One Day In Brighton

I had never been to Brighton before and with the weather being uncharacteristically good my girlfriend and I decided to make the trip. Getting up at stupidly-early-o’clock to beat the traffic we arrived at around 7.30 am.

The first thing to do in any UK seaside resort early in the morning is to find a decent place for breakfast. Luckily for us we there was as café nearby. Every seaside resort has the café run by the good old local boy.

It was still early and, as Brighton is a late waking town, very quiet. We strolled along the pebbly beach front in the sunshine trying to ignore the many workman drilling holes in the road. Brighton is a unique looking place that could only be in England. Heading down to the marina revealed expensive boats and a promenade of fancy restaurants designed to make the rich fish that owned them bite. The city gradually began to wake up and we headed back to the pier.

Brighton pier is very much an old fashioned British pier filled with all sorts of amusements, rides and food stalls. The wooden boards underfoot conjured images of old movies and people dressed in stripped bathing costumes.

Walking away towards the old Brighton pier, which sadly burned down, I came across a long line of small galleries well worth spending a few minutes in. There are also a number of pieces of interesting art around the beach. The sun was high in the sky and we paused to sit on the pebbles and listen to the sea. It’s easier to make yourself comfortable on the pebbles than you might think and the way the beach is set it keeps all the noise of the town away.

After our rest bite we headed into the town to look around the cities fabled ‘Lanes’. These are a group of winding narrow streets with various different shops. It was more enjoyable to look around than a charmless shopping centre. There are a number of unique trinket shops here and it is well worth checking out if you are interested in antiques and things of their ilk.

On the way back towards the seafront we took a look around the grounds of the city hall. Brighton’s city hall is, oddly, designed like it was meant to be standing as some grand structure in India.

Our time was up and after another short stay on the beach it was time to head home. Brighton is a unique place and while it may have the image of being a bit old fashioned it is actually very interesting. It’s well worth making a trip if you have never been and want to head for somewhere a little different.

Final Thoughts on Iceland.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Iceland and it really is a unique place. It certainly isn’t for everyone and the weather can be very hostile even if you have taken proper precautions. However, it’s certainly a must see destination for anyone who likes mountains, lakes and rugged landscapes.

The lava fields are incredible and Gullfoss falls and the Geyser fields are truly astounding. It’s also a great place to relax with the Blue Lagoon being one of the most tranquil and beautiful places I have ever been.

I would urge caution for anyone planning on going there and renting a car to travel around. Outside of Reykjavik can be very dangerous. The country has regular earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and fissures and hot springs burst through the earth on an almost daily basis.

It is incredibly important to pay attention to any warning signs you see. Every year tourists get in trouble because they drive up closed roads or jump into hot springs without realising the dangers. You must respect your environment here or you will get hurt.

On the brighter note there has never been a better time to go. Due to its financial collapse the ISK has taken a bit of a pounding and works out at good value against the pound. Food can be found at reasonable prices as well. Make sure you don’t need to buy clothes though as a simple bobble hat will set you back around forty-five pounds.

Tourism is about the only strong industry left in the country. Despite Gordon Brown implementing a terrorism act against them we found everyone relieved that people were in the country spending money. If you really want to get on their good side then buy one of the many ‘Brown is colour of poo’ T-shirts that fill the shops on the high street.

Language is also not a major problem with most Icelandic people speaking English better than we do. I found the people to have a wonderfully dry sense of humour and be very welcoming. Iceland is also one of the cheaper options if you are looking to try and see the Northern Lights. If you are looking for a real adventure in Europe then this could well be the place for you.

Entering the Land of Fire and Ice: Gullfoss and Geyser.

Earlier, at the parliament lake we had noticed a large cloud beginning to dominate the sky. Now we were driving towards it and it wouldn’t be long before the clear blue would be gone. We drove further and further up into the mountains until all the ground around us was covered in snow and ice. The sky had clouded over but it wasn’t as bad as I feared and couldn’t mask the beauty of our surroundings.

After a long drive we arrived at the Gullfoss waterfall. Here, the Hvita River gushes over a double drop to create a two level cascade. It was very cold and the powerful spray coming off the falls was freezing. Gullfoss, was one of the things I had come on the trip to see. Unfortunately, the steep path down to the falls was frozen and with only a rope barrier to hold onto. My girlfriend and I decided against getting to close.

We admired the falls from a distance for as long as the temperature would allow us before we retreated to a nearby restaurant. It was bugging me that from wherever we stood I couldn’t get a clear view into the valley. I was determined to see where the water was flowing so decided to do something stupid. Heading back to the falls I began to traverse the slippery slope down to it. My girlfriend almost lost her bag and decided to give up. Clinging on to the guide rope for dear life and losing my footing with every step I made it to the bottom. Looking down into the valley was amazing.

Getting back up the slippery slope was exhausting but in the end I made it. Our next destination was the Strokkur Geyser which erupts around every five minutes. Before entering the Geyser field we were warned that people have fallen into the boiling hot pools and to be very careful.

 

 Strokkur is an amazing site as it launches huge jets of water up into the air. Just before each launch a perfectly clear bubble of mineral water forms on its surface. The cold weather means that area around it is often icy and I almost slipped and lost my gloves into the thing. It's also normally surrounded by people trying to take pictures and you have to be quick to catch it.

It’s important to make sure you know which way the wind is blowing before you head towards Strokkur. The best thing to do is watch it erupt from a safe distance first. Otherwise you will end up getting soaked.

As well as Strokkur there are a number of other interesting pools in the Geyser fields. Most of these are boiling hot and contain different coloured water with one blue and one green pool being no more than a few centimetres apart. The different water colouration comes from the pools being formed from water coming from different depths under the ground.

We survived the Geyser field and headed back up into the mountains. After a short stop at the nearby geothermal energy plant, to see how Iceland harnesses the power of its surroundings, we headed back. This effectively brought an end to our journey in the land of fire and ice. In the morning we would be heading to the airport and back home. The snow fell in the night which gave Reykjavik a pretty white glow. It seemed a nice way to remember it.