Italian Odyssey - 7.

Cinque Terre is one of the places you have to go to in Italy. The five colourful villages crowded in small coves and on hilltops along the coast are legendary. The villages from east to west are Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza & Monterosso. We are staying in Vernazza, where we have booked an apartment for 4 nights. It was only a short train trip from Rapallo, along the coast, but we didn't see too much, as the line is mostly tunnels! At each station we collected more and more passengers, and with two stops to go, it was packed with mostly day trippers. And this isn't even the busy season! We tumbled off the train, down another flight of stairs and wandered into the centre of town to meet our host's representative, and get the key for the apartment. She wasn't at the designated meeting point, so we called her, and immediately realised she spoke no English at all! Eventually the penny dropped, and a few minutes later she arrived, and took us up a lane way & quite a few steps to our apartment. She opened the door, and we saw it hadn't been cleaned from the last guests, so with a lot of sign language we left our bags and said we would be back in 2 hours. This was our worst accommodation to date! The building was a work zone with scaffolding all over the front, and a number of other apartments in the building being renovated. We couldn't leave the windows open, and the shutters were missing. Half the lights didn't work, including the hallway to our front door, which was like a tunnel! Thank God we brought a torch. We knew we would be spending as little time as possible in the apartment, and would be writing a scathing review to AirBnB! 

Our first task was to find a laundrette to catch up with the washing. We found it was right up at the top of town, out of the hustle & bustle. It was very modern, and to our relief there was a cafe next door. This was run by twin brothers from Sardinia. They were the pushy type, where everything was the best you would ever taste!  The place was called Il Pirate, a very apt name! We decided to have a coffee, and then the hard sell was on in earnest, trying to get us to try the world's best everything. To shut him up we decided on the world's best Canolli. I love Canolli, and as much as I didn't want it to be, it was fantastic! The Pirates kept telling us we had to come back for breakfast lunch & dinner. We agreed just to get away! When the washing/drying was completed, we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring Vernazza, and planning the next few days. Vernazza is lovely, with its little harbour and piazza around it. The church of St.Margherita Di Antiochia is right at the harbour and regularly the bells toll the hour, half hour, the quarter hour and a whole lot more! No rhyme nor reason, just lots of bells! We found a pizza place for lunch and sat next to some Americans, who were a lot of fun. We ate good pizza, and chatted for some time, as the crowds just grew and grew. 

Vernazza is full of lanes and stairways, as are all five villages, so the knees get a real workout. We climbed up to the castle to take in the view up and down the coast. Incredible scenery. Carolyn spied a quiet deck hanging out over the cliff, so off we went and eventually found it. Rather than a bar or restaurant, it was a wine tasting venue. We sat right at the rail, and Alessandro served us a white wine from Cinque Terre, and a delicious Red (Barbera) from nearby Piedmont. He brought us the local delicacy, salted anchovies, to have with our wine. The area is famous for anchovies and everyone has their own way of preparing them. Alessandro described how his were salted for 6 months, soaked in local olive oil and spiced with wild oregano, an old lady picked and dried especially for him. They were absolutely delicious, and even Carolyn, who has never been an anchovy fan, was begging for more! That night, we found a cafe down in the Piazza by the harbour, and dined on pasta with scampi and a plate of mixed seafood. All just so simple, fresh & delicious. With of course, lots of bread, olive oil & balsamic. The crowds leave by around 6.00pm, and Vernazza is quiet, unrushed and just lovely.

For Sunday, we decided to leave the crowds behind and spend the day in La Spezia, the largest nearby city. So we hopped on the train and in a few minutes were there. It is only one more stop past Riomaggiore. The town is a big port, housing Italy's largest naval base, so we walked down through the old town to the harbour. We stopped for coffee and local treats along the way, and called into a few shops. Most were shut, which seems to be the custom on Sunday. At the harbour we saw that a huge MSC cruise ship was in, which probably explained the few shops that were open. The town is a lot like Genoa. The marina housed some seriously huge private yachts, and of course the navy. We watched a guy drive along the marina in his Bentley convertible, stop and remove a huge suitcase, which he rolled along the dock to his large & impressive cruiser, and wondered if he would like to adopt us! We continued walking and just taking it all in. It was lunchtime so we found a small cafe, instantly noting that the prices we much cheaper than Vernazza. Carolyn went for a Spaggetti Carbonara, and John went for the local specialty Pizza. The carbonara was good, the pizza was a knockout, smothered in fresh diced tomato, olives, oregano & anchovies! Each main meal was 5 euro, that's like $7.50! We wandered some more, in & out of lanes & churches, having a lovely time away from the crowds. By the time we got back to Vernazza, the big crowds had gone, and we settled in for happy hour by the harbour. It was much cooler, so we decided to eat at one of the cosy little restaurants up in town. Again the food was amazing. Carolyn had a pasta with meat ragu. It was flat round pasta, we had never seen before, explained as being especially designed to pick up the ragu! John went for another local specialty, a baked dish of potato, herbs, tomato and of course, anchovies. Fantastic! We dropped into the Gelato shop for dessert, as we slowly wandered home.

We were blessed with good weather. It was mostly fine & sunny, with temperatures around 20 degrees. The nights were cool, cold if the wind blew. Monday was less crowded, but nontheless still busy. Probably the most famous thing to do on the Cinque Terre, is hike the various trails, the most famous of which is the Via dell'Amore, the Lover's walk, which stretches from Riomaggiore to Manarola. Sadly for us, this walk, as well as the walk from Manarola to Corniglia, were closed due to landslides. These are the two easiest walks, and the ones most people do. There are still walking trails between these towns, but they are more for mountain goats and very exprienced hikers. The quite serious walks from Vernazza to Corniglia, and Monterosso to Vernazza are open. Each is 2 to 3 hours for hikers of our standard, and quite steep and rugged in parts. With so many walking options closed, today we decided to use the ferry service that operates between the Cinque Terre towns, with the exception of Corniglia, which is the hill top town and has no safe harbour. We bought our day tickets and headed out to our first stop, Riomaggiore. Everything looks different looking back from the sea. We could see the landslides that have caused the track closures. When we arrived at Riomaggiore it was a breathtaking scene of coloured buildings squashed in between two cliffs, stretching back up the hill. The streets are narrow, winding and full of cafes, boutiques, galleries, gelato shops, and souvenir shops. It is so colourful. We walked out to the Lover's Walk and posed by the locked gate, then walked the winding streets. At one stage, we found a lift that took us to the lower levels. It was like winning the lottery, until the doors opened and a lady at a table told us it was 1.5 euro each to ride the elevator! No sign at the top, just the ambush at the bottom! It is such a lovely little town and we can understand why it is a favourite of so many. The tunnel from the station to town tells the story of the workmen and the struggle to construct the towns & paths. We had a takeaway seafood lunch which was served in a paper cone and was delicious.

Back on the ferry, the next stop was Manarola. Just enough room to get the gangplank onto the stone wall! There really isn't a harbour! From here it is a narrow path into town. Another ancient village full of colourful houses, tumbling down the hill, with row after row of vineyards stretching above it. Manarola is famous for its wine. How on earth do they work these terraced vineyards? The answer is quite simple. They have mini funiculars that run up and down the slopes on rails! We watched them working at Corniglia. We just enjoyed walking up and down the streets, taking time for gelato. This time the rock melon and mandarin flavours were a stand out! 

From here we headed out to Monterosso, stopping at Vernazza on the way. Monterosso has the only real beach of any of the towns. It is the pebbly kind. There is both an old & new part of town. You can walk or drive from one to another through a tunnel. It is also really nice, with lots of alleys and lanes, and some great shops. It doesn't feel as hilly as the others. We walked along the esplanade of the beach, with its colourful umbrellas and bathing pavilions, and stopped off at a beachside cafe for a cold drink. There were quite a few people soaking up the sun. A slow walk back to the ferry terminal, and we were on the last ferry for the day, home to Vernazza. Tonight, we decided to give the Pirates another go, so headed up town. The place was packed, and we got the last table, reminded by one Pirate, that it had taken us a while to get back! I told him we could easily reverse our decision! He was more welcoming then. He sent over the waitress who was really big on "personal recommendations". The Pirates must run "pain in the arse" classes! We managed to eventually order, avoiding the expensive recommendations, and had a delicious meal. The food was excellent. The experience wearing! 

For our last day we planned a day of hiking. First stop was the hill top village of Corniglia. It was only one stop on the train, and when you arrive it is 377 steps up to the town. The zig zag stairway has been well designed, and it is surprisingly easy going. It is a little different to the other towns, perched high on the hill. Lovely little laneways, with cafes & shops scattered all along. We found a lovely little terrace cafe looking out over the hills and out to sea. Carolyn was craving eggs, something we haven't seen much of. They advertised omelette, so we ordered one to share. It was really good, as was the coffee, and it had the best and cleanest toilet we have seen! We cheated and found the park bus for the trip back to the station, where we found that the trains also take siesta in the middle of the day, and we had an hour to wait! So, we sat & ate our fruit. There are fruit stalls everywhere, and we have been buying melons, strawberries, pears, peaches apricots & bananas to have mostly for breakfast & snacks with yoghurt. It hasn't been all bad! Every village has a market day, and today it was Vernazza's turn, so we stocked up before leaving.

The train eventually came and we were on our way to Monterosso to do our 2.5 hour walk back to Vernazza. We had spoken to so many people and got so many conflicting opinions, we decided we would never never no if we never never went, so armed with John's hiking pole, off we set. It was pretty steep, but hey, we made it to Jim Jim Falls, so we can do this. The track is well formed with lots & lots & lots of steps, and there are sections where passing is impossible, but the views are worth it. One magnificent panorama after another. For John's knees, going down was worse than going up, but given that the estimated time was two hours, our two hours forty minutes was pretty good! We will never forget the view looking down on Vernazza, all colourful and sparkling against the blue Mediterranean. We sure earned happy hour today! For our last night in Vernazza we decided to go to Gambero Rosso Restaurant. The Pirates would get over it! This is a quite famous restaurant down by the harbour. We share a lovely meal, all beautifully cooked. We shared Mixed Anchovies( Fried, Salted & Marinated), Trofie Pesto(the local small pasta designed to collect the pesto), and Steak & Fries(it has been so long since we had steak!). We washed it all down with a local red, and it was such a delight watching the sun set over the harbour, and seeing the lights of the town come alive. Bellissimo!

In the morning we took one last leisurely stroll down to the harbour for a coffee & pastry breakfast, then it was off to the station via 100 steps, to board our train for The Eternal City, Roma.

Italian Odyssey - 6.

 The Italian part of our Odyssey began with a late arrival in Genoa, a city rich in naval history dating back centuries. Christopher Columbus is the most famous citizen of Genoa, even though he left the city and sailed for Spain in his major quests. His tiny family home still stands today, and there are a number of statues and a replica ship to remind all of his incredible achievements. On arrival, having checked into our cosy hotel, we thought we should celebrate with a drink, so headed out into the street which was full of people at 10.00pm on a Monday night! We didn't have to go far as the bar/restaurant next door looked nice, so we took a table on the sidewalk. The big waiter wandered over and asked what we needed. Language was going to be a problem, but not for long! A glass of wine and a big beer arrived pronto. When he learnt we were Australian, he came back with a photo of Nicole Kidman, from when she made the Grace Kelly movie. She had visited the bar! I told the waiter she was my sister, but the raised eyebrow and tilt of the head told me he wasn't buying it! This would become our watering hole for the next three days. After our first drink, all future drinks came with chips, nuts & pretzels!

