As we left Pisa it was pouring down….. hey it was Italian rain …who cares…. As we drove into Pisa we picked up a sign indicating Motorhome parking….. we followed these excellent tourist information signs….. until they stopped in with no parking to be seen. But we have sussed the Italians out now and managed to find a road side parking slot near the river. A 15 minute walk took us to tower that is a little skew wiff.
The Campo Dei Miracoli (the main area by this skew wiff tower) was full of tourists all going for ‘that’ shot of someone holding the tower up. We managed a couple of those photos before we returned to the van. We did look at going up the tower but it seemed the tickets gave you a time slot, ours would have been 2 hours after buying the ticket.
Pisa
Having ‘done’ Pisa we made towards Florence and another Sosta. This one was about 20 minute walk to the Ponte Vecchio, but more of that later. That evening we walked for about 20 minutes to Pizzale Michelangelo which is a stunning view point looking out over the city. While we were there we witnessed a flash mob Choir and a proposal of marriage in the middle of the performance. All as the sunsetting amidst a thunder storm with lightning off to the west.
Having left our campsite and via Carrefour we decided to head down the “scenic” coast road and not the motorway. Unfortunately you can’t see too much of the beach as for about 50km it is hidden by one long strip of hotels and beach bars all with their regimented rows of loungers. To reach Pisa we had to turn inland and then the adventure began……There was a diversion you see and they seem to run out of signposts very quickly. We were going so well until the signs ran out and then even the girls noticed we had gone past one particular junction 3 times. So with all thoughts of scenic drives gone we headed to the motorway… That took us to Lucca… OK Pisa can wait for a couple of days. I am sure.
We had a campsite in mind and Tom-Tom took us straight there.
Campsite Lucca
We arrived during siesta time and while waiting we were joined by several other vans – there was going to be a rush to the office when it opened….. Could Bob beat the 3 French vans and the German to the best pitch? The site Il Serchio was 28 Euros a night and had all we needed…. laundry facilities, showers etc (albeit we can shower in the van) together with electric. Again we can cope without mains as we have a fairly big inverter that will even run the coffee machine.
Once all plugged in we made to town, a 15 minute walk. Lucca had been sold to us as a quaint little town with nice ice cream. Once in the walled town it was clear to see why; narrow streets and an abundance of coffee shops and gelateria. We settled on one that served a multitude of combinations including vanilla and Balsamic Vinegar.
Vanilla Ice Cream with Balsamic Vinegar
We then had a wander around the town and even managed to drop off a Travel Bug in a Geocache….
Having taken the decision that the weather was too changeable in Chamonix (3rd time lucky maybe for the view from the Aguille de Midi?), we headed off to Italy after a short incursion into Switzerland. With the cost of the Mont Blanc tunnel being around €150 for a vehicle of over 3m and because Bob likes a challenging drive and we are all partial to a photo opportunity, we decided to go over the Alps via the Grand St Bernard pass.
As we were driving along one section, June looked down to the side and noticed it was along way down. As we turned another hairpin bend the cloud below suddenly cleared and we were treated to a spectacular view of Vallee du Rhone so we pulled into a viewpoint to jump out and take photos. Well June would have, but at this point we realised her camera was still in the drawer at home but hey, we only had another 12 devices capable of taking still photos!
We had the option of either going through a tunnel or taking the pass right over the mountain top – no choice really. The pass was longer but the drive stunning and we were in no rush. A succession of hairpins took us down into Italy and sunshine and we came out of the mountains into a huge agricultural plain which seemed to be growing mostly rice.
Back on the motorway we headed towards Genova (Genoa) and the coast and then mile after mile of either tunnel or viaduct…..The Italians do seem to take the most direct route through the mountains! We were aiming for a sosta a little further down the coast at Marinella di Sarzana about 50km north of Pisa with the idea being that we could have an early start to the town to do some exploring. At €10 a night this was a basic site but had fresh water and the facility to dump grey water – enough for us for the night. Across the road from the site was a beach and we had hoped to be able to go for a swim but the thunder storm continued to haunt us and the sea was too rough. We managed to find one bar open for a quick drink before the rain really set in and the girls managed a quick paddle.
As we left England a really weird cloud formation came in from the sea. A roll cloud. At this point we were glad to be going to France via the Tunnel….. the wind was picking up….a lot!!
