Westwards

Hiking on the Western Isles – the Hebridean Way

On our way to the Outer Hebrides on the very outskirts of Europe, we look back from the Castlebay ferry onto the harbour of Oban. People are sitting outside and enjoying a rare spell of May sun – it will be the largest number of people we are to see for a while. Our destination, Castlebay, is a tiny village huddled around the harbour, with a ruined castle on an island rock in the bay, indeed. From there we walk on for two more hours over empty coastal roads to the even lonelier island of Vatersay.

Vatersay, the southernmost island of the Outer Hebrides or Western Isles, is the starting point of the Hebridean Way which will lead us over all the ten Outer Hebridean Islands to the regional capital of Stornoway. Some islands are connected by causeways, like the first stage's small islands of Vatersay and Barra; others by local ferries, and the total hiking distance is about 250 km.

Early the next day we meet the two other hikers who had been with us on the ferry, but both hurry off with little luggage to reach the evening ferry leaving Barra in order to make it to their next accommodation. Especially on the southern part of the trail, accommodation options are sparse and timing the hike with the ferry departures is essential. We are less pressed for time as we have brought a comfortable tent and might camp anywhere. We even take the opportunity for a coffee break at the spectacularly situated Beach Hotel although it's not even twelve when we pass "Britain's westernmost bar". It's the only option to sit indoors for today, and in spite of relatively friendly weather the wind is relentless.

Stormy sky over a standing stone at Sgarasta (Scarista) on Harris Island

We had decided to hike, like most people do and the guidebooks recommend, from Vatersay in the south to Stornoway in the north, because that's supposed to be downwind. And that can be quite relevant for walking, considering the high wind speeds on the Hebrideans. Just this year, however, we hit a week with cold wind coming from the north. Which also means that the rain hits our faces directly ­– and it starts raining soon, and often, sometimes changing into hail.

That day we still do make it to the ferry from Barra to Eriskay, and camp on the beach near the Eriskay ferry. There even is a HOT (!) coin shower inside the ferry terminal! When we pass Eriskay village in the morning, we can stock up on food in the community store before moving on over a causeway to South Uist.

At the Eriskay causeway

After some hills and windswept, pathless moors on Barra the day before, South Uist appears almost civilised. We walk along the long, sandy beach or on agricultural paths in the Machair, a low-lying, fertile strip of land. Whenever we meet someone, they invariably stop for a chat. That happens only twice a day or so, anyway. And luckily one of them confirms that we can get water in St Mary's church a few kilometres down the road (we would have been in trouble otherwise).

Later, hiking through the magical landscape of Loch Druidibeag, we don't see any druids, but a couple of eagles above us. Later, in a different moor far away from everything, we even disturb a plump bird which we figure is one of the rare and shy cornrakes.

We are the only passengers. Rain and wind is hitting the bus, and the driver's radio is yelling "That's how we do it on the Western Isles" by Peat and Diesel (we bought it later!). We are skipping a few stages of the northern part since we don't have time for the whole Hebridean Way. For this day we were planning to walk only a particularly exposed peat bog between Laxay and Achamore. But should we really do that in this storm?  Eventually we get off anyway, then get lost in the moor for a while, get very wet and cold – but it was one of the most exciting and memorable days of a very exciting and memorable hiking trip.

Between hail showers on the moor near Achamore

In spite of the rain, the hail and the thin ice sheet on the tent at night, in spite of the constant wind and the fact that Natascha hates wind, in spite of the full day it takes to reach a larger city or an international airport, we briefly toyed with the idea of moving to the Outer Hebrides after that hike. Both the landscape and the weather are so intense and expressive that the week felt like a constant crescendo. But, of course, there must be a downside… The winters, the loneliness, and more. "I never lock my car or my house, this being such a small and close-knit community. But – you would need getting used to the fact that everybody knows everything about you, and they talk about it constantly," a local woman who gave us lift explained.

In the end we decided against the Western Isles as a living place – but we will be back for sure. Maybe even this summer, once Britain lifts the travel restrictions. 

Oban harbour, Scotland – where the ferry for the Outer Hebrides leaves

What you need to know about the Hebridean Way

Best time to hike: In theory, the Hebridean Way is walkable year-round. You will encounter strong wind and rain pretty much every time of the year. Summer is best avoided due to the midges – although some people said because of the wind they are less of a nuisance than on the mainland.

Accommodation: We took a tent and a stove and were very happy with this decision. If you have to rely on accommodation and cafés/restaurants, the hike requires a lot of planning and pre-booking.

Standing stones of Callanish, near Stornoway

Guidebooks: We used the Cicerone Hiking guide “Walking the Hebridean Way” that not only has useful maps and trail descriptions but also good information about flora and fauna. Additionally we had bought the Bradt Guide “Outer Hebrides” which gives more details about history and society on the western Isles. We used it for some days of sightseeing north of Stornoway after the hike.

Reading: If you like crime novels, try the Hebridean trilogy by Peter May.

Minutes later at a different stone circle in Callanish, the next storm is arriving

Our Quest for Northern Lights in Norway

The Norwegian domestic flight arrives late in the evening in the small town of Alta. After disembarking the plane, we walk through some door and suddenly find ourselves in the lobby of the cute Northern Lights Airport Alta, where the sole baggage carousel already starts moving. Indeed, we had wondered whether the timing of the airport bus – about 15 minutes after landing – was a weird coincidence or quite sensible. Yet we don't even need it as our Airbnb host has offered to pick us up.

On the ride into town we gasp at the piles of snow lining the road. Even for Alta this is unusual, our host Morten explains: the warm weather that plagues Europe's ski resorts with rain has brought more snow in Northern Norway. In most years it is too cold for heavy snowfall up here in the far North.

But we are not in Alta for winter sports – it's the Northern Lights (aurora borealis) that we are after.

