The land of ice and fire: Iceland

Iceland, the land of ice and fire. It is a small island located in the North Atlantic ocean, with a similar size to Hungary is not a very large country. Iceland is not only an incredible place to visit, but also a place of incredibly diverse geography and natural beauty. The country has a very small population of only ~300'000 people; with the capital of Reykjavik's population at ~120'000 people. Iceland is incredibly famous worldwide for its volcanos, natural hot springs and stunning natural beauty


Perhaps most recently in 2010 the eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted and caused massive disruption in the European airspace for air travellers because, of the ash clouds which. could've damaged jet engines. Iceland has many other volcanos vastly larger than the aforementioned such as; Hekla and Katla. These volcanos have the potential to cause much greater destruction. They have the potential to cause so called 'volcanic-winters' which is when the volcanic ash in the atmosphere from the eruption blocks out the sunlight and can temporarily cool the Earth causing: crop failure, death of animals and famine. I find it incredible that such a small island has the potential to cause global effects.


Iceland is the least populated country in Europe (with only roughly 320'000 people) and yet it has become one of the most popular and trendy tourist destinations to visit. Iceland's airlines, both its flagship carrier(Icelandair) and Its budget airlines (WOW air) both have offers which offer low fares between Europe and North America with a stopover in between in Iceland for up to a week. This has been a hugely successful campaign bringing a lot of tourism to Iceland.


I, myself have never visited Iceland however, I intend to do so in the not too distant future. I would intent to visit the Blue Lagoon which is an enormous hot spring and is one of the most famous in the world. I would also intend to visit the other volcanic sites of Iceland such as Katla and Heckla. I would also intend to spend a couple days generally hiking around Iceland to observe its natural beauty. The documentary that I've linked above is a documentary by National Geographic and is a great source of information if you would like to learn more about Iceland.


Thanks for reading!
Jonah

The almost perfect country: Sweden and its almost perfect capital

Sweden is a country which has come to be considered a 'utopia' by many people in other countries. People seem to think that the people are perfect, there's no problems in their society, they have a beautiful country and they speak a weird language.


Sweden is a country which I feel a very strong and deep connection to. My mother's side of the family is from there. I've decided to focus on one of the countries from which I originate.




Sweden is an extremely diverse country, from the relatively mild climate in the south in Skåne to the extreme land of the midnight sun and midday moon in Norrland.

This week I thought I'd begin with the capital city: Stockholm. Home of the monarch, one of the oldest cities in Europe being first settled after the ice age and becoming established in the eleventh century.

 

 



Taken by me of Sandhamn

.With a population of only 2,226,795 it's a relatively small city in comparison to some other major cities like London or Frankfurt.


Stockholm is built upon an enormous archipelago. An archipelago being a large group of islands. The main city centre is situated on fourteen main islands. There is also may smaller islands such as 'Sandhamn'(See picture taken by me to the right). The archipelago (as with many other archipelagos) is slightly different to the mainland of Sweden. There are many more deciduous trees as well as, a much more rocky landscape across its entirety. Many of the islands are places where, many Swedes have their holiday homes - Sommar Stuga. Each island is unique in its own right. Most of the islands have full facilities(running water, internet, phone signal and electricity) however some islands don't have any.


The Archipelago has been an inspiration to many writers for example: ABBA wrote many of their songs in a small cabin somewhere in the archipelago. During the summer the archipelago is bursting with life from tourists and Swedes who move there during the summer months. It is easy to get around as there is roads to many of the larger islands(Värmdö) and otherwise very good boat connections exist. However, during the winter ice limits the accessibility of some of the islands, there is fewer people and many business close when there is fewer people. This has caused problems for the permanent inhabitants of the island, and because of this there has been drives to encourage people to permanently relocate or retire to the islands, it is very doable to commute from many of the islands to the city centre, with 45minute ferry rides from many of the islands directly into the city.


Tourism, as I have made obvious is the main driving force of the archipelagos economy. Thanks to the 'Allemansrätt' one can hike around the islands without the worry of being arrested for trespassing. This has made them particularly popular for people seeking a retreat but at the same time, not being too far from civilisation.




In conclusion, the Stockholm Archipelago is an amazing geographical landscape which is well worth visiting. Stockholm Arlanda airport has connections to most major cities in Europe and the world.


Thanks, and feel free to leave a comment !

Introduction

Hello, my name is Jonah. This is my blog about travel; more specifically the different destinations to which I would recommend you go to.
Feel free to leave comments, suggestions and requests!


Hope you all enjoy,
Jonah