Reykjavik - Iceland

This is one place I had no idea what to expect. A very popular destination from the UK, particularly in February ands March which are the best months for a chance to see the Northern Lights. An early flight out of Luton flying the length of the UK and over Glasgow before turning north west and making for Iceland. First impressions out of the plane window were very flat, very white and very cold looking. On landing, it hadn't changed much from that. It had started to snow and was registering 0 degrees, with a wind chill making it into the negatives. We had booked a car for the couple of days and after the briefing on road conditions and warnings of the wind factor (strong enough to blow cars doors off if not opened carefully), we sat for a moment and wondered how we would manage with the snow falling, the wind howling, the icy roads and driving on the right!!!!

It's a 40 k run from the airport at Keflavik into the capital of Reykjavik, good roads most of the way but barren landscape. Miles and miles of flat ground, very rocky soil and white snow. As they have just finished their Winter, there is nothing green to be seen - so far it is rather bland. There are snow covered mountains in the distance, but the cloud is low so they are hardly visible. Then suddenly Reykjavik comes into view and things improve.

 

Reykjavik town with its eclectic and colourful houses

 

After checking in to the hotel, we  headed off for a walk around the city to get a feel of the place. Towering high above the landscape we could see the cross of the Hallgrimskirkja church and what a marvellous piece of architecture it is. A lift ride to the top for 360 degree views of Reykjavic and the surrounding area. No stained glass windows but still remarkable inside in its simplicity, and a stunning church organ made up of 5275 stainless steel pipes. Imagine polishing them!

 

                      The impressive Hallgrimskirkja church by day and by night

                                      
Beautiful interior in its simplicity. No stained glass windows but an amazing 5275 pipe organ
                       
After lunch, we grab our bathers and headed to the Blue Lagoon. It is a geothermal spa located in the middle of a lava field, the water temperatures are 37 - 39 degrees and it is rich in minerals of silica and sulphur. Buckets of white silica mud are available for the use of the bathers, so men and women alike cover themselves hoping to receive the benefits of the minerals. Sadly, I don't really think it made much difference to our wrinkles.

 

A popular way to spend the day in 0 degrees - swimming!

 

A bar provided selling champagne, beer or hot chocolate

                        Facials with the white silica mud - trying to improve the complexions

 

A stunning setting. Blue Lagoon geothermal lagoon - Iceland

 





Next day we headed up into the mountains to the villages of Geyser and Gulfoss to see the hot spring geysers and waterfalls. Passing through spectacular scenery, and well salted roads, it was an easy trip. Eruptions have  been recorded up to 70 meters, though not reaching that the day we visited, were still impressive. But was it cold!! The wind was blowing at 20 metres per second (70 ks per hr) and no matter how many layers we were wearing, it wasn't enough. We were able to stand so close to the geyser, much closer than Australian regulations would allow. No OH&S here.

 

Waiting .....

Getting there ......

Thar she blows and we are only 4 metres from it!

From Geyser it was a short hop to Gulfoss where the waterfall was is full flow with the melting snow after Winter. Bus loads of tourists and private 4 wheel drive tours were everywhere - a very popular destination. By now it had stopped snowing, the sun was shining and the weather definitely on the improve with clouds clearing to beautiful blue skies.

 

4 wheel drive -  Iceland style

 

 

The rugged beauty of the Iceland country

 

Watery sunshine makes for amazing lighting

 

Waterfalls at Gulfoss in their prime with the melting Winter snow

 

Our last day was spent wandering around the foreshore and taking in our final sights of Reykjavik. Time for a little shopping and a coffee. Overnight it had snowed  snow quite heavily and all the trees and gardens had now turned white. Down on the waterfront is Reykjavik's famous sculpture named Sun Voyager. It is of a dreamboat, an ode to the sun and represents the promise of undiscovered territory, and a dream of hope, progress and freedom. Looking across the water to the snow covered Mount Esja, it really was a spectacular sight.

 



 

Sun Voyager sculpture on the foreshore at Reykjavik

 

 

Snow covered tree branches

 



                           The ideal place to leave Pete for an hour whilst I shop for souvenirs.

