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Simon and Sam Europe Adventure
  • Travel Adventures
  • Samuel Dodson

Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

Simon and Sam fly to France, Spain and Italy in July 2018 to soak up the northern summer. Read more
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  • Trip start
    June 28, 2018
    Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

    The Adventure Begins

    June 28, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    Sam and I were driven to the Morisset Train Station by Abi and Zoe. They waved us goodbye as we boarded the train in the rain to head off to Sydney International Airport. We bought Sam a one-way Opal Card and then set off. The drizzly rain, cold weather and foggy train windows make it hard to imagine that we will be landing in Paris tomorrow into a hot European summer.Read more

  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

    Abu Dhabi

    June 29, 2018 in the United Arab Emirates ⋅ ☀️ 36 °C

    We landed in Abu Dhabi at 5.30am local time, which is 11.30am Sydney time. It was a 14 hour flight from Sydney but the A380 was very comfortable and we managed to get some interrupted sleep. We transited in the airport and grabbed some breakfast at Burger King. The currency in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, is the Dirham. The temperature was 32 Celsius which was a bit of a shock after leaving Sydney on a cold rainy evening.
    We loaded into a bus and were transported out to the smaller A320 plane on the tarmac. We took off at 9.00am leaving Abu Dhabi behind us shimmering in the desert.    Read more

  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

    Muscat

    June 29, 2018 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    Our next stop as we travel towards Paris is Muscat, the capital of Oman. It was only a 45 minute flight from Abu Dhabi to Muscat. The dry air is registering 35 Celsius. The average high temperature here in June is 40.4 degrees. The annual rainfall in 10mm (yes, ten). It's another city in the desert, but this civilisation is thousands of years old. In fact, Pliny the elder and Ptolemy both wrote about the port here in the 1st century BC. This is the region often considered to be part of the region of Dedan in Ezek 38. It is also the general region of the territory of the Queen of Sheba. We have a 5 hour layover here but we are not brave enough to venture out into the heat to explore the city - we may not make it back in time. So we relax in the magnificent airport. They are clearly a wealthy country. The airport is very large and comfortable. There are relatively few people here for such a large and luxurious airport. We fly out of Muscat at 2:45 pm local time and are scheduled to land in Paris at 7:45 pm tonight. Paris is 8 hours behind, so it will be 3:45 am in Sydney. A long haul and a sense of hours and days gone missing somewhere.Read more

  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

    Charles de Gaulle

    June 30, 2018 in France ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    We landed in Paris at Charles de Gaulle airport at 8.30pm after 32 hours of travelling. We traveled by train into Paris to find our Airbnb which is well located on a busy corner of a nice part of Paris only ten minutes walk from the Louvre. It is a typical Paris apartment on the fourth floor and no lift. Only a tiny wooden staircase. We are both tired but we went out for a walk to get something some food. Then fell into bed.Read more

  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

    A day in Paris

    June 30, 2018 in France ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    We spent the day walking around Paris today. After a reasonable night’s sleep we ventured out for breakfast. Coffee, baguettes and pastries. Sam was surprised at the unusual style of breakfast. He had a chocolate pastry which is common. We sat outside and enjoyed the ambience of a French square right opposite a five hundred year-old church. After we had devoured the food went for a walk through the church marvelling at the age and grandeur of the building and the three pipe organs on three of the four sides.
    We then caught a train to the Isle of France which is an island in the Seine and the oldest part of the city. Notre Dame is located on the island and we walked around the outside. The cathedral was restricted access due to a large ceremony which was being televised to thousands of people seated in the square in front of the Cathedral. Apparently it was an inauguration of priests taking place.
    We then ventured over the Seine to the Shakespeare and Company English bookshop which is famous for being a regular haunt of Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein and others between the wars. The shop was opened in 1919 so it has a long tradition for which it is famous.
    We then had some lunch near St Michel. More baguettes.
    Then we walked through the Louvre Palace, the Tuileries Gardens, place de la Concord and along the Champs d’Elysees all the way to the Arch de Triumph.
    We then caught the train back to our Airbnb and bought some more pastries and baguettes for dinner. A French carbohydrate feast.
    We watched the World Cup game between France and Argentina. The whole street erupted every time France scored. They won 4-3 and the celebrations continued for hours in the streets afterwards.
    It has been a big first day. Tomorrow we rise at 4.30 am to catch an Uber to Orly Airport. Our plane to Barcelona takes off at 7.00am. Another big day planned tomorrow. So, an early night tonight I hope. Depends a bit on how long the French continue to sing their National Anthem into the night.    Read more

