Secret Europe and beyond

This week: a favourite place in France; a paddle through Roman ruins; Europe by train; a horseback safari in Botswana

access is easy and safe and you can paddle inside the ruins, sunbathe perched up on an ancient windowsill and swim through a 2,000year-old doorway to emerge out in the open sea with wonderful vistas all around.

There are actually two beaches: one within the walls, another one just outside, and there was no entrance charge at the time. ELIZABETH TURFUS

Sleeper to Salzburg

As Jolyon Attwooll suggests (“Me, my boy – and seven train rides to Naples”, June 4), European rail travel offers awe-inspiring routes.

Our first foray into such journeys began some years ago with the overnight sleeper from London Victoria to Salzburg – via the Dover Seacat. The anticipation of waking at dawn to a first glimpse of the Austrian Alps is memorable still.

Since that time, our rail travel has taken in the glorious Swiss alpine landscape – from Zurich to Wengen – via Interlaken. From Wengen, you take the train to Kleine Scheidegg for the narrowgauge Jungfrau Railway through the Bernese Alps to Jungfraujoch – the highest railway station in Europe.

Last year, we travelled by train from Venice (Mestre) to Rome. We sat back and enjoyed the unfolding scenes – inside and outside the carriage. Wrong seats, wrong carriage, changes and

Laager mentality remembered

Chris Leadbeater’s visit to Denmark and reflections on the Battle of Jutland (“The North Sea yields its secrets”, May 21) reminded me of another remarkable monument to a battle in a bygone war.

This one is to be found down a gravel road some 45 miles north of Dundee in Northern KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. It is a little-visited monument consisting of 64 life- apologies, conversations short but friendly… I almost wished we were staying on for Naples. JOHANNA BLAZE

Botswana wild dogs

I envied Lucia van der Post her sightings of wild dogs in Botswana (“See the best of Botswana on a budget”, June 4) – something I size, bronze (pioneer) wagons, arranged in original laager formation to commemorate the Battle of Blood River in 1838 – a reminder of how rifles overcame the bravest of spear users in one of the most dramatic slaughters in history.

In the battle, 20,000 Zulu warriors faced 470 Afrikaans voortrekkers who had ventured into Zululand to avenge the death of their leader, Piet Retief. Cornered in a have never achieved with my preferred method of transport on safari, the four-wheel drive of a surefooted equine.

We were woken at 5am with tea in our tents to set off in the cool magic of early morning when, as the long shadows crept across the veld, the sound of the horses’ hooves became a meditation. We only saw bend of the Ncome river, they placed their wagons in a protective circle. Fending off attack after attack by the Zulu impis, the desperate 470 killed an astonishing 3,000 warriors until the waters of the river ran red with their blood.

The immaculately kept battlefield, complete with another granite wagon and the Ncome museum, commemorates the Zulu casualties. MARK MILBANK WINS A £250 RAILBOOKERS VOUCHER one other viewing vehicle in the whole week, so had all the animals to ourselves.

The most wondrous views were of the elephants at the Tuli Block where we stood for 20 minutes just watching them parade by. We were also able to canter alongside zebra and wildebeest – such a special experience. JUDITH TURNER