Reinicializar a pesquisa
Spain & France2017Spain & France2017
Editar rota

Spain & France2017

junho - julho 2017
  • Michael Smit
Uma aventura rápida mas muito boa pela Michael Leia mais
  • Michael Smit

Lista de países

  • Itália Itália
  • Mônaco Mônaco
  • França França
  • Espanha Espanha
Categorias
Nenhum
  • 3,5kquilômetros percorridos
Meios de transporte
  • Voo1.053quilômetros
  • Andando-quilômetros
  • Caminhada-quilômetros
  • Bicicleta-quilômetros
  • Motocicleta-quilômetros
  • Tuk tuk-quilômetros
  • Carro-quilômetros
  • Trem-quilômetros
  • Ônibus-quilômetros
  • Motorhome-quilômetros
  • Caravana-quilômetros
  • Veículo 4x4-quilômetros
  • Natação-quilômetros
  • Remoção/Arremesso-quilômetros
  • Lancha-quilômetros
  • Veleiro-quilômetros
  • Casa flutuante-quilômetros
  • Balsa-quilômetros
  • Cruzeiro-quilômetros
  • Cavalo-quilômetros
  • Esqui-quilômetros
  • Carona-quilômetros
  • Cable car-quilômetros
  • Helicóptero-quilômetros
  • Descalço-quilômetros
  • 27pegadas
  • 4dias
  • 151fotos
  • 3curtidas
SeguirCalendárioCompartilharLista de metas
Os mais novos primeiro
  • Michael SmitMichael SmitSpain & France2017

    Nimes - Day 21

    20 de julho de 2017, França ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Today was free of tour activities and so we were free to spend the day wandering around Nimes mostly visiting the Roman historical sites, namely the Arena, the Maison Carrie, and the Tour Magne.

    The Arena is the best preserved Roman amphitheatre in the world. It was built to seat over 10,000 spectators to gladiatorial contests. In addition to being open for visits, it is used for concerts and special events, and controversially for bullfights.

    The Maison Carre is a former Roman temple that has been preserved throughout the ages. Inside a short film is run every half hour dramatising the birth of Nimes as the Roman town of Nemausus.

    The Tour Magne is a remnant of the old Roman fortified wall that surrounded Nemausus, and today offers panoramic views of the city. It was the highest of the 80 towers that were part of the wall, which was built in 16AD and was 7km long.

    Walking around Nimes we saw a full sized bronze crocodile in an exotic fountain in the Place du Marche. We learnt that the crocodile and the palm tree are the symbols of Nimes, deriving from early bronze coins minted by the Romans from 28-27 BC onwards, showing a crocodile (symbol of Egypt) chained to a palm tree (Roman symbol of victory) in celebration of the role of its contingent in the Roman army which defeated Anthony at the battle of Actium in Egypt in 31 BC.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • Michael SmitMichael SmitSpain & France2017

    Nimes to Monaco - Day 22

    21 de julho de 2017, Mônaco ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    We left Nimes this morning for our journey to Monaco, and our first very brief stop was the city of Aix-en-Provence. Aix (pronounced ex) is rich in culture with two of its most famous sons being the painter Paul Cezanne and novelist Emile Zola.

    Our second stop was the beautiful hilltop town of St Paul-de-Vence, outside of Nice and Monaco. We loved this town and wish we could have spent more than the 1.5 hours allowed. Very touristy and very busy at this time of year but some very interesting shops and lots of art galleries (64 in total!) with fairly unique art items, reflecting the village’s art legacy.

    We arrived at the Fairmont Hotel in Monaco, which was our base for the next 3 nights. And what a base it was, a four star hotel overlooking the blue Mediterranean Sea.

    We went for a walk to the Casino and around the hotel. On returning to the hotel we saw a number of young men with fancy cameras in the front of the hotel. At first we thought they were paparazzi, but then thought that they were too young for that. Then we realised that they were there to capture the expensive cars as they slowed down for the hairpin bend directly in front of the hotel, which was part of the Monaco Grand Prix circuit. There were some flash looking cars in the hotel carpark also.

    We had dinner in the rooftop restaurant of the hotel, the Horizon. Such beautiful food (the truffle pizza was to die for) and such a beautiful backdrop and environment, it had us both feeling like rock stars.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • Michael SmitMichael SmitSpain & France2017

    Monaco - Day 23

    22 de julho de 2017, Mônaco ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Today we headed up to The Rock or La Rocher, which is where the Monaco cathedral and Royal Palace are located, and which offered beautiful views over the city, the yacht filled harbour, and the Mediterranean.

    The Cathedrale de Monaco is a stunning cathedral built in 1875 in the Romanesque-Byzantine style. Inside are housed the tombs of Princess Grace (who died tragically in a car accident in 1982) and Prince Rainier (who died in 2005).

    We strolled around in front of the Palais du Prince, the royal palace, where the royal Grimaldi family live, although we did not venture inside. We witnessed the changing of the guard in their white uniforms.

