Christmas 2025 saw us on an Adventure – Andrea’s friend was working at a 3-star Michelin restaurant in Slovenia, Hiša Franko, and we had the opportunity to join her for a dinner and some adventuring. We jumped at the chance, hopping a flight into Northern Italy before the drive out into Slovenia itself… with a few exciting adventures along the way.
25-December-2025
Christmas day was spent recovering from the amazing meal we’d gorged ourselves on the evening before – a bit of walking, a bit of relaxing, and a bit of good (but sometimes tough) conversation about the future, our lives, and everything in between.
And let me tell you – we had some good views for that conversation.
The mountains of Slovenia. The River Soča (Pronounced Socha). Soaring peaks. Bright blue water. Beautiful canyons, and one rather impressive waterfall. And then, an absolutely stunning drive home through the trees and sunset…
Wednesday and Thursday, 15-October-2025 and 16-October-2025
I do believe this is my first backpacking trip in Ireland!
I’d hiked up to Crotty’s lake a while back, and had taken the chance to meet (and chat with) the owner of the mountain. We’d had a good rapport, and so I’d asked him if it’d be okay for me to camp out at the lake for a quick escape from the city.
…
Yeah. Private ownership of everything. Crotty’s lake, the mountain it’s on, the trails… all privately held.
But you know what? In a place where I haven’t found anywhere that allows backpacking? Well. I’ll absolutely take it, and I’ll enjoy every minute of the outdoors that I can.
**Updated info: Crotty’s Lake is currently closed for improvements, so be aware. Hiking is permitted, but any overnight camping is not**
And enjoy it I absolutely did – Parking was easy, and the walk up to the campsite was beautifully simple and quick. Short and easy, and a nice stretch to the legs before I started the adventure of hunting for a good spot to set up camp.
Took a bit longer than I’d expect, truth be told, but I finally settled in for a spot right by the lake – One of the dangers of Ireland is the sheer amount of sheep, and so the real challenge I ran into was not running into said sheep… or, more accurately, setting up camp on their, ahh, “leavings”. But thankfully the spot I found was beautifully pristine, and camp went up quickly.
Night fell, I snacked on my dinner, and I enjoyed the quiet.
The next day dawned, and I was awoken by a couple walking around nearby. They were a bit astounded that someone had set up camp, but they headed onward pretty quickly after I assured them that the owner had given permission.
Breakfast, a quiet morning, and a bit of wandering around the lake kept me warm and stretched out.
Then a drive home, a stop for a snack, and a glorious collection of notes awaiting me back home!
The timing was amazing – They’d actually arrived while we were in Bulgaria, and had originally planned on leaving the day before we got back… but, with many thanks to their flexibility, were able to reorganize some flights to stay an extra few days, so we could catch up and spend some time together!
What better way than via a simple, but lovely, hike out to Howth? A nice train ride to chat, some good views and ocean-side hiking, and then food (and beautiful birds!) afterward?
Yeah. It was a really nice day out, and a very welcome callback to my lovely time in Oregon.