Before getting into our Genoa activities I should tell you a little about our hotel. It is very nice, but has no lift, which wasn't a big problem as we were on the first floor. The staff are just wonderful, even arranging for their handyman to cut down an enormous cylinder that Carolyn was given at Monet's Garden, to put a poster in. The bathroom has been fully renovated. It has a huge square toilet bowl, a matching huge new bidet, a huge wash basin, and the tiniest shower cubicle. With all the huge stuff, only one person can fit in the room at a time! I forgot to mention the huge shower head. There is nowhere in the cubicle to escape the torrent of water! I dropped the soap, and had to step outside to pick it up! We can only hope the shower cubicles get bigger!!

With only two full days, we decided to do the hop on hop off bus thing again. It shows us the lay of the land and all the major sites. The first thing that grabs you is all the huge old buildings, the narrow streets, and pedestrian laneways. The city is full of them. There are even lots of tunnels, linking different parts of the city. The city is built on a steep slope, and these steep lanes and alleys criss cross all over the place. There are some incredible old buildings, and the names Garibaldi and Balbi appear regularly in the cities history. In the 1990's Unesco awarded 50 palaces their blessing, and many are open to the public. Down at the waterfront, there is a huge aquarium, a naval museum, and the impressive replica of Columbus' ship. We took a taxi out to the lovely little seaside village of Boccadasse, which is now actually a suburb of Genoa. It was really quaint, with its black rocky beach. Along the way, we passed the salvaged wreck of the Costa Concordia, that so famously ran aground. It was a real mess, and sits with other salvaged junk in an industrial part if the harbour.

At Boccadasse we found that the water was really cold, and even though there were a number of people on the beach, only one girl braved the water! She went blue and lasted around three minutes! We opted to try the gelato, and it was excellent. We strolled back along the Corso Italia towards town. This is the Italian Riviera, but it is a very poor cousin to the French neighbour! All along the Corso are beach pavilions and resorts, where people pay money for a changing cubicle, deckchairs etc. and sit on the rocky beach. These places serve food & drink, and even have beach game areas. They are all fenced off, with each resort trying to outdo the others. There were even bobcats on some of the beaches trying to smooth out the rocks! Just so far removed from the beaches we have been used to! We eventually made it back to town, and headed for our local bar, where our now best mate the barman, had drinks, chips, nuts & pretzels to us before our bums hit the seats! We finished up staying for dinner, as they had a full menu, including the local Genovese specialty, a pesto pizza. It was very nice.

Next day we headed into the shopping district. Now I know that will shock many of you, but we wanted to visit one of the local produce markets. They are fantastic. This one was in behind the luxury shops in the best part of town. There were dozens and dozens of competing stalls selling the freshest seafood, meat, deli items, fruit & veggies, fresh pasta & flowers. We loved it. If only we could buy like this at home! We did do some of the other shops, and called into a lovely little patisserie  for our "stand up" coffee. We already love this tradition! Standing at the bar or counter is so much cheaper than sitting down. Carolyn is having mixed thoughts about the actual coffee, and is sticking mostly with cappuccino, but John is right into it with espresso or macchiato. Love it!!! After coffee, we headed off for our cultural fix. There is a three museum pass you can buy, which gives access to Palazzo Bianco, Palazzo Rosso & Palazzo Turnis, all of which are close together. All were originally homes to wealthy Genovese, and all have Unesco listing. They are all magnificent, with incredible frescos on the ceilings and priceless artwork adorning the walls. The Palazzo Bianco had a whole section dedicated to women's fashion from the 19th & early 20th centuries, which was lovely, and there was also an exhibition of art dedicated to artists who broke with tradition and started to use everyday people and their everyday workings as subject matter, rather than the portraits, landscapes & religion which were the accepted subjects. Apparently these artists were persecuted for their radical break with tradition! Thank God they hadn't met Andy Warhol! In the end, the absolute highlight of our visits to all the Palazzo, was at Palazzo Rosso, where we were escorted to a rooftop terrace, that had like a viewing crows nest, where you could look out over all of Genoa. It was terrific! After art & culture it was time for happy hour, so back to our mate with the unpronounceable name! We, and our drinks arrived simultaneously, along with the chips, nuts & pretzels. Tonight we bid our friend an early, and final farewell, telling him we would say hi to Nicole from him, and headed off in search of pasta. Mission accomplished, it was back to pack to head off for the next stop on our journey. We have enjoyed Genoa, a city which was not on our original list of places to visit.

We were awoken at around 6.30am with an enormous clap of thunder, that shook the building, sent the telephone into a ringing frenzy, and set off half the car alarms in the street. It was much colder, windy, with storm showers. We got to the station, and safely boarded our train for the short 45 minute trip to Rapallo, our stop for the next two nights. Rapallo is a lovely seaside town. Our hotel is the Hotel Vesuvio, right on the waterfront. It is only a five minute walk from the station. The rain has cleared, but it is blowing a gale across the bay. We are early, so we stored our bags and took a walk along the waterfront, where the weekly market is in full swing. These intrepid stall holders have to deal with the wind and the spray from the waves hitting the sea wall. It is a really good market with a huge variety of merchandise. We bought some lovely fresh strawberries, apricots & peaches for lunch. By the time the market was closing up, our room was ready, and thankfully, the wind had died down a lot. Our room is lovely. We are on the 4th floor and there is a lift we can both fit in with our luggage! We have a little balcony and look out over the bay. It is just lovely, so we ate our fruit out on the balcony. Sadly, the same model shower cubicle, though thankfully the shower head is smaller!