The next morning we explore the town centre with its modern Northern Lights Cathedral, a quite stunning building with interesting architectural details. We also visit the informative Northern Lights exhibition in the basement. The mysterious green lights, we read, are caused by so-called solar winds – a stream of particles bringing sun plasma from the sun's corona and  hitting the Earth's magnetic field. The phenomenon of the Aurora Borealis or "Northern Dawn" has been witnessed and described by locals for centuries, but scientific research only began in the 19^th century.

In the evening we join a specialised tour to "chase the Northern Lights".

This night  we are the only customers and our guide happens to be German, so we practically get a private tour. On most nights, we learn in the introduction, the Northern Lights don't really dance visibly in the sky like a huge colourful lightshow (as on the pictures you may have seen). But when there is auroral activity and the sky is clear, it is often possible to spot those lights as a green shimmer in the sky. Taking photos with a long exposure will make the green lights more visible: "Those photos are what you see on social media", our guide Sarah explains. "Images on Instagram are probably the main reason why tourist numbers to Alta are exploding".

Although we brought thermal wear, warm boots and padded jackets for our Norway winter holiday, we are fitted with an extra set of winter overalls and boots – to put on top of all our other clothing! We feel (and look) like the Michelin Tyre Man when we stumble to the minibus.

Today, the Northern Lights are not quite visible from within town. Sarah, who has consulted several Northern Lights forecasts on the Internet, drives us to a nearby hill that is often a good spot for seeing the Northern Lights. But today there is a slight fog. At least there are no clouds, Sarah comments cheerfully; otherwise we might have to drive hundreds of kilometres in our quest to see the Northern Lights.

Half an hour later, we descend a narrow track through knee-deep snow towards a lake. Beyond the lake, a hint of green is visible in the sky, like a very faint rainbow. And yes, on the camera it turns out a little more green: it's a Northern Light! Over the next two hours or so, the shimmering green is sometimes a bit more visible, sometimes less, while the temperature moves towards -20 °C. Most of the time it is very cold and very dark – but somehow that's also charming. Christa, Isa's 81-year-old mother, stumbles into the snow once, but we can help her up. And Sarah has brought  hot chocolate and cake to keep our spirits up.

Natascha tries a sun salutation in the snow – just because Northern Lights Yoga seems trendy ­– and quickly decides that Northern Lights Aerobics might be more viable.

During next two nights we keep looking for the Northern Lights in the sky above and around Alta, but don't see any again. So, professional help in that chase is apparently quite sensible unless you are lucky enough to hit a day with strong solar winds.

The next day, we join a brief tour with reindeer sleds and chat with Mikkel, a Sami herder, in his tent. It is called a lavvu and made from wooden poles and textiles.

In Norway, only the Sami minority are allowed to own reindeers in the first place. They usually start building up their personal herd from childhood, and still follow very traditional lifestyles. Nevertheless, Mikkel says, he's glad that they have smartphones and motor sleds these days, unlike fellow reindeer herders he's met in Siberia …

Natascha also tries her hand at dogsledding and finds that it's not that difficult as long as the dogs just follow in the track of the group leader. But steering a pack of dogs through the snow-covered forest? That might require a little more training …

Have you seen the Northern Lights or are you planning a trip to chase them? Let us know in the comments!

Note: We were not sponsored in any way or received money or other benefits for and during our trip to Alta. All expenses were fully paid by ourselves.

Some more photos from a previous winter trip to Norway (in 2005) can be found here:

www.westwards.de/photos/norway_200503

Total sightseeing in St. Petersburg

St Isaac's Cathedral in St Petersburg, Russia

"That way to the Malachite Room!" The elderly museum attendant is helpfully pointing down the corridor – when we seem to be lost in the maze of St Petersburg's Winter Palace. It is 10.40 AM: the Hermitage Museum has just opened, and we have already hurried past the most famous room in the palace with its green Malachite columns, stopping briefly for a photo.

It is the Silk Road section that we are looking for and we are planning to spend as many hours there as we like. Luckily, the attendant lady knows her museum well and can advise us about left and right turns and finally, steps down to about 20 rooms of Central Asian treasures. And treasures there are!

The Red Hall murals from Varakhsha (Uzbekistan)

We have been dreaming about a visit to the St. Petersburg Hermitage for years. Whatever archaeological site or a museum we visited in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, or Turkmenistan, for work or privately, the most spectacular objects and wall paintings – were almost always said to be in the Hermitage in St Petersburg.

Frieze of musicians from Ayrtam near Termiz, Uzbekistan

Early November is not exactly a pleasant time to travel to St Petersburg, one of the northernmost Russian cities. We arrive from the airport at night in a cold drizzle. Natalya, who knows very few English words but is expert at explaining things in simple Russian, shows us into our rented flat near Nevsky Boulevard.

Church of the Saviour on the Spilled Blood

During the next days we work our way through our list of St. Petersburg must-sees: The Church of the Saviour on the Spilled Blood with its art deco murals is an impressive start, even though the colourful onion domes suffer from the rainy weather and some scaffolding. For the Russian Museum next door we have to queue for over an hour in the cold, but the paintings (and some decorative arts) are worth it.

Not only did we then spend a full day in the Hermitage Museum – after several hours among the treasures of Nisa, Bactria and Toprak Qala, from Varakhsha and Penjikent, we could still at least glimpse into the main galleries with their amazing collections of European paintings.

The (separate) Hermitage Storage Facility was an absolute highlight of the trip. With a collection of approximately 3 Mio items, the Hermitage Museum belongs to the largest museums in the world – and not even the huge Winter Palace can accommodate all those treasures, let alone make them accessible. The new storage facilities built over the last decades (and more are to come!) combine scientifically adequate storage rooms with restoration workshops and at least some opportunities for visitors to see objects that are not on permanent display. Luckily we could arrange a guided tour in English on the spot (usually you should pre-arrange these tours), and it was quite marvellous. We particularly liked the door of Gur Emir Mausoleum in Samarkand, the Russian icons, and the Tsarist coaches and sledges.

