Entries about old city

Been quite a while since I updated this, and I can't remember exactly how I ended the last post so I'll continue with what I remember.

My last night in Nice was rather long and boozy so waking up to leave for Italy didn't leave me feeling all that great. It took some water, juice and food to have me feeling a-okay before getting behind the wheel.

My first stop in Italy was La Spezia, and while I would love to have done the scenic route the entire way, it would have taken almost double the time of going by the motorway, and since I did have toll tags for both France and Italy, that's what I did. It did feel like a long old drive, though I'm sure the fact I was feeling a little tired didn't help, but I made it to La Spezia safe and sound, having to park my car some distance from my Airbnb. The lady who ran it was incredibly friendly, with full of tips and information about where and what to visit.

Of course, my first day was to go visit Cinque Terre. I knew we'd be in for some good weather when I woke up and headed to the train station early and it was already rather warm. I did have to queue for a while to get my pass, but trains ran frequently. Over the course of the day, I did stop and visit all five villages. I didn't spend too much time in the first couple of villages, Riomaggiore and Manarola. I had planned on doing the short hike between these two villages, but was informed the path was closed, and was also closed between Manarola and Corniglia.

I spent a bit more time in Corniglia, though getting to the town itself was hard, having to walk up what felt like a never ending set of stairs, though the views on offer were spectacular. As I always wear my walking shoes, I checked the time and distance between Corniglia and Vernazza and figured, why not, I'll hike this one instead. Considering the heat, it was a long, hard slog, well over ninety minutes mostly heading up to begin with, then a rather quick descent the closer I got to Vernazza. Ended up talking with a group of American tourists on the way, which helped pass the time.

Spent a long time in Vernazza recovering, and definitely enjoyed my first beer of the day! Walked up a nearby hill, again taking in some fantastic scenery (will upload more photos soon too.) Though I do feel quite fit nowadays, the distance between Vernazza and Monterosso was just too far, at least for me. If I hadn't done the previous hike, I might have considered it. Being the last stop, I spent more time in Monterosso than anywhere, the town actually split in two by a large hill.

Each village is full of things to see. Definitely more than one chiesa (church) and usually a museum or two, but most people, including myself, arrive to simply take in the scenery and try and snap our own photo of the rather famous ones you'll see in books or on the internet. The only downside is that it was absolutely packed. No criticism of tourism, considering I'm one myself, but I'm sure it would have been quieter in say... January. But I'm thoroughly glad I did it, definitely enjoyed it, and would heartily recommend.

Though I returned to La Spezia rather knackered, the next day I was out again, this time riding a train for an hour or so as I headed north to Genoa. I had contemplated staying there as I planned my trip, but La Spezia was better for the links to Cinque Terre. Genoa is an absolutely gorgeous city, absolutely steeped in history, and I loved walking the narrow streets of the old town. Better yet, the city had at least three (and probably more) funicular. Some only go up and down between two stations. One, though, heads right up into the hills surrounding Genoa.

For the first time since Andorra, I found myself in nature rather than a city, and on nothing but a whim, figured I would go for a walk, as I found a board suggesting I could take in some scenery while I also walking by some old forts that line the hills. It was rather quiet, not many tourists heading this far, and I eventually ended up following signs for a restaurant which offered panoramic views. Not sure how long it took me to walk there, well over and hour as I stopped often to snap a photo, but they didn't lie. Panoramic views on offer, the food was pretty good, and reasonably price as well. As always, the walk back was a little easier and definitely quicker as I didn't stop all the time! The only disappointment is that the weather did turn that afternoon, a thunderstorm rolling in. I ended up in a cafe, the lady behind the bar suggesting it was a frequent occurrence during the summer. A reminder of Sydney...

My last day in La Spezia was spent in the very town I was staying. It's a small town, and one used by tourists as a base rather than a place to visit. But there are a few hidden gems, and the docks are certainly a nice place to visit, with a number of bars and restaurants around. Being a Sunday, it was actually rather quiet around town, any tourists probably elsewhere, and considering how hot it was again, it was only in the evening that the streets and piazzas once again started to fill up.

