From Glasgow to Iceland

Our time in Glasgow turned out to be a disappointing fizzer. If you’re thinking of spending some time in Glasgow, our advice is DON’T!!

The city itself is a bleak and run-down place, once a thriving ship building city employing thousands of people. Now, with the ship building industry gone, it is a town of major unemployment. Many people are on “the benefit” and have nothing better to do but roam the streets all day, and get drunk by night. Beggars grace every nook and cranny. The streets are littered with cigarette butts and empty drink cans and bottles.

Our hotel turned out to be a disappointment too. Our room, large and comfortable enough, turned out to be right next to the “Waterloo”, a hotel which has live and extremely loud karaoke every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday nights, from 3 pm until “at least midnight”. We demanded a change of room, as our room was uninhabitable.

They claimed the hotel was full and couldn’t accommodate our request, so we went across the street to the Radison Blu, booked in, and had a very comfy air-conditioned night in a blissfully quiet room, with triple glazed windows. The staff at the Radison Blu were absolutely wonderful and couldn’t do enough to help us, even offering to store our excess baggage while we went to Iceland. We can’t speak highly enough of them. They even offered complimentary hot chocolate drinks to “settle us down”!!!!! It was 11pm and we were extremely stressed.

Back across the street in the morning to have breakfast. The hotel promised to install us in a quiet “back” room for the following night. We walked for miles around Grotty Glasgow just for something to do to fill in the time, all the while looking forward to Iceland the following day. The room was better, and turned out to be an upgrade. I should hope so!! They can’t deny knowledge of what goes on in the pub on the corner, because it happens regularly.

Our trip to Iceland went without incident apart from a few very bumpy minutes just after takeoff. Our bus from the airport was very good, taking about 45 minutes to get to the city centre. The airport is located on an isolated finger of land a long way from the city of Reyjkavik.

Our small apartment is good, on the 4^th floor. Very comfortable for the next 6 nights.

We had a day tour booked today, Wednesday 7th. Called the Golden Circle Tour, we visited the Geysir geothermal area where we saw a geyser erupt, (not a patch on the geothermal park just outside Rotorua, NZ), Guilfoss waterfall, a spectacular two tier waterfall , and several UNESCO World Heritage Sites. A delicious lunch was followed by more scenery. Iceland in parts has a lunar landscape, and in other parts flat lush meadows. A very interesting place, and don’t forget the fairies and trolls that inhabit the rocks which are painted with small colourful doors so they can be found by their tiny inhabitants in the white snow of winter. A day well spent.

Away from the coastal plain and then up.

Iceland’s interior and glaciers loom in the distance

The trees were planted 25 years ago

Icelandic pony

Icelandic Pony farm.

Dreaming of Salmon

Gullfoss Falls, Pingvellir National Park

The washing machine at Gullfoss falls

Geiser at Geysir.

Where the European and North American tectonic plates collide in Iceland.

The bridges between North America and Europe. Doesn’t seem far?

This is all the border wall you need Mr Trump

Her shadow is in North America, his is still in Europe

Hard work, this travelling

Our driver and tour guide had verbal diarrhea so we not only learned about the sights of Iceland, but also about his entire family history. He is originally from Newcastle UK.

Pete has just woken from his Poppy Nap, and will add photos.

Ilze