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RobCowell
RobCowell

RobCowell

Follow me on my adventures as I visit different places and photograph stunning locations. Read more🇬🇧United Kingdom
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  • RobCowellTwo Lands of the Midnight SunTraveler
    Jökulsárlón is ever changing.
    I loved the amber colours in the rocks here.You can pretty much sea the glaciers along most of the south coast once you get past Vik.I stopped at various locations along the way to just look at the views or take photos.The square thing here is a fridge magnet I purchased.The water level is a little lower I think.

    Return to Jökulsárlón

    July 3, 2023 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Having slept in a little after my late night, I had breakfast and the essential coffee, packed things away then started the drive west back towards Vik. Photo 2 is the view as I drove along the Stokksness peninsula back towards the main road then, after a quick stop for fuel I continued on.

    The next photos are various snaps along the way and as I was passing Jökulsárlón I decided I'd stop at the cafe there for mushroom soup. The sign at the counter describes it as 'Soup of the Day' but each time I've visited since 2015 it has always been mushroom soup. Evidence of my choice is in photo 8 which shows the soup, the bread roll and the coffee, as well as the view through the cafe window to a new car park.

    After I'd eaten I went to check the lagoon and noticed that the ice dam had now disappeared so in the last photo you can see the water level has dropped with slightly more beach visible. This place is constantly changing.    Read more

  • RobCowellTwo Lands of the Midnight SunTraveler
    4

    Vestrahorn Reflection

    July 3, 2023 in Iceland ⋅ 🌙 9 °C

    This is the photograph I came here to take so thank you Icelandic Weather, for being so considerate.

    Of course I took this on the big camera, and more of course, though this one is from the phone, but even in this phone photo I think everything looks great, including the other reflection shots in this footprint too, all taken a little after midnight.

    I stayed out longer, just enjoying my surroundings and the evening glow and taking photographs, of course, so it was another late night. There have been so many this past couple of weeks. 😵‍💫    Read more

  • RobCowellTwo Lands of the Midnight SunTraveler
    In winter these grasses are yellow, which I think I would prefer - another visit then? 😄
    No entry without a ticket.The first photographer I saw. There were quite a few others while I was there.I was getting tyred of the boring light. Hopefully it will improve.These grasses are all over the place amongst the black sand dunes.2"Wow!", I thought as I took this.

    The Stokksness Peninsula

    July 2, 2023 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    The peninsula here is private land so you can't just wander down there without paying a fee because there is a barrier stopping both vehicles and pedestrians (photo 2). You must purchase a ticket for 1000 Iceland Krona (about £5.75) even if you walk, then if you want to drive to the end you must pay more, plus the charge is per person, not per car. It really ought to be per car if we’re honest, but that’s the way it is.

    Tony and I didn't bother when we came here on our trip in 2018 and alwaysI regretted that we didn't just pay up. This time I was staying overnight at the campsite here and the great thing is that when you do that you get unlimited access to the peninsula for 24 hours. Perfect.

    I spent the whole evening exploring the black sand beach, including quite a bit of time at the shoreline trying to catch the water and waves just right. I love the last photo here, so hopefully you do too. It's still a phone photo though. 🤗🥳    Read more

  • RobCowellTwo Lands of the Midnight SunTraveler
    2The road to my furthest location on this trip.
    The Viking Cafe which is also the reception for the campsite here.An opportunity for a coffee and something to eat.

    Time Warp

    July 2, 2023 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    The next morning I awoke to grey skies with a promise of rain. I was also worried that I'd run out of time to be able to get to my final planned location, which was about a two hour drive east from the campsite. If I was to go there it would mean an extremely long drive back to Keflavik, so I made the decision to not bother and start the journey back to Vik.

    Then I realised I was in some sort of time warp, my mind telling me it was a day later than it actually was. This was undoubtedly a welcome realisation such that I could in fact complete my itinerary as planned.

    I packed things away and drove east to discover that as I neared my destination the skies began to clear, raising my hopes for some great evening light. I was so excited that things may well be coming together for the photograph I was aiming to capture. I knew exactly the composition I wanted to get and this might just work.    Read more

  • RobCowellTwo Lands of the Midnight SunTraveler
    There was far more ice crammed into the lagoon that I'd seen before.
    Trying to find a photo was hard in this chaotic scene.The icebergs are still too big to move further and are stuck until they lose their size.Further inland there is less ice because it collects at the entrance to the channel.This information board shows how the glacier has receded.Here you can see the water rushing past the damn of ice on its way to the sea.This video shows the dam of ice more clearly. So many birds too.

    Jökulsárlón

    July 1, 2023 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    I love this place and spent the rest of the evening here hoping for some nice light for photography. In fact, I spent so long here I ran out of food options and ended up with an evening meal of Cornflakes, a cereal bar and coffee just before bed. Crazy.

    I took loads of photos on the big camera, trying to find interesting compositions amongst the ... wait for it ... icebergs.

    The water here is a lake at the end of a large glacier that calves ice into it then near the coast there is a channel where the bergs drift out to sea when they're small enough not to get stuck in it. Tonight there were icebergs stuck there acting as a dam which perhaps explained why the lagoon water level was a little higher than I'd seen before.

    Eventually the better light arrived so hopefully I got some good photos, then I headed back to the campsite for the night which was a 40 minute drive away. It was therefore about 12.30am when I was eating Cornflakes. 🙄    Read more

  • RobCowellTwo Lands of the Midnight SunTraveler
    Adam is pointing to where the ice cave used to be around February this year. Forever changing.

    The Walk Back

    July 1, 2023 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    Having climbed up from the ice cave Adam needed to sort the ladder before we could start the walk back to the vehicle. The route was the same as the way here, but in the opposite direction of course ... I bet you guessed that.

    Adam explained about the bridge in photo 3 as we looked at the water flowing under it. It was so clear, amazingly so in fact, and had a blue tint to it. If I could describe water as beautiful then this was it ... and the bridge? Apparently it often gets washed away when the water rises and it then has to be rebuilt. If you look closely you can see debris from the last wipe out.

    After arriving back to the 4x4 we then drove back to the Glacier Lagoon car park and the adventure was over. Did I say this was amazing and brilliant? I don't think I did! 😄    Read more

  • RobCowellTwo Lands of the Midnight SunTraveler
    My first view as I stepped off the ladder.
    Yep, we came down that ladder to get to the cave.Adam checking his photos.Ice cave Explorer. 😂

    The Ice Cave

    July 1, 2023 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    And then Wow!

    When I was last in Iceland with my friend Tony, we visited an ice cave but this one is awesome and much bigger with a river running through it. There was water tumbling through cracks in the ice above so waterproofs were essential, so you had to dodge the showers of water whilst trying not to fall in the rubble.

    It was describe as the Crystal Blue Ice Cave and indeed it was. My trip here included a portrait of me inside the cave, so you can see Adam with a camera in one of the photos - you can also see the water falling from the roof. Adam was kind enough to photograph me with my phone - the last photo in the footprint and he's made me look as if I know what I'm doing, so it's true the camera can lie. 😉

    I hope these phone photos do the ice cave justice. I do of course have photos on the big camera - it's a good job it is weather sealed because you couldn't help but get soaked in here, no matter how hard you try to keep dry.

    I absolutely enjoyed this visit and my time with Adam and though we were in the cave for quite a while, the time to leave still came too quickly. It was totally amazing.    Read more

  • RobCowellTwo Lands of the Midnight SunTraveler
    It's a 30 minute hike from here.
    The edge of the ice. These photos are actually in colour!Adam secures the ladder.Then down we go.

    A Walk Through Harsh Terrain

    July 1, 2023 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    The track ended so we could drive no further and the scene around us was bleak and desolate. Goodness knows what this would be like in the harsh weather conditions you get in Iceland. To say we were off the beaten track is an understatement ... it was so exciting and I loved it here, though the best is yet to come.

    From here it was about a 30 minute hike to the glacier, which you can see to the left of the main photo. The walking wasn't hard but you needed to tread carefully and though there were small marker posts, I was again glad Adam was with me to show the way. I was so pleased I have the right boots and my walking pole.

    Eventually we reached the glacier and walked up onto it, arriving at a hole - that's right, no fancy entrance, just a hole in the ice. Adam immediately set about securing a ladder (photos 3 and 4) then we decended down it and into the inards of the glacier.

    I could hardly wait to see what awaited us and you know, it was just us. No-one else was around.    Read more

  • RobCowellTwo Lands of the Midnight SunTraveler
    Those tyres are only at 15psi which helps smooth out the bumps and improves traction.
    The vehicle was pointing downwards very steeply here.The track is clear to see here but further on it all just seemed like a landscape of rocks.

    Journey to a Wilderness

    July 1, 2023 in Iceland ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

    I was meeting my guide in the car park at the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. Those who have followed my adventures before will know of this, but if you haven't then I'll take some photos to show you later.

    The first thing was to find my guide by recognising the vehicle from a photo on the website and that's one impressive vehicle isn't it. 🤗🤩 Adam was my guide, who was from England but had worked as guide in Iceland for a while and is working towards gaining his nationality here. He's well on the way.

    I was then both surprised and delighted to discover that I was the only person on the tour and that meant what was coming next would be extra special. But first we had a tricky drive ahead of us.

    The photos don't really show what the road conditions are like but I can assure you that I have never been in a vehicle driving over a track like this one. Those large tyres were essential and it was slow going even so. I was glad Adam knew where he was going because at times it wasn't so obvious where the track edges were. In the fourth photo heading towards that water, for example, you just don't see the angle the car was at. This was brilliant and we hadn't started yet.    Read more

  • RobCowellTwo Lands of the Midnight SunTraveler
    A large car park here now.
    Walking up to the glacier.So impressive to see the glacier descending from the mountain top.Yes, even more icebergs. 🤣So different now, assuming this is the right path. 😂

    Svínafellsjökull Glacier Tongue

    July 1, 2023 in Iceland ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

    The real adventure is this afternoon but this morning I went exploring a glacier again - I just can't help it. 😁

    This is the glacier I have walked on twice. The first time was on my surprise trip to Iceland for my significant birthday in 2015. My daughter arranged this (her partner now husband came too) and we donned crampons and had a super time walking on the ice at sunset. I did this again with my friend Tony when we came to Iceland for two weeks, so I wanted to see how much this had changed and of course it had. The campsite was only 15 minutes away from here, if that, so why not?

    It's still a great place to visit, if you like this sort of thing, but once again there is a large car park here rather than a simple gravel area. In the last photo you will see a path which I'm sure we walked along to get to the glacier for our walk. Now, however, the glacier is black with debris and huge amounts of ice have gone.

    There are properly made paths now, which take you to another section and the photos in this footprint are mostly of that area. I realise there's quite a few photos here, but it hopefully gives you the feeling of the place.

    I needed to keep an eye on the time though, because I was meeting up with a guide at 3.15pm and I had to drive there. I couldn't be late.    Read more

  • RobCowellTwo Lands of the Midnight SunTraveler
    I love this kind of landscape.
    This waterfall is right by the road.These are regular sights now.Great view from the campsite. £10, showers included.

    Travelling to Skaftafell NP

    June 30, 2023 in Iceland ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

    Today is a traveling day to get to the eastern corner of Iceland. I'm stopping in a campsite in Skaftafell National Park, the nearest to where I need to be for tomorrow's adventure.

    This footprint is therefore various views along the way. I stopped to photograph a waterfall at one point, as you do, but generally it's the bleak and barren volcanic landscape that is awesome. Well, I think so.

    You might think photo 8 a bit weird but I took this to show the information boards at a picnic stop, but why? It's the fact that they are there and that picnic stops exist. None of this existed when I last visited. The road has been upgraded too and is now much wider and has been straightened in sections. Many of the single lane bridges have been upgraded to two lane and there are no long single lane bridges now. A few short ones still exist however, but not many.

    Iceland has definitely received a upgrade since I was last here.    Read more

  • RobCowellTwo Lands of the Midnight SunTraveler
    Penguins everywhere. 😁There were quite a few posing for selfies on the columns. Some were ridiculously OTT.My stop for tonight. It was busy but still plenty of room.

    Reynisfjara Beach

    June 29, 2023 in Iceland ⋅ 🌬 11 °C

    About 15 minutes before you reach Vik there is another right turn that takes you to this black sand beach. Here you can walk westward along its huge expanse back towards the viewpoint I just visited, or stay at the eastern end and admire the basalt rock columns and those iconic sea stacks. Or you can get swept away to your death by the waves. 😱

    This beach is renowned for its sneaker waves. All beaches have these, when a huge and unexpected wave suddenly arrives, but here they can be particularly fierce and with the beach dropping away suddenly close to shore it can be fatal if you get swept away. It's no trouble if you keep your wits about you and don't stay too long or too close to the shoreline but there's open ocean for thousands of miles from here so waves can be huge.

    I stayed quite a while. The tide was out so I could walk around the headland to the other side, being careful as I did so because of the incoming waves. Hopefully I got some nice shots of the stacks and waves breaking. The stacks are covered with nesting birds which you can't really see in the photos. Helpful. 🙄

    There are a lot of tourists here making photography tricky so patience is needed. I'm wondering if they should actually be called Ants, those tourist Penguins, because they really do get over everything. 😂

    There's a cafe here too and that was my next stop, not only to get a coffee but also to grab an evening meal before finding the campsite for tonight. (Last photo)

    I enjoyed today, being a Penguin visiting here and the waterfalls etc and seeing how different it all is in summer and how generally things are changing.    Read more

  • RobCowellTwo Lands of the Midnight SunTraveler
    There are puffins in the grassy bit to the left of the group.The new car park lacks character I feel.Even the old car park area has been tidied up.

    Dyrhólaey

    June 29, 2023 in Iceland ⋅ 🌬 11 °C

    The next morning I was finally heading to Vik, which is a town about halfway along the south coast of Iceland. A little before you arrive there is a right turn which takes you to this viewpoint where you can look towards the iconic sea stacks at Vik.

    My goodness had this place changed. The view down the coast is the same as it always was of course, but there is now a new car park and toilets. The parking used to be a relatively small gravel area, roughly where I stood to take photo 3. It's certainly an improvement but it does remove the feeling of wilderness and I'm not sure I like that. Or maybe I just don't like change. 😱

    You may be wondering about photo 3 and why, if you look closely, there is a group of people there. I wondered that too and discovered why as I walked past them - there were puffins nesting there. I never bothered trying to photograph a puffin using my phone, but I may have a puffin on the proper camera, though it was another case if needing a longer lens really.    Read more

  • RobCowellTwo Lands of the Midnight SunTraveler
    Yes, I know, more icebergs.
    I wish I had my campervan instead of this one.

    Sólheimajökull - a glacier surprise

    June 28, 2023 in Iceland ⋅ 🌬 6 °C

    I'd not been driving all that long when I noticed a sign to Sólheimajökull which you might think is meaningless, but the word Jökull means 'glacier' and somehow I never expected to find one where I was. This belief is a bit daft really, because a lot of Iceland is covered by a huge glacier called Vatnajökull, and there are many tongues spreading from it. This will be one of those. (Bet you can read Icelandic now. 😉)

    At first I drove on and ignored the turning, but then I changed my mind and headed back. I was so glad I did and spent an absolute age here exploring the landscape. There was a path to follow to a viewpoint but you could wander off it and I did. I've photographed the information board for you and also a sign warning hikers about walking further into the wilderness. I didn't have time for that anyway ... I had stayed here far too long so Vik was once again out of the question for tonight. You can see from the last photo in this footprint that I ended up staying at Skogafoss because that is a campsite too. Handy that

    I was so pleased to have found this place and although I wasn't the only person there, there were no more than twenty others at random times. It felt like real wilderness - if you ignore that I had to use the Parka app when I arrived. 🤷😂

    Iceland is changing and becoming much more tourist focused.    Read more

  • RobCowellTwo Lands of the Midnight SunTraveler
    Some random child with no self awareness. I waited ages for him to move and just gave up. 🙄So many people made photography tricky.This photo is another in the series of once-bitten food, especially for Richard . 🤣If the weather had been sunny there might have been a rainbow. It wasn't and there wasn't.

    Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss

    June 28, 2023 in Iceland ⋅ 🌬 12 °C

    If you have followed the two previous Iceland trips with me then you will know of these two waterfalls. They are not too far away from each other and you can visit them on the way to Vik, but what would they be like to visit in the summer? I was dreading what I would find.

    When I visited last, with my friend Tony, Seljalandsfoss was overrun, overwhelmed even, with tourists, or Penguins as we say in the trade. 😉 When I arrived, and let's be clear it's the height of summer, I was staggered that there was parking space to spare and the location didn't feel crowded at all.

    The other noticeable feature was a new car park and the need to pay using the Parka app so maybe this is why it wasn't so crowded. For Iceland however, I didn't feel the charge was unreasonable.

    It was quite windy which meant those walking behind the waterfall were getting extremely wet, so as I'd done that before I chose to stay dry. Photo 4 shows the view along the cliffs and this time I wanted to walk down there and see the other waterfalls, especially the last one, which is inside a cave. This was very busy, because the entrance is relatively small and meant I spent ages waiting for a moment to capture a photo. I think I managed one in the end (no I didn’t), but there were too many people at this particular spot. I should regally have come here at midnight.

    Having believed I had got my photo, I walked back to the car park and grabbed a coffee and sandwich whilst watching the wind blow the waterfall upwards. You can see this in the video.

    I spent too long here really, but eventually I moved on and visited Skogafoss and again, this wasn't overly busy. I wasn't here long though because I wanted to get to Vik, not that things would go to plan though.

    Conclusion: I think both waterfalls look nicer in winter. Just my opinion you understand. 😂    Read more

  • RobCowellTwo Lands of the Midnight SunTraveler
    Love the paint job - not! 🙈😂
    It doesn't get more basic than this! 😂I think the aim was to make it a campervan with the least effort and money.

    Keflavik to Selfoss

    June 27, 2023 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    The second part of this adventure is very different. I am no longer part of a group of twelve in lovely accommodation and a miriad of organised activities, with great food in restaurants. Now I am on my own and my accommodation is a campervan which I've hired to travel along the south coast of a country I love, but in the summer rather than winter. I've only ever seen Iceland covered in snow and ice where a 4x4 is essential, so I wonder what it will be like.

    The flight from Illulisat was extremely early arriving so I had to hang around the airport for a few hours. Nigel was killing a little time here too and John (wearing the yellow jacket in photos) was also waiting to pick up a 4x4 to travel into the Icelandic Highlands for a few days. One day I'd like to do that.

    Having had breakfast, Nigel left to go to the Blue Lagoon thermal spa and John and I went our separate ways to get our vehicles.

    The van is a bit 'in your face' in terms of the paint job and the inside is extremely basic as you can see in the photos, so it is best to describe it as 'functional, with character'! It'll do, given I intend to only to sleep and have breakfast in it but it has a heater (essential) and is more comfortable than sleeping in a car after all. The best bit is the sleeping bag which is brand new and high quality. You get warm the moment you get in it.

    My first overnight stop was supposed to be at Vik, but having collected the van I was so tired given yesterday was extremely long and I'd not particularly slept on the overnight flight. I therefore decided to drive and park by the light house I visited last week ... and sleep. I really needed that, but it meant that Vik wasn't sensible for my first stop.

    I decided on Selfoss, which was not so far and a great choice. Not only did the site have a small cafe but it sold pizza too, so I sorted myself out and went for a meal where I was amazed to find John there, who had indeed met up with his wife and they too were enjoying pizza. That made the evening very pleasant as we chatted about Greenland and what we'd all be doing in Iceland.

    Tomorrow I start the journey across Iceland, but already it is very different from before and although I'd heard there were lupins and I'd seen them last week, they are in fact all over the place. This must be the world's centre for lupins.    Read more

  • RobCowellTwo Lands of the Midnight SunTraveler
    Such a small airport.The only aircraft leaving.This was the last of the views. It clouded over for the rest of the flight.

    Returning to Iceland

    June 27, 2023 in Greenland ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    Our flight was scheduled to be at ten minutes past midnight and our transfer to the airport was at 10pm. This was really early given there's nothing at the airport to do, eat or drink. It is tiny.

