by Krista | Jan 24, 2012 | Compatriot Wednesday
Sometimes the most beautiful places on earth are a lot closer than you think.
Such was the case when Bear and I went a-hunting for waterfalls last week. When we got to our first stop – Daggs Falls – I was speechless. I thought places like this were only found deep in South American jungles. (click here to view photos) I had no clue they were a one hour drive from my front door.
Much to my delight, the beauty was only just beginning. After meandering through a forest glistening with rain drops and rounding a bend to a sun-filled glade, we headed back down the trail and emerged at a lookout with this view of Queen Mary Falls.
I leaned carefully over the edge, watching the once placid stream gush over the cliff edge and fall to the rocks below. Sunlight broke through the heavy mist for a few minutes and turned the scene into something out of a tropical jungle. I fully expected monkeys to start swinging in the trees.
Everywhere I looked was lush growth: ferns clinging to the hillsides, trees growing right out of the rocky cliff face. “I can’t believe this! I can’t believe this!” may or may not have been repeated a dozen times by yours truly.
All too soon we rejoined the trail and hoofed it down the mountain so we could see the waterfall from the bottom. The trails themselves were gorgeous, canopied by bright green leaves glossy from rain, carpeted with even more leaves in chocolate brown and russet. I loved the fuschia ferns lining the path.
Finally we reached the bottom, glancing back at the creek magically transformed from a raging torrent to a quiet stream flowing gently among the boulders.
Then we craned our necks to look up through the mist to the cascading water. It was wondrous. Once again I felt I had been transported to a tropical oasis. This just couldn’t be so close to home.
We lingered awhile, trying to soak it all in, and at last turned homewards, hiking the trail through the bush, climbing leaf-strewn stone steps.
We got back to the car just before the heavy mist turned into a downpour. We dashed inside a nearby cafe and watched the deluge from dry, warm seats, sipping hot drinks and grinning at the trees filled with birds in bright green, blue, yellow and orange.
It was a good day.
What is the prettiest waterfall you’ve ever seen?
by Krista | Jan 23, 2012 | Bootstrap Monday
It was a marvelously misty, dark and drizzling day and Bear and I decided it was the perfect day for a trek in the hills. So, armed with hats, water bottles, and rolls of peppermints, we hopped in the ute (Australian for pick-up) and drove out through Killarney, Queensland. We drove past lush green fields dotted with cows and under towering trees that dripped down onto the car roof.
We were in search of waterfalls.
Up, up along narrow winding roads we drove until a small sign bearing a drawing of a camera and the words “Daggs Falls” brought us to a skidding halt.
Donning our hats we walked down the hill to a small trail leading to a wooden boardwalk that jutted out over the edge of the cliff.
And this is what we saw.
I was stunned. Never in my wildest imaginings had I pictured waterfalls like this only an hour from my front door! I gazed in awe as the mist settled in a veil of droplets over my hair, patting my jittery stomach as I leaned out over the edge to see the water plummeting down to the valley floor far below.
Straightening up I glanced back over my shoulder through the canopy of gum trees, just able to catch a glimpse of emerald hills, soft and fuzzy in the rain.
Sighing with delight, I got back in the ute and we continued on our drive, stopping again at the trail head leading to Queen Mary Falls. It was drizzling again but the rain was warm so we headed for the woods, following the trail as it wended through the sodden bush.
How I love hiking in the woods! The deep stillness that seems so quiet at first but then dissolves into myriad little sounds: water dripping onto fallen leaves, lizard scurrying through the undergrowth, birds twittering unseen.
As we came around a bend in the trail, the sun broke through the mist for a moment, turning the deliciously eerie woods into a golden park.
At last we’d found the stream that gurgled peacefully between grassy banks, flowing steadily towards the cliff that would turn it from a placid creek into a glorious waterfall.
We stood on the bridge for a long time, soaking up the scent of loamy earth and rain-washed leaves, feeling all our little stresses wash away.
We took one last glance at the stream before plunging into the woods again, getting ever closer to the Queen Mary Falls I’d heard so much about.
And I’ll show you that tomorrow. 🙂
Where is your favorite place to go for a walk?
by Krista | Jan 18, 2012 | Compatriot Wednesday
The sun was shining gloriously through the early morning mist as my friend Margo and I woke on our last day at the beautiful agriturismo Casa Scaparone near Alba, Italy.
