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
On Monday, I talked about the best swimming pools in Reykjavik and today I’m going to go over how you actually use a local swimming pool in Iceland. When you arrive, they’ll ask “have you been here before?” and even if you say you have, they’ll still ask “So you know all the rules?”. If … More How to use a swimming pool in Iceland
Why not follow a best pools post with a completely different best pools post? Today I’m in Iceland and I want to talk about the best swimming pools in Reykjavik. I’m not talking about the likes of the Blue Lagoon and the Sky Lagoon, fine as they are. I’m talking about public pools, the kind … More Which is the best public swimming pool in Reykjavik?
Welcome to 2025 and let’s leap straight in with one of my favourite subjects: hot water! Budapest abounds in hot water and I’ve talked about some of the thermal baths but I think it’s time to compare and contrast and decide which is best. I had some of these recommended by a colleague who was … More Which is the best bath in Budapest?
I like a boat trip. I think it’s a great way to get to see a city from a slightly unusual angle. With the Danube so very prominent in Budapest (my mental image of the city will always be the riverboat cruise adverts sprinkled throughout Midsummer Murders), it shouldn’t be so unusual, and my difficulty … More An evening Danube cruise in Budapest
Perhaps you don’t know that Budapest is actually the fusing of two cities? Buda is the half on the west bank of the Danube; Pest the one on the east. Once upon a time the young double-city was called Pest-Buda before everyone presumably realised that a) it rolled off the tongue better the other way … More How to spend a day in Budapest’s Castle Hill district
The “A Daycation in…” series is one I was planning to start in 2025, to showcase some of the best and most interesting places around Dorset and Hampshire, delving into what elevates something from a mere “day out” to a “daycation”. But I got started a bit earlier than planned, because Bournemouth hotel The Nici … More A Daycation at… The Nici, Bournemouth
Over the last ten or fifteen years, Girlguiding has cultivated four flagship events, held simultaneously at anywhere between two and four of its Training & Activity Centres. The really big one is Wellies & Wristbands, a festival camp for Guides & Rangers, the 10 to 18-year-olds. Then came Magic & Mayhem, a circus-themed fun day … More Sparkle & Ice 2024: the one in a shepherds hut
I Am A Polar Bear 