HTMW Recaps: June 2019

I normally add a quote to the beginning of each post that sums up or enhances my writing. However, I’m going to use my monthly recaps as an opportunity to sum up the month – be it the mood, the weather, my feelings… Anything really. In June 2019, I have frolicked through the rolling English countryside and soaked up the views from atop the Austrian Alps. And as I watched The Sound of Music again this month for the first time in years, it feels fitting to take a quote from this epic movie and use it to describe my month!

‘The hills are alive with the sound of music, with songs they have sung for a thousand years!’ – Julie Andrews, playing Maria and singing in The Sound of Music.

In January 2017, I announced I was going to start monthly recaps on my blog. If you missed last month’s recap, you can find it here.

This month, I had a wonderful trip to Austria, my 28th country. I also enjoyed time out of London exploring a little more of Kent and had my usual dinners, drinks and catch ups with friends throughout the month.

June has gone by quickly (what’s new?!) but it feels later in the year than it is. I keep thinking we’re further into summer than we are, so it’s always nice when I remember we’re only at the beginning really. Roll on the rest of the season!

The Highlights

More horse riding, and finding things that make me happy.

I had a couple more riding lessons in June. Despite the distance to get to the stables, I’m always so pleased to be there. I love spending time with the horses. It has become something that brings me a lot of happiness. I’m so glad I started doing it again after a few years off!

Walking the Chilham Circular.

E and I escaped once again into the Kent countryside and hiked a ten mile circular walk beginning and ending at the picturesque village of Chilham. It was by far the best walk we’ve done out in Kent. It was a beautifully warm and pretty summers day, most of the walk was in the countryside and we barely saw another soul.

Other walks we’ve done have involved some road walking and passing through small villages. While this isn’t a hardship, it wasn’t until we completed the Chilham Circular that we realised how much we had just really wanted a proper country walk. Passing along part of the North Downs Way, this stunning route had us exclaiming all day about literally everything. I would highly recommend the route, found here.

Hitting my 28th new country – Austria.

I’m on course to hit 30 countries in 2019, and this goal was kept on track in June when I finally visited Austria.

I’ve longed to go to Austria for years. It’s always been somewhere I’ve wanted to explore for myself, but I’ve put it off for many reasons. It’s a bit like Greece and Iceland. Both are countries I would love to visit but for some reason I always end up somewhere else!

Anyway. I made it to Austria. And it was everything I hoped for. Mountainous, beautiful, friendly, pretty… I stayed for two nights in Vienna and two nights in Innsbruck, and caught the train between the two cities. It was a brilliant trip. I can’t recommend Austria highly enough!

Discovering my new favourite European city.

While I was in Austria, I spent two nights in Innsbruck and I fell in love.

Innsbruck is the real reason I’ve always wanted to visit Austria. I’ve heard about this pretty little city in the heart of the Austrian Alps for years and have long yearned to go there. We almost went in 2016, on The Long Journey Home, but cut it in favour of Budapest, Prague and Munich. So to finally visit was amazing.

I am so relieved and happy that I wasn’t disappointed. You know when you set high expectations? Well, in this instance, they were met and then some. Innsbruck is beautiful, picturesque, relaxing, accessible and just a great city to visit. I adored the gorgeous architecture in the Old Town, had fun documenting my cable car adventures and escaped from it all atop the mountains that hem the city in on either side. It really does have something for everyone, with museums galore, great little shops and many outdoor adventures to be had.

Conquering my fears to take a cable car up into the Alps.

Ah yes, cable cars. Never my favourite way to travel, but when in Austria and all that. But hell, these cable cars were insane. Without exception, all the rides were long climbs up steep mountains, of at least five-ten minutes. However, when you want to get to the top of mountains as much as I do (and not spend a day climbing to get there) then cable cars are an unpleasant necessity. So, I swallowed my apprehension and I got on and did it.

It was so worth it. The Nordkette cable car transported me from the balmy city centre to a chilly, windswept mountain top in approximately half an hour. The view from the top of the mountains, sitting at 2,300 metres above sea level, was incredible. I’d do it all again in a heartbeat for that experience at the mountain top. Gazing across the Alps and soaking up the epic views made it all worth it.

Climbing the O2 with Up At The O2.

