Two days as Jane in Laos
Our guide Lo started awkwardly introducing himself on the ride to Paksong. He sounded a bit like a robot, coming through in pieces, as if I had a bad Skype connection. As it turned out, this was just his style of talking and had nothing to do with nerves. He…
Karlštejn: the king’s jewelry box
Prague’s a beautiful city, but after several visits, I felt the need to explore somewhere further out. I found a castle in the small town of Karlštejn, South West of Prague, that looked like an interesting place for a day trip. After an enjoyable train ride of just under an…
Ramblings to ease the mind
Germany has extended the lockdown… again. It seems like Easter will be extra strict this year and even though we had an Easter in lockdown last year, this year seems so much worse. Things aren’t getting better, the government invents inefficient rules left and right, the vaccination program goes so…
Back when we should have known
It seems like forever ago. I was working in tourism and was slightly overwhelmed with my travel schedule, only being home about 50% of the time. How times have changed… Since my brilliant 6 weeks in Portugal I haven’t even visited another city! It’s been one year and almost 2…
A quick introduction to the Tegeler Fließ
A winter walk on a sunny day only leaves you craving more. When covid started I bought myself a fitness tracker and said I’d do at least 10.000 steps every day. Since then I’ve only had 4 days where I didn’t achieve my goal. During summer it was easy. The…
The end of an unexpected journey
Finishing my Portuguese Camino in Coimbra The sunshine filled my body with an instant happiness. It only added to the great experience I’d had in the pilgrim’s hostel in Rabaçal and the fact that this was my 8th day of walking and I would have a break after arrival in…
A true camino experience in rural Portugal
The camino from Alvaiázere to Rabaçal It was really lovely that the hotel in Alvaiázere had accommodated myself and another pilgrim in a house, but it was absolutely freezing inside and therefore I didn’t actually sleep that much. Every time I turned over in my bed I felt the cold…
A visit to the Roman city of Conímbriga
Diving into Portugal’s Roman heritage The Romans entered Portugal in the third century BC. During the approximately 700 years under Roman rule, many new towns were founded, some of which you can still visit today. Others had been vacated and forgotten, until someone dug up the ruins. Conímbriga, situated about…
A race against the clock
On the Caminho from Tomar to Alvaiázere After five days of walking it was so nice to take a day off. I made myself comfortable in the hostel and started the day slowly. There was plenty of time in the afternoon to explore the sights. I sat on my bed,…
Farmland and heritage: Golegã to Tomar
My fifth day on the Camino Portugues. My soggy shoes stood in front of me. I was ready to go, but dreaded putting them on. It reminded me of the miserable walk yesterday. As I put my feet in, I slowly felt the water seeping into my socks, millimeter by…