Roll Cloud
As we hit France there was the largest lightening storm any of us had ever seen…..
We stopped in a motorway aire just north of Lillers. Yes there are lots of stories about being mugged and attacked as you sleep by the bad boys but to be honest I have been doing this since 2005 and never had any problems…..
Early start the next day to another aire to the South of Dijon at Poulet De Bresse on the A39…
Typing this from Chamonix as it rains we have decided that tomorrow we will make our way to Italy and Lucca. Apparently this is a really loverly town and they make beautiful ice cream. Wait one for the update on that.
Chamonix
During our wander around Chamonix today we had to have a #Clewleystopsforcoffee moment of course… Well if I am being honest it was a #Clewleystopsforbeer!
As normal eldest is having a break from him mums and looking after the house, watering the garden etc while we are off to France and Italy.
We are looking to stop at Chamonix as I am determined to show June and the girls the view from the Aquile de Midi. Last time I took them it was a white out !
Then across the Alps and into Italy. Nothing booked and free styling it all the way.
Following the brilliant wedding of Tom and Jade we decided to head north to the Peaks. We stopped at the Caravan and Camping site at Hayfield. Meeting up with Waddy and Jo who were already there. Bob used to work with Waddy in the day on the unit. There were going to be a few old war stories of daring do and how they saved the world….even when it didn’t need saving..
The campsite is really well placed for walking up onto Kinder Scout which we did on the Sunday.
It was a great day out on the hills albeit we didn’t follow the footpath a few times we did manage to bag a cache by Mermaid’s Pool at a lunch stop.
The next day Waddy and Jo had left for home so we wandered into the village on the lookout for a cafe… After a good 30 minutes or so we gave up and wandered slowly back to the van…. We saw the cafe the next day…shared with a drapers!
Still a great weekend and really good to catch up with friends.
Today we aimed to walk the round trip from the top cable car station back to the car park at about 14km. (route map at end of post)
Having sussed the location out the day before we arrived just after 9.00 ready for the first advertised cable car at 10.00. It appears though Spanish time runs different and the cars were running at 9.15. Again it was worth following the guidebook and getting there early as queues for the cable car were long at times.
Having paid 34 Euros for the four of us, we jumped on the first one we could along with an assortment of walkers and skiers and made our way to the summit station at a maximum of 10m / second. Quick photo opportunity at the top then on to our route towards the snow. You do not have to walk down however as people clearly were taking the cable car to the top where there is a cafe from which to enjoy the stunning scenery amongst the high peaks before taking the cable car back down again.
It was a fantastic walk starting off on a clearly marked path that quickly disappeared as we reached the snow line. As we traversed across the snow field it was clear that not everyone was equipped as we were. Some were dressed in shorts and had a small bag that could have only held 3 bars of choice and 1/2 a litre of water at most – not so good when the snow was above our knees in places!
Traversing across the snow
We, on the other hand, may have had a little too much but at least we were warm and well hydrated (yes the girls have been told how to check) and had a map! There was one couple that didn’t appear to have one and, despite ‘hanging around’ for us on occasions, still had to ask someone the route down.
The views were stunning and the camera really doesn’t capture the full wonder. As we came down the mountain we left the snow line and picked up a more obvious path. Up until a few years ago we would have had to walk down to the villages of Espinama and Pido before returning to the car park. Thankfully the route now stays off the road and cuts through the woods before emerging by the Parador Fuente De hotel.
Amy’s thoughts; As we were getting closer and closer i could see a cable car with just one person in it (that doesn’t surprise me it was 9 o’clock i the morning). I got my stick out and I was ready to go. We got on the first cable car going to the top.
As we were going up you just knew that there were going to be lots and lots of pictures. we got out and the first thing we went on was a metal grill over the top o the mountain, well wasn’t that scary enough. We then started the proper mountain walking. Once we had gone up the steepish start then came the views b-e-a-utiful sunshine on the mountain.
Once the pictures had been taken we started the walk down the snowy hot mountain ( now that is something i didn’t think i would be saying.) The snow is very deep so you don’t want to put your feet in the wrong place and guess what Chloe put her feet in the wrong place on many occasions yet I was still standing strong except for once or twice. Now we have found flat ground we smelt something not very nice ( cow poo ) anyway at this point we have this couple who did’t really know were they were going so they decided to go and follow us. We soon got back to the start muddy and hot. All together that was one of the bests walks I have ever been on and the best pictures I have ever taken, even though there was some ups and downs ( pun ) thanks Bob for organising one of many trips amazing trips. 🙂
A quick drive to the car park at Puente Poncebos where we managed to get a space big enough by arriving before the rush – we would recommend getting there early as the car park was filling up at 9am and we are here out of season. All kitted up (although with everything except the warm weather stuff we would have appreciated later in the day!), we set off along the made up road and then to the track that climbed a bit……well I say a bit, I mean quite a bit.
