En un lugar de La Mancha, de cuyo nombre no quiero acordarme, I came to a small country inn, looking for a place to sleep and a bite to eat. After a hearty lunch of grilled sausage liberally irrigated with local red wine I fell in easy conversation with the long-faced, skinny bar wench, to whom I posed the question about what was to be seen in the town. After stating bluntly that the only thing worth seeing in the tiny town was herself, she mentioned the stone tower, the old chapel down the road, and el pantano (the swamp), pointing vaguely to the valley that separated the town from some very interesting cliffs. Being a geologist I felt it my duty to go explore the geology of the place, which from the distance looked to be a very thick sequence of red beds (a molasse deposit in olde geologic parlance). So I headed down to the valley, humming a tune, and pretty soon I ran into a barbed-wire fence and a curtain of brambles that dared separate me from the cliffs beyond. In my best trespasser form I ducked under the barbed wire, and sacrificing a few tears to my nice shirt I made it to the puny little creek, which I jumped with a simple stride. A swamp, indeed!
Monday, April 29, 2024
El Pantano
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
Italia 2023. Day 29 - The perfect tourist experience in Venice. The last day.
I hate it when the weather forecast is correct. They had forecasted a 20% chance of rain by 10 am, and it arrived like clockwork. Fortunately I was carrying my umbrella with me, so besides slightly damp feet I was able to ignore the inclement weather.
Italia 2023. Day 28 - Venice, the Pearl of the Adriatic
Italia 2023. Day 27 - Trieste, the Vienna of the Adriatic
I am back in Italy! When I got out of the basement hostel in Ljubljana I heard the sound of water on the street. Oh, no! Yes, it had rained during the night, but at least for now the clouds were holding, and when I arrived in Trieste, Italy, the sky was overcast but not menacing. Let's see how long my good luck holds.
Italia 2023 (and Slovenia). Day 26 - Ljubljana (day 2)
Oh, sadness. Yesterday was a pretty, sunny day, but today it is overcast and bitterly cold. I thought I would get a walk in the great outdoors out of the way, so I headed for the Tivoli park, which merges with the mountain forest to provide tens of miles of walking paths to dog walkers. Slovenians, like Germans, dote on their dogs and you see all sorts of people walking their dogs, or bringing them into the shops and restaurants. Some even carry a little cushion or padded blanket so Fido does not have to lay on the cold floor. And just to avoid any confusion, Tivoli Park in Ljubljana should not be confused with the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen.
Italia 2023 (and Slovenia). Day 25 - Ljubljana
Another easy ride with Flixbus and I entered Slovenia (even though Croatia and Slovenia are members of the EU we had to go through border passport check and customs, which is weird). The landscape has changed somehow, from craggy mountains and dense forest to a more genteel landscape of grass-covered hills with small quaint towns scattered over the slopes. Feels more like Germany than Hungary.
Italia 2023 (and Croatia). Day 24 - Zagreb (day 2)
Today was a good, active day, although it was cold. Particularly on corridors, or stepping out of a room, the sudden cold wind penetrated to the bone.