Cinque Terre, Italy 2016

I can't remember when I first saw my first photo of Italy's picturesque Cinque Terre region, but it was only sometime in the last 3 years. From the moment I saw the photo, I knew it was a place I wanted to see. Now that I have seen it, it is a place that I'll never forget. Even our first view of it in the evening light was so pretty; and then the view of the  beach the next day in the sunshine was spectacular.

Beach view

Photo courtesy www.cinqueterre.eu.com

Cinque Terre (translates to 'five lands') is an area that is made up of five unique fishing villages that lie on the Italian Riviera overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The region became a Unesco World Heritage site in 1997.  "Monterosso, the oldest, was founded in AD 643, when beleaguered hill dwellers moved down to the coast to escape from invading barbarians. Riomaggiore came next, purportedly established in the 8th century by Greek settlers fleeing persecution in Byzantium. The others are Vernazza, Corniglia and Manarola...In October 2011 flash floods along the Ligurian coast wreaked havoc in Venazza and Monterosso, burying historic streets and houses under metres of mud and killing half-a-dozen people." http://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/cinque-terre/introduction#ixzz49gVjDeIw.

My sister texted me a photo yesterday of an article from the latest Australian Women's Weekly advertising Cinque Terre as a tourist destination. Judging by the crowds we saw during the day (thankfully most of them seemed to be on day tours, so the evenings were much quieter) the word has certainly got around...I wouldn't suggest for anyone to visit the area in high season (July, August) as it would be wall to wall people - the trains and cafes were busy enough as it was!

Lemons!

The 5 villages are connected by trains, and there is also a famous walking track between each village. The mountainsides are cultivated with vineyards and olive groves (see terraced hillsides in both photos above), and it seems that each yard has its own lemon tree. The area is renowned for olive oil and pesto sauce (basil, olive oil, garlic, salt, pine nuts and pecorino cheese).

First day - Riomaggiore

We stayed 5 nights in Monterosso, and our hotel was right in the middle of the main street - such a fantastic location. We caught the train (15 mins) to the furtherest village of Riomaggiore and had lunch there one day. Another day we visited Venazza and then caught the train to have lunch in Manarola - our cameras thought they had died and gone to heaven. We also hoped to visit the 5th village of Corniglia, but were thwarted by a train strike! Thankfully the trains resumed at 6pm the evening before we were due to depart by train for Turin and Milan to catch our plane to Copenhagen. 

Jen in Riomaggiore

To really enjoy the laid-back vibe of the area,  a 5 day visit is about right - we had lunch and dinner in a different restaurant for each meal, and I thoroughly enjoyed trying another two meals of mussels in different presentations.  For those with less time to spare, you can take a day trip from Florence to Cinque Terre  (departs 7am - returns 8pm) for $AUD145 which includes a 3 course seafood lunch. The tour visits 4 of the 5 villages.

Historic church in Monterosso

The damage done by the mud slide in 2011 was catastrophic and can be googled and watched on video. It would have been so scary to have witnessed such an event. The photos on display in the church in Monterosso show the effect of the mudslide in the church. Might be worth clicking on the photo below to see the detail better.

Same church after mud slide October 2011 (click on photo to see devastation)

Ending the day with a gelato or ice-cream

I'll sign off with this stunning scene taken just before we had lunch overlooking this view in Manarola!

France 2016

Bonjour! Well my school French classes and recent U3A refresher lessons helped a little bit during our 3 day sojourn in the French Riviera. The locals may have had trouble with my accent, but between their English and my French and a lot of pointing in the bakeries and at menus, we survived. We couldn't believe that the first place we found to have lunch in France was below an Aussie pub! You might have to click on the photo to read the orange writing on the rooftop!

Our first hotel over the border in France was near the mouth of the  Rhône River in the city of Arles - our hotel was was up a very narrow, one-way cobblestoned lane way (see top left photo of collage at left), but right behind an arena that was constructed by the Romans in 90AD and was built to house 20,000 spectators - we wondered where that many people could have come from back then! Another nearby structure was built in the first century BC. The mind boggles. The Ligurians lived in Arles dating back to 800 BC - then the Romans arrived centuries later, in 123 BC. 

