Curiosity Drive 🚐

Away missions exploring the galaxy in our vanship, one planet at a time. Engage Curiosity Drive!

You learn something every day—but still die stupid

💛 Be kind | 🤔 Stay curious

🇳🇿🇩🇪

Public Key

npub18gdhrtna43emmvl93lwrfslygqmekcx2azds2gls0pqs8nycwt7qg37vpw

NIP-05 Address

oCDo@mastodon-nz.mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsr5xm34e76cuaak0jclhp5c0jyqdumvr9w3xc9y0c8ssgrejv89lqpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerfw36x7tnsw43qz9nhwden5te0wfjkccte9ec8y6tdv9kzumn9wsvstqlg

Publishing to

relay.ditto.pub

relay.primal.net

offchain.pub

Author Public Key

npub18gdhrtna43emmvl93lwrfslygqmekcx2azds2gls0pqs8nycwt7qg37vpw

Show more details

Last Notes

2026-10-12 07:30:02 UTC

[3/3] #Liepāja cont. The fifth and final theme of “Creative Foresight” is centred on active urban transformation. In the Juliannas Courtyard within the Old Town former industrial buildings have been converted into lofts and trendy venues in acts of urban sustainability: “Reuse, Repurpose” (📷1). To the north, the district of Karosta was a closed military zone—being the site of a former Russian then Soviet naval base. Here St. Nicholas Orthodox Naval Cathedral stands as a symbol of resilience, having endured being stripped during WWI and conversion into a cinema and sports hall during the Soviet era (📷2). Its rebirth via restoration to a spiritual purpose trumpets “Reclaim”.
Admittedly, there’s a deficit in our cultural interpretations given limited direct interactions with local people. Travelling by van can sometimes result in too much independence. Despite this, we’ve a boat to catch but nevertheless leave the Baltic States enriched by the experience of our five-week tour.
🔴 #Liepaja2027 #unrest
🇱🇻 #europe #baltics #latvia #latvija 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/426/762/431/449/475/original/607e97b3d82e058b.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/426/762/456/737/463/original/1c34bfc5fed65d7f.jpeg

2026-10-11 17:28:02 UTC

[2/3] #Liepāja cont. The “Port Paradox” theme speaks to the city’s dual identity, which is manifest in both time and space. The 3km-long Trade Canal, excavated between 1697 and 1703 to create a modern city port, is seen here filtered by the glass of the Great Amber Concert Hall; it separates Old Liepāja from New Liepāja (📷1). Old Liepāja is further bounded on one side by the wild Baltic Sea—into which the sun sets, and on the other by the more sedate Lake Liepāja—where the sun rises and birdwatchers can endulge from the shelter of an observation tower (📷2). Artful reinterpretations of the world around us can help people see contemporary problems (like migration and sustainability) with “New Eyes”. Street art sometimes provides social commentary, but may also be seen as vandalism—symptomatic of social issues. The “Wind, Sea & Freedom" mural appears to be sanctioned, depicting the sea as Neptune, the city as a siren and the ever-present wind (📷3). Security in all its forms is another issue of our time; if we don’t keep sharp eyes on new threats and guard against the loss of what we hold dear, there are those who will take it from us without compunction (📷4).
🔴 #Liepaja2027 #unrest
🇱🇻 #europe #baltics #latvia #latvija 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/423/451/543/552/391/original/f3b7228a8fdfd6e7.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/423/451/546/437/105/original/2568fd8430af941f.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/423/451/528/645/765/original/7b8dbdcfa13bb374.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/423/451/515/877/172/original/39c17bc414d6159b.jpeg

2026-10-11 15:33:51 UTC

[1/3] Liepāja successfully bid to be European Capital of Culture 2027—although the marketing speak about the “story of (un)rest” didn’t readily translate for us.
“(un)rest is the healthy energy that moves us forwards, that pushes us to reach our goals. (un)rest is the process where what is in rest is shaken up and what is in unrest becomes more peaceful and accessible.” 🤔
This concept of duality unites a five-theme cultural programme highlighting challenges facing both #Liepāja and Europe. With 1.5 days up our sleeve before the ferry home, making this tangible and learning something of the city became our challenge!
Through the lens of “European Dream” (shared values, identity and mutual learning) we latched on to this building: why follow one path, when you can celebrate your heritage in both local timber architecture and European Art Nouveau simultaneously (📷1)? However, preserving such heritage requires ongoing investment to avoid crumbling—just as many dreams are wont to do. There’s a concentration of Art Nouveau buildings around Graudu iela (📷2), in varying states of (de)composition.
Speaking of compositions, “Deliberate Modesty” (longstanding cultural traditions and heritage), Liepāja is referred to as Latvia’s music capital. The Holy Trinity Cathedral (consecrated 1758) boasts the largest unreconstructed mechanical organ in the world (📷3). From one instrument to many, the aptly-named Great Amber Concert Hall (📷4) symbolises the city's cultural renaissance—and we finally found amber! The Hall hosts the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra, the oldest orchestra in the Baltic States (founded 1881).
🔴 #Liepaja2027 #unrest
🇱🇻 #europe #baltics #latvia #latvija 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/423/001/048/628/345/original/190e70e39ddd9737.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/423/001/054/419/007/original/bb6d38bd40e14bde.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/423/001/058/061/138/original/14ff736430bce046.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/423/001/050/917/321/original/bce6e348fae42f95.jpeg

2026-10-11 04:41:06 UTC

We left the Curonian Spit—but not the gusts and driving rain, hunkering down inside the van on the outskirts of Klaipėda for the rest of the day/ night. The still-wet morning saw us cross the border back into Latvia (Ačiū, Lietuva!). From the village of Pape we took the 9.5km Dabas procesu taka | Ecological Process Trail, looping through an ethnographic fishing village (📷1) and a 4.6km stretch of beach (📷2) upon which we found exactly 0g of amber after the previous night’s storm. We drove next to Grobiņa for a castle ruin (📷3), hillfort site and burial mounds chronicling the co-existence of local Curonians and pre-Viking Scandinavian settlers during the 7–9th centuries. It’s rare we’ll say this, but significance to Latvia aside (possibly the oldest town), it didn’t merit the detour. By the time we arrived in Liepāja the rain had stopped and the clouds dissipated; we joined locals for a beach walk at sunset in the strong sea breeze (📷4). Latvians know Liepāja as the "birthplace of the wind".
🇱🇻 #europe #baltics #latvia #latvija 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/420/435/676/695/584/original/221e89dd9cac983a.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/420/435/173/891/949/original/d5478ad609bf2195.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/420/435/270/690/763/original/a13e6ca2d0de179f.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/420/435/815/461/895/original/0a578669fa16233a.jpeg

2026-10-09 07:43:06 UTC

Traditions on the Curonian Spit come in non-architectural forms, too. Raganų kalnas | the Hill of Witches is a forest trail on one of the oldest parabolic dunes in Juodkrantė, featuring carved wooden devils, witches and folklore figures maintained here since 1979 (📷1). The centuries-old craft of smoking fish was originally born out of necessity for food preservation, but has evolved into a signature part of the Spit’s cultural and culinary identity. At a waterside smokehouse we enjoyed a 🐟 spotted sea bass fillet (from #NZ, bought in Klaipėda’s harbour), smoked locally with salt, pepper, garlic and coriander spice—eaten with 🤌 fingers, 🍞 rye bread and 🍺 beer, as is the local way (📷2). Although not specific to the Spit, Magija makes the “original Lithuanian glazed quark bar” (sūrelis)—chocolate-coated fluffy quark cheese in various flavours, served chilled (📷3). Apparently curd snacks remain popular throughout the Baltic States since their introduction in the Soviet Union during the 1950s. Likewise not Spit-specific, amber (fossilised conifer resin) has cultural, historical and economic significance across the Baltic States—where coastal accumulations are the result of redistribution by glacial retreat and ocean currents. The Curonian Spit is a major geological site where amber washes ashore, particularly after storms. We’ve been looking and passed numerous amber museums/ galleries on this tour; finally we visited one in Nida (📷4). It’s more fascinating than you’d think!
🇱🇹 #europe #baltics #lithuania #lietuva 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #nationalPark 🌍 #unesco
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/409/826/919/250/705/original/9f79d3b7a3c5141b.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/409/826/833/142/739/original/fa8a2b04537bb4cd.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/409/826/694/892/596/original/acda1c2722e03a46.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/409/826/627/475/705/original/c4df9d2ee57d0a4d.jpeg

2026-10-09 03:26:27 UTC

Traditional fishing village architecture is integral to the Curonian Spit’s UNESCO listing. Compact single-story thatched dwellings would typically have been accompanied by a cattle shed, smokehouse for curing fish, kitchen garden and space for drying nets. Many such homesteads didn’t survive WWII and their 20th C. replacements were often built larger to reflect recreational purposes. Today many buildings are holiday lets, but architectural traditions endure in the use of contrasting colours, such as dark red timber matched to vibrant blue gables decorated with lėkiai | "roof horses" at the apex. Here are some properties we found interesting in Nida (📷1), Pervalka (📷2&3) and in Preila—where a non-seaworthy boat and fishing net in the yard pay homage to times past (📷4).
🇱🇹 #europe #baltics #lithuania #lietuva 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #nationalPark 🌍 #unesco
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/408/817/649/821/961/original/f62e9ed09af46ffc.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/408/817/637/434/022/original/c914b9f7de872318.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/408/817/688/973/011/original/fe6ae9c4e25b6e49.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/408/817/650/924/237/original/ff74cae118472044.jpeg

2026-10-08 16:28:27 UTC

We certainly weren’t expecting to find Pelecanus onocrotalus | the great white pelican on the Curonian Spit, but here they are, seemingly on vacation in the moat surrounding Lietuvos jūrų muziejus | the Lithuanian Sea Museum (📷1). Other bird sightings included cormorants in a colony on South Pier, overhead cranes, mute swans and the great crested grebe. Corynephorus canescens | grey hair-grass is native to Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, seen here on the Dead Dunes where it is typical (📷2). It’s well-adapted to the lack of water and will roll its leaves into tubes when dry or unroll them given sufficient moisture. There’s beauty to be found here in the absence of life, as in the way the wind carves waves into the dunes (📷3) or how the sea smooths and polishes multicoloured pebbles (📷4).
🇱🇹 #europe #baltics #lithuania #lietuva 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #nature #nationalPark 🌍 #unesco
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/406/230/275/278/168/original/b3840bbd91a2e7f3.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/406/230/324/339/829/original/23d7987c28a11508.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/406/230/339/645/059/original/3b0fce85b676b652.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/406/230/149/615/298/original/9601adb943e95974.jpeg

2026-10-08 16:27:14 UTC

The Curonian Spit’s UNESCO listing reflects its status as a “cultural landscape”, shaped by both nature and by human activity (e.g. it was destabilised by 17–18th C. logging, the site of fishing villages, ongoing dune stabilisation efforts). It’s a dynamic environment, featuring the highest moving sand dunes in Europe (averaging 35m, up to 52m high).
At Naglių gamtinis rezervatas | Nagliai Nature Reserve 5 € pp buys access to a 1.1km trail through the Nagliai Dune, part of the longest chain of “bare” dunes on the spit—although the ascent is via slopes covered primarily in grey hair-grass (📷1). This dune began forming from wind-blown sand in the 17th C., moving towards the lagoon at up to 15m per year and burying the Nagliai village (the shared fate of 14+ villages on the Spit between 17th and 19th centuries). From the observation area at 50m elevation you can view areas of grey dune (overgrown with moss, lichens and sand plants) and desert-like white dune habitats (📷2). As a result of stabilisation efforts the dunes are no longer mobile, hence the nickname “Dead Dunes”.
From Nida it’s a short (free) hike to the summit of Parnidžio kopa | Parnidis Dune, a bare drifting dune at 52m elevation (📷3); note the “sand traps” in the foreground—branch barriers have been used for over 200 years to help arrest travelling dunes. There’s a granite sundial-calendar on the summit (somewhat bizarre) and 2km away is the border with Russia’s Калининградская область | Kaliningrad Oblast (📷4).
🇱🇹 #europe #baltics #lithuania #lietuva 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking #nature #nationalPark 🌍 #unesco
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/406/225/571/663/760/original/b9d10806cd955410.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/406/225/508/900/118/original/ed8a1c23e1868eb3.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/406/225/554/969/713/original/e51460413a04adb9.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/406/225/584/523/865/original/86cf3b0062386863.jpeg

2026-10-08 15:04:41 UTC

The entire 98km-long Curonian Spit is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The southern end is land-linked and protected as Национальный парк «Куршская коса»; it’s off-limits within the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad (the border is closed). The northern Lithuanian end is protected as Kuršių nerijos nacionalinis parkas | Curonian Spit National Park, which must be accessed by boat.
Costs: We took our van on a ferry 600m from Klaipėda to Smiltynė for 46.40 €. There’s an additional 20 € off-season camper toll per entry into the Neringa resort (incld. the settlements of Juodkrantė, Pervalka, Preila and Nida). We rented a small apartment in Nida for a couple of nights given the paucity of overnight 🅿️ options. Daytime 🅿️ may also cost but this varies by season.
The Spit is a depositional sandbar some 17,000 years in the making, with open Baltic Sea beaches backed by dunes to one side (📷1&2) and the generally calmer Curonian Lagoon to the other (📷3&4).
🇱🇹 #europe #baltics #lithuania #lietuva 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #nature #nationalPark 🌍 #unesco
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/405/900/840/595/849/original/41a722ebde042a1e.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/405/900/941/157/515/original/6f7bcc0c3dc05f6a.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/405/900/977/853/746/original/967e2e701ff55314.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/405/900/907/707/196/original/4c0f72ca5fb3e4a9.jpeg

2026-10-07 10:35:30 UTC

Žemaitijos nacionalinis parkas | Žemaitija National Park happens to be the location of the former Ракетная база Плокштине | Plokštinė Missile Base, now Šaltojo karo muziejus | the Cold War Museum. Underground construction began in secret in 1960, and from 1963 until decommissioning in 1978, the base’s four silos housed R-12 Dvina (SS-4 Sandal) ballistic missiles, fitted with 2 megaton nuclear warheads. With these weapons the Soviet Union could theoretically reach all European NATO countries, as well as Türkiye (MRBMs not ICBMs); they were never launched (we’re still here… barely!).
One of the retractable protective silo covers on the surface (📷1). The museum is primarily underground, with exhibits including propaganda intended to con civilians that a nuclear exchange might be survivable with suitable preparation* (📷2) and some of the residual machinery needed to operate the base, such as this diesel generator room (📷3). We thought the interactive “Push the button: one decision, millions of consequences” exhibit was well implemented and impactful. There was the opportunity to peer into the pit of darkness beneath the dome where a missile once stood (📷4). Let the last words be those of Albert Einstein: “I know not with what weapons World War Ill will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones".
*Re-interpreted by the museum as “Wrap [yourself] into a white cloth and quietly creep to the cemetery.”
🇱🇹 #europe #baltics #lithuania #lietuva 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/399/180/065/626/483/original/3be0a1931f4d735a.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/399/180/177/704/708/original/685b1f1f93ce1274.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/399/180/080/830/568/original/8690a3c38c30a58d.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/399/179/980/055/213/original/aecb71e881efbe97.jpeg

2026-10-06 15:06:31 UTC

Kryžių kalnas | the Hill of Crosses (~12 km from Šiauliai) is located on the site of a medieval hill fort that was destroyed in 1348 CE by the Livonians. Beginning in ~1847 people raised crosses on this remote site for uncertain reasons (perhaps while praying for the sick or for those killed in uprisings). It became a custom, which Soviet authorities attempted to erase with bulldozers several times from 1961 until raising crosses was no longer banned in 1988. Today the hill is a popular tourist attraction, covered with over 200,000 crosses, crucifixes, koplytstulpiai (pillar-shrines), statuettes, pictures and rosaries (📷1). Lithuanian cross-crafting is UNESCO listed as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (📷2). Site access is free, with paid parking (🚐🅿️ 5€/h) and 1€/ 🚾.
On to Žemaitijos nacionalinis parkas | Žemaitija National Park, where we took the 7km circular Šeirés pažintinis takas | Šeirė Educational Walking Trail; it runs beside Platelių ežeras | Lake Plateliai (📷3) to a modest bog pool (📷4).
🇱🇹 #europe #baltics #lithuania #lietuva 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking #nature #nationalPark 🌍 #unesco
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/394/583/573/257/043/original/b93400eafe6d8f94.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/394/583/434/652/381/original/b102f69db94ae8a4.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/394/583/319/514/841/original/45f5f9e5438fe3d6.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/394/582/999/963/113/original/490129e3f9703146.jpeg

2026-10-05 18:28:24 UTC

[2/2] Kaunas cont. What drew us to Kaunas, however, was modernism. We’re not students of art nor architecture, but sought to understand what made the city’s interwar period (1919-1939) buildings special—gaining a UNESCO World Heritage listing. During this period Kaunas was the provisional capital of Lithuania (Vilnius being occupied by Polish forces). Consequently Kaunas experienced a rapid transformation, blending local design traditions (e.g. textile and woodcarving patterns) with prevailing international modernism (minimalist, sunlit designs featuring strict lines and tall windows). That buildings should be designed based solely on their purpose and function was core to modernism. Examples:
- The Kaunas Church of the Resurrection was begun in 1934, but wasn’t consecrated until 2004 (📷1); it has a thing for vertical lines.
- The former Land Bank was built in 1935 in a functionalist style (📷2).
- The 1937 Lithuanian Garrison Officer’s club "Ramové" is notable for its incorporation of patriotic motifs (📷3).
- The Central Post Office was another modernist example we hoped to see, but was under wraps for renovation.
Modernism explicitly rejected neoclassicism (revival of classical antiquity, emphasising symmetry, proportion and historical columns). For comparison, the Bank of Lithuania was built in 1928 in a neoclassical style (📷4).
🇱🇹 #europe #baltics #lithuania #lietuva 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🌍 #unesco
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/389/714/133/122/794/original/d7e100dcdd0ba9bd.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/389/714/544/839/608/original/33fc9dda41e87316.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/389/714/642/911/440/original/79da390663859d50.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/389/715/047/414/719/original/9a03ddb9efe31c1d.jpeg

2026-10-05 18:27:41 UTC

[1/2] Kauno pilis | Kaunas Castle is a ruin located strategically at the confluence of the Nemunas and Neris rivers. The original fortress was destroyed in 1362 CE during an attack by the Teutonic Order. A 15th C. replacement atop the foundations of the first featured four stone towers—one of which has been reconstructed (📷1); the Neris tore down most of the rest. Adjacent to the castle is the Laisvės karys | Freedom Warrior sculpture depicting the Vytis, an armoured knight on horseback, which is the national symbol of Lithuania (📷2). The Vytis (the white knight) is one of the oldest state emblems in Europe, dating back to the 14th C. as the symbol of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (we’ve seen it on the red state flag flown at significant historical locations). The nearby Town Hall Square, bordered by the Church of St. Francis Xavier and the Town Hall, made us wonder where everyone was on a Monday lunchtime (📷3). We found a nearly empty restaurant and sampled from their “ethnographic menu”; perhaps we chose poorly, as it was rather bland (📷4). For dessert we tried spurgos from a popular café, a donut Kaunas is famous for, filled with curd cheese, jams or meat.
🇱🇹 #europe #baltics #lithuania #lietuva 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/389/711/842/325/440/original/e0508cc3c1e88494.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/389/712/090/753/805/original/d66b1f50131db211.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/389/712/174/179/801/original/1e9120ab4748dbb3.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/389/712/244/213/421/original/d2fa844cd05acd33.jpeg

2026-10-04 16:52:43 UTC

[2/2] Dzūkija National Park cont. Trailside smalls included Fuligo septica | the 🍳 scrambled egg slime #mould, so named for its yolk-like colour (📷1). Looking like a bifurcated donut on a stick, this is Gyromitra infula | elfin saddle #fungus (📷2). We’re fairly sure this is Didymium spongiosum | 🐕🤮 dog sick slime mould because, well… just look at it (📷3)! Adding splashes of colour to the forest and representing the #plant kingdom, flowering Euonymus verrucosus | the warty-barked spindle (📷4). Although we had several sightings of the great spotted woodpecker, the European green woodpecker said to reside in the park was a no-show.
🇱🇹 #europe #baltics #lithuania #lietuva 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/383/676/547/923/501/original/027fc48982991a84.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/383/676/465/971/305/original/b34c33da22d789be.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/383/676/528/329/157/original/cbb9e53d8ff90a01.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/383/676/450/052/700/original/5ed0ee661009e169.jpeg

2026-10-04 16:51:42 UTC

[1/2] Dzūkijos nacionalinis parkas | Dzūkija National Park is located in southern Lithuania, close to the Belarusian border and less than 100km east of the Sulwalki Gap. It’s the largest protected area in the country, enclosing vast pine forests, inland dunes and waterways/ wetlands. The park also contains several ethnographic villages that preserve wooden architecture and customs. We took the Zackagirio takas | Zackagiris Trail, beginning at the park’s Visitor Centre in Marcinkonys; we soon encountered some of those traditional houses (📷1). Much of the trail is pine forest, but waypoints include Šaudzyklos kalnas | Shooting Range Hill, a 13m high sandy edge overlooking the Grūda River (📷2), the Klonių (Gaidžių) kopa sand dune (📷3) and Meškos šikna | Bear’s Butt raised bog, which the trail skirts. We ended the day at ež. Kastinis, a small lake just a few kilometres from the trailhead (📷4). A 13km/ 4h circular hike.
🇱🇹 #europe #baltics #lithuania #lietuva 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/383/672/416/128/115/original/6d2868c460f5e3ad.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/383/672/518/912/222/original/bb8fc836975500ba.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/383/667/605/775/201/original/53a0699104007aa6.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/383/667/041/893/072/original/73215d8c1d363b0e.jpeg

2026-10-03 15:46:17 UTC

About 25km west of Vilnius is Trakų istorinis nacionalinis parkas | Trakai Historical National Park. We began with a 4km circular wetland trail, Varnikų pažintinis takas | Varnikai Nature Trail, very popular on a Saturday morning (📷1). Lake Galvė, with 21 islands, is the largest of 32 lakes within the park; the best known island is Castle Island—the site of Trakų salos pilis | Trakai Island Castle (📷2). Originally built in the 14th C. the castle was extensively rebuilt after WWII in 15th C. style and now houses a history museum. Užutrakio dvaras | Užutrakis Manor, a restored late 19th C. residential estate, can be seen across the lake from Castle Island (📷3). Karaites are a Turkic-speaking people who settled here by invitation of the Grand Duke to serve as bodyguards/ soldiers at the end of the 14th C. The traditional Karaite kibinai, a savoury pastry much like a Cornish pastie, is readily available. Karaite wooden houses in Trakai typically feature three street-facing windows (📷4); note the house model fixed to the façade—we saw this several times.
🇱🇹 #europe #baltics #lithuania #lietuva 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/377/752/258/823/941/original/10d423c038e1949e.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/377/752/988/252/511/original/cc9c74805c9fa02c.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/377/752/948/600/633/original/247b91ad639652f4.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/377/752/345/095/087/original/abb942050a6a1ce3.jpeg

2026-10-03 04:01:12 UTC

[3/3] #Vilnius cont. We saw big things, like Atlas carrying the Earth on his shoulders—the planet even had its own moon! (📷1). We saw little things, like this social commentary atop a clock keeping incorrect time (📷2). We saw many churches, such as this repurposed one in which we ate lunch; purchased by a priest, it’s now a social enterprise/ restaurant called “Pirmas blynas” employing #disabled staff (📷3). Others were better presented, like the Baroque St. Casimir's Church c. 1604 CE, topped with a royal 👑 crown (📷4); Casimir was the son of the Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland.
🇱🇹 #europe #baltics #lithuania #lietuva 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🌍 #unesco
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/374/980/490/806/416/original/b8cb558f8ff38860.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/374/980/471/739/492/original/9eb6bcd6a815bc55.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/374/980/476/485/293/original/00d3e86bc29ec80a.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/374/980/453/793/808/original/33562203018ea298.jpeg

2026-10-03 03:59:57 UTC

[2/3] #Vilnius cont. Užupis is a neighbourhood in the city partially enclosed by the Vilnia River; during the Soviet era it was a bit shabby. It’s now described as bohemian and in 1997 residents self-declared the Republic of Užupis (📷1). The republic’s “free spirit” (unrecognised) Constitution is displayed in multiple languages (📷2); essentially a list of principles, we picked out Article 13: “A cat is not obliged to love its owner, but must help in time of need”. It’s said that almost one in seven Republic residents are artists, so naturally artwork is ubiquitous. For example, “Vivulskis’ Overcoat” is randomly embedded in a wall (📷3); he died from pneumonia after giving his coat to another cold soldier guarding against the approaching Red Army in the winter of 1919. Oh, we must advise you not to eat these 🍄‍🟫 iced mushroom cakes (possibly Touristica fungiformis?); they look nice, but taste strongly of chemistry (📷4).
🇱🇹 #europe #baltics #lithuania #lietuva 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🌍 #unesco
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/374/975/534/648/311/original/06d40dda9d39d9f9.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/374/975/499/950/340/original/a786cfe489589c38.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/374/975/556/147/778/original/c036fd74954d6223.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/374/975/382/773/263/original/b52f7659083d1e1d.jpeg

2026-10-03 03:58:04 UTC

[1/3] The historic Old Town of Lithuania’s capital #Vilnius is UNESCO-listed; it served as the political centre of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and its architectural diversity includes Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical styles. Gedimino pilies bokštas | Gediminas Castle Tower c. 1409/ 1933 CE (📷1) and its hill offer elevated views of the historic centre, directly overlooking the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania and Cathedral Square/ Vilnius Cathedral—yet we still found orientating to the city a little difficult. From the hill we had quite different views of the Neris River from those of last night’s pitch, swapping pine forest for the skyscrapers of the sprawling modern town (📷2). Šv. Onos bažnyčia | St. Anne's Church illustrates how versatile you can be with a good bricklayer (📷3); this Gothic masterpiece has remained relatively unchanged for five centuries since it was consecrated in 1500 CE. Aušros vartai | the Gate of Dawn, built 1503–1514 CE, is the only surviving gate of the original city wall (📷4); it later incorporated a chapel housing a painting of the Virgin Mary.
🇱🇹 #europe #baltics #lithuania #lietuva 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🌍 #unesco
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/374/968/065/516/140/original/fd311600a155aa1b.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/374/968/119/609/960/original/c81a04c6adf69e5a.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/374/967/966/444/783/original/c77871a62b69e984.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/374/968/067/853/105/original/2dd23aac93debae1.jpeg

2026-10-02 06:05:48 UTC

Changing of the Light, Neris River, Baltas kalnas | White Hill, Kernavė.
🇱🇹 #europe #baltics #lithuania #lietuva 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/369/808/118/943/076/original/7b7cd8cc36a97040.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/369/807/981/466/338/original/fbadfef382ab7c70.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/369/807/821/399/925/original/286d6adc613e1379.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/369/807/770/728/286/original/feba5b64ec2d1dbb.jpeg

2026-10-01 18:06:37 UTC

The day began with astronomy and ended with archeology, as we visited two of Lithuania’s World Heritage Sites. Looking somewhat like a pet cemetery, this enclosure near Meškonys is one of the country’s three preserved Struve Geodetic Arc sites (📷1). Kernavės archeologinės vietovės muziejus | Kernavė Archaeological Site Museum is a modern, quality museum with two permanent halls, covering prehistory and the Middle Ages. There’s evidence of almost continuous settlement at Kernavė for the past 10,000 years. A signature local find was a bronze pin with a coiled head that accompanied a 1st millennium BCE cremation burial; you can visit the Brushed Pottery Culture burial site, symbolically marked by boulders near the riverbank. The open-air part of the site includes five mounds upon which wooden hill forts were built at various times (📷2) and three reconstructed 13–14th C. craftsmen’s homesteads (📷3). Kernavė became an important feudal town and was for a time the medieval capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It was destroyed by retreating defenders when the Teutonic Order attacked in 1390 CE (i.e. “scorched earth” tactics). The viewpoint at Baltas kalnas | White Cliff overlooks the Neris River (📷4); below this steep slope was one of the fording points that the army of the Teutonic Order identified during their march on Kernavė.
🇱🇹 #europe #baltics #lithuania #lietuva 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🌍 #unesco
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/366/980/149/867/695/original/3fa359fe4d681c14.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/366/978/640/886/394/original/01dbc4f512912313.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/366/977/336/012/522/original/7a9406ee32d07ea6.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/366/976/776/502/668/original/c63da460a66cf39b.jpeg