Cares Gorge
I will state here that the guide book said ‘this walk had little in the way of ups and downs except for a 250m/820ft accent / decent at the start beginning / end of the route’. That, your worships is my defense along with the promise, from the same guide book, of a 20km / 12.5 mile round trip – we clocked about 28km on the phone.
The route is easily followed and is a beautiful walk; I would go as far to say that it is one of the most stunning I have ever walked. The path was constructed in the 1940’s to assist in maintaining the hydro electric canal that runs between Cain and Camarena. There are sections of this canal that are open and somewhat log flume like (in Bob’s mind anyway….). Warning for anyone who doesn’t have a head for heights as the path doesn’t run at river level but at some height above it – upto a few hundred metres at various points.
There are refreshments and facilities at either end but be prepared to walk the return route or give away 120 Euros for the taxi back. It is a 2 hour 30 drive and it only took us an extra hour and half to walk back…saving enough to fund the ice cream budget for two or three days
Cares Gorge
Amy’s view on the walk: On the way to the walk you could just tell this was going to be a good one. Once parked and ready to go we set off on our meant to be flatish walk. First of all we went up the road and then on to the beautiful mountains we walked up a steep part of the mountain for about 1 mile which I thought was just a little climb to the flat ground. Wasn’t I wrong the walk was all together 18 miles long ( 28 km ) and about 14 miles of it was the up and down of the mountain yet all of it was worth it as at the end of the walk we got to have an ice cream , which makes it all better. All together we had an amazing walk seeing beautiful surroundings and having nice food. 🙂
Some of the data is a bit ‘sus’ as the gorge sides are very steep and I am sure blocked the GPS signal now and again. However, it does give the general route on the map below.
In just a few days, with my eldest son entrenched in the house ( well it gives his mum a break and we leave the house with a built in security guard- win-win) we are off to Northern Spain.
This should give us a couple of really good looking walks and a few days just bimbleing.
We are planing to walk along the Cares Gorge and a round trip from the cable car at Fuente de Bulnes.
So far we haven’t booked a camp site as those we have tried have not replied. Still there are quite a few about that area. The one I really would like to stay at is the one 200 yards or so from Fuente de cable car. Fingers crossed.
The trip down was fairly uneventful and we didn’t even get lost in Rouen where we stopped to stock up in Carrefour and give the credit card a little bit of exercise in Decathlon. Chloe managed to find a new BFF before we even crossed the channel – something to do with the band t-shirt she was wearing and with Amy crying at every film she watched, we could probably have sailed across rather than taken the tunnel! One little hiccup on the fuel front almost curtailed the journey in France but other than that we made Bordeaux as we hoped and then into Spain on Sunday morning. One day we will have the time to travel properly around France rather than a quick splat through it on our way elsewhere.
Camping Naranjo de Bulnes
First campsite in Spain was Camping Naranjo de Bulnes in Arenas de Cabrales, a real little gem on the banks of the Cares river (although we were on the part of the site across the road as the riverside pitches were closed). Various sized pitches, clean toilet/shower facilities, washing machine/drier and located only a short walk into town ticked all the boxes and we’d go back again. I would say though that we are visiting out of season and although there are plenty of people around, things could be very different at peak holiday time.
After three nights, we moved from the western to the eastern Picos although there’s no driving through the mountains and the only road goes around the edge of the National Park so it was back to Panes and then on the road to Potes, a beautiful town with a medieval look although I imagine a lot of it has been rebuilt over time.
Potes
We had no campsite for the next three nights but were heading to a site at Fuente De where we had tried calling ahead but without luck as many of the sites were just opening for the season. No joy though as the site was closed when we arrived and having taken a quick walk down the entrance we are not sure that we’d actually have got the van on to the site. After the obligatory coffee stop we headed back to Potes and to Camping La Viorna which turned out to be another excellent campsite, set on terraces on the valley side overlooking green fields and forests to the front and surrounded by snow covered peaks behind. Apart from the location, the facilities were spotless and the site had a restaurant, a bar and terrace and a reasonably well stocked shop. The town of Potes is about a mile away – an easy downhill walk on the way there but slightly more challenging on the way back with shopping and in the heat of the sun!
