased a reindeer hide at The Blue Lagoon gift shop. They had a really nice selection of hides at a good price as well.
Handknitting Association of Iceland
Skolavordustigur 19
Reykjavik 101, Iceland
A cooperative of women who knit many types of clothing and accessories from Icelandic wool. Huge selection of items! Sweaters,hats, socks, mittens, scarves, You can even purchase wool to take home to make your own items. I highly recommend purchasing the socks if you are visiting Iceland in the winter. They will keep your feet warmer than any sock you can purchase in the USA. Believe me, you will need that warmth! The cooperative’s handmade items were my choice for souvenirs for myself and my family.
Places to visit in Reykjavik:
Hallgrimskirkja Church
Hallgrimskirkja Church
Hallgrimstorg 1
101 Reykjavik, Iceland
Hallgrimskirkja
Be sure to head into the gift shop in the hall to the left as you enter the church to purchase the elevator tickets to go up to the top of the church. You will be rewarded with outstanding 360 degree views of Reykjavik, the harbor and the mountains across the way.
Enjoy the modern church interior as well.
Statue of Leif Eiriksson
Sits at the front entrance to Hallgrimskirkja Church
Looking out through the windows of Harpa Concert Hall
Harpa Concert Hall
Austurbakka 2, 101 Reykjavík
Sími: 528 5000
Harpa
Beautiful glass and steel building on the waterfront in Reykjavik. You can go inside and explore for free. Nice place for a picking in the seating areas on the upper floors. Great view of the mountains and harbor.
Check their website for events. I wish we would have had time to take in a show called “How to Become Icelandic in 60 Minutes.” Our friends that went said it was really funny and, better yet, our GoEcco guide said it was funny and very true. We will do this for sure on our next trip.
Picturesque little lake in the Reykjavik city center that is nice to stroll around and watch the swans, ducks and other water fouls. It iced over during our visit which made it more fun as we skated around in our snow boots.
The Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon
Outside of Reykjavik but it’s only a 45 minute bus ride away.
Having been to Iceland, next trip I would do it a little differently. I would take the bus to the Blue Lagoon from the airport instead of heading directly to Reykjavik. I’d stay at the Blue Lagoon’s hotel/resort my first night and enjoy more time there. If you decide to go to the Blue Lagoon, be sure to book everything online long in advance! I’ll write a separate post on just the Blue Lagoon and some of its amenities.
Love at first sight! The Aurora In Iceland!
Experiencing the Northern Lights:
Pick a time of year when the nights are very dark. Usually that means from October through March for the best chance to see the lights. Try not to go during a full moon. This took me a lot of time researching for the best time for my daughter and I to go to Iceland. Seeing the Aurora was my top reason to go, so it was extremely important to me.
The longer that you stay in Iceland, the better chance you have seeing the lights. Keep in mind that the weather is extremely unpredictable. We arrived at the end of the winter season to the largest snowfall in Reykjavik from the last 80 years. Totally unexpected. Even though the aurora was active the first three nights we visited, we couldn’t see them because of cloud cover.
I had booked a super Jeep excursion with Arctic Adventures for our second evening. Literally, every other company cancelled their northern lights tours due to cloud cover, but Arctic Adventures did not. It was an extremely frigid, disappointing evening. They did take us outside of town, but there was too much cloud cover and no lights. Unfortunately, it was a waist of a lot of money too. Almost $400 for the two of us. I understand other companies are willing to reschedule or refund if things don’t go as planned. I thought I had done my research as to the best company to use. This is a warning to others.
Aurora Forecast @AuroraIceland for both the Aurora forecast and cloud cover.
Photographing the Northern Lights:
There are a few things you will need if you are planning on trying to photograph the lights. First, you’ll need a good DSLR camera. I had read a couple of articles about apps for your iPhone that were capable of photographing the Aurora. I downloaded two of the apps that looked promising. The first evening that we saw the lights, I pulled out my iPhone and gave them both a try. Some people may be happy with the results, but it just wasn’t good in my opinion.
