Iceland Tour; 1 Woodhall Spa

A collection from our Iceland camping trip

Iceland Tour

We had planned to go on a cruise to Noord Kap and Svalbard for a special birthday; Mid summer 2009 The tour would be at Noord Kap for midsummers day to view the midnight sun.

We had paid the deposit with just the balance to pay by the end of January.

Christmas Eve 2008 news came through that the tour firm had ceased trading.

Early January I got the forms from ABTA to reclaim the deposit. I filled them out immediately and posted them the following morning. A few days later we received confirmation that a refund would be with us in a few days time; also a brochure from the Camping and Caravanning Club for holiday tours One was to Iceland over the mid summer; six weeks for the price of the seventeen day cruise. You used your own outfit, sailing from Harwich on my wifes birthday to Denmark with a second boat from Denmark to Iceland calling in at Torshavn in the Faroes. A telephone call for further details and the booking forms.

Harwich is four hundred miles from home (a ten hour journey)

We planned for two stops Woodhall Spa camp site around three hundred miles and at Polstead camp site, just a few miles from the docks

Researsh told us we could only carry two kilos of food through customs. A trip to a climbing shop and we bought dehydrated meals sufficient for a meal every day; you dont want to spend hours looking for food shops in a strange country. Before we set out these were packed away along with four dozen can of low sugar drink for the journey under the bed along with medication for three months in case we got the chance to extend the trip.

We avoided motorways travelling across country to Scotch Corner, the using side roads avoided York.

South towards Selby, across towards Gool, then south to Lincoln then Horncastle.

Woodhall Spa site is in a Nature Reserve with several restrictions.

The camping pitches are set amongst trees along side a small stream and lake, wild birds in abundance hop around the site unafraid of the human visitors 

The site was surounded by a footpath with fields managed to preserve the wild life

One field in particular was full of wild natural flowers.

In a small clearing in the woods is a building where they run charcoal making venture using fallen branches

Reviews

[barleygirl]

I began my journey by checking out your photos (irresistible!) Even tho I found your opening a bit of a snooze to start (droning on about travel issues) . . . but still, as always, I find your storytelling to be compelling, nonetheless. I felt your pictures were artfully put together, so there was no need to use words for sharing the sensory parts of this experience. I am always a little entertained at the myriad details you include as you explain your planning & routes on your various escapades that you share in writing! Thanks for read requesting me, since I don't do well at keeping up with people I don't see regularly in my newsfeed (out of sight - out of mind!) Fondly, Margie

[Wild Rose]

Thank you Margie Yes the opening is sort of long and uninteresting > but thought a disaster turned out OK
It was to be a trip for Pam's 70th

The pictures - you once said about me providing photos for the chair bound > I am now embarking on our trips with pics for you + words
My diaries record the actual road numbers etc so you/we could travel that route again

Please you liked it & I will send more requests to you

[Kathy Van Kurin]

'Iceland Tour;1'
Wild Rose,
You have done what I have not. Shyness and feeling inadequate to explain a trip.Hmm..Everything we write about is a journey though. Well anyway I am glad to see how you have put together a lovely vignette of pictures and of your experiences. It sounds like it was a great challenge to make this special trip to Iceland happen. It must of been full of even more gems and minute by minute inspiration. Bless yourself and your dear wife.
Kathy

[Wild Rose]

Thanks Kathy
I wanted it to be a special holiday Seven Oh for Pam
Actually think it was better than a two weeks cruise would have been

working on further chapters

[Kathy Van Kurin]

Very good Your life is worth recording as well as followups. Special occasions are important and sign posts for our lives. Good for pam!

[Einstein Noodle]

i like your travel log approach to story telling .. that it is personal and that we do kind of get to know one another here at the Cafe', makes it easy for me to imaging i am a traveling companion .. Iceland ..wow! in my mind it is like no man's land .. a land with few people and many mysteries and wonderments ;) certainly able to relate to surprise bonuses as a result of things not going the way we plan ... sounds like this one especially worked for you guys ... love the pics .. in reading i am inspired to find out more about the Camp site and Iceland ... with it's midnight sun :)
E.

[Wild Rose]

Thank you: that is my aim; to try and describe the journey (I an going to make a few minor adjustments > typos & such)
My diary has road numbers etc, but not much interest unless you are in NW UK > It is a holiday so no rush to do the 400 miles at one go
Next part will be the boring overnight journey in a boat with no entertainment other than a dingy (back street type) bar . But it was night
I used the collage to show more pictures (more interesting) >>> Midnight sun was over three nights no sunset or at least it never went below the horizon

[Einstein Noodle]

i am interested to read how you work with the "boring" ;) i live nowhere near you but enjoy expanding my adventures in books and magazines and travel logs such as yours..looking things and places up is easy in this cyber world ... :)

[wordman]

loved the story,images and the nature there
makes me want to go to new zealand

[Wild Rose]

Thanks We have never been to NZ but both my sisters emigrated there
This is the beginning of a series to Iceland

[wordman]

you`re welcome