Hiking Behind the Magnificent Icelandic Skogafoss Waterfall

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Skogafoss

This hike goes by several names: Waterfall Way, the Skógá Trail, and the Skógafoss Waterfall Hike. This trail is also part of the spectacular Fimmvörðuháls trail. The Fimmvörðuháls trail starts at Skógafoss, follows the Skógá River along Waterfall Way, continues on to Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull, finally ending 25 km (15.5 miles) later in Thórsmörk. You don’t have to hike the whole thing We hiked for 1 hour and then turned around. Even that was enough to see some of the most jaw-dropping scenery. This was the highlight of our trip to Iceland.

In every direction, the vista compels you to grab your camera. The beauty is breaktaking. Iceland is blessed with so many waterfalls and such distinctive rugged scenery. Hiking the trail made me one of a tiny minority of the world lucky enough to see it. It was a privilege of a lifetime.

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Bristol, Cardiff, Liverpool and Manchester

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What are these regional cities like compared to London? We journeyed by train to each of these to get a feel of their vibe.

Bristol city has a youthful student buzz about it due to it being the home of two major universities. Colourful terraced houses catch the eye and Banksy, the satirical street artist is based in Bristol.

The cheerfully brightly painted houses of Bristol.
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Open House Festival London 2023

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Ever feel curious about various historic buildings around London? Want to take a peek inside? The annual Open House Festival is your chance. Once a year, visitors can take a look through a large number of buildings not usually open to the public. The types of buildings available include architecturally significant modern buildings, livery buildings, iconic landmarks, private businesses and public buildings. Entry to extremely popular buildings such as 10 Downing Street and the BT Tower are by ballot.

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What cannot be captured in a photo….

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Living in London has been fun and whilst there have been many interesting sights to see (and therefore photograph for this blog), there have been many experiences that do not lend themselves to a photo. Here are a few…..and as I write these, I realise that many of these do not require necessarily the location of London to experience but only the openness to enjoy the many small joys in life.

Turn the snowdrop over! There are all kinds of variations on the inside of the flower. A hidden secret! Exquisite!
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Money Saving Hacks in London

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Tower Bridge

London is a very expensive city to live or to visit but there are countless ways to save money. Some of these do require some time and administration on your part but it’s worth it for the thrill of knowing you got a great deal or the feeling that haven’t been duped into paying for too much. Even if the savings don’t feel like much, every little bit helps.

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Chelsea and Belgravia Floral Displays

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It’s spring and if you are an avid gardener, you could go to the Royal Horticultural Society Worlds Most Famous Chelsea Flower Show for between £58 to £116, depending on the session. Or you can take the freebie option and check out the amazing exhibits at Chelsea in Bloom and Belgravia in Bloom held the very same week. These displays have been an unexpected gem. Wandering about these posh suburbs and seeing these amazing, artful displays was such a treat!

The themes this year are “Flowers on Film” for Chelsea and “Into the Wild” for Belgravia. The artists do an incredible job working with flowers and natural items like bark and twigs to create amazing sculptures. It is wonderful to be able to walk around these suburbs enjoying the spring weather and viewing these artworks!

Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland (Chelsea in Bloom)
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Another Dispatch from London

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London is a major city and there are always fabulous events happening, something to feast the eye around every corner and the opportunity to see and do things which are quite special. These are but a few recent examples.

Grand Designs is a TV show where the host, Kevin McCloud follows home owners building their dream home from blueprint to completion. There are often elements of interesting architecture or design and lots of drama in the form of cost and schedule overruns. Recently, there was an event held called Grand Designs Live. We had the opportunity to peruse stalls related to all aspects of home-building and design but best of all, we could see Kevin McCloud himself! He looks and sounds just like he does on TV!

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Tower of London

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Considering the crowds, a visit to the historic Tower of London seems to be a “must do” for anyone visiting London. This building complex which dates back to 1066 has been used as an armoury, the Royal Mint, a dungeon, a menagerie, the home of the Crown Jewels and the site of a number of executions. Amongst the executions are some of the wives of King Henry VIII. Here are my tips for a good visit.

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