2026-10-01 04:20:52 UTC

[3/3] Ginučiai hike cont. Always a pleasure to spot a new-to-us 🦋 butterfly; Polygonia c-album | the comma has characteristic notches in its forewings and orange/ brown/ black colouration, mimicking fallen leaves (📷1). We saw Natrix natrix | the European grass snake again several times—although only once alive (📷2); the others had been run over. It was a similar story with Anguis colchica | the eastern slowworm (or possibly Anguis fragilis | the common slowworm); this is a legless lizard, not a snake (📷3). As this is a national park established where people were already living for generations, human marks are carved on the natural world. In this case literally; we’ve seen the tell-tale grooves used for pine resin harvesting before (📷4).
🇱🇹 #europe #baltics #lithuania #lietuva 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/363/733/204/942/795/original/4ab810a16e23de2b.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/363/733/176/524/497/original/8b951307b0675328.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/363/732/063/405/241/original/08b783cc5d09294d.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/363/731/401/680/702/original/618e316ccccbd1fe.jpeg

2026-10-01 04:19:20 UTC

[2/3] Ginučiai hike cont. Here’s another view of the village of Salos (📷1). Just down the road is its sister village, creatively named Salos II; we ate lunch beside this nicely restored 1922 barn (📷2). Our favourite view on the trail was from a small bridge over the channel connecting the lakes of Alksnaitis and Linkmenas (📷3). Next up was Ladakalnis Hill, formerly a place for pagan worship, where six lakes can be seen simultaneously. The adjacent Ginučiai Mound (“castle mound”) is the site of a wooden hill fort destroyed by the Livonian Order in 1433 CE. Towards the end of the hike we ascended the Siliniškés Observation Tower for views (📷4), in the process symbolically marking our 4th anniversary of having climbed out of our working lives. A 14km/ 4.5h loop hike.
🇱🇹 #europe #baltics #lithuania #lietuva 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/363/727/113/699/108/original/f2f11b9be4cb86e3.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/363/727/190/400/667/original/32e8b54a6ae330c1.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/363/726/966/610/052/original/06197cb38d069251.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/363/726/579/660/594/original/f6d72254c7ebbad8.jpeg

2026-10-01 04:17:13 UTC

[1/3] Our second hike in Aukštaitijos Nacionalinis Parkas | Aukštaitija National Park began in the village of Ginučiai, settled in 1554 CE. The watermill has been a feature since at least 1738 CE (📷1) and the village contains many examples of traditional-style wooden houses (📷2). After leaving the village the trail follows a dirt road through forest for several kilometres before offering the first lake views, at the site of a bridge at a four-way crossroads (📷3). There’s more traditional architecture—and well-kept gardens—to be seen in the small lakeside ethnographic village of Salos (📷4).
🇱🇹 #europe #baltics #lithuania #lietuva 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/363/718/864/356/738/original/e49f98cdd2772b39.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/363/718/839/034/363/original/bed2af07693b794d.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/363/718/671/381/633/original/4ae01387493e2467.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/363/718/425/348/022/original/85929e847c9208b6.jpeg

2026-09-30 02:57:18 UTC

Aukštaitijos Nacionalinis Parkas | Aukštaitija National Park was our first destination in Lithuania, following our entry from southeastern Latvia. We passed through a military checkpoint en route to Palūšė, where the church built in 1750 CE is one of the oldest surviving wooden churches in Lithuania (📷1). From the Visitor Centre we took the recommended Meironų pažintinis takas | Meironu Nature Trail, which includes forest, swamp and lakeside sections. More than elsewhere we were molested by 🪰 Lipoptena cervi | the deer fly (📷2), whose modus operandi is to land on elk/ deer, shed its wings, burrow through fur, cut into skin and feed on the hosts blood. With hooked legs plus an elastic body, they’re very resistant to being brushed off or crushed! Our 6km/ 80min loop hike concluded with a return along the shore of ež. Lūšiai | Lake Lūšiai (📷3). To overnight we drove to ež. Almajas | Lake Almajas, arriving just as the sun was setting (📷4); there’s a public campsite hidden in lakeside forest down a gravel road.
🇱🇹 #europe #baltics #lithuania #lietuva 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/357/742/286/611/657/original/c6159b13510a80a6.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/357/742/154/031/982/original/f3703765582b26ed.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/357/742/313/543/937/original/b6ce28e6d06ca579.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/357/742/241/017/393/original/9568bb90c38c98f8.jpeg

2026-09-29 10:51:31 UTC

[2/2] A transit of eastern Latvia cont. We left Rāzna National Park and en route to Velnezers entered a Border Zone where we were stopped by 🚨 police (Belarus was to the other side of Dagda). They asked where we were going, where we had come from, and looked into our mud-splattered van. We continued on, the gravel road again getting narrower and muddier—until we bailed, and backtracked to tarmac. Our revised sealed route went through Aglona (known for its basilica), near to the petite and pretty lake of Velnezers (📷1). If we felt like banging our heads against a tree for our faith in GPS algorithms, we were in good company. Dendrocopos major | the great spotted woodpecker empathised in the trees around the lake (📷2). Back on the road, we passed through another Border Zone for an evening arrival to pitch beside the Daugava River (📷3)—after some 6h driving and an overdose of juddering. Next morning after doing services in camp, getting the 👕 laundry done in Daugavpils and buying odourless 💦 drinking water—hard to find otherwise in the Baltics—we came to Daugavpils cietoksnis | Daugavpils Fortress (📷4). This early 19th C. bastion-type fort was built to defend the Russian Empire's western frontier. In 1812, while still under construction, 3,300 defenders repelled an attack by 24,000 of Napoleon’s troops; during WWII occupying Nazi troops set up Stalag 340 inside it.
🇱🇻 #europe #baltics #latvia #latvija 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/353/944/689/461/423/original/3fa9676c758fe769.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/353/944/675/393/757/original/6d5a3d52381a1f82.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/353/942/805/419/469/original/29e0863e5ca98eef.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/353/942/187/268/717/original/cc5d24eddfba436b.jpeg

2026-09-29 10:48:11 UTC

[1/2] A transit of eastern Latvia. After leaving Rebäse in Estonia we headed for the border with Latvia, aiming for Rāznas nacionālais parks | Rāzna National Park in the Latgale region, the southeastern “Land of Blue Lakes”. Mākoņkalns | Cloud Hill is 248m above sea level—although only about 50m in relative height. At the top are the scant medieval ruins of Volkenberg Castle, although our motive for the short climb was an elevated view of Rāznas ezers | Lake Rāzna, about 2km distant (📷1). Rāzna is Latvia’s largest lake by volume; only watercraft without propellers may enter it (📷2). Reached after some adventurous gravel road (becoming narrow dirt track, then mud), the lake of Ežezers is regarded as one of the most picturesque, with much of the lakeshore seemingly in private ownership (📷3). It contains 33 islands, probably best explored by kayak; we were content with dramatic reflections seen from one of the few public access points (📷4).
🇱🇻 #europe #baltics #latvia #latvija 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/353/931/553/328/054/original/26aec52bb10a55a6.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/353/931/512/056/000/original/72afe17d085f1946.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/353/930/430/833/317/original/a7b49ff5804a07a6.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/353/929/160/978/181/original/ef2ee243a9ff7559.jpeg

2026-09-28 04:19:42 UTC

Karula rahvuspark | Karula National Park in southern Estonia was the setting for our last hike before crossing back into Latvia. We chose the circular Rebäse maastikurada | Rebase Landscape Trail as it promised views over rolling hills. The trail begins/ ends with Tornimägi Hill, at 139m the highest “peak” in the Karula Uplands. This soggy trail offered mud and mosquitoes, passing through a couple of swamps (📷1), winding around a few small lakes (📷2), and surmounting a number of hills—some forested and some churned-up cow pasture (📷3). The rounded hills formed from debris deposited by retreating ice ~12,000 years ago. Native Pleurotus pulmonarius | the lung oyster was our #fungi small of the day (📷4). A 7km/ 2.5h loop hike; muddy/ soggy and overgrown, but well signposted.
🇪🇪 #europe #baltics #estonia #eesti 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/346/741/651/441/947/original/aaddaca83956bcff.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/346/741/395/712/692/original/132379a8393f68a2.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/346/740/812/363/604/original/c9569ac9c3929370.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/346/740/088/639/606/original/37bc924d3929affa.jpeg

2026-09-27 17:06:55 UTC

We looked over the architecturally-interesting Estonian National Museum in Tartu, built atop a former Soviet airfield.
Tartu tähetorn | Tartu Old Observatory is Estonia’s first observatory, completed in 1810 and now a museum (📷1). The “pearl” of its collection is Fraunhofer’s refracting telescope (📷2). This instrument was used by German-born Russian astronomer Friedrich Struve to measure how distant stars were, with its superior optics (Fraunhofer was an optician by trade) and a micrometre attachment—a device for calculating angles inspired by cobwebs in the telescope of Gascoigne in 1640 CE. Struve began his famous triangulation survey from the observatory in 1816—subsequently named the Struve Geodetic Arc. Together with two other triangulation points, this undertaking elevates the observatory to the second of Estonia’s UNESCO-listed World Heritage Sites (the other being Tallinn’s Old Town). Angles/ distances were calculated in a chain of 258 linked triangles across 2,810km of the Tartu meridian, passing through 10 countries (Finland, Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Norway, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Moldova). Completing his measurements in 1855, in a blow to flat-Earthers Struve established the size and (🌍 spherical) shape of Earth.
The Town Hall and Town Hall Square are the heart of Tartu, seen here from the park on Toomemägi | Toome Hill (📷3). The city is regarded as Estonia’s “intellectual capital” and celebrates this (or risk of infectious mononucleosis?) with a 1998 “Kissing Students” fountain in the square (📷4). The University of Tartu was founded by the Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus in 1632, making it one of the oldest in northern/ eastern Europe.
🇪🇪 #europe #baltics #estonia #eesti 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🌍 #unesco
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/344/094/875/648/799/original/0110df99873d72fe.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/344/094/372/659/171/original/020e1209ddf1496e.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/344/094/251/293/924/original/d35d81bff66fbd1b.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/344/096/193/432/800/original/d3b443d4e5dddf99.jpeg

2026-09-26 14:58:19 UTC

[2/2] Seto Museum of Farming keeps live animals, but due to the spread of foot-and-mouth disease across Europe visiting the animal barn isn’t currently possible; we nevertheless admired the traditional stick fences (📷1). For lunch we enjoyed a hearty Seto variant of goulash soup with an unexpectedly soft and flavourful dark bread at the farm’s restaurant (📷2). In normal times you can drive from this recreation of a wealthy 1920s farm to Saatse Seto Museum, uniquely passing through Russian Federation territory without a visa—providing you don’t stop. These are not normal times, however, and although the detour fully within Estonia is only 22 min, that museum was closed (📷3). Instead we continued south, gaining a view of the 🛂 border crossing at Koidula and across the rail tracks into forested Russian territory, to Obinitsa. Obinitsa Muuseum | Obinitsa Museum hosts an exhibition on the “Life and Songs of Seto Women” (📷4). Setos are a Finnic people and linguistic minority, historically Orthodox Christians; their polyphonic singing or “leelo” is UNESCO-listed as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
🇪🇪 #europe #baltics #estonia #eesti 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🌍 #unesco
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/337/928/221/680/755/original/1ae445513bd03f42.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/337/927/139/262/544/original/c69e39d1808cd7a9.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/337/926/313/229/030/original/45bd3d6034652eba.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/337/927/094/708/561/original/c7332c98f11f7194.jpeg

2026-09-26 14:57:25 UTC

[1/2] We found a lovely little campsite on the western shores of Lake Peipus, in the village of Nina. We’d been travelling the “Onion Route”, linking villages settled by Old Believers (religious refugees who fled Russia in the 17th C.) who famously sell strings of onions grown in the sandy lakeside soil. That evening we had a visit from Vulpes vulpes | the red fox (📷1); in the morning our host came bearing onion cakes (📷2). Towards the southern end of Lake Peipus we entered Setomaa, a cultural territory that is the traditional homeland of the indigenous Seto people (it spans Estonian and Russian borderlands). Seto Talumuuseum | Seto Museum of Farming, about 1km from the Russian border in Värska, is a small collection of relocated buildings exhibiting the farming practices of the Setos. We lingered in the barn with a working oven (📷3); in the “cat spot” on top of it was a 🐈‍⬛ and on its warm flank staff were air-drying apple slices to snack on between tour groups (📷4).
🇪🇪 #europe #baltics #estonia #eesti 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/337/924/694/461/148/original/7a6aeb925933c7f9.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/337/924/575/582/018/original/c297db413974369c.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/337/924/154/017/476/original/146ed5d4b9d467d4.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/337/924/176/440/362/original/7d2e45d47518e172.jpeg

2026-09-25 11:53:34 UTC

Sinijärv | Blue Lake (📷1) is one of a group of seven known as Äntu järved | Äntu Lakes. This swimming spot is known for its bluish-green hue (due to a lime-covered bottom and reflection of the surrounding forest) and its clear waters (we saw small fish—unlike in bog pools). Our goal, however, was a much bigger lake: Peipsi-Pihkva järv | Lake Peipus. We overnighted at an RMK (state forest) campsite at Kauksi rand | Kauksi Beach on the northern shore (📷2). With a surface area of 3,555 square kilometres Peipus is the largest lake in Europe forming an international boundary—with Russia across the water (📷3). With choppy waves, broad long sands and mollusc shells at the water’s edge you could easily imagine this were a seaside spot. On the western shore at Kallaste rand | Kallaste Beach is an admittedly underwhelming cliff of Devonian red sandstone (📷4); it runs for 930m and reaches 8m in height. In full wet weather gear we took the 4.5km Alatskivi matkarada | Alatskivi Hiking Trail around an artificial lake; we saw a heron.
🇪🇪 #europe #baltics #estonia #eesti🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #nature
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/331/539/416/848/023/original/746a1ad397554b44.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/331/536/234/138/479/original/296e3c34df09e4dd.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/331/532/399/828/088/original/a61bde0cb8b278e3.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/331/528/942/971/560/original/82b1fad9e718be42.jpeg

2026-09-24 18:19:07 UTC

[2/2] Käsmu Peninsula cont. The beaches kept coming and we admired those with coarse golden sand (📷1&2). It’s ~4.5km to the point (Cape Palganeem). We met fellow walkers there who said they’d seen a family of sea otters several hundred metres back. We backtracked but didn’t spot them. The western shoreline of the peninsula was different in character, with stoney beaches and less variety than the section between the village and the point. As the weather had deteriorated we cut in early from the shoreline path, joining a forest track. The lichen Cladonia stellaris was abundant in clumps on the forest floor (📷3). Before returning to the van (and hot soup) we transited part of the biggest boulder field in the Baltics; some of the larger stones even have names (📷4). 13km/ 4h return.
🇪🇪 #europe #baltics #estonia #eesti🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/327/393/161/658/270/original/ab3c89ad1127adf6.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/327/392/787/244/278/original/435bf28861f09b92.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/327/392/523/113/403/original/15a07440cb073651.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/327/392/572/180/411/original/013cd0e42e4a86f0.jpeg

