27September2008
Posted by Gill under: 2008 Travels.
Set off today along the Italian Riveria en route to France- through the old port city of Genoa where Christopher Columbus was born. A big port city, lots of old apartment blocks and washing hanging out to dry – how they keep their whites clean is beyond me!
Quite a pretty drive- nice expansive coastal views, yachts out along coast and plenty of marina and impressive homes of course. Not as glitzy as the French Riviera though. Got stuck in a big traffic jam in San Remo – a major motorshow or rally stopover or the like.
We crossed into France up in the foothills of The Alpes Provence (535m) – no borders these days! Impressive mountains, hairpin bends and scenery. Now in the little medieval village of Sospel (in the Alpes) founded in 500 AD. Staying in a B&B that once belonged to Napolean’s sister 600 years ago- protected from major structural change so a little quaint but cute and comfortable. No lifts of course so Mark got plenty of weight training in! Yummy dinner and wine in a wee restaurant where food was cooked above and sent down to table via a manual dumb waiter arrangement.
26September2008
Posted by Gill under: 2008 Travels.
The Cinque Terre means 5 lands (Pronounced Ching-qua tear-re)
Today was an outing to these cute little villages that hug tightly to the Italian coast and are largely only accessed by train or boat or hiking the famous track in between them – about 5 hours with varying degrees of difficulty. There are no cars except for little delivery carts – 3 wheels. We took the train from Santa Margherita to the easternmost village Riomaggiore with its brightly coloured houses piled up the steep slopes (no two houses on the same level) and then walked to the next village – Manarola via Via dell’Amore (Lover’s Path) an easy 20 minute stroll. Houses here are all pastel coloured and again crowded up the hill.
We then took a boat past the next village, Corniglia, the smallest and remotest of the villages (no harbour) set high on a cliff., and hopped off at Vernazza – again brightly coloured and crowded up a hillside valley but with a cute harbour and a sandy beach!! Then took the train to last village, Monterosso, largest and most developed and then train back to our base at Santa Margherita Ligure. Staying in an oldish castle here with a nice view over the bay and across to Portofino way.
We are now up to date with photos – see “Umbria and Tuscany” and “Cinque Terre”…
26September2008
Posted by Gill under: 2008 Travels.
Headed cross country today through Tuscany skirting south of Florence, through rolling hills, grape vines (Chianti), cypress trees and ploughed fields. Very dry but ‘typical’ Tuscan, as in pictures minus the sunflowers! Lots of little hamlets on mountain spurs and up valleys, many walled and with castles or fortresses. Then into the province of Liguria and on to Santa Margherita (base for 2 nights) and drove along to Portofino. Lovely coast – windy though and narrow – Mark has done narrow and steep villages with very sharp turns!!
26September2008
Posted by Gill under: 2008 Travels.
Staying for two days in Cortona (Tuscany) – a fortified village on a very steep slope – narrow twisty streets – a challenging drive and navigation test – the GPS does not always work well here! Tried to send us down some pretty narrow “un-navigable” lanes!! There is no need for a gym here with these streets (not that I have seen one!). This afternoon we drove to Lago Trasimeno – through some Tuscany country back over the Umbria border. Picturesque but not stunning – quite dry at present and the sunflowers have gone. Expansive views of countryside from Cortona hilltop. This is the town where much on the film “Under the Tuscan Sun” was filmed – the author has her summer house here.
23September2008
Posted by Gill under: 2008 Travels.
Headed off for Tuscany today via roads less trvelled by tourists! Lots of picturesque scenes – patchwork fields with olives, plouged areas and woodlands. Little towns perched on the hillsides like Nocera Umbria. Unfortunately the sunflowers have all dried off but fields still pretty.
We had lunch at Gubbio- another medieval town set on a hill but different with taller storied houses – you certainly get the feeling of impregnability! There is a finuva which heads up the hill but unfortunately (or fortunately) not working – little more than a birdcage for humans suspended from a chairlift cable!! For lunch I sampled Truffle sauce- a delicacy here. Pottery also very big and beautiful and expensive!
Through Umbertide then to Cortona – home for the next 2 nights – set on the side of a very steep hill with wide viwews of Tuscany below. Passed my do-up on the way at Rocca dei Pierle! (wait for the photos).
22September2008
Posted by Gill under: 2008 Travels.
A glorious day spent wandering the narrow cobbled and twisting alleyways, under stone archways and admiring scenery and views of the Umbrian countryside in and from the mountainside town of Spello.
