Tag: Europe
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A taste of Zagreb
Recovery from the long bus journey to Zagreb required a nap and nibbles, so we only ventured from the Chill Out Hostel after dark. We bumped into the German tunnels which are open till 8pm and form useful cut throughs. How do you stop people peeing in them? Install toilets – brilliant! Didn’t work for…
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The long short train journey from Split to Šibenik
By train it is a 1.5 hour journey from Split to Šibenik. However, after the first train, there was a daily scheduled 3.5 hours to wait in the one horse town of Perković. Rather than causing this place to perk up and provide a place to be, the vibe maybe is what stops anyone but…
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The Ancona to Split ferry across the Adriatic
From Ancona on the East coast of Italy, ferries regularly sail to Croatia, Albania, Corfu and Greece. It’s population reflects that, and I was served lunch by a delightful Albanian woman. She told me you can take your dog on ferries to Albania too. Ancona is a beautiful little city, worth some extra time for…
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Railway Dog off to Parma
This surprisingly was the InterCity train from La Spezia to Parma. It slowly squealed its way northeast away from the scrubland of the hilly Mediterranean coast to the huge flat and fertile Po valley. So much track squealing that an English woman on the train, with a brain injury causing sound sensitivity, nearly had to…
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Plants and towns of the Cinque Terre
In April the spring blooms were everywhere. The scent of Wisteria wafts around Levanto. On the trails there’s plentiful wild garlic, some thyme and oregano, and frequently rosemary is planted in public places – ideal for perking up camping cuisine. The small cobbled towns are delightful except for being packed, particularly at the weekend. April…
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Camp food in Lugano and a nighttime visitor
The cooker balanced on my book, food chopped on the base plastic of a shopping bag, matches from my mum’s collection, and dog starting off on his laid flat bed in the sunshine. At 4am we wondered what was snuffling and scrabbling in the outer tent. I found out in the dark when I put…
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Koblenz to Lugano, a long day for a dog
It’s 660km from Koblenz to Lugano, and according to Google maps faster by train than car. Baspie was an angel surviving the 8 hours 10 minutes of train journey, plus a further 20 mins on the suburban train. It was due to be 7:10, but we were delayed 90 minutes, then regained 30, by managing…
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Joining scientists worldwide on Statues Sunday
Blindfolds on statues represent the willful failure of states to face the facts and listen to the science of the IPCC. Solutions exist to limit the climate crisis, but only by substantial change that requires government and business leadership. Tell the truth governments, as tweeking at the edges is not enough. Kolping was a 19th…
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Marksburg castle, Rhine Valley
Dog and I took the train to Braubach again, this time to go up one hill to look at the Marksburg from afar, then up another hill to explore this ancient fortress.
Railway Dog 