The Adventure Diary

Travelling across Austria in a van for two weeks meant that lake hopping became a hobby. A hobby which we loved and the Austrian lakes inspired us each day. Each lake had an unique factor to it which was beautiful and awe-inspiring. Some where more touristy than others.

Traunsee Lake, Salzkammergut- “Cultured villages and crystal clear water”:

Being 12 km in length and 3 km in width you will find a number of towns located around Traunsee Lake. One of my favourite being the beautiful cultured village Ebersee. Each Sunday they have a Sunday market where you can pick up all of the local delicacies. Also, the river runs into the lake here, which creates winds good enough to kite surf. One of the locals described how it gets so busy within the summer months there are a number of crashes – daily!

Not forgetting the incredible sand beaches and crystal clear water . As well as this the view of the mountains from this angle is incredible. The colour of the rocks against the lake is an unforgettable view and the sunsets here are incredible. Last but not least, are the friendly locals who are always willing to offer you advice of where to go and what to do.

On the other side of Traunsee Lake is Gmunden. Being a lot bigger than Ebersee it is defiantly more of a town. Gmunden has a number of bars on the lakeside and also is where you will find the Traunsee Lake Castle. An elegant looking building located on an island which is connected to the mainland by a bridge. You do have to pay to go into the castle, although you can explore the edge of the castle for free.

Having to travel on a budget we chose the free option. Living in a van also means we used this spot to have a ‘bath’. The edge of the island has a number of weeping willows which made good shower curtains – although, it didn’t stop a number of tourists taking photos of us!

2. Langbathseen Lake, Salzkammergut – “A magical and mysterious lake”:

Twenty minutes from Ebersee high within the mountains you find Langbathseen Lake. Driving up through the winding roads you will start to feel the enchanted forest vibes. When you finally arrive the beautiful views will definitely leave you speechless. The crystal clear waters make it a popular diving and snorkeling spot.

However, if you feel like staying on dry ground then the walk around the lake is just as beautiful. With numerous cute beaches spotted around the edge of the lake and the forest surrounding it having a magical feeling – why would you not want to visit?

3. Hallstatt Lake, Salzkammergut – “A draw-dropping whilst charming place”:

Surrounded by a beautiful mountain range and fed by a winding river cutting through a deep gorge in the mountains. Hallstatt Lake is a jaw-dropping whilst charming place. A famous spot for locals to take a dip you will have a stream of cars turning up and venturing into the water. It is a skinny dippers paradise. Also, not forgetting the wildlife here, the swans and ducks see tourists as easy pickings!

The cute village is a prime tourist spot. With traditional Austrian houses decorated with flowers and wooden window shutters. Cable carts are there to take you high up into the mountain range if you wish. The view from the top is also stunning.

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4. Wörthesee Lake, Carinthia- “Unforgettable sunsets”: 

Again Wörthesee is one of the more tourist developed lakes. The majority of land which surrounds the lake is privately owned. Lucky devils have their garden on the lakes edge. Camping sites own the land and within season you will be expected to pay to enter them. However, if you visit out of season then you are allowed in for free.

The freshwater lake has murkier water than the others on the list. Despite this there is not an abundance of people swimming and wildlife. We had fish swimming through your legs and swans coming right up to you in their hunt for food. Wörthesee Lake is the sunset champion. The sunsets here are unforgettable.

5.  Lake Faak, Carinthia- “…Undisputed Charming Character”:

The 5th largest lake within the state. Surrounded by long and mysterious reeds and islands dotted across the water-bed. This lake portrays undisputed charming character with a hotel set upon one of the islands which is only accessible via boat. You can also hire boats and pedalos so you can explore the lake too.

Love Austria? Read our previous post on how we fell in love with the country!

Click Here:

 Adventuring Austria

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Once in a while when you’re travelling you come across a place you could happily call your home. For me I found this with Austria.

The country is full of beautiful lakes containing crystal clear water. This makes them a prime attraction for tourists and they are surrounded with cultured Austrian towns, cute bars and restaurants on the waterside. Being a lover of water myself I just travelled from lake to lake on my way through Austria. Albeit, they can get very busy, however you can always find yourself some beautiful spots just for yourself. Like at the Traunsee Lake where I had a ‘bath’ next to a willow tree. Or at Haltsee lake where I witnessed a family go skinny dipping whilst the dad took photos of his 20-year-old daughters boobs (before you ask no, I did not take photos).

The lakes are also perfect for water sports of different kinds: paddle boarding, kite surfing, kayaking and fishing. For me it’s inspired me to try kite surfing at some point, imagine kite surfing here:

    Looking for your own travel inspiration?

>>Click here<<

 Austrian Culture:

The culture of Austria is another thing which I love about the country, many walk around in Austrian outfits without a need for an occasion; the men wear the typical lederhosen outfit and women wear dirndl dresses. Every body is very friendly and welcoming, they actually want to talk to the tourists and find out why you are here (even if it’s 3 drunk teenage boys who think they get laid by asking if they can fuck you over and over again). The beer is also incredible (might explain why there was so many drunk kids everywhere) and sitting next to a lake with a pint of Austrian’s finest is a good way to pass the time…

When you walk through the little villages and towns their culture thrives all around you rooted wishing farming, ceramics, religion and mining this can be seen in the beauty of the houses and streets. You will often come across random religious statues and ornaments in the street showing Jesus on the cross. realistically recreated with intestines popping out of where a long would be on the sculpture. The houses are well-kept and you can see that the owners take pride in their houses.

On a weekend their culture thrives even more. Saturday and Sunday sees them set up market stalls and sell their traditional pastries and pretzels. Which I was more than happy to have a little taste test of and yes they are incredible! The pretzel van impressed me the most looking rather holy with the sun behind me, I felt like god was telling me to have a pretzel so of course I obliged…

Sunsets in Austria:

One more thing which I love about Austria is watching the sunset over the lakes and mountains and the beautiful views. I will just let you check the picture out so see why, no need to ramble on!

Want to see more Austria sunset photos? Check out our instragram.

When I started writing my love story of Austria it grew, as I travelled I found more parts of Austria that I fell in love with bit by bit. So my love story escalated from wanting to revisit a few lakes to know wanting to explore the whole country, I may be a romantic at heart, who knows? Although I do happen to fall in love with every country I go to and leave, most of the time, with the decision that I could totally live there. For me, Austria it is out doing all countries I’ve visited so far! Taking some big guns out in the process including: Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Holland! Lets see how Slovenia and Croatia do…

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The definition of coddiwomple is “to travel in a purposeful manner towards a vague destination”.

Coddiwomple is an English slang word but one which should easily be added to your vocabulary. currently I am coddiwompling my way through life. I’m officially a coddiwompling addict. Ask anyone who knows me… If I don’t coddiwomple daily withdrawals kick in I get moody, irritable and I moan – a lot! Therefore, I require lots of snacks to get me through the boredom of being in one place for too long.

It all sounds like a fairy tale word. Here is how it actually applies to real life travel.

When I do travel, I travel with a purpose. My purpose is to adventure, have fun, laugh, explore, learn, try new things and meet new people. Mostly, in places where I have no idea what to expect. This is one part of travelling I love, when you have no expectations of where you’re going, what is going to happen. Then you stumble upon unexpected moments and memories, which if they hadn’t occurred wouldn’t have left you disappointed. Sometimes in travel and life expectations can be the very thing that destroy an incredible place, a moment, even a memory. All because it was not how you imagined it. For me, this shows why coddiwompling is the best way to travel. You have your purpose, but you have no expectations of what you will find.

Take for instance my previous blog where I climbed and kayaked over to the Svartisen glacier in Norway. When travelling on the road I had no idea it would be there. Even if it hadn’t of accidentally stumbled upon the glacier, it would not have mattered to me. When the glacier came into view, I imagined what it would be like to touch it and that is what I did. My purpose to explore was the bit inside me which drove me to kayak over to the glacier. I wanted to know what it was like close up. It left me with questions in my own head, what did it look like close up? What would it feel like? Would I be able to touch it?

The Norwegian coddiwomple:

If you want to know the answers to my previous questions then check out ‘The Svartisen Glacier’ blog:

 >>Click here<<

Or to see an incredible video of the glacier:

>>Click here<<

When expectation can ruin travel:

I travelled to Geiranger fjord to see the world-famous seven sisters water fall, which turned out to be a major disappointment for me! Because the expectation had been built up that it was going to be incredible and a jaw dropping moment, for the thousand of other tourists maybe it was. For me who had visited the incredible Lofoten islands, which has incredible mountain range which go on for miles, waterfalls, lakes and views around each corner.

Also, I had witnessed whirlpools at the Saltstraumen a few weeks ago which has the world’s strongest tidal current and each day you can see whirlpools. Which are jaw dropping and the power of nature leaves you breathless. Still although disappointed in the beauty of what I saw my purpose had still been fulfilled. I don’t dispute that I was only disappointed as I had been spoiled by the North of Norway!

You can see the video of the Gerainger Fjord with the Seven Sister’s and Fiancee waterfall here let me know what you think and leave a comment below:

Finally, one of the underlying aims of The Adventure Diary is to guide whoever reads this to work out there coddiwompling purpose! Your coddiwompling may be completely different to ours it may involve you driving around where you live, even walking around the area, long road trips, holidays abroad or anything which just pushes you out of your comfort zone! Have a purpose and go and see the world before it’s too late…get yourself a bit coddiwompling in your life!

Check this blog out to read more about the Lofoten Islands:

 >>Click here<<

Or to see some incredible whirlpools click here:

>>Click here<<

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1. Keeping Busy-

It may seem a totally obvious solution but I don’t think, (until you’re in the situation), people realise how essential keeping yourself busy is. Make use of those times when you know you would have been together. Fill your time with good people and good moments to ensure that you’re mind doesn’t keep pondering on how much you miss them.

2. Random Calls-

  Be prepared for phone calls at any time of the day (or night in some cases) The time may not be convenient for you, but make it! You never know when your other half may have good signal or WIFI again so make use of those moments that you have together, Don’t let the physical distance put emotional distance between you both.

3.Plan things for you both to look forward to-

  They may be travelling now, but that’s not going to be forever. Plan things for you both to look forward to. Whether that be concerts, future dates or even little getaways for yourself. Keep things interesting for the both of you. Also, write bucket lists together and set targets to fulfill them together when you are reunited.

4. Give yourself something to do together, even while they’re away-

Its hard sometimes finding things that you can both do considering at any given time you could be thousands of miles apart. Give yourself challenges or games that you can both do or play together even from afar. I personally highly recommend the game ‘Puzzle 10’. There’s a forfeit hanging on to the top scorer in our case (Good luck Lauren, you’re gonna lose haha).

5. Keep each other updated-

  Keeping the lines of communication open is a huge factor in maintaining a good relationship when there’s distance involved. Try keep each other updated on what is going on in your lives, even if it’s the small things that would probably seemed insignificant if they were around all the time.

6. Be cautious of what you say-

In my experience this has only applied to food! When your girlfriend is travelling around Europe in a van on a budget, you be careful about what food you mention you’re having for tea that night. I mentioned a donut once and I think I heard her heart break through the phone. Be considerate of their situation, for your own sake as well as theirs.

