The Best Bits Of ... Iceland

1. The Bue Lagoon

The most magical experience you could imagine - and one of the most affordable activities in this notoriously expensive country. This geothermal spring, not far from the capital of Reykjavik, is filled with 60 million litres of water that comes from 2000 metres below the earth's suface where the water boils at 240 degrees Celcius. However, covered in goosebumpbs and standing outside in a bikini in the middle of winter - sub-zero temperatures - you're looking at this milky blue water thinking, 'There's no way I'm going in there'. But, step a little closer and you can see the steam rising of the thick-looking liquid.

2. The Geysirs

Continuing on with the mythological landscpae theme, Iceland is home to some of the world's most amazing geysirs. Meaning a sprouting hot spring, these geysirs start from just a tiny hole in the ground. Then you see the surface begin to bubble and, with almost no warning, a jet-like gush of steam and water errupts from the earth, sometimes up to 70 metres high. We went and saw Strokkur, which errupts every four to eight minutes. It's definietly worth seeing if you're travelling all the way to Iceland.

The best bits of ... London

1. Borough Food Markets

I thought I'd died and gone to heaven when I found this place. Quite unasuming and a little dodgy-feeling under a great big old bridge basically, the Borough Food Markets is a foodies' paradise. My personal favourite are the gooey Borough Market Brownies. Fresh fruit and vegetables, every cheese you could imagine, every type of sausage you could concoct, every baked good under the sun - it's truly a most remarkable place and one I miss every day. It's a great place to go and grab a picnic before heading to Hyde Park or Parliament Hill.

Borough Market Brownies... salivate...

Just a slice?

Best picnic ever at Parliament Hill

2. The buildings

3. Notting Hill and Portobello Road Markets

4. Hyde Park

5. The view at Parliament Hill

6. Camden Markets

7. Hampton Court Palace

8. The shopping

Of course there's the obvious - Oxford Street, Regent Street and Kensington High Street are the go-to shopping centres of London. But there's a few other stores and locations that are definitely worth the visit. You can pick up some really sweet dresses, playsuits, jackets and jewellery at Dahlia in, Fouberts Place near Soho. TK Maxx is a great department store that stocks heavily reduced designer clothing and homewares and can be found in a number of suburbs around London. There are also some great one-off shops with fantastic price tags along Portobello Road in Notting Hill, and the Camden Markets and Spitalfield Markets are definitely the places to go for something a little quirky or a little vintage. Spitalfield Markets is actually where the creator of the All Saints brand started selling her clothes.

Dahlia store in Soho

Unique Shoes London store on Portobello Road

9. The Norweigan Cafe in Great Titchfield Street

Located just off Oxford Street, the red-painted shopfront cafe creates some amazing Norweigan lunch options and snacks and also stocks some of the nation's own food products. The layered traingle sandwiches are must-tries - might I recommend the ham and cheese, or salmon and egg? For desert, the delicious, gooey chocolate cake with whipped cream is the hands-down winner.

The best bits of ... Munich

1. Pork knuckle with potato dumpling

In a word, this is OMG. If you're in western Europe for a while, you'll notice good meat is scarce to get a load of this chunk of a meal while you can. In Bavarian country they do it so well  - the pork is super tender and the crackling is extra crispy. You should be able to find this dish at most beer halls and if you're feeling extra peckish the German's will take care of you. "The Pan" will have you stuffed with a whole pork knuckle, half a roast chicken AND potato dumplings.

2. The beer halls

On just about every corner of Munich you'll find a traditional beer hall - some are bigger and some are smaller than others. When I was in Munich I went to one called Augustiner Brau and, me being a big sook and not being able to handle beer, the bar tenders suggested I have a shandy. Well, why stop at one? In Germany, bigger is better and you have to drink form a 1-litre stein. So I did. In fact, I drank two of them. It's all good - there's no preservatives in German beer (so I'm told) - that's why you don't get hangovers. Now, in Germany when they toast you say "Prost!" And you have to look the person you're toasting in the eye or you're doomed to be cursed with a crappy sex life for seven years. So the story goes.

* Totally overrated:
The Glockenspeil - it's a massive cuckoo clock at the new town hall (which, coincidentally, is right next to the old town hall and looks older than the old town hall). It rings for about 10 minutes  at 11am, 12pm and 5pm every day. How annoying.