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Europe with the Mighty Conan
  • Clare Palmer
  • Nigel Palmer
  • Clare Palmer
  • Nigel Palmer

Europe with the Mighty Conan

Dragging Conan the Coachman from the UK to Eastern Europe & the Balkans hopefully 🙏 Read more
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  • Europe with the Mighty Conan

    The bird's the word at Lake Skadar

    October 11, 2025 in Montenegro ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Today we took a boat trip from Rijeka Crnojevica, through the tributaries out to Lake Skadar and back up the 'Amazon' to Karuc. It's the largest lake in Southern Europe, two thirds in Montenegro and a third in Albania - you can see the Albanian mountains on the horizon. I was hoping to see some birds and I wasn't disappointed, if a little slow at capturing them for photos! We saw lots of cormorants, herons, egrets, marsh harriers & a few goats and I loved the amount of lily pads ❤️ We arrived back at the campsite before dark for a change and made the most of the lovely location by the river, as did the mosquitoes on us 😟 We were joined by the campsite dog and I was chuffed to see my very first kingfisher, though ironic to see it at the campsite rather than Lake Skadar 😄Read more

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    Back to Biokovo

    Oct 12–14, 2025 in Croatia ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    We're making our way back through Croatia after having decided that Albania was a step too far for Conan - the roads in Montenegro were bad enough and we were starting to struggle to find campsites that we can get to easily with the caravan. Lucky we made that call as Nige has since gone down with a bug & a fever so we have ended up back at Biokovo campsite where we are sitting it out until he feels better. Not necessarily a bad thing - I got a chance yesterday to get my watercolours & the hammock out, plus also made friends with the campsite cat 😉 This afternoon, we drove half hour to Imotski which is high up in the Biokovo mountains on the Bosnian border. Nige sat on a bench whilst I investigated the blue lake, the red lake and the fortress - hopefully you can see which is which in the pics! Apparently the lakes were made by sinkholes and are some of the deepest in Croatia. I also came across Imotski football stadium which was named by the BBC in the top ten of stunning football stadiums in the world! A great town with amazing scenery which I would definitely go back to ❤️Read more

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    More Biokovo

    Oct 15–16, 2025 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Nige has recovered from his bug - I can tell as he keeps exclaiming 'ooh, donuts' every time we walk past a bakery 🤣 We have decided that we like this area and the weather is also very pleasant so we are hanging around for a few more days. Yesterday, we managed a shortish hike from the coastal town of Basta Voda, up the mountain and down again to Brela before walking back along the promenade and watching the sunset. We liked the look of the beach so returned this afternoon for a swim, but not before visiting the Biokovo Nature Park. Here, you can drive through the park, which encompasses the Biokovo massif, the highest point of which is 1762m. The road is very narrow so they only let 20 cars in per hour. There are lots of trails to follow and a diverse amount of trees, many of which are starting to turn lovely autumnal colours, but the biggest attraction is the skywalk which protrudes 11m out from the side of the mountain and is 1228m high - definitely not for those that don't like heights 🫣😬Read more

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    Hiking the Romantic trail

    October 17, 2025 in Croatia ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Today we enjoyed the autumnal colours on the Romantic trail near Lovrec. For once there were no dramas - we found the parking & the start of the trail easily and didn't take one wrong turn 👍 I even came across a bath or two, something I have been missing for a while, although it looked like someone else was already using them ☹️ The pictures probably don't do it justice but it really does take your breath away just how diverse the flora & fauna is around this area. On the way back to camp, we made a stop off at the green lake, which we missed earlier in the week!Read more

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    Makarska

    Oct 18–19, 2025 in Croatia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    We've had a fairly chilled weekend, making the most of the weather - there is a bit of a nip in the air now but I still managed a swim in the sea today 👍 Yesterday we visited the coastal town of Makarska. First we had a steep climb up the mountain to the botanical garden which was lovely but probably at its best in spring as most of the flowers are long over. After a fishy lunch, followed by ice-cream pancakes, we just about managed a wander around the town! Most of the shops and the market were closed which seemed strange on a Saturday afternoon. We came across an apartment entrance that has been decorated by the owner with mosaics made of pebbles and then finished off with a beer on the promenade, watching what seems to be an odd local custom - a long line of cars driving along slowly with their hazard lights blinking and their horns honking in celebration of a family wedding. Maybe that's where the shop keepers were all afternoon! 🤔Read more

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    Hiking in Omis

    October 20, 2025 in Croatia ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Omis is a town on the mouth of the Cetina river canyon. Today we managed a 11km hike up the mountain and back down via the coastal path with great views out to Brac. It was cloudy so the pictures aren't the best but the coastal path in particular was spectacular, with lots of heather and other flowers still in bloom - more than there were at the botanical garden! The paths are empty but then it is olive picking time and it seems even the kids are roped in on their half term to help! Back at the campsite, we have a guessing game of how many campers there will be when we arrive back from our days out - because of where it is near the motorway, nobody stays more than one night so there are different people every day. Today we were both wrong as there are zero other campers here tonight! We feel bad as we think maybe the owner just wants to close up for winter but she has since told us that she is very pleased that we have stayed so long and are enjoying everything the area has to offer ❤️Read more

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    From Biokovo to Buzet

    Oct 22–23, 2025 in Croatia ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    We were sad to leave Biokovo yesterday to make the longish drive back up to north Croatia. Even the young girl that looked after the campsite had a tear in her eye as I gave her a bunch of flowers to say thanks for being kind & helpful (she was probably thinking thank christ they are off at last) 🤣 It was raining most of the way, but the drive was made more bearable by the stunning colours of the countryside. We are now camping in a small Istrian hilltop village called Roc. The site has stunning views apparently but we haven't been able to see them yet because it has been covered in cloud and raining cats & dogs since yesterday evening. In fact it is raining so hard on the caravan roof now, it is giving us a headache 😵‍💫 This afternoon we drove to the nearest big town, Buzet, which is famed for its truffles. Another hilltop location, it attracts coachloads in the summer but today it was empty and mostly closed! We had a wonder about and a nice lunch. We also came across an off-road trials meet up - if they didn't get muddy enough on a normal day, today was certainly going to test them!Read more

  • Europe with the Mighty Conan

    Pula

    October 24, 2025 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    It continued hammering it down last night until around 2am, then the thunder storms started and the wind whipped up - we thought the caravan was going to take off so we didn't get much sleep! Luckily the sun returned this morning for our visit to Pula, which we wanted to see last year but ran out of time. The main draw is the Roman amphitheatre and it doesn't disappoint. It is quite earie to sit on the steps and imagine what it was like to watch death for fun 🤔 The rest of the city is a strange mix of Roman, Venetian, Art Deco, awful tower blocks and a working port! There are also lots of olive oil shops and an interesting market hall where the locals go for coffee ❤️Read more

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    Not so Hum Drum

    October 25, 2025 in Croatia ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    Today didn't quite work out as planned - we set off on what should have been a fairly short hike from the small hilltop town of Hum to Kotli and back again. Hum is billed as one of the smallest towns in the world - not sure of it's qualifications for this but the label certainly brings the coach loads of tourists 😕 We decided to leave looking around until we got back from the walk by which time the coaches should have buggered off. About 3k into our walk, we were supposed to cross a small stream but due to the recent rain, it had turned into a 3ft deep raging river. I was willing to get my boots wet but Nige wasn't so we turned back and took a diversion. Unfortunately the diversion route had suffered from a few landslides 🤦We could see that at least one overland vehicle had been through (and maybe a bear or two judging by the paw prints) so we persevered but eventually it became too steep and wet to continue so we had to admit defeat and turn back again. By this time we had walked for longer than the original route and I had put my foot in it more than once 🤣 As we approached the town, we were puzzled to see security guards and cars parked everywhere - it turned out that it was Hum's annual grape festival! We were obliged to buy a ticket to have a look around the town but with that ticket we were given a shot glass with which to sample as many of the spirits as we fancied, bearing in mind that one of us (me) had to drive back to the campsite afterwards 😵‍💫Read more

  • Europe with the Mighty Conan

    Predjama Castle & Postojna Cave

    October 26, 2025 in Slovenia ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

    A wet Sunday was forecast so we headed over the border to Slovenia for a full on tourist day! First up was Predjama Castle which dates back 800 years and is the largest cave castle in the world. It's very impressive but I can't imagine it was very comfortable for anyone to live in and just being held in the dank dungeons would have been torture enough with all the spooky noises that are made by the wind and rain blowing through the cave 😱 Next, we were both very brave and went on the 1.5 hr tour of Postjona Cave which at 24km long, is one of the largest in Europe. It is like Ikea on steroids - a train takes you the first few km and then you have to follow the guide on foot for about 1km without being allowed to stop and with no way back 😱😱 At the deepest point of the walk is a souvenir shop and post office - you are given sufficient time to make your purchases of toy baby dragons (proteus) and send a post card before being allowed to catch the train back (Nige absolutely loved this bit) 😱😱😱 Despite the naff stuff and lack of escape route though, the caves are spectacular and well worth the visit. Stock picture of a Proteus added - you are not allowed to photograph them as they are too sensitive 🚫Read more

