Category Archives: Wild Places

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 Alpenpark Karwendel, Barmsee, bavaria, Bavarian Alps, Canoe Trips, Fischbachalm, germany, Isar, kayaking, Krün, Ludwig II, mountains, nature, outdoors, Schöttlkarspitze, Soienern Seen, Soiernhaus, Walchensee, Wallgau, woodlands, Zugspitz | 1 Comment

Caribbean Colours of Scotland’s Wild West

Posted on May 19, 2014 by moselman

On my wall hangs a picture by Scottish landscape painter John Lowrie Morrison, showing a brilliant white shell sand beach washed by a sea of aquamarine and turquoise. Although almost childlike in character, the picture buzzes with latent energy, the brooding peaks of … Continue reading →

Posted in History & Culture, In Scotland, Wild Places | Tagged aquamarine, Basalt, Book of Kells, Bottlenose Dolphins, Cadell, Carribean, Celtic Christianity, colours, Fingal's Cave, Giant's Causway, Inner Hebrides, Iona, Lords of the Isles, Mendelsohn's "Hebrides" overture, Mull, Peploe, Scotland, Scottish Colourists, Sir Walter Scott, St Columba, Staffa, turquoise | 1 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 Andel, Bernkastel Doctor, Bernkastel Kues, mosel, Moselle, Mulheim, Riesling, Vineyards, woodlands | Leave a comment

The Bluebell Woods

Posted on April 16, 2014 by moselman

One of the real treasures of the springtime in the British Isles must surely be when the bluebells carpet the floor of our ancient woods. Bluebells (or wild hyacinths) are a feature of woodlands which are virtually unknown in other … Continue reading →

Posted in In Scotland, Trees & Greenspaces, Wild Places | Tagged ancient woods, Bluebells, coppice, Midlothian, oak woodlands, Skye, wild garlic, wild hyacinths, wood anemones | Leave a comment

Spring Woods of the Eifel

Posted on March 22, 2014 by moselman

Spring really has sprung ! …at least here around Aachen and in the sheltered woods and glens of the Eifel, an upland plateau area which lies between Aachen and the river Mosel. This is a great time of year to be out and about in nature in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Aachen & Euregio, History & Culture, In Europe, Trees & Greenspaces, Wild Places | Tagged Aachen, beech, forests, Heimbach, herb paris, Monschau, mosel, oak, Ruhr, sawmills, wildflowers, wood products, woodlands, Zweifall | Leave a comment

In the Allgäu Alps

Posted on March 11, 2014 by moselman

Whilst very popular with German holidaymakers, the Allgäu region by Obersdorf in SW Bavaria, is virtually unknown territory to British visitors, who instead head off in droves to “bigger name” alpine resorts such as Chamonix, Grindlewald and St Moritz (perhaps pausing … Continue reading →

Posted in History & Culture, In Europe, Mountain Treks, Wild Places | Tagged Allgäu, Bad Hindelang, Balderschwang, Bavarian Alps, Bergbauern museum, Bolsterlang, Diepolz, Fortingall Yew, Güntlespitze, Grasgehrenalpe, Großer Widderstein, Hörnerbahn, Hörnerdorfer, Hinterstein, Illertal, Imberger Hornbahn, Immenstadt, Kleinwalsertal, lederhosen, Mittlere Spitalalpe, Nebelhorn, Neuschwanstein, Oberbayen, Obermaiselstein, Obersdorf, Riedberger Horn, Sonthofen, Walais, Weiherkopf | Leave a comment

Walking the Five Lakes

Posted on March 7, 2014 by moselman

The Rhine Valley between Chur and Sargans, just to the South of Lake Constance and the tiny Principality of Liechtenstein, forms a busy transport conduit through the Swiss Alps between Zurich and Milan. Whilst the main valley is heavily developed with settlements and infrastructure, … Continue reading →

Posted in In Europe, Mountain Treks, Wild Places | Tagged Arosa, Chur, Five Lakes Walk, Heidiland, Maienfeld, Pizol, Pizolbahn, Rhine Valley, Sargans, Switzerland, Walensee, Weistannental | Leave a comment

Island Strongholds of Loch Awe

Posted on February 7, 2014 by moselman

Another year and it occurs to me that it has been months since I last wrote a post for this blog; life has just got far too busy recently. It’s a dreich February evening and as usual at this time of year … Continue reading →

Posted in Canoe Trips, History & Culture, In Scotland, Wild Places | Tagged Argyll, Ben Cruachan, canoe camping, castles, Clan Campbell, Innis Chonnel, island burial sites, kayaking, Loch Awe, West Highlands | 1 Comment

Summer Alm Adventure

Posted on September 9, 2013 by moselman

We spent the last couple of weeks of August exploring the alpine valleys, forests, lakes and villages around the Karwendel Alps on the border between Bavaria and the Austrian province of Tyrol. The alpine meadows in this part of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, History & Culture, In Europe, Mountain Treks, Wild Places | Tagged Alms, bavaria, Bavarian Alps, bike trips, germany, Isar, Kawendel Alps, Krün, Leutasch, Mittenwald, mountains, nature, outdoors, Tyrol, walking, Wallgau, Wetterstein, woodlands | Leave a comment

Nature’s Children

Posted on August 14, 2013 by moselman

Keeping kids amused in the summer holidays can be a chore but you don’t need to fly your 4-year-old half way around the world to Disneyland to have fun; forget theme parks, computer games, TV and all the organised attractions … Continue reading →

Posted in Aachen & Euregio, Family, In Europe, Trees & Greenspaces, Wild Places | Tagged Environmental Art, environmental education, families, Green Networks, nature, outdoors, Urban Forestry, wellbeing, woodlands | 1 Comment