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Europe2019
  • Beverley Smith
May – Jul 2019

Europe2019

May - July 2019 Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 23, 2019
  • Beverley SmithBeverley SmithEurope2019
    The Alcázar of SegoviaVie of SegoviaPalace and gardensPalace and gardens

    Segovia

    May 27, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    What a charming town! We had two nights here but could easily have stayed longer. It has a relaxed friendly atmosphere, lots of choices for dining, lots to see and do.....
    1. Aqueduct, one of the best-preserved elevated Roman aqueducts and the foremost symbol of Segovia. It has 167 arches.
    2. The Alcázar of Segovia ("Segovia Fortress"), a medieval alcázar and a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It was originally built as a fortress but has served as a royal palace, a state prison, a Royal Artillery College and a military academy since then. It is currently used as a museum and a military archives building. We climbed its 152 stairs to get great views.
    3. Palacio Real de La Granja de San Ildefonso, known as La Granja, is an early 18th-century palace. It became the summer residence of the Kings of Spain from the 1720s during the reign of Philip V. 
    4. The gardens and grounds extend over 1,500 acres (6.1 km2) inspired by the gardens at Versailles.    Read more

  • Beverley SmithBeverley SmithEurope2019
    Plaza Mayor
    Plaza Mayor at nightView od Salamanca Cathedral from Scala CoeliView of Salamanca from Scala CoeliView of Salamanca skyline from our hotel

    Salamanca

    May 29, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    We are now in Salamanca! With a history dating back to the Celtic era, it’s known for its ornate sandstone architecture and for the Universidad de Salamanca. There is a vibrancy in the city - the Plaza Mayor is always full of diners and tourists and lots of young university students fill the city.
    The Roman bridge of Salamanca, known traditionally as puente mayor and as puente prinçipal (main bridge) gives access to the southern part of the city. Great views of Salamanca Cathedral across the bridge.
    We climbed the stairs of the Scala Coeli, Clerecía Church in Salamanca, historic baroque Catholic church featuring bell towers with sweeping city views. The church is now headquarters of Salamanca Pontificia University.    Read more

  • Beverley SmithBeverley SmithEurope2019
    Ponte Vella
    Ponte VellaView from Ponte Vella looking to Millenium BridgeMillenium BridgePraza MaiorPraza Maior - a cooling cervexa/vino was enjoyed under the umbrella

    Ourense

    May 31, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Stopped at Ourense on way to Monforte de Lemos. Five bridges over the Miño River in the city. Two in particular were the stand-outs - the Millennium Bridge featuring a unique eliptical shape with a pedestrian footbridge that surrounds the bridge rising up to 22 metres; and the Ponte Vella, a medieval footbridge built on Roman foundations and the first bridge on the river. It was very hot here. We surrendered to the heat and let Andrea and Damo walk the Millenium Bridge.
    We noticed that in Ourense that signage was in what we think is Portuguese but maybe Galician-Portuguese, for example, streets were Rua ... instead of Calle ..., and the plaza was Praza Maior instead of Plaza Mayor. Also here are hot springs - Ourense holds one of the greatest amount of geothermal water in Europe. There was a public "poza" /outdoor bath that we could go to to enjoy the hot spring but being around 40+° that day, we thought not! We weren't allowed to photograph it either.    Read more

  • Beverley SmithBeverley SmithEurope2019
    Parador Monforte de Lemos
    Cloister

    Monforte de Lemos

    May 31, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Monforte de Lemos is located in a valley between the rivers Minho and Sil. The river of Cabe, a tributary of Sil, runs through the city. It is the core of the region known as Terra de Lemos and capital of the area known as Ribeira Sacra. Our accommodation here is Parador Monforte de Lemos, located in two historic buildings of the Monastery of San Vicente del Pino, whose origins date back in the 9th Century (reconstructed in 18th Century).
    We enjoyed some drinks in the beautiful neoclassical central cloister of the monastery before eating a delicious meal in the restaurant.    Read more

  • Beverley SmithBeverley SmithEurope2019
    Monastery of Santa Cristina

    Canyon de Sil

    June 1, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Today we drove to lookouts or Miradoiros along the Sil River and Canyon do Sil (gorge). It covers the last 50 km before the Sil enters the Minho. The scenery is considered to be the most spectacular in Galicia and we weren't disappointed.
    We just picked a little village ( Ferreira de Panton) at random for lunch and enjoyed a delicious meal. The language barrier caused a few concerns at first but the meal that was delivered was amazing. It was a 3-course meal (we had no choice because of the language issue) but after having pasta salad and boar stew with potatoes there was no way we could eat a third course....and that was having two dinners shared between four people! Great value too!
    We also visited The Monastery of Santa Cristina - both its buildings - church and cloister - are fully Romanesque and Renaissance, respectively.
    It was a Benedictine monastery that was already documented in the 9th century. Its Romanesque church was built in the 12th century.
    We then called into the Regina Viarum Winery (Bodegas) and caught the end of a tour and tasting - I actually tried red wine and it was nice, but I won't be changing my preference just yet. Vino Blanco is still top of the list!    Read more

