The Pyrénées

/ The Pyrénées, France/Spain/
The Pyrénées

The Pyrénées: the colossal mountain range which forms the natural border between France and Spain, separating the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of continental Europe stretching from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean. In contrast to the Alps, which possess a huge number a deep glacial lakes, the Pyrénées have an large number of small alpine lakes and a large number of alpine torrents – very similar to both Norway and Sweden. Arguably the most distinctive feature of the range is the abundance of semicircular precipitous cliff cavities, so-called cirques. From a mountaineering point of view, the Pyrénées are distinctive due to both the rarity and high elevation of mountain passes (cols), which makes any traverse non-trivial. So when it came time to plan a summer hike, they seemed like the perfect choice.

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Croatia

/ Croatia/
Croatia

A country with a turbulent history, both ancient and modern, has become a top destination for summer tourism. Nestled on the Adriatic sea, with thousands of beaches and an uncountable number of islands, it has made a niche for itself in the same way many tropical islands make themselves holiday destinations. My knowledge of Croatia prior to going was not great; I knew it was Romanic, I knew that Austria had caused a lot of damage in the 1st world war and more recently, I remember watching the Bosnian war unfold on the TV; wreaking the kind of havoc that only a civil war can. But as an adult, I know countless people that have gone there to enjoy the sun, sights and culture. From the 26th of July until the 4th of August, Mia and I went to experience Hrvatska for ourselves.

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Les Calanques and Marseille

/ Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France/
Les Calanques and Marseille

I had experienced the Parisian festivities of the 14th of July last year, and whilst spectacular, seeing them once is enough. So this year, la fête nationale was a perfect opportunity to get out of Paris. With the summer starting to get into full swing, a trip to the south to get in some hiking and visit Marseille seemed appropriate. 

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England: Durham and London

/ London, England/
England: Durham and London

At the end of June, I visited one of the lands of which I am a citizen, namely The United Kingdom. I was invited by the University of Durham to give a presentation and discuss some physics, to which I added a weekend visit to London. I had visited the U.K. once before, but I had never visited London. I did visit Durham, but the weather was miserable and I remembered only that the river was a horseshoe and there was a big cathedral. It was also the first time in approximately a year that I would venture to an English speaking country, which was always going to be an interesting experience.

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Normandy and Brittany

/ Normandy & Brittany, France/
Normandy and Brittany

The savage coastline of France. When I think of Normandy, the first things that come to my head are castles, cathedrals, the Norman invasion of the British Isles (all courtesy of my mother) and the more recent events of world war two. When I think Brittany, had it been a year ago, I would have said “the place in France that is close to Briton, I think they have some funny hats?”. Having lived in France for a while know, when I think Brittany, I think a fiercely proud people that are a little akin to the Corse, in the sense of having their own language and wanting to be an independent state, as well as a place where one eats crêpes and drinks cider. Oh, and they also have funny hats.

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