Entries about roman ruins

Um, it's been over a month since I've updated this, and some of the memories of what I've done are no longer as fresh as previous chapters! At least I still remember where I've been though!

Anyway, my last post would have ended with me leaving Makarska, which was a lovely but crowded little town on the Croatian riviera. I spent an entire week there chilling out, which I certainly needed having barely rested since leaving the UK.

The drive from Makarska to Kotor was a breeze. Passing the border was simple, though it was the first time a border guard did ask for more than just my passport, having to show him registration and insurance details, though the process was over very quickly. The road from the border to Kotor circled the bay, and the scenery already on display was, at times, spectacular. I'll probably use that word a lot going forward.

My accommodation was a little Airbnb no more than ten minutes walk from Kotor old town. It wasn't huge, and I'll be honest, I thought it might have been a little bigger. No harm though, as I just wandered the streets on my first full day, taking plenty of photos, and definitely enjoying a beer or two as the heat was still beating down. For the afternoon, I booked a boat tour to nearby Perast and Our Lady of the Rock, the latter a man-made island in the middle of the bay. There were only a few of us on the speedboat and it's always alarming when the pilot spends more time on his phone than watching the horizon, but we got everywhere and back in one piece, and the breeze crossing the water certainly helped cool everyone down. Perast was a gorgeous little village while the church on the Rock was utterly stunning inside.

For day two, I organised a tour of Montenegro. (I've had to go check my Get Your Guide app to remember everywhere we visited!) We had a mini-bus, choc full of people, and the first event was climbing the mountain road, which I was originally planning on driving myself, though glad I didn't. Again, the views provided were breath-taking in their beauty, particularly when stopping at the 25th Serpentine, giving us views of the entire bay far below. I'll try and upload a picture later.

After that was a stop for breakfast at a traditional village, named Njegusi, where I got to know some of my fellow travellers, and I may have enjoyed a breakfast beer too. After that was the drive to Lovcen National Park, where we climbed the steps to the Mausoleum of Petar II Petrovic-Njegos, from where you can nearly see all of Montenegro from one spot. From there, we headed to Crnojevic, enjoying a spot of lunch, before enjoying a boat road up and down the river, one or two enjoying a swim in the water as well. The rest of us may have enjoyed some local wine or rakia.

A stop in Cetinje, the old capital, was next up, visiting the local monastery, which includes the remain of St. Peter and other holy relics, including what is purported to be particles of the True Cross. I've been told that more than once visiting churches and monasteries around Europe, but if it's what people want to believe, fair enough. We also did a little walking tour around the town, but it had been a long, hot day, so the guide cut it short and we headed to our last stop, Sveti Stefan, for a quick photo of the now private island, before returning to Kotor.

Nothing to report of my third day there. It bucketed down nearly all day, so apart from heading out for some drinks and snacks, I stayed indoors where it was at least dry.

My drive to Podgorica sucked for most of the trip, as I was caught in either heavy traffic along the coast, or the rain was still heaving down, and driving conditions were horrible. It was only getting close to the capital that the rain finally abated, and finding my hotel was simple.

I had organised three days for Podgorica, as my original intention was for one day there, then do some tours to the north and west. Those plans fell apart quickly. Tour groups don't operate from the capital, generally only doing so from Kotor, and perhaps Budva. And I'll admit, the stories about Podgorica are mostly true. I think there's enough there to see and do for a day, but nothing more than that. There are Roman ruins outside of town, but at the moment, it's not very interesting, and many of the artefacts have been moved away.

One thing you should check out is Ostrog Monastery. The drive from Podgorica eventually followed a road cut into the mountain, providing some... you guessed the word, spectacular views of the valley below. The monastery itself is a marvel of design, cut right into the side of the cliff, and is definitely a pilgrimage site for those of the Orthodox faith. It was well worth the drive there and back, stopping on the way back to my hotel at a waterfall that's also called Niagara. Nothing like those in the US/Canada, but the rock formations were interesting at least.

