ICELAND

First major world tour stop

The  little pandas arrived at their first major stop. It was a huge change in landscape, weather AND mindset compared to the previous days.

✈️ Day 1: Arrival & Panda Orientation 🇮🇸🐼

The little pandas had officially arrived at the first major stop of their world tour... and what a welcome Iceland gave us!

Even before we landed, the views from the plane were breathtaking.

Out of one window stretched the endless ocean and intense green landscapes, dotted with just a handful of colourful little houses. 🌊🏡

On the other side, dramatic brown volcanic landscape, making us wonder whether our plane had accidentally landed on another planet. 🌋🪐

And that was only the first glimpse...

Now this felt like the world tour we had imagined. 🐼✨

One thing became clear almost immediately: Iceland takes child safety incredibly seriously. 👶🛡️

In nine years of travelling, this was the first country where we were asked to provide a parental consent form, together with copies of both parents' passports.

And it didn't stop there!

Our airport shuttle bus wasn't even allowed to leave until the staff had found and correctly installed the appropriate child car seat for our youngest little panda. 🚌💺🐼

It turned out this wasn't just an airport policy—it applied to every form of transport we used throughout our stay, from taxis to excursion buses. Resulting in many activities that Iceland is known for off limits for families with young childen and thus for us.

With all the practicalities sorted, it was finally time for the little pandas to begin the important business of adjusting to their new surroundings.

Well... mostly Finnibear. 😄

Nicobear had claimed the ultimate VIP seat on the bus and slept through much of the journey, enjoying a well-deserved nap in complete comfort.

During the 45-minute drive from Keflavík Airport to Reykjavík, Finnibear spent most of the trip trying to decide whether this strange landscape actually belonged on Earth. 🌍👽

Luckily, he found the perfect person to discuss it with—a lovely Irish gentleman who happily joined the conversation.

He told Finnibear about his month-long expeditions aboard icebreakers to Greenland, planting yet another dream in our little explorer's imagination even before we arrived at the Old Harbour where our appartment was located.

And just like that, Day 1 had set the tone for what promised to be an unforgettable Icelandic adventure. 🇮🇸

Ps: If you ever plan to come to Iceland, the old harbour is THE perfect location, as everything is max 15 min. walk and all excursion leave just from the front door. Thus, no stress in the morning to rush. And yes normally this area is ridiculous expensive, unless you book 6-9 months prior with option to cancel.

🏛️ Day 2: Perlan and the Great Indoor Expedition

Today we visited Perlan, which turned out to be the perfect place to learn everything Iceland wanted us to know before throwing us into the wilderness.

First stop: an ice cave where the temperature dropped to a frosty −15°C🥶. Even fluffy fur wasn't enough to stop the shivers!

Along the way, the little panda bears discovered that Iceland's newest volcanic eruption occured only about 30 km from Reykjavík 🌋. After sleeping for around 800 years, the volcano woke up in the very same year that little Nicobear was born—what a fiery birthday coincidence!

Even more exciting, scientists say another eruption could happen at any time, as the magma chambers are full. 🌋

Next, they bravely ventured underground on an amazing 4D journey inside a volcano. The experience was so incredibly realistic that little Panda Bear clung tightly to Mamabear for a moment 😳... but curiosity soon won, and the adventure continued!

Their final stop took them beyond Earth on a magical trip through the universe in the planetarium✨.

They learnt how the beautiful auroras dancing in skies of Earth and other planets were created.

And finally following the journey of Sally the polar bear from Greenland to Iceland. Her sad ending was a  powerful reminder of the effects of global warming. 

The museum also confirmed that Iceland is basically nature showing off.

Homeschooling made easy, as our curious older Panda excitingly roomed around in the museum for another 2 hours.

The younger one decided to rather improve his engineering skills with legos before joining his brother.

🚌 Day 3: Golden Circle Champions

Today we tackled the famous Golden Circle. 🌋

One thing became clear almost immediately: in Iceland, every road seems to lead either to a waterfall, a volcano, a glacier, or all three at once. 🌋💦❄️

They hopped back and forth between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, which especially thrilled Finnibear, who had just learned how the ancient supercontinent Pangaea broke apart into today's puzzle continents. Learning really does become exciting when you can stand on it! 🤩🌎

Next, they stood on the edge of a volcano that hasn't erupted for over 6,000 years 🌋

before watching the famous geysers bubble, hiss and suddenly explode! Although they weren't quite as gigantic as expected. They did however deliver a powerful lesson about what 80–100°C water can do as the little panda bears watched a child standing on the wrong side of a geyser during strong winds and was splashed and slightly burned by one of the smaller eruptions.

It was a sobering reminder to always respect natures forces—and to imagine what a fully active eruption could have been like.

Their adventure continued to a breathtaking waterfall, where they enjoyed delicious homemade sandwiches 🥪

💦 before ending the day by feeding the adorable Icelandic horses on a nearby farm. 🐴

It was a beautiful but also exhausting day for the little panda bears. 🐼💙

Because of Iceland's earlier mentioned child car seat safety rules, youngest Panda Bear spent almost the entire 8-hour excursion securely strapped into his seat.

Safe? Absolutely.

Comfortable? Not according to him! 

He made sure Mamabear, the tour guide... and probably the entire bus knew exactly how he felt.

To make matters worse, Mamabear had made one crucial mistake: she forgot to pack the **LEGO**! 🧱🙈

A parenting error she promises will never happen again.

Thankfully, we were once again surrounded by wonderful fellow travellers, who happily chatted with the children and even played endless rounds of "Would You Rather?"

That gave Mamabear a precious minute to catch her breath after hours of playing "I Spy with My Little Eye."

🐋 Day 4: Reykjavik and the Whales

The day began with exploring Reykjavik. 

First stop was a stunning black sand beach, sparkling as if someone had mixed tiny diamonds into the sand. ✨🏖️

If it hadn't been for the powerful winds the little panda bears could have happily stayed there all day.

And speaking of the weather.. everyone tells you to be prepared for  four seasons in one day in Iceland. What they don't tell you is that those seasons don't occur during 12 hours—they change every 12 minutes! 🌦️😄

One moment, the little panda bears were sheltered from the wind, with the sun shining and temperatures feeling like a lovely 22°C.

A few steps later, they turned into the open, icy winds picked up, a few clouds covered the sun, and suddenly it felt closer to 10°C 🥶☀️

Dressing for Iceland? That's a challenge even the smartest panda can hardly solve!

Then it was off to the whale museum.

The bears wisely decided they wanted to visit museum prior to finding the majestic giants on the next day.

There we met life-sized whales and immediately realized how tiny humans actually are. 🐋

The pandas spent a concerning amount of time discussing which whale would make the best pet.

And while Nicobear practised his communication skills with the whales, Finnibear took a more serious approach and was rewarded with a whale expert certification. 

After thoroughly testing the local playgrounds 🛝 and enjoying a few relaxing hours, the little panda bears recharged their batteries before heading into the lively evening crowd of Reykjavík 🌆.

The streets were buzzing with people, music and summer vibes. Buzzing? Well given summer peak time, it still felt fairly quiet and chilled compared to EU  landside capitals,  making it the perfect to discover the famous touristic landmarks. 🐼✨

After soaking up the evening atmosphere, the little panda bears headed home to cook dinner. 🍝🐼 And yes... the rumours about Iceland's prices turned out to be absolutely true! 💸

Paying around €40 for a single fish & chips or even a simple salad wasn't a tourist trap—it was just the normal price! 😳 Eating out every day for a family of three quickly proved to be way beyond the budget  especially after the infamous Dublin incident. 🙈 Luckily though the tab water was delicious, never seen the panda bears drink that mych water🥛

Luckily, the groceries were absolutely delicious! 🥖🧀🍓 Even Mamabear's cooking became a huge hit with the little bears. 😋 

🚢 Day 5: The Hunt for Giants and the Vikings

Whale cruise day has arrived! 🐋⛵

Armed with excitement, warm layers, and enough snacks to survive a small expedition, we headed out to sea.

Every distant splash immediately triggered shouts of:

"THERE! Whale!"

Just when the little panda bears thought the adventure couldn't get any better, they stumbled upon a playful family of dolphins! 🐬✨ They raced through the water at incredible speed, surfacing right beneath the little pandas' noses as if they had come over to say hello.

A few magical moments later, after a bit more searching, they spotted a whale peacefully chilling in the ocean. 🐋 Every now and then it sent a spectacular spout of water high into the air before giving the panda bears a gentle wave of its enormous tail, as if wishing them a safe journey. 💙

Mamabear rated the experience a solid 11/10 🌊😄 The bumpy boat ride only made it more exciting, with the little panda bears enthusiastically screaming Huiiii!"every time the boat bounced over another wave. 🎢🐼

Their excitement couldn't have been more ironically timed, as they were standing right next to two passengers battling very vocally their sickness**. 🤢🙈 

Yet the little panda bears were  not done for the day! 🐼⚔️ Ever since arriving in Iceland, Finnibear had been asking to visit the famous Viking Museum, and today his wish finally came true.

"We'll be in and out in five minutes,"thought Mamabear. 🤭

Well... two hours later, the little panda bears were still happily exploring the tiny museum! 🏛️🐼

The biggest surprise? Finnibear absolutely amazed Mamabear. He listened carefully to every explanation, eagerly retold everything he had learned and chatted with the museum staff for ages, asking thoughtful and surprisingly clever questions. 🤓✨

And little Nicobear certainly wasn't shy either! 💙 He confidently asked his own questions, proudly explained to Mamabear what he had discovered, and made sure not a single interesting detail went unnoticed.

And of course then came the re-enactment of the viking times.

Who knew such a tiny museum could spark such big curiosity? ❤️

 🌋 The Grand Finale: Lava show (ing off)

The little panda bears' final day is here... and what a grand finale! 🌋🐼 Today, they're off to witness an active volcanic eruption firsthand—an experience they'll never forget!

After exploring Iceland's dramatic volcanic landscape, they visited the world-famous Lava Show, where real molten lava is poured right into the room! 🔥 Watching the glowing lava flow, crackle and slowly cool just a few metres away gave the little panda bears a fascinating glimpse into the incredible forces shaping Iceland.

Even Mamabear could feel the intense heat from her seat!

Of course, the little panda bears couldn't leave without collecting a few amazing volcano facts:

• 🌋 The favourite playground game "The Floor is Lava" isn't quite accurate! You won't sink into lava. Its surface cools and hardens within minutes, forming a crust you can stand on briefly in some conditions—although the lava underneath is still around 1,000°C (and the bears thought geysirs are hot)

• 🧊 The cooled surface also explains why Iceland's glaciers don't  melt during volcanic eruptions.

• ☠️ The greatest danger during many eruptions isn't the lava itself, but the toxic volcanic gases.

• 🌋 Not all lava is the same! Iceland's lava is relatively runny, so it usually flows slowly, making many Icelandic eruptions "safe".

• Other volcanoes contain stickier, gas-rich magma, which traps pressure and can lead to violent explosive eruptions. And guess where many of those volcanoes are? Much closer to home... in ...  Italy! 🌋

What an end to our trip. Thank you Iceland. You were nothing short of WOW moments.

Then we were heading home for early sleep as we had to get up at 4h30 in the morning to catch our flight.

Time to say goodbye to Iceland . 🇮🇸

The little pandas left with majestic moments, setting the expectations for upcoming journey high, firmly believing that every country should come with volcanoes, waterfalls, and whale sightings included.

Until next time, Viking Island.