The painter Vincent Van Gogh lived here in Arles for a few years in 1888 and painted over 300 of his trademark Provence paintings during his stay in this city before cutting of his ear!

Here at Arles I tried a local Pastis (aniseed aperitif recommended by my chiropractor Alan) and thoroughly enjoyed my bucket of mussels steamed in white wine and garlic. Delicieux!

Ancient city architecture

Rhône River

Marseille, France

From here it was off to Marseille for lunch where it was breezy and cool, and the traffic was nasty. We then had a drive through the main streets of busy Cannes (no sign of George Clooney or any of our mates) before heading onto our next hotel in the French Alps overlooking the Mediterranean. Murray did a great job driving in the narrow, winding roads of the medieval villages where we stayed or visited, and through the milling crowds attending the Cannes Film Festival. We couldn't work out why so many photographers were out and about in Cannes until we saw signage advertising the Cannes Film Festival - we managed to drive through during the festival without even realising. 

The next two nights were spent in a town only minutes from the medieval walled cities of St Paul de Vence and Saint Jeannet. We parked outside St Paul De Vence and enjoyed a walk though the quaint cobblestoned alleyways which must tell stories from such long ago! Then we drove into St Jeannet - pity we didn't realise how narrow the roadways were until we nearly got stuck and had to backtrack! Yikes. 

Nice

After 2 days in our mountain spa hotel we continued our route towards the Italian border by heading down the mountains for a drive along the Côte D'Azur. Breakfast was in Nice where we also took a walk by the Mediterranean Sea - the water was a tad cold, but I managed to dip my feet in! The beach was made of smooth stones rather than lovely sand like our beaches or those of beautiful Destin, Florida - the shingle beach made it very difficult to walk on without shoes. The scenery as we wound along the coast was absolutely stunning though - our cameras were in overdrive. We kept stopping just to look at the view.  

For Eric - Murray doing a Lewis and Clark on the Côte D'Azur

Preparations for Grand Prix in Monaco

When we reached Monaco we couldn't work out why we saw so many police and lots of road closures - this time the disruptions were due to preparations for the Grand Prix due to be held just over a week later on Sunday 29th May. Murray was put to the test once again. As we drove along the winding, mountainous roads around Monaco, we didn't have to stretch our minds too much to see how Princess Grace of Monaco could have easily lost control of her car's steering (she had a mild stroke while driving) in that long ago accident in 1982 where she lost her life. 

Monaco marked the end of our France travels, so we handed the rental car in, said 'au revoir' to France,  and caught a train to Genoa where we changed trains, and hurtled on to our next stop in Italy…ah, belissimo.  

Spain 2016

Our tour guide Julian with Murray à la Flamenco!

Madrid is the city where we started our 16 day COSMOS tour of Spain, Portugal and Morocco with Jenny and Peter and 35 others. Our tour guide Julian was a fountain of knowledge, had a cheeky chuckle, and could sing a nice tune. He didn't seem to use any notes, but dates, facts and interesting information were constantly imparted at the appropriate times. As well as a top tour guide, we were fortunate to have the competent Pedro as our driver - he had a daunting task in Morocco and Granada, but capably steered us home safely. Needless to say we were pleased to discover that our coach was almost brand new - it was on its second trip, and it was very comfortable and ran so smoothly.

Our first excursion was a day trip about 45 minutes SW of Madrid to Toledo, which was the original capital of Spain until 1561, and now has a population of 75000. The old walled city (now a UNESCO site) was founded by the Romans more than 2500 years ago. The cathedral was huge with ornate altars and so much history. Another church in the walled city houses El Greco's El Expolio de Cristo painting.

During a tour of Madrid we were surrounded by impressive old buildings - we visited the Mercado San Miguel (food market) and were amazed at the diversity of creative cuisines and exotic food displays. We drove past the bull fighting arena which is a relatively modern building as it was built in 1931. Madrid's bull fighting season opened on the 1st May, and on the 2nd May Murray attended a bull fight in Madrid's Bull ring that holds 25, 000 people. He didn't last the whole 6 fights, and was ready to leave after 3. It was sickening to see the bull killed as per centuries-old tradition. Bulls must be killed as they are smart and learn to negotiate the bullfighters cape. Bulls weigh 500-700 kg. After being killed, the bull is taken to a butcher and the meat is sold. Top bullfighters earn $60,000 per fight and perform an average of 30-45 fights per year. Interested teenagers start training in a bullfighting academy at age 15 to 16, and spend about 5 years before becoming a matador.

