Entries about drinking

After all the fun and excitement of Italy, where to be honest, I barely rested for longer than a day except for Reggio Emilia, and that was only because I felt like crap, my days in Slovenia and Croatia were meant to share one theme only. Relaxation!

My drive from Verona to Bled was via autostrada the entire way. I would have liked to take the scenic route but it would have taken forever, perhaps an extra 2-3 hours, and that's without traffic, so motorway was the better option. The weather changed not long after entering Slovenia, encountering my first major thunderstorm while driving, and the weather remained unpredictable the rest of the day.

Though I wanted to relax, my first day in Bled was to walk the lake, visit the castle, and do the other bits of touristy thing I had planned for. Though it wasn't a very warm day, it was disgustingly humid, a reminder of Italy, so I definitely earned a cold beer climbing to the castle overlooking the lake. Walking the shore of the lake provided some wonderful views, particularly of the small island in the middle, which I did visit later, catching a lift on one of the many little boats that make their way to and from the island. I did stop for the occasional beer and treated myself to a nice dinner. Prices were reasonable in Bled, much cheaper than Italy.

Second day in Bled was relaxation. Sure, I did walk the lake in the opposite direction, but made sure I took all day, stopping in nearly every little hamlet for a small beer, and the weather was much nicer, a little warmer but the humidity had disappeared. It was definitely very relaxing. For my last day, I decided to get in my car and have a wander of the surrounding region. First was a visit to Vintgar Gorge, which was spectacularly beautiful, though rather busy, no surprise considering the time of year. Ended up going for a drive into Triglav National Park, heading to the remains of a village an a monument to partisans of WWII. Finally, I drove back towards Bled and visited Iglica Waterfall. That wasn't particularly spectacular, but I did climb the nearby ladders, where I was provided with some awe-inspiring views of the lands surrounding Bled. Definitely worth the few minutes climb up and down.

Between Bled and Zadar, I did stop in Trieste for two nights / one day. Definitely worth a visit. The weather was great. The prices are reasonable. And there is actually plenty to see, particularly the fortress overlooking the city, and if you love architecture, you can see the different styles around as Trieste has belonged to both the Austrians and Italians in recent history.

The drive from Trieste to Zadar was quite easy. I was amused at the border, ready to show them all my car paperwork, licence etc. Nope, all they wanted to see was my passport, gave me a stamp, off I went. You read up about horror stories of long delays, yet I'm just waved on through. Still, could be worse...

My Airbnb in Zadar was a little out of town, so during the summer, it certainly got me sweating. Zadar old town (Stari Grad) is beautiful, though. Completely pedestrianised, it was once ringed by walls though much of those have disappeared. There are plenty of little alleys to wander down and get lost. Plenty to keep oneself amused for a day, though most people would head to Zadar for the water activities, as it was rather warm while I was there, and the beaches were definitely full. What I would say is that, in the years between visiting Croatia (I'm sure it's about five / six years), it's either more expensive than what it was, or the drop in value of the pound just made it seem that way. Still, I found an excellent pub in the old town, eventually meeting people in there who could speak some of the lingo at least.

Following the Croatian coastline south, I ended up in a little town called Makarska, which will be the longest stay of this journey, an entire week! Another Airbnb apartment to myself, it was actually at the top of a rather steep hill, so made getting home each night a pain. But it was barely a ten minute walk to the seaside, and turning left or right provided me with endless bars, cafes and restaurants to eat and drink at.

For the entire week, I did practically nothing except relax, may be a bit of walking, certainly hours spent on the beach, enjoying a beer or two. I did do a boat trip one day, to the islands of Hvar and Brac. It was definitely a highlight, considering they served raki by 9am, wine by 10am, and by the time the trip ended at 7pm, many were carrying sore heads back to their hotels and hostels. For the last three nights I was there, concerts were held in the main square, a small stage for tribute acts to perform. 1st night was AC/DC, 2nd night was U2 and the third night was Guns n Roses. The square filled up nicely each night, and there was a small bar that served very cheap beer. I did find a few cheap bars around Makarska, as it seemed that prices were kept reasonable, probably due to the competition. The place was packed with people but it was always a friendly atmosphere, even late at night after a warm day and people may have consumed a few drinks.