Camping La Viorna
We have both been fortunate to have travelled a reasonable amount but the Picos have grabbed us with their stunning scenery and picturesque towns; we both agreed we could live here and are going to find it very hard to leave. We will be back for another fix!
We loved St Petersburg and found the people at the hotel we stop at very helpful
It appears it is cheaper to book transfer from the hotel. Inbound we didnt it it cost us 3500 rubles. For that we had an older tatty car. The return was booked via the hotel and the same trip cost 1900 rubles. And that was in a nice, clean Mercedes with a bottle of water each in the back.
A late start for us after filling up on breakfast again, today we headed to the Peter and Paul Fortress originally built by Peter the Great in 1703. The skyline of St Petersburg is dominated by golden spires and domes with the spire of the Peter and Paul Cathedral being the highest in the City.
Within the Catheral is the Grand Ducal Burial Chapel which contains numerous tombs of the Imperial Romanov Family.
We also bagged our first Russian Geocache in the Fortress grounds but decided to ignore the guidebook’s suggestion of sunbathing on the beach…
.The city of St Petersburg is built over a series of islands connected by bridges (guide book warns against getting stranded when the bridges are raised but that’s not a problem when the sea/rivers are frozen!) so the next stop was Vasilevskiy Island with our destination being The Kuntskammer Museum. Again another link with Peter the Great as the museum holds a bizarre collection of items from teeth he pulled when practising his hobby of dentistry, to his 2.27m tall personal servant’s skeleton to a bizarre collection of deformed foetuses.
Continuing along the embankment we passed a pair of Sphinxes bought here from Egypt before crossing the Neva back to our island. On the bridge there is a cache but we’re buggered if we can find it – it’s difficult to go hunting for it without drawing too much attention to ourselves!
Back to the hotel via another coffee shop – has to be done! Good coffee and free wifi everywhere.
After another 10 miles today on foot, we’re too tired to go out so it’s dinner in the hotel bar. Not a bad choice as whilst we are eating with the Sochi Olympics on the TV in the background the barman wanders over and tells us as Russia had just won a gold medal we were entitled to a free drink – a glass of wine or a shot of vodka. Rude not to celebrate with them!
Having loaded up with the hotel breakfast (all included in our deal) it was a short walk to probably the number one tourist spot in St Petersburg; The State Hermitage. We had prebooked tickets, which included all the exhibitions and permission to use a camera, to avoid any queues but this seems to be a very quiet time of year and could easily have walked straight in. The State Hermitage contains over three million pieces of art and artefacts from around the world including many rooms dedicated to European artists – Leonardo da Vinci, Michaelangelo, Picasso, Monet, Matisse, Gaugin, Van Gogh, Gainsborough, Rodin to name but a few. Within the Hermitage is the Winter Palace, the pre-revolutionary residence of the tsars where subtle decor is definitely not the order of the day. Having had our share of culture for the day it was off to another famous landmark, The Church On Spilled Blood. Now we know that it’s Valentines Day and a day for the romantics (not that we’re not!) but in the short time we spent there we saw at least half a dozen bridal parties piling out of various stretch vehicles to join the queue to have their photos taken in front of the church.
Having not had a proper coffee stop today, the need for a cup and some lunch was high on our minds so it was onto Nevskiy Prospekt, the main street in the City. One note, we changed some money in a bank here earlier in the day and they would not accept anything less than pristine notes. We had seemingly clean Euros but the cashier would not accept one note with a small tear and another with a set of initials on them. Mission accomplished it was back to the hotel for a brief nap, well we are on holiday and had walked in the region of 10 miles, before heading out to dinner.
So we’re in Russia on Valentines Day, so where do we go to dinner? An Italian of course! Found Trattoria Stefano through Tripadvisor and would highly recommend a visit. Great food, very reasonably priced (around £55 for two courses each and a bottle of Prosecco) and English speaking staff.
We left the UK with floods and high winds, leaving Bob’s eldest lad house sitting (well it gives his mum a break from him too).
