Day 2 in Reykjavik: Whale Rider

The start to Day 2 in Iceland was a rainy mess! 😅🌧🌧 But nonetheless the day’s event was not to be missed – as I have booked a whale watching tour in the Icelandic sea! 🐳 🐋 (Though the awful weather had me bound to the hotel room in the entire morning after breakfast! 😂 FYI the lack of hot food in my hotel was breaking my heart! 💔)

Our tour boat set sail from the Reykjavik Old Harbour at 1pm and the tour lasted about three hours. Due to the nature of whales being wild animals, sightings are not guaranteed (though it is claimed that if no sightings occurred, then you are welcomed to book a free tour for another day 😂) but I have every fingers and toes crossed 🤞 that we will see something exciting! So overalls suited up and ready to go! 🛥

It was a bit of a long wait to get things going, but even sailing on the boat feels like such an adventure as we set off into the unknown! 🌊 🌊 Mind you, if you are somebody who is prone to seasickness, I really won’t recommend you doing this as this boat was rocking so much you get flung around even if you sitting firmly still on your seat! 😬😬 (Going for my toilet break in the lower deck at one point was quite an adventure! 😂) Though they do have sick bags ready for you as a couple of my fellow tour group people discovered… 🤢 Oh and you’re pretty much guaranteed to get soaked by the end! 😝 💦 💦

The trick of spotting those whales is apparently looking at where a swarm of seagulls gathered as it means there are many fishes nearby which will attract whales to come and eat them. After about an hour into the tour (almost felt like falling asleep lol 😴), we finally made our first discovery in a school of dolphins. I do apologise for all of the sightings being low-quality videos as it is SUPER tricky to get them in photos! They literally popped out of the water and will be gone the next second! 😠

Dolphins! 🐬🐬

We also managed to find a few killer whales and a bigger whale (I don’t know the name of it) which I missed to snap completely! 😂 The captain will shout out if they spotted anything and everyone will scramble to one side of the boat with their phones and camera! 📱 📸 It was absolute chaos! (“It’s at 9 o’clock!” “Where is 9 o’clock??” Many of us were simply running like headless chickens. 🤣🤣) Honestly, I was worried we would tip the boat over!

Killer whale

Lol literally disappeared within seconds

On the way back, we also visited the iconic puffin island.

Stunning scene!

After a long three-hour journey in the sea, I was finally back on dry land and I was starving! (FYI it felt so good getting out of those disgusting wet overalls! 😂) I then visited Hi Noodle for a late lunch/snack/early dinner. 😂🍜

After a quick nap in the hotel, I then went outside to pouring rain again (this time forgetting my umbrella… 🥲 ☔️) I was hoping to visit Aurora Reykjavik to see images of Northern Light, but unfortunately it was closed earlier than the time I checked, so I settled down in Lamb Street Food for another meal! 😂

After the rain has seemingly stopped (and it did), I took a long walk to the Seltjarnarnes area including paying a visit to Gróttuviti lighthouse (about an hour of walking from where I was for dinner.) Here are a few snapshots of the area.

By the time I made it back the centre of Reykjavik, it was absolutely buzzing with people with bars and clubs in full swing! And the area was even more beautiful with the Hallgrímskirkja lit up in the night.

I thought this chocolate & orange ice lolly goes well with the background! 😂

What a jam-packed day it has been!

Day 1 in Reykjavik: Paint The Town 🎨🖌

‘Finally!’ I yelled out at the top of my lungs. Not only did the day marked the beginning of my long holiday, but this was also the first time I have travelled outside of the UK ✈️ since the beginning of the pandemic. After being able to enjoy sunshine and warmth in my last few staycation trips, I decided that I needed a bit of a switch to a colder climate hence I decided on Iceland 🇮🇸, a place I have longed to visit.

Unlike the pre-COVID era, this trip certainly required a lot more preparation and research beforehand, and this did add a level of stress to the entire journey but of course very exciting at the same time! 😁 I was very lucky to be doubly vaccinated, hence making the transition to Iceland relatively straightforward (also one of the reasons I chose to come here.) Currently Iceland is allowing entry for fully vaccinated British travellers without the need of quarantine and a negative PCR test (which is ridiculously costly in the UK in my opinion.) Once I received my NHS letter to show my vaccination status (I know they are also accepting electronic copies via the NHS app but I was being extra careful 😂), the only other thing I was required to do was pre-registered for entry. (It’s almost a bit bizarre that the process for my return trip back to the UK is longer – requiring two separate PCR tests before and after arrival as well as pre-registration. 😐)

My flight was at 7:45 am in the morning (and that was probably crazy considering I was up at my end of work party 🎉 until late last night. 🤣) The 2 and a half hour ride was very comfortable (also get to enjoy WiFi on board for the first time ever in the first hour until connection was cut off! 😐) But by the time I landed I was oddly hungry, though still quite a bit before I reached Reykjavik. Passport and COVID checks went surprisingly quick and people were very warmed and welcoming. ❤️ After a further 45 minutes bus ride from Keflavík airport and a somewhat 20 minutes walk, I was at last at the centre of Reykjavik starving for food! 😂

Overlooking Hallgrímskirkja from the distance

The Rainbow Road, which was done in celebration of Pride, was absolutely beautiful (literally walking upon the rainbow. 🌈🌈) The first food stop was 101 Reykjavik Street Food by the iconic road- my first taste of simple, delicious Icelandic food. I ordered the lobster soup and Icelandic fish stew with rye bread (and honestly I didn’t think I will like rye bread but I was absolutely loving it! 😋) Staff were very friendly and funny on top of that!

Lobster soup and Icelandic fish stew with rye bread- simple but done well 👌👌

I then explored the city a bit, marvelling at all the colourful, artistic touches everywhere. 🎨🎨

Lime and passion fruit ice creams after the ‘race’ 😂😂

Literally everywhere I go there is a mural!

And I also visited Hallgrímskirkja which is right opposite where I am staying. The church tower is certainly marvelling to look at!

Hallgrímskirkja with the Leifur Eiríksson’s Statue in front

After a brief stop at my hotel, I then went to meet my appointment for the PCR test needed for my return trip to the UK. (I am staying here until Sunday and the test can be done three days prior to departure.) The testing centre was a bit far out (about a 40 minutes walk away) and I was shocked by the length of the queue (which spun the whole park and round!!) – however the queue did move fairly quickly (only waited for around 20 minutes for what looked like an hour long queue) and the testing was done so efficiently that it felt like a non-issue (literally less than a minute- staff was friendly and very professional- all dressed in lab coats ready to go.) I actually felt a bit embarrassed for all the testing chaos we had in the UK… 😓

After a nap following my back and forth trip from the test centre, I made use of the long daylight here to head out for some supper.

Double Trouble

To celebrate the beginning of a long holiday, I decided to go a bit all out and two cakes in one night for the first time! It was definitely quite a work out! 😂💪 (How does professional do it?? 😆)

Which one do you like the look of? 😉

Pineapple, Lime and Mango ‘Mocktail’ Cake 🏖

It’s Coming Home!

For those of you who enjoy baking/cooking as much as me, I am sure you will agree that it is fun to experiment every now and then and go outside the box. So, for today’s Sunday brunch, I decided to make some wholemeal muesli muffins with a blue cheese centre! 🧀 🧀 (And with a bit of a patriotic theme for the Euro 2020 Final tonight! ⚽️ 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 )

I do like playing with the idea of sweet with savoury, and took some inspirations from a cheese plate and the combination of cheese with dried fruits and nuts.

What do you think? Fancy giving them a try? 😂 😂

Isle of Wight: Beyond the Sea

This weekend I really needed a recharge! 😩 Whilst it is not far away until my long summer break, things have been a bit intense lately so I really felt the need to detach myself from my work life in order to be able to refocus myself again later.

For this weekend getaway, I decided to do something I have never done by myself before- taking a ferry ⛴ and sailing across the sea to the Isle of Wight. 🌊 🌊 To get to the island, it is a rather straightforward one hour trip across the water from Southampton via the Red Funnel Ferries. So I opted for an overnight stay in Southampton on Friday and going on the ferry the next day. 😊

Giant cruise shop by the harbour (not my ferry tomorrow 😂 but certainly made me a bit envied!)

Enjoying a Chatime bubble tea🥤 (haven’t done that in a while 😆👍)

After a cosy night in the hotel, I woke up early in the morning at just before 6 (saving enough time for a long bath 🛀 of course! 😂) and made sure I am on time for the Red Funnel ferry at 9. (I booked in advance but I believe it is just as easy to buy ticket there at the time.)

Eating my second breakfast. So busy I had to sit by the window (also raining ☔️ outside…)

On the deck after the rain has stopped (couldn’t sit on the chairs though as they were all soaking wet 😂💦💦)

Sailing time 🌊

Arriving at East Cowes in the Isle of Wight

To get around the Isle of Wight, I opted for a 24-hour bus ticket for £12. Even though it is a small island, locations of interests are quite spread out and not really walkable, so I decided that was the best option (as I neither drive nor cycle… 😛) As I was only there until Sunday morning, I focused exploring on the east side of the island (unfortunately missing out on famous landmarks like the Needles.)

Heading south,my first stop was the beautiful beaches on Shanklin- only though it was raining (again) when I arrived. I managed to shelter at a nearby café (that was part of a hotel lodge) and enjoyed a nice bowl of chips. 🍟 The staff there was so friendly and let me charge my almost dead phone, and I ended up spending the idle time doing some work (so much for the detachment I know lol! 😂💻 They thought I was so in the zone that they didn’t want to bother me! 🤣) By the time I was ready, the sun was out again! ☀️ What perfect timing!

A seaview is only as good as the ice cream you have! 🍦 (I went for the “funky banana” and jelly & ice cream 😋)

Maybe one day I will hire a beach hut! 😂

Being a dinosaur fan, I then also dropped by Dinosaur Isle. 🦕🦖 Some nice exhibits – but the museum is just a bit small for me (good for kids but I think it’s a little too less for an adult like me who likes dinosaur 😂)

I then also visited Wildheart Animal Sanctury (which was just right next door) 🐒🐯🦁🐷🐰 and I made it in time just 10 minutes before last entry! So glad I did – this definitely reminded me of visiting many zoos during my childhood. (And also how difficult it is to snap pictures on moving animals! 😝📸)

Wowza! Can’t remember the last time I’ve seen a tiger this up close! 🐯

Felt like this meerkat is giving me a look! 😂

Oink oink oink! 🐷🐷 There were also a lot of farm animals in the sanctuary

Following this, I took the bus 🚌 heading back north to Ryde where my hotel is. (Almost fell asleep on the bus! 😴😴)

After checking in the hotel and enjoyed some chill time in the bath 🛁, I then headed out for dinner followed by an evening walk along Ryde Pier.

Dinner time at Ryde – look at the giant cauliflower wings! 😆

Cloudy Sunday ☁️ = Lazy Sunday 😬

As the cloudy days continued, I decided to enjoy a lazy Sunday this morning munching my pizza and staying firmly indoor! 🍕

This pizza is made with wholemeal flour, and very simply topped with a tomato base, mozzarella, avocado and rocket (drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and honey! 😉 FYI I love olive oil haha!) Lately, I have decided to be a bit more careful with what I am eating and have been using wholemeal flour as a substitute for refined white flour. And I can say the result is just as good, but more guilt-free at the same time haha! 😬 (And weight has definitely gone down as a positive result! 😂)

Sometimes, I think people are very quick to assume that healthy food is bland and not flavourful – but sometimes I think it just takes a little bit of ‘outside the box’ thinking. And I definitely enjoy being a little creative at times hehe! It’s a bit boring to stick to the same thing all the time, isn’t it? 😝

Storm Is Coming, Eat Cake First

After a very long period of heatwave and sunshine, it looks like a storm has finally arrived! ☔️☔️☔️🌧🌧 But most importantly, we got to stuff ourselves with cake first before this happened! 😂😂 #happydays

Day 4 & 5 in Newquay: High Up in the Blue Sky

Despite a potential forecast of rainfall, I was very lucky that my time throughout Newquay was blessed with amazing sunshine and comforting temperatures. Even after spending my first day here visiting all these incredible beaches, I just couldn’t get enough of it! So I decided to continue to head west, passing by Porth Beach again and journey beyond to Watergate Beach. 🏖

Perfect weather for a day out!

Watergate Beach is quite far out in Newquay – about a 30-minute walk from Porth Beach along the high cliffs on the coast, so I definitely did well in my step counts for the day! 😂 On the way, I also passed by Whipsiderry Beach – a quiet, hidden little spot underneath the tall cliffs (possibly the tallest one out of them all I felt!) If you aren’t a fan of stairs, this place is definitely quite a ‘journey’ to get to going down and back up. 😤 (At least it wasn’t like when I tried to climb the Eiffel Tower on foot two years ago…)

The beach hidden under the tall cliffs (after a VERY long flight of stairs… 😪)

Getting down those cliffs to the beach felt like an adventure though!

