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Europe 2025

Morocco, Spain, Portugal, and France - an 8 week expedition Read more
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    🇫🇷 Trélat, France
  • Europe 2025
    Ranville War Cemetery
    Ranville War Cemetery, British Commonwealth gravesVery sad. His family would have forever wondered what happenedTwo Australian aircrewRanville Cathedral. Paratroopers and glider troops landed in this areaUnknown German soldier. There are 322 Germans in RanvillePegasus Bridge. Key bridge taken by the allies on 6 JuneSherman Tank at the Normandy MuseumChurchill and an M10 Tank DestroyerGerman tankTown of BayeuxBayeux CathedralMemorial on Omaha BeachOmaha Beach looking westOmaha Beach looking east from the waterline. A long way to runAmerican Cemetery overlooking Omaha BeachOver 9,300 American men and women are hereThere are a lot of graves here. I walked around the chapel in the middle of the cemeteryOmaha Beach from the cemeteryMap explaining the landings at NormandyNames of the missingJuno Beach. These obstacles were on the beach to disrupt landing craft and tanksPanorama of Juno BeachTown of Arromanches. Sherman tank and remains of Port Winston on the beach and in the waterBritish Memorial at ArromanchesGerman 88mm gun overlooking Arromanches

    Normandy

    Yesterday in France ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Today was very sobering.

    We left Honfleur early and headed west along the Normandy coast. Out first stop was the Ranville War Cemetery. Ranville has the distinction of being the first French town liberated on D-Day as this is where a number of paratroopers landed in the early hours of June 6 1944. They were meant to land behind the German coastal defences.

    I’m not going to delve into the history of what happened rather I am going to talk about what it is like now and what it is like to be here 80 years after the event. To put it bluntly it was confronting.

    We walked around the cemetery looking at the various headstones - they were all British Commonwealth Troops. The average age would have been about 22, the oldest I saw was 37, all were either paratroopers or aircrew, there were two Australians here both aircrew. The sadest ones were the unknowns, someone’s family always wondering what happened to them.

    There are German and other Axis troops buried here as well and they were younger as by this stage of the war all the experienced troops were fighting the Russians leaving the very young, the very old, or the previously wounded troops defending the Atlantic coast.

    The Cathedral next door to the cemetery had bullet marks from the fighting.

    Next stop was the Museum of the Battle of Normandy in Bayeux. It explained what the allies were aiming to achieve, how they did it and the massive amount of planning and logistics that went into D-Day. There were also a couple of tanks on display outside.

    We stopped in the town of Bayeux for lunch. Most villages in Normandy were completely destroyed but luckily a local priest told the allies the Germans had pulled out of the town so it was not too badly damaged. We were meant to see the Bayeux Tapestry but unfortunately it is in the UK at the moment as its building is being renovated.

    We then went on to Omaha Beach. It was low tide when we were there which it would have been before dawn on June 6 1944. Granted the coast may have changed over the last 80 years but there was still a huge distance the troops had to cover from the landing craft to the foot of the hills behind the beach - all the time being shot at or bombarded by artillery.

    The American cemetery above Omaha Beach contains the graves of over 9,300 Americans and is huge. The huge number of white headstones plus the massive number of names on the wall with no known grave was very sad. I have attached a video to this post to try and convey the sheer number of graves.

    There are a few Canadians on the tour so our next stop was Juno Beach. There are a few German bunkers still overlooking the beach which you can visit.

    The scale of the landings was enormous. From Utah beach in the west to Sword Beach in the east is just over 80kms.

    The last stop was at Arromanches. This is where they built the huge artificial harbour (called Port Winston) in the days after D-Day so the massive amount of material needed to keep the attack going could be provided and you can still see the remains of this port today. The British Memorial is here as it is close to Gold Beach.

    All up it was an interesting day. Lots of history of course but the massive number of gravestones brings home the human aspect as well.

    Tomorrow we keep heading west.    Read more

  • Europe 2025
    Honfleur buildings note how many are covered in slate
    Large house near HonfleurMemorial to Champlain who explored much of CanadaWar memorial in HonfleurChapelle Notre Dame de Grâce above HonfleurChapel again, built in the 18th centuryView of the mouth of the Seine and Le Harve across the riverRiver Touques in the village of Pont-l'ÉvêqueÉglise Saint-Michel. Damaged but not destroyed in WW2 it was restored in the 1950sInside Église Saint-MichelRiver TouquesApples! Used to make a type of brandyPart of Chateau de BreuilAging room, anything up to 20 yearsBarrelAging room, building was built in the 1700sNormandy beach at DeauvilleDeauvilleBeach again. Blowing a gale, storm coming on the rightFamiliar sight in the local supermarketSensational cheeses

    Honfleur and surrounds

    October 4 in France ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    This morning we went for a walk around Honfleur to learn more about the town.

    In the 15 century Honfleur was a big sailing port for overseas voyages and trade. This included the voyages by Champlain who opened up a lot of Canada and established Quebec City, his voyages left from Honfleur. Much of the trade with North American Indians in furs and animal skins went through the town and they generally had good relations with the Indian tribes. A big driver was in the trade of indigo from the indigo plants to create blue dyes which were used in embroidery and clothing. Sugar was also key trade item.

    All this meant Honfleur became a very wealthy town with lots of nice houses and use of expensive products like slate in their construction - some buildings are covered in slate, not just the roofs. But all this changed in the 17th century when war with Britain occurred and the wealth started to disappear. However by the 19th century the railways made Honfleur more easily accessible from Paris so it started to grow again as people wanted to holiday on the Normandy coast.

    In this area of Normandy there were raids by Vikings in particular Danish Vikings, further along the coast it was Norwegian Vikings. Their impact can be seen in the large wooden church I mentioned in yesterday’s blog, the front area is very much Viking style.

    The church is built from walnut wood and has a mix of styles from Viking like I mentioned to gothic touches to the fact there were a lot of boat builders in Honfleur so the church ceilings look like upturned boats. The whole thing was built with axes and no saws which is astounding. The locals were well aware of the dangers of having a wooden church which is why the bell tower was built separate to the main church, if the bell tower was hit by lightning then it may burn but the rest of the church wouldn’t.

    After scoping out the town some more and having a good chocolate crepe for lunch (as you do) we then headed to a local town Pont-l'Évêque which is famous for its cheese and dairy products. The farm land is very green and lush so perfect for dairy farming.

    There is a big 11th century church in the middle of town called Église Saint-Michel. This church and indeed the whole town were badly damaged in the battle for Normandy in WW2 but the church and the town have been rebuilt.

    After checking out the town for a bit we headed to a local distillery that makes calvados (a type of brandy) from apples and pears. They explained the process to us and showed us around the grounds.

    We then headed to the coast at Deauville which is right on the southern side of mouth of the Seine. Today was cloudy, overcast and blowing a gale but we went for a walk along the boardwalk. Unfortunately the heavens opened and it bucketed rain and even hail so we were all a bit wet by the time we made it to the bus. This is a very wealthy area with a big focus on horse racing and breeding so there are some big estates with fancy houses.

    Tomorrow we move west along the Normandy coast.    Read more

  • Europe 2025
    He is very famous in Giverny!
    Our routeSculpture of Claude MonetMonet's garden. It was sensationalGardenMonet's studio. Note the two paintings of girls with umbrellas on the right, see earlier blog entryMonet's kitchenWater Lilies garden. Unfortunately water was not clean so not best photoWater Lilies gardenGarden againVernon castleOld bridge with house. This is the river Seine still, it goes all the way to ParisChâteau Gaillard on the left, Les Andelys on the right. Note white chalk cliffs along the riverLes Andelys.Our hotel, l'ecrin in HonfleurHonfleur harbour. Buildings on the left have appeared in many famous paintingsHonfleur building and old sailing shipCarousel on the harbourHarbour againClock tower in HonfleurÉglise Sainte-Catherine in Honfleur and the largest all wood church in France, built in the 1400sOutside of Église Sainte-Catherine, Viking style entranceHonfleur lanewayVery English feel about HonfleurHarbour at night

    Au revoir Paris! For now

    October 3 in France ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Today our second of three tours this holiday started. We are doing a loop around northern France covering Honfleur, the Normandy beaches, and more. This is with a different tour company Back Roads Tours, we are a group of 18 mostly Aussies with a few New Zealanders, and Canadians. Two thirds of the group are females with Trace and I being at the very bottom end of the age spectrum. We are travelling in a smaller bus so it is easier for us to get into small towns and villages.

