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Day 5 – Entering the North 🇮🇸

July 9, 2022 gingertravellerblogLeave a comment

This morning we woke up and decided to try some Icelandic food, so after a shower in water that was at least 1000°, we headed to the local N1 for a hotdog – the best way to start the day. They’re topped with raw white onions and crispy fried onions, ketchup and a sweet brown mustard called Pylsusinnep – this sauce is the DB and we will definitely be using our remaining weight limit to bring plenty of bottles home 🌭

After gobbling on our sausage, we drove to our first stop of the day – Stuðlagil Canyon. Unfortunately we read the AllTrails wrong, and ended up in the campsite car park rather than the canyon car park, which happened to be on the other side of the canyon.. so it was back in the van to find the correct car park. By this point the beautiful weather we had been having had decided to leave, and the wind and rain had arrived. The wind was so bad that within minutes my face was brown from all the dust that had been blown into it. It was even stuck to our teeth! After battling the elements we finally arrived at the canyon – The basalt columns tower over a turquoise glacial river, making it one of the most stunning places we’ve been. We decided to climb down to the bottom using a rope that someone had kindly installed, and we were rewarded with a much more spectacular perspective.

As we arrived back to the van, the wind had died down and blue sky was peeking through the clouds, which meant we should have had a glorious drive to Dettifoss. The majority of the drive was glorious, but we decided to do the East side of the falls as you get much closer to it. The road leading to this side however was one of the worst roads we have driven on, and I thank God for a decent pelvic floor. It was 30km of unmaintained gravel, boulders, volcanic rock and anything else you can think of. Although we did make it (about 30 mins extra to what Google Maps says) the van isn’t built for speed on these types of roads, so we were left in the dust of the Dacia Dusters that flew past. We eventually got to the car park and began the walk to the falls. As it’s one of the most powerful in Europe, we could hear it way before we could see it. The thunderous fall has an average water flow of 193 meters cubed per second (6,186 cubic feet). It is 100 meters (330 feet) wide and plummets 45 meters (150 feet) down. It really is mind blowing.

After visiting Dettifoss, we decided to extend the walk and head to the often overlooked Selfoss. There is a town in the South also called Selfoss which we nearly drove all the way to thinking it was the waterfall! The walk involves a bit of clambering over boulders but it’s nothing too strenuous, and again we were rewarding with another amazing waterfall.

Walking back to the van we had one thing on our mind.. we had to tackle that road again. Luckily it seemed slightly easier on the way back, but still not one we want to drive on again any time soon. As we’ve done so much walking on this trip we decided we were due some relaxation, so headed to Mývatn Nature Baths, the Northern equivalent to the blue lagoon. Floating around in hot water, with mountains in the distance and beverage in hand.. what more could you want. It was the perfect end to the day, and luckily our planned home for the night was only 5 minutes way.

Day 4 – The East 🇮🇸

July 8, 2022 gingertravellerblogLeave a comment

After a very much needed sleep, we woke to glorious morning number 4, and headed to Netto to stock up on car snacks and other bits and bobs to keep us going. After shopping in Bonus and Kronan, that’s all of Iceland’s ‘discount’ supermarkets now ticked off the list, although prices are more similar to those in Waitrose. We then had the next difficult job of trying to work out how to fill the van with diesel, as the pump system over here isn’t the easiest to navigate. Even the bright yellow Happy Camper next to us couldn’t work it out! Luckily the lovely lady in the shop helped, so £120 and half a tank later we headed to our first proper stop of the day.

We arrived to Stokksness beach and paid the fee to drive down to the 3 parking places, the first one being a Viking film set. It was built in 2010 for a film by universal studios, however it couldn’t be made due to monetary issues, and now lies in wait for all the tourists to come and explore. Grass topped wooden buildings lie waiting with the incredible mountains as a backdrop, and over time they have been hit with the elements, giving them a more authentic look.

Further down the road and you arrive at another black sand beach, with Mount Vestrahorn standing proud. There was a lot of cloud cover today so we were unable to see its iconic peaks, but it did give it an eerie feel. The beach is also covered in little green dunes giving little bursts of colour against the jet black sand.

The rest of our time spent in the East was mostly driving, and dodging sheep who just stand in the middle of the road staring at you. Although I have to say, its clear why the wool here is so expensive! The drive is incredible and the landscape changes every minute, with waterfalls, mountains and miles of moss covered land. Its so hard as the driver to keep your eyes on the road and not the amazing scenes going past.