2026-09-24 18:18:35 UTC

[1/2] Up early and pre-coffee we took the 1km Oandu koprarada or “Beaver Trail” on the Altja River, but saw no signs (🦫 were reported here in 1995!). After coffee we began a new hike on Käsmu poolsaar | Käsmu Peninsula, the smallest of four within Lahemaa National Park at 6km in length and 4km in width. We 🅿️ at the northern end of the village where the 15km circular Käsmu Hiking Trail begins (the red route). Grateful for a weather window we soon came to a pretty pebble beach (📷1); the island is Saartneem, which can be accessed in suitable conditions outside of seabird nesting times. Boulders protruding from the sea served as perches for several bird species, including goosander ducks, great cormorants and this juvenile Oenanthe oenanthe | northern wheatear (📷2). Cygnus olor | the mute swan preferred the marshy areas, where this juvenile was having some “me time” (📷3). The pebble beaches began to turn sandy as we continued west along the shoreline (📷4).
🇪🇪 #europe #baltics #estonia #eesti🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/327/391/054/315/942/original/767bfed16523f44c.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/327/391/074/655/584/original/f243ab1dc2d7fcaa.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/327/389/417/737/691/original/49f898bfdb893c91.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/327/389/445/531/924/original/8af6bf5c9d12f7e3.jpeg

2026-09-24 03:56:12 UTC

One of the coastal villages in Lahemaa National Park is Käsmu, first mentioned in 1453 CE. It’s moved with the times though; the small harbour offers a floating sauna—a recent twist appealing to tourists in modern harbours and resorts across the Nordic and Baltic regions (📷1). Prior to WWII the village was more populous, with most occupied in catching Baltic herring and flounder, although shipbuilding on Käsmu beach took off in the late 19th C. The Sea Museum site (📷2) once housed the Käsmu Maritime School, producing a disproportionate number of sea captains, whose white houses became a village feature. A geological feature of Käsmu is the large number of erratic boulders in and around the village; they were transported here from Finland and Sweden by glaciers, deposited the continental ice shelf retreated ~10,000 years ago (📷3). Käsmu has been a summer retreat since the mid-19th C. and we had the impression many of the current buildings are seasonally occupied/ used as seaside batches (📷4).
🇪🇪 #europe #baltics #estonia #eesti 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/324/000/023/533/338/original/90944dbe331ce876.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/324/000/003/140/521/original/0493b3b821c5c03b.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/323/999/818/366/772/original/77fc6aabcd24b852.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/323/999/537/322/924/original/609518c479193a3e.jpeg

2026-09-23 16:57:56 UTC

A short drive east of Tallinn, Jägala juga | Jägala Waterfall is the highest waterfall in the Baltic States, with an 8m drop in the Baltic Klint (a 1,200km long limestone escarpment). The sedimentary layers beneath the falls are c. 500 million years old. The rock overhang forms due to non-uniform erosion of softer, deeper strata (📷1); this undermining process causes the falls recede upstream by 20cm each year.
Further east, the Viru raba õpperada | Viru Bog Nature Trail in Lahemaa rahvuspark | Lahemaa National Park passes through the stunted pines and peat moss that are the product of a process that began replacing a lake here 5,000 years ago. We opted for the 5.5km circular route once the rain cleared. It’s fully accessible up to the observation tower, and then narrows (📷2).
🤔 Did you know few animals are able to live exclusively in peatlands? Larger animals like elk or wolves may use peatlands temporarily for shelter or foraging, but peatland specialists are typically smaller and highly adapted: insects e.g. the ringed boghaunter dragonfly; small mammals e.g. bog lemmings; and birds e.g. the yellow rail. Most animals are challenged by the bog’s acidity, low nutrient levels and perpetually wet conditions.
There are certainly more pools here than at the 3 bogs we visited prior. Again, wild swimming is supported (📷3), but overall we weren’t feeling at one with nature here—due perhaps to the constant background hum of motorway traffic, or the booms of artillery from the nearby army base. Still, no bog is boring and there was a shed load of sphagnum to admire up close (📷4). In the forest section we identified several birds: Parus major | the great tit; Turdus philomelos | the song thrush; and in a creek Bucephala clangula | the common goldeneye duck—whom we’d first met on Saaremaa.
🇪🇪 #europe #baltics #estonia #eesti 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/321/411/628/795/588/original/603b0a1c3597f7b5.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/321/411/511/422/525/original/1e8c9c67b3708663.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/321/410/327/456/216/original/5b64af77352ecffa.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/321/410/072/267/173/original/996816cfeb3ea08f.jpeg

2026-09-23 03:34:06 UTC

[3/3] #Tallinn Old Town cont. The 14th C. Viru väravad | Viru Gate is how many visitors will arrive into the medieval Lower Town (📷1); quite a bit of the city’s defensive structures has survived, including nearly 2km of wall and 20 defensive towers. Near the gate is Katariina käik | St. Cathrine's Passage, featuring picturesque stone arches that stabilise adjacent 15–17th C. buildings (📷2) and known for its concentration of craft shops. Raeapteek | the Town Hall Pharmacy is first mentioned in 1422 CE and still functions as a pharmacy over 6 centuries later (📷3). Although well outside of the Old Town, we also walked to Kadriorg, a Baroque palace and park built by Tsar Peter the Great of Russia as a summer residence, now an art museum (📷4).
🇪🇪 #europe #baltics #estonia #eesti🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🌍 #unesco
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/318/250/237/614/601/original/698e8110cb3e8f31.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/318/250/779/125/489/original/43f49810fb2c1789.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/318/250/776/559/145/original/6df2e831b12add7c.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/318/250/779/063/730/original/d5f9d683cd2251ef.jpeg

2026-09-23 03:33:41 UTC

[2/3] #Tallinn Old Town cont. Directly facing Toompea Castle is Aleksander Nevski katedraal | Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, an Eastern Orthodox church built 1894–1900 (📷1); photography inside is prohibited. Raekoja plats ja raekoda | the Gothic-style Town Hall with its adjacent Town Hall Square is a popular setting for outdoor dining and people watching (📷2). In this view looking down one of Tallinn’s many coarsely-cobbled streets towards Niguliste muuseum | Niguliste Museum (St. Nicholas’ Church) is the Cat’s Well (📷3); legend has it that locals threw cats into the well to ward off evil spirits—possibly a response to a fatal methane gas incident in 1674 CE. In proximity to said well we found a fine and atmospheric restaurant serving pan-fried white fish and slow-cooked elk shoulder in plum sauce (📷4).
🇪🇪 #europe #baltics #estonia #eesti🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🌍 #unesco
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/318/249/171/963/323/original/2aed093f0d34de62.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/318/249/065/392/200/original/a8b41d95b1a6ad7c.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/318/249/033/236/411/original/ec12bd07c126ea38.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/318/249/073/809/374/original/c816d5c48163eb3c.jpeg

2026-09-23 03:33:22 UTC

[1/3] Tallinna Vanalinn | the Old Town of #Tallinn is UNESCO-listed as an exceptionally well-preserved medieval northern European trading city on the Baltic Sea. The city was internationally known as Reval for centuries after Scandinavian and German settlers arrived on the heels of the Danish conquest of the area in 1219 CE, until Estonia’s independence in 1918. Reval developed as a key player in the Hanseatic League during the 13th to 16th centuries. We began with an orientation from the Patkuli and Kohtuotsa viewing platforms. Towers/ spires visible from the latter include the 12th C. Oleviste kirik | St. Olav's Church (📷1); Raekoja plats ja raekoda | Town Hall Square and Town Hall—the spire seen here behind a golden rooster weathervane, with a modern skyscraper backdrop (📷2); and Püha Vaimu Kirik | Holy Spirit Church (📷3). We next wandered towards the medieval Toompea loss | Toompea Castle, which now houses the Estonian Parliament (📷4).
🇪🇪 #europe #baltics #estonia #eesti🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🌍 #unesco
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/318/247/793/153/773/original/cf31a8edd964e6dc.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/318/247/879/330/469/original/a02e9dd8135caba5.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/318/247/877/772/160/original/0eb206e757a2f48b.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/318/247/904/004/679/original/7856a880377fc593.jpeg

2026-09-23 03:23:41 UTC

We first visited Estonia’s capital #Tallinn in 2002, on a group tour called “Treasures of the Tsars”; it was where we boarded an overnight train to Moscow. Almost a quarter century later, we’re back! Having run out of gas making pizza the previous evening, our first stop was a camping store to swap out our 907 bottle. To explore Tallinn we 🅿️ in Noblessner (10 €/ 24h), a former submarine shipyard that, with its modern urban redevelopment, gives off Auckland waterfront vibes. We had morning coffee watching a German cruise ship arrive (📷1). There’s a well-serviced marina here now (📷2), as well as a maritime museum/ seaplane harbour with huge ships on display (including an icebreaker). Some of the waterside residential apartments are architecturally interesting; we admired these projecting balconies with enclosed winter gardens (📷3). The adjacent district of Kalamaja is known for its rows of big, multi-storey wooden houses (📷4). En route to the Old Town we passed through Balti Jaama turg | Balti Jaam Market, a large multi-floor selection of quality produce, eateries, clothing, antiques and other flea-market wares you likely don’t need but may find yourself inadvertently browsing.
🇪🇪 #europe #baltics #estonia #eesti 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/318/209/806/164/608/original/0c68834b3cde7a7f.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/318/209/884/528/043/original/5b985b7852b26dd7.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/318/209/854/901/527/original/adac1c6a4bbd3ce8.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/318/209/870/070/296/original/5640c7770c02bcea.jpeg

2026-09-20 16:54:48 UTC

[2/2] Marimetsa Bog cont. In the forest section of the hike were many fungi, including the native Apioperdon pyriforme, a widespread puffball that is apparently edible (📷1). To either side of the boardwalk were Sphagnum mosses, some semi-dry and some submerged (📷2). The last of the Calluna vulgaris | common heather flowered in the area around the observation tower (📷3); like many other bog plants it takes most of the nutrients it needs from the air, not the poor soil. Sympetrum danae | the black meadowhawk is fond of bog pools; this specimen was sunbathing poolside, also near the observation tower (📷4). Also seen, the caterpillar of Ceramica pisi | the broom moth. Not seen: an abundance of birds, vipers, badgers, wolves, boar, elk or bears—all of which are said to be present here.
🇪🇪 #europe #baltics #estonia #eesti 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking #nature
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/304/411/872/032/423/original/a2b30ee01daf1501.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/304/411/838/678/354/original/9f38646527c3b7d5.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/304/411/616/162/465/original/59390197a692d3e8.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/304/411/882/186/973/original/291a2af90abbaf15.jpeg

2026-09-20 16:54:10 UTC

[1/2] Marimetsa raba matkarada | Marimetsa Bog Hiking Trail in Marimetsa Nature Reserve crosses a meadow and passes through a spruce woodland before the boardwalk begins. The boardwalk section takes you across fen, transitional mire (📷1) and raised bog (📷2) to bog pools. This bog is the oldest in western Estonia, having formed 7,800–7,500 years ago. Bog grasses and sedges are well-adapted to the acidic, nutrient-poor conditions of raised bogs and may take on an appealing golden or straw-like colour in the autumn, as we saw in today’s afternoon sun (📷3). At the end of the trail is an observation tower and several pools, two of which have poolside decks and ladders to facilitate a hasty egress by hypothermic wild swimmers (📷4). Several locals rose to the occasion and their vocalisations upon water entry conveyed meaning with no understanding of Estonian. What might nibble your toes on the soft bottom here? Actually, although the water is clean (albeit stained brown by dissolved humin), the pools are lifeless: the lack of nutrients and acidic water are not friendly to life. 9km/ 3h out-and-back.
Tip: Like Latvia, Estonia recognises the fundamental human need to excrete and provides (mostly free) clean public toilets, even if long-drop loos in nature (similar to #NZ DOC loos). They also have paper and often soap and water. This is a rarity in much of Western Europe.
🇪🇪 #europe #baltics #estonia #eesti 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking #nature
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/304/409/390/168/476/original/d764be2dce3b7289.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/304/408/895/421/528/original/cae182bc15bf386d.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/304/408/540/488/734/original/834cfbd23b7b6455.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/304/408/081/134/854/original/04383e4f50348375.jpeg

2026-09-20 05:10:49 UTC

Nature is present in the West Estonian archipelago too. Mycena epipterygia, a common native mushroom with some bioluminescence, was growing on the thatched roof of one of the farm buildings at Muhu Museum (📷1). On Saaremaa we re-encountered Grus grus | the common crane, both in the fields and in the sky—perhaps rehearsing formation flying, or already on their migratory voyage (📷2). In the waters around Sorve Lighthouse we spied Phalacrocorax carbo | the great cormorant, or black shag in #NZ (📷3); he took off into a strong headwind, seemingly stalled, and banked sharply away to one side! Also diving for food here was a sea duck, Bucephala clangula | the common goldeneye (📷4).
🇪🇪 #europe #baltics #estonia #eesti 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #nature
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/301/644/181/293/081/original/05209ccd5354a9df.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/301/643/963/383/113/original/ddef2f098dd0e68f.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/301/643/831/755/343/original/5af69b08aae4ffa6.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/301/643/666/818/247/original/4bb92b32b46d4a62.jpeg

2026-09-20 05:10:12 UTC

[2/2] Saaremaa cont. Kuressaare linnus | Kuressaare Castle is a fortress begun by the Teutonic Order. A central 14th C. “convent” (now housing Saaremaa Museum) is surrounded by a 15–17th C. system of bastions, ravelins and moats that were modernised by the Danes, Swedes and Russians who successively controlled the island. It’s not every day you see a beach volleyball court flanked by an actual castle (📷1)! The adjacent Old Town is known for its 18–19th C. architecture (📷2), spa heritage (“healing mud”) and 17th C. town hall. As we passed through Salme we stopped at a concrete sculpture marking the find site of ships used for Viking burials c. 750 CE. Sõrve tuletorn | Sorve Lighthouse stands at Saaremaa’s southern tip (📷3); the concrete tower was completed in 1960 after its 1770 stone predecessor was destroyed during WWII. On the blustery pebble spit beneath it waves collided from two directions (📷4). We did contemplate a hike in the largely marine Vilsandi National Park, but the prospect of 11km in driving rain under a wind warning softened our resolve.
🇪🇪 #europe #baltics #estonia #eesti 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/301/641/774/769/837/original/0dfa6c08571ea176.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/301/641/408/899/888/original/26d210ec2eb8adfa.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/301/640/948/195/972/original/2d3e39e42814880d.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/301/640/742/742/386/original/046a6ccc8642d132.jpeg