Avila - the highest provincial capital in Spain and the location of where El Cid was filmed was another stop on our Spanish itinerary. Home of Saint Teresa of Avila, we visited the church there and saw relics of the Saint.

Flamenco Dancers

After visiting Portugal (see a previous blog), we were headed to Morocco (see a previous blog) and traversed through the Spanish city of Seville. What a beautiful interlude we had there. We were entertained by skilful Flamenco dancers and made two visits to the spectacular Plaza de España - wow! The first time we saw it, it was dusk, and it looked magical. I remember the scene in Lawrence of Arabia that was filmed in that building. We were so impressed with our first visit that we walked back to visit it again the next day. 

Plaza de España - the photo doesn't do it justice

Seville Orange Trees

Plaza de España

We were surprised to learn that the fruit on Seville orange trees are never picked; they are only for decoration! So much for Seville marmalade - it espouses to be made from Seville oranges, but there must be another Seville somewhere in the world, or someone simply patented the name?

I don't think too many days went by without us having a beer and tapas in some place or other. We tried many of the local dishes and I found they actually needed a bit more spice! A hint of chilli here and there wouldn't have gone astray, but on the whole the culinary experience was enjoyable.

After our visit to Morocco our first stop back in Spain was a photo opportunity with the Rock of Gibraltar as our backdrop.  We were all expecting to see a big rock in the water where the Mediterranean and Atlantic Oceans meet, but instead, it is actually a promontory of land, 6.8 km square (2.6 Sq miles), with 12 km (7.5 miles) of coastline, that juts into the sea and is home to around 30,000 people. The 'rock' itself is made of limestone and is 426 m (1398 ft) high. It remains a British Overseas Territory (since 1713) and borders Spain to the north. It is very popular with British citizens, as it is a tax-free zone. 

Rock of Gibraltar

An overnight stop at Granada gave us the opportunity to visit one of the most visited places in Spain, the Alhambra Palace - the last Muslim stronghold in Spain. Built in the mountains in 1333, it was an impenetrable fortress, hiding a beautiful palace and tranquil gardens and water fountains within its walls. We spent several hours there, and walked 4 km during our tour. From there we beat a hasty retreat back to Madrid, leaving behind the Sierra Nevada ranges and used tunnels to cross straight through the Sierra Morena mountains. 

We saw the row of windmills (used for crushing grains) on the mountains that were mentioned in Don Quixote's Man of La Mancha (1505) - the most translated book in the world, second only to the Bible. We passed through the world's largest olive oil production area (mid-Andalusia region of Spain) and saw olive trees as far as the eye could see - the olives are still harvested manually and each olive tree produces around 6 litres (12.5 pints) of olive oil each season.

Saffron harvest

 Saffron, from the crocus plant, is also a major crop in the fields around La Mancha, with the delicate flowers harvested during the last week in October and only by women, as they have more delicate fingers. The flower's filament-like stamen  is what is sold as saffron. Very expensive at around $73USD per ounce.  Interestingly, our guide said that the crocus roots are where turmeric comes from, and used mainly as a food colouring in place of the expensive saffron. With recent reports advising us to use turmeric on a daily basis due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, perhaps these crops will increase their market value. Photo courtesy (http://www.venamicasa.com/cultural-activities-for-groups/the-saffron-path-in-la-mancha/).

After 16 days and 4,000 km (2,500 miles) our tour returned to Madrid. As a last hurrah, the group went into Madrid city to the Plaza Mayor where huge crowds had gathered to celebrate a long weekend commemorating San Isidro, the patron saint of Madrid - the vibe was electric. We were served the best meal I've had in all of Spain, followed by a drive around the city for one last look at the sights. A fitting finale....

