After such an incredible time in Iceland I’m a bit knackered to be honest and in need of some down time. I’ve caught an early morning flight to Oslo in Norway, and after a shower and change of clothes I’m out wandering the city seeing what I can see. Thankfully I have an apartment with washing machine as pretty much everything in my bag is in need of a clean. My first impression of Oslo is a place that’s quite industrial. Square buildings. Orderly. Construction. But as I walk I can see it’s also a city with accessible art and landscapes and architecture which is pretty cool. The new opera house for example is built to be climbed on, sat on, lunched on, looked in, you can even see rehearsals underway. The royal palace is somewhere you can walk right up to, touch the marble, take a selfie with the royal guard, wander the gardens. Nothing is shut off. I count no less than 5 sculpture parks scattered through the city and do my best to visit 3 of them. Museums are packed with art and easy to access. Go check out the Viking ship museum if you’re in Oslo it’s amazing. And newer buildings on the skyline are built to resemble a barcode from a distance. Such an unexpectedly cool city. I have 4 days here, and plan to walk and sleep as much as possible. Also need to get a grip on the exchange rate….I got it wrong on my first meal and paid $45 for sushi LOL. Not as expensive as Iceland but up there in cost.
Loved this sculpture in the Ekebergparken gardens
Totally thought this was a person and said hi before realising it’s a scultpure
Vigeland sculpture park
The Scream painting was not on display at the Munch museum while I was here so a gift shop bag replica has to do 🙂
Pop up art everywhere
Opera house
Opera house – Sunday afternoon the city is soaking up the autumn sun
Opera house
Mobile sauna
Mobile sauna
Tired but happy
Sheep! In the city
Royal palace, no gates just walk on up
Guess this is the mens loo
:0
Viking ship
It’s massive, someone found it on their farm! 90% of the wood is original
I have ALWAYS wanted to visit Iceland. I don’t know why, maybe because it’s a far flung place in the middle of the ocean (kind of like NZ). So glad I made it here, it is amazing. Put it on your travel list. A year ago I joined a group on Facebook of people sharing jaw-drop amazing photos of Iceland and I want to see it all for myself and share my own pictures. I decided to book a tour because there’s so much to see and I want to see and experience as much as possible, and find an awesome tour from We Must Dash Adventure Travel which is action packed and covers the whole of the ring road that circles the perimeter of the country, whereas some of the tours only focus on the bits close to Reykjavik. And it’ll be nice to be with a group experiencing everything together.As I was re-packing in England and after checking the weather forecast decide I need more cold and wet weather gear. Average daytime temperatures of 8 degrees!! and overnight is colder!! And rain is pretty much guaranteed at this time of year. Out go the lighter clothes and in goes the waterproof gear and extra layers of merino. Our tour guide Brandon meets me at the airport in Reykjavik and he’s a larger than life American with a giant moustache. Instantly like him. Then Nicholas joins us (from Canada – I might have to adopt him), and Warren (a rocker dude, also from Canada), and we meet up with Sam (from Perth – and my lovely room-mate with for most of the trip), Georgia (from Sydney) and Subarna from India. This is my family for the next week and I’m so happy to be with them all.
After settling into our hostel, we walk across the road to the phallological museum (yes that means penises) which boasts to have the largest collection of phalluses in the world with 284 exhibits to see. It’s not something I had heard of on the FB Iceland photo page 🙂 but it’s so typically randomly Iceland that it’s worth a look. Then it’s time to walk around Reykjavik, try a hotdog (amazing, and the cheapest food you’ll find because everything is REALLY expensive here…like a small yogurt is $10), and stock up on supplies from the local supermarket. The highlight of the day though is the blue lagoon which is a geothermal resort with hot springs, mud masks and saunas. NZ is situated on the ring of fire and is pretty volcanic so we have similar places, but this place is out of this world – the arctic wind is whipping around so the steam off the water whisks past you in clouds, there’s a swim up bar, a swim up mud mask bar, and it’s just the coolest place to be with a group of new friends. I was worried about bringing my phone into the pool (even in a waterproof bag) so there are no pictures of it here, but if you are in Iceland you should definitely go there it’s incredible – Google it and you’ll see.
Day 2 we are on the road in our van through the everchanging landscape that is Iceland. One minute rolling green fields, then it’s a moonscape of mossy rocks, then sheer granite cliffs, moody skies, then blue skies…..and always waterfalls, rainbows, little horses and fat sheep. We can call for a photo stop anytime we want, but honestly it’s so nice just watching the landscape change before our eyes that we all forget to ask. After a couple of waterfall stops it’s time to swim – this is one of the reasons I booked this trip – in the fissure between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates at Silfra. It takes around 90 minutes to shed our layers and put on dry suits, masks, and fins for our dip in the 2 degree water and then we’re being led by our guide Jonas into the freezing water and we’re face down in the water and can’t feel our faces or lips. I love the water and this is awesome! Underwater is like a moonscape and you can see the divide between the plates right below you. After a hot chocolate and lunch we’re back in the van headed for Selfoss. The sky is mostly clear and there’s a chance we might see the northern lights that evening. Seeing the lights is not guaranteed, regardless of the time of year you visit, it all depends on the cloud conditions and if it’s raining there’s no chance. I overhear a couple of tourists ask if they will be able to see the lights from their balcony, and the shop assistant explains it all depends on the cloud etc, and they’re like “but we have a balcony”, so the shop assistant says ok you’ll see them but it’s raining outside so they totally won’t. We are lucky though, and as we walk down to the water that night the cloud clears and the lights start dancing for us – at first just silver grey shapes moving overhead with glints of pale green, then stronger flashing and moving across the sky. It’s jaw-dropping. You need a time-lapse camera setting to capture them, and to get the bright green you see in photos, and luckily we do.
This is also the night we learn the card game Asshole, which becomes a go to for our trip – here’s the rules if you feel like playing, it’s fun 🙂 and I discover I have a knack for it which earns me the nickname El Presidente, but it is also a drinking game so be warned http://assholerules.com/
The rest of the tour is best captured in the photos below. It was honestly the best experience, I will remember it always, and I’m so pleased to have experienced it all with such a cool group of people who are now my friends. Iceland is quirky and beautiful and it will take your breath away. Go see it. And YES I have posted my own photos on the Iceland Photographers paradise page and it felt so good 🙂
We drove the entire ring road / island circumference over 7 days. Most people only visit the south, but there’s sooooo much more to see.
Coming in to land
Time to rug up, it’s cold
First stop is the Phallological museum, famous in Iceland for its 284 exhibits…..and letters of dedication from people who want to donate theirs once they die!
Penis of a sperm whale, in case you’re wondering
Church in Reykjavik, built to replicate the unique volcanic rock formations on the island, a stunning building
Reykjavik
Reykjavik
Inside the church
Punk museum in Reykjavik
Food is expensive in Iceland, but the hotdogs are plentiful, affordable and so good! Add the brown sauce and crispy onions
First time sleeping in a top bunk for many many years
Best donut I have ever tasted
So lucky to see the northern lights on our second night, photos taken in Selfoss just after midnight. The only time we saw the lights as the cloud/rain was blocking them for the rest of our trip
Black sand beach at Reynisdrangar
Looking for whales at Dalvik
Humpback whale surfacing
Fishing off the boat. The water is so cold the fish don’t move fast so it’s possible to catch them just by dunking the rod in the water
Diamond beach…..incredible
Wet and cold
On the road. I loved my tour buddies and our guide was amazing.
Glacier lagoon boat ride
So beautiful. The black marks on the icebergs are from volcanic eruptions
How amazing would this be to kayak amongst the glaciers
Gulfoss
Icelandic horses are gorgeous and little. I think they’re farmed for eating, but no judgement here
Emo horses
So this plane crash-landed here en route to Reykjavik, everyone survived, turns out the pilot thought he was out of fuel but wasn’t ooops.
