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The All In Sabbatical 2016
  • Christopher Solomon

The All In Sabbatical 2016

A 28-day adventure by Christopher Read more
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  • Trip start
    June 18, 2016
    Christopher SolomonThe All In Sabbatical 2016Christopher Solomon

    Day 1 - The Departure

    June 18, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    At Newark airport. Last meal before European Vacation. And Saison Dupont. Bogey likes the cloth napkins (not pictured, but trust her, they were cute)

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    Day 2 - Amsterdam arrival

    June 19, 2016 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Chris here. We arrived! Got here early this morning and decided to bike around Vondelpark and the canals to stave off the jet lag. Definitely started to feel the 1 hour of sleep. We walked around the city for a while and were so loopy from lack of sleep we forgot where we locked up our bikes. It didn't take us too long to find them, but the fact that there are 5 billion bikes in this city didn't helpRead more

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    Day 3 - Around Amsterdam

    June 20, 2016 in the Netherlands ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    Hi! Bogey here. Went back in time with Vincent Van Gogh today at the Van Gogh Museum. Vincent - is that you????

    Also pictured are some beautiful night shots of the city.

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    Day 4 - Departing Amsterdam

    June 21, 2016 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    On our final day in Amsterdam, we found a cute coffee shop that served very good third wave coffee (Back to Black), then wandered the De Pijp neighborhood and ate breakfast at The Meets where I enjoyed some great juice. We then moseyed on to the Rijkmuseum (the national art museum) where we took in paintings by some of the great Dutch masters (Rembrandt Van Rijn, Johann Vermeer and Jan Steen). The pictures of us on the oversized letters are taken in the back of the Rijksmuseum where the letters spell out IAMSTERDAM. After, we walked around the city some more to kill time before our train at 8pm. We found a quaint old pub near the train station, Arendsnest (Stork's nest). The bartender there was amazing. We asked if we could buy a sausage and some cheese "to go" in preparation for the overnight train ride (we booked a sleeper car for our trip from Amsterdam to Munich). He prepared a great picnic set for us, including an old cutting board from the bar, a real knife to cut our sausage and cheese, a generous amount of mustard in an old jar (secured with duct tape), and a little metal spoon to serve the mustard. This was definitely far more than we had expected. This was a great complement to the beer I bought "to go", which was made by a young brewer in Amsterdam who specializes in sour beers.Read more

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    Day 5 - Train to Ljubljana, Slovenia

    June 22, 2016 in Slovenia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    On Tuesday night, we took an overnight train (sleeper car) from Amsterdam to Munich. We changed trains and then caught a train to Ljubljana this morning. The train journey was a lot of fun and the scenery through southern Germany, into the eastern outreaches of the Alps, through Austria and into Slovenia was beautiful. We arrived in Ljubljana in the afternoon. I'm convinced that travel by train is the best, most romantic and enriching way to travel.Read more

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    Day 5 continued - Ljubljana castle

    June 22, 2016 in Slovenia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    After settling into our hotel we walked around the city. The old town is situated along the banks of the Ljubljanica river and is an interesting mixture of 17th-19th century architecture from the mediterranean (particularly Italy), Germany and eastern Europe (a nod to its past as part of the former Yugoslav republic). Like many European cities that had its roots in pre-medieval times, there is a castle on a hill looming over the town. We hiked up and enjoyed some great views from the top.Read more

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    Day 6 - Celje, Slovenia

    June 23, 2016 in Slovenia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    We booked a day trip with a guide from Slovenian Explorers (Martin) to visit the towns of Celje and Ptuj. Both are river towns and have a castle overlooking the Old Town. The castle in Celje (pronounced cell-yeh) is an amazing half-restoration of a castle. Much of it is still in a "ruined" state, but part of it has been restored to what it probably looked like when the Counts of Celje ruled the land. The story of their rise and fall is very dramatic and even includes a Romeo and Juliet-esque story. During a period of the Counts of Celje's reign, the son (Frederick) of the prevailing count (Hermann) was forced to marry a daughter against his (the son's) will to further the family ambition (Frederick wanted to marry another woman who was too far below his station, Veronika). However Frederick's wife died under mysterious circumstances after not that long. The father (Hermann) had his son imprisoned in the castle tower (in the second photo) for many years due to his suspicion of his wife's death. When Frederick was released, he married his love Veronika. Their love was not to be a long one. She too died under mysterious circumstances. The father-son relationship was not a whole and healthy one, to be sure. In any event, the castle itself is a great testament to responsible cultural stewardship and offers great views of the city and surrounding environs.Read more

