The climb to Lake Blanche had been on my list for a long time, but as I stepped out of the car yesterday, June 27th, at the trailhead in Big Cottonwood Canyon, I had no idea how deeply this hike would burn into my bones. The air smelled of fresh pine forest and damp earth. […]
Lake Blanche: The Red Staircase of the Wasatch Mountains Read More »
Day 1: March 2, 2024 – Roman Echoes, Modernism, and the Endless Blue It is the warm, honey-yellow glow of the sandstone that first captures me as I enter the historic upper city, the Part Alta, on this early March afternoon. Tarragona does not keep its millennia-old history hidden away in dusty display cases; it
Tarragona – The Stone Heart by the Sea Read More »
September 11th 2022 The morning in Bordeaux begins with a light that bathes the entire city in a warm, honey-colored glow. Strolling through the streets, one immediately understands why Victor Hugo once remarked that combining Versailles and Antwerp would yield Bordeaux. The city breathes history, yet it does so with a youthful lightness, carried by
A Summer Day in the Stone Heart of Bordeaux Read More »
February 29/Mach 1st 2024 The path finally leads away from the metropolises, deep into the gentle landscape of the Rhône Valley. Leaving Lyon behind and following the course of the river southward, you reach the picturesque town of Tournon-sur-Rhône. Here, the view opens up, breathing the tranquility of the province. Along the banks of the
From River to Fortress: A Journey Through the Rhône Valley and the Pyrenees Read More »
August 29th 2022 The morning in Lyon begins with an unceasing interplay of light and stone. Approaching the city, a mighty, almost unearthly white palace of devotion draws every gaze: the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière thrones high atop its hill, as if watching over the earthly bustle of the city below. In the daylight,
Lyon Along the Rhône – A Walk Through the Centuries Read More »
Septemberte 10th 2022 The wind tastes of salt, and the road hugs the cliffs so tightly that the Atlantic spray almost touches the windshield. My roadtrip along the Basque coast is a journey of contrasts. On the way from Bilbao to San Sebastián, the Basque Country reveals its untamed, wild side. Nature rules here with
San Sebastian – Where the Ocean Meets the Belle Époque Read More »
September 9th 2022 The morning in Bilbao begins with a very special light. As I open the window, the cool, clean air of the Basque Country sweeps in to greet me. The city, affectionately called “El Botxo” – the hole or the hollow – by locals, lies nestled within a deep, narrow valley. It is
Awakening in the Green Heart of Bilbao Read More »
September 8th 2022 When I open my eyes this morning, a completely different world welcomes me than maritime Bilbao. Pamplona, the historic capital of Navarre, rests proudly on a rocky plateau high above the Arga River. The air here is noticeably drier, carried by a touch of mountain wind blowing over from the nearby foothills
Pamplona – A Path of Stone and History Read More »
September 3, 2022 The morning begins with the comforting hum of the engine as I turn off from Adrall onto the C-14, setting a course southward. The road follows the wide path of the Segre River, which snakes like a silver ribbon through the valley. After just a few kilometers, the face of the landscape
From Montferrer to Torla-Ordesa Read More »
Pyrenees panorama: On the N-260 through historic Catalonia Day 1: Through the Stone Heart of the Pre-Pyrenees The morning air in Camprodon is still cool and fresh over the valley as the first rays of sun touch the dense, wooded slopes of the Pyrenees. The gentle murmur of the Ter River accompanies every step through
From Camprodon to Montferrer Read More »
