‘The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.’ – Saint Augustine

For my summer travel plans, I knew I needed to be in London for Oasis and outside of that, I could do anything. My original plan was to road trip around the Faroe Islands for a week, then head to Copenhagen to Amsterdam, Paris, and then end in London. My Faroe trip sold out so I decide to shorten my summer in Europe to about a week and then do Costa Rica in December. I went through so many different travel options but ran into issues-travel time, summer is more expensive, and how hot it was going to be. Ultimately, I decided to do Iceland, London, and, top of my bucket list, Istanbul over about 9 days (including travel). Yes it was a lot but worth it. It also helps when you solo travel as you don’t have to worry about anyone else!

Since I had visited Iceland in January, I had really wanted to come back in the summer months. It worked out as I got a great deal out of Pittsburgh via Icelandair, which also meant I could see my dad before I left. I did their stopover program, essentially an extended layover on my way to London. I would have 3 full days to cram as many things into my time as I could. I knew I wanted to go to the south coast, snorkel in Silfra, and whale watching. I did all of that and so much more.

For Iceland, things seemed so much more expensive this go then previous-like I spent $40 on a bowl of pasta (and not a fancy bowl). I did things as cheaply as possible. My hotel was centrally located but super basic (still expensive). I was able to walk most places and just tried to ignore how much my excursions were going to cost me, ha!

The temperature in Iceland is still fairly chilly, high in the 50s. It was also very cloudy. Part of this was recent volcanic activity (which sadly was done by the time I went so I did not see any active flows) and just the overall weather. I will say, many pause about going to Iceland in the winter because it is only light for about 4 hours a day. Going in July, the weather was a bit better temperature wise but not I only saw blue skies once, briefly. This is to say, go when you want and dress in layers.

For clothes, I brought my trusty Blundstone’s which will take you from hiking to city life plus waterproof. If you do get a pair, I sized up (6.5 Aussie size and I wear an 8.5/9). The half size is just a bit wider not longer. I have another pair in black that are a 5.5. They fit as long as I don’t wear thick socks. For these, I went up a half size and did the wider as I have a high instep. They are perfect. I also loved my KÜHL clothing so much that I bought two sweaters on Postmark and splurged on their winterized leggings, Frost Softshell. They are a splurge and more than I have ever spent on a pair of hiking pants but so worth it. I know the quality would be good because I love the Vantage Joggr (which were gifted and then I bought another pair in coffee) and these were just as wonderful. They are fleece lined and water resistant. I wore these exclusively while there (outside of the morning I was in the leggings I landed in).

Once I went to London, I wore jeans and my Oasis concert outfit. This is incredibly privileged but I have been to London a lot and it is expensive. So I only spent two nights and the whole point was to see Oasis at Wembley. I also went to the Tower of London, which had their famed poppy display and wandered. I stayed in a hub hotel near Westminster Abbey and great location for a decent price.

Then off to Istanbul! It was actually one of the cheapest places to fly home from but quite expensive to fly to, so a wash. I flew via Wizz Air, a Hungarian discount airline (my usual EasyJet did not have an available flight). I did not know what to expect but it was great. Definitely budget but on par with EasyJet (who is still my preferred cheap, European airline). I stayed at the Celine Hotel and I cannot recommend enough. I got a great deal, they arranged airport transfers (about $120 total), and unbelievable location. Like, less than five minute walk to the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia.

While in Istanbul, I booked daily excursions and skip the lines with Get Your Guide. It was HOT. I wore long skirts with t-shirts (as you need to dress modestly when entering the mosque), and my Gizeh Birkenstocks. While they do provide coverings for men and women (much like is required to visit St. Peter’s Basilica ), I couldn’t be bothered with all that. I also live in skirts/dresses so didn’t really affect me. I would love to explore more of the country but, due to the heat, glad I decided to just do Istanbul for a few days! It was quite the juxtaposition from sweaters in Iceland!

A couple of things that I loved on this trip was, once again, my Lumix G9 and zoom lens. But I also think I found the best backpack. Cotopaxi just released their Allpa 26L backpack. It was perfect for what I needed. Plenty of room for my camera and three lenses, MacBook Air 15 inch, and iPad Pro. Plus snacks, Apple AirPod Max, and a puffer or rain coat ( both very old and used when needed). I loved it so much I am going to do the 42L (it will be a birthday gift to myself) for my upcoming trips to Costa Rica, Jordan, and (hopefully) Morocco, all which be smoother without a traditional suitcase. I also needed a new carryall bag as my Madewell tote was too small for my growing camera needs. So, after a lot of googling, I splurge on the Longchamps LePilage tote in large. The paper color is a bit of risk but held up really well. It fits so much stuff and worth the price (in my opinion). I also swear by my Away medium soft sided luggage (I have the discontinued dark green but the blue is lovely-i have it as a carryon). While expensive, I bought both of mine during their sales and saved quite a bit. I have taken my medium suitcase on every trip since I lived in Oregon and it still looks amazing (a benefit of soft sided luggage).

A thing to note is that the Istanbul airport is so nice, reminds me a lot of the Sydney airport. It is huge, efficient, and very expensive. Like $40+ for Burger King. I had a 5 hour flight back to London so just loaded up on snacks and then inhaled a lot of food when I was in Heathrow before my 11 hour flight back to Dallas (then another flight to Midland). I also did not drink enough water and jet lag hit me hard when I got home, including getting quite ill. Even with a thud of a homecoming, I had the best trip and I cannot wait to share it all over the coming weeks!