    We hit the road out of Paris heading for our first stop Giverny. This is the village where Claude Monet lived and painted many of his famous works. He loved his garden so he spent about half his time gardening and the other half painting. He and the other impressionists were at the cutting edge of art in the late 1800s so he could afford to maintain a large house and garden.

    We looked around and went through his house. All very impressive. He was friends with Renoir, Cezanne, and others from that time so his house was full of what would now be considered masterpieces and not just his own works.

    We then made a brief stop at the nearby town of Vernon to admire their old bridge and fort guarding the river Seine. Back in the Middle Ages the river was a means of control, if you controlled the river you could control who comes and goes and also levy taxes.

    This was followed by a stop to view Château Gaillard and the neighbouring village of Les Andelys. The castle dates back to the 1100s but changed hands a number of times over the centuries. Once again it overlooks the Seine so it was about controlling the river.

    Much is said about the wars between Britain and France but they were very different times and countries back then. This castle was built by Richard the Lion Heart who was both King of England and Duke of Normandy - he inherited both of these titles and was actually born in France but the Dukedom meant he was supposed to bend the knee to the King of France. Didn’t happen which caused much tension and fighting.

    Anyway the history is interesting but not something for this blog to cover in any detail.

    Normandy today is very focussed on agriculture, including horses, dairy & beef products, apples, pears, and of course seafood along the coast. It was very green and lush.

    We stopped in the village of Honfleur which is to be our home for the next two nights. Very pretty town and it looks very British, see the photos.

    We have started to lose our run of luck with the weather. We have been about five weeks on the road with no rain to mention. Today it started to drizzle, didn’t slow us down at all.    Read more

  • Europe 2025
    Tower. Cut out the social media crowd
    Breakfast of champions! Like the old saying, we aren't here to lose weight or save moneyParis subway. Double decker trainsHmmmStill impressiveTower againStatue of Joffre, WW1 French generalLafayette GalleriesWomen's shopParis Opera House from top floor of the GalleriesView from the top floorViews againAnd again. You could see a lotFood hallBiggest croissant ever!Biggest lemon and meringue tart!Food heaven. Every type of breadWhen in Paris!

    Slow day

    October 2 in France ⋅ 🌙 8 °C

    Today was a quiet day in Gay Paris!

    We have been having breakfast at a local patisserie, as you do when in Paris, so we had a quick breakfast and then headed out.

    We were meant to go up the Eiffel Tower but it was closed due to a strike so we caught the metro to the Invaildes station and change to the subway system to get to the Tower. We had to make do with a walk around the base and taking a few photos. We will try to climb it when we are back in Paris over the next couple of weeks.

    We then made our way to one of the big shopping malls Lafayette Galleries. There are three stores a women’s, a men’s, and a food building. The women’s one is very fancy and has views across Paris from the top floor. The men’s one is just a shop, nothing exciting, but the food one is David Jones’ Food Hall on steroids! All kinds of food and lots of it!

    We made a few purchases and then wandered back to the hotel. We had to have an afternoon siesta along with cheese and champagne on our massive balcony.

    Tonight we meet the rest of our fellow travellers for our second trip    Read more

  • Europe 2025
    Outside Moulin Rouge after the show
    Paris Metro, yes it was a bit full!Champs Elysees and the Louis Vuitton store, done up to look like of their casesBonjour! Again!Some people were standing in the middle of the traffic trying to get photos or to have a photo takenInside the ArcTomb of the Unknown Soldier from WW1ArcNotre Dame. Even early there were a lot of people around but we went in easilyDoorwayInterior. It really glowedRose windowAmazing stained glassInterior againAustralia rates a mentionThe spire has been rebuiltRiver Seine, Île de la Cité on the right. The boat has a bride and groom on boardNotre Dame againBoats on the Seine, looking across at the LouvreFamous glass pyramidOur lunch venue on the left, Louvre across the park, 6 bee hives in frontLunch with the localsMuseum D'Orsay. Vincent Van GoghMonet's water lilliesWhistler's Mother. No Mr Bean in sight!Moulin Rouge restaurant. The stage was very adaptable!Outside the Moulin Rouge after the show

    Paris

    October 1 in France ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    Today we started ticking off the must-see things when in Paris.

    We started with the City’s metro, this is the third largest in the world behind London and Madrid and yes it is a bit scary. Luckily the man at the local station, Leige which is just at the end of the street, was very helpful and set us up with a couple of all day tickets. Working out the stations is a little harder but we kept it simple and stuck to just a couple of lines.

    Our first stop was the Champs Elysees, near where we were yesterday. We were a bit early so most shops weren’t open, probably a good thing, so we walked up the hill to the Arc de Triumph. We looked it over and took some photos, battling the social media set. It is impressive.

    We then walked back down the Champs Elysees but this time we did buy something - a coffee and a pastry.

    We then hopped back on the metro and headed up towards the Île de la Cité in the middle of the Seine River. This is where Notre Dame Cathedral is located.

    Since the devastating fire in 2019 it has been restored and is back to its former glory - probably even better as it is a lot cleaner than many cathedrals of its vintage. This cathedral is an example of French Gothic Architecture and construction started back in the 1100s. It is, of course, stunning. It and the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona are the two most stunning buildings I have been in on this trip.

    Being early (about 10.30am) the crowds weren’t too bad so we went in for a look. The stained glass is really excellent. During the rebuilding they had craftsmen from around the world come and help and they have done a fantastic job, see the photos.

    While we were in there Mass started and standing there listening to a soloist singing was really beautiful.

    We eventually left the cathedral and followed the banks of the Seine before crossing over and going for a look at the Louvre Museum. We will be going there when we are back in Paris after our first tour but we wanted to make sure we knew where it was. We then walked into town to score a chicken baguette plus a couple of drinks and went to do what the locals do - go sit in the sun in the park and eat lunch.

    We then crossed the river again to go to the Impressionist art museum Musée d'Orsay. Lots of work by Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, Gaugan, Degas, and many others. We could have spent hours in there but we were getting a bit worn out and we have a big dinner on tonight so it was another metro trip back to the hotel.

    Dinner was at the famous Moulin Rouge restaurant with a show afterwards, an absolute must see if you are in Paris and only a 10 min walk from our hotel. They don’t allow photos during the show for … erm … obvious reasons (and this is a family blog) but it really was sensational.    Read more

  • Europe 2025
    Our route from Lyon to Paris
    A few Australian companies around, seen Dominoes Pizza in a few places as well. This is in LyonYeah baby!Kit Kat at 300kph!Ripping through the French countrysideDouble decker trainOur chariot. We were on the top levelBig enginesOur hotel in Paris. We are on the 5th floor where you can see the balconiesLa Madeleine on the outsideInside La MadeleineLa MadeleinePlace de la Concord. Down near the River SeineFountain at the Place de la ConcordLooking down the Champs ElyseesIn the 1790s this spot is where noble people were executed including the King and Marie AntoinetteRiver Seine with the Eiffel TowerBonjour!!Seine againLooking back up the Place de la ConcordChamps ElyseesPark off the Champs ElyseesThe Grand Palais, built in 1900, used for shows and exhibitions. Classic Art Nouveau styleCalled the Petite Palais, across the road from the Grand PalaisStatue of ClemenceauPark againGrand PalaisWine and cheese time!!

    On the move again

    September 30 in France ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Today we caught the train from Lyon to Paris. This one was a lot bigger than the train from Barcelona to Lyon as it was a double deck and it was full but it was just as fast. Am a big fan of bullet trains. These ones are super smooth and quiet, if they didn’t put the speed up on the screen you would have no idea you were going so fast. The trip took just under 2 hours versus 5 hours to drive.

    We arrived in Paris and scored a cab to our hotel. We are in a trendy part of town quite close to everything. We walked down to the Seine River passing a few buildings and monuments along the way.

