travel – Page 9 – PalmTreeMusings

Switzerland and Austria: the crossroads of Europe

June 19, 2019March 20, 2022Posted in Europe, Solo TravelTagged Austria, Basel, Bern, best things in, best things to do in, budget travel, Europe, how to get to, Linz, Salzburg, Switzerland, travel, travel blog, Vienna, ZurichLeave a comment

clock tower tall pointy church zurich switzerland

With all the times I’ve visited Europe, I’ve actually never been to Switzerland and Austria. Well, except for airport transfers and one brief rental car mishap. So as I was heading to Prague to meet up with Chris, I decided to go overland through these two beautiful countries. With such multi-faceted cities and ages of history within each, I barely had time to get more than an overview of the places I visited, and make a list of things to see next time I’m there. Here’s my favorites for each.

History lurks behind every corner here in Switzerland

Zurich

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Reality check on the Camino de Santiago

June 5, 2019March 20, 2022Posted in Europe, Solo TravelTagged best things to do in, Burgos, Camino de Santiago, hiking, leon, Santiago de Compostela, Spain, the way of St James, travel, travel blog4 Comments

I had a few weeks’ time to fill in May, so I decided that I would hike the Camino de Santiago across Northern Spain. My husband Chris had done it two years ago, and he said it was great, I’d love it, after our Nepal hike it would be a breeze. So I flew to Madrid and took a bus to Burgos and got started.

A dawn start from Burgos with my new friend Araceli

The Camino can be started at almost any point in Europe- some paths start from Germany, France, or even Rome- although generally peregrinos Continue reading “Reality check on the Camino de Santiago” →

Kazakhstan

May 13, 2019March 20, 2022Posted in AsiaTagged Almaty, Astana, best things to do in, budget, Central Asia, how to get to, Karagandy, Kazakhstan, Khan Shatyr, kok Tobe, Nur-Sultan, Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, steppes, travel, travel blog2 Comments

There’s a saying where I come from that “everything is bigger in Texas” but I’m betting that most Texans have never been to Kazakhstan. The ninth largest country in the world, Kazakhstan is quite large, and a large proportion of that is gently rolling steppes that Continue reading “Kazakhstan” →

Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan: The Pamir Highway

May 3, 2019March 20, 2022Posted in AsiaTagged Afghanistan, best things to do in, bibi Fatima hot springs, Bishkek, Dushanbe, how to get to, Kyrgyzstan, Osh, Pamir Highway, Pamir Mountains, Tajikistan, travel, travel blogLeave a comment

A trip through Central Asia would not be complete without a drive through the Pamir Mountains on the M41, one of the highest roadways in the world. Winding its way from Pakistan to Afghanistan, Tajikistan to Kyrgyzstan, the Pamir Highway is a must-do for travelers who want to see the best of the ‘Stans.

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A Journey on the Silk Road: Uzbekistan

April 16, 2019March 20, 2022Posted in AsiaTagged best things to do in, budget tour, Bukhara, Genghis Khan, how to get to, Khiva, madrasa, minaret, Mosque, poi Kalon, Registan Square, Samarkand, Silk Road, Tamarlane, Tashkent, Timur, travel, travel blog, Ulugbek, Uzbekistan4 Comments

While we were planning our trip to Turkmenistan (where you need to either be with a tour company or limit your stay to a transit visa), our tour company offered us an option that combined both Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. It was a great itinerary and a pretty good deal, so we decided to take the package for both countries and really travel down the Silk Road in style.