hiking
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Ruine Hochburg, Germany – Defending the entrance to the Black Forest
As I promised those who follow this blog on Instagram, this blog post is on the Ruine Hochburg (High Castle Ruins). The Ruine Hochburg is located in Baden-Württemberg, Germany near Freiburg im Breisgau between the villages of Emmendingen (where I used to live) and Sexau. Originally “Hachberg”, the Emmendingen family built the castle in the…
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Saxon Switzerland (Sächsische Schweiz), Germany – A hike through nature
On the border between Germany and the Czech Republic lies a natural park called Saxon Switzerland (Sächsische Schweiz). The park lies in the Elbe Valley (the river runs through Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany and Poland) and attracts nature-lovers both locally and internationally due to the abundance of nature trails and climbing spots (which literally…
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Partnach Gorge (Partnachklamm), Germany – Olympic hiking
When one thinks about Germany, the usual stereotypes that one has of German culture is from Bavaria, with its Oktoberfest, Lederhosen and Oom-pah music. One of the things that you think about with Bavarian Alpine culture. However, did you know that there are other famous geographical formations around the Alps? How about Partnach Gorge? Near…
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Pont de Pedret (Pedret Bridge and Church of Sant Quirze), Spain – High in the mountains
Since around the 10th century, a church and bridge of some kind have stood in a secluded location near the River Llobregat near the town of Berga. Fast forward eleven centuries and today, the Pont de Pedret and the Església (Church) de Sant Quirze still stand. The Inventari del Patrimoni Arquitectònic de Catalunya (Inventory of the…
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Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Wales – Mum wants to live by the sea
Pembrokeshire is well known for its Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Can you guess where it is?Pembrokeshire. Can you guess what it contains? The majority of the Pembrokeshire coast. The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is also the only national park in the UK created primarily for coastal areas. The only non-contiguous parts are a few port…
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Three Cliffs Bay, Wales – A coastal retreat
Are you looking for an unlikely beach where there aren’t many people? Would you consider going anywhere north of Ibiza? Well, if you answered yes to these questions (or at least the second one), then have I got a beach to show you!! This is Three Cliffs Bay: Not far from the city of Swansea…
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Congost de Mont-rebei, Spain – The turquoise river
***WARNING: THIS POST IS A SHAMELESS NATURE PORNOGRAPHY POST. DO NOT CONTINUE IF YOU DO NOT LIKE NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY OF BEAUTIFUL, SEXY PLACES*** Once there was a small river that flowed on what is now the border between the provinces of Aragon and Catalonia in Spain. Over much time, this river formed a gorge known…
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Antigua
So my travel posts so far focus on Europe (which, admittedly, is where I have done the most travelling and is the most recent). However, I would like to begin to rectify this imbalance with a post about a wonderful island in the Caribbean that I visited in July 2009 named Antigua. In 2009 Antigua was…
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Gruyères, Switzerland – Cheese, Chocolates and Cheer
Our next stop on the summer 2017 trip was a stop of almost pure gluttony of two of my favourite things (and my two favourite ‘ch’ words): cheese and chocolate. Gruyères, Switzerland hosts cheese and chocolate production facilities, specifically producers of Gruyère cheese and all types of chocolate from Maison Cailler. Maison Cailler, Gruyères From…
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Mont Blanc/Chamonix, France – Alpine climb
Mont Blanc is the crowning jewel of Savoie in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. Mont Blanc and the main town nestled at its base, known as Chamonix, was the next and final stop on our trip through southern France during the summer of 2017. Unfortunately, I cannot say much about the town except that it…
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Lac de Serre-Ponçon/Demoiselles Coiffées, France – Rock pillars
On our way from Mercantour to Mont Blanc, we stopped over for an hour or so in Haute-Alpes at a place called Lac de Serre-Ponçon. For those of you who speak French, you will realise that this is a lake. In fact, it is the largest artificial lake in western Europe and supplies water for…
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Parque Nacional de Mercantour, France – Franco-Italian beauty
After Marseille, the next stop on our tour last summer was Mercantour National Park (Parc national du Mercantour) on the border between France and Italy (which we crossed into unknowingly). This part of France is sparsely inhabited as most of the population of the area lives along the coast. Only small villages, many of them…
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Sierra Nevada Mountains in the Province of Granada
So I have talked about the Alhambra and Granada Capital (the city) in previous posts, but what about the province itself? Is that worth visiting at all? What about the Sierra Nevada Mountains? YES, YES, YES!!!!! Especially if you love landscapes, adventuring forth into the province is definitely one of the things that I would recommend…
