Category: Europe
Eden Project, UK – The Eighth Wonder of the World
There are some things that humans have made in the name of science that are just amazing. One example is Biosphere 2 for climate change and space research in Arizona. Another is the Eden Project in Cornwall, England. History The Eden Project arose out of an idea from 1996. At a site in St Blazey,…
McCaig’s Tower, Oban, Scotland – The Scottish Amphitheatre
Located in the Scottish Highlands, the port city of Oban is the gateway to the Hebrides. McCaig’s Tower stands tall on Battery Hill overlooking the city and the bay. McCaig’s Tower was the idea of John Stuart McCaig, a banker who wanted to do two things: The result is McCaig’s Tower, which is an open…
Pen y Fan, Wales – At the head of the Valleys
In the centre of Wales lies Brecon Beacons National Park, which contains a mountain range of the same name (Brecon Beacons). One of these mountains is Pen y Fan. Pen y Fan is the highest mountain in central and southern Wales. It sits just southeast of the town of Brecon, which is related to the…
Vienna Wine Hiking Day (Wiener Weinwandertag)
Although you wouldn’t necessarily associate Vienna with wine (or “Wein” and “Wien” in German), it is amazing how much wine this part of Austria produces. As a result, Vienna has a day known as the Vienna Wine Hiking Day (Wiener Weinwandertag). I had the opportunity to do the Vienna Wine Hiking Day when I went…
Arduaine Garden, Scotland – A slice of the world
Just south of Oban lies the Sound of Jura. Overlooking the Sound is Arduaine Garden, which contains plants from around the world. Established in 1898, it was a time when people were becoming very interested in plants from other parts of the world. Here native plants mix with those from the tropics and Asia. Tropical…
Ardchattan Priory, Scotland – A garden of contemplation
Ardchattan Priory sits approximately 10 miles/16 kilometres outside the port city of Oban in Scotland. Its history dates back to its founding in 1230. History Ardchattan Priory resulted from Duncan MacDougal, the Lord of Argyll, located in Dunollie Castle. He invited the Valliscaulian Order to set up a local priory. They had been given a…
Bridge Over The Atlantic, Scotland – Clachan Bridge to the Island of Seil
Just south of Oban in Scotland lies a bridge built in 1792. Connecting the Island of Seil to mainland Scotland, the bridge is known as Clachan Bridge. It gets its name from the body of water it crosses, which is the Clachan Sound. However it has a second name, which is the “Bridge over the…
Falkirk Kelpies, Scotland – A tribute to Scotland and strong horses
Situated between the towns of Falkirk and Grangemouth in Scotland, the Kelpies are an art installation by Andy Scott, an artist of renown famous for his other installations around the UK. This installation is of two “kelpies”. The myth behind the Falkirk Kelpies A kelpie is a mythical creature said to be like a seahorse…
Rest and Be Thankful – Scotland A83
In 1753 there had been a recent Jacobite rebellion; General Wade had the task of subjugating Scotland. One of the many things they built were roads to improve connectivity, This would allow troops to move faster and react to these crises in the future. One of the results was Drover’s Road (the old A83) and…
Tintinhull Gardens, England – Weekend Paradise
Set amongst the rolling farmland of Somerset, TIntinhull is a house/gardens combination; it sits in the tiny village of the same name. To visit the house you have to rent it from the National Trust and stay there for at least 3 days. As a result it is not open to the general public. The…
Zurich – General Information
Zurich, the city My adventures so far in the Canton of Zurich have been confined only to the city of Zurich, which is the largest city in Switzerland. I went to Zurich back in 2016. I was doing an internship in Freiburg im Breisgau with two friends from the US visiting me. Since Zurich was…
Austria – General Information
My first experience in Austria was moving there as part of my Master’s programme. I had to go to two different foreign universities as part of my studies at Swansea University. Since I was doing German and Spanish, I went to Vienna and Barcelona. Overall I had a great time in Austria although I had…
Asturias – General Information
I have only visited Asturias once so far but it was amazing. My previous adventures in Spain were either when I had lived in Barcelona or in Granada. I had travelled around the country between these places; I was not necessarily prepared for how different Asturias is from the rest of Spain. How is that?…
Aragon – General Information
Moving farther inland, Aragon is an interesting place with lots of varying topography: lots of valleys and mountains farther south but flatter areas in central and northern Aragon. Then you hit the Pyrenees. M experiences here range from Loarre Castle and Roda de Isábena in the north to Teruel in the south. I generally went…
Andalucia – General Information
Andalucia is an amazing place. Located in Southern Spain, the province of Andalucia contains some of Spain’s best-known cities, including Granada, Málaga, Seville and Cádiz. The adventures I’ve had primarily cover the areas of Granada and Jaén. My first ever adventure here was when I was 16 in 2009. As a birthday present my aunt…
