Beer, Beauty, and Culture - Wonders of Latvia

Before living in Europe, I did not have a lot of interest in visiting the Baltic states (Mostly because I knew very little about them).  Living in such close proximity gives me such a wonderful opportunity to visit and experience places that I never thought I would, and find out how much I adore them.  Latvia is one of those unexpected joys that I have encountered during my time here.  I coupled my trip to Latvia with a trip to Lithuania; however, I'm going discuss them in separate blog entries, because they are so entirely different.

City Life:
I started my trip in Latvia's capital, Riga, and I'm so glad I did. The people
of Riga are so kind, considerate, and fun. The town has such a great vibe!  The last time I went to a city where I felt so welcome and enjoyed the vibe so much, I was in Brussels almost 10 years ago.

Famished from an early morning flight, where I didn't get breakfast, I went straight to get a bite to eat, and stumbled upon the wonderful bar Easy Beer.  The food was great (gastropub-type, not traditional Latvian), but it had an amazing selection of beer from the area.  The coolest part was that you could dispense your own beer! It was a neat concept, and a must-visit for any beer lover.

After lunch, it was time for sightseeing!  I only allotted myself one day for sightseeing in Riga, and I wish I had more!  The city has some of the most beautiful architecture and the city's Central Market is truly a treat for all of the senses--beautiful fruits and vegetables with the delicious smells of the stalls around.  Even though I had just had lunch, I couldn't turn down the delicious smelling freshly made donuts.  All of the cathedrals are simply exquisite, my favorite being the Nativity Cathedral.  Of course, you must also see the famous Riga Cat.

Nature's Beauty:
Even though it rained for most of my time in Latvia, I didn't miss the opportunity to get outside and see the landscape.

My first stop was Ragakāpa Nature Preserve.  Situated along the coast of the Gulf of Riga, it was truly a uniquely beautiful landscape. The dunes and gulf were picturesque sandy beaches; however, in order to get to those sandy beaches, you first had to traverse through a thick, Tolkien-esque forest filled with beautiful trees and extraordinary mushrooms, truly fit for a Hobbit.  There was even an abandon structured--though not quite as inviting as a Hobbit hole.

The rain let up just long enough for a visit to Venta Rapid in Kuldīga.  Firstly, Kuldīga alone is exquisite.  Kuldīga is cute little town situated along the Venta River with so much character, and I'm sure during the summer is a bustling place.  In the autumn, it's quiet and serene, and provides a different sense of excitement.  Venta Rapid is the widest waterfall in Europe, though it might also be the shortest.  I imagine in the summer it's bustling with people, but in the autumn, there are only people walking along the river banks, hoping to catch a glimpse of fish jumping out of the rapid on their trip downstream.  I was lucky to see a few of those such fishes on their journey--truly extraordinary.

But, time was of the essence--It was time to depart for my last stop on my Latvian whirlwind adventure. My final stop is also probably most popular in the summer, Liepāja.  Liepāja is normally a place people visit for the beaches, but I was visiting for a different reason. With the wind howling all around ferociously, my hands shook as I tried to take photos of the Liepāja's Northern Forts.  The Northern Forts were part of the fortifications surrounding Liepāja that were built by Russia in 1890, at the time, they were built to protect from Germany.  A few years later, Germany and Russia signed a friendship agreement, and the fortifications were seen as unnecessary and needed to be destroyed.  These are the remnants of those fortifications.  I rounded my evening out with a wonderful seafood meal including Liepāja's specialty: Liepājas Mencini--a delicious, creamy smoked cod stew--a must-try if you're in the area!

I loved every moment I spent in Latvia; it had a little bit of everything!  I wish I had more time to spend there--maybe I'll just have to go back!

England: White Cliffs of Dover

The White Cliffs of Dover.

 I feel like that's all I need to write--everybody knows of these majestic cliffs.  They're renowned for their historical significance (served to help defend Britain during World War I and World War II), their geomorphological processes (formation during the ice age), or just because they're so beautiful.  People have written songs and poems of their beauty and meaning.  Whatever the reason, everybody I talk to is aware of them.  Ever since I've been here, they have been on my list, and finally I had an opportunity to check them out! 

Dover is a relatively quick drive from the Chunnel, which makes it an easy excursion if you have an early train over from mainland Europe, which is exactly what I did.

The day I went was absolutely beautiful, and everybody wanted to be out on the cliffs (can I really blame them?).  There are many trails that parallel the cliffs and allow you to explore the ecosystem that range in difficulty. It's really difficult to get lost, so just enjoy the landscape!

  

Can I jump it?

