Intro
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I have just returned from a family holiday in Reykjavik, the most northerly capital in the world. No one in our family is suited to the heat and we are not drawn by beach holidays. We were attracted by the reported beauty of the city and Iceland promised adventure with its volcanic landscape, geysers and waterfalls, puffins and whales. We were not disappointed and we left keen to return and explore more of this beautiful country.

The city has gained a reputation for cool with those long, long Summer nights being the perfect opportunity to party pretty much all night at the ever more common and ever more cool bars and clubs. I would love to tell you how deserved this reputation is, but with a 3 year old and a 7 year old in tow, we didn't have the opportunity to test it out. The most I can say is that we went into one bar on Laugevegur (the main shopping street and centre of the nightlife scene) to use their loo when my 3 year old got caught short and there were 2 themed bars downstairs that were totally cool. One was set up like a prison, with bars separating the 3 or 4 dark wooden tables, with elaborate dark wooden chairs, chandeliers and flock wall paper, the other one was all white plastic and 70's kitsch. I understand that the prices for booze are quite high, so come prepared!

The mountains and hills around Reykjavik make for a dramatic backdrop - in particular the mountainous island Videy which sits over the harbour of slate grey water, which received a dusting of snow part way through our visit just to add to the drama. You don't have to go too far out of the city to experience the volcanic landscape of Iceland: Geysir (where you can see the geyser from which all other geysers take their name), the dramatic Gullfoss waterfall and Pingvellir National Park are all accessible from Reykjavik on a day trip.

The Highlights
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~~~Hallgrimskirkja~~~
This modern, concrete, Lutheran cathedral, with its tall main tower, resembles a space rocket taking off, or probably more appropriately, a volcano erupting. It sits on a hill in the heart of Reykjavik and so as well as providing a useful ever visible landmark so that you always know where you are, it affords excellent views over the city. You can pay to go up in the lift to a viewing platform in the bell tower. The day we went, we arrived as soon as it opened and were the only people there. It's a great place to start any visit to Reykjavik as it gives you a sense of the geography of the city and an overall view of how attractive it is. The cathedral has a superb organ, so if you visit, don't forget to go into the church and then turn around and look above the entrance you've just walked through - I've never seen an organ like it (?!). We were lucky enough to see the organist practising on it, but had to make a swift exit when my 3 year old comment that 'he has a funny face'. Kids!

~~~Whale Watching~~~
October is a little late in the season for seeing whales in Faxafloi bay, but we were determined to give it a try. There are two main companies that operate tours from the harbour in Reykjavik and you pay a serious 4000Kr (£38ish) each for the trip (and half of that for children of 7 and over). We didn't see the Minke whales that were spotted - by the time we were looking in the right direction, they'd dived never to be seen again, but we did see a group of White Beaked dolphins who raced alongside the boat. This made the trip totally worth it. I'd like to say that the kids enjoyed it, but the youngest slept for almost all the trip and the eldest suffered with sea sickness, as did quite a few other kids on the boat. We'd picked a pretty still and sunny day considering the time of year, so it would be well worth considering this before taking your kids on the trip.

~~~The Blue Lagoon~~~
The Blue Lagoon is to Reykjavik what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris - it is probably the most commonly recognised Icelandic attraction (and features in my son's superb Usborne Great World Search book). This outdoor, geo thermally heated pool is situated amongst the lava fields 40 minutes drive outside of Reykjavik, close by to Keflavik airport - in fact many people choose to tie their visit into their arrival at or departure from Iceland. The pool is fed by the subterranean thermal sea water that also explain the power plant next door and is deliciously warm, milky-blue water, apparently very good for your skin, but from experience, very bad for your hair given the high mineral content - you'll need to give it a really good wash and condition afterwards. It is quite an experience to visit here, with the cold air whipping around your ears, but the salty warm water making you feel very relaxed, particularly as it is very easy to float in! The Blue Lagoon has only this year finished it's expansion and I must say that the facilities are immaculate, a real pleasure to use. The pool itself is quite big, but once more, though this was the busiest place we visited, it was still not that crowded compared to tourist attractions in most other countries!

The weather is also for the hardy. Clearly, the summers would be milder, but during our October visit it was basically cold rain and wind punctuated by some small pockets of sunshine. Go prepared with the right gear and you won't be too uncomfortable.

For me a great trip is one that sends you home with your perspective slightly changed, and this one did. It woke up my senses (how could swimming outside in 5 degrees not?) and shook me out of my sedentary life of trains and office work and reminded me how it feels to be alive. I learned loads about the geology of the area and about Viking history and I'm even thinking differently about the British weather - as our guest house owner said, we Brits are always complaining about our weather because we're looking at Spain with envy. The Icelanders look to Britain with envy and I have to say, this October seems tropical to me now we've returned!!