  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

    Off to Barcelona

    July 1, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    We rose at 4.30 am to shower, dress and pack. At least I showered. We were out of the unit at 5.00 am. The Uber I had booked messaged me to let me know that because of high demand the price had risen from 30 euro to 120 euro for the trip to Orly Airport. I let him know what I thought of the offer and cancelled the trip. A quickly revised plan B was a walk to the metro, a train and then a bus. We arrived a Orly airport at 6.00 am and then joined the long queue. I hate queuing. We made the flight without too many incidents.

    We flew over southern France and then snow-capped mountain range that separates Spain from France.
    We landed in Barcelona at 8.45am. I can’t help thinking of Manuel from Faulty Tower. Que? Ci Que What?

    When we landed we walked straight out of the airport without any customs check or having to show our passport. I imagine this is due to Spain being part of the European Union.

    We caught the Aerobus to the centre of the city. From the we walked down La Ramblas, the famous mall, and then found our way through the incredible Gothic quarter to our Airbnb. We are located in the Gothic quarter and very closer the beach.

    The first stop was Barcelona McDonald’s Sam could compare the Spanish product with our own. It was no better and perhaps even less edible as far as I could tell. Even Sam was not too enthusiastic about it. He gave it a 6 put of 10. I was not aware of a method of ranking McDonald’s food but apparently Sam can assess it against a scale of some kid.

    We settled in and then I left Sam to catch his breath while I went walking and exploring.    Read more

  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

    Walking Around Barcelona

    July 1, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    We spent much of the day exploring Barcelona on foot. We walked first to the harbour and the beach. There were thousands of sun-seekers enjoying the extensive beaches of Barcelona. Not many swimming though. Not sure why. They were mostly sun baking.

    Then we walked around the parks and streets of the old town.

    We went into a Tapas restaurant at 4.00 pm. Spain was playing Russia in the World Cup. The Spanish were confident of winning and should have won, but they lost in a penalty shootout. The Spanish were not happy in the streets of Barcelona.    Read more

  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

    Walk of discovery

    July 1, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    The afternoon and evening walk led to some interesting discoveries. The first was Europe’s oldest synagogue. The Jews were expelled from Spain by Queen Isabella in 1492. It is known as the decree of Al Alhambra because it was in that famous landmark building in Granada that the decree was made. The decree was issued on 1st August that year. Colombus was going to leave for his voyage of discovery from the port of Cadiz on 2nd of August but there were so many Jews in the port rushing to escape Spain that he had to delay leaving till 3rd August. He mentions this in the first page of his record of the voyage.

    The synagogue’s location was lost and only discovered again in 1997 after a study of the records of Jewish tax collectors from the 14th century. The synagogue had been converted to various other uses and its location lost. But the building dates back the 13th century and the foundations back to Roman times.

    The street and building kinks so that the two exterior windows face Jerusalem.    Read more

  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

    Exploring Barcelona

    July 1, 2018 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    The exploration of the the amazing city of Barcelona continues. I came across some amazing gardens adjacent to the Barcelona Zoo. There was Spanish Dancing taking place in the pavillion just for fun. The Spanish have their own genre of music and dance, based on very percussive rapid music, often played on guitar, and flamenco dancing. There is also a strong African element represented in the dancing in the park, which certainly brought the crowds.