We did have one last stop before we reached our camp for the night and that was a small hike to the 3rd tallest waterfall in Iceland – Hengifoss. In between the basaltic layers are thin layers of red clay (thanks Google) making a really striking falls and one we had been looking forward to seeing. Again we were really lucky as there was hardly any people there so we were able to sit and enjoy our surroundings.

This evening the home for the night was in the pretty town of Seyðisfjörður, home to the church with the rainbow road. This campsite was super busy due to the ferry leaving the following morning, but we were able to squeeze the van in by the bins 🤣 and still get a great view of the town to wake up to.

Day 3 – The Southeast 🇮🇸

July 7, 2022July 7, 2022 gingertravellerblogLeave a comment

We woke up to another glorious morning and started the day with an Icelandic tradition – a communal shower bollock naked! The first campsite had cubicles however this one was very much everyone in and let it all hang out. It was one for males and one for females fortunately. After a cheeky wash we decided to treat ourselves to breakfast in the converted school bus on the campsite. The bagels and proper coffee definitely set us up for the way, although like everything else in Iceland, incredibly pricey.

The first stop of the day was Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon. At 2km deep and 100m it’s incredibly impressive! I decided to buy a drone for the trip, however buying one for 40 quid off eBay rather than spending a bit more for a decent branded one was a massive mistake as the instructions are in Chinese and we cannot work out how to make it fly! So I sat and watched a man with his definitely expensive drone fly it into the canyon instead (I’m not jealous.. honestly!)

Whilst driving around Iceland you need to keep your eyes peeled at all times as there’s often places to stop on the side of the road, and we came across a fabulous little waterfall. The one downside to having a minibus sized vehicle is you can’t just whip it easily into the often tight spaces on the side of the road.

Our next stop was another waterfall, and the drive to it meant we got our first glimpse of the spectacular Vatnajökull National Park. In 2019 the park was given UNESCO status which meant I had another to tick off my expanding list. The walk to Svartifoss definitely got the heart rate going, but it was a great little falls and the ideal place to sit and have a thermos of coffee. We obviously chose the best time as there was hardly anybody else at the falls for the majority of the time, meaning we got to properly take in the beautiful surroundings.

If one canyon wasn’t enough, we decided to hike to another! Múlagljúfur Canyon isn’t signposted so getting to the car park can only be done after a bit of research, and what a hidden gem it is! The hike to the top is pretty hard going. At one point I didn’t think I’d be able to carry on (mostly because we’d already walked about 26000 steps) and my tired little legs felt like lead.. but once we got there – words cannot describe the view 😍 it was beyond stunning, even with the rain, and so so worth it. We then met a very enthusiastic American man who suggested we climbed a bit further, saying the view is like you’ve had ‘a big bang of coke’ so with that, we carried on. I can’t say if the view is a comparison to a coke hit, but I can say it was like you were looking into another world.

As it was now pretty late we decided to find a campsite, not realising the closest one was miles away. So we decided to make good use of the constant daylight and stopped at diamond beach. This gets its name due to the icebergs which fill the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon washing up on shore, creating a stark contrast with the volcanic black sand. We were also lucky as there was a rainbow, which meant we got some incredible images. As you usually associate the beach with hot weather, it’s so bizarre to see have lumps of ice washed up on the shore.

Opposite diamond beach is the lagoon itself, where the still blue waters are full of enormous icebergs. As it was now way past midnight and we could not be arsed to cook, we sat down with a carbonara in a pot and enjoyed the fantastic scenery, as well as watching the seals swimming around – they have no idea how lucky they are that this is their playground.

We eventually arrived at the campsite just before 2am, so it was a quick set up and straight to bed ready for the day ahead.

Iceland Day 2 – The road to Vik 🇮🇸

July 5, 2022July 5, 2022 gingertravellerblogLeave a comment

Iceland is known as the land of fire and ice… but also ridiculous winds and constant rain even in the summer months. However this morning we woke up to the most glorious sunshine and blue skies. Our first night in the green machine was a surprisingly comfortable one after we eventually worked out how to set the bed up. Being night shift workers also helps with getting to sleep when it’s still daylight outside.

We were going to stock up with lots of traditional icelandic snacks for the road ahead, however it’s mostly liquorice.. and as we didn’t want 10 days of the shits, we settled for Milka, peach rings and Happy Shopper 2D jaffa cakes. Our first stop of the day was Seljalandsfoss – the waterfall you can walk behind. The falls drop 60m and I would highly recommend that you wear waterproof clothing, including trousers to experience this. There were so many people in jeans and hoodies who were soggy doggies as they came out the other side. A short walk from here is Gljufrabui – the falls in a narrow canyon. To access this you have you climb over rocks and cling on to the side of the canyon, but it is well worth it. Again due to how close you can get to the falls you get absolutely soaked- thank god for the wanker hat. Unfortunately there is only one way in and out of these falls, and some people don’t seem to know the etiquette of one in and one out. These were largely the people in the wrong attire, so it was ok to laugh when one slipped and got their Nike trainers soaking wet.

