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Category Archives: History & Culture
The Final Mile
Usually (if I get around to it at all), I write and share pictures about places, people and travels; however today, just for a change, I thought I would put a post about Runrig, a celtic rock band from Scotland that I’ve followed for … Continue reading
Posted in History & Culture, In Europe, In Scotland, Music, Wild Places
Tagged Celtic Rock, Cologne, Gaelic, Gaelic Music, Germany Tour, Hebrides, Lanxess Arena, Loch Lomand, Novia Scotia, Runrig, Scotland, Scottish Bands, Skye, Stirling, Stirling Castle, The Final Mile, The Last Dance
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Under Hebridean Skies
Ok, so it’s not that Germany lacks nature: there are broadleaved forests galore, meadows, lush river valleys and of course the wonders of the Alps, the Black Forest and the Bayerischer Wald. But somehow, in Germany, nature can sometimes seem just a … Continue reading
Posted in History & Culture, In Scotland, Wild Places
Tagged Ardnamurchan, Clearances, Guillemots, Iona, Mull, Puffins, Razorbills, Staffa, Tobermory, Treshnish Islands, Ulva
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Monschau: A hidden gem in the Eifel
The old weaving town of Monschau is a real hidden gem tucked away in the Rur Valley within the Eifel Region to the South of Aachen. I love the old half timbered houses and the rambling streets of the old … Continue reading
Posted in Aachen & Euregio, History & Culture, In Europe, Uncategorized
Tagged Aachen, Eifel, Euregio, medieval architecture, Monschau, Red House
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Orvieto – In the hills of Umbria
The hilltop town of Orvieto is dramatically situated on an impregnable volcanic crag in South West Umbria. I spent a few days last summer in Orvieto and loved walking the narrow winding lanes and shady piazzas of this stunning historical town. The … Continue reading
Winter in the Vulcan Eifel
When you think of the Earth’s great volcanic regions, you tend to think of places like Pacific NW America, Indonesia, Iceland or the Aleutian Islands; Germany, by contrast, certainly isn’t a location which naturally springs to mind. Despite this, as little as just 10,000 … Continue reading
Posted in History & Culture, In Europe, Trees & Greenspaces, Wild Places
Tagged Lieser, Manderscheid, Meerefelder Maar, Mosenberg, Vulcan Eifel
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Neuschwanstein – In the Fantasy World of the “Fairytale King”
With 1.3 million visitors annually, King Ludwig II’s fairytale castle of Neuschwanstein certainly isn’t “off the beaten track” by any stretch of the imagination. The iconic Castle is one of the Europe’s best known tourist haunts and has provided and inspired the backdrop for many a … Continue reading
Posted in History & Culture, In Europe, Mountain Treks, Uncategorized, Wild Places
Tagged Allgäu, Alpsee, bavaria, Burg Falkenstein, Füssen, Hohenschwangau, Loengrin, Ludwig II, mass tourism, Nesselwang, Neuschwanstein, Oberbayern, Pfronten, Starnberger See, Tannheimertal, Tristan and Isolde, Wagner, Walt Disney
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In the Footsteps of Rob Roy
October is often a great month to visit Scotland and autumn 2015 was no exception, with fine settled conditions prevailing; effervescent morning mists dissolving away to leave clear skies and dramatic low angle sunlight. It was great to be back … Continue reading
Posted in History & Culture, In Scotland, Mountain Treks, Trees & Greenspaces, Wild Places
Tagged Aberfoyle, Balquidder, Callander, Clan MacClaren, Creag an Tuirc, Kirkton Glen, Leny Estate, Loch Doine, Loch Katrine, Loch Lomand and the Trossachs National Park, Loch Voil, native oakwoods, Rob Roy, Rob Roy's Cave, Robert the Bruce, Stirling, West Highland Way, Wild goats
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Down in the Orchard
Over the last few weeks we’ve noticed a lot of fruit going unpicked in local orchards and decided eventually to do something about it. Today we knocked on the door of a local orchard owner who was only too happy … Continue reading
Posted in Aachen & Euregio, History & Culture, In Europe, Trees & Greenspaces
Tagged Aachen, ancient trees, apples, biodiversity, birds, cultural landscapes, fruit growing, healthy eating, invertibrates, local distinctiveness, local produce, nature conservation, orchards, organic produce, pears, sense of place, streuobstwiesen, sweet chestnuts
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A Harvest for the World
The sleepy German town of Walheim by Aachen this weekend celebrated its annual “Erntedank” or harvest festival. The Festival has its roots both in Christianity and in paganism and celebrates the annual autumn bounty of nature. The Walheim Fest has been growing over the … Continue reading
Posted in Aachen & Euregio, History & Culture, In Europe
Tagged Aachen, autumn, Erntedank, germany, Harvest festival, heavy horses, Seasonal festivals, vintage tractors
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Range of Light
A week in Scotland at the end of August gave me the chance to revisit some old haunts around Stirling and the Trossachs. I am reminded that the light in Scotland is not quite like anywhere where else; a seemingly … Continue reading
Off the Beaten Track 