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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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  • RobCowellScotland 2018Traveler
    Oh look - camper vans. The Volvo is between two white cars opposite a .....
    Panorama looking back to the mainland and the Torridon Hills. Mountains really.View back down the path. A lot of people climb this route ... a lot!Big lumps of granite with the Old Man on the right.The last shot of the day is the best.How to make a coffee in less than a minute.

    Old Man of Storr

    August 20, 2018 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    It doesn’t take long to drive from the camp site to the parking area by the path leading to the Old Man of Storr and from this moment on the day became completely different to what Rob expected or planned. When he arrived it was packed with tourists but there was one Volvo sized place which was handy. Loads of camper vans and quite a number of travellers from various parts of Europe.

    The idea was to take the path, take a photo if there was one to be grabbed then go back to the car and continue north. In the end it became a peaceful day in the mountains when Rob took a side path and found hardly anyone else took the same route. The views were amazing from up there with a clear view across to the mainland. Photography-wise it was nothing special because the light remained flat all day, but it didn’t stop Rob trying to find a decent composition. There were plenty but the light just didn’t help at all and he decided it wasn’t worth the effort of walking further on past the main rock features to get the classic shot looking south.

    In the end Rob spent the whole day in that area and 5pm arrived without him even noticing. By the time he was back at the car brewing the coffee it was near 6pm and time to head back. Surprisingly, it turned out the day wasn’t finished yet.    Read more

  • RobCowellScotland 2018Traveler
    The morning view from the tent.

    Second Midge Encounter

    August 20, 2018 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    After a very pleasant sleep, all snuggly and warm, the new day arrived and Rob opened the tent to the view you can see. The morning temperature wasn’t bad at all and there was no wind but of course, no wind means .... Midges and they swarmed in far higher numbers than last night. The Skin So Soft was in the car and although the car was only a few feet away, that was enough to get covered in the things. There was only one thing to do and that was to deploy the midge net, though it does make eating your breakfast cereal somewhat tricky. But everything worked in the end and with a cup of coffee, sitting in the car, Rob confirmed the plans for the day. North, head north but with the light dull and flat and cloud forecast for the entire day it would be accurate to say Rob wasn’t feeling too enthusiastic.Read more

  • RobCowellScotland 2018Traveler
    Approaching the bridge leading to Skye. It was really bright so this looks quite dark.
    Base camp established and somewhere to eat close by. Black Cuillins in the background.3You can just about see the Loch in the distance if you zoom in and use a magnifying glass!The theme is green with matching torch/lanternTaken walking back after a meal. A cloud of midges surround you if you dare to stop!Time for bed.

    First Midge Encounter

    August 19, 2018 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    The good weather was welcomed and even more welcoming, apart from the sight of an even higher density of camper vans on Skye than on the mainland, was discovering there was plenty of room at the camp site ... only £8 a night too! Even better, there was a breeze when Rob arrived which meant the midges were grounded.

    The tent was soon erected, the sleeping mat blown-up using Rob’s home-made blower-upper, the sleeping bag installed and a coffee brewed. A home from home for sure, except that at 7pm the breeze subsided and the midges arrived in their masses, with people waving there arms and rubbing faces whilst pulling on long sleeved garments and coating themselves in anti-midge sprays, creams or anything else that might work. Rob reached for the Avon Skin So Soft which actually does appear to keep them away. They’re still there of course, and as soon as you stop walking they’re be all around you, but they do seem to be suitably repelled from using you for their evening snack.

    After a meal at Seumas’ bar just over the road (the white building you can see) Rob returned and spent some time in the car, mainly to avoid the annoyance of the midges. Skin So Soft may repel them from biting you but they’re still a bit of a nuisance which is why several people were wearing midge nets.

    It’s getting into the tent at bedtime that’s the tricky bit. First you go to the loo block for the end of day routine. Then you collect all the things you need in the tent and sneakily unzip it, in the dark, and throw them in. Next you run around the camp site like a madman to outrun the pesky insects then, as fast as you can, unzip the tent and dive in and zip up. Annoyingly, you turn the light on and spend ages killing the hundred or so midges that were shrewd enough to wait by the zip for when you arrive. You just have to face it ... you’re in midge country so you simply have to grin and bear it.

