Sorry for the lack of posts this week — some dear friends from our summer camp community passed away in a tragic car accident last weekend and it was hard to concentrate on anything else. And then I’ve been busy planning future travels… but I will resume regular posting next Monday. Lots of fun stuff to share from my final weeks in South Africa and more about my summer adventures here in the States.

Guess what? I booked my next trip!

I’m so pumped to announce that next week I leave for a month of travel to Iceland, Spain, and Portugal. This is my first trip abroad since I returned from Africa last October and I’m grateful to squeeze in some international travel in this year.

ICELAND

Iceland is a place I’ve wanted to visit for a LONG time. My good friends Kelley & Irving went here on their honeymoon six years ago and while viewing their photos I felt the travel bug start to nibble… and my desire to go has only intensified as Iceland has become the hot new destination for more adventurous tourists (I’ve dubbed it “the new Costa Rica”). My own sister visited just last month, and she has been a great source of information as I plan my own trip.

I will arrive on a red-eye from Boston and depart on a red-eye to Spain… which leaves me with exactly eight full days to pack in as much adventure and sightseeing as I can manage. That’s not a lot of time, but there are lots of daylight hours this time of year so I can make the most of it. My trip will begin with a visit to the Blue Lagoon (it’s close to the airport).

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I will start and end in the capital city of Reykjavik. Check out those colorful houses:

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Next I’ll drive around the Ring Road during a six-day road trip. One highlight will be Jökulsárlón, a bay of floating glaciers.

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Here’s an example of turf houses found around Iceland (which remind me of Hobbit holes I saw in New Zealand).

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I’m excited to see many waterfalls here, especially Skógafoss:

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Skaftafell National Park is also on the list.

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There’s a nearby glacier hike that’s popular here but it’s only available in winter months (it’s too warm and unstable in the summer). Check out the colors of this glacier cave:

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As I’ve planned this trip, one thing is certain: I must return to Iceland during winter to try all the adventure activities available those months. The whole country looks like a winter wonderland covered in snow; it’s an entirely different landscape compared to the summer months. Plus it’s the best time to view the aurora borealis — during the summer there are too many hours of daylight to see the Northern Lights. However I saw the below photo on Facebook the other day… the first glimpse of aurora borealis spotted at Lake Myvatn, almost a full month earlier than normal. Please let them be there next week…

Honestly, the activity I am most excited for is snorkeling at Silfra. This is where two tectonic plates meet underwater, and it’s possible to snorkel or scuba dive here. Visibility is outrageously good — you can see up to 100 feet or more underwater. The sapphire water is freezing cold so tour companies provide dry suits (I’ve only used wet suits before) to keep swimmers warm. I’d love to dive here but it’s too expensive so I think I have to settle for a snorkeling trip.

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Speaking of adventure activities in Iceland, I’ve had a difficult time arranging blog or photography discounts here — I wonder if these travel companies have become overwhelmed by bloggers contacting them as Iceland has skyrocketed in popularity. It’s a shame because the lack of support from Iceland tour companies will limit my blog coverage of this country; I simply can’t afford the price tag on most of these excursions (around $150-300 per activity — like hiking an ice tunnel, climbing inside the caldera of an extinct volcano, and scuba diving at Silfra). So I will spring for snorkeling at Silfra but otherwise I’ll stick to free activities like hiking and exploring the landscape and national parks. It’s expensive enough to be in Iceland — rental car is $100 per day, hostels are $50 per night, food is not cheap — so I have to make my activities budget-friendly. I will be camping for five out of seven nights.

Regardless of the drain on my bank account, I’m over-the-moon excited to visit Iceland. Fingers crossed for decent weather and a possible glimpse of the Northern Lights.

SPAIN

Remember last year I flew to Morocco by way of Madrid? I took photos from the plane of the gorgeous countryside and remarked how eager I was to return. Truthfully, that layover in no small part influenced my decision to add Spain to this itinerary. After departing Iceland I will head to Madrid for a few days of sightseeing. I last visited this city in 2003 for a mere 36 hours during a whirlwind trip to Spain while studying abroad in college; I remember loving it and can’t wait to return.

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Next I’ll head to Granada to visit the Alhambra, a place I learned about in high school Spanish class and have always wanted to visit. I had assumed buying an entrance ticket wouldn’t be a problem until I happened to read something on a travel blog the other day — they recommend buying tickets up to 90 days before your visit as they often sell out well in advance. Isn’t that nuts — they allow 6,600 people inside per day and sell out months prior! My first choice of dates was sold out but luckily they still had availability the day before so I jumped on it. I had to cut a day in Madrid, but visiting the Alhambra will be worth it.

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Since I gained an extra day by moving up the Alhambra, I might just relax in Granada for longer, or I could head south to check out the beaches in Nerja. Those turquoise waters are tempting but it might be a pain to get here via bus / train, and the beaches in southern Portugal will look similarly impressive.

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Cordoba is another option — I didn’t think I’d have time to squeeze it in, but now that there’s an extra day to play with I might make it here.

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I’m definitely going to Ronda, a village perched on a tower of rocks with stunning views.

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My last stop in Spain is two nights in Seville. Can’t wait to walk around and take ALL THE PHOTOS. This place looks spectacular.

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PORTUGAL

I’ll take a bus from Seville into Portugal and then spend three nights on the Algarve coast soaking up as much beach time as possible.

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This is the Benagil Cave in the Algarve — HOW COOL. Cannot wait to check out this area.

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Then I’ll head up to Lisbon for a few nights. Other travel bloggers have compared this city to San Francisco and I can see why; they even have steep hills and trolley cars.

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I hear that a day trip to nearby Sintra is a must — it looks like something out of a fairy tale.

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There’s an inverted tower that goes into the ground at Sintra — I pinned this on Pinterest a long time ago and recently re-discovered it. So excited about this place.

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Then I’ll head north to Porto, the other main city along the coast in Portugal. It looks gorgeous.

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The Lello bookstore in Porto is calling my name — I read that its interior provided JK Rowling with inspiration for parts of the Harry Potter world. Can’t wait to photograph it with my fish-eye lens.

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Finally, I hope to take a day trip to the Douro Valley wine region outside of Porto.

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Then I’ll take the bus or train back to Lisbon and fly to JFK… and three days later I start a new gig:

I’m thrilled to work with my Peter Pan Live friends on this new live musical for NBC. It airs on December 3rd.

And that is the rest of my year! Thank you for following along — I look forward to sharing more travel inspiration from Iceland, Spain, and Portugal in the coming months!

XO, Erica