Segovia, Spain - A River Walk (10/31)
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Segovia, A River Walk
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
La Granja, Rio Erasmo
La Granja, Rio Erasmo (10/30)
Today was our last walking day in Spain. A few more days of touristing and then back to the USA.
We stayed last night in a hotel in La Granja virtually next door to the Palacia Real built by Philip V, the first Bourbon Spanish king, in the early 1700s. It's modeled on the palace at Versailles and we walked a bit in the open gardens today.
Our core walk, however, was from our hotel past a polo field and stables through an oak woodland that ultimately led us to the Rio Erasmo. Along the banks of the Rio Erasmo is a path that was built by one of the later Bourbon kings to improve access to the river for fishing. It's a lovely stone paved walkway that hugs the shore of the river.
I made the mistake of forgetting my trekking poles when we stopped to take off clothing on our way out and, when I realized what I'd done and walked back, they were gone. The up side is that I won't have to pack them in my bag for the trip home and I won't have to go to REI to have them replaced due to the broken grip for which I'd cobbled a fix.
We finished our day by visiting the Palacia Real gardens and gaping at the excess of the building and grounds. Then, with perfect timing we returned to our hotel to fetch our bags and wait for our taxi to Segovia as it began to gently rain! From here on it's all city stuff so rain matters very little.
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Los Cotos to La Granja
Spain, Los Cotos to La Granja (10/29)
Today's walk started with a train ride.
After breakfast we brought our big packs to the hotel lobby for transport to our next hotel and walked across the street to take the train to Los Cotos to begin our day's walk. The weather was sunny and warm in Cercedilla but at Los Cotos there were clouds covering the mountain tops and it was a good deal cooler. Just before our train loaded another train pulled in and a half dozen or so men got off with their mountain bikes and lined up to board for the ride to Los Cotos.
We have been so lucky with the weather I was initially disappointed to see the threatening clouds; it seemed wrong.
Our walk started immediately uphill. Just to leave the train station we had to walk uphill. Then it was steady uphill through the forest and out into the alpine zone. Above the tree line we were treated to great expanses of meadow and granite mountains shrouded in clouds. Our first destination was Laguna Grande, a tarn located in what looked to be a glacial cirque. The path across the meadow as a well-maintained board walk, designed to keep casual feet from trampling the meadows.
After a short break at Laguna Grande, we headed back downhill to hike to Laguna de los Pajaros. On our way down, we saw off the trail, in a meadow grazing, a cabra montañosa (mountain goat). Of course it was picture time. Just a few minutes later as we were ascending the moraine to Laguna de lost Pajaros, we saw a cabro montañoso (male mountain goat). And, later still, a pair of females. Clearly they are not hunted in the park and have acclimated to people.
A few minutes later a cloud swept over the ridge bringing with it some light rain, our first rain on this trip. We put on our rain coats, covered our packs, and continued walking. Within a few minutes the rain stopped. Now we were treated to views of lake after lake as we continued to Laguna de los Pajaros.
This was amazing country, much like the high Sierras, but with its own unique look and vegetation. And the clouds and wind gave it a sense of wildness that I found exhilarating. This impression was even stronger as we descended to the pass from which we would drop down into La Granja. I thought this must be what it's like in the Scottish highlands: misty clouds, wind, knee high vegetation, and views to forever.
From the pass we turned north for the long (8.5km) descent. On the way down we were met by our local tour representative who had moved our luggage to La Granja and was now out on a walk of his own. Finally into town I was very happy to rest my tired feet and legs so I'd be ready for our last Spanish hike tomorrow.
Highlight video
Today's walk started with a train ride.
After breakfast we brought our big packs to the hotel lobby for transport to our next hotel and walked across the street to take the train to Los Cotos to begin our day's walk. The weather was sunny and warm in Cercedilla but at Los Cotos there were clouds covering the mountain tops and it was a good deal cooler. Just before our train loaded another train pulled in and a half dozen or so men got off with their mountain bikes and lined up to board for the ride to Los Cotos.
We have been so lucky with the weather I was initially disappointed to see the threatening clouds; it seemed wrong.
Our walk started immediately uphill. Just to leave the train station we had to walk uphill. Then it was steady uphill through the forest and out into the alpine zone. Above the tree line we were treated to great expanses of meadow and granite mountains shrouded in clouds. Our first destination was Laguna Grande, a tarn located in what looked to be a glacial cirque. The path across the meadow as a well-maintained board walk, designed to keep casual feet from trampling the meadows.
After a short break at Laguna Grande, we headed back downhill to hike to Laguna de los Pajaros. On our way down, we saw off the trail, in a meadow grazing, a cabra montañosa (mountain goat). Of course it was picture time. Just a few minutes later as we were ascending the moraine to Laguna de lost Pajaros, we saw a cabro montañoso (male mountain goat). And, later still, a pair of females. Clearly they are not hunted in the park and have acclimated to people.
A few minutes later a cloud swept over the ridge bringing with it some light rain, our first rain on this trip. We put on our rain coats, covered our packs, and continued walking. Within a few minutes the rain stopped. Now we were treated to views of lake after lake as we continued to Laguna de los Pajaros.
This was amazing country, much like the high Sierras, but with its own unique look and vegetation. And the clouds and wind gave it a sense of wildness that I found exhilarating. This impression was even stronger as we descended to the pass from which we would drop down into La Granja. I thought this must be what it's like in the Scottish highlands: misty clouds, wind, knee high vegetation, and views to forever.
From the pass we turned north for the long (8.5km) descent. On the way down we were met by our local tour representative who had moved our luggage to La Granja and was now out on a walk of his own. Finally into town I was very happy to rest my tired feet and legs so I'd be ready for our last Spanish hike tomorrow.
Highlight video
Monday, October 28, 2019
Senda Herreros
Spain, Senda Herreros (10/28)
Well, this was a day that challenged our navigational skills. The walk we wanted to do was a traverse of Siete Picos (Seven Peaks), but we lost the route on our way and ended up backtracking.
The full story: The initial approach was along a stream and through open pine forest. At about 7km into the walk the trail (Senda Herreros) petered out and it became necessary to follow it using occasional blazes and cairns around a cirque and up to the ridge where the traverse would begin. At first this was through heavy brush, then later through open forest that skirted the base of rocky cliffs of Siete Picos.
Needless to say, we lost the trail fairly early on and spent a good deal of time trying to locate it using the GPS track that our local representative had so kindly provided. Eventually we worked our way up to the ridge crest at about 9km into the walk. We sat in the shade, ate some lunch, and discussed out options.
We were near some blazes and cairns that marked another route up the ridge and by consulting the GPS track it was clear that we could re-join our original route, which is what we did.
At that point we decided that we should return to our starting point rather than completing the traverse. And that is what we did, following the blazes and cairns in reverse back to our starting point. It was easier on the return as we were in open forest most of the time and the visual markers were much more obvious. A couple times we had to cast about to find markers and ensure that we were on route.
When we finally rejoined the main trail it was clear why we got off track initially: it was totally in-obvious where the trail branched off, just a bunch of roots and brush. I made like a good citizen and built a large cairn right at that junction.
Our hotel hosts had kindly driven us to the start in the morning and a man who was finishing his walk provided us with a ride back to town when we finished. Spanish hospitality!
Even though this occupied a lot of our attention there were many things about the walk that we really liked.
The forest and landscape were very reminiscent of the Sierra Nevada, which we love. Recent rains have resulted in a crop of mushrooms sprouting, some very colorful (and probably poisonous). The trail is named after Enrique Herreros who first pioneered the route and was a poet, humorist, artist, film maker, and mountaineer. Near the beginning (and end) of our walk we traveled on a section of cobbled road that was built by the Romans and passed by 2 arched bridges that they built. We noticed quite a contrast between the remains of a modern asphalt road and the 2000 year old Roman road.
Highlight video
Well, this was a day that challenged our navigational skills. The walk we wanted to do was a traverse of Siete Picos (Seven Peaks), but we lost the route on our way and ended up backtracking.
The full story: The initial approach was along a stream and through open pine forest. At about 7km into the walk the trail (Senda Herreros) petered out and it became necessary to follow it using occasional blazes and cairns around a cirque and up to the ridge where the traverse would begin. At first this was through heavy brush, then later through open forest that skirted the base of rocky cliffs of Siete Picos.
Needless to say, we lost the trail fairly early on and spent a good deal of time trying to locate it using the GPS track that our local representative had so kindly provided. Eventually we worked our way up to the ridge crest at about 9km into the walk. We sat in the shade, ate some lunch, and discussed out options.
We were near some blazes and cairns that marked another route up the ridge and by consulting the GPS track it was clear that we could re-join our original route, which is what we did.