    On our second night in Monaco we were taken to a hilltop village called La Turbie for a dinner. Before the dinner the Australian lady who runs the restaurant with her French husband took us for a passionate tour through the medieval walled town. A very proud resident of the village and a frustrated tour guide we thought. It was nice to see such a town in a more natural state, rather than the more tourist oriented towns.

    The town had a Roman ruin called the Trophy of Augustus which was built in 6 BC to celebrate Augustus’ conquest of the Gaulish tribes between 25 and 14 BC. It exerts the power and protection of Rome.

    We topped off the night with a front row seat to fireworks near our hotel. This was probably the best view of fireworks we had ever had. More were to be held weekly over the next four weeks, including Australia, but the ones we watched were put on by France.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • Michael SmitMichael SmitSpain & France2017

    Monaco and Nice - Day 24

    23 de julho de 2017, Mônaco ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    On Sunday we took a day trip by bus from Monaco to Nice. We got off the bus to the east of Nice and got our first look at Nice from a hill overlooking the city and the long beachfront.

    On this hill was the very popular and much photographed #I Love Nice sign. Initially the hashtag was launched on social networks following the terrorist attack on the Promenade des Anglais on 14th July 2016, as a message to the world that the people of Nice, despite such threats still believe in peace and hope. And now the sign has become a symbol of love to the citizens of the French city and the capital of the Riviera.
    N
    ice was quite busy at the waterfront as they were holding an Ironman like competition along the wide, palm lined Promenade des Anglais. It was funny for us to see a beach full of pebbles rather than sand and with no surf!

    We wandered away from the busy beachfront into the Nice’s labyrinthine baroque old town where after some wandering and shopping we had some lunch.

    That night in Monaco we had a farewell dinner with the tour group.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • Michael SmitMichael SmitSpain & France2017

    Monaco to Lyon to Venice - Day 25

    24 de julho de 2017, Itália ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Today we were up bright and early for a 5.30am drop off to Nice airport for our flight to Venice via Lyon.

    We had a six hour stopover in Lyon, and so we caught the tram into the city for a brief visit.

    We embarked from the tram in Place Bellecour and walked across the Saone River on the Pont Bonaparte, looking up at the Basilique Notre Dame de Fourviere perched high on a hilltop, and strolled into the old town of Lyon, known as Vieux Lyon.

    Our first stop was the Cathedral St-Jean in the middle of Vieux Port, built between the late 11th and early 16th centuries.

    We stumbled upon the Museum of Miniatures and Film Sets, a unique museum offering a fascinating look at rare and unusual miniature models including more than 450 items used on film sets. Unfortunately we did not have time to explore this museum but from the displays outside this looked amazing.

    We only had a very brief taste of Lyon but it looks like a beautiful city well worth spending a few days in, and on our agenda if we are to visit the south of France again.

    We arrived in Venice, entering the city in style by catching a water taxi to our hotel, and spent the night wandering the streets of Venice (along with everyone else it seemed).

    We strolled through Piazza San Marco and through the narrow streets to the Rialto Bridge, and enjoyed a nice pasta meal alongside the Grand Canal near the Rialto Bridge.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • Michael SmitMichael SmitSpain & France2017

    Venice - Day 26

    25 de julho de 2017, Itália ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    We had lovely breakfast in the garden of our hotel on a beautiful summer morning. The waiter warned us about leaving our food unattended as the pigeons were notorious for swooping down and taking food from the tables. We had no problems but one of the other diners got caught out!

    Today was all about wandering the streets and bridges of Venice and only getting lost once.

    We mostly wandered around the San Marco and Rialto areas, slowed down by numerous shops and galleries.

    After all that shopping we had built up quite a thirst, so we had a beer in a bar just across from our hotel.

    In the afternoon we went to the Palace of the Doge, an impressive building capturing the splendour and intrigue of the Venetian Republic.

    We crossed the Bridge of Sighs, linking the Palace with the dark cells of the 16th century prison and so named for the sighs given by the condemned prisoners as they saw their last view of the waters of Venice before their incarceration.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • Michael SmitMichael SmitSpain & France2017

    Venice - Day 27

    26 de julho de 2017, Itália ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    On our last day in Venice, we went to St Mark's Basilica, a truly beautiful cathedral decorated with glittering mosaics above vast portals. We were not allowed to take photos inside but could do so from the rooftop balconies. Upstairs there were gilt bronze horses, captured treasure from the Venetian sacking of Constantinople, kept inside with reproductions on the balcony overlooking Piazza San Marco.

    Michael went to the top of the Campanile, a 99 metre tall bell tower with stunning views over Venice.

    After an afternoon of more wandering and shopping, we spent the evening in Piazza San Marco in one of the 18th century cafes drinking the most expensive tea and coffee ever but enjoying the live musical entertainment and the savouring the experience.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução