Reykjavik II: Golden Circle and Northern Lights

On Sunday morning, after a quick breakfast from an excellent bakery near my apartment — Brauð & Co (look for the street-art-covered building on Frakkastígur) — I returned to Laugavegar, Reykjavik's main shopping street, to await my pick-up for my Golden Circle tour. The Golden Circle is a 200-mile loop that covers several of southern Iceland's key historical and geological attractions and there are dozens of different tours from which to choose. Ideally, you would hire a car and drive yourself (and go in the summer), but the tour was what I was doing.

Travelling in Central America and Asia has spoiled me with its inexpensive small-group tours; anything but the big coaches, right? However, as even the big coach Golden Circle tour costs about £70 and I wanted to save my pennies for a Northern Lights tour, I booked in with Gray Line. Reykjavik Excursions (among many other companies) runs similar tours covering mostly the same destinations for about the same price. Gray Line was fine but I wouldn't especially recommend them — I would just pick the company whose schedule suits you best (or, if you can afford it, book a minibus tour instead).

We left the Gray Line bus terminal at 9:30, at which point the sun was starting to think about rising. Leaving town in near-darkness does make all of these tours feel like more of an adventure, however. When I booked the tour on Saturday, I knew that the weather wasn't going to be great but as I'd had to pre-book a Blue Lagoon visit for Monday some months in advance and wouldn't have time to fit it in before my flight on Tuesday, Sunday was my only option. The heavy rain was supposed to stop by about 10:00 am, but alas, it continued until after 2:00 pm, putting a damper on things both literally and metaphorically. I still had a good time but, of course, if you have any flexibility in your schedule, I'd recommend picking a clement day for the Golden Circle; you will enjoy it much more.

The first stop on our tour was to Þingvellir (pronounced "thin-kvedli") National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site located about an hour outside Reykjavik and home to the world's first parliament (Alþingi), which convened in 930 AD. It wasn't exactly democratic — there was no voting and the 'MPs' were simply the richest, most powerful men from each district. I spent about 45 minutes walking around some of the key sites in the driving rain — there is a lot more to see, though, and plenty of great hikes and even dive sites if you have more time. I did see the Drekkingarhylur ('drowning pool'), which is where women were executed by drowning; hangings, beheadings and burnings took place at different places around Þingvellir. As such, it is a sad and eerie place to visit as well as a dramatic area of natural beauty.

 We drove on for another 45 minutes to Gullfloss ('golden waterfall'). The rain was supposed to have stopped by this point but apparently the weather didn't get the memo and it was absolutely chucking it down, making our visit less pleasant than it might have been. The waterfall didn't look very golden in the rain but it was still stunning and impressive to look at. I walked along the clifftop viewing point first and then climbed down the steps to get a closer look. I spent the remaining 45 minutes standing inside the shop drying desperately to dry off and warm up. In an effort to avoid paying for an expensive Gullfloss café lunch, I'd made a packed lunch (smoked salmon sandwiches!), but on a rainy day, there wasn't really anywhere to eat it and I had to stand in the gift shop lobby instead.

It was only a ten-minute drive on to Geysir, a rarely spouting geyser in an area bubbling with hot springs. By the time we arrived, the weather had improved dramatically: the rain had stopped and the sun had even come out. It was still cold, but my mood improved dramatically and, finally able to take out my DSLR without fear of it getting soaked, I took dozens of photos.

Although Geysir itself doesn't tend to erupt for years at a time, the smaller geyser Strokkur ('butter churn') is much more reliable, spurting boiling water 20 metres into the air every five minutes or so; it's quite the spectacle! I stood to watch (and photograph) about four eruptions before walking on to explore the rest of the site, which had an ethereal beauty with the steam rising as the sun set.

On the way back to Reykjavik, we stopped briefly at an Icelandic horse centre, before driving back to the city. I stopped to take a few photos of the Harpa centre and its Northern Lights-inspired lighting by night, before having a quick dinner at Hamborgarabúllan (their 'offer of the century' — a burger, fries and soda for 1,899 krona (about £14) — is only a bargain by Reykjavik standards but the burger was great, although the fries somewhat disappointing). The décor is very similar to the London spin-off, Tommi's Burger Joint.

By this point, I had received a message that the Northern Lights tour would be running that night. There are dozens of companies running tours but I decided to book with Superjeep, which runs small-group tours in souped-up Land Rovers. This was very expensive — around £140 — but I figured that if there was a chance of a Northern Lights sighting, being in a small, nimble, off-road vehicle would give me the best odds. Most companies tell you to book the tour for your first night in Reykjavik because if the weather is bad or conditions poor, the tour will be cancelled but they will try to rebook you for another night. If my flight had arrived an hour earlier on Friday, I could have joined the tour that night, which apparently had a great Northern Lights display, but I missed out. Then, the tour was cancelled on Saturday because of a) cloud cover and b) rain. Finally, though, on Sunday, we got the all-clear.

I was picked up from my hotel at around 8:00 pm and joined a group of four in our Superjeep. Our funny and knowledgeable guide Krissi was also the group leader — because we were joining a convoy of seven or so other Superjeeps on our hunt. This made it feel a bit like some kind of spy or military operation, particularly as I got to sit in the front seat of the front vehicle. We sped off to our first location, sticking around for about 30 minutes until several tour buses came to join us, at which point we left ("you didn't pay to stand here with big bus groups," one of the guides noted).

We drove on further, eventually settling on a woody area in the middle of nowhere north of Reykjavik and near the Hvalfjörðu ('whale fjord'). And then we waited. Although I was wearing pretty much all of the clothes I'd brought with me, it was still very cold, and yet exciting. The stars were out in full force and then...the lights began to charge up. Yes, I got to see them!

Aurora activity is measured on a scale of one to seven and on Sunday night, I think it was only about a three, which meant that although we could see the ethereal greenish shimmers, taking various forms from slivers to streaks, it wasn't a full-on 'wow' viewing. The human eye isn't very good at detecting colour in low visibility anyway and some of the lights came out better on camera. I don't have a very good lens for this kind of photography and didn't have a tripod with me, but I got some OK shots resting my camera on the roof of the Land Rover. Our guides also took some photos of each of us using their cameras with the lights in the background, which was very nice. They even captured one couple's proposal (she said yes)!

We stood for an hour or so watching the aurora charge up and then dim down, changing shape and moving. Our guides provided some hot chocolate (with a shot of Icelandic vodka) to keep spirits high ("it's filtered through mushrooms, which will *definitely* help you to see the lights better"). The display seemed to be ending so we started to head back home, but then our guide veered off road into a small field. It turned out that there was a brief — but even more impressive — sequel. Then we drove back to Reykjavik through the darkness, returning to the city centre around 00:30.

If you want to maximise your chances of seeing the lights — and have a huge amount of fun — I would definitely recommend Superjeep's tours. Yes, they are expensive, but we were in the hands of experts and I had a very memorable night. If you don't spot the lights, by the way, they will let you rebook on another tour for free, so you do at least get another chance. I would also suggest not making other evening plans in Reykjavik until after you've seen the lights; imagine how you would feel if you had the option to go on a tour one night but you'd booked a dinner or other night-time activity and then missed a great show.

Reykjavik I: Exploring Downtown Reykjavik

Iceland has been on my bucket list for a number of years but I've always been paralysed by indecision: should I go in the summer for long days, road trips and puffin-spotting, or in the winter for potential Northern Lights activity but likely bad weather? I ended up opting for the latter for my first trip to the country; I've been enjoying it so much so far that I'm sure a return in the summer will be on the cards. Iceland is also an expensive country — even booking my apartment six months in advance and waiting for an Expedia discount code did not result in cheap accommodation, and almost everything in Reykjavik from coffee to food and tours seems to have a pretty hefty price tag.

