We don’t EVER like to accept defeat, but our desire to stay alive won against our desire to climb the Sassi. These trails beat us not once, but twice, (and then again a year later!) We were hiking In the Apennine Mountains in Italy, and the trail that beat us was in the Parco Naturale Regionale del Sasso Simone e…
Midday on the Stelvio in Mid October – 2 cars visible… Not as busy as myth would suggest! Internet myths regarding the wonder of the Alps roads abound. I’ve searched and these articles might be called “Best roads in Italy”, or “5 Passes in the Alps you have to drive” or whatever… You know the ones! Many simply perpetuate information that…
The Italian world starts slow and continues that way. Most things open at 9am and close between 12.30pm and 4.30pm, opening again until 7pm. Dinner is generally 8pm or later. It’s all very civilized. It all seems to flow very smoothly despite a big break in the middle of the day when nothing can be done because not much is…
You could just head to the Dolomites or the Stelvio for your next Italian road trip. Or, you could try some lesser known roads for lovers of driving or riding that I have discovered (sometimes by accident). Don’t get me wrong, the above alluded-to passes are some of my favourite Italian roads but they can be very busy in the…
Distracting ourselves from our lives began with the most beautiful Italian apartment. We overlook an awe inspiring view of the village, valley and the Apennine mountains. As we stand here on the edge of a new beginning, we can feel our minds throwing off the stress and fatigue of our lives. We can feel our general pessimism being replaced with…
There are few things more satisfying than using your body to power you through the brilliance of the Italian Apennine Mountains. Your body works of its own accord, leaving your mind free to indulge in the views, in contemplation or in nothing at all. We often throw ideas around whilst we are hiking and many great things have been resolved…
We ate and we lost weight. It was fantastic. Our breakfasts generally consist of yoghurt topped with fresh fruit and nuts picked from the trees by our front door. This is not a deliberate attempt to be healthy, but a celebration of the local produce which has so much flavour you just want to indulge. The natural yoghurt is exactly that,…
I eat more when I am sitting on my butt at work than I do if I am out hiking. Is it any wonder that I’m putting on more fat than my middle aged body can comfortably handle? I’m endangering all my internal organs which are now surrounded by a layer of slow death. My arteries are clogging, my heart…
They say that the best way to increase productivity is to give your brain a “holiday”. It sounds contradictory, but it has been proven over and over. When you relax your mind, instead of slowing down, your brain actually starts to click, fire and whirr like an old piece of machinery warming up. This doesn’t happen immediately and I guess…
I had an epiphany. It was like a shot of adrenalin to the heart. Life was passing me by. To be exact, MY life was passing me by. I have a sense of time being short and life being fleeting. We have had a period where too many people we know, people not much older than ourselves, have battled the…