Fanfare - Big band festival in Cortina
Day 1 - Durnstein, Krems an der Donau, Langenlois
Kicking off the Eurotrip in Austria and Italy, we drove from Vienna for about an hour to a town called Durnstein, home of the Durnstein Castle ruins and in the heart of the UNESCO-rated Wachau Valley. Although I've been to Austria before, I could only recall my time in Vienna, so everything else would be a new experience.
Durnstein itself is incredibly small, and the walk up to the castle ruins that overlook the town was steep but short - a good warmup for the hikes to come on the trip as we reached the Dolomites. From the top, we were greeted with an expansive view of the snaking Danube river that coursed its way through the valley.
Lunch was served riverside and naturally was heavily focused on seafood - whole char directly from the river and stuffed with dill and other herbs was particularly delicious. After lunch, a short boat ride to the town of Krems was next on the agenda.
Krems an der Donau is actually split into three towns, but with our free hour, we walked around the historic streets. It was a bit of an odd experience - the old architecture mixed with the new commercial brands that are ubiquitous throughout Europe, but I suppose that is characteristic of most towns like that these days. While quaint, it was not particularly memorable, especially more than 3 weeks later, but the low-key first day was a good way to start the trip.
View from the top of Durnstein Castle looking down on the town
Durnstein Castle ruins, with the Danube in the background
Perfect setting for a riverside lunch
Durnstein Abbey
Day 2 - Langenlois
Another low-key day on the Eurotrip - we were staying at a spectacularly modern hotel designed by Steven Holl located just above the town of Langenlois in the heart of Austrian wine country, so naturally the morning consisted of a peaceful vineyard walk. I understand the main grape being produced is the Gruner Veltleiner but not really being a drinker it's sadly a bit hard for me to appreciate.
Someone though did come up with a brilliant idea for placing hammocks in between the vines - that is indeed quite the life. A bit hard to get out of because they are so comfortable.
After a typically hearty Austrian meal in the town consisting of beef stew and cream soup, it was free time till the winery tour in the afternoon. I snuck away to play 18 holes at Lengenfeld Golf Club, and surprisingly, with my rental clubs, actually played quite well, to the tune of a 73. What a life.
The winery tour was billed as being rather "mystical", and did it deliver on that front. I don't remember a ton, except there was an epic 5 minute laser show, animatronic robots that sang creepy tunes in wooden chests, and a rain shower in the middle of the underground winery. Not sure what all that had to do with wine, but certainly quite memorable.
Day 3 - Gmunden, Hallstatt, Wolfgangsee, Mundsee, St Gilgen
Wow. This is the Austria I came to see. The famed "Sound of Music" lakes were the theme of today, starting with Traunsee, near the town of Gmunden. Honestly, just the drives themselves today were spectacular, and if only we had more time to stop by the side of the road to take pictures. Just stunning scenery akin to that of Switzerland. No wonder Julie Andrews went spinning around and around.
Without a doubt however, the highlight of today is the town of Hallstatt. This was the one place I'd heard of on the itinerary before the trip started, so I was eager with anticipation, and it certainly didn't disappoint. Looking towards the main part of town as it abuts Hallstattsee is honestly just breathtaking - it's absolutely picture postcard perfect. The colors are magnificent, the mountains stunning, and the water still and blue as glass. The only thing ruining it are the swan-shaped paddle boats, although it is a bit meta for actual swans to be swimming alongside them. But seriously, just wow.
Before heading to our lakeside hotel (another lake - Fuschlsee) - we went on a quick short walk along Wolfgangsee to the town of St Gilgen. What I would pay for a house along the lake. Oh wait, but I don't want to live in Austria.
Traunsee, with the castle in Gmunden
Picture perfect town of Hallstatt
Looking at Hallstatt from above
On the way to St Gilgen - Wolfgangsee
Day 4 - Salzburg and its environs
Today was the first major hike of the Eurotrip - a short drive from Schloss Fuschl, our hotel, to an area near Salzburg where we could look down into the city. Again, not a particularly strenuous walk that took a few hours, but the scenery was gorgeous, and walking among the trees I was reminded of scenes from Lord of the Rings as well as the planet of Endor. What a nerd. At least I didn't hum the music as I walked. Or maybe I did.
