Tag Archives: Mountains

There and away – Driving through the ‘Stans.

Posted on October 13, 2018 by awtytravels

As I sat scribbling this post on my notepad, on the plane back home, it occurred to me that the past two car journeys had been the first ones, in Central Asia, where we hadn’t been serenaded non-stop by some … Continue reading →

Posted in Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan | Tagged Ackbar, Asia, Bishkek, Border, Car, Central Asia, Charyn canyon, Cholpon Ata, Driving, Galaxy, horses, Karkara, Kazakhstan, Kegen, Kensu, Kyrgyzstan, Mountains, Pamir, People, Photography, Road, Road Trip, Steppe, Tien Shan, Travel, Travel literature, USSR, Valley of the Castle | 19 Comments

Genghis’ Camp.

Posted on September 21, 2018 by awtytravels

This didn’t feel like Central Asia. The road was smooth, the ride quiet, the old Mercedes van that did the honours as our marshrutka, or collective taxi, wasn’t packed to the gunwales. Our driver, a faded Denver Broncos hat planted on … Continue reading →

Posted in Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan | Tagged Ala tau, Central Asia, Cholpon Ata, Ethno Park, Felt tent, Food, Gorge, Issyk Kul, Jailoo, Jew's Harp, Kyrchyn, Kyrchyn Jailoo, Kyrgyzstan, Lake, Lenin, Lenin statue, Mountains, Music, Nomad, Throat singing, Tien Shan, WNG, World Nomad Game, Yurt | 19 Comments

Fireworks, mountains and sleeping elephants. Wrapping up 2017, in pictures.

Posted on December 27, 2017 by awtytravels

The last trip of the year has just ended; the rucksack’s been duly unpacked and its contents unceremoniously thrown into the washing-up pile, hoping for some merciful hands to put them into the washing machine without the whites turning pink … Continue reading →

Posted in Asia, Central Asia, China, Europe, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, London, Overlooked locations, Piemonte, Random memories, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, UK | Tagged 2017, 2017 Fireworks, 2017 in photos, 2017 London Fireworks Photos, Alps, Aqespe, Aral, Aral Sea, Aralsk, Asia, Asian elephant, Bactrian camels, Camel, Central Asia, Colombo Fort, Disappearance of Aral sea, Elephant, Fireworks Pictures, Italia, Italy, Jin Mao Tower, Jing Mao tower, Kyrgyzstan, Land Cruiser, London, London Mayor, Mountains, Murghab, National park, New Year's Eve Fireworks, North Aral Sea, NYE, NYE Fireworks, Pamir, Pamir Gap, Pamir Highway, Shanghai, Shanghai Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center, Sleeping elephant, Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan railways, Tajikistan, Train, Train travel, Udawalawe | 19 Comments

Potholes, bribes and a Foreign Office advice. Riding the marshutka to Yerevan.

Posted on May 29, 2016 by awtytravels

It is said that Paul of Tarsus, whilst riding from Jerusalem to Damascus, was blinded by an intense light, spoke with a divine entity and, there and then, found his faith and converted to Christianity. Now, I haven’t been blinded … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenia, Caucasus, Georgia | Tagged Armenia, Azerbaijan, Caucasus, Foreign Office, Georgia, Kirants, M16, Marshutka, Mercedes, Mountains, Nagorno-Karabach, Tbilisi, Villages, Yerevan | 14 Comments

Honey, scenic roads and wrong turns: A brief guide to driving in the Balkans

Posted on August 20, 2015 by awtytravels

The road is a perfect combination of smooth tarmac, beautifully designed hairpin bends and quick straights that seem to say “Come on, get loose on that accelerator”. A bit of traffic is coming the other way – trucks, mostly, and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Balkans, Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia | Tagged Balkans, Bosnia, Bosnia Hercegovina, Cars, Croatia, Europe, Google maps, Mountains, Overtaking, Road Trip, Sarajevo, Zagreb | 7 Comments

The alpine tunnel for the afterlife.

Posted on April 21, 2015 by awtytravels

It wasn’t supposed to be dug this high. The idea, originally, was for the tunnel to be at least 400 meters lower, at an easier 1000 meters of altitude, where it could’ve been used almost all year round, but that … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Italy, Piemonte | Tagged Afterlife, Alpi, Alps, Biella, Federico Rosazza Pistolet, Freemason, Italia, Italy, Jesus, Massoneria, Mountains, Occult, Oropa, Piedmont, Piemonte, Rosacroce, Rosazza, Rosicrucianism, Valle Cervo, Virgin Mary, Winter | 4 Comments

The world from above – An air race over the skies of Iran

Posted on February 28, 2015 by awtytravels

The flight was rather uneventful, a barely half-full Qatar Airways Airbus A380 from Doha to London. Meal trays were being cleared away and I was about to decide which film would’ve been more appropriate to induce me to sleep as … Continue reading →

Posted in Asia, Dubai, Middle East, Public Transportation, The pleasure of flying, The world from above | Tagged 380, 777, Airbus, airlines, Airplanes, AvGeeks, Aviation Geeks, Boeing, Desert, Emirates, Ennio Morricone, Flying, Iran, Middle East, Mountains, Qatar, Qatar Airways, See the world outside, Snow, Standoff, The pleasure of flying, The world from above, United Arab Emirates, Zagros | 2 Comments

Seeing an old friend (four years after and 30,000 ft. from above)

Posted on November 25, 2014 by awtytravels

It was the faithful companion of many a sunset in Turin for over six years. We lived always in the same place, a rather nondescript tenament in the southern Santa Rita borough, one of those neighbourhoods that had popped up … Continue reading →

Posted in Italy, Overlooked locations, Piemonte, Random memories, The pleasure of flying, The world from above | Tagged Alpi, Alps, Cuneo, Flight, Flying, Italy, Monviso, Mountains, Piedmont, The world from above, Torino, Turin, Winter | Leave a comment

Back to the roots: the return of agriculture in the Alps

Posted on October 19, 2014 by awtytravels

“We decided to grow potatoes because potatoes were the staple that fuelled the Alps’ demographic boom”, explains Federico, a hand gesture encircling the tiny field, no longer than half a football field, stretching on front of us. With hindsight, finding … Continue reading →

Posted in All things food, Europe, Italy, Overlooked locations, Val d'Aosta | Tagged Agriculture, Alps, Coumarial, Fontainemore, Heritage, History, Italy, Lys, Mountains, Paysage a Manger, potatoes, Rediscovery, Valle d'Aosta, Vallee d'Aoste | 2 Comments

The world from above – Northwestern Italy

Posted on September 11, 2014 by awtytravels

Italy, as I never stop telling my colleagues, is not only made of islands, tomato sauce and tarantella, like the UK is not just made of tiny cottages, clotted cream and old ladies saying “jolly good” at every possible occasion. … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Italy, Lombardia, Overlooked locations, Piemonte, The pleasure of flying, The world from above, Val d'Aosta | Tagged Alps, Flying, Italy, Lake Como, Lake Garda, Lake Maggiore, Lakes, Malpensa, Matterhorn, Milan, Mont Blanc, Mountains, Piedmont, Piemonte, The world from above, Valle d'Aosta | Leave a comment

Tag Archives: Mountains

There and away – Driving through the ‘Stans.

Genghis’ Camp.

Fireworks, mountains and sleeping elephants. Wrapping up 2017, in pictures.

Potholes, bribes and a Foreign Office advice. Riding the marshutka to Yerevan.

Honey, scenic roads and wrong turns: A brief guide to driving in the Balkans

The alpine tunnel for the afterlife.

The world from above – An air race over the skies of Iran

Seeing an old friend (four years after and 30,000 ft. from above)

Back to the roots: the return of agriculture in the Alps

The world from above – Northwestern Italy

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