I arrived at Keflavik Airport on Friday evening and took a bus into the city centre. Both Gray Line and Reykjavik Excursions run coaches  with departures pegged to flight arrivals. However, they aren't cheap: I went with Gray Line and it cost about £28 for a drop-off at the city centre Gray Line office. Nor is the service particularly fast as although the stated journey time to the city is 45 minutes, we had to wait for about 40 minutes before we left and then had to stop off at the bus terminal outside the city centre for a somewhat poorly explained transfer to a mini-bus for the rest of the journey. It took me about 2 hours to get from the gate to my apartment (and I had a carry-on suitcase).

I was tired and hungry when I arrived, so I only stayed in my apartment long enough to drop off my bags and head out in search of dinner. I had planned to go to Hamborgarabúllan, the burger restaurant that inspired Tommi's Burger Joint in London, but they close at 9:00 pm, so instead I went to Sægreifinn, a little seafood shack in the Old Harbour that had been recommended. They were about to close too and I couldn't manage a big meal, so I ordered their signature dish, the lobster soup, along with an Appelsinn (Iceland's Fanta equivalent). This cost me 1700 krona (about £12) — pretty reasonably priced by Reykjavik standards — and was really tasty, although it could have done with more lobster. After dinner, I walked up to Hallgrímskirkja, Reykjavik's most famous church. It was pretty, although not very easily photographed by night.

My apartment was very comfortable but, as is common in downtown Reykjavik accommodations, just opposite a noisy bar/club that stayed open until 4:00 am. To say that I'm not a party animal is something of an understatement but although I was expecting the noise, I'd thought (hoped?) it might end around 1:00. I brought ear plugs but still didn't sleep very well, although I felt better after making myself an Aeropress coffee and eating some skyr (Icelandic yoghurt) and rye bread. I didn't bring my running kit after mistakenly assuming that the streets would be too snowy (I learned later that Iceland has so much energy that they can just heat many of the streets!), so I went for a walk instead. I rarely get to see sunrise but even I could manage it at 10:30 and it was really stunning. I also walked down to the waterfront to enjoy the view of the snowy mountains.

I spent the morning doing a two-hour walking tour with CityWalk. Our guide Sara, a history graduate, who was extremely knowledgeable and entertaining, took us to some of the key sights in Old Reykjavik. I learnt as much about the culture and mentality of Iceland as I did about the history and I would really recommend the tour. They have a pay-what-you-want system so you can give your guide what you think the tour was worth. We started in Austurvöllur Square, outside Alþingi, the unassuming Icelandic parliament building (following the recent elections, they're still trying to work out who is going to govern), and the pretty white church, Domkirkjan. We then walked around to Tjörnin, a small lake or large pond, depending on how you look at it; locals just call it the pond (Sara told us that Icelanders weren't too creative on the naming front). There are a lot of ducks and swans and views of some pretty houses next to the city hall, outside which is a monument to the unknown bureaucrat.

We walked on to a hidden cemetery and then a rock that those who believe in elves (yes) say is an elvish rock that, according to local lore, even heavy lifting devices have failed to shift. We finished the tour at Harpa, a concert hall and events space that is housed in a stunning building. The honeycomb glass walls are inspired by the northern lights and at night, they are lit up in ever-changing colour combinations. Even if you aren't attending a concert, it's well worth going inside to take a look.

Reykjavik's city centre is very compact so I spent most of the rest of the afternoon exploring on foot. Continuing my efforts to avoid spending all of my pennies on food, I had a cheap lunch at Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, said to be the best hotdog stand in the city — according to Bill Clinton and Kim Kardashian, anyway! The lamb and pork hotdog "with everything" (crispy and raw onions, mustard and various other sauces) is 420 krona (a bargainous £3). But then I undid my good work by spending about £9 on a blueberry muffin and a cortado at the original branch of Kaffitár, a local roaster and small coffee shop chain. The cortado was fine but served a little too hot (it was very busy).

