Countryside

Stykkisholmur, West Iceland

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By Paul S Bryers, August 2015.

Two hours from Reykjavik is the small fishing town of Stykkisholmur on the Snaefellsnes Peninsular. The trip to Stykkisholmur is quite spectacular. Initially, you are close to the coast with high mountains immediately to the West. After a 6 km tunnel that takes you under the Hvalfjordur, the countryside starts to get pretty desolate with big lava fields and huge volcanic mountains visible in all directions. Some of the lower hills are very red in color, which contrasts nicely with the sage colored moss/lichen coating the lava fields. Small alpine plants appear here and there; they seem quite lonely.

   
  
Stykkisholmur itself sticks out into the Breidafjordur, with views to the distant mountains of Westfjords. While the town is small with only about 1100 inhabitants, it boasts some great accommodations (including the best hostel in Iceland) and restaurants, notably Narfeyrarstofa and Sjavarpakkhusid.  

 There is not a huge amount to do in the town itself, but two “musts” are the short walk over to the basalt island of Sugandisey, where you can sit and enjoy great views of the fjord, and the Vikingsuchi Adventure Tour operated by Seatours. On this tour you approach a number of small uninhabited islands – note the very strong ocean currents – and get to see lots of seabirds, including pretty Puffins, regal Shags, Fulmars, Kittiwakes.  

    
   
You also get to eat seafood straight from the sea. The crew drop, trawl and then hoist a net which comes back up from the seabed full of creatures – colorful starfish and sea urchins, slightly scary looking sea cucumbers, crabs and lots of scallops. The fresh scallops and sea urchin roe were excellent, especially when accompanied with a little soy, wasabi and ginger!  

   
   
   
After the tour, you might like to pop into the Volcano Museum. 
So, that was Stykkisholmur – definitely worth a visit.

Beautiful Views on the Golden Circle Tour, Iceland

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By Paul S Bryers, August 2015.

After two days of exploring Reykjavik city, it was time to head out for some lakes, rivers and waterfalls. The Golden Circle tour is one of the most popular day excursions from the city. The tour takes you to Geysir to see small, bubbling thermal pools and, well, geysers, and then to Gullfoss too see tremendous waterfalls, and finally to Pingvellir for some in-your-face geological education. There are many companies which offer the Circle tour. We used Iceland Horizon and had Gerta as our very knowledgable and talkative guide.

Our first stop was not on the classical tour – why not I don’t know as it was spectacular – the Tungufljot waterfall. It was a beauty! Make sure you view from both the upper and lower car parks.      
 

Next stop was Geysir. This was a bit disappointing in comparison to Yellowstone, as most of the geysers don’t shoot off that often. However, there was one which went off every 4 – 5 mins and it was pretty spectacular. View the water spout both from beside the thermal pool and from the red rock hilltop about 100 m above the pool. If you want to eat, get the delicious lamb soup from The Cantina.     

 

Then we were on our way to Gullfoss. However, as we approached the entrance to the waterfalls, our guide whipped us straight past to view the barren landscape of the Highlands and a distant glacier. It was worth it, more or less. 

Gullfoss is an incredible sight – OMG amounts of water per second fall from one cascade to another until finally plunging into a volcanic rift. Make sure to view from both the top and lower pathways. On the latter pathway you will get a wee bit wet, but it’s worth it. And watch out for the lovely Icelandic horses in the vicinity – small and cute, but also hardy.    

   

Our final stop was Pingvellir, site of the Icelandic Parliament from 930 until 1798. Pingvellir National Park is located in an active volcanic area (OK, so is most of Iceland) and covers approx. 24,000 ha, of which about 9,000 ha constitute the World Heritage property. If you have heard about continental drift and wondered “what does that actually look like?”, then this is the place to come. Its best-defined feature is a major rift, which has produced dramatic fissures and cliffs demonstrating inter-continental drifting between North America and Europe in a spectacular and easily understandable way. It did not come as any surprise that some scenes from Game of Thrones were filmed here – those naughty Lannisters! The National Park is enclosed by mountains on three sides, featuring grass-covered lava fields, and Lake Pingvallavatn lies at the southern end of the park.     

   

After Pingvellir, it was a short ride back to Reykjavik. So, that was the Golden Circle!

