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Big Five Oh Trip
  • Tasha Goddard
  • Tasha Goddard

Big Five Oh Trip

5 weeks interrailing round Europe as my big treat to myself for the year I turn 50. And hopefully as a taster for many adventures to come. Czytaj więcej
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  • Tasha GoddardBig Five Oh TripPodróżnik

    Munich to Bologna train journey

    6 marca 2023, Włochy ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Mountains!!!! Long journey. Not as comfortable as the ICE train, but nice enough and had an actual window view, which meant I spent a lot of time staring at mountains and marveling at their scale.

     Had to pay a €10 supplement that I wasn't expecting (Brenner Pass supplement).

    Train to Ferrara from Bologna was fine and got sit upstairs which is always fun for us UK people who don't have double-decker trains.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Tasha GoddardBig Five Oh TripPodróżnik

    Ferrara

    6 marca 2023, Włochy ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Wow. Ferrara (not Bologna as I first wrote for some reason!) is very beautiful.

    Hotel is fine. A bit rough around the edges, but pretty. In contrast to the first Amsterdam hotel, I am very relieved to have found the heating control so I could turn the heating DOWN. It's over 15°C here and I had to have a shower and change out of jeans before I could go back out exploring.

    I went looking for dinner, because I'd not had much in the train. Was quite looking forward some pasta or pizza in actual Italy. But going to have to wait for tomorrow as clearly it was way too early to be wanting dinner. All anyone was serving was Aperol Spritz or coffee or similar. No food!! I wandered round and round and round. And didn't find anywhere that had started serving and I couldn't stay out late because I had such an early start (5.30 alarm, though I actually woke at 5.20). So I grabbed some bits and bobs from a Co-op (no idea if it's related to our Co-ops) and McDonald's, which hasn't moved with the times as much as German McDonald's - no veggie things, so got a salad and chips and a Fanta. Not what I was looking for from Italy, but I know I would have been able to get something nice I'd I was out later instead. Tomorrow I will aim to get a nice lunch.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Tasha GoddardBig Five Oh TripPodróżnik

    Morning Ferrara to Bologna

    7 marca 2023, Włochy ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    Good night's sleep. Shower, breakfast.
    Too early to manage more than a capucinno and a croissant, but they had quite a variety available, so will see if I can manage a bit more tomorrow. I never pay extra for breakfast but some places include it for everyone and other times Booking.com add it on as a bonus, so it's good to make the best use of that if you're keeping to a food budget!

    I went jumperless all day (there were maybe two moments where I might have liked one, but many more when I was still too warm!).

    The bus journey out to the (Bologna Children's) book fair was packed and I overheard one illustrator managing to work in showing the person she was sat next to her portfolio - well done! I wasn't here for that, though did have my portfolio preloaded on my iPad, just in case a fortuitous opportunity like that came up (it didn't).

    Then I wandered round kind round and round, taking pictures of the names of publishers who had lots of books that felt like my kind of thing (not specifically my style, but where they could fit in). This is not really the stuff for My Penguins - I will maybe blog about it separately, actually.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Tasha GoddardBig Five Oh TripPodróżnik

    Bologna

    7 marca 2023, Włochy ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Oh Bologna! Very pretty. Ticked my old buildings and little streets boxes for sure. Love the terracotta colours of all the buildings. Love the little parades everywhere - shelter pedestrians from rain and sun, and often house cafe tables as well.

    I had lunch in Bologna and had decided I would aim for a big lunch and then I won't have to look for dinner again in Ferrara this evening. So I had two courses. Vegetable tortellini in a tomato sauce and vegetable caponata with a baked cheese (I think it was called Torino, but I might be wrong). After picking Italian so often in Berlin, I had really been looking forward to eating properly here. .... I didn't like it! The tortellini was too al dente (or maybe I always make it too soft) and felt like the dried tortellini we used to get in the supermarket when I lived in France. But that course was OK. The caponata, though? Again, might well be how it's supposed to be, but too me the vegetables were just mush. And I would swear that they used chicken stock in it. (Which they might. That wasn't advertised as vegetarian, just vegetables. Whereas the tortellini was advertised as vegetarian.) I couldn't finish it. Both because I was quite full, but also because it tasted like it wasn't vegetarian. Ah well. Next time, pizza - shouldn't go wrong with that surely.

    Got the bus back to the station and then train back to Ferrara and walked back to the hotel (though I could have got a bus almost all the way).

    Zonked.

    Have opened one of the cold beers I put in the fridge last night and I feel there may be an early night for me. Or maybe I will siesta and go out for a late ice cream. The early night feels most likely though.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Tasha GoddardBig Five Oh TripPodróżnik
    2

    Morning in Ferrara

    8 marca 2023, Włochy ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Lovely (sunny!) morning wandering round Ferrara. Popped into some of the MANY bookshops and browsed. Now sitting having a capucinno and aranciata while I wait for the gelataria to open, because I really really want an ice cream. Czytaj więcej

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  • Tasha GoddardBig Five Oh TripPodróżnik

    Afternoon in Ferrara

    8 marca 2023, Włochy ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Nipped back to the hotel to drop some bits off and put shorts on under my skirt (note to self, always where shorts under skirts in hot weather!!) and then went in search of the river. It wasn't an especially ornate river or bridge, but was still pleasant to see a different area and walk near the river for a bit. Grabbed a slice of pizza and some snacks from the Co-op (I am ridiculously taken by the fact that there is a Co-op round the corner, just like at home). And now back for a rest at the hotel (maybe even a siesta). Am determined to go eat nice food this evening! Czytaj więcej

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  • Tasha GoddardBig Five Oh TripPodróżnik
    2

    Osteria della Campana, Ferrara

    8 marca 2023, Włochy ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Wow. Got my proper, delicious, authentic Italian food. (And may be eating crisps and fruit for a few days, as I had four courses and wine and fizzy water. But I am sooooo glad I did.)

    Antipasto: Torino de porcino su specchio di zucca (Mushroom pie - though I'd describe it as almost a soufflé - with a pumpkin sauce)
    Primo piatto: Tagliatelle alla chitarra con pesto di pistacchi (a thicker tagliatelle with a pistachio pesto)
    Segundo piatto: Piatto vegetariano con verdure e formaggi alla griglia (plate of grilled vegetables and cheeses)
    Dolce: Tiramisu (you know what that is, right?

    I also had a 0,5l carafe of sparkling white wine and a bottle of sparkling water.

    It was all delicious. And I loved the restaurant and the atmosphere. I loved that I was the only non-Italian there. I loved that there was a family with a baby eating there and two older couples who I think were friends or relatives of the owner, the way he was chatting to them, or maybe that's just how he is. (I didn't get chatted to, but that's cool, because I wouldn't have understood half of it.)

    Lesson: Get over yourself and go to that restaurant, bar, hairdresser, gig.... Whatever it is that you've been putting off, do it!     Czytaj więcej

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  • Tasha GoddardBig Five Oh TripPodróżnik

    Venice Morning 1

    9 marca 2023, Włochy ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Well, I like Venice. And have safely overwritten my bad Venice experience from almost 30 years ago (which wasn't Venice's fault, but arriving at 5am after no sleep in a sleeper train).

    Just here for a day trip, so doing my usual wandering round, enjoying small windy streets (and canals!). And no cars. Oh, and I've just realised also no bikes (the bikes can feel a bit hazardous in Ferrara). Noticing things like street signs (I Iove the street signs here!)

    Anyway, uploading now, as I imagine there will be a bunch more in a bit.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Tasha GoddardBig Five Oh TripPodróżnik

    Venice Part 2

    9 marca 2023, Włochy ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Including lots of old buildings, teeny streets, decorative elements of buildings. And a cat.

    Actually sitting down to eat even though I planned not to, because it's quite a while till my next train back to Ferrara and I can spend that money on a reservation on the fast train or on pizza and a beer. Hard choice. Czytaj więcej

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  • Tasha GoddardBig Five Oh TripPodróżnik

    Arrividerci Ferrara

    10 marca 2023, Włochy ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Moving on today.

    Would highly recommend Ferrara as a good base for exploring this bit if Italy. Regular regional trains to Bologna, Verona and Venice, as well as lots of smaller places in between that I am sure would be worth visiting if on a longer stay. And it's lovely itself too. Note that the train station is about half an hour walk from the centre of the old town, so bear that in mind. There are buses, though I didn't use them (I like getting a high step count!).

    I am off to La Spezia today. Taking three regional trains so as not to require extra reservation fees. 1. Ferrara to Bologna 2. Bologna to Parma 3. Parma to La Spezia

    Plan is to stay there one night and then head to Nice. The French train disruption (due to strikes) is continuing into the weekend. I have looked up the one French train I need to use in multiple places and current is still looking OK, but there still might be problems. So I think I may well have to leave until I am on the train from Ventimiglia to Nice before booking accommodation. Hopefully, if I make it to Nice, trains will be back on track (pun intended) after the weekend.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Tasha GoddardBig Five Oh TripPodróżnik

    Arriving in La Spezia

    10 marca 2023, Włochy ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Google Maps tried to steer me wrong from the train station. Kind of. It just thought I was in a slightly different place and once I calibrated it, all was good.

    Some impressive buildings. Found the hotel fine. It's one of those little ones in a big block that also has residential flats in, which always throws me a bit, but it's a nice room and there's a big double bed for the first time this trip. Yay! Czytaj więcej

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  • Tasha GoddardBig Five Oh TripPodróżnik

    Ciao La Spezia

    11 marca 2023, Włochy

    And on the move again. I felt I got a bit of exploring done, at least, though one-night stops are not the best. (I may look at stopping in a smaller place next time I have to do a one-night stop.)

    I love how the streets here are lined with orange trees! I wonder if people pick and eat them.

    Slept OK, after being quite wheezy initially (not sure why; have been taking antihistamines every day). And enjoyed quite a leisurely getting ready, which was nice.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Tasha GoddardBig Five Oh TripPodróżnik

    La Spezia to Genoa

    11 marca 2023, Włochy ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Lots of tunnels and then really quick glimpses of the sea! I started on the wrong side of the train, as it was very busy, but quite a few people got off at the next stop (with their walking poles, so am guessing they were walking the Cinque Terre) so managed to grab a seat with photo potential.

    Now on the next train, waiting for it to leave. This is more what I was expecting from region trains - older and with no charging points. But it's still perfectly comfortable and I have my power pack to keep me charged.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Tasha GoddardBig Five Oh TripPodróżnik

    Washing Day

    11 marca 2023, Włochy ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Anyone else love seeing washing hanging out to dry? I especially love it when it's between buildings for some reason, but catching loads of glimpses of washing hanging out on a hot Saturday morning (apologies to UK friends who are freezing right now, when washing on the line should have started) made me grin.

    Apologies also to the residents of Genoa for displaying your washing to everyone!     Czytaj więcej

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  • Tasha GoddardBig Five Oh TripPodróżnik

    Genoa to Ventimiglia

    11 marca 2023, Włochy

    Most of these photos severely marred by filthy train windows. This was more the kind of train I'd been expecting to be on taking the non-reservation regional trains, but most of them in Italy were modern and equipped with sockets and USB chargers. But it was fine. Did start feeling a bit uncomfortable by the end, but not too bad. Czytaj więcej

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  • Tasha GoddardBig Five Oh TripPodróżnik

    Ventimiglia to Nice

    11 marca 2023, Włochy ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    This time was a French train. Due to the French strike a lot of trains were cancelled, but there was a PDF you could access from the regional TER that showed which were running sonit was OK, though fairly busy. There was a fairly quick police border check if documents (I though that didn't happen between EU countries) but everyone seemed very nice. Also the guy looked at my passport and said 'Ah Ireland. Welcome to France and have a nice visit.' Obviously didn't make a point of correcting him!

    This was another journey running alongside the sea, but often popping in and out of tunnels. I was on the wrong side again. (Note to self: sit on the LEFT for these trips, if you can.)

    It was quite quick (under an hour) and the French train had staggered levels like the modern Italian ones, but didn't have USB chargers, only sockets, so I guess it's not quite as new.     Czytaj więcej

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  • Tasha GoddardBig Five Oh TripPodróżnik

    (A glimpse of) Nice

    11 marca 2023, Francja ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Arrived Nice exhausted and had some slightly complicated process to follow to get the keys (not that bad - just at a post office round the corner and with a code) and I'd been getting a cold all day, so I mostly just wanted to find where I was going and relax.

    I have got an AirBnB here and extended to 3 days the planned 2 days. I needed a washing machine and preferred to have one inside a home-like space, than sitting in a launderette for a couple of hours. I have a small amount of work to do so a home-like space is preferable to a hotel room. I wanted to cook for myself. I have had some lovely food and some just OK food and also a lot of cheese and crisps and even a couple of McDonald's (which I really can't stand!). And I wanted to go buy some veg and make a reasonably health meal. And I also wanted a couple of days of downtime. Where I might wander a little, but where I mostly just sit and read and eat food I have made and do some work (which after two weeks of not doing any - oh actually I did spend one evening on an illustration commission, but mostly no work - feels like something that will be enjoyable).

    It's just a little studio and am a little annoyed that I missed that the bed is the sofa (i.e. have to get the sofabed out each night), but only a bit. It's a decent price and it allows me to cook and wash and feel momentarily settled, if that makes any sense.

    So expect less photos over the next couple of days. (And sorry these weren't uploaded yesterday, but my SD card pretended to be broken, which as you can imagine, really freaked me out - though almost everything is uploaded to the cloud, so wouldn't have been as disastrous as it sounds. Thankfully, I found a lack of needles in this studio and was able to take it out and swap it into the laptop and then it worked fine when it went back in.)     Czytaj więcej

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