Travel Plans for 2021

Now that we are getting our freedom back, we can finally reveal our travel plans for this year. Here we go!

Some days in the Natural Park of Cabo de Gata

Remember this? This time we are not going to restrict ourselves to just one day of exploring this huge area. And we will be better prepared! That way we can explore this nature park a lot better and write better posts about it as well.

Return to Denmark

The last time we were in the Viking’s fatherland is 5 years ago, so another visit has been long overdue. I am not sure what exactly we are going to visit, but I am very sure we are going to see those fellows above again!

A visit to the Camargue

This has been on my bucket list for many years now. This natural region is known for its wild horses, bulls and flamingos. These animals are the main reason I want to visit it, especially the famous grey-white horses.

A Day-trip to Tabernas

This town in the province of Almeria is known for its desert. A lot of spaghetti westerns and movies like Lawrence of Arabia were made here. We have been here before, but as you can see from the picture the weather circumstances were far from ideal. We also need to be closer to the desert and make sure we don’t get lost in the surrounding mountains again. And some neighboring towns and villages are worth a second look!

A long weekend in the Sierra de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas

Another natural area – mostly in the province of Jaen – that needs a lot of research and exploring.

Nosing Around in the South of France

We are not quite sure yet how we will organize ourselves here.

And then there are numerous day-trips and excursions (Costa Tropical, picnic at some reservoirs, the Pico de Veleta, Guadix, Sierra de Baza) that we have in mind.

In short, it’s going to be an interesting year!

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5 Places in Malaga Close to Our Heart

Before we settled in the province of Granada, we lived in the neighboring province of Malaga. Lars and I were very happy there, in our whitewashed house, with its rooftop terrace where we had many BBQs… Unfortunately, after some time, we were confronted with some severe humidity problems. And since Lars tends to be asthmatic, we had to move house. Why the Viking and I ended up in Iznalloz, that’s for another article…

During those 6 months in Malaga, we had enough time to do some exploring. To be honest, in the beginning, we didn’t do a lot of sightseeing, because we had to get used to a very different life in a new country. But after some time, the travelers in us became restless. And we have to admit that there were places that soon became favorites. Here are 5 of them!

Cómpeta

What is more interesting than a white village? Very simple: a white village that produces its own wine! We visited Cómpeta on numerous occasions, and not only for sightseeing purposes… It was pure joy to sit at one of the bars at the central square and sip a glass of white or red local wine. And have a tapa, of course! By the way, I took the following picture in the month of November when it was still warm enough to sit outside and enjoy life at the fullest…

Comares

If you cannot get enough of picturesque white villages, then a visit to Comares should be on your todo list. Its central plaza is very small and you have to be extremely lucky to find a space to park your car there. And once you have done so, don’t start to behave like the average tourist. Take your time to explore the narrow – and sometimes very steep – streets. Have some tapas. Enjoy a beer…

Bioparc Fuengirola

Fuengirola is one of the most popular places in the Costa del Sol. I associate it with family holidays and dining in restaurants serving local food – grilled “gambas” for my mother and mixed paella for my father and myself. Anyway, imagine my surprise when I discovered that in the heart of this crowded and busy town there is actually a quiet corner with a zoo!

El Refugio del Burrito

If you are an animal lover who supports organizations taking care of abandoned and/or abused animals, then you have to visit this place devoted to donkeys and mules who have found a new home after a miserable life. El Refugio del Burrito teaches you everything you want to know but were afraid to ask about its inhabitants.

Laguna de Fuente de Piedra

Granted, Fuente de Piedra is quite far away from the coast, but you can combine a visit to the abovementioned Donkey Refuge with a stop at a lagoon where you can observe flamingoes. Go to the visitor center first and (try to) join a guided tour. And in between the two, enjoy a cold drink in the small town itself.

What about you? Have you been to any of these places? If not, would you like to visit any of them?

Introducing the Côte d’Opale through B&W Pictures

Back to France! This time we take you to the north of the country, to a coastal region of 120 kilometers long, between the French-Belgian border and the border with Picardy. It’s a landscape characterized by cliffs, beaches, dunes, and swamps. Moreover, you can eat in one of the many restaurants along the coast, stay in a cute B&B in a small village, or learn something about the local history in one of the many war museums.

You can easily explore this area in a day. There are a couple of bigger cities such as Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer. But we prefer to photograph smaller places such as Blériot-Plage.

The name of this place refers to Louis Blériot who, in 1909, was the first to cross the English Channel by plane.

You can keep on driving along the coastal road. After some time you will reach Cap Blanc Nez, a cliff of 132 meters high, consisting of white chalk. On a clear day, you can see the English coastal line, with the White Cliffs of Dover. We didn’t have such luck…

In between the Cap Blanc Nez and the other cliff, Cap Gris Nez, there are smaller picturesque towns and villages.

We kept on going southwest. The Cap Gris Nez is smaller: it only reaches 50 meters. Because of its proximity to England, it was a strategic location during World War II.

We kept on going south, passing beautiful holiday homes near the sea.

Our last stop was in the coastal town of Wimereux.

For our next post, we will take you to the Czech Republic.

7 Pictures That Make You Want to Go to Lake Garda

Usually, Lars and I don’t visit touristic places, but we made an exception for Lake Garda, simply because of its natural beauty. I love to photograph landscapes and especially waterscapes. And Lake Garda did not disappoint!

Lake Garda is the biggest lake in Italy. It’s located in the north and enjoys a mild climate. Some figures: more than 51km long, almost 17km wide, and a shore length of 158km. That is a lot of photographic opportunities!

I love landscapes such as these… We were there during the Easter break of 2011: very fine weather and not too many tourists yet.

One of the stops we had was in Sirmione. I clearly remember we were being chased away by a very unfriendly waitress.

We came back in April 2015 though when we unexpectedly spent 3 days at a camping site right next to the lake. But that will be for some other posts…

Feeling inspired yet?

The main source of income in this region is tourism – as you can imagine. Lake Garda is home to lots of picturesque towns and sports facilities.

So far, I have planned 3 posts for next week: one about my birthday in lockdown, one about France (all black and white pictures) and another one about the Czech Republic (also black and white). And maybe 1 or 2 Snaps. On the movie website, I will publish 2 reviews.

A Spectacular Drive in the Sierras of Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama Natural Park

More than 40,000 hectares of Nature Park with several mountain peaks between 1,500 and 2,000 meters: that in a nutshell is the Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama Natural Park. It’s actually located in the provinces of Granada and Malaga. As you can imagine, this is too much to explore in one day. But we can present you with a route that will keep you busy for at least a morning or an afternoon.

Our drive will take you to the eastern side of the park. We started in Churriana de la Vega, the town where we used to live, before finding our little corner of paradise in Iznalloz. But we are digressing… Program your GPS for Jayena first. After 45 minutes, you will pass a beautiful artificial lake at Pantano de los Bermejales. There you have two options. You can either stop at the local camping place and have a drink and/or snack. Or – and this is our favorite – you can drive around the lake, have a stop in one of the cute villages and then continue to Jayena.

We will discuss this lake and its surroundings soon in a separate post.

After Jayena, you keep on driving in the direction of Almuñecar or Otivar. In case you didn’t stop for a meal or drink at the lake or in Jayena, don’t worry. There are still some restaurants along the road before you enter the mountains.

Steak for Lars and venison stew for yours truly! Not bad.

And then you better get ready for a magnificent landscape with ravines, limestone peaks, steep slopes, and sharp ridges! On a clear day, you can see the coast.

But there is more to this Natural Park than stunning landscapes. It is also the home of some exceptional fauna and flora. Read about it here.

We have driven on this mountain road on various occasions. On one of them, we even made a video, although the weather conditions were not the best.

What to do once you have reached Otivar? Obviously, stop there and have something nice to eat and/or drink. Go for a stroll, because it’s quite picturesque. Afterward, you can follow the road and drive all the way to Almuñecar (at the coast). Or go east, in the direction of Molvizar. From there, you can easily access the motorway and head to Malaga, Granada or Almeria.

7 Pictures That Will Make You Want to Travel to The Costa Tropical

Let’s talk about location first: the Costa Tropical is the coastal region of the province of Granada (Andalucia, Spain), between the Costa del Sol (province of Malaga) and the Costa de Almeria (province of Almeria). Or a bit more precisely, between Almuñecar and La Rabita.

Because of the proximity of the mountains of the Sierra Nevada, the Costa Tropical has less big resort towns than the Costa del Sol, for example. The biggest places in this area are Motril, Almuñecar, and Salobreña. The rest of this Costa consists mainly of smaller towns and villages and is, therefore, less crowded and certainly more picturesque.

By the way, because of the presence of the majestic Sierra Nevada which captures precipitation, this area is less dry and is home to a lot more vegetation, including tropical fruits, hence the name. It is also – but to a lesser extent – known as the Costa de Granada or Costa Granadina.

