Links
On Friday afternoon we flew down to CT and arrived at my parents just before 9pm. Mom and Nicola quickly set about doing a practice run on our wedding cake before we watched showed the parents some of our Europe photos. Saturday morning we left about 8am to go do some birding at Zeekoeivlei on the Cape flats. We started off really well with good views of Common chaffinch that we've just seen in Ireland! But it was a first for us in SA so a really good sighting. At the sewage works we notched up all the regulars including Greater flamingo, Cape shoveller, Cape and Redbilled teals, Great white pelican, African black oystercatcher, Pied avocet, Common ringed plover and Marsh sandpiper among the more interesting ones. We made a quick turn at Rondevlei where we added African spoonbill and Threebanded plover before driving to Canal walk, looking for wedding shoes for Nicola. Although we visited every single shoe shop, there was nothing that was both nice and inexpensive. We had dinner at Cape Town Fish Market and then drove to Artscape Theatre to see STOMP. And what a brilliant show!
On Sunday I spent the morning finishing a video we were making of our Europe trip. Then we visited my granddad and showed them the video before visiting my mom's aunt and uncle. My mom's cousins also came to visit and we had a good chat before we had to get back home for dinner. Monday morning we got up early and drove to Panorama where I had to work for the day, while Nicola went looking for shoes again, this time at Tygervalley. This time at least she found a design she liked and plans to get someone in Middelburg to make the shoes for her. We flew back in the afternoon and headed home
Monday 19 April 2010
Saturday 10 April 2010
England, Norway, Ireland Apr 2010
Links
16 Mar 2010, Preview
Well, needless to say, with 3 days to go, we're excited as anything and can't wait to get on the plane. We've been planning this trip for almost a year now and since we don't have much leave for later this year, this will by and large constitute our honeymoon. So here's our plan: Friday the 19th we fly to Heathrow, taking a bus to Oxford as soon as we clear customs. By sheer luck, our trip coincides with the start of the Oxford Literary Festival and after some shopping, we are joining a lecture co-hosted by the famous Richard Dawkins. Then we're staying with Nicola's sister (Rhona) in Woodstock 'till the 23rd. We're taking a bus down to Gatwick from where we fly to Tromso, north of the Arctic circle in Norway, arriving in the early hours of 24 March. For our seven days in Tromso we have planned a husky dog sled trip, snowmobile excursion, reindeer sleigh trip and a sample of the local Sami culture. We have a bit of free time and hope to do some bird watching around the area during the day and if we're lucky, see some of the northern lights during night time. On 30 March we fly down to Oslo, spend a night in luxury (Radisson), then drive our rental out west to Stavanger for three days. During this time we'll explore the fjords in the area and try to get to the Preikestolen and generally relax. On the 3rd of April we drive back to Oslo and fly back to the UK on the 4th. On the 5th, Rhona joins us when we catch an early morning flight from Birmingham to Dublin. Another rental will take us around Kilkenny where we're visiting the Butler castle and then drive the RIng of Kerry and Dingle Peninsula before going home via Dublin, Biirmingham, Oxford, Heathrow and Johannesburg. We'll try to post updates if and when we get some wireless access so have a look on the site now and then. Ha det!
21 Mar 2010, Oxford
Arrived safe and sound and walked into an old school friend at Heathrow on Saturday morning. Then caught a bus to Oxford where Rhona picked us up. We walked around Oxford, climbed the tower at St Mary's church for a cold, drizzly view of Oxford. After lunch we went to see Dawkins but to our dismay discovered he had cancelled all his appearances. We rushed off to the box office to change our tickets, just in time to see a very entertaining discussion on fantasy writing between William Horwood (Dunkton wood) and Philip Pullman (His Dark Materials). We had a traditional fish and chips dinner before collapsing in bed. Sunday morning dawned bright and clear and we picked up 4 new birds from Rhona's lounge windows. Then we drove south to Wiltshire, making a quick stop at Stonehenge where we also met up with a friend now living in London. In Salisbury we visited the Salisbury Cathedral (UK's tallest spire, world's oldest working clock). Here we also saw a proper English robin. A long winding country road got us to Wardour castle, a very interesting ruin with lots of steep staircases, nooks and crannies. Last for the day we visited another stone circle in Avebury before heading home. Tonight's dinner will be English Indian. Or is it Indian English...?
22 Mar 2010, Oxford
Monday morning we took a walk to Blenheim palace, home of the Duke of Marlborough, while Rhona went off to work. Skies were reasonably clear but a strong breeze had us shivering. Before going to the palace we walked around the Queen Pool and picked up Canada and Greylag geese, Gadwall and Common shelduck as new lifers. Inside the palace we took a short walk through the history of Churchill and then took the standard tour through the state rooms, dining room and library – very rich and opulent. A lunch of soup and bread warmed us up before heading into the formal gardens and the lake walk until it started drizzling. Back at Rhona’s we had leftovers for dinner before Nicola joined Rhona for her play rehearsal. The next morning saw us packing almost as soon as we got up – all in anticipation of our long-awaited Norway trip. We lazed the morning away reading and cleaning and by 15:15 we were on our way. First a bus into Oxford, then the express service to Gatwick (not so express thanks to London traffic). Checking in was frustrating but finally we got to the gate. The flight was delayed by 40 minutes but luckily it made up some time and we only landed 10 minutes late. What a shock! Straight off the plane, into a frigid wonderland of ice and snow. The experience of riding a taxi on snow with 2m high snow embankments on either at 1am in the morning, on the wrong side of the road, is a humbling one. The instructions and key to our room in the B&B was hidden in the post box outside. It was dead quiet as we dumped our bags, got into pyjamas and collapsed under a foot-thick feather duvet.
24 March, Tromso
A bright and sunny morning woke us after 9am. We had a lazy breakfast with a British couple who gave us directions to the nearest co-op. Armed with the camera we wandered into the fairytale land, acting like people who’ve never seen snow before! Although shocked by the food prices we were able to get some edible things for the week before heading back. After lunch we headed into the main town, checked the places where we were supposed to meet our organized tour operators over the next few days and bought Nicola’s wedding jacket at a shopping mall (for some obscure reason, clothing in Norway is not nearly as expensive as the food!). With dinner over we relaxed a bit before deciding to take a walk to see if we could spot the Northern Lights. As we left the B&B a curtain of green unveiled above us and we quickly walked some distance away from the town to get to a darker area. It was around -10 degrees C but it was paying off – we were seeing Aurora Borealis! A few others joined our dark spot as Nicola fiddled with the tripod and long exposure to catch the spectacle on film. Only after 11pm, with our faces freezing, we reluctantly walked back to bed.
25 March, Tromso
It was a bit more breezy today as we walked into town for our reindeer sleigh excursion. An hour and a half minibus ride brought us to a small group of huddled huts. We were shuffled into one of these and told to don the heavy snow suits and shoes. Our guide was a Sami with his own herd of 10 000 reindeer. Today we only had two of them to pull the two sleighs. After a long chat about the life and ways of the Sami, we climbed onto one of the sleighs and off we went at a rather sedate pace. A Swedish lapdog puppy called Schlurfi, accompanied us. We rode down a pristine winter valley for about a kilometer before turning back. For lunch we moved into a traditional Sami tent (similar to the North American Indian wigwams) where a fire was lit to brew coffee and cook a reindeer stew – this was really yummy! Coffee and traditional Sami lefse (thin bread with butter, sugar and cinnamon) followed before we headed back to Tromso. After dinner we walked out into the snow, hoping for Northern lights, but alas, clouds thwarted our hopes. Friday morning started wind-less but chilly as we walked down to Tromso town for our trip with Husky-drawn sleds. We were picked up and driven to the island west of Tromsoya, through a rabbit warren of underground tunnels, complete with roundabouts. At the Villmarksenter we got out to a din of yelps and howls from around 300 Huskies. They were extremely friendly and eager for attention and couldn’t get enough of us as we petted them. Dressed up warmly we then jumped in a sled and off we went, traversing pristine snow slopes along the fjord! Slowly at first, helping the dogs uphill by running and pushing behind the sled, but when they warmed up and we got to level ground, there was no stopping them. The one time we did stop, we were met with howls of dismay! Our trip lasted less than an hour but we covered 8km on the roundtrip! We also got to pet some puppies about to enter training, had another hot meal of reindeer stew and then headed back. Back at the B&B we quickly emptied our camera memory card before walking back to the centre of town to do a combination bus and coastal steamer trip, hoping to catch Northern lights. This involved two public transport buses, crossing two fjords on ferries and going through an underwater tunnel to the town of Skjervoy and then catching a Hurtigruten ship back to Tromso. Although the initial part of the bus trip was very pretty, the weather was dark and ominous and as our very first bus was 20 minutes late getting to the first change, we spent more time worrying about catching our boat than enjoying the scenery. The boat was luxurious inside and bitterly cold outside – besides, we were too tired to really enjoy it. We arrived back in Tromso just before midnight, caught a taxi back to the B&B and hit the bed.
27 March, Tromso
Still tired after getting back late, we sleepwalked down to Tromso centre. Today was snow mobile riding and we were very excited! We drove to the same place we were at for the reindeer sleigh riding, donned warm suits, balaclava and helmet and were given a crash (or rather how not to) course in operating a 350kg snow mobile. With me at the wheel first and Nicola behind we did a few easy ups and downs and then headed for higher country, riding up a valley. Halfway up Nicola took over and between us we finally reached a saddle between the mountains, 15km from where we started. We were at about a 1000m above sea level and could see Sweden and Finland in the distance. Nicola was very proud of her snow angel in one of the most scenic views we’ve ever seen. We scootered down to a glacial lake covered with enough ice and snow to ride on, got to test the snow mobile on our own and drank water from the lake through a hole in the ice. We once again joined other groups of people who did Husky- and snowshow trips in a lavvu for reindeer stew and lefse before going back. With me nursing a cold and some laundry to do, we decided to stay in on Sunday, mostly. At 6pm we walked down into town to see if we could spot some birds before going on a Northern Lights bus tour from 8pm ‘till midnight. Unfortunately this didn’t yield anything at all and as it was bitterly cold and windy in the spot where we waited, we spent most of the time warming up inside the bus.
29 March, Tromso
On Monday we walked into town early, caught the first cable car up to the mountain overlooking Tromso and had some expensive tea before going down again. We visited the Arctic Cathedral quickly (just the outside, inside was closed), spotted some Great cormorant and Common eider and then visited the Polaria. Here we saw a video on an almost-surround screen about Svalbard, bearded seals being fed and doing all kinds of tricks. We bought some souvenirs on the way back up and rested the remainder of the afternoon.
30 March, Oslo
We woke early, packed up and called a taxi to take us to the airport. The flight to Oslo was uninteresting but the fun started after we collected our bags and picked up our rental car. Now I had to drive on the right (wrong) side of the road! We rented a GPS as well as an electronic Autopass device so we could pass through the myriad of automatic toll gates. Luckily the road wasn't busy but it was raining and as soon as we got into the city, I had to keep my wits about me so I didn't turn into the wrong lane! We stayed at the Radisson Bly Nydalen and had a all-you-can-eat pizza dinner before going to bed. On Wednesday we got up early, had breakfast and started on a long wet drive to Stavanger, about 550km away. To make a long story short, we went through about 50 tunnels, slipped on ice and snow, desperately trying to keep control of the car, but made it safely to Stavanger at around 4pm. We found our hotel as well as a lake full of birds (that later turned out to be mostly gulls) and sliced some of our last bread and cheese for dinner.
1 April, Stavanger
After breakfast we jumped in the car and drove to Lauvik where we caught the ferry across to Oanes, then drove up to the Preikestolen parking. It was cloudy, cold and windy, but nothing could keep us from getting to see one of the most famous views in the world! The 3.8km walk started easy enough and overall wasn't terribly steep, but the snow patches we encountered in bigger and bigger sizes the higher we went, proved to be very slippery as it had turned to wet slush. The landscape was as fairytale pretty (but different) to what we've seen in Tromso. Firs and birch tree forest, patches of snow inbetween frozen lakes, granite boulders and marshy scrubland - we were expecting hobbits and orcs to peer from around the boulders at any time! After 2 hours walking we made it to the top. What a view! Despite the poor weather and a mighty strong wind, the most incredible view up and down Lysefjord greeted us. And standing right at the edge of Preikestolen - certainly the most ridiculously exposed place I've ever been! Unfortunately it was so cold and windy we could barely stand taking a few pictures before heading down again, reaching the car another 2 hours later. We drove around the edge of the fjord a little more before going back after a most exciting day.
