My arse collapsed, finally, as I creaked past Feldbach station. “No more”, it implored. “No more, you bastard.” And so the plan to cycle the 69 circumferential kilometres of Lake Zurich fizzled out, like a fag end tossed into a puddle, precisely two thirds of the way through. Forty-six of these clicking, biting blighters had drilled their way into my lower legs and wriggled upwards, filling my underpants.… READ MORE.... …
Month: June 2011
There are, naturally, thousands of ‘wanderweg’ trails in this country, all carefully waymarked and classified. These include seven national trails, criss-crossing the nation, four dozen regional routes and 140+ local ones. But that’s only part of it. All of these are broken down into smaller paths or creatively joined up with lesser local trails to form an intricate network of new routes.… READ MORE.... …
Is hiking the new running? Walking is a major pastime here, whatever the flavour. From casual family meandering, through Nordic walking, to backpacking weekends in the mountains, it’s what folk do — particularly on Sundays, when the shops are shut, and noisy DIY is verboten. In this religious nation, Sunday is a day for wholesome activity. In winter this means messing about in the snow — downhill or cross-country skiing; strapping tennis racquets to feet and tramping across fields; skating on frozen lakes. … READ MORE.... …