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    Day 6 continued - Ptuj, Slovenia

    June 23, 2016 in Slovenia ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    The second part of our tour today was to the town of Ptuj (pronounced Patooey), reportedly the oldest town in Slovenia. There is archaelogical and historical evidence of it being occupied by ancient Romans in the first century BC. It was subsequently conquered and occupied by Eurasian Avars, Slavic tribes, the Frankish empire, the Archbishopric of Salzburg... and that just brings us up to about 1376! The castle was an impressive collection of art, furniture and weapons from the time period. Look at Bogey wield a two-handed broadsword! Between our tour of the town and castle, we were treated to a tasting of wine from the Northeast region of Slovenia (more or less the Styrian region). One of the owners of Kobal Vineyards guided us through sampling of four of his wines. He was a great ambassador to the wonderful world of Slovenian wine and a true character. Also, their retail shop is in the oldest residence in Ptuj (pictured).Read more

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    Day 7 - Tivoli Park & Leaving Ljubljana

    June 24, 2016 in Slovenia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    We got up early and decided to go for a run in Tivoli Park, a sort of horticultural park and nature preserve just west of Ljubljana's Old Town. We discovered a verdant network of trails winding up and down the forested hills overlooking the city. On the trail, we found exercise checkpoints instructing to perform various odd stretches and warmups, reminiscent of 70s-era calisthenics. We also found the biggest slug I've ever seen. I'm pretty sure it was carnivorous and trying to attack us. It's a good thing it was a slug and well.... sluggish. On our way back to the hotel, we went through the daily outdoor market, where farmers from around the country bring their produce and goods. So many amazing fruits and vegetables that I have never seen before! My favorite was the tiny wild strawberries that were redolent of delicate lavender. After returning, we picked up our rental car and departed Ljubljana to continue our Slovenian adventure into the southwest Karst region.Read more

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    Day 7 continued - Črniče and Majerija

    June 24, 2016 in Slovenia ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    As the afternoon waned, we drove southwest from Ljubljana to the small town of Črniče in the Karst region of Slovenia, nestled in the sun baked hills of the Vipava valley. We stayed at an ecotourism farm, "Arkade", run by the Cigoj family. They make their own wine and prsut (Slovenian prosciutto). For our evening outing, I made reservations for us to eat at one of the most well known Slovenian restaurants, Majerija, in the neighboring town of Slap. Majerija, run by Matej Tomazic and his wife, is in a small, immaculately restored 300 year old farm house situated alongside vineyards and sweeping views of the Vipava valley. Matej strictly adheres to locavore principles in creating his dishes - breads, fruits, vegetables, pigs, cheeses and wine served are all grown and procured in the surrounding communities. His food focuses on highlighting the bounty of this region of Slovenia, interpreting local cuisine with a slightly modern approach. We opted for a 6 course dinner with wine pairings for each. Without question, it was one of the best meals of my life. Every single aspect of the food was thoughtful, deliberate, and most importantly, delicious. Each dish we were served, Bogey and I could not stop expressing our disbelief and amazement at how wonderful the food tasted. Our meal complete, Bogey and I chatted with Matej for quite a while as we discussed the local culture, the regional foods, Slovenian wine and his own personal historical arc of starting the restaurant and building it to what it is today. He gave us a private tour of the wine cellar where he has curated the best Slovenian wine from around the country and also stores his house made varieties of schnapps (from herbs and fruits, all locally harvested of course). It was inspirational to hear how he has turned his passion for the food, his culture and the environment of his part of the country into this beautiful expression that he can share with visitors and friends.Read more