    We arrived, checked in and started the wait but we boarded at 11pm and took off early. Ours was the only flight so I guess it didn't matter.

    That's it then, Greenland is over and what an experience it has been. I have seen and done so much this past week and the group I've been with have been great. It has been such an enjoyable time.

    I have followed Nigel Danson's YouTube channel for a while and very much admire his work. He is well known in landscape photography circles and it was so nice not only to meet him, but to work alongside him this week. He's very talented and a really nice person. It's been a pleasure.

     Jeroen was brilliant too, being quick witted and very competent with a drone and he was a great compliment to Nigel's skills for sure. But the other photographers were great too, being so easy to get on with plus everyone looked after and supported everyone. Yes, absolutely brilliant.

    This has been such a good trip (did I say that already?) and yet it's not over because next week I'm in Iceland where I've rented a campervan to explore that awesome country in summertime. I'm travelling the south coast to see how different it is to winter when I've been before. I’ll miss this group though. We have all commented on how well everyone has gelled together and how much fun the whole week has been. It has been overwhelmingly brilliant.

    This adventure continues ...    Read more

  • RobCowellTwo Lands of the Midnight SunTraveler

    Last Photography Session in Greenland

    June 26, 2023 in Greenland ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    This was the final day in Greenland. We had to check out of the hotel by 10am which was hard going given what time we got to bed last night.

    The main activity today was another visit to the board walk and the main photo shows it all ... strategically positioned by a bench! Everyone was tired and I spent most of the time here simply admiring the view. Afterwards we walked back to visit the Icefjord Centre located at the start of the board walk where it was time for coffee which was so nice, but there wasn't much to see here except a fancy building with not a lot in it. I'm sure that will change when the flood of tourists arrive.

    We then went to the restaurant at the Icefjord Hotel for our evening meal. Time for a gin & tonic for sure. 🤗    Read more

  • RobCowellTwo Lands of the Midnight SunTraveler
    Is hard to believe these are phone photos, but they are.
    2

    Evening Walk

    June 26, 2023 in Greenland ⋅ ⛅ 3 °C

    After our meal the light was still looking good so the plan was to hike to the rocks where we went on the first day, but further on so we could see more icebergs coming from the Icefjord. The photos in this footprint show the group on location with some taking photos, some flying their drones, but all taking time to relax and admire the beautiful scene laid out before us. We were all starting to feel tired after so many long days.

    It was another late one. Nigel Danson left to go and take video for his YouTube channel then others drifted away when they were tired. I left well after 2am leaving three hunting for a whale using a drone. They succeeded too, but it did mean they had virtually no sleep that night.

    I walked back on my own, taking a few photos on the way given the light was still amazing. It was so quiet walking through Illulisat to the hotel (last two photos) and it was after 3am when I got to bed, with the final day being a long one too.

    It's hard work doing photography, but then I suspect you have no sympathy. 😂    Read more

  • RobCowellTwo Lands of the Midnight SunTraveler
    There's a lot of gear in those bags.Nearing the harbour.

    Final Boat Trip

    June 25, 2023, Davis Strait ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

    There were supposed to be two boat trips today but we used one of them last night and had gorgeous light. We had photographed a lot of icebergs so the aim today was to cruise in the hope of seeing a whale, but of course the would also be more opportunities to photograph icebergs. So here's a selection of photos from our last trip in Lisa, though at this point I should mention the two crew who kept us safe and we're very obliging to steer the boat where we asked and would stop or reverse as needed so we could take our photographs. They were really helpful and friendly. In fact, all the local people we met were like that.

    In photo four you can see all the camera bags laid out, demonstrating just how much equipment people had brought with them … I wonder what the value of all that was. The cameras weren't at the cheap end either, nor were the lenses and I counted four cameras the same as mine. I feel a new lens is coming my way though - my longest focal length is 200mm (x4 magnification) but some of the group had longer lenses which could zoom in much closer to get some great compositions. I am considering the 100 to 500mm zoom which would take me to x10 magnification - you can see Rhiannon with one in photo 4. I need a bigger lens. 😂

    That's an appropriate thought to have on a boat, if you recall a similar quote from the film Jaws. No sharks here though, just whales. 😊    Read more

  • RobCowellTwo Lands of the Midnight SunTraveler

    Restaurant with a View

    June 25, 2023 in Greenland ⋅ ☁️ 3 °C

    The restaurant in our hotel was on the top floor with panoramic windows looking out across Disko Bay, so I thought you might like to see it.