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Jet Boating on Waimakiriri River

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By Paul S Bryers, January 2015

Set in the Southern Alps, Jet boating on the Waimakiriiri River, Christchurch, is major fun. 
 

Celebrity – Down Under

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By Paul Bryers, 2015

New Zealand, or Scotland on the other side of the world if you like, is always associated with the outdoors, wilderness, extreme sports, etc – so why on God’s good Middle-Earth would anyone go there on a 2 week cruise? Well, for us it was because this was going to be our first trip of many to The Land that includes Mordor, so we thought why not make life simple and have a consistent base – the Celebrity Solstice.

We started our adventure off independently with a few days in Auckland, including a pretty good New Year’s Eve featuring fireworks from the top of the infamous Skytower (you can bungie jump off if you feel so inclined). Auckland is a bike friendly city and fun to cycle around, especially southwards along the coastal bike path. There are hills if you want them, well, volcanic cones, actually. Also, go to the nearby islands – Waiheke for biking and vineyards and Rangitoto for a short hike up the volcano.

Our 2 week cruise would take us along the East Coast of the North Island, then along the East and Southern Coasts of the South Island, and finally off to Tasmania, Melbourne and Sydney.

Our first port of call was the Bay of Islands, north of Auckland. We spent the day on an old tall ship, visiting remote areas and small islands – a great day out on the high seas!
  

Next port was Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty, south of Auckland. As usual, Celebrity offered a great variety of shore excursions, but we decided to go independent and Heli-tour to White Island – an active, and I mean ACTIVE, hydrostatic volcano – about 30 minutes flying time from Whakatane Airport. This trip is not for the faint of heart – stick with your guide and follow in their footsteps. Apparently, the whole place can blow without warning. You will need to wear trendy gas masks thanks to the copious amounts of carbon monoxide and sulphur gas – phew!

  

Continuing south, we reached Wellington. What a setting! A hip place. Go see the fur seal colony out at Otaki. 

  

We continue southwards to Akaroa, which has been the cruise port for Christchurch since the last earthquake devastated the city. This area is the gateway to the Southern Alps. We took the Transalpine Express from Darfield to Arthur’s Pass, followed by a jet boat ride on one of the local rivers.  A very exhilarating day!     

  

Next port was Dunedin. What can I say other than it is a Northern Scottish town with funny accents – very beautiful. Go kayaking in the bay and talk to the fur seals.   

Our final days in NZ were spent cruising around The Sounds – Dusky, Doubtful and, of course, Milford. Just incredible, incredible and incredible……….Waterfall after waterfall………      

We were then off to Australia – Hobart, Tasmania followed by Melbourne and Sydney – but that’s another story.

So, our first trip to the Land that brought Hobbits to life was a great success. And yes, we have booked to go back in December 2015 for about 25 days. No cruising this time though. Instead, we have a sturdy SUV and a road plan that will take us from Queenstown to Picton via the mountains and West Coast. Can’t wait!

A Pond in the North

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By Paul Bryers, 2015

There’s something about New York – no, not the city, the State. Get away from the major roadways and all of sudden……………….it is blissful and peaceful. Take North Branch, a small village roughly equidistant between Jeffersonville (not very interesting) and Callicoon on the Delaware River (plenty to do). You can stay at the North Branch Inn – very charming and under new ownership. Close to the village is a private commons, developed from an old 50s hotel’s grounds into well separated plots, each with a charming house. There are also shared areas and facilities – a large swimming pool, tennis courts, woods and a fabulous pond. The pond has abundant permanent residents such as large catfish, frogs, woodchucks, and assorted birds. There are also other wildlife which visit according to season. You can’t go visit the pond, but you can enjoy some of the wildlife from here.

