All Things Iceland

As you stroll the streets of Reykjavik, with its vibrantly painted houses and Mount Esja as a backdrop, you’re likely to encounter many four-legged and furry locals. Yes, cats are roaming freely around the city. These furry residents are not only tolerated but adored by the city’s human inhabitants. Please know that these are not stray cats. Rather, they have homes, but their owners le...

As I mentioned in the previous episode , residents of Grindavík have been evacuated. Scientists have been anticipating a potential eruption but no lava has come up to the surface as of right now. However, that doesn‘t mean damage has not been done. The tens of thousands of earthquakes in Grindavik have resulted in major cracks in the earth opening up. There are literal holes in the streets where a...

Iceland’s iconic Blue Lagoon closed recently and here is why. Since the end of October, land has been rising and thousands of earthquakes have taken place on the Reykjanes Peninsula near the Blue Lagoon and a neighboring town called Grindavík. Even though no one is certain an eruption will happen, land rising and tens of thousands of earthquakes, some strong enough to be felt in Reykjavík, a...

Welcome to this special Halloween episode of All Things Iceland. Today I’m sharing about Iceland’s haunted hot spring called Gunnuhver on the Reykjanes Peninsula. The Reykjanes Peninsula is the same area where the Blue Lagoon, the international airport, and our last eruption are located. It’s an area that most visitors never explore extensively and yet there are fascinated attractions, places to e...

Over the years, I have traveled extensively around Iceland in a camper van, so the pros and cons I’m sharing in this episode are from personal experience.  While the list might not cover every possible pro and con, I think it will give you enough insight about the experience to help you decide if this is something you want to do. Rent a Camper Van in Iceland & Save If you plan to rent a camper...

If you plan to visit Iceland in July, this information will help you to know what to expect when traveling during this month. That includes road conditions, what to wear/pack, what makes it worth it to visit during that month, some tips on driving in that time, top activities, and events that happen annually during this month. July Weather & Average Temperature in Iceland July is one of the wa...

Winter is Iceland often has many potential visitors shaking in their boots. To be fair, the country is called Iceland, so I understand people being a bit worried about the weather conditions and wondering if winter is a good time for them to visit. When this episode is published, we are in autumn and winter is fast approaching. While you might be tempted to shy away from exploring this island of f...

Over the summer, I had the pleasure of traveling around Iceland, which has become an annual trip for me in the last few years. To my surprise, I always get to experience something new each time. East Iceland has a lot of hidden gems, so don’t skip out on making time for this area. Get Access to More Hidden Gems in Iceland Sænautasel, the turf houses and farm I m featuring in this episode, and hund...

If you plan to visit Iceland in June, this information will help you to know what to expect when traveling during this month. That includes road conditions, what to wear/pack, what makes it worth it to visit during that month, some tips on driving in that time, top activities, and events that happen annually during this month. Review of the All Things Iceland Podcast Jewells is truly a gem!! This...

Over the last 7 years of living in Iceland, I’ve had the pleasure of exploring and sharing about every region of this amazing country of fire and ice. The adventures to remote hidden gems in the highlands, raw nature that has blown my mind, geothermal hot pools to relax in, and delicious food that excited my taste buds have given you a glimpse into what this country has to offer. An Easy Ice...

Some of you might have heard that we had another volcanic eruption that started last week. Well, to be fair it is a continuation of eruptions that have been happening the last couple of years on the Reykjanes Peninsula. We’ve now experienced three volcanic eruptions three years in a row. All of them are being labeled as “tourist” eruptions because they can be visited, and they pose no harm to impo...

If you plan to visit Iceland in May, this information will help you to know what to expect when traveling during this month. That includes road conditions, what to wear/pack, what makes it worth it to visit during that month, some tips on driving in that time, top activities, and events that happen annually during this month. Praise for the All Things Iceland Podcast Jewells provides the best info...

Wow, it‘s amazing that I have been living in Iceland for seven years! Even though I know this is a decent amount of time, it feels like it i has flown by. So much has changed since I moved here in 2016, and I‘m sharing some of the major changes/transitions that have happened in my life this year. 5th Year All Things Iceland Podcast Anniversary June is a major month in my life. I was born in this m...

I have exciting news!! On May 18 th a show named Geography of Bliss became available on Peacock, NBC’s streaming service. It’s hosted by Rainn Wilson. He is most known for playing Dwight Shrute on the American version of The Office. The show asks which nations are the happiest on Earth, and what it is about these countries that makes their citizens so joyful. Watch Geography of Bliss on Peacock Ic...

Learn what to expect when traveling to Iceland in April. That includes road conditions, what to wear/pack, what makes it worth it to visit during this month, some tips on driving during this time, top activities, and events that happen annually during this month. Weather in Iceland in April April marks the transition from winter to spring in Iceland. The weather can be unpredictable, with varying...

I had the honor of interviewing Chief Phil Fontaine, an Indigenous Canadian leader, and former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. He is best known for playing a central role in raising awareness about residential schools in Canada and pushing for a Federal and Papal apology in 2008 and 2022. Additionally, he helped to get a repudiation of the Discovery Doctrine from Pope Francis abou...

Learn all about what to expect when traveling in Iceland during March. Road conditions, what to wear/pack, what makes it worth it to visit during that month, some tips on driving in that time, top activities, and events that happen annually during that month. Also, I want to say thank you to some people who recently left reviews for the podcast durng the month of March of 2023. Reviews of the All...

As I write this we are still full on in winter in Iceland, but I think it’s imperative to share some essential trip-planning tips for summer here. Summer is the high season and now that people are traveling more, I’m seeing that the number of people planning to come during this time is increasing dramatically. Some of you might not know but I do one-to-one video consultation calls with peopl...

I have another fantastic interview to share with you this month. This time around it’s with Haraldur Thorleifsson or “Halli”, as he likes to be called. Halli was born and raised in Iceland and has achieved some incredible things, such as building a successful design company and selling it to Twitter . In 2022, he was named Person of the Year in Iceland, was awarded the Order of the Falcon (the hig...

This is the third and last episode I am publishing for what I dubbed “Greenland Week” on the podcast. As mentioned in previous episodes, Greenland and Iceland have some interesting things in common. Also, Iceland is only one of two places in the world where you can fly directly to Greenland, which gives you a unique opportunity to explore both places. During this interview with the lovely and mult...

Before arriving in Greenland on February of 2023, I had no idea that I would be interviewing Aka Hansen. I was fortunate to meet her while she was doing a photo shoot with a mutual friend in a location where I happen to also be creating content. When I heard about the activism work that she does in Greenland, I instantly knew that I wanted to interview her on the podcast. Her warm energy, beautifu...

I have a special series of episodes that I’ll be sharing this week about Greenland! In fact, I am calling it Greenland week because, inclusive of this episode, I have two other episodes that I’ll post. You might be wondering why I am sharing about Greenland when I normally talk about Iceland and the answer is simple. Both countries have amazing nature, and you can get directly to Greenland f...

Learn all about what to expect when traveling in Iceland during February. Road conditions, what to wear/pack, what makes it worth it to visit during that month, some tips on driving in that time, top activities, and events that happen annually during that month. While this month is like January , there are some interesting differences. Weather in Iceland during February February can be intense. It...

I have some news to share that may or may not impact travelers to Iceland.  I’ve been holding off on talking about the current labor strikes because they have yet to have a big impact on the everyday lives of most people living in Reykjavik or people visiting. However, that might change in the coming days or week if the strike continues and a work ban happens. While there are a lot of drama t...

While there are not many ´tourist traps´ in Iceland, there are certainly things worth avoiding or at least knowing what you are getting into so you can make an informed decision. The five tourist traps in Iceland that I‘m sharing in this episode are the most common ones you will enocunter. Review of the All Things Iceland Podcast “Wish this show was done for every country” We are headi...