I have been in Iceland for two months today, which is completely surreal.  The last week brought a flu I'm still shaking off, and there's nothing like getting sick to make you miss home.

For the last couple of weeks I had been flirting with the idea of swimming in the sea. 

As you've probably read or deduced (or maybe you're new... hi!), I'm currently living and working in Iceland since late June.  

Scotland's Isle of Skye, one of the Inner Hebrides, is a day's drive from Glasgow or Edinburgh and one of the most popular sites in Britain.  With the ominous Cuillin mountains looming overhead, clear waterfalls and lush, green countryside, it's easy to see why.

The Hurtigruten exemplifies Norway.  Whether it’s sitting in a Jacuzzi in the midnight sun, passing by snowcapped mountains and dramatic fjords or sipping Hot Toddy’s under the dazzling Northern Lights, the Hurtigruten provides the perfect mix of rugged landscape, luxury and arctic intrigue.

I've been in Iceland for four weeks now (which seems impossible), but haven't blogged my daily adventures, like I have done over the last few months.  Most days would go something like "I woke up, faffed around in my studio for six hours, collected objects from the beach, watched an episode of The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau and went to bed."  It wouldn't make the most riveting of journals, but that doesn't mean it isn't magical.

A notoriously expensive but famously beautiful country, Norway is paradise for those who are seeking wilderness, inspiration and adventure. 

Driving around Lake Myvatn and its surrounds was like driving on a different planet - milky blue pools contrasted with the sprawling orange deserts, and steamy mud pots gurgled and bubbled underfoot. 

Boiling hot geysers, a spectacular waterfall, the magical national park of Þingvellir... all within a days drive - there's a reason that the Golden Circle is the most touristed route in Iceland.  Here are some tips to soak up the beauty without being knocked about by crowds.

This week I spent 48 hours in Reykjavik, and these were (some of) the cats I ran into.

If you've come to Iceland in search of magic, you'll find it in the landscapes of the Westfjords.

Skagaströnd is home to few things.  Its primary claim to fame is a powerful prophetess from the Icelandic sagas, Þordis, and the mountain she climbed daily, Spákonufell: the prophetess’ mountain.

If a road trip around the Golden Circle is on your Icelandic to-do list, you should schedule a few hours at this completely magical, completely free hot river in Hveragerði.

I'm going to come right out and say it - Iceland's glacial lagoon is one of the most beautiful, lonely and strange places I've been to in my life.  I instantly fell in love.

If the Mars Rover footage had you dreaming of visiting foreign planets, then you need to get yourself to Iceland.  We’d hired a car for our first few days in Iceland so that we could explore the dramatic waterfalls and black beaches of the South, but weren’t wholly prepared for the strange scenery we were about to experience.