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France and Greece 2018
  • Nanaroo

France and Greece 2018

A 24-day adventure by Nanaroo Read more
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  • Trip start
    October 20, 2018
    NanarooFrance and Greece 2018Traveler
    First French dinner outside at this restaurant.
    Oh, Yes! Castles galore. Biron castle. Will come back.Train station in Bordeaux.

    Getting to France

    October 19, 2018 in France ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Dave and I are travelling to new places in France and Greece, excited to see new things and have new experiences.
    We flew to Paris and took the train to Bordeaux that day. We checked into our hotel and had a long nap to fight off jet lag. We had a lovely dinner with duck terrine and a main dish of duck confit for Dave, and of course a little wine. In the morning we picked up our rental car to head off to Gavaudon, 3 hours farther west. We travelled through some lovely flat farmland but were beginning to wonder about our choice of locations, when we arrived in the hills. We have already seen beautiful castles waiting for the MacDougalls to visit. Yes, there will be many things to see here.Read more

  • NanarooFrance and Greece 2018Traveler
    1Waiting for lunch.
    A cat needs a place to call its own.What a view! Monflanquin.Town square in Monpazier.Dave uses the hand to knock, in Monflanquin.

    Gavaudon first day

    October 20, 2018 in France ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    We are staying in a small, privately owned resort with just 3 of the units given over to RCI. The owner had a meet and greet this morning with a glass of Rose wine to sweeten the deal. He spoke in 2 of his languages to give us details of the surrounding area. What a wealth of information!
    We decided to go and see some Bastides today. It means "new town" but from the 13th century. Monpazier is a beautiful walled medieval town. It is the end of the season here and some shops were closed, but the kind folks at a small cafe made us a late lunch of scrambled eggs and apple cake for dessert. It was 23 degrees and so nice to sit in the sun in the town square and enjoy our lunch. The church was very pretty and we broused the shops but kept our visa cards tucked away. We drove to a second Bastide about a half hour away, called Monflanquin, very different as it sat high on a hilltop. Got a bit of exercise climbing the hill. The views from the city walls were breathtaking. Life is good!!!.    Read more

  • NanarooFrance and Greece 2018Traveler
    Pintings of horses at Peche Merle. Note hands surrounding them.
    The 'pearls' at Peche Merle.A view of St-Cirq-Lapopie from across the river. Rather stands out.The church at Lapopie, standing at the bottom of the Chateau ruins.On the ruins, looking down on the village.

    Caves and a medieval town

    October 21, 2018 in France ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Yesterday was very foggy in the morning and so it was noon before we headed off, going east. The landscape became much more rugged with huge cliffs and the twisting River Lot in the valley. We went to Grotte du Peche Merle, huge caves with prehistoric paintings. Because of rocks falling down to block the entrance, the caves were undisturbed for 12,000 years, hence the preservation of the paintings. They protect the caves by limiting the number of people allowed in each day, so that the temperature and humidity is not affected. Some of the paintings were 29,000 years old. In some places there were old paintings in red with "newer" ones in black over the top. We were able to have an English tour which was great. We have found our French is not very adequate. Cameras are not allowed, of course, in the caves, but we bought postcards and took some pictures of them. As well as the paintings, the caves themselves were quite spectacular, and one really unusual feature was the 'pearls'. Water came down at some point and spun pieces of limestone around making them totally round and smooth. Very unusual!!
    Our second stop was the Medieval town of St-Cirq-Lapopie perched atop a cliff. The Chateau would have stood on the highest cliff, but is now just ruins. The church and town are still there, and really give you a trip back into the 13th century. The old tile roofs, seen from the higher viewpoint of the chateau ruins, look weathered but still serviceable. Going by the size of the parking lots outside of town, this place must be swarming with tourists in summer. On this early evening, there were just enough people sipping espressos and wandering the village, to make it welcoming and give some idea of how it must have looked so many centuries ago.    Read more

  • NanarooFrance and Greece 2018Traveler
    The LeBoat fleet at Duelle.
    Caould there be a more beautiful winery? Chateau du CayrouChateau Lamartine winery...wines may soon be available in Ontario.The reception building at Le Domaine de Gavaudun, our home away from home.