Even though the stairs in Whipsiderry Beach completely wore me out, I finally managed to slowly made my way around the coast to Watergate Beach. It was a great spot for me to finally to sit down for some lunch! (Bought a salad meal deal from Tesco, along with my rocky road bar that I kept all this time from Penzance! 😂)

Snacking on my rocky road bar on the beach 😬

Watergate beach was very busy which I wasn’t as much of a fan of, so I decided to head back to Porth beach (personally it was my favourite one out of all the beaches) to enjoy the sunshine! 😎

Taking a dip in the water 💦

Sunbathing on the low-tide Porth Beach 😎🏖

After a bit of a nap and sky-gazing, it was almost dinner time! Newquay really had given me a feel of the Mediterranean, so I was feeling a crave for tapas! 😋 Unfortunately, two of the top-rated tapas bar were closed for the day, so I decided to try another recommended place called the Fish Bar. This place is a great value for money, offering a three-tapas tasting platter for only £15 in the bar area. (The main dining area of the restaurant was fully filled.) The food, especially the dessert, was absolutely delicious! So glad to have come to this place after all! 👍👍👍

Spectacular dessert 💛💛: Sicilian semifreddo ice cream bomb with a Limoncello core coated in crushed meringue

Incredible! 😍😍💛🤍💛🤍

The next morning, I had some time to kill before my train around lunchtime, and headed to the Blue Reef Aquarium by Towan Beach. Like many other places now, bookings need to be made in advance online due to COVID restrictions. I booked my ticket two days ago when I arrived in Newquay – still places are limited, so do make sure you book ahead of time if you can. (I initially wanted to visit the day before, but all tickets were sold out within a day. It is half term break after all! 😛)

I’ve never heard of a Unicorn tang until now

He kept popping his head out from the water! It was cute! 💚

After visit the aquarium, I took a walk down the town centre and got my belly filled before my long 5-hour train journey home. ☺️🚂

Brunch in Fore Street Café Bar before long train ride back to London 🚂 🌃

Mad dash to the train station with my ice cream in hand! 😂🍨🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️Until the next time!

Day 3 From Penzance to Newquay: Closer to Paradise

It was almost a bit difficult saying goodbye to Penzance but knowing it was the beginning of another journey made it all the more easier! 😂 After a 2-hour train journey (with a changeover in Par), I arrived in Newquay just around lunchtime when the sun continues to be hanging high up in the sky! 🌞

The beautiful sea view of my hotel room towards Towan Beach

After dropping off my stuff in the hotel, I wasted no time heading down to the coast (starting from Towan Beach heading west to Fistral Beach) and enjoyed the beautiful views of the deep blue sea under the bright blue sky. 💙💙

Busy beach indeed! 🏖

I wonder who lives in these houses in this amazing spot? 🤔

Just as busy here!

Look at the waves! 🌊 🌊

The Headland Hotel looking over the beach

Situated by Fistral Beach is The Fish House – highly recommended by the Michelin guide, and it certainly didn’t disappointed! I know I had been having a lot of seafood lately, but this one certainly topped it for me! 🔥🔥 I was very lucky too to be able to get a booking as I managed to reserve the only spot available this month last night, so if you are planning to visit make sure you look well ahead of time as the restaurant is an extremely popular choice!

“Grilled scallops with pea and mint purée and crispy Serrano ham” – the purée was so good I licked the shells clean! 😝💚

“Panko sesame fried tiger prawns with mangetout, fresh coconut and chilli salad with curried mayonnaise” – that salad I can eat a full bowl of! 🤤

Got a bit greedy with ice cream flavours! 😂 The four I chose were roasted coconut; lemon curd; blood orange sorbet and passion fruit sorbet.

After an amazing lunch, it was time to walk off the calories by exploring the beach and coastline! 😉 I walked across almost the entirety of Newquay from west to east, eventually reaching Lusty Glaze Beach and Porth Beach.

Exploring barefoot 🦶 along Fistral Beach

Looking for little fishes lol! 🐟🐟

Newquay Bay on the left and Fistral Bay on the rjght

This building reminded me of those in Greece

Keep dragging my trainers 👟 into the water 😂💦

As the sun set over Newquay, I ventured out into Porth Island (as the last destination for the day) hoping to get a full view of the beautiful scenery.

Heading back to the hotel – can’t wait for more tomorrow!

