Zugspitze – climbing Germany’s highest mountain

First of all, let me make this very clear – if you are not an experienced hiker/ backpacker that is comfortable walking on narrow paths/ scree/ snow with sheer dropoffs you HAVE NO BUSINESS ATTEMPTING THIS HIKE. (Seriously….just take the cable car 😉 )

I just want to put this out there, because while it might seem doable and fun, there are fatal accidents every year and let me say this again, this hike IS NO JOKE.

Alright, with fair warning to not take this on if you don’t feel fully capable, here’s my summit story:

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Bergamo – Lombardy, Italy at its finest

What is the essence of travel? Is it to relentlessly run around, trying to tick boxes on a previously produced and researched to-do list? Or is it being present in the moment, drifting from one state of being to the next, immersing yourself in the experience? I was pondering this exact question while sitting in my room in Bergamo, Italy, halfway into my second day there. I felt the pressure to go out again, see some more things, do the stuff I had set out to do and finish that stupid list I had compiled….instead, I lay down for a nap. But I am getting ahead of myself, let’s start at the beginning of this trip…

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R2R2R – Day 3

My feet are tingling, going numb at times, and then itching again, all through the night. my calves are THROBBING. But other than that I sleep well, in intervals, with a soft breeze blowing through, at times too hot, and then cuddling with my puffy new quilt (which I absolutely ADORE). I did not set an alarm, waking up naturally with the sunlight, at around 6 am. Continue reading “R2R2R – Day 3”

R2R2R – Day 2

Being back on my sleeping pad, with a constant breeze around me, and the night sounds about, really messed up my sleep pattern. But I woke up relatively fresh at 5:30am and my feet were feeling surprisingly good.

Breakfast was oatmeal with dehydrated peaches and mango, which was alright, until I added powdered peanut butter…..and then breakfast was sublime…yum.

I headed out around 6:30 and the first 1.4 miles to the water faucet went by very quickly. Continue reading “R2R2R – Day 2”

R2R2R – Day 1

I really didn’t sleep well last night, woke up constantly…so by the time it was 4 am I got up to get going, even though my alarm was set for 4:30….ah well.

It was FREEZING outside, so I got to waer my fire-hydrant-red new puffy jacket 😀 . The drive up to the canyon wa uneventful and I found a parking spot at Bright Angel Lodge immediately. Since I’ll be coming out at the Bright Angel Trailhead (next to the lodge and therefore the parking lot) that worked out perfectly.

There’s a special hiker shuttle bus that takes us crazy people directly to the South Kaibab trailhead. And along with about 70 other people I got on the bus excitedly for the first view of the canyon.

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reveles romanum – 3

Tuesday, 6 March 2018

I woke up pretty refreshed and had the rest of yesterday’s grocery shopping for breakfast. It was POURING outside, not just a drizzle like it was yesterday, but full-on torrents of rain. But oh well, whatcha gonna do….I headed out anyway. I took the bus to the remains of the Caracalla thermal baths and tried to find the entrance. I walked all around the site, but just couldn’t find an entrance….

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reveles romanum – 2

Monday, 5 March 2018

The day started with a free walking tour, something I usually take advantage of wherever possible. It’s a great way to get a feel for a city, a nice introduction and overview. Most times, the guides are great and I don’t mind paying them a tip at the end of the tour, instead of a fixed sum pre-tour.

And if the guide really isn’t living up to your expectation, or the tour is too long/ boring/ strenuous for you, you don’t have to feel bad for leaving in the middle, because…..you haven’t spent any money for it.

This time, I used Continue reading “reveles romanum – 2”