The Vagabond Hiker

Hiking, trekking, and climbing the world

Summer in the Cities

Loyal readers of this blog will know that most of my time is spent in the mountains and deserts of the world, hiking, trekking, and climbing. On occasion, though, I crave some culture, history, and decent vegan cuisine. With bases in Italy and Britain this past summer, I was ideally situated to visit several capital cities in Europe that were new to me. Others cities served as stepping off points for mountain adventures. In all case except one, my main means of exploring each city was by walking, in every instance including a guided tour of the cities’ more historic areas.

I trust you will enjoy this change from my usual mountain and desert photos to mark the milestone of blog post #100. Rather than present the photos in chronological order, I have listed them from my least to most favorite cities visited in 2023.

#9. Islamabad

Staying in Islamabad before and after any trekking or climbing excursion to Pakistan is mandatory. Because of safety reasons we stayed in a mediocre hotel in an area of town with nothing interesting to see, no decent restaurants, and no walking possibilities except once as a group to change money. (Speaking of which, if money is no object, the hotel to stay at is La Serena). And while it was my least favorite city this past summer, there were a couple of highlights worth sharing from our guided bus tour.

At the Faisal Mosque. Named after King Faisal bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia (who funded it), this mosque is a symbol of the friendship between the two countries. Although Friday prayers were is session at the time we visited, the worshipers largely ignored us.
Daman-e-Koh. A park with manicured grounds and sweeping views overlooking the city, lake, and Faisal Mosque. Note a couple monkeys in the lower right. Their antics were amusing, though I am usually not a big fan.
A truck at a paint shop in an industrial area of the city. If you’ve never seen a Pakistani Bedford truck painted like this, they are truly amazing: a rolling work of art.

#8. Belgrade

As far as European capital cities go, Belgrade was one of the least interesting of all that I’ve seen over the decades. While I found a fine vegan cafe a block from my hotel, the city’s architecture was generally boring, the one park I found nearby to visit (around the historic Belgrade Fortress) was crowded and noisy (granted, it was a Saturday), and the botanical garden was closed for a private function. The biggest plus was that by visiting Serbia, there now remain only three countries in Europe that I haven’t seen! I was quite happy to leave at the end of the weekend.

Pioneer Park and the Presidential Palace. My very engaging city tour started here, the cleanest area of the Old Town.
Church of the Holy Trinity (Russian Orthodox). An absolutely gorgeous little church where a wedding reception was just concluding.

#7. Yerevan

My main purpose of traveling to Armenia was for hiking and trekking in the Lesser Caucasus and Geghama Mountains (see my earlier post). Yerevan seemed to me very congested (partly due to a national celebration on the day we returned). Our cultural guide was very knowledgeable, and she was determined to impart as much of her knowledge as humanly possible.

History Museum at the Republic Square, the main square of the city. The turbulent history of Armenia is never far from the surface of any discussion.
The Vagabond Hiker holding onto a Spider sculpture
Mount Ararat from the Cascade Complex, the nicest part of town. I was on my belly to capture this photo with the flowers in the foreground. Although in Turkey, Mt. Ararat is sacred to all Armenians.

#6. Baku

Having some extra time in Tbilisi, Georgia (see below), I took a 40 minute flight to Baku, Azerbaijan for a one night stay. One night and one full day was about the right amount of time to see the more interesting sites of this city, the lowest capital city in the world at 92 ft below sea level.

Sabir garden and monument, named after the famous Azeri satirical poet and philosopher. Our city tour began in this calm place, just outside the walled Old Town (note the wall in the background).
Maiden Tower. An interesting and mysterious history of this famous landmark in Baku.
The Crescent Hotel (still under construction), reflected in the Caspian Sea. The oil slicks that covered much of the water near the shore may not be evident here.

#5. Marrakech

As it was my third time in this amazing city, I didn’t stay long, only for the two nights that book-ended a climb of Mount Toubkal. The Majorelle Gardens and numerous historic sites were outside the scope of my visit. But I got a couple of photos nonetheless. The two that follow were shown in my Toubkal climbing blog from June. Pardon the repeat.

Interior courtyard of the Riad Alida. If you visit Marrakech, for certain stay in a traditional Riad. And if you are on a budget, you could do a lot worse than this family-run establishment just outside the Medina.
Koutoubia mosque at sunset, from the terrace of our restaurant. It’s minaret was damaged three months later during the severe earthquake that struck the Atlas Mountains.

#4. Riga

The fact that I ranked this lovely capital city of Latvia outside of my top 3 gives some idea of the level of gastronomic, cultural, and urban walking experiences I enjoyed last summer.

Nativity of Christ Orthodox Cathedral. For me a standout in a city with many interesting churches.
National Opera and Ballet, neither of which was performing in June.
An Old Town Plaza
Bastejkalna Park, a linear green space along the City Canal. The extensive Vērmane Garden nearby was also enjoyable, and not too crowded even on a warm(ish) Friday in June.

#3. Tbilisi

After my KE trek in Georgia was cancelled I quickly came up with some new plans (see my post from July), and based myself at a fantastic Airbnb in Old Town Tbilisi for 12 days. I was not disappointed. (The only downside was that the nightclubs seemed to go strong until 4 or 5 AM, even during the week. Bring earplugs.)

City view from above the Botanic Garden (behind me). The Old Town and surrounding areas were for the most part very clean and safe. I just wish the Botanic Garden had opened earlier; by late morning in July it was over 80 degrees and humid, so I saved it for a future visit.
Metekhi Virgin Mary Assumption Church at night, on a promontory overlooking the Kura River. This ancient Georgian-style church is the most picturesque in Tbilisi.
Tbilisi_Archive Restaurant entrance
The Restaurant Archive entrance, adjacent to the Wine Museum. This was the only fine dining experience I had in Tbilisi. The standard tourist restaurants were quite fine!
Night view of Tbilisi from my penthouse balcony at 5 Wine Rise.

#2. Luxembourg

My three nights’ stay in the upper town of this capital city of the Duchy of Luxembourg was time (and money!) well spent. With free public transport, several interesting museums, numerous parks and some good vegan cuisine, I found little to not like (other than the prices) about this ancient city. Honestly, it was a toss-up between Luxembourg and my chosen city for the top spot.

A panoramic view (at 0.5x) from the Pétrusse casemates to the lower city
Pont Adolphe over the Pétrusse River
A pathway along Parcs de la Pétrusse. The Alzette River joins this one a bit upstream from here. I didn’t have enough time to see all that I wanted to in the city, though I did visit an art exhibition and a local history museum.
Another view in the Parcs de la Pétrusse. A bit of the upper town, historically home to the burgesses and nobility, is seen on top of these cliffs.

#1. Vilnius

For some reason (most likely ignorance), my expectations for a two night stay in the capital of Lithuania were not high. They should have been! This city was absolutely stunning and more than deserved the European Capital of Culture designation in 2009. And the urban nature is second to none: some 46 percent of Vilnius is designated green space: parks, squares, and forests. To top it off, the fantastic restaurant, Rosehip Vegan Bistro, was a stone’s throw from my Airbnb. Whittling it down to six photos was very difficult. You’ll just have to visit Vilnius yourself!

Old Town Panorama from the Three Crosses Monument
An Old Town street
Office of the President of the Republic of Lithuania
Wooden steps on a path in Kalnų park
Vilnia River view
Gediminas Castle Tower

In less than two weeks I depart California for Jordan. My time there will be divided between hiking in the Wadi Rum area in the south and enjoying some of the many cultural attractions, mostly in the north. Christmas Day will be spent exploring Petra (with about a million others I suppose). I’ll share some of the photos with you in January. Until then,

Happy Holidays!

The Vagabond Hiker

The Southwest Coast Path: Lyme Regis to Lulworth Cove, Dorset

Having a few spare days in the UK at the end of September, I took the train and bus down to Lyme Regis to pick up where I left off 15 months ago walking the Southwest Coast Path in South Devon. This latest installment covered about 50 miles over four days, walking generally west to east along what’s known as the Jurassic Coast. In 2001 the Jurassic Coast was designated a Natural World Heritage Site by UNESCO and it remains England’s only Natural World Heritage Site. According to UNESCO, “The cliff exposures along the Dorset and East Devon coast provide an almost continuous sequence of rock formations spanning the Mesozoic Era, or some 185 million years of the earth’s history. The area’s important fossil sites and classic coastal geomorphologic features have contributed to the study of earth sciences for over 300 years.”

Without more ado, here are some of the photo highlights from my four days’ walking.

