A half day of lite touring today, with free time offered in the afternoon. First off we visited the local bazaar which sold vast quantities of fine-looking, freshly picked produce as well as meats and entrails, economical clothing, and cheap household goods. Next we bused up to the Summer Palace of Sheki Khans. Built in … Continue reading Caucasus Day 4: Sheki
Caucasus Day 3: Lahji > Sheki
A fairly easy day today, we got to our hotel by 5pm! We started with a walk around Lahji - this mountain town that we drove in the dark to get to last night. It’s a summer retreat for Bakuvians when the heat in the city gets too extreme as well as being famed for … Continue reading Caucasus Day 3: Lahji > Sheki
Caucasus Day 2: Baku > Lahij
We still had more to see of Baku before setting off to discover inland Azerbaijan. This morning consisted of a walking tour of old Baku. Remains have been found showing it was a trading settlement at least back to the 5th C B.C. Walled in in the 12th C, the old town existed within until … Continue reading Caucasus Day 2: Baku > Lahij
Caucasus Day 1: Baku
Tour Day 1. A very long, great day. We didn’t get back to our hotel until 10pm so if this schedule continues my blogging efforts will certainly suffer! My tour with Wild Frontiers consists of 3 couples and 5 singles; 4 of us North American and the rest Brits. We’ve just over two weeks to … Continue reading Caucasus Day 1: Baku
Caucasus Day 0: Baku
I arrived in Baku right at rush hour last night. It was getting dark when I got to my hotel so my first impressions of Azerbaijan are crazy traffic, lots of police, and some amazing architecture. Today was my zero day before my tour starts tomorrow. Not zero in that I did nothing but that … Continue reading Caucasus Day 0: Baku
Italy Day 4: Arona
Time to travel a little further afield - down the lake to Arona! My FB sources claimed it was a cute town so at 9am I hopped on the ferry to see it for myself. One of the ferry stops was the 12thC hermitage of Sta Caterina perched above the lake It was a 1h15m … Continue reading Italy Day 4: Arona
Italy Day 3: Stresa
One of Stresa’s grand hotels on the waterfront Looking to stretch my legs, I decided to follow an “easy walk thru charming villages” up the hill towards Mount Mottarone suggested by my town map. I gave it 4 miles, to just above the town of Levo, then turned around. It was steep (as always) up … Continue reading Italy Day 3: Stresa
Italy Day 2: Lake Maggiore
Stresa anchors the western end of beautiful Lake Maggiore. I spent the day on its waters visiting first the gardens at Villa Taranto, then 2 of the Borromeo Islands close to Stresa. Early bird beats the crowds! A leisurely hour’s ride on a ferry brought me to Verbania, and the 20 hectares garden: Villa Taranto. A … Continue reading Italy Day 2: Lake Maggiore
Italy Day 1: Stresa
I had a few hours before my train from Martigny, Switzerland to Stresa, Italy so I visited the Foundation Pierre Gianadda museum. I’ve seen posters all over the TMB advertising their Rembrandt to Van Gogh show so I thought it might be interesting. What a pleasant surprise. The art was good, a selection from the … Continue reading Italy Day 1: Stresa
TMB 13: Champex > Col de la Forclaz
Last Day on the TMB! And what a day it was. I guess Mother Nature didn’t want me to miss out on any experiences so she threw me a day of rain, mist, rocks and mud. I knew I wasn’t off to a good start this morning when I looked out my balcony and I … Continue reading TMB 13: Champex > Col de la Forclaz
Allison’s Wanderlust 