    We took a few photos and headed along the Champs Elysees before walking back to the hotel.

    Our hotel room is what you would call microscopic and the lift is the smallest of the small we have come across so far BUT we have a room with a balcony so we scored a lump of cheese, some crackers and a bottle of Sancerre. We then had a nice break sitting on the balcony drinking wine and eating cheese in the afternoon sun.    Read more

  • Europe 2025
    Street art
    Croque MonseiurÉglise Saint-Nizier churchWell endowed gargoyle on Église Saint-Nizier. Local stone masons had a sense of humourStreet artPlaza de Terre. Town hall in the distance, fountain on the leftImpressive fountain! Was restored in 2017Town hall, built in the 17th century.Tacos - Lyon style. Like a kebab only betterSeems the family is diversifying (check out the name of this shop)!Street artThese things are on lots of poles, all done by the same artistÉglise Saint-Polycarpe, note damage from French Revolution Lyon was attacked by revolutionariesStreet artEmpanadas and a beer!All these windows and shops are painted. The Lumiere brothers are bottom right balconySaone riverSaone, crossing to the old townMore traditional tacos. Very good!Old town Lyon. Used to be mostly Jewish area. Our guide Shirine on the leftSmall courtyard in the Jewish area. A well on the rightOld town Lyon streetsMounted police. Nice to hear horses on the old cobblestone streetsCathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste. Old ruins next doorOld town Lyon

    Lyon

    September 29 in France ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    We had a street food tour booked this morning so after a leisurely breakfast we went for a walk across the river to our meeting point. Our guide was a local called Shirine who gave us some history of Lyon and then took us on a walk around town.

    First stop was a traditional ham and cheese (plus a few other items) sandwich called a Croque Monsieur. It was excellent. Next stop was at the Place de Terre. This is a large square with the town hall and a huge fountain originally intended for another town but it ended up in Lyon. Here we tried the local version of a greasy kebab called a tacos - a soft tortilla with meat, cheese, chips, and more. Another hit!

    The huge fountain was made by the same artist who did the Statue of Liberty in New York. When it was finished the artist’s fame had increased as had the price so the original town Bordeaux said ‘Non’ and it went to Lyon instead. It represents France as a woman Marianne controlling 4 horses representing the 4 great rivers of France.

    We then walked up the hill to the church Église Saint-Polycarpe. Along the way we saw some interesting street art and stopped at a small place serving empanadas. We had a chicken one and a cheeseburger version. Both were excellent. On the way Shirine showed us some small alley ways and courtyards hidden behind doors, locals use these to get around the city quickly.

    We then headed back down the hill past a building which would have had a completely bare wall except it had been painted to look like windows and showing famous people from Lyon.

    We crossed the river Saone to our next stop where we had some more traditional style tacos. Our last stop was in the old town for some ice cream.

    Really interesting and good to get a local’s view.

    Tomorrow we leave Lyon and head to Paris where we have a few days before our next tour starts on Friday. Really enjoyed Lyon it was a good place to stop and recover from our 4 week tour.    Read more

  • Europe 2025
    Yes it was excellent
    Rhone RiverReplica of the top third of the Eiffel Tower. Used as a telecommunication towerBasilica of Notre Dame of Fourvière on the hill with Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste in frontLyon's other river, the SaoneThe front of Cathédrale Saint-Jean-BaptisteThe walk up was steep but pleasantCathedral on top of the hillSensational views of Lyon in the morningViewsBasilica of Notre Dame of FourvièreView with Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste in the foreground. You can see the Rhone and Saone riversRoman theatre. Seating for 10,000 people!Theatre with smaller theatre on the leftThe theatre had a good view over what was to become LyonMosaics inside the BasilicaMosaicsEntrance to the Basilica, it was crowded!Looking towards the front. Great stained glass windowsViews on the way down the hillCathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste in the old town of LyonClock in the old town dating from the mid 1800sPalace of Justice, 24 columns for 24 hours of the day!Pétanque game in LyonLyon metro

    Looking around Lyon

    September 28 in France ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    We have two full days in Lyon before we head to Paris on Tuesday. Today we crossed the Rhone River and walked down to the Tourist Centre to get some ideas on what we should do.

    This morning was a walk around the old part of Lyon which included a walk up to Basilica of Notre Dame of Fourvière. This is a huge cathedral built in the late 1800s on a hill overlooking Lyon. It is beautiful BUT like I said it is at the top of a hill so we had to start climbing. The views of Lyon in the morning were incredible. This area is also the site of Roman ruins.

    The Ancient Theatre of Fourvière is close to the cathedral and has the remains of a couple of theatres plus some walls of other buildings. The site was a key outpost of the Roman Empire and the settlement dates to about 15BC.

    Being a Sunday we had to wait for Mass to finish before we could take photos in the cathedral and it was stunning. It is heavily decorated with stained glass and mosaics. See the photos.

    We then headed down the hill where we had lunch in a small sandwich shop before catching the metro to Monplaisir Lumiere. The metro is only two carriages but very efficient and quick.

    We wanted to get to the Lumiere Museum. The Lumiere brothers Louis and Auguste are credited with inventing motion pictures with their first movie of workers at their factory walking out the gates to go home for lunch being made in 1895. In their factory they used to make glass photographic plates before working out how to make to images move. They employed about 900 people of which 600 were women, they worked 10 hours a day 6 days a week and healthcare was included.

    The museum was really interesting to see how it all evolved and how modern directors and actors pay credit to the Lumiere Brothers.

    We then caught the metro back into town for a brief siesta before going to find somewhere for dinner.    Read more

  • Europe 2025
    Our chariot to Lyon
    Our routeTrain at Barcelona Sants StationRenfe AVEIt was very smooth and very quietExciting!The river RhoneRhoneRhoneOld city of LyonRhoneOld townRhoneRhoneRhone at sunset, lots of people aboutRhone againFast train! Hard to tell how fast but over 250 kphCafeteria car. It is really moving!

    Goodbye Spain, bonjour France!

    September 27 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    We were up and about super early this morning. We were booked on an 8.19am high speed train from Barcelona to Lyon. The traffic at that hour was pretty good and after dodging a few worse-for-wear locals we were at Barcelona Sants Station in about 10 mins.

    The train was exactly on time and we settled in for the 5 hour trip, Google says it is over 6 hours by car so yes this train really moved along. It was a Renfe AVE fast train that can cruise at close to 350km/h, the seats were very comfortable and we had lots of room for luggage. There was a cafeteria that sold the basics and had some good views.

    The route took us along the edge of the Mediterranean Sea to Montpellier before turning inland to head up to Lyon. We arrived on time, collected the luggage and scored a cab to the hotel.

    We are right on the river Rhone across from the older parts of town.

    We spent the afternoon at the laundromat - very exciting but also very necessary. Funny interaction with a local who wanted me to help him fold his doonas we had washed and dried, Google Translate came up with “Can you help me bend my neck”! Very funny but we worked it out.

    Dinner was in one of the traditional Lyon restaurants called a Bouchon followed by a walk along the river bank.

    Tomorrow we explore Lyon.    Read more

  • Europe 2025
    Lizard designed by Gaudi
    Guell Park walkwayOne of two houses built. It was designed by one of Gaudi's students. Gaudi did live here for a timeView of Gaudi's bench and public areaThe famous benchBench with two Gaudi designed administrative buildings. Sagrada Familia in the distanceSagrada Familia on the left. The bench is actually very comfortable to sit on. Good lumbar supportThe area under the bench. Pillers have tubes to collect rain water into a reservoirDetail from the ceiling under the park areaA busy spot!Other view of the house Gaudi lived inWalkways were designed to block hot summer sun but allow winter sunDetail of one of the walkwaysOld town BarcelonaChurch built by the Catalan locals, the style is called Catalan GothicThe Basilica for royalty and the wealthyFront of the Basilica. This facade was added in late 1800s for the 1889 Expo. It was just plainOld town street.Casa Batllo outsideThe fireplace inside Casa Batllo. Close to the front door so people could warm up quicklyFront room, was the office/studyCross ventilation slatsInterior door designLooking down a light well. Tiles get lighter and windows bigger as you go lowerChimney design on the roof

    An absolute genius

    September 26 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Today we spent a lot of time experiencing the absolute genius of Antoni Gaudi. While yesterday’s visit to the Sagrada Familia was a highlight he also worked on a number of other buildings and locations around Barcelona.