Considering I'd spent over two weeks through Slovenia, Italy and then Croatia, I have to admit that I probably didn't do as much as before, certainly Italy and southern France, and I'll admit, the constant heat was the cause. Walking around in the heat and humidity day after day is draining, and I know I've started to put on a little bit of the weight I'd lost as I have enjoyed my beer recently. Once it started to cool down in late September, I'll start doing the long walks I was doing before.

But that's for later. I was about to enter my first new country since San Marino.

Montenegro!

Apologies for anyone following this, I've been on the road for over two weeks, didn't take my laptop, so I'll be writing the following just from photos taken and memories. I'll have another blog post up quite quickly, covering where I've just returned from. (I'm currently in a nice apartment in Granada...)

Anyway, my last post was regarding my quick adventure through Portugal. Thoroughly enjoyable, and it's somewhere I would like to spend more time in the future. Damn Schengen rules...

The drive from Sintra to Sevilla was the longest of the trip so far at 308 miles. That's just under 500 kilometres. Didn't do it all in one hit, though I only stopped for fuel and a quick drink before finishing the drive. Experienced the first really bad traffic of the trip so far. It sucked. I was delayed by a good half an hour, but that didn't particularly matter. My Airbnb wasn't exactly in the centre, though I knew that when booking it. Dos Hermanos is only a short metro ride away from the centre, and was convenient for me regarding my car, as there was ample parking. My hosts were fantastic as well. It was a husband and wife team. The husband didn't speak any English, though we managed to communicate through hand gestures, his wife spoke enough that we could communicate, and she was certainly very helpful regarding my stay.

My two days in Sevilla were spent pretty much just seeing all the sights possible. Of course, that meant the Plaza de Espana, the cathedral and the Alcazar, while I also participated in my first walking tour of the trip to get a better understanding, and also learn some tips from fellow travellers. I said it to people at the time, but Sevilla definitely goes into my top three beautiful cities, for the time being. The locals were friendly and accommodating, though it was also the first time I was surrounded by many fellow tourists. Sintra was busy, but Sevilla was something else. Crowds everywhere!

During my second evening, my Airbnb host organised an evening of flamenco. There are plenty of stories as to the origins of flamenco (is it actually Spanish or imported?) but that's an argument for another time. All I can say is that I thoroughly enjoyed the ninety minute show, as did the people I was sharing the table with. Dancers would also perform on the street for tips, one such couple performing as I waited in line for the cathedral.

The weather had certainly warmed up during my trip through Portugal, and by the time I arrived in Cadiz, summer had almost arrived. Sevilla had been quite warm, so I was pleased to be by the ocean at least, my Airbnb only a stones throw away from the seven kilometre long seafront. I could see it was still just out of season, though, as I was told later the beach would be full of sunbathers or swimmers at the height of summer. While I was there? Not deserted but not the crowds one would expect.

I did my second walking tour during my first day, as although I'd done a little research on Cadiz, it wasn't an extensive as other places. Our guide, Mario, was brilliant, with plenty of funny stories regarding the history of Cadiz, and he more than earned his tip. Cadiz isn't a particularly large city, and although geared towards tourists, proven by the fact four cruise ships arrived while I was there, I think most come for sand, sea and surf rather than culture. Still, I managed to occupy myself for two days, finding a number of bars to enjoy a drink and tapas. The Champions League semi-finals were on during my time there, and I found I believe the only Liverpool supporter in Cadiz during my first night! The second night, I was in a different bar sat next to some Dutch guys as they watched their team lose in the last minute. I'm fairly sure they would have been drinking all night...

Again, it was only a short two day / three night stay before moving on again, my next destination Gibraltar.

I had to park my car on the opposite side of the border, as driving in Gibraltar isn't easy, and parking is non-existent for non-residents. And as I was leaving Schengen, I didn't want to return until I had to. That meant ensuring I had everything I needed in my bag before crossing the frontier. (Thankfully, I didn't forget anything!)

My first night in Gibraltar, again at an Airbnb, was again by myself. My hostess, Marie, was fantastic, enjoying a long chat upon arrival as she shares a real love of travel too. I spent my first full day in Gibraltar not doing a hell of a lot as I was waiting for a friend to arrive. Ryan flew in later that night, and after settling in, we headed out for a catch up drink.

The next day, we caught the cable car to the top of the Rock, taking in some of the spectacular views from the viewing platforms. It was a clear, sunny and hot day, and it's true, you can see Africa clearly. We then spent a few hours walking down the Rock (as others were running or walking up it for a charity event), stopping at a few sights along the way. One was an old battery, the gun still in place, which did give the best view of Africa. There were also some old tunnels, from various sieges and the two wars, a few memorials dedicated to various services, and also the remains of a Moorish castle from centuries ago. By the time we arrived at the bottom, we were both knackered so, after a wash back at the Airbnb, headed out from some dinner and drinks.