2 April, Stavanger
Today we drove around Jaeren south of Stavanger looking for birds. We didn't really see anything new but got some good pictures of Eurasian oystercatcher and Common lapwing. Around 10:30 we drove back to Stavanger so we could get on a sightseeing boat up Lysefjord at 12pm. We struggled a bit to find the right dock but made it just before they lifted the gangplank. It took us about 2 hours to get to right below Preikestolen. Along the way we slowed down at some interesting sights like a large pothole right in the fjord, the Fantahala where some vagabonds escaped from police and many many waterfalls streaming down the cliffs into the salty fjord. It was desperately cold and windy on the deck with sleet coming down now and again. Preikestolen was covered in swirling mist when we got there so we couldn't really appreciate its height from below as we did yesterday from the top, but nevertheless, it was a magnificent view up the fjord as well. We were back at the dock around 3pm, bought some dinner and spent the rest of the afternoon updating our site! On 3 April we drove back to Oslo. The roads were less icy than when we came and the sky was mostly clear so the drive was far less scary. Sunday morning (4 April) we woke to a chilly but beautiful morning in Oslo. We drove a few kilometers to a small lake called Ostensjovannet where we hoped to spot a few birds. Most of the late was still iced up and the pathways surrounding it very wet, muddy and even icy in places. Still, we were able to add a few lifers like Redpoll, Eaurasian siskin, Eurasian teal and Common chaffinch. Around 1.30pm we drove back to the airport to check in, caught our flight to Gatwick and arrived back in Woodstock shortly after 10pm. After dumping some laundry in the washing machine it was off to bed.
5 April, Dublin
At 4.30am we were up, drove to Birmingham airport, checked in and had a quick breakfast before flying to Dublin. It was cloudy and rainy when we arrived but some blue sky promised good things. We had a rental car from Thrifty but had to fork out an additional 180 euros for extra insurance, out-of-hours drop-off and a tank of petrol (won’t use them again). In Dublin we parked right in front of our backpackers hostel and then went for a walk, buying food and souvenirs. We walked up and down Grafton street, watching a street marionette artist perform and also walked across the famous river Liffey. For dinner we went to The Porterhouse where we were hoping to listen to some live music. I had my first ever proper Irish stout and a burger, but when the band were still fumbling around at 10pm, we left soon after their first song. After a dull breakfast of toast we drove to Kilkenny where we parked in front of the Kilkenny castle, home of the Butler family for 600 years. A self-guided tour took us through the impressive rooms and towers but as we only had parking for an hour we left when our time was up. We checked into our hostel for the night, had lunch, then drove out to Dunmore caves just north of Kilkenny. Arriving there, we were disappointed to discover the caves had flooded during the last few days’ rain and we couldn’t go in; however, we received complimentary tickets to come back the next day. Back in Kilkenny we walked back to Kilkenny castle from the hostel and spent the rest of the afternoon walking and birding around the extensive gardens, picking up two new lifers: Mistle thrush and Eurasian treecreeper.
7 April, Kilkenny and Sneem
After check-out the next morning we first went back to Dunmore caves where we had an eccentric and entertaining guide for the short tour of the cave. Our guide turned out to be the one who accidentally discovered a famous treasure of silver coins, silver gingham cones and bracelets in 1999, now housed in the Dublin National Museum. Then we headed south west, buying food in Killarney before going up into the mountains on the Ring of Kerry. It was a fantastically pretty drive and we stopped often to take pictures. Just past Sneem we arrived at Gleesk Pier Cottage around 5pm where we were able to use the holiday house of a colleague of Rhona’s – a well-equipped , idyllically situated house looking out on the north Atlantic. The next morning we drove the Ring of Kerry and Dingle Peninsula visiting forts and castles and enjoying spectacularly beautiful scenery all around.
9 April, Back home
After spending a leisurely morning in the house, we had an early lunch and then drove back to Dublin. With Nicola picking up the cold I had earlier in the holiday we decided to have a quick dinner at the Porterhouse in Dublin before getting to bed. We were up again at 03:30 to catch our 06:30 flight back to Birmingham. Back at Rhona's place, we packed all our stuff and managed to squeeze all into 5 bags. then we had brunch at teh Tick Tock cafe in Oxford before taking a stroll in the Botanical Gardens. Rhona dropped us off at Thornhill where we caught the bus to Heathrow. We were flying with SAA again and were therefore able to use the international (very nice) lounge, premier check-in, and even got to board earlier than everyone else! But this didn't detract from the sad fact we were going home. A fitful night on the place saw us arriving at 07:00 where Gordon (Nicola's brother) picked us up. What a fantastic holiday! Unforgettable scenery! Unbelievable experiences! Amazing people! Once we've stitched some of the panoramas we've taken, I'll post them on this page as well, so keep looking!
16 Mar 2010, Preview
Well, needless to say, with 3 days to go, we're excited as anything and can't wait to get on the plane. We've been planning this trip for almost a year now and since we don't have much leave for later this year, this will by and large constitute our honeymoon. So here's our plan: Friday the 19th we fly to Heathrow, taking a bus to Oxford as soon as we clear customs. By sheer luck, our trip coincides with the start of the Oxford Literary Festival and after some shopping, we are joining a lecture co-hosted by the famous Richard Dawkins. Then we're staying with Nicola's sister (Rhona) in Woodstock 'till the 23rd. We're taking a bus down to Gatwick from where we fly to Tromso, north of the Arctic circle in Norway, arriving in the early hours of 24 March. For our seven days in Tromso we have planned a husky dog sled trip, snowmobile excursion, reindeer sleigh trip and a sample of the local Sami culture. We have a bit of free time and hope to do some bird watching around the area during the day and if we're lucky, see some of the northern lights during night time. On 30 March we fly down to Oslo, spend a night in luxury (Radisson), then drive our rental out west to Stavanger for three days. During this time we'll explore the fjords in the area and try to get to the Preikestolen and generally relax. On the 3rd of April we drive back to Oslo and fly back to the UK on the 4th. On the 5th, Rhona joins us when we catch an early morning flight from Birmingham to Dublin. Another rental will take us around Kilkenny where we're visiting the Butler castle and then drive the RIng of Kerry and Dingle Peninsula before going home via Dublin, Biirmingham, Oxford, Heathrow and Johannesburg. We'll try to post updates if and when we get some wireless access so have a look on the site now and then. Ha det!
21 Mar 2010, Oxford
Arrived safe and sound and walked into an old school friend at Heathrow on Saturday morning. Then caught a bus to Oxford where Rhona picked us up. We walked around Oxford, climbed the tower at St Mary's church for a cold, drizzly view of Oxford. After lunch we went to see Dawkins but to our dismay discovered he had cancelled all his appearances. We rushed off to the box office to change our tickets, just in time to see a very entertaining discussion on fantasy writing between William Horwood (Dunkton wood) and Philip Pullman (His Dark Materials). We had a traditional fish and chips dinner before collapsing in bed. Sunday morning dawned bright and clear and we picked up 4 new birds from Rhona's lounge windows. Then we drove south to Wiltshire, making a quick stop at Stonehenge where we also met up with a friend now living in London. In Salisbury we visited the Salisbury Cathedral (UK's tallest spire, world's oldest working clock). Here we also saw a proper English robin. A long winding country road got us to Wardour castle, a very interesting ruin with lots of steep staircases, nooks and crannies. Last for the day we visited another stone circle in Avebury before heading home. Tonight's dinner will be English Indian. Or is it Indian English...?