As the forecast rain had still not made an appearance, I then returned to Hallgrímskirkja to go up the church's 73-metre tower (900 krona), which offers one of the best views of the city. I had to wait about 20 minutes but the queue was inside the church, which has a stark but beautiful interior. There was an organ practice taking place, which could be a good or a bad thing depending on your opinion of organ music, but the organ itself was very impressive to look at.

The views from the church tower were even more impressive, however. Even on a cold, cloudy and greyish day, those iconic and colourful Reykjavik buildings are picture-postcard perfect. It was really cold at the top of the tower, though, so once I had done a complete circuit, taking in the 360-degree views, I made my way back down.

I warmed up at the second branch of local roaster, Reykjavik Roasters, on Brautarholt. The café is beautifully designed and I had an excellent chocolatey Brazilian coffee, brewed through the Kalita Wave and accompanied by a chocolate flapjack. As usual, I will blog about my coffee experiences at the end of the trip.

Finally, the rain set in — the final nail in the coffin for the Northern Lights tour I had booked for the evening. Fortunately, most of the companies that run tours will rebook you if the tour is cancelled owing to bad weather or poor aurora conditions, so I still have two more chances this trip. I comforted myself with a little window shopping on Laugavegur, one of Reykjavik's main shopping streets, which has some interesting boutiques and homeware stores as well as plenty of touristy shops. I also made a brief visit to the small but interesting Reykjavik Museum of Photography, and then returned to my apartment to chill — well, to warm up, really.

For dinner, I went to a restaurant called Icelandic Fish and Chips (you can take the Brit out of Britain...) in the Old Harbour area. Cheap chippy, this ain't, but I did have a really nice meal. You choose your fish from among the three fish of the day — last night it was ling, hake and cod — which will be served in a spelt batter, and you can also select your sides and dips. I went for the cod with a side of crispy potatoes and tartar sauce. This cost about 2,400 krona (£16) without drinks and the serving size wasn't exactly huge, but the cod was really tasty and the batter crisp and light.

I went for a post-dinner cocktail at a bar called Loftið, happily arriving before the end of happy hour, which ended at 9:00 pm. This meant that my cocktail only cost 1500 krona (about £11) — not exactly cheap but it was mixed beautifully. I had a Clint Eastwood, which involved rum, pineapple, agave, lime and rosemary, and it was fruity and refreshing. The bar itself is lovely: cool but low-key.

"I Believe You Call It Democracy" — A United Kingdom Review

Amma Asante's new film A United Kingdom opens in 1947: just two years after the end of World War Two and London is finding its feet again. A young man and woman meet at a dance, fall in love and decide to marry. It's the oldest story in the book — what could be more ordinary? Yet Ruth (Rosamund Pike) and Seretse (David Oyelowo) are no ordinary couple and theirs is a most extraordinary true story.

Asante's film is a beautiful and powerful portrayal of a particularly shameful period in Britain's recent history in which Ruth is the daughter of a lower-middle-class salesman and who works in a typing pool. Seretse is the heir to Bechuanaland, the southern African country that would eventually become Botswana but at the time a protectorate of the United Kingdom. They meet after Seretse finishes his studies at Oxford and shortly before his uncle calls him back to his homeland to take up his birthright as king of Bechuanaland. The happy young couple decide to marry against the wishes of both families — and against the wishes of the British government, whose interests in this matter range from murky to downright questionable.

Still, optimistically — naively, perhaps — they press forward, hoping that their families and countries will come to accept their marriage once they have returned to Bechuanaland. Instead, what follows is a number of years of struggle, separation, courage and belief that love will indeed conquer all.

A United Kingdom is rich in its contrasts: golden, sun-parched African landscapes and grey, rainy London streets, accompanied by Patrick Doyle's haunting score. But the film's beauty goes far beyond its surface and its striking cinematography. It's a compelling story, with Oyelowo a magnetic and quietly commanding screen presence as always. Pike's role is, in some ways, more understated but it is to the actress's credit that Ruth's strengths shine through, particularly when she is forced to adapt to life in Bechuanaland in ways she had never anticipated. Her accent wavers at times — from Lardarn to upper crust — but this may stem from Ruth's own struggle to find her place in the world of which she was once so confident.

I'd like to say that the British government characters — particularly Jack Davenport's slimy Alistair Canning and Tom Felton's smug Rufus Lancaster — were caricatures (never has the phrase, "would you care for sherry?" made me rage more at the big screen), but alas, I suspect they are all too accurate.

Asante is rapidly establishing herself as a very accomplished director. As with her previous film, Belle, A United Kingdom is a complex but fascinating story about love, history, politics and race. It isn't a 'worthy' film in the negative sense of the word; it's just an engrossing, inspiring and very well-made film

At German Gymnasium, Central European Fare in a Period Setting

After a three-course meal at German Gymnasium, you'll probably need a trip to a real gymnasium. The restaurant, located on King's Boulevard in the heart of the King's Cross redevelopment, is divided into a more casual, all-day 'grand café' on the ground floor and a more formal restaurant upstairs, but the menu is on the heavy side even downstairs. On a rainy Monday evening in November, however, German- and northern-European-influenced comfort food was just what I felt like and my mum and I decided to celebrate our respective birthdays there.

The restaurant is named for the erstwhile home of the German Gymnastic Society, which was built on the site over 150 years ago. The building has now been lovingly restored and converted into a huge and beautiful restaurant, which opened up last year. Despite it size — there are over 400 covers — German Gymnasium was busy even on a wintry Monday night. Our table in the grand café was great for soaking up the bustling ambiance and for admiring the architecture of the building and the period features. The structure of the roof was particularly impressive, but the central foliage and autumnal lighting gave the restaurant a warm, cosy feel.

I started with a gin and tonic or, more precisely, a King & Tonic, which was made with a Hamburg gin called Gin Sul, coriander bitters and Mediterranean tonic. I've never tried Gin Sul before but it worked really well with the bitters and I would definitely order it again. My mum's ginger mocktail was tasty and beautifully presented too.

We decided to share two starters. I ordered the smoked salmon with potato rösti and horseradish. The rösti was good but the flavoursome salmon was the real star of the dish. I also tried some of my mum's shrimp cocktail, which, refreshingly, came with melon and cucumber.

I'd thought about ordering something a little more...well, German for my main course but as it was my birthday, I ended up going for a burger. This was something of a risk as I'm quite fussy about burgers these days and usually do extensive research before taking the chance of being disappointed with an inferior patty. However, my concerns were soon allayed because the beef was meaty, juicy and perfectly medium rare, the bacon crispy, and the onions crispier. It was also so big that it had to be served in its own cast-iron skillet.

With a £12.50 price tag, it was very good value. My only criticism was that the 'house sauce' was a little too mustardy for my liking. I also ordered a portion of triple-cooked chips, which can sometimes end up being too dry, but these were crispy on the outside but beautifully fluffy and moist on the inside. Given the size of the burger, I probably didn't really need the side order, but my mum and I managed to eat them all anyway. If you fancy something a little more German or Austrian, the menu also has a few hot dogs, schnitzels and currywursts. The menu is meat-heavy but there are some fish and vegetarian options too.

The puddings sounded tasty — especially the hazelnut praline — but a little too rich and creamy for me, especially after two big courses. I did have a macchiato, though, which was fine but nothing particularly special.

I work in King's Cross and it has been great to see so many new and interesting restaurants opening up in the area over the past few years. The German Gymnasium feels less casual than the others, but it's a great place for a nice meal in a beautiful setting, and I would definitely like to try the schnitzel, if not the currywurst.

German Gymnasium. 1 King's Boulevard, London, N1C 4BU (Tube: King's Cross). Website. Twitter. Instagram.