At that point we decided that we should return to our starting point rather than completing the traverse. And that is what we did, following the blazes and cairns in reverse back to our starting point. It was easier on the return as we were in open forest most of the time and the visual markers were much more obvious. A couple times we had to cast about to find markers and ensure that we were on route.
When we finally rejoined the main trail it was clear why we got off track initially: it was totally in-obvious where the trail branched off, just a bunch of roots and brush. I made like a good citizen and built a large cairn right at that junction.
Our hotel hosts had kindly driven us to the start in the morning and a man who was finishing his walk provided us with a ride back to town when we finished. Spanish hospitality!
Even though this occupied a lot of our attention there were many things about the walk that we really liked.
The forest and landscape were very reminiscent of the Sierra Nevada, which we love. Recent rains have resulted in a crop of mushrooms sprouting, some very colorful (and probably poisonous). The trail is named after Enrique Herreros who first pioneered the route and was a poet, humorist, artist, film maker, and mountaineer. Near the beginning (and end) of our walk we traveled on a section of cobbled road that was built by the Romans and passed by 2 arched bridges that they built. We noticed quite a contrast between the remains of a modern asphalt road and the 2000 year old Roman road.
Highlight video
el Escorial to Cercedilla
el Escorial to Cercedilla (10/27)
This was a long day: 19km by the intended route, 24km by my Garmin and we didn't get lost that much.
As always, the tricky part was getting out of town. Our directions didn't use street names much of the time but landmarks, so it was challenging to follow. Once on the trail we only had a single time when we missed a turn.
Most of our altitude gain was near the beginning: a pretty steady climb to the saddle just below Abantos Peak. And what did I see as I walked the last few steps to the saddle? A mountain bike rider enjoying the short side!
And just as I crested, along comes a small group of MTBers up a gravel road and down the other side. As I waited for Janet to join me a group of trail runners came out of the woods between me and Abantos Peak. After they all showed up at the road there were about 15 of them, regrouping and taking cell phone pictures of each other. After a minute or two of rest they were off again.
Just as we arrived at the summit of Abantos Peak two more MTB riders headed back down.
From here we had a long, rolling traverse to Collado del Ciervo de la Mina and from there several kilometers of downhill dirt road to Leon Pass where we were picked up by a taxi and taken to our lodging in Cercedilla.
Along the traverse we saw a number of very interesting things.
First of all, of course, was the scenery. It's high and dry so there were great expanses of open space as well as open forest. The high ridges felt very rough and remote. The pine trees here are beautiful with reddish brown trunk and limbs after the outer bark has fallen off. There are great expanses of rocks and sky; lovely!
Along the way we passed 2 refugios that have fallen into disrepair. The stone walls are still intact but the roofs have fallen in. Both very lonely sentinels up on their ridge top locations. We also saw a very old stone shelter, totally roofless.
But most surprising of all was our overview of Valle de los Caídos, a mass grave site for Spanish citizens killed in the civil war and, until just last week, the remains of Francisco Franco who was dictator of Spain for about 40 years. The memorial site is topped by a huge cross, the top of which is the first thing to become visible. Then, as we climbed a ridge, more and more of the site became visible until we could see the full memorial built atop a spired plateau with the huge cross visible for miles. Many people that we talked to on our trip were happy to see that Franco's remains were being moved. It seems there is very little popular appeal to having this memorial site celebrate Franco in any way.
Our journey ended at Leon Pass, where we were picked up by a taxi and taken to our hotel in the village of Cercedilla.
Highlight video
This was a long day: 19km by the intended route, 24km by my Garmin and we didn't get lost that much.
As always, the tricky part was getting out of town. Our directions didn't use street names much of the time but landmarks, so it was challenging to follow. Once on the trail we only had a single time when we missed a turn.
Most of our altitude gain was near the beginning: a pretty steady climb to the saddle just below Abantos Peak. And what did I see as I walked the last few steps to the saddle? A mountain bike rider enjoying the short side!
And just as I crested, along comes a small group of MTBers up a gravel road and down the other side. As I waited for Janet to join me a group of trail runners came out of the woods between me and Abantos Peak. After they all showed up at the road there were about 15 of them, regrouping and taking cell phone pictures of each other. After a minute or two of rest they were off again.
Just as we arrived at the summit of Abantos Peak two more MTB riders headed back down.
From here we had a long, rolling traverse to Collado del Ciervo de la Mina and from there several kilometers of downhill dirt road to Leon Pass where we were picked up by a taxi and taken to our lodging in Cercedilla.
Along the traverse we saw a number of very interesting things.
First of all, of course, was the scenery. It's high and dry so there were great expanses of open space as well as open forest. The high ridges felt very rough and remote. The pine trees here are beautiful with reddish brown trunk and limbs after the outer bark has fallen off. There are great expanses of rocks and sky; lovely!
Along the way we passed 2 refugios that have fallen into disrepair. The stone walls are still intact but the roofs have fallen in. Both very lonely sentinels up on their ridge top locations. We also saw a very old stone shelter, totally roofless.
But most surprising of all was our overview of Valle de los Caídos, a mass grave site for Spanish citizens killed in the civil war and, until just last week, the remains of Francisco Franco who was dictator of Spain for about 40 years. The memorial site is topped by a huge cross, the top of which is the first thing to become visible. Then, as we climbed a ridge, more and more of the site became visible until we could see the full memorial built atop a spired plateau with the huge cross visible for miles. Many people that we talked to on our trip were happy to see that Franco's remains were being moved. It seems there is very little popular appeal to having this memorial site celebrate Franco in any way.
Our journey ended at Leon Pass, where we were picked up by a taxi and taken to our hotel in the village of Cercedilla.
Highlight video
Sunday, October 27, 2019
el Escorial Circuit Walk
Spain, el Escorial Circuit Walk (10/26)
Today was our first walk in the Sierra de Guadarrama - mountains north of Madrid.
Yesterday we met with our local representative to get all our trek materials and get an overview of the walks we'll be doing. These will be a bit of a challenge as some of them are pretty long (for us).
Breakfast at our hotel is not served until 9AM so we had to scrounge up some food to eat earlier in the morning. This would enable us to get a reasonably early start. At 8:30 we were out the door and on our way. It was cold! My hands got very cold and didn't warm up until we'd walked 4km or so and started uphill.
Our route took us first to 'Silla de Felipe II', an overlook used by the Spanish king Felipe II to view the building progress of the monastery. There's even a throne carved into the rock for Felipe to sit while viewing, I assume. This spot provided a beautiful view back towards el Escorial and the Monastery.
From here it was pretty steady uphill walking to Collado Entrecabezas pass, a col between two hills/mountains. We took a side trip from here, an out and back to the top of Machota Baja hill. Wow! What a summit. Amazing views, very cool rocks all around, so with giant potholes filled with water from recent rains, and all the kind of granite rock that both Janet and I love.
Then back to Collado Entrecabezas where we saw a group of young kids, maybe 8 years old, that had come down from Madrid to do the hike. They were having a great time. Now it was trudge up the steep first part of the trail to Machota Alta hill and a sighting of our first vacas (cows). By this time the crowd of hikers had greatly diminished as most people choose to ascend Machota Baja.
At the summit we were all alone and instead of turning around and returning the way we had ascended, we continued over the summit and down the other side, back toward el Escorial. This walking was much more rugged with little or no trail, more vacas, and just the notes from our trip representative to guide us. They were great and brought us back to the starting point of our loop.
From here it was just a few kilometers back to town, our hotel, and food.
Tomorrow we tackle a more ambitious undertaking: a 20km trek with a good deal of elevation gain. But, we should be rewarded with outstanding views and enormous self-satisfaction.
Highlight video
Today was our first walk in the Sierra de Guadarrama - mountains north of Madrid.
Yesterday we met with our local representative to get all our trek materials and get an overview of the walks we'll be doing. These will be a bit of a challenge as some of them are pretty long (for us).
Breakfast at our hotel is not served until 9AM so we had to scrounge up some food to eat earlier in the morning. This would enable us to get a reasonably early start. At 8:30 we were out the door and on our way. It was cold! My hands got very cold and didn't warm up until we'd walked 4km or so and started uphill.
Our route took us first to 'Silla de Felipe II', an overlook used by the Spanish king Felipe II to view the building progress of the monastery. There's even a throne carved into the rock for Felipe to sit while viewing, I assume. This spot provided a beautiful view back towards el Escorial and the Monastery.
From here it was pretty steady uphill walking to Collado Entrecabezas pass, a col between two hills/mountains. We took a side trip from here, an out and back to the top of Machota Baja hill. Wow! What a summit. Amazing views, very cool rocks all around, so with giant potholes filled with water from recent rains, and all the kind of granite rock that both Janet and I love.
Then back to Collado Entrecabezas where we saw a group of young kids, maybe 8 years old, that had come down from Madrid to do the hike. They were having a great time. Now it was trudge up the steep first part of the trail to Machota Alta hill and a sighting of our first vacas (cows). By this time the crowd of hikers had greatly diminished as most people choose to ascend Machota Baja.
At the summit we were all alone and instead of turning around and returning the way we had ascended, we continued over the summit and down the other side, back toward el Escorial. This walking was much more rugged with little or no trail, more vacas, and just the notes from our trip representative to guide us. They were great and brought us back to the starting point of our loop.
From here it was just a few kilometers back to town, our hotel, and food.
Tomorrow we tackle a more ambitious undertaking: a 20km trek with a good deal of elevation gain. But, we should be rewarded with outstanding views and enormous self-satisfaction.
Highlight video
Friday, October 25, 2019
Spain, Madrid - la Escorial
Spain, Madrid - Escorial (10/25)
Today we left Madrid and journeyed to Escorial.
Checkout time for our apartment was 11AM and since the bus trip was supposed to take only 1 hour, we had breakfast and went for a walk in the Parque de el Retiro, a park just adjacent to the Prado. A very pleasant way to start the day with bright sunshine and trees starting to color up.
After returning to our apartment we finished our packing, saddled up with our packs, closed up the apartment, and headed for the bus station, about 3km away. Our walk to the bus terminal took us through a busy retail center that we'd not seen before. Along the way we heard many street musicians including 3 men singing with beautiful tenor voices.
At the bus station it was a bit confusing where to catch the bus. We asked someone and it turned out we needed to go underground. So, down into the earth we headed. After a couple more queries for help we were directed to the proper gate where we queued up for the bus. Once loading began we moved right along. However, the bus filled up just ahead of us so we had to wait for the next one, a wait of about 15 minutes.
Once aboard it was an uneventful ride to San Lorenzo de el Escorial. So uneventful we both nodded off.
After checking into our hotel we set off to visit the Real Monastery.
What a beauty!
It was way more than a monastery as it was the historical residence of the king of Spain. As a consequence, it's a very grand building, pretty pedestrian, but big, on the outside but resplendent on the inside. We saw tiled walls, lots of gilt, a spectacular basilica, walls hung with paintings by famous and not so famous renaissance artists, and an amazing crypt.
Our local representative brought us our packet of materials and went over the routes with us before sending us off to dinner and to rustle up some food for lunch tomorrow, our first hike.
Highlight video
Today we left Madrid and journeyed to Escorial.
Checkout time for our apartment was 11AM and since the bus trip was supposed to take only 1 hour, we had breakfast and went for a walk in the Parque de el Retiro, a park just adjacent to the Prado. A very pleasant way to start the day with bright sunshine and trees starting to color up.
After returning to our apartment we finished our packing, saddled up with our packs, closed up the apartment, and headed for the bus station, about 3km away. Our walk to the bus terminal took us through a busy retail center that we'd not seen before. Along the way we heard many street musicians including 3 men singing with beautiful tenor voices.
At the bus station it was a bit confusing where to catch the bus. We asked someone and it turned out we needed to go underground. So, down into the earth we headed. After a couple more queries for help we were directed to the proper gate where we queued up for the bus. Once loading began we moved right along. However, the bus filled up just ahead of us so we had to wait for the next one, a wait of about 15 minutes.
Once aboard it was an uneventful ride to San Lorenzo de el Escorial. So uneventful we both nodded off.
After checking into our hotel we set off to visit the Real Monastery.
What a beauty!
It was way more than a monastery as it was the historical residence of the king of Spain. As a consequence, it's a very grand building, pretty pedestrian, but big, on the outside but resplendent on the inside. We saw tiled walls, lots of gilt, a spectacular basilica, walls hung with paintings by famous and not so famous renaissance artists, and an amazing crypt.
Our local representative brought us our packet of materials and went over the routes with us before sending us off to dinner and to rustle up some food for lunch tomorrow, our first hike.
Highlight video
Dubrovnik, GoT#2
Dubrovnik, GoT#2 (10/21)
I just couldn't help myself. Here I am at the site of Game of Thrones' (GoT) King's Landing so I JUST had to go on a tour.
It was every bit as good as the one in Split and it was very cool to see the pictures of the GoT scenes and what bit of the old city was used for the scene and to see how the imagination of the film makers enables them to put together this wholly imaginary world through skillfully piecing together little snippets and the use of computer graphics to enhance or augment what is here.
Plus, our tour guide talked about some of the logistics that made it all work. I much enjoyed it, even if my feet did start to hurt from shuffling about on limestone cobbles.
'Fun' fact: the roofs in the old city are so red because many of the buildings were damaged by shelling during the 1991 war and have since been rebuilt with new tiles.
Fun fact #2: the pigeons that were released from the pigeon pie at Joffery and Margaery's wedding feast were white and not re-captured. They have since mated with the city's standard gray pigeons and you can now see white or multi-colored white pigeons around the city. (A GoT geek out.)
Fun fact #3: Lena Headey, the actress who portrayed Cercei Lannister, was pregnant when the 'Walk of Shame' scenes were shot so most of the walk was done by a body double, with Lena's head attached via computer graphics to the double's body for the walk as seen on TV. (You get the picture.)
After a bit of rest, I had lunch at the 'Mea Culpa' Pizzeria. Aptly named, I must say, as it's adjacent to many of the sites that were used for Cerce's 'Walk of Shame'. (Sorry about GoT geeking out on you there; you were probably hoping I was done.)
During the afternoon I walked around the city wall. It's sufficiently busy that you're required to walk one way only and once you start there are at most 2 opportunities to exit. I chose the second option and went all the way around. By the time that I started in the early afternoon the wall-walkers had dwindled in number so I didn't feel pressed, which was good because I took a lot of photos.
Many, many stairs and a gelato later I exited from the east gate, where I'd entered in the morning.
At that point I sat down and completely reconsidered my plan to walk back to the hotel. The route that I'd worked out was about 9km and my feet were telling me that they weren't interested. To make the decision even easier, my resting place was right in front of a cab stand.
So...
Cab back to the hotel where I arranged with the nice young man driving to pick me up tomorrow for my trip to the airport.
Well, except for a couple of hours in the morning before heading to the airport, that's it for Croatia, 2019. It's been a great trip and a real adventure for me. Cool, wet Madrid and a reunion with my sweetie are calling out to me.
Highlight video #1, video #2, video #3, video #4
I just couldn't help myself. Here I am at the site of Game of Thrones' (GoT) King's Landing so I JUST had to go on a tour.
It was every bit as good as the one in Split and it was very cool to see the pictures of the GoT scenes and what bit of the old city was used for the scene and to see how the imagination of the film makers enables them to put together this wholly imaginary world through skillfully piecing together little snippets and the use of computer graphics to enhance or augment what is here.
Plus, our tour guide talked about some of the logistics that made it all work. I much enjoyed it, even if my feet did start to hurt from shuffling about on limestone cobbles.
'Fun' fact: the roofs in the old city are so red because many of the buildings were damaged by shelling during the 1991 war and have since been rebuilt with new tiles.
Fun fact #2: the pigeons that were released from the pigeon pie at Joffery and Margaery's wedding feast were white and not re-captured. They have since mated with the city's standard gray pigeons and you can now see white or multi-colored white pigeons around the city. (A GoT geek out.)
Fun fact #3: Lena Headey, the actress who portrayed Cercei Lannister, was pregnant when the 'Walk of Shame' scenes were shot so most of the walk was done by a body double, with Lena's head attached via computer graphics to the double's body for the walk as seen on TV. (You get the picture.)
After a bit of rest, I had lunch at the 'Mea Culpa' Pizzeria. Aptly named, I must say, as it's adjacent to many of the sites that were used for Cerce's 'Walk of Shame'. (Sorry about GoT geeking out on you there; you were probably hoping I was done.)
During the afternoon I walked around the city wall. It's sufficiently busy that you're required to walk one way only and once you start there are at most 2 opportunities to exit. I chose the second option and went all the way around. By the time that I started in the early afternoon the wall-walkers had dwindled in number so I didn't feel pressed, which was good because I took a lot of photos.
Many, many stairs and a gelato later I exited from the east gate, where I'd entered in the morning.
At that point I sat down and completely reconsidered my plan to walk back to the hotel. The route that I'd worked out was about 9km and my feet were telling me that they weren't interested. To make the decision even easier, my resting place was right in front of a cab stand.
So...
Cab back to the hotel where I arranged with the nice young man driving to pick me up tomorrow for my trip to the airport.
Well, except for a couple of hours in the morning before heading to the airport, that's it for Croatia, 2019. It's been a great trip and a real adventure for me. Cool, wet Madrid and a reunion with my sweetie are calling out to me.
Highlight video #1, video #2, video #3, video #4
Madrid, A Historical Walking Tour
Madrid, A Historical Walking Tour (10/24)
Today we went on a walking tour in old Madrid where we learned about some of the city history, its architecture, and culture.
Some things I learned today:
Over its history as a city Madrid has been a city surrounded by a wall. Four times, from the Romans to fairly recent times, the city outgrew the walls so they were expanded to take in the new growth.
A number of the plazas that exist within the city were at one time associated with one of the gates into the city, either just outside or just inside the gate.
There's a large billboard advertising Tia Pepe wine atop one of the buildings adjacent to the Plaza del Sol. It was on another building for many, many years. When Apple Computer bought the building, they didn't want Tia Pepe up top so it was moved.
Any business that has been in the same location with the same name and performing the same service for at least 100 years is entitled to have a brass plaque embedded into the sidewalk out front, proclaiming such. We saw a number of these plaques on our walk.
The palace for the king and queen of Spain has over 3,000 rooms and more than 150,000 square meters of floor space (!) and is the largest palace in Europe, even bigger than Versailles.
The weather was much moderated today and it was a great day for walking. After the tour was completed we had a very tasty and beautiful lunch in a small bar (Inglan Brutal Bar), went to the grocery store, and strolled a bit more.
Tomorrow we leave our apartment and head north to begin our trekking tour the next day.
Highlight video
Today we went on a walking tour in old Madrid where we learned about some of the city history, its architecture, and culture.
Some things I learned today:
Over its history as a city Madrid has been a city surrounded by a wall. Four times, from the Romans to fairly recent times, the city outgrew the walls so they were expanded to take in the new growth.
A number of the plazas that exist within the city were at one time associated with one of the gates into the city, either just outside or just inside the gate.
There's a large billboard advertising Tia Pepe wine atop one of the buildings adjacent to the Plaza del Sol. It was on another building for many, many years. When Apple Computer bought the building, they didn't want Tia Pepe up top so it was moved.
Any business that has been in the same location with the same name and performing the same service for at least 100 years is entitled to have a brass plaque embedded into the sidewalk out front, proclaiming such. We saw a number of these plaques on our walk.
The palace for the king and queen of Spain has over 3,000 rooms and more than 150,000 square meters of floor space (!) and is the largest palace in Europe, even bigger than Versailles.
The weather was much moderated today and it was a great day for walking. After the tour was completed we had a very tasty and beautiful lunch in a small bar (Inglan Brutal Bar), went to the grocery store, and strolled a bit more.
Tomorrow we leave our apartment and head north to begin our trekking tour the next day.
Highlight video
Marjan Forest Walk
Marjan Forest
Today was a walking day.
Whenever Janet and I travel we always look for green areas on a map of the area because this indicates a park. This trip was no exception for me, so I applied the 'look for green' criterion to Split and there it was, a big green area out to the west.
Reading about it on-line, it's clear that the Marjan Forest Park is a major asset to the city of Split. From my room it's just a short distance to a narrow little street that leads to a stairway that leads to the top of the forested area.
The park is a lovely open pine forest that dominates a peninsula to the west of Split. After ascending the stairs, I found a network of unpaved paths that wandered about, just the sort of rambling that's to my liking when I want to be aimless. Since this is Sunday there were lots of families with small children using the park. And, it's set up to accommodate them. I walked past several areas with play areas very suitable for children.
In fact, after I crossed over the top I was attracted to the joyful screams of playing children down by the seaside. Following the sounds down, I came to a very large play area, right on the shore, just filled with happy children at play. I found a peaceful spot in the shade right next to the water and ate my lunch.
Much of the walk back from my lunch was along a paved road, but there was light traffic so it was quite tolerable. I did spot a large swim area close to my hotel which I think I'll visit tomorrow. It's a linked set of buoyed off areas right next to the shore and all within walking distance of my room.
Highlight video
Today was a walking day.
Whenever Janet and I travel we always look for green areas on a map of the area because this indicates a park. This trip was no exception for me, so I applied the 'look for green' criterion to Split and there it was, a big green area out to the west.
Reading about it on-line, it's clear that the Marjan Forest Park is a major asset to the city of Split. From my room it's just a short distance to a narrow little street that leads to a stairway that leads to the top of the forested area.
The park is a lovely open pine forest that dominates a peninsula to the west of Split. After ascending the stairs, I found a network of unpaved paths that wandered about, just the sort of rambling that's to my liking when I want to be aimless. Since this is Sunday there were lots of families with small children using the park. And, it's set up to accommodate them. I walked past several areas with play areas very suitable for children.
In fact, after I crossed over the top I was attracted to the joyful screams of playing children down by the seaside. Following the sounds down, I came to a very large play area, right on the shore, just filled with happy children at play. I found a peaceful spot in the shade right next to the water and ate my lunch.
Much of the walk back from my lunch was along a paved road, but there was light traffic so it was quite tolerable. I did spot a large swim area close to my hotel which I think I'll visit tomorrow. It's a linked set of buoyed off areas right next to the shore and all within walking distance of my room.
Highlight video
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Madrid, Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum
Madrid, Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum (10/23)
We woke up today to heavily overcast skies, cool temperatures, and threatening rain.
The apartment that Janet found for us is very modern-looking, decorated in a white-on-white theme. It's in an old building that's been remodeled inside and is located on a small calle just a couple blocks from the Prado and the Parque de el Retiro.
This is a neighborhood where people live and work so there are shops of all kinds within walking distance. For example, one of my trekking poles suffered some damage while I was walking on Mljet Island and I needed some duct tape (or similar) tape to make a temporary repair, hoping that it will hold up for the remainder of our trip. In the afternoon we looked for a ferreteria to get some tape, but found a small variety goods store that had something I can try.
Anyway, we wanted to visit the Prado today but there was a line outside, waiting in the cold to get in, so we decided to check out the Thyssen-Bornemisza instead. The waiting line to get tickets was inside, so that was a plus. In addition, they are currently having a show of impressionist painters and photographers. This was a double bonus because we both like the impressionist style.
We were both fascinated to learn from this show that there was a strong feedback between photographers and painters working in this period with each influencing the other. The compositional styles and subjects were complementary to each other. In fact, Degas was both a painter and a photographer. These early (1850s onward) photographers were masters of the art and the mechanics/chemistry of photography.
After some lunch and rest for museum-tired feet we spent another hour or two in other galleries.
We finished off with a hunt for duct tape, buying some snacks for breakfast, a drop-in visit to a Madrid climbing/mountaineering book shop, and a wild goose chase for the "best" bakery in the area. By this time it was dark and starting to drizzle and cold-induced diuresis was setting in as we went round and round, it seemed, trying to follow Google maps back to our apartment.
Clearly, we're back and ready to settle down for the night.
We woke up today to heavily overcast skies, cool temperatures, and threatening rain.
The apartment that Janet found for us is very modern-looking, decorated in a white-on-white theme. It's in an old building that's been remodeled inside and is located on a small calle just a couple blocks from the Prado and the Parque de el Retiro.
This is a neighborhood where people live and work so there are shops of all kinds within walking distance. For example, one of my trekking poles suffered some damage while I was walking on Mljet Island and I needed some duct tape (or similar) tape to make a temporary repair, hoping that it will hold up for the remainder of our trip. In the afternoon we looked for a ferreteria to get some tape, but found a small variety goods store that had something I can try.
Anyway, we wanted to visit the Prado today but there was a line outside, waiting in the cold to get in, so we decided to check out the Thyssen-Bornemisza instead. The waiting line to get tickets was inside, so that was a plus. In addition, they are currently having a show of impressionist painters and photographers. This was a double bonus because we both like the impressionist style.
We were both fascinated to learn from this show that there was a strong feedback between photographers and painters working in this period with each influencing the other. The compositional styles and subjects were complementary to each other. In fact, Degas was both a painter and a photographer. These early (1850s onward) photographers were masters of the art and the mechanics/chemistry of photography.
After some lunch and rest for museum-tired feet we spent another hour or two in other galleries.
We finished off with a hunt for duct tape, buying some snacks for breakfast, a drop-in visit to a Madrid climbing/mountaineering book shop, and a wild goose chase for the "best" bakery in the area. By this time it was dark and starting to drizzle and cold-induced diuresis was setting in as we went round and round, it seemed, trying to follow Google maps back to our apartment.
Clearly, we're back and ready to settle down for the night.
Dubrovnik, Hotel Valamar and Environs
Valamar and Environs, Dubrovnik (10/22)
This is my last day in Croatia as I wait in the airport to board my flight to Madrid and Janet and the mountains.
Today I had enough time to take a walk in between checking out of my hotel and travelling to the airport.
From my first day here I've noticed a large green area on the map to the south of my hotel. Yesterday I wimped out on walking through there to return from the old town, so today seemed like an opportune time to check it out.
My first day I'd walked to the north on the seaside walking path; today I went south. It led through an area of hotels and many, many access points to the sea. These Croatians do love the sea! Even well up the steep bluff I encountered many breaks in the railing with steep steps leading down to the rocky shore.
Oh, the water looked inviting! But I didn't have swim togs and I didn't want to carry wet clothing with me.
My walking route took me around one peninsula and then out to the end of another. At that point I doubled back on a path and entered the park.
More Croatian trails! A series of rocky paths led me up to a high point on the bluff and some amazing views. Then back down to the seashore and the promenade to head back to my hotel.
Today I saw beaches and swimming areas that I wish I'd discovered before - and that I had some additional time to explore.
So long, Croatia. Howdy, Spain.
Highlight video
This is my last day in Croatia as I wait in the airport to board my flight to Madrid and Janet and the mountains.
Today I had enough time to take a walk in between checking out of my hotel and travelling to the airport.
From my first day here I've noticed a large green area on the map to the south of my hotel. Yesterday I wimped out on walking through there to return from the old town, so today seemed like an opportune time to check it out.
My first day I'd walked to the north on the seaside walking path; today I went south. It led through an area of hotels and many, many access points to the sea. These Croatians do love the sea! Even well up the steep bluff I encountered many breaks in the railing with steep steps leading down to the rocky shore.
Oh, the water looked inviting! But I didn't have swim togs and I didn't want to carry wet clothing with me.
My walking route took me around one peninsula and then out to the end of another. At that point I doubled back on a path and entered the park.
More Croatian trails! A series of rocky paths led me up to a high point on the bluff and some amazing views. Then back down to the seashore and the promenade to head back to my hotel.
Today I saw beaches and swimming areas that I wish I'd discovered before - and that I had some additional time to explore.
So long, Croatia. Howdy, Spain.
Highlight video
Dubrovnik, Imperial Fort (Srd) Trail
Imperial Fort (Srd) Trail (10/20)
More water travel today as I took my last ferry ride in the Dalmatians from Korcula to Dubrovnik. It was a 2-hour, very relaxing ride.
My room wasn't yet available when I arrived, so I left my luggage with the front desk and set out to walk from my hotel to the Imperial Fort Trail and up the hill to Srd.
The desk clerk told me that there was a walking path along the water for a good bit of the ways and it was very pleasant: cool from shade and a breeze, nice views of the water and ship traffic, a shell house (!), and restaurants and hotels. Once away from the water, though, it was a mostly shadeless and uphill walk to the start of the trail.
The trail beginning was a bit tricky to find. Google tried, but the approach by foot involved some tiny, ancient streets and crossing a very busy roadway to get to the starting point. My clue that I was close was seeing a lot of cars parked on the shoulder of this busy road.
The beginning of the trail was pleasantly shaded as it switch-backed up the hillside. The trail surface, however, was standard Croatian trail with plenty of stones. About 1/3 of the way up, the trail came out of the trees and the remainder of the ascent was directly exposed to the sun and was very hot. At the corner of each switch-back there was a bronze plaque commemorating something about Jesus. After a time I got the feeling that each one was a station of the cross, since this is a very Catholic country. But I don't know the stations so it could be my imagination.
At the top I walked around a bit to get a sense of the view, but all these other days have spoiled me. There was considerable haze in the air so the island view was obscured. However, Srd is directly above the old city so I could see right down into it. Very cool.
I didn't want to walk back so I took the cable car down and then a cab back to my hotel.
There was still a bit of day left so I got checked in, changed into my swim togs, and went down to the beach just a couple hundred meters behind the hotel and had a very nice swim. There must be a river that comes in nearby because the water did not seem as salty, although I floated very well, and it was filled with distinctly hot and cold areas.
Tomorrow I get to poke around Dubrovnik a bit and, if lucky, get another Adriatic swim before I go to Madrid the next day.
Highlight video
More water travel today as I took my last ferry ride in the Dalmatians from Korcula to Dubrovnik. It was a 2-hour, very relaxing ride.
My room wasn't yet available when I arrived, so I left my luggage with the front desk and set out to walk from my hotel to the Imperial Fort Trail and up the hill to Srd.
The desk clerk told me that there was a walking path along the water for a good bit of the ways and it was very pleasant: cool from shade and a breeze, nice views of the water and ship traffic, a shell house (!), and restaurants and hotels. Once away from the water, though, it was a mostly shadeless and uphill walk to the start of the trail.
The trail beginning was a bit tricky to find. Google tried, but the approach by foot involved some tiny, ancient streets and crossing a very busy roadway to get to the starting point. My clue that I was close was seeing a lot of cars parked on the shoulder of this busy road.
The beginning of the trail was pleasantly shaded as it switch-backed up the hillside. The trail surface, however, was standard Croatian trail with plenty of stones. About 1/3 of the way up, the trail came out of the trees and the remainder of the ascent was directly exposed to the sun and was very hot. At the corner of each switch-back there was a bronze plaque commemorating something about Jesus. After a time I got the feeling that each one was a station of the cross, since this is a very Catholic country. But I don't know the stations so it could be my imagination.
At the top I walked around a bit to get a sense of the view, but all these other days have spoiled me. There was considerable haze in the air so the island view was obscured. However, Srd is directly above the old city so I could see right down into it. Very cool.
I didn't want to walk back so I took the cable car down and then a cab back to my hotel.
There was still a bit of day left so I got checked in, changed into my swim togs, and went down to the beach just a couple hundred meters behind the hotel and had a very nice swim. There must be a river that comes in nearby because the water did not seem as salty, although I floated very well, and it was filled with distinctly hot and cold areas.
Tomorrow I get to poke around Dubrovnik a bit and, if lucky, get another Adriatic swim before I go to Madrid the next day.
Highlight video
Korcula Island - Mjlet National Park
Korcula Island - Mjlet National Park (10/19)
Once again my day was framed by ferries.
This morning I took the ferry from Korcula to Mjlet Island so that I could walk in Mjlet National Park.
My impression of national parks is totally dominated by my experience with those in the US. The US this is not! There are villages scattered throughout the island and a hotel is within a short walking distance of the ferry landing; I saw several people roll their suitcases off the ferry and into the hotel.
But the park does have trails. They are not USA-type trails, but what I've come to experience in Croatia: stony and signed only with the red and white dots or strips that I've seen before.
Mjlet Island doesn't have many high places but, if the trails are any indication, it has plenty of rolling hills. The Mediterranean scrub brush covers much of the island so the long views are even more precious as they're spaced out more. The upper ridges have groves of Aleppo Pines, some of which are quite big.
I saw no other walkers except on the shores of a small lake when I was nearing the end of my walk. There were a couple of guys doing some kind of maintenance near the point that I started my return. They had fallen a number of trees across the trail and I was forced out into the brush to bypass them.
Ouch!
There's some kind of thorny vine that I encountered that really sticks and doesn't tear loose easily. I was forced to awkwardly stand on them and back out of their prickly embrace. Well, that's Mediterranean underbrush for you.
The morning dew was heavy on everything when I started out. This made the stones in the path very slippery. It took me a while to get the hang of them and I was extra careful with my foot placement after that. Can't be too careful when you're all alone.
I had lunch on a lovely set of limestone slabs that angled down to the mirror-like water of a small bay. Off to my left was a set of 3 small islands. Peaceful, quiet, and puffy white clouds billowed up on the horizon. I thought back to my week of swimming in the Adriatic and considered stripping down for a dip. This thought was driven from my mind as a breeze sprang up and I realized that I'd have to dry out using the breeze only while sitting in the shade. So, I just savored the view.
As he sun was starting to kiss the western horizon I walked back into Pomena ahead of the time I needed to catch the ferry back to Korcula. I found a spot on a shady pier, watched the fish, and nibbled some food while a band set up at the other end of the waterfront promenade. Without direct sun the temperature dropped so I wandered back to the other end of the promenade to catch a last few rays before my boat arrived.
Then it was back on the ferry for the 30 minute ride to Korcula. Tomorrow I leave the islands and my walking trip when I travel to Dubrovnik for my last few days here before meeting up with Janet in Madrid.
Highlight video
Once again my day was framed by ferries.
This morning I took the ferry from Korcula to Mjlet Island so that I could walk in Mjlet National Park.
My impression of national parks is totally dominated by my experience with those in the US. The US this is not! There are villages scattered throughout the island and a hotel is within a short walking distance of the ferry landing; I saw several people roll their suitcases off the ferry and into the hotel.
But the park does have trails. They are not USA-type trails, but what I've come to experience in Croatia: stony and signed only with the red and white dots or strips that I've seen before.
Mjlet Island doesn't have many high places but, if the trails are any indication, it has plenty of rolling hills. The Mediterranean scrub brush covers much of the island so the long views are even more precious as they're spaced out more. The upper ridges have groves of Aleppo Pines, some of which are quite big.
I saw no other walkers except on the shores of a small lake when I was nearing the end of my walk. There were a couple of guys doing some kind of maintenance near the point that I started my return. They had fallen a number of trees across the trail and I was forced out into the brush to bypass them.
Ouch!
There's some kind of thorny vine that I encountered that really sticks and doesn't tear loose easily. I was forced to awkwardly stand on them and back out of their prickly embrace. Well, that's Mediterranean underbrush for you.
The morning dew was heavy on everything when I started out. This made the stones in the path very slippery. It took me a while to get the hang of them and I was extra careful with my foot placement after that. Can't be too careful when you're all alone.
I had lunch on a lovely set of limestone slabs that angled down to the mirror-like water of a small bay. Off to my left was a set of 3 small islands. Peaceful, quiet, and puffy white clouds billowed up on the horizon. I thought back to my week of swimming in the Adriatic and considered stripping down for a dip. This thought was driven from my mind as a breeze sprang up and I realized that I'd have to dry out using the breeze only while sitting in the shade. So, I just savored the view.
As he sun was starting to kiss the western horizon I walked back into Pomena ahead of the time I needed to catch the ferry back to Korcula. I found a spot on a shady pier, watched the fish, and nibbled some food while a band set up at the other end of the waterfront promenade. Without direct sun the temperature dropped so I wandered back to the other end of the promenade to catch a last few rays before my boat arrived.
Then it was back on the ferry for the 30 minute ride to Korcula. Tomorrow I leave the islands and my walking trip when I travel to Dubrovnik for my last few days here before meeting up with Janet in Madrid.
Highlight video
Korcula Island - Peljesac
Korcula - Peljesac (10/18)
Today was a move along day.
Another island transfer, this time to Korcula. I had plenty of time for breakfast and to get packed, although I forgot my delicious Croatian prsut (prosciutto) in the room fridge. I was so looking forward to having some with my lunch today.
Ah, the transfer to Korcula was only the first. Upon arrival I was picked up by a taxi and taken to my hotel where I dropped off my big pack, finished preparing my day-pack, and was transported to my second ferry. This one took me to Orebic which is actually on the Croatian mainland.
From the ferry I almost immediately headed uphill for a hike up Peljesac whose summit is at about 980m elevation. My start time was probably around 9AM.
This was far and away the most challenging hike yet on this trip. It was steep both up and down in many spots and with sections of rough rock and slippery gravel. Starting out it was hot and muggy and I was soon drenched in sweat. Almost immediately I felt a sense of being alone as I trudged up and up and up...
At one point I came to a memorial plaque for someone who had been killed here (I assume) and must have been distracted because I lost the trail at that point. It was not a good place to lose the trail as the terrain was quite steep for a LONG way down and it was treacherous scree. I wandered about a bit looking for the trail markers but didn't see them. As I moved carefully toward easier terrain I spotted the foot worn track below me and gradually worked my way over to it.
That was a relief as I kept hearing a clock ticking away in my head with the 6PM time to catch my ferry back to Korcula occupying too much of my attention.
After exiting the steep section I traversed a beautiful high meadow to a small chapel built way up on the mountain. From here it was about .75km of open alpine terrain, mostly sharp limestone rock and heather. Right at the summit was a small cross and 2 horses, one of whom came right over to me.
Now you have to realize I'm not much of a horse person. I don't trust them and I'm afraid of them. This one was so aggressive it must be getting fed by people walking up there. The other horse pretty much ignored me. I'd walked around horse #1 to get to the summit and as I was taking pictures it turned and walked right up to me. I petted its soft horse nose to show it I had no food, turned back downhill, and walked back to the chapel where I found a nice bench and ate some food.
Then it was downhill for 8km or so and 980m of elevation loss.
By the time I was halfway down I realized that I was getting very tired from both the walking and from needing to pay attention to my footing all the time. I was very glad when the trail came out onto the road and I could collapse my trekking poles and just walk along. Oh, joy! I got back to Orebic with time to visit a bakery and Studenac (supermarket) to get some snacks for tomorrow. And, I still had time to sit on a bench at the ferry terminal and have 500mL of chocolate milk and a banana before riding back to Korcula.
I really felt like I was out in the mountains today; it took my breath away at times. And the views of the Adriatic and the Southern Dalmatian Islands was pretty terrific too.
Tomorrow, Mljet Island and a national park.
Highlight video
Today was a move along day.
Another island transfer, this time to Korcula. I had plenty of time for breakfast and to get packed, although I forgot my delicious Croatian prsut (prosciutto) in the room fridge. I was so looking forward to having some with my lunch today.
Ah, the transfer to Korcula was only the first. Upon arrival I was picked up by a taxi and taken to my hotel where I dropped off my big pack, finished preparing my day-pack, and was transported to my second ferry. This one took me to Orebic which is actually on the Croatian mainland.
From the ferry I almost immediately headed uphill for a hike up Peljesac whose summit is at about 980m elevation. My start time was probably around 9AM.
This was far and away the most challenging hike yet on this trip. It was steep both up and down in many spots and with sections of rough rock and slippery gravel. Starting out it was hot and muggy and I was soon drenched in sweat. Almost immediately I felt a sense of being alone as I trudged up and up and up...
At one point I came to a memorial plaque for someone who had been killed here (I assume) and must have been distracted because I lost the trail at that point. It was not a good place to lose the trail as the terrain was quite steep for a LONG way down and it was treacherous scree. I wandered about a bit looking for the trail markers but didn't see them. As I moved carefully toward easier terrain I spotted the foot worn track below me and gradually worked my way over to it.
That was a relief as I kept hearing a clock ticking away in my head with the 6PM time to catch my ferry back to Korcula occupying too much of my attention.
After exiting the steep section I traversed a beautiful high meadow to a small chapel built way up on the mountain. From here it was about .75km of open alpine terrain, mostly sharp limestone rock and heather. Right at the summit was a small cross and 2 horses, one of whom came right over to me.
Now you have to realize I'm not much of a horse person. I don't trust them and I'm afraid of them. This one was so aggressive it must be getting fed by people walking up there. The other horse pretty much ignored me. I'd walked around horse #1 to get to the summit and as I was taking pictures it turned and walked right up to me. I petted its soft horse nose to show it I had no food, turned back downhill, and walked back to the chapel where I found a nice bench and ate some food.
Then it was downhill for 8km or so and 980m of elevation loss.
By the time I was halfway down I realized that I was getting very tired from both the walking and from needing to pay attention to my footing all the time. I was very glad when the trail came out onto the road and I could collapse my trekking poles and just walk along. Oh, joy! I got back to Orebic with time to visit a bakery and Studenac (supermarket) to get some snacks for tomorrow. And, I still had time to sit on a bench at the ferry terminal and have 500mL of chocolate milk and a banana before riding back to Korcula.
I really felt like I was out in the mountains today; it took my breath away at times. And the views of the Adriatic and the Southern Dalmatian Islands was pretty terrific too.
Tomorrow, Mljet Island and a national park.
Highlight video
Hvar Island, Brusja to Dubovica
Hvar Island, Brusja to Dubovica (10/17)
Today's walk was book-ended by taxi rides: a ride to get me to starting point and another ride to transport me back to Hvar when I was finished. This was a point-to-point walk and the ending point was about 10km or so from Hvar Town.
Another muggy day, with a lot of dew on everything at my starting point, the village of Brusja. There was still residual fog in the air as well, so somewhat hazy for the first 30 minutes or so.
My taxi driver told me on the way up that the route was marked with (now familiar) red and white painted route indicators, sometimes a bulls-eye like circle, other times stripes, and sometimes L-shaped to indicate a turn.
After only a couple hundred meters of walking I was off pavement and onto graveled roads. These were sometimes rough, but generally very walk-able. There's a lot more agriculture on Hvar than on Brac so I spent a lot of time walking between small groves of olive trees and the occasional vineyard.
Today I came to realize 2 very interesting things. First, olive trees must be pretty tough. They grow here, where there's very little rainfall, most of which comes in just a few months in the winter and the soil is very thin. I've seen olive trees growing out of a pile rocks!
Second, there's the rocks. Everywhere on all the island the rocks are piled up or fashioned into stone walls. This started 900 years or so ago when people first settled the islands which were covered in stones. In order to clear some space to grow grass for sheep or to plant olive trees or grapes, the people cleared away the stones. I have a hard time wrapping my head around that: all manual labor to clear the stones. The big ones were broken up into small ones, again all by hand.
My cab driver on Brac said that a man might work for a year to clear the stones from 45 square meters of land! Think about that, an area 7 meters by 7 meters, taking a year to clear. Over time, more and more stones were cleared so that now the piles and walls are everywhere.
Tough people and tough trees.
OK, back to my walk.
My route was generally downhill to the sea, with the occasional up hill to keep my attention. I passed by a couple of rural villages, now mostly abandoned (Malo Grablje and Zarace) and both historical/cultural sites for Croatia.
I did have to walk on the shoulder of a busy road for 1.5km or so, before my final descent into Dubovica. Since I arrived ahead of my expected time, I found a spot in the shade, read for a time, then took a nap before walking back up the hill to my pick-up location.
Today I had mountains, farms, and sea shore; a good day. Tomorrow I'm off to Korcula Island for my last couple days' of walking.
Highlight video
Today's walk was book-ended by taxi rides: a ride to get me to starting point and another ride to transport me back to Hvar when I was finished. This was a point-to-point walk and the ending point was about 10km or so from Hvar Town.
Another muggy day, with a lot of dew on everything at my starting point, the village of Brusja. There was still residual fog in the air as well, so somewhat hazy for the first 30 minutes or so.
My taxi driver told me on the way up that the route was marked with (now familiar) red and white painted route indicators, sometimes a bulls-eye like circle, other times stripes, and sometimes L-shaped to indicate a turn.
After only a couple hundred meters of walking I was off pavement and onto graveled roads. These were sometimes rough, but generally very walk-able. There's a lot more agriculture on Hvar than on Brac so I spent a lot of time walking between small groves of olive trees and the occasional vineyard.
Today I came to realize 2 very interesting things. First, olive trees must be pretty tough. They grow here, where there's very little rainfall, most of which comes in just a few months in the winter and the soil is very thin. I've seen olive trees growing out of a pile rocks!
Second, there's the rocks. Everywhere on all the island the rocks are piled up or fashioned into stone walls. This started 900 years or so ago when people first settled the islands which were covered in stones. In order to clear some space to grow grass for sheep or to plant olive trees or grapes, the people cleared away the stones. I have a hard time wrapping my head around that: all manual labor to clear the stones. The big ones were broken up into small ones, again all by hand.
My cab driver on Brac said that a man might work for a year to clear the stones from 45 square meters of land! Think about that, an area 7 meters by 7 meters, taking a year to clear. Over time, more and more stones were cleared so that now the piles and walls are everywhere.
Tough people and tough trees.
OK, back to my walk.
My route was generally downhill to the sea, with the occasional up hill to keep my attention. I passed by a couple of rural villages, now mostly abandoned (Malo Grablje and Zarace) and both historical/cultural sites for Croatia.
I did have to walk on the shoulder of a busy road for 1.5km or so, before my final descent into Dubovica. Since I arrived ahead of my expected time, I found a spot in the shade, read for a time, then took a nap before walking back up the hill to my pick-up location.
Today I had mountains, farms, and sea shore; a good day. Tomorrow I'm off to Korcula Island for my last couple days' of walking.
Highlight video
Hvar Island Coast
Hvar Island Coast Walk (10/16)
I was a bit disappointed at the start of today's walk as it took me first along the (paved) waterfront promenade, then onto the shoulder of a road next to the sea. But in about 3km the road dead-ended and I was on a delightful track that followed the shore.
What did I see?
Scads of wild rosemary, all in bloom. Small bays with flat, water washed limestone rocks so white that it made your eyes hurt. And, of course, crashing waves and more crashing waves. Last night was windy, with the wind coming out of the south and driving the surf up onto the rocky shore. Of course this created some spectacular waves and spumes of water. And the shore had a wild sense to it.
And, since the day was warm and muggy, the wind coming in off the ocean was very pleasant.
At about 7km I left to shore to follow a rocky dirt road through vineyards and olive groves almost back to Hvar Town, up and over a hill.
Just on the edge of Hvar I had a great view of the stone fortress that dominates the hill above Hvar and could see the wall that extends from the fortress down to the town and still surrounds some of the buildings.
To finish off the day I changed into my swim suit and took a dip in the sea, launching from the beach that's just down hill from my hotel.
Highlight video
I was a bit disappointed at the start of today's walk as it took me first along the (paved) waterfront promenade, then onto the shoulder of a road next to the sea. But in about 3km the road dead-ended and I was on a delightful track that followed the shore.
What did I see?
Scads of wild rosemary, all in bloom. Small bays with flat, water washed limestone rocks so white that it made your eyes hurt. And, of course, crashing waves and more crashing waves. Last night was windy, with the wind coming out of the south and driving the surf up onto the rocky shore. Of course this created some spectacular waves and spumes of water. And the shore had a wild sense to it.
And, since the day was warm and muggy, the wind coming in off the ocean was very pleasant.
At about 7km I left to shore to follow a rocky dirt road through vineyards and olive groves almost back to Hvar Town, up and over a hill.
Just on the edge of Hvar I had a great view of the stone fortress that dominates the hill above Hvar and could see the wall that extends from the fortress down to the town and still surrounds some of the buildings.
To finish off the day I changed into my swim suit and took a dip in the sea, launching from the beach that's just down hill from my hotel.
Highlight video
Brac Island
Brac Island (10/15)
Today's adventure started with a catamaran ride from Split to Milna on the island of Brac. Then a cab ride to Bol to my hotel where I arrived at about 9:30 AM to find that my room was ready for me! Yahoo! I dropped off my big pack, got my day pack ready, and headed to to hike to the summit of Vidova Gora. Fun fact: my driver on the ride from Milna said that marble used for the white house came from Brac. At least one internet source asserts the same, so it must be true...
I only got lost once on the way to the trail head; not bad for me. It's always a challenge for me to navigate unfamiliar streets and the directions I had to the trail head were not the most explicit. Anyway, I realized the error of my ways, made a correction, and continued upward.
The summit of Vidova Gora is at about 750m and, you do the math on elevation gain, with a sea level start. It was pretty steady up to the ridge crest, then almost flat for about 1km to the actual summit. Fantastic views!
This is limestone country so the trail surface was either smallish limestone rocks (up to 3cm or so) or cobbles from found in place rocks. The cobbles were really rough, let me tell you, and I tried to step from smooth to smooth on the way down, just to make it easier on my feet.
Pretty much all the trail section was in a forest of small pine trees with some kind of heather-looking plant in bloom along the sides of the trail. And were the bees a-buzzing in the heather. There was a pretty constant hum as I walked along. Much of the trail was on a south-facing slope so the occasional shade was very welcome.
The summit could almost be reached by car from the other direction, so there was quite a number of people lounging about and enjoying the view and the breeze, even some cyclists.
Tonight I walked around the hotel a bit, just to check it out, as it's a bit above my normal hotel pay grade. The guests never need to go outside the confines of the building with all kinds of facilities here, include a double kidney-shaped infinity pool! My, oh, my.
Well, a little dinner for me, then study my route for tomorrow: boat to another island, then 2 days before I move again.
Highlight video
Today's adventure started with a catamaran ride from Split to Milna on the island of Brac. Then a cab ride to Bol to my hotel where I arrived at about 9:30 AM to find that my room was ready for me! Yahoo! I dropped off my big pack, got my day pack ready, and headed to to hike to the summit of Vidova Gora. Fun fact: my driver on the ride from Milna said that marble used for the white house came from Brac. At least one internet source asserts the same, so it must be true...
I only got lost once on the way to the trail head; not bad for me. It's always a challenge for me to navigate unfamiliar streets and the directions I had to the trail head were not the most explicit. Anyway, I realized the error of my ways, made a correction, and continued upward.
The summit of Vidova Gora is at about 750m and, you do the math on elevation gain, with a sea level start. It was pretty steady up to the ridge crest, then almost flat for about 1km to the actual summit. Fantastic views!
This is limestone country so the trail surface was either smallish limestone rocks (up to 3cm or so) or cobbles from found in place rocks. The cobbles were really rough, let me tell you, and I tried to step from smooth to smooth on the way down, just to make it easier on my feet.
Pretty much all the trail section was in a forest of small pine trees with some kind of heather-looking plant in bloom along the sides of the trail. And were the bees a-buzzing in the heather. There was a pretty constant hum as I walked along. Much of the trail was on a south-facing slope so the occasional shade was very welcome.
The summit could almost be reached by car from the other direction, so there was quite a number of people lounging about and enjoying the view and the breeze, even some cyclists.
Tonight I walked around the hotel a bit, just to check it out, as it's a bit above my normal hotel pay grade. The guests never need to go outside the confines of the building with all kinds of facilities here, include a double kidney-shaped infinity pool! My, oh, my.
Well, a little dinner for me, then study my route for tomorrow: boat to another island, then 2 days before I move again.
Highlight video
Last Day in Split
Last Day in Split (10/14)
Today I met with the local representative of my walking tour company (The Natural Adventure Company) and got all the materials for my walking adventure, which begins tomorrow. These materials included a booklet detailing information about each day, maps, vouchers, and passes. A lot of stuff to keep track of!
In addition, I visited the Cathedral of Saint Dominus, contained within the confines of the Diocletian Palace. What a magnificent building! The original structure was built by the emperor Diocletius in the 3rd century AD then expanded and converted to a Catholic cathedral in the 7th century. Wikipedia asserts that it's the oldest Catholic cathedral in the world that remains in use.
Normally I don't like to visit churches but the wealth, design, and craftsmanship that this building demonstrates is just astounding.
In the afternoon I walked along the shore to the beach/swim area that I'd spotted yesterday and had a quick dip in the sea, probably my last sea swim while here. It was interesting to see the sidewalk near the west end of the Riva that is emblazoned with brass plaques commemorating Croatian Olympic medalists.
Tomorrow I catch a 7:40 catamaran ride that will take me to the island of Brac and my first walk, this one to the highest point in the southern Dalmatians. If it's a clear day I should be able to see from Italy to the Croatian mountains.
Highlight video
Today I met with the local representative of my walking tour company (The Natural Adventure Company) and got all the materials for my walking adventure, which begins tomorrow. These materials included a booklet detailing information about each day, maps, vouchers, and passes. A lot of stuff to keep track of!
In addition, I visited the Cathedral of Saint Dominus, contained within the confines of the Diocletian Palace. What a magnificent building! The original structure was built by the emperor Diocletius in the 3rd century AD then expanded and converted to a Catholic cathedral in the 7th century. Wikipedia asserts that it's the oldest Catholic cathedral in the world that remains in use.
Normally I don't like to visit churches but the wealth, design, and craftsmanship that this building demonstrates is just astounding.
In the afternoon I walked along the shore to the beach/swim area that I'd spotted yesterday and had a quick dip in the sea, probably my last sea swim while here. It was interesting to see the sidewalk near the west end of the Riva that is emblazoned with brass plaques commemorating Croatian Olympic medalists.
Tomorrow I catch a 7:40 catamaran ride that will take me to the island of Brac and my first walk, this one to the highest point in the southern Dalmatians. If it's a clear day I should be able to see from Italy to the Croatian mountains.
Highlight video
Split & Game of Thrones
Split & Game of Thrones
I got to Split yesterday afternoon and after some stressful time I made contact with the manager for the apartment where I'll be staying the next few days. It's lucky for me that so many people speak English here! The building for my room fronts right on the Riva, a promenade along the waterfront portion of Split Old City. This whole area is filled with shops and restaurants, and, even in October there are many visitors.
The harbor is filled with both cruise and tour boats. Not what I had expected, but still kind of exciting. Tonight there is some kind of rock-n-roll stage just outside my front door with bands performing. I'm glad that my room is to the back of the building so that when I want to sleep I will be protected from some of the loud sound.
Today was my Game of Thrones tour. It was a small group, only about 10 or so people so we could be close to our guide, a very enthusiastic and informed GoT fan! He had a notebook prepared with still shots from GoT that he could display as we visited key locations and see how imagination and computer generated imagery combined to create the fantasy of the show.
First stop was the Fortress Kris which was the location for much of the city of Meereen. It was a good distance out of the city and located atop a precipitous hill overlooking Split, the harbor, and the islands. I enjoyed being taken back to he GoT scenes through his descriptions and pictures. In the museum which displayed arms from various periods of Croatian history I immediately stepped forward when there was a chance to don an 'Unsullied' outfit: greaves, shield, helmet, and spear.
Second stop was the Diocletian Palace, first built about 450AD by the Roman emporer Diocletius. It has since gone through numerous changes and modifications including a conversion of the Temple of Jupiter to a Christian church and control by both Muslims and Venetians. The last significant building occurred in the 1400s. Today some of the buildings have apartments and people live there.
We saw several interior locations for GoT including the dungeon where Danaerys kept her dragons.
This was a very full day for me, shuffling about on hard surfaces and my feet were aching by the end. I even took a 2-hour nap in between delivering and picking up my laundry.
Highlight video
I got to Split yesterday afternoon and after some stressful time I made contact with the manager for the apartment where I'll be staying the next few days. It's lucky for me that so many people speak English here! The building for my room fronts right on the Riva, a promenade along the waterfront portion of Split Old City. This whole area is filled with shops and restaurants, and, even in October there are many visitors.
The harbor is filled with both cruise and tour boats. Not what I had expected, but still kind of exciting. Tonight there is some kind of rock-n-roll stage just outside my front door with bands performing. I'm glad that my room is to the back of the building so that when I want to sleep I will be protected from some of the loud sound.
Today was my Game of Thrones tour. It was a small group, only about 10 or so people so we could be close to our guide, a very enthusiastic and informed GoT fan! He had a notebook prepared with still shots from GoT that he could display as we visited key locations and see how imagination and computer generated imagery combined to create the fantasy of the show.
First stop was the Fortress Kris which was the location for much of the city of Meereen. It was a good distance out of the city and located atop a precipitous hill overlooking Split, the harbor, and the islands. I enjoyed being taken back to he GoT scenes through his descriptions and pictures. In the museum which displayed arms from various periods of Croatian history I immediately stepped forward when there was a chance to don an 'Unsullied' outfit: greaves, shield, helmet, and spear.
Second stop was the Diocletian Palace, first built about 450AD by the Roman emporer Diocletius. It has since gone through numerous changes and modifications including a conversion of the Temple of Jupiter to a Christian church and control by both Muslims and Venetians. The last significant building occurred in the 1400s. Today some of the buildings have apartments and people live there.
We saw several interior locations for GoT including the dungeon where Danaerys kept her dragons.
This was a very full day for me, shuffling about on hard surfaces and my feet were aching by the end. I even took a 2-hour nap in between delivering and picking up my laundry.
Highlight video
The Last SwimTrek Day
SwimTrek, The Last Day
Not much swimming today.
Today was probably the best weather day of our trip and we were all leaving for the real world or other adventures. It was windless, the water was calm, the air was warm.
We met at the swim beach, 6:40 AM, to swim toward the imminently rising sun with a goal to see the sun come up over the mountains. I chose to swim only in my Speedo as I didn't want to have to deal with packing up a bunch of wet swim togs. Since it was short, I thought that I would survive.
The water was manageable getting in and felt just fine swimming.
Our group stayed together on the way out and we stopped for group photos partway. Our guide Simon swam underwater to the bottom and took pictures of us linked hand-to-hand in a circle, first with feet pointed to the bottom then with feet pointed outward on the surface, like the petals of a flower. I finally saw an octopus on the way back. Very cool.
After a hot shower, a bit of deep shivering, and breakfast, I packed and headed out for a last Prvic walk, another chance to wander the middle of the island. Today's heat brought out the bees in their hundreds as large groups of them worked several flowered plants that I saw.
Now I'm in Split for several days. Tomorrow is a Game of Thrones tour, then a couple days of exploration before I set out on my walking journey through the Dalmatian Islands to Dubrovnik.
It's a real zoo here! Cruise boats in the harbor, the waterfront is thronged with visitors, and the tiny little streets are lined with shops selling all manner of goods. Not what I expected at a World Heritage site. At least cars aren't allowed here.
Highlight video
Not much swimming today.
Today was probably the best weather day of our trip and we were all leaving for the real world or other adventures. It was windless, the water was calm, the air was warm.
We met at the swim beach, 6:40 AM, to swim toward the imminently rising sun with a goal to see the sun come up over the mountains. I chose to swim only in my Speedo as I didn't want to have to deal with packing up a bunch of wet swim togs. Since it was short, I thought that I would survive.
The water was manageable getting in and felt just fine swimming.
Our group stayed together on the way out and we stopped for group photos partway. Our guide Simon swam underwater to the bottom and took pictures of us linked hand-to-hand in a circle, first with feet pointed to the bottom then with feet pointed outward on the surface, like the petals of a flower. I finally saw an octopus on the way back. Very cool.
After a hot shower, a bit of deep shivering, and breakfast, I packed and headed out for a last Prvic walk, another chance to wander the middle of the island. Today's heat brought out the bees in their hundreds as large groups of them worked several flowered plants that I saw.
Now I'm in Split for several days. Tomorrow is a Game of Thrones tour, then a couple days of exploration before I set out on my walking journey through the Dalmatian Islands to Dubrovnik.
It's a real zoo here! Cruise boats in the harbor, the waterfront is thronged with visitors, and the tiny little streets are lined with shops selling all manner of goods. Not what I expected at a World Heritage site. At least cars aren't allowed here.
Highlight video
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