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Family Russell-Smith Travel

We are the Russell-Smiths and we love to Travel.

22/12/2024

After a lie in... in the van and a good 8 hours of sleep, we arrived in Kocurice a tiny village outside the tourist Spa town of Piestrany, Martinas home town.

Christmas this year will be in Slovakia with our Slovakian side of the family.

Morning consisted of catching up and eating. A delicious lunch of roast chicken and homemade Slovak sausages with all the trimmings was served as a treat, and we felt fully stuffed and fulfilled.

After a bit of a chill and catch-up, we headed into Piestrany for some fun in the snow (wet snow).

The snow falling in the cristmas markets made everything feel super Christmasy, putting us right in the mood for the festivities.

We enjoyed some hot tea (with a shot of 65% to warm us up).

We searched for Lángos but nothing was open, so that treat will have to wait.

After getting a bit soacked and cold, we headed back home to warm up, ready to enjoy some more food and drink... well, it is Christmas after all.

22/12/2024

It's a loooooong drive to Slovakia. We left at 4 pm (stopping via Nana and Grandads as they just got back from 2 weeks in South Africa). The drive to the Channel Tunnel was quick and quiet, which was a shock for Friday and the first day of holidays.

We grabbed an early train (so good when that happens) and managed a few hours of driving before setting up Bruce the Van for a good night sleep in a random service station.

We woke early and drove the 16 hrs to Slovakia, arriving just before midnight (sleeping in the van so as not to wake the family on our late arrival).

We get a lot of questions about how a student and a teacher can afford to travel so much. (There is no secret slush fund) It's all about the little wins such as not buying food at the expensive service stations but cooking our own lunch and dinner on the cooker built (by us) into Bruce's boot.

Fuel is another one.. don't but fuel from the service stations. Today diesel was €2.15 a litre at a service station where as a 3 min drive off the motorway into a town or village will get you €1.49 a litre! These are the little wins that add up to huge savings.

We are now in Slovakia for Christmas.. we might even get some SNOW later.. maybe

After a good week here eating and being merry we will head to Austria and Innsbruck for 7 days of skiing for the new year..

03/11/2024

2nd October 2025
Day 7 of our

The weather this morning was disgusting... well, it was snowing and blowing a strong breeze, so we decided to hole up and "chill" for our last full day in Norway!

After a good homemade lunch, we headed out about 2pm. for a bit of a different experience.

Martina had been researching (as she does) and found the local community of Gratangen (our local village) had set up a community sauna that you could rent.

150NOK each or 800NOK for a private rental. We went for 150NOK and got lucky as no one else had booked, so we had it to ourselves.

It's a beautiful wooden cabin with a woodside stove to heat the rocks that heat the sauna. It's supplied with wood and smellys (nice ones) and is decorated beautifully, clearly showing a lot of pride in this.

It is sat on the edge of the Fjord so you can dip in the sea too cool off (FYI, it was bloody freezing!!!) or role in the snow of you like. Both definitely cool you off.

The session was 1.5 hrs, which was a good time as young and regulated the heat well to make sure you don't over heat to quickly.

The boys were not too interested (no an issue), so they stayed outside and built their own Igloo again on the edge of the sea with a great view!

It was an awesome experience to finish off on. Relaxed and ready for the 2nd half of the too long Autumn School term, we are all going back to face!!

02/11/2024

30th October 2024
Day 6 of our

We did not get up to too much today.

The boys spent the morning playing in the snow and adding to their Igloo before we headed out for a bit of a drive along the E10 road just to check out the views before pulling up for a bit of fishing in the Fjord. Not much was taking, and we snagged a few tiddler Pullock fish, but we were hoping for some codling. About 60 mins in Ben nonchalantly say I got a fish. Assuming it was just another po***ck, we half ignored him until we looked up and saw him almost being pulled in!! I grabbed the Rod as the monster fish bolted under the pier snagging the line and SNAP it was gone. I have no idea what it was, but whatever it was, it was big, and it's likely our tiny rod would have struggled to real it in any way! Shame, but that's fishing!!

We headed back to the house to enjoy the snow some more with some more snowball fights.

02/11/2024

31st Octorber 2024

Day 6 of our

Today, we woke up late and decided to brave the cold and snow again for another hike. We decided on a hike not far from Narvik, but as we arrived, the heavens opened again for a snowstorm, which looked like it was settled in for a while. However, just 45 mins down, the road looked clear, so we drove and arrived in the little village of Bjorkasen for a short (3hrs) strenuous hike up hill to a little view point. The snow was thick, and it was hard going for William as he sank in the snow.

We had taken longer than anticipated and did not pack lunch save a few biscuits, so after coming back down the hill, we stopped at the local service station for some giant hotdogs.. the boys loved them, and they were well priced at £5.50 each.

Prices here are not too bad. Some things (cheese and fule) are pricey, but on the whole, it's pretty comparable to the UK!

We got back and chilled for a while before the boys spent hours again playing in the snow and sledging.

They have built a snowman, and Igloo and toboggan runs!

We had a dinner and roasted marshmallows on candles as a little nod to Halloween, which was difficult to celebrate out here.

We watched a "scary" kids' movie, and the boys headed to bed.

We decided to take one last look outside to see if the northen lights were out! THEY WERE BIG TIME!

We watched and waited, took some photos but suddenly it went super strong.. moving waving sparkling colours of green, orange, yellow. For about 1 min, it was spectacular. The number of hours we have stood, cold staring at the sky at a grey missed waiting for this moment. I got a little over excited by it, as you can hear in the reel previously posted! To be able to film it shows how strong it was as you normally can't film it (or at least we can't). But the footage does not do it justice! It was simply spectacular and awesome! I honestly can't think of the words to describe it...

31/10/2024

30th October 2024

Day 5 of our

It snowed again last night but looked like it might clear up for the day, so we decided to go for another hike to catch a view over the Fjords.

The start of the hike was good, and there was not too much snow on the ground, but underfoot it was a bit squelchy and much of the start of the hike had a little stream running down the footpath.

However, this changed very quickly as a big grey cloud rolled in and dumped a snowstorm on our heads. Luckily, it was not windy, but the snow quickly settled (it was -1°C) making the hike harder. As we hiked, the snow deepened above our ankles. The choice was carried on or turn back, but as we were over halfway and the path was very clear, we pressed on.

Not expecting much view as we reached the top, the clouds rolled away, giving us a spectacular view over the valley and into the distance. The fresh snow brightens up even further!

After a few photos we could see another large cloud rolling in, so we started to head back down only for it to also dump a load of snow as we went. We were all in good spirits, and it was quite good fun in the snow.

When we got back to the car, we could see that in the 3 hrs we were hiking over 15cm of snow had fallen!

We felt safe as the path was clear, and more importantly, we had the right gear. There is NO such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing!

We headed back to the cottage and had lunch, then spent the rest of the day playing in the new deep, fresh snow.

30/10/2024

YES SHE DID... We were all in our PJs and definitely not planning to head out in to the Arctic night but again the Northen lights are that gift that just keep on giving!!

This time we got some cool shots of the house and the snowman... and us also!

30/10/2024

29th October 2025

Day 4 of our

The day started with a bit of a lie in before a bit of prep before an online meeting preparing for a bit of a link up that's super exciting.. watch this space. 😁

The weather forecast was for a bit of a storm and some strong winds and snow so we decided today would be a good day for snowman building, snowball fights and a small walk around the local area and the local lake.

As you can see, we were quite successful at both....

After a good few hours, we got cold, so we snuggled in on the sofa to watch a movie... however, as always, Martina is on the search for Northen lights and not long passed before she wrapped up warm to check out the night sky... did she find them...? Check the next post! 😁😁

29/10/2024

28th October 2024
Day 3 of our

This is a chill holiday. Having been up very late it was obvious we would wake up late.

So it was a late breakfast and then a small local hike. The weather was not looking too good later so we headed out before lunch to get a bit of fresh (action cold fresh air) and enjoy the countryside.

After lunch, the weather closed in, so we chilled at the cottage watching the snow drift in getting excited that tomorrow it will hopefully be enough for a snowball fight and snowman.. fingers crossed!!

28/10/2024

27th Oct 2024
Day 2 of our

Funny day today. We (John slept in) as we were up so late watching the Aurora show the night before.
Being Sunday, everything is closed in Norway, and having only done a quick shop yesterday, it means an hours drive to Sweden to the border town of Riksgränsen where the was open. Apparently cheaper but much the same as our local Rema1000 we picked up a weeks shopping as we are self-catering (obvs).

After spending a good 90-minute shopping (it always takes longer than you want), we headed back, had an early dinner (5pm) and went to bed (6 pm)... why? The Northen lights, of course silly!

The weather looked like we would need to head back to Sweden as our area was forcast for rain... more importantly, there was a solar warning on the space forcast, meaning a good chance of some awesome Auroras.

We woke at 11 to find our sky clear and a weak Aurora, but it was an interlude in the rain, and within 30 mins, it was raining. So we all jumped in the car and drove to Sweden. About an hour in just short of the border, the sky's cleared again, and we were greeted with a spectacular show. My photos don't do it justice (Martinas will), but it was the strongest we have ever seen. We all whooped and hollered as the Aurora flashed, sparkled and simmered in the night sky.

After about 30 mins, they cloud caught us up again, so we continued the drive to Sweden. We pulled up just short of Abisko and waited.. and waited... and waited.. it seemed the show was over.. There was a slight green tint but weak compared to what we had seen a few hours before. By 3am, it was time to head back... the sun would be up soon. Tired we arrived home and went straight to bed.

Was it worth it...HELL YES!!

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Day 3 #pakistanadventure Long day of travel, but we ended up here for dinner 😁 Day started with a spectacular flight into Scardu and then some time in town checking out ATM with no luck (We have plenty FYI WORRY WORTS) but we just thought we would make top up JUST IN CASE. We will try again onnoir return. We are now at the hotel enjoying the cool mountain air and the stunning views! 4.30 start in the morning for a 5-12 hrs drive (road depending) from this point on its hiking boots on and K2 et al here we come!! @epicexpeditions__ @14basecamps_thefamilyedition @watertogo #familytravel #travelblog #travelgram #14basecamps #hikinglife #familyadventure #familytime #FamilyFun

A massive, massive thank you to Dave from @watertogo for the support. These wonderful miracle bottles will keep us all safe on our upcoming trip to Pakistan and our 14 basecamps project. We have long been huge fans of these guys since we first discovered them at a travel show. They were literally a life saver when we were in the middle of the Lombok earthquake in 2018 with little access to water. They have probably saved us £1000s in bottled water as we have been able to drink tap water in every country visited since. Best of all, they are sustainable reducing our plastic bottle use to almost 0. Thank you again Water-To-Go Absolute legends! @14basecamps_thefamilyedition #WaterToGo #StayHydrated #FamilyFun #OutdoorAdventure #CleanWater #ConvenientHydration #BPAFree #SafeDrinkingWater #OnTheGo #HealthyLiving #family #familytravel #travel #travelblog #travelfamilyblogger #travelgram #support

@lakedistrict @altontowers Fun filled adventures for the family this weekend! #hike #fun #themepark #rollercoaster #family #familytravel #familytime

Breaking in our new @scarpa_uk hiking boots whilst doing the housework... Boom... Living the dream! @14basecamps_thefamilyedition #travel #hiking #basecamp #14peaks #14basecamps #familytravel #family #normallife #reality #preparation

The preparation started months ago, but we are upping our game after Egypt. The time will fly before we are on our first day in Pakistan. We have a strict regime... Monday - Yoga and leg strengthening Tuesday - Boxercise and leg strengthening Wednesday - footy training Thursday - Leg strengthening and Muffin top work out (Core) Friday - rest day Saturday football or running Sunday - hikes or running plus leg strengthening Plus, loads more school PE and clubs.. @epicexpeditions__ @14basecamps_thefamilyedition #hike #k2 #14basecamps #14peaks #familytravel #familyadventure #familytravelblog #familywhotravels #travelblog #travel #mountains #preperation

Pyramids of Giza #egyptadventure #awsome #travelblog #travelgram #travel #travelblogger #familyadventure #familytravel

Williams first foam pool party... FOR KIDS! Could have been Ibiza!!! 🤣 #foamparty #dance #familytravel #travelblog #familyadventure #partyboy

#partyboy#dance

Well, this view is different, but this room is lovely! #travelblog #egyptadventure #Egypt #travelgram #familytravel #familyadventure

Ops... how did we end up here... 🤣 #backpackingfamily #familytravel #holiday #allinclusive

Beautiful Gulfoss #24hrsiniceland #iceland #waterfall #sunset #nature #beautiful #travel #wow

Icelandic eruption. Taking off at 10am today from Iceland with @easyjet got an awesome view of the eruption that started at 8am this morning! The #geographygeek teacher in John was a bit over excited, so sorry for the commentary! Could not have asked for a better end to our #24hrsiniceland Bit worried for the people of Grundvik as this one was very close and looks like the lava might make it into town! Fingers crossed it does not! @bbcnews @skynews @bracknelnews @thetimes @natgeotravel #iceland #volcano #icelanderuption #travel #couplesweeken #awe #nature #instagood #aviation

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22/12/2024

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