  • Beverley SmithBeverley SmithEurope2019
    Our accommodation
    Portuguese ceramic tiles (azulejos)Pastel de natasDom Luis I Bridge

    Porto, Portugal

    June 2, 2019 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    With only one night and barely half a day in Porto, we had set ourselves quite a challenge to experience what Porto is all about....and yet I think we did. Walking the winding cobbled streets past vendors and cafés, and beautiful and colourful buildings, a waterfront that was vibrant and loud, with buskers performing, and tourists dining in the many cafés and restaurants that line the Cais da Ribeira. We crossed the River Duoro via the impressive Dom Luis I Bridge, a double-deck metal arch bridge that spans the river between the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia.
    We also fitted in a wine tasting and a delicious Portuguese meal which turned out surprisingly well considering our Portuguese language skills were non-existent! We did fall into the trap of eating everything they put on the table such as bread, cheese and olives.....thinking they were complimentary - they are not lol! Stinky creamy cheese was €8!!! Unbelievably, we ran into an old work colleague in one of the many streets of Porto! Greg and John D you may remember Helen Lucas? She was just coming out of a shop as we walked past! Such a chance meeting!
    Our accommodation was in a magnificent home, or mansion I should say, owned by a very rich family. Its construction dates back to the 19th Century and has been restored and adapted as a hotel. The grounds and views were outstanding. Good location, about a 20 minute walk into the centre of Porto. Tried a pastel de nata (or two), also known as Portuguese custard tart, which is a Portuguese egg tart pastry dusted with cinnamon. Very tasty!    Read more

  • Beverley SmithBeverley SmithEurope2019
    View from our accommodation
    Wine barrel accommodation at wineryView of Duoro River and Valley from LookoutOne of the many viaducts we drove over in Spain and Portugal

    Cambres, Peso da Régua, Portugal

    June 3, 2019 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Today we are heading to Peso da Régua, located in the Duoro River Valley. We stayed at a private residence. Beautiful views of vineyards and the Duoro River from here. Did a drop-in to a vineyard that still picks its grapes by hand and stomps the grapes with their feet - this is marked by  a big festival that includes all the winery staff. Nice wines too! We took a drive along the River to Pinhao, a nice little village. We drove up to the lookout (miradouro) - unbelievable view of the whole valley of vineyards and river. You get a great look at the shale slopes and the way the wine terraces are cut from the rock.Read more

  • Beverley SmithBeverley SmithEurope2019

    Santiago, Spain

    June 4, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Santiago - saw the triumphant travellers entering the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral at the end of the Camino de Santiago. Although not a part of it, we could appreciate the emotions and achievement of completing their goal.
    It is cold and showery here and Santiago is not our final destination for tonight so moving on to Fisterra where we will spend two nights.    Read more

  • Beverley SmithBeverley SmithEurope2019

    Fisterra, Spain

    June 4, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Fisterra is on Cape Finisterre, the final destination for many pilgrims on the El Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James).
    The Camino Finisterre, an extension to the Camino de Santiago, takes an additional three to four days, to complete the pilgrimage to the medieval "end of the world." 
    We walked the 3km from town to Cape Finisterre - rewarded constantly with beautiful coastal views with the gorgeous shades of blue and torquoise water.
    It was inspiring to see those who had made the journey here walk to the furthest point possible, take their photos, (some burn their clothes and shoes) humbly turn around to head back in the direction they came from. We asked one lady how far she had journeyed - she and her friend (both mature in age) left France on 1 April and travelled 1, 515km to get to this point some two months and 4 days later! Amazing achievement!

    Fisterra is a beautiful fishing village with lots of narrow streets winding down to the water. Lovely restaurants and cafés.... and churros with hot chocolate! A nice relaxed atmosphere here.    Read more

  • Beverley SmithBeverley SmithEurope2019
    3

    Cape Finisterre

    June 5, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Photos of Cape Finisterre

  • Beverley SmithBeverley SmithEurope2019

    Bastiagueiro, Spain

    June 6, 2019 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    Bastiagueiro bordering A Coruña
    The rain arrived yesterday afternoon in Fisterra and hasn't stopped all night.
    We drove in quite heavy rain all the way to Bastiagueiro (well Alan drove, we supported)! The sun finally came out at about 5pm so went to look at the Hercules Tower, an ancient Roman lighthouse about 2.4 kilometers from the centre of A Coruña. The structure is 55 metres tall and overlooks the North Atlantic coast of Spain. The structure, built in the 2nd century and renovated in 1791, is the oldest Roman lighthouse in use today.
    When we got there it was just closing so we couldn't go inside but we could still enjoy the walk up to it and the peninsular it sits on. When I say it was windy, that doesn't come anywhere near describing the force that hit us as we walked up to the lighthouse. It was forcing our legs together and making it very difficult to walk there. Even Alan was struggling! Beautiful location and worth the struggle!
    Both A Coruña and Bastiagueiro have nice sandy beaches but unfortunately it was a little too cold to test the waters. Temperature was 14° max.    Read more

  • Beverley SmithBeverley SmithEurope2019

    Llastres

    June 7, 2019 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    On our way to Llanes, our home for two nights, we stopped on the way at a quaint fishing village called Lastres which is located in one of the most stunning landscapes of the Asturian coastline, perched on the cliffs overlooking the sea at the foot of the Sueve Mountain Range.
    Beautiful beaches and views....and lots of restaurants. We had a dish called Fabada,  in which faba beans (large, ivory-white beans with fine texture and delicious flavour) are the key ingredient in a stew of pulses with mixed meats. Delicious!    Read more

  • Beverley SmithBeverley SmithEurope2019

    Llanes, Spain

    June 7, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Llanes, a beautiful fishing port, is known for its rugged coastline, framed by the long limestone Sierra del Cuera ridge. Llanes is home to the medieval castellated El Torreón (Tower of Llanes), the Gothic Santa María del Conceyu church, the modernist Llanes Casino building (parts of the surviving town walls date to 1206),  and Paseo San Pedro, a grassy clifftop promenade with crescent-shaped Sablón Beach at its eastern end, all eithin walking distance of our accommodation. We were right in the middle of the town opposite the Llanes Casino building. There are many restaurants, cafés and shops but it was the charm of this place that was most appealing.Read more

  • Beverley SmithBeverley SmithEurope2019

    Ribadesella, Spain

    June 8, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Ribadesella is about a 25 minute drive from Llanes and well worth the trip! It is a very busy and popular place on a weekend with something for everyone whether it be a walk along the beautiful waterfront, a visit to the beach (calm side or surf side), fishing, views, restaurants, cafés, bars, or food food food! Cider is big here - when you order a glass of cider, the custom is that the escanciadore (cider pourer) artfully decants fizzing local brews pouring it from a great height! They don't look at the glass or the bottle they pour from! I love that they keep the tradition going!
    We ate at a small cafe that offered a lunch special - entrée, main, dessert, bread and a drink for €12. The waiter did not speak a word of English and of course our Spanish was poorly delivered but another great meal was enjoyed by all. Another custom we've noticed with these special 3 course meals (not only here) is that they put a whole bottle of wine on the table and you drink what you want - one glass or the whole bottle. It is still included in the price as advertised!    Read more

  • Beverley SmithBeverley SmithEurope2019
    Playa de Gulpiyuri
    Playa de PooPlaya de Cue1

    Beaches around Llanes

    June 8, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Llanes would be the perfect base to spend a couple of weeks and explore all the beaches and hikes that are here to be enjoyed. We drove to a few beaches that were close:
    Playa de Gulpiyuri - a flooded sinkhole with an inland beach. Roughly 40 meters in length, it is fully tidal due to a series of underground tunnels carved by the salt water of the Cantabrian Sea which allows water from the Bay of Biscay to create small waves.
    Playa de poo de Llanes - don't be fooled by the name. This is a beautiful beach - very fine sand, no waves, a trail to the top of the cliff with a beautiful lookout point and two restaurants overlooking the beach.
    Playa de Cue - also known as Antilles or Canales , is considered a protected landscape, from the environmental point of view (for its vegetation).    Read more

  • Beverley SmithBeverley SmithEurope2019

    San Sebastian

    June 9, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    San Sebastian - 9 and 10 June
    We stayed just outside the Old Town of San Sebastian (about a 20 minute easy walk). Two nights here. San Sebastian is the city that invented the pintxos, the local word for small bar bites otherwise known as tapas - a meal in miniature, usually placed on a piece of bread. 
    You can either order from a hot menu or you fill your plate from the many choices of cold food lining the bar. We did a bit of both. It was great fun and delicious. So much so that we went there again the next night.