2026-09-20 05:09:34 UTC

[1/2] Saaremaa is Estonia’s largest island, reached via an artificial causeway from Muhu. Although Karja kirik | Karja Church (📷1) was closed, the churchyard contains three trapezoidal gravestones c. 13–14th C.—among the oldest surviving sculptural works in Estonian history and reflecting integration between heathen and Christian beliefs. We stopped briefly at Angla tuulikumägi | Angla Windmills for a photo (📷2) but drove onward to the meteorite crater at Kaali. This is the primary impact site from a strike (up to 80 tonnes/ 6m diameter) that fractured thick layers of Silurian dolomite thousands of years ago, which preserved the crater shape and its surrounding debris mound; it’s now partially filled with a lake (📷3). On to Kuressaare, Estonia’s westernmost town, where we noted a pair of nicely restored villas (📷4). These are former nobleman’s houses, built 1890 and 1908, located on a small island (technically a 17th C. ravelin, part of a fortress’s defence against artillery fire); one is private and the other a hotel.
🇪🇪 #europe #baltics #estonia #eesti 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/301/639/271/287/843/original/26144fe8480ab6f3.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/301/639/121/186/819/original/38986870176a97a9.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/301/638/824/962/180/original/e1b0b003d1b32411.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/301/638/530/157/436/original/214b52dba77b47a2.jpeg

2026-09-11 18:42:54 UTC

Our second stop in Ķemeru nacionālais parks | Kemeri National Park was at Lielais Ķemeru tīrelis | Kemeri Raised Bog. A 3.5km loop boardwalk (📷1) traverses one of Latvia’s biggest and most popular raised bogs, which began forming some 8,000 years ago when the postglacial climate became warmer and more humid. Such bogs absorb large volumes of rainfall and melting snow, helping to mitigate flooding while also filtering the water—and creating pretty reflections/ habitats (📷2). Aside from sphagnum mosses (crucial in the formation of raised bogs) notable plants adapted to this environment included native Andromeda polifolia | bog rosemary (📷3) and the carnivorous Drosera rotundifolia | round-leaved sundew (📷4). We sat pond-side for a time, entertained by boatmen utilising surface tension to walk on water.
🇱🇻 #europe #baltics #latvia #latvija 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/253/874/956/071/921/original/277e2c2875862748.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/253/875/654/009/538/original/f724824697185f1f.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/253/876/056/564/072/original/9be313aa4d04ebbc.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/253/876/640/751/785/original/7f3162ccef271a1a.jpeg

2026-09-11 18:02:21 UTC

To the west of Jūrmala, our first stop in Ķemeru nacionālais parks | Kemeri National Park was at Sēra dīķu taka | the Sulphur Ponds Trail, about 2km out-and-back. One of the largest raised bogs in the park, here mineral water surfaces through a comparatively thin layer of peat (1–2m thick). This leaves a residue of sulphur and lime on pond vegetation (📷1), altering the mix of plant species from that typical of raised bogs. Darting about we observed Sympecma paedisca | the Siberian winter damsel (📷2) & much heavier orange-coloured dragonflies (📷3). There were especially large examples of native Vaccinium oxycoccos | the bog cranberry on the trail, a rich source of vitamin C (📷4). Other edible berries found in moss bog environments include the crowberry, cloudberry and blueberry. We also identified Zootoca vivipara | the viviparous lizard, notable for giving birth to live young instead of laying eggs as is the lizard way.
🇱🇻 #europe #baltics #latvia #latvija 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/253/715/341/770/308/original/f106d74e2bdd49b4.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/253/716/142/979/132/original/1f6963b836b6bec8.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/253/716/704/887/663/original/ddf3a4d66b1604f7.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/253/717/173/323/017/original/93e28bd9e3dd8112.jpeg

2026-09-11 16:44:15 UTC

At Cape Kolka in Slīteres nacionālais parks | Slītere National Park we took the 2km Kolkas priežu taka | Kolka Pine Trail, which heads into the mosquito-infested forest before returning via the beach. Some of the pines here are 100 years old and are partially buried by up to 2-3m of sand; these dunes are well-covered by moss and lichens. Native Araneus diadematus | the cross orbweaver spun her webs between the trees (📷1). On the beach we met Motacilla alba | the white wagtail, dutifully wagging its tail during an erratic flight against the wind; this is Latvia’s national #bird (📷2). The pink flower is native Cakile maritima | European searocket, which seemed very resistant to both wind and tide (📷3); it’s a member of the mustard family. Reminding us of the NZ dotterel, Calidris alpina | the dunlin also calls these shores home (📷4).
🇱🇻 #europe #baltics #latvia #latvija 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/253/408/195/222/724/original/ef1065aebe799a72.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/253/408/829/012/982/original/80e522f71fd1050d.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/253/409/331/709/803/original/fb69a74885f0dc63.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/253/410/066/047/896/original/a86389160145444b.jpeg

2026-09-09 11:37:28 UTC

As we emerged from the Trave River aboard the ferry Stena Flavia, we passed by two of Travemünde’s landmarks. On the western bank is the Ältester Leuchtturm, the oldest lighthouse on Germany’s Baltic coast, dating from 1539 CE (📷1). The “Passat” is moored on the eastern bank; this four-masted sailing ship named for a tropical trade wind was built in 1911 & is now a nautical museum (📷2). Since ours was an overnight ferry, we booked a two-berth outside cabin (📷3) replete with an on-suite bathroom (📷4). Nothing flash, but nevertheless clean and all we’d need for 22 hours R&R while someone else does the driving. A bag of food & drink plus a good book seemed the optimal trade for an additional 1,200km & several days on motorway.
🇩🇪 #germany #SchleswigHolstein 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/240/875/700/111/382/original/be4e7e993cfb8772.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/240/877/221/153/477/original/6ead25459be6e2dc.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/240/878/535/881/367/original/9983e17a5d1d1656.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/240/879/090/443/383/original/ecdf4ed0679c0ad1.jpeg

2026-09-09 11:30:40 UTC

A 5.5h drive from Frankfurt to the Ostsee (Baltisches Meer | Baltic Sea) at Niendorf in Schleswig-Holstein brought us to the coast just in time for sundown (📷1). Adjacent is the resort of Timmendorfer Strand, so overwhelmed with domestic tourists it costs 3,50 € just to access the beach. We chose to invest instead in bonbons, a road trip essential* (📷2). Travemünde is another popular seaside resort, where Strandkorb | beach baskets can be observed huddled together on the long sandy beach—presumably for protection against predators (📷3). Situated at the mouth of the Trave, Travemünde is home to Germany's largest ferry port on the Baltic Sea (📷4), offering connections to Scandinavia and the Baltic states. Indeed, from here we ship the van to distant shores.
*Acceptable alternatives include Haribos, or when back in #NZ Pineapple Lumps (Minties were banned following a dental incident). What’s your go-to?
🇩🇪 #germany #SchleswigHolstein 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/240/850/346/845/701/original/81c5b8ad24aef398.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/240/850/893/069/416/original/2790c218b49fc7ed.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/240/851/915/098/035/original/7394f6ad0c48a45d.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/117/240/852/414/287/601/original/9d7becf8f080a48d.jpeg

2026-08-02 21:52:48 UTC

- reply

@nprofile…sllx We also came back with clotted cream (& scones), but put jam on top of the cream. It’s a divisive order, apparently!

2026-07-16 01:07:37 UTC

- reply

@nprofile…sllx If you like/ wish to try traditional (with raisins) you can get them hot off the griddle in the Central Market (worth a visit in any case). We do however prefer a mix of novelty flavours from Fabulous Welshcakes, who likewise bake fresh from two stalls: one at Mermaid Quay on the Bay, & one in Castle Arcade, by the Castle. Enjoy!

2026-07-14 17:47:39 UTC

For our last full day in England we visited the historic centre of Rye (📷1); made a brief stop at Camber Sands—after finding 🅿️ that wasn’t height-restricted nor £6/ h (📷2); toured the hides at RSPB Dungeness Nature Reserve—but didn’t see much, other than the adjacent nuclear power station (📷3); and ended the day with a stroll along the famous chalk White Cliffs of Dover from South Foreland Lighthouse (📷4).
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #uk #england 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/919/580/760/691/335/original/15123552fe1be2fd.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/919/581/611/914/065/original/29165ff5cfd19750.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/919/582/215/686/531/original/ed826d812107e346.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/919/583/055/606/473/original/bcfff4119fd178d7.jpeg

2026-07-13 16:35:42 UTC

From Stonehenge, a time jump forward of ~4,000 years to 14 Oct 1066 CE when the army of William, Duke of Normandy, defeated that of King Harold II of England. Harold had purportedly broken an oath to support William’s debatable but Pope-approved claim to the English throne, paying for his alleged betrayal with a fatal arrow to the eye (possibly, as depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry) during the Battle of Hastings. Harold’s defeat enthroned the victor as William I; virtually all English & later British monarchs since descend from William the Conqueror. More significantly, the Norman Conquest ended Anglo-Saxon rule—just 139 years after Athelstan became England’s first king in 927 CE—& transformed the country’s aristocracy, law, language, architecture & culture. About 7,500 Normans had landed unposed at Pevensey Bay while Harold was occupied defeating Vikings at Stamford Bridge; he rushed south to meet them ~11km north of #Hastings, near the present-day town of Battle. The battlefield is centred on Battle Abbey, founded in 1070 CE under William’s direction as an act of both penance & commemoration—although the church with its high altar denoting Harold’s place of death has been razed. Tickets are required to enter the exhibition, abbey ruin & to access the interpretive walk around the battlefield. 15km/ 5.5h out-and-back from pitch via the 1066 Country Walk.
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #uk #england 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/913/633/778/105/913/original/d1b28f68d4281ced.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/913/635/410/541/514/original/88742f21279cc2da.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/913/636/780/295/130/original/5883e1a929fd355f.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/913/637/847/653/164/original/58078fde2d22729c.jpeg

2026-07-12 21:17:58 UTC

Woodhenge? We’d not heard of it either, but followed an online tip from Slow Travel to take free 🅿️ beside it & the Neolithic earthwork of Durrington Walls. Woodhenge was a set of 6 concentric timber rings built around the same time as the large sarsen stones were being erected at Stonehenge; concrete markers now occupy the postholes (📷1). We continued past the ~5,000 year old Cuckoo Stone (a fallen standing stone), traversing the Stonehenge Cursus (a large earthwork of unknown purpose from ~3500 BCE) to a road running beside the relatively “recent” Cursus Ridge Barrows, round burial mounds dated to ~2000–1800 BCE (📷2). We then took a public/ green footpath running beside Stonehenge, seen here during a brief lull in the procession orbiting it (📷3). Stonehenge consists of large sarsen stones from West Woods (~25km away), surrounded by earthworks, & enclosing a circle of smaller bluestones from Preseli Hills, Wales ~(225km away). It was begun ~3000 BCE, with construction spanning some 1,500 years! Despite all this effort, the structure’s purposes remain unknown. The green matting on the other side of the wire fence seen here is how much closer paying the £63 entrance fee would have got us (📷4). The UNESCO World Heritage Site includes Stonehenge itself & the nearby prehistoric monuments. Our 7.5km hike took 2h 15min out-&-back.
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #uk #england 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking 🌍 #unesco
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/909/081/278/551/917/original/b379f195c640ea1d.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/909/082/913/652/327/original/fcd38bdd42c3405e.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/909/083/951/177/055/original/1bf198c468a6d3a8.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/909/085/419/019/412/original/d1b40f7f3d2edd63.jpeg

2026-07-12 08:04:57 UTC

In Caerdydd | #Cardiff reacquainting extended to some favourite treats. On the menu for breakfast, a perfectly textured cinnamon bun from Tŷ Melin Bakery (📷1). Morning tea = Welsh cakes from Fabulous Welshcakes, with divine deviations from the traditional recipe (📷2). In the evening a chilled Gwynt Y Ddraig “Orchard Gold” cider went well with pomegranate & walnut olives gathered while sourcing lunch from the indoor Central Market (📷3).
During our Wales trip we also acquired a replacement dragon sticker for the van’s rear window & a new dash companion for our travelling 🦎 tuatara: introducing Myfanwy Jones (📷4).
P.S. RJ’s Licorice (a #NZ favourite) was in stock at both Wally’s Deli + Holland & Barret 😋
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 #uk #wales 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/905/965/547/164/525/original/b72c4b9ad2d7d406.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/905/966/134/781/474/original/ba760684d94a2f95.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/905/966/584/887/568/original/c2e79a4da017f4e1.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/905/967/229/297/187/original/0fd1cbe717c7611f.jpeg

2026-07-12 08:03:59 UTC

We spent a couple of days in Caerdydd | #Cardiff, the pocket capital of Cymru | Wales. As returning residents, our visit was about reacquainting with the familiar. Waterfront landmarks include the 1887 Pierhead Building in red brick, the glass-fronted Senedd Cymru | Welsh Parliament & behind both, the copper-clad Millennium Centre venue (📷1). Cardiff Bay Barrage links Cardiff Docks & Penarth, creating a freshwater recreational lake (📷2); levels are regulated to manage the Bristol Channel’s large tidal range & the structure contributes to flood risk management. We wandered into the city centre, strolling through its Victorian-era arcades before reaching Cardiff Castle, built by Normans in the 11th C. on the site of a Roman fort (📷3). The ~10km Cardiff Bay Trail is a favourite; it passes through Penarth Marina on its circular route (📷4).
To help manage the unexpected heat we also took an air-conditioned drive to the unfamiliar Cwm Glydach | Clydach Gorge & Gwaith Haearn Clydach | Clydach Ironworks in Monmouthshire, hoping for a shaded walk, but the path was neglected & we aborted.
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 #uk #wales 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/905/961/881/143/754/original/aef486e077c25ac5.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/905/962/409/499/720/original/4fa06981bd7909c8.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/905/962/933/997/676/original/33e7d3c390f255ce.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/905/963/406/701/645/original/983ecb336dddaca7.jpeg