We packed our bags and went to take showers only to discover there was no hot water! Not a welcome discovery on a chilly October morning, but such are the occasional hiccups of staying in the Italian countryside. Margo ran downstairs to let our host know, and they immediately set about putting it to rights…by firing up the wood stove to get the water hot. 🙂 I love discovering little quirks like that. It never did get hot enough before we had to leave, but as I shivered my way through my morning ablutions, I grinned thinking how fun it was to be staying in a place where water is heated by flame-licked logs in a stove.
Margo and I met up in the wonderful old dining room (click here to see photos) for one last hearty farm breakfast. I toasted thick slices of homemade bread and slathered it with homemade soft goat cheese and homemade jams made from fruit grown on the farm. Our host made us deliciously strong Italian coffee and I soaked up the atmosphere of this marvelous place, delighting in the brick floor smoothed with age, the sturdy dark timbers overhead, and the soft light streaming in the tall windows.
Once our bags were loaded in the car, Margo and I bid farewell to Casa Scaparone and headed down the mountainside to pick up our fellow writer Kathy in nearby Alba. Armed with a hand-drawn map scribbled by our host on an obliging place mat, we were on the search for a sheep farm where we hoped to learn all about the making of cheese.
Our search took us far up into the hills, up, up, up, meandering through tiny villages and along the edges of sheer drop-offs. It was stunning!
It didn’t take us long to get lost, or rather, for the sheep farm to get lost. We knew precisely where we were, but there was no sheep farm to be found. We stopped often for directions, easing our way through narrow alleys in search of someone, anyone who might know where it was. But to no avail. Not one of the Italians we met had ever heard of it. Alas.
It didn’t matter though. We were so in awe of the gorgeous countryside we were seeing in our rambles, that we really didn’t mind.
After winding our way through the town of Cuneo, we decided to stop at a welcoming looking farmhouse to see if they knew where our elusive sheep farm was. We were greeted by a tiny Italian woman who spoke the merest amount of English. She’d never heard of the sheep farm either but she then surprised us with the announcement that she was a sausage maker. Not only was she a sausage maker, but her “factory” was just down the road.
Well, with three food-lovers in the car, there’s no way we could pass up a chance to see how Italian sausage is made. We sauntered down the country lane and entered a ramshackle courtyard complete with some ferociously barking dogs. After a rather entertaining display of bravado, we made it past the dogs, through the farmyard, and into the pristine and odoriferous environs of the sausage-making workshop.
Thanks to Kathy’s interpreting skills, we learned a lot about Italian sausage and dried meats. We learned that pancetta must be made from the stomach since it has more fat, while prosciutto (my favorite) comes from the leaner leg. Our hostess told us that she processes ten pigs a week all year long and still can’t make enough sausage to keep up with demand. Having tasted her product – salty, savory, and toothsome – it’s little wonder.
We bid farewell to our sausage-making friend and headed for the hills on our way to Lago Orta. Pretty soon we were ravenous and stopped for a roadside picnic featuring finds from our travels that day: local cheese, handmade sausage and Italian chocolate.
We never did find the sheep farm. Perhaps some day we’ll go back to that area of Italy and go a-hunting once more. Until then I cherish sunshiny memories of a glorious fall day in the Piedmont.
What is your favorite picnic food?
by Krista | Jan 16, 2012 | Bootstrap Monday
A dusky Autumn stroll, Lago Orta, Italy
by Krista | Jan 11, 2012 | Compatriot Wednesday
If you could travel somewhere you have never been, where would you go?
Would you head to the canals of Amsterdam, the souks of the Middle East, or perhaps take a train through Australia’s bush country?
If I could go anywhere this year, I would go to Spain.
(Creative Commons photo courtesy of Pixdaus)
In all my trips to Europe I have never been to this fascinating country. I was a nanny in Portugal and explored France with my family, but I never made it across either of their borders into Spain. Up until recently this omission didn’t trouble me greatly.
But then three things happened:
(Creative Commons photo of Lanzarote Island courtesy of Green Fudge)
One: I found a few riveting novels set in Spain at the library that drew me in to the world of fierce mountain clans and stunning cities.
Two: I watched Anthony Bourdain’s enticing foodie trek through the wilds of Spain and ever since have been hungry for the delectable dishes he featured.
Three: I met my two English friends Katy and Kate. Kate and Katy both speak Spanish and have lived and traveled in Spain numerous times. Their stories, photos, and hilarious adventures stirred up an unquenchable desire to experience this country they both love so much.
I don’t know if I’ll get the chance this year, but it sure is fun to dream.
(Creative Commons photo of Cuenca Casa Colgadas courtesy of Famous Wonders)
How about you? Where would you go?
For more travel inspiration and global dreaming, click here to join the discussion at the Travel Belles delightful and informative Across the Cafe Table.