The sea wall leaving Lyme Regis. The weather was to prove somewhat problematic
Cyclamen (Cyclamen hederifolium). I’ve shown these before, but in late September there weren’t many flowers blooming.
The archeologist statue. Note the rock hammer.
An artistic gate, seemingly celebrating the Vikings
Looking back on Charmouth, with Lyme in the far distance
View east towards Golden Cap, the highest point on the South Coast of England — though only 191m above sea level.
View west from Golden Cap. Brambles, along with bracken and gorse, were my frequent companions.
Wind-sculpted hawthorns on the way to West Bay, towards the end of day 1
A typical dry stone wall, seen shortly after leaving West Bay on day 2
Hive Beach. The weather was rapidly deteriorating. . .
A wind vane along Cogden Beach. Winds were from the SSW, gusting to 45 kts.
A beach poppy (Glaucium flavum). My last photo on day 2 as I placed my camera in a dry sack for the duration of my rain-soaked walk to Abbotsbury.
A wooded inland path on leaving Abbotsbury. With dry clothes and a mild, (mostly) sunny day, my spirits had markedly improved.
Fishing boats on the Fleet, en route to Weymouth. “An extensive oasis of relative calm compared with the open sea across Chesil Beach, the Fleet Lagoon is a vital shelter and feeding area for wildlife.”
A picturesque farm
A Painted Lady
Sandsfoot Castle, Weymouth. Along with Portland Castle, this artillery fort was built during the 16th Century to provide defense for the Portland Roads and harbor.
Castle Cove, Weymouth. I deviated a bit from the SWCP to walk along this beach.
The colorful Weymouth harbor
Weymouth beach, early morning on day 4
Smuggler’s Inn. Built in the 13th century, the Smugglers Inn was a major landing place for smuggled goods in the 17th century. I was too early for lunch, but enjoyed a soda water and lime along with some breakfast fruit, provided gratis by the accommodating waiter.
Coastguard cottages at White Nothe. Amazingly remote (for England) and completely off grid, from a distance I thought it was an old manor house. One of the cottages was for sale the prior month at £225,000. I enjoyed a pack lunch at the WW2 pillbox on the right.
An atmospheric view east. The rains this day were thankfully brief.
Coast view towards the Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove
The Durdle Door, a popular tourist attraction
Lulworth Cove, where my 4 day walk ended and I caught the Jurassic Coaster bus to the Wool train station and the return to Englefield Green

Back at my desert home in St. George, Utah, I am enjoying the warm (and dry!) days hiking and swimming. My next overseas adventure will be during the holidays. Christmas morning will be spent exploring Petra, Jordan with Maggie and other clients on a guided KE Adventures trip. So, until the New Year, a hiatus from blogging. But not, of course, from the outdoors!

The Vagabond Hiker

Hiking the White Mountains of Crete

The rugged peaks, dramatic gorges, and scenic coastal paths make western Crete a wonderful hiking destination. The White Mountains, (Lefka Ori in Greek), composed chiefly of limestone, are the southern-most range in Europe. Nonetheless, they’re high enough to receive snow during the winter months and hold it until early spring. Both the snow covered uplands and the blanched limestone rocks contribute to the name of the range, the largest on Crete, occupying a considerable area of the central and western portions of the island. A good introductory reference on the Lefka Ori may be found here.

My one-week trip to western Crete was, once again, with KE Adventures, whose itinerary includes descending the longest gorge in Europe, climbing the highest peak in the White Mountains, as well as scenic coastal walking. With three separate guest house bases, we were able to cover a wide range of the natural highlights of the western Crete. Enjoy the photos!

Morning view from my Hotel Exari balcony, Omalos. This mountain hamlet was our home for the first two nights.

Our first day’s hike was to the summit of Mount Gingilos. At 1980m, it is not as high as other peaks, but its relatively easy access, purported great views, and exciting trail to the summit made it a good – if a bit challenging – choice for our first hike.

The North face of Mount Gingilos from the end-of-road trailhead. Our route to its summit is from the right side up to the obvious saddle.
A natural arch on the path up Mount Gingilos
A majestic Mediterranean cypress (Cupressus sempervirens)
Mediterranean wild thyme (Thymbra capitata)
Mount Gingilos summit pole. The fog had completely obscured any view long before we reached the summit.
Three of our group of 5 descending one of the numerous scrambly bits near the summit.
A Mediterranean cypress living on the edge

Our second day’s hike, down Samaria Gorge, could not have been more different. From the same trailhead as the previous day, we descended this wildly popular gorge to the sea, about 15 km and more than 1200 meters lower. Most of the 1000 or so daily hikers came by bus from the popular tourist resorts in eastern Crete, so we had plenty of company.

A view down Samaria Gorge from near the top
A lovely stream with oleanders
The chapel of Agios (saint) Nikolaos
A friendly wild Kri-kri goat (Capra hircus cretica), endemic to Crete and highly endangered
View up the Samaria Gorge
A stream flows along large parts of the gorge, including the last 10 km.

After descending the gorge, we stayed in the remote hamlet of Agia Roumeli near its base. This village is only accessible by water or foot, and was quite charming once the day-trippers from the Samaria Gorge left in late afternoon. Following a rest day, we continued our hiking week along a coastal section of the long distance E4 walking path.

Morning view from my balcony in Artemis Studios, Agia Roumeli
Our coastal hike was from Agia Roumeli to Loutro along the E4. Here is a typical view through a pine forest along the route, with the Libyan Sea to the right.
The remote (and welcoming) Agios Pavlos (Saint Paul) taverna
The Agios Pavlos byzantine church
Coastal view with Marmara beach bottom center (not seen here)
The Marmara beach restaurant, where we had lunch. This photo was taken a couple of days later when we returned here to start our final hike.
Marmara beach and caves. The warm water and a couple of swim-through caves made our two hours relaxing here quite enjoyable. As one must either take a boat or walk, this beach was never too crowded.
Phoenician fort archaeological area near Loutro along the E4
Loutro, the end point of our lovely coastal walk. Loutro is yet another town on the south coast of Crete without direct road access.

At the conclusion of our coastal walk, we transferred about one hour by ferry to Sfakia, where we stayed for our final three nights. Despite having road access, Sfakia was charming nonetheless, with numerous harbor-side tavernas and not too much tourist kitsch. The hotel we stayed in was completely forgettable; I would recommend the Xenia Hotel instead if you’re ever in the area.

Our penultimate hike was to the summit of Mount Pachnes. We ascended a jeep road that took us 90 minutes to reach the trailhead at its terminus.

Mount Troharis (2401m) from near the trailhead. We couldn’t see our objective, hidden in the central Lefka Ori, for for the first hour or so of the hike.
Some of our group climbing towards Mount Pachnes’ summit (at right)
The Vagabond Hiker on Pachnes’ summit (2453m). While relatively warm even at that altitude, the strong winds made wearing a buff on my head seem sensible.
Summit view west towards Volakias with Gingilos behind to the right (above the white patch of scree)

Our final hike was a horseshoe from Marmara beach up the Aradena Gorge to the ancient town of Anopoli, with a descent to Loutro after lunch. The Aradena Gorge, one of more than 50 on Crete, is in many ways more spectacular than Samaria Gorge – and with far fewer people!

The entrance to Aradena Gorge behind Marmara beach
A griffon vulture over the gorge. Although we saw these majestic birds nearly every day, getting a photo of one was another thing entirely.
Lilac chastetree (Vitex agnus-castus), or Monk’s pepper. Along with Oleander, one of the few flowers we saw this late in the season. We also saw numerous sea onion or red squill, also common on Sardinia (see my post from last September).
A friendly goat (not wild) we saw in the Aradena Gorge. Goats are a major cause of the environmental degradation throughout the Lefka Ori.
Some hikers on a deviation to avoid rockfall in the gorge.
Our group in the Aradena Gorge
The Aradena bridge. At 138m, the highest in Crete.
A portion of the abandoned village of Aradena, deserted after a family feud in 1948 left multiple dead
Church of Archangel Michael near Aradena village. Mount Troharis is in the background.
View of prickly pear cactus and a cistern on the outskirts of Anopoli (literally, “high town”) where we had lunch. I ended the hike here, taking a taxi back to Sfakia while the others punished their knees in 34C heat on the 700m descent to Loutro.

I’m back in the UK for the next few days, before returning to the US on Thursday. Four days of hiking the South West Coast Path this past week provided quite a contrast to Crete, and will be the subject of my next blog post.

Now that summer’s over, get outside and enjoy the cooler weather this autumn!

The Vagabond Hiker

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