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On 26 March 2020 from | add a comment

Life is better at the top, part 3. View of Marmola

Life is better at the top, part 3. View of Marmolada and Pordoi Pass from Rifugio Maria at 2950m. From the pass at 2239m (great drive up) it took only 1 gondola ride for the most amazing view. We hiked another hour to Rifugio Piz Boé for great views of the Afternoon Valley.

Life is better at the top, part 2. View of Latemar

Life is better at the top, part 2. View of Latemar Group from Rifugio Monte Agnello at 2180m, after taking only 1 chairlift. Lots of mountain art in this area.

Life is better at the top, part 1. Lakes of Bombas

Life is better at the top, part 1. Lakes of Bombasel at 2264m, after taking 2 gondolas, 1 chairlift and hiking for 40 minutes. Alpe Cermis really is great for all ages.

Hohensalzburg Fortress is still my favourite place

Hohensalzburg Fortress is still my favourite place to visit in Salzburg, and it's visible from almost anywhere in the city.

Pink Tank, now located in the (free!) Lešany Mili

Pink Tank, now located in the (free!) Lešany Military Museum. It used to be the Monument to Soviet Tank Crews, a World War II memorial located in Prague. In 1991, it was controversially painted pink by installation artist David Černý.

Canoeing the Sãzava river in Czechia leads throug

Canoeing the Sãzava river in Czechia leads through some unexpected scenic valley. Residents believe they live in a Western and fly the Texan flag.

Würzburg, a city for years synonymous with traffi

Würzburg, a city for years synonymous with traffic jams due to the Baustelle on the A3 Autobahn, is actually pretty nice. The outside areas of the Marienberg Fortress are free to enter and offer great views of the city.

Würzburg, a city for years synonymous with traffi

Würzburg, a city for years synonymous with traffic jams due to the Baustelle on the A3 Autobahn, is actually pretty nice. These beautiful gardens are free to enter and there's a whole ringpark around the city centre.

It's nice that restaurants are open again, especia

It's nice that restaurants are open again, especially when they're on the beach, and have pure chocolate moelleux on the menu.

Yes, there's a pyramid in the Netherlands. Built i

Yes, there's a pyramid in the Netherlands. Built in 1804 by Napoleon's soldiers. Construction took 27 days and was ordered to fight boredom. Think about that when you're bored during lockdown with unlimited media available.

My first home-baked cheesecake. With everyone turn

My first home-baked cheesecake. With everyone turning to baking during quarantine, the peer pressure became too much. Also my cravings couldn't be satisfied another way, as cheesecake (unlike apple pie) is mainly sold in cafés that are now closed. With blueberries baked in and raspberries on top, it's very tasty.

Sunny Sundays are for hiking or biking in nature.

Sunny Sundays are for hiking or biking in nature. The South Limburg hill country opened up this weekend, giving us fairly empty trails past these Hansel and Gretel houses, in the Geul valley and through the Elzetterbosch. As close to Belgium as possible these days.

After 6 months of autumn, today felt like spring,

After 6 months of autumn, today felt like spring, so it was a good time for a 12km hike around the nearest castle.

Few things are more invigorating than getting show

Few things are more invigorating than getting showered under a waterfall in the middle of the jungle, especially after having just removed the second leech. Tawau Hills Park makes for a great day trip of hiking, relaxing in sulphur springs and watching the tallest tropical tree.

Diving Sipadan Island means visiting an underwater

Diving Sipadan Island means visiting an underwater paradise with huge schools of jackfish, whitetip reef sharks and of course turtles.

Paradise is only 33 euro/night (incl. full board)

Paradise is only 33 euro/night (incl. full board) on Mabul Island. Some caveats apply though:
- Only saltwater from the taps, so no way to properly rinse diving gear.
- All the chicken dishes (and there were many) had bones in them.
- Any food in the rooms (also wrapped in plastic) would be eaten by the rats.
- No sewage system, so no swimming nearby.
- Pretty worn-out diving equipment.
But still, being able to dive at Sipadan Island (120 daily permits) makes up for it.

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