At the moment the Barossa area is getting a lot of rain. That’s bad for me for two reason. Firstly the grapes can’t be harvested when it’s raining because the harvester can’t separate the wet leaves from the fruits. Secondly the grapes had enough rain and any more could do serious damage. The grapes get […]
Lake Skadar
Biggest lake in the Balkans, half an hour from Podgorica and apparently a must-see. How does one get there? “Take the train!” said the hostel staff. I enquired about buses but was told that they’re more expensive and less reliable. Oh well… train it is. And what a train it was! Clean, modern, could have […]
Hiking Slovakia #1
Just outside the gates of Bratislava starts the mountain range of the Little Carpathians, providing plenty of opportunities for hiking (and sports). Yesterday public transport took us some 20 minutes from our place right to the foot of the south-western edge of the mountains. Even at ten in the morning the temperatures were past 30°, […]
Cooling off in Riga
Visiting Latvia for a couple of days. Berlin is parched and it’s healthy for the mind to have a change of scenery on a regular base. By now I’m choosing my destinations with a highly sophisticated process: Going on skyscanner and seeing what’s cheap. Riga is nice so far. Friendly people and convenient transport system. […]
Hiking Slovakia #2
With amazing forested hills just outside the door, there was no way we wouldn’t go for another hike today. This time we benefited from frequent local trains that run up-and-down the eastern side of the Little Carpathians. With countless stops to choose from, we opted to exit at Svätý Jur (Sweaty You). Through a small […]
Hello Civilization
Reliable and efficient public transportation, high-speed internet, it’s nice to be back in the civilised world. I said goodbye to Auckland and my Scottish neighbours over a glass of wine and a nice dinner with cheese crackers and filled chicken. In the morning I took the airbus express to the airport and to be fair, […]