 

Our couple of days there had all too quickly come to an end. We had handled the weather conditions as well as the right hand driving,  and seen some amazing landscapes. We never did get to see the Northern Lights as even though the days cleared to blue skies, the evenings clouded over with little to no chance of seeing them. Certainly a different landscape to the rolling green hills of Europe but truly a stunning country and a most enjoyable couple of days in a unique part of the world. 

The Cotswolds

It's a weekend away in the car without a plane trip involved - just for a change. A 2 hour drive SW from Luton towards the Welsh border brings us down into the very picturesque area of the Cotswolds.  Rolling green hills with quaint little villages dotted all around us and the first of the spring daffodils appearing in the paddocks. We stayed at the Four Pillars Water Park at South Cerney, set on acres of lakes and open countryside. The weather had been typically English, grey skies and rain so the walks around the lakes were muddy and mushy, but still nice to get out and walk amongst the daffies.

                           The Four Pillars Water Park Hotel - looking from the far side of the lake

Making the most of some dry hours, we headed off to visit our first Cotswold village of Bourton-on-the-Water. Voted as one of the prettiest villages in the Cotswolds with the River Windrush meandering through the heart of town, the water is abundant with birds and ducks - all hopeful of being fed by the many tourists around. The trees lining the banks were just starting to break out in flower after their dormant winter and made a very picturesque setting. There are numerous stone bridges crisscrossing the river, making the village known as the Venice of the Cotswold.

                                                            Bourton - on - the - Water

                                                  Just the start of the spring blossoms.

 

                               The River Windrush running right through the middle of town.

Next morning we headed closer to the Welsh border down to the Forest of Dean and into the little town of Cinderford where my great grand mother grew up. I was trying to chase more information on the family and locate the house - St. Annals. All I had was the memory of a photo with the family all seated on the front steps of the home, and the knowledge that it was now owned by the local council and used as an Information Centre. I also knew the Brain family had owned 2 coal and 1 iron mine and were very influential people in the town. We located the house very easily, a grand stately home, 3 levels and in very good condition. It was next door to the Methodist church, which the family had also owned at the time. As luck would have it, inside the council were holding an open day on the history of the area and original residents. On mentioning my relationship to the  'Brain' family, all sorts of people came forward with information and were happy to chat about the knowledge they had. We heard how Trafalgar mine was the first ever to use electric power, and the first game of floodlit football was played at the colliery. Then the story of how the family used the church next door as very comfortable stables for their horses. Eventually when they moved from the area, the Methodist church purchased the premises back and the council acquired the family home. A couple of hours later, with pages of historical notes and photos, and heads spinning with information, we were taken on a tour of the village and the remnants of the once great Trafalgar Colliery. It was a great day of discovery.

 

St. Annals - Home of the Brain family

 

The church next door which were the stables

 

Standing stones - all that is left of Trafalgar Colliery

Our second day was to discover more of the local area and we started with a walk from Lower to Upper Slaughter. Awful names for such picturesque towns, but it has something to do with the old English name for muddy place - nothing sinister. The River Windrush also runs through the two villages and a winding lane just under a mile long joins them. The cottages along the way are all built of Cotswold stone, some of their foundations actually in the water.

                                A stately English home but imaging trimming those hedges !!

                               A pretty scene along our walk between Upper & Lower Slaughter

 

Cottages made from Cotswold stone

 

We spent the rest of the day going from one village to the next - Stow-on-the-Wold, Burford and Bilbury, all so quintessentially English with their cottage gardens of jonquils and daffodils, and some with thatched roofs. Life seems to move at a slower pace in this small corner of the world.

Our last morning was spent with a visit to Broadway Tower, an 18th century tower build mainly for decoration than purpose. It is 65 feet high with a spiral staircase from ground to the top, giving spectacular views stretching across to the Welsh mountains. Because of its great vantage point, it was used in the wars by the Royal Observers Corp to track enemy planes over England. By now the weather had reverted to the usual English cold, damp, windy conditions so it was time to get back into the warmth of the car and head for home. A wonderful couple of days in a beautiful part of the UK.

                   
                                                                  Broadway Castle

                                    Looking west over into Wales and trying to look warm !!

3 days in Marrakech

Finally our long awaited trip to Marrakech had arrived. Flying out of Gatwick meant a 1.5 hour train trip to the airport, but it was warm and comfortable inside the train as the snow lightly fell outside. Most of our flights away have been under 2 hours, so this one being over 3 hours was long to us. Marrakech is located in the northwest corner of the African nation of Morocco and at the bottom of the Atlas mountains, and yet the Sahara desert is only a few hours away. A real mix of cultures from French to Arabic and African, our school knowledge of French being put to the test.

We stayed within the medina at a Riad, a traditional Moroccan house built around an interior courtyard and as we had arrived late into Marrakech, we opted to eat in the first night trying local cuisine and a lovely chicken tagine. Our lodging was just a few minutes walk from the main square - Jemaa El Fna. By day it was filled with stalls selling freshly squeezed orange juice (orange trees growing down the main street wherever you looked) and snake charmers aggravating the reptiles and enticing people to take a photo - only one! A second photo costs more!!! Monkeys dressed in dolls clothes and encouraged to 'go to passers by' for yet another costly photo experience. It was entertaining watching the innocent tourist think they could just take a quick snap then get chased and hounded to pay the price. More stalls selling silverware, ceramics, fabrics, herbs and spices, oils and lotions, beanies and fez of all colours as well as an assortment of entertainment.

 

Dinner at our Riad in Marrakech

                                              Place Jamaa El Fna - the main square just

                               An entrance into the medina - the old walled city in Marrakech

 

Walnuts, almonds, figs, peanuts - all locally grown

 

Cobras and Vipers captivating the tourists

 

Vendor selling his bread - very tasty too.

And then there is the Souk! A labyrinth of alleys where one is destined to get lost. Prices are set by bargaining between the buyer and the seller and all trying to entice you into their stall by offering the best price and the best quality.

          Alleyway after alleyway, stall after stall of amazing colours and sights .... and people.

 

and they just go on!

 

Anyone for olives? - shame we don't like them.

 

 

                                         The most amazing displays of lamps and lanterns

 

100% manual wood lathe - locals call it the Berber Black 'n' Decker! 

 

After a day of walking miles, it was nice to take a bottle of local Moroccan wine up to the terrace top of our Riad to sit and relax. We were only a few minutes walk away from the noise and hectic pace of the square and the Souk but it was so peaceful up on the roof. 

 

 

Waiting for the wine to arrive. Just nice to take the weight off our feet.

 

Our roof top view across Marrakech

 

One day we hired a driver to show us the local area surrounding Marrakech. Thankfully his English was very good so we had a running commentary throughout the day. It didn't take long to get out of the flat surrounding area of the city and we were soon heading up towards the snow capped Atlas mountains. We passed acres upon acres of olive groves and orange orchards, all flourishing and a major export for Morocco. With an endless water supply from the mountains, the peaks being covered in snow even through Summer, everything was so lovely and green and the soil looked very fertile We wound our way up through the Ourika valley to a point where we were stopping for lunch. This was the end  of the road for cars - all villages further on up the mountain could only be accessed by donkey or foot. We were introduced to a local guide who took us up a path of sorts, an unexpected mountain climb to the waterfalls and a great vista back down over our base. Nothing like some strenuous exercise to get the blood pumping in the cold mountain air. Back down and another delicious tagine for lunch.

 

A view looking up through the Ourika valley. Restaurant tables set up near the waters edge.

 

Waterfall stop on our walk

 

The snow capped Atlas mountains

That evening, we had booked ourselves into the Medina Spa for some pampering. First the steam to open the pores, then we lay on marble tables (cushioned) and drenched with buckets and buckets of warm water. This was followed by an all over body scrub with fragrant soap, washed off and then another scrub with rock clay mineral. While this worked its wonders, our feet were scrubbed and massaged. Drenched again with another few buckets of warm water, dried and then a 45mins body massage with fragrant oil. Moroccan tea to finish - the only part we didn't enjoy. The experience was amazing and we floated back to our Riad for sleep.

Our 3 days was at an end and after breakfast, time to bid farewell to our hosts and make our way back to London. Clear blue skies all the way and a great view as we left the African continent, across Spain, the tip of France, the islands of Jersey and Guernsey and into the UK.

Lake Como

‏

Our long awaited weekend away at Lake Como was finally here. After catching a lunchtime flight from Luton on a glorious clear sky day, 2 hours later we had crossed the rugged snow covered mountain tops of the alps and were heading for Malpensa airport in Milan. We were met by our dear friends Jan and Ross and getting used to the strange feeling of driving on the right hand side of the road, we wound our way through small villages to Lake Como.

Nestled at the base of the Rhatian Alps, it has to be one of the prettiest places we have seen so far on our adventures to the continent. Dropping the backpacks at our apartment, it was a 10 minute stroll down to the lakes edge, dotted along the way with beautiful historic old buildings and cafés everywhere. The sun was just starting to sink, so we found a spot looking out over the lake, ordered beers and a bottle of Prosecco and toasted to catching up with old friends. What a great start to the weekend.

The sun starting to set over Lake Como

Myself and Jan in the old part of Como town

The next morning, we set off in the car along the lakes edge making heading towards Bellagio. Stopping in the small village of Torno, we parked the car and meandered our way down cobbled steps towards the water. At the bottom of the steps we walked right into a film shoot and were quickly approached by someone talking very rapid Italian. At first we thought they wanted us to be 'extras' then realised they just wanted us out of the way so they could continue filming "damn tourists"! We opted to stop and watch  the proceedings whilst enjoying a coffee. We tried to asked for a latte, but it was totally lost in translation - cappuccino they could understand.

Coffee down at the film shoot in the village of Torno

Back on the road and heading for Bellagio for lunch. This little town has such a reputation and we could see why. A lovely tree lined waterfront where the ferries arrive and depart across the lake, a network of stepped and cobbled lanes rising up the hill, full of classy boutiques, cafés and jewellery stores with their famous handmade Murano glass. Whilst the guys lingered over a coffee, Janice and I decided it was time to shop for a souvenir of our trip and couldn't resist the Murano pendants. Thankfully it was not peak season, so it was easy walking amongst the tourists that were there. I can imagine this little town would be inundated in the summer and packed with all nationalities - such a popular destination. You could spend hours walking up and down the lanes, window shopping and just soaking up the atmosphere. And of course hoping for a sighting of George and his new wife - but not this time! Heading for home back along the narrow winding road and the breathtaking views around each bend never stop - mountains and water are such a lovely combination. While in Italy, it had to be Italian for dinner so pizza and of course more Prosecco.

                                                     Looking north towards Bellagio from Torno

Pete meandering down the cobbled steps to the water

Stopping for a breather - its quite a steep climb

Janice enjoying the boutique shops of Bellagio

Sunday we decided to do a leisurely lake cruise zig zagging our way up from Como and making for Menaggio, almost directly across the lake from Bellagio. Taking 2 hours to reach our destination, it was certainly a relaxing way to travel. Once there, we found a beach side cafe looking out across the lake, and settled down for a lunch of risotto and pasta, and of course more Prosecco.   

A lakeside villa along the way

Calling  in at Bellagio, across the lake from Menaggio

The view from our little restaurant looking south

Pete and Ross looking relaxed

How is this for a small car!! A Fiat 500

       

As we had an evening flight out of Malpensa, we took the faster trip back to Como on the hydrofoil, taking only an hour. A last walk around the town and back to the apartment to pack our bags and say our farewells to Jan and Ross. We caught the train from Como to the airport and it was a very simple trip, one change at Saronno and we were there. Lake Como should be on everyone's bucket list - it is a little piece of heaven. And of course all the better for sharing it with good friends.