    Bet you’re impressed with the colour coordination inside the tent. You are, aren’t you!    Read more

  • RobCowellScotland 2018Traveler
    View north along Loch Lochy (Lochy McLochface perhaps?)
    Looking back towards Spean Bridge with Ben Nevis behind, but don't ask which one ... the biggest?Piles of stones created by tourists.The hot summer has reduced water levels. Shame its not hot now.Western end of Loch Claunie which looks really low here.A sneak view of Eilean Dornan Castle but no photography here today.

    Travelling to Skye

    August 19, 2018 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Today was a day of driving and admiring the views on the way to Skye. No photography was planned although Rob did stop at one point to try and capture reflections in one of the Lochs. It was somewhat rushed though as he wanted to get to a camp site on Skye late afternoon to have the best chance of getting a place. There were hundreds of camper vans en-route and there were surely not as many as this when Rob and Julie toured Scotland. They were all over the place and all, pretty much, seemed under-powered and crawled up the slightest hill. They all seemed bigger than ever too and were flavoured with all nationalities ... obviously Brits, but Dutch and German in abundance. The odd few Italians as well ... a long journey from Italy to Scotland.

    The good news of the day was the weather forecast was wrong and it improved steadily the nearer Rob got to Skye. It was blue sky and sunshine upon arrival with clear views across the mountains. Brilliant ... no pitching a tent in the rain.    Read more

  • RobCowellScotland 2018Traveler
    A not particularly great view of Rannoch Moor. It was cold and blowy but no midges though.
    The route through Glen Etive.Photography in progress.The location used in Skyfall when James Bond stops to talk to M.A view looking down Glen Coe.

    Rannoch Moor, Glen Etive and Glen Coe

    August 18, 2018 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Having left the road through Glen Orchy and turned northwards towards Glencoe, the next feature of note was Rannoch Moor which is a huge area of wilderness with the A82 running along its western side. It was cold and wet by that point in the journey and even so, Rob stopped for a while to take a photo but soon gave up. Much more time is needed here and in the right light there would be amazing photo opportunities. Not today though.

    Just past the Glen Coe ski area there is a left hand turn which takes you to the head of Loch Etive. It’s a single track road with passing places but Rob discovered not everyone knows what this means. On two occasions cars didn’t stop even though they were within a car’s length of one. The second car reversed back but the first continued on, trying to squeeze past. Rob’s Volvo survived but the other car looked as though the front wheel had dropped into a ditch ... best to pretend not to notice and carry on. The car wasn’t there on the way back so maybe it wasn’t as bad as it looked.

    Rob spent quite a bit of time in this valley, mainly because it had stopped raining for a while. Once again it was very picturesque and although he realised he’d been here with Julie around 2011 (or was it 2010?) he didn’t remember the waterfalls here, nor the slightly pink rock surrounding them. Having photographed a couple of waterfalls and spending time talking to two wild campers (what they were doing, they were very pleasant) it was way past when Rob should have left, so after checking out the Skyfall location he returned back along the valley and then through Glen Coe to Glencoe (are you following this?) and then southwards along the coast road back to the Lodge.

    At the end of the day there were a few photos to be had but the drive was well worth it whatever. It was raining again as Rob went to dinner but then it didn’t matter by then. The forecast for tomorrow isn’t all that good ... it’s a day of travelling to get to Skye where the rumour is it’s full. Rob’s a little nervous as to where he’ll be sleeping tomorrow night and wonders, if it’s pouring down, if it’ll be the first night spent in the back of the car.    Read more

  • RobCowellScotland 2018Traveler
    Eas Urchaidh Waterfall - a dangerous place which has claimed several lives.
    The Glen broadens out in places. Definitely worth a drive.There are a number of small waterfalls along the route.

    B8074 Glen Orchy

    August 18, 2018 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    Today turned out to have a water-based theme and began when Rob opened the curtains to confirm he was in Scotland - it was still raining! After breakfast he checked the room was available for another night then set off on a mini-road-trip - an anti-clockwise circular tour northwards encompassing Glencoe then returning south along the coast road.