My awesome tour buddies….love these guys
Puffins! Didn’t see them here in Iceland but I have high hopes of catching them further on my travels
Someone stuck it there
Seljalandsfoss
The fissure between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates
Getting ready to snorkel in the fissure….the water is glacier fed and chilly
It’s time to meet up with my friend Claire who lives with her partner Sean in Derbyshire in a small village called Melbourne. I’ve known Claire and her sister Alex (in NZ) for many years. Claire and Sean have been holidaying in Tuscany and I’m meeting them at Gatwick airport so we can all drive up to Derbyshire together. “Welcome to England”, I greet them both as they come off the plane and we laugh and hug and it’s so wonderful to see them. I’m going to spend just over a week with them, hanging out in their village and having some ‘normal time’ before I start the next leg of my travels.
Melbourne village where Claire and Sean live is the prettiest English village. Everyone is so friendly and people stop to chat and smile. Before I know it I’m talking with the daughter of the lady who owns the deli about how she’s nervous to start high school the next day and hopes she doesn’t sleep in or miss her bus; I’m saying “orright” and “ay up” to people as they walk past; people are calling me duck and love; and it’s just the loveliest place to be. As an aside “orright” is a multi-purpose word which can mean virtually anything from are you ok to yeah I’m ok, to it’s not too bad, to it’s amazing. I spent 2 days amusing myself by only saying ‘orright’ as I walked around the village. There are flags strung across the main street, the roads are cobbled, original cottages line the roads (some with thatched roofs), the gardens are perfect, dogs walk quietly with their owners. I loved it. I took lots of photos of the village on my camera, only to later discover I had it on the wrong setting, so I’ll need to take more when I call in on my way home. Claire has loads of friends close by, some I have met before, and everyone is so nice and welcoming, I could totally live here!
The pub is the place to socialise over here and there are several in the village. It’s also the place to visit on Sundays for pub lunch. We have roast meals in NZ too, a tradition brought over from England, but the real deal is so tasty, and so huge I need a nap after!
Luckily the other highlight of the village is the number of walking tracks that wind from the houses into the fields, across fields, down lanes and just everywhere. My next destination is Iceland and I need to get my feet used to my walking boots again, so its perfect to have a few days to toughen them up. Claire loans me a book of local walks and I spend hours lost in the countryside, smiling and walking off all the wonderful food I’m consuming. It takes me a couple of days to feel comfortable walking in such isolated places by myself – it’s just not something I would do at home, or anywhere really. But it’s a small village and I’m quite safe. As long as I stay away from the stinging nettles….which really sting. Tip: hand sanitiser takes the sting and redness away.
Soon it’s time to pack up for my next destination. I’ve booked a tour in Iceland, and re-pack my bags to add waterproof pants and extra warm things, and take out the summer clothes to collect before I fly home. We drive to Luton where I’ll spend the night before my early morning flight. It has been so nice to have this time with my friends, and it feels like I’m leaving home all over again as I hug them goodbye. There’s so much fun to come, but goodbyes are always a little sad.
Claire and Sean in the gardens of Chatsworth House in Derbyshire seeing how the landed gentry live. Oh my word so much opulence!
Love this cheeky girl! Sean’s orright too 😉
Meals come with crisps and coleslaw
Ba ha ha ha what were they thinking with their street names
A walk in the woods
Toad
Mud and cow poo
…..seriously who is in charge of naming these streets
Thatched roof cottage
Inside Chatsworth House
Dinner for 30?
Love this, miss my dog every day
Chatsworth House
Chatsworth House
Canal boats – how cool would it be to hire one for a weekend or longer trip
Crumpets with butter and honey
Fish and chips with salt & vinegar and curry sauce yumm
This is my first time in London and I’m really not sure what to expect. It’s somewhere I feel I should visit but I’ve never felt really drawn to. Maybe it’s because growing up in NZ there were so many connections to England – BBC news and UK TV, food, music, stories, games and nursery rhymes. It’s pretty typical for kids in their late teens/early twenties to go to London, find a job and use it as a base to travel from. My daughter was born when I was 21 so I skipped that experience, and when I did start to explore the world I headed to more exotic places like Vietnam and Peru, anywhere that felt different really. Still, I’m curious to see what London is like.