22 Mar 2010, Oxford
Monday morning we took a walk to Blenheim palace, home of the Duke of Marlborough, while Rhona went off to work. Skies were reasonably clear but a strong breeze had us shivering. Before going to the palace we walked around the Queen Pool and picked up Canada and Greylag geese, Gadwall and Common shelduck as new lifers. Inside the palace we took a short walk through the history of Churchill and then took the standard tour through the state rooms, dining room and library – very rich and opulent. A lunch of soup and bread warmed us up before heading into the formal gardens and the lake walk until it started drizzling. Back at Rhona’s we had leftovers for dinner before Nicola joined Rhona for her play rehearsal. The next morning saw us packing almost as soon as we got up – all in anticipation of our long-awaited Norway trip. We lazed the morning away reading and cleaning and by 15:15 we were on our way. First a bus into Oxford, then the express service to Gatwick (not so express thanks to London traffic). Checking in was frustrating but finally we got to the gate. The flight was delayed by 40 minutes but luckily it made up some time and we only landed 10 minutes late. What a shock! Straight off the plane, into a frigid wonderland of ice and snow. The experience of riding a taxi on snow with 2m high snow embankments on either at 1am in the morning, on the wrong side of the road, is a humbling one. The instructions and key to our room in the B&B was hidden in the post box outside. It was dead quiet as we dumped our bags, got into pyjamas and collapsed under a foot-thick feather duvet.
24 March, Tromso
A bright and sunny morning woke us after 9am. We had a lazy breakfast with a British couple who gave us directions to the nearest co-op. Armed with the camera we wandered into the fairytale land, acting like people who’ve never seen snow before! Although shocked by the food prices we were able to get some edible things for the week before heading back. After lunch we headed into the main town, checked the places where we were supposed to meet our organized tour operators over the next few days and bought Nicola’s wedding jacket at a shopping mall (for some obscure reason, clothing in Norway is not nearly as expensive as the food!). With dinner over we relaxed a bit before deciding to take a walk to see if we could spot the Northern Lights. As we left the B&B a curtain of green unveiled above us and we quickly walked some distance away from the town to get to a darker area. It was around -10 degrees C but it was paying off – we were seeing Aurora Borealis! A few others joined our dark spot as Nicola fiddled with the tripod and long exposure to catch the spectacle on film. Only after 11pm, with our faces freezing, we reluctantly walked back to bed.
25 March, Tromso
It was a bit more breezy today as we walked into town for our reindeer sleigh excursion. An hour and a half minibus ride brought us to a small group of huddled huts. We were shuffled into one of these and told to don the heavy snow suits and shoes. Our guide was a Sami with his own herd of 10 000 reindeer. Today we only had two of them to pull the two sleighs. After a long chat about the life and ways of the Sami, we climbed onto one of the sleighs and off we went at a rather sedate pace. A Swedish lapdog puppy called Schlurfi, accompanied us. We rode down a pristine winter valley for about a kilometer before turning back. For lunch we moved into a traditional Sami tent (similar to the North American Indian wigwams) where a fire was lit to brew coffee and cook a reindeer stew – this was really yummy! Coffee and traditional Sami lefse (thin bread with butter, sugar and cinnamon) followed before we headed back to Tromso. After dinner we walked out into the snow, hoping for Northern lights, but alas, clouds thwarted our hopes. Friday morning started wind-less but chilly as we walked down to Tromso town for our trip with Husky-drawn sleds. We were picked up and driven to the island west of Tromsoya, through a rabbit warren of underground tunnels, complete with roundabouts. At the Villmarksenter we got out to a din of yelps and howls from around 300 Huskies. They were extremely friendly and eager for attention and couldn’t get enough of us as we petted them. Dressed up warmly we then jumped in a sled and off we went, traversing pristine snow slopes along the fjord! Slowly at first, helping the dogs uphill by running and pushing behind the sled, but when they warmed up and we got to level ground, there was no stopping them. The one time we did stop, we were met with howls of dismay! Our trip lasted less than an hour but we covered 8km on the roundtrip! We also got to pet some puppies about to enter training, had another hot meal of reindeer stew and then headed back. Back at the B&B we quickly emptied our camera memory card before walking back to the centre of town to do a combination bus and coastal steamer trip, hoping to catch Northern lights. This involved two public transport buses, crossing two fjords on ferries and going through an underwater tunnel to the town of Skjervoy and then catching a Hurtigruten ship back to Tromso. Although the initial part of the bus trip was very pretty, the weather was dark and ominous and as our very first bus was 20 minutes late getting to the first change, we spent more time worrying about catching our boat than enjoying the scenery. The boat was luxurious inside and bitterly cold outside – besides, we were too tired to really enjoy it. We arrived back in Tromso just before midnight, caught a taxi back to the B&B and hit the bed.