    San Sebastián is a resort town on the Bay of Biscay in Spain’s mountainous Basque Country. It’s known for Playa de la Concha and Playa de Ondarreta, beaches framed by a picturesque bayfront promenade, and world-renowned restaurants managed by innovative chefs. Its old town (Parte Vieja) is cobblestoned and has upscale shops next to the colourful pintxo bars. There is a real party atmosphere here - I can see how popular it must be in Summer with the beautiful beaches and more bars per square metre than anywhere else on Earth (so it is claimed).

    For spectacular views, you can walk to the top of Monte Urgull, at the tip of town, surrounded by low castle walls that circle a grand statue of Christ or, as we did, take the old-world funicular railway to the Parque de Atracciones (amusement park).    Read more

  • Beverley SmithBeverley SmithEurope2019

    Gaztelugatxe, Spain

    June 10, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Gaztelugatxe is an islet on the coast of Biscay belonging to the municipality of Bermeo, Basque Country (Spain). It is connected to the mainland by a man-made bridge. On top of the island stands a hermitage (named Gaztelugatxeko Doniene in Basque; San Juan de Gaztelugatxe in Spanish), dedicated to John the Baptist, that dates from the 10th Century, although discoveries indicate that the date might be the 9th Century.
    The walk there was quite easy and the views spectacular. The walk back not as enjoyable as the second half of the return journey was all uphill. However, it was well worth the exhaustion!    Read more

  • Beverley SmithBeverley SmithEurope2019

    Bordeaux, France

    June 11, 2019 in France ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    Bordeaux 11-13 June
    We had 2 full days (3 nights) in Bordeaux. Our accommodation was in a great location - near bridge Ponte de Pierre, the first bridge built in Bordeaux (on the orders of Napoleon Bonaparte).
    We walked the UNESCO Heritage trail - highlights: Gothic Cathédrale Saint-André, Place de la Bourse, centered on the Three Graces fountain, overlooks the Miroir d’Eau reflecting pool. Ponte Chaban-Delmas - 77 metres high, highest lift bridge in Europe. Grosse Cloche, historic town belfry and only remains of the old defensive gate of the 13th Century.
    We drove the wine-growing region.
    The Bordeaux region is naturally divided by the Gironde Estuary into a Left Bank area and a Right Bank area. We only had time to drive a small part of the Left Bank but it was a beautiful drive. A few samplings along the way but we found that most chateaux were closed unless you had booked a tasting.    Read more

  • Beverley SmithBeverley SmithEurope2019

    Dinant, Belgium

    June 14, 2019 in Belgium ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Dinant 14-17 June
    Dinant is a city in Belgium’s Walloon Region. It’s on the banks of the Meuse River and backed by steep cliffs. Perched on an outcrop above town is the centuries-old fortified Citadel. It's now a museum with sweeping views. Below it is the Gothic Collegiate Church of Our Lady. Nearby, on the site of saxophone inventor Adolphe Sax’s birthplace, Mr. Sax’s House has interactive exhibits on the instrument’s development.
    What a beautiful city - our friends from the US invited us to stay here with them and we are so glad they did. We had a lovely 3 days 4 nights here, one of which was Alan's birthday.
    Apart from the city itself and all its attractions, we visited Han-sur-Lesse, a lovely village in the municipality of Rochefort, Namur Province, famous for the exceptional caves, Grottes de Han, the Cave of Han, carved under a nearby hill by the river Lesse, which is reached via a preserved remnant of the local tramway system. Another beautiful place was Durbuy in the Province of Luxemburg , known for its stone houses and cobbled streets. Promoted as the smallest city in Europe, it has charm, character and not too crowded.
    The food in Dinant was amazing - we were fortunate to dine in four different restaurants while here - all different cuisines and all delicious. The owners delight in offering samples of local desserts or liquors which of course you must accept. I would love to come back here and spend more time. Thank you Owen and Jacqueline - great choice!    Read more

  • Beverley SmithBeverley SmithEurope2019
    Al made time to chat with the locals

    Amsterdam, Netherlands

    June 18, 2019 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Amsterdam 18-22 June
    We planned to spend a few days in Amsterdam before setting off on our bike barge trip from Amsterdam to Bruges. It was lovely that we were able to meet up with friends from Australia who were also travelling. As we had all been to Amsterdam before we decided to do something outside of Amsterdam.Read more

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