BRRRR

Greetings from Iceland, where we have traded the predictably warm Turkish weather and the unexpected UK heatwave for the coldest summer Iceland has had for 100 years.

But spending half our days wet from head to toe hasn’t put a dampener on the smörgåsbord of natural wonders Iceland has to offer. In a land that never gets dark (yet curtains don’t seem that important) its beauty shines through the mist and drizzle.

Bruised and battered from centuries of volcanic eruptions, Iceland is a harsh wilderness. But beguiling thermal pools, fresh lava fields, steaming vents, black sandy beaches and imposing glaciers combine to create a truly unique place to visit.

Our unanimous highlight was hiking through summer snowfields of Kerlingarfjöll to geothermal Hveradalir. The sight of boiling rivers meandering around rainbow coloured mountains as sulphuric vents pumped into the air was an amazing holiday moment.

It’s a good thing Iceland is so appealing because all this natural beauty comes at a cost. This month we went from cheap as chips Turkey, to Iceland, where we could barely afford chips at all.

Our Iceland articles will be on the blog shortly, including our run down on how to have a mildly adventurous 4WD escape.

LONELY PLANET PATHFINDERS – INSTAGRAM

Our dolphin pic from Kiakora in NZ was selected by Lonely Planet as one of their top Instagram posts for June. Ownership of bragging rights was hotly contested as Mark thinks he took the winning photo. Given that it’s in focus and not crooked, this is somewhat hard to believe. Paul was throwing up over the side of the boat the whole time, so anything is possible.

You can see all the winning entries for July here, and if you haven’t already, follow us on Instagram by clicking here.

WE LOVE COMMENTS

Interaction from readers is what keeps a blog feeling fresh and spritely. It’s nice to get feedback and it helps google know we exist. So, if you come across one of our articles that takes you fancy, why not leave us a comment. If you want, you can now select a check box to get notified of any replies to your comment.

We’ve also juiced up the engine with much more horsepower, so you should find the site much quicker to run.

NEW ON THE BLOG

Turkey has featured heavily on the blog over the last month, thanks to 3 glorious sun-drenched weeks collecting our favourite parts of this fascinating country. Here are 3 articles you might enjoy.

Things to do in Istanbul
UNCOVERING ISTANBUL’S MIGHTY PAST & UNCERTAIN FUTURE
During our week in Istanbul, we met up with some Turkish friends who provided us with an animated debrief on all things Turkish politics. With their insights and our observations, we soon learnt Istanbul’s uncertain future was just as fascinating as its past / read more
Things to do in Istanbul, exploring Istanbul
10 TOP MOMENTS IN ISTANBUL NOT TO BE MISSED
There are enough things to do in Istanbul to keep even the most seasoned traveller entertained for days. Modern art, ancient history, cool cafes and rooftop bars are just a sample of what’s on offer. Here are our top 10 favourite moments in Istanbul / read more
Historical places in Turkey
8 MOST INTERESTING ANCIENT RUINS IN WESTERN TURKEY
We admit it, we probably overdid the historical sites in Turkey. But the good news for you is that we’ve narrowed down the list to those we thought were the best. For an interesting collection of ruins each with its own story to tell, here are our top 8 / read more

WHAT’S NEXT?

Hopefully, this staggeringly good summer continues in the UK where we’ll be based for the next month, getting our Iceland posts done and dusted.

At the end of August, we’re off to South Africa and Namibia to catch up with some old friends, drink some wine, and road trip across the desert.

We look forward to telling you all about it.

Cheers,
Mark & Paul.