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Europe 2022

September - October 2022
A 46-day adventure by Chris Read more
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  • TravelerEurope 2022
    Day 5

    Canterbury Tales

    September 12, 2022 in England ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    So, after three years, a pandemic and the death of Queen Elizabeth a day before we arrived here, we’re finally overseas again. Didn’t expect that last one, it must be said.

    Canterbury has a bit of a split personality; with old Canterbury the historic destination for pilgrims and the seat of the Anglican Church, and on the other side new Canterbury the fantastically tourist-friendly labyrinth of pubs, restaurants and shops of the old town, full of cruise ship tour groups, other visitors and, especially on weekends, locals out for some fun.

    We did the old Canterbury part by visiting the Franciscan Gardens, historic gardens encompassing Greyfriars Chapel, a 13th-century chapel straddling the river. Then there was the castle - closed due to falling masonry - and the Dane John Garden, providing a valuable public service as a beer-drinking venue and outdoor urinal.

    The cathedral was something else again. Awesome in both its size and complexity, we took a couple of hours to follow the visitor’s route, and we’re sorry that we didn’t stop for longer to savour the atmosphere of an incredible historic building. And one that is, in parts, fourteen hundred years old! It was quite amazing, and the volunteers on duty were all knowledgeable and helpful.

    Then, as we left, the proclamation of the accession of King Charles III was read to an enormous crowd just outside the cathedral gate, a very appropriate place to hear it.

    We also took a trip to Sandwich, but were a little underwhelmed by a town that promotes itself as one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Britain (and as the origin of the eponymous culinary creation). We didn’t have any peanut butter or vegemite, but did have a gin and tonic and a pint for lunch.

    Another wonderful aspect of Canterbury is the River Stour, small and fast-flowing as it runs through the city and the scenic centrepiece of some beautiful parkland. Boat trips abound, with tourists rowed for some distance through the old town to the weir at the Abbott’s Mill Garden.

    We stayed in a pub near the garden, and enjoyed the odd sundowner, perched on the narrow footpath, listening to the rush of water over the weir and watching the near-misses on the nearby road.

    Tomorrow, Brighton.    Read more

  • TravelerEurope 2022
    Day 8

    Brighton Stories

    September 15, 2022 in England ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Well, Canterbury was lively and exciting. Brighton is the same times ten, bigger, more cosmopolitan, more broad-minded.

    We arrived by train, walked down to our accommodation (third floor, no lift) and headed down to the sea-front and the Brighton Palace Pier.

    Being late on a damp, Tuesday afternoon, it was quiet, but all the elements of the British seaside were there - fried food, slot machines, drunks, young people being annoying. It was great, and the views out to the English Channel and up to the ruin of the long-destroyed West Pier were fabulous.

    The following morning we moved from our room (third floor, no lift, bathroom door fallen off its hinges) and into a lower altitude one, with profuse apologies from the landlady.

    Then we walked in light rain down to the Royal Pavilion.

    Prince George, then Prince Regent George, then King George IV, then unpopular fat gouty bastard King George IV, built the pavilion as his party house, and spared no expense in doing so. We were wowed by the Banquet Room, moved by the Music Room, fascinated by the Royal Apartments, all of them beautifully restored and furnished and scattered with helpful and knowledgeable guides.

    We walked around The Lanes, full of quirky shops and restaurants, then back to the seafront for another stroll, this time on the shingles of Brighton Beach. As a beach-building material, shingle is probably not going to take over from sand any time soon, but it does explain the poor injury record of the Brighton beach volleyball team.

    One of the real highlights of Brighton was sitting outside the Dorset Hotel, drinks in hand, watching the passing parade of some of the most varied fashion choices you would ever see. It is an amazingly vibrant, tolerant and, from our brief observations, happy place.    Read more

  • TravelerEurope 2022
    Day 12

    Barcelona Jottings

    September 19, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    There is a lot to Barcelona, to state the bleeding obvious. It has thousands of years of history, a fantastic location on the Mediterranean, Catalan culture and language and a lifestyle perfectly suited to the climate. And it has Antoni Gaudi.

    Our dip of the big toe into the sea of Barcelona started at Parc Guell, designed by the said Gaudi around 1900 and originally intended as an estate of luxury homes. It didn’t work out, and in 1926 it was declared a public park, complete with Gaudi’s stone carvings, concrete structures and mosaics. Based on elements of nature, its appearance seemed impossibly modern - or, perhaps, timeless. We wandered all around, took in the magnificent view of the city from the Greek Theatre and marvelled at the mind of the man who conceived it all.

    Then, the incredible Sagrada Familia. The original architect retired after two years and, in what must be one of the best architectural appointments in history, Gaudi got the gig.

    He adapted the original neo-gothic style to suit his own - let’s say original, if not way-out - ideas, and the result (as yet unfinished) was an absolute masterpiece. We were stunned by the design, internal and external, and astonished to find out that every element of the design had a reason related to either the setting or Gaudi’s profound religious beliefs. We have honestly never, anywhere seen anything like it.

    What else is there about Barcelona?

    The Gothic Quarter was great, crowded, narrow, winding streets, unexpected squares and a number of impressive churches. However, even the cathedral - Santa Eