Europe
Walking routes in Arrábida Natural Park
Arrábida Natural Park is a maze of tracks and paths. That’s the upside for walkers. The downside is not all of them are public ways. The trick is knowing which are and which aren’t. […]
Routes & Destinations
Europe
Adventures in another world, Velika Planina in Slovenia
Forget jaw-dropping, breathtaking, mind-blowing, awesome or any such word. All are too feeble to describe first contact with Velika Planina. The feeling of standing on a ridge looking down on this scattering of wooden herdsmen’s homes is one of a sense of discovery. […]
Algarve
Where to go warm winter walking in Europe
This is the time of year when there are regular travel articles about warm winter walking. Generally they’ll feature the same handful of locations. […]
Hiking
Impressions from walking around Lake Bled in Slovenia
Very quickly the natural and historic scenery takes over, and what glorious scenery it is. Bled Castle sits nobly on its perch; the bushy forest, just taking on some coppery autumn hues in early September, sweeps down to the water’s edge […]
Algarve
Golden beaches and strawberry trees, walking in the Algarve
There’s a diversity to Portugal’s countryside that surprises us on a regular basis. Where the Algarve’s resort scene doesn’t appeal, the range of walking that exists in the region is a different matter. […]
As we walked out
A series of short walks in Scotland
A short route recommended by the folk at our hotel, the 15th century Knipoch, took us along a grassy path lined by bushy confers and moss-covered drystane dykes to an open hillock surrounded by crispy bracken and a tartan coloured vista which took in slender Loch Feochan, Mull, Islay, and a rolling landscape which had me wishing I was wearing my kilt. […]
Drôme Provençale
Drôme Provençale is Provence with Attitude
Tales of magic, mystery and sacrifice surround Val des Nymphes. As I stand astride the rock, I imagine throats being cut and blood spilling down into the undergrowth […]
As we walked out
Walking in Europe with a spring in the step
“Em Abril, águas mil.” There’s a reason for these old proverbs. This is from Portugal, Spain has one almost identical. Incidentally, so has Chile. Even Disney alludes to a feature that April can be known for – “Drip, drip, drop little April shower… ” […]
Europe
Discovering La Palma, again
Bejeques (house leeks) the size of small bushes burst from cracks in dry-stone walls. Sweet peas, snapdragons, and California poppies devoured whole sections of embankments outside traditional cottages. On grassy tracks between hamlets, wild flowers – proud tajinastes and aromatic wild lavender – took over the reins. […]
Europe
Four activity filled days and no skiing in Zermatt
Just outside Furi we rested at another rocking mountain restaurant, huddled outside in freezing temperatures nursing authentically icy beers in gloved hands, our increasingly numb lips wishing we’d ordered glühwein. […]
Hiking
Community, capitalists, and the Douro Valley
The rosy glow from this rural community, people bonded by the production of Port wine for over 300 years, was like being wrapped in a Merino wool blanket on a chilly morning. […]
As we walked out
Walking to the Igloo Village at Zermatt
Rotenboden is little more than a hut, far fewer people alight here. Liam tells us it’s an easy walk to and from our lunch objective, the Igloo Village. He also mentions the snow might be waist deep, yet is easy to walk through – “like walking through powder”. […]
Hiking
The footballer’s cabin on Tenerife
The landscape is thirsty, the skeletal remains of grasses which weren’t exactly bushy to begin with look tinder-dry. Even in one of the sunniest spots of a sun-kissed island you might expect a dash more greenery in midwinter. […]
Hiking
Scenic saunters across Europe
Something occurred to me the other day as we stood on a ridge overlooking a valley in Arrabida, Portugal. Whenever I hear the name of a specific area the image which pops into my head usually isn’t one of just bricks and mortar, it’s often a countryside scene […]
Europe
Eight reasons to visit Arrabida Natural Park in Portugal
It’s not that Arrábida Natural Park is a secret; Portuguese holidaymakers know all about it. But, apart from a handful of more inquisitive travellers, other nationalities are generally conspicuous by their absence. […]