One thing that really struck me is how amazingly white the cliffs truly are, and the blanket of green vegetation on the top and fringes.  It seems as though somebody simply placed the vegetation there and could easily peel it off like the skin of an orange.  According to researchers, the cliffs are eroding relatively quickly: at a rate of about 22-32 cm per year.  That may not seem like a lot, but if you think about the fact that up until about 150 years ago the erosion rate was only about 2-6 cm per year, 22-32 cm is a significant increase. And the erosion can be both gradual or sudden, as large portions of the cliffs can come cascading down due to the forces of nature at any time.  One place where this was evident was the trail down to the sea, where a large portion of the trail was blocked off because a large piece of the cliffs demolished the trail.

The cliffs are truly a natural wonder, and if you're coming or returning to England via the Chunnel, it is a quick side trip, place for a walk (or a picnic!), that will not disappoint!

Resources:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/08/englands-iconic-white-cliffs-eroding-10-times-faster-now-than-ov/

A Whirlwind Tour of Greece

While I was young, I was taught all about Greek history and Greek mythology.  Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would get the opportunity to visit the land that I read of so many times (which also happens to be the land of feta....oh all the feta), yet in March 2017, I did just that.

(Please take a moment to admire the feta and the delicious salad I had for lunch one day)

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Now, if you guys haven't noticed, my trips all tend to have a similar them: being outside.  I love being outside, and Greece truly lends itself to that.  I had three major stops on my 5-day whirlwind Greek tour: Meteora (1), Delphi (2), and Santorini (4), with a brief stint in Athens (3).  As you can see by the map, I covered a lot of ground in a short amount of time, and each part of my trip was special.

My first stop, Meteora, was quite possibly the most memorable.  For the first time in a long time, I did a guided hike, and as you walk with your guide, these tall rocks begin to encapsulate all you can see. Hilariously, our guide kept talking to us about Wild Boar tracks and how delicious Boar is, and before I knew it, it felt like we were surrounded by these massive rock pillars.  Meteora literally means "suspended in air," and one can see how through dense fog these beautiful pillars might seem as though they were quite literally suspended in air.  However, on this day, the sky was bright blue with the sun smiling kindly upon us, allowing us to enjoy every aspect of the landscape.  It's not long before the first monastery comes into view--these monasteries for which Meteora is famous--are nestled with the pillars, sometimes carved into, sometimes on top of, but always in concert with the landscape, as if the rocks were created purely to house these monasteries.  The shear awe and beauty of this landscape and the peace I felt viewing it can only remind me of my time in Bhutan.  For that, Meteora will always hold a special place in my heart.

After only a brief time in Meteora, it was time to depart to the legendary Delphi.  Arriving in Delphi under the cover of nightfall, hides its true beauty.  However, that didn't keep me from a craft beer and a good meal (of wild boar stew--of which I feel like my guide would've been proud).  The next morning, as the sun rose, Delphi's true beauty could truly be uncovered.  The Greeks regarded Delphi as the center of the world, and I can think of no better place to visit on Greece's Independence Day. Unfortunately, as I was visiting on Independence Day, all of the monuments were closed; however, that didn't stop me from trying to catch a glimpse of some of the most famous sites in Delphi---peasant style.  Many of the monuments are able to be viewed form a distance or on high.  A short, steep hike uphill provides one of the most beautiful views of the Stadium of Delphi.  I can only imagine that this is how folks who weren't invited to attend events (as one of the 6500 spectators that the stadium could hold) viewed events.  The other bonus of being their on Independence Day--nobody else was in my photos (hahaha).  I observed a breath-taking sunrise, viewed some of the most amazing ruins in Greek history, and all before heading back to Athens for my flight to Santorini.

Ok, ok. This paragraph may get me into a bit of trouble.  Santorini is beautiful, but after starting in Meteora, I was a little disappointed.  Perhaps it's because I've hiked many-a calderas and it wasn't the peak season for Santorini.  That said, I did the hike from Oia to Thira, and it was beautiful!  It interwove between several different smaller towns, which really varied the terrain of the hike, and the elevation difference really varied the climate.  The hike ended in Thira, the real heart of Santorini, with lunch and shopping.  Then a quick stop for my favorite part of my time in Santorini: Santo winery!  The wine was very delicious and the view while drinking wine was second to none!

After a brief stop over to see the Acropolis (a must-see if you have the time and are transiting through Athens), I was on my way back home!  Greece is truly an amazing place, filled with delicious food, kind people, and beautiful landscapes.  If you're thinking about visiting, please go! It's worth it!

Walking in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region

When you tell somebody you're on your way to France, most folks think you're off the Paris to enjoy the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, and eat crepes.  But, as Federique Mistral said: "Qu'a vist Paris, se noun a vist Cassis, pou dire: n'ai rèn vist" ("He who has seen Paris but not Cassis can say, I haven't seen anything"). I discovered in my research, there's so much more to France, and so much to discover in the complex geographic regions of the area.  I decided to start in the south of France to the popular tourist destination: Cassis.

