I was initially expecting this to be the harrowing tale of the love/hate relationship between a girl and the vehicle she was tied to as both transport and accommodation – of how I hated driving it but loved that I could stop at any campsite and just climb into the back and go to sleep. … More My relationship with a campervan for two weeks in Iceland
This is another Instagram vs reality. Stokksnes and Vestrahorn are a little corner of the south coast of Iceland. Stokksnes is the headland – -nes is a headland in Icelandic – and Vestrahorn is the lump of mountain attaching it to the mainland. It’s another place to scamper around looking beautiful, more commonly in pristine … More What they’re not telling you about Stokksnes
Instagram first. This is me at Stuðlagil. Blue-green water, basalt columns, vintage film camera slung across me, pretty Insta-perfect. The reality: an unplanned 5.4km round hike, a scramble my mum must never find out about, perpetually checking everything is zipped safely away and keeping half an eye on the rushing water in case some malevolent … More Stuðlagil: Instagram vs Reality
Reynisfjara, on Iceland’s south coast, claimed its latest victim last week. There have been six deaths, all at roughly the same place, in the last twenty years and at least twelve near-misses which have involved emergency rescues. I could talk for an entire blog post about the inadequacy of the signage (when I last visited, … More Using correct names saves lives: Reynisfjara vs “the black sand beach”
I should really make more noise about solo female travel. I’m far from the only one who does it – it feels like the most popular form of travel after family package holidays , certainly the most popular kind you see online and you never see “solo male travel” but despite its ubiquitousness popularity, it … More How I started solo female travelling
Have I mentioned recently that I’ve joined a Facebook group dedicated to answering the same questions about a first-time trip to Iceland? What brand of rain pants should I get? Are these waterproof socks ok? Can we tip in dollars? Is this itinerary ok? The itinerary is never ok. It features a month’s worth of … More An Iceland Itinerary for people who get Facebook to do all their research
It turns out, for some reason, I never posted the film photos I took last year in Dubrovnik. It was a beautiful time and a beautiful town, despite the billions of tourists and the number of cruise ships that came into the port every single day. Besides, I love 35mm film. I like how it … More Dubrovnik on film
This is a question that’s come up on the Iceland travel Facebook group so many times that I’m going to write an entire blog on the subject: “my flight gets in at 6am and I can’t check in to my AirBNB/hotel until 3pm. What can I do in Reykjavik?”. Really, the answer to this is … More What to do in Reykjavik when you have an early flight
I recently joined a Facebook group dedicated to people travelling to Iceland, with some idea that I could be useful on there. Instead, I found upwards of 60 responses to every question before I even got there, most posted anonymously and with some disclaimed along the lines of “everyone is really snarky so if you … More Stupid questions you were afraid to ask the first time you went to Iceland (summer edition)
Because I tend to over-fill my evenings and weekends, I found myself craving a weekend away where, for once, I wasn’t actually doing anything. Just reading, sewing and spending as much time as possible in the hot tub. Glamping is inherently less stressful than pitching your own tent and it’s more relaxing than a hotel. … More Welcome to the Pheasant’s Retreat
I Am A Polar Bear 