I have a few days to myself before I meet up with my friend Claire and I’ve booked an apartment in South Kensington which is close to the city centre but in more of a local neighborhood. After the bustle of Singapore and I’m ready for some aimless wandering. Landing at Heathrow is kind of exciting, and it’s easy to catch the tube into the city. My apartment is on the top floor of a building called the thin house (it’s shaped like a wedge, maybe less than a metre wide at it’s narrowest point, which happens to be the shower!). It has amazing views across the park and towards the Victoria & Albert museum, and it’s perfect for a few days.
The best way for me to get a feel for a place is just to walk, so with my Oyster card in hand and Google maps I head off for a day of tube-hopping, meandering, and getting lost. There’s so much that is familiar about London – places I’ve heard of like the Ritz, Fortnum & Mason, the Savoy, and following the monopoly board from Piccadilly to Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Regent Street, Bond Street…then there’s the Thames, the Tower of London, London Bridge (is not falling down even though that’s the nursery rhyme playing sing-song in my head). Turn a corner and there’s something familiar. I spend hours walking the city,taking photos and trying to get a read on the vibe of the city. Everywhere has a specific vibe – and I’m finding London hard to pin down. There’s loads of history and the city is hugely multi-cultural, but people aren’t super friendly and it’s really strange to be on the tube with everyone jammed together and no one looking at each other. There’s masses of tourists around too.
My favourite moments are in the parks which are dotted everywhere and where the squirrels run around not bothered at all by the people stopping to photograph them. Super cute! I message friends to say I’ve seen squirrels and they ask @What’s your highlight so far?” Hands down it’s the squirrels (we don’t have them at home). And the food is amazing. The fruit is super fresh and so cheap to buy. And my morning at Borough markets 🙂 🙂 🙂 the cheese! the brownies! the cheese! If only my stomach was as big as my eyes. I love the street art dotted around the city too and happily spend a few hours tracking down graffiti. The British museum was also cool – if you go there look for the Parthenon marbles (the original statues that were once atop the Parthenon in Greece and have been kept largely intact….not the small glass marbles I was imagining when someone recommended I go see them 🙂
I’m not a big fan of musicals or shows but if anyone is, London is the place to be. My one fancy splurge here is at the Ritz which I spy as I’m walking down from Piccadilly Circus, and on impulse decide to go in for a drink. “Can I help you madam?” the doorman asks and when I say I want to go in for a drink he says “that’s fine madam but not in those shoes”, before guiding me to the cloakroom where another kind man finds a pair of more appropriate shoes, takes my smelly sneakers (as if they were priceless) and leads me to the bar. Totally felt like a princess, and ordered a glass of vintage champagne and a salad nicoise to celebrate the start of my travels 🙂
The London Tube – such a brilliant and fast way to travel around the city, but seriously like an oven down there and NO one makes eye contact which is seriously weird
So true
Accidental selfie in front of the Tower of London (was trying to take a picture of the London Eye)
First view of the Thames
Trafalgar Square
Love this view from Piccadilly Circus
So many sky trails in the sky above London, I guess because there are so many planes, but I’ve never seen so many
Happy wanderer 🙂
Behind my big hair is one of the Queen’s guards at Buckingham Palace….selfie practice needed
Some people can’t read
Loved seeing London bridge….had the rhyme in my head all day
Black cabs and Buckingham Palace
British Museum….I have a short attention span in museums but this one is awsome
The Parthenon marbles
Love seeing the black cabs around the city
St Pauls
Squirrels !! So cute
Soho
The strangest shower I’ve ever been in, built into the tiny roof cavity, so dark I couldn’t see my hand with my arm stretched out, with a the blue flashing disco light
Amazing views from my apartment over the park and the Victoria & Albert museum
Singapore is the perfect place to stop over en route to the UK. With a flight time of only 11 ish hours it’s far enough to feel you’re already far away, but not so long that you’ve gone stir crazy in the plane. Plus it’s always warm – at this time of year – temperatures were in the 30’s – and it’s very easy to get around. I’ve transited through Singapore many times, and spent a weekend there once and really liked it. This time I will be connecting with my dear friend Shirley Lee who I met through work. Shirley is the loveliest cheeky person, someone who just makes you feel good, and I’m really looking forward to hanging out.