    Wine tasting

    October 22, 2018 in France ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    Today we headed off to the Cahors wine district, but first a visit to the LeBoat rental place in Douelle. The River Lot would be a fantastic place to rent a boat. The river bends back on itself, over and over, covering little distance on the map but a great deal on the water. It goes through huge vineyards, by many medieval towns and there are many castles and chateaux to see on the cliffs and hillsides. The season here is pretty much over so most of the boats were at dock. Europeans coming to the Rideau to use LeBoat will say what a beautiful place they have come to, as well.
    And then it was off to lunch and wineries. We have found it a little difficult locating places for lunch. Our best bet is to ask the GPS for suggestions, but sometimes places are closed or don't look so good. Today it found us a lovely spot with the 'assiette du jour', the only choice. Fortunately it was a great meal, and at a very good price, too. The GPS is invaluable for getting around but does seem to like back roads that are one lane wide and many turns. You could not retrace a route if you tried. You do get to go through the most lovely little villages built hundreds of years ago and Dave gets to practice his rally driving on the narrow, winding roads.
    Oh yes, the wineries. The Lot River valley is full of wineries because of the gravelly soil and limestone rock close to the surface. They grow Malbec grapes almost exclusively, and the wine is generally reasonably priced. Our host at Domaine de Gavaudon gave us a map with suggested wineries on it. The first one we visited, he recommended because it is at a REAL chateau. It was a beautiful setting and we really liked the wine. The owner talked with us for a long time, and we took away 2 bottles. We visited only one more winery, because you just have to buy some when you are the only people there. Again the owner let us taste several wines and we bought 1 more. We think that we can do them justice over the next several nights, before we leave France.    Read more

  • NanarooFrance and Greece 2018Traveler
    Chateau Biron at a distance.
    Inside the walls, the older part of the chateau.View of the countryside from the upper courtyard.Dvae trying out a game like crokinole. He started his expertsie in shuffleboard in the 1700's.A cooking stove in the newer area. Very interesting idea.

    Chateau Biron

    October 23, 2018 in France ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    We stayed closer to home today and went to tour the Chateau we had seen on first arriving in the area - Chateau Biron. It started out as a Medieval Fort and during the 15th and 16th centuries was converted to a Chateau for the Biron family. They had their ups and downs, sometimes being on the wrong end of the guillitine, the sharp end. In the 18th century their lands were returned and they built another whole section to the Chateau. It was very interesting and quite large, including a church within the walls. The different areas had much different construction techniques and styles. Another warm day, we have been so lucky with good weather.Read more

  • NanarooFrance and Greece 2018Traveler
    Market day in Sarlat
    Could ther be a prettier place for lunch?The cathedral - lighting on the wall domplimenta of the atained glass wi dows facing it.The building housing the Grotte de Lascaux.The caves have wonderful art... This one called the upside down horse.

    Sarlat and Lascaux

    October 24, 2018 in France ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    Sarlat-la-Caneda is considered one of the most beautiful cities in France and Wednesday is market day there, so off we went! It has an old town that is charming and quite busy on market day. As well as stalls with local delicacies such as nuts, pate, terrine, wine, sausage, cheese, there are plenty of small shops with other things to buy. We browsed, bought a few things, and had lunch at an outdoor cafe. Since it was just 4 degrees this morning, sun was important in the choice of a table. By late afternoon it was 23 degrees, though, and we had shed our sweaters. Meanwhile the large lunch, three courses, was devoured, and we waddled off to our next stop.
    In the same vicinity is the Grotte de Lascaux, one of many cave areas in this part of France. We were surprised to see a very long, sleek, modern building, on our arrival. It turns out, to protect the cave paintings, they have built an exact reproduction of the caves to tour. The caves are 125 metres long, and so the building, too must be huge. A guide took us through this part. His English was good and his sense of humour better. It is a very technologically advanced exhibition. After leaving the cave reproduction area, you go into an exhibition of the various paintings and the small tablet you are wearing, with earphones attached, gives you a description of what you are seeing, in your chosen language. We also saw a 3-D presentation in a theatre, again translated through our set. Both of us thought we would not have chosen to go to Lascaux had we known we would not actually go into the caves, but it was so well done, we did not regret it at all.
    We had some nervous time today when our GPS stopped working. We were on our way to the caves and found that fine, but travel in the more "backwoods" areas would be very difficult without this device. Many roads are not on the maps, and it takes many turns with little guidance from road signs to get where you are going. Thankfully, GPS had a rest and was ready to work again when we came out of the caves.    Read more

  • NanarooFrance and Greece 2018Traveler
    1

    Chateaux Bonaguil and Gavaudun

    October 25, 2018 in France ⋅ 🌙 10 °C

    Our last full day in France and we had some sights that we hadn't yet fit in. This morning we headed off to Chateau de Bonaguil, not too far away. It was built as a small fort in the 1200's on top of a chunk of rock. It was added to extensively in the 1400'S and became a real fortress. In the 1700's it was modified again to be a home for Marguerite de Fumel. The French Revolution occurred and a law required that the towers of castles must be levelled to the height of the main buildings. The place was sacked and that is what the condition is today. Even with all that it is very impressive, perched high on a cliff overlooking the valley. We spent some time there and then had lunch below in the village. Their speciality was a meat and potato dish flamed at your table. Another night to have a chacouterie tray for dinner after a heavy lunch.
    Our second stop was in the village of Gavaudun, just down the road. We visited a church there built in the 1100's and in good repair. People were working in the graveyard on upkeep. The tombs had a family name but no dates or individual names. We visited an old fort at the village, again on top of a huge chunk of rock. No attacker was getting up those walls. Very little is still there except the keep, but you can see where the different parts were. I was dizzy just looking down from the first level, even before going up in the keep.    Read more

  • NanarooFrance and Greece 2018Traveler
    Breakfast on the patio.
    Part of the garden behind our unit, taken from the patio.The front of our unit, plain and very Greek.Hibiscus shrub by the entrance to the reaort.

    Ah, Greece!

    October 28, 2018 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    We had along day of travel on Friday. First the 2 1/2 hour drive to Bordeaux, then a train to Paris, but there weren't any in our time frame going to the airport, so we took the Metro to another station, then a train to the airport. Then we flew to Athens, getting into our hotel at about 1 am.
    The next day was relaxing, with just a flight over to Paros to the smallest airport ever, where we had a car rented to drive to our timeshare at the village of Drios. It will be very comfortable for the next week. Breakfast out on the patio of our unit this morning was great, Bougainvillea blooming over our heads. We went to the town of Lefkes, looking for a larger grocery store, and came upon a small parade celebrating the liberation of the island in WWII. It is a gorgeous old town, but we did not have cameras with us, so will have to go back. Nice Greek lunch there and back for a walk around our own village and down to the beach. Tonight... A Greek cooking lesson!!    Read more

  • NanarooFrance and Greece 2018Traveler
    Dave cuts up vegetables for the towers. Nice head gear!
    Nan gets ro mix the tzatziki sauce 'by hand'.Maria putting the finishing touches to the vegetable towers.All ready for dinner.Naoussa from the fishing port.The view out one opening in the Venetian fortress ruins.

    Cooking class and Naoussa

    October 29, 2018 in Greece ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    Cooking class last night was a blast. The group helped with some of it and watched Maria do the rest. We had Scampi with tomatoes and feta, Pumpkin soup, Vegetable towers with tzatziki sauce, Moussaka, and Baclava. Everyone did some of the Baclava, and some other things. It was a fun group of Americans, Germans and us. The food was wonderful and the wine flowed freely. Maria has the perfect personality for being a teaching chef.
    Today we went to the town of Naoussa which has a port with lots of fishing boats, an old town and a ramshackle Venetian fortress. The island was under Venetian rule from 1204-1537. We had lunch down by the harbour, but noticed that many restaurants and businesses were closed for the season. With this wonderful weather, they may be wishing they had stayed open a little longer.
    We ran into two other couples from cooking night during the day. I guess it is a small island! Tonight we are going to a Greek dinner at the resort with music and dance. I hope Dave doesn't get into plate smashing. Our damage deposit could be eaten up quickly.    Read more

  • NanarooFrance and Greece 2018Traveler
    Buffet at Greek night.
    Tripping the light fantastic with Fergus.Golden Beach, near the resort.View from the St. George monastery.One of the small walkways in Lefkes.Lefkes- a beautiful village!