Jenny, Peter, Murray and I boarded the bullet train from Madrid to Barcelona the next morning, and took 3hrs and 10 minutes to travel about 600 km. We reached a speed of 300 kph and made 4 stops at stations on the way. Barcelona really turned the weather on for us on arrival, and we had a glorious stroll from our ideally situated hotel in Passeig de Gracià to Catalonia Square for beer and tapas the first day, then under cooler but mostly sunny conditions, we toured the city in a sight seeing bus. Barcelona seemed so much more contemporary and casual, compared to the seemingly more staid, traditional vibe of Madrid. 

Morocco 2016

Crossing the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain to Morocco at this time of the year is usually a calm one-hour ferry crossing. Not so for us - a windy, drizzly, cool day resulted in a very rough passage. The ferry staff were kept busy handing out sick bags - they were extremely attentive and did a wonderful job. Thankfully our group of 4 weathered the crossing unscathed.

Kasbah of the Udayas

Morocco has some of the oldest cities in Western Europe. These ancient cities have such a colourful history. So much to learn - so little time. Rabat is the capital of Morocco, and the King has his palace there. While there we visited a kasbah (fortress) built in 1150 AD. It still functions as a small village with homes, shops and gardens. It was also home to numerous cats! Some of the ancient doors were amazing. 

The land was green and fertile up north near Rabat, but became progressively dryer as we got closer to the Sahara Desert further south in Marrakech (350 km from Marrakech to the middle of Sahara Desert). Water used to be found at a depth of about 40 meters, now they are lucky to find it at 100-200 metres. Shepherds with small flocks of around a dozen sheep were seen at frequent intervals - wandering the paddocks that we could see from the bus. There aren't many fences, instead walls of cactus often provided a barrier, so the shepherd has to keep his sheep out of farmers' crops as he meanders his flock along. Some shepherds also had a cow or two along with their sheep. 

Hassan 11 Mosque

Then there is the city of Casablanca, made famous by the movie with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman (there are currently 9 Rick's Cafe replicas in Casablanca), and home to the second largest mosque in the world: the Hassan 11 Mosque built right beside the Atlantic Ocean. 

To me, Casablanca was nowhere as near as impressive as the 'red city' of Marrakech. The red refers to the colour of the buildings using local sandstone - similar to my memories of beautiful Sedona in the USA.

Market Marrakech

The marketplace in Marrakech was an eye opener - we saw the snake charmers and other entertainers during our lunchtime visit, but the place really comes to life after 5pm - the pickpockets and wandering street sellers become a pest as the crowds increase, so we were glad to get out once we had a good look around under protection of our tour guides! Not for the faint hearted. We had a most entertaining and knowledgeable city guide, and during our tour of the Bahia Palace he provided us with a fabulous insight into how a wealthy Sultan lived with his 4 wives and 32 children. He also explained why Moroccan homes have no windows on the outside, and the philosophy to build a house with a plain exterior, and save the beauty for inside. Fascinating to hear him explain the way they think. We also visited a herbal pharmacy and learnt about local products and their medicinal uses. Marrakech is part of a triangle which is the only place in the world where Argan trees are grown - Argan nuts have traditionally been used to make cooking oil, but recently they have been touted as the latest wonder ingredient by pharmaceutical companies who use the nuts in face creams, body lotions, hair products and numerous other potions! Marrakech is a very popular destination for many Europeans - especially French visitors, as it is almost the second language here! Did you know that Winston Churchill loved coming to Marrakech where he spent many hours enjoying his hobby of  painting. Yves St Laurent loved Marrakech and spent the years from 1962 until his death in 2007 living in Marrakech.

Belly Dancer in Marrakech

The 500 km drive North East from Marrakech to Fes was long, but there was always something interesting to see. You could never go very far without seeing either a shepherd with a handful of sheep, or a few cows grazing along the roadside. Or else there would be a field with a single man using a scythe to cut the wheat or other crop and pile it onto a cart pulled by a donkey standing patiently. Laborious work. We didn't see much machinery at all until we got close to Fes. Nearly all the land was under cultivation due to the healthy rain catchment area between two sets of mountain ranges: crops included cherries, olives, almonds, peaches, apricots and citrus, and the crop of sugar beets were being harvested as we drove past. All crops looked very healthy, but the villages we passed by looked so derelict. The recent rains (unusual for this time of year) turned village centres into mud baths - but the locals just seemed to go about their business as usual.