27 March, Tromso
Still tired after getting back late, we sleepwalked down to Tromso centre. Today was snow mobile riding and we were very excited! We drove to the same place we were at for the reindeer sleigh riding, donned warm suits, balaclava and helmet and were given a crash (or rather how not to) course in operating a 350kg snow mobile. With me at the wheel first and Nicola behind we did a few easy ups and downs and then headed for higher country, riding up a valley. Halfway up Nicola took over and between us we finally reached a saddle between the mountains, 15km from where we started. We were at about a 1000m above sea level and could see Sweden and Finland in the distance. Nicola was very proud of her snow angel in one of the most scenic views we’ve ever seen. We scootered down to a glacial lake covered with enough ice and snow to ride on, got to test the snow mobile on our own and drank water from the lake through a hole in the ice. We once again joined other groups of people who did Husky- and snowshow trips in a lavvu for reindeer stew and lefse before going back. With me nursing a cold and some laundry to do, we decided to stay in on Sunday, mostly. At 6pm we walked down into town to see if we could spot some birds before going on a Northern Lights bus tour from 8pm ‘till midnight. Unfortunately this didn’t yield anything at all and as it was bitterly cold and windy in the spot where we waited, we spent most of the time warming up inside the bus.
29 March, Tromso
On Monday we walked into town early, caught the first cable car up to the mountain overlooking Tromso and had some expensive tea before going down again. We visited the Arctic Cathedral quickly (just the outside, inside was closed), spotted some Great cormorant and Common eider and then visited the Polaria. Here we saw a video on an almost-surround screen about Svalbard, bearded seals being fed and doing all kinds of tricks. We bought some souvenirs on the way back up and rested the remainder of the afternoon.
30 March, Oslo
We woke early, packed up and called a taxi to take us to the airport. The flight to Oslo was uninteresting but the fun started after we collected our bags and picked up our rental car. Now I had to drive on the right (wrong) side of the road! We rented a GPS as well as an electronic Autopass device so we could pass through the myriad of automatic toll gates. Luckily the road wasn't busy but it was raining and as soon as we got into the city, I had to keep my wits about me so I didn't turn into the wrong lane! We stayed at the Radisson Bly Nydalen and had a all-you-can-eat pizza dinner before going to bed. On Wednesday we got up early, had breakfast and started on a long wet drive to Stavanger, about 550km away. To make a long story short, we went through about 50 tunnels, slipped on ice and snow, desperately trying to keep control of the car, but made it safely to Stavanger at around 4pm. We found our hotel as well as a lake full of birds (that later turned out to be mostly gulls) and sliced some of our last bread and cheese for dinner.
1 April, Stavanger
After breakfast we jumped in the car and drove to Lauvik where we caught the ferry across to Oanes, then drove up to the Preikestolen parking. It was cloudy, cold and windy, but nothing could keep us from getting to see one of the most famous views in the world! The 3.8km walk started easy enough and overall wasn't terribly steep, but the snow patches we encountered in bigger and bigger sizes the higher we went, proved to be very slippery as it had turned to wet slush. The landscape was as fairytale pretty (but different) to what we've seen in Tromso. Firs and birch tree forest, patches of snow inbetween frozen lakes, granite boulders and marshy scrubland - we were expecting hobbits and orcs to peer from around the boulders at any time! After 2 hours walking we made it to the top. What a view! Despite the poor weather and a mighty strong wind, the most incredible view up and down Lysefjord greeted us. And standing right at the edge of Preikestolen - certainly the most ridiculously exposed place I've ever been! Unfortunately it was so cold and windy we could barely stand taking a few pictures before heading down again, reaching the car another 2 hours later. We drove around the edge of the fjord a little more before going back after a most exciting day.