"Last Supper" by Andrey Filippov in St Petersburg's Erarta Museum of Modern Art

With so much to see and little time, we combined two museums for modern art in one day: the Marble Palace – built by Catherine the Great for one of her lovers – today houses a collection of (Western) modern art donated by German art patron Peter Ludwig. The afternoon was barely enough for the Russian modern art at the Erarta Museum – you could easily spend the whole day there and delve into Russian contemporary art, which is not so often seen outside of Russia.

St Isaac's Cathedral

In between, we visited a number of other museums, some historical places, the major churches and convents such as the Alexander Nevsky Monastery with its graveyards of famous artists, the Smolny Cathedral and St. Isaak's Cathedral, had Georgian and Dagestani (!) food, and walked around the city to discover a couple of bronze statues of Lenin and Marx …

Statue of Lenin at Finland Station

Six days in winter was by far not enough to explore the wonders of St. Petersburg in spite of our total commitment. We will have to come back …

Note: We were not sponsored in any way or received money or other benefits for and during our trip to St. Petersburg. All expenses were fully paid by ourselves.

Ploshchad Vosstaniya metro station

Travelling up and down in Eritrea

Ten days in one of the least visited countries of the world.

Fiat Taglieri Building in Asmara

Getting the Visa for Eritrea was less tiresome than we had imagined, not least because we had allowed a couple of months for this task. The embassy staff crowded around us excitedly when we showed up in person to ask for a tourist Visa: "We had 900 Visa applications last year! Can you write a guidebook about our beautiful country?!" Never mind that they forgot to pass on the application at first…… But repeated phone calls did the trick and we finally could pick up our visa.

Tank graveyard in Asmara

Once in the capital Asmara, getting the necessary travel permits and arranging a car for an excursion on the last day proved somewhat more difficult. We did this in the wrong order: by the second day we had received the permits for excursions to Massawa and Keren on public transport, and fixed a deal for a car on the final day. With the car's number plate we could now apply for that last permit – but all our previous permits had to be submitted in the original for another day or so. Only an "exceptional exception" (after some discussions) made it possible to receive all permits before we started out for Massawa.

"You can reserve a seat on the bus the day before", the ambassador had advised us, but perhaps mixed that up with German bus stations. After an hour's wait for more passengers our crowded minibus winds down the spectacular, if potholed, road to Massawa, 2300 m lower on the coast. An Ottoman trading town on an island (linked by a dam), the historic old town was heavily bombed during the independence war but retains at least remnants of those beautiful Ottoman and Egyptian-period houses with arched doorways and shaded arcades. Some of the houses were restored, reinforced and reconstructed after an earthquake in the 1920s, but the recent damage incurred during the independence war has not been repaired. In spite of this, people are living in some rooms of the crumbling buildings. We were planning to explore the alleys but soon end up lazily sipping tea in a café with outdoor seating on the main square.

This might be the oldest mosque in the world

The next day we visit the local museum and get a tour to Massawa's potentially most important relic: the Sahaba Shrine is a small open mosque oriented towards Jerusalem rather than to Mekka – if this was indeed, as archaeologists think, built in 615 by early followers of Muhammad including the prophet's daughter Ruqayyah, who were fleeing persecution from Mohammed's opponents, it might very well be the oldest extant mosque in the world.

The next morning the queue for buses back to Asmara is long: hundreds of small bags snake a long line around the bus station marking the position of their owners, but no bus has even arrived. An hour later, we have bought a place near the front of that queue from professional queuers, and been handed a plastic card as a pre-reservation. By the time the bus arrives, a new queue has been formed and rearranged, and eventually we are lined up at the door based on queue position and neediness: disabled people and clueless foreigners may board first, strict order is maintained. Half an hour later the bus is on its way to the Highlands and to the capital Asmara.

Waiting for the bus in various forms – there are different rules and procedures for large public buses and private minibuses – takes up some time on the other excursions, too. We do a day trip to Decemhare, a small town built by the Italians, were 1940s buildings with an Italian Art Deco feel line the street.

We also visit the rather colourful Saturday market, but otherwise there's little to do.

The same goes for Keren, one of Eritrea's largest towns at a medium altitude (about 1600 m) with a very pleasant climate. A commercial hub for the North of the country, Keren has extensive souks, a large open market in the dry riverbed, and a busy livestock market on the outskirts on Mondays. It is the only place in Eritrea except for the Asmara permit office where we see other tourists, most of them in small groups. It is also the only place in Eritrea were begging schoolchildren with their greetings of "Money!" and "10 Nakfa!" are a hassle and at times even aggressive.

The archaeological site of Qohaito

On our last day in Eritrea, we spend hours on the long, winding, and ill-maintained road towards the Southern border with Ethiopia. The archaeological site of Qohaito belongs to pre-Aksumite and Aksumite civilisations with remains that are well over 2000 years old. This high plateau of 2600 m was an important trading post between the Red Sea harbour of Adulis and the (now Ethiopian) town of Aksum – but  the lack of archaeologists and funds (not to speak of the wars that have made the region inaccessible for much of the past decades) means that not much has been excavated and studied so far. Only a few columns of temples and, later, Christian churches, rise from the desert ground. The view from the plateau towards the coast is quite spectacular, however.

Our highlight of this trip was seeing the prehistoric cave paintings on the cliff below, accessible from the ancient footpath that has been linking Qohaito to the Red Sea coast for several thousand years.

In between all these excursions we always had to go back to Asmara and had time to relax in this restful little capital with palms and a night sky full of dreamy stars, hundreds of sleepy cafés, dozens of Modernist colonial buildings such as cinemas and a swimming pool – and not a single working traffic light, as far as we could make out (there were traffic lights though…).

Altogether we enjoyed our time in Eritrea, but found that 10 to 14 days was enough time in the country. Most other travellers we met spent only 2 to 4 days there, mostly in Asmara. We would suggest a bit more time for arranging permits and getting a feel for the vibe and the pace of the country.

Have you ever been to Eritrea or are you thinking about travelling there? Tell us more in the comments.

How to get to, and travel in, Eritrea

We applied for the tourist Visa at the embassy in Berlin, which took a few weeks, but was (with a German passport) not difficult at all.

We flew with Emirates via Dubai, but there are also a number of flights to Ethiopia, Egypt and very few other destinations. Flights to and from Asmara appear to be cancelled or postponed regularly due to fog (our return flight was).

We stayed in midrange hotels (around 50 € per double room, without prior reservation), all with a proper hotel atmosphere, reception desk, restaurant, and running water, but not necessarily hot water and not quite European standard: Sunshine in Asmara (hot water, breakfast included, good service, very friendly); Red Sea in Massawa (no hot water, breakfast not included, friendly, interesting architecture); Costina in Keren (hot water, breakfast included, quite unfriendly).

Apart from the car with driver we arranged for Qohaito, we travelled around Eritrea on public buses, which was cheap but time-consuming.

Fata, the traditional Eritrean dish made of bread, chilli paste, and tomatoes.

Eritrea was not a culinary revelation and most locals don't eat out, but we could get fatta (bread in tomato sauce) and pasta as well as decent coffee; in most places we treated the tap water with Micropur pills – bottled water is very expensive.

Note: We were not sponsored in any way or received money or other benefits for and during our trip to Eritrea. All expenses were fully paid by ourselves.

Visiting the Roman temples in Baalbek during the revolution

On a Lebanese mountain slope close to the Syrian border, the monumental temple complex at Baalbek is one of the largest remaining Roman structures in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site. On a winter day during the Lebanese revolution with very few other visitors, it was a stunning site to visit.

Old men in overcoats are warming themselves at the gas stove when we arrive at the iconic Hotel Palmyra in Baalbek. It's the oldest hotel in town, and even the German Kaiser Wilhelm II stayed here when he visited the Holy Land back in 1898. The charming grand lobby appears rather unchanged since then.

We have come to Baalbek using several minibuses from Beirut. It was already noon by the time we arrived and we are eager to explore the famous Baalbek we can already see opposite the hotel entrance. But first, we search the tiny village of Baalbek for some food – eventually ending up with an espresso and an Ülker chocolate bar at a kiosk. Another customer orders two hot teas, lengthily deliberating: "Umm, no, no black tea, I think I would prefer the lemon verbena herb tea". Which happens to be on the top shelf and quite difficult to reach for the elderly vendor …

Just behind the temple entrance some flights of stairs lead to the main buildings – the huge Roman temple was built on the site of ancient settlements, the remains of which were already rising several meters above the ground.

Great Courtyard of the temple of Baalbek

It takes us quite a while just to explore the propylaea and the courtyards – all around are carved columns and niches, and the main courtyard alone, with remains of huge altars and wash basins, is about the size of a football field.

The Roman temple of Jupiter in Baalbek

Finally, a further flight of stairs goes up to the main temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus Heliopolitanus, where some impressive 20 m high columns are still left standing. The temple was so strongly built and stood so high above the valley that later Islamic dynasties used it as a fortress, adding moats and further fortifications.

Memorial plaque for the visit of the German Emperor Wilhelm II

Next to the Jupiter temple, another temple is even better preserved, with the walls of the cella surrounded by enormous columns. Inside this so-called Temple of Bacchus, there's a memorial plaque which Sultan Abdul-Hamid II had made to commemorate the German emperor's visit – Wilhelm II was so impressed by the ruins that he contributed large amounts of money and manpower to their excavation.

To this day, German archaeologists are active on the various Baalbek archaeological sites. They also set up a very informative museum in the basement rooms of the Jupiter Temple, displaying more finds, old photographs and a lot of background information.

The Roman temple of Jupiter in Baalbek

By the time we are back in the Palmyra hotel, the event that all those old men (and very few women) had been attending has ended. Most are still in the hotel lobby discussing important issues – it seems. So, what was it about? "Oh, how do you say that in English," a greying gentleman ponders. “You know, about our uprising!”

How to get to Baalbek on public transport from Beirut

From our hotel in Hamra (Beirut) we took a public bus (1000 LBP) to the Kola bus station. From there we went by minibus to Chtoura where we changed into another minibus to Baalbek. From Kola the journey took about two hours and cost 10,000 LBP per person (around 6 €).

Accommodation in Baalbek

Nearly original 19th century bathroom in the Palmyra Hotel

If you have an early start you can easily visit the ruins of Baalbek as a day trip from Beirut even on public transport. We enjoyed our one-night stay at the famous Palmyra Hotel in Baalbek (no hot water and a somewhat unreliable heating and electricity system, though). This way we could visit other sights in the region the next day.

Note: We were not sponsored in any way or received money or other benefits for and during our trip to Lebanon. All expenses were fully paid by ourselves.

2019: Our year in travel

2019 started out quite busy travelwise and slowed down a bit between the end of August and the beginning of November. Altogether we visited nine countries, two of them – New Zealand and Lebanon – for the first time.

January: Belgium

We launched the year with a short visit to Antwerp with Isa’s family. It was our first time in this small Belgian town and we would give a 3 out of 5 for the sightseeing, but we enjoyed the family time with waffles, fries and beer.

January/ February: Qatar/New Zealand

At the end of January we left for a long-planned trip to New Zealand. Six years earlier, we had already booked tickets and made a lot of reservations, but had to cancel the whole trip due to a knee surgery. This time we made it to the other side of the world with only one missed flight and a 24 hour layover in Doha/Qatar. For one month we explored New Zealand’s North Island by rental car. Read about the highlights of this trip here. Although we thoroughly enjoyed the hiking and paddling as well as the good coffee and pastries, we remain baffled by the hype about New Zealand. Nature there is beautiful, but not overwhelming, and a lot of places were quite crowded.