A quiet lunch in the Piazza della Republica was briefly interrupted by lots of noisy school children escaping onto buses to head home for the day and seista time. The town then became very quiet, shutters were closed, only tourists about - although you can hear chatter and noise from behind the closed doors! Most everything closes between 1pm and 4pm and comes alive again after 6! Dinner is usually late - restaurants here not keen for business before 7.30pm. Tonight we ate again at Il Molina (the Old Mill) – beautiful meal and we were most amused by the much pampered dog at the table next door- a miniature Buddy who sat on her owner’s lap and ate from his plate when given the chance! The dog came in dressed for dinner in a little coat and had been approved and made welcome by the restaurant!
21September2008
Posted by Gill under: 2008 Travels.
An interesting stop this am at the Etruscan Tombs in Tarquinia (Lazio region) on our way into Umbria. These are underground tombs from 800 BC and the painted decorations inside tell the story of an early civilisation. A nice drive into Umbria – greener fields, olive groves, vines and autumn colours just starting to appear on the wooded hills. Drove round interesting little hilltop town of Todi and then on to Spello where I have fallen in love with this beautiful town on the side of the steep hillside of Monte Subasio – great views of the countryside, and the town itself is gorgeous – narrow alleys, cobbles, archways, hanging baskets – plenty of atmosphere. We are staying here 2 nights – the hotel has lovely frescoes on walls and also pretty courtyards.
21September2008
Posted by Gill under: 2008 Travels.
We have had a great week in Malta catching up with Matt and Kat and enjoying the sights together. For me, Malta is definitely a country of contrasts between old and new, ruins, abandonment and progress. It is very very dry, almost desolate in places and yet so picturesque also. The people are friendly, the climate and food were great and I’m keen to read up on a bit of history now! (The livestock are there we’re told – we can’t verify that – we saw only a scattering of animals…. but apparently there are 19,200 head of cattle, 80,000 pigs, 17,000 sheep, 2,300 goats, and 930,000 poultry!!)
An early start and a good flight from Malta over Sicily to Italy where we picked up the Peugeot 407 which we will drive for the next couple of weeks. A bit unnerving for me to be so close to the road on the wrong side again (after being high and “safe” in the bus, and on the “right side” in Malta) but no doubt will adjust again. Getting used to the GPS as well – took a few wrong turns getting onto the auto strada out of Roma. Stayed last night at the Tenuta dell’Argento (the Silver Hill’s Estate), a working ranch on the hill above Civitavecchia, north-west of Roma – nice view out to the Tyrrhenian Coast and Mediterranean from our room and especially pretty with night lights. Ferries leave the port here for Sardinia, Spain and other ports. A change of weather too – it’s freezing and very windy!! Got my polo-fleece out!
19September2008
Posted by Gill under: 2008 Travels.
Today we hired loungers and beach umbrellas (as they do here) and spent several hours at Golden Bay – the sand is a golden colour though somewhat marred by numerous cigarette butts. The sea was as blue as ever and refreshing for swimmers. On our way to a rather late lunch I jumped out for a quick look at “Sweetpea Village” where the 1980 Popeye movie was filmed- very cute! Matt and Kat “won” 1,200 pound of travel vouchers once we had endured a session with a timeshare man – we’ll see if they are any use long term!
We enjoyed a final dinner in Malta with Matt and Kat down on the waterfront – very nice local wine, pasta and gelato from a favourite shop as we wandered back dodging the sprinkles of rain! Back to Italy tomorrow, where we hire a car and brave those roads and drivers. We plan to stay in the country regions of Umbria and Tuscany rather than the big cities.
19September2008
Posted by Gill under: 2008 Travels.
Nice sleep in this morning, a chance to read and get sorted and plan ahead for Tuscany in 2 days.
Did go shopping in Sliema – a nice lunch on the waterfront and home for seista like all good locals. Again very hot so the air conditioning is much appreciated at that time of day and our beach plans were shelved. Not a lot of shade on beaches but can hire a lounger and umbrella in some areas. The beaches here are mainly rocky as coastline is quite rugged. There are a few beaches with smallish areas of golden sand – also saw a nice smooth rock beach today on Sliema waterfront – you find a patch with the right elevated head/foot rest (both if you are lucky) and away you go.
The water as always is a deep clear blue and many people seem brown and sunbaked - tourists obviously less so than the locals! We are keeping plenty of sunblock on.
The local buses here are rather cute and quaint – orange and yellow, Leylands and the like – some with lots of polished chrome- trying to find the best example to photograph now.