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    Day 8 - Črniče

    June 25, 2016 in Slovenia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Another day in Črniče. We hiked to the end of town, found a rough trail to a gurgling river and followed it upstream among the boulders and dense trees. We returned to have lunch at the Arkade tourist farm and the food was so good. We had intended to eat a light lunch, but at the insistence of the owner, Silva, we each had a dish of mangalitsa pork that the Cigoj family raises. I've never tasted pork like that. It was rich, deep and delicious. Silva cajoled into trying one of her light, refreshing white wines made with a grape that is unique to Slovenia, Malvazija. It was indeed refreshing and bright - it tasted of a breezy sunlit Saturday or maybe that was just my imagination. This region of Slovenia is subject to seasonal intense winds they call The Bora (or Burja), which can reach up to 120 mph. The intensity and impact of these winds has shaped the towns and landscape. Towns are packed tightly, with labyrinthine roads hedged by high walls or houses themselves. Terra cotta roofs are kept in place by stones (pictured).Read more

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    Day 8 continued - Štanjel and Goče

    June 25, 2016 in Slovenia ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    After taking a break to do some laundry in the afternoon, we drove through several small towns in the Vipava valley, including Štanjel (population: about 300), an impossibly picturesque hill town from medieval times that doesn't seem to have changed in several hundred years. We wandered the cobbled streets, marveled at the juxtaposition of ancient stuccoed walls with beautiful new varnished doors. We strolled through an impeccably manicured garden commissioned by Enrico Ferrari and ended our visit with a trip to the castle where we were treated to an impromptu performance by a local concert band that was rehearsing in the courtyard of the castle. We ventured on to the even tinier town of Goče (population: about 200) which felt like an Italian village stuck in time 200 years ago. We ended the day with another amazing dinner courtesy of the matron of the Cigoj family, Silva.Read more

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    Day 9 - Škocjan Caves and Soča Valley

    June 26, 2016 in Slovenia ⋅ 🌧 21 °C

    Today was pretty rainy as we departed Črniče but perfect for exploring the Skocjan Caves. Words can’t describe the beauty so hopefully the pictures will give at least a hint to the wonders of this part of the world. The rock is mostly limestone which when dissolved into the watershed gives the Soča River that brilliant blue color. After leaving the caves, we drove north toward the Alp region of Slovenia, tracing the path of the river Soča. As the mountains reared up around us as we ascended the valley, towns became more traditionally alpine. We stopped at a random trail signpost situated on the side of the road near a bridge crossing the Soča river and decided to explore the trail which promised to lead to a waterfall. The trail, lined with brilliant white rocks proved to be almost as spectacular as the Boka waterfall, the mightiest waterfall in Slovenia. We then continued our journey and arrived at our destination, nestled deep in a tiny valley in upper Trenta, with spectacular views of the mountains looming all around. We stayed the night at Homestead Kekec, a "four apple" tourist farm in this idyllic setting.Read more

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    Day 9 continued - At Homestead Kekec

    June 26, 2016 in Slovenia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    The owners of Homestead Kekec, Mitja (who was one of the best climbers in Slovenia in his youth) and Joži (who sailed around the world over 3 years) eventually settled here in 2001 and have lovingly restored the original farmhouse and surrounding buildings. Mitja is also a winemaker (has his vineyards near Maribor) and an incredible chef. We sat in their open air restaurant for dinner, marveled at the dramatic alpine views all around us, drank Mitja’s wine and played with their dog, Lam (who steals people’s coffee if you’re not looking!). They say Slovenia is known for the 3 C’s - churches, castles and caves. I’m going to add the 3 W’s - wine, waterfalls and windy roads - as you’ll see from our next post!Read more

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    Day 10 - WW1 History & The Vršič Pass

    June 27, 2016 in Slovenia ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

    The Soča valley played an important role in WW1 as a front where the Italians prevented the Austro-Hungarian army from making inroads across the Italian border through this region of Slovenia (which was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire at the time). Throughout this region are many monuments and remnants of the brutal, devastating campaigns fought in the mountains and valleys. We visited a war museum in the town of Kobarid and hiked a historical trail along the bluff of the Soča river. Along the trail we discovered trenches, buildings, outposts and munitions storage caves that the Italian army used to defend the Soča river valley. It was haunting to walk the same bulwarks and trenches where these battles took place. The trail wound along a stream that fed into the the Soča river. We followed it to the stunning waterfall, Slap Kozjak.

    We then began our trip to the eastern Julian alps by driving through the Vršič pass, along a winding mountain road which includes more than 50 hairpin switchbacks. It was harrowing, not only because of the sheer drop from the side of the road, but also the narrowness which had to be negotiated with oncoming traffic. But the views were a great reward. Also we ended up in Italy by accident. Ultimately we made it to our destination, the picturesque resort of Lake Bled.    Read more

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    Day 11 - Lake Bled

    June 28, 2016 in Slovenia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Today we woke up in a treehouse! We stayed at the Garden Village, an eco-resort in the town of Bled. We went for a run on the walking path around Lake Bled (me once, Chris twice plus he jumped in the lake). Later in the afternoon, we rented a boat and Chris rowed me across to the picturesque island in the middle of the lake (he initially set out rowing backwards, but we finally figured it out). On the island, we climbed the ninety-nine steps to the top and toured the idyllic Church of the Assumption of Mary. Legend has it, if you ring the “wishing bell" of the church three times (and thereby give honor to the Virgin Mary), your wish will come true. So I rang the bell ten or twenty times (I lost count). We climbed the clock tower and then I rowed us back to shore. Of course there was a castle to see as well (what’s a Slovenian town without a castle?), so we meandered our way up to the top of the hill where the castle was perched on the limestone cliff. The castle was partially closed due to a wedding (not ours) but the views from the castle alone were well worth the trip!Read more

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    Day 12 - Moutain Biking in Lake Bohinj

    June 29, 2016 in Slovenia ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We had a hearty breakfast at the Treehouse in preparation for our mountain biking expedition today. We (Chris) hired a guide to take us on a biking and hiking trip through the Lake Bohinj region. Gregor, the owner of Hike&Bike Slovenia, fit us to our Specialized mountain bikes then lead us through a few tiny villages before taking us up the river valley to the Mostniča waterfall. As we began our ascent from the lake, we passed through a lush forest where we came upon an abandoned hotel overlooking the lake where Agatha Christie stayed in the 1960s (the story goes that when asked if she would use Bohinj as a setting for one of her books, she famously remarked that the Bohinj valley was “too beautiful for murder”). The upper river valley is located among the lower pastures where farmers have been taking their cows to graze on the summer grasses for centuries. Most of the traditional pasture huts have been converted to vacation cabins, but they still retain the look and feel of rustic shepherding abodes. In addition to being an expert outdoorsman, naturalist, and guide, Gregor provided many interesting lessons and provided insight into local history and culture, including a visit to a Shepherding and Cheese-making museum. All in all, the bicycling portion was pretty challenging, but we survived! Our hard work was rewarded with stunning views of pastoral alpine treasures and rich cultural insights. At the conclusion of our trip, Gregor invited us to his home in the cute little village in Stara Fužina where we sat in his garden along the river that winds through town. He and his wife Mia treated us to a sampling of Bohinj regional cheese and three different schnapps. The latter was homemade by Mia’s father and included an oak barrel aged schnapps, a blueberry variety and one made with dozens of locally harvested herbs and flowers. It was a great and fitting conclusion to a tour through the region. The breathtaking scenery and fascinating culture in Slovenia have been amazing, but it’s the warmth and graciousness of our Slovenian hosts everywhere we’ve been that has been the true highlight of our travels. Gregor and Mia were exemplary ambassadors for their country and we are fortunate to have spent time with them.Read more

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    Day 13 - Lake Bohinj

    June 30, 2016 in Slovenia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    We woke up to another beautiful day with a stunning vista outside our hotel window overlooking Lake Bohinj and the mountains beyond. We took an early morning walk around our town of Stara Fužina in search of breakfast, but as it’s a sleepy, small village nothing was open yet except for a cafe that mostly served pastries. Since our hotel room had a small kitchenette, we opted to drop by a little market and make our own breakfast from fare we found. We had a great meal on the hotel room terrace with fried eggs, local cheese, salami, apricots and pears, whole grain bread and cottage cheese. While we ate, we watched paragliders descend down from a launch point to the north and land a few hundred meters away from us on the shore of the lake.

    On our last full day in Slovenia, we decided to “take it easy” and settled on spending the afternoon hiking the trail that circumnavigates Lake Bohinj (about 7 miles). Shortly after leaving Stara Fužina, which is situated on the eastern shore of the lake, the trail goes through the town of Ribčev Laz. At the edge of town, there is a picturesque stone bridge leading up to an old church - the Church of St. John the Baptist which was built sometime in the 10th or 11th centuries (almost one thousand years old!). We continued along the south shore of the lake and on to the far western shore where the trail leads through the town of Ukanc (there we passed a nice little restaurant where we returned later for dinner). As we worked our way along the north shore of the lake, we were treated to great views of the towns we passed through and of the various boaters out on the lake. This area of Slovenia is known for rowing and produces many athletes that compete in crew or rowing and rank among the top in the world (a recent olympic medalist in rowing was from Lake Bled). In fact the New Zealand olympic rowing team was currently residing in the Lake Bohinj region and I’m pretty sure we saw them training on the lake as we hiked around it.    Read more

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    Day 14 - From the Alps to Edinburgh

    July 1, 2016 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    Today is the day we leave for Scotland. We rose early and went for a workout at an outdoor fitness playground on a hill overlooking the lake (I couldn’t figure out whether some of the apparatuses were actually designed for exercise or for humiliating/injuring you). We finished our workout with a run to the lake and had a quick swim in its chilly waters to cool off. We then packed up, headed to the airport and arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland late in the evening. After the hot weather we had in Slovenia, the cool climate of Edinburgh was a welcome change (50s and breezy). We checked into the hotel and then went for a walk around the old town. Even though it was after 10pm, due to Edinburgh’s northerly latitude it was still light enough to see the beautiful architecture and feel the weight of history that is pervasive in the atmosphere and has shaped the city throughout the centuries. We finished the night with a quick visit to a quaint pub, where four gentlemen were tucked into a corner playing traditional Scots Gaelic music. It seemed as if it were an impromptu jam session and that they were playing for themselves, not knowing or caring that a handful of people watched with rapt attention. We enjoyed a few songs until we needed to retire for the evening after a long day of travel. How amazing it is that we started our day with a swim in a Slovenian alpine lake and ended it with a traditional folk music performance in Edinburgh’s old town.Read more

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    Day 15 - Edinburgh to Inverness

    July 2, 2016 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Our stay in Edinburgh was short as it was only a stopover on our way to the highlands. We took a train from Waverley station to Inverness. The train journey passed through rolling hills that eventually turned a bit more rugged and dramatic. Like many older European cities, Inverness is situated along a river and has a scenic walking path alongside where you can enjoy a stroll. We didn’t have enough time in Inverness to take in any of the sites as we had to prepare for our cross country mountain biking and hiking expedition which started the next day.Read more

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    Day 16 - Inverness and Aviemore

    July 3, 2016 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    We woke up early to do some laundry and buy some last minute warm weather clothes for the bike trip. Chris (“the Bear”), our guide from H&I adventures picked us at the B&B at noon. (I’ll refer to him as “the Bear” throughout the rest of the post to not confuse him with the other Chris). We went to their office, a beautiful old converted stable where we met Donald (the organizer of the trip). They had coffee, tea and a delicious lunch of Caprese salad, three scottish cheeses and oat cakes waiting for us. The milk from one of the cheeses (a cheddar from Mull of Kintyre) came from Donald’s family’s farm and was our favorite. As scared as I was (disclaimer from Chris: Bogey wrote this post), I knew I was in good hands after that. The Bear fitted us for our bikes and we were off to the Cairngorms National Park for a test ride. He used this as an opportunity to assess our comfort and skills in order to create a custom biking itinerary for us over the next few days. We rode for about two hours through forest and glen in Rothiemurchus estate. I was very happy to have detailed instructions and coaching from our expert guide! We got settled into our B&B in Aviemore, the Ravenscraig and then walked down the street out to dinner at the Winking Owl where we got a good taste of some of the local beer made by Cairngorms Brewery.Read more

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    Day 17 - Cairngorms Mountains - Part 1

    July 4, 2016 in Scotland ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    Because of the skill and agility Bogey demonstrated during the introductory/evaluation ride the Bear took us on the previous day, he decided we were able to take on a challenging ride deep into a remote area of the Cairngorms mountains, Glen Feshie. We rode to forests and glens only accessible by riding through several miles of technical single-track trails. It was an extremely tough day and tested both our physical endurance (we ended up riding about 30 miles through wild, rough trails) and our mental toughness (we both crashed a few times). From the pictures, you’ll notice that we crossed a few rivers, including having to ford the River Feshie. We got wet, muddy and even acquired a few bruises and scrapes, but the reward was the unsurpassed beauty of the wild Scottish highlands.Read more

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    Day 17 - Cairngorms - Part 2

    July 4, 2016 in Scotland ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    The Bear guided us through forests thick with Scots pines, alder and aspen. It was the most beautiful forest I’ve ever seen. The floor of the woods were carpeted with thick peaty moss, ferns, and dotted with reindeer moss (which the Bear taught us was not actually moss, but rather a type of lichen). When we emerged from the wood into the open glen, the rolling hills were a flowing mosaic of heather just beginning to bloom with purple, and gorse sprouting yellow flowers. Interspersed were flashes of brilliant purple and white fox glove flowers. After completing our tour de force, we finished the day with a drive across the highlands to the west coast of Scotland to the quaint town of Fort William ("outdoor capitol of the UK"), where we stayed in the lovely Myrtle Bank Guest House B&B for two nights, where Dora (a former florist - evident in the beautiful state of her gardens) rules the roost with a firm, but jovial manner.Read more

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    Day 18 - Fort William and Cow Hill

    July 5, 2016 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    After a hearty and delicious breakfast at Myrtle Bank (I got the full Scottish breakfast - toast, fried eggs, black pudding, mushrooms, fried tomato and a sausage), the Bear planned to give us an easy recovery ride in the morning, to allow us a respite from the previous days' hard effort. The town of Fort William is located on the west coast of Scotland alongside Loch Linnhe (one of Scotland's longest sea lochs) and the skyline is dominated by the surrounding mountains (when it's not inundated with clouds), the chief of which is Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Britain at 4400 feet. Our destination for the morning ride is Cow Hill, where we will circumnavigate the peak that obscures views of Ben Nevis in Fort William. We start the ride from the Braveheart car park, so named because it was a production site for the movie. Despite the Bear's promise of an "easy" day, we start the ride with a steady, but taxing ascent in multiple stages that take about an hour for us to complete. Once at the top, we enjoyed a nice rolling descent with vistas of wind swept mountains all around us.Read more

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    Day 18 - part 2 - Who is Ben Nevis?

    July 5, 2016 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 5 °C

    After our morning “easy” ride on Cow Hill, the Bear took us to the Nevis Range resort which is at the base of the Ben Nevis mountain and acts as a ski resort in winter and a bike resort in the summer. We rode a few trails on the mountain, including a short piece of single track that was used in a recent Scottish Enduro Series race (a profession mountain bike race). It was dicey, but fun! After enjoying a brief respite in the cafe at the bottom of the hill, Bogey and I took the gondola to the up to get some great views of the area, and we also watched the riders with real cojones ride down the mountain from the top. After our day’s adventure was complete, we had dinner at the Nevis Inn, a gem of a restaurant which we was so good we had dinner there both nights we stayed in Fort William. We even had some haggis! (it was delicious) This night we were treated to a performance by a local cèilidh band (pronounced “kailey"), playing traditional gaelic music (picture to come). It was the perfect end to a day spent in the west highlands.Read more

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