Day 1 & 2 in Penzance: Summer Lovin’

Happy bank holiday from the U.K.! Such a blessing to have the holiday and my week off coinciding with the hottest day of the year thus far! ☀️☀️ Hope you all had a great day too as I have most certainly enjoyed my time here in Penzance! 😁

Penzance is one of the most southern towns in the U.K., lying within Cornwall. It was a long train ride from London with the whole journey covering over 5 hours and a changeover in Plymouth (where I visited last summer!) – but I figured it was the time to do it now with me having an entire week off work! 🚂

I was most certainly prepared for the long train ride as I have done lots of food shopping 🛍 before hopping on to the train! (And yes, I finished everything just on the first train alone! 😂 Unfortunately a 15-minute delay caused me to miss my changeover in Plymouth, so I ended up making a quick stop there before moving on to the next train (which was also further delayed. 😅)

Revisiting Plymouth after last year 😂- but I only had enough time to hop to the shops so didn’t get a chance to see its beautiful coast again

After over an hour behind the initial scheduled time, I finally arrived in Penzance and I was immediately in awe of the slight Mediterranean feel of the place! 🏖 Weather wasn’t the best when I arrived on Sunday but I was still definitely on a holiday mood – though this place seemed to be a bit of a dead zone for phone signal! 😂📱(Maybe it will be actually good for me to be off the grid for once…? 😝)

Twilight by the shore (looking towards Newlyn)

My initial plan was to visit Mackerel Sky Seafood Bar in Newlyn for dinner (the place seems to be extremely popular and does not take bookings, so couldn’t even reserved beforehand.) Newlyn is a seaside town and fishing port situated just right next to Penzance accessible by just a relatively short walk (around 20 minutes from my hotel.) Sadly, the train delays earlier meant that I couldn’t make it in time before the restaurant closed at 9. And it appeared that, in general, most places in Penzance were closed by that time- including the hotel restaurant… 😴🌙 (I guess it was a Sunday after all or perhaps I am just too used to all the late night openings in London 😅.) Thank goodness though I didn’t have to starve for the night as I eventually managed to find a kebab place in the town centre (after much searching! 😂)

Kedgeree and poached egg for breakfast in the hotel- my first time having kedgeree!

Despite many bumps in my first day of travel (as per usual for me 😂), I woke up this morning with a fresh determination wanting to make the most of my day – with a morning swim in the Jubilee Pool. 🏊‍♂️

Geothermal pool on the right next to the main swimming area

Loving the sun ☀️ and water 🌊

The pool is very unique in that it extends directly into the sea, making it a landmark in the area. (I certainly loved the Art Deco feel of it! 💙) Due to COVID restrictions now, bookings must be made in advance. Luckily, the main swimming area is readily available for bookings (up to one hour before the time slots- but only the shallow end is opened for use right now, which is fine with me as I am not that massively strong of a swimmer anyway. 😂) Sadly, the geothermal pool is now completely booked until next month. ☹️ Would have loved to go into the geothermal pool as the water in the main swimming area is rather cold 🥶 – so a lot of us just ended up “walking” and paddling along the pool, or just sunbathing by the poolside lol. 😎 Still great fun though! (And I will take it as my workout for the day done!)

Heading to Newlyn (for the second time lol!)

After a quick shower back in the hotel, I made my way to Newlyn hoping it will be a second time lucky!🤞 Literally went there banged on before their opening time at 12, so was seated very quickly. 😉 The seafood dishes were all very fresh and delicious, so I was so very tempted to order a dessert as well!

Menu of Mackerel Sky Seafood Bar- what would you have picked? 😋

From the left: pan seared scallops, grilled mackerel and crab salad

Raspberry fool (coulis and whipped cream) with Amaretti biscuits – simple and lovely! ❤️❤️

With my stomach full, I ventured out into the town of Newlyn, aiming to make my way on foot to the fishing village of Mousehole (one of my main goals of this travel!) The 1-hour coastal walk is beautiful especially on a sunny day like today! 🌞

Full view of Newlyn Harbour (looking back at Penzance)

Afterwards, it was time for a quick recharge in Rock Pool Café- enjoying a drink and some food in the open view to the coast before exploring the rest of Mousehole! 🥰

A drink under the sun🍹😎 in Rock Pool Café

Homemade mackerel pâté with gluten-free toasts

Everyone is out enjoying the heat and sunshine! ☀️🔥🔥

A tropical fruit smoothie 🥭🍍 to round off the day!

After taking the shuttle bus from Mousehole back to Penzance- I settled in for an easier night in with a supper from a well-established fish and chips shop just right next to the hotel. (There was quite a queue!)

Loved the battered Cornish hake with the curry sauce and mushy peas! 😋

This is not the end of my journey in Cornwall yet! More to come tomorrow, so stay tuned! 😉