March/ April: Japan

March and April, as always, were blocked by tour guiding work in Japan during the cherry blossom season.

May: Scotland

May seems to be the perfect season for Scotland. It is already a little bit warmer (although we had some nights with freezing temperatures) and there are no midges yet. We hiked a part of the wonderful Hebridean Way, which covers a distance of 156 miles over 10 islands on the Outer Hebrides.

After that we met up with friends for one intensive week of whisky tasting on the island of Islay.

June: Germany

June 2019 we spent mostly in Germany writing and researching guidebooks and preparing research trips. Our only brief diversion was a paragliding introductory course in Stubai Valley/Tyrol.

July: Japan

In July we went to Kyoto to do research for our new Kyoto guidebook that is going to be published in spring 2020. After two weeks of visiting Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and ancient tombs we flew to Hokkaido in Northern Japan for some hiking.

As on previous trips to Hokkaido, the weather was quite rainy but we managed to climb another two of Japan’s “100 famous mountains” (hyakumeizan), among other things. And we saw some brown bears at the Shiretoko National Park.

August: Tyrol

After only a few days in Berlin, we left again for Tyrol/ Austria – the new edition of our Tyrol guidebook needed some in depth research. We had a fun-filled month with hiking, climbing and a lot of good food. We even tried stand-up-paddling and Forest Bathing (shinrinyoku). At the end of August Natascha tore her meniscus again and had to have knee surgery in Tyrol.

September to November: mostly Berlin

We stayed most of the time in Berlin writing: Our new guidebook about Kyoto and Osaka had to be written from scratch, and we also worked on the relaunch of our Tyrol guidebook. Isa went for two weeks of tour guiding work to Japan, while Natascha was busy in Berlin with physical rehab for the knee.

November: St. Petersburg

We did however squeeze in a short trip to St. Petersburg at the beginning of November. Piter (as the locals say) has been on our wish list for some time, and Russia in general is a destination we want to visit more, not least because we have been learning Russian for years. The city met all our expectations – despite the frosty winter temperatures that made even walking around a challenge. Wonderful museums, beautiful buildings, yummy food – and lots of Lenin statues!

December: Lebanon, Belgium (again) and Netherlands

After such a long time staying home, the urge to travel struck us again in December. We had planned our trip to Lebanon early. When the Lebanese revolution started in October we wavered but then decided to go anyway. Although there were still some protests and street barricades, we managed to visit a great deal of this small country. The Roman ruins were superb and the people very friendly and helpful. We were a little bit disappointed by the food that has such a good reputation, but for vegetarians it was a lot of hummus and falafel.

After spending Christmas in Cologne we went to Belgium for the second time this year to see the newly opened Africa Museum in Brussels and some other sights. We finished this trip with one night in Rotterdam, enjoying a wonderful Indonesian rice table and a harbour cruise through Europe’s largest harbour (among other things).

A Whisky-filled week on Islay

Warehouse Experience Tour in Bruichladdich Distillery

Earlier this year we spent one week on the Scottish Island of Islay with the aim to visit as many as possible of the nine whisky distilleries scattered around the island and to taste as many of the famous peaty Islay whiskies as possible. With a lot of planning and fretting over bus timetables we made it to eight of the nine in the end, and left out only the Caol Ila Distillery, mainly because we felt it was too "evil-commercial".

Note: We did not have much prior knowledge of Islay whisky or of whiskies in general – and figured that after this week we would either hate whisky, or have become connoisseurs.

„Indeed, this one is very strong“ – it turns out we have tried the strongest of the Lagavulin whiskies first, a  first-fill bourbon cask special edition. The other two glasses we get to taste in our distillery tour at Lagavulin are almost mild in comparison. But only almost.

Based near the town of Port Ellen, we had a complicated schedule to follow in order to get around by public transport (no way were we going by car and missing out on all the fun of whisky tasting!). Like elsewhere in the British countryside, most buses run only two or three times daily on Islay, and some of the distilleries are not even close to a bus stop. Our choice of tours and tastings in each of the distilleries thus depended mostly on the Islay bus timetable and walking distances, but we ended up with a broad mix of standard tours, table tastings, premium and warehouse tastings.

Our rented hut was situated right next to the Lagavulin distillery, and we could fit in the introductory tour with standard tastings of three whiskies on the arrival day. The next day we hiked to the famous Kildalton Cross, a Celtic cross possibly dating from the 8th century, and on the way back we felt we had earned ourselves the premium table tasting of 5 whiskies at Ardbeg Distillery. After the first sip of the Uigadhal, it takes a moment before the peat hits in, but then we feel like we have had some peat for dinner.

Using a peat fire for the malt at Bowmore Distillery

In the Bowmore distillery the next day, we get to see the peat smoke up close: Bowmore is one of very few whisky distilleries still making their own malt (the grain comes from the Scottish mainland though), and during the tour we can have a try at raking the malt and sniffle into the peat fire where the malt is roasted. We also look at the old Porteus mill – the company went bankrupt many years ago after fitting most distilleries on Islay (and beyond) with mills because they wouldn’t break in time to provide more business – and into the traditional wooden washbacks.

Bowmore's Vault No. 1 is perhaps the island’s most famous warehouse, below sea level and constantly cool. For tax reasons visitors are not easily allowed inside. The whisky tasting after the tour is quite straightforward: 12 years, 15 years, 18 years.

Tasting in the Laphroaig Whisky Distillery

Later that day, we try another more complicated selection of four old and rare whiskies at the bar of the famous Laphroaig distillery. Sharing a tasting flight between the four of us enables us in the first place to try such a number of whiskies, occasionally adding a glass or two of very special or single cask whiskies – a strategy we replicate at some other tastings.

