Category Archives: In Europe

Winter in the Vulcan Eifel

Posted on January 2, 2017 by moselman

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 , , , , | Leave a comment

Neuschwanstein – In the Fantasy World of the “Fairytale King”

Posted on November 13, 2016 by moselman

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Season of Mists

Posted on October 12, 2015 by moselman

Autumn is my favourite time of year to be out and about exploring the woods, fields, moors and meadows of the surrounding countryside. As well as the  vibrant red, gold and orange hues of wild cherry, maples, birches and beech, there are … Continue reading →

Posted in Aachen & Euregio, In Europe, Trees & Greenspaces, Urbanism, Wild Places | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Down in the Orchard

Posted on October 10, 2015 by moselman

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Harvest for the World

Posted on October 5, 2015 by moselman

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 , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Alps at the Crossroads: Green Utopia or Developers Paradise ?

Posted on September 3, 2015 by moselman

It all looked great; a traditional apartment in the alpine village of Oberjoch, located at 1200m in the Eastern Allgaü region of Bavaria and close to the beautiful Tannheimer Valley in neighbouring Tyrol. With Germanic diligence I scanned the latest version of Google satellite maps for any items … Continue reading →

Posted in In Europe, Mountain Treks, Trees & Greenspaces, Wild Places | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Secrets of the Wild Wood

Posted on February 26, 2015 by moselman

Like a scene from a distant lost world, the damp woods of the Inde valley between Hahn and Walheim hang with  a mass of tangled ivy. Dead branches, rotten tree stumps and slippery, moss-covered rocks litter the ground, making for treacherous conditions underfoot. Ominous, … Continue reading →

Posted in Aachen & Euregio, History & Culture, In Europe, Trees & Greenspaces, Wild Places | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Summer on the Schöttlkarspitze

Posted on November 4, 2014 by moselman

Nights are drawing in and the first serious gales and rain of autumn announce that winter is not too far around the corner. Although there has been a bit of an Indian summer here, in general July and August were pretty unsettled months here in … Continue reading →

Posted in In Europe, Mountain Treks, Wild Places | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Charlemagne’s Warriors

Posted on April 30, 2014 by moselman

A haunting spectacle could be viewed in recent days behind Aachen’s ancient octagonal cathedral; ranks of solemn, stately figures could be seen lined up in neat rows, oddly reminiscent of the terracotta Emperor’s Warriors or the Lewis Chessmen. The figures celebrate the 1,200th birthday of Charlemagne, the Dark Age … Continue reading →

Posted in Aachen & Euregio, History & Culture, In Europe, Urbanism | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bernkastel Kues

Posted on April 23, 2014 by moselman

We spent Easter around the little historic wine town of Bernkastel on the middle Moselle. I love the town’s ancient little market place, (very reminiscent of “Trumpton”) along with its winding streets and leaning half-timbered houses. The steep South and SW facing slopes produce … Continue reading →

Posted in History & Culture, In Europe, Trees & Greenspaces, Wild Places | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment