Saturday, 29 May 2010

We are at Seoul airport stopping over for a few hours after spending 2 nights in London, shopping and some sight-seeing. We arrive back in Brisbane Sunday morning. So our trip has come to an end and so has this blog. We had a really wonderful time and tried to share some of the experiences via this means - we hope you have enjoyed it. Many thanks to all those who showed us such fantastic hospitality - we will be in touch with you individually soon.

By for now.

Rosemary & Brent with the lovely roast duck on our last night in France

Sev & her mum Jocylene with the delicious creme caramel

At Pont du Gard

With Sev's mum in the garden of their home

Overlooking the Rhone River and the Pont St-Benezet in Avignon

Wednesday, 26 May 2010

Went for a final walk in the lovely French country-side, the birds singing and the cattle lowing. Rounded a corner on a gravel road and came face to face with a female deer at about 30 meters - after a bit of staring into each other's eyes, she bounded away before I could draw the camera. Packed up, coffee and toast for breaky and then we said our farewells. We feel very honoured to have stayed with Brent and Rosemary in their indylic abode in the Bugey Mountains - they are fantastics hosts and we thank them very much and look forward to spending time with them when they are next in Australia (but what to cook??). We drove down the narrow winding road through the villages (tractors parked outside houses just like cars) on a road which by now had become fairly familiar to us. Missed the autoroute entry, double back and picked it up and arrived near Lyon airport at 11.30am and after a phone call found the drop-off yard for the Peugeot. It was a mixture of sadness and relief when we handed over the keys - our 24 day driving trip through some fantastic parts of Europe had come to an end (4,250 Ks) but at least it was without mishap (not counting hitting the odd kerb, driving on the wrong side a couple of times and being abused by drivers using words we did not understand (maybe they were just exchanging pleasantaries). Our marraige has survived many interesting discussions ("I told you that was the third exit") but steorotypes largely hold - men do not ask directions and women..... - no I will quit while I am ahead. The GPS was a mixed blessing - maybe we should not have chosen the voice with an Australian accent - leads to some interesting pronunciations of French road names. A nice man drove us to the airport (now that is how you drive in France) and we arrived at an non-airconditioned tarted up tin shed to check in for our easyJet flight to London (now there is an oxymoron) - not recommended when you are wearing multiple layers of clothes to save on weight because "someone" has done an Imelda Marcos in the Italian and French shoe stores (not to mention handbags and scarves). The flight was somewhat inevitably delayed, also not good when there was no floor space for sitting, let alone seats. Landed at Stanstead Airport about 4.00pm, booked on a bus into London, waited, then a slow trip in, arriving at Victoria Station about 6.45pm. Then made a somewhat curious decision to take the tube the three stops to Gloucester Road with all our luggage - BIG mistake. Eventually struggled into our B & B in Harrington Gardens just off Gloucester Road at around 7.30pm. Went for a drink at a great pub, the Hereford Arms, just down Gloucester Road and also had dinner there - excellent food.

Tuesday, 25 May 2010

Had a lovely breakfast with Sev and her mum - fresh croissants with coffee from the machine served in the big bowls they prefer in this area. We left fairly early, Sev driving, and crossed the canal full of boats of all shapes and sizes, then the Rhone and arrived very soon in the pleasant and historic town of Tarascon. Walked through the weekly market set up in the streets, with all manner of products, much from Africa, plus food. We drove back over the river, passing Beaucaire Castle and the bull ring and drove about 20 Ks to the Pont du Gard. This is an amazing Roman aqueduct over the Gard River, part of a 50 K system that delivered water to Nimes - World Heritage listed and very well preserved. It is in a beautiful setting and we walked over it and spent some time there. We then drove a short distance to Nimes, the "French Rome". Apart from being a great place just to walk around, with narrow streets containing wonderful old houses and many shops, it has many important Roman ruins including the ampitheatre, still used today for events, and the Maison Carree (Square House) Roman Temple. They were still cleaning up the streets after a big festival, including bull-fights, over the weekend. We drove back to Sev's house where her mother had prepared a lovely lunch of salad and toasted bread topped with warm sheep's milk cheese - this was followed by creme caramel (much better than the restaurants). We met Sev's sister and her new baby and said our farewells - it was great to see Sev again and we are very grateful for the wonderful hospitality shown to us by Sev and her mum. We headed for the autoroute, got lost and had to drive nearly into Avignon, then eventually found it in heavy traffic and were on the outskirts of Lyon in a couple of hours. It was then a bit of a trial negotiating our way onto the autoroute that heads for Geneva in the peak hour traffic. Arrived back at Brent and Rosemary's at Les Pezieres at around 7.15pm. Rosemary had prepared a fabulous duck dinner for us which we enjoyed on the restuarant deck in the balmy evening. This was followed by cheese and Rosemary's pavlova with passion-fruit and home made ruhbarb and orange - excellent. Wines were Haut-Cluzet Bourdeux and Cotes-du-Rhone - Domaine Clavel.

Monday, 24 May 2010

Monday 24 May 2010

Another clear, sunny day - t-shirts and shorts weather. Walked into the centre for a simple "petit dejeunier" at Cafe le Grillon, under the plane trees on Cours Mirabeau a short walk up from the Rotunda. A bit of shopping (public holiday but some shops open) then packed up and headed north again on the autoroute about 1 hour to Avignon. Met Sev at noon - great to see her again after she has stayed with us on two separate occasions over the past few years. We parked outside the famous walls that encirle the old city and walked inside the and had lunch in the centre at Le Forum Brasserie on Place de L'Horloge. As in most restaurants in France there was a "prix fix" menu option - you can select from a limited choice of two or three courses for a set price - we opted for this and had a very nice lunch including Nicoise salad, Gardian de Taureau (a kind of beef stew but made with bull - there seems to be sexism at work when you order beef here), and creme caramel. We then walked up to the famous Palais des Papes, home of several popes after an upheaval in the church saw the papacy move to Avignon from Rome in the fourteenth century. Went into the beautiful Dom church next door (another golden gilden statue of Mary on the top), then into the Jardin des Dom gardens (apologies for the tautology). Looked down onto one of the symbols of Avignon, the ancient Pont St-Benezet bridge across (partly) the Rhone. After looking for the sun during the early part of our trip we were now seeking to avoid it as the temperature climbed to around 30C. Walking these streets in July/August would be tough work indeed. Drove to the huge Auchan air-conditioned shopping centre in north Avignon. It was a mini culture shock in the space of a few minutes. Block your ears to the voices around you and you could be in Carindale shopping centre, the lay-out and many of the shops are so similar. Not exactly recommended as a French cultural experience, but sometimes you need to buy some basics. At least you can sit and have a beer as the shoppers walk by. We then followed Sev along the Rhone and under the Pont St-Benezet and south to Beaucaire where we met her mum Jocylene and were welcomed into their lovely home. We enjoyed aperatif outside on the terrace, including great home made pizza slices, and discussed the various plants in the garden, including olive trees. Then we had a wonderful Provencale dinner of Farcie - corgette, aubergine, capsicum and tomato with a pork mince and garlic kind of stuffing - delicious. This was followed by a variety of cheeses, including Chevre Saint Martin (sheep's milk) and Bresse Blue, in turn followed by lovely local strawberries soaked in red wine and sugar. The dinner was accompanied by a very nice Cotes du Rhone Les Colombes. We somehow managed to climb the stairs to bed.


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Dinner in Aix-en-Provence

Monday, 24 May 2010

Le Manior Hotel in Aix-en-Provence and our transport around Europe (tell him he's dreamin)

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The cheese and "torro" salami man in Salin-de-Giraud, Camargue

In Marseilles

Sunday, 23 May 2010

A brief walk around the centre of Aix, streets empty apart from council workers cleaning up, then back to the hotel for the typical French breakfast of coffee and croissant/brioche. We then drove out with no firm plan in mind. Arrived in Arles about midday after driving through rather forgetable country. Obtained some maps from the tourist office and had a coffee on the street at Cafe le Macarte on Blvd Georges Clemenceau. Then we walked up into the old Roman ruins - it was also the home of Vincent Van Gogh. Travel is always a compromise, however, so we were soon on the road again, driving south along a narrow road into the Camargue nature park. There were quite a few viewing platforms as we drove alongside the Etang du Vaccares, the big body of water which is part of the Rhone delta. The Camargue is home to the famous white horses and, apparently, wild cattle. We say plenty of horses in paddocks and plenty of pink flamingos in the water and flying, but no wild cattle. Very interesting place which many people were exploring on bikes. We arrived near the coast at Salin-de-Giraud, fairly hungry. There was a local festival on, quite small, but some street stalls selling food and wine. We tasted the local cheese - Brebis - le Mas le Trident Cauvert - and then purchased some with salami made from local "bulls" and great bread, then a bottle of Domaine de Bouchard Merlot and sat in the park and made our own sandwiches and drank some wine from plasic glasses - fantastic. The bull-fighting arena was close by (a popular spectacle here but apparently they do not killl the bull) and we purchased tickets and went inside. The locals were dressed in traditional Camargue costume and performing dances - there were also men and women riding the white horses and performing some traditional horseback games. It was all a bit accidental for us but it was great to see. There is a real Spanish influence here (the locals probably say there is a Camargue influence in Spain) and it was good to experience the traditional local culture). We then took a ferry across the Rhone, past Port-Saint-Louise-du-Rhone and drove into Marseille. Had trouble finding a park (many commerical parks closed on the weekend) but eventually found one near the Preficture building then had to walk about 1K through dingy streets to the main port area - a bit scary. The port area is great, the wharves packed with everything from local fishing boats to super yachts. The weather was warm and sunny and there were many peopleo wandering around and enjoying the cafes in the sun. It feels like a bit of North Africa. We had a drink at an outdoor table, looking up at the spectacular Notre Dame church on a high hill with its golden gilded statue on tap glinting in the late afternoon sun. Then back through the rough streets to the car. The main MacDonalds in the centre had a security guard outside, and at another one there was a guard with a German Shephard dog. We drove back to Aix it is felt like we had changed countries. Had a late dinner in the centre of Aix overlooking the fountain in the Rotunda at L'Atellier - not a memorable dinner, except the Tajine of lamb which was served in the distinctive Moraccan earthenwear dish.