    The first part of the tour was through Glen Orchy along a scenic 'B' road which was indeed very scenic and highly recommended should you ever find yourself in the area, especially in the Autumn it seems. The cloud hung low and the rain intermittent though it stopped for a while around midday when, coincidentally, Rob stopped to photograph a waterfall. He spent rather too long here it must be said, but he found it quite absorbing standing under a metal bridge trying not to slip on slippy rocks with a tripod and camera. Fortunately he didn't slip on the slippy rocks which was kind've handy because during dinner the staff commented on how dangerous that waterfall was if you happened to fall in, with deadly currents that drag you down to your death. It wasn't pleasant to be told of deadly currents just as you're eating - that spotted dick didn't look so yummy after all!

    After his near-death experience Rob continued the drive where he stopped to look at other falls/rapids but resisted the temptation to take more photos other than with his phone. Time was moving on, unlike the rain which had begun again and now seemed never-ending.    Read more

  • RobCowellScotland 2018Traveler
    That moody look is due to the rain ... the really wet sort!
    Kilchurn CastleTaken to the right of the castle shot - those square things are boards to cross the boggy areas.

    First Night in Scotland

    August 17, 2018 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Rob was a little late leaving on Thursday (16th) and the combined efforts of the traffic and the M6 meant Lancaster was the first overnight stop. He decided to stay at the Lancaster South services and upon arrival at the Travelodge was greeted with, "It's August and the schools are on holiday." Rob, being a complete Dumbo in these matters and with no experience of the English Education system, politely thanked the receptionist for explaining the lack of available rooms ... then left, making repeated tutting noises reminiscent of Skippy.

    A few phone calls later confirmed all options for a cosy B&B in Lancaster were used up so Rob was left to drive the local roads of the city looking for an available room until, at last, he was offered a room at the Inn. It had a promising name too: Premier.

    The next day, today of course, Rob continued his journey northwards but not before he set in place his cunning plan to check room availability at his destination, thus booking the last available room at a Lodge on the A85 not too far from Oban. This cunning plan was hatched because of what he knew would happen not too long after he left Lancaster. At the exact moment he crossed the border into Scotland it began to rain and it continued to rain for the rest of the journey to the Lodge. It rained lightly, it rained heavily, it was raining as he ended his journey, it was raining as he wrote today's blog and it'll probably rain while he sleeps. It's Scotland!

    It did stop raining for an hour or so just as Rob finished his evening meal and this allowed him to grab his tripod and camera to go to photograph a castle whilst standing in a bog ... that's an area of very wet land by the way, not the local public convenience. He was hoping for a miracle and some stunning light around sunset but you only ever get one miracle in any twenty-four hour period and finding a room at the Inn was probably it. He still took photos though but you may never get to see them because a ruined castle in dull light is not exactly the best way to start a photography trip. It's a start though and things can only get better.    Read more

  • RobCowellIceland 2018Traveler

    Final Views of Iceland

    February 20, 2018 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 0 °C

    The drive from that little 'blue lagoon' to the airport was uneventful. The journey along the southern coast was not all that inspiring, though one section was through a geo park where there were the remnants of volcanic eruptions, lava fields and classic-shaped volcanic cones all dusted in icing-sugar. Rob thought this was brilliant and took a few photos from the car as the landscape slid by. Then we were at the airport, right on time.

    The Iceland 2018 adventure had come to an end.    Read more

  • RobCowellIceland 2018Traveler
    Our own blue lagoon
    Not a bad place to parkMore snowy roads on the wayTypical view as we travel southwards

    Travelling to the Airport

    February 20, 2018 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ -1 °C

    So this is our last day.

    The view at breakfast looked cold and when we went to get the shared suitcase from the car to pack our gear into it, we discovered it really was. There was a biting chill in the wind so we hurried inside and began collecting things together ready to start the journey to the airport.

    As you can see from the second two photos, it was an average wintertime drive as we headed for the south coast ... we'd decided to go to the airport via a drive along the southern shore of the peninsula towards Keflavik, passing through a national park on the way. That drive took us on a small road across the mountains which were.extremely icy in places. At one point our trusty Duster lost all traction going around a bend and simply danced on ice. No problem though and we carried on, passing a ski resort we didn't know existed with what seemed to be a couple of lifts and not a lot else, then eventually giving up and turning around. The road conditions were poor and after the ski resort the road was not maintained in winter. We had a plane to catch and felt it too risky to go on.

    We did find a place to park for a while for our final session with our cameras. For a while the clouds parted in an area where, as the snow was thawing, pools of bright blue water had formed. We were the only people around and really enjoyed the time we had there.    Read more

  • RobCowellIceland 2018Traveler
    Not so bad at breakfast
    Where's Tony!3Rob watches from the carIn this photo it looks okay doesn't itIs that water blowing uphill? We think it is!The car was shaking at this point

    High Winds and Rain

    February 19, 2018 in Iceland ⋅ 🌬 4 °C

    Perhaps you can tell it must have been a different kind of day if you've spotted the blog being updated before dinner instead of afterwards. All looks good at breakfast time with a bright dawn following a night of torrential rain which has amazingly washed a lot of the snow away, leaving the roads much less icy and bare areas of ground. Not as pretty as it has been we thought, but still it's an amazing landscape to be in.

    The forecast was for it to be cloudy with some wind but it turned out to be very strong winds indeed and as we left the town into the wilderness the car was being buffeted around as we drove through the lava fields. We stopped at one point so Tony could take a photograph of a coastal inlet and he braved the gale force wind while Rob stayed wrapped up warm in the Duster. We stopped again later and did the same and Rob stayed warm while the mad photographer forced open the door and crouched to get his shot. We then stopped for coffee and watched the cars in the car park jitter and roll as the wind howled around them.

    Having consumed our coffees and cakes we set off once more and decided, in a mad moment, we'd stop again at Kirkjufell because the overnight rain had melted the ice around the waterfall and we thought it'd be good to get (yet) another shot. This was just plain silly.

    We suited up, sorted our gear, fitted our spikes to our boots and headed off towards the waterfall. It was an endurance to even walk in that wind let alone stay upright. We made it to the location to the left of the falls, as you see it, having been jet washed by the spray on the way and even more so on the way back down. We got back to the car wet and dishevelled and sat and watched others as they attempted what we had done. We are all mad as hatters.

    So we returned to the hotel and in a while we'll go to dinner. We haven't achieved much today but there's always tomorrow on our drive to the airport. Hopefully we'll fare better than today.    Read more

  • RobCowellIceland 2018Traveler
    I know the horizon isn't straight!
    A pile of Dusters

    That Mountain Again

    February 18, 2018 in Iceland ⋅ 🌬 0 °C

    When we arrived we were entering the twilight zone as the sunset had finished. What we mean by this is the sun was below the horizon because it was far too cloudy for a sunset.

    The tide was in so there was an opportunity for a reflection if the water was calm and the grey skies offered a great contrast against the snow covered mountain. We found a suitable parking spot and headed off with tripods and cameras but without the strange hats and footwear. Are we old codgers on a photography outing? We hope we're not!

    Rob thinks he's got some great photos here but Tony's not so sure so we'll all have to wait to find out how it went. When we went back to the car more people had arrived to catch the very last of the light and you can see just how popular Dacia Duster 4x4 cars are here. There are millions of them!    Read more

  • RobCowellIceland 2018Traveler
    An f-stop of photographersLeft or right?Difficult driving conditions again

    Arches and Pillars

    February 18, 2018 in Iceland ⋅ 🌬 -1 °C

    Having travelled to the south of the Peninsula we had decided we'd travel clockwise following the road around the end and back to our hotel. This meant we'd do part of the route we'd covered yesterday but it also meant we'd be at Kirkjufell around sunset, if there was one. There wasn't.

    We stopped at a few sites on the way to see an arch for example, which also included an opportunity to spot photographers on location. In this we were extremely lucky and were able to spot lenses and tripods of various sizes as well as strange hats and footwear. This was, of course, marginally more interesting than the sea stacks we saw, especially as it was far too cold to be hanging around a bunch of old rocks being splashed with icy water. Or was that a bunch of old codgers splashed with snow.