  • Europe with the Mighty Conan

    Hike from Buzet to Kotli

    October 29, 2025 in Croatia ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Kotli is the village we failed to get to on our last walk so today we tried a different approach recommended by our campsite host. We set out from Buzet on the 7 waterfalls trail. Well, we saw 3 waterfalls on the way plus a further 1 that had dried up so I'm not sure what happened to the others - we obviously went the wrong way 😂 Still, it was a lovely walk and we made it to Kotli where most of the houses have been abandoned and there is the ruins of an old water mill. Apparently, all the villagers left after the second world war for more prosperous areas and today there is only one official resident in the village! The return track passed through the Buzetski canyon. I'm still amazed at how beautiful Croatia is in Autumn - we think of it as a summer destination but I reckon we have visited at the best time of year 👍Read more

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    What a difference a day makes...

    Oct 30–31, 2025 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 6 °C

    Or just a 5 hour drive in our case! We were very sad to leave Croatia yesterday but now we are in the dramatically different Dolomites! The shorts and tee shirts have been firmly relegated to the bottom drawer 😕 We are camping in the Antholz valley (you can guess what Nige likes to call it instead 🤪) The drive up was pretty scary with the caravan - all narrow roads and HGVs hurtling down towards us - Nige had white knuckles by the end of it. Unfortunately or fortunately it is between seasons here so most shops and restaurants are closed but that means that the tourist trails and sights are quiet. Today we did a short hike to ease ourselves in - the campsite is at 1200m so we were out of breath before we started! We hiked to the 'Earth Pyramids of Platten' which were formed during a 19th century storm that washed the slope away. We also visited the Antholzer See lake. It was stunning despite the clouds so must look even more amazing when the weather is good! Speaking of which, the forecast is not great for the weekend so we may have to wait until next week before attempting to see some of the famous peaks 🤞Read more

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    A mooch around Brixen/Bressanone

    November 1, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    All of the place names in the area are written in both Italian and German but most people in the area speak German. Apart from the pasta & Aperol Spritz, it doesn't really feel like Italy at all! Today we went to Brixen/Bressanone which is the oldest town in the South Tyrol. As it was after 12 when we arrived, we weren't surprised to see all of the shops closed but most of the restaurants and cafes were also shut - it turns out it is All Saints Day today 🤦 Thankfully, a handful of restaurants on the main square were open so we had a nice lunch before I had to make do with some window shopping - probably the safest form of shopping for me! We also came across the Pharmacy Museum which we had to pay a visit to on behalf of our good friend Dr Peter Hirst 🤪 The building has been a pharmacy since the 18th century and they just never threw anything away - we didn't really understand most of what we were looking at but it was a great excuse to see inside one of the stunning buildings ❤️Read more

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    Pragser Wildsee & Cortina d'Ampezzo

    November 3, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    Sunday was a miserable day, cold wet & cloudy so we spent most of it in the caravan with the heating on. The plus side to this was that we woke up this morning to blue skies & more than a dusting of snow at the top of the mountains 😀 Today, we took a walk around one of the most popular lakes in the Dolomites, Pragser Wildsee. It was busy but not quite the hell it probably is in the summer. It was also one of the most stunning lakes I have ever seen, and I have been to a few now! Next we drove to the well known resort of Cortina, home to the 2026 winter Olympics. With only 90ish days to go, there was still an awful lot of building work going on and was anything open? Not a chance 🤣 We were hoping for a nice lunch but had to make do with a pizza slice & hot chocolate from the one cafe that was open plus a walk down the disused railway to see the Hotel Miramonti which featured in James Bond's 'For Your Eyes Only' and 'The Pink Panther'. Guess what....it was closed 🤣🤣🤣Read more

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    Tre Cime Di Lavaredo Loop

    November 4, 2025 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 2 °C

    The Tre Cime Di Lavaredo are the iconic three peaks that the Dolomites are famous for. Today we hiked the 9.5k loop around them to capture their best side which faces north! Although it wasn't a particularly long hike, the 2500m altitude and the snow & ice made for quite a tough day. To say we felt exhilarated by the end is an understatement! One of our best hikes ever and the perfect day for it. We met a German couple on the way round who told us that they had done the loop a couple of times before but never seen it as beautiful and empty as it was today 👊Read more

  • Europe with the Mighty Conan

    Fussen

    November 7, 2025 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes! Yesterday wasn't particularly exciting as it was a driving day - we hopped across Austria to the Bavarian Alps, just in time to get a nice birthday dinner at the campsite - yes back to civilization where everything is open 👍 We are camping on Lake Forggensee - it is very busy as it is half term in Germany 🙄 Today we walked the 5km into the town of Fussen and back again. What a stunning walk along the lake - who knew that Germany had lakes this turquoise? Fussen is the last town on the Romantic road route and is just a couple of Kms from the border with Austria. It is a historical town known for violin making and is full of castles, monasteries, churches and, most importantly, shops 🤩 I love the way all the buildings are painted. We also spotted a Woolworths but unfortunately, it didn't sell pick n mix 😂Read more

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    Linderhof Palace & Oberammergau

    November 8, 2025 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    Today we visited the grounds of the Linderhof palace built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria in the 19th century. As well as the palace, which was his refuge away from Munich city, he built extensive gardens filled with smaller cottages, a Moroccan kiosk and a grotto. Unfortunately, I didn't read the website properly and most of the smaller buildings were closed for renovation. Also, the plants and statues were all covered and the fountains switched off for winter (I keep forgetting it is now November)🤦 So it wasn't as an impressive visit as I had hoped but we still managed to enjoy the park and have a picnic in the sun. To avoid returning to the campsite too early, we stopped by the small town of Oberammergau on the way back. The town is known for its wood carving artists, evident by the many shops selling wooden trinkets!Read more

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    Augsburg

    November 9, 2025 in Germany ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

    What to do on another cold and rainy Sunday? Visit Augsburg, one of Germany's oldest cities founded in Roman times. Except that I didn't do my research again, otherwise I would have known that all the shops and most restaurants close on a Sunday in Germany 😕 Nevermind, there are lots of museums in Augsburg so I took Nige to the Puppet museum which I thought he would really appreciate 😉 There is also a theatre which still puts on shows but I thought that might be a step too far! After that excitement, we had a traditional Bavarian lunch in an old tavern and went for a wonder around the old town where they are preparing the huts for the Christmas market. We won't be here when the markets open at the end of the month which is a great shame but then that's probably the safest thing for my wallet 😂Read more

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    Lake Alpsee & view of the castles

    November 10, 2025 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    Today we did a 10k hike around Lake Alpsee, incorporating the steep walk up to the Disney inspiring Schloss Neuschwanstein which has been on my bucket list for a while 😀 Even around the lake, you get stunning views of both Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles, the latter being the older castle, originally built in the 14th century and re- built in the 18th. Good old Ludwig II had the second castle built in the 18th c but died before it was finished 😕 I wasn't fussed about seeing inside the castles, a good job really as there were lots of coachloads arriving even though it is out of season. However, I had read that if you walk to the Marienbrucke bridge, you get to see the best view of Neuschwanstein 👍 Just as we arrived, a bus load of Japs were dropped off and so we were all crowded together on the bridge to get the money shot 😂 We did a hasty retreat and 5 mins down the road we found a quiet, if not bloody cold, spot for our picnic plus for a pic of the bridge and the castle together! Once back down the hill, we had to warm up with a local beer or two in the Castle Brewery 😀Read more

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    Hike from Lechfall to Weissensee

    Nov 11–14, 2025 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    Well, I can't believe it is day 75 already and this is going to be the last footprint on our trip ☹️ We've spent this week chilling - we went hat shopping in Fussen, visited the thermal baths in Schwangau and ate currywurst at the castle brewery 🤩 All the time with the stunning backdrop of the Bavarian Alps and Neuschwanstein Castle 🫶 Today has been unusually warm and we did a final hike of 15km starting at the manmade waterfall on the Lech River and taking in the Alpine lakes Alatsee and Weisensee. A great last walk it was too. Next week, it is forecast to snow, there's not many campsites open now and we are running out of days so we have booked the ferry back to Blighty for Sunday - hope storm Claudia has moved on by then! It truly has been a brilliant end to an amazing trip - we have visited some fantastic places, driven an awful lot of miles, done some awesome hikes and eaten a lot of donuts 😂 Most importantly, we both deserve medals for putting up with eachother 24/7 and we are still talking, just 😉👍🏅Read more

    Trip end
    November 16, 2025