During the flight Bob wrote a couple of words about June, by mistake, not having booked the hotel for Thursday night. A guy sat next to him said ‘sorry about reading your screen but if you need a place tonight i have a studio flat you can use for free. I am going away but you can just drop off the key’. Nice Russian.
However getting a taxi at the airport we found the flip side when they tried to charge us £60 for a 18k trip. We had a chat about the 90 Ruble per km and it was only 18 km to the hotel from the airport. He tried to say it was more until Bob showed him the app that had tracked the trip. We ended up paying £46, which was still over the top but not as much as the couple we met in reception who had paid £70
Hotel Domina Presitge is a very bright hotel but spotless and with free wifi. Not too sure about the need fir a network socket in the bathroom though
Well the CDR will have to wait. Some of the group dropped out and it was going to work out about £400 each plus food etc for a weekend. It was getting too expensive just for a weekend.
So we are off to Malam Cove in Yorkshire instead for that weekend. This is a trip that has been on the list for a while and looks a beautiful area with lots of walking.
Meanwhile St Petersburg is getting closer. And at -9 today, we’ll need our thermals
This weekend, thanks to a Groupon offer, we managed a deal at Baskerville Arms Hotel Clyro near Hay on Wye. The intention was to walk up Hay Bluff and then onto Twmpa and then to Waun Fach. However the weather was against us with warnings from the Met Office.
So we decided to go to the Mynydd Du Forest and bag a few geocaches. This forest lies in the upper reaches of the Grwyne Fawr on the southern side of the Black Mountains. Bob has many very special memories anchored in this valley ranging from a Mountain Leadership course in the early 1980s to a fundraising event in 1990 for a special girl called Sally. Most of the activities that Bob carried out here involved a great friend and mentor Bernie Jennings (BJ). Sadly BJ is no longer with us but his memory lives on.
While taking part on the Mountain Leadership course Bob and BJ, with the rest of the group, woke up to heavy falling snow in the valley and by the time camp had been broken the snow was knee deep. Thankfully after a few hours of walking they managed to break into a Navy outward bound hut called Ty Isaf. Here they stayed for several days unable to get out of the valley.
Bernie, Steve and Bob before the ‘big snow’
It was a great chance to poly bag down the hills and dig snow holes in the 6 feet deep (yes it really was that deep in the bottom of the valley).
Another time in the forest was a fundraising event for Sally, a family friend who was quite ill. Sally needed a special piece of computer kit to enable her to talk to her friends and family. This was 1990 and the kit cost thousands. Bob got 12 cops together from the Witney area and BJ (see, he is involved again) arranged a ‘survival’ weekend. The Long Plod. It was a brilliant weekend involving climbing, map reading and bivi making (and then having to sleep in them). This weekend is still the first topic of conversation when two or more of the team bump into each other.
Back to this weekend. In the forest now there are quite a few geocaches. There has been an orienteering course here for 30 plus years so I guess there was always going to be quite a few caches around. We found 10 in all. Including one hidden in a plastic pigeon. The day was quite a wet day but not as wet had we walked in the clouds on Hay Bluff.
Back to the Baskerville Arms Hotel for our evening meal…. Not a bad place. A little tired, but the staff were very friendly and helpful and the food was good. We would use it again without a deal.
It’s been ages since we have been out on the hills of Wales. Probably over a year. All change now though. This coming weekend with the help of one of Bobs boys looking after the house and a Groupon stay in a hotel in Hay on Wye we should be able to crack a few peaks. Hay Bluff for one and then Lord Herefords Knob (just had to use that) and on to Waun Fach I hope. The forecast is cold and showery.
Maybe Sunday it will be a geocaching session in the Mynydd Du Forest. This will always be a special place for Bob. He did a huge fundraising event in the 90s with a group of colleagues and raised a nice little sum for a special girl called Sally. It was a great weekend, a real boys only weekend helped by one of his best mates BJ. Bernie Jennings. Sadly no longer with us. BJ taught Bob and so many others a huge amount about the great outdoors and life. It’s almost certainly BJs influence that caused Bob to end up working for the Prince’s Trust. Thanks BJ. You are a star and will be missed always.