    One of our stops was to see some upright remnants of a volcano. It was here that, for some odd reason, the weather completely changed and a fierce and biting cold wind got up which made photography here quite a challenge. This wind was relentless and whipped up the snow as we continued our journey, making driving difficult at times.    Read more

  • RobCowellIceland 2018Traveler
    1Only three if these in Iceland

    Black Church

    February 18, 2018 in Iceland ⋅ 🌬 0 °C

    Compared to yesterday the weather was not so good and the day not so eventful. We decided to go to the south of the Peninsula to find the black church at Buðir. It was quite crowded here so it was tricky to get a photo with no Penguins, though it doesn't look that way does it. Just after the photo was taken, loads of tourists arrived and they were everywhere. You just have to be patient ... they've come to discover the church just like we have and they want their photos too. It's just a little frustrating to have to wait while a family or small group take loads of photos of themselves including every variant of subjects in a variety of poses.

    Tony wasn't so sure about this location but felt it was worthwhile having done it. It kind've grew on him. We also met a couple of people who we chatted to, a photographer from Morocco (bet he was cold!) and an English guy married to a French lady who does photographic tours for French tourists. It was really interesting to talk to them.    Read more

  • RobCowellIceland 2018Traveler
    The best my phone could

    Northern Lights

    February 18, 2018 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ -1 °C

    We weren't quite sure how good a chance there'd be to see the Aurora tonight. Rob has that App on his phone to predict the possibility of seeing it and it wasn't that optimistic. We did wonder if it would appear though, given the extremely clear skies and how cold it was ... the first indicators to look for.

    We'd had our meal and returned to our room and were reviewing the photos of the day, with Rob checking the App every now and then. Suddenly, the App showed really good figures for around midnight, really good, and we decided to get kitted up and go. Whilst putting on all the clothing layers, Rob lightheartedly looked through the curtains and, even in the town and through the window, there they were - the Northern Lights.

    We drove about 20 minutes west to a place we'd spotted earlier in the day looking out to sea but with mountains as a backdrop. The show had already begun of course, so we set up our cameras and spent at least two and a half hours experimenting to get the best photographs we could. However, this was not any ordinary Northern Lights event, this was a Marks & Spencer's Northern Lights event. The Aurora spanned the entire sky with ever changing patterns of green and white, punctuated with tints of red and even orange. It was so bright too and at times cast shadows in an eerie green light. It was truly spectacular and a bigger event than we'd seen at Jokulsarlon. Truly amazing!

    Eventually the show faded and we left. Yet again on this trip we have been blessed with an amazing day.    Read more

  • RobCowellIceland 2018Traveler

    Arctic Colours at Twilight

    February 17, 2018 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ -4 °C

    We did make one more stop to photograph the sunset. We managed to find a place to park where we could get a reflection in a lake ... or some sort of water as it was difficult to tell what it was. The second photo of this footprint was taken after the sunset so apologies you don't get to see it, though perhaps you will when we return. The first photo gives a hint of the way the landscape looks at this time of day when the weather has been as good as it was.

    It's really hard to describe what we saw on that journey back to our hotel. We travelled in the fading light of an Arctic day, through a snow coated landscape of spectacular mountains resting on cushions of white marsh-mellow. But it's the light that's impossible to describe. As the sun sets all the subtle tones of colour and light emerge and even when the sun has set a second show begins, with the most delicate shades of white, blue and purple. Unbelievably, the landscape brightens and the twilight offers new colours of salmon and pink mixed with greys and subtle blues. This is a world you can't imagine ... you have to be here. It will touch your emotions like never before.    Read more

  • RobCowellIceland 2018Traveler

    Frozen Landscape

    February 17, 2018 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ -6 °C

    The weather today was gorgeous. How can it be when last time it was dull, foggy and constant torrential rain? The bright blue skies and snow make the landscape unrecognisable.

    We decided to drive westwards along the north of the peninsula and simply enjoy the journey. We therefore didn't really stop for photography and drove until we thought we ought to turn around and head back. The drive back was spectacular ... the photos here were taken when we stopped at a viewpoint where opposite, the cliffside was coated with massive icicles. But that was nowhere near the best of it.Read more

  • RobCowellIceland 2018Traveler
    Those are our shadows

    Kirkjufell in the Sunshine

    February 17, 2018 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ -5 °C

    First of all, compare the first and last photos of this footprint, because the last one is the very best if what we saw in 2016 when we visited last time. Notice the difference?