Leaving La Spezia the next day, I stuck to the coast this time as my next stop of Pisa was only a short drive away, in comparison to some of the distances I've covered so far. My Airbnb was an apartment quite a distance from the centre of town, but my host provided all the information I required, including how to get into town. Walking wasn't realistic, particularly given the heat, so I ended up getting a bus each day. My first night, all I did was head to the local supermarket, grab some beers, then headed to a local pizzeria, where I enjoyed a fantastic local pizza.

First day was, of course, spent in Pisa itself. I had to be the usual tourist and head to the Leaning Tower, snapping a number of photos, but there are plenty of other buildings to visit while you're there. I definitely headed into the cathedral, which was absolutely stunning inside, and also into the Duomo, which was rather empty inside but still awe-inspiring. I spent a few hours in and around the tower and the other buildings before grabbing a map from a local tourist office, asking what else there was. The map suggested a couple of routes to take, and it was amazing how quiet the city was once you were away from the tourist areas. And Pisa had plenty of architecturally stunning buildings, plenty of museums to wander into, and though it was another stinking hot, humid day, it was pleasant just walking around, though trying to keep to the shade!

Day two had me hopping onto a train and heading towards Florence. Many people do it the other way around, staying in Florence and heading to Pisa, but considering I'm driving, Pisa was the better option for myself. Anyway, Florence is as beautiful and stunning as you can imagine. I booked my tickets for the Uffizi well in advance, and I could have honestly spent all day in there looking at everything. I'm sure I did spend a few hours in there, enjoying the fact it was rather cool. It was absolutely packed, no wonder they suggest you reserve an advanced ticket, and it was amusing to hear some of the stuff continuously telling people to be quiet. Felt more like a church at times.

Aside from the Uffizi, I pretty much saw all the other famous landmarks. I spent at least forty-five minutes queuing up to enter the Cathedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, but I'll admit, the inside wasn't as great as the outside. And I did chuckle to myself when I remembered climbing the cathedral in Assassin's Creed. The Basilica of Santa Croce was definitely worth the entrance fee. To be honest, during this trip, I think the basilica's have proven to be just as beautiful as most cathedrals. And, of course, no visit to Florence is complete without crossing Ponte Vecchio. I crossed a bridge further down near the basilica and walked back, snapping a few shots before crossing it myself. If you're wondering, it's full of jewellery shops nowadays.

Florence is obviously a very old city and I could have spent two or three days wandering around, taking in all the sights. It was stupidly busy, even Cinque Terre wasn't as packed, and nowhere in France or Spain had been anywhere near as bad. I was definitely travelling during European summer! Add to that, Florence was... almost obscenely expensive, but Italian standards anyway, nearly matching the price of some places in France. Understandable, I guess, but it made buying pints of beer rather expensive.

Day three was another day trip from Pisa, this time to the small town of Lucca. And talk about an undiscovered gem. Yes, there were a few tourists around, but I swear the Italians keep this one a secret. 'Si, go to Pisa, got to Firenze. Lucca? No, nothing there. Very boring.' It's definitely worth a day trip as you can walk the four or so kilometres of the city walls, and then simply stroll around the streets of the old town. Plenty of landmarks to see, but as it's so quiet, compared to Pisa or Florence at least, you can sit outside a cafe, have a drink, and just enjoy the peace and quiet. Admittedly, you could easily see everything in town easily within a day, unless you're a completionist and want to see every museum and every landmark possible, but I can heartily recommend it as a day trip from Pisa.

My drive from Pisa to my next stop of San Marino had me driving through the Tuscan countryside. I avoided the autostrada as I wanted to take the scenic route. The road through the mountains was a lot of fun but hard work to drive, but the views on the way were absolutely spectacular, stopping in a small town right at the peak to take a few photos. I was passed by any number of bikers, and there must have been at least fifty of them doing the same thing when I arrived. For those wondering what road it was, it was the SS67. My sat nav took me from Pisa to Florence, driving through there wasn't a lot of fun, exiting the city on the east, following the SS67 to Forli, and then head south-east on the SS9. This would be a nice route to take if you were heading to Rimini from the west coast.

San Marino, one of the smallest nations on Earth, is definitely worth a visit. I was staying in another Airbnb, on the very edge of the San Marino/Italian border, though in San Marino itself. Having arrived rather late in the day, and feeling rather knackered after an exhausting drive, I headed to a pizzeria which had some fantastic reviews. Best pizza I'd had so far. Hands down, no contest. I headed to one or two bars after that, but I pulled up stumps rather early and got some much needed shut eye.