Many of you may be thinking "Popular?!  I've never even heard of it!"  I suppose it's relatively popular as a European destination, not so much an American one.

Cassis is located in the Provence region of France, and is known for white and rose wines; however, the landscape is something to behold! To be honest, the only reason I went was for some fantastic hiking, and I wasn't disappointed. Between the Sea Cliffs and the Calanques (sheltered inlets), I had no dearth of things to explore during the weekend I was there.

After my flight, I went straight to Cassis, searching for the nature I've been missing!  That day, I hiked along to various Calanques. The landscape was varied, with inclines and declines galore (a far cry from the flat landscape I'm used to). It was about 70 degrees during that day in February, and every time I reached the Calanques, I felt refreshed. Flanked by cliffs on either side, the clear blue waters dominated the landscape.

After hiking several miles, I checked into my hotel, and went downtown and had what every weary traveler wants when they're along the coast: a good seafood meal. And I had just that, for the next day I knew I was about to embark on an even more difficult hike than the one I had just completed.

The next day, after a carb-filled breakfast, I set off to explore the other landscape feature that Cassis is known for: Cap Canaille.  Cap Canaille is known as the highest sea cliff in France, and it was my goal to hike it! The hike itself wasn't technically difficult.  It was relatively easy to get to the top and gaze upon the gorgeous views.  This picture is just one of many views I was able to enjoy throughout the hike.  The hike back was significantly more difficult, even though it was mostly downhill. It wasn't that the terrain was more difficult, it was that the wind was so fierce!  I physically had to sit down until the wind died down enough for me to continue moving, because it was so strong that it was nearly blowing me over!

All in all, it was a fantastic outdoor trip! England in February can be cold, dark, and dreary, but a visit to the French coastline full of hiking adventures is just what I needed to get through the rest of winter!  

A Weekend In Belgium

It has been almost 10 years since I last visited Belgium. Back in 2008, during my European summer field school experience, we only spent one day in Brussels, a city where I first fell in love with Belgian beer and chocolate.  I was so heartbroken that we didn't get to spend more time in Brussels that I vowed to come back and spend more time exploring Belgium.

Now, I have the extraordinary pleasure of living within driving distance of Belgium. Over the river and through the chunnel to the land of delicious beer and chocolate we go!!!  

In September I decided to pack up Ruby (my adorable little Fiat) and drive down to the chunnel and go to Belgium. Unfortunately for me, the weekend I was in Belgium was particularly rainy, which put a damper on my usual outdoor excursions (quite literally), but it was still as wonderful as I remembered it!

First, I ventured to the French south to a small town named Dinant. It's known as a gateway to wonderful hiking in Belgium. Of course, it was a mostly rainy day; however, I was able to enjoy a little bit of Dinant. Dinant is known for its beautiful scenery, citadel, and of course, as being the home of Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone. Consequently, there is a fantastic bridge decorated with Saxophones! It reminded me of the little cakes that were sprinkled through St. Louis a few years back.

After spending a little time in Dinant, I drove back to Bruges, an adorable little town west of Brussels. After being told it's like being in a storybook, I had high expectations, and Bruges lived up to every expectation.  There are so many fantastic places to eat and drink delicious beer!  You could even tour De Halve Maan brewery. The tour is offered in multiple languages and the guides are very knowledgeable.  I have been on many brewery tours, but this one was extraordinary. They have so many examples of old-school brewery equipment, coupled with the new techniques that they are currently using. There are also little restaurants and bars that have their own house brews. One of my favorite finds is De Garre.  Their 11% house brew is so light, you can't help but wanting another.  But they do sneak up on you.  So worth it.

Scotland: Paradise of Scotch and Landscapes

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My first trip to Scotland had only 2 goals: experience what the land of Scotch has to offer in the way of whiskey and explore the landscape.  I feel like these are always my travel goals: discover the landscape and discover local booze.  Both highly worth endeavors, I assure you.

And there's nothing like hitting the ground running: after arriving at the airport, I got my rental car and headed to one of the smallest distillery in Scotland: Edradour. It was certainly small, and the tour was very personal and full of character. It reminded me tours at smaller breweries. I wish I had more time to explore here, but I got here just in time for the last tour.  Interestingly, I never really considered myself much of a Scotch girl...I was a Jack Daniel's girl through and through; however, with this first taste of a Highland Scotch, I was instantly enamored. But alas, it was time to make it to my home base near Inverness.  

The next day I was off to Isle of Skye to Talisker and to play around in the Fairy Pools. Though Skye was beautiful and the Fairy Pools fun to play around in, my truly favorite hike was in Cairngorms National Park. At first I was concerned that beginning my hike at a ski resort would result in a lackluster experience. And it definitely started that way, but I took matters into my hands and took a random stone staircase to some amazing views!  I think somehow I got lost from the hike I was supposed to do, but I'm kind of glad that I did. The views reminded me so much of Alaska!