That was Saturday. On Sunday, we planned to do as little possible. It would be my first day of doing practically nothing since leaving, and I aimed to take advantage of it. The best idea was to head to the biggest sports bar in Gibraltar to watch the Formula One then the last day of the Premier League. The place was crowded, as expected, downing a few ciders in the sun. Once that was over, we had a bite to eat before heading back to shower, then returned to the very same place!

And that was the end of the European adventure, part one. On the Monday, we bid farewell to Gibraltar, loading up my car for the short drive to Tarifa. After parking up, we ended up having a rather torrid day. Firstly, we were told the ferry was delayed, unsure of when it would be sailing, and we were advised to head to Algeciras later the same day (having waited until noon for news!) We caught the bus there, only to be told upon arrival that ferries were now sailing for Tangier from Tarifa. So we had to hop a second bus back to Tarifa, eventually boarding the ferry around 5pm.

It would be a ninety minute sailing to Morocco, which will be covered in the next post.

Have quite a bit to catch up on. Been too busy either wandering around, enjoying a drink, or just... I don't know, doing other things than sitting in front of a bloody laptop screen. I'm on tour here, people!

Between Orleans and Tours lies the Chateau de Chambord. I really have to make sure I upload a photo eventually, because although it was on my list of things to definitely see and do on this trip, looking at photos on a screen is one thing, seeing it all in real life is another. The building itself was beautiful, but what was found inside was just the icing on the cake. Of course, one or two rooms were going through refurbishment, including what was the King's private chambers, so I didn't get to see how exquisite that may have been. I'm glad I visited before high-season, as though it was busy in April, I have no doubt it was quiet compared to the heaving masses that would visit during the summer.

Would I recommend it? Definitely. Not too expensive and wandering the chateau, and then the gardens, are definitely worth a couple of hours, and the cost of entry. Can't remember what it was, but nothing too obscene.

My drive from the chateau to Tours took me past one of the best sights so far. Purposely missing the autoroute, I travelled the D-roads and was taken along the Loire and eventually through the town of Blois. I could have stopped to take a photo, and although I did stop my car, I simply... looked, printing it into the memory bank. Absolutely magnificent. I honestly don't have the description to describe it. A clear blue sky. Sun shining. River flowing. And an ancient city quietly resting on the other side. That's a memory that I'll take back once all this is over.

Tours was probably the first city I visited where I hadn't done all that much research. Sure, I'd had a look at Wikivoyage and other online sites, but I travelled with the intention of simply wandering around. My little private Airbnb apartment was barely a ten minute walk from one of the main squares, which was absolutely heaving with students drinking when I wandered in that afternoon.

I had three nights in Tours, but only one full day there, as I intended to travel somewhere else the next day. What can I say about Tours? Not as pretty as Orléans but probably a better preserved old quarter, as I enjoyed spending time wandering the narrow streets. The cathedral was grand, as always, though I had to delay my usual wanderings as I turned up just when Sunday mass was about to start! There is also a large basilica on the other side of town, which while a newer building, did not lack for grandeur.

As for nights out, I think Tours had a lot of Irish bars. Maybe I'm exaggerating, but I'm sure I hadn't seen as many in one city up until then. Probably to do with the large student population. Hopes of meeting plenty of English speakers didn't exactly come to fruition, as I did read up that a couple of pubs would be full of English or American students at least, but I didn't have too much luck. That will be a minor problem at times regarding solo travelling, given that I am generally avoiding hostels (mostly.)

My second day saw me hop on a train and head west for around 45 minutes to a smaller town called Saumur. I'll be honest, the only reason I was visiting was to see the Museé des Blindes, which is basically a tank museum. Silly old me decided to just follow the signs to the museum, which led me climbing up quite the hill, though it did lead me past a magnificent chateau that overlooks Saumur. It must have taken me well over an hour to walk to the museum, and after consulting Google maps, I realised I'd probably gone the very, very long way.

