Adventures in Malta - Hiking from Mellieha to Mgarr

Over the last couple of years hiking has become a big part of my life.

It all started with an offer from a good friend of mine to join him on a trip he was planning in Morocco. Without a second thought I had said 'YES' and was both joining his training groups and doing my own training to get into some kind of shape to trek up a mountain.

I promise that there will be more on that another time!

For today I wanted to share with you a recent hike in the understated but beautiful countryside of Malta.

My brother and his two gorgeous kids joined me and we had quite a full day. Although it was 20km, it's a relatively easy hike so my nephew and niece had no problem keeping up. They were pretty exhausted by the end of it all though!

Below is a rough outline to our hike. We basically started from the Solana Hotel in Mellieha and ended at the church in Mgarr.

Spotted this little fella! It was so well camouflaged that my brother almost stepped on it.

The beautiful clay hills at Ghajn Tuffieha

This hike took us through the Il Majjistral Nature & History park which in Spring time is already quite dry and arid, but beautiful nonetheless.

It's also quiet which is quite a rarity in Malta.

When people say that Malta is small and dull I think it's because they haven't taken the opportunity to crawl outside of their comfort zone. Malta is certainly small, but there are so many hidden gems that I'm still discovering even after fourteen years.

So what are you waiting for? Get on your booties and start making memories!

Reynisfjara beach

The rugged coastline of Reynisfjara makes you feel like you've stepped into a fantasy novel.

Jagged rocks, rough rolling waves and a grey foreboding skyline is a dramatic as it gets! And then of course there's the black sand...

If you're travelling around the south of Iceland then a stop at this beach is highly recommended! Be careful not to get too close to the sea though as this beach is not for swimming. The sea is rough and has caught people unexpectedly before, the most recent I think was in February this year. I don't think I've ever seen waves as high as they were!

I loved looking at the pyramid like rock formations, it reminded me of The Giants Causeway in Ireland (just from photos as I haven't been there yet).

The surroundings weren't bad either ;) 

Hiking on a Glacier in Iceland

This was one of those moments that should have been on my bucket list but that I never quite thought to put on it. 

We woke up early as we did with every other trip we took to make our way for the pick up to the glacier hike. Sólheimajökull is in the south of Iceland and is connected to the Mýrdalsjökull glacier which lies atop a large volcano called Katla Caldera and may erupt at any time! The icelandic community have been waiting awhile. Hopefully not today, I thought quietly.

Unfortunately due to effects of climate change this glacier has continued to melt so I guess we should feel fortunate that we were able to experience laying a foot on the ice and snow.

We pulled up in the car park and our guides promptly came to greet our group. We were provided with crampons and an ice axe each and were then given a brief introduction to the glacier as well to dos and not to dos. The not to dos were particularly important since one wrong step could have been the difference between life and death. Unfortunately we had some particularly ignorant people in our group who were more interested in taking selfies than paying attention and they were simply lucky that the guides were there to make sure that they didn't end up killing themselves!

This angle makes my head look larger than normal. Ha!

Crampons - on!

As we walked towards the glacier there was no denying just how incredibly fascinating this region was. It was breathtaking (and not just because it was cold). 

Mountains reflected perfectly into lakes of crystal clear water.

I could just imagine the glacier moving beneath our feet; changes in the landscape barely noticeable but ever present. We carried on forward, taking heed of our guides footsteps and were split into two groups for a safer hike. The walk wasn't at all tough so I would say that most people would have no trouble on this trip even without any hiking experience. At the time that we were there I was in training for another event so this was great practice with crampons and an ice axe!

The glacier ice was a piercing blue which we found out was caused by the ice absorbing every colour in the spectrum (except for blue!). I think that's the very short version of the reason ;)

 

I do strongly recommend taking this trip but never go it alone on a glacier! There are hidden sinkholes in places you wouldn't think twice of stepping onto and you need some expert guidance to keep you safe.

Our trip was booked with Grayline again as we had really enjoyed ourselves on the first Golden Circle trip and this one was no exception. 

A moulin. Scary as! The guide held on to us to take a closer look.

Have you hiked on a glacier before? What sticks in your memory the most?

Skógafoss Waterfall in Winter time ❄

As our coach pulled up in the car park next to Skogafoss my face was plastered to the window in awe.

'Please take care when walking up to the falls' said our weary guide, probably praying that nobody would slip over and break a limb. The ground was full of ice and workers outside were shovelling stones for people to walk over where possible.

We were determined to get as close as we could however. Just enough to feel the spray of water as it tumbled over the cliffside with elegance and ease. Boots don't fail me now!

I've read that on sunny days it's common to see a rainbow due to all of the spray but it's no less impressive without.

Have you ever been to Skógafoss falls?

Picking the safest route

It isn't easy balancing on ice without skates!

Trips to take in Iceland - The Golden Circle [Part I]

Being that neither of us could drive when we went to Iceland; the second best (and least expensive) option was to book a tour to see the sights.

We booked our Golden Circle tour with Grayline and were pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed the trip!

We arrived at the bus terminus by 6am and were well on our way shortly after. I struggled to keep my eyes open to begin with which I think was a combination of tiredness and motion sickness. It was too dark to see anything at that time so I didn't have to feel guilty about missing out on any dramatic scenery.

 About forty-five minutes later a scarlet streak spread across the sky separating the darkness. If I only got to see sunrise once in Iceland, then this one I would treasure.



The guide changed up our tour since it was still too dark to visit the waterfalls and we ended up taking a detour to the Geothermal Energy Exhibition inside Hellisheiði Power Plant. These guys are way ahead of the pack when it comes to creating sustainable green energy!



After the presentation we drove on a bit further and stopped at this beautiful location below. Sadly I didn't write the name down and it wasn't in the itinerary so if you recognise it, let me know in the comments :)



When we arrived at Gullfoss Waterfall the sun was shining brightly but it was still bitterly cold. There are quite a few steps down towards the falls and it can get pretty slippery as Lloyd found out when he landed on his bum. It was quite amusing since he was so convinced that I'd be the first one to fall over  that week.

On making our way towards the view point, the first thing you can hear is the gush of the river. This, I can imagine was a quieter sound during the winter time since half of the waterfall was frozen over. Nonetheless, it was an incredible sight. Oh nature <3



After awhile we were ready to warm up with a cup of coffee in the nearby cafe before heading towards Strokker Geysir; one of the most active and popular geysers in the south of Iceland. Since it erupts every 8-10 minutes you're guaranteed to witness it for yourself.


It's the strangest thing. Despite large crowds gathered around, it seemed that everyone went silent while waiting expectantly for the eruption.  All of a sudden there is the subtlest of sounds as water shoots out of the ground at a high speed. It's almost peaceful when it happens.





Wow, looking at these photos brings chills! It was SO cold.

 Check out my next post for part II :)

I left my ♡ in Reykjavik - Iceland [Part I]

Ah, Iceland.

Just over a year ago the boy and I booked a week in Iceland which was probably one of my favourite trips ever.

The northern lights, whale watching, glaciers and mountain views...what could be more appealing to a girl who loves being one with nature?

Ever since a slightly tipsy discussion with my dad at his pub (or what was his pub) about eight years ago, I had daydreamed about seeing those mountains up close and personal. One day, I said. One day.

Fast forward to 2015 and I can finally say that this country has been ticked off of my bucket list...but only just. I feel like I've only scratched the surface of this magnificent country and another visit in the near future is definitely on the books.

A road trip is definitely in order after reading this post by one of my favourite travel bloggers Be My Travel Muse.

Our base for this short stopover was the capital city; Reykjavik. The city where you can feel at ease in a cafe catching up with your pals whilst your pram (warmly bundled up baby included) sits outside on the pavement. I found this so incredibly awesome! Just another reason why I fell in love with this country.

We balanced our days out with getting accustomed to the city as well as trips to some well known areas in the Reykjavik area. I'm a nature girl at heart so any opportunity that I can get to leave the urban jungle is more than fine with me.

Here are a few highlights from our walks around this quirky city☺

- Just a few minutes walk away from our hotel -

- The city and the colour <3 -

- A kooky sense of humour - 

- Incredible views over the city from Hallgrímskirkja Cathedral -

Getting to the top will cost you a few cents but the 360 degree scenery is so worth it!

- ...and here's Hallgrímskirkja Cathedral in the flesh -

To the right of the photo is a statue of Leifur Eiriksson who is said to be the first European to discover America. Records suggest that he landed in America 500 years before Christopher Columbus! *fun fact*

    - Lake Tjornin all frozen over - 

We had some fun walking over the lake until I freaked myself out into thinking the lake would melt under my feet!

- We ate soup in bread - 

 ...and it was delicious! Try Svarta Kaffid when you visit Reykjavik.

Happy times xo