In Lyon

Saturday, 22 May 2010

We said farewell to Brent and Rosemary (we will be returning in three days) and drove down the winding mountain road and through the small villages, joining the autoroute near Ambreiu-de-Bugey and then into Lyon, about an hour, arriving around 9.30. Parked in a parking station, then had coffee at Bistrot de la Passerella on the Quai St Antoine which runs alongside the Saone River. There were fresh food market stalls set up along the river selling all sorts of yummy stuff including un-shucked oysters which several people were enjoying at nearby tables. Obtained some maps at the tourist office then split up for some exploring/shopping. Lyon is a wonderful city (second largest in France according to one book) and is great just to walk around and explore. Bounded by two rivers, it has beautiful buildings and squares. We thought it may be quiet on Saturday of a long weekend but was very busy by midday. We met up for lunch at a lovely old restaurant, Le Bistro de Lyon, sitting outside but in the shade. It was a beautiful day with the temperature now in the mid twenties. Braised leg of rabbit and Navarin of lamb were very good. We then walked across the pedestrian bridge to the old city, taking the furnicular railway up to the Fourviere, which provides spectacular views over Lyon - visited the the beautiful Basilica Notre Dame de Fourviere which dominates the hill. We then had a brief walk down below in the old town, full of bars and cafes - plenty of tourists, many of whom appeared to be French. Back to the car and headed out about 4.00pm - we could easily have spent a couple of days in Lyon. Down the autoroute heading south with lots of holiday traffic. The country changed from the lush green fields and forests we have been so used to since arriving in Europe to lower scrubby trees and rockier, less fertile ground as we neared the coast. Arrived in Aix-en-Provence just after 8.00pm, and did another merry-go-round in very narrow streets trying to find the hotel we booked - eventually arrived at Hotel le Manior - lovely setting with a courtyard room, but the rooms small and pretty basic and a Basil Fawlty clone on the front desk. The big advantage here is that we are vey close to the centre of town. Walked down the narrow streets and were immediately in the thick of crowds, cafes, bars, noise, colour - it is Saturday night of a long week in Provence and the place was going off. France has a big immigrant population, very evident here in the south. Had a drink at Bar Le Cezzane to settle our nerves after the drive in then had some fun trying to find a place to eat it was so busy. Eventually found a nice outdoor table just of the main drag, Cours Mirabeau - La Caleche. It was a wood fired pizza place with great pizzas although the practice of a raw egg on top at the end, which does not fully cook through, is interesting. Louise had prawns Provencale - big prawns, very familiar, cooked in the shell - excellent. The wine was a very nice Domaine del la Lauzade - Cotes de Provence.

In Perouges

With Georges Blanc at his restaurant

Friday, 21 May 2010

Went for a fairly long walk north up the mountain, about 3 ks, to the next village of Montgriffon. Saw a good sized female deer on the slope opposite the restuarant, about 100 meters away, then a big hare. Around 10.00am we drove with Rosemary and Brent down into St Rambert-en-Bugey to buy some supplies at what might be called a butcher but is signed as "Artisan Charcutier" - wonderful selection of both meat and terrines, pates and sausages. We then drove to Bourg-en-Bresse to obtain supplies for the restaurant at the big cash and carry - a great selection of bulk foods along with kitchen implements. Next stop was the village of Vonnas which bills itself as "Premier Village Gourmet de France" On the edge of the village is a sort of self-contained hamlet which is owned and operated by the renowned French (what else) chef Georges Blanc. We enjoyed lunch in his beautiful restaurant, L'Ancienne Auberge. A selection of the dishes we enjoyed with rough translations): Fraicher de Aaumon saumure a la coriandre fraiche (salmon tartare); Le Poulet de Bresse roti a la broche avec une onctueuse pomme puree et une salade de Mesclun (this is the Bresse chicken, claimed to be the best in France); Printantier de cabillaud, beurre battu au curcuma et piment d'Espelette (grilled fish) - all fantastic. This was accompanied by an excellent Macon Villages white wine, Macon being about 20Ks down the road. We were honoured by a visit from Georges Blanc himself. There are quite a few buildings in the complex including a wine and food store, souvenier shop, spa and a Relais & Chateau hotel - this is the up-market group that includes the White Barn Inn, Kennibunkport, Maine which is known to many of us. Drove home and then, with plenty of light left, just the two of us drove back via Amberieu-en-Bugey to the medieval town of Perouges. It is a very well-preserved and interesting village, with streets paved with rough rocks that are tricky to walk on - we were told that much of The Three Muskateers was filmed here. It was very quiet in the evening but judging by the amount of bus parking it would be very busy during the day. Our sumptuous lunch meant we were not looking for a big dinner so enjoyed a selection of the terrines purchased earlier - really excellent. Having a big lunch and a light dinner seems to be common in France - it is a good idea but of course when you are travelling going out for dinner is part of the experience so not always practical.

With Rosemary and Brent at the restaurant on the lake at Chatillon

Louise at the Casino

Thursday, 20 May 2010

Prepared a fresh fruit salad with our purchases yesterday, including great rasberries and strawberries, now in season. Had a quiet morning - went to nearby Hauteville-Lompnes with Brent to pick up some rose bushes for the garden at a sort of smaller Bunnings type store. The garden around the restuarant is lovely. Brent has constructed a retaining wall at the back with massive old railway sleepers - quite an impressive job. Rosemary produced another great lunch: Blanquette du Veau - veal cooked with white wine - and mashed potato - but not any old mashed potato - these are sieved through a moulix with plenty of butter and cream - delicious. In the afternoon Brent and Rosemary drove us all to Lac du Bourget, France's largest lake, about one hour away. We crossed the Rhone River at the northern end then drove down the eastern shore - very spectacular with mountains on each side, vineyards and castles up on the higher points (this area is just an hour from the Alps skiing area of Annecy). Stopped at Aix-les-Bains a very attractive, and prosperous, small city where Queen Victoria and members of the English aristocracy would come to "take the waters". Had a walk around the centre, a beer at a sidewalk table (it does not cost any more in these parts to have coffee or a drink served outside), then had a look at the famous old Casino which has recently been restored - beautiful ceiling and its own opera. Drove back up the lake and had dinner on the lakeside at Restaurant de la Plage, at Chatillon at the northern end - lake fish grilled with almonds, very good, followed by Creme Brule and digestive to finish - the now famous lemoncello (getting to be an expert). It was a sunny day but just a bit too cool to sit outside. The sun was disappearing over the mountains on the western side and still shining on the tops on the eastern side as we finished. The twilight goes for a long time and it was only fully dark when we arrived home at about 10.00pm. A very enjoyable afternoon and evening which it was great to share with our lovely hosts, Rosemary and Brent.

Coffee in Belley

Wednesday, 19 May 2010

Went for a great walk north down the road then off on a dirt road through beef cattle country, cleared on the lower slopes and covered in dense timber up higher. Limousin seems to be the main breed - some of the fences are basic, just tree branches trimmed up and hammered into the ground with one electric wire strung. Plenty of bird life, no animals but fresh fox sign. Toast with Rosemary's home made jam and coffee for breakfast then we drove down the valley with no real destination in mind. We had a tourist map and there is a Bugey tourist route marked and signed as you go along so it makes it easy to find your way. We went into Amberieu-en-Bugey to use the internet at Maccas. It seems a travesty to use Maccas in Europe (we just have coffee/juice) but at least you can check on the famous "Big Mac" conversion rate which some economist proposed as the best way to compare the relative buying power of each country's currency - for the record a Big Mac today cost 6 Euro which is about A$9.00. We headed south-east and soon struck the Rhone River valley. Had lunch by the river near Serrieres-de-Briord at Restaurant Point Verte which is located at Point Verte de la Valley Bleue (blue valley). Started with a salad bar which included an excellent terrine of chicken livers, veal and herbs from their garden - with the warm rolls this would have been enough. Then we had Supreme de'Volaille au Montagneu - chicken breast in cream and white wine, Montagneu being the wine area in the mountains just above - and Fillet de Sandre Meuniere - lake fish - both very good. Kangaroo was also on the menu and we are finding that it is quite popular in France. Continued on and stopped in the regional centre of Belley, a pleasant large town. Coffee at Le Cafe Neuf then visited the cathedral - it is very beautiful and it feels strange being the only ones visiting after lining up with the masses of tourists in Italy to visit famous churches. We were told later that Belley is where the Marist order has its origins. There were a few people practising singing and the acoustics were amazing. Bought a few basic suppies for our "apartment" at a local supermarket (two rows filled with alcohol including wine in cardboard casks - food very reasonably priced), then drove "home". Many of the roads were very narrow, and you do find some drivers who want to over-take in bad places, but as in the other parts of Europe we have visited the drivers are generally very courteous and the traffic system works well. Signage in particular is excellent. The only real negative on the minor roads is the lack of a centre line which is unerving when you are driving on the "wrong" side of the road - the lack of white posts with reflectors would also be an issue if you drive on these roads at night, which is not a problem for us as it is light until 9.30pm. Brent had fired up the wood stove in our apartment so it was very cosy and Rosemary had prepared a simple dinner but it was still fairly amazing: Magret de Canard - duck breast sauteed in the pan - served with a wonderful ratatouille and mushrooms cooked in the duck pan and finished with cream. This was accompanied by a local white wine - Vin de Bugey Manicle - all fantastic. We could not do justice to desert.

Le Boomerang Restaurant, Les Pezieres

Tuesday, 18 May 2010

Walked around the camp ground and part of the lake on which it sits. Sunny morning, mist rising on the lake, men fishing from a boat, all quiet and serene. The camp ground is huge catering for tents, vans, mobile homes and also has plenty of cabins - boats, water slides, lots of activities. The tent sites are much bigger than in Australia, all divided by hedges. Emma & Morgan left early for work - thank you both very much for a great stay. We drove into Montrevel-en-Bresse and brought croissants and had coffee at cafe La Caleche. Headed into the country-side to see a medieval mill that Emma had recommended, got lost a few times, then eventually found it in Montfleur but it was closed. We were due to meet Brent and Rosemary for lunch so thought we should make a start - the distance was not great but we were soon lost in a maze of minor roads and villages that the GPS struggled with. Drove through some beautiful farming country and forest (saw one deer on the side of the road) and eventually found Le Boomerang Restaurant in the tiny village of Les Pezieres. It was great to see Brent and Rosemary again after meeting them in Brisbane with Vicki. Enjoyed a delicious lunch of ostrich borgignone (not kidding) and red wine. Louise had a bug so we took it easy for the afternoon. Took a walk later a couple of Ks to the next village of Resinand. This is a really stunning valley in the Bugey Mountains. A simple dinner of delicious locally made chicken breast terrine and local wine plus a local beer with the label Fourche du Diable - Devil's Fork - large bottle with a cork and wire like a champagne bottle - very good.

Emma's Chocolate Fondue - could be habit forming

Morgan & Emma & their culinery delights in Montrevel-en-Bresse

Monday, 17 May 2010

After an early morning walk, enjoyed another excellent breakfast prepared by Rosie and Alex. We then followed them into the centre of the city and parked and had a walk around and a coffee. Thank you very much Alex and Rosie for your great hospitality - also wonderful to meet Alex's mum and be a part of a Swiss familiy for an all too short time. Lausanne is a small city with a pedestrian area in the centre surrounded by lovely buildings. It has a very relaxed feel with quiet traffic. We then followed the minor road west along the lake about 1 hour to Geneva. We did not have a map but with the lake on the left and five star hotels, banks and buildings with words like Rolex on top on the right, you soon figure you are near the centre of the city. We parked in a parking station and walked along the broad footpath by the lake then across a bridge to the other side (this is actually the western end of the lake) and into the true city centre. It is wall to wall brand shops and beautiful old buildings and the streets are full of very very well dressed people. The cars are also very noticable - Ferraris, Porches, Morgans, Bentleys - you name it. Had lunch at the deli counter at the big Globus department store on Place Du Molard - in regard to prices, to paraphrase Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz "I don't think we're in Italy any more" - then drove out to the motor-way and were soon in France. Arrived about 6.00pm at Montrevel-en-Bresse, just north of Bourge-en-Bresse. There we stayed with Morgan and Emma, couch surfers who stayed with us just over a year ago during their giant 17 month trip to Australia and Asia. Emma works at a huge camping ground, La Plaine Tonique and they live in staff quarters there. It was cool, but the sun was shining so we enjoyed an aperatif outside - Kir, a mixture of creme de cassis and white wine along with fresh radishes and butter and salt. Then we moved inside where Emma had prepared a wonderful dinner - Tartiflette, made with red potatoes, lardon (a sort of bacon), onion, garlic and topped with yummy Reblouchon cheese and baked - really excellent. This was served with Charchuterie (meats such as cured ham and salami) and salad with Dijon dressing. Then when we figured we had done this justice, Emma produced chocolate fondue on a little burner which we enjoyed with strawberries, brudenon (a kind of peach), grapefruit and marshmellows - decadent.

Lunch with Alex & Rosie at the revolving restaurant up from Leysin

By Lake Leman at the castle in Montreux

Alex & Rosie at the castle in Montreux

Sunday, 16 May 2010

Went for a walk early - pretty cold but the sun breaking through. We are close to the centre of Lausanne across the road from the big Trade Centre and yet there was a farmer in a Hi Luxe ute tending his cows which he had fenced in with an electric fence right next to an up-market gated development. It is a striking thing about Europe that you can be in a famous and sophisticated city yet traditional agriculture is never far away - what we call suburbs are called villages and the smallest garden will produce wonderful vegetables. Rosie and Alex put on a great Swiss/Brazilian breakfast - fresh melon, graviola juice - looks a bit like milk and tastes very good - a hot dish of eggs, sliced ham, onion, garlic and coriander - have to remember that one - small baked manioc cakes (manioc and its derivative, tapioca, are staples of Brazil), Tomme cheese, croissants and jam made by Alex's mum Silvia - plum, banana and mixed fruit - wonderful. Are we obsessed with the food? Yes, but with good reason. Set off with Alex & Rosie in their car around the lake in an easterly direction. Most shops closed here on a Sunday as they were in Italy so the streets pretty quiet. Beautiful lake and buildings lining the shoreline. Driving further around vineyards grow on incredibly steep slopes, terraced with rock walls. These slopes face south so face the prevailing sun - the southern shore is dominated by the Alps. We stopped in the very attractive town of Montreux, made famous its jazz festival, and took a break at the castle built over the water, Chateau de Chillon. We then drove up the winding road to Leysin and caught the gondola type cable car up to a revolving restaurant, Kuklos, at 2,048 meters. Plenty of snow on the ground. Nice lunch of cold meats, including a sort of dried beef, and cheese while we slowly rotated and looked out on the spectacular mountains and valleys. Watched as para-gliders jumped off the cliff - sure looks like fun. Back to the apartment for a bit of a rest. Watched some of the 20/20 cricket final with French commentary. A quiet night with dinner of pasta & pesto and some lovely Swiss pinot.

