Sentiero Rilke

I don't think I've ever hiked on any other trail as much as I've hiked on the Rilke Trail.  I've been starting most days with a hike up the trail, and often go a second time in the afternoon with Kristen.  The trail never gets boring because the terrain is so interesting and the view of the Adriatic transforms so quickly with the ever-changing weather conditions here in Duino.  One minute the sun is glaring in your eyes off the white-washed rocks along the trail and the next minute a light mist is rolling in off the sea.  

If you stay on the trail it's a fairly easy hike.  Most of the time you are walking on crushed stone on level ground as the trail weaves in and out of forest high above the Adriatic Sea. Every so often there are lookouts with comfortable benches for relaxing and enjoying the view, which usually includes a different view of the Duino Castle at each stop.  But the real fun starts when you venture off the trail just a bit...not too much though because the cliffs drop off about a hundred meters or more in a hurry!  

As soon as you go off the trail you need to be prepared for rougher travel as the crushed stone gives way to sharp rocks.  The cliffs are made of well-weathered limestone called "karst" which is very tough to walk on.  The karst is a mix of big boulders and smaller chuncks of rock that are eroded down to a maze of sometimes razor sharp points.  A good pair of rock shoes is a must if you want to climb around, along with a good sense of balance (I often wonder what it would feel like to fall down on these rocks).  Fortunately, I bought this pair of rock climbing "approach" shoes in the US that I thought might be useful on the rocky terrain.  My favorite hiking shoes ever!

Hiking off the trail gets you to some really cool viewpoints that are a little more secluded than the spots along the trail with the benches.  A little scrambling gets you into areas that are full of birds too!  Well, they may not really have more birds than the rest of the trail, but the secluded spots often have better views for looking out over the treetops along the cliffs so you can more easily watch the flocks of migrants landing in otherwise hidden spots.  The bird in the photo is one of the more common birds you'll see along the trail, a Coal Tit.  They seem to be the nuclear species in the mixed foraging flocks right now...in other words, they are the species that all of the other birds in the flocks seem to follow around.  They're really cool because they are super active and not at all shy, often landing just inches above your head while you are watching them.

On the days when Kristen and I take an afternoon hike up the Rilke Trail we sometimes get treated to a spectacular sunset behind the Duino Castle.  This shot is from my new favorite secret spot that I discovered this week.  I told you the trail offers a lot of different views of the castle!  But this view is not one that most people will probably see.  I think we'll keep it a secret for a while.

Buona Sera!