For once, Mrs. Easy Hiker and I are in total agreement: the most striking change that Barcelona has undergone since we last visited the city a mere twenty years ago is the rise in the number of people with an apparent interest in the works of (the architect) Antoni Gaudí. What is the Weirdest Thing…
Easy hiking trails in Barcelona I have found my perfect easy hike on the Montserrat Rocks! Now, if I were on a spiritual, Leonardo-di-Caprio-inspired quest to find “The Hike”, I could happily retire and lay down my quill (and my computer, too), leaving you in peace to find your own way around the best hiking…
Kurt Vonnegut says that unusual travel suggestions are Dancing Lessons from God So, of course, we could not decline the offer of travelling to Genoa, even if this meant that we had to change our carefully laid out travel plans at the shortest of short notices. The story is this: we had been planning to…
There can be no question about it: Midnight in Madrid – Magnifique! Some cities just are. When spotlights carve out individual buildings out of the darkness, leaving others in a haze of indirect light and shadows, we, the observers, lose some things (context, a certain degree of detail) and win others: mainly scale. Some cities…
Hiking the old German Industrial Heartland Hiking in Germany We continue our exploration of the Ruhrgebiet: The Emscherweg This walk is short, just right for the time of the year when there are so few hours between dawn and dusk. It features a park, a river promenade and a lake. But beware: nothing is quite…
Guest Post: Hiking in New Zealand Meet a Seal on a Day Hiking Trail Aside from being able to get up close and personal with a seal on a day hiking trail, Jade Johnston of OurOyster.com also says: This walk has it all. Views of mountain ranges, picturesque pasture lands, ocean views, a forest hike, and…
Disastrous Days Out I have been silent about this day for a good reason, as you soon shall see, but since today, the last day of the year 2011, is the day for overdue confessions, here we go. Our plan was to walk on the new-ish “X18” trail from Ibbenbüren to Tecklenburg. We found the…
On a Day Hiking Trail The Ruhrgebiet, Germany’s old industrial heartland, may not be rich with cultural sights, but Villa Hügel – the former residence of the Krupp family – on the shores of Lake Baldeney (popular day hiking trail and site for local day trippers) is a must see for anybody with even a…
Guest Post: Hiking in New Zealand Birds, kidnappers and hiking. Now, what do these three have in common? Let Jim McIntosh tell you all about it. Hiking in New Zealand New Zealand hosts the world’s largest mainland based gannet colony at Cape Kidnappers in Hawke’s Bay. The Australasian Gannets have been nesting at this site…
The German Forest One more reason to go hiking in Germany’s forests: they may not be there for much longer. In 20 or 30 years, there will still be life in the German countryside, but perhaps not as we know it. In the 1980s, the German forest appeared to be on its last leaves. The…