While this experience isn’t something I’d have paid for myself, I thoroughly enjoyed this team bonding evening out with my work colleagues. It’s the perfect activity if you’re looking for something to do on your next work social!

The experience begins with a safety briefing and then you’re strapped into your harnesses and ready to go! It’s not a tough climb to the top of the dome, which stands at 52m. Once up there, we were given ten-fifteen minutes to take photos and enjoy the view before the descent.

For me, that was the worst part. It’s quite steep downhill and although you’re harnessed in and there is no upway to fall, I still felt a little anxious as we edged back down to earth. However, we made it safe and sound (of course) and had a really great time!

Watching The Sound of Music again after many years and LOVING it.

After Austria, the time felt right to indulge and watch The Sound of Music. I’d not seen it for years, possibly since I was a teenager, so while I was looking forward to the songs and a bit of nostalgia, I didn’t really think I’d still love it.

Wow, how wrong I was! Watching The Sound of Music at thirty was totally different to watching it when I was younger. I could appreciate the dry humour and jokes from Maria, Julie Andrews’ character. Both G and I had tears of laughter during some parts! I decided that Christopher Plumber was FIT and I could enjoy the different parts of the story better. And of course, the songs are still as good as ever!

Maybe it was the company, maybe it was the wine, but I thoroughly enjoyed re-watching this epic movie.

The Lowlights

Forgetting a towel in Austria and other travel misdemeanors.

I forgot to take my towel to Austria. It didn’t matter in Innsbruck where my hotel provided towels. However, at the hostel I stayed at in Vienna there were no towels and after spending a night in the hottest room I’ve ever slept in (no joke!), I had to shower and dry off with a t-shirt. Not ideal!

Austria was an example where you can travel all over the world and still make some really silly travel errors. Not only did I forget a towel, but I also rashly forgot to check the weather before going. It turned out to be boiling hot the entire time I was there. I was so unprepared, with all the wrong clothes. I barely explored Vienna as a result, preferring to sit in the park and read in the shade instead.

In Innsbruck, I forgot I was travelling with hand luggage only and bought two 100ml glass bottles of schnapps. I would normally have checked my bag, but had a laptop with me and while on the trip, my bag had broken. Not wanting to leave my laptop vulnerable, I decided to post the bottles home instead. One week later, a soggy, sad parcel was delivered to my office. Both bottles had obviously broken on route. I never did get to enjoy the schnapps I’d spent twenty euros on!

It truly was a catalogue of errors (both my fault and not – the bag breaking was a manufacturer fault). However, you live and learn and thankfully, none of it took away from how great the trip was!

Posts This Month

Kent: Five Reasons to Visit.

Kent is an underrated county in my opinion. I don’t know why! It has so much to offer! From excellent hiking to beautiful coastline to gorgeous chocolate-box villages, I’ve outlined the top five reasons why everyone should be paying Kent a bit more attention! Read the post here.

What I Read This Month – June

Walking Home from Mongolia by Rob Lilwall.

I previously read Lilwall’s other book Cycling Home from Siberia which I really enjoyed. You can read the review in this post. When I saw he had another book published, I eagerly bought it. His second book did not disappoint. Once again, Lilwall sets himself a tough challenge and meets it head on.

I really like Lilwall’s writing style and the way he tells his stories. His adventures on this journey through Mongolia and China made me cast my mind back to the brief weeks I spent in both countries. On occasion, I found myself longing to go back and explore further!

On his travels, Lilwall encounters a side to China in particular that most people don’t see. I caught the merest of glimpses of China from train windows as we passed through. It was wonderful to read a more in depth account of what this fascinating and often secretive country is like.

Lilwall is a grand adventurer and this was his toughest test yet. He and his friend Leon carried their entire lives on their backs for months on end. By the end of the book, you could tell both men were pleased to put the adventure behind them and get back to their normal lives! Pick this up if you’re curious to know more about China or Mongolia, or if you want to be inspired to do your own adventure!

Still Waters by Viveca Sten

One of the nine free books I got from Amazon a few months ago. This is the first in a series of Scandi crime novels. It really captures the feeling of idyllic summers and island life. Of course, it wouldn’t be a crime novel if there wasn’t a crime to solve, and right on cue, a body turns up.

