greondastravels

We had a few days rest after our Bologna trip, resting the knees and the liver….well more the knees! If you remember our “note to self” , on Sunday we did not venture to the mountains so decided to do lunch instead. We thought we would support our local village , and we went to the Osteria del Forno.

We had a great lunch , and luckily the young waitress spoke a little English , as there was no menu. Our antipasto was a yummy vegetable flan, almost like a soufflé and swimming in a cheese sauce. It was delicious.

Mains were bigoli in duck ragu (again for Rhonda) and for Greg, ravioli stuffed with herbs and covered in a tomato , basil and pesto sauce. Both were yum! Of course there was panacotta! At least this time Greg did not have a “conversation” with the chef ! It was nice , but not up with the top 3 ! Still searching!

Then it was back up to the mountains , so sorry people , more photos! We will put in a “small selection” of the 70 photos Greg took on the day! It was day of the Mountain Passes! We drove to Cortina d’Aprezzo (which incidentally has just been awarded the 2026 Winter Olympics)

Our first pass was Passo Falzarego at 2165 metres. We stopped at the village of Arabba and bought ourselves a panini with ham and cheese and an apple strudel to have a picnic lunch , and what a great idea it was!

The next pass was Passo Pordoi at 2242 metres , and what a drive it was. There were 33 hairpin bends on the road up to the top. We enjoyed a great picnic lunch with a view!  On the way down , we only had to negotiate 27 hair pin  bends.

The next pass was Passo Sella at 2220 metres and the scenery was spectacular.

Greg was doing a fantastic job with Luigi , dodging bicycles and motor bikes.

Then another pass, Passo Gardena at 2121 metres. Every time you turned , there was another great mountain view with Gondolas and chairlifts everywhere. It was just stunning.

Of course by this stage Greg needed some extra energy from all the driving so refreshments were called for.

After a drink….or 2 …he was able to negotiate more hairpin bends , more bicycles and of course more motor bikes!

The last pass of the day was Passo Campolonga , a mere baby at 1875 metres. It was a fantastic day and the Dolomites are certainly worth exploring!

On Wednesday, the day had finally come that Greg had been waiting for, the reason that we had come to the Dolomites, to see the Tre Cime de Lavaredo.

We knew that the Toll Road was open so off we went. We made an early start , not only to beat the crowds but also to beat the heat! As you may have heard Europe is in the middle of a heat wave! We paid our 30 euro toll to travel 5 kilometres to the car park to begin our walk!

Tre Cime ( three peaks) is “the best known” mountain group in the Dolomites. Our plan WAS to complete the circuit of about 3 1/2 hours. Along the track you come across Rifugios , translation…..a mountain hut accessible by foot to provide shelter and food (booze)!

We began walking at about 9am. It was a pleasant stroll to the first Refugio, Auronzo,(it was in the car park!) It was around a 45 minute walk to the next one, Rifugio Lavaredo, but still no glimpse of Tre Cime!

We pushed on , without a stop, UP  UP   UP the path !

Then we got our first glimpse of the “Three Peaks”. Because it was only a side view we needed to push on!

So onto the next Refugio we went which gave us a “front on” view….fingers crossed!

All Greg could think about on the final climb up was sitting with a cold beer at Rifugio Locatelli and admiring the view. The view was stunning BUT….oh, shit ,NO , the rifugio was closed! Not a happy Gregory!

So alas , he sat admiring the view with a bottle of water!!!!!!!

We knew that if we continued to do the circuit , there were no more rifugios , so guess what, we headed back the way we came and stopped at Rifugio Lavaredo for a well earned beer!

The temperature was now around 30 degrees and were at 2344 metres and the “tourists” were now 4 deep along the path! Time for us to continue back to the car. We arrived back at Rifugio Auronzo an decided another beer and lunch was appropriate.

We shared a plate of pasta to re fuel and Greg spotted this dessert, a rather cute little cake in the shape of Tre Cime.

Even though it was very hot walking, it was wonderful to see and it ticked our “last box ” of what we wanted to see and do in the Dolomites.

It is off to Germany tomorrow , beer , pretzels, and sauerkraut ! The adventure continues!

We can hear you all saying…..thank God no more photos of the Dolomites!

It’s that time again

Ciao ciao for the last time from Italy!

Greg and Rhonda.

We have been very busy trying to fit in all the places we still want to see with only a little time left.

We have ventured up into the Dolomites again…sorry more photos and Greg is loving it!. We went to our usual Sunday morning at “Nettis” , and the waitress (who served us the week before) came across and said to us ” dua cappuchinis and dua broiches grand pistache?”. We must be locals now! But we disappointed her and had something different!

After breakie we continued onwards and upwards , as did thousands of others….. note to self……DO NOT GO FOR A DRIVE IN THE MOUTAINS ON SUNDAYS! Every time we drive up , even on the same road, we notice something different, so of course we need to stop and take photos! Some villages have the backdrop of the Dolomites at their doorstep and it is stunning scenery.

We eventually found our destination , the gorgeous Lake Braies , known as the “Pearl of the Dolomite Lakes”.

Greg was keen to go and “row row row his boat” but Rhonda decided a nice walk halfway round the Lake and a coffee was a better option.

Lucky we were there early as by the time we left , at around noon, you could hardly move. We stopped another Lake , Lago di Landro Durrensee,  (below)which wasn’t quite as crowded but still lots of people around.

The next day the weather report was good , so off we went again, yep , up the mountains! Sorry more photos. We love the churches that all stand on hills with the mountains in the background. They even have car parks to pull in off the road to take photos.