Public transport in San Marino isn't great, and knowing what I'm like, wanting to enjoy a few beers during the day, driving wasn't an option. But I did have the bus timetable for the service that runs from Rimini, so had to sit around and wait awhile before it arrived, expectedly late of course. The City of San Marino sits on an enormous hill overlooking the rest of the country and what seems like half of Italy. The city and country itself are old, very old. Heading to the tourist office, I made sure I got my passport stamped, grabbed a map, and was offered some sound advice on what to do.

Any plans were stopped, for a while at least, as there was a festival of sorts taking place, and there was a beer tent. After grabbing a pint, I ended up speaking with a German couple for a good few hours, knocking back a few beers, and having a good laugh. Good people, and I've kept their details to keep in touch. But though I could sit and drink beer all day, I did want to check out some sights, so I walked up the hill to visit the three forts. Achingly beautiful views were on offer, while at the highest point, you could see some stunning shots of the City of San Marino itself. It was nice just walking around the old streets, though admittedly, the city is tiny. You definitely don't need more than a day. I did grab another pizza from a restaurant with good reviews, and ended up catching the last bus back, which was only at around 20:30. I did ask about taxi's and was told they can be pricey.

Stop number four of my journey of the Italian peninsula was Reggio Emilia. Not exactly on the tourist trail, but it was convenient for day trips to Modena/Maranello and also for Bologna. Unfortunately, I'd been carrying a cough for a little while by now, ever since entering Italy, to be honest, and it really knocked me for six during my drive from San Marino, so that meant my first day in Reggio Emilia, where I was going to check out the city itself, was a wash out. All I did was head to the local pharmacy, and using Google translate, got my hands on some cough medicine, headed back to my apartment, and got some rest.

Though I still didn't feel all that great the next day, it was time to visit Modena. Actually, though I did want to visit Modena itself, it was time to visit Maranello and the home of Ferrari. The first museum, though, was the Enzo Ferrari experience, where the city has turned the house he was born into a museum, and the building next to it is filled with some of the most beautiful Ferrari's ever produced. They also show a film of Enzo Ferrari during the visit, highlighting details of his life and the history of the marque itself. The collection isn't enormous by any stretch of the imagination, easily visiting in no more than a couple of hours, but if you're a car buff, it's a must.

Through the website, you can also book a bus to take you from Modena to that museum and then onwards to Maranello. I'd booked mine long ago, so boarded for the half hour trip. Maranello is Ferrari, or Ferrari is Maranello. As soon as you enter, the Prancing Horse is everywhere. The bus takes you past the Ferrari factory and various other buildings linked to the marque, before arriving at the Ferrari museum. I can say this right now, it is worth absolutely every penny spent buying the ticket. I could have easily spent all day in there just looking at all the cars. Not just road cars, but sports cars and what everyone probably wants to see, the Formula One cars. The place reeks of history.

While I was there, I decided to try my hand at one of the simulators, just for a laugh. It wasn't cheap but I somehow managed to cram my fat arse in one of the cockpits, and as I was driving a Ferrari, it had to be Monza. You only get seven minutes but I managed a few laps, my fastest only nine seconds slow than Kimi Raikkonen's current lap record. There's hope for me yet!!! I also enquired taking a Ferrari for a drive, as there are plenty of garages offering the Ferrari experience. Let's just say it was well outside my budget, ten minutes being one hundred Euro, and so on. So I figured I could always head back one day with a wad of cash and take one out for an hour.

Back to Modena, I headed to the tourist office, grabbed a map, saw the main sights, headed to a bar which sold craft beer, enjoying a great chat with the barman, whose English was solid after living in the UK for a few years, before returning to Reggio after quite the day.

Day three was Bologna. About another half an hour on the train past Modena, I had toyed with the idea of heading north from Reggio instead of south, but I couldn't miss Bologna, not with everything on offer. It was probably one of the muggiest days of the trip so far, though, the walk just from the station to the main tourist office leaving me almost soaking wet, not in a nice way. Grabbing a map as always, I also booked a ticket to climb the Torra degli Asinelli (Asinelli Tower) for later that afternoon.