Dinner at Alex and Rosie's

Cafe Giuseppie Verdi, Turin

5 Chimneys

Stuffed zuchinni flowers and gorgonzolla at 5 Chimneys

Georgio & Patrizia

Bathroom at 5 Chimneys - note the chandelier

Sarturday, 15 May, 2010

Went for a walk through the village and up into the country-side - a fine day with the Alps, covered in snow, very clear in the distance - vineyards, green hills, farms, small charming houses.There is no doubt that Tuscany is a special place, but a few million others have also figured this out so regions like this that are less well known give you the feeling that you are "discovering" Italy (of course it has never been discovered before). Enjoyed a lovely breakfast of fresh fruit, pomegranate juice, coffee and, interestingly, home-baked vanilla cake - very nice. Thanks very much to Georgio and Patrizia for a great stay. We did not realise how close we were to Turin, and Georgio convinced us that it was well worth a visit, so we headed off to there thinking it would be fairly quiet on a Saturday morning - not a smart assumption. The traffic was fairly crazy heading on, although quite polite as has generally been the case - some of our driving on the big roundabouts certainly tests their patience and their rarely used horns received a bit of a work out. Then we passed a park with masses of buses and a line of people about 1 K long - there were waiting to visit the Shroud of Turin, on display for the first time in many years. Found a park in what we figured was close to the centre (you have to be careful in these larger cities as the centres are restricted to resident cars and they photograph every car going in and fine those without a permit). Walked down Via Guiseppe Verdi and had a coffee in Cafe Guiseppe Verdi (well, what else would you call it), obtained a map in a tourist booth and walked to Palazzo Madama. We then walked down Via Po. We did not know one thing about Turin before, but this may well be one of Europe's great streets - both sides have wide footpaths, covered, and with arches or porticos all the way along and lined with shops, both expensive and otherwise, particularly second-hand book shops and stalls - and naturally heaps of bars, cafes and restaurants. It ends at the River Po, opening out onto the huge Piazza Vittorio Veneto which contains many outdoor tables. There were many tourists, but they all seemed to be Italian, no doubt the main nationality coming to view the Shroud. We were very glad to have seen Turin, it is a lovely city, particularly with the back-drop of the Alps - unfortunately we could not do it justice (particularly the shops) in the short time we had available. Got away about 1.00pm and found the autostrada again, heading north towards Aosta and the border. At one stage the outside temperature was 25C. Had lunch in a motor-way services (some of these are really good, offering regional food of very good quality, along with expected junk food - it is strange to see them pouring draft beer behind a cafeteria counter). We were soon in the mountains, climbing to 1,900 metres, temperature 3C still in sunshine, then through the Grand S Bernard Tunnel, about 6ks long (23 Euro) and into Switzerland. Also entered what seemed like a new climate with light snow falling and windy. Descended down the valley and soon hit Lac Leman (Lake Geneva) and arrived in Lausanne about 5.00pm where Alex and his wife Rosie met us and took us to their lovely apartment. Fabulous dinner of salad, shrimp (prawns) in a cream, tomato and onion sauce with rice, followed by tirimasu. Alex's mother, Silvia, and Rosie's friend Marcia joined us and we discussed Switzerland, Brazil, Estonia, Australia and lot's else. Alex stayed with us in 2003 and it was great to catch up with him in his home town.

Florentine seranade

In Santa Croce square

Santa Croce church

Friday, 14 May 2010

We had intended being real tourists today but after packing up and having breakfast and going to the post office did make it "down town" until after 10.00am. Morning coffee in a bar near the San Lorenzo market, then we split for shopping. Had a good walk around the fresh food covered market near San Lorenzo - very clean, great presentation and variety - fish, meat, vegetables and of course ham, cheese, oil and lots of other goodies. You could easily have a couple of meals a day here. The meat and seafood looked to be good value. An interesting thing in Florence is to see wine tastings promoted alongside olive oil and balsamic vinegar tastings - these are also available to some extent in the market. Walked back to the hotel and had a light lunch at a' Birra on via San Gallo. We did not see most of the real accepted highlights in Florence, partly because we have both been here before and partly because this trip is not really about ticking off the sights of Europe - wandering the many narrow and historic streets and soaking up the atmosphere of this historic city was enough for us (plus shopping of course). The owner of the hotel, Roberto, had offered to drive us out to Peugeot and we accepted and his brother Marco drove us at 3.00pm - extremely generous to say the least - what service. The repair cost over 400 Euros which, after I faxed a report, Peugeot picked up - we knew this was one of the main differences between leasing a renting a vehicle, ie no excess on repairs, and we have proved the point (would have preferred not to find out the hard way). Finally left Florence just after 4.00pm on the autostrada towards the coast, passing Cinqeaterra (will see it next trip - check spelling) and on that amazing road passed Genoa that either goes through a tunnel or over a valley - lost cound of the number of tunnels, some of which are nearly 2Ks long. Just after 8.00pm we arrived at the B & B we had booked, named 5 Chimneys, in the little village of Pozzengo, north of Genoa and between Milan and Turin. We found it on the internet - very handy having the little Eee PC computer with us and wi fi in the hotel in Florence (tried to book at Camogli on the coast but no availability on a Friday night). The GPS worked this time otherwise it would have been hard to find - a small, pretty village in the hills of Piemonte. Wonderful house run by Georgio and his wife Patrizia. We booked dinner ahead and they gave us a great meal of Caprese - tomato, mozeralla and rucola salad, Puttenesca - penne pasta, olives, capers, tomatoes, oil, garllic, basil & parsely, followed by stuffed zuchinni flowers with gorgonzola, parmesan slice and slice of pear - this was all followed by gelato and accompanied by red wine made from Georgio's grapes - Barbera del Montferrato. Patrizia also brought out a bottle of lemoncello (when it came out of the freezer and could still be poured I knew the alcohol content was going to be pretty high). Similar to what we had last night, apparently it is made from a base of pure alcohol combined with lemon rind which is soaked for days and sugar - this is a bottle with a message and the message is beware - tastes great though.

Thursday,13 May 2010

Had breakfast early (for us) and walked about 1.5 Ks to the Uffizi Gallery and arrived at the end of a small queue at about 8.00am. After going through airline type security, we were in by 8.30am with a big line behind us - note for the Uffizi - go early and go hard. The Uffizi is one of the world's great art galleries and we were suitably impressed. When we entered it was raining lightly, as it was for much of yesterday - when we left the sun was shining and the streets were full of people. We wandered around down to Sante Croce then back towards the Duomo, having coffee in a bar and a light lunch in what was essentially a sandwhich place. Tour groups everywhere in the streets with the guides speaking into little microphones and the group members listening on earpieces. July & August must be pandemonium here. Louise then went for some serious shopping without her hand-brake, while I walked down via Piazza della SS Annunziata which had a bunch of Africans protesting about something watched over by tough looking riot police. Coffee and a read of the paper in Bar Santa Reparata. We had a drink later in our hotel with our ever-obliging host Roberto, then dinner at Antica Trattoria Da Titto on Via S Gallo - bruschetta, good, osso bucco, OK, and pork stuffed with blue cheese and proscuitto, very good - also Rucola salad which we think is rocket. We finished with "lemon digestive" which they brought out in a bottle with no lable - tasted great but a kick later.

