Yasmin - Wanderings, a TravelBlog

Reykjavik

Yasmin — 2005-09-25T01:55:50+10:00

In the morning, feeling rested and refreshed we got off to a leisurely start chatting to Anna and her flame-haired cousin Sigrún about life in Iceland then later in the morning Anna gave us a lift to Laugavegur, the main shopping street in the famous Reykjavík 101 district. We strolled along Laugavegur where the austerely functional corrugated steel architecture of Reyjkavík typefies the Nordic utilitarian spirt and browsed some of the wares in shops aimed sqaurely at the tourist trade. Some beautiful and unique glasswork caught my eye but with Aussie dollars and no safe way of transporting it home I decided not to chance it. Maybe next time I'll be better equipped.

A wormhole and glowing blue water

Yasmin — 2005-09-21T07:46:19+10:00

Our last night of camping was a comfortable one, so much warmer than the other nights had been. It was such a pretty spot and I would have been happy to have breakfast there near the waterfalls but we weren't sure how long it would take us to do what we wanted to on our last day with the hire car so agreed it was better to hit the road and stop for breakfast later. We found a less picturesque spot near a lake and cooked up some rice with curry powder and tuna since that is what was left of our supplies. It was actually quite good (amazing what a little hunger will do for the appetite).

Volcanic rift and a giant pipe-organ

Yasmin — 2005-09-19T07:21:07+10:00

After an early start the next morning, and a breakfast of warmed-up leftover pasta from the night before, we drove some 45km up the 4WD only trail to Laki, the highest peak in the 25km long active fissure Lakagigar. It was quite a trek for a side trip but well worth it. The route itself, winding through the vast landscape where rolling hills give way to mossy lava fields, is scenic in it's own right but the view of the rift valley from atop Laki is truly spectacular. The parking area at the base of the peak was surrounded by a light dusting of snow and the distant mountain range, dotted with cone-like volcano peaks straight out of a child's storybook, is crusted with a crisp, icy coating.

Snowmobiling on Vatnajökull

Yasmin — 2005-09-17T03:17:58+10:00

With the wind still blowing savagely and rain setting back in after we returned from horseriding Graeme didn't have to work too hard to persuade me to spend another night in the luxury of Arnanes. Dinner at Arnanes is a superb smorgasbord buffet with a surprisingly Mediterranean flavour and afterwards Hási offered me a taste of the Icelandic drink, Brennivín (literally, 'burnt wine'). Hási watched with amusement as my eyes began to water and proudly informed me that it used to be known as 'black death'. Crystal clear, with a distinctly familiar flavour I couldn't identify it was strong enough that my eyeballs were afloat after only one small glass. Undoubtedly Brennivín goes down much more smoothly when drunk in the traditional manner, accompanied by little pieces of Hakarl or putrified shark meat.

Upside down waterfalls and Icelandic Horses

Yasmin — 2005-09-16T08:08:00+10:00

A lazy start to the morning as we worked out what to do this day. The wind was still blowing savagely but the rain had stopped. I really wanted to go riding on the pretty little Icelandic horses (don't call them ponies!) but our host said it was too windy in the morning but that the weather forecast suggested it might moderate in the afternoon.

Glaciers and a savage storm

Yasmin — 2005-09-15T10:45:21+10:00

After a good night's sleep in a much warmer campsite we backtracked a little to Eldgjá ('fire gorge') and had a lot of fun crossing the river there. This was a fissure over 30km long where the earth split in an immense eruption lasting several years around 935AD.

The passage of a thousand years has done little to soften the edges of this scar in the earth

Forbidding landscapes, lava fields and hot springs

Yasmin — 2005-09-13T06:14:27+10:00

It was still drizzling when we woke and we didn't even bother with breakfast in our haste to pack up our soggy tent and hit the road. Neither of us could see any point in lying in a damp, chilly sleeping bag when we'd only just had a taste of this vast, awe inspiring country.

The active volacano, Hekla. We would have liked to climb it but it would have taken a full day return trip and we didn't think we'd have time. Maybe next time....

Land of ice and fire!

Yasmin — 2005-09-11T02:40:13+10:00

Some time ago Graeme and I were joking about how hard it is to find a travelling companion who wants to go to Iceland. I've tried to persuade several fellow travellers to go there with me and had no success at all so when Graeme suggested it a few months ago I didn't need to be asked twice!

We booked the tickets and a hired Landrover ages ago so it seemed a little surreal when, after a really busy week, we found ourselves airborne on the three hour flight to Iceland. The flight arrived late at night and an airport transfer and night at the Leifur Eriksson hotel in Reykjavik were all part of the package. We were a little surprised to find our room was a huge self contained apartment in the basement of a building around the corner from the hotel and basked in the the luxury in the knowledge that from then on it would be camping and four-wheel-driving for a week.