Life in Rural Morocco

Fes

Old Medina, Fes

Our last stop in Morocco was the ancient city of Fes, in the central north. Click on the photo above to do justice to the panorama photo. Founded in 789, it now has a population of just over 1 million. It is also home to the oldest, yet still operating, university in the world. We visited the old Medina (original city) that was built in the 9th Century  - it's easy to get lost in the labyrinth of 9,000 alleyways. We visited the oldest tannery and both Murray and Peter bought a handcrafted leather belt. Donkeys are the work horses of the Medina, and 800 are used for removing rubbish, and many others are used for carting goods, and even used as a taxi service within the medina as no cars are allowed - in fact it is reported to be the largest car-free urban area in the world (Wikipedia). On our last night we dined and experienced a mock Moroccan wedding ceremony inside a 14th Century traditional house that had intricate mosaic panels on the floors, walls and supporting columns. The ornate carved and painted ceiling was at least two storeys high and designed to help dissipate the heat of hot Moroccan summers.

Donkeys carting rubbish in the Medina, Fes

Asleep in the Onions!

Along the way, we saw some amazing sights. like this gentleman catching a snooze in a cart full of onions that were on their way to market. Perhaps he had been up all night pulling them out of the ground. 

Some of the teens

Our scariest moment of our tour of Morocco came as we were about to catch our ferry to cross the Strait of Gibraltar. The Strait is only 14 km wide at the narrowest point and is a bridge from the African continent across to Europe. Consequently, many illegal immigrants try to get access into Europe from this point. We had been warned to expect young males to try and stow away under our bus during stops at toll booths or red traffic lights, but we were unprepared for the sheer numbers trying, and their desperate actions to get underneath, even when the bus was still moving. At the last toll booth before our ferry, there were 16 young lads, and 6 successfully climbed under the bus. The driver knew he had seen 2 lads, and so he pulled over and the police came to check. Not a single teen was found initially, but a group of those who didn't get a handhold kept looking at our bus and the police search, so we knew there had to be at least one teen left under the bus. After a few minutes a teen scrambled out, then another few minutes, a second one did. We thought that was it, but the group of teens kept looking at the search, indicating that perhaps there was one more teen. The police and others kept searching without any success. Eventually, another - not one - but another 4 teens ran from their hiding place under the bus. It was unbelievable. Little did the lads know that due to the stowaway problem, the bus goes through an electronic scanner which can detect a heart beat of even a cat. After we pulled away from the toll booth we approached a round-about, and some youths tried again to clamber underneath. A police car turned on its siren and the boys fled, and from that point we had a police escort all the way to the ferry terminal. Phew, I thought we might even miss our ferry! At least the crossing was nice and smooth, unlike our trip coming over.

It has been such an eye opener visiting Morocco. We learnt so much in 5 days and are richer for the experience. 

Baby camel with mother at Berber village

Portugal 2016

I have to say that apart from Fatima, Portugal was never on my radar, however after visiting this country for the first time, I have learnt so much about its ancient and interesting history. The population of 10.3 million people is 90% Roman Catholic, a big change from our earlier stop in the predominately Muslim city of Dubai. This area was originally inhabited by neanderthals, and later invaded by Romans in 219 BC. Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in Western Europe. Mind boggling! Portugal produces 45% of the world's cork production. In shops here you can buy cork handbags, hats, shoes, and even postcards make of cork!

Coimbra

Our first stop in Portugal was to Coimbra, the original capital city during the years 1131-1255. What a delightful old city, surrounded by a bustling university population. The university is internationally renowned and attracts many overseas students, and has one of the oldest European universities (founded in 1290).

Oak tree site of Fatima apparitions

Only a one hour drive south was the city of Fatima, put on the map after The Virgin Mary first appeared above an oak tree to three young shepherd children in 1917 - the apparitions continued once a month for 6 months. During the final apparition, the 'Miracle of the Sun' phenomenon was witnessed by thousands of others, both in Fatima and surrounding areas. The oak tree where the apparitions occurred is still standing and Murray and I couldn't resist having our photo taken beside it. The Fatima sanctuary is a huge area that attracts about 4 million pilgrims a year. Inside the Basilica are the tombs of the 3 shepherds. People from all over the world come to Fatima hoping for a miraculous cure for health ailments. 