Next stop was Skógafoss – the waterfall you walk above. As we were lucky and the sun was shining, it created lots of rainbows in the spray which meant we got some fantastic photos. There are some steps of the top of these falls, however I clearly need to do more cardio exercise as my heart was going like the clappers!

After 2 waterfalls it was time for a change of scenery, and we headed to the Sólheimasandur plane wreck – the 1973 United States Navy DC plane that ran out of fuel and crashed on the black beach. Don’t worry we’re not being morbid, everybody got out alive! It’s a long, and pretty boring walk to the plane – there is a shuttle but that’s at an eye-watering £10pp!! The walk is worth it as you can get some great photos, however another etiquette issue of mine is photo hoggers. We all want that perfect insta photo.. but some people just do not get out of the way, or just stand right in front of your camera! It really grinds my gears…

4 years ago exactly I was in Iceland with my parents and we had the pleasure of thick Icelandic fog, so today I was beyond excited to finally see Dyrhólaey and Reynisfjara with bright blue sky. The landscapes here are beyond breathtaking and the photos do not do it justice. You could sit here all day watching the Puffins and various other sea birds flying about. It was the perfect end to a fantastic day exploring the Southwest.

Iceland day 1 🇮🇸

July 4, 2022 gingertravellerblog1 Comment

Back by popular demand… I will try to keep this going daily!

After months of planning, highlighting Lonely Planet guides, watching YouTube videos and trawling the Internet for inspo, the day had arrived for us to head to one of my favourite countries – Iceland!

It was another stupidly early start thanks to the joys of an airport at the moment. When we arrived and saw the queue for Easyjet we knew that would be our breakfast time gone.. however it turns out I had booked speedy boarding! This fabulous discovery meant we flew through. Unfortunately I hadn’t done the same for security, but in all fairness that was relatively smooth as well. So it was off to Pret for breakfast, via the Duty Free for a cheeky squirt (top tip.. find the most expensive perfume and cover yourself in the tester 🤣)

On the plane and we had another discovery – extra leg room seats! Obviously Mark being the BFG was delighted. I was expecting to find I’d booked a meal with real china plates.. however as this is Easyjet I had to make do with a can of Coke and a Crunchie.

The airport in Reykjavik was quite simply… a nightmare! Everyone was squashed in trying to get through a tiny gap in the wall to get up the stairs to passport control. Everyone was pretty chill about this.. apart from John (learnt his name thanks to his poor annoyed wife) John was quite simply.. a massive arsehole, who liked nothing more than to moan, try to push in and take people out with his big massive bag. We than had another wait for the cases, and it was a massive twitchy arse moment as mine decided to be one of the last off and I was getting myself mentally ready for the same pair of knickers for 10 days. TOP TIP for anyone heading to Iceland – buy your alcohol in the Duty Free in baggage reclaim.

It was then off to meet our home on wheels for the next 10 days; the mighty green machine. After getting familiar with all his knobs and gadgets, we hit the road to start with the golden circle. This is a staple for all who visit Iceland and is well worth doing. As it was getting quite late, it was a lot quieter, so we really got to appreciate the beautiful surroundings a lot more. Geysir put in another wonderful performance and Gulfoss was as magnificent as ever.

We found a lovely campsite for the night and decided to treat ourselves to a first night beverage in the bar. This will be our first and last if we don’t want to remortage the house 🤣 As its constant daylight here in the summer, we decided to have a super late tea and Mark fired up the BBQ around 22:30, where we enjoyed burgers and much more reasonable beer thanks to the duty free.

Lokrum Island & Dubrovnik old town 🇭🇷

April 30, 2022 gingertravellerblog1 Comment

Today is our last full day, and a free day for us to do whatever we fancy. As the majority of the town was cut off this morning due to the city walls run, we decided to take a boat trip to Lokrum Island. As much as we have enjoyed exploring the hustle and bustle of old towns this week, it was nice to go back to nature and calm.