2 April, Stavanger
Today we drove around Jaeren south of Stavanger looking for birds. We didn't really see anything new but got some good pictures of Eurasian oystercatcher and Common lapwing. Around 10:30 we drove back to Stavanger so we could get on a sightseeing boat up Lysefjord at 12pm. We struggled a bit to find the right dock but made it just before they lifted the gangplank. It took us about 2 hours to get to right below Preikestolen. Along the way we slowed down at some interesting sights like a large pothole right in the fjord, the Fantahala where some vagabonds escaped from police and many many waterfalls streaming down the cliffs into the salty fjord. It was desperately cold and windy on the deck with sleet coming down now and again. Preikestolen was covered in swirling mist when we got there so we couldn't really appreciate its height from below as we did yesterday from the top, but nevertheless, it was a magnificent view up the fjord as well. We were back at the dock around 3pm, bought some dinner and spent the rest of the afternoon updating our site! On 3 April we drove back to Oslo. The roads were less icy than when we came and the sky was mostly clear so the drive was far less scary. Sunday morning (4 April) we woke to a chilly but beautiful morning in Oslo. We drove a few kilometers to a small lake called Ostensjovannet where we hoped to spot a few birds. Most of the late was still iced up and the pathways surrounding it very wet, muddy and even icy in places. Still, we were able to add a few lifers like Redpoll, Eaurasian siskin, Eurasian teal and Common chaffinch. Around 1.30pm we drove back to the airport to check in, caught our flight to Gatwick and arrived back in Woodstock shortly after 10pm. After dumping some laundry in the washing machine it was off to bed.
5 April, Dublin
At 4.30am we were up, drove to Birmingham airport, checked in and had a quick breakfast before flying to Dublin. It was cloudy and rainy when we arrived but some blue sky promised good things. We had a rental car from Thrifty but had to fork out an additional 180 euros for extra insurance, out-of-hours drop-off and a tank of petrol (won’t use them again). In Dublin we parked right in front of our backpackers hostel and then went for a walk, buying food and souvenirs. We walked up and down Grafton street, watching a street marionette artist perform and also walked across the famous river Liffey. For dinner we went to The Porterhouse where we were hoping to listen to some live music. I had my first ever proper Irish stout and a burger, but when the band were still fumbling around at 10pm, we left soon after their first song. After a dull breakfast of toast we drove to Kilkenny where we parked in front of the Kilkenny castle, home of the Butler family for 600 years. A self-guided tour took us through the impressive rooms and towers but as we only had parking for an hour we left when our time was up. We checked into our hostel for the night, had lunch, then drove out to Dunmore caves just north of Kilkenny. Arriving there, we were disappointed to discover the caves had flooded during the last few days’ rain and we couldn’t go in; however, we received complimentary tickets to come back the next day. Back in Kilkenny we walked back to Kilkenny castle from the hostel and spent the rest of the afternoon walking and birding around the extensive gardens, picking up two new lifers: Mistle thrush and Eurasian treecreeper.
7 April, Kilkenny and Sneem
After check-out the next morning we first went back to Dunmore caves where we had an eccentric and entertaining guide for the short tour of the cave. Our guide turned out to be the one who accidentally discovered a famous treasure of silver coins, silver gingham cones and bracelets in 1999, now housed in the Dublin National Museum. Then we headed south west, buying food in Killarney before going up into the mountains on the Ring of Kerry. It was a fantastically pretty drive and we stopped often to take pictures. Just past Sneem we arrived at Gleesk Pier Cottage around 5pm where we were able to use the holiday house of a colleague of Rhona’s – a well-equipped , idyllically situated house looking out on the north Atlantic. The next morning we drove the Ring of Kerry and Dingle Peninsula visiting forts and castles and enjoying spectacularly beautiful scenery all around.
9 April, Back home
After spending a leisurely morning in the house, we had an early lunch and then drove back to Dublin. With Nicola picking up the cold I had earlier in the holiday we decided to have a quick dinner at the Porterhouse in Dublin before getting to bed. We were up again at 03:30 to catch our 06:30 flight back to Birmingham. Back at Rhona's place, we packed all our stuff and managed to squeeze all into 5 bags. then we had brunch at teh Tick Tock cafe in Oxford before taking a stroll in the Botanical Gardens. Rhona dropped us off at Thornhill where we caught the bus to Heathrow. We were flying with SAA again and were therefore able to use the international (very nice) lounge, premier check-in, and even got to board earlier than everyone else! But this didn't detract from the sad fact we were going home. A fitful night on the place saw us arriving at 07:00 where Gordon (Nicola's brother) picked us up. What a fantastic holiday! Unforgettable scenery! Unbelievable experiences! Amazing people! Once we've stitched some of the panoramas we've taken, I'll post them on this page as well, so keep looking!