Get to know us more and find out what we are really all about…

>>click here<<

7. Keep Some routine if possible-

  Keeping a routine can be difficult at the best of times but sometimes even the smallest little things help. From the way you end your phone conversations to silly things you do when you do get to talk. Some stability in what you do with each can be a huge source of comfort.

8. And finally, That time of the month…

  So if you or you partner is a woman (Or in our case, the both of you are) then you have to pay particular attention and be aware for that time of the month. We all know when women are due on, emotions are heightened, everything seems that much harder and everyone is that much more sensitive. We have a knack of handling those times these days. Expect those ‘Typical Women’ moments as we like to call them and take them with a pinch of salt. It’s the hormones talking, things will be back to normal in a few days, You still love each other, Its okay, You got this!

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After going on some incredible walks through the Norwegian mountains myself these are my 10 reasons you should go hiking in Norway, they are in no particular order!

1. The Views:

When you hike high up into the Norwegian mountains what you get to see is incredible. Snow covered mountains, jaw dropping glaciers, beautiful fjords, mountain ranges which go on for miles,  These are views which you will never forget and you will end up telling everyone about them, the true beauty of nature will stick in your mind forever and leave you wanting more!

2. Personal Achievement-

Some of the hikes can be physically exhausting. For example, the Trolltunga rock hike in Norway can take between 10-12 hours. With the first 4k of the hike being a very steep 1100m hill, the first 1k is defiantly the hardest but after this you still have another 10k to go before you even reach the Trolltunga and then another fun 11k back! For some this is easier than others but when you do reach the summit or the view point the sense of achievement is over whelming.

Don’t be put off by the length of the Trolltunga hike either there are much shorter ones too, take for example the hike to Pulpit rock 4k each way taking 1.5-2 hours each way. Also, the Kjerag rock hike is a 9k hike which takes between 6-8 hours depending on your speed! Always remember it doesn’t matter how long it takes you just be proud that you made it to the destination!

3. Photos-

You have seen the classic look at me photos plastered all over social media everyone needs to get that photo surely? Add that to your collection? Even if you are not going for the classic look at me on this famous rock photos the ones you will get on the way will be just as beautiful, When walking up to the Trolltunga rock and Pulpit rock I had to stop every 20 minutes just to take photos of the incredible scenery!

Check these out:

4. Mythology-

In Scandinavian folklore trolls are a key feature. When travelling around Norway you will come across a number of different statues and posters of troll festivals which are taking places. The troll mythology can also be applied within the mountains it was once believed that trolls roamed around at night and when caught within the sunlight they would turn into rock making up the notorious mountain ranges of Norway. The Trolltunga rock is said to be a troll caught sticking its tongue out,

Check it out for your self… A troll’s tongue or just a rock? Who knows…

5. Networking-

On your hikes and waiting to get your photographs at the rocks you will often meet like-minded individuals. It is a great place to network with people who have similar interests as you! It opens up new opportunities and often these people become friends for life, people you travel with in the future or who you go and visit in the future and who knows you could meet a future partner?

Check out my blog Stranger Danger’ for more inspiration of why talking to strangers always opens up new avenues for you!!

>Click here!<<

6. Become a story teller-

Everyone has heard of the saying, “travelling it leaves you breathless and turns you into a story teller”. This is very very true. the stories you will acquire whilst hiking can’t be predicted you never know what is going to happen. Maybe you will come across a moose? Be able to touch a glacier?

That is the beauty about hiking you never know what you are going to see and by putting yourself in a new and exciting position you increase your chances of seeing amazing!

Check out this glacier I found on one of my adventures:

7. Learn new things-

Whilst adventuring through the mountains not only will you learn things about yourself but also about the country you are in and the environment around you. This is how I learnt about the Scandinavian folklore and also I have learnt about the berries which grow wild within Norway and what to look out for to get yourself a free snack whilst you hike through.

Check out my blog ‘What is the Wanderlust life all about?’ to see what berries grow wild and where else you can find free food in Norway! 

>>Click here!<<

8. Inspiration-

On your hike you will often be inspired by nature and the things that you see around you. It will inspire you to try new things or to add them onto your bucket list, it might inspire you to read more, take up photography, explore where you live more. Only you can find out what it will inspire you to do!

Check out my bucket list for some extra inspiration

>>Click here!<<

9. For fun!

Surprisingly hiking can be fun. On the way you will find yourself laughing at ridiculous things, reminiscing over previous memories, talking about what you have to come in the future and lots more. You will talk to people you barely know and see things that can’t be unseen. Challenging yourself and playing games become innate, whether that is trying to beat your 1k time or stupid games you make up. Plus, you will have fun trust me!

And you can make videos like this:

10. To Adventure the world!

The cliche motto you only have one life, live it slips into my mind here! You have one chance to explore the world, see thins you have never seen before and create some unbelievable memories for yourself, so push yourself out of your comfort zone and go beyond your usual every day to day life. There is so much you and I still haven’t seen so get out and go and see it! You will be surprised at what will pop up along the way, what you learn and the memories you gain. But it well worth it… Trust me, give it a go and find out for yourself!

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If you were to google what a Wanderlust Life is all about you will probably get some quote appearing like this on your screen:

Wanderlust (n.) – A strong desire or urge to travel or wander around the world.

Real life wanderlust:

This blog is designed to give you a taste of what a wanderlust life is actually about, past the words and the deep quotes. The aim is to inspire you through real life experiences and memories, to try something new and possibly see something that could end up changing your perspective on adventure and life. To find your own version of wanderlust, so to speak. Personally, for me Norway has given me the biggest taste of a ‘Wanderlust Life’. The country itself is beautiful and around each corner a new adventure is waiting for you. The countryside allows you to live off the land, if you know how to use it or take the time to learn. Throughout my time travelling I have learnt, in turn I have got more effective and efficient when it comes to living off the land.

Norwegian Wanderlust:

For example, within the Efjord i scrambled to the top of a waterfall and took a ‘bath’ within one of the pools naturally created there. This was all whilst having an incredible view overlooking the stunning Efjord in front of me and a mountain behind me. The water was coming from the snow which had recently melted off the mountain so it was freezing cold (you can imagine on the nip on) but also really refreshing at the same time.

The day after a short drive down the road we came across the Sagfjorden. There were a number of small islands a short distance off the shore so we decided to kayak out to these. On the way around I found out that these islands were completely owned by the birds after being dive bombed by seagulls and the whole Norwegian bird life (that’s what it felt like). Docking up on to a less bird populated island for a little adventure and of course a photo opportunity, I found mussels on the sea bed which we collected for dinner the next day. On the way back to the main land though a few pilot whales just decided to pop up out of the water. I got super excited and started screaming to George who had already made it back to the main land in some high squeal pitch I never knew I was capable of making.

Having cleaned and soaked the mussels overnight they were ready to eat. It took about 4 hours to clean the mussels and it definitely was not the most pleasant of tasks I have completed. Tonight though we were cooking in an awe-inspiring place. Next to whirlpools. The Saltstraumen in Norway has the world’s strongest tidal current so four times a day when the tide goes in or out you can see whirlpools. Click here for whirlpool timetable. Although the whirlpools are absolutely better when the tide goes out. Witnessing the strength of nature unquestionably an astonishing thing to witness. What I enjoyed the most were the seagulls who would just float around on the whirlpools… the little things in life hey!!

Wanderlust:

So a wanderlust life, what exactly is it? Well for me a wanderlust life is a life where no plans are created. You go with the flow. Make the most of the nature around you, becoming resourceful and using it to your benefit. Not to destroy it. A life where you never know what adventure awaits around the corner. The really beauty of a Wanderlust life is that you need to discover what exactly it is for you..

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The Svartisen glacier is the second largest in Norway and the lowest in Europe making it easy(ish) to get to. Well if you’re a normal person who decides to pay to get on the boat over there instead of kayak then it’s probably easier. Being the stingy travellers we are and with the budget we are on there was absolutely no way the boat was being used.

The kayak over probably took us about an hour this was more because:

1. George was making deep and meaningful videos where she likes to share her life views in them (check one out here);

2.  I was seeing if I could pick the jelly fish up with my kayak paddle…

3. We could not resist the photo opportunity!

The climb up to the glacier was incredible. There were cracks within the rocks where waterfalls flowed and a scenic view of the fjord and lake behind me. In any normal country this would have been what people were here to look at. Norway is not a normal country. Everyone was here for the glacier. Hikers young to old, families, groups or solo were all on a mission to touch that glacier. Well that was my number 1 mission.

Turning the corner around a rock and being at the bottom of the glacier was awe inspiring and overwhelming. I dealt with it in the most British way. Standing there by myself a tiny little spec at the bottom of a 4 meter thick, never ending in length glacier out loud I just repeated the word shit to my self in every possible way. “Oh my fucking shit” was definitely my favourite. It was both excitement and fear because I couldn’t stop imagining what would happen if the ice were too start sliding towards me.

The fear didn’t stop me from climbing up underneath and standing within an ice cave at the foot where the melted water gathered within a river and a waterfall fell from underneath it. It was beautiful. The blue from where the sun shone through the ice was so deep and bright and the water so clear but yet so powerful. Even when you left the foot of the glacier and climbed up the side you could still here the water rushing down to the bottom. For me touching the glacier was a very weird experience. I imagined it to be smooth and one massive conjoined piece of ice. The underneath were the water was melting off was but the top was rough in texture. A glacier is practically million ice cubes stuck together. It reminded me of when you buy a bag of ice from the supermarket but it’s all moulded together. It was defiantly not what I expected.

The whole of the glacier trip was unexpected. We had no idea there was a glacier on the road we had decided to drive on in the first place so it added to ‘this was meant to be’ feeling. Honestly that’s one thing about travelling I love you never seem to know what is around the corner and what will happen to you. On the way back to the kayaks I also came across blueberry bushes everywhere to I used my empty water bottle and spent a good hour picking blueberries. When we finally got back to the van for the night we were knackered but it was well worth it.

One thing I wish I had the chance to do that day was to walk on the glacier. As I was leaving a group who were on the tour returned. This has defiantly been added to my bucket list. Check my bucket list out and feel free to share yours in the comments below I’m always looking for suggestion and ideas!

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“Not all who wander are lost” is a quote which someone who sits close to my heart gave me on a bracelet before I left England to start exploring Scandinavia in the van. Whilst travelling around I’ve thought about this a lot. I am Constantly lost location, date and time wise I never have any idea of where I am or what day it is. These are just constraints of the constructs which were created by humans. Time isn’t even real… Currently we live in a society that has told us that travelling is ‘strange’ and ‘for risk takers’ from a young age we are drilled with the stereotypes that we need to get a full time job, go to university, have a house, get married and have a family. Yes that is all normal human instincts but it does not have to be completed within one area of the world at all.

I’ve learnt from my last 2 months of travelling that I’m definitely not lost mentally. Travelling has made me realise what life is about. Adventuring. Human instincts are to see the world, find food, water, a ‘mate’ and shelter. At the moment we are just consumed by the digital age and the technologies created. The society around us have been created to tell us we are unhappy with our life because then we are constantly buying things to try and ‘fill’ what we are missing with materialistic items. I appreciate that for some it brings them happiness but with the steady decline in mental health and increase in depression and anxiety it automatically leads to questions and debates.

A leading study found that by getting lost for just an hour a day in a new place showed reductions in depression and anxiety within the individuals who took part. I guess you’re wondering why I know this well whilst completing my degree in teaching my dissertation subject involved Emotional Intelligence as within schools mental health is a serious issue right now. My own research lead me to realise that my passion wasn’t within teaching. I’m not going to spend my life trying to change a failing system but I’m going to live my life how I want too. As J Cole states perfectly for me in his song Apparently “this is my canvas, I’m gunna paint how I wanna”. I left with no idea what my passion was or how I wanted to paint my ‘canvas’ but now I see that travelling and adventuring is definitely that. I travel with no plan and no expectations and just randomly stumble across some incredible places.

Take this in for an example as I write this I’m sat facing  the Svartisen glacier across the Holandsfjord in Norway. This morning I didn’t even know it was on the road we were travelling on we were just heading towards the ferry and managed to stumble across an incredible view and a piece of nature which many won’t get to experience first hand in their life. I’m waiting for the weather to clear so I can kayak over and touch it. That’s all I want to do! That’s what is so great about having no constraint of time I could wait here for as long as needed!

The night before I sat at another fjord about 20 minutes down the road and watched pods of pilot whales hunt for fish for a good 2 hours. I got to know their hunting pattern they literally went around in circles. They would only appear for about 3/4 seconds to clear the air out of their whole things (insert right name) before descending back to their prey. What I saw was minimal but it didn’t take away from the beautiful creatures they are. Again I had no idea that they would be there I only found out because I had stopped at the side of the road to take a photo of the beautiful fjord. Whilst finding the perfect spot I stumbled across wild strawberries growing on the other side of the hard shoulder. Living on the budget we are and with how expensive Norway is I wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to have strawberries so I spent a good two hours on the side of a cliff drop getting as many as I could!

It was In this time that I spotted the whales hunting and noticed they were all heading into the cove about 100 metres away. Soon after an otter appeared eating a crab on a rock. I would have got a photo but in my excitement I accidentally spoke out loud to myself… Saying “there’s a mother fucking otter there”. It’s not something I’ve ever experienced in England! We parked up next to the cove for the night and slept next to the pilot whales hunting and waterfalls. At that point I though back to how stressed I was. Now I live off about 10 pound a day through my savings which is probably less than most individuals rent for the week. I followed my dreams taking a risk by biggest problem right now… How can I make my passion my job?

A wise individual once said “…do what your passionate about become an expert, work hard and your passion will become your income. “. This won’t come easy but then what does in life, your passion takes time and effort you do not become a millionaire over night.

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Spending a week in the Lofoten Islands in the the North of Norway was amazing. The place is beautiful and around each corner an adventure awaits. We spent our first night in Å i Lofoten which is the furthest tip of the island. That night I attempted to fish again but after sorting the line out which took me a good hour and killing a few shrimps in the rock pool to use as bait, which I got pretty emotional about anyway, I threw the line in and within seconds it was completely stuck on a rock and there was no way I could get it back. This time I gave up as it was getting cold and I had no more hooks on me.

The next day we moved on. Before arriving we had checked the weather and decided that we were going to spend about a week in the Islands. A week isn’t really enough to explore the island in depth but we made the most of our time there. We decided to drive about an hour up the road looking for somewhere to stop. On the way we stopped for a quick kayak though. Lofoten is described as a kayaker’s heaven and it is easy to see why with its crystal clear waters surrounded by mountains. Just floating in the sea with the mountains around you is a surreal experience and one which I will never forget. Especially when the lion’s mane jelly fish, the largest jellyfish in the sea, would  calmly float past from time to time.

Later that day we decided to give cooking on fire a crack (I hope you got the pun there). I have managed to improve my fire making skills a lot since my previous blog ‘Swedish Summer‘. Within no time using the driftwood on the beach we had our water boiling and the food cooking away. For some reason cooking on fire is such an accomplishment and of course as we are proper British we always have to get a brew on the go. Although one day it took me about 2 hours to cook some brown rice and then just as it was ready I managed to spill it all on the floor… You learn to laugh at yourself a lot whilst travelling though.

Another new experience for me was naked showering with freezing cold water next to a lake. We have a solar shower but it hadn’t really been hot enough to heat it up and we were in a secluded place so why not? It is actually a really liberating feeling being naked in nature. Butt and tits hanging about the risk that someone might see. The next minute though an otter appeared. Having never seen an otter and in my excitement I chased it around naked. Poor thing. At this time I really was in tune with nature hey. Call me a hippie if you want…

The locals in Lofoten are also very friendly and I have found talking to locals is definitely something which needs to be prioritised in each area. We had seen a lot of people going around and picking orange things from plants. One morning a guy pulled up next  to where we had parked for the night, we asked him what he was doing but he spoke very little English. About 10 minutes later he came back with a pot of berries and offered them to us. Without any hesitation George ate one, if we were going to die from berry poisoning it was going to be together so I soon followed. He let us keep them and before devouring any more we had a google to make sure we weren’t about to kill ourselves and found out they were cloud berries.

Even though we didn’t die from the berry’s. The next day our near death experience was a bit to close to home. We had found a beautiful place closer to Narvik this time with our own pier. I am not sure exactly where we were.  After cooking dinner on the fire the clouds started to look angry and thunder could be heard in the distance. We decided to pack up and watch the storm come between the mountains from the van. What we both forgot to consider is that storms in Norway probably pack a lot more power than the storms in England. About 20 minutes in we both realised this. Well after the lightening hit the ground about 100 metres away from us we both realised this. About 2 minutes later we had jumped in the front of the van and were off to find a safer location. The photos below show how quickly the weather changed and how temperamental it can be in Norway!

