Conscious Living without breaking the piggy bank
Travel to Fès in Morocco and take a step back in time into one of the oldest medieval towns in the world. We went to Fès at the end of December and rang in the New Year there. A BRIEF HISTORY The city of Fès is one of the oldest imperial cities of Morocco. Named …
Travel to Paris, the most romantic capital of the world! Well, let me tell you, a romantic trip to Paris, with the family, just kills the romance part.
Big Boss had never ventured to the Old Continent before, so going to Paris, France was a first for him and actually his choice destination for once. We went to Paris to ring in the New Year with my family and also to visit this beautiful city.
What was Big Boss‘s take on it? Well to sum it up in his own words: dog poop everywhere (“doodie”), subway stations that smell like Mötley Crüe spent the night there, and freezing cold weather. Yep on the tail side of Paris, it is not glamorous at all. At least not while we were there, late December.
So here is a 5-day itinerary to travel to Paris, based on our experience. I found, that it was a lot easier to focus on one area of Paris each day so that we wouldn’t have to spend too much time in the subway. It’s also a good way to save money that way.
I had forgotten about the doodie problem since where we live in Montreal it is not a problem at all. We have a dog as well (Nouki) so we pick up. It shouldn’t be that hard, especially nowadays with doodie dispensers that you can just attach to your leash handle.
Once the doodie occurs, simply pull out a doodie bag. It makes it a whole lot easier to pick up your dog’s doodie. Just throw it in the trash. But see, that is also a problem as trash cans are not popular either in Paris. That is partially due to terrorism acts back in the day, so they either closed off the trash cans or removed them.
Since Paris will be hosting the Olympic Games in 2024, I really hope they resolve that problem among other things. Around the tourist sites you are safe, but if you wander off the beaten paths, watch your steps!
Just so you know, during the summer, Paris has more tourists than inhabitants. That is good and bad. Good= less Parisians, bad= not everything is open (stores, restaurants). To best experience the Parisian life, you need to visit in May-June or September-October.
As we had rented an apartment through Airbnb in a “popular” neighborhood. We experienced our first adrenaline rush from the Metro Telegraph to our rental. The sidewalks were mined with doodies. It was very challenging navigating those tiny sidewalks and doodies with our luggage in tow and people who just don’t know how to walk on sidewalks.
Once we settled into our Airbnb it was time to grab a bite to eat and look for a supermarket. We ate in a local brasserie, with decent prices and good food.
France Tip: Having a meal in a Brasserie is usually a safe bet. You usually can’t go wrong with that.
We found a Carrefour Market nearby to grab some essentials for our rental. I love French supermarkets, they have so much great food and tons of yogurt and ham options. Why so many? I don’t know, but apparently, we are big ham eaters. However, you mustn’t go there on an empty stomach or else you will just buy everything.
Don’t forget to bring your reusable grocery bags when grocery shopping in France as the supermarkets are plastic-free.
Also, keep in mind that the majority of stores in France are closed on Sundays, even supermarkets. Some might be open on Sunday mornings but that is about it.
Finally, unlike in the United States and Canada, you can buy wine in supermarkets. If you are looking for really upscale wine though, you should look for the specialized store Nicolas.
In planning for this trip I organized it in a way that each day we would explore a different area. We only had 8 days, and 2 ½ of them were going to be spent in Normandy (see our Once Upon a Time article).
After dropping off our groceries and changing clothes and whatnot, it was time to hit the city. We had a few hours to explore Paris before meeting up with family for happy hour and dinner.
Our meeting spot was going to be near Les Halles. We decided that we would take the metro to Bastille and walk from there. We bought a “carnet” of metro tickets.
It isn’t worth it to get a weekly pass if you are only going to be there a few days. If you plan things well enough, you’ll mostly do the walking in an area you chose for the day. However, for us, we ended up taking the subway more often than planned, just to keep warm.
The Bastille area is great, as it has a lot of restaurants and bars. You should check out La Baraque for some dinner and dancing. If you eat there, you don’t have to pay the cover charge for the nightclub which is below the dining area. If you want a glimpse of Paris city life, you should go there. Best to reserve for the dining option as the place isn’t very huge.
During our stroll, we checked out some trendy boutiques and marveled in front of food displays.
We stopped at Place des Vosges, an early 17th-century square, which I studied in Art History because of the Mansard roofs. The square became the prototype for the residential squares of European cities that were to come.
We bought some popcorn at Scarlett Johansson’s store Yummy Pop for Doudou who is a big fan, of popcorn that is. Maybe not the kind I like, but as a present, it did the trick. They have different flavors, so check it out if you are in the area.
In France, you don’t have a lot of those microwavable popcorn options like in North America, especially the extra butter kind (my favorite). So, if you are visiting friends in France, bring some!
We passed by l’église St-Paul and made our way through the small streets of Le Marais. A pit stop was made at le Centre Pompidou to admire yet another building I studied in Art History.
Jacky always found that building hideous. You either love it or hate it. I like the concept, the idea behind it, but honestly, it is not an attractive building. Yet somehow, it just works in that area.
It is a building that you stumble upon, not one that just stands out. That is what makes it work with its surroundings.
Also, in Le Marais, you can find some excellent ice cream places, so if you have some cravings, go to POZETTO!
We met up for drinks at Quigley’s Point in front of the church Ste-Eustache. This is Zazou’s traditional meeting point as it is central to everything in Paris. The pub is nothing special really. Just a regular old pub you would find somewhere in England or Ireland. It used to have pool tables on the upper floor but I didn’t check last time I was there.
In the summer, you can have drinks outside and admire the view of Ste-Eustache and Les Halles. Meeting up with Zazou and Doudou and the Machu Picchu Kids was wonderful and loud. We had dinner nearby but nothing out of this world. The point was to be together.
Nearby is a fire station and if you want to experience a fun night in Paris, go there on July 13th and check out their festivities!
Les Halles has changed a lot over the years. They have just completed the renovations in 2018 which was new to me and it looks absolutely gorgeous. It really looks like a turtle shell. That being said, I still don’t recommend venturing out close to that area especially near the Fountaine des Innocents because that is where a lot of hoodlums like to hang out.
I speak from experience as I had an altercation there back in the day and ended up at the police station nearby to file a complaint. Cops in civilian clothing had seen the whole scene and came up to me to bring me to the Police Station. I would have never gone in on my own. I explained all that to my boys as we walked passed it. You never know.
When people tell me they are planning to travel to Paris, I always recommend going to the places we visited on Day 2. They are sort of off the beaten path but are becoming more popular nowadays. I only visited them after I came back from living in the United States and for Zazou, the world traveler, it would be his first time. So this was something new for almost everybody.
If you are meeting up in the Quartier Latin, the best meeting spot is at the Fontaine St-Michel. You can’t miss it, as it is right outside the RER B – St-Michel stop.
In that area, you can find a lot of restaurants located on the cobbled streets of the Quartier Latin. As to be expected, they are mostly oriented towards tourists. We didn’t care much while we were there since there were 9 of us and we were all freezing and starving. So we just grabbed a pizza in one of the pizzerias and warmed up. Pizza in France is really good. Obviously, not as good as the ones in Italy, but close enough.
There is a great jazz club in the Quartier Latin called Le Caveau de la Huchette. This place actually appeared in the movie La La Land. Located underground in old caves, this is something that you will not get to experience often. Tango brought me there quite a few times, as this was his local hangout when he was in school.
You might not like jazz or rock and roll, nor you might not know how to dance on it, but just people-watching is an experience in itself. If you get invited, even as a newbie, do say yes! It is such a shame that places like this don’t exist as much anymore.
We walked from the Fontaine St-Michel to La Ste-Chapelle which I discovered yet again through Art History. It is actually amazing how so many things in Paris are used as art references in books!
What makes the Ste-Chapelle so special is … Well, I actually can’t tell you as it would spoil the surprise. It does, however, have the following elements that make it interesting:
Stained glass depicting over 1,000 scenes from the Old and New Testaments recounting the history of the world until the arrival of the relics in Paris.
Close to the Ste-Chapelle, you have the Conciergerie. This is the place where Marie-Antoinette was held before getting her head chopped off. Yikes!
Did you know that the last time the guillotine was used was in 1977?
The Conciergerie was first used as a Royal residence before becoming a Palace of Justice. You can save money if you combine both visits (Ste-Chapelle & Conciregrie). Otherwise, if you are planning on visiting a lot of different museums, get the Museum Pass and save time and money that way.
The afternoon was split up. Zazou took the older Macho Picchu boys to Les Halles to do some shopping at la FNAC while the rest of us roamed the streets. La FNAC is a very popular book/tech/music store. Sort of the equivalent to Renaud-Bray and Barnes & Nobles but just more fun and more popular with kids and adults alike.
We admired the clean view of Notre-Dame with no scaffoldings this time. They clean it every 10 years and it takes 5 years to stay clean. We did not go inside as the line was huge. It is free to get in but you have to pay if you want to admire the view from up top.
I remember going up with my grandma who was in her 60s at the time. So it is feasible, just know that there are 387 steps. Since the fire that has just occurred, Notre-Dame is closed. However, there are other ways to admire the Paris City view without costing a fortune or burning too much energy. Read on.
Close to Notre-Dame, on Ile St-Louis, there is a great ice cream place called Berthillon, but I think it takes a summer break. So you’ll have to check the hours before going there. You could also grab a drink and admire Notre-Dame from behind on one of the Peniche stationed on the Seine close by.
Obviously, we did not do any of that as it was the last day of December and we were freezing our buns off. There are a bunch of Peniche stationed as well in the Bastille area where you can dance and drink, so check them out as it is an experience in itself.
We wandered off next to Place de l’Hotel-de-Ville. It is known for it to be a gathering place. I have watched a couple football games there on a big screen and witnessed as well. France not winning the bid for the 2010 Olympic Games.
At Christmas time they usually have an ice skating rink but not this year. There is an old carousel there, so the smaller Machu Picchu kids enjoyed a few rounds while Banana and Big Boss tasted out some Vin Chaud (hot wine-red) to stay warm.
L’hotel de Ville is located in the heart of Paris and is not far from Les Halles. You will find tons of stores in that area, especially on rue de Rivoli.
You could check out le BHV, an old department store similar to La Baie or Macy’s. But the stores you will find on rue de Rivoli will pretty much be the same as you will find in Les Halles.
So if it is cold outside head over to Les Halles. Even though part of it is opened, it will still be warmer there. These are not high-end stores. They are not ooh-la-la Sex in the City type of experience kind of stores. They are just mainstream.
Our meeting point to be united again for an afternoon drink before going off to get ready for the evening festivities was at Restaurant Kong. This is also one of my standard recommendations and here is why.
Located on the top two floors of an old Haussmanian building, furnished with Philippe Stark furniture, you get a great view of the Pont-Neuf. On weekends, it gets very crowded at night as it becomes a trendy hang out with music and all. It’s best to book a table ahead of time if you actually want to eat there.
Oh, and fun fact. If you were a fan of Sex & the City, this is where Carrie had lunch with Petrovsky’s ex Juliette B.
The Pont-Neuf is also the place where you catch a cruise on the Seine. It is definitely worth doing, especially if you have children. You get a great view of some of the city’s main attractions It is also very relaxing and the guide is great.
After our Apéro, we parted ways to rest up and meet up again to celebrate the New Year.
Since we had non-adults with us, we all chilled in our Airbnb for the beginning of the evening. We ate and drank away and then left to see the fireworks at the top of the Sacré Coeur. From there, you can get a beautiful and FREE view of the city no matter what time of day it is.
We took the funiculaire to go up and save time as it was free that night. We weren’t the only ones of course to have the same idea so it was a lot of fun. The adults had Champagne and the Machu Picchu kids had Orangina and Haribo candy. Fun was had by all. We even did some karaoke in the crowded subway. Okay, well I did karaoke, but people followed and that is all that matters.
This is where we had to part ways from the Machu Picchu kids, Banana and Zazou. It is very tough saying goodbye every time, but when we see each other we pick up right where we left off.
For New year’s day, our travel itinerary plan to Paris was to take it easy but we hadn’t planned on the cold which was so brutal. Close to our Airbnb was the Buttes de Chaumont. It is definitely an off the beaten path park and so beautiful. You won’t find many tourists there.
Built on quarries, it has an impressive steepness to it with multiple changes in height and levels which really makes it unique to Paris.
Unfortunately, the old swing sets aren’t free. Nonetheless, when you travel to Paris with or without kids, this park should be on you itinerary.
From the park, we continued our walk along the Canal St-Martin. It’s not a must see when you travel to Paris for a short visit, but should be on you itinerary if you have extra days.
To warm-up, we ate at a Chinese restaurant. They are so good in France! Try in any of them their riz cantonnais (Cantonese rice), munch on some fried shrimp flavored chips, and devour a delicious orange givré (orange sorbet served in an orange). Of course, there is more to eat in them like their raviolis à la vapeur (steamed dumplings), for example, which I am super fond of.
You could always order food as take out, just don’t forget your traveling utensils. When you travel to Paris or anywhere in France, hitting up a Chinese restaurant should be on your list of food to try. I know it sounds silly, but it’s not the same as in North America.
Along the way, we spotted our first Paris Invaders. I started looking for some when Big Boss and I went to New York City. I had heard about it a very long time ago while in France but didn’t realize it had become a thing. It wasn’t until my brother-in-law mentioned it to me that I started paying attention to them. Once we started spotting some, it became a game to us, and what better way to explore a city than by going off the path!
The second part of our day was going to be spent from the Champs-Elysee to the Eiffel tower.
We caught a glimpse of the New Year’s Day parade on the Champs and walked from the Arc of Triumph all the way down where they had food trucks.
Since Blondie Bear was freezing and hungry, we got him a hot-dog but in 30 seconds it was cold. We tried to walk a bit in the Jardin des Tuileries and nearby.
However, we wandered off too far, after crossing the Pont Alexandre III, into what seems nowhere where we couldn’t find any restaurants. We were freezing and starving!
When we finally found a metro stop, we took it all the way to a stop where I knew there would be a Mcdonald’s and free Wifi. We were trying to stay near the Eiffel Tower as we were meeting up there later on with a friend.
Just keep in mind that there is NOTHING to do around the Eiffel Tower aside from visiting the sites such as Les Invalides and Trocadero for example. If food is what you are craving or shopping is what you are into, this will not be the right fit for you.
As soon as it gets dark, the Eiffel tower sparkles for a minute on the hour every hour. It is very pretty to see it like that. Since we were still in holiday season mode, there were some street vendors at the feet of the tower.
We found these awesome little teddy bears that you warm up in the microwave and that keeps you warm for 2 hours. Since, as I said, we were freezing, these actually came in quite handy. I am so glad we brought them back home with us. A very useful souvenir.
There is so much to see when you travel to these areas in Paris.
We started out at the church of St-Germain-des-Prés, one of the oldest churches in Paris built in the 11th century of Romanesque style and ever-changing. It is Free to get inside the church.
We then just walked around for what seemed like forever. It was a bit sunnier that day but still freezing. I had seen glimpses of that area but had never really explored it on foot. We had a lot of fun and here is why.
Aside from visiting old churches, we saw a lot of Invaders and Diamonds. It turns out that they are very popular and can be found all over Paris. I am unsure of the meaning behind them but here is the link to The Diamentaire’s website.
Close to the church of St-Germain-des-Prés can be found the Café de Flore. This is where, in the 1920s and 1930s, then starving artists and writers, such as Pablo Picasso and Albert Camus, would gather for warmth and talk.
Facing the church, across from Place Saint-Germain-des-Prés, is Les Deux Magots. It’s a café whose history is (according to their website) synonymous with literary and artistic life.
Apparently, having breakfast or a coffee there is like traveling through recent French literary history. While sipping your beverage think about others who may have sat in your very seat — Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, or Jean-Paul Sartre.
We will take the guidebook’s word for it, as we didn’t bother checking it out as it was too cold to sit outside and honestly it is not a budget-friendly place.
Our next stop was at the 17th-century church Saint-Sulpice. It’s the second-largest church in Paris. Located on a place with a beautiful fountain, famous for having the only fresco painted by Delacroix and for its Grand Organ. Part of The Da Vinci Code by Sam Brown actually takes place in this church, so it is certainly worth visiting and exploring.
Strolling the little streets of Saint-Germain you will encounter many art galleries, boutique hotels, and restaurants. So if that is your thing, this is the area you want to stay at.
We took a break in the Jardins du Luxembourg where you can soak up a little of the Parisian life. There is a wonderful playground there but unfortunately, it costs money. I have always enjoyed walking through that park and it’s also home to the Musée du Luxembourg.
We grabbed a bite to eat nearby and warmed up before setting out for some more exploring and wandering. We glimpsed at the Pantheon as you have to pay to get in. Instead, we explored the inside of a church I had yet to visit: Saint-Étienne-du-Mont. It is a little gem that is worth a look inside and located right behind the Pantheon.
There are also quite a bunch of Invaders and other street art in that area as well, so that was fun spotting them.
Check out the Arènes de Lutèce if you get a chance. This is a remnant of a Gallo-Roman arena located in the Quartier Latin. Near the fountain St-Michel, you can visit Roman baths as well, Les Thermes de Cluny.
We then walked all the way back to Saint-Michel where we grabbed a train to the Musée d’Orsay.
The Musée d’Orsay is by far my favorite museum in Paris. It is not as big as The Louvre (thank goodness). Located in an old railway station, it has an impressive Impressionist art collection. It has become very popular and we had to stand in line for 1 hour in the cold. There was no way around it. We only had one day left and it wouldn’t have been possible to do the rest if we had to switch it up.
So don’t say I didn’t warn you. BUY YOUR TICKETS IN ADVANCE OR ONLINE BEFORE ARRIVING. You won’t have to stand in line. They now have an interesting set up on the last floor to grab a bite to eat but we didn’t try it out. On the top floor, you also get a gorgeous view of Montmartre and the rest of Paris through the clock glass.
After all this walking and exploring, it was time for some downtime before heading back to our Airbnb. I stumbled upon this place while researching things to do in Paris. It seemed like a fun activity to try out: the Gossima, a ping-pong bar.
Children are allowed there with adult supervision until 8 pm.
It was another off the beaten moment and fun was had by all. I think for once, no one left angry nor frustrated.
For our final day of travel to Paris, we had to go a little off course and check out The Catacombs.
They aren’t located near anything special and we were tired of walking in the cold. We had fun looking at skulls, but we waited a long time outside to get in. It is expensive for what you get and apparently, now the walk is even shorter. So not a must-do in my book. If you want something off the beaten path, try checking out the Sewers Museum which I have yet to do but comes highly recommended by Doudou.
After coming back up for air, we roamed around the Louvre, Jardins des Tuileries and the Opera Garnier. It sounds a lot but they are all located in the same area.
There is now an underground mall near the Louvre and an Apple store. I was able once again to charge my dying phone just like in San Francisco and I learned how to Airdrop. Don’t laugh, I am not tech-savvy at all!
In my opinion, the Louvre is overrated. The best collection to see is the Egyptian one as it is pretty complete but the rest is Yawn. The Mona Lisa is actually very very small. In any case, if you are short on time go to the Musée d’Orsay instead. If you do have a lot of time when you travel to Paris, then by all means, go there but get your tickets in advance!
Our final stop on our travel itinerary to Paris was at the Sacré Coeur for sunset. What a beautiful view.
If you can manage, walk all the way up, it will feel more rewarding. Then, just walk around it and admire the artists at work. It is extremely touristy but such a charming area. Again, you get a great view of Paris for FREE. As it is very touristy, just watch out for pickpockets and look for some Invaders!
Paris is such a beautiful city when it is clean. It is best to go there when it is warm so that you can enjoy the parks. My favorite time to go there is for La Fête de la Musique on June 21st and also on the 13th of July, the Eve of Bastille day. This is when you can dance the night away in one of the Parisian fire stations for cheap and have an awesome time.
Healthy tip: learning some french words will go a long way, especially when you travel to Paris. Don’t just assume that everyone speaks English.
Bon voyage!
What started out as a simple getaway to Iceland during the Winter holidays ended up being a full on travel experience. My husband and I traveled there to ring in the New Year of 2018 and to meet up with my family from France.
Spending New Year’s Eve in a foreign country is something that I’ve been doing for the last 8 years. It’s usually the time of year that I don’t have my kids which makes it easier for me to travel. Don’t worry, I do bring them along once in a while (Fès, Paris, Peru). Also, work usually gives us extra days off which allows me to travel longer without busting my vacation bank.
Spending New Year’s Eve in Iceland was by far one of my wildest experiences.
I researched and read about Iceland for weeks and the more I did, the more I wanted to explore this incredible country. Had I known it would be so, I would have done things a little differently in terms of organisation from the beginning. However, it wouldn’t have worked out since we were meeting up with my family.
So, here is my first tip. After booking your flight to Iceland, do your research and plan your itinerary. Then, book your lodging and/or tours accordingly.
The only sure way to travel to Iceland is by air. You can use companies such as Icelandic Air or Wow Air. Both offer planned layover stops in Iceland on your way to and from North America and Europe. How awesome is that?
If you have the time, you should consider doing a layover in Iceland for a night or two on your way to or back from your holiday. The land of fire and ice is definitely worth a stop.
The downside of traveling during the holidays is that it’s more expensive and not always easy to find inexpensive airfare.
However, WOW Air is a low-cost company. The basic fair does seem cheap ($500 CAD), but you’ll have to pay extra for just about everything else.
You need to check a bag? Pay up. It’s hard to not check a bag when you travel to Iceland during Winter, but Big Boss and I managed to just check in one bag. If you get cold on the airplane or are thirsty it will cost you a few bucks. So, don’t forget an extra sweater and to refill your water bottle before boarding the plane.
Need more travel planning tips? We’ve got just the guide for you right HERE.
We left Montreal on a chilly day, arriving in Reykjavik on the last day of 2017 at 5am with a good 18 degree difference but still in the minuses.
We had to endure a woman singing Rudolph the red nose reindeer for 20 minutes while waiting to pass airport security and another one reciting her life story on the plane. She just wouldn’t shut up and was very condescending. Apparently, she was a retired divorce attorney, born in Denmark, raised on the anglophone side of Montreal hence ‘English is for smart’ people comment. I really wanted to get violent with her as her talking woke me up and I could have used the sleep. Namaste, namaste, namaste. More often than not, I seem to always end up with an airport or airplane story when I travel and Iceland was no exception.
So what is there to do at 5am in Reykjavik? I tell you all about the places where you can eat and activities you can do at the wee hour of the morning in Reykjavik before you are allowed to check into your lodging, right HERE.
If you are staying a few days in Iceland, you should consider renting a car, especially if you aren’t traveling solo. It will be more cost effective that way than going on organized tours.
We found a great deal through Guide to Iceland. The company offers great service and also a lot of tours. We booked our ice caving tour on the South Coast through them.
However, renting a car during winter in Iceland is more expensive than in summer. Furthermore, driving can become tricky when you end up stuck in the middle of a blizzard. That’s why it’s best to check on the road conditions with THIS WEBSITE, to make sure it’s safe to hit the road.
Just know that the car rental company might freeze a large deposit on your credit card. Therefore, if you don’t have a huge limit on it, you might want to bring a second credit card just in case.
Most people you’ll encounter in Iceland are foreigners and will speak English. The only time I heard ‘Icelandic’ was at a gas station. I felt completely dumb when the guy spoke to me and I didn’t understand. We had already been in Iceland for a few days and wrongly assumed that everyone spoke English.
We didn’t withdraw any money while we were in Iceland because we paid by credit card the whole time or my mom who was traveling with us, paid by cash.
Iceland is VERY EXPENSIVE. Food and lodging will explode your budget.
There are ways to save some money in Iceland, but it will still be expensive. However, all the natural points of interests are FREE to access and so is parking (in most cases).
If you want to visit museums, pools, ride the bus or take a ferry to a neighbouring island of Reykjavik, consider buying the CITY CARD which will allow you to save money that way. Also, with the city card, you can get a discount on drinks in certain bars or on food in certain restaurants.
Having been forewarned about Icelandic high prices wether be for food or alcohol, we stopped by the duty free liquor store at the airport on our way out. This store and others are always open. You pass by them on your way out so its a good way to check out prices and compare them with city prices. In the pictures below are the description of the amount of alcohol you can buy in the duty free store per person and it is a lot less expensive to do so this way.
Also, if you do enjoy a drink or two, go to the bars at happy hour as they serve up special deals. It’s a good way to save money.
I don’t have to tell you that eating out is always more expensive than eating in. If you don’t want to live off lamb soup (least expensive option) during your entire stay in Iceland, you might want to consider going grocery shopping.
You don’t tip in Iceland!
The Bonus grocery store is the least expensive one to shop at and can be found in Reykjavik and its surrounding area. You can’t miss it as its logo is a huge pink pig with a bright yellow background.
Staying in a hostel, private rooms do exist, an airbnb or renting out an apartment might be a more budget friendlier option.
We stayed in a hostel at Hlemmur Square which is now closed due to Covid-19. It was a dorm room of 12 people and we did not like it. The hostel was great and the beds super comfortable. We just didn’t like sharing the dorm with 10 other people and being in the dark all the time as someone was always sleeping.
Luckily when my mom, brother and nephew met up with us in Reykjavik, they had rented an apartment. We decided to crash with them and slept on the sofa.
One thing that you will have to factor in while you travel through Iceland during winter is the daylight. While we were there, there wasn’t much of it. The sun would start rising around 9:45 am and go back to sleep by 5pm. That is not a whole lot of daylight to play with.
However, you can still see plenty of gorgeous sites in one week in Iceland.
Some activities that you can do in wintertime that you can’t do during the summer is Ice caving and spotting the northern lights. The frozen waterfalls, glacier lagoons, windy black sand beaches, hot springs in the mountain all make up for an exciting trip.
If you have the budget and the use for it back home, get yourself a Lopapeysa.
I wanted to go to the flea market Kolaportid to see if I could find one but luckily I had checked ahead and found out they were closed on New Year’s Eve. They are only open on Saturdays and Sundays.
So I went to the next best thing, the Hand Knitting Association located on the main street that leads from the big church in Reykjavik. The service at the store was very good and I was able to find one that fits just right. If you purchased Reykjavik City Card, you’ll get 10% off your handknitted sweater.
Prices can vary a lot from store to store and being machine made versus hand made makes a big difference in price. Sometimes it’s even machine made outside Iceland! The type of yarn and pattern can also affect the price. So do your research before splurging on one of them sweaters.
Also, I heard you can also find some at the Red Cross unworn or outside the city up north directly from the factory (I don’t recall the name, unfortunately).
At first, they can be very itchy so wear clothing underneath that covers the whole sweater area to avoid contact with your skin. Also, they lose a lot of hair at the beginning.
If you do happen to find curly hair in your soup, it’s most likely from your sweater and not from somebody’s body part.
Now, if you are into fashion and enjoy the outdoors, you might want to check out 66 North. It’s an Icelandic brand and we bought hats there for my boys back home.
Winter in Iceland, is just like back home when you go up to the mountains to ski.
You’ll need winter hiking boots, a winter coat, snow pants, hats, gloves, sweater. Whatever you usually wear when you go skiing. Try to wear layers of clothing as the weather in Iceland is ever-changing, even in wintertime.
It might sound silly, but if you know anything about Iceland, you’ll know about their hot springs. Don’t forget to pack a bathing suit, a travel towel, and possibly some flip flops. Flip flops will come in handy when you are walking around outside in the cold.
Because of the lack of daylight, a lamp torch will come in handy.
Also, a portable phone charger and pocket warmer will prevent you from missing out on capturing shots of the serene landscape because your phone caught a cold and died.
When you travel to Iceland during Wintertime for a week, we were there the first week of January, there isn’t a whole lot that you can do. This is partly due to the fact that some of the roads are closed due to heavy snow and difficult driving conditions.
It’s usually not possible to drive the ring road loop entirely during winter. However, if you do want to try it, keep in mind that the loop is 1400km, and due to the scarcity of daylight and the ever-changing weather conditions, driving might be slow and difficult.
You’ll need to build flexibility into your plans to allow for changes due to weather.
Once you’ve walked around Reykjavik, enjoyed their street art, and the major sites such as the Harpa, the statue of the Sun Voyager, the Hallgrímskirkja church, the parliament building, you might be ready to venture out of the city.
Of course you can travel with kids to Iceland. It’s safe, clean and friendly. They have all the commodities that you have back home.
You can even go into hot springs with them, so you won’t have to pass up that opportunity. However, it isn’t recommended for kids under the age of 2 to go into them.
We really enjoyed our time in Iceland, especially on New Year’s Eve. If you have kids, they will forever remember that night, at least, just as much as you.
Travel to Iceland during the winter holidays and discover on your own what Icelandic culture is all about.
Travel to San Francisco and feel the city’s past and present history of freedom and futurism.
I traveled to San Francisco in search of my soul with Big Boss and Blondie Bear while Junior was in the middle of nowhere with the Cadets, poor thing. This was my #5 from Turning 40 doing 40 list. As it would turn out, my soul was not in San Francisco but elsewhere. Despite that, I still absolutely loved San Francisco. Luckily, I had been exercising for weeks, or else my back would have never held up from all the walking we did, ouch!
San Francisco has a bundle of nicknames; the most notable ones are SF or The City by the Bay.
On June 29th, 1776 the first Spanish settlement was established in San Francisco, and was named Mission San Francisco de Asis. Today, it is known as Mission Dolores.
In 1846, San Francisco was conquered by the United States followed by an invasion of gold prospectors. Thus, began in 1848 the period known as The Gold Rush.
Fun fact: In 1849 San Francisco’s harbor was filled with abandoned ships, whose crews had deserted to head for the gold fields. Many of the vessels were used as raw materials for the city’s harborside expansion.
Unfortunately, in 1906, what is known as The Great Earthquake destroyed much of San Francisco due to intense fires. At the time, most of the housing was made of wood.
During World War II, San Francisco was the main point of embarkation for the Pacific side of the war and the hub for war industries.
To this day, San Francisco has maintained its reputation as a center of cultural bohemianism. In the earlier years it had drawn writers from Mark Twain to Jack London, became a center for the 1950s beat poets and for the Haight-Ashbury hippie counterculture that peaked with the 1967 “Summer of Love.”
To travel to San Francisco from Montreal, we flew. For once, it was a smooth airline ride. Our flight was not only on time, but we arrived 30 minutes early! Of course, our gate wasn’t ready upon our arrival but hey, we can’t have it all.
We took our first Uber ride to the airport in Montreal and it only cost us $25, AMAZING! The cab fare it costs around $40 + tip. Luckily, I slept during most of the flight as there was not much of a movie selection. Also, we had gotten up at 5:15 a.m. I did however get to watch Purple Rain. Apparently, it’s a “classic movie” alongside black and white films such as Some like it hot with Marilyn Monroe…odd.
San Francisco is a very big city, hence its international airport. You pretty much can get to it by plane from wherever you live. Other than that, it’s accessible by car or by train. However, if you are getting there by car, finding parking will be complicated and most likely cost a small fortune.
There is free WIFI at the San Francisco airport which is strange for the U.S. since you pretty much have to pay for everything there. Big Boss and Blondie Bear thought it would be a good idea to catch Pokemons in the men’s bathroom while Mama Bird waited patiently for them outside! grrr….
To get to where we were staying in Berkeley from the airport, we took the Bart. It’s San Francisco’s public transit name. The ride from the airport to North Berkeley station was about 1 hour long. Despite the wagons being a bit old, they were spacious and the seats comfortable. The Bart ride cost us $30, way cheaper than a Uber or a cab.
The best way to get around San Francisco city is on foot or by using the Bart. However, we came to the same conclusion as in NYC. If you can’t read and don’t understand English well, you are kinda screwed. You really need to pay attention to everything to figure out how to get from point A to point B when you travel to San Francisco.
It is imperative that you wear really comfortable shoes as you will be doing a lot of walking and San Francisco ain’t all flat.
If you are traveling with young kids, a baby wrap and a light stroller will come in really handy. As a general tip, try to focus on one area of the city at a time. Therefore, it will be a lot less tiresome for everyone. It’s also a good way to save money on transportation. By doing it so that way, all you need is a roundtrip ticket for the day. However, if you are a family of 4, riding Uber or Lyft as a roundtrip might cost you less than Bart tickets.
It will be hard not to notice when you travel to San Francisco how is expensive it is there. In fact, San Francisco is one of the wealthiest and most expensive cities to live in America. The high cost of living is due to its booming tech industry and proximity to Silicon Valley.
Therefore, sleeping in San Francisco is extremely expensive. When you travel to San Francisco, especially for a couple of days, you could consider sleeping outside of the city. Even though you will lose time commuting, you’ll save money for your lodging. Also, if traveling with kids, sleeping outside San Francisco might not be a bad thing. It will be quieter, and you’ll discover a new area.
We opted to stay in the area called Northwest Berkeley and rented a little place through Airbnb not too far of a walk from North Berkeley train station. It was our very first time using the Airbnb platform.
Discover North Berkeley, only 30 minutes away from some of the most popular districts of San Francisco
Read MoreWhen you travel to San Francisco, you’ll be tempted to venture outside the city. It wasn’t too much our case as we were only there for 5 short days during a long layover before heading out to Hawaii. Believe it or not, it only cost 100$ extra each to be able to do this planned layover.
That being said, we stayed in Berkeley so that got us out of the city every day we were there. If you don’t want to have to rent a car but still want to do something different when you travel to San Francisco, check out our Day Trip from San Francisco.
Who needs a car when you have Uber, Bart and your own feet? Discover our fun day outside of Sasn Francisco.
Read MoreWhen you travel to San Francisco and start walking around, you’ll realize how spread out the city really is. Actually, there are 36 neighborhoods in San Francisco, some of them divided into smaller districts.
If you are spending a few days there, it will be easier if you concentrate on a different area each day. This way, you won’t wear yourself out too much. That being said, we still ended up walking 20km on average per day. Call us crazy!
San Francisco Tip: If you plan to travel to San Francisco during the Summer and want to visit Alcatraz, you’ll need to book your tickets at least 2 months in advance. I had looked at the tickets and decided to purchase them 1 month prior to our trip. Unfortunately, everything was booked for the whole 5 days we were there. You can learn more about where to purchase tickets HERE. Blondie Bear was so disappointed that we couldn’t go to visit it. However, you can somewhat make up for it. Find out how in our article Day trip from San Francisco.
If you have three full days in San Francisco, here are some areas that you could check out.
Details of our first day in San Francisco:
* Chinatown
* Coit Tower
* Fisherman’s Wharf
What we did on our second day in San Francisco:
* Mission
* The Castro
* Haight
All and all, we really enjoyed our time travel to San Francisco. It’s a city part retro and part modern. If you are ever in the U.S, this should definitely be on your travel bucket list.
San Francisco weather tip: Plan for every scenario. There is a microclimate in San Francisco. The weather can drastically vary from one District to another. Therefore, pending on the season, always bring an extra layer of clothing with you.
We don’t recommend going there with small kids or if you are ‘elderly’ and unfit. That is if you are like us and like to explore cities by walking and are on a budget. At the time, I had been experiencing back pains. Luckily, I had been doing my back exercises up to the trip. Three months ago, I would have never been able to walk the 92km that we walked in 5 days. Sadly, no weight loss to report.