   
    
    
    
   

Torla, A Great Base Camp for Exploring Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, Pyrenees

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By Paul Bryers, 2014

Torla is a small village located in the Province of Huesca in the Aragon Region of Northern Spain (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torla). It can only be accessed by the N-260 from Broto or from Biescas through the port of Cotefablo. We were lucky enough to stay there in August of 2014 for five nights, and used it as a base for exploring the nearby Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park. Our accommodations were in the Hotel Villa de Torla (http://www.hotelvilladetorla.com/index.aspx), which turned out to be an excellent choice. The hotel is located right in the center of this little mountain village. The rooms were very clean and well appointed. We had a suite on the top floor with an incredible view down the valley and a big Jacuzzi that came in handy each night after a hard hike – for some reason you could not go in the Jacuzzi without a glass of wine. Fluffy robes and towels were also aplenty. Hard life. The hotel has a nice outside pool with views down the valley and up to the mountains. Breakfasts were very good, with different home made pastries each morning. We only had dinner at the hotel once – it was OK but nothing special. However, there are a couple of good restaurants in the village, but you have to book in advance – good was Asador (http://www.apartamentostorla.com/es/restaurante-la-cocinilla-torla.aspx) and excellent was El Duende – The Goblin (we ate there twice – http://www.restauranteelduende.com). The latter was certainly the best restaurant in the village and surrounding area – maybe in the Pyrenees! The calamari was fantastic, as was the wild boar. Which reminds me, just after we left Torla to drive to Barcelona (about 5 hours), a boar ran out of the mist and in front of the car! It was a big, to be sure. Back to Torla -there are two small supermarkets in the village – the one furtherest from the village center is the better of the two. Stock up here with local rolls and fruit for a lunches on day hikes, and don’t forget water.

Torla borders France, but lacks a road connection with it, and is one of two gateways to the National Park. In summer, when access to the Park is restricted for private vehicles, buses leave from Torla just below the Hotel Villa de Torla. The information center at the bus station can advise you as to the various hikes. If you are of average fitness you will have no bother with most of the hikes, but be aware that some of the trails go along narrow mountain ledges so if you don’t like heights check this out before you set out. There are some great waterfalls as you ascend each hike, and the views are terrific!

Isle of Arran, Scotland

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By Paul Bryers, 2014

Situated about 1 hours drive from Central Glasgow followed by 1 hours sail from Ardrossan, the Isle of Arran offers great opportunities for scenic drives, cycling, walking, hiking and generally lazing around – depending on your needs and disposition.

We went there for 5 days in August and had a great time. There is a wide choice of accommodations and eateries – the former go from very basic to lavish, while the latter go from Do Not Eat There to excellent.

The Cal-Mac Car Ferry trip from Ardrossan on the Mainland to Brodick on Arran is only about 50 minutes, but it can be quite rough and breezy, so make sure you have your mac with you. Some people like to stand on deck and get blown around…

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We opted not to stay in Brodick itself, which is the main town, but rather stay in Lamlash Bay, which is just a few miles round the headland. Our accommodations were in the Lamlash Bay Hotel, which were adequate. The beauty of Lamlash Bay is the view of the Holy Isle, which rests just off shore. It’s also a good place to view rainbows. In addition, you can take an hour long Zodiac ride around the Isle to see sea birds, dolphins and seals, as well as have sightings of rare animals on the Holy Isle, such as Wild Eriskay ponies, Soay sheep and Saanen goats.

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Visit Brodick Tourist Office, beside the Cal-Mac Car Ferry Terminal, to get a full description of Island activities. There are some great walks/hikes, including a guided walk up Goat Fell, which is the highest point on the Island (873.5 meters; 2,866 feet). A visit to Brodick Castle, for a briefing on Island history, and Arran Aromatics, to stock up on smellies like soap, body wash, creams, etc., are a must.

There are plenty of places to do lunch and dinner on the Island, but we prefer to make our own lunch on the beach or in nearby field filled with smelly sheep, and then splurge at night time. I was the lunchtime chef, making good use of a small stove, bread rolls and tins of baked beans or ravioli, with a little help from my mother. Families are also good for giving directions.

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We had dinner in number of good places, but our favorites were GlenIsle Restaurant in Lamlash Bay, and the Brambles Grill and Douglas Hotel Bistro, both in Brodick. Check out my reviews of eateries on TripAdvisor – http://www.tripadvisor.com/members/542PaulB

Sullivan County, NY, USA

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By Paul Bryers, 2014

Located East of the Delaware River and around 2 hours 15 minutes from Manhattan and Jersey City, Sullivan County offers a respite from City life. While you can visit all year round, the best time is mid-May through to October. The latter part of October is great for the Fall.

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Enjoy Farmers’ Markets and Tractor Parades.

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Hike in the Catskills.