As for the museum, I'm still trying to decide if this museum, or the Tank Museum in the UK, is better. The number of German tanks the museum in Saumur has was fantastic. All four variants of Panzer, a Panther, Tiger and even a King Tiger tank! There were plenty of French tanks, as well, plus a couple of rooms dedicated to Cold War weaponry, Soviet and American tanks, before the last couple of rooms had modern era tanks, including British, American and even an Israeli tank. Thankfully each tank also had a description in English, so in addition to a million pictures, I did quite a bit of reading. For anyone interested in military history and weaponry, go!

Leaving Tours, it was time to head south to Bordeaux. But as it was a long drive, I chose to break it up into two parts, intending to stop in a little town along the way.

That little town is called Oradour-sur-Glane.

I'm not going to go into great detail about my visit, and very few photos were taken. If you want to know, just look up the town name and the events of June 10th, 1944. The old town, now ruins, has been left a reminder of atrocities, not just in France, but across Europe during WWII. The one thing I remember is the near silence. People kept quiet. There was no laughter and the new road was far enough away you didn't hear cars. The only sound was of birds chirping. I'd been intending to visit since seeing it mentioned during the documentary series 'The World at War', and I'm glad I did. It probably doesn't have the same impact as Auschwitz, which I have visited previously, but there is something more... personal, I think, about Oradour-sur-Glane. The scale isn't the same at all but... I probably can't explain what I mean, to be honest.

I can say, hand on heart, that Orléans has a challenge after my visit to Bordeaux. What an absolutely gorgeous city! I think the only let down was the fact the Garonne didn't flow blue but it was a rather ugly brown colour. Other than that, can't have too many complaints. My Airbnb hosts were fantastic. Marie knew a little English, Pat not much at all, but they could understand me at least, and we managed to make it work. They provided breakfast each morning too, which was great, where I had some good conversations with a fellow traveller. She knew me as 'the Australian', and I honestly think we never swapped names! She was of French extraction, but had been living in Germany for 25 years, so her English had a heavy German accent, which I found amusing. Anyway, we shared stories of travelling and what we would be doing next.

As for Bordeaux, in addition to all the usual attractions, there was so many English themed pubs! And it was helpful that I heard more English spoken since leaving Bayeux, though I'm always willing to practice my crap French anyway. On my second night, I did meet up with a couple of young French students, shared a couple of drinks and a chat while watching some football, and had some chats with guys behind the bar, particularly about why so many pubs had British names, such as 'The Brixton', Le Frog and Rosbif', and I must suggest visiting this pub as they brew their own stuff, and also 'The Cock and Bull'. I found Bordeaux surprisingly cheap as well, though that may have been helped by the long 'Happy Hour' most pubs had each night

And so ends France: Part 1, as I will be visiting two more times during this epic trip.

I’m not really sure where to begin!

Well, there was little point explaining much for day seven. After enjoying another lively discussion with Remy and Christine at breakfast, it was time to leave Fougères. I had my first experience of trying to find a petrol station on a Sunday, as I didn’t pass one leaving Fougères, so figured I could fill up in Laval before getting on the autoroute towards Le Mans. Although I didn’t come close to even the light coming on, it was something I will have to be aware. Most of my journeys are not longer than a couple of hundred miles to begin with, but I will fill up more often than not before the longer stretches. (Luckily my first really long journey isn’t until after Morocco in May.)

Anyway, finding my Airbnb host in Le Mans was simple enough, my sat-nav not sending me around the houses for once. And I really have lucked in with my hosts so far! Simone is a delight, with a wicked sense of humour. Within a couple of hours of arriving, she asks ‘Would you like a biere?’ Now, bear this in mind, she is a 70 year old woman, who just happens to love hosting people!

So we head off down the road to a local bar, where I’m introduced to some locals, and one guy, Antoine, spoke good English and had just finished his own travels in the USA. Must have spent a good couple of hours (if not longer, to be honest) before we headed back, with another friend in tow, Laura, who is also staying with Simone. I’m then treated to some home-cooked Vietnamese food before heading to bed. Not a bad introduction!

Monday was all about exploring Le Mans itself, leaving the motor racing aspect to the Tuesday. However, one thing I’ve learned rather quickly is that many stores and museums are closed on a Monday in France. The big stores remain open, and the more popular museums likely are too, but I was told by the lady in the tourist office that most in Le Mans would be shut. Still, my first port of call was the cathedral, better known as the Cathédrale St-Julien. The only word to describe it is… Wow! It’s not just the fact it’s bloody enormous, but the inside was a treasure trove of sights too. Seen one or two cathedrals during my travels and have to say the one in Le Mans is certainly one of the better examples.