When our 2010 trip was rudely interrupted by a certain volcano bringing the world to a standstill, Iceland had always been on the list for sooner rather than later. A chat with friends earlier in the year bought it further forward when they said they fancied a weekend away and somewhere they wouldn’t normally go – so Iceland it was! So six months planning became a 4am taxi to Luton Airport for our delux Easyjet flight to Reykjavik and at 9am on Thursday morning we touched down in Keflavik with a mission to see as much of the island as possible before we left again late Monday afternoon. One of the major decisions we agonised over was car hire as we had read nightmare stories about the car hire companies in Iceland. We booked through www.holidayautos.co.uk who were far cheaper than all the major and local companies (something which immediately aroused suspicion) but had no issues with them and their local agent Thrifty. We hired a Ford Kuga (great for four adults and luggage) and after a walk round with the agent to inspect the car it was off into the lava fields on the main road to Reykjavik. Driving in Iceland is pretty simple and if you want to go anywhere outside the capital you are going to use the only motorway, Route 1 which runs around the island with a spur off to the airport in the south west corner. Accommodation had been easy to book – we used www.redappleapartments.com and the choice was huge (and for those who cannot be without the internet, yes us, most had free wifi). After a slight hiccup in collecting the keys which resulted in us finding our way around Reykjavik a little more quickly than we anticipated after walking across town and back again, we found our apartment which was ideally located at the quieter end of the main street, Laugavegur, so close to the shops, bars and restaurants. So all settled in, it was time to start the weekend properly – find a bar! Place of choice was the Lebowski Bar, an American diner and bowling alley styled place (coincidentally the film The Great Lebowski is one of June’s favourite films) for happy hour. Before the financial crisis drinking in Iceland was ridiculously expensive (wine still not cheap so we bought some duty free on arrival at Keflavik) but current exchange rates have made it no different to a night out in London. After a few beers food was required and with Bob keen to try some local delicacies, we found the ideal place:
Smoked Puffin
None of us was keen to try whale on principle but the boys went for the puffin menu. We all tried a bit, as you have to, and of the four of us Bob was the only one who said he’d have it again! Up early again Friday morning with the plan to head to Jokulsarlon, a 400km drive from Reykjavik, to the glacier lagoon where icebergs break away from Europe’s largest icecap and head out to sea. However as started to head over the higher ground on Route 1 to the south east of Reykjavik, visibility was almost non-existent so it was decided to go to plan B and not risk five hours in the car (each way!) with not being able to see a thing. At this point we didn’t actually have a plan B so there was nothing for it but find a coffee shop (#clewleystopsforcoffee knows no geographical boundaries!) and get the maps and guidebooks out. Plan B turned out to be waterfall day with the falls getting gradually more spectacular as the day went on – we couldn’t have planned it better if we tried! Stop 1 was Seljalandsfoss where you can walk behind the curtain of water running off the Eyjafjallajokul icecap (yes, that volcano again).
Seljalandsfoss
From there it was on to Skogafoss where the water plunges around 60m onto the gravel and ash – the noise and force of the water is amazing. There is also a staircase here up the side of the fall to a platform at the top where as well as a great view of the waterfall, you can also see the coast but the weather wasn’t on our side for that.
Skogafoss
Our final waterfall was Gullfoss, part of The Golden Circle of tourist attractions and certainly one of the most spectacular.
Gullfoss
Continuing the water theme we moved on to the hot springs at Geysir. Geysir itself doesn’t do too much at the moment but Strokkur erupts every few minutes and if you’re standing
in the wrong place then it’s time for a soaking! The colours of the pools are an incredible shade of blue with all the dissolved minerals they hold.