For those or you who are Game of Thrones fans, it’s an absolute must as you get to sit on the iron throne – which was gifted to them from the production team! Time on the island can be spent doing absolutely nothing apart from enjoying a cocktail and the views, or wandering around the whole place. We decided to do both! One thing to bear in mind is the only way to get around is to walk. There are no cars on the island as it is an uninhabited UNESCO protected nature reserve, although the majority is easily assessable on the well maintained paths. We decided to head to the top of the island to get views from the Fort, however this is a very steep hill and the ticker definitely knew about it! Sensible footwear really is a must for this part of the walk as the paths are rocky and uneaven, but the views are worth it. Other things to see are the botanical gardens, monastery, the ‘dead sea’ and of course, the hundreds of peacocks which roam the island.

This afternoon we headed back to the old town for our last explore around the streets. We found a lovely restaurant which served tapas, so we settled in for food and people watching. After eating we went for a walk around the outside of the walls, and spotted a dead eel in the water being gobbled up by all the other fish. I didn’t realise they were so big! We finished the day with an ice cream before heading back to the hotel to pack ready to leave tomorrow. Although tiring, it has been another incredible trip with 3 more counties ticked off the list (according to my app I’ve now done 57% Europe!) The scenery and landscapes have been beautiful and the old towns full of character and charm. Croatia is only around 2hrs away from England, so why not add it to your list of potential destinations!

Kotor & Budva 🇲🇪

April 29, 2022 gingertravellerblogLeave a comment

This morning was another super early start as we crossed another border into Montenegro. This however meant more long waits for checks, but more stamps for the passport; every cloud!

As is custom on these trips, we had a toilet stop at one of the petrol stations. Unfortunately nobody knows what a latte is in these parts! So for an energy boost we went for a fat coke and a kitkat 🍫 I was so confident that my card had worked that I took my treats and left the shop, however I was soon chased by an angry lady ushering me back into the shop as I’d clearly been a criminal and walked out without paying.

Our first stop of the day was Kotor; a medieval old town full of windy streets and busy squares. It has so much character and charm about it that I could easily spend a day here. As with all of the old towns we’ve been to, the streets are very slippery and uneaven. Unfortunately I didn’t continue the advice of good shoes and today wore a primark sandal special. This resulted in my slipping over and landing star fish on the floor. Apart from a bruised arm, jolted back and embarrassment, I’m absolutely fine!

Leaving Kotor behind we headed for our next stop; Budva. Driving in I was a bit unsure why they had brought us here, as its basically a giant building site. Luckily we were able to put the vast amount of construction behind us and head into, yep you’ve guessed it.. the old town! We managed to find a square and settle down for some lunch. We noticed something going on in the cafe on the other side, and we were soon treated to a fantastic performance from an all man band, singing all sorts from traditional songs to roll out the barrel! There was also a wedding photoshoot and lots of other tourists getting the perfect gram shots outside the church – it was the best place for a bit of people watching.

We left Montenegro and headed back to Croatia where we will spend the remainder of our trip. Luckily the driver was able to sneak us round the super large Greek group in front at the border, so it wasn’t the massive wait we had prepared ourselves for. This evening we ate in the hotel which seems to have got ridiculously busy over the last day. I was happily eating my meal when the woman on the table next to me leaned over and stole my napkin! No excuse me, no nothing. The absolutely audacity.

Dubrovnik 🇭🇷

April 28, 2022 gingertravellerblogLeave a comment

Today has been all about Dubrovnik old town. It’s known as the ‘pearl of the Adriatic’ and is popular for a reason due to it being packed with culture and history. This does however mean it’s a very busy place, especially when there are not one, but three cruise ships in!

The old town is so easy to get around and it’s full of cafes, bars and restaurants which are much needed in this heat 🥵 We started the day by tackling the city walls – a 2km loop of the old town. Although it costs around £20pp it is absolutely worth it and is one of the best ways to see the red tiled rooftops below. There is the option to finish the walls half way round, and this is great for those who struggle with lots of steps. As we worked up quite the thirst, we stopped at one of the bars for a beverage. As they only did full fat coke, we had to treat ourselves to something more fabulous, and went with a fresh OJ instead. With views of the glistening Adriatic Sea, red and orange rooftops, bustling squares, fortresses, the beautiful Island of Lokrum and of course an array of GoT film locations, it was the perfect way to start our day.

The other best way to explore is old town is just to wander up and down the narrow streets that feed off Stradun. Make sure you wear shoes with decent grip – the children playing football (in a busy square.. hooligans!) were able to celebrate their goals in style by sliding (a fair distance!) on their knees along the slippery street. There are so many shops and bars.. and cats to discover along the way.

