The Cairngorms are a mountain range in the eastern Highlands of Scotland closely associated with the mountain Cairn Gorm. The Cairngorms became part of Scotland's second national park on 1 September 2003. This was a very special trip as it was Paul and my first holiday together.
12 weeks, 8 countries, 9,000 Kilometres and one teeny tiny camper van called Zebedy!
Did you know that the Swiss gave the world Absinthe, muesli and LSD? Or that the country has 208 mountains above 3000 metres? A scenic country with Alps and Lakes - what is not to love?!
Discover bulb fields, windmills, cheese markets, wooden shoes, canals of Amsterdam, masterpieces of Old Masters, Delft Blue earthenware, innovative water-management and millions of bicycles.
France, in Western Europe, encompasses medieval cities, alpine villages and Mediterranean beaches. Paris, its capital, is famed for its fashion houses, classical art museums including the Louvre and monuments like the Eiffel Tower. The country is also renowned for its champagne and wines and sophisticated cuisine. (Wikipedia couldn't have put it better!). There is something for everyone.
All things tasty! Chocolate, waffles and beer! It is often referred to as capital of the EU as it is home to NATO Headquarters and to the EU Commission and European Parliament. Every Belgian we have ever had the privilege of meeting speaks several languages!
Scotland has it all! I fell in love with this magnificent country on my first visit to ski at Glenshee in 1993. From crumbling castles to pristine beaches to unspoilt islands to munro bagging some of the 282 peaks to the 109 whisky distilleries to fly fishing and not to mention the famous North Coast 500 and its stunning coastal scenery. There is truly something for everyone.
Beginners / Novices Beginners and novices can gently get to grips with skiing and snowboarding on the extensive nursery slopes next to the main car park. After a few lessons, it won't be long before you can master the lifts at road level, which opens up a much larger area of runs for novices, serviced by eleven lifts. Intermediates Glenshee is ideal for intermediate skiers & boarders, with 26 blue and red runs, varying from the long and exhilarating to the short and steep. From the wide open area of the Thunderbowl and popular sheltered expanses over the back at Coire Fionn and Glas Maol to the bumps, jumps and natural half-pipe of Meall Odhar to the testing Slalom Race Track at Cairnwell - the choice is yours.... Advanced Experienced skiers can test their skills on two excellent black runs at Glenshee including the infamous, mogul strewn Tiger which has been a formidable part of the Scottish ski experience for years. When conditions allow there is some great Freeriding to be had with Carn Aosda and Meall Odhar offering some steep and varied terrain. Venue for the 1985 Smirnoff British Speed Skiing Championships, Glenshee's other black, on the left hand face of Glas Maol, is still as exhilarating today as it was then. With this much choice, it is easy to see why Glenshee is the UK' s premier ski centre.
Pretzels, Schnitzel, the Oktoberfest, forests, cathedrals and beer springs to mind when anyone mentions Germany. Audi, Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz of course also have their origin in Germany as does their fine wines: Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder) and Pinot Gris (Grauburgunder). There are over 1,000 varities of sausage!