These are just a few stories of my time in the Lofoten Islands, around each corner is somewhere which will take your breath away and you never know what is in store

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Everyone always encourages you not to talk to strangers from an early age. Not just because it can be dangerous but because it is now against normal human interaction to actually speak face to face. To put your phone down and actually talk to someone is crazy right? I must be crazy if I talk to a stranger? But it is perfectly fine to do exactly the same for DM’s and PM’s. This kind of thinking has created a society too anxious about what others think to actually look up, communicate and see what the world has to offer in front of them. The aim of this blog is to get you to think about the opportunities that could open up to you if you looked past what you have been told is ‘normal’. To think bigger. To think better.

The stranger days:

It all started whilst I was on the way to Pitea the very North of Sweden. I had met some amazing people in Bolmso Islands who had invited me and George to join them on a family holiday. On the way to Pitea in the North of Sweden we were choosing random beaches to stay on each night and chose a beautiful one called Lutens Vag. Arriving late at night we checked the weather, it was meant to be beautiful the next day. That morning we got out our camping chairs and decided it was defiantly a chilling day.

Starting the morning as planned I got out my book ‘The Cocaine Diaries‘ as George sat and scribbled blog ideas. Her blog ideas are often deep and meaningful quotes she likes to create which I enjoy winding her up about, for example, “Gratitude dissolves negativity”. Personally, winding her up is one of my favourite ways to pass time. After about 20 minutes though George had wandered off to go and talk to a guy. Now this guy already didn’t look like a normal guy he was hanging outside in his hammock in front of a wooden shack on the beach. The wooden shack had a skateboarding park and broken surf boards surrounding it.

After about ten minutes George came back over to try to tempt me out of my book. The guy, Rob, had invited us in for coffee. Now I am never going to say no to free coffee. Inside the shack was just as amazing it had old school leather sofas and the ceiling had even more boards hanging around. We got deep into conversation discovering that the shack was actually part of a local surf club and that each member had a key and could just turn up and use any of the equipment when they fancied it!

Talking about our dreams I mentioned that stand up paddle boarding was something on my bucket list to do. Then about 20 minutes later we were in the sea paddle board and windsurfing board in hand. That day because George went and spoke to a stranger not only did I create a friend for life; I completed one thing on my bucket list and discovered that windsurfing should have been on my bucket list. We spent about 4 hours in the sea and now I have decided I will be investing in a stand up paddle board and also be looking into the possibility of joining a surf club like this when I return home.

Talking to strangers it has the potential to open up pathways, opportunities and friendships. Which you would have never experienced if you had not taken the risk.

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Driving from Pitea in the very North of Sweden to Narvik, Norway is an incredible drive. Not only do you go through mountain ranges, such as the Abisko Mountains, you also drive through never ending forests which roll on as far as the eyes can see, lakes which seem to appear everywhere and rivers which form all different sizes and strength. The E10 is an adventure in itself to drive along. Although the drive takes about 8 hours it is like a road you would see in films or instagram pictures, something you would never imagine coming across your self.  Also, the wildlife you see and you don’t even have to move from your car seat is amazing. Reindeer stood in mass around lakes and watering holes and eating wild flowers at the edge of the road. Moose also just crossed the road like it wasn’t there, being the shy animals that they are this is a very rare occasion. For me it was the first time I had actually ever seen a moose. So I casually sat there screaming and jumping up and down in excitement like a hyper child.

  The road looked like it was from a fairy tale. Anyone who has watched or read a fairy tale knows that it always takes a turn for the worst at some point… The first point that it got worse was when we first came across the Abisko mountains we could see them in the distance and they looked magical. We stopped to take a few pictures and decided to venture down towards a lake we could see. Sounds amazing right? Well let me tell you this… the North of Sweden has the worst mosquito problem ever. They are massive and hunt you in packs. After about 5 minutes of going through the marsh land we were surrounded George had already bailed and I wasn’t letting the mosquito’s get the better of me. I kept going for the photo. Was it worth it? Yes and no I suppose although this time I managed to not actually get bitten and got the photos…

  Mosquito gate wasn’t the only thing we were having to deal with. The road was getting worse and worse. Where the weather had been worse in the past the road had been ripped up by the rivers which must have ran over it. We were going across massive gravel pits. The van isn’t great in situations like this with low profile tyres and sitting lower than normal due to the weight of the kayaks and mountain bikes on the roof it was not fun. At all.  We were rolling through each gravel pit at about 2mph and having to zig zag our way through to avoid the bigger rocks. After what felt like the 200th gravel pit we heard what no car or van owner wants to hear: a grinding noise from the wheel. At this moment in time we were in the middle of no where with no phone signal. All we could do was role at 2mph with the screeching noise making us cringe. An hour drive to the bottom of the Abisko mountain took us 3 hours instead of 1 and still the closest garage was still in Narvik a 2 hour drive away.

The next morning we started our rolling to the garage but luckily the noise had gone. It had only been a stone stuck between the breaks pad and the tyre… Just goes to show that our fairy tale does have a happy ending!

Sweden is a country that isn’t considered a sunshine destination by many Brits. I was in the same boat before visiting, I thought Sweden would just be cold all of the time. Well my tan tells a different story. The main thing I have learnt about Sweden and Scandinavia is that during the summer the hours of sunlight they have is unbelievable. If you venture to Norway at the right time too around late June to early July you can even witness the ‘midnight sun’ which is where the sun doesn’t set until sometime after midnight, if it even sets at all.