We drove to Cortina d’Ampezzo and took the Gondola up to the top of Mount Floria, at an altitude of 2123 metres. It was bloody spectacular , a photographers dream!

Going up we had great views of Cortina but the vista of the mountains at the top was absolutely stunning.

Everywhere we looked , our reaction was “WOW”. There was still a little snow or ice on the ground but wasn’t as cold as we thought it may have been.

We began to walk upwards again but Rhonda “piked out” (she blamed it on the high altitude!!!!)

We spent a fabulous 3 hours at the top and enjoyed every minute. Cortina hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics , and the ski jump is still on the outskirts of the town. They are hoping to host again in 2026!

We had a great 2 day / 1 night trip to Bologna, not only to see the city but to taste the great food. It is lovingly referred to as La Grassa, or “the fat” , so it is compulsory to eat , eat eat, and we did!!! Photos to follow! We stayed in a fantastic small hotel which was situated in the Quadrilatero area , the narrow winding streets of the old city market.

The fruit and vege stalls were amazingly colourful , although the fish stalls would not pass our health standards, fish sitting in the sun , on ice , not refridgerated!

We checked out the Anatomical Theatre, which is in the Worlds Oldest University! The “marble slab” in the centre of the room was the “dissection table” where in the 1600’s dissections of the human body took place for the students.

The room was heavily bombed in WW11 but was reconstructed immediately after re using all the original wooded sculptures recovered from the rubble.

The antique Lecture rooms have been transformed into a library holding antique books with many Coats of Arms decorating the walls.

The main square is Piazza Maggiore. In 1390 the Basilica of San Petronio was designed to be the largest church in the world , however the Pope at the time decided it was not going to be , and to this day it is still not completed and the marble exterior only goes halfway!

The Palazzo Communale is Bologna’s City Hall and also home to 2 museums. The Fountain of Neptune also takes pride of place in the Piazza!

At Bologna’s peak , the city housed over 100 towers , but today only 22 remain. The most famous of those left today is the 320 foot Asinelli Tower.

Yes you can climb the tower , 498 steps, no lift, up a steep wooded staircase for 5 euros per person. We decided our money was better spent having a beer and pizza at the Pizzeria da Torre! The pizza by the way was fantastic, almost as good as 400 Grandi!

We wandered up to Piazza Santo Stefano and went inside the beautiful Basilica. The complex was originally home to 7 churches , it now houses 4 dating back to the 13th century. It was extremely peaceful as well as a nice relief from the hot sun outside.

Of course , to us , food was important so we had to try some typical “Bolognese food” for lunch. So lunch was a piadina , which is Italian flat bread filled with ham and cheese. Yum!

Bologna’s Porticoes are UNESCO listed and unique in the world. There is over 40 kms of the sheltered archways throughout the city. Some of the original wooden ones are still visible today. We have to say it was good to have shade whilst pounding the pavement.

In the afternoon to “cool ourselves down” we stumbled across “the oldest bar in Bologna”. Osteria del Sole, a bar that has been operating since 1465! It was hard to find , no sign anywhere but of course we found it! Only sells vino and beer but you can BYO your own food!

Bologna also has 60 kms of largely covered canals running under the city. We had read about one viewpoint from a small window along a back street and we found it!

Dinner time , and of course we wanted traditional food again. We went to an Osteria recommended by our hotel. Our shared entrée was Tortellini in Brodo (tiny tortellini stuffed with cheese and served in a simple broth!) Yum!

Main was Tagliatelle al Ragu , again absolutely delicious!

We finished with a “shared” panacotta , however , when it was served  to us  it looked more like a crème caramel!! The chef even come out to explain to us that it was Bologna’s version of panacotta! Greg did not accept this explanation and told the chef it was a crème caramel! All in good fun though! Did we forget to mention that dinner washed down with a bottle of Italian Pinot Grigio! It was a great dinner! And obviously Greg is still searching for that perfect panacotta!

We had a great time in Bologna, walked our legs off , over 32 kms over the 2 days , but still isn’t helping the waistlines!

Sorry to tell you , there will be more mountain photos to come as we have a couple more trips planned! Only 1 week left here in Italy then it’s onto Germany! Beer photos from there!!!

So , talking of beer, it’s that time again!

Ciao ciao

Love Greg and Rhonda

We have enjoyed a 2 day / one night  stay in the beautiful city of Vicenza (UNESCO listed) and known for it’s elegant buildings designed by the 16th Century architect , Andrea Palladio.

We caught the train, dumped our bags at the Hotel , and headed straight for the stunning Piazza dei Signori with its magnificent buildings. The Palladian Basilica , which goes along almost one complete side of the Piazza was quite impressive and we ventured up to the terrace for a view of the rooftops!

Also in the Piazza was the Loggia del Capitaniato , once a military office for the Venetian Republic and today the Town Council.

Also in the Piazza was the 82 metre Torre Bissara, constructed in the 12th Century.

Of course , after a couple of hours walking , it was time for a drink. It was very pleasant sipping on an aperol spritz admiring the Piazza with it’s 2 columns (winged lion, the emblem of Venice and the Redeemer)

After some more meandering , it was time for lunch and the Calabrese Salad with buffalo mozzarella was rather delicious, and of course it was washed down with a couple more drinks!

We checked out the rather pretty Ponte san Michele and then it was time to rest up for a while and “psyche” ourselves up for dinner.

And what a dinner it was!!!!!!!!!! Rhonda’s ravioli , with herbs, “hay butter” , hazlenuts and white asparagus was sensational, and Greg enjoyed his linguine with prawns , broad beans and raspberry sauce!!!!!! Of course it was washed down with a nice wine or 2!

After dinner we NEEDED a walk. We were a little disappointed that the buildings were not lit up as much as we had hoped!

Wandering out for coffee the next morning, imagine our surprise when we saw that the whole of the lovely piazza was taken over by the weekly market! We still had plenty to see though.

First stop was the beautiful Olympic Theatre. It was opened in 1585 and was Palladio’s last work and masterpiece.

It is the oldest roofed theatre in the world and the stage gives it a great “illusion of depth”. It was amazing!

Even the gardens at the entrance to the theatre were lovely!

We visited the Palazzo Chiericati , the Art Gallery of Vicenza ( we don’t normally visit the inside of Art Galleries!) but Greg wanted to see the frescoed ceiling inside! Bad luck…..that part  was closed for renovations.

We did however see lavish frescoes and statues in the Palazzo Leoni Montanari.

Of course we needed to do lunch before we made our way back home! Again we made a good choice! Rhonda’s Bigoli pasta with duck ragu and Greg’s spaghetti with clams were both sensational.

We enjoyed our stay in Vicenza , walked our legs off, saw lots of Palazzos , drank lots of aperols , and ate some fantastic food!

We had a rest day yesterday as Greg’s knees after all the walking were “merda” (translation…shit)  We have to get them right for our 2 day stay in Bologna next week….more walking , more eating and more drinking!

Today after an epic session on the telephone and lap top with Air B n B , sorting out some issues , we decided to shout ourselves lunch! Wow, what a lunch it was! We went to the local Trattoria Molinetto with it’s speciality of “costata” that’s a 1kg rib eye , cooked on the wood fired grill. OMG!

We must say this was shared between us with a salad and roast potatoes! We decided we would not have “dolce” but when Greg saw that there was Pannacotta , of course  ONE was ordered!

It was pretty bloody good , up there with the best, but Greg still searching for the best one!!!!

Update on the weather for you “coldies” back in Melbourne. It is still sunny and around 30 degrees, good drinking weather!

Speaking of which, it’s that time again!

Ciao for now

Greg and Rhonda.

We have settled in nicely to the Italian lifestyle in Refrontolo doing our usual things of rest days , lunches and touring!

Even though we still say that the Italians are “absolutely crazy drivers” , at least now we don’t have to contend with roads closed due to the Giro d’Italia. The tour was through the mountains and our area for the first 4 days we were here , and it made it difficult for us at times ( well , at least for Greg and Luigi). Still however we have to contend with cyclists on the roads and on narrow roads it can be frustrating!

We visited Cittadella , a walled medieval town not far from us. You are able to completely walk around the town walls called the Ronda Walkway, and considered to be one of the most beautiful city walls in Italy, however at 5 euros per person, and a temperature of 30 degrees ,and Gregory’s thirst, we decided it was a smarter choice to sit and have a drink , and admire the Town Square with its Duomo built between 1774 and 1826!

Greg was keen to take Luigi for a trip up to the Dolomites on those winding roads with lots of hairpin bends!

We decided to head to Tre Cime di Lavaredo or The three Peaks of Lavaredo , considered to be one of the highest peaks of the Dolomites! First stop on “the tour” was the rather beautiful Lago di Santa Caterina with it’s most beautiful reflections.

As we continued higher the scenery became more spectacular! We knew when we arrived at Lake Misurina , there would be a toll road of 25 kms ,AND 30 euros to take us to The Three Peaks.

Well, imagine our surprise when we discovered that the toll road was not open due to the amount of snow, so if you wanted to see the Three Peaks you needed to walk up the mountain for about 3 hours to get the first glimpse of them!

We started , knowing we would not go all the way, but still had fantastic views of the mountains.

We are going to return……..when we are sure the road is open!

We stopped at Cortina d’Ampezzo known as “The Queen of the Dolomites”. It was a pretty little ski resort town at the foothills of the Alps.

All in all it was a fantastic drive , and well done to Greg and Luigi, we will be venturing up the mountains again, so beware , lots more photos to come!

We have visited our first Prosecco House called Masuret. By chance, it happened to be the “house prosecco” at Scopri (our favourite restaurant in Melbourne).

We spent 2 fabulous hours with Massimo who gave us a tour of the winery , multiple tastings , and lots of info on Prosecco!

Of course we have been having a few aperitives on our terrace at home , but we have also checked out a couple of bars in our village , and both have passed with flying colours!

Our lunch out this week was at a very traditional Trattoria and the food was great. The owner  asked us “French, German, Belgium????” , and her response when we answered “Australian” was …….OHHHHHH Mumma Mia”.

Greg’s tagliatelle with deer ragu was delicious as was Rhonda’s ravioli with herbs and sage butter , followed by pannacotta , however Greg is still on the hunt for the best one , this one did not rate!!!

We have discovered some small pretty villages close by. The village of Cison di Valmarino, one of “The most Beautiful Villages of Italy” was picturesque. Next stop was Follino to check out the Abby of Santa Maria , built in 1305. The cloisters were quite impressive. We stopped off at the Molinetto della Corda , a 17th Century Mill that was recently restored. It was a very pretty spot.

We spent a day touring the “Piave Wine Road” and home to many Venetian villas. We had to stop to take a photo of Villa Toderini , originally owned by a noble family which supplied rich Venetian people with expensive cloth and lace.

We then arrived at Oderzo , a lovely small town although a music festival was happening (much to Greg’s disgust) so there were lots of people around!

We sat in the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele and had a drink, note …….water …..well it was only 10.30am and it was 32 degrees so we thought that is was more appropriate than alcohol!

Next stop, for lunch, AND a real drink , was Roncade with it’s rather impressive 15th Century Castello, privately owned now by a Baron!!!!!

Continuing our drive we became blasé about all the magnificent villas we were seeing along the way , but we took one last photo of the Villa Tiepolo Passi , a 17th Century Veneto villa still owned by the same family who built it.

We ventured up the mountains again for another one of Greg and Luigi’s favourite drives, through 2 passes and the spectacular Val del Mis with its many one lane , and unlit tunnels gorged through the rock. Rhonda had her eyes closed some of the time!!!!

We also came across a huge pack of goats being herded up the road ( it slowed us to a crawl for about 2 kms)

The first pass (1378metres) the Passo Cereda , gave us some spectacular snow covered mountains and fantastic scenery.

We discovered that the Giro also road up these roads the weeks before as all the mountain hamlets and chalets are still decorated with pink bikes , ribbons and any thing else pink you can think of!

The second pass , Croce d”Aune (only 1011 metres) had no one way tunnels but very narrow roads which kept Rhonda’s heart rate up! Well done again to Greg and Luigi to getting us up and down safely.

We were planning to stop in Feltre for lunch , but a few kms out , we stumbled across an Italian Beer Hall, so a few beers and snags later we continued to check out the town of Feltre.

Although there were some lovely Venetain frescoed buildings , it was not a “wow” moment for us!

We are off to check out the larger city of Vicenza tomorrow for an overnight stop!

Just some info for you….the temperature has been around 30 degrees since our arrival, good quality prosecco is costing us 7 euros per bottle and a 6 pack of longneck Peroni beer is costing us 2 euros 50. Cappuccinos are 1 euro 50 and really good!!!!

So it’s time to pack , and have a drink of course!!

Cheers

Ciao ciao

Greg and Rhonda

After “suffering through” our Business Class flights, and having a spectacular view of the Swiss Alps from the plane, we arrived in sunny Italy!

We picked up our car, another Citroen , which we have named “Luigi” as it sounded very Italian! Unbeknown to us, we arrived on a “long weekend public holiday” , so the traffic was horrendous, but Greg did his usual job of getting us safely to our first stay.

We are staying in the village of Refrontolo in the Veneto region , north of Venice , and at the foot of the Dolomite Mountains, AND the home of Prosecco…..needless to say there will be a few bottles drunk!

Our little house is very comfortable with a fantastic outdoor terrace which will be used often due to the warm temperatures …sorry all you Melbournites!

The whole area is full of vineyards all over the surrounding hills making beautiful scenery.

We have begun to drive the Prosecco Road, which winds through all the villages reknown for the production of Prosecco. We haven’t visited any vineyards yet, that’s on the “to do” list.

We have already visited some “walled villages” and pretty towns.

Castelfranco is a small medieval walled town with the walls and towers constructed in 1211. The City Tower bears the Venetian winged Lion. It was a small village but pleasant to wander around.

We also went to Asolo, one of the “Most Beautiful Villages of Italy” , and we could see why! The arched walkways were very pretty , it was a nice place to wander.

On Sunday morning we needed to find “our Brunettis” , and we did in the neighbouring town of Conegliano. It was good coffee and great pastries , so that will be our Sunday morning outings.

Greg decided to drive to the town of Belluno for lunch, but as usual he decided to take the scenic route, through the mountains with a way  tunnel and as well as narrow roads we had to dodge motor bikes and cyclists but it was a stunning drive.

Belluno sits at the foothills of the Dolomite Mountains so the vista was pretty spectacular. We arrived on Republic day so lots of Red white and green everywhere!

Our lunch was rather good , some pasta for Greg ,and Rhonda’s first spigola  (sea bass) washed down of course with an aperol spritz and beer!

We had forgotten how big the supermarkets are here! In particular the alcohol aisles!!!! It is a difficult choice but I am sure we are up to it. Today we did 2000 steps just trying to decide which beer to buy! Ridiculous!

So that is the first blog down! Temperature has been high 20’s each day! Perfect. Lots planned , in particular lots more drives up those mountains!

It’s that time again!

Ciao and cheers

Greg and Rhonda.

After almost 3 months of cavorting around Europe, we are heading home tomorrow and looking forward to the 30 plus hours of flying……NOT!  Bring on Business Class!

We negotiated the train to Lisbon even though there had been a taxi strike in both Porto and Lisbon. It just meant dragging suitcases up and down cobblestoned streets , but we made it.

Our little house in Lisbon is in the Alfama district (UNESCO listed) , the oldest part of Lisbon and again narrow winding cobblestone medieval streets.

Can you imagine Greg’s reaction when our door was opened and we saw the stairs!!!!

However the area is great and more importantly quiet at night. There are heaps of restaurants in the area so no chance of going hungry.

The old trams rattle up and down the narrow streets and are always packed so we choose to walk, although after 7 days of walking up and down around Porto and Lisbon , Greg’s knees are telling him that they have had enough!

There are some beautiful squares in the city. We liked the Praca do Comercio and it is one of the largest squares in Europe.

The Rua Augusta Arch was built to commemorate Lisbon’s re construction after the 1755 earthquake which destroyed most of Lisbon.

Lisbon has many miradouros or viewpoints where you can get nice views over the city and the Tagus River.

The Square , Praca Luis de Camoes was a good spot to sit and rest and have a coffee and nata or 2! (Portuguese tarts!)

Whilst sitting there enjoying our coffee and natas we saw people entering into a building that we thought was a theatre! Well guess what….it was a church! Sorry Greg , but we did go in and it was quite impressive! So impressive that he took a photo!

We are still enjoying the good food here in Portugal. We had (in Rhonda’s opinion) the best sea bass for the trip at Pateo 13. It was an enjoyable night chatting to 2 lovely German ladies.  ( Go Stuttgart)

Whilst wandering the streets of Alfama you find plaques on the walls with photos of the locals who live there. Apparently , we were told that if they find you looking at their photographs they will give you their life history. A nice touch we thought.

We have wandered down the main shopping streets. Rhonda has scored a pair of shoes but there is still some more shopping to do!

We did a great food and wine tour here in Lisbon. We would highly recommend “Ruthy’s Tour”. We spent nearly 4 hours wandering the Alfama streets , eating and drinking. It was fabulous! Greg even tried “sardines” which he vowed he would never eat. Mind you he didn’t like it at all.

We finished up with the “Award winning” Pastel Feijao. It is a “modern take” on the old Portuguese recipe of cannelloni bean and almond pastry. OMG it was delicious and in our opinion they are better than the Pastel de Nata!

Whilst on the subject of Pastel de Nata , we have tried quite a few ( Greg more than Rhonda!) but our favourite are the ones we had in Belem. We took a 30 minute tram ride, specifically to go to the very popular Pasteis de Belem Patisserie.

It is the “home” of the Pastel de Belem or Portuguese tart. In 1837 , this café began making the tarts from an ancient recipe which was give to them by the monks at the Monastery in Belem. They are all hand made and to watch them in production is amazing. It is quite an art.

It was from Belem that Vasco de Gama departed on his voyages to discover “the world” and the sail shaped Discoveries Monument , built in the 1960’s is dedicated to all the Portuguese explorers and adventurers. It was quite impressive.

The UNESCO listed Belem Tower was also rather nice and built in the 16th Century as a fort to protect the coast.

The most impressive building however is the massive Jeronimos Monastery , built in the 16th Century and the final resting place for Vasco de Gama. Being a Monday the Monastery was closed so (in Greg’s words) thankfully we could not visit!

On Greg’s wish list of food to try here in Portugal ( as well as the tarts) was Portuguese chicken. Well, we must say it was the best roast chicken we have ever had. The rather spicy piri piri sauce just gave that little kick to it. The restaurant has been “cooking chooks” since 1960 so after all that time they have certainly got it right. Delicious!

We also visited the ” Time Out ” Market and these little suckling piglets looked pretty darn good too!

We have been enjoying wandering the streets , then finding a little bar to sit and enjoy a refreshing sangria or beer!

However unfortunately that has all come to an end! Well almost!

So for the Last time, it is that time again!

By the way flights are booked for next year! ( Sorry Ez)

So adios until next year!

Greg and Rhonda

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By the way , our last day here in Lisbon is 35 degrees! Can you all please organise some good weather back in Melbourne for us!

We left Sajazarra and had a one night stop  on the road to Santiago de Compostela. We stopped at Astorga another town on the Camino trail, and another medieval walled town!

The gothic cathedral was quite impressive as was the “Episcopal Palace of Astorga” , designed by Gaudi and built in the late 1800’s. The Town Hall in the main square was another nice building , begun in 1683 and finished in 1704 and renovated in 1994!

We stopped at another small village on the Camino trail called Molinascea with a rather nice  7 arched “Roman Bridge of the Pilgrims” ( which we walked across)

Then we arrived in Santiago de Compostela. Yes we finished the Camino de Compostela! Well……we drove some of it but we didn’t walk enough of it to get our certificate!

The first view of the Cathedral was ….WOW!!!!! It’s construction began in 1075 on the site of an old church dedicated to Saint Santiago (or Saint James in English!) It’s construction continued over the years and it has many architectural styles.

When we first arrived we noticed the queue at the front was quite long so we decided to be “first in line” the following morning. We arrived at 7.45am and there was a queue already of about 150 people but we decided to wait! Wrong decision!! After 1 1/2 hours we discovered the queue was only to enter The Portico and because it had been recently renovated , they were only letting 15 people in at a time! Although it was quite stunning….no photos allowed , sorry….we really only wanted to see inside the main part of the Cathedral. According to Greg ” that is 1 1/2 hours of my life wasted that I will never get back!”

Then we finally got into the main body of the Cathedral, around the back and no queue! One of the things we really wanted to see was the “botafumeiro” a large chalice that swings 20 metres above the congregation dispensing incense! It is only swung after special masses or if you are willing to pay 400 euros!! ( we were not!) They say the tradition was begun in order to cover the smell of the pilgrims arriving after completing the Camino. Maybe they should swing it 4 times a day! There were a lot of pilgrims!!!!! So Greg did go inside and vowed that was the LAST church. We enjoyed some good wine and tapas in Santiago and did a “pub crawl” for Stew’s birthday which was good!

Our accommodation was in a great location , only 500 metres from the Cathedral but it was known as the “Hobbit House” due to it’s low ceilings! Hence Greg has a few “dents” in his head now!

We left Santiago de Compostela and Spain and headed to Portugal. We said goodbye to Olaf in Porto. He behaved himself well, no dents , no scratches and no 85 euro cleaning fee! We also hold the record for the most kilometres for a car dropped off this year , and we only did 12,500 kilometres!

Our apartment in Porto is great and when you step out on our little balcony you have a lovely view of the Douro River. ( below) We are stying in the Ribeira area , which is UNESCO listed. It is full of medieval alleyways zigzagging down to the river and what goes down must come up , so lots of exercise!

Porto is a big city and for us , there are way too many people and “tourists” but in saying that there are some lovely buildings and the people are very friendly.

We have done many kilometres walking up and down the streets of Porto. This enormous church (below) is actually 2 with Porto’s smallest “hidden house” in the centre.

One church was built in the 17th Century and the other in the 18th Century.

There are theories for the “hidden house” but our favourite is that is was erected to keep the nuns and monks from getting too cozy with each other! The tiled wall on the façade was lovely and we are loving the loads of buildings decorated with beautiful tile work.

We did a Food and Wine Walking Tour one morning…thanks kids……it was great! We drank and ate quite a lot, a challenge at 10am , but we coped! Still really haven’t got the taste for Port but the beer is good and the “bifanas” we had was delicious!

It is pork that has been spiced and seasoned in a big pot with sauce,  and a little spicy! It is put in a white bread roll and ends up being moistened with the sauce, and it is traditional to have a beer with it! Delicious!

We have ventured out at night , usually to walk dinner off , and we have walked across the river to take some night photos. It is very pretty , and the other side is a lot less crowded too!

We took a “touristy” tram ride to Foz which is where the Douro River reaches the Atlantic Ocean.

We have also tried another traditional food here called “Francesinha” . They call it a “twist” on the classic French dish , croque monsieur, but it is a rather big “twist”. It is a sandwich made with bread , wet cured ham, fresh sausage, steak or roast meat and covered with melted cheese and a hot thick tomato and beer sauce , served with French fries! Cholesterol heaven!!! But we have to say it was rather good!

We have been enjoying a lot…..probably too many…… of Portuguese tarts or “natas” . They are quite yummy and go extremely well with a cup of coffee!

It has been great wandering the streets and alleyways of Porto and the views along the river have been sensational.

Those with good eyesight, our little apartment is next to the crane with the blue balconies! Good luck!

Tomorrow we hop on a train and go to Lisbon for 4 nights , then we have a lovely 30 hour plane trip home!

So it’s that time again and the good news is that you can get a JUG of sangria here so we are off!

Adios amigos

Greg and Rhonda

xxx

This is our last day in La Rioja before moving onto our last few days in Spain.

We have still found plenty to do in our last week. We have checked out the small village of Cellorigo at the foot of “Home Rock” . Stunning scenery but don’t think we would want to live there!

We decided to take a “short drive” on Sunday and it lasted 4 hours. We were going to re visit a place we thought we had stayed at quite a few years ago and when we got there we realised that it wasn’t the same place. It was a nice village though with some lovely old houses. Lunch was good , particularly the “jam croquettes” the Spanish translation for ham croquettes.

The gorges we travelled through were stunning but unfortunately the roads were too narrow and there was no where to stop for photos…..sorry!

There is a town , not far from us that is an important stop for those travelling the Camino de Compostela. It is called Santo Dominigo de la Calzado.

A brief history! Dominigo Garcia was a hermit and around 1040 he decided to dedicate his life to helping pilgrims on their way to Compostela. He cleared forests , built a bridge and finally a hospital and a church. When he died in 1109 he was buried in his church which today has become a magnificent cathedral and his tomb inside the church is spectacular….sorry too many tour groups for a photo!

The Altar piece was amazing and it was begun in 1537! However there is something in the Cathedral that most people wish to see, and it is the Henhouse! In front of Dominigo’s Mausoleum is a Gothic Henhouse , built in the 15th Century to keep alive a hen and a rooster in memory of a famous miracle! Animal lovers…..it is ok….. the hen and the rooster are changed every 14 days!

So briefly ( if you are interested) the legend is…

1. German pilgrims (parents and 18 year old son) decided to walk the Camino and marry the son off on the way.
2. Stopped to rest in Santo Domingo de la Calzada , innkeepers daughter falls in love with the son, but the love is not reciprocated!
3. Girl angry, so she hides a silver goblet in son’s luggage and accuses him of theft.
4. His “theft” is punishable by hanging , so he is hanged.
5. Parents continue on pilgrimage and return to the town to visit the son’s grave.
6. When they arrive the son is still hanging from the gallows but miraculously he is still alive.
7. Son says “Santo Dominigo bought me back to life, go to the mayor and tell him to cut me down”
8. Mayor about to have dinner when parents arrive and says ” That boy is as alive as this roast rooster and hen that I am about to eat”
9. Suddenly the rooster and hen sprang to life, sprout feathers and beaks and begin to crow!
10. Thus the miracle occurred!

It was a very interesting visit.

For those of you who are “Game of Thrones ” fans this next place may be familiar. Ez told us of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe , an amazing spot , where filming had taken place.

The name means “Castle Rock” and it was exactly that. Originally a castle stood atop the tiny island , but now a small church sits there dedicated to John the Baptist.

The island is connected to the mainland by a man made stone bridge that goes onto a path that has 241 steps that zig zag to the top. Yes we did it!!!!!!!!!!!

It was an amazing day and certainly spectacular views were plentiful! As were the photos!!!!!!

We took a day trip into the city of Burgos . It’s main attraction is it’s stunning Cathedral of St Maria. We nearly decided not to pay the 7 euros to go in but so glad that we did!

The “starry” Dome raised in the 15th Century was incredible and the tomb of “El Cid” is underneath it (we even saw his coffin)

The main altar piece was just gold….gold….gold and wandering through the cloisters was very peaceful. It was MASSIVE!

Burgos is an important stop on the Camino trail. We saw loads of “pilgrims” or “walkers” who queue up at the hostels for a room for the night, and you leave your backpack in the queue to get the best room! Even though we haven’t walked it, Greg had to get his photo taken with his pilgrim mate!

The main square of Burgos, The Plaza Mayor , had some lovely buildings and was a good spot for a coffee.

We also did a day trip to visit a couple of towns on the Camino trail , and a drive through the mountains. Our first stop was the gorgeous little village of Puente de Reina, meaning the bridge of the Queen. The Romanesque bridge, built by the Queen , was built for the use of the pilgrims to cross the river on their way along the Camino.

We walked through the village where the pilgrims walk , from one end to the other….so yes you can say we have “walked” some of the Camino de Compostela.

We continued onto Estella, a large town , and again on the Camino trail. Again there was another beautiful medieval bridge to cross , and the main square, although it was market day , was a good place to stop for a beer! They were 2 good stops!!!

We decided that on our drive home we would go the looooong way and travel via the mountains and National Parks.

What a drive it was , the scenery was amazing as were some of the roads that Greg and Olaf had to negotiate! The Urbusa National Park was incredible. It was a great day!

This morning we visited a huge Monastery at San Millan de la Cogolla. The present renaissance construction dates from 1607 and today it is still a working monastery.

The inner church dates back to 1504 and the large altar piece was pretty stunning. The frecoes on the ceiling of the Sacristy were amazing.

It is official , Greg is now Church / Cathedraled out……however there is one more to come and that is the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, which is the end of the Camino trail. Sorry Greg but we WILL be going into it!

The good news is that seeing we have been into so many churches and cathedrals we figure that we have everybody “covered off” for the next 10 years!

So that is it…..yep definitely that time again!

Adios amigos!

Greg and Rhonda

xxxx

The next few blogs are made possible because of Marcos  from the Vodafone store in Gijon. We knew that we did not have internet in our village , so because of Marcos’ good English we are now on line! Marcos , here is the photo you asked for writing the blog in Haro with a glass or 2 of wine! Thank you! Muchas gracias!

We are now quite happy and settled in our little hamlet of Sajazarra but more about our village later!

We left Gijon and drove through the spectacular Las Ubinas la Mesa.  The mountain ranges made for a great drive and we stopped for lunch at Leon.

The Cathedral was stunning….f.rom the outside. Unfortunately it closes for 3 hours on Saturdays from 11.30 to 2.30 for weddings so tourists are forbidden!!!

It’s construction began in the 13th century and it has 130 windows and 3 rose windows. It was huge!

Another lovely building was the Gaudi Museum or Botines House designed by Gaudi himself! Leon surprised us and it was a good lunch stop!

We then continued onto our home for the next 2 weeks ,the small village of Sajazarra in the La rioja region of Spain , renown for it’s wine, and in particular red wine.

It is classed as one of the most beautiful villages of Spain and that is probably due to it’s Castillo! It is privately owned and has been in the same family since 1960. It is quite impressive.

We enjoy a walk each morning that takes us through the vineyards , and there is a spectacular rock formation that we named “Home Rock”.

Our little house has a great courtyard that we can relax in , and Greg is certainly enjoying his afternoon siestas! He has slotted into the Spanish lifestyle extremely well.

The first night we had dinner at the only restaurant / bar in town . It was delicious. The Iberian ham was great and the lamb cooked in the wood oven was fantastic and the wine was pretty good too!

The next day we decided to check out some other smaller villages near to us. One of the loveliest was Briones which not only had great coffee but also a beautiful Cathedral and it’s golden interior was quite stunning.

The views from the Mirador were quite nice with loads of vineyards.

Another good stop was San Vincente de la Sonsierra with its “monumental compound” consisting of a fortress , castle and gothic parish church from the 16th century.

It was quite a climb to the top but we put some kms in our legs and made it! The views were good from the top!

The town also has a very pretty medieval bridge.

We spent another day to “do lunch” in Haro , about 10 kms from Sajazarra . The area has been making wine for over 100 years , so hence there are heaps of wineries in the area.

Haro is also known as the “City of Palaces” and there are many beautiful buildings in the town.

La Paz is the main square in the town and every winery in the vicinity of Haro has a barrel in front of the 18th century Town Hall. Sadly we missed the main event of Haro, The Battle of the Wine. You must wear white clothes and you throw thousands of litres of red wine over everybody else! Sounds like fun!

We ended up (unbeknown to us) at one of the oldest restaurants in Haro for lunch and it is famous for it’s wood fired roast lamb. Guess what we had???? After lunch we partook of a wine or 2 al fresco!

We had a rather dreary wet day……oh no….. so we thought we might as well do something to keep us out of the rain, so we did a winery tour and tasting. We chose Gomez Cruzadoa , a smaller winery. They have been making wine since 1886. We had a very interesting wine tour, we learnt lots and the wines were excellent. Highly recommend a visit if you are ever in the area!

We drove to LaGuardia , a medieval town still with it’s 13th century walls. It was lovely wandering the narrow streets with lots of 15th and 16th century palaces.

The old Town Hall , 16th century (above) was just as impressive as the new one and the gate below the Bell tower at the Church of San Juan is known as the “Grandparents Portal” so of course we had to walk through it!

The panoramic view from the mirador, of the vineyards below the Cantabrian Mountains was stunning. (above)

We then continued onto the small village of Najera. This village is an imporatant stop for the people walking The St James Way or the Camino de Compostello. When we saw the magnificent Church we could understand why! Sadly it was not open.

It was a great lunch stop though. The sea bass was great!

We ventured a bit further than normal and drove one and a half hours to the town of Olite, not only to do lunch but to visit the stunning Royal Palace.

It has a checkered history. Originally constructed between `1402 and 1424 by Charles 111 , the noble King of Naverre (impressive title) . He was better known for his luxurious palatial lifestyle rather than his military campaigns! The family enjoyed a relaxed lifestyle at the palace until 1512 when a coup occurred.

It then sadly started to deteriorate and in 1813 , during the war of Independence the Spanish set fire to it to stop the French from taking control of it. It was left derelict until 1937 when the council decided to restore it and the restoration took 30 years to complete! In our opinion it was well worth it!

We still have other places to visit while we are here in Sajazarra for the next week.

Hopefully our internet will last!

So it’s that time again!

Adios amigos!

Greg and Rhonda

xxxx

As you have guessed , we are now in Spain and we survived our “road trip” across France!

Our first night on our road trip was spent at a village called Albenga which is about 80 kms from the French border.

We decided to lash out and spend the night in a Palazzo which was quite beautiful. The town of Albenga is on the Italian Riviera , but as well as a “beach resort” it has a rather lovely Medieval centre with preserved ancient Roman structures and a lot of Medieval towers.

The Cathedral dates from the 11th to the 14th Century and the ceiling was quite stunning.

After wandering through the old town we decided to make our way to the beach. It was your typical Italian beach, a very small area of “public beach” and the rest all private where one pays for ones 6 square inch of sand , a banana lounge and umbrella and use of a change room! Unbelievable!

Being by the coast , we were looking forward to a nice sea food dinner, and we were not disappointed. The sea bass and vegetables were delicious and the “shared” chocolate fondant was pretty good too!

It was a very nice overnight stay after a rather long drive, as we were forced to travel further than we had expected due to the collapse of the bridge in Genoa. During the drive we crossed many ,many bridges and it was a tad stressful at times!

After we had crossed the border into France we noticed a change in the driving attitudes. The French drivers are more courteous and drive much better than those Italians! That’s our opinion anyway.

Our next two nights were spent at Arles in the Provence region of Southern France. We had been to Arles previously and loved the town and thought it would be a good spot to break the drive. We stayed in a great little “Summer House with Garden” , very close to the old Roman city and we would recommend anyone to stay there. It was extremely comfortable.

One of the main attractions in Arles is the magnificent Roman Amphitheatre. It was built in 90AD and capable of seating over 20,000 spectators , and was built for chariot races and “bloody hand to hand battles”. Today it is used for bullfights and concerts. It is a miniature Colosseum and just as impressive!

The main square of Arles, Place de La Republique, has some magnificent buildings and is rather spectacular. The Oblisk is 4th Century Roman , and the Cathedral of Saint Trophime was built between the 12th and 15th Century. The Hotel de Ville, or Town Hall , was built in the mid 1600’s stood impressively with the flag flying proudly.

We had a great lunch in Arles. Rhonda was craving for some duck confit and she wasn’t disappointed. Unfortunately  Greg’s crème brulee wasn’t up there at the top of his list.

Our next stop was at a little village called Bagneres-de-Bigorre. It is at the foot of the Pyrenees , so of course driving along we had some great mountain views.

We left the next morning and headed to Pamplona in Spain for a one night stop. We arrived just after 1pm so spent the rest of the afternoon discovering this fantastic city.

Rhonda’s main wish was to walk the route of the Running of the Bulls, which we did. It was fantastic walking up the narrow streets and imagining the chaos that happens when the bulls are running.

Apparently people who own houses in the streets often charge people up to 100 euros for a spot to watch the bull run on their small balconies. The Town Hall (above) is in the main square and is a lovely building and dates back to the 18th Century. During the Bull Run this open space has the runners feeling relief as there is space to take refuge from the bulls!

Our “Bull Run” continued on and finished in the Bull Ring where we enjoyed a guided tour! There is a rather beautiful monument to the Bull Run depicting 11 runners and 6 bulls. The main Piazza in Pamplona is Plazza del Castillo where we enjoyed a drink at the 18th century majestic Café Iruna, apparently a favourite place of Ernest Hemingway!

Greg’s choice of restaurant for dinner proved to be a hit! We started with a drink at the bar, then retreated to the restaurant where we shared an absolutely delicious Iberian Jamon that melted in your mouth and lamb ribs with sensational peppers. A tick for Greg! We loved Pamplona. It is a great city!

Whilst driving out of Pamplona we had some great scenery and the rock formations were quite remarkable.

We are now in Gijon , a large coastal city on the Atlantic in northern Spain.

It is a sea side resort and reminds us a little of San Sebastian. It has an old Fishermans quarter called the Cimadevilla with ruins of an old Roman settlement which sits on a promontory that sits on the end of the quite large San Lorenzo Beach.

It was great wandering the narrow streets with the old Fishermans houses and Cider taverns and we loved the decorations…..plastic cups with paper attached (jellyfish!)

The 18th century Revillagigedo Palace was rather nice and is now an Art Gallery. Of course Greg had to have a little paddle in the Atlantic Ocean!

Our host told us of the “traditional food” of Asturias , the region of Spain we are in , so we had to try some! The chorizo in cider and the beans with sausage and cider were quite delicious. As you have probably guessed cider is very popular here and they have been making it since the first century BC. Gijon’s motto is ” We don’t just drink cider, we live for it” , so when in Gijon , one must drink cider!

We enjoyed a fantastic sea bass lunch today (best sea bass yet!) in the Plaza Mayor square with ……of course……some cider. Each morning we have walked 4 kms along the esplanade at the beach , along with thousands of others. It has been a nice way to begin the day , and we need to walk off some of that cider…..sea bass……beans……chorizo…..beer etc etc etc!

Tomorrow we leave Gijon and head to our “little house” in the “little village” of Sajazarra in the La Rioja region of northern Spain (red wine country).

So we re off now for our last cider!

Until the next episode

adios amigos

Greg and Rhonda