Some observations about Italy.
1. We have found the managers/owners of hotels to be extremely obliging, offering to help you with things far beyond what would normally be expected, eg changing the wheel on the car.
2. No one wants to be paid in advance - call and make a reservation at a hotel or b & b and you are not asked for a credit card guarantee - in small cafes or bars you just order your coffee and pay for it when you are ready to leave.
3. Coffee is great (if you drink long black ask for Americano) - by all means sit at the outdoor tables and be waited on and watch the world go by, it is part of being a tourist in Europe, just be prepared to pay a lot for the priviledge - in the main tourist areas it could be as high is A$8.00 for a coffee - on the other hand, go to a small hole in the wall bar, even in the main tourist areas, order at the counter and pay around A$1.60 for exactly the same coffee - you can still sit down at the little tables inside.
4. Pasta is great but is generally considered to be an entre (prima plate) - for a light dinner it is good but not substantial - it seems the norm is to have a pasta dish then a main course dish which is sometimes a bit too much.
5. Lunch is a bit like coffee - pay a lot to sit outside at a table, or very little, as low as A$4.00, for a panini and a juice in a small bar or lunch place - very good value - pizza slices also good value.
6. Even in the narrow streets of Siena and Florence there is a safe feeling, however caution is always wise - violence appears to be rare but petty theft is possible.
7. Alcohol is everywhere but you never see anyone drunk.
8. Men and women dress very well, an obvious statement, but this does not deter them from riding a push-bike.
9. Scooters are very common, also fairly obvious - saw just one example of three people on one scooter.
10. The narrow streets in the larger citys seem chaotic but the traffic actually flows very well with very little tooting of horns and no road rage (this may be different in the south).

On the Ponte Vecchio

Wednesday, 12 May 2010

Called the Peugeot help number around 8.00am - they were very helpful. Called back while we were having breakfast and said help was on its way. Went down to the streeet, Via Cavour, and waved down the tow truck. He blocked the whole cross street while he lowered his tray. I had to drive on to the tray, which was not easy with one flat tire. He had no English but signalled me to jump in and we were soon off - amazing what he could do with a big truck in those narrow streets. My German SIM card was out of credits so Louise did not know where I was. Ended up at the Peugeot dealer out near the airport where I was told in broken English that a bracket/strut had also been bent and could not be repaired until Friday afternoon. If this mishap had to happen, guess there are worse places than Florence. Bus to central bus station and it was nearly noon by the time I arrived back at the hotel. Met Louise near the San Lorenzo market. Simple pizza lunch then strolled down towards the river. Coffee and cake at Bar La Borsa - at 5 Euro for a coffee it is something to perhaps just experience but not make a habit of. Window shopping on the Ponte Vecchio, the famous bridge across the Arno (I can never think of the Arno with associating Maggie Smith in "A Room with a View" - "I must have a view of the Arno"). Wandered back along the river and checked out the queue at the Uffizi Gallery - early start needed to avoid the hordes. Pasta dinner in a fairly basic little place near our hotel - Italian music playing and house red in tumblers (all we can afford after afternoon tea) - very good though.

Palazzo Ravizza Hotel, Siena

Il Campo, Siena

The rest of last night's dinner

Tuesday, 11 May 2010

Went for a quick walk around the narrow streets early - no tourists, just students moving around, deliveries to shops, and the like. Great breakfast in the hotel overlooking the garden. The orange juice is red - tastes wonderful. As is usual in Europe, the main breakfast fare is bread, cheese and ham - the cheese here was fresh sheep milk cheese called Cashotta (not sure about that spelling). The longer we are here the more we realize how lucky we were to stumble across this hotel. It is 4 star at a very reasonable price. It is a palace or stately home, in the same family for more than 200 years and converted to a hotel in 1929. Cloudy day but fine and mild. Walked around the streets and to the Il Campo, Italy's "most beautiful piazza". Coffee at Bar Il Palio, the same name as the famous horse race that takes place annually around the piazza. Up to the Duomo (lined up with the other tourists for tickets) - stunningly beautiful both inside and out. Simple lunch of panini at a little bar across from our hotel then drove out about 2.30pm - only about an hour to Florence but trying to avoid the peak hour. Sorry to leave Siena - beautiful old city. We had internet access in the room so we decided to book a hotel ahead. Arrived in Florence in good time, then the fun started. It was raining heavily and the Garmin GPS (do not buy one!) once again just kept switching off. We knew we were close to the hotel but just kept driving around and around in rain and crazy traffic, the wrong way up a bus lane at one stage. Eventually parked and found the hotel on foot to be told we had parked outside police headquarters in a zone reserved for police cars. Raced back to the car which had not been towed then, when parking near the hotel, hit the kerb and flattened the tire. Had a bit of a rest to settle the nerves then walked towards the Duomo (about 1 K from our hotel). Walked around the San Lorenzo market - stalls selling all types of leather goods (some maybe not actually leather), scarves and plenty else including fakes. Had a drink on the street. Up until now we have been struck by how reasonable the prices in Europe have been, but we are obviously now in tourist price country. Found a tiny wine and food shop that had a few dining tables, i'Mangiarino, and had great pasta meal and red wine at a good price, then later paid 7 Euro each for gelati near the Duomo. Our hotel is 3 star and, while not to be compared with last night is still very good - a view of the Medici Chapel from our window if we crane our necks.