    There were some amazing structures in the park which were like mini medieval castles in themselves.

    I found the gothic cathedral in the gothic quarter where we are staying. It is a medieval church with amazing ornate carvings reminiscent of Notre Dame in Paris. There was a busker playing some beautiful baroque violin music and another around the corner singing tenor solos from famous operas. Very high quality busking!

    The old city of Barcelona dates back to Roman times. There are still portions of the Roman wall visible in areas bounding the gothic quarter. The gothic quarter is the old section of the city with narrow streets and high buildings with shops and restaurants at ground level which come alive from lunchtime into the night. The food culture is amazing. One could spend a year here and not exhaust the food options. Delicious food everywhere and people dining on tables set up in the streets and collonades of the old city squares.    Read more

  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

    Seeing the Sites by Barcelona City Bus

    July 2, 2018 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    The Hop-on Hop-off bus in Barcelona is a great way to see the main sites (and sights) and avoid crazy amounts of walking. Yesterday I walked over 20km and 30,000 steps (so my phone and watch tell me, and my feet agree) so we decided to buy a bus pass today. There are two major loops of the city (east and west) and they take about an hour each, if one doesn't alight from the bus at any point.

    Sam and I began with the intention of doing the whole western loop without getting off the bus, but that only lasted until we got to the view from Mountjuic and the possibility of going up the mountain by cable car to the Castle Mountjuic that overlooks the city.

    The cablecar ride was fantastic, with incredible views of Barcelona from the glass box hanging precariously off a wire about 80m above the ground. The views were exceeded only by those from the castle at the top of the mountain. This castle dates from medieval times, but was used more recently by the Spanish rulers against their own people, both the fire cannons on the rebels in the city in the 18th and 19th centuries, and to imprison and torture enemies of the state in the 20th century. The Catalan people see themselves as distinct from the Spanish, and Barcelona is the capital of the Catalan region. Spain has been racked by more tragedy from civil war over the last few centuries than any invasion or external war. Even this year the Catalonians tried to become an independent country from Spain. They used to be independent until their rights and territory was taken by Spain in the early 20th century. The Spanish Civil War went from 1936-1939. After that, the dictator Franco ruled the country with an iron fist. It has been a sad country and they have suffered most from the hands of their own countrymen. They are still reluctant to talk about it.

    Mountjuic is a prominent hill and was occupied by the army and ruling classes to control the ordinary people of Barcelona. It is ironic that the mountain got its name from the fact that the Jews had to bury their dead on the hill because they weren't allowed to utilise Christian graveyards back in the 1300s. The name "Mountjuic" comes from "Mountain of the Jews". Ironic given the Jews were all expelled in 1492, and the elite Catalans and Spanish occupied the hill. It is such a famous hill that all the infrastructure for the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games was built in Mountjuic.

    There has been an amazing tombstone and inscription found in archaeological digs in relatively recent years. It dates from 1306 and records that Rachel the daughter of Rabbi Abraham was buried there.

    Sam and I had a fantastic time exploring the castle that still stands today. It was used as a prison and place to execute opponents of the Spanish political regime right through the 20th century, but now is an amazing public museum and highlight for tourists visiting this amazing city.    Read more

  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

    Bus Tour continues - to Sagrada Familia

    July 2, 2018 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    We thought we had seen some amazing sights at Castle Mountjuic, but nothing prepared us for our afternoon and evening exploration of the most amazing thing to see in Barcelona - the Sagrada Familia. This is a cathedral that commenced construction in 1883 and is not due to be completed until 2026, the 100th year anniversary of the death of its mastermind architect, one of Spain's most famous geniuses, Antoni Gaudi.

    This church remains unfinished because the scale of it is such that is is impossible to imagine without seeing it. Our eyes nearly popped out of our heads when we saw the outside of the building, but we had just managed to ensure they were still in place when our eyesight was again challenged by what we experienced on entering the gigantic edifice.