    First stop was a visit to Guell Park about 20 mins from the centre of town. This was originally the vision of Eusebi Guell who wanted to construct a high end housing estate at the end of the 1800s. The site was on the side of a hill overlooking the city and out to the Mediterranean. He engaged Gaudi to help design the streets, public areas, and some of the administrative buildings. In the end the project failed because it was seen to be too far away from the centre of town for the high end clients Mr Guell was aiming for and he wanted to put too many restrictions on the houses people could build in his estate. In the end only two houses were built out of a possible 60, one is still privately owned and the other is a museum.

    Now Guell Park is a public park and, thanks to Gaudi, a tourist attraction. He designed viaducts so people could walk under cover in the hot sun or the rain, the public areas included an area with one long bench for people to sit and talk while looking out over the city. The bench is covered in Gaudi’s signature broken tiles, plates, and other ceramics making Gaudi one of the first to recycle building materials. The bench has waves in it to encourage people to face each other when they talk. The water drains into a reservoir and is reused across the park. There are so many little things he thought of that make this park sensational. See the photos.

    After Guell Park we went to the old town of Barcelona - well before Gaudi’s time but we will come back to him. This area has a few medieval buildings but most were rebuilt for the first Expo in 1889 when they wanted to show off a progressive and modern city.

    The Basilica of Barcelona is in this area plus a few old palaces that do date back to the 14th and 15th centuries. Barcelona is the capital of the autonomous region of Catalonia and some locals would like to separate from Spain - one of the reasons for this was that the state of Catalonia was founded in the 9th century whereas Spain was founded in the 15th century.

    When the Basilica was started in 1292 and took about 150 years to build. Once done the locals were not allowed to access it as it was reserved for the royals and the wealthy so they went and started building their own church in 1325 which only took 50 years to build.

    After looking around for a bit we headed back to the newer end of town as we were going to another building by Mr Gaudi.

    Casa Batllo was a remodelled existing building with Gaudi getting involved in 1904 and it being finished in 1912. This building is on the main street of Barcelona and is a huge tourist attraction. The patron saint of Barcelona is St George so the building is meant to represent a dragon with the sword of St George as the cross.

    It is very well designed. Small touches like the use of sky lights to light lower floors, coloured tiles that get darker as you get higher, windows that are bigger on lower floors, clever use of cross ventilation and much more.

    Gaudi was a very religious man so any money he earned from private commissions he donated to the Sagrada Familia project as he wanted that to succeed and be his legacy.

    Today marks the last day of our first tour. We have been going for 4 weeks and visited Morocco, Spain, and Portugal - it has been excellent. We now have a much better understanding of the history and links between the three countries. History we just don’t have in Australia.

    Tomorrow morning we are on the 8.19am high speed train to Lyon where we start the next phase of our trip.    Read more

  • Europe 2025
    Looking up Montserrat
    Cable carGates to the Old townBasilicaBasilicaBlack Madonna and babyMontserratView from the lookoutTrip down from Montserrat in the cable carMontjuic hill. The two towers are modelled on the bell tower of St Marks in VeniceBarcelona bull ring. Now a shopping centre. Bull fighting ended in Barcelona in 2011Montjuic hill. Building was built for the 2029 Expo and is now a museumView from Montjuic. Sagrada Familia is really obviousPanorama of BarcelonaThe main tower will finish next year then they have to work on the entrance - to the left of photoEastern facade. Tells the story of Jesus' birth. This side was finished in Gaudi's lifetimeFootings of columns. Turtle on the ocean side tortoise on the land side. Also act as down pipesThe sacred family - Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. With bonus pigeon!Insect details on the doors on the eastern sideStunning. It was late in the afternoon so the sun was on the western windowsLooking towards the western side. Columns look like tree trunks and branchesSummer and autumn windowsCrucifix depicting Jesus' ascent into heavenMassive scale it is hard to appreciate just how big this place is. Note the spiral staircaseWestern facade depicting the death of Christ. Different sculptor so completely different styleBits in pink are yet to be completed

    Wow!

    September 25 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Today was a definite highlight.

    Outside of Barcelona is the mountain called Montserrat. At the top there is an abbey and a number of walking trails so today we hit the road for the 45 min drive to where we catch the cable car up to the monastery.

    It was very impressive. The stone is conglomerate (a type of sedimentary rock) and very rugged. We had a look inside the basilica where there is a statue of the Madonna and baby Jesus but they are both black. We couldn’t get tickets to get closer so had to make do with a zoomed-in photo.

    We then walked out to a lookout offering views of the monastery and the valley it over looked. There is a road and a cog-wheeled train that go up to the main part of the monastery but we caught the yellow cable car. Only a 5 minute trip but good fun.

    After walking around and checking out the sights we headed back down the cable car and back into the city for the second wow of the day. Our tour of Barcelona is spread over two days with the first part happening today and the second tomorrow. The guide took us up Montjuic hill which had the current Museum of Art in a building originally built for the 1929 Expo. There are also a number of venues for events from the 1992 Olympic Games - remember those iconic images of the diving with the city in the background?

    The Barcelona bull ring is at the bottom of this hill, there are two rings in town. Bull fighting isn’t technically banned but the city refuses to organise them so this one is now a big shopping centre. The other ring is privately owned and they are working out what to do with it. The last bull fight was in 2011.

    After taking a few photos we went down past the main port of Barcelona. We counted 6 massive cruise ships in port. They have had to restrict the number that can visit at once as they were putting too much pressure on services in the city triggering backlash from residents.

    We then went to one of the most stunning buildings in the world - Sagrada Familia (or Sacred Family). This is a massive unfinished basilica that was started in 1882 and is still yet to be completed. After the original architect resigned in 1883 the famous Antoni Gaudi took over and made this his masterpiece.

    Work has progressed slowly over the last 143 years but it is expected it will be finished sometime in the next 10 years or so. The front of the Basilica is still only temporary and finishing it will require the acquisition of a couple of city blocks as there isn’t the room to complete it on the current site.

    The main central tower is now the tallest building in Barcelona on next year when it is finished it will become the tallest Catholic Church in the world. The top of the tower will be 172.5 metres high which intentionally 0.5m below the height of Montjuic Hill - Gaudi was a religious man and said man’s work cannot surpass God’s.

    Gaudi died in 1926 but left designs, models, and descriptions of how the building should be finished but the finer details are being developed as the building evolves. Every aspect of this building has been carefully thought through and this continues to the current day. The stained glass windows represent the 4 seasons, the east facing facade tells the story of the birth of Jesus and gets the sunrise, the west facing gets the sunset and tells of Christ’s death, the crucifix above the altar aligns to one of the towers and so shows Christ’s ascent to heaven, the pillars are meant to be trees, it is all seriously stunning. The stained glass also has the names of key churches and saints from around the world Sydney’s St Mary’s is there and so is Mary McKillop.

    I really can’t describe just how amazing this building is. In Segovia I was impressed by a 2000 year old aqueduct, there have been many 14th and 15th century buildings all along this tour and this building is definitely up there with the absolute best of what we have seen. A definite tour highlight.

    Dinner was a good pasta and bottle of wine in a small restaurant near the hotel. Tomorrow our tour continues with yet more Gaudi!    Read more

  • Europe 2025
    Gringott's Bank! Actually a bank building in Valencia
    Bridge over the old Turia River bedRiver bed parkOld bridge and city gateCity gate with Valencian flagValencian city gateGate interiorReal Parroquia de los Santos Juanes Valencia. Note the triangular bell towerSilk Market buildingThere be dragons! Carving on the Silk Market buildingTouchdown!Valencia streetSilk Building doorsBarcelona buildingsGaudi buildingBuilding againAnother Gaudi buildingInspired by a dragonReally stunning architectureBarcelona buildingThe Thinking Cow!Gaudi building againAnd againMain Street of BarcelonaEven the public seats are masterpieces!Street performers. I could do this if I wanted

    Barcelona

    September 24 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Today wasn’t the most exciting day. A big chunk of time was spent on the bus driving from Valencia to Barcelona along the Mediterranean coast.