Le Mans also had a rather well preserved old town, called Cité Plantagenêt. Though you won’t get lost along the narrow streets, the numerous old buildings certainly make you think you’ve gone back in time… until a car almost runs you over anyway. The old town is full of small shops, workshops, bars, cafes and, of course, most of them were closed. Go figure.

Heading down to the River Sarthe, one can also take in the remnants of what was once a Roman wall that surrounded the city long ago. What I did realise is that the old town and cathedral were built on a hill overlooking the river and everywhere else, as climbing back up the stairs towards the old town was a pain in the arse!

As it was a rather pleasant day, in fact probably the best day weather wise since leaving the UK, I hopped on a tram and headed to the outskirts of the city, to the Abbaye Royale de l’Epau. Knew nothing about it except it was an abbey, so paid the €5 entry, received an audioguide as well, and wandered the grounds. It was incredibly peaceful. There were not many visitors and the sounds of the city were left behind. I found myself just sitting down for a few minutes, enjoying the silence. Under-rated, if you ask me.

After the silence, I headed back into the city and sat at one of the many bars lining the Place de la Republique. It was rather warm in the afternoon and the top of my head is now paying for it, as I didn’t have a hat! I enjoyed a petit biere in a couple of the bars before wandering into a rather popular Irish pub called Mulligan’s.

And that’s why I woke up with a stonking headache this morning. I was sat by myself, just watching the TV with a pint, when I was approached by a girl as she heard me speaking English with the barman. I was invited to her table with a few others, and she ended up doing the interpreting, as most of the others could only speak a little anglais, and my francais is… well, probably not as good as their anglais. We must have sunk a couple of beers together in there before heading across the road towards another bar. I think I finally left at around 1 or 2 in the morning, couldn’t find a taxi, so I ended up walking for an hour or so back to my Airbnb.

For my second day, my wonderful host, Simone, had organised what was almost a personal guide to take me to the La Sarthe circuit. Katia was a motor-racing fanatic. Definitely put me to shame. She’d spent a few years living in the USA working in the Indycar series, actually living in Indianapolis itself, so her accent was definitely amusing to someone used to hearing accents of angleterre.

First stop was the La Sarthe museum, where I spent a good ninety minutes or so wandering around, taking too many photos of either very old cars, or very old racing cars. They had replicas of the De Dion Bouton, considered one of the very first automobiles ever made, and the very first Benz ‘motorwagen’. Being Le Mans, most of the cars were either originals or replicas of cars that had one raced the famous old track. We’re talking Bugatti’s, Bentley’s, Jaguar’s, Ferrari’s, Ford GT40s, up to the all-conquering Porsche and Audi teams. I think I took a photo of nearly every car. While I’m sure there are many collections that could rival, the only two I’ve seen that come close would be Donington Museum, which I believe has now closed, and the Mercedes-Benz museum in Stuttgart.

Katia then took me on a drive of the track, at least the public road bits, first passing Tertre Rouge, driving the entire length of the Hunaudieres straight, though we had to take roundabouts instead of chicanes, then the section from Mulsanne to Indianapolis and Arnage, before the track becomes ‘private’ and we headed off to lunch near the local karting track.

I’ll be honest, after all that excitement, and a three course lunch for only €12, I was knackered from the night before, and Katia had work to do, so she dropped me off back at Simone’s and I actually had a lie down! I did head back into town for a couple of beers, watched a bit of football (soccer), then headed back again, just in time to meet Simone, Laura and Katia for dinner, as the three knew each other as Katia and Laura had once been Airbnb guests of Simone’s. It was a good laugh, I couldn’t understand a lot of it, but Katia helped translate the important bits.

I’m actually writing this in Orleans, as I left Le Mans earlier this morning, having stopped in Chartres on the way (it was actually quite a detour, but worth it) which I might talk about in my next post.

PS – Maybe I’ve lucked in so far, but if you’re considering it, use Airbnb. My hosts have been sensational so far. Rose-Marie and I had trouble communicating, as my French is admittedly poor, but she was still lovely and very helpful. Christine and Remy were an utter delight, Simone was just awesome, while my current host, Catarine, was very friendly, though she’s had to disappear for a couple of days. Fingers crossed all the rest of my hosts are just as good!

PSS – I think daily updates are a bit much, so will probably just update at the end of each city visit or when I find enough words to describe what I’ve seen and done.