    Kirkjufell is also known as the witch's hat mountain because of its shape when seen from a particular angle. It's a magnet for photographers and tourists (Penguins remember) because of the nearby waterfall which is often included in photographs. Search on Google and you'll find a squillion photos of this mountain with and without ice and/or Northern Lights. So we must have our turn of course.

    On this visit, as you can see, the weather was clear with a deep blue sky and clear air. After spending time here we left only to discover a location with fantastic reflections of Kirkjufell but from the opposite side. We managed to find somewhere to park and spent some time here trying to get that magical shot. This was a really good location because there were two mountains reflected in the tidal waters. Look one way for Kirkjufell then in a moment there was another composition of another mountain ... name not looked-up.

    We got some great photos here.    Read more

  • RobCowellIceland 2018Traveler

    Sunrise to Start the Day

    February 17, 2018 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ -1 °C

    This was the view while we had breakfast. It was quite cloudy when first looked out of the window so this was quite a surprise. Hopefully the weather will be kind to us as we're looking forward to getting some good shots today.Read more

  • RobCowellIceland 2018Traveler
    Chocolate cake for pudding

    Comfort Food

    February 16, 2018 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 0 °C

    Oooooohh! That's Tony's description of the chocolate cake we both had to end our meal this evening. We have four nights left and we are once again in a hotel rather than B&B which is a nice way to finish. Don't get us wrong, all the places we've stayed have been great and in all cases we've been made to feel extremely welcome.

    So, having spoiled ourselves we have discussed what we'll be doing tomorrow and now it's time to finish for the day. What will tomorrow bring? .... we'll tell you tomorrow night.    Read more

  • RobCowellIceland 2018Traveler
    You don't see roads like this in Wolverhampton
    We're getting used to this nowThat's a snow plough going out of shotNot as good a sunset as yesterday

    Winter Driving

    February 16, 2018 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ -2 °C

    The forecast for our day of travelling was snow showers but basically a nice day ... and that is exactly what we had. The showers were sometimes snow, sometimes sleet and sometimes what appeared to be plain old frozen rain. Visibility was quite bad at times too but when it was clear the views were lovely with the most subtle of colours like watercolour across the landscape. A hint of yellow, tints of white and at times a hint of purple or violet finely brushed over the snowfields. Towards the end of our journey we thought we may see another great sunset but this time it simply faded away.Read more

  • RobCowellIceland 2018Traveler
    Not many tourists here then!
    Steam vent at Geysir

    Geysir Under Pressure

    February 16, 2018 in Iceland ⋅ 🌙 -1 °C

    Our route from Gulfoss took us through Geysir. We'd also visited there on our last trip and once again there were more penguin tourists than you'd find water molecules in your average jet of sulphurous steam. We drove slowly through the site, trying not to mow down the people crossing the road and Rob grabbed a couple of shots from the side window of the car.

    Maybe February is just a busy time of the year. Who knows.    Read more

  • RobCowellIceland 2018Traveler
    Nowhere to park - site full

    Gulfoss Waterfall ... full!

    February 16, 2018 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Having gorged ourselves on tomato soup, we headed towards the Gulfoss waterfall which we knew would be the best entry in 'Tony's Ultimate Photographic Guide to the Frozen Waterfalls of Iceland.' The photo you see is all we saw because it was the same as we found earlier ... only twenty times worse. The main car park was more than full containing coaches, minibuses and cars all fighting for car park spaces that were long ago used up. Some time in the Viking era we think. There were people everywhere getting mixed up with the cars and the coaches and minibuses and snow and ice. We could find nowhere to park and even tried another smaller car park we thought people may not realise was there. But they did, because that too was rammed full with queues to get in or out and cars parked along the road making access even worse. The whole place was a nightmare so once again we left having seen even less than this morning. We never even saw an drip.

    Is this what is going to happen to all those beautiful locations in Iceland? Worrying. But then maybe even we are part of the problem.    Read more

  • RobCowellIceland 2018Traveler
    All that from one grow bag!
    Bees and tomatoes75% of Iceland's tomatoes grown hereTomato soup for lunch

    Lunch in a Greenhouse

    February 16, 2018 in Iceland ⋅ 🌙 -1 °C

    Our lunch stop was at the Friðheimar geothermal greenhouses near Reykholt, vaguely on the Golden Circle tour. It's a huge greenhouse complex which is heated using geothermal energy and they produce 75% of all the tomatoes consumed in Iceland as well as 80% of the cucumbers. You can get the idea from the photos but we were amazed to see it appeared that a whole section of plants were grown from one grow bag. You can see it in the bottom right corner of the main photo. The greenhouses also have their own bees for pollination of the plants. I suppose it's obvious they would be needed but their presence was still a surprise.

    Greenhouses heated by geothermal power are quite common in Iceland, growing a huge variety of produce. Here endeth today's lesson.

    The best bit, however, was the tomato soup and bread. Excellent!    Read more

  • RobCowellIceland 2018Traveler
    Car Park - Full

    The Waterfall that Wasn't

    February 16, 2018 in Iceland ⋅ 🌙 2 °C

    Today we had a reasonably long drive to get to Stykkishólmur in the north of the Snæfellsnes peninsula so the idea was to visit a few places of interest along the way. For the first stop we decided we'd revisit Seljalandsfoss waterfall to see what it looked like in winter ... that's the waterfall where there's a path you can walk which takes you behind the tumbling water. We had already been told the path was closed at the moment but we reckoned it would still be worth a visit as another tick for Tony's frozen waterfall list.

    We were totally amazed and somewhat shocked to find that when we arrived the place was heaving with tourists, coaches that had brought them and a completely full car park where, now, charges applied. This was very different to when we visited last. It was quite busy then but was nothing like what we discovered today.

    We decided we'd just take a picture from the parking area then leave as we couldn't see how we'd get a decent photograph there with so many people around. This was a little disappointing but we had been there before and we had got a fairly long drive ahead of us.    Read more

  • RobCowellIceland 2018Traveler

    Stjórnarfoss Waterfall

    February 15, 2018 in Iceland ⋅ 🌫 1 °C

    After leaving the canyon it was time for a coffee break so we found a filling station, ordered our drinks and sat down to work out where the waterfall actually was. In fact, it was 5 minutes from where we were so in no time we were at our next photographic location.

    This was indeed a frozen waterfall, a short walk from where we'd parked the Duster. That sounds silly doesn't it so let's say it was a short walk from where we'd parked the car. Much better.

     The river from the waterfall was almost frozen over and that made a picture in itself. The waterfall was completely covered in ice, so much so that it appeared the water came from inside the ice. The light was quite nice too, as it was later in the day, which gave a golden hue to the surrounding mountains. The phone picture you see here makes it look rather more atmospheric than it really was - the sky wasn't as toned as you see but it was very pleasant nonetheless.

    We returned to the car a short time before sunset was due and set off to return to Vik. When we'd left the canyon earlier we were surprised to see how much the ice on the roads had started to melt and become slush. Now, only a relatively short while later, the roads were covered in ice again. As we drove though, we were treated to the most amazing sunset and the best of the trip so far and the photo you see simply doesn't do it justice. The colours and tones were amazing, stunning even, but of course being on an Icelandic road meant we couldn't find anywhere to stop to photograph it before it was all over.

    What a fabulous day again. We've seen some beautiful sights and hope there's more to come when we move on tomorrow to our final location of the trip.    Read more

  • RobCowellIceland 2018Traveler
    Looking up the canyon
    View from near the car parkPrecarious camera locationPrecarious photographer positionCanyon viewCanyon view

    Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon

    February 15, 2018 in Iceland ⋅ 🌫 1 °C

    This was certainly an interesting place and the weather really made it, not to mention the quantity of snow in and around it. We are sure it's a great place to visit in the summer but we don't think you can walk up it because the river snakes through from side to side. To view it, then, there is a path running along the right-hand side with viewpoints in several places where we stopped to take our photographs. You can see Tony in one of them and if you look into the distance you can see part of the Katla lava field.

    The path is around 1.8km and we walked to the end where it terminates with a viewing platform for the canyon and also fine views across the snowfields to the mountains beyond. We really enjoyed our time there which must have been around 3 hours. It seems a long time to take a few snaps doesn't it, but that's not all it was about. The views, the warm sunshine and the quiet and relaxing time spent there. That's what made it for us.    Read more

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