2026-07-09 18:56:46 UTC

It was an easy walk from pitch on a farm outside Bosherston to Broad Haven South beach, featuring a small stack named Church Rock (📷1); it’s not as well-known as the sands at Barafundle Bay, on the other side of Stackpole Head. Just inland, between Bosherston & Stackpole, are the artificial Llynnoedd Bosherston | Bosherston Lakes, part of a landscape created in the 18th C. for Stackpole Estate. The western lakes are also known as the Lily Pools as lillies thrive in the clear, spring-fed water (📷2); otters may be seen here (perhaps when there are fewer dogs about). We’ve walked the scenic stretch of Pembrokeshire Coast Path between Tenby & Saundersfoot a couple of times; it’s ~13km out-&-back. On this occasion we’d pitched in the middle, so walked to Saundersfoot for a late lunch, passing several secluded coves (📷3). Once Tenby had come into view in the other direction (📷4) we decided we needed a shower more than we needed another 8km!
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 #uk #wales 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/891/519/079/232/763/original/4bc408fd421b431c.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/891/539/963/851/583/original/a877a90762dcffff.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/891/541/956/339/792/original/f329139a0a5962f3.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/891/543/334/871/283/original/2591ae737fd9c76e.jpeg

2026-07-08 18:48:17 UTC

[2/2] There were breeding pairs of Uria aalge | the common guillemot on a stack beside the Green Bridge & on the larger of the two Stack Rocks (📷1); most of their lives are spent at sea. We also identified Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax | the red-billed chough, seen here hopping through the short grass on the cliff tops where they dig for small insects (📷2). There was a floral display among the grasses too, with the purple flower heads of native Centaurea scabiosa | greater knapweed looking vibrant in the sun (📷3). Some of them were visited by fellow native Zygaena filipendulae | the six-spot burnet, a moth that prefers daytime flying (📷4). Other walkers reported seeing a moriol | grey seal.
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 #uk #wales 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/885/845/603/277/032/original/92cf2d76db6bd3ce.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/885/846/509/216/599/original/b26ef2be8401d98b.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/885/847/106/872/201/original/11079ab6868b29b8.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/885/847/604/833/428/original/b804489d35b26622.jpeg

2026-07-08 18:47:05 UTC

[1/2] Despite being based in Cardiff for 7 years, there’s a part of Parc Cenedlaethol Arfordir Penfro | Pembrokeshire Coast National Park that remained unknown to us. If the narrow Ermigate Lane is open, allowing transit to the coast via the Castlemartin Training Area (you may still hear gunfire), follow it to a large 🅿️ area. The eroded Carboniferous limestone cliffs here boast several natural features, including Pont Werdd Cymru | Green Bridge of Wales (📷1). Here’s a view back to the viewing platform from where the previous photo was taken; it also contains natural arches (📷2). Nearby are the Stack Rocks | Staciau'r Heligog (a.k.a. Elegug Stacks), two detached limestone pillars (📷3). A little further to the east is the Cauldron (📷4); it’s on a promontory with visible Iron Age earthworks, remnants of Flimston Fort.
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 #uk #wales 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/885/838/971/125/657/original/d9ccd0207bb04642.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/885/840/047/064/213/original/f2f28596b98002f0.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/885/841/500/974/489/original/252b70f528720e6e.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/885/842/951/678/935/original/474dfa11f5bd6ce5.jpeg

2026-07-08 16:13:08 UTC

Our first stop in Parc Cenedlaethol Arfordir Penfro | Pembrokeshire Coast National Park was Whitesands Beach, which wasn’t offering much of a break to the surfers for whom it is a favourite (📷1). Later from a farm pitch we enjoyed views to the offshore nature reserve of Ramsey Island (📷2) & access via a barley field to the shingle beach at Porthlysgi. We’d camped in walking distance of Tyddewi | St Davids, the UK’s smallest city (by royal grant) with <2,000 residents. The cathedral may contain the remains of Dewi Sant | Saint David, Wales's patron saint, who founded a monastic community here during the 6th C.; due to earlier Viking raids it’s mostly of 12–13th C. construction (📷3). Built mostly in the 13th & 14th centuries, the adjacent ruin of the Bishop’s Palace still reflects the influence & wealth of St Davids’ medieval bishops (📷4).
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 #uk #wales 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/885/235/307/349/819/original/5275f150b610844d.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/885/235/927/141/317/original/d1461031d131de65.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/885/236/660/434/942/original/6a4b97fe37ee1605.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/885/237/576/287/875/original/02158df972c7f7d2.jpeg

2026-07-07 20:27:04 UTC

- reply

@nprofile…cjfr Tent camping at Brandberg was one of our best-ever experiences. Would like to return to Namibia some day with a 4x4/ rooftop tent hire…

2026-07-07 19:11:57 UTC

Still in Mid Wales, we elected to return a couple of places we’d enjoyed on previous travels in Wales. The first is the RSPB Gwenffrwd-Dinas Nature Reserve ~6km from Cilycwm, where a 3km circular trail runs riverside (📷1) & through an ordinarily damp alder & oak woodland (📷2), where lichens, mosses and liverworts collectively create a "Celtic rainforest" (a.k.a. Atlantic temperate rainforest). Although they hid from us, birds find sanctuary here too & on a previous visit in May we witnessed a remarkable carpet of bluebells. Twm Siôn Cati's cave is linked to the legend of a 16th C. Welsh outlaw. Through participating in an RSPB survey we gained insights into the interplay between #rewilding & active management. We then returned to Cardigan Bay at Mwnt, via a senic but mostly single-lane route. Mwnt Beach is lovely (📷3) & the adjacent headland offers views up & down (📷4) the coast; the landscape forms part of the Wales Coast Path & we watched bottlenose dolphin frolic offshore.
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 #uk #wales 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #nature
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/880/276/404/406/469/original/7cb9e1f9d0a4bad4.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/880/277/078/872/261/original/9fdbb6d138886092.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/880/277/880/408/442/original/1cd6b4fb86ab46b1.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/880/278/364/822/484/original/fbb37b723969a093.jpeg

2026-07-07 06:38:23 UTC

After arriving in Mid Wales we spent a couple of nights resting in a small serviced campsite. Strata Florida Abbey nearby at Pontrhydfendigaid was founded in 1164 CE by Cistercian monks under the patronage of Rhys ap Gruffudd, Prince of Deheubarth. The ruin is only ~15min drive from Hafod Estate, exemplifying the late 18th C. “Picturesque” landscape movement & situated in the upper Ystwyth Valley. We took in the views on the ~3.6km Lady’s Walk (📷1&2), then continued in the van along Cwm Ystwyth (📷3) & into the adjacent Cwm Elan (📷4). Both of these valleys lie within the upland massif of the Cambrian Mountains—namesake of the Cambrian geological period. Our destination was somewhat less dramatic: a 👚🩲👖 laundrette in Rhayader!
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 #uk #wales 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/877/313/387/204/116/original/a4b0ce37cf16e85e.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/877/314/093/806/041/original/e2433dc49853534b.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/877/314/660/245/367/original/aa671c7f30ae5c7e.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/877/315/229/738/916/original/8af1129b07365c03.jpeg

2026-07-05 20:57:38 UTC

- reply

@nprofile…cjfr Thanks for the feedback & encouragement! We do show POIs mentioned in our toots on a map at the top of almost every log on our website. Granted, there’s no route connecting them & that’s not a feature WordPress offer in the Maps block editor.
But it does reflect the nature of our route planning: for each trip we create a Guide in Apple Maps, adding each prospective POI, gleaned from various sources. As we draw near we decide which to visit & which to leave, connecting several proximal POIs & letting the GPS determine the most efficient route. Sometimes it’s not a route we’d think to take & we end up on an “adventure drive”, which can lead to some interesting in-between places!
There is merit in taking your own route, rather than duplicating those found in guides. We’re probably seeking different things after all, right? So it becomes a matter of personal choice over which POI to connect, taking account of variables such as interests, weather, (overnight) parking, season, fitness, vehicle dimensions, drive-time preference, on-board facilities, trip time constraints, etc. All unique factors that sum into a unique trip experience 😀

2026-07-05 11:44:56 UTC

We’ve updated our blog with a little more background that helps put these toots in context:
“We are B from New Zealand and S from Germany. Our paths crossed while working in the UK and we spent the majority of our health service careers based in England and Wales. We’ve always enjoyed travelling to far-flung places, albeit within the confines of short bursts of annual leave. By the time the Covid pandemic dictated a change in strategy, we had acquired a camper van and had started planning for an early retirement. This has gifted us the ability to be more mindful of the natural world around us and attentive to the remarkable achievements of civilizations past and present. Here we record our exploratory missions—mostly for ourselves, but also for friends and family, or any so minded to join us.”
On our ad-free blog the toots you’re reading—key to our process—are manually collated into mission logs, often enhanced with extra photos, maps & box-outs around the themes of curiosity, rewilding, exploring & well-being.
At https://curiositydrive.org you’ll find indexes to all these logs, and to our progress in discovering New Zealand, Germany & Europe. Enjoy!
🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/867/196/011/796/056/original/6ee176de6888645a.jpeg

2026-07-05 07:32:45 UTC

Before leaving North Wales & Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri | Eryri National Park we stopped for lunch at Harlech. The beach here on Cardigan Bay boasts several kilometres of sand that are notably wide at low tide (📷1) & are backed by dunes that constitute an important conservation area (📷2). We found the beach awash with Chrysaora hysoscella | the aptly-named compass jellyfish, apparently common in coastal coastal Atlantic & Mediterranean waters—although it hadn’t registered with us previously (📷3). Just inland from the beach is Castell Harlech | Harlech Castle, part of the UNESCO listing “Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd” (📷4). Like those at Conwy, Caernarfon & Beaumaris, the castle at Harlech was built for Edward I to conquer & hold Wales for the English Crown during the late 13th/ early 14th centuries—a feat he was unable to replicate in Scotland.
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 #uk #wales 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #nationalPark 🌍 #unesco
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/866/203/033/318/154/original/9a5815455981a9aa.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/866/203/565/548/550/original/a14ac4708b455da9.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/866/204/041/314/992/original/767426fe5ff7bc79.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/866/204/434/420/210/original/47d8e834c30af476.jpeg

2026-07-04 17:37:03 UTC

[2/2] Instead of returning the way we came, we took the Snowdon Ranger Path most of the way down. This turns off the main Llanberis Path at Bwlch Glâs (where the Pyg Track also intersects) & once we got below the cloud there were views to Llanberis & Llyn Padarn (📷1). Further along we descended past Llyn Ffynnon-
y-gwas, looking into the same basin we had viewed from the other side during our ascent (📷2). About 1.5km beyond the lake we turned left, transiting very boggy pasture & clambering over the mountainous tailings from an abandoned slate quarry. That wasn’t fun & we’d not recommend it over following the Snowdon Ranger Path all the way & road walking back to Rhyd Ddu. That said, it did expose us to native Dactylorhiza maculata, the new-to-us heath spotted orchid (📷3). The day was still young after this 16km/ 5h 45min hike, so we drove to Traeth Llanddwyn—temporarily leaving Great Britain for the Isle of Anglesey. Here we watched kite surfers go airborne with a Yr Wyddfa backdrop (📷4); it had still not shed its cloak of cloud.
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 #uk #wales 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/862/916/898/366/856/original/ad220fc9abf750ef.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/862/917/487/099/408/original/96d7576f311ad274.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/862/917/867/967/429/original/9ea6e9c083f0aae3.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/862/918/297/069/037/original/047d64ae641aa521.jpeg

2026-07-04 17:34:56 UTC

[1/2] A day on Yr Wyddfa | Mt Snowdon in Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri | Eryri National Park. From 🅿️ in Rhyd Ddu we climbed via the Rhyd Ddu Path, a 12km route with 895m of ascent that can be hiked out-&-back. It’s billed as the quietest of the 6 main routes & best for mountain scenery. Looking back towards Rhyd Ddu (📷1) & beyond the waters of Llyn Cwellyn to the sandy beach of Llanddwyn on Anglesey (📷2). Soon after passing the summit of Llecog at 700m we had our last look over the basin (📷3) before being enveloped by cloud during the steeper climb to Clawdd Coch. From there the path runs along the narrow ridge of BwIch Main before attaining the Yr Wyddfa summit at 1,085m; there was little to see of the landscape to either side (📷4). Likewise there wasn’t much to see at the summit itself (6km/ 2.5h), save to say we smelt human sewage before the café/ train station materialized ahead of us & witnessed the throngs of processionary sapiens orbiting the cairn like moths to a flame.
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 #uk #wales 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/862/908/380/287/262/original/b464122783090bbc.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/862/908/908/052/989/original/1f8d84fc1d6ed9dc.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/862/909/554/270/036/original/db951ea8056e3113.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/862/909/983/207/945/original/26a083c781fec84f.jpeg

2026-07-02 17:29:50 UTC

From Malham in Yorkshire we drove to North Wales, spending a night on a farm near Mold & another in the village of Trefriw, in between occupied by life admin. The following day was again cool & overcast as we entered Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri | Eryri National Park, formerly known as Snowdonia. We stopped in Betws-y-Coed, a village catering to park visitors; these falls are visible from the historic Pont-y-Pair bridge in its centre (📷1). The park’s mountainous landscapes came into view as we passed by Llynnau Mymbyr (📷2). There was no stopping at Pen-y-Pass (pre-reserved 🅿️ only), a popular trailhead for ascending Yr Wyddfa | Mt Snowdon. Instead we pulled over lower down in the Pass of Llanberis, beside the Afon Nant Peris (📷3). In Llanberis we visited 13th C. round keep of Castell Dolbadarn | Dolbadarn Castle, built by the Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, Prince of Gwynedd (📷4). His son, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, was the last native Prince of Wales before the principality’s conquest by England’s Edward I. Initially incorporated into England, today Cymru | Wales is recognised as 1 of 4 constituent countries within the sovereign state of the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland (UK).
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 #uk #wales 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/851/562/775/572/862/original/67bda575ee356eb1.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/851/563/263/518/511/original/f21bcd1c9cbca583.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/851/564/365/615/301/original/ad2439ec53eda202.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/851/565/274/498/516/original/9574c0f512115949.jpeg

2026-06-30 19:59:20 UTC

[2/2] From the side of Malham Cove we appreciated the 70m high limestone cliff that supported a large waterfall at the end of the last ice age; today water resurges at the base of the escarpment as Malham Beck (📷1). We continued on to Gordale Scar, a gorge carved out by glacial meltwater. A short, easy access out-&-back path runs beside Gordale Beck; local intel advised us against eating the white-flowering Nasturtium microphyllum | watercress (📷2). The path ends at a waterfall & you may see climbers scaling the sheer limestone walls here (📷3). Further downstream in a more sedate woodland setting, Janet's Foss is a waterfall on the edge of the National Trust's Malham Tarn Estate (📷4); a local myth says a fairy queen lived in a cave behind the falls. This hike was 13km/ 4h return.
#uk #england #yorkshire 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/840/824/986/978/226/original/f5543f856a4a6305.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/840/826/152/326/879/original/f824b2463cf6df93.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/840/827/504/761/998/original/87f2d16a0b2ac032.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/840/828/526/934/701/original/ee6bc10fb38d3a03.jpeg

2026-06-30 19:57:46 UTC

[1/2] For our last walk in Yorkshire Dales National Park we 🅿️ at the Visitor Centre in the village of Malham & began ascending NW towards the Pikedaw Calamine Caverns; this view is from the public footpath across pasture looking back to Malham (📷1). A change of direction took us across boggy moors making for Comb Scar, with views of Malham Tarn in the distance (📷2). Our path then descended between the Comb & Ing scars (📷3) towards Malham Cove, at the top of which is the famous “limestone pavement” (📷4). After a glacier denuded the underlying limestone of its soil covering, thousands of years of slightly acidic rain eroded the limestone into clints (flat blocks) & grikes (deep fissures)—the latter providing sheltered microhabitats for plants in an otherwise exposed setting.
🇬🇧 #uk #england #yorkshire 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/840/817/661/011/942/original/0fe9a5d360427cb1.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/840/818/500/885/580/original/bda22ac909ce5bf8.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/840/820/815/603/163/original/3d37d61885d8759a.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/840/822/345/215/853/original/9458434d19c993d6.jpeg

2026-06-30 06:45:02 UTC

Fountains Abbey near Ripon was founded by Benedictine monks in 1132 CE; after Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539 it fell into ruin. During the 18th C. the abbey estate was incorporated into the landscaped garden of Studley Royal Park, with both elements contributing to today’s UNESCO World Heritage listing. The abbey became one of the wealthiest* in England & is among the largest Cistercian ruins in Europe (📷1&2). Although the medieval Studley Royal House burned down in 1946, this National Trust property also contains a deer park, water mill, the Jacobean mansion of Fountains Hall (📷3), a Victorian church & a Georgian water garden (📷4).
*Through the labour of lay brothers the secluded abbey’s natural resources (water, wood, stone & earth) were converted into wool production, lead mining, cattle rearing, horse breeding & stone quarrying. This allowed the choir monks to live by St Benedict’s principles of simplicity, solitude & austerity—spending the majority of their time in prayer & worship.
🇬🇧 #uk #england #yorkshire 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🌍 #unesco
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/837/703/366/807/514/original/9af5aabd5e8f1674.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/837/703/886/770/715/original/a2c53da74c9b0cff.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/837/704/566/083/494/original/12b953853d45ff94.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/837/705/195/976/547/original/c286bc244404e603.jpeg

2026-06-29 09:33:05 UTC

That’s one large bag of tea! Only £39. Backache not included. #yorkshire
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/832/703/740/194/349/original/7b35ed6b193496df.jpeg

2026-06-28 18:26:57 UTC

[2/2] We ate a picnic lunch—containing Wensleydale cheese, naturally—with a view of Bolton Castle, where Mary Queen of Scots was held under house arrest in 1568–69 CE (📷1). Despite the blustery conditions (but far more comfortable temperatures) this Vanessa atalanta | red admiral still managed to make its rounds (📷2). Our return leg took us through an exposed upland farm grazed by cattle & sheep; we wondered how quickly one might become accustomed to the solitude if relocating to an isolated farmhouse such as this (📷3). Our descent into Carperby provided memorable views over the Wensleydale landscape (📷4). A 13km/ 3h 45min circular hike.
🇬🇧 #uk #england #yorkshire 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/829/136/094/669/199/original/d951f124d06f4f1e.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/829/137/074/871/180/original/e96ff032a9a0feb6.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/829/138/383/198/043/original/17e1203a701602d9.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/829/140/651/891/310/original/a4b1fbf552681b10.jpeg

2026-06-28 18:25:13 UTC

[1/2] If you’ve heard of Wensleydale, it’s possibly in connection to the crumbly & tangy Wensleydale cheese, made at a creamery in the dale town of Hawes. Further downstream are Aysgarth Falls, a series of 3 broad limestone cascades on the Ure (📷1); this is Lower Force (‘force’ is derived from Norse 'foss' = waterfall). Our route left the river to gently climb towards Bolton Castle, transiting meadows where we unintentionally flushed out Numenius arquata | the Eurasian curlew, nesting in the grass (📷2). There were more quaint stone barns to enjoy (📷3) & thankfully we just managed to clear this squeeze stile, one leg at a time (📷4).
🇬🇧 #uk #england #yorkshire 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/829/127/800/232/249/original/e58cd7af37f88f68.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/829/128/893/599/749/original/cf015f344b302759.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/829/130/336/876/092/original/1a78686706f3ae21.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/829/133/799/984/525/original/4132f3d8c8e67575.jpeg

2026-06-27 20:27:50 UTC

[2/2] After ~6km/ 2h on trail we reached Keld, the highest village in Swaledale. After 🍦 we began climbing Kisdon via Corpse Road when we spotted our flora small of the day: native flowering succulent Sedum acre | the goldmoss stonecrop (📷1). Elevated views from near the Kisdon summit offered a sense of landscape scale (📷2) & served as a stage for the ground-based & aerial antics of avian fauna of the day, Vanellus vanellus | the northern lapwing (📷3). We descended towards Muker (📷4) & returned to pitch: a 12km/ 4h loop.
🇬🇧 #uk #england #yorkshire 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/823/952/106/617/088/original/c4557806806e1e6b.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/823/952/647/978/296/original/cf3a3516f03a3f54.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/823/953/156/766/555/original/216cecf8d7893994.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/823/953/705/132/672/original/a8f350680ff85e11.jpeg

2026-06-27 20:26:15 UTC

[1/2] From pitch on a farm in Swaledale, Yorkshire Dales National Park, we walked the short distance into Muker. From that village our trail entered the Muker Meadows beside the River Swale (📷1); the wildflower display here at the right time can be phenomenal. Also notable are the numerous small stone barns or cow'usses that once housed cattle over the harsh winter (📷2); the style dates from the 17th C., long after Scandinavian farmers settled the dale from the 8th C. The meadow section follows a flagged path (📷3) until it reaches the river, where there is the option to cross onto a section of the ~300km Coast to Coast Path, linking St Bees to Robin Hood’s Bay; this view is from said path (📷4).
🇬🇧 #uk #england #yorkshire 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/823/945/086/415/912/original/c5a5f78f31458753.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/823/946/286/117/439/original/c8db8fbb9f7638a7.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/823/946/858/939/163/original/a35baafde9a31a8d.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/823/947/462/874/344/original/5aa2a992fff98ee7.jpeg

2026-06-27 11:36:13 UTC

Eye candy roadside views from the village of Reeth in Swaledale, Yorkshire Dales National Park.
🇬🇧 #uk #england #yorkshire 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/821/861/543/940/447/original/0c4b4705948cfd25.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/821/862/116/151/932/original/bf88fc21d6ca9211.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/821/862/685/475/680/original/f2ecb6dbbd821371.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/821/863/238/671/351/original/3c42cf14d7f759d3.jpeg

2026-06-27 06:24:02 UTC

- reply

@nprofile…7wvc No, that was the Market Hall. Here’s one of the Crooked Spire. A local myth says the twist occurred when the spire bent down to see the bride when a virgin was married there—& will straighten again the next time it happens.
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/820/635/704/872/748/original/2808bb184034384f.jpeg

2026-06-26 15:52:13 UTC

With the van interior reaching 53° on the driveway during a heatwave, we decamped into a friend’s house & took advantage of home comforts for a couple of nights. We revisited Chesterfield, which has seen renovations to its market since our departure 4 years ago (📷1). The town’s Crooked Spire has the same twist: it was built with green oak & warped as it dried out under the weight of lead cladding. Curbar Edge in Peak District National Park was one of our favourite places to hike, with limestone edges affording views over the Derwent Valley & purple heather adding a splash of colour (📷2). In the opposite direction Baslow Edge—seen here from Curbar Edge—leads the eye towards Chatsworth Estate, marked by the white spire of its fountain (📷3). Also in the Peak District is the National Trust property of Longshaw Estate. Given the heat we curtailed a planned circular hike from here, instead walking out-&-back via Padley Gorge under the shade of an oak forest for 🥓 bacon 🥪 butties at Grindleford Station. This view from an exposed part of the 6km/ 2h hike is across moorland towards the flat top of Higger Tor (📷4).
🇬🇧 #uk #england #derbyshire 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/817/205/944/832/875/original/74fd96270608b8cf.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/817/206/534/194/493/original/a56344bb066ba831.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/817/207/091/373/005/original/4b8aeebeeecd66a9.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/817/207/605/234/977/original/bf7823682888f610.jpeg

2026-06-24 06:09:03 UTC

S had been reading about Eleanor of Castile, queen of Edward I, who died in Harby, Notts. in 1290 CE. Edward walked 200 miles with her body to Westminster Abbey in London, later erecting a memorial cross at each of 12 places the cortège rested overnight. The Eleanor Cross in Geddington near Kettering, Northamptonshire, is 1 of 3 surviving & best preserved, although the surmounting cross that saw it reach over 12m in height was destroyed in the 1640s (📷1). Also of note, the village bridge over the River Ise was built c.1250 CE, but due to its 2m width restriction, we forded the adjacent ford in our Ford (📷2). 😬
The warm afternoon was spent sorting a blocked grey water outlet, with help from friends in Leicestershire. We’d tried tank cleaner, bailing out the tank (📷3) & prodding the release valve from the inside to no avail. Following a tip from the Die2Mays on YouTube (https://youtu.be/wxUhiOViel4) we then used a section of garden hose pressed onto the small outside drain to blow back into the tank (simultaneously occluding the overflow pipe from inside), which succeeded in clearing the blockage (📷4).
🇬🇧 #uk #england #northamptonshire 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/803/581/953/396/969/original/d8ef229dbd3b1929.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/803/587/686/184/003/original/ae8c099e204bf6df.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/803/589/401/558/273/original/d716d0eee91d7354.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/803/589/844/767/472/original/ddd03c08f5e4d4e7.jpeg

2026-06-22 18:59:38 UTC

[2/2] We’ve always enjoyed seeing the variety in the stone-built houses of Edensor, most with well-tended gardens (📷1). A particular favourite is the mini castle near the main entrance to the village (📷2). Edensor was rebuilt in the 19th C. as a model estate village for Chatsworth Estate, so many of the cottages were built for estate workers & let by the Cavendish family. Said family have held the hereditary title Duke of Devonshire since 1694 when William III & Mary II elevated William Cavendish from Earl of Devonshire to Duke—a reward for his support during the “Glorious Revolution” that entrenched the supremacy of Parliament over the monarchy. The family’s principal seat was & remains Chatsworth House (📷3&4) beside the River Derwent. A 14km/ 5h return loop, including lunch & browsing shops in Bakewell.
🇬🇧 #uk #england #derbyshire 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/795/293/854/474/987/original/17edf4e44cfac56d.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/795/294/334/467/637/original/e5439968d00c21f7.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/795/294/851/855/103/original/3d2d8a8312b2d38a.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/795/295/342/317/400/original/7c009bdfeea424fd.jpeg

2026-06-22 18:59:00 UTC

[1/2] Another déjà vu-filled day enjoying one of our favourite landscapes within Peak District National Park. After stocking up at Chatsworth Farm Shop we 🅿️ at Carlton Lees & walked west over green pastures sectioned by drystone walls & hedgerows (📷1) into the village of Bakewell. We ate our packed lunch on the bank of the River Wye opposite some of the typical stone houses (📷2) & left the famous Bakewell pudding & Bakewell tart (not the same desert!) to other tourists—instead perusing various outdoor shops. A climb through woods was followed by a descent via more pastures (📷3) until we reached the picturesque village of Edensor (📷4).
🇬🇧 #uk #england #derbyshire 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #hiking #nature #nationalPark
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/795/291/193/590/333/original/9a49dfb8e7734848.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/795/291/759/180/069/original/621dab2ba6efa63a.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/795/292/268/580/062/original/5240e7904f3e815e.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/795/292/785/195/262/original/1f998f04a1b1bafe.jpeg

2026-06-21 18:09:57 UTC

For most of our 30 years living & working in the UK we were based in Chesterfield, a town on the edge of the Peak District known for the warped spire of its largely 14th C. Anglican church, seen here from Linacre Reservoirs on the outskirts (📷1). After leaving friends in Nottinghamshire we made for the latter to revisit our go-to “walk & talk” green space, a 4km trail around Middle (📷2) & Upper Reservoir. Many times have we made this round, under a hot sun grateful for shade, treading through a golden carpet of fallen oak leaves, crunching across frozen puddles hidden in the snow, or witnesseing the spring green of new beech leaves above swathes of vivid bluebells. Today, 4 years after bidding it farewell, we returned to a display of native Dactylorhiza fuchsii | the common spotted orchid (📷3) & Rosa arvensis | the field rose, drapped over the drystone walls bounding lush meadows that typify this part of England (📷4).
Everyone needs such a place in their lives—ideally real, but if not feasible, then imagined.
🇬🇧 #uk #england #derbyshire 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/789/435/902/750/149/original/0ee44840739988d5.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/789/436/482/710/331/original/9d0f5c69cbc1f23d.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/789/437/003/326/473/original/63f235babfd3518c.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/789/437/625/355/813/original/d50a86f7403a0edf.jpeg

2026-06-20 04:48:11 UTC

Lincoln Cathedral was the tallest building in the world from 1311 CE until 1549 when its central spire collapsed; it’s considered one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in Europe (📷1). The half-timbered house left of frame was built c.1543 atop what had been Via Principalis in the Roman settlement of Lindum Colonia; leading to the cathedral is the 14th C. Exchequergate. Lincoln Castle dates from 1068 and has seen continuous use since (📷2); in the vault for £18 you can view 1 of 4 surviving 1215 Magna Cartas, which limited royal authority & affirmed certain rights + legal protections for subjects (accepted by King John only under coercion). Shops at the top end of Steep Hill, part of Ermine Street (the main road from London to York) during the Roman era (📷3). We noted the site of the forum & remains of a well, but 3rd C. Newport Arch is the most famous of Lincoln's Roman monuments, being the only surviving Roman gate in Britain still open to road traffic (📷4).
🇬🇧 #uk #england #lincolnshire 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🏛️ #roman
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/780/619/151/536/746/original/52c4849aad0dbb97.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/780/619/900/619/710/original/9e90a602475f423d.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/780/620/982/157/572/original/597163f3b69a80ac.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/780/622/664/300/386/original/55e9840e17e6ce66.jpeg

2026-06-18 20:15:44 UTC

- reply

@nprofile…7wvc The royal standard wasn’t flying, so His Majesty wasn’t in residence (traditionally a Christmas venue). Apparently Elizabeth was known to wander her garden & say hello to people. Expensive to maintain such a place & many noble families with estates have had to open up to the public to generate income: £35 for 2 to enter the garden, with parking.

2026-06-18 19:12:08 UTC

We’re travelling again! Caught the ferry from Hook of Holland into Harwich & after a night in a pub car park for the price of a meal, made our way to Sandringham Royal Estate. The 8,000ha estate is personally owned by the monarch (not the Crown, as Buckingham Palace & Windsor Castle). Recorded in the Doomsday Book of 1086 CE, it was bought by Edward VII in 1862 as a country retreat & inherited by Charles III upon the death of Queen Elizabeth in 2022. We visited with friends after a picnic lunch. Sandringham House is the principal residence, which we viewed from the front (📷1) & back (📷2); you can also buy tickets to see some of the inside. In the stables a car collection included this 1937 Daimler Shooting Brake, with folding luncheon table in the back—royals apparently enjoy picnics too (📷3)! A stroll around the gardens (📷4) before returning to our own carriage (with folding luncheon table, naturally) for scones with lashings of clotted cream & jam.
🇬🇧 #uk #england #norfolk 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/772/692/398/256/583/original/9d643e966ab905cf.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/772/692/986/799/733/original/1aed2f5d8034cddd.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/772/693/646/527/470/original/151f3aa207983c50.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/772/695/192/205/667/original/126a32bf714a48dd.jpeg

2026-05-08 19:35:32 UTC

Gorges du Tarn, within Parc nationaldes Cévennes, is a canyon carved by the Tarn ~50km long & up to 500m deep. Large parts of the gorge are also included within the UNESCO-listed “Causses and the Cévennes, Mediterranean agro-pastoral Cultural Landscape”. We began the scenic drive at Le Rozier, working our way W to E via cliffs & tunnels with frequent stops at viewpoints towards Sainte-Enimie. Hameau semi-troglodyte d'Eglazines | the “semi-troglodyte hamlet of Eglazines” was first to catch our eye (📷1). Although not as high, the hamlet of La Sablière is on the opposite bank of the Tarn, so access/ supplies is via a cableway (📷2). The larger settlement of La Malène is billed as a Petite Cité de Caractère | “Little City of Character” (📷3). Sainte-Enimie is listed as one of the "Most Beautiful Villages in France”; this view is from the river beach (📷4).
From Sainte-Enimie we entered “Home” into the nav system & headed out of Occitaine. Plans for our next trip are uncertain as we await easing of global disruption.
🇫🇷 #france #occitanie 🇪🇺 #europe 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #nature #nationalPark 🌍 #unesco
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/540/630/387/789/194/original/28ce09ce2c721b83.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/540/630/994/875/166/original/3dea7262267f6b83.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/540/631/590/241/190/original/1a4e4d6a9be7dac9.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/540/632/405/403/216/original/84ba78b62e5011cc.jpeg

2026-05-07 16:27:19 UTC

We drove to the Mont Aigoual summit at 1,565m elevation in Parc nationaldes Cévennes | Cevennes National Park; the park is recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Our route up via Nant & Dourbies was long, winding & frankly tedious, so despite views towards the coast (📷1) & further inland (📷2) we felt less appreciative than we should have. We decided against our intended hike in 7°C & headed down via Gorges de la Jonte. En route the road verge was decorated with numerous native Dactylorhiza sambucina | the elder-flowered orchid, in shades of yellow, deep purple & pink (we first saw it in Theth, Albania). As is common practice, some of the formations In the gorge are named; this is Arcade des Bergers | Shepherds' Arcade (📷3). The hamlet of Le Truel, where terraces once held vineyards, orchards & vegetable gardens, while sheep & goats grazed sloping pastures (📷4). Gyps fulvus | griffon vultures soar from the cliffs above, seemingly untroubled by the loss of a traditional way of life.
🇫🇷 #france #occitanie 🇪🇺 #europe 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #nationalPark 🌍 #unesco
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/534/223/387/533/115/original/58d2495ff9b8159a.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/534/225/245/729/881/original/e73056e2126c910f.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/534/229/462/986/356/original/552cfd9b299c6807.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/534/230/126/216/714/original/f15a060b1eca5c77.jpeg

2026-05-07 06:15:19 UTC

Etang Des Mouettes is a a coastal lagoon in Frontignan, formerly a salt production pond with over 600 years of service, now gradually #rewilding (📷1). On our dawn walk we found a heron stalking in the shallows (📷2), but there wasn’t enough light to be sure of the species. As the sun rose it illuminated flocks of Phoenicopterus roseus | greater flamingo traversing the pond, with their distinctive long necks, large kinked bills, trailing long pink legs & striking deep pink/ black underside wing plumage (📷3). A look at Frontignan Plage before departing the Mediterranean shore (📷4).
🇫🇷 #france #occitanie 🇪🇺 #europe 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾 #nature
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/531/819/975/009/790/original/32d4c4d22173aab0.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/531/821/916/524/445/original/6f86be1ec3400450.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/531/822/825/155/340/original/7e903783ce973d05.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/531/823/608/371/638/original/c7aae3d1b0b39d56.jpeg

2026-05-06 18:47:33 UTC

Our “small of the day” was captured when S went to empty the toilet cassette—not when you expect to hear “Quick, bring the camera!” This is a native moth, Arctia villica | the cream-spot tiger (📷1). We made our way to Salins de Saint-Martin outside of Gruissan on the Gulf of Lion, although being too early for florid algal blooms, colour differences between salt ponds were subtle (📷2). We followed the marked path 2.1km out to Plage de la Vieille Nouvelle (📷3). En route we did identify a number of birds, mostly at a distance: Phoenicopterus roseus | greater flamingo; Anarhynchus alexandrinus | Kentish plover; Chlidonias hybrida | whiskered tern; Motacilla flava | western yellow wagtail; & Milvus migrans | black kite. Later we stopped in Béziers, where we watched as boats navigated “Les 9 écluses de Fonseranes”, one of the most impressive engineering features of the Canal du Midi (📷4). Originally a sequence of nine locks (a “staircase”) completed in 1697, seven are typically in use, raising or lowering vessels ~21.5 meters over a short distance.
🇫🇷 #france #occitanie 🇪🇺 #europe 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🌍 #unesco
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/529/116/730/260/496/original/e6909ab73ae80cd1.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/529/117/573/485/132/original/e9b28117648765f4.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/529/118/193/537/013/original/63e079894b68e5e2.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/529/119/179/235/268/original/5544795630bc9cab.jpeg

2026-05-06 18:08:58 UTC

Bonus pictures of pretty Lagrasse. A monk in the courtyard of Abbaye Sainte-Marie de Lagrasse; it’s still an active religious site (📷1). A grey heron fishing in the Orbieu River (📷2). The 40m high fortified bell tower (clocher fortifié) of the abbey church, featuring buttresses with curved flyers; it was heavily modified in the late Middle Ages when the monastery was adapted for defense during periods like the Hundred Years’ War (📷3). Entrance on Rue de la Porte d'Eau, through which typical stone buildings can be seen (📷4).
🇫🇷 #france #occitanie 🇪🇺 #europe 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/528/964/142/521/918/original/7298a7ce7cf7c909.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/528/964/970/790/109/original/3bf773a227070154.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/528/965/761/506/493/original/e17cdbf060f0fa02.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/528/967/472/973/089/original/964a56f0e54be885.jpeg

2026-05-06 17:13:38 UTC

Lagrasse is listed among Les Plus Beaux Villages de France | the Most Beautiful Villages of France; S had enjoyed her visit ~20 years ago & wanted to return to this relatively quiet locale surrounded by hills on the Orbieu River (📷1). It developed around Abbaye Sainte-Marie de Lagrasse, a Benedictine abbey founded during the 8th C. (📷2), becoming an important religious & economic hub. The village is compact, with stone houses/ artisan shops (in Jul/ Aug it is filled with tourists) & a medieval open-air market hall (📷3). On the path between camp & village we also discovered a new-to-us native orchid, Serapias vomeracea | the long-lipped serapias (📷4).
🇫🇷 #france #occitanie 🇪🇺 #europe 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/528/745/877/340/415/original/2cbf5aa59b15aee9.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/528/747/637/350/442/original/d714d5b255691c3f.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/528/749/026/435/526/original/94ec09d604c551b6.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/528/749/899/875/761/original/45ad1f634bea0268.jpeg

2026-05-06 04:28:43 UTC

- reply

@nprofile…kpw3 True & it’s not merely decorative. Form & Function are always more noble when paired. After 30+ years in situ, the limestone on the upper curve is already worn smooth, so crossing must be done carefully!

2026-05-05 19:14:43 UTC

Cité de Carcassonne is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed as an outstanding example of a medieval fortified town (📷1). First fortified in the Gallo-Roman period ~3rd–4th C. CE, it underwent extensive restorations in the 19th C. Set upon a hill overlooking the modern urban sprawl, the compact site is protected by ~3km of double walls & 52 defensive towers (📷2); it’s 19 € pp to walk the ramparts/ visit the restored château, but free to walk between the rows (without climbing on the outer battlements). The enclosed town is very touristy, filled with trinket shops & eateries, but also offers some architectural curiosities (📷3). Later, at nearby Trèbes, we walked alongside Canal du Midi, a ~360km network of navigable waterways linking the Atlantic (via Garonne) to the Mediterranean using locks, aqueducts, bridges & reservoirs. The canal is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, created through the vision of Pierre-Paul Riquet during 1667–94. The Trèbes Orbiel aqueduct (📷4) was designed by Vauban in 1688 & the town’s staircase lock dates from ~1674.
🇫🇷 #france #occitanie 🇪🇺 #europe 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🌍 #unesco
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/523/561/605/195/433/original/5a54fb7f1980a370.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/523/562/155/214/649/original/25013ccef4c9a3e6.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/523/562/685/055/374/original/5b811a2beaa586ef.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/523/563/706/330/789/original/3493190678bbc553.jpeg

2026-05-05 17:18:10 UTC

Upon leaving Château de Peyrepertuse bound for Carcassonne we took the D14, a narrow winding backroad between hills cloaked in forest & meadows, intermittently punctuated with small villages. One such village is Bugarach, on the outskirts of which is a 700m path to Pont Romain, a single-arch stone bridge across a limestone basin on the Roman road linking the village to Rennes-les-Bains (📷1). Although original was probably Gallo-Roman, it was destroyed in 1992 by flooding but faithfully restored the following year. What caught our eye was the trailside orchids, 3 of which were new to us. All native, first up is Neotinea ustulata | the 🔥 burnt-tip orchid, which can be found up to 2,400m elevation in the mountains of central & southern Europe (📷2). The aptly-named Serapias lingua | 👅 tongue orchid is found throughout the Mediterranean (📷3). Ophrys scolopax | the woodcock orchid is recognisably a 🐝 bee orchid given its morphology (📷4); it can be found in both the Mediterranean & Middle East. We also re-identified Orchis mascula | the early-purple orchid.
🇫🇷 #france #occitanie 🇪🇺 #europe 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🏛️ #roman 🌸 #bloomScrolling
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/523/104/013/158/839/original/2dd34d9ff30528f1.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/523/104/462/621/382/original/99f7942ca569d533.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/523/104/897/487/249/original/0e7896b421317166.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/523/105/392/886/336/original/6b8e42b67236cf8a.jpeg

2026-05-05 15:41:30 UTC

Château de Quéribus at Cucugnan (📷1) & nearby Château de Peyrepertuse at Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse (📷2) are 2 of 8 “Royal Fortresses of Languedoc” aspiring to UNESCO World Heritage status. Languedoc was shaped by Roman rule, became a centre of medieval Occitan culture, was devastated by the Albigensian Crusade before being integrated into the French kingdom. Château de Peyrepertuse sits on a limestone ridge at 800m elevation & is first mentioned in records from 1020 CE (📷3); this view is from 🅿️ close to the ticket gate (we decided not to go inside). It came into royal possession in 1240 CE, its former owner William of Peyrepertuse having been excommunicated for supporting the Cathars (a medieval Christian sect in southern Europe who believed in strict division between a good spiritual realm & an evil material world, leading the Pope to label them heretics). After the 1659 Treaty of the Pyrenees the castle lost its strategic importance; it was finally abandoned during the French Revolution. There’s free access to a lookout platform from which you can see the ruin of Château de Quéribus & beyond it, the Mediterranean Sea (📷4).
🇫🇷 #france #occitanie 🇪🇺 #europe 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/522/723/178/608/918/original/946bd8604453bce6.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/522/724/000/670/082/original/d400cded0a80547b.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/522/724/578/291/186/original/300424b73905553b.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/522/725/272/679/506/original/d84fcbca35b2e98b.jpeg

2026-05-04 19:13:55 UTC

- reply

@nprofile…d3s0 Thanks for the tips; not our direction of travel this time, but filed for next time 😉

2026-05-04 17:32:15 UTC

We parked for our first night in Occitanie in Mont-Louis, beneath the walls of the town (📷1); at ~1,600m elevation it’s France’s highest fortified town & with the c. 1679 citadel—an active commando training facility—is part of the “Fortifications of Vauban” UNESCO listing. Villefranche-de-Conflent is another of 12 UNESCO-listed fortified sites designed by military engineer Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, together representing a coherent defensive system across France. It’s considerably more tourist-oriented; we took the opportunity to walk the restored late 17th C. ramparts (📷2) & stroll through the town’s medieval streets (📷3). Next up was Musée de Préhistoire de Tautavel | Tautavel Prehistory Museum, featuring rather dated & underwhelming exhibits (cf. Altamira) around findings from La Caune de l'Arago | the Arago Cave. People seasonally camped here from ~690,000 years ago, as imagined in this unconvincing “facsimile” cave set 500,000 years ago (📷4). All displayed human bones (including the signature “Tautavel Man”, possibly a Homo erectus subspecies, compiled from fragments of ~20 individuals) are moulds. We also drove to the actual limestone cave in nearby Gouleyrous gorge, situated in the middle of a cliff, but you can’t access it.
🇫🇷 #france #occitanie 🇪🇺 #europe 🚀 #travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🌍 #unesco
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/517/496/183/322/315/original/ee00b919f5f65dcb.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/517/496/789/895/964/original/49a8b45c2c1c06ac.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/517/497/456/084/587/original/af775d1b915505b3.jpeg
https://o.mastodon.nz/media_attachments/files/116/517/498/093/019/762/original/c21d249e02b7769b.jpeg