We headed off to explore the major sights. First stop would be the Sanctuary of Montallegro, a church 600 metres above the city, where in 1557 a miracle was believed to have occurred, with a sighting of the Virgin Mary. The church is reached by a funicular, but when we got to the station, there was no one there. Using my Translator App, I deduced that the Funicular was closed today for maintenance. Bugger! A German couple, who spoke neither English nor Italian were doubly impressed when I used the App to translate the sign into German for them!! So plan B was quickly put into action, and off to the station to buy tickets for the beautiful fishing village of Camogli, which means "houses of wives", as the fishermen were always away. The weather had cleared completely, and it was now bright blue sky and no wind. This is one of those gorgeous little villages, accessed down steep little streets, to the walled harbour. The place has been here for centuries with Castel Dragon dating back to 1000AD! We walked the streets and the harbour walls. It is still very much a working fishing village. We walked around Castel Dragon, trying to imagine what it might have looked like all those years ago. The town is now also a seaside resort, with its long black, rocky beach, so we found one of the lovely cafes that hang out over the beach, and enjoyed a glass or two taking in the incredible sights. A huge black storm cloud cleared us and everyone else off the deck, and we made a beeline for the station, and back to Rapallo.

That night we strolled down the street to a gorgeous restaurant call Amici Miei, complete with checked tablecloths, charming waiters in long black aprons, and wonderful aromas coming from the kitchen. With the wonderful sounds of Italian classics playing in the background, we enjoyed a truly romantic dinner of delicious seafood and fantastic pasta, washed down with a local red, it was just wonderful. This was a day in Italy like we had dreamed of. Lovely little villages, friendly people, and simple fresh food & wine. Bellissimo!!

Next morning was cool & cloudy, but no wind, which was very important for our plans for the day. First up we were back at the Funicular for the ride up to the church at Montallegro. The ride was smooth, thankfully, and 600 metres up the hill the temperature was about 10 degrees cooler! In fact it was freezing! We ran up the hill & steps and into the old church. It was dark & dingy inside the church, but when our eyes adjusted we could see the elaborate frescos and statues, and the lovely stained glass windows. There were little shrines everywhere with photos of people and other offerings, which we think had something to do with the miracle. Everything was in Italian. It was interesting. 

We ran back down to catch the Funicular back to Rapallo, so we could be on the 11.00am ferry that would take us to Portofino. This was one of THE places we wanted to see in Italy, so we we're quite excited. The little ferry was packed as we left Rapallo, making a stop at another lovely little village called Santa Margarita, before sailing into the gorgeous little harbour at Portofino. We have seen the pictures so many times, and now we were there, surrounded by the coloured houses and tiny boats, nestled in the harbour under towering terraces full of hotels & villas. There were some very impressive yachts & motor boats as well. Our first priority was to climb up the winding track to the castle, Castell Brown, to look down on the entire scene. When we arrived and stood at the lookout, it took our breath away! A big one ticked off the bucket list. We toured the castle, shared a pizza for lunch in the castle courtyard,  then wound our way back into town, where we walked past all the shops, a strange mixture of touristy souvenir shops and lavish designer shops. What a contrast! Sixty cent postcards next door to 20,000 euro Rolex watches! Cafes & restaurants were doing a roaring trade, at prices double that of Rapallo.We sat beside the harbour and wandered until it was time to take our ferry back to Rapallo. What a wonderful day we had.

For our last night in Rapallo, Carolyn craved a veal schnitzel and I was happy to do pasta, so we found a cosy place & settled in. It didn't remain cosy for long, as a huge group of young and very noisy school kids arrived, and went viral. The noise was horrendous, the patrons were raising eyebrows, but the staff didn't seem to worry! We hastily finished our meal, which was good, and headed for a quieter lounge for a coffee to finish the night. Tomorrow we are off to the Cinque Terre.

Italian Odyssey - 5.

We left Paris from Gare de Lyon on a TGV very fast train, and flew across the French countryside, south through Provence and into Montpellier. It was an endless vista of quaint villages each with its church spire, rolling hills and vineyards. Unlike Australia where our vineyards are regionalised, France has them everywhere! You can't travel very far without seeing vineyards! The trip took 3 plus hours and was smooth and effortless. A wonderful way to travel.

Our stay in Montpellier has been one of contrasts. Montpellier itself is a lovely old city, that has grown into a large modern city with the old town as its centre. The Comedie, is a huge central square full of outdoor cafes and bars, with modern trams running through it. From the square, radiate dozens of streets & laneways, leading to hundreds of shops and smaller shady squares, again full of cafes & bars. It is an absolute delight to walk around, though the amount of graffiti, is unbelievable. In Paris it was bad in parts, but here it is horrendous, with even monuments and buildings centuries old, defiled. It is the only blemish. 

The old city is old, dating back past the 12th century, and today houses one of the world's oldest Schools of Medicine dating back to the 13th century. Being a university city, it is full of young students, presumably studying medicine, and hopefully a cure for the lung cancer they will surely  contract! It doesn't matter where you sit outside, the smell of tobacco is ever present! Our hotel is right on the edge of the old city, which is closed to traffic other than residents and service vehicles. We chose it because it has parking, because now we have our first hire care, a Fiat 500, which we picked up at Montpellier Station on arrival. Brother Neil, had loaded our Navman with our Europe maps, and we were so pleased when that familiar voice told us "in 250 metres turn right Rue St. Augustine!" Driving on the wrong side in these narrow streets has its challenges, but apart from when I "turned", when I should have "veered", and we did a quick lap of an underground car park, we made it to our hotel! The hotel staff were fantastic, as with almost no English, we tried to arrange to do our laundry. When we booked, the hotel quoted "self Laundry", but apparently a recent refurbishment, took out that service! As it turned out, the two house maids said they would do our laundry in the hotel laundry at no charge! What angels they were! We gave them choccies and a boomerang key ring each! They were so excited! Our first night was spent in La Comedie, where we ate Pizza & Wine watching the passing parade. We were fascinated that at the open air cafes, waiters had to run back to their shop to get the food and run it out to the tables! Our waiters had to run the gauntlet of the tram tracks, purveying a constant flow of food & wine!

Thursday was a Bank holiday, and like in Australia, most people take the Friday for an extra long weekend, so it was pretty busy everywhere. We opted to test the satnav, and head inland to the Unesco town of St.Guilem Le Desert. We drove through countless vineyards, and up through the Herault Gorge, which was spectacular. There were people picnicking all along the river, and swimming at the big waterholes. We found our village, winding along a small stream, up into the hills. No cars in the village, so we found our way to the "paid parking", and wandered down into town. It was quaint, with its winding alleys and lanes hiding small shops and cafes. It is very touristy, but just beautiful. The square in the centre of the village was shaded by a huge plain tree, over 250 years old. But I guess in a village that dates back to the 7th century, it's a recent addition! The huge church must have some stories to tell, built in the 11th century! It is almost beyond our comprehension to imagine things this old!

From here we headed back down to the seaside, firstly stopping at Meze, which was nice, but windy. We walked around the small Marina surrounded by cafes. In this area they farm mussels, and seafood generally, so the menus offered mussels every way, plus cockles, oysters and fish. We drove a little further to the larger port city of Sete, with its huge deep canals, offering safe harbour to some seriously big Trawlers. It is an unbelievable sight, seeing these huge boats tied up in the narrow canals, right in the middle of town. I haven't lost my touch, and found a parking spot right on the main canal, and the decision was made that Happy Hour and dinner, would be taken in Sete. It was just amazing. Carol spied a table being vacated on a terrace overlooking the canal, and in seconds we were seated with drinks in hand, watching the never ending parade of people, cars and boats. We moved down along the waterfront to find our dinner spot, where we dined on Mussels & Frites (of Course), this time with a Roquefort sauce, which was delicious, and seafood soup with lots of crusty bread. Another memorable day ended, as we slowly wended our way home.

Friday dawned much colder with an odd shower. We spent the day wandering the streets of Montpellier, where markets were in full swing. It was a lovely day, as we found our way in the narrow laneways checking out the incredible history of the old town. Some of the old buildings, including the School of Medicine, and the old viaduct that used to bring the city its water, were most impressive. After a day dodging the showers, the fresh food market proved too much for us, so we loaded up with unbelievable ham, pates, terrines, plus fresh fruit and salad, and of course baguette, to make our own feast! We still had our wines, courtesy of Monsieur Safrin in Paris, so the package was complete! A night in. It was as good as it looked. The hams, the Brie, and pate/terrines, in France are to die for! And the strawberries & apricots are so sweet and so cheap!

Saturday was our big day. We decided to do a day trip to the French Riviera. The girls at the hotel thought we were mad. We were on the road at 7.30am, and took the tollway. We managed to handle the toll booths, though some took our cards, and some didn't! Could not figure out that system! After 3 hours we made it into Nice, and from then it was onto the local roads to Monaco and beyond to Menton. What sights and scenery we saw. The coastline is just unbelievable, with houses, villas, castles etc. stretching from the top of the mountains down to the sea. Monaco was bedlam! The Grand Prix is next week and the circuit is set up. We drove around the entire circuit, albeit slower than next week! There we were in our Fiat 500 alongside an endless stream of Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Bentley and all the top shelf Mercs & BMW's. What a hoot! Somehow, we made it out to the Cruise Ship Terminal, which with no ships in, was very quiet. The girl in the gift shop almost had a heart attack when we walked in, but we parked and had a good look at some of the mega yachts. It really is a whole new world of money! We found a quiet spot high above Monaco, and had our picnic lunch of leftovers, looking down on the this land of the rich & famous. We wandered back along the coast stopping where we could to marvel at the beautiful scenery, the cruise ships, the beaches, the people. We headed up to La Turbie, along that famous road, around the famous switchbacks & bends, that took Grace Kelly. It was a never ending fairy tale. We arrived in Cannes which was going crazy with the Film Festival in full swing. We drove down the Pomenade, past all the hotels and thousands of star gazers. Never seen so much glamour, so many limos and so many dinner suits! Sadly no Hollywood stars. We finished off the trip by stopping in at St.Tropez, which after what we had seen was a little underwhelming. Nowhere near the coastal scenery. We think it is a place you need to stay and get to know. It was very busy. We hi tailed it back to Montpellier, arriving home at midnight, exhausted but having had the best day.

Sunday we just felt like being lazy, so headed up into a very quiet old town, and found a lovely little outdoor cafe in one of the small squares in the back streets. We sat under the huge plain trees and enjoyed Sunday Brunch. A Canadian couple sat next to us and we chatted for a couple of hours. Brunch became lunch, and out came the wine, it was a relaxing and fun time with fellow travellers. They convinced us we should take the drive out to Aigues Mortes, the walled city about 45 minutes away, and we were so glad they did. We bid farewell, and jumped in the car and off we went. It is in the Camargue Region, famous for wild white horses, wild black bulls and flamingos! Yes, flamingos. We were amazed, but this marshy salt flat area is home to thousands of them. The old fortified city is just beautiful. It is one of, if not the only, fully walled cities left in France. One square mile, all behind the impressive & huge stone walls. We parked near the front gate, and in we went. We paid up for the parapet walk, and climbed up the stairs and walked all the way around, looking down into the town on one side and out across the salt flats and shallow lakes on the outside. The salt mines are quite a step up from WA's Onslow. Maybe they should get themselves a walled city!!! On the parapet, it is so hard to grasp that centuries ago, archers were raining down arrows on the invading armies through those narrow slits in the wall. Many knights left for the Crusades from Aigues Mortes, and that was the 13th Century! After the parapet, we wandered through the cities narrow streets stopping and looking in the hundreds of small shops selling everything from local crafts to wonderful ice cream! We settled in the main square for a drink and decided to stay for dinner. Most of the shops had shut, but the cafe scene was coming to life. We ate our delicious seafood entrees, and veal and local bull, serenaded by guitarists and accordian players who were busking in the square. A lovely evening finished off with one of those delicious ice creams as we strolled back to the car.

In the morning we packed our bags, returned the car, and boarded our train for Italy. We already seem to have been away for so long and seen so much, and yet we haven't even made it to Italy! The French trains are fantastic. We had a couple of changes, the first at Avignon, where we met a hiccup due to a passenger falling ill on a train. TheTGV staff were in a right tizz, and we were shuffled off to another platform, where to avoid delay they linked our train to the Marseille train and sent us on our way! At Marseille, they unhooked the other train and off we went to Cannes. There we had a 3 hour wait for the Italian train to take us to Genoa. That was good as it gave me time to start this blog!  The train trip was fantastic, as it followed the coastline, sometimes right beside the Mediterranean, all back past the French Riviera. We managed to get seats on the water side and just wowed at the scenery all the way to Genoa, where we arrived at 9.15pm. We found a taxi, showed him the Hotel, and with a big grin, he pointed down the street about 250 metres, where we saw our hotel sign! We thanked him for his honesty, and were soon checking in. The only surprise was no lift!!! But thankfully we were on the first floor. We threw our bags in the room, and headed to the lovely bar next door for a celebratory drink. After 30 years of talking about it, we are finally in Italy. Ciao bella!!

Italian Odyssey - 4.

Ahhh Paris! City of love, city of light, city of life. What a wonderful city it is to visit. So much history, it's wonderful architecture, and those beautiful tree lined streets. We arrived by EuroStar at Gare du Nord, such a relaxing way to travel, from check in to arrival, and delivered right into the centre of the city. We are staying at a small hotel near the Place de Clichy, called Hotel Darcet. It is a vibrant area, nestled under the hill of Montmartre, and is full of cafes, bars, the red light district, and only a five minute walk from the famous Moulin Rouge, where we are headed on our first night in Paris. The one thing we have immediately noticed, is that the streets are dirty, and covered in cigarette butts! Paris needs a good wash! Smokers are everywhere, and so many young people smoking, and these strange looking electronic cigarettes seem really popular. The outdoor cafe and bar seating is for the smokers, and inside seems deserted at most places. We are felling decidedly smoked already!

To say the show is extravagant is an understatement! Crammed in like sardines, around our ice buckets filled with bottles of Mumm, we are treated to a spectacle of music, amazing costumes, acrobatics, comedy, and God knows why, a naked woman swimming in a tank full of petrified pythons! And, tits, tits and more tits! What a start to Paris. As we left, the line for the 11.00pm show stretched miles along the street, and around the corner! So many people, and it happens every night!

The weather had at least warmed up for our first day, walking the streets of Paris. Everywhere you walk there is a monument, a church, a palace, and thousands of people. Of course we have to shop, and the options are plentiful. Carolyn is on her second warning about "only what fits in her suitcase", and it is only the end of week 2!!! Sunday we took the first of our tours, a small group (8) tour of Versailles. The entire 8 were Aussies, and a fun group. We had opted to do the full day tour, and boy are we glad we did, as we not only got to see all the opulence the palace has to offer, but we got a lot of time to wander through the magnificent gardens, where the fountains were in full motion to the sounds of classical music. An experience never to be forgotten. We had a lovely three course lunch in a restaurant housed in one of the old boat sheds, down by the canal. It was good, as long as you didn't order the steak, which John did. It defied cutting and chewing, and was without doubt From a stray cow left by Louis XIV! Thankfully, everything else was good, the mashed potato excellent!

In the afternoon, we were treated to a very special walk through Marie Antionette's gardens in a secluded part of the estate, that also contains the Trianon, and a Norman Village recreated by her. The gardens and the waterways, the buildings and the history were incredible. Our guide, Ricardo, a passionate Peruvian, who escaped the Andes Mountains 25 years go, has been doing these tours since 1993, and his knowledge was fantastic. Ricardo managed us through the enormous crowds in such a way, that it didn't really feel crowded! This was truly a memorable day. Our fellow tourists had also given us some good ideas, in particular, a night trip to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, to see the city lights, and the light show on the Eiffel Tower. It was short but spectacular nonetheless! Given that it isn't dark until after 10.00pm, we had dinner first at a small Place that served a French version of a Pizza, rolled and oozing with ham and mustard and gooey cheese. Tres Bon! 

Next morning, we decided to hit the hop on hop off buses. Everyone was telling us they were good in Paris. They were right! It proved a fantastic way to see as much of Paris as possible. There are 5 different routes, covering all the districts of Paris. We hopped from one route to another all day, seeing, if not experiencing, every sight in Paris. It was an excellent service, as we only had to wait minutes for the next bus, if at all. The commentary along the way, tells some interesting history of Paris, and how it has changed over the centuries. Only complaint, was those horrible little ear phones that simply will not stay in our ears! 

Having done the Louvre, Notre Dame and other big sights back in 2008, we had our list of "must do's this time". Although, we did walk around the Notre Dame Cathedral again. In the square out front of the cathedral there was a huge marquis (a tent, not aristocrat!!), and inside the tent they were celebrating the 20th Annual Festival of Bread! Only in Paris. We walked through. There were bakers walking around wearing huge gold & silver medals, and there were heaps of breads, baguettes, and pastries to buy, so we did lunch. After lunch, we needed ice cream, and found a lovely little shop that sold fantastic ice cream that they fashioned as a tulip in the cone, as many flavours as your size cone could fit!! 

That evening, we climbed up to Montmatre, with the wonderful Basilica of Sacre Coeur, and the incredible sights of Paris stretching out below. The artists were everywhere, competing to sketch us. We cracked up when one guy described John as "the best in the west, a privilege to paint!" We politely declined, after hearing his "modest" fee! We wandered in & out of the myriad of galleries. It is just incredible. John saw the sign advertising "Mouls et Frittes", a Parisienne must, so we sat outside on the sidewalk for a couple of hours, munching on mussels, chips and crusty baguette, sipping on our Cote du Rhone, and realising what a wonderful life we have.

By now we both have colds, courtesy of that horrendous day in London! But we will not be deterred! We have been to the pharmacy and the pharmacist has given us the Bon medicine, so are pressing on regardless. Tuesday, we are bright and early at the Musee D'Orsay, home to one of the world's greatest Impressionist collections. The wait was only 30 minutes and we were among the masters. What a feeling it is to stand in front of paintings and sculptures, we have only seen in books. Such a humbling experience. We spent three incredible hours walking the rooms of the gallery, a masterpiece at every turn. 

To cap off the Impressionist Day, that afternoon, we are off to Giverney, to visit Monet's home and garden. Again, we had chosen a small group tour with the same company, Paris Trip. As good as our guide Ricardo had been on the Versailles tour, this guide was the exact opposite. A pompous ass! He dumped us at the gate, told us where to meet him, and not be late, then left us to our own devices to explore the gardens & home. It was probably a good thing, as I was having visions of holding his head under the waters of the wisteria covered bridge! Nonetheless, not even he could take away from the spectacle. Being springtime, the garden was awash with colour, and the wisteria was in full bloom over the famous bridge.

The drive home was just the same, with no commentary at all. On this tour, we had 4 Americans, who were lovely to talk with, and two French who sat up front, and talked French all the way home,  non stop, with Monsieur Le Dickhead! Glad we booked the English speaking option!! It was as if the rest of us did not exist! Even when we got near our drop off points, he dropped us near our hotels, asking us to walk, as it would be quicker, and so as he could avoid bad traffic spots! Can't wait to do my Trip Advisor review!

On our last night in Paris we headed out in search of a romantic small eatery in the backstreets of our district. We had passed a few in our walks, and decided on a place called Le Perculateur. It was around 7.30, and the friendly owner welcomed us in, told us they would be ready to serve dinner from around 8.00, and sat us down in the cosy bar with our drinks. In the back of the restaurant, the staff were having their meal. It became apparent that this was a place frequented by locals, with a small but delicious menu. At our table by the window, with our bottle of Languedoc Red, his recommendation, we dined in style. Carolyn started with a salad of rocket, pancetta,poached egg and raspberry vinaigrette, while John went the house made duck terrine, served with the most amazing crusty loaf. For mains, Carolyn did the Maple Syrup smoked Salmon, while John did the Guinea Fowl Lasagne. Both were fantastic, John's was exceptional! For dessert, we headed home, as Carolyn had bought two things from the delightful patisserie near our hotel. One was a Lemon Meringue Tart, surprise, surprise, the other was a large Macaroon, stuffed with a custard and fresh raspberries! Now they were good!!

When we returned to the hotel, we were met by our super friendly Manager, Monsieur Safrin, who kept giving us free bottles of water. Tonight he was overcome with grief at our pending departure, and in addition to water we got a half bottle each of Red Wine and Rose! Little wonder, that next morning it was only Coffee & Croissant at the station cafe! We were up bright and early for our transfer to the Gare Du Lyon and our very fast TGV train down to Montpellier, in the south of France. 

Italian Odyssey - 3.

We have just boarded the EuroStar for our fast trip to Paris, so time to post a blog as we zoom across the English and French countryside. We have had a frantic three days in London. Thankfully the train trip back to London proved a lot more leisurely. We arrived at Euston Station on a cold windy day. It was past lunchtime, so we sought refuge in a traditional (not!) English joint, called Ed's Diner, that specialised in American Fast Food! Refreshed, we made the short walk to our hotel, The Premier Inn Euston, which is nice and comfortable. A short walk around was enough, as it was quite unpleasant in the wind and frequent showers. That night, we found a very close, cosy pub, and had a few drinks, and dinner of Pulled Pork Nachos. How much pork are they pulling around the world?? Two years ago it was unheard of, now it is on every menu!! Still it was tasty, and with the pub full of football fans watching the European Cup semi final between Real Madrid & Juventus, the place was jumping?

The next morning dawned wet and very, very, windy. It was extremely unpleasant. We booked ourselves on one of the "Hop On Hop Off" Bus tours, and off we went. The first thing we noticed was all the construction. Holes in the ground everywhere, and a skyline full of cranes. We passed by St.Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge, and all the many landmarks that seem so familiar to us, even though it is 22 years since our last London visit. We hopped off the bus at the London Eye, and thankfully the rain had stopped for a while. We had booked a ride on this enormous Ferris Wheel. Carol is excited, John is petrified! Off we went, and I have to admit it was incredibly smooth & stable despite the howling wind. Some unbelievable sights of London. I kissed the ground on return! Next it was on a ferry back along the dirty Thames to the Tower of London, where we got off and had a walk around, until the rain and bitterly cold wind forced us back onto the bus. We did the full loop on two seperate bus routes, and saw quite a lot, through rain streaked windows. That night, we were ready for happy hour back at our hotel. Two for one drinks for two hours, was a lot better than the pub! We braved the wind and cold for a quick walk down the street, to a small Italian Restaurant, recommended by the hotel manager. It was lovely. We shared pizza & tiramisu.

Thursday, we were catching up with Nancy & Keith, so we jumped on the tube for the short trip over to Green  Park, right next to where they are staying. There is something very special about meeting friends in a strange land. We took a slow walk through the park down to Buckingham Palace, in time for the changing of the guard. When Carol stands in front of Buckingham Palace she truly feels like she is in England. 

Thankfully, today the wind has gone, and while still cool, the sun is mostly shining. With all the pomp and ceremony over, we jumped into a taxi to head off to meet up with Pete, their son, who now lives in London. They have chosen the most amazing place for lunch, one of the only private galleries in the world, open to the public, and it is free. Called The Wallace Collection, it is housed in an 18th century mansion, and is the result of 5 generations of collecting. It is simply unbelievable! There are hundreds of priceless works by Rembrandt, Titian and more, as well as the famous Laughing Cavalier by Hals. There are sculptures, and furniture, and an Armoury collection better than any we have seen. Add to this, the Atrium Cafe, and it is one special place. Pete looked great. It is ten years since we last saw Pete, and it was lovely to catch up. Since moving to London, he has remarried, and tonight we will meet his wife Linda, at dinner. After the gallery, we walked a short distance to a favourite spot of Pete's, a pub called The Gunmakers. This was the favourite pub of Winston Churchill, and there is memorabilia to boot. Another short walk and we are outside the Ginger Pig, no not a pub, but a famous butcher shop, and home to "the world's best sausage roll". Pete bought us one, and I can tell you, we won't be disputing the claim. Absolutely delicious! Here, we left Pete, and headed down to Covent Garden for a wander around, before heading back to Nancy & Keith's Club (hotel), for a drink before dinner. It was hard to get a quiet table. They were trialling some live music. There was a violinist and a piano accordionist, a strange pairing, strangling some old favourites. I fear the trial is doomed!! 

Pete & Linda mercifully rescued us, and we headed off to the nearby restaurant that Linda had chosen. As a partner in a large London legal practice, Linda has some serious connections, and we found ourselves at a lovely restaurant called La Caprica, which was Lady Di's favourite place. It was a wonderful dinner, and Linda is a delight. All too soon the evening was over, and we were back on the tube to Euston and our hotel. It has been an extremely full time in London. Now we are whizzing across the French countryside, enroute to Paris.

Italian Odyssey - 2

Leaving Dubai proved harder than we anticipated. Our 5.00am pick up was on time, though the doorman had to wake him up as he was asleep in his car! The airport was surprisingly busy for such an early start, and when we saw our flight was going to be 30 minutes late we were not overly concerned, However when we were on board and we were advised that 9 passengers who had checked in, had decided not to travel, there was a big delay, as we all had to wait while they found and off loaded all their baggage. Bastards!!!!! We were now very late, and that meant consequences for us with our train connections at Gatwick.

We turned on our phone on arrival at Gatwick, and friend Jim was already on the case. We knew we would have tight connections, and Jim was texting us revised connections for trains. We had to get from Gatwick to Victoria Station, then transfer to the tube for a train to Euston Station, then a race across to the intercity train for Wilmslow. It was a circus!! We raced onto the platform for the train to Victoria as the "Stand Clear" was being yelled. I jammed open the train door with my case and told Carol to get on while the guard was having a coronary. We were on the train! We got to Victoria with Jim texting us directions and times. We knew we had no time to queue for tube tickets so just pushed through as gates opened! We finally got to Euston, but knew we would never make our Wilmslow train. Thankfully, the Virgin Train's staff were fantastic, and we were put onto the next train at no cost, even though our ticket was " no changes, no refunds". We were so glad to see Jim's smiling face at Wilmslow station.

What a lovely few days we had with Jim, Joan and their family. Talk about being spoilt! Saturday, we were off to daughter Lizzie's place for a fantastic lunch. Lizzie had stayed with us in Balmain, and now we got to meet her partner Rob and lovely little daughter Emma. It was the nicest day with wonderful food, and lots of wine. We were not even worried about the weather, which was cold and wet. Sunday Jim had arranged a lunch at a local restaurant with his son Stephen and his partner Mary, plus grandson James. The restaurant was Lebanese, and excellent. It was BYO, and the wine just flowed. The last time we had seen Stephen he was a teenage boy, now we were lunching with him and his 24 year old son!! It was such a great day all round. Monday, the weather Jim had been promising arrived, albeit just for a day. It was a Bank Holiday. We took a lovely drive up into the Peak District, with amazing scenery at every turn. The quaint villages and green fields were just beautiful, and being spring, the blossom trees were in full bloom. We finished up in Buxton, where there was a huge Fair, with stalls and music and hordes of people. There were even Morris Dancers!! For those not familiar with Morris Dancers, these are grown men who dress up in colourful clothes with straw hats full of flowers, and bells strapped to their legs. They prance around waving hankies and banging sticks. It is classic John Cleese and the Ministry of Funny Walks!!!!

The drive home was equally spectacular, stopping at a reservoir for a walk around the lake. There were people everywhere, out for picnics and walks. The day finished with a BBQ where all the family came around to Jim & Joan's. So much lovely food and wine and beer. A perfect end to our long weekend. We had been thoroughly spoilt all long weekend. Tuesday dawned wet and windy. Our time in Wilmslow was at an end. After a lazy breakfast we were off to the station, and this time it was all very leisurely, as we boarded our fast train to London, ever so glad that we had time to catch up with friends we have not seen for far too long. We cannot thank Jim & Joan enough for their wonderful hospitality, and the opportunity to spend such lovely time with them and their family.