USA and Iceland and UK August 2010

Photo is me at Garden of the Gods Manitou Springs Colorado (see the kissing camels?)...apologies but no photos from Iceland since I did not carry my computer....but have been able to use computers at the various places that I have stayed for free except for the last night in Reykjavik....the Alba Guesthouse had been highly recommended but I would never stay there again...a very 'cold' place!

Plans for August and beyond are busy and I will not be carrying a computer so I may not journal as much....!
17 August fly Dallas to London
18 August fly London to Iceland
24 August fly Iceland to London
24 August - 28 September......overlanding maybe to Croatia?
29 September meet Jan in Rome then off to Sicily and Tunisia
9 November fly Paris to Dallas

31 August 2010 Tuesday (Battle UK)
A bit of morning fog then sun.....Brendan and I visited Leeds Castle today....beautiful gardens and a maze in which we got lost! Evening meal included dessert from the garden...plum tart from plums picked by moi!

30 August 2010 Monday (London to Battle UK)
Another sunny day in London....trains south to visit friends near Battle..... train was delayed a bit because a train ahead of us hit a tree! Eric and Brendan fetched me at the train station in Battle (the battle of 1066) and we had lunch in Hastings and walked the beach.....just gorgeous!

29 August 2010 Sunday (London)
Finalizing travel plans.....train to Battle on Monday then train via Paris to Basel on Wednesday then train to Zurich on Friday (these are all to visit friends) then train to Munich to travel to Zagreb Croatia via train....except that you cannot print tickets online (no eticket), they can only be posted to an address so another dilemna!

28 August 2010 Saturday (London)
The sun is finally shining for a bit of walk in the city....now trying to organize the next few days of my journey.....first a stop in southern England near Hastings/Battle to visit friends before boarding Eurostar from Ashford for Basel and Zurich Switzerland....then train from Munich to Zagreb.

27 August 2010 Friday (London)
Wonderful dinner at Restaurant Four O Nine just down the road with a few of Julian's friends.

26 August 2010 Thursday (London)
Met Marlu and her son Ryan in Kensington for visits to museums and art galleries and lunch (Marlu and I knew each other when living in San Francisco in 1970's and she now lives in southern California where I met up with her a few months back....she had work contract north of London for a few months and is now heading to Paris before returning to USA).

25 August 2010 Wednesday (London)
Walking the neighbourhood of Julian's near Clapham in London!

24 August 2010 Tuesday (Reykjavik Iceland to London)
Another gorgeous sunny day in Iceland with typical morning brekkie of bread and salami and cheese and yogurt and juice and coffee.....all week I have been able to eat a nice breakfast then make a sandwich to have later in the day! Also, forgot to mention, that currency is krona and exchange is 128 krona on the USA dollar and everything here is VERY expensive....about $50 just to get a bed in a hostel and $100 in a nicer one with shared bath and close to $200 if you want your own bathroom.....I was so happy that Jon let me stay at his hotel (comp) for two nights!
Heathrow Express to Paddington then taxi to visit with Julian!

23 August 2010 Monday (Iceland)
Returned to Reykjavik to return the hire car and spent several hours walking the city before enjoying a nice hot soak in the 'hot pots'....the big thing here is the hot water pool and the hot tubs are called hot pots.

22 August 2010 Sunday (Iceland)
Continued journey on the western peninsula with more hiking....still dry but very windy. Explored Iceland´s newest national park Snaefellsnes with beautiful beaches and rock formations and the icecap Snaefellsjokull that was immortalized in Jules Verne´s Journey to the Center of the Earth! Overnight at a remote farmhouse on a hill overlooking Hvalfjordur (fjord).

21 August 2010 Saturday (Iceland)
Cool and windy today....explored the western area north and west of Reykjavik....first stop to Pingvellir where the first Icelandic parliament was conducted in the middle of a field in the rift valley between the two tectonic plates....then on to this beautiful western peninsula....overnight in Hellnar to the sounds of the surf of the sea.

20 August 2010 Friday (Iceland)
Drove along the southern coast today through small villages whose names I cannot pronounce....this is the area of the volcanos with some wonderful rock formations and more spectacular waterfalls...more overcast today with a bit of rain.

19 August 2010 Thursday (Iceland)
I fetched the hire car today and started driving (I will not drive the entire ring road because that would mean only driving with no stops to see the sights). I met with Jon for coffee before starting off, a fellow that I met while travelling in Africa. Beautiful drive through farmland to visit Gulfoss waterfall and spouting geyser at Geysir....no entry fees and no fences and no parking garages and no busloads of millions of people....how refreshing.....sunny and warm day....overnite at Hotel Hekla (named after the volcano).