    Greek night and Lefkes

    October 30, 2018 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Greek night featured many dishes to sample in a buffet dinner. We sat with a couple from Boston, David and Sarah, who we had met the night before, and a couple from NY City living in Barcelona. Some expats were there too who we had met at the cooking class. The music was interesting, guitar and violin, that sometimes sounded like Nova Scotian Celtic music. Dave did not get into breaking plates, thankfully. However, my dance partner and I seem to have broken a glass at one point. Fergus, from northern Scotland, got me up dancing, but unfortunately we didn't learn any Greek dances. It was fun and the locals were very welcoming.
    Today we toured round, to a town on the coast, called Piso Livadi. Then I had the bright idea that we should go up to a monastery high in the rugged interior. The road was steep and primitive and a very large and vocal dog up there kept us from roaming around too much. Coming back down tired out my right leg, as I felt the need to break constantly, even though I wasn't driving. Next time I'll keep my suggestions to myself.
    We went back to Lefkes to take some pictures. It is steep in the village with narrow alleys that are covered in paving stones. So pretty!
    I would love to have a fruit orchard here, not just olives, but oranges, apples, pomegranates, lemons, even prickly pear cactus sometimes. The climate can handle anything as long as you have water to irrigate.    Read more

  • NanarooFrance and Greece 2018Traveler
    The chapel from 4th century which has the baptistery.
    Looking down into the church from the women's area.Greek salad for lunch. MMMDave gets friendly with a horse at the Archeological Museum.The Grecian urn? Want to write an ode?

    Parikia

    November 1, 2018 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    We went to the capital and largest city in Paros, Parikia. City may be a bit of a stretch, though, more like a large town. We walked around the water front, admiring some large sailboats and catamarans and then went up the street to the Church With a Hundred Doors. It is a complex of chapels and a large church. The most impressive part was a chapel built in the 4th century with a Baptistery, a stone immersion tub in the shape of a cross. There was a Byzantine museum as well, with works of art from the 15th century onward. The large church had a women's gallery where you could look down into the main worshipping area. Like other Greek Orthodox churches we have peeked into ( they are usually locked), it had a huge brass chandelier, about 10 feet across, with candles on several levels.
    Just down the street was the Archeological Museum, with statues and artifacts found all over the island.
    We also visited the remains of a Venetian Fort. The Venetians ruled here from the 1300's to the 1500's. All the towns here have narrow alleys to walk through the old town, and Parikia was no different. Some shops were open, but because by this time it was after lunch, most were closed for siesta which generally goes from 1:00 til 5:30. It is also the end of the season, so some are closed until next spring. Parikia is on the opposite side of the island from Drios where we are, so we went there in one direction and returned in the other, completing a circumnavigation of the island.    Read more

  • NanarooFrance and Greece 2018Traveler
    High up at alookout on Antipiros.
    Our transport to Despotico.The archeological site of the Temple of Apollo.The water is such a beautiful and clear!Some of the sea caves made From the volcanic eruption that formed these islands.Stamos leads us toward the wall of the Venetian Castle in Antipiros.

    Antipiros

    November 1, 2018 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Antipiros is an island very close to Piros. We had signed up for a tour from the resort and left this morning with two American ladies and our guide, Stamos. He owns the resort with his wife, Maria, who was the chef at the cooking night. We got considerably better at understanding his English as the day went on. He referred to our group as 'homogeneous' which apparently meant that we got along well together. Another interesting phrase was that he didn't want to get 'corroded', or in our terms, rusty, so he did the tour every week.
    It was a short ferry ride to get to Antipiros and we did some sightseeing and then got on another small boat to go to the island of Despotico. There are no people living on this island, but 1000 goats roam it. There is a big archeological dig there, where they have uncovered a temple dedicated to Apollo dating to about 1500 BC. Stamos was extremely knowledgable about this site as he has made quite a study of local archeology. The temple was destroyed after Christianity came. The Venetians in the 1300's took away a lot of marble to be used in their own Castle and surrounds in the town on Antipiros. They continue to excavate and depend on donations for much of the cost. Tom Hanks and his wife have made huge donations to this and Stamos showed us their house later, on Antipiros. After leaving Despotico our boat captain took us to see the cliffs and the sea caves on the coast of Antipiros.
    We had lunch at a taverna and let Stamos do the ordering so we could try many local dishes... calamari, small fish, soft cheese, deep fried zucchini, mashed fava beans and a warm green salad.
    We did a short walking tour in the town by the ferry to see the Venetian castle and all of the marble pieces scattered around that had come from Despotico. Stamos thinks many of these should be returned for the restoration there.
    Our day ended with a visit to a ceramic shop back on Paros. Beautiful pieces, all hand done by the owner.
    It was a great day!!    Read more

  • NanarooFrance and Greece 2018Traveler
    Rollout the barrels, at the Moraitis Winery, Naoussa, Paros.
    One of several rooms for the arorage of bottles that are aging.Dave is absorbed int the description of the next wine.Yum,yum!Left over marble at the Ancient Marble Quarries, Marathi.Stone walls are everywhere, used to form terraces for farming in the old days.