For me, the most interesting parts of the hike were seeing the size of the boulders...they were huge!  Massive. But, the sizes varied.  It was easy to get lost among them, between them, on top of them.  It was pretty amazing.

Also, in the thick of summer, there was snow!  A very small cow-lick of snow, but snow none-the-less.  

It was a very eventful hike.  Quite possibly one of the most difficult I have attempted.  I got lost (well, not lost..on an adventure!). I pretty much scaled a mountain side to get down into the valley.  But, it was so worth it!

And to reward myself, on the way back to the airport I stopped off at Dalwhinnie.  It was a last minute decision. I called them to see if I can get into a tour, and I was in luck: they could fit me in on the last tour I could take in order to make it back for my flight.  I honestly didn't know what to expect.  Dalwhinnie is significantly larger than Edradour, so I wasn't really thinking that it would be a memorable experience.  However, I was pleasantly surprised!  For such a large distillery, they were able to establish a small distillery feel and a tour that felt rather personal. AND! They pair their Scotch with chocolate.  CHOCOLATE. Yes. You read correctly.  I was in heaven.  Quite frankly, Dalwhinnie became my favorite Scotch.  I'm not really sure whether it's the Scotch I really like or if it's the chocolate pairs, but meh. Whatever.  I'm a fan.

From Riomaggiore to Portoverne

Italy has always been a favorite location of mine.  I spent several weeks there a few years ago, and returned just recently to enjoy more Italian cuisine and scenery, and it truly didn't let me down.

I'm always taken aback when I land in such a beautiful landscape -- coastline and rolling hills greet me as the plane lands into the Pisa airport, and instantly I feel at ease. I check into my hotel and explore the Pisa nightlife - a trip to Orzo Bruno.  This cozy local pub has fantastic food and brew and a great way to enjoy my first evening back in Italy.

The next day on a bright, crisp October morning, I board an early morning train to Riomaggiore.  The reason for my trip is to relax, and for me there is no greater relaxation that hiking. I decide to do a 10ish mile hike from Riomaggiore to Portovenere.  Most hikers choose to hike Cinque Terre; however, large swaths of the main trail were closed, so I chose this hike as one that had the least number of closed sections and beautiful scenery. And this hike surely delivered.  It was well marked and easy to follow and gave me the opportunity to see spectacular landscapes and vegetation.  My favorite part of the hike was seeing the folks foraging for chestnuts! It was contagious!  I found myself also searching for them as I walked along the paths.

As I continued my trek towards Portovenere, I was guided by charming signs and signs reminding me of the latitude and longitude, which I (as a good geographer) noted every step of the way.  I slowly made my way towards my destination, soaking in the sun and scenery, until finally, I arrived at Portovenere.

It was a wonderful, albeit exhausting, hike, and the first thing I wanted was some food.  I ordered a pizza, and while I waited I bought a ferry to La Spezia, where I would pick up my train home.  There was also a wonderful ferry around three islands. I knew I had some time before my train back to Pisa, so I bought that ferry tour as well.  While it wasn't amazing, it was nice to just sit back and see some beautiful scenery and islands around Portovenere. Pretty soon it was time for me to head back to Pisa, but judging by my exhausting I would say I achieved my objective of having a nice, relaxing hike.

Peak District - Mam Tor

England has some of the most beautiful natural landscapes in the world interspersed with the most adorable towns and villages. My first real experience with the natural beauty England has to offer was on my trip to Peak District National Park.

A little history: In 1949, Parliament passed the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, and closely thereafter (in 1951) the Peak District became the first national park in England! It doesn't take much to see why this would be one of the first areas that England would want to protect.

My gateway to Peak District and the High Peaks was a town called Disley.  It was small, and really only had one good place to eat. It was so close to the hikes I was planning on doing, and the lodging was very reasonably priced.  There are also numerous footpaths throughout Disley that are perfect for a short stroll. But, the real reason I was here was to walk in the Peak District.

I loved the Mam Tor walk.  What I loved most is that it was an out-and-back walk, which meant I couldn't get lost (I mean...I could, but it was significantly more difficult than some of the other walks I'd been on). On this beautiful, windy day, I walked perhaps 3-4 miles out to a beautiful overlook, where the wind was so fierce, but the views so beautiful that you braved the wind just to peer off into the distance.  The trail continued on as far as they eye could see, but after spending some time in the peaceful quiet of the overlook, I returned back to the trail head, and headed home.

I only saw a small fraction of what Peak District has to offer, but I look forward to the prospect of exploring even more!