18 August 2010 Wednesday (London UK to Reykjavik Iceland)
The flight from JFK to London was in 777 aircraft and I was in first class with the full lay down bed....just wonderful....although I did not really sleep since it was not my sleep hour so I watched a few films such as The Ghost Writer. We were early to London (520am) so we had to circle until 6 because the airport does not open until 6. I then found the American Airlines Arrivals lounge for shower and internet and another breakfast...I have probably gained five pounds eating all this food! Now to walk to Terminal 3 for three hour flight to Iceland....arrived at about 3pm local time (one hour earlier than London) for about one hour bus ride to city of Reykjavik and my accommodation at Galtafell Guesthouse....top floor with great views....now to explore!

17 August 2010 Tuesday (Plano TX via JFK to London then to Iceland)
Early morning drive to the Dallas Ft Worth airport for my American flights to London via NY JFK...and because I used miles to book first class, I am now enjoying the Admirals Lounge with free coffee and biscuits and fruit and internet and newspapers! Probably not much journaling from me from now on because I am not carrying my computer. ...and now I am at JFK airport New York enjoying another Admiral's Lounge!!!

16 August (Plano TX)
Found a place to park my van for the next three months then had wonderful dinner at the Prairie House Restaurant.

15 August (Plano TX)
Finally, some clouds have moved in and thunderstorms are predicted with temps dropping maybe to double digit!

14 August (Plano TX)
Another hot one!

13 August (Plano TX)
Happy Lucky Friday 13th! Morning visit to Solis Women's Health Center since my mammogram in Juneau required a followup....took over two hours with more xrays and sonograms but they found nothing......yeh!!! Lunch with Debbie and Sarah, friends of Sheila's from their working days at CA.

12 August (Plano TX)
A lazy day by the pool and continue process of packing.

11 August 2010 Wednesday (Plano TX)
Sheila and I visited the U Haul place near here for storage of my van...think that I will opt for higher priced covered (carport) storage because of the heat and potential hail storms since I get one month free. Wonderful dinner at bistro provencal in Plano.

10 August 2010 Tuesday (Plano TX)
Trying to get organized! Washed my van and washed the sheets and cleaned the fridge and hoping that I will find all that will melt before I stow it for three months....this heat is too much! I purchased an Acer netbook thinking that I might take one with me overseas but I am now rethinking that I will not!

9 August 2010 Monday (Wichita Falls to Plano (near Dallas) TX)
Finally made it to my USA destination to visit Sheila before I fly out next week.

8 August Sunday (Wellington to Wichita Falls TX)
Very hot here in the State of Texas!

7 August Saturday (Liberal KS to Wellington TX)
Looks like another hot day in the middle of America....sure do miss those cooler mountains! Found a great camping spot on the Salt Fork of the Red River at Collingsworth Pioneer County Park for only $10 with full hookup! This is the site of the Red River Plunge by Bonnie and Clyde in June 1933! Also visited the town of Shamrock on the former Route 66 with the old Conoco filling station and the famous U-Drop Inn that folks from all over the world come to visit.

6 August Friday (Raton NM via Oklahoma to Liberal KS)
I must give up the cooler temps of 8000 feet and head down to the heat eventually and today is the day. Great drive on country road 72 to visit Capulin Volcano with hike down to the bottom and also around the rim. Decided to continue my taking of welcome to state photos with short visit to Oklahoma and Kansas....and Liberal is the home of OZ!

5 August Thursday (Sugarite Canyon State Park near Raton NM)
Wonderful seven mile hike up Little Horse Mesa at 8000 feet for views of Lake Maloya in Sugarite Canyon (beautiful rock canyon formations). Every afternoon the thunder and lightening arrive with a bit of rain and today it also brought heavy wind.

4 August Wednesday (Red River NM to Sugarite Canyon NM)
I am trying to stay at the higher elevations for a bit to stay cool....found wonderful campground on a ridge overlooking the valley near the NM/CO border with great hiking trails.

3 August Tuesday (Joyful Journey Hot Springs to Red River NM)
Still planning to visit the sand dunes but may get sidetracked again...folks here have told me about Crestone CO which has become internationally known as a locus for a large number of many different religious and spiritual traditions...their12th annual music festival is also this weekend with Booker T, Tab Benoit, and Lunar Fire. Camped at Elephant Rock Carson National Forest.

2 August 2010 Monday (Coaldale to Joyful Journey Hotsprings CO)
After a morning visit to the town of Salida, I had planned to head to the sand dunes but was sidetracked at the sign that said hot springs and it is gorgeous here at 7800 feet, sitting in a big valley surrounded by mountains.

1 August 2010 Sunday (Manitou Springs via Penrose to Coaldale CO)
Morning walk with Peggy through the Garden of the Gods then back on the road. I had a short visit with Gary (Barb is working today and then they are both headed off for a camping trip later in the day). Barb is daughter of Lydia and Earl who were friends of my parents when we lived in Pierre South Dakota many many years ago. Continued on along the Arkansas River where heaps of rafters were riding the waves. I had considered camping along the river but all campgrounds are right on route 50 so turned off the road and headed south four miles to Cuttys where I camped listening to Hayden Creek outside my window.....and also to the evening thunderstorm!