Next stop was Obidos where we visited within the walled city. The buildings date back to around 715 AD, although the current buildings were constructed in the 14th Century. Quaint cobblestoned streets and whitewashed buildings made for picturesque photos. Our guide Julian informed us about the local alcoholic cherry liquor called Ginja de Odidos - it is traditionally served with chocolate. Samples of the liquor are served in tiny chocolate cups for anyone willing to part with €1. It was delicious, and if I had any room in my suitcase I would have loved to take some to share with Kim in Copenhagen. Sorry Kim! 

Peter and Murray in Obidos

Lisboa (we know it as Lisbon) has been the capital of Portugal since 1255 and has a most interesting history, but far too much to cover here. It was from this port that Vasco de Gama sailed to India in 1497 and opened up that sea route, and Lisbon prospered exponentially as a result of sea trade with other countries. We saw Vasco de Gama's tomb in the beautiful Santa Maria church in Belém (Lisbon) today. That evening we experienced a traditional FADO cultural evening, serenaded by 4 FADO singers whilst dining in the former stables and cellar of a 17th Century palace. 

Jen in Cascais

Only about 20 minutes drive west out of Lisbon, first following along the north side of the Tagus River until it meets the Atlantic Ocean, we passed through the town of Estoril and stopped at the pretty seaside town of Cascais. It was spitting rain during our visit, so not the best time to visit the seaside! This was the favoured summer holiday resort for Portuguese royalty (before Portugal became a republic in 1910). Also unbeknown to me, Portugal remained neutral during WW11, and so Kings and Queens from most Europeans countries fled to Portugal for sanctuary, and in particular Cascais, where they enjoyed the seaside location in their royal enclaves! The neutrality status also benefitted spies during the war, and many of them lived and traded their secrets in Lisbon and Estoril. "During World War II, Lisbon, as a neutral city, was full of spies. In fact, secret police, captains of industry, bankers, prominent Jews, writers and artists, escaped POWs and black marketeers filled the city's cafes, hotels, casino and bars. Ian Fleming (then a British agent who came as part of Operation Golden Eye) was a young employee at the British Consulate. He would often work at the Estoril Casino, as Estoril became the refugee destination for European aristocracy from the war. These aristocrats included six royal European families that made Estoril their exile destination. The Casino was a nexus of espionage, as spies and deposed royals played at the famed Casino’s tables. It was here that Fleming wrote the first part of Casino Royale, centered on the legendary figure of James Bond." (http://www.insideportugaltravel.com/news-a-ideas/story-ideas/10409-when-james-bond-came-to-portugal.html)

Sintra

After trying the local cuisine of Grilled Sardines and Portuguese Chicken in Cascais, we took another short drive to the ancient mountain village of Sintra, where Roman artefacts dating back to 1st - 2nd Century BC (around the time of Caesar and Octavius) have been found - the area is a UNESCO World Heritage site. We did a tour of the Palace of Sintra, inhabited by royalty from 15th to late 19th Century, and marvelled at the tiling, ceilings and chapel that dates back to the 14th Century. The view to the misty mountain in the distance was so pretty.

As we were driving around Portugal, it was stork nesting season, and young chicks were in most nests - but we could mainly see the adults. The birds seemed to nest in groups atop a row of electricity poles. Amazing. 

The weather was glorious on our first few days, fine, warm and sunny with clear blue skies. Rain detracted from our morning tour of Lisbon city,  but thankfully the weather had cleared in time for us to enjoy the afternoon sightseeing around the seaside and mountain areas away from Lisbon. 

Portuguese Tarts

Last but not least, I discovered a few years ago (whilst travelling around the USA) that I liked the flaky pastry and smooth custard of Portuguese tarts. However, to eat a Portuguese tart in Portugal is something else again! (A bit like having a Danish pastry in Denmark!). I had a Portuguese tart with my coffee to finish off my breakfast, and often a second tart for morning tea for the first 2 days in Portugal ... Well, they are very small tarts after all!