And so the book unfolds. There are several bodies, in the end, and it is the job of Thomas Andreasson’s job to try to solve the mystery. His close friend, Nora gets in on the action and does some of her own sleuthing too, with the pair making quite the duo.

There is good character development as we dig into Thomas and Nora’s pasts, their relationships and their place on the island. The book ends quite abruptly, leaving us hanging somewhat. There is a clear expectation that we should go on to read the next in the series. While I enjoyed Still Waters and think that Sten is a good writer, I’ve not rushed to pick up the second book. Perhaps I will read it on my next holiday…

Winter Men by Jesper Bugge Kold

Another of the free books I got from Amazon, and yet another gripping read. I read this in one day, while in Vienna as it was impossible to put it down!

I have a deep interest in understanding the Second World War, the Holocaust and the Nazis and I tend to devour books on these subjects. This particular one contained fictional characters, although the events that unfold are clearly based on true stories from the war. The book plays on our understanding of how the Nazi party and Hitler worked to infiltrate society. They coerced people into doing their bidding and ultimately left people with blood on their hands, whether they willingly chose to join the Nazis or not.

The two main characters are brothers. Karl dutifully answers the call to defend Germany and becomes a ranked officer in the SS. Gerhard, his younger brother, is more reluctant. He is coerced by the Gestapo and also joins the SS, ending up as a commandant at a concentration camp.

It’s a dark book, and not an easy read. Books about this period of history never are. As the war draws to a close, both brothers are haunted by everything they have seen and done. One kills himself, the other flees to South America to escape justice for his crimes. It’s a book about evil and how easy it is for anyone to accept what is happening, turn a blind eye and end up becoming part of it, whether they meant to or not.

Instagram Pictures of the Month

My photos this month are from Vienna, Innsbruck, London and various locations around Kent.

I choose these three images based on which got the most likes on Instagram and then tell the story behind the picture. Disclaimer: They are not necessarily my favourite photos!

Wild Flowers – the Chilham Circular hike, near Chilham, Kent.

My favourite photo from Kent so far. I love flowers, they make me incredibly happy. I love hiking through beautiful rolling hills, green meadows and shady woodland. This picture encapsulates everything I love about Kent and just a few of the things that are making me happy these days.

Doing a Theresa May – the Chilham Circular hike, near Chiham, Kent.

‘Can you prance through the field and pretend to be Theresa May?’

I’m lucky that E is obliging and always really enjoys being in my photos! She happily strolled ahead of me and proceeded to prance merrily through the field of wheat for my lens. It resulted in this beautiful image – both of her and the surrounding landscape. Spending time in Kent makes us both happy and I think this picture really sums that up!

From the train window – somewhere between Vienna and Innsbruck, Austria.

As a certified train geek, taking a train from Vienna to Innsbruck was one of the things I most looked forward to while in Austria. I wasn’t disappointed. The views from the train window after Salzburg were beautiful. The mountains gleamed in the sunshine, the meadows were bright green and covered in carpets of mid-summer wildflowers. Under blue skies, the train trundled west towards Innsbruck and deeper into the Alps.

My Favourite Image: June 2019.

For 2019, I’ve introduced something new. I’m now adding my personal favourite image of the month in these recap posts. This means that you’ll now get to find out even more about my life in London or my travels!

‘Put yourself in the way of beauty’ – Austrian Alps, Innsbruck.

The wind whips across my face. It drives dark clouds across the sky. They wrap around the mountain tops momentarily, tear apart and drift on. I’ve not been atop a mountain for a while and I feel joyful. It is free up here. I could almost drift off with the wind myself, join the clouds and float away. The view in every direction is divine, the landscape stretching away into the distance as far as the eye can see. I stay for an hour or so, or until the cutting wind chills me to the bone and I admit defeat. It’s time to descend back to warmer temperatures once more.

Coming Up in July

I have relatively few travel plans in July. I have a weekend in Bath to celebrate J’s birthday my main escape from London. I’ll be celebrating E’s birthday mid-month and I have the usual plans for horse riding and seeing friends around the city. It is our summer party on the 4th July at work. I hope the weather will be good to spend some time in the parks around the city. At the end of the month, I’ll be spending a night in Essex with my parents and grandparents.

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