Playa de Cotobro

Almuñecar is home to several beaches and this is the most beautiful one. It’s located in the west of the town.

Calahonda

This is one of the smaller coastal resorts, Calahonda. It belongs to the municipality of Motril.

Castillo de Baños

So small, and oh so picturesque!

Grilled Sardines!

Simple but delicious: fresh sardines and a big mixed salad…

La Herradura

One of my favourite areas is La Herradura with its pristine beaches and spectacular cliffs.

La Rabita

In the east of the Costa Tropical, you can get lost in the narrow and steep streets of La Rabita.

Motril

Motril is one of the biggest towns at the Costa Tropical, but it does have its quiet corners like this nature reserve, which we will discuss more in detail soon.

Have you ever been to the Costa Tropical? Or do you plan on going there?

Places to Visit around Dinant

Today we take you to the Belgian province of Namur, situated in the south of Belgium. The town of Dinant is very well-known amongst tourists, but there are some beautiful locations not so far from it that are also worth checking out. Let’s take you to a region of castles and ruins, quaint villages and towns with narrow streets!

Falaën

This is one of the most beautiful villages of Wallonia; Falaën is indeed a member of the association called Les Plus Beaux Villages de Wallonie, which makes it kind of official. You can visit Falaën Castle (with a farm) in the center, but we nosed around in the local church. That’s what happens, by the way, when you travel with a former organ player; you see a lot of churches…

We loved the bright yellow interior, which made the church look cozy and cheerful!

Montaigle Castle

Just outside the center of Falaën, you can visit the ruins of Montaigle Castle.

This medieval castle dates from the 14th century but was destroyed about 200 years later. There is only one word to describe these ruins: magnificent.

Spontin

There is nothing as picturesque as a village with a small river in its center!

In a bend of that same river, the Bocq, lies Spontin Castle, right in the heart of the village.

Building took place from the 13th to the 16th century, when the castle finally had its current shape. In the 19th century, it was transformed into a private residence, after which it was neglected for many years.

Waulsort

By the time we had arrived in Waulsort, we had become very thirsty!

There are restaurants and then there are really idyllic restaurants! Introducing Villa 1900:

If you know anything about Belgium, you must be aware that we have a formidable reputation when it comes to beer! My advice: always try a local variant.

Address: Villa 1900, Rue des Jardins, Waulsort.

Bouvignes-sur-Meuse

Also called Bouvignes, this is an old town along the river Meuse with picturesque narrow streets. Nearby are the ruins of the Castle of Crèvecœur.

Sosoye

More of a hamlet than a village, this was our last stop of the day. Lying next to the Molignée, Sosoye is known for its church, which was unfortunately closed, and its barn.

I put all destinations on this map:

Up to the next post, where we take you to another corner of Europe!

10 Pictures That Will Make You Want to Visit Portugal

Before the summer of 2018, Lars had never been to Portugal, whereas I had visited the country at least 5 times when I was still a teenager. And since it has always been one of my favorite destinations and we were now living in Spain, it was about time to introduce my travel buddy to this beautiful country.

Cacela Velha

One of the first towns you can visit when you cross the Spanish – Portuguese border. It has a magnificent beach.

Olhão

A charming fishing-town in the Algarve. Looking for lunch. But first a walk to the beautiful local church.

Grilled Swordfish

Food is one of the reasons why I love Portugal so much. I will soon write an in-depth article about local food.

The Cathedral of Silves

One of the prettiest villages in the Algarve has a beautiful cathedral. And a medieval festival in summer.

Cabo de São Vicente

If you like dramatic landscapes, this is the place to be: the most southwestern corner of Europe.

Surfing Beaches

Lots of surfing spots, for all levels. This is Carrapateira.

Foia

The Foia is the highest mountain in the Algarve. When it’s not cloudy or misty, you have a beautiful view of a huge part of the Algarve.

Monchique

And why not visit a spa-town? The hot springs (Caldas de Monchique) are located 6 km from this charming town.

Estremoz

Go inland, in the region of the Estremadura and discover quaint towns like Estremoz.

Wine

Oh yes, Portugal has got some excellent wines! This is the wine-house, Herdade das Servas, not far from Estremoz.

Soon I will discuss some of these locations in detail, so keep an eye on this website! On Thursday, I will return with an article about one of Europe’s most famous rivers.

Here are the locations of today: