DAY 7:
This whole trip was based on improvisation, we didn’t plan any specific stop, and the camper an allowed us to drive as far as we felt like every day. But when we realized that we were going to make it to the Swiss Alps with ample time, I got really excited about checking out the most famous mountain in Europe: the Matterhorn.
Continue reading “Van life in The Alps with our baby (3/3): Switzerland and Germany”
DAY 4:
We woke up bright and early, and drove to Tre Cime di Lavaredo… so early that it was freezing, and the rifugio Auronzo, where we were hoping to have breakfast, wasn’t even open yet. We hung out in the van, loving the views of The Dolomites, until it was time to carb up and start hiking.
Continue reading “Van life in The Alps with our baby (2/3): Italy and Lichtenstein”
This is a very short recap of our 10-day Europe road trip on a camper van with our 6 month old boy. The whole experience was fantastic and this post won’t do it justice… but it is better than nothing.
DAY 1:
We landed in Munich after a surprisingly easy flight from LAX, with Lucas having slept in the bassinet for a good chunk of it. We picked up the van we had rented with Indiecampers and got a rather lengthy briefing on how to operate it. Although it was getting late, we figured it was worth driving to our first destination (under 2 hours): Salzburg, where we grabbed dinner with part of Sara’s family (who happened to be on their own Eurotrip).
Continue reading “Van life in The Alps with our baby (1/3): Austria and Slovenia”
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After a very successful daytrip to Kotor, we were keen to check out another Yugoslavian country: Bosnia and Herzegovina. We left early to try to avoid long lines at the border, and we definitely succeeded, though maybe because the car navigator sent us through some mountain roads where the border wasn’t even manned. The drive was quite scenic, so we didn’t complain, and we made it to Mostar in less than 2 and a half hours.
Continue reading “Mostar and Kravica waterfalls as a daytrip from Dubrovnik”
Despite the tough competition, Hvar might very well be the best island to visit in Croatia. Admittedly, our own choice might not have been based on extensive research, but rather based on the fact that we had a rental car, and therefore our ferry options were more limited. But we loved the couple of days we spent on this island, it packs such an incredible range of experiences.
Continue reading “Top things to do in Hvar”
The Plitvice Lakes National Park had been on my bucket list for years, from the moment I saw a picture of the unreal jade and turquoise waters. After landing in Dubrovnik, we immediately drove 5 hours to sleep by the park and be able to access it as soon as it opened. The area has a lot of cheap and nice guesthouse, we’d definitely recommend the one we stayed at: Guesthouse Plitvice Villa Verde.
[Comes from previous post] Around 9am, and after a minimal breakfast, the other climber, the remaining sherpa and I set out to Camp 2. I couldn’t fathom the idea of another long day, so I started at a decent pace, and soon found myself well ahead of them. I was on the Western Cwm, a massive ice valley, with possibly the most spectacular views in the world: Everest on the left, the Lhotse face in the middle, Nuptse very close to your right, and a whole range of beautiful mountains behind you, among other, Pumori and Cho Oyu.
Continue reading “My experience climbing Everest (3/3): The Western Cwm, Camp 2 and the way back”
[Comes from previous post] So after another uneventful rest day, and a short night dominated by nerves, we got up at 5am, gobbled some breakfast and grabbed all our gear. It was dark and extremely cold when we set foot on the icefall, and I struggled to get my stride. My hands were freezing, and one of the two sherpas that were accompanying us had to help me put my crampons on, and even clip and un-clip to the fixed rope a couple of times. When the sun finally hit us, I felt much better and picked up the pace. And I also allowed myself to enjoy the moment for the first time. Wow, after so many books and movies, I was on the mystical Khumbu Icefall, and what a sight it was.
Continue reading “My experience climbing Everest (2/3): The Khumbu Icefall and Camp 1”
Let’s get the #1 question out of the way: no, I did not summit Everest. I did, however, hike to Base Camp, spend a fair amount of time there, climb up to Camp 1 and Camp 2, and share the whole experience with true mountaineers and aficionados alike… in one of the deadliest seasons in Everest history. The experience, in fact, left me so raw, it’s taking me over a month to sit down and write this post.
Continue reading “My experience climbing Everest (1/3): Base Camp”
Bona Travels 