I am back with my traditional “best of” entry. Only this year I feel like taking a more impressionistic route and offering moments rather than places. The image that captures the state of mind, if you will. So here it is.
Much love to y’all!
Brussels walks
First family trip of the year. Both my kids and I loved Brussels, especially after quaint, rather boring and horribly freezing Luxembourg. So much to pack in so little distance: the Grand Place with its adjacent streets, the neoclassical upper area packed with awesome museums, the seemingly bland but historically significant European quarter, plus so many avenues with a churche here a brutalist building there, as we headed to the city centre from our retreat in cool Ixelles.
Oh and, Mannequin Pis, who’s not a tacky tourist trap, but the awesome symbol of an awesome town. I’ve written about him here.
Back to the slopes
2025 was the year I found myself on skis again after a two year break. A true journey, despite heading to our closest ski restor, Valdesqui. No less because my friend L. and I had to be at the car park by 7.15, such was the craving of our fellow Madrid skiers on the first sunny day after the storm.
Pool day among pine trees in Solta, Croatia
Here’s three islands we can hop to from Split. You make a pick. So T. suggested Solta, which was conveniently close and yet sunning. So, from the pier, we made it by public bus to Stomorska, a small village in a beautiful bay and with a very chilled vibe. And we headed on foot to a cove that looked enticing on Google Maps, Beach Piscena. And was it ever. Our own pool amidst pine trees where the three of subathed, read, dipped, repeat.
Camp time in Trek de Santa Cruz, Perú
I’ll be honest – I ahd somewhat expected the views and the feeling of accomplishment after climbing up to Punta Unión Pass, in Cordillera Blanca.
What I never anticipated was the joys of hiking in a group, and, especially, tea time in gorgeous campsites such as Taullipampa and Llamacorral. I have a feeling that having no cell-phone signal for three days contributed significantly to the experience.
Reality and literature overlap: bumping into LUM, in Lima
Gotta say – I truly love these moments. Starting two months before my trip, I nerded out on the history of Sendero Luminoso, the Maoist guerrilla that wreaked havoc in rural Peru, as well as Lima, in the 80s and early 90s. I read a couple of books and listened to all podcasts I found on the topic.
Well, as it happened, there was a museum covering the same themes, a free one at that, and one that I bumped into during my 13km run on the parks and bike lanes of the affluent side of Lima.
Magdalena island, Sardinia
Here place and moments coalesce – so many of them. Magdalena was, for K. and I, a state of mind – a sweet one at that. Thinking of basics such as wind speed and pic-nic food to make the most out of the beautiful beaches. Bassa Trinitá was perhaps the climax, but we felt all pieces fit nicely together: our simple room, the walks to the city centre, scenic drives with the quirky feeling that the landscape resembled what we have at home in the Madrid region, only flooded by beautiful sea water.
Hikes with him
I love hiking with my son. You figure your teenage son would grunt at the prospect of a hike with his dad, but somehow he seems to like it – and is good at it. As to conversation, we mostly nerd out about football, occasionally touch on family issues, but often it’s just grinding our way in silence. As we recover over drinks and food in the evening, he insists that he’s in for more.
The promised cove: the long route to Veli Zaton, Pag, Croatia
Now for a classic Lopez – that’s my and my kids family name. After a couple of beautiful days in Zadar, Croatia, we opted for a more exoting day trip to treeless, moon-like Pag island, which can be reached by bus.
There are a couple of pretty coves on the North side which can be reached by a short walk, but of course we had downloaded some gpx tracks that offered us the opportunity of climbing the local hill en route to the coves.
Really, it didn’t look that long – but it was. Ups and downs on very rocky terrain, under relentless midday Sun. And then we saw our destination far below, so close yet (turned out) so far. We got there for the most refreshing swim I can remember. Almost glad the water was that cold.
Work and play in Kayseri, Turkiye.
Funny – I was about to write about climbing a castle in Capadocia, but then thought twice. What made my week in Kayseri so memorable was not our day trip to Goreme, Ortahisar and so on (great as that was too), but the time spent with our colleagues at Erciyes university, who treated us to lunches and teas and sweats and so much inspiring companionship, including that of their own students.
If you’ve read other pieces in this blog, you’ll also know that I thrive for that “daily life” feeling when away: the tram ride to work, my afternoon runs, heading to the booze store for a beer or two.
Seeing Machu Picchu from Llactapata, Salkantay trek
Magic moment of a magic trek, that 3-day Salkantay. After pretty gnarly hiking in fog and mud, the sky cleared just the right moment – at Llactapata ruins, with views on Machu Picchu. There sure is something to be said for walking toward a momentous destination which you get to see a day away.
B-Side Travels 