Shirley is catching a bus to meet me at my hotel and has promised lots of walking and food. I love it when you see a friend after a long time and it’s just like you saw them a moment ago. It’s so nice to see her and we are all smiles. The plan is to eat local and we promptly head to the hawker food centre in Hong Lim for “the best chicken curry noodles in Singapore”. It is soooo good. As is the fresh squeezed sugarcane juice we have with it. All the food stalls look and smell amazing in this hawker centre. We have an awesome day hopping on and off buses and sight-seeing. There’s more amazing food too – steamed chicken and rice and sticky black rice with vanilla ice cream in Chinatown; and when Shirley’s husband Mike picks us up later there’s salted egg prawns, steamed chilli sambal stingray, chicken and pork satay and more sugarcane juice at one of their favorite hawker markets. I am in food heaven.
The next day Shirley and Mike collect me early in the morning for breakfast. We drive to a hawker centre in East Jurong for steamed parrotfish (incredible, so juicy!), fried watercress, sambal, fish cakes and noodle soup. Oh my word. I love it. My friends are so generous and won’t let me contribute money to the meal, “it’s for my education”. I feel full with gratitude for this experience, to be here in this place, and to share it with such wonderful people. We drive to the botanical gardens to walk amongst the orchids, to Arab Street for ice cream and tea, and that night I’m taken for a seafood feast with the family. Chilli Crab with fried buns! Prawn soup, whole steamed fish, steamed razor clams with garlic. I’m glad I put the paper apron on because I have sauce everywhere ha ha, unlike my companions who are spotless. There’s something wonderful about sharing food with friends. After dinner Shirley and I go for a walk in town – it’s the Singapore Night Festival and the city has been lit up and EVERYONE is out to see it. Within maybe 5 minutes by pure chance we bump into Shirley’s close friends, and we follow them along the streets oohing and aaahing at all the light displays. It’s such a good feeling to be out amongst it all.
Day 3 and it’s time to check out of my hotel, and being Sunday we are going to dim sum. If I could choose one last meal on this earth it would be dim sum, I just love it. Shirley and Mike are VIP customers at Asia Grand in Bugis so that is where we go. We’re ushered into a room and Shirley makes quick work of ordering “just a few” things. Shu mai, peking duck, chicken feet, steamed buns…..it is the best dim sum I have tasted in my life.
My wonderful friends made sure my short stay in their country was full of love and laughs. I am the luckiest person to have been welcomed so warmly into their family, and for the generosity of their time. Shirley and Mike, thank you for showing me your Singapore and for taking such good care of me, you are amazing xxx.
Day 1 breakfast is chicken curry noodles, gorgeous rich flavours and perfect way to start the day along with a glass of fresh sugarcane juice
Heng Kee Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee stall on level 2 in the Hong Lim hawker food centre is the recommended place for chicken curry noodles. Grab a table and order your meal, choose which part of the chicken you want and your level of spice. Amazing.
Adventures are more fun when you share them with friends. I’m so grateful to Shirley Lee and her husband Mike for taking me under their wing and showing me their Singapore.
Day 2 is all about fish, and we’ve traveled to Jurong East to the Zai Shun curry fish head stall for their famous steamed fish
And here it is….steamed parrotfish breakfast is michelin good
I had so much fun with Shirley and Mike, they are the most wonderful people
Chilli crab! at Long Beach seafood restaurant on Stevens Road….we had the set menu for 5-6 people and couldn’t eat it all, so so good. And so so messy ha ha. Stretchy pants needed
I hate goodbyes, and this one is bittersweet. I’m so sad to be leaving my best buddy Max the Dog and saying bye to my gorgeous daughter Jen, but also pretty excited to be heading off on an expedition. Immense thanks to my lovely friend Marg who scooped me into her car, handed me tissues and drove me to the airport while I sat and cried next to her. She is also responsible for the photo below which at the time I thought was mad, but is actually a perfect record of how I feel. Love you Marg xx