    It is already on UNESCO's list of Heritage sites, without being finished. Can you imagine a church building taking over 100 years to build? When Gaudi (known now to the Spaniards as "God's Architect") was asked why he designed something that would take so long to build, he replied that his client was in no hurry.

    Gaudi designed something so ornate and incredibly detailed and fine that there was only one facade and another small part of the church built in his lifetime. He died in 1926. The buildng continues to this day (with a few interruptions for a civil war and a couple of world wars) and they hope to complete it for Gaudi's 100 year anniversary.

    It is impossible to describe this building. The inspiration comes from nature. So there are no straight lines anywhere. The columns are reminiscent of trees, and the stained glass windows inside go from bright red through orange, blue and green to represent the seasons. But there is too much to say about this building. A few photos are included here, but those who are keen to see it complete can make an appointment to visit in 2026.

    Sacrada Familia means "Holy Family" in Spanish. I am not a huge fan of Catholic churches for obvious reasons, but this one is another level. It puts St Peter's in Rome into the shade.    Read more

  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure
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    More things to see in Barca

    July 2, 2018 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    The architecture in Barcelona is very different to other European cities I have seen. The classical western architectural forms have been turned on their head here, or extended beyond what is usual. It is certainly different from Paris which is very traditional and consistent. This sets Barcelona apart from other cities. Famous architects like Gaudi led the way in this amazing creative flair. Picasso and Salvador Dali were also born here and created styles uniquely their own. This seems to be a pattern for creative genius which is so characteristic of this city.Read more

  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

    Unusual and Special

    July 2, 2018 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    Sam was struggling to work out how the doors to these shops worked - nearly a metre above the ground. We are not sure that they would pass safety standards in Australia. But then we thought they might be designed to receive deliveries. But still, weird on a public street.

    We also visited the Nou Camp today by bus. The stadium for the Barcelona Football Club. The club has 170,000 members. Lionel Messi is their current star player, along with many others of high quality.

    We also saw the famous Barcelona Bull Fighting Ring, which was in use until 1987 and then was closed. It is now a shopping centre but has maintained the charactistic facade.    Read more

  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure
    2

    Park Guell

    July 3, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Today we boarded the dounle-decker Red Bus again to travel in the open air to our first destination. This is an amazing park designed by none other that Antonio Gaudi, the prodigious Spanish Architect who basically created his own style. The whole park was designed by him and everything about it carries his unique creative flair. It is quite inimitable. The park is well worth a visit and provides amazing views over Barcelona from its elevated location.

    From Park Guell we looked up to the highest mountain and saw our next destination - the highest point in the whole of Barcelona - Mt Tibidabo. That's where we are off to next.    Read more

  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

    Mt Tibadabo

    July 3, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Sam and I took the long route to our second and major destination for the day - we walked for about an hour in the heat of the summer sun. It provided a real insight into the outer suburbs of Barcelona, but the going was hard as it was hilly terrain. The hills are clearly the domain of the rich in Barcelona because some of the houses could only be described as mansions.

    We arrived at the foot of Mt Tibadabo and caught the Funicular up the mountain. This is a tram that travels up the very steep hill, similar to the Scenic Railway in the Blue Mountains, except it goes even longer.

    The effort to get to the top of this mountain was well worth it. The views over Barcelona were amazing. It is difficult to think of a city that has a better vantage point from which ti view the entire city.

    There is an amusement park on top of the mountain which has utlized the height to maximum effect by building ferris wheels, and other scary rides which a placed in a precarious point on the edge of the mountain. Sam and I could not resist going on the Ferris Wheel, which is quite a scary ride given that the mountain drops away beneath the ride.

    We then went to climb the to the church which is perched even higher on the hill. In the first level of the church we discovered a lift that was able to take us to the top level of the church. From there we could climb even higher, right up inside the highest steeple. The view from here was so spectacular it was beyond all expectations. We had 180 degree views. Not only could we see the whole of Barcelona stretched out before us in one direction, the eastern half of the view, but looking west we could see all the way to Mt Montserrat where the famous Monastery is located and all the settlements on the other side of the hills which form a natural boundary of the city. We could also look northwards and see the Pyrenees which form the natural divide between Spain and France.

    The view was spectacular. It took our breath away. I cannot remember having such a high vantage point in any other city. Those visiting Barcelona should not miss this amazing perspective of Barcelona. We stayed up there for an hour - a fitting way to end our visit to this unique Spanish city, the capital of Catalunya.    Read more

  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure
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    Food in Barcelona

    July 3, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Barcelona is known for its amazing food. The array is extraordinary. There is the best of Spanish food, as well as a range of other influences, such as French (being not far from the border) and Italian, Greek and even north African. The Tapas scene is huge and impossible to effectively explore in a few days. We tended to eat convenience food rather than sit in restaurants, but it is evident that the range of Tapas is extensive and delicious. I was able to sample this on a few occasions but would need a few weeks to really do it justice.

    We visited the famous La Boqueria markets just of La Ramblas (the mall). This market is world famous. It is high-quality food for culinary gourmets. It is just the best culinary experience ever. I bought a couple of little paper cups of cheese and dried meats cut from the bone. These are sold as tasters for a couple of euros each. There are the best fruits and vegetables, meat, poutry and fish, cheese and tapas, coffee and fresh juice, goumet chocolates, dried fruits and nuts, spices, etc. And there are places to order the food and they will prepare it and you can eat it right there. Wow. Worth coming to Barcelona just for this place.

    But the food is exceptional. It is said that the food in Barcelona is the best in Spain. I cannot compare it with anything else in Spain yet, but I can say that it is amazing.    Read more

  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure
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    Drive from Barcelona to San Sebastian

    July 4, 2018 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 20 °C

    We hired a car to drive across the north of Spain for the next five days. Three of those will be in San Sebastian and surrounding areas, and the other two will be in Santiago de Compostela.

    The drive from Barcelona to San Sebastian takes about five hours. It is across a range of different territory, from dry flat plains, lush agricultural land, to green forests closer to the northern coast.

    We took a diversion early in the trip to visit the famous monastery in Montserrat. It is located high on the mountains about an hour from Barcelona. The original monastery was founded about 1000AD, but it has been added to and restored ever since. The basilica here houses the famous Black Madonna, which is an icon to which many pilgrimages are made for religious purposes.

    The real attraction of the place is the extraordinary location, perched as it is on the side of a rocky mountain with amazing views all the way to the outskirts of Barcelona. It is a peaceful and awe-inspiring place, no doubt the reason for the monastery being built there in the first place. There are still 70 monks living there, as there has been for centuries, although they were outnumbered by the tourists by 50 to 1 easily when we were there. We could have spent more time there, but the drive was still largely ahead of us so we left after about an hour or so.

    The rest of the drive was only interrupted by a stop for a late lunch. The route took us through Pamplona, where the running of the bulls festival (San Fermino) starts tomorrow.

    We arrived in San Sebastian, located in Basque territory, about 7pm to be greeted by our kind Airbnb host, Gloria, who is a young Spanish girl who owns a very nice apartment in the centre of town, right near the magnificent beach. The beach here in San Sebastian is known to be one of Europe's best and very well patronised by French and British tourists in the summertime.

    Gloria has given us a list of Pixtos (a Basque word for Tapas) to try and which restaurants to find the best ones. They look delicious and we look forward to trying them all.

    The drive through northern Spain took us through some high country, just alongside the Pyrennees mountain range. It was challenging to get used to the left hand drive. On one occasion I instinctively took off into the left lane rather than the right lane and gave some innocent Spanish driver a near-death experience. But generally it was fine. Sam kept his head down most of the time. The speed limit was 120 on most of the freeways and the traffic was travelling at about 130. The roads were fantastic, although they were many toll roads and I had to pay a toll on at least five occasions, which added up to about 30 euros.    Read more

  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure
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    San Sebastian

    July 5, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Sam and I set off to explore the beautiful coastal city of San Sebastian. It sits on the Bay of Biscay in the Atlantic Ocean. It faces north and the aspect of the city is magnificent. The beaches in this city are said to be among the best in Europe and, from what I have seen here and elsewhere, I don't doubt it. The beaches have beautiful sand and they are horseshoe-shaped with boats and ships dotting the waterways. There is a shipping harbour and a river that goes out into the sea.

    There is a fort on each headland of the horseshoe shape, and two hills which can be climbed for a splendid view of the city. The views are quite breathtaking. Sam and I spent a few hours exploring and climbing the headland. The fort has areas called batteries, and one of them is called the Battery of Napolean because he took the city of placed his army in the fort. About a decade later the Spanish reclaimed the city in another battle and the French surrendered in that very fort. There is a sign that marks the spot. It is incredible to be walking in the very place where such major historical events took place.

    There is a museum in the fort, and the chapel is in the centre of the fort right on top of the hill.

    This city has about 400,000 inhabitants and it reminds me of Newcastle in terms of size and scale.    Read more

  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

    Donostia

    July 5, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    We are in Basque territory. I had heard of this area before but did not realise what it really meant. The Basque people were displaced when the border between France and Spain was drawn up after the war. The Basque people were just forgotten about. They had lived in their own country in this region for centuries. They have their own language, culture and history. They insist they are not Spanish or Catalonian (another group in Spain wanting their autonomy, centred in Barcelona). The Basque people are proud of their heritage and they live in a semi-autonomous area which bridges France and Spain. San Sebastian is the name General Franco, the Spanish dictator, gave this city, but the Basque people call it Donostia.

    The Basque people have their own version of Tapas. They call it Pintxos (pronounced Pinchos). They are proud of this amazing way of presenting food and the chefs in the Pintxos bars are very competitive. The idea is that customers move from bar to bar, having one or two pintxos from each location. It means that people move up to 12 times to have dinner. The streets of the old city are packed with this crowd every afternoon and night, all seeking the best pintxos. It is amazing to see this take place. It's like the whole city is having a progressive dinner.

    The pintxos are only a couple of euros each, and the variety is extensive. It is difficult to capture the atmosphere in photos but here are a few in an attempt to do so. This finger-food is a fantastic way to provide food for a large number of people. They take the idea to the extreme and the taste combinations are very adventurous - too adventurous for Sam. He couldn't bring himself to try any. He thought the octopus legs and fish eyes were lurking in every pintxos. Sam lacks courage when it comes to trying new foods.    Read more

  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

    Atmosphere and Culture

    July 5, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    The atmosphere and history of European cities reached out and grabs you and drags you into its spell. It is captivating to learn about the culture and history of each new people, the Basques being a new people and culture to me. They are respectful and do not behave drunkenly or disorderly. They obviously respect their culture and what it means to their families. All the families seem to work together in their communal projects, including the restaurants and shops.

    The culture here does not revolve around massive shopping centres like it does in Australia. The individual shops are all side by side and provide a specialty and they don't try to do everything.

    The historical buildings are all architecturally attractive and they are preserved carefully. There are a couple of modern buildings that have been architecturally bold, like the concert hall and the museum, but they blend with the old rather than create any dissonance.

    The city is a place where one could spend weeks just getting to know and relaxing into its beauty and charm. Its are pity we only have a couple of days.

    I sat for an hour this afternoon and listened to the best busking violinist I have ever heard. I spoke to her when she concluded her time and she told me in a strong accent that she was Russian and here on two weeks holiday. She was clearly a professional and she confirmed that when I spoke to her. She plays in Russia and teaches older students. Her English was poor but when she played it was like we were in a recital in the Opera House. It was a blessed hour in the town square. Many people were stopping, captivated by the surprising quality from someone merely busking. Hundreds of people walking past felt compelled to dig into their wallets to put money into her violin case. How could you not?    Read more

  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure
    112

    We venture back into France

    July 6, 2018 in France ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Today we went for a drive east from San Sebastian into France. The border is only 20km from San Sebastian. It is still Basque country but technically in France. They were all excited about the world cup game being held today against Uruguay (which France ended up winning 2-0).

    We travelled along the coast to a town called Biarritz (Bee a ritz). It is a magnificent coastal town which was the playground of the rich and the destination of royalty during the 20th century. The beach and the promenade are magnificent. There was a walkway constructed around the rocky point and some amazing walking bridges out to promontories in the water. It is a very picturesque town and well worth a visit. There is a huge casino built right next to the beach which probably had a role in attracting rich tourists to the town over the years.    Read more

  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

    Driving through north-west Spain

    July 6, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    We drove about a third of the way across the top of Spain this afternoon and evening. We were looking at spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Bay of Biscay on our right as we drove. The countryside of very green and hilly. It is not flat and dry as we typically think of Spain; not at all. Even though it is summer, the country is green and lush in this northern region. There is agriculture aplenty and lush crops everywhere.

    The roads are excellent. Freeway all the way, although there are quite a few tolls, so we need cash or card at the ready at all times. Unfortunately there was a truck that had burst into flames on the freeway and it causedi a 2-3 hour delay. Not what we were hoping for. So we arrived at our destination at about 9pm instead of 6pm.

    We are staying tonight in a five-star hotel called Casa del Marques in a very old Spanish village, Santillana del Mar. The whole town is from the 14th century. They have kept cars out of the town for the most part. The whole town is Heritage listed. It is the Spain you imagine in your ideal view of this country. Stone buildings and terracotta tiles. Arched doorways, churches with bell towers and cobbled streets and squares. It is an incredibly magical place. I went for a couple of hours wandering as the light dwindled and look forward to more fully exploring the town tomorrow.

    Our destination tomorrow is Santiago de Compostela, on the northwest corner of Spain, but we will make the most of the morning to explore this town before heading off on our journey westwards.

    I sat with a man in the lounge tonight before venturing out. He was about 60 and watching the world cup. He told me he was from Israel. He was born in Israel. His parents escaped from Poland just before the war. He was born in Israel. All his grandparents were killed in the war. He spoke a lot about his life in Israel. His aunty married an Australian soldier who was posted to Israel during the British mandate and married him and lived in Adelaide. His parents disowned her and never spoke to her again for betraying their Israeli life which they had gained at great cost. His wife came later and she used to be a teacher. They have one son in New York in the real estate game, and another son in Israel who is into IT. They lost their daughter at 17 to Lupus about 25 years ago and it is still raw for them. The man was a bit vague about what he did for a job but he was in Spain organising ships on the coast for Israel. He is a typical Jew with a big deep voice and very sharp and incisive. I would love to have spoken to him and his wife, Itti, for longer. I gathered that he grew up through the kibbutz movement. He has a friend from South Africa who went to Melbourne and is now a Principal of a Jewish school there - his surname is Reuben. I said I would look out for him in case our paths crossed in the future. Who knows, with school principals. It's a small world.    Read more

  • Simon and Sam Europe Adventure

    Santillana del Mar

    July 7, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We walked around the old town of Santillana del Mar this morning. It is characteristic of old Spain. The buildings are all 500 years old and it is like going back in time to the Medieval period. We expected a band of medieval knights to canter around the cobbled street corner at any moment.

    We found a museum dedicated to the Spanish Inquisition and the methods of torture used were not only explained in vivid detail, but the actual implements were on display. It is staggering to see the cruelty that was instigated by the church against accused heretics. If we lived then we would be on the receiving end quite likely.

    The old church bells rang forth each hour and the roosters were crowing and the horses were saddled. It was a real taste of old Spain. If you are in northern Spain, do now miss this delightful village.    Read more

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