    We had the morning to ourselves in Valencia so Trace and I went for a walk along the old river bed of the Turia River. Like I said yesterday they diverted the river back in the 1960s so its old river bed is a 10km strip of green parkland with gardens, bike tracks, playing fields, and walking paths.

    It was nice to just walk along in the cool of the morning. We left the river bed at the old city gate we visited yesterday and wandered around some of the old town. We stoped for a coffee and then hopped on the bus to Barcelona.

    Initial impressions of Barcelona is that this is a very relaxed town. The architecture is really stunning with wide boulevards and more focus on pedestrians than cars. We saw a couple of buildings designed by Antoni Gaudi plus a number of others that were equally impressive.

    Dinner was a really good tapas feed followed by a slow walk back to the hotel.    Read more

  • Europe 2025
    Valencia Opera House and IMAX Theatre
    Opera House. Meant to look like an ancient helmetAquarium and AgoraIMAX TheatreOld town gate. Was once a jail but now a tourist attraction. You can climb to the topBack of the gate. The big holes used to be bricked up to make this a jail for noblesTown hall squareValencia Cathedral. We climbed to the top of that towerInside one of the chapelsThe narrowest house in Valencia!Interior of the Silk ExhangeCourtyard of the Silk ExchangeCentral Markets, built in the early 20th centuryInterior of the market, you could buy just about anythingOutside of the Silk ExchangePaella! Traditionally it was made with rabbit and chicken, seafood versions are also popularTraditional dress from ValenciaRoman era ruinsRuins againVaries of the Cathedral from the bell towerCentral markets and Silk Exchange from the bell tower207 steps up and 207 steps down!!!Outside of the Ceramics Museum, was a nobleman's houseCoach in the ceramics museumSedan Chair from the 1700s

    Valencia: the new and the old

    September 23 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Valencia is a surprising city. In some ways it is the same as other Spanish towns - it was first settled by the Romans, then the Visigoths, then the Muslims, and then the Christians - and it has ruins showing most of the phases. Then it has super modern icons like the opera house, imax theatre, aquarium, and the Agora forum designed by Santiago Calatrava which are all seriously stunning buildings.

    Valencia used to have a problem with its river, the Túria, in that the city used to flood regularly. To fix this back in the 1960s they diverted its flow away from the centre of town, now it flows around Valencia. It still causes issues as only last year it flooded again after a year’s worth of rain fell in just 8 hours killing over 200 people.

    The old river bed has become a 10km long strip of welcome green space for the city. There are parks, bike trails, sports grounds, and much more. This is where you will find the opera house, IMAX theatre, aquarium, and Agora. See the photos but these are all beautiful buildings.

    We then headed up to the old part of town. The old city walls have all been demolished except for two gates which were formerly used as prisons but have now been returned to their former state.

    We visited the cathedral and some of the sights around the old town like the Silk Exchange and the central markets - Valencia was a centre for silk and textiles and one stage in its history.

    Lunch was a pretty good seafood paella - the paella originated in Valencia so it is a bit of a specialty.

    After a short siesta we headed out to see what we could see. First stop was the archaeological museum. Back in the time of Franco they wanted to extend the cathedral so they started digging and of course what happens whenever you dig a hole in a city that is over 2000 years old? You find ancient ruins. This is exactly what happened. They found footings and remains of Roman buildings from around the time of Christ. They also found bones and ceramics so the extension of the cathedral was halted.

    Nowadays this is a great museum with walkways built over the ruins.

    After checking these out we went for a climb to the top of the bell tower of the main cathedral - the highest point in town. The cathedral itself is really big and built over a 500 year period. Various bits were added and styles changed so it is a mix. Interestingly it has the Chapel of the Holy Grail which the Vatican has recognised as THE Holy Grail. A number of other churches claim to have the Holy Grail but this is the only one the Vatican has approved.

    The bell tower is 207 steps to the top up a very tight spiral staircase. We made it up and the views were sensational.

    After the bell tower we found the Ceramics Museum which was in a former noble man’s house. Really well done with lots of ceramics displayed as well as much of the house left in its original state.

    It had been a busy day so we recovered with a bottle of wine in one of the many squares dotted around Valencia.    Read more

  • Europe 2025
    What this country is all about, olives!
    Madrid's bull fighting ringValley next to CuencaOld town Cuenca on the hill, new town down in the valleyOld town CuencaMain gate to CuencaOther gorge next to CuencaCuenca churchChurch of Saint Peter, CuencaPlaza Mayor, town hall with the flagsCathedral of Our Lady of Grace and Saint JulianCuenca housesHouses againHanging housesBridge of Saint Paul, dates from early 1900s. The original bridge collapsedBridge, cathedral, and hanging housesValencia buildingsMain square of ValenciaApartments near our hotelMain square fountainValenciaValenciaValenciaFountain again

    Valencia

    September 22 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    Today was another day of travelling, we were on the move from Madrid to Valencia with a stop in the medieval town of Cuenca.

    Cuenca is a little different to the other towns in that the Romans didn’t settle this area. It was up to the Moors in the 8th century. It is located on top of a spur with two deep gorges on either side making it easy to defend.

    The town is known for its hanging houses which seem to hang over the cliffs. I for one would be wary about stepping out on some of those balconies as they are a few hundred years old and don’t look real secure.

    There is also a large cathedral that was started on in the 12th century. The main square was also very picturesque.

    We walked down across the Bridge of St Paul to the former convent (now a high end hotel) which gave a good view of the hanging houses.

    We then had a couple of hours drive to Spain’s 3rd largest city (after Madrid and Barcelona), Valencia. As the name suggests this city is a big producer of agricultural products specifically oranges (and olives).

    We had a drink with the the group followed by dinner in an Italian restaurant off the main square. The buildings at night are well lit and there are lots of people out walking. One thing that surprised me was the footpaths seem to be paved with red marble, very nice!    Read more

  • Europe 2025
    Palace and King Philip IV
    Fun run in MadridMonument to Isabel, the great great grandmother of the current kingMadrid parkBig square building on the left is the PalaceMadrid buildingsMonument to CervantesPark gatesMain palace. The royal family actually live in a smaller estate a bit out of the cityPalace again. Mainly used for State events and as offices for some dignitariesKing Philip IV. Paid for Mary Major Basilica in Rome which now has a bronze Bernini statue of himMadrid buildings again.Square in Madrid. Most buildings are private apartments but are very expensive to buy in the cityCathedral, building started in 1883 and finished in 1993Buildings from the 14th (left), 15th (middle), and 16th centuries (right)St Michael's Markets. Built in the early 20th century as a fish market. Now fancy food shopsOne of the very early examples of small shops in Madrid, dates from the 1600sAnd this is another example, date above the door says 1650Puerta del SolGreat buildingsHeading towards the Prado MuseumBuildingsBuildingsPrado MuseumMadrid intersection

    Hanging out in Madrid

    September 21 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Today was spent checking out Madrid. We had a walking tour booked to start at 9am but we hit a problem. They had their version of the City to Surf race happening so we ended up stuck on the wrong side of the street as there were so many runners going past. Anyway we sorted that and spent a few hours walking around looking at the buildings and scenery of Madrid.

    Madrid has been the capital of Spain since 1561 and once the dictator Franco died in 1975 the city has changed a lot, from grey and dull to now beautiful buildings painted very tastefully. See the photos.

    Madrid is home to the royal palace and this place is huge. It was built in 1764 and has 3,418 rooms making it the largest palace in Europe - twice the size of Versailles and four times the size of Buckingham Palace.

    We then walked around some of the old sections of town and ended up at Puerta del Sol, where we were yesterday. We then headed to the Prado Museum.

    This is a huge building which houses the main Spanish art collection. It was works by a number of the key artists of the 14th and 15th centuries including Rubens, Rembrandt, Goya, and loads more.