The next day we have a long bus ride all across Islay and a hike to Bunnahabhain, passing a not-yet-working distillery, Ardnahoe, on the way. They do have a nice shop though and we end up with lilac Ardnahoe T-Shirts and Haggis chocolate.

Premium Tasting in the Bunnahabain Whisky Distillery

After a quick distillery tour of Bunnahabhain and a premium whisky tasting involving six glasses each, walking back might have been a good idea but we would have missed the only bus back, so someone from the distillery gave us a lift to the bus stop. Bunnahabhain was the distillery we liked most – the whiskies are not too peaty (some have no peat at all) and especially their 18 year-old is great value for money.

The bus challenge continues on the next day, when we are booked into the warehouse tour in Bruichladdich – three well-filled glasses of different old and mostly peaty single cask whiskies in a cool storehouse. Although we get small tasting bottles to take home that part of the whisky we can’t drink, the fresh air outside is rather a shock and we need a while to brave the 2-hour walk to the Kilchoman distillery in the west of the island … By the time we arrive there, we have missed all the tours and settle for a tasting of another four whiskies in the Kilchoman bar.

After five days of intensive whisky tasting on Islay we feel that our whisky preferences veered a little bit out of our budget. But visiting distilleries, learning about whisky and whisky history on Islay, drinking more whisky in the evening and having discussions about the tours and whiskies tasting was great fun.

Whiskies tasted

Lagavulin: Limited edition 8 Years, a double matured sherry cask, and natural cask strength first-fill bourbon cask

Ardbeg: 10 Years; Uigadhal; Perpetuum; 22 Years; 23 Years

Bowmore: 12 Years, 15 Years, 18 Years

Laphroaig: An Cuan Mor; 25 Years; Cairdeas Origin; 2007 Bourbon Single Cask

Bunnahabhain: 18 Years; 25 Years; Amontillado (the best of all!); Toiteach A Dhá; 14 Year old Moine PX Finish Single Cask;  14 Year old Moine PX Noe

Bruichladdich: 1992 Single Cask; 2004 Porte Charlotte single cask; Octomore 6.3, 2009

Kilchoman: 100% Islay; Machir Bay; Sauternes

The old Porteus mill at Lagavulin Distillery

How to get around on Islay without a car

There's not quite a network of bus routes, but there are several bus routes on the island of Islay. We found the timetable at https://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/sites/default/files/islay_450-451_timetable_3.pdf (and if that link is broken they should be listed here: https://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/timetable/bus).

From our base in Lagavulin we could walk to 3 distilleries (Lagavulin, Laphroaig and Ardbeg) and take a direct bus to Bowmore. Three more whisky distilleries (Bunnahabhain, Ardnahoe and Caol Ila) are located within (reasonable) walking distance from Port Askaig on the other end of the line. Finally there's another branch line passing Bruichladdich. And from there it was a two-hour walk to Kilchoman (no bus passing near the distillery). We wouldn't have made it for the return bus and shared a taxi (50 £). There are about half a dozen taxis companies on Islay and it is wise to book ahead, not least because mobile phone coverage is patchy outside the villages.

View from the Tin House towards Lagavulin Whisky Distillery

We stayed at the Tin House Holiday Cottage by Islay pods.

Note: We were not sponsored in any way for this trip and do not get any commissions from the above companies and distilleries. The whole trip was paid and planned by ourselves and our friends we went together with. Danke an Martina!

Interested in Whisky? See also our posts on the Japanese Whisky distilleries of Suntory and Nikka and to the Glengoyne Whisky Distillery in Scotland.

Touring Japanese Whisky distilleries – a visit to Suntory and Nikka

In the Kansai Airport waiting area, a passenger is happily cradling his Nikka 12 year bottle. He was lucky to be able to purchase a bottle after all. Since Japanese whiskies have taken on a fabulous reputation in recent years, aged Japanese whiskies, especially single malts, are hard to come by – even in the shops of the distilleries. On our last trip to Japan we visited two Japanese Whisky distilleries.

Suntory Yamazaki Distillery

On entering the premises of the Suntory Yamazaki Distillery near Osaka on a pleasant summer afternoon, we pass the bar where a number of visitors are already contemplating their tasting flights. But since we are booked in for a tour, we continue to the visitor centre. The tour is conducted in Japanese, but foreign visitors are handed a smart phone with an app providing similar information on the various stages of whisky making in several languages. The tour focuses on a very general introduction to the process – there is not much explanation on the peculiarities of Japanese whisky or of the style produced at Yamazaki. Nevertheless, it is worth joining the tour in order to see the stills – 6 spirit stills and 6 wash stills in the main house alone, all visibly different in form and quite big. It is even possible to walk through some of the warehouses with impressive rows of barrels.

Nowadays, the location just 20 minutes from the metropolitan centre of Osaka may seem unusual, but the water in the hills of Yamazaki has been famous since the days of Sen-no-rikyu (the revered founder of traditional Japanese tea ceremony). The hills behind the premises provide an agreeable coolness even in summer. When Torii Shinjiro decided, in 1923, to found a whisky distillery in Japan, he chose Yamazaki both for its good water and climate and for its closeness to the economic and cultural centres of Osaka and Kyoto.

After the tour, we are led into the tasting room and instructed (again in several languages) how to compare two component whiskies and the final product, the Yamazaki Single Malt. We also learn how to mix a perfect Japanese Highball with soda and ice.

Whisky tasting at the bar of the Suntory Yamazaki Distillery

We do appreciate the opportunity to taste the components (in the bar you can also try the 70% New Pot straight from the stills) – but on the other hand the tasting does not include any special or aged whiskies. They are available, however, at the bar: Whisky lovers thus have reason to visit the distillery if just in order to get hold of a glass of rare whisky that’s not even easily available in the shops (and at reasonable prices). After the tasting we have another go at Suntory's World Whisky and an Amarillo.

Nikka Yoichi Distillery

Whisky museum at Nikka Yoichi Distillery

Just 3 weeks later we are on the way to Otaru on Hokkaido when we pass a group of old stone houses with cute pointed red roofs. It looks like a distillery – and it turns out it is the Nikka distillery in Yoichi, another one of the old distilleries in Japan. Just like Yamazaki, Yoichi is not far off in the remote mountainside these days, but right off the main road. That was different when Taketsuru Masataka first came here with his Scottish wife to open his own whisky distillery in 1934. He had studied whisky making in Scotland and then worked for Torii Shinjiro at Yamazaki. But the ambitious Taketsuru favoured the mountains of Hokkaido as the ideal whisky region and thus became the founder of Japan’s second major whisky company, Nikka. The small stone houses are still the original buildings: Kiln Tower, Mash House, Wash House.

Coal-fired whisky stills at the Nikka Yoichi Distillery

The stills in the old Still House are fired with charcoal even today, and the first still from the 1930s looks tiny between the newer ones. There are tours in Japanese through the premises, but you can also do a self-guided tour with the provided leaflet. After walking between the historical buildings we check out the company history at Nikka’s museum and then proceed to the free tasting.

At Nikka this is a canteen-style affair and comprises two standard whiskies and a sweetish apple wine, since Taketsuru started his business producing apple juice and apple wine while he was waiting for his first whiskies to mature. Isa has to stick with apple juice all along, as she is driving and thus gets marked with a big "driver" sticker.

Whisky tasting at the bar of the Nikka Yoichi Distillery

As in Yamazaki, the Nikka shop doesn’t sell any of the more sought-after single malts and aged whiskies, except a small range of limited edition single malts only available in Yoichi. But the bar at least has a good selection of premium and aged whiskies, and even a single cask whisky. Normally, the bartender explains, they have one single cask on offer, but by the end of the year the may have run out …

Is it worth visiting the Yamazaki and the Nikka Yoichi distilleries?

Whisky tasting at the bar of the Nikka Yoichi Distillery

Both whisky distillery tours we tried were geared mainly towards Japanese visitors without specialised knowledge of whisky and offered rather general information on whisky production. Both distilleries also offered English explanations; however, for foreign visitors not particularly interested in whisky this may not necessarily be worthwhile. Whisky buffs will still appreciate the opportunity to see the stills and the scale of these premises. As for the free Whisky tasting, in the Japanese factories it included no rare or aged whiskies. The draw for whisky lovers is in both cases the bar, where whiskies not attainable elsewhere can be tasted at a reasonable price (which is still high compared to other whiskies).

How to get to Suntory Yamazaki Distillery and to Nikka Yoichi Distillery

Yamazaki is a small town between Osaka and Kyoto. Local trains on the JR line stop at Yamazaki station just 5 minutes on foot from the Suntory distillery, while the nearest station on the private Hankyu line is called Oyamazaki (10 minutes walking distance).

Yoichi is a town on Hokkaido, about 20 km from the touristy town of Otaru and about 50 km west of Sapporo. The Nikka distillery is situated almost next to Yoichi train station.

Interested in Whisky? See also our posts on our week of whisky tasting on Islay (Scotland) and to the Glengoyne Whisky Distillery in Scotland.

 

Mozu Tombs near Osaka – Japan's newest UNESCO World Heritage site

Tomb of Nintoku Tenno in the Mozu group of tombs in Osaka

A sudden mound behind the parking area, covered in trees. Beyond an old-fashioned residential neighbourhood and a canal – just a large expanse of green, where dozens of egrets are nisting. We are at Osaka‘s ancient tumulus graves, which were only included on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list in 2019. The tombs date from the 4th to 6th century and belonged to early kings or rulers. Some of them are very large, and many have a very peculiar shape: Artificial hills in the form of a keyhole, surrounded by a moat (or sometimes several moats).

Keyhole-shaped restored tumulus grave near Inuyama, Japan

Just two days after the announcement of the UNESCO decision, we made our way to Sakai, a southern suburb of Osaka. Around here, there once was a fertile plain where the small „Kingdoms of Wa“ appeared, the first state-like structures on the Japanese isles. Not much is known about them, except that their kings and the local elite were buried in tumulus graves that still dot the area.

A smaller tumulus grave near the tomb of Nintoku Tenno

From the station of Mikunigaoka, we have to determine the right direction, but soon we notice the first strange and knobbly hills. In a sea of concrete houses, these hills stick out because there are trees on them. And it certainly won't do in Japan to build a house on a grave that may well house a former emperor, considering that all Japanese emperors before the previous one were also gods!

Tomb of Nintoku Tenno in the Mozu group of tombs in Osaka, Japan

Soon we reach a fenced-off water channel with only trees visible on the other side. This is the moat of King Nintoku’s tomb. At 486 m length, it is the largest tomb in Japan – and as emphasized in the museum, it is at least longer than the Egyptian Cheops Pyramid and the tomb of the Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang in Xian, guarded by the famous terracotta army. Both of these tombs are much higher and more voluminous, though.

Recreated scene of haniwa figurines in the Sakai park near the Mozu tombs.

On the southern side of the tomb we reach a park area providing access to the prayer area – nowadays a Shinto-style courtyard with a Japanese Torii facing the original entrance of the tomb. There’s also a visitor centre renting out bicycles, a history museum with models of the tombs, aerial views, and artefacts found in the tombs.

In Aotsuka near Inuyama, an ancient tomb has been reconstructed in the way it must have once looked

In Mozu alone, 44 tombs are preserved, but apparently there must have been thousands in Japan. The artificial hills were originally not covered in trees, but bare earthen (or grassy) mounds with large numbers of "Haniwa" votive goods placed along the upper part of the hill: ceramic pots or figures, models of houses and shrines. In the tomb chambers below, archaeologists have found more ceramics, jewels and precious stones, as well as armours and weapons. The regular exhibition in the museum was quite interesting, and they also had some short documentary films explaining the history of the tombs.