After the capital, I headed back to the coast and Budva. The town has a reputation more for nightlife, its beach and the partying, and my three days there pretty much back that up. The old town is even smaller than Kotor, and can easily be explored in a couple of hours. There's nothing else really of note there, so I treated it much like Makarska, a place to just sit and unwind in the sun. Prices were reasonable at least, even by the beach, so I spent two and a half days just relaxing.

My crossing of the border into Albania proved interesting. Before leaving the UK, I managed to insure my car for everywhere except Albania, though I knew I could buy car insurance just after crossing the border. €50 for two weeks. However, once I arrived, I was told I couldn't pay by card, only cash. That meant I had to cross the border back to Montenegro and drive back to Ulcinj, the nearest town, to get money. When crossing the border again, that raised plenty of questions, though the border guards were nice, letting me explain the issue. They performed a quick search of my car then let me go. Car insurance bought, I drove the rest of the way to Shkoder.

Lovely town on first appearances, more European than expected, and my hostel was great. First hostel stay of the trip. The owner even let me park my car at his house, which was a bonus. For my first day, I participated in a walking tour, the first one I'd done in quite a while, being shown all the sites offered, before doing a cycling tour that evening, where we rode through the rather horrendous traffic towards the nearby fortress, where the sunset provided a magnificent backdrop to the views of the city.

My second day in Shkoder was rather peaceful, as the heat and humidity prevented me from doing too much more than just more wandering, taking in the few sites I hadn't visited the previous day. The nightlife was good, though, the main pedestrian street full of cafes and restaurants where I could sit, eat, drink and people watch.

Next stop was Durres. I had organised another Airbnb, which was only a short walk from the main promenade, but I'll admit I thought it would have been a little busier than what it was. The walk to the actual centre of Durres was long, so for my first full day, I left my Airbnb early to avoid the worst of the heat. Durres has plenty of Roman ruins on offer, and enough other sites available to fill a day. I was tempted to travel to Tirana on either of my other days, but to be honest, I wasn't particularly interested in visiting the capital. Instead, I spent the other two days by the promenade, either sitting on or near the beach, enjoying the cheap food and drink available. My Airbnb hosts were fantastic, offering to help with laundry that I hadn't been able to do since Slovenia!

Berat is a beautiful inland city but was sweltering as it was away from the coast. My little hotel was fantastic and only a short walk away from the city. Again, I had a couple of days to wander, and did nearly everything the first day as usual. The best site is the fortress on the hill, again leaving early so I climbed that before the heat really started to beat down. Once again, though, it was the nightlife on the promenade that gave the city character, in addition to the architecture of all the buildings. Once the sun started to disappear, everyone seemed to head out and walk around, either sitting in the park or one of the cafes. And the prices of drinks were even cheaper than Durres, finding a place where I could get a Jack Daniels and coke for only a couple of quid. Let's just say I spent my three nights at the same place, enough the waiter recognised me by the third night and didn't even have to ask what I wanted!

The drive from Berat to Sarande was rather long, and involved crossing the mountain from near Gjirokaster to the coast. Probably the worst bit of road I'd driven along in quite a while, not helped by the usual Albanian lunatics, who drive like they're the only car on the road. By I got there in one piece, at least, my Airbnb a fifth floor apartment where, if it wasn't for other apartment blocks blocking the view, I'd have seen the nearby beaches and coast for miles.

There were two reasons for visiting Sarande. One, it's reputation as a tourist destination. But, two, the nearly Butrint National Park, which contains some of the best preserved Roman ruins in the region, if not Europe. I definitely spent a few hours there, glad that trees provided plenty of shade as I took numerous photos. The only shame was that some of the floor mosaics were covered up by sand, done so to protect them from the elements. It was definitely worth the visit, though.

Sarande itself isn't for browsing museums or full of monuments. It's for relaxation during the day and partying at night. As usual, once the sun started to set, everyone headed for the beachside promenade. Some of the restaurants were full to bursting, others were completely empty. The bars generally filled up quickly, and if you wanted to eat somewhere popular, get in quick otherwise you won't be eating.