The cathedral with sculpture of Leifur Eriksson (credited with the discovery of North America prior to Columbus) which was just across the road from our hotel.

Birthday in Surrey

Yasmin — 2005-09-07T01:46:15+10:00

My birthday fell mid-week and Graeme had a work function on the weekend before so I caught a bus up to Surrey to spend the weekend there with him. We were the only guests in an odd little hotel in Guildford where the owners were apparently still getting the hang of running a hotel. Despite a few teething problems we had to credit their enthusiasm - I'm sure they'll get there in the end.
Friday night was dinner with friends of Graemes at a local restaurant. It was a lot of fun to meet some of his friends and we all had a good night.

Bath

Yasmin — 2005-08-25T02:33:51+10:00

Just got back from a week at a beautiful converted barn not far outside Bath. Absolutely amazing, beautiful house. It was converted from an old farm building by it's architect owner and is a beautiful space to be in. Open plan and airy with a great use of space and a design that makes use of the natural features of the old building.

Kidwelly (Cydweli) Castle

Yasmin — 2005-08-15T20:20:07+10:00

Built with the river Gwendraeth protecting one side, the original castle which now forms the inner ward was built in the 12th Century. Over the next three hundred years it was added on to and reinforced into the well preserved semi-circular fortification it is now.

It was a beautiful day when Graeme and I visited Kidwelly Castle and it looked like there had been some kind of reanactment on before we got there. Some medieval looking tents and displays remained and people were packing up armour and ancient weaponry. Pity we missed it.

The main gate. Originally there was a drawbridge with an iron portcullis beyond it.

Torture Garden and Buckingham Palace

Yasmin — 2005-08-12T21:28:46+10:00

Every city has it's unique experiences. Things that, while other cities may replicate them or develop their own versions, remain original and best in the city that did it first. Things that are on the must-do list of anyone who wants to experience the heart and soul of a city. London's premier fetish club, Torture Garden, has to be in that category. There is a strict dress code and so, with a little shopping, a little imagination and a lot of enthusiasm we were decked out appropriately and eager to taste London's dark side.

London again

Yasmin — 2005-08-10T03:09:43+10:00

Last weekend was our much planned weekend in London. Graeme took the Friday off work so we could make a long weekend of it and I found us a generous Couchsurfer to stay with (thanks, Craig!) and travelled up to London by train. It's a comfortable three hour trip and I arrived just in time to rush around like everyone else in London. I had arranged to meet someone about a possible house-sit and by the time I found a payphone and got some change together to ring him (my mobile is out of credit) he was actually at Paddington station. He had to get back to work so we quickly covered details of the house-sit as we travelled on the tube then I was off on a series of tube connections to Trafalgar Square where I was to meet our couchsurfer, Craig. Once again I hunted down a payphone and fed it a steady diet of small change before settling beside the Lions and watched a man in a white jumpsuit perform aerial manouevres while suspended by the waist from a white balloon.

Cardiff (Caerdydd)

Yasmin — 2005-08-05T08:17:33+10:00

The next week found me with a little time on my hands so I took the opportunity to go in to Cardiff. It's about 45 minutes on the train from the Rhondda so it's not a bad day trip.

The first day I mostly just walked around, orienting myself, doing a few errands and finding a few minor essentials I needed. The next day I spent there turned out to be much the same. It's not a large city and is free of pretention in much the same way as the Welsh themselves. You can find everything you'd expect or want in a capital city and almost certainly at a better price than the same thing in London.

The enormous Wales Millenium Centre in Cardiff. Residents of Cardiff are very proud of this huge venue which is billed as one of the world's most outstanding arts venues. If you visit Cardiff you'll be asked two things - how you like Cardiff and whether you've seen the Millenium Centre yet (not whether you intend to see it as clearly you'd have to be a cultural cripple not to).

Part of the Cardiff city centre

Misty stone ruins

Yasmin — 2005-08-04T23:08:47+10:00

The last weekend of July saw us in Brynamman once again amidst the fine, misty rain that I now realise is common in the area. The highlight of the weekend was a drive through the Brecon Beacons to the crumbling ruins of Carreg Cennen Castle. Most of what remains of the castle dates from around the 14th Century following the conquest of Wales by King Edward the 1st. It balances atop an exposed limestone tor with a sheer 300ft drop into an ancient glacial valley along one side. It dominates the surrounding rolling green hills with a darkly defiant presence and would have been a daunting prospect for any would-be invader.

Mist-shrouded castle on a rocky clifftop