    We ate here for breakfasts of course, and also for two of our evening meals. On other nights we ate out.

    The staff here were friendly but our waiter (same one both times) had a definite problem with numbers and could not get the orders right. The food was good, though not an extensive choice, and the breakfast buffet was as good a standard as you'd find in any large hotel.    Read more

  • RobCowellTwo Lands of the Midnight SunTraveler

    Golden Light

    June 25, 2023 in Greenland ⋅ ☀️ 2 °C

    On the way back Jeroen phoned ahead to arrange to move the evening boat trip from tomorrow evening to today. The light was looking promising and this turned out to be a good choice.

    We returned to Illulisatt delighted we had photographed a whale, enjoyed our meal in the hotel restaurant then boarded Lisa, our faithful boat, at 10pm.

    We headed south again, to where the icebergs are more packed and enjoyed four hours of beautiful golden light. It was unbelievably yellow/gold and looked almost false at times. Conditions were perfect really, with no wind and a flat calm. At one point we briefly spotted a whale amongst the bergs but quickly lost sight of it when it dived, reappeared, then dived again. We didn't see it afterwards and assumed it had gone under the icebergs somewhere.

    Hopefully I have some nice photos on the camera and the photos in this footprint give you the general idea of what we saw. The light was surreal at times and at one point a group of smaller bergs were lit from the side, the sun making them golden, but the shadows were blue. I hope I've captured that on the camera.

     It was another long day though, with Lisa mooring up at just after 2am and bed at around 3am. It has been another brilliant day.    Read more

  • RobCowellTwo Lands of the Midnight SunTraveler

    The Whale

    June 24, 2023, Davis Strait ⋅ ☀️ 6 °C

    We were speeding through the water back to Illulisatt and were now in open water. We were all chatting, as you do, then all of a sudden the boat slowed down and we then heard the skipper had spotted a whale, so we grabbed our cameras.

    In no time I saw it, we all did of course, then it disappeared. You would think it would submerge and reappear a bit further on, but that's not how it worked. The whale would dive but would then reappear at some completely random location nowhere near where you thought it would be. The whale was feeding, so when it dived it swam around finding food and then it would surface., which made it really hard to take photographs, but I must say that it was extremely exciting. At one point the whale surfaced only a few metres from our boat, so close you could smell it. On another occasion we watched it swim under our boat.

    I got three photos on the phone but you'll need to look hard to see any detail. The short video is best but I sort of messed up at the end so missed the whale's tail rising out of the water. You can certainly hear the shutters clicking though. My phone photos aren't brilliant but at least they are a record of the event. I have much better photos taken on the big camera, not all that many but a lot better, so I'll show them to you after I get home.

    Jeroen, one of our group leaders, got some great images using his drone. The last two photos are his. If you are on Instagram he is @jvn.photo    Read more

  • RobCowellTwo Lands of the Midnight SunTraveler

    Eqi Glacier 4

    June 24, 2023, Davis Strait ⋅ ☀️ 4 °C

    We stayed pretty much a couple of hours hoping to see a calving. At the left, where the glacier touches the land, there were one or two falls of ice but nothing spectacular. We often heard loud cracks coming from somewhere behind where we could see, but no calving. We very much hoped something would happen we could capture with our cameras, but then all of a sudden it was time to leave.

    We had all been analysing the ice to see if we could guess where a calving might occur next and we were sure that one spot looked promising, so we asked to stay a little longer. We were given ten minutes.

    Time was running out and then, at the very last moment, the ice dropped and we got the event we were waiting for. I got this recorded on my big camera but there was no time to also use my phone.

    We then had to leave to get back to Illulisatt but we had a great time though, helped by lovely weather, and we saw a calving. It was quite warm on the deck while we were there but I have to admit this calving didn't quite match the excitement of the one we experienced before. 😄    Read more

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