After doing the obligatory steps of Cersei’s walk of shame (for all you GoT fans) we decided it was time for lunch, and found a lovely cafe that served the best beef and cheese sandwich I’ve ever eaten! You really are spoilt for choice for places to eat and drink.

As we love to chase a sunset, we decided this afternoon and evening would be spent on top of Srd Hill which we got to via cable car. This gives you great views over the city, but again comes at a price of £20pp for a return trip. There is the option of walking, but this felt like the best option for our tired legs. There is the option to take in the views from the platform by the cable car, however we decided to venture a bit further. After climbing up some dodgy steps and over a very uneaven path, we found the best place to watch the sun go down. It seemed to be a popular spot, but there is so much space to enjoy the beauty in front of you with all the other tourists. After catching mild hypothermia due to the temperature drop, we headed back to the old town on the cable car, and explored a bit more now it was all lit up and a lot less busy. Whether it’s day or night, the old town really is a great place to explore.

Mostar 🇧🇦

April 27, 2022 gingertravellerblogLeave a comment

Today we left our lovely hotel in Drvenik and headed over the border into Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to the UNESCO old city of Mostar. Dressed as a giant bar code, we met our guide and had a walking tour of the town.

The cobbled streets were lined with lots of colourful shops selling all sorts from scarves, souvenirs and of course, a genuine (although incredibly obvious) fake. We walked over the iconic Stari Most bridge, which has since been rebuilt following the 90s conflicts. It is also known for people jumping off it into the river below. We were hopeful that the chap in his budgie smugglers would give us the ooooh we were waiting for, however he took the loose change and did nothing else apart from ask for more money off people. From the minute we got there to the minute we left, he was there, ready and waiting for the 23 metre jump. I’m sure he made a fortune today, but whether he took the plunge, we will never know!

We were also taken to a traditional Turkish house, where there was a tortoise roaming free in the grounds. Unfortunately one of the tour group (one half of the friends with benefits) didn’t see the tortoise, and ended up kicking it in the face 🐢

After the tour we were left to our own devices, so following advice from Google we went to the Lučki Most bridge for a better view of the Start Most, and it was indeed the perfect place to see it. As is tradition in Mostar, we had to try the coffee. Traditional Bosnian coffee is freshly ground into a fine powder, which is then put into a special pot called cezve or ibrik. Boiled water is poured over it and the mixture is then put back to the burner, and heated till the coffee starts to rise. I have to say, although verrrrry strong it was actually very nice!

I really enjoyed Mostar. Would I recommend it for a few days.. probably not. But if you get chance to visit for the day I would 100% recommend it. It has a certain charm and is rich with culture, history and beautiful buildings.

This afternoon we returned to Dubrovnik (after being stuck at the border for an hour) where we will be spending the next few days. We are staying on the outskirts of the town in a questionable hotel where the rooms resemble something from a retirement home. However it’s only a base to sleep and eat.. so can’t complain!

Wondering if this could accidently fall in my bag… (don’t worry, it didn’t!)

Krka National Park 🇭🇷

April 26, 2022 gingertravellerblogLeave a comment

Today was somewhere we have been looking forward to going to, and it absolutely didn’t disappoint! Krka National Park is one of Croatia’s best known attractions, and it’s easy to see why. The naturally colourful pools provide a spectacular backdrop as you take a gentle stroll along the boardwalk that takes you through the park. There are plenty of viewpoints where you can take in the falls and admire the beauty happening below. It was an incredibly tranquil place and I would recommend this to anyone visiting Croatia. One thing to bear in mind is swimming is now prohibited to protect the biodiversity within the park. That does however mean views and photos that are free of people!

Once we had finished the walk around the park, we boarded a boat to Skradin, a small town along the Krka River. As we love a viewpoint, we headed to the fortress on the hill. As with most heights so far this trip, the steps on the way up were a tad uneaven, but it’s all part of the fun! It was time for lunch so we stopped at one of the restaurants that lined the colourful street. As I wasn’t that hungry, I decided to order a cucumber salad. The waiter must have been howling to himself as he presented me with a plate with an entire cucumber cut up 🥒 whilst I was expecting cucumber to be the main ingredient.. I wasn’t expecting it to be the only ingredient! However a bit of salt and pepper and emergency chips managed to save the meal.

It’s our last night in our Drvenik pad as we head over to Dubrovnik tomorrow via Mostar. So I couldn’t resist having a glass of Croatian wine with dinner tonight. It was delicious! Look out Tesco’s Croatian wine section.. I’m coming for you 🍷