What a whirlwind this Eurasian Roam has been so far! Ludwig VAN Beethoven and I have officially checked off 6 countries, 3 majestic mountains, 2 roaring waterfalls, and countless crystal-clear alpine lakes with the freshest water you can possibly imagine. After braving far too many miles of motorway, dodging tolls, and taking in some of the most stunning, jaw-dropping views imaginable, we have officially made our way down the gorgeous Adriatic coast into Croatia! I might be f

Ljubljana is one of the most delightful places I have seen in ages! As the capital of Slovenia, it is remarkably beautiful, spotlessly clean, and impeccably maintained, yet brimming with genuine charm and warmth. The city is cradled by a breath-taking Alpine mountain backdrop 🏔️. Unsurprisingly, this geography means the local traditional music landscape is still dominated by the Oberkrainer sound 😢, though thankfully it is not overly prominent in the city itself. Instead, L

🚗🌲The August 25th began as a simple transit day on Gundula’s Great Eurasian Roam, tracing the open road toward the capital of Ljubljana. But as you probably know by now, I simply can’t drive for long stretches without getting bored and tired using the proper saying 'being sick and tired' of driving doesn't feel quite fitting when driving! ) To keep the journey alive, I always need plenty of scenic pauses. My very first stop was the fairytale-like medieval town of Radovljica

Those two days were dedicated to enjoying the magic of this country: nature, stunning scenery, mountains, and crystal-clear lakes. The day started off with some seemingly characteristic public transport chaos. I missed the bus because it didn’t depart from where it was scheduled—they have three different bus stops in Bistrica, but they are all called the same! However, when I managed to be by chance at the right stop around an hour later and entered the vehicle, the mood inst

For me, one of the most thrilling objectives of Gundula’s Great Eurasian Roam was the prospect of discovering exciting new local music 🎻. Although tempted, I had not done any YouTube research beforehand, and was rather curious to listen to traditional Slovenian music from this former Yugoslavian nation 🗺️. In every other Yugoslav region I had travelled through before, I could always hear traces of the old Tito-era folk style and Balkan Romani influences. 🎶 I had found an o

Finally, I made my way into the very first uncharted territory of this trip! Yet, entering Slovenia started off with a total lack of fanfare—just a tiny Landesgrenze sign bidding farewell to Austria. The motorway rolled on, immaculate and pristine, flanked by mountains that remained breathtakingly majestic 🏔️✨ Majestic mountains ... breath taking Then came my first real driving scare of the voyage. The skies suddenly ripped open, unleashing a torrential downpour as if heaven

I feel like I'm lingering a little too long in the "Euro" chapter of this journey, itching to push forward toward the Asian horizon! 🌍✨ However, there are soooo many kilometres to cover. In addition, a veritable mountain of paperwork has accumulated that feels steeper than climbing any of my alpine mountain peaks 🏔️ of the few days—only without the view 🧗‍♀️. Along the way, I uncovered a major cultural and infrastructural gap between the UK and Germany/Austria: finding a c

This period follows a cherished ritual we’ve tried to complete annually for more than 20 years: a multi-day mountain hiking tour, trekking from hut to summit, peak to peak, for around five glorious days 🧗‍♀️🌲. This tradition is a wonderful leftover from when I still lived in Germany, back when we tackled mountain trails several times a year. Miraculously, we still manage to make it happen more than half the time! Over the years, we have covered vast stretches of the German

Finally, I’ve finished the most necessary family visiting duties and kept them short enough that everyone stayed happy, alive, and smiling! 😄🏡 Now, I can truly indulge in what I love most—something deeply healing, empowering, and sooooo satisfying: practicing my violin out in the wild woods 🌳🎶. Years ago, while preparing for my final exam at the Leopold Mozart Konservatorium, I spent day in, day out practicing in the forests 🎻. With six to eight hours of daily practice a