    After checking out the museum we then headed back to the hotel for a late afternoon siesta. Dinner was at a small bar/restaurant just near the hotel. As usual the beer and food were excellent!    Read more

  • Europe 2025
    Pre dawn view of the old cathedral in Salamanca
    Early morning SalamancaMain Plaza of SalamancaAvila city walls. There are 88 of these round turretsThe cathedral is built into the city wallsAvila wallsÁvila is home to St Teresa. We saw her statue by Bernini last year in RomeSegovia. Aqueduct in the background. Wolf statue was gift from Italy for 2000 years of the aqueductIt is huge. Water flows 17 kms and this was still in use in the 1970sThere are 167 arches in total and it is in great conditionAqueduct againOne of the smaller arches of the aqueductAqueductSegovia cathedralCathedral againAlcázar of Segovia.It had amazing views across the surrounding areaAlcázar and viewMadrid buildingsOur dinner time view!Paella!Puerta del Sol. Lots of people aroundMain shopping areaMadridMadridPuerta del Sol in Madrid on a Saturday evening. It was seriously packed

    Salamanca, Avila, Segovia and Madrid

    September 20 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Today was busy. We were up early taking some photos around Salamanca when fewer people were about. We were up at the new cathedral when we saw the procession that was in the photos for yesterday’s blog entry. A bit surreal seeing all that in the pre-dawn light.

    We then headed to our next stop the medieval fortress town of Avila. This town had similar history to many others on the Iberian peninsula, it was settled by the Romans, declined when the Roman empire declined but then came back after the Black Death in the 14th century.

    The walls are mostly intact with 88 round turrets and the walls are over 2.5kms long. They were built over the few hundred years from the 11th to the 14th centuries. They are sandstone and so have a yellow glow when the sun is on them. Most of the old buildings in the town are intact so it was a great place to wander around.

    After Avila we headed to the next town of Segovia. The amazing thing in Segovia is the 2000 year old aqueduct which runs through the middle of town. This really is spectacular. See the photos.

    There is also a stunning gothic style cathedral built in the 16th century and a fortress called the Alcázar which was started in the 12 century. All these ancient buildings make this a very interesting town.

    We wandered around looking at the sights before scoring lunch - churros dipped in chocolate!

    We then headed for the largest city in Spain and the capital, Madrid. We arrived quite late so didn’t have time to do much. We went for a bit of a walk around town and keeping in mind it was about 8pm on a Saturday night the city was packed! There was even a protest happening against bull fighting (I think!) down at the Puerto del Sol.

    We scored dinner in the Plaza Mayor (built in the 1600s) and people watched for a while.    Read more

  • Europe 2025
    Plaza Mayor in the mid afternoon, pretty quiet
    Looking back into the plazaSalamanca streets looking towards the cathedralsThe building on the right is a 1500s palace, now a library. On the left is La Clerica from the 1600sLa Clerica and library again. The shells are a family crestSalamanca libraryCloisters of the library. Was originally a palace the royal family lived upstairs, servants belowLa ClericaUniversity building facade. There is a frog hidden in the design somewhere ........ on top of this skull!!University buildingsBeautiful sandstoneSection of the old town wall. Not a lot leftRoman bridge, built in the first centuryNew cathedral. The top towers are out of alignment due to the earthquakeFacade of the old cathedral. The door on the right is where the procession went in. See videosClose up. It shows the three wise menCathedral domeOld cathedralRecent restorations saw a few special carvings added to the cathedral. Yes that is an astronaut!And this is a lion eating an ice cream!Old on the left, the tower is part of the newWedding on the balcony opposite!St Marks, Romanesque style built in the 12th century with baroque bell tower added laterProcession into the cathedral. They were carrying this effigy of MaryProcession going into the cathedral. This is the next morning to the other photosThis is about 7am

    Old town Salamanca

    September 19 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Today we were on the move from lovely Porto back into Spain to Salamanca.

    One thing I have noticed is how the colour of the stone in the buildings changes. Lisbon was very white limestone, Porto was grey granite, and Salamanca has golden sandstone.

    We arrived mid-afternoon and after a bit of a siesta we met our local guide and went for a walk. The story of Salamanca is similar to many others. The Romans arrived around the first century, the town really took off after the Black Death in the 1300s with much of the significant building happening in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. It is amazing how old these places are!

    Not far from our hotel is the main square of Salamanca, this is called Plaza Mayor and was built in the 18th century in classic baroque style. This is the focal point of the town and while it was reasonably quiet in the afternoon it really ramped up in the early evening. The plaza is dominated by town hall and while we were there having a beer there were a couple of weddings going on like we saw in Florence and Bologna last year.

    We then wandered around as the guide gave us the history of some key buildings. This is another university town with about 55,000 students living here. Many of the old buildings have been repurposed as lecture rooms and for other university purposes.

    Many buildings were damaged in the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. This is believed to be the largest earthquake to ever hit Europe and estimated to have been about a 9 on the Richter scale.

    There are two cathedrals next to each other with the plan being to demolish the old one when the new one was finished. Once the new one was done it was decided to leave both.

    There is an original Roman bridge across the river outside the walls of the town. Most of the old walls have been demolished but there is still a small section near the old bridge.

    After our walk around town we stopped for a couple of beers in the plaza and watched a couple of brides come and go.

    We only have one night in Salamanca, tomorrow we are off to Madrid.    Read more

  • Europe 2025
    Luis 1 Bridge. Trains and pedestrians on the top level vehicles and pedestrians on the lower
    The mouth of the Douro RiverStock Exchange PalaceGlass dome over the central atriumCourtroom in the Stock Exchange PalacePorto park, monastery on top of the hillThis is called the Arab Room. Looks like something out of Fez or MarrakechPorto streetsRibeira area near the riverGaia side of the river. Lots of wine warehouses. Former convent on top of the hillBoat used to transport wineLuis 1 Bridge. Kids jump of this, a mate collects coins and when they have enough the kid jumpsPort wine barrelsThe old bridge is the Maria Pia Bridge. A disused rail bridge that was designed by Gustav EiffelMassarelos Church. Last church sailors could go to before leaving PortoMain shopping street of PortoClerigos Church, baroque style from 1750This is 2 churches Carmo (right) and Carmelitas (left) very narrow house in middleAmazing tiles on the side of the Carmo Church. Covered in mesh to preserve them so not as vibrantLivraria Lello bookshop. It dates from 1881. The thing in the middle is the staircaseLooking down the staircaseStained glass panel in the ceilingView over Porto towards the river from Portucale restaurantSunset over PortoSunset againVideo of me going down the stairs in Livraria Lello. Very crowded!

    Wow Porto!

    September 18 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Porto is a really nice town! It is on the river Douro and is the second largest city in Portugal after Lisbon. Not many people live in the main part of town as it is small and very expensive, most live in the surrounding metropolitan area.

    The hotel is close to the centre of town and the street it is on is so narrow that when we arrived yesterday we had to unload people and bags from the bus as fast as possible as we blocked the whole street.

    Another thing about Porto is the whole city seems to be a big construction site. Our guide said there were elections coming up and this is the reason so much is happening. They are building two new metro lines which seem to be causing most of the issues.

    Porto is also very hilly with a steep drop down from the heights to the river. The main claim to fame for Porto is that this is where port wine was created.

    Our first stop today was the Stock Exchange Palace. This wasn’t a stock exchange in the typical form rather it was the Chamber of Commerce for Porto. It was built in the 1800s and is now used mainly as a fancy function centre. It is an impressive building with loads of different rooms and a large glass dome over the central space.

    The Palace is not far from the river so we walked down to the Riberia area. This is all a Unesco World Heritage Site so it is very well preserved. Originally this was the main trading hub for the city with ships coming in from overseas and smaller boats plying the river bringing wine down from the upper valley and taking other goods back up the river. The other side of the river is called Gaia and is where there are a lot of warehouses to store barrels of wine.

    The two side of the river are connected by many bridges with the most impressive being the Luis 1 Bridge. This was designed by a colleague of Gustav Eiffel and was opened in 1886. We walked across the lower span but you can catch a cable car up from Gaia and walk across the top span as well. The lower span carries cars and the top span carries trains.

    We went for a port tasting in one of the warehouses on the Gaia side as well as a short river cruise.

    We then headed back into town for a light lunch and walked up the hill to the fancy bookshop Livraria Lello. This bookshop opened in 1881 and it well known for its ornate interior and the split staircase in the middle of the shop. Suffice to say it was packed. Anyway we took some photos and escaped!

    We headed back to the hotel to freshen up for dinner.

    Dinner was at a restaurant recommended to me by a work colleague and was it different. The decor was something straight out of the 1970s with heavy wood paneling and retro lights. The food was seriously excellent, steak and veggies washed down with a bottle of Douro valley rose wine BUT the big thing with this restaurant was the view. Portucale restaurant is located on the top floor of a building on top of a hill with views from the Atlantic all the way inland. We were there right on sunset so we could get in a few photos. An excellent meal and a great venue, all for only 116 euro.

    Tomorrow we are back into Spain.    Read more

  • Europe 2025
    Aqueduct which used to bring water to the university
    Minerva. At the gate to the university which was also one of the gates to the townUniversity buildingsView of the Mondego River from the universityLibrary. This used to be a jailBaroque style chapel in the university. The organ on the right is still in useBlue and white tiles in one of the roomsRomanesque style cathedral built some time around the 1100sCathedral again but note the renaissance style doorway that was added sometime laterRenaissance doorway. Uni students in Portugal wear these long black robesFront door of the cathedralGate in the Roman era wallGate again. Note the butt?!! This was a monument to FadoOutside of the gateCoimbra streetsCoimbra buildingAnother cathedral from the 1100s. This one contains the tombs of the first two Kings of PortugalThe town of Coimbra. The university is up on the hillAveiro canals and boatsAveiroNice town but very expensive to live hereCathedral in AveiroAveiro streets. Note the nautical themes in the cobblestonesStreets againStriped houses in Costa Nova

    Coimbra to Porto

    September 17 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    This morning was a bit cool and foggy in Coimbra. We met our local guide Daniel who had studied art history so was well suited to showing us around today.

    Coimbra is a big university town. The first Portuguese language university was established here in the 1300s and it dominates the hill overlooking the town. Originally of course only priests could study at university and women were only allowed in 1910.

    Of course the original settlers here were the Romans in the first century. They built the obligatory aqueduct and walls around the city. The Romans were driven out by the barbarians and the city continued to develop next came the muslims and finally the Christians all of which left their mark..

    The buildings occupied by the university were built around the 14th and 15th centuries. Originally the university had its own jail attached to lock up any heretics but this became the library. No photos allowed but this was very baroque style.

    After looking around the university we walked down towards the main part of Coimbra. We came to a gate in the original Roman era wall and then the main shopping area.

    We looked around town for a while and then headed to our next destination Aveiro. This is another university town north of Coimbra. This is also a very flash place to live. It is on the coast so the temperature was very comfortable.

    Aveiro’s claim to fame from very early times was salt. Being on the sea with large areas of flat land close to sea level they started harvesting salt back in Roman times. They also harvested sea weed which was used for fertiliser. To help facilitate trade they built a system of canals to allow the salt and sea weed to be collected in boats called Moliceiros. Today tourists can ride the Moliceiros around the canals of the city.

    Just near Aveiro and literally right on the coast is the town of Costa Nova. This is a real summer holiday destination and a lot of the houses have stripes. See photo.

    We then pushed on to Porto. We had a pretty decent wood fired pizza for dinner at a small restaurant near the hotel.    Read more

  • Europe 2025
    Outside of Sintra palace. The tall round things are the kitchen chimneys
    Old town of Sintra with Moorish castle on the hill behindMurano glass chandelier. One of the queens was originally from VeniceSintraThere are 27 swans on the ceilings as one of the princesses was 27 when she married, very oldAmazing room, royal mark in the middle, then family then nobles. Great tiles on the wallsTiled walls. This room was where the king and nobles discussed matters of stateTiles againIndoor fountainKitchen showing chimney. Would not have been pleasant to work hereTiles outdoor jacuzzi. There were small holes in the walls where water came outOld town SintraEntrance to ObidosSection between first and second gate. Buskers like this area and acoustics are goodCherry liqueur called Ginjinha in chocolate cupsObidos churchGate in the wall looking back into the townView from the rampartsOH&S is not a big deal. No railings around the ramparts, but there were warning signsGood views from the ramparts.Hanging out looking at the outside of the wallsView over ObidosWe did walk quite a long way around the wallsView of the aqueductThis is the Main Street of ObidosBusker

    Coimbra

    September 16 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Today we were back on the move. We loaded up early and started the journey north.

    First stop was close to the outskirts of Lisbon in a place called Sintra. This is the site of the summer palace of the King and is a beautiful area. It is up quite high and has thick forest growing around the town so it is quite pleasant on a warm day.

    The palace was first started in the 15th century but added to over the years so it is a bit of a mix of styles. The town is overlooked by the moorish castle that is high on the hill behind the town. Our guide took us through the palace and then for a quick walk around the old part of town. Sintra is a holiday destination for people from Lisbon but they usually stay in the newer part of town which is a bit away from the palace.

    It was a classic palace with some great features. See photos.

    Next stop was the old town of Obidos. This is a classic old hill top town dating back to the early Muslim period with the current town and walls being built in 1400s. It was a really interesting place to walk around as the walls are still intact so you can walk around on the ramparts.

    They also have a local specialty a cherry liqueur that is traditionally drunk from chocolate cups. I had to have three of them!

    After Óbidos we continued north to the town of Coimbra. This town is on the Mondego River and used to be the capital of Portugal in the 12th and 13th centuries. We were a bit late to have a look around so we are getting a tour tomorrow.

    Dinner was at an authentic Portuguese seafood restaurant, really good.    Read more

  • Europe 2025
    Main square of Lisbon
    Commemorating Portugal's maritime heritageCastello de Sao Jorge castle overlooking LisbonAnother city squareCathedral with no ceiling. This Church collapsed in the 1755 earthquake and was left as a ruinLisbonNarrow streetsChurch with no ceilingChurch againCastillo de Sao JorgeLisbonChurchBig flag!Ola!!!!Castle on the hill overlooking downtown Lisbon

    Slow lane day in Lisbon

    September 15 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Sorry dear readers but this was not an exciting day. After such a late night last night we slept late and had a late breakfast. After two weeks of being on the road we had to stop and attend to some life admin tasks - we had two weeks’ worth of washing to complete so we weren’t ready to do anything until about lunchtime.

    We took the metro downtown again and had a light lunch. We then did a bit of shopping and wandered around downtown.

    We had a pretty good pad Thai at the local Asian street food restaurant before crashing for the night.

    Tomorrow we hit the road again. Have really liked Lisbon.    Read more

  • Europe 2025
    Breakfast tarts!!
    Monastery at Belém. Church is in the distanceEntrance to the church. Amazing stoneworkCloistersCloisters again. The wooden doors gave access to confessional booths inside the churchAmazing detail in the carvings. The lion is the symbol of St JeromeA room off the cloistersCloistersCloistersDining hall for the monks, beautiful tilesOriginal tart manufacturer. They were excellentThey make thousands a dayMonument of the DiscoveriesOther side. Vasco de Gama is third from the leftCentral Lisbon1906 elevator taking people to the higher part of townMain shopping strip of Lisbon walking down towards the riverClassic old tram!Looking back up the main shopping stripLisbon MetroFado restaurant. Portuguese guitars on the wallLooking the other directionFirst courseFado singer and guitarists. We were all very closeFado restaurant

    Lisbon - the halfway point

    September 14 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    We have been going now for two weeks so this is the half way point of our four week tour of Morocco, Spain, and Portugal. On the bright side we still have another 6 weeks to go on our holiday though!

    Today was spent looking around Lisbon. Our local guide took us to the area called Belém which is on the western side of Lisbon and on the river Tagus. Belém actually means Bethlehem in Portuguese and is the site of a 16th century former monastery dedicated to St Jerome.

    This place is huge! It hasn’t been a monastery since 1833 when it was taken over by the State so now it is still a functioning church and tourist attraction.

    Being right on the river it was often the last place sailors could attend mass and confession before sailing away. It was also quite a dangerous place as anyone sailing past looking for a fight would come across the monastery.

