The metro in Stockholm is a great service that is really easy to navigate. I will be honest, after I got off the flight I tried to get the overground train which would have got me to rural Sweden instead of the city centre. I went to one of the very lovely station workers and had to get pointed in the direction of the metro. Once you get pointed in the right direction it is really easy to get around! I have done a post on whats the best things to buy to get around Stockholm, check it out here.
Along the central line you can find gorgeous artworks in the tbana stations. Here are just a few!
I had to take these images off Bebo (such a throwback) so the quality and selection I have isn’t the best but I can still remember like it was yesterday. It is where my love of his mind came to be.
Located in Figures, Gerona, Spain, Dalí’s hometown. The building is amazing, its crazy with so much detail. I would go back tomorrow! There is actually a big trip I want to do in this area. So maybe one day soon I will be showing you this area properly!
I definitely recommend you take a trip to see it, it is unique and so unlike most museums.
The RDS building is best know for concerts, convention days, exams and talks but there is another feature to this location which I love. There is a load of stables at the back of the building. These stables house magnificent creatures during five days of equestrian madness. I have been going to the Dublin Horse Show since I was about 4 years of age. We as a family have never been ones for horse riding or any equestrian sport but there is something about this day out that is just so much fun!
There are large paddocks which show horses and riders in junior competitions and just the general showing of how magnificent the breeding of Irish horses really is. There is also a band stand where live music is played all day as well as lots of food trucks and stalls that sell every bit of equestrian gear you can think of.
One of the things that my family love is the RDS Craft and Student Art Awards Exhibition. My house has currently 10 pieces of art from going to this show every year. There are some amazing pieces and is definitely worth a look around. I always love the wood work, some of the pieces are just so wonderfully made it is incredible! The Nations Cup has always been our day, always on a Friday. In my opinion it is the best value for money as tickets for the main arena and general entrance is not cheap. It is 8 teams of four riders who jump 14 jumps. There are two rounds and whoever knocks down the least amount of fences, wins. The excitement of this is amazing.Generally everyone is behind every team but mostly for Ireland obviously. It is a shame when any fence goes down but we do love it when Ireland doesn’t knock any. This year was quite exciting because Ireland needed to do well in order to make it to the top 8 in the final in Barcelona so we needed to win! The course seemed quite challenging this year with last years winners, USA, finishing on 32 faults! That is quite the difference from last year! The faults for most teams were quite high.There were even a good few refusals on the water jump, maybe it was the lighting but it was all very exciting! There is something amazing happens when Ireland gets a clear round. The stands go mental! There is nothing like the noise we can make when Ireland clears a round and, even better, when we win! Which we did! The presenting of the cup is fantastic and I recommend you stay around for it. The first three teams come out and circle the ring. We all cheer and clap and all is well. One of my most favourite things is the pipe band that plays. They are fantastic. I love the drums and the noise. I love the last lap where they get back on their horses and gallop with the cup. It’s amazing!
Tips:
Get a score sheet. It is a lot of fun tracking the progress.
Bring a good jacket, it can go on till about 7pm so it can get cold.
Bring a picnic and your own beverages, queues are long!
DO NOT smoke in the stands.
Turn off your phone! I know this is a shock but the riders can probably hear a phone going off. It’s an arena.
Don’t talk for the entirety of the jumps, in the breaks that fine but as the riders are jumping, shut it and be respectful of others around you.
Don’t put your feet on the backs of people seats…is this not obvious to you?
Don’t be crap. There are a lot of people who are, don’t be one of them.
I had all of these things happen around me this year. To Mary, Ann Marie and Michelle behind me, you were all awful people. I know their names because they didn’t stop talking for the entire three hours of the event. You had zero respect for others and were just generally horrible. Hope you fall down a hole.
I love this day! I think it is fantastic and well worth it! You can get just general admission tickets but bring a camping chair and a rain poncho. It is a really great day out and I 100% recommend it! Have you been to the horse show? Is there anything like this where you are?
I spent three days in this beautiful country and I am no where near done. This is what I have done so far.
Reykjavik:
I love the city, no skyscrapers, colourful houses, beautiful street artmakes this city a perfect place to wander around and relax. I loved shopping downtown, walking from Harpa to the lake. Going to Hallgrímskirkjaand looking at the amazing view from the top. It’s also so close to the sea which is my favourite place to be! The entire sea front area is beautiful. I loved seeing the Sun Voyager sculpture.
Exploring this city is a must and I can’t wait to find more places next time. Here is my post on the food I experienced in Iceland!
The Golden Circle:
The Golden Circle is a great tour to do in winter, it runs all year round and is generally easy to do if you want to self drive. First stop is Þingvellir National Parkit is a beautiful location which is steeped in geographical and historical information. I definitely want to go back in summer/autumn! Next up is Geysir and Strokkurbeautiful location to see the amazing power of nature, Lastly but in no means least is the magnificent Gullfoss Waterfall this place is so beautiful! A must see.
South Iceland:
I had one day to get a glimpse of South Iceland and the short amount of time I spent there was amazing! I drove to Vik but the weather was so bad that I couldn’t see anything. I got to stop and take lots of photos of the amazing landscapes and I got to say hello to the cutest most lovely Icelandic Horses.
Save up your money! I know people say it’s expensive all the time but it really is!
If you want to do a lot, go on tours. Iceland is amazing but in Winter bus tours and super jeep tours are the easier option. Icelandic people know how to get around their country in Winter.
I am not a religious person and I am not that big on organised places of worship. I am not going to get into it on the internet because we all know that doesn’t end well but I recommend going to see this church.
It is a Lutheran church and is the 6th tallest building in Iceland. It is a focal point in the city, you can usually spot it so it’s a good building to use as a compass.
What struck me is that it is very plain, I actually liked that it was so bare, I have been in churches gilded and with stain glass, they scream of opulence and money and that doesn’t sit well with me so it was nice to go somewhere that was architecturally intricate and beautiful.
There was one stain glass window, simple, in the corner, unassuming and I really liked it.
The thing that I was most awed by was the amazing organ as you turn to leave. Wow, this amazing piece of art is just beautiful! It is stunning, with 5275 pipes of all different sizes. It is 15 meters tall and 25 tons. It is amazing.
I really recommend you go in and see for yourself. It’s nice to go into a quiet place away from the bitter cold.
Reykjavik has some amazing street art and sculptures scattered all round the city. I definitely recommend you walk around and try and spot these incredible pieces. All you have to do is keep walking, go down small streets and you are sure to find beautiful pieces all across the city.I love these birds they reminded me of the guinea fowl I saw in South Africa.
I love that down small streets you can find wonderfully creative pieces.
I don’t want to show too much because it’s a fun game wandering around finding them. Reykjavik is beautiful and with the addition of street art it makes it even more wonderful!
The Nations Cup has always been our day, always on a Friday. In my opinion it is the best value for money as tickets for the main arena and general entrance is not cheap. It is 8 teams of four riders who jump 14 jumps. There are two rounds and whoever knocks down the least amount of fences, wins. The excitement of this is amazing.
Generally everyone is behind every team but mostly for Ireland obviously. It is a shame when any fence goes down but we do love it when Ireland doesn’t knock any. This year was quite exciting because Ireland needed to do well in order to make it to the top 8 in the final in Barcelona so we needed to win! 
I love these birds they reminded me of the guinea fowl I saw in South Africa.