Like most maps, it came with a suggested walking route, so I followed that first, definitely visiting the basilica first, which was surprisingly free to enter, and utterly beautiful inside. The route took me past most of the famous landmarks dotted around the old city, before I abandoned it around two-thirds the way around and did my own thing as usual. Bologna is as old as all the other cities I've visited, finding my way down along old narrow streets, buildings seeming to close in on you, but it was the shade I found most enjoyable.

Climbing the Asinelli Tower was quite the experience. It was stiflingly hot inside, so by the time we reached the top, everyone was sweating. Climb was worth it though, the views provided were... well, as I've said about a lot of things, absolutely spectacular. It was a little cramped up there, though they do keep the numbers reasonable, just about everyone managed to get the shots they wanted. Up that high, there was also the slightest of breezes, not really enough to cool right down, and entering the tower to climb down, everyone was sweating again at the bottom. Good fun though.

If you look at the list of things to do in Bologna, you could easily spend two or three days taking in everything on offer. But if you're doing a day trip, you can easily knock off the main sights, while visiting one or two things perhaps overlooked, quite easily. And it's another place I recommend that everyone should visit. Though popular, and it was busy, it was nothing compared to previous stops.

I'd avoided the autostrada through most of Italy, and there was absolutely no point using it to head to my next stop of Verona. This wasn't an Airbnb but an actual B&B I'd booked long ago, as driving near the centre of Verona was difficult, parking impossible, so I was again on the very edge of town, once again relying on buses to get me home.

Verona is... gorgeous. Absolutely, utterly, fantastically gorgeous. I loved it. So much that, for my third day, I abandoned any idea of doing a day trip and stayed in the city. There is so much to see and do, but it's not just that. As always, I had a map, and followed that somewhat, but getting lost in the old town was fun, and heading up across the river to the funicular, to take photos from the other side... I spent a long time just sitting on the wall and simply looking, camera in my pocket for once. Of course, those with a love for Shakespeare will go looking for Juliet's house, and you can also visit her grave/mausoleum if you're so inclined. They do have a statue of her outside the house, all the tourists lining up for a photo. Most would go to grab one of her breasts and all I could think was 'She was around 14 in the play, perverts!'

The city also had a lot of Roman ruins. Haven't mentioned them too much above but Verona has an arena, which is still used to this day for events, including opera, and there is also the ruins of a theatre nearby. I made sure to visit both of those. Depending on which side of the river you're on, you can follow the banks until you arrive at the Ponte di Castelvecchio, with a museum attached to it nearby. As always, there is an abundance of churches you can visit, but if you're going to visit just one, make sure it's the Duomo Cathedral di Santra Maria Matricolare. Worth every cent of the entrance fee.

Of course, you can't visit Italy, particularly on a long trip like I'm taking, without visiting Venice, so that was a trip for day two. Was it as good as I expected? Was it as beautiful as everyone says it is? Abso-beeping-lutely! Don't get me wrong, it was so stupidly busy, it wasn't funny. Well, only the toursity parts were. So I had a plan. I followed the signs to the Ponte di Rialto, took a couple of snaps, followed the signs to Piazza San Marco, did all the touristy stuff around there, then went an explored. Walk around five minutes away from either of those places, and Venice is wonderfully peaceful.

Tempted to a gondola ride, just for fun, until I saw the price. Ridiculous, so that was a no. Instead, I crossed the Ponte dell Accademia and kept walking until I was near the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute. Sitting at the point, you are provided with wonderful views of the Piazza San Marco on the other side of the Grand Canal. Heading back, there were times I was the only person around as I turned down narrow little streets. The main thoroughfares were busy though nothing like around the main hotspots. There are so many churches to visit, you could spend all day doing just that, but I'll admit, at times Venice seemed almost too quiet, even empty of life. Then when you realise that Venice is actually quite large, when thinking about it, but only fifty thousand live there now. To be honest, with all the tourists, and I know I was one, but I almost don't blame them. Little wonder they are bringing in all these initiatives, large and small, to almost stop tourists arriving altogether. It'll never stop completely but it might put off a few. I've read plenty of tourists receiving large fines for the smallest of infractions.

As I said above, my third day, I spent in Verona again. Didn't do all that much. To be honest, I'd been on the road for quite a while, and I was starting to feel a little tired. That's why I was actually looking forward to my next stop, as I planned on relaxing more than I had during most of my trip so far. (And my stops in Italy hadn't finished just yet either).

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.