Was it worth visiting the Mozu-Furuichi Tombs of Osaka?

Actually there is not very much to see at Sakai and you are not allowed to go near the venerable tombs. It is only possibly to have a look on the hilly burial places from beyond the moat – the most impressive view would of course be from high above, but since there are no high towers around, aerial photographs have to do. There are a number of smaller hilly tombs in walking distance.

Tomb of Suinin Tenno in Nara, Japan

It might be a good idea to read up on Japanese early history before you venture out to Sakai. The on-site museum gives a good insight too – but is mostly in Japanese. Unless you collect UNESCO sites or are quite interested in Japanese history a visit might turn out somewhat disappointing.

Haniwa grave goods in the Sakai history museum near the Mozu tombs

How to get to the Mozu Tombs in Osaka

You can reach Sakai in around 15 to minutes either by JR (Japan Railway) or on the private Nankai line from Osaka Namba. If you walk around a bit and also visit the museum this will be a half-day trip.

New Highlights in Uzbekistan – discoveries from our research for the 3rd edition of our Uzbekistan guidebook

The 3^rd edition of our Uzbekistan guidebook Usbekistan DuMont Reise-Handbuch has been out in the book stores for a few months now - time to share some of the newly researched highlights on our blog. For the 3^rd edition we travelled restlessly up and down the country for one month. 

Uzbekistan became a booming travel destination in Central Asia over the last year, last but not least because of the recently eased visa policies of the Uzbek government. Uzbek people are keen to accommodate tourists and travellers, and therefore new guest houses and restaurants are opening all over the country.

Hotel recommendations

We included a lot of new hotels in the guidebook - many of them are nice, but somewhat generic. The Sakura Inn Guest House in Fergana (in the Fergana Valley) and the Hotel Old Bukhara (in Bukhara) we found really outstanding.

Elsevar, the owner of the Sakura Inn, spent a few years in Japan and brought back a lot of ideas and insights on using minimal space to the maximum. His seven rooms are located in a normal apartment block and all of them are spick and span. There is a communal kitchen and a washing machine for the use of the guests. And a big cat lounging around! Elsevar has a lot of tips for travelling in the region and will also help in organising your onward travel.

Sakura Guest House in Fergana

The Old Bukhara is located near the Kalon minaret in a quiet neighbourhood of Bukhara. The Tadjik family who runs it topped their own courtyard house with a second floor and now rents out some lovely traditionally decorated rooms. Breakfast is also divine!

Fantastic breakfast at Hotel Old Bukhara

Restaurant recommendations

The restaurant scene develops slower than the accommodation options, but we also found some really tasty new places, like the Dilkor Laghman Center in Bukhara. You will have to take a taxi to get to this different world in the fifth micro-rayon, as the Dilkor Laghman Center is situated 3 km away from the old town. It is essentially a big canteen-style dining hall serving  freshly pulled Uighur-style noodles in broth. They also have a very good selection of salads and fresh breads, but not much else (Corner of Pindastgir Street/ Alisher Navoi Street in the fifth Microrayon, Bukhara).

Uighur-style noodles at the Dilkor Laghman Centre

The capital city of Tashkent is becoming posher and posher every time we visit.

Gosht Burger in Tashkent was a recommendation from a Burger chef we talked to in Samarkand. At Gosht Burger the steaks and burgers are grilled in a Josper Grill, a specialised covered charcoal-heated oven, where the grilled meat turns out especially aromatic and juicy. The interior is very stylish and they do have wonderful outdoor seating. And they also do quite good vegetarian burgers!

Josper grill at Gosht Burger, Tashkent

More things we enjoyed so much that they made it into our top list

Holy Cave of Davud near Samarkand

About 40 km southwest of Samarkand, we visited a local pilgrimage site that doubles as a pleasant nature excursion: The cave where the biblical David (= Davud) is said to have left his fingerprints is located near the top of a small mountain. 1334 concrete steps (no, we did not count them, this is just the “official” number of steps) lead up to the mountain top where you will find a small prayer room (and lots of souvenir stalls). A bit further on, there is the actual cave. To get into the holy cave you have to squeeze through a narrow crevice. Not many foreign tourists come to Hazrat Davud and the Uzbeks are mostly pilgrims. In the cave you are expected to give a small donation and listen to a prayer by the mullah.

After the strenuous climb, the Uzbek pilgrims party in lush gardens in the valley at the bottom of the hill.

Holy cave of Davud near Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Kazakh Village near Nurata

From Nurata we did an excursion to Lake Aydarkul, a large artificial lake in the desert. Not far beyond the lake shore, the road through the desert towards Kazakhstan passes a few lonely villages.

Ruslan, who runs a guest house in Nurata, drove us to the lake and suggested a detour to Eski Dungalah, a village that was created during the Soviet period to settle previously nomadic Kazakhs. Even today it retains its nomadic atmosphere in spite of the white-washed stone houses. There is nothing but desert around them, cows and camels sit in the shade around the buildings, and even the water has to be brought in in huge tanks. One of the most memorable places we have visited in Uzbekistan!

In the Kazakh village of Eski Dungalah near Lake Aydarkul, Uzbekistan

These are just a few highlights we discovered during our last research tour through the country. Are you planning to visit Uzbekistan in the near future?

Another new development: It is now allowed to take photos in the beautiful metro of Tashkent!

NB: Our visit to Uzbekistan was a research trip for our guidebook. Except for a few complimentary or discounted nights in guest houses, the whole trip was paid for, and organised, by ourselves. Ruslan did not charge us for the visit to Eski Dungalah (we paid for the room, though).