There are plenty of photography websites and books out there that explain how to set your specific DSLR camera. I’ll leave that to the people who do that type of photography all the time. They are the experts and it is quite a detailed process. I would suggest that if you have a couple of free hours in Reykjavik, to head to the small museum by the harbor, Aurora Reykjavik and ask the sweet people there if they wouldn’t mind setting your camera for you. Be sure to take the time to look at all their beautiful displays while you are there. Some wonderful examples of photography of the Aurora and you may begin to understand the Aurora better. Well worth the entrance price. You are also able to book Northern Lights tours on their website. They have several to choose from.
Open 7 days a week 9 AM – 9 PM
Be sure to bring along extra batteries for your camera and other devices. A battery pack is also good to have. Batteries drain their power quickly in the cold.
Things I’d love to do on our next visit to Iceland:
I really want to do this photography tour:
I’ve been following Icelandic photographer Iurie Belegurschi for several years now on social media. His photographs are what inspired me to go to Iceland. Being a photographer, I wanted to experience the crystal ice cave and Northern Lights myself.
Iceland Winter Photo Tour
I still really want to do this tour. Though the tour we took was really wonderful and I highly recommend it to everyone, this tour is geared for photography. I would have had to go alone as my daughter isn’t interested in photography. Maybe one day. Still on my travel wish list.
Staying in a clear bubble dome in the middle of nowhere:
I think staying in a bubble would be a dreamy experience! That is if I could ever go to sleep with all those stars and the Northern Lights! Bubble
I did look at staying in a bubble before our trip. I just couldn’t figure out how to get there without renting a vehicle. We Texans have no idea how to drive on snow or ice, so that was totally out of the question.
One of my very favorite things that I love about traveling is making new friends. We have been blessed to meet some wonderful people whom we stay in touch with.
We met Samuel and Rita on a group tour ‘following the steps of Paul’ through Turkey and Greece a few years ago. We totally clicked on our trip, sharing the gospel and just worshiping Jesus along the way. We stayed in touch after our journey ended.
Rita and Samuel came to Waco for a visit while they were in the United States a couple of years ago. We took them to The Texas Ranger Museum, walked along the Brazos River banks, over the Suspension Bridge and to a Wade Bowen country music concert. We had a lot of fun showing them our city and our restaurant in nearby McGregor.
Well, this year we made a point to go to Singapore to visit them for a few days after our trip to Thailand. We were just too close to them to not drop by and catch up on their lives and I just wanted to hug my friend, Rita’s neck!
They showed us a little of Singapore
We began with a proper Singapore tea.
Coconut jam and butter on toast! Something very new to us and very tasty! Try it at Toast Box. According to their website, they have several locations.
We walked around the downtown area that is filled with street art! Even the buildings were amazing!
After dinner, we headed to their colorful Chinatown
The next morning, we visited the Singapore Zoo. The highlight for me was seeing both the panda and red panda.
Visit Singapore Zoo for more info on their four very different parks and even a breakfast that I would have loved to have time to do.
The Peranakan Museum
The museum focuses on the rich heritage of the Singapore people.
We spent a beautiful afternoon walking in the botanic gardens full of tropical plants. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. There is a very special garden devoted to all types of orchids. A real must see! For more information: Singapore Botanic Gardens
Samuel and Rita treated us to so much wonderful food!
We visited restraunts in a mall, outdoor market and in a revolving tower! We tried foods that we have never tried before and everything was so delicious!
Thank you, our friends, for showing us your beautiful Singapore! We loved it and seeing you again was very special!
Have you ever met people on a trip and promised to stay in touch? Have you? Be sure to share your stories with us!
Wow! I can’t tell y’all how amazed and humbled we are about the awards and accolades we’ve been receiving lately concerning our restaurant! We wanted to be sure to Thank y’all!
Texas Highway Magazine, the official travel magazine of the state of Texas, named my pies third best in the state! What an honor!! I came in behind two cafes with a long tradition of having some of the best pies for longer than I’ve been alive! I’ll take being the newbie in this prestigious group. They also named The Coffee Shop Cafe one of the 40 Best Small Town Cafe’s in Texas! Crazy awesome, huh!?
Then, the restaurant was was given a readers choice award by Waco Today Magazine for having the best breakfast in Waco! Y’all, if you haven’t come out to The Coffee Shop Cafe for breakfast, you are really missing out! We serve breakfast all day and on weekend mornings we have a totally amazing breakfast buffet! All sorts of eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, pancakes, gravy, fruit and lots more. My favorite, migas, are on the buffet too. It’s over at 10:45 AM on Saturday and Sunday, so come early and hungry!
We want to Thank all our friends and customers for voting for us! Without you, we wouldn’t be where we are today!
We also had a really fun honor when the producers from HGTV’s show, Fixer Upper stopped by and filmed part of our decorations for their Christmas special featuring Chip and Joanna Gaines new bed and breakfast in town, Magnolia House. How fun to see a quick flash of our restaurant on their show! Of course, it went by so fast that if you hadn’t ever been to the restaurant before you would have never even known where it was filmed! Haha! Still super cool for Donald and I and for our regular customers that spotted us! We appreciate all of their business with us too. Lots of wonderful people!
We had worried about the rain forecasted on our spring Saturday in Prague. It actually turned out to be a beautiful sunny day for a foodie walk through Old Town and the surrounding area. Our guide lead us through small, out of the way streets, passages and gardens on our quest for some of the best local foods of the Czech Republic.
Our merry band of foodies on the Eating Prague Tour
Our meeting place at 12:30 was at a very Bohemian chocolate shop on Klimentska Street. Our small group of four couples were an international mix which all spoke English. We were joined by couples from England and Italy and a young US couple that are living in Spain while she attends and he teaches at a university in Barcelona. We find a unique commonality that we all love food!
Our own Pied Piper who led us through the streets of Prague in front of the rather hidden entrance to Styl & Interier
Our guide, Jan is from Prague but has lived in Seattle and San Francisco while working for Microsoft. As we got to know him, we learned that he is an aspiring artist with a young family that obviously loves the ins and outs of food. He bakes too. His speciality is cheesecake. Quite the diversified businessman, along with setting up and guiding the Eating Prague Tours, he also guides photo tours around Prague.
We learned from our guide that Eating Prague Tours was founded and is owned by an American now living in Rome. His ‘Eating’ dynasty now includes Rome, London, Amsterdam and of course Prague.
Horice rolled wafers filled with cream dipped in chocolate at Choco Cafe
Eat Dessert First
Our tasting began with dessert! Great way to begin I think! The sugar will help with all the walking we will be doing during our next four hours. Choco Cafe is a family owned small chocolate shop in a quaint setting on an off street. The decor is a mixture of funky, mixed-matched tables and chairs with the walls covered with posters celebrating Chocolate. The smells in the air are intoxicating!
Light, flaky Horice rolled wafers filled with a lovely cream which you dip in a warm, rich, thick chocolate sauce. This pastry was made legendary by Napoleon and is served in only a few restaurants. Absolutely heavenly way to begin the tour!
Open faced sandwiches from Sisters in Prague
Sandwiches and meat
We then began our walk on small streets through the Jewish Quarter to a pair of businesses only separated by a narrow passage on Dlouha Street. Our first offering was a trio of gourmet open faced sandwiches from Sisters. We began with a lovely beet spread with a chunk of goat cheese and a beet leaf. Then came a lovely slaw made of celery root and finally a mixture of cod. These were served with a lovely elderberry flavored lemonade.
Sausages, spicy mustard and pickles at Nase Maso
Just across the passage way is Nase Maso, a meat market that offers some of the best meats in Prague. Their reputation of using local, high quality meats has caught the attention of Prague chefs who purchase their offerings for service at their restaurants. The line at their counter proves they are loved by the locals as well. We tasted three sliced meats including ham and salami. Their traditional sausage, mustard and gherkin pickles were my personal favorite.
Naso Maso is more than just a butcher shop. They will grill the meats you choose from their counter and offer plates that include traditional artisan bread baked locally. A young man who was attempting to enjoy his lunch while our group basically surrounded him and his table, declared that his pork cheek was the best that he had ever tasted. He noted that it was flavorful and fork tender.
Unique setting at the cozy Zvonice Restaurant in Prague
Tucked in a Bell Tower
I must say that I was excited that our next restaurant was on our tour! I had inadvertently found this charming place while searching for places to eat in Prague. It’s setting in a bell tower offers the ambience that would be appreciated by young lovers (ask for the table for two tucked between the bell and window) and history buffs alike. It is not obvious there is a dining establishment on the upper floor from the outside, so it is frequented mainly by locals. Though it is located in a tourist area, people just walk right by.
Sauerkraut Soup inside a bell tower at Restaurant Zvonice in Prague
Our guide refused to tell us what we would be tasting even after the wait staff placed a bowl in front of each of us. It seams that a lot of people are put off by sauerkraut. Sauerkraut in Eastern Europe does not have a bold vinegar taste like the jars we buy in our American grocery stores. It has a much smoother taste when made from scratch. This chef is said to make the best Old Bohemian Sauerkraut soup in the world. The cabbage is sliced razor thinly in a velvety sauce with a dollop of sour cream and a drizzle of basil cream sauce. Absolutely fabulous!
Don’t let the ‘S’ word scare you! Look for Restaurant Zvonice on Jindrisska Vez the next time you are in Prague. You will not be disappointed.
Pate and hand crafted black currant wine at Styl & Interier in Prague
Handcrafted wine
The well hidden little coffee shop, Styl & Interier on Vodickova is down a passage just off Wenceslas Square. It is an interior decor shop turned cafe due to their unique wine and pate offerings. This mom and daughter duo have began to be so popular that they are now expanding and installing a full kitchen. At this stop we were offered a lovely pate with a hint of bacon along with a slightly spicy celery salad with cranberries that I would definitely love to have the recipe for!
Their handcrafted wine was made with fresh black currants. Quite smooth and a nice fragrance. I thought it was really lovely! Bottles are available for purchase as our young Italian tour-mates found to be a nice souvenir. A glass or two would be especially nice while enjoying the sunshine in their adjacent garden patio.
Cafe Louvre’s Svickova: Braised Beef
Traditional Braised Beef
Café Louvre was also on my radar for a visit! So happy this was an included stop! This is the place for people watching. I’m told that prominent Europeans choose to come here to see and be seen.
Located a flight or so up in a historic building this jewel offers traditional dishes like theSvíčková or Braised Beef that we were served. Tender beef in a vegetable cream sauce with bread dumplings and cranberries. Load your fork with all the components for that perfect bite! Had the room not have been full of patrons, I would have given more serious thought to licking my plate. We were given an abbreviated serving for our tasting. I can’t imagine what a full entrée would do to me!! My diet was suffering. I had tried to be ‘good’ up until this point. Then they brought out dessert!
Ahhh. The Louvre’s custard cream sauce!
The Louvre’s apple strudel was special. Why? It was the creamy vanilla custard sauce that they paired with their flakey, apple goodness. That sauce is amazing! I’m definitely trying this at home!
Just book it!
All in all, I would recommend Eating Prague Tours to anyone. It’s a nice mix of food, good conversation and a nice informative walk through some of the back streets around the tourist areas of Prague that you may not see otherwise. Our guide did a nice job of showing us some historic places along with some that were a bit off beat. A nice mix. A lovely day. Come hungry. Leave satisfied. Don’t make dinner plans.
*** I was not compensated for this review. They had no idea who I even was. The opinions are truly my own. I’d happily go on any of this companies tours. Looking forward to seeking them out. Hope they expand! May I suggest Florence?
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I may be known for baking some of the best made from scratch pies in the state of Texas, but did you know I've been a professional photographer for about 40 years now? Yikes!! That's a long time!! This blog is about combining my love of food, photos and traveling. I invite you to come along on my journey!
Pie Lady Life 