moss covered lava fields
Back in Reykjavik for dinner but nothing quite so exotic tonight – pasta and burgers at Restaurant 73. Great food serving locally brewed beers. Highly recommended. Saturday’s trip was to the Snaefellsjokull National Park on the west coast. The weather was better today and we were able to see the ever changing scenery – moss covered lava fields, soaring volcanoes and snow capped mountains. All being keen photographers (between us we had 5 cameras and 4 phones on us at all times and then of course an additional phone plus 4 iPads in the apartment!) every car journey was probably 50% longer that it should be as we were constantly stopping to take snaps. We drove around the peninsula on the coast road and had great fun on the north coast just trying to get out of the car in the wind. The coast here is wild and rugged and the wind whips across the northern Atlantic – great to look at though when sitting somewhere warm and dry although that sadly turned out only to be the car as most places seem to have closed up for the winter (this was the second weekend in October). We decided that on the way back we go via Pingvellir National Park, the third part of the Golden Circle with Gullfoss and Geysir. Having checked the map there was a clear road labelled “Major route” however June missed the most vital words – “loose surface”…. Having no
Pingvellir National Park
idea if we were insured or not (insurance is very specific on the types on road you can drive on and this road was a mixture of black top and condensed gravel) we drove very gingerly for about 60km arriving at Pingvellir just as the light was starting to fade. We did however get to see where Iceland is literally ripping apart as the North American and European tectonic plates move away from each other. With a forecast of good weather for Sunday it was up before dawn to do the long drive over to Jokulsarlon and what a difference a couple of
days made! We were able to see for miles and in addition to the lava and mountains, we drove through the ashfields of the 2010 eruption and had clear views through to Eyjafjallajokul with its white cap stunning against the bright blue sky. As we moved further east we drove through mile after mile of black ash but only at one point is the road still under repair – quite a miracle really considering the devastation caused. Plant life is just starting to grow but it’s still very bleak until you get towards Skaftafell National Park where tongues of the glacier flow through gaps in the mountain out on to the plains.. The sat nav said 4.5 hours for this journey but you can imagine the number of stops for pictures (and coffee of course) but nothing prepared us for the final bend in the road as we approached Jokulsarlon.
Jokulsarlon
Despite spending almost 6 hours on the road, there was a collective gasp from the car as we saw the icebergs on the lagoon. Lunch was a quick affair as we wanted to get out on the amphibious boat on the lagoon – well worth doing at about £20 per person for about 45 minutes spent out on the water. You get a little history and geology thrown in and the chance to taste 1000 year old ice straight out of the water. From there it was down to the beach where the icebergs who escape the lagoon find themselves. Words cannot describe the beauty of this place – black sand, grey seas and blue/white icebergs and I hate to think how many pictures we have but the location was well worth the journey and I would put this place at the top of places to see in Iceland. It took a lot to drag ourselves away but it had to be done as dinner had to be found somewhere on the route home. We ate a few times in service stations and were amazed at the standard of food – no plates sitting under hot lamps and everything cooked to order!
Icebergs on the beach
Our final morning was spent at the Blue Lagoon on the way to the airport; no need to worry about hauling home wet towels as everything (including swimwear is required) can be hired. We had wanted to do some shopping before leaving but it seems people in Reykjavik are not early risers and nothing opens until 10/11am but leaving a bit earlier meant our timing for the Blue Lagoon was perfect with no queues and plenty of room in the changing rooms (this had totally reversed by the time we left as coach loads had arrived). This is a great place to chill out (if we come back again June might have to find an excuse for one of the spa treatments) and there’s even a bar in the middle of the pool but as we were leaving around 12.30 it was getting very busy.
Blue Lagoon
It’s only a short hop from the Blue Lagoon back to the airport for some shopping, lunch and maybe a glass or two of wine or beer before boarding our Icelandair light home (it was no more expensive to use different airlines for each leg and the timings worked out better doing so). From the dials on the car, we covered around 2000km in our short time in Iceland but loved every moment of it. Will we go back? Yes hopefully as there is still so much more to see and do. We’d like to do some walking next time and actually get out on one of the glaciers, and maybe a dip in one of the geothermally heated outdoor pools. Our one disappointment was not seeing the Northern Lights and Sod’s Law being what it is, the display was spectacular the night we left and was so good the following night that they switched the lights off in Reykjavik so everyone could see them in their glory.
The city of St Petersburg is built over a series of islands connected by bridges (guide book warns against getting stranded when the bridges are raised but that’s not a problem when the sea/rivers are frozen!) so the next stop was Vasilevskiy Island with our destination being The Kuntskammer Museum. Again another link with Peter the Great as the museum holds a bizarre collection of items from teeth he pulled when practising his hobby of dentistry, to his 2.27m tall personal servant’s skeleton to a bizarre collection of deformed foetuses.
Having had our share of culture for the day it was off to another famous landmark, The Church On Spilled Blood. 
Now we know that it’s Valentines Day and a day for the romantics (not that we’re not!) but in the short time we spent there we saw at least half a dozen bridal parties piling out of various stretch vehicles to join the queue to have their photos taken in front of the church. 
Hotel Domina Presitge is a very bright hotel but spotless and with free wifi. Not too sure about the need fir a network socket in the bathroom though
With a few posts on FaceBook and a few emails it appears that there are a few others interested. 