    Brief history lesson. The golden age of discovery was in the 15th and 16th centuries when sailors were pushing back the boundaries of the known world. Slowly sailing down the west coast and up the east coast of Africa, in 1488 Vasco de Gama reach Goa in India, by 1543 they had reached Japan (the Japanese word for thank you is aragato the Portuguese word is abrogato). They also sailed across the Atlantic to Brazil in 1500.

    The oldest treaty between nations that is still in place is the Anglo-Portuguese treaty signed in 1373. Britain and Portugal frequently worked together as Britain had the military muscle (ie the most powerful navy) and Portugal had the know-how to navigate so together they could really dominate. Portugal had loads of African colonies (including Mozambique and Angola), South American colonies like Brazil, as well as colonies in India (Goa), and Asia (Timor and Macau) the last colony Macau was handed back to China in 1999.

    We couldn’t go into the church as it was Sunday and mass was happening but we could get into the cloisters. The stonework and carving was stunning with a focus on religious and maritime icons.

    One of the really big things the monastery is famous for is this is where the Portuguese tart was invented. One story was that the monks used egg whiles to starch their habits so they had to find a use for the egg yolks hence inventing the tart. Anyway these things are everywhere. Even our hotel breakfast buffet had a big plate of tarts available and they are in pastry shops all over town. The original cafe where they were first sold is called Pasteris de Belém which opened in 1837, and yes they were excellent!

    We then headed across the rail line to the Monument of the Discoveries. This was built in the 1950s to commemorate Portugal’s maritime history. It has statues of various explorers including Henry the Navigator and Vasco de Gama.

    We then headed into the main part of town where our guide gave us a bit of an explanation of where the key things were and we were left with a free afternoon. We had a light lunch in a very old cafe before walking around a doing a bit of shopping.

    We braved the Lisbon metro to get back to the hotel - actually very simple and very convenient.

    Tonight Trace and I booked to go to a small Portuguese restaurant for dinner and a Fado show. Fado is Portuguese folk music and suffice to say this was a definite highlight of the trip so far.

    It was a very small two-room restaurant with an archway between the rooms. The set menu was typical Portuguese home cooked food and the set price included drinks. There were multiple dishes including olives, mushrooms, grilled capsicum, veggie soup, cod & spinach, with slow cooked veal for mains and chocolate cake for dessert. Seriously good and the Portuguese rose wine was also excellent.

    The music was supplied by two guitarists, one on a 12-string Portuguese guitar and the other on a typical acoustic guitar. No amplifiers or microphones. There were a few singers both male and female and while we had no idea what they were singing about it was really fantastic. They each sang a set of 4 or 5 songs between courses.

    We caught the metro home getting back to the hotel around 1am - very late!    Read more

  • Europe 2025
    Giraldo Square in Evora. The square and buildings date from 16th century
    Fountain, 8 spouts for 8 streets entering the square. Many of the buildings have been restoredUsed to be the town hall and jail on the right, now it is a bankCork bagsEvora streetPortuguese chicken!One of the churchesRoman temple on the highest point in townTemple again. Amazing how they moved those massive blocks 2000 years agoRoman temple. Columns are granite with marble caps and basesEvora street, lot of cork shopsSection of the 16th century aqueduct. It came down the street on the right and turned this cornerFamous local. It's believed he lived in Evora for a period of timeCork! It takes 25 years for a tree to be old enough to harvest for the first timeSt Francis church. Recently restored but was built in 16th centuryFront columns of St Francis churchBlue and white tiles in St Francis' churchChapel of the BonesBonesCreepy!Mummified bodies of a woman and a 1 year old girl found during restorations. Plus more bonesAngel like figure above the doorVasco de Gama statueLisbon!View of Lisbon and riverPark near the hotel

    Ola Portugal!

    September 13 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    We had a bit of driving to do today so we were up and rolling early. We said goodbye to Seville and hit the freeway west. First stop was the ancient town of Evora.

    Initially this was a Roman outpost from the first century. They built the obligatory temple, walls and aqueduct parts of which are still visible today. The Romans stayed for a couple of centuries but attacks by the barbarians led to the city’s decline before it started to become a strategic point half way between Lisbon and the border with Spain. Combined with its sweeping views it grew into an important centre in the 13th and 14th centuries. A new town wall was built in the 14th century and the main square with its key buildings was completed in the 16th century.

    Around the 16th century the King built a palace in Evora and the town reached its peak of importance.

    The King of Spain required the King of Portugal to rid the country of Jews and Muslims before he would allow the Portuguese King’s son to marry his daughter. The Portuguese King wasn’t as dedicated to this endeavour as the Spanish were but the marriage still went ahead. Interestingly the borders of Portugal haven’t changed since the 13th century. I get the impression over the centuries Spain and Portugal have got along OK most of the time.

    Evora is now a tourist town as much of its 16th century walls and buildings are still in place. One of Portugal’s biggest exports is cork, and they make a lot more from cork than the obvious bottle stoppers and floor tiles. Evora had shops selling cork hats, bags, shoes, and even bikinis and a wedding dress!

    We walked up to the remains of the Roman Temple from the first century, saw where the 16th century aqueduct fed water into the town, then down to St Francis Church. Next to this church was the Chapel of the Bones. Yes it was a room completely lined with bones from about 5000 individuals. The monks built it so locals would reflect on the transience of life. Photos are attached, it was a bit off.

    We then moved on to Lisbon. Quite late in the day so we didn’t get to do much just walked up to the local park for a view over the city and the river. This seems like a really great place to live, the temperature was significantly cooler than it has been in recent days.

    Tomorrow we start to learn more about Lisbon and go to a traditional Fado restaurant.    Read more

  • Europe 2025
    Plaza de Espana. Amazing ceramics everywhere
    This is the booth for the Canary Islands in the PlazaPlaza de EspanaPlaza is huge. A few movies have been filmed hereCeramic balustradesJewish sectionVery narrow streetsEven narrower!Alcázar Palace wallsLion GateInside the Alcázar. Muslim built aquaductPainting showing Christopher Columbus - in gold cloak in centre panelPalace. The Christians were happy to reuse Muslim buildingsWindow looking out to the gardensMuslim styleCeiling is amazing, all done in cedarStar of David in window barsPrivate area of the palaceGreat gardensThe Alcázar is close to Seville Cathedral. Yes the bell tower was once a minaretCalled the Mushrooms of Seville this is a public square with shops, restaurants and performance areaBullring in SevilleThe river. A replica of Christopher Columbus' ship is on the leftFlamenco time!Very energetic!Video inside the AlcázarDancingDancingShe was very good

    Old town Seville

    September 12 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Seville used to be one of the biggest ports in Spain - even though it is about 90kms from the coast! Seville is on the river Guadalquivir and was a key port for the movement of agricultural products. It is the fifth largest city in Spain.

    We went for a drive around town to see some of the main sights. In 1929 Seville staged an exhibition where Spanish and American countries showed off their offerings. Unfortunately the timing was not good as the Great Depression started about the same time. Many of the buildings the various countries built are still standing and in use - the Mexican building is now a maternity hospital so many locals say they were born in Mexico!

    The biggest of these buildings is the Plaza de Espana where all the Spanish regions had their own display area or booth so they could push their wares and win business. This place is huge and has lots of ceramic tiles, balustrades and more. See photos.

    Afterwards we went to the old town of Seville. As mentioned previously Queen Isabella united the peninsula as one country under one religion. Non-Catholics had to either leave, convert, or die. Many left to places like Morocco, others converted, and many kept a facade of converting. The Spanish Inquisition in 1480 tried to make sure people did convert rules like everyone had to leave the doors to their houses open on Saturdays so officials could come in and check you were working. Of course people worked out ways around this Jews and Muslims paid people to come into their house to cook pork so the smell would convince others they had converted and other ways to keep up the appearance.

    We walked through the old Jewish area called Santa Cruz which is now of course a high-end neighbourhood. The streets are very narrow and winding.

    Seville has the palace complex called the Alcázar of Seville. This is a royal palace originally built by the Muslims but then converted. It was badly damaged in the 1755 Lisbon earthquake and has been rebuilt. Once again the photos show similarities to other Muslim buildings around Spain and Morocco.

    In the evening we went to a Flamingo dance show. Very impressive.

    Tomorrow we move to the next country - Portugal.    Read more

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