Towards the end of the hike, we came to a meadow that offered a view of the Austrian Alps, and in the distance, the Dolomites - our next eagerly awaited destination. By this time, most of us had tired of the Austrian cuisine and would have killed for a simple bowl of pasta.
Dinner was in Salzburg itself, at a Michelin-starred restaurant called Esszimmer - the food was definitely well-executed, although there were a few grumbles about the appearance - in fact, dominance - of fish on the menu. Oh, for that bowl of pasta.....
Looking down at the town of Salzburg
The hills are alive....
For some reason, this shot really reminds me of Before Sunrise...although I think that was in Vienna, so go figure...
Day 5 - Hallein salt mines, Grossglockner, Cortina
Today marks the shift from Austria to Italy. We started off by making a quick visit to the Hallein salt mines - given that we're near Salzburg, obviously...
I recall going to a salt mine when I was a kid in Austria, but wasn't sure if this was the same one. It was a pretty neat experience again, what with the slides - although now that I'm taller, they seemed a little shorter - and the underground boat trip, and the ongoing video saga that they played with pretty decent production values. There wasn't actually a ton of salt that I could see, but very entertaining and informative nonetheless.
Afterwards, we began our long drive up the Grossglockner panoramic road to Italy - pretty much one hairpin turn after another, but what a stunning backdrop as we climbed over 1000m in less than an hour. Kudos to the drivers. Tons of motorcycles coursing along the hairpin turns too kinda made me yearn for one myself.
The views at the top when we got to our mountain refuge for lunch were incredible. There was a small lake nearby, which again evoked thoughts of Lord of the Rings - if you're familiar, you probably know which scene I'm referring to - and the mountains were just stunning. You could literally turn in any direction and you wouldn't take a bad picture.
But that was just the beginning - we then drove to the actual glacier, which is receding quickly - thanks, global warming - and finally caught our first glimpse of snow up close! Not that I was expecting much, since it is the summer, but snow definitely changes the landscape dramatically.
Finally, our last stop in Austria was a view of the Helligenblut church - the picture below doesn't really do the backdrop justice.
After that, a quick drive across the border - no border checks - to Italy, and the town of Cortina d'Ampezzo, where they filmed James Bond and Pink Panther in the 1960s. Looking forward to the Dolomites tomorrow....
Crossing the border to Germany (albeit for 10 mins) underground in the salt mine
View of the mountain refuge where we ate lunch
View from the mountain refuge towards the mountains
Grossglockner glacier
Helligenblut church - stunning
Day 6 - Tre Cime, Dolomites
Today kicked off the Italy portion of the Eurotrip, and our first hike in the famed Unesco-cited Dolomites mountain range. Our hike was around the Tre Cime mountains, and the trail was quite crowded, even starting at 8:30 am in the morning.
But my goodness, the views are beautiful. The hike was essentially a circuit around the Tre Cime mountains, stopping halfway for lunch at a mountain refuge. The terrain was flat, but rocky, but certainly nothing even a beginner could not handle. There were a few short ups and downs that may be a bit challenging, but the views and satisfaction you feel from conquering them are worth it.
After climbing / hiking / walking for about 2.5 hours, we got to the mountain refuge, and the familiar smells of pasta we had been craving for wafted through the building. Needless to say, our meal of carbonara and ravioli was probably the most well-received of the trip so far - sometimes, it's really just the simple things in life.
After lunch, we had the option of retracing our steps downhill to the parking lot, or walking for an extra 45 minutes or so and completing the circuit. I opted to complete the circuit, and with the mountain of pasta dragging me down, I started to regret my choice initially as the first leg of the circuit after lunch consisted of a 200m descent, followed by a similar ascent. After plowing through that portion of the circuit however, the rest of the trail was reasonably flat and straightforward, and seriously, everything just looks like Lord of the Rings. Who needs you, New Zealand?
View of the mountain haze and Dolomites
Famed Tre Cime mountains that we climbed around
Starting the 200 m descent and ascent
So many cows....
View of the mountain range that we were rewarded with at the end of the hike
Day 7 - Lagazuoi plateau
The second day of the Dolomites hike was easily the most physically taxing of the whole trip as we visited the Lagazuoi plateau. To get there we had two options - either take a cable car directly to the top, or climb 700m from 2100 m to 2800 m to get to the mountain refuge at the top. Naturally, I opted to climb.
Surprisingly, throughout the entire trip, I never really felt the effects of the altitude, and it was also unusually warm during the day even at that altitude - around 20 - 25 degrees. Never did I think I would be wearing t-shirt and shorts at 2800m.
The hike itself was fantastic - similar terrain to Tre Cime, with our own hairpin turns to navigate to get to the top. The higher we climbed, the more surprising vistas we were greeted with in all directions, and truly, you could not take a bad picture. All around we were surrounded by marvelous views of the Dolomites, and it is here that I truly appreciated coming on the trip and visiting an area that I haven't heard of much before. There may be similar views around the world, but even so, just seeing these magnificent mountains up close is worth it.
At the top, we were again treated to a simple yet deeply satisfying pasta meal at the refuge and even got to sample the local specialty - beetroot ravioli. Beetroots aren't usually my thing, but when you've climbed 700m, you'll eat just about anything. Then it was a quick 10 minute walk to the actual top of the plateau where we had a 360 degree of the Dolomite range. Truly truly stunning.
Following lunch, it was a quick cable car ride down to the bottom - probably could've walked, but going down 700 m isn't as fun for the knees - and then a quick pitstop in the town of Cortina where they had a big band festival that day. Cortina is pretty posh - in fact they hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics - so there wasn't much to see other than the name brands dotting the main street. But all in all, a terrific hike and memorable day.
Looking up towards the plateau - yes, we climbed to the top of the mountain
One of my most favorite vistas on the whole trip on the way to Lagazuoi
View of the Dolomites from the top of Lagazuoi
More views - anyone fancy traversing tha rock face?
Day 8 - Bressanone, Compatsch (Alpes de Siusi)
Today was mainly a travel day, as we departed Cortina and headed for the Siusi Alps - another section of the Dolomites. First, we stopped in the town of Bressanone for a vineyard walk, although it turned out that there were equally abundant apple orchards on our walk through what seemed like the suburbs of Bressanone. We arrived at the Novacello Abbey for a wine tasting and spectacular lunch that consisted mainly of gorgonzola cheese, speck, and bread. That speck....could eat it forever. Getting hungry just thinking about it.
After that, we took a tour of the abbey which housed some intriguing handwritten books and a beautiful library, and then the rain started. And boy, did it rain hard. It looked like we were trapped for a while, so we hid out in the abbey for a good 30 minutes before deciding to brave the storm and make our way to the van.
We then drove onwards to Compatsch, where we were surprised to find that to get to the hotel, we would need to take a cable car. So into the cable car we went, and climbed up the mountain to Compatsch. It was easily the longest cable car ride I've been on aside from Ngong Ping 360. At the top, we were again surprised to find that our hotel was literally next to the cable car station such that the view from my room was of the cable cars.
At the hotel, we could see an expansive view of the Bullaccia plateau, one of the largest in Europe, and where we would be hiking tomorrow. Meanwhile, the gray clouds continued to hover above us ominously....
View of the abbey from the vineyards
Stairway to Nowhere
View of the Bullaccia plateau with cable car station in the foreground
Ah, that speck....
Day 9 - Bullaccia plateau
On the last day of my Eurotrip, we walked outside the hotel and began our circuit hike of the Bullaccia plateau. Despite being at nearly 2000m, it was so surprising to see lush green land, in stark contrast to the rocky paths of the Tre Cime. But hey, still looks like Lord of the Rings.