Tuscan Hills from the hotel terrace in Siena

Monday, 10 May 2010

Went for a walk around the lake in light rain. Breakfast at the hotel then headed south about 10.30am following the lake, then onto the autostrada via Verona, Bologna and south, exiting past Florence, and west to San Gimignano. Weather now fine and temperature above 20C for the first time on our trip. Walked around and had a coffee - it is a lovely old town but a victim of its own charm as there were too many Australian tourists, among a few thousand of other nationalities. Headed for nearby Siena with no idea of where to stay. Drove through the old city without finding a park then back up through the hills in the outskirts and back into the centre to a parking station. Took our hand luggage and walked up the cobbled streets looking for somewhere to stay. We were in a university area with no real sign of tourist life and with the time after 7.30pm things were starting to look a bit grim - were there any hotels at all within the walls of the old city? Stubbled across a "pension" - Palazzo Ravizza - which turned out to be a charming, old (naturally) hotel with a fabulous garden overlooking the Tuscan hills - great for a drink in the evening (it does not get dark until after 9.00pm). That is two out of two for not booking in advance - hope our luck holds. Walked down the narrow streets towards the Duomo. Siena has a great "lived in" feel and is described at "Italy's most perfect medieval city". Dinner at Le Campane - wild boar stew and Tuscan red - great.

View from our hotel - S Marco

Dinner on Lago de Gada

At Lago de Gada (with new Italian umbrella - note the matching colours)

The view from Josef's home

Josef and his family

Sunday, 9 May 2010

Headed off early with Josef heading for the Dolomites while Louise stayed behind for a bit of R & R. Went through the Groden (Val Gardena) ski area and up to the Sella Pass at 2240m. Passed a number of dairy farmers on the road with their stainless steel milk cans waiting for the truck to come along and collect it (in bulk). The signs here are all tri-lingual - German, Italian and a local dialect. Thick snow up this high and 2C, sun shining after a cloudy start. Crossed the Pordoi Pass also 2240m. Morning coffee in Stern which is the world cup gaint slalom site. This whole area is ski field followed by ski field, all connected, going for kilometres. Saw a marmot running in the snow, a small furrry animal. Arrived in Cortina which is in a stunning setting surrounded by mountains. The town itself, which hosted the Winter Olympics many years ago, is a bit faded. Headed back via Lake Miscurina with lunch by Duransee at Baur's Hotel looking up at the Drei Zinnen (three towers) one of the notable features of the Dolomites. The Dolomites is a huge mountain area well known to skiers. In summer it is a hikers domain and there are trails and huts everywhere, all very well maintained. We also passed many cyclists grinding up the mountain roads and racing down the other side. Meanwhile Louise had enjoyed a lovely mother's day lunch with Josef's mother, Rosa, his sister, Erika, her husband, Klaus, and their two sons Michael & Daniel, and Josef's brother Richard - schnitzel followed by huge preserved cherries and home made cake which we also enjoyed on our return. We are extremely grateful to Josef and his mother for their wonderful hospitality and also to Josef for being such a great tour guide in this fabulous region of South Tirol. Thank you so much.
Left Josef's at 4.00pm heading for Lago di Garda. For the first time we winging it with no firm destination or people we know at the other end. Hit the north end of the lake with a big line of traffic towing boats crawling in the opposite direction as the weekend finished. Stopped at Malcesine about quarter of the way down and Louise made an executive mother's day decision on a "room with a view" at the Hotel S Marco. A beautiful place, even in the light rain. Very touristy which is OK for us tourists. Very enjoyable dinner for two at Ristorante Pizzeria Garden by Italy's largest lake.

Who's the goat?

The Veniciano

Shopping in Merano

Lunch with Josef in Merano

Saturday, 8 May 2010

Went for a walk up the steep hill/mountain behind us to the pretty little village of Elvas. Walk up took 20 minutes and back took 1 hour after becoming lost in vineyards and apple orchards (knew I should have packed the hand held GPS). The apple trees here look like large grape vines at first glance - they are slender and cut back severely and grow on trellises. After breakfast Josef drove us down the valley to Balzano then up the Etsch Valley to Merano, stopping at Vilpian for our obligatory morning coffee. Merano is a beautiful small city with, of course, a raging river running through the middle. There are lovely promenades down the river and with the sun shining and the temperature climbing to around 20C the cafes were doing a roaring trade on a Saturday. Walked through the old town with shopping for bags high on the agenda. There are also plenty of shops catering for the extremely popular sports here of skiing, hiking, mountain climbing & cycling. A simple lunch of sausage and bread at Haisrainer on the Lauben (portico, ie street of arches). Strolled back down the river to the car and drove up to a great village - Dorf Tirol - which is a cable car base among other things. Coffee on the terrace at Tirolhof with a stunning view over Merano and down the valley - the clouds had lifted, the sun was shining and there was a fresh dusting of snow on the peaks above. Also tried the very visually attractive local drink - Veniciano - consists of Aperol, a type of Campari, white wine and soda. Tempting to stay on that terrace and have several more, but soon headed off back up to around 1200m through several pretty villages perched on the mountain side, back down the valley and back to Brixen. Drove back to Klausen in the evening for dinner at Torggkeller - pasta with asparagus and a pollenta dish - an amazing restaurant built in an old mill and crammed with all manner of implements, heads of animals, antlers and various bits - also had dining tables inside huge oak casks.

Dinner with Josef in Brixen

Shephards in the mountain meadows

Lunch with Josef in Brixen

Brixen

Josef & Tony in Brixen

Josef and Louise in Brixen