Straden and Gleichenberg Volcano Walk ‘Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside! Oh, I do like to be beside the sea!’ That’s my favourite song, but I never thought I’d be singing it on the top of an extinct volcano in south-eastern Austria. Believe it or not though, we really were at the seaside. Or at least, where the Styrian seaside used to be. We were back in Vulkanland, Volcano Country, this time in the village of Straden….
Vogelbeer Panoramaweg Nature Walk The hills are alive with the sound of … footsteps, chatter, picnics being unpacked, neighbours hailing each other in greeting. Yes, it was that time of the year again when Austrians escape the fog down in the valleys and head for the hills in search of winter sunshine. I don’t know if it is anything to do with the covid situation, but I don’t think I’d ever seen so many walkers out, especially mid-week. There certainly…
Piran Salt Flats Even for a bird brain like me, it didn’t take long to figure out why Portorož is such a popular tourist resort. It has plenty of long and flat stretches of coastline, a rarity in Slovenia. No wonder the seafront is full of bars, restaurants – and beaches of course. It was by far one of the busiest spots we’d visited. Happily, we were still able to stroll along without having to fight our way through the…
Bohinj Lake and Vintgar Gorge Walks As I’ve said before, everything’s small in Slovenia. Even its highest mountain doesn’t quite manage to hit the 3000m mark. But the Triglav (“Three Heads”), 136m short of the 3000m, has quite a presence. It’s a three headed monster that dominates the whole area. When its heads aren’t in the clouds, of course. We got this fantastic view of the Triglav from Lake Bohinj, Slovenia’s largest lake. With a circumference of 12.5 km, it…
Lockdown in Rural Charente, France Mmmmmmm! Ah, that’s better. I’ve finally been allowed to whip off the mask. What a relief after all this time! I’m sure you noticed that, like you humans, I’ve had my wings clipped these past few months. I found myself locked up in lockdown France. Which didn’t give me much to say for myself. Nevertheless, the Oldies and I were occasionally allowed out for a breath of fresh air. For one hour a day at…