The path was initially quite uneventful, but after about an hour or so, we got to the lookout point, and it was quite breathtaking. Luckily for us, clouds had formed below us, and so as we looked down into the valley, we were literally above the cloud cover, and the effect was marvelous. The circuit continued along the edge of the plateau, and eventually, you're just taking the same picture over and over again, but you can't stop because it's so beautiful.
Lunch again was at a mountain refuge where we had our welcome pasta meal, and we completed the circuit by racing downhill back to the hotel. Some opted to take the cable car down instead, and somehow, those who walked got to the hotel faster.
All in all, a great, low-key way to end the Eurotrip - I highly recommend a visit to the Dolomites if you have a chance and want to do some simple, yet spectacular hiking around Europe.
View of the plateau
Looking down into the valley
Racing the dark clouds back to the hotel
Arrivederci, Italy
First things first, however, was a day in Casablanca, where ironically the movie itself was never filmed, as far as I can tell. Although there is a Rick's Cafe, but it seemed far too stuffy and formal for my liking. Truth be told, there isn't a lot to see in Casablanca from a tourist's point of view, but I did enjoy walking through the medina - unlike Marrakech's, it is slightly more functional and modern and not dotted with tens of vendors selling the same wares. It was purely residential and concrete but just as disorienting. After a short walk along the seaside, we arrived at the immense - and it is literally immense - Hassan II Mosque, the largest in Morocco, and 13th largest in the world. Although we couldn't go in, even from the outside it was hard to be impressed by the sheer scale and size of the structure.
Another highlight of Marrakech for me is the Bahia Palace, which offers some of the most stunning and colorful mosaics I've ever seen. Even the second time around, just walking from one courtyard to another and anticipating what special designs or colors I would see next was incredibly special. 
The ancient city is impressive upon first sight, and the scale of the place again doesn't really hit you until you walk for what seems like forever to get to the top of the hill to get a 360 degree view of the Atlas Mountains and desert all around you. A huge bonus for travelling in November? You get to see snow in Morocco! That night, we arrived near the Todra Gorge, and spent a night in what is undoubtedly the coldest hotel room I've ever slept in. 6 thick, wool blankets, plus all my winter clothes, plus wearing long pants, a fleece and a Heattech shirt from Uniqlo, were just enough to help me pass the night without freezing to death. 
Riding on a camel through the Sahara desert is truly a bucket list experience. Forget the fears about MERS for a second (or longer, I guess, since we rode the camel for an hour, and it seemed like an eternity), or the sore bum you will have for days afterwards, and the sore inner thighs, and basically the entire sore lower body. It's so worth it. Riding on a camel as the sun sets, watching the sand change color from a brilliant bright yellow to a glowing orange, and just really feeling yourself being taken back to time to what life was like centuries ago, having ridden a bus for 5 hours and thinking to yourself just a day ago I was trapped in a souk with a million other people, to this. That is what makes Morocco really special. The camp itself wasn't much to speak, but the sky. It is a sky you will never forget - stars upon stars upon shooting stars upon planets lighting up every single inch of the night sky, and it is truly awesome. And if you don't want to hike up a 200 foot tall sand dune for 30 minutes in the dark like we did, that's totally fine. The view is just as amazing from your tent. Which, despite being outdoors, is still warmer than the hotel we stayed at the night before. 
After waking up at 5 am to catch the sunrise - which somehow, didn't happen till 7 - we walked back to the "entrance" to the desert, and caught the bus back to Marrakech. 11 hours in a small bus with 17 other people could be worse, but at least you get to catch up on sleep. Because, lest you forget, you woke up at 5 am to wait 2 hours for the sunrise. And because you didn't really sleep for much of the trip anyway, since Morocco is a place to experience at all hours of the day and night because everything is always moving, always changing, always smiling, and waiting till the next time you come back.