    Winery and marble

    November 2, 2018 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    On our last day on Paros, there were a few things we wanted to see. One was a winery at Naoussa. Some of the others from here had gone the other day and said it was worthwhile. It was!! The winery has been owned by the same family since the early 1900's and they have on display many presses, and equipment used over the years, as well as pictures taken over some time. You can stroll down the room used for barrel storage and look into the bottle storage areas. We were the only people there, so took our time looking around and then tasted six wines. The fellow working was very well versed on the wines and gave us a rundown on each one answering questions as we went. Their grapes are grown in their own vineyards and across the island. One type of grape is grown only up in the mountainous areas and is still brought down by donkeys as there are no roads to use. It was a very interesting visit.
    We went to the waterfront in Naoussa for lunch at an outdoor cafe and took a stroll down the dock area after, spotting an octopus on a rail, drying in the sun. Calamari for supper?
    Another place we had heard about, in the centre of the island, was the ancient marble quarry. The marble from here was highly prized for its colour and purity. The big claim to fame for it was the marble for the Venus de Milo came from here. It was used, of course, for many temples and important buildings over 3000 years ago. There is not much left to identify the old quarries, except pieces of rough marble lying about. It has all grown up with bushes. There did seem to be active quarry a small distance away, but we were not allowed in there.
    One thing I had been trying to get a picture of, was the terracing up in the mountains. Rock walls were built on the side hills to make small patches of farmland. Stamos told us that some of these walls are 1000 years old. These terraces go up from steep, twisting roads where it is difficult to stop and take a picture. This was the best I could do, but doesn't do it justice. I have picked a few stones in my day, and would not want to be building these walls!    Read more

  • NanarooFrance and Greece 2018Traveler
    Good old Hadrian makes a mighty fine arch.
    Departure area at Paros airport. Only one plane is ever there at a time.The pieces lying down show the way they were stacked to make the columns. Temple of Zeus.Temple of Zeus.Let's hear it for the winner!!I gave it my all. I'll just sit to get my medal!

    On to Athens

    November 3, 2018 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We flew to Athens today from Paros. I had to take a picture of the departure area at the Paros airport. The grey door on the left leads to the one scanning machine and another lounge on the other side about the same size...smallest airport ever, I think, but chatting with a couple there who have gone there a long time, it is bigger than it used to be.
    We navigated the Athens Metro system and a short uphill walk to get to our Airbnb, within the area of the Acropolis. We are quite disappointed in the city itself. The part we are in is run down, graffiti everywhere, sidewalks broken up. Not very appealing. Of course, you can see the Acropolis and the temple of Zeus from the rooftop patio of our building, so there are some redeeming qualities.
    We walked to Hadrian's Arch which sits right near the Temple of Zeus. The Temple was begun in 515 BC but was not finished until Hadrian did so in 131 BC. Some columns are still standing and they are huge!! The whole structure was as long as a football field, but not quite as wide.
    We also visited the Panathenaic Stadium, home to the modern era Olympic Games. It is a magnificent stadium, built totally of stone, seats and all, reconstructed on the site of an ancient stadium for the 1896 games, the first of the modern era. It could hold 68,000 people. I won my event, as you can see from the picture. Dave won his as well, but was too tired to climb the podium.    Read more

  • NanarooFrance and Greece 2018Traveler
    Odeaum of Herodes Atticus.
    The Parthenon, 69 metres long and so, so impressive.Temple dedicated to Athena and Posiedon.Roman Agora from our table at lunch, through the fence.Graffiti right beaide the Ancient Agora. It is everywhere!Crowd in the shopping area.

    The Acropolis

    November 4, 2018 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    What a day! We walked to the Acropolis and climbed up to the top with thousands of others. During the off season the first Sunday in each month is free to go into the Acropolis. We had bought a pass for several sites anyway, but the masses turned out for the first free Sunday today. There is so much more to the site than the Parthenon...much more than I ever realized. We visited the ruins of the ancient temple of Dionysis and the Theatre of Dionysis, which is quite well in tact. As we gradually climbed the hill, we came to the Odeum of Herodea Atticus, another theatre, larger and very impressive. Continuing up we went by the Temple of Athena Nike near the magnificent entrance to the top level. There, of course, is the Parthenon, an absolutely huge structure and one of the most recognized in the world. Near it is the Temple dedicated to Athena and Poseidon.
    The walk down from the Acropolis was most interesting because of the crowd. A waiting line 15 people wide had to merge onto a stairway, 3 people wide, so it took quite a long time, but everyone was patient as we inched our way along and then down the stairs and the slope.
    We headed for the Ancient and Roman Agoras, located end to end. You need to use some imagination to picture the marketplaces that once were situated there. We had lunch right next to the Roman Agora, in an outside cafe and tried to absorb the ancient vibes. We then walked through the Agora. One building still standing there is the Tower of Winds. A church on the grounds has been turned into a museum for recognizing the international archeological groups who have contributed to the work done in Greece.
    Through the day we had gotten farther and farther from home, so the walk back took quite a while. We went along one of the main shopping streets, closed to traffic, and full of people, which surprised us on a Sunday. This one street had to be at least a kilometre long, and there were lots of others crossing it as well.
    On our return, we took a glass of wine up to the rooftop patio and enjoyed the view of the Acropolis as the sun was setting. An appropriate way to end our day in Athens.    Read more

  • NanarooFrance and Greece 2018Traveler
    The Acropolis at night from our rooftop.

    Lasting Impressions

    November 5, 2018 in France ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    We are on our way home...first leg to Paris is completed and tomorrow we fly back to Canada. I have been thinking about what the lasting impressions will be from this trip. What sights, sounds, tastes will be reminders of France and Greece?
    The Dordogne area of France will always be about Medieval castles on rock outcroppings, surrounded by the houses and shops of a Medieval village. Secondary roads so narrow that sometimes the buildings almost touched the road. Prehistoric drawings in caves. The Malbec wine of the Cahors region. Duck confit and Foie gras and the wonderful pork terrine on a baguette. Kind people who struggled with English because our French was so bad.
    Paros will remain in our memories for its sparkling white buildings and narrow alleys covered in paving stones, with bright pink bougainvillea bushes. The barren landscape seems less so when you remember the olive groves and fruit trees. Ancient history is everywhere in the castle ruins, the ports, and the archeological digs. Moussaka, Greek salad with a slab of feta on top, black olives, cheap wine, baclava, are the tastes and smells that will stay. The gorgeous turquoise blue of the water against the volcanic rock or the golden beach is a picture in our minds.
    Athens, a city of rich history, from the time of the Greek gods, provides photo opportunities at every turn. The city is dominated by the Acropolis, viewed as you come around corners, all over the old city. The immense size of the buildings built so long ago, has to be seen to realize what an achievement each one was for that ancient civilization. The graffiti of today also leaves a lasting impression.
    These are some of the snapshots preserved by our brains as well as our cameras as we head home.    Read more

  • NanarooFrance and Greece 2018Traveler
    Glass of wine on the patio.
    "Flying" on the train.View from our patio.Tropea from the resort.

    Southern Italy 2022

    September 18, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We have arrived in Southern Italy, at Villaggio l’Olivara at Tropea . The travelling went well as we flew to Rome through the night, arriving on the morning of Sept 16th. We had booked a hotel within walking distance of the Centrini Railway station. So it was just a shuttle bus in from the airport and a short walk to the hotel. We were able to leave our luggage there and go out to look around for a few hours. Checking in that afternoon, we were well ready for a long nap. Not so good at going without sleep for a night anymore.
    There were several restaurants in the area and we chose an outdoor spot by the Basilica, where we had looked around earlier that day. When it was lit for the evening, it made a beautiful backdrop to our first meal in Italy.
    On Saturday we took a train from Rome to Lamezia Terme and picked up our rental car for the drive to Tropea. Tropea is mostly known for the beaches here, and the town was bustling as we tried to find our way through a maze of narrow, one way streets to our home for the next week. Thank goodness for getting a SIM card the day before, so we could use MAPs to find the route.
    The resort sits very high above the town and looking out on the ocean. There are steep (first gear) switch backs to get up to the top, but a wonderful view when you get here.
    Today we spent finding our way around the resort and a trip into town for supplies. Dinner this evening will be at the restaurant on site. The menu looks intriguing!
    Sunshine, warm breezes and a great patio for morning coffee and late afternoon wine/beer. A relaxing day as the start of what looks to be a week on paradise!    Read more

    Trip end
    November 12, 2018
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