One night in Pitea, North Sweden on the Pite Havsbad beach me and George decided to stay up and see whether or not the sun actually sets. If you are ever in Pitea visiting the Pite Havsbad area is definitely something you should do if you are into tourist stuff. It has a water park, theme park and a beautiful beach! Anyway, we decided to go down to the beach at about 10pm as the sunset was predicted for 11pm and the sunrise predicted for about 2am. We took down BBQ stuff and were going to build our own fire pit down on the beach and BBQ ourselves some halloumi. Witnessing a beautiful sunset as we got there.

We arrived on the beach halloumi in hand and decided to start making the BBQ. That day I learnt that you can not just lite coal with a lighter. You might think this is something everyone knows well if you haven’t’ gathered from everything that happens to me I am not a normal person with a normal life… Something else I have learnt whilst travelling is that if it doesn’t work the first time don’t give up. So what did me and George do? We gave up… Just kidding that would have made a boring story… so we made a few phone calls home as you do in a situation like this. If you are wondering how we can make phone calls home without it costing a bomb well if you are with the network 3 you can use your phone like you were in the UK in loads of countries just google ‘feel at home countries’. We discovered that we needed to create an actual fire first before putting the coal on top. After about 2 hours we had a fire. I guess you’re probably wondering why it took 2 hours to make the fire and if you are not I am going to tell you anyway.

When trying to make a fire the key to fire making is obviously the kindling and the initial flame. First of all we had the smallest lighter in the world and I probably burnt myself about 100 times by holding the light on the kindling, secondly, it took us an hour to realise our kindling was to wet and that is the reason it wasn’t setting on fire. Idiots I know. At this point I remembered going on fire making practice with my friend Haidee back in Torquay and her telling me that tampons made the best kindling. So like a raging hormonal women I sat on the beach ripping apart a tampon and setting it on fire. There were a few drunk men on the beach at the time too they approached everyone women on the beach apart from us, i have just realised why. In no time we had fire…

The BBQ was going the halloumi grilling it was perfect even a hedgehog joined us on the beach which I found hilarious. It was so light it could have just been the afternoon and what made it better we had the beach to ourselves. This is just one reason you should visit Sweden in the summer months I never met one other Brit in Sweden whilst I was there…

And remember all these photos were taken between 11pm and 2am…

To pick places to visit me and George have a random and exciting way of choosing places. What we do is look on the map see somewhere that might be interesting  and drive there. For some of you this may sound a bit risky, who knows what we will find? So many what ifs could be said about our random method. On the other hand though it allows us to come across some incredible places with incredible people. This is the case with Bolmso Island.

How to pick random destinations:

Bolmso Island on the Map

After checking the map I could see an Island with a nature reserve in the middle of a lake. Of course, my imagination was running wild of what exactly was on there so we set off on a two hour drive to find out. When we arrived it did not disappoint. The island was covered in a forest which looked both intriguing and also slightly eerie.

Personally, forests always have more of a fear factor as you never know what is in them! Also, being in a foreign country often means most of the animals you see are completely new to you; I have seen some scary looking bugs which never would make an appearance in England! I know what you are thinking… bugs come on now Lauren you little wimp! However, just remember, half of them bite in Sweden or are just ridiculously big. There are also Moose’s and Bears just to make me seem a bit harder…

Horror film flash backs:

Driving across Bolmso island the eeriness of it all was intensified. Driving down a beaten track road surrounded in thick forest which looked like something out of a horror film, we considered turning around. Being the adventurers we are the risk of murder was worth it. As the forest cleared we first came across a cute- possibly murderous- little village full of Swedish style houses. It was actually cute here. Very different from the eeriness of the forest that surrounded it. We kept going and found our self a marina with our own private beach for the night.

We parked up and decided a chilled night in the van was on the cards, especially when the heavens opened. After a few hours though a local Swedish guy turned up. We assumed he was going to ask us to move this is usually the case as camper-vans are not fully welcomed everywhere, especially within local villages. Instead he surprised us, telling us about his and their love of English people. Apparently, no one ever visits the island, so he invited us into his house for a few drinks. We accepted the offer- of course!

The Bolmso Party:

At this point the story could go two ways 1. I’m going to tell you how I narrowly escaped being murdered in some horror film story or 2. I am going to tell you about how they got me so drunk I spent the next two days spewing my guts up.

Off we followed him at this point we hadn’t even found his name out… arriving at the house we could see a welcoming party of about 8-9 people inside. As I walked in my first offer was a drink of rum I was practically at home! We chatted for hours and after a few too many Captain Morgans and coke (provided by the rum queen herself Lotta) I decided to make a bet with Christof and some how ended up going for a swim in the lake around the Island. This is the last bit I remember of the night.

The next morning I woke up and spewed for the whole day. Anyone who knows me well enough will know it was always going to be option 2… I still blame Lotta for my hangover! After finally recovering (about 10 hours later) we were invited to stay for a few more days which we took up. Lars was lovely enough to welcome us into his house showing us the Island, telling us stories. Just staying in a shack in the forest was refreshing. I needed refreshing after my hangover!

The Island of Bolmso is well worth a visit and if not this Island why not pick another? Don’t let fear of the unknown stop you adventuring… just make sure you take calculated risks!

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The journey across Holland to Denmark was interesting to say the least. First we managed to break the van door so we had to take a trip to a garage. When I say a trip to a garage it means us hopelessly driving around a town until we miraculously come across as a garage which some how we did. The guy was lovely and fixed the van for free. Whilst we were there I somehow managed to get my self locked in the smallest toilet ever though; only me. I don’t normally have claustrophobia but at that moment in time I shat myself, toilet puns at the ready…

After our morning drama we had decided o park up in a town on the outside of Amsterdam. To do this I randomly chose a town on the outskirts, I chose Weesp cause I thought it had a cool name. Weesp didn’t let us down it was one of them typical Dutch towns full of canals, windmills and dutch looking houses. Me and George decided to go and adventure around the town and check their market out. On our walk around I had to put up with George wearing her strap on Go Pro. Que the lesbian jokes…. Well most of the lesbian jokes came from me to be honest the locals just stared at us like we were strange foreigners.  We did venture into Amsterdam but as you can imagine that day was a bit of a smokey blur for me…

The next day after returning from Amsterdam I woke up at 5.30am with the worst belly ache I thought I was going to shit myself… turns out it was two massive farts. I’m sure we have all been there. Anyway, we had breakfast and set off on our way to Denmark, not being Germanist or anything we decided to just skip Germany and drive through (sorry to any German’s out there). It was about a 7 hour drive which was pretty muggy and stuffy and by the time we got to Denmark I was so tired. The view and the sunset we witnessed in Sodenhav was stunning and well and truely turned by mood. I was sold on Denmark the moment we arrived and this has only been magnified throughout the last 3 days.

For our first full day in Denmark we spent it down on the Sodenhav Strand it honestly looked like something out of the Mediterranean. We spent the day chilling and catching up on some well needed washing of both ourselves and clothes. I turned the picnic benches into my washing line. That evening we set off to another strand in Vemmingbund. If you ever go to Denmark I suggest going to their strands especially if you are in a camper van pretty much all of them at least have a toilet and if you are lucky you will get a shower.  The plan was to get up at 5.30am in Vemmingbund and watch the sunrise the next day a thunderstorm was predicted for about 10am so we wanted to do a bit of kayaking before the heavens opened.

Beautiful sunrise in Denmark

As you will know from my previous blogs George does not like to follow plans so she woke me up at about 4am by kneeing me and trying to get out of the van to take pictures of the sunrise. As she run off in her excitement, leaving the van door open, I sat there and vindictively planned her death; I am not a morning person at all. That morning the sea was pretty rough but we still decided to venture in on our kayaks, which are ones which you just sit on. Apparently according to George we needed cushions because the seats were that uncomfy, I obliged I had never been on her kayaks before. About 10 seconds into the water I hit a massive wave so for the rest of the time we kayaked I just sat there with a soggy ass. Fun times.

By the time we got out and the heavens opened we had already set off to our next randomly chosen location a place called Agernaes about a 2 hour drive away. It went pretty quick to be honest though after I stuck my Biggie album on. George had to put up with my terrible rapping and my black girl alter ego nicknamed Lalisha by some; I mean damn did I get my sass on for it. You have to for Biggie Smalls right?

Agernaes is amazing, the best place we have been in Denmark so far! My next blog will tell you about my time there!

1. Get your money out of the cash point when you are over there; you get the best conversion rates this way!

2. Drink their beer and lots of it, it is cheap equivalent to about £1.50 and it is tasty!

3. Visit the James Dean nightclub- you want to have some cheesey mixed up Greece style music (the film not the country) and see half naked girls dancing in a cage, well this is the place to go….

In November, 2015 I ended up going on a last minute trip to Prague with George as her brother dropped out on going with her at the last minute and how can anyone resist a cheap and spontaneous trip abroad? To be honest I didn’t really know much about Prague before I visited and I didn’t expect much from the city. I am not a city girl I do everything I can to avoid the hustle and bustle of that style of life and although any holiday was exciting it was not my kind of thing! Let me just say right now how wrong and naive I was, after spending 4 days in Prague it is now my favourite city. Everyone who tells me they are visiting Prague I get excited for!

We arrived in the Evening and was picked up from the airport from George’s mate, Lumir. I still had no idea where we was staying as it had been organised between the two of them that we were staying in his mates apartments, of course I was a bit nervous about this! As we pulled up to a building and had to enter a through a dodgy looking back door and go up some creepy stairs I was still bricking it. Finally as i dragged myself into the apartment after walking up a million stairs i was astonished by the beauty of the apartment and the view of city we had from the skyline.

After dropping our stuff off me, George, Lumir and Peter (Lumir’s friend who owned the apartment) went out for dinner and a drink. They took us to a typical Czech restaurant. I was more impressed by the beer than the food for once, that is a big statement coming from me cause anyone who knows me knows that food is what I plan my life around! Plus beer was really cheap and anything cheap makes a student on a budget happy!!

The first night we went to visit the John Lennon wall, it was covered in peace message and opposite the French embassy, it was an awe inspiring place which bled warmth from its graffiti covered walls. The weekend I was in Prague was the heartbreaking night that Paris was attacked by terrorists and 130 people sadly lost their lives. The next day I returned to the same place, less than 24 hours hours later the people of Prague had covered the John Lennon wall in Pray for Paris tags and had covered the front of the French Embassy in flowers and candles. It gave me goosebumps. The warmth I had felt bleeding from the walls the night before turned into sorrow and sadness, it led to reflection of my own life. I think that is natural within situations which trigger anguish for so many individuals, young and old.

French Embassy in Prague, Czech Republic

Prague and the people of Prague had enlightened me and my perception of the world. It was a city in mourning for the lives that were lost so far away and it felt like I could feel the city weep. That night they lit up their replica Eiffel tower in the colours of the French flag.

This story makes you remember, some days adventuring and travelling is not about the awe inspiring nature you may come across, or the amazing architecture you may see. Adventuring is about opening up your perception, becoming aware of your surroundings within the whole world and appreciating everything that you have given to you in life.

Live every day like it is your last, because you never know it just might be your last.

#PrayforParis