My last stop in Albania was a town called Elbasan, chosen simply as it was close to the Albanian/North Macedonian border, and I'd heard stories about how long it might take to cross. Elbasan itself was worth a few hours visit. For the drive from Sarande, I followed the coast road. The weather was glorious, some of the views outstanding, though the road at times was awful, the traffic rather busy as I had to make my way through numerous coastal towns and villages. Elbasan itself was rather quiet, my hotel on a hill overlooking the town, and I think I was the only guest that night! Once again, there was a main street full of pubs and cafes, again finding one where I could drink for cheap, though after a long day behind the wheel, I had to pull up stumps earlier than normal.

The next morning, it was time to pack up my car again and head to the border, as I would be visiting North Macedonia, three cities within, before driving south to Greece and the ancient city of Athens...

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).

After Morocco, I'll admit that I was happy to be back in Europe. To get to Granada, it was a long drive towards Granada. About three, maybe another half hour to Granada, but it was a decent drive, with plenty of scenery to appreciate from my window, and as I admitted, I was glad to be back in Europe.

I spent three nights (two days) in Granada, and I enjoyed both entirely. Before leaving the UK, I'd booked a few things I knew might prove troublesome during my trip, and one was the Alhambra. So I purchased the Granada card, which gave me entry to many sites around the city. My apartment I'd booked was a distance from the town centre (taking a bus was the best idea) but I was left with an enormous apartment, so no complaints.

First full day in Granada was filled with most things to see except the Alhambra itself. The cathedral was stunning, and I must have spent an hour and more wandering around, but out of all the sites I visited, the one that lives long in the memory is the San Jeronimo Monastery. I've seen quite a few churches and cathedrals on my trip so far, and I think this was the first to make me stop and say 'Wow!' Trust me, if you're ever in Granada, please visit this place and make sure you see the adjoining church. That alone is worth the price of admission.

Day two in Granada was dedicated to the Alhambra. Let's get to the major question. Was it all that's it cracked up to be? Yes. It's an enormous fortress overlooking the city, and if explored correctly, you'll easily spend a few hours exploring. There are numerous regions of the old fortress to explore. The Palacios Nazaries was beautiful, at times, but the gardens of the Generalife were almost as impressive, though the buildings themselves were not comparable.

Granada isn't a huge city, but there are many monuments and historical artefacts to see if you're interested. The Granada card allowed access to the major sites while I bought a ticket to Moorish sites that might not be so popular. But don't take this as a criticism. There is so much to see in Granada, you'll probably need more than the two days I had to visit.

My next stop was Salamanca. Now, if you're wondering, when I first put my itinerary together, I did include a stop in Toledo to break up the trip. Unfortunately, this author can admit he messed up regarding Schengen, so Granada to Salamanca was a near six hour / 400 mile drive. And the suggested '2 hour, stop, revive, survive' is not for everyone. I did nearly the entire drive in one go, only needing fuel around fifty or so miles from Salamanca. I find stopping worse for my concentration than not...

Though I'd read about Salamanca before arriving, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. Well, I eventually spent two of my three days wandering the old streets of the city and I was never bored. An absolute load of things to see, most you have to pay to see, but it was what I'd come to expect. Even better, though, was the fact I was there while a festival was taking place, so for my first night at least, I could take in a Spanish hard rock band. Never spoke or sang English, but after a few beers, it didn't really matter.

My second day in Salamanca included a train journey to Avila. I'll say right now, the walls in Avila were better, much much better, than those in Lugo. In fact, Avila was... Well, it certainly lives long in the memory. Plenty of things to see while I was there, most of them free. The cathedral was one of the best I'd been to in Spain, and I paid to walk the city walls, which couldn't be walked in entirety, but was well worth the admission price for that I could see.

I'll admit, the third day I had originally planned for Segovia long before. But it was either a four hour drive round trip (including fuel) or €50 on a train ticket. To be honest, both are obscene amounts of money for someone on a budget, so my last day in Salamanca was just me wandering around, taking in anything I'd missed during my first day. The climb to the top of the cathedral provided some spectacular views, for example.

Granada to Salamanca was a long drive, but Salamanca to Zaragoza wasn't easy either, particularly as, during to parking issues, I chose to park at the airport .as I'd read parking in Zaragoza was difficult at best. It was also my first stay in a proper hotel since Oviedo, and though a little quirky, it was in the heart of the city and well worth the price.

I had some company for my first night as a friend from London was in the city as he'd been in Madrid for the Champions League final. We enjoyed a few drinks together, and as he'd spent time wandering around himself, he had plenty of good ideas. I spent two days in Zaragoza just taking in nearly every sight possible. There are a tonne of Roman ruins to see, including a theatre and baths. The cathedral and basilica are also worth checking out, and you'll definitely spend some time wandering those. Other than that, simply wandering the streets of the old town will reveal some secrets. I visited in 2004 and noticed quite the change, particularly in the amount of English spoken!

I knew it was almost my last night in Spain, having enjoyed the relatively cheap prices compared to France (and upcoming with Italy) so spent a last night in a bar, watching England v Netherlands with a few English guys who were doing their own European trip.

My overall thoughts of Spain:

Beautiful country. Friendly people. More English spoken than I expected. Plenty of free motorways, and all roads are in pretty good condition. Every city I visited had plenty on offer, and more Roman ruins than I thought there would be. Don't like paying for cathedral entry, though when you compare the state of those in Spain to France, I guess that explains why (though then there was the French revolution...) I'll never tire of eating tapas, and barely ate a proper meal while I was there. Beer is ridiculously cheap at times.

Andorra is a tiny country nestled in the Pyrenees Mountains. The only country whose official language is Catalan. And it is absolutely gorgeous.

The drive from Zaragoza was simple and provided an absolute tonne of scenic views. Entering Andorra was rather amusing, having read I could be stopped on the way, but the guy at the gate barely looked at me as he waved me on. I would have thought driving a UK car would have provoked at least some sort of reaction!

I'd booked a hotel for my two nights in Andorra, a village called Santa Coloma, which is a brisk walk away from Andorra la Vella. And, as I only had one full day in the country, I decided to book myself a tour. My first night of two was spent enjoying a couple of beers in the very tiny old town, but having read one or two horror stories, I was pleased to see the price of beer was roughly the same as Spain.

The tour I booked took our group north of Andorra la Vella into the mountains. Given the country is tiny, it wasn't a long bus ride to the first stop, a museum dedicated to Russian dolls! Rather amusing, but apparently it's a private collection, unrivalled outside of Russia. Whether that's true or not, I don't know, but it was impressive even if unexpected. But the tour was mostly about hiking the wilderness, and though we did take in an old church or some other sight here and there, most of our tour was spent hiking. The one sound I remember is of running water, and the water in Andorra is some of the best I've had to drink...

Also made a friend during the tour, and she proved rather helpful translating, given our group spoke Catalan, Spanish, French and I was the lone English speaker. After the tour, I met up for a few drinks with my new friend at the same bar I'd been before, and we must have spent a good few hours chatting away, sharing life stories, mostly about our travelling, and I was left impressed by her breadth of knowledge. She was quickly added to Facebook so we could keep in touch.

And that was the end of my trip to Iberia. Plenty of good memories made during the few weeks I spent travelling Spain and Portugal. Not sure I want to pick a favourite sight or city out of all those I did visit. Let's just say I wasn't left disappointed by most sights, and any disappointment felt was minor compared to the excitement of so many new cities to visit. It's little wonder so many people head to Spain, particularly at this time of year. Great weather. Beautiful cities. Friendly people. And, compared to some parts of Europe, relatively inexpensive. As for Andorra, if you love the outdoors, whether during summer or winter, just go. You'll love it.

But it was time to return to France. First stop, Toulouse.

Crap, I haven't spoken French since Bordeaux. Bet I end up speaking my meagre Spanish by accident...