Travel, outdoors & adventure blogger who loves Iceland, camping and swimming.
As a Girlguiding volunteer, I have to get my first aid qualification renewed every three years. It’s a really basic qualification – last time I had to do the full-day training, the answer to almost everything was either “phone the parents” or “phone for an ambulance” or “phone both”. Actually, if you have to get … More Why you should learn some first aid
When I was at school, I did the Bronze level of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. It was introduced at my school in my last year so we were the guinea pigs for it. I didn’t know I could continue it at uni or through Girlguiding or through local groups, otherwise I would at least … More I did the Bronze level of four award schemes. How do they compare?
In my last post, in which I visited Bath Thermae Spa, I called it “bathing like a Roman”, on the grounds that the modern spa uses the same source as the 2000-year-old Roman bathhouse but other than that, there’s no similarity at all between my spa trip and Julia Ennia Caesianus’s visit to the baths. … More Bath Roman Baths: how to actually bathe like a Roman
I went to Bath Thermae Spa about ten years ago, having been sent up to Bath College on a couple of days’ notice to replace a colleague on a social media course. The course was terrible, the hotel I stayed in was so unmemorable that I don’t even remember it and I don’t think I … More Bathing like a Roman: how good is Bath Thermae Spa?
Back in August, I did a post about the benefits of tour guides and I’m starting to wonder how much this post is just going to be a rewrite of that one, but let’s give it a go. Iceland attracts a lot of tourists and a substantial chunk of them hire a car or a … More Things you shouldn’t do in Iceland without a professional guide
A sensory deprivation tank, or a flotation tank or even REST (restricted environment stimulant therapy) as they call it in this century, was something that had been on my to-do list for a while but going into the New Year, I decided to get it over with. It’s supposed to be pretty much a cure … More I tried a sensory deprivation tank
Well, ultimately, it’s because I’m a revolting hipster at heart. Why do I like 35mm film and how do I use it? Because I do like it – I don’t use it as much as I should but it makes my little heart happy and I always seem have half a dozen rolls scattered around … More Why I like and how I use 35mm film
One thing that’s on everyone’s bucket list for a trip to Iceland or Lapland is seeing the Northern Lights. The magic of the dance of the heavens, the supernatural displayed in front of our eyes… who wouldn’t want to see that? Let me break that bubble for you. The Northern Lights are extremely capricious; they … More I went looking for the Northern Lights for the eleventh time
“The Cave” is a ludicrous way to start this but it’s the way the landowners are marketing their lava caving trip into Víðgelmir, Iceland’s biggest lava cave – or at least, the biggest one discovered that it’s possible to go inside. I have a hypothesis that a lot of things in Iceland are very self-explanatory … More Visiting The Cave, Iceland’s biggest lava cave
Since I’m on the subject of pools, I’m going to carry on and introduce you to the revamped geothermal pool at Húsafell in the west of Iceland. Not that I ever went there pre-revamp so I can’t compare it to what it used to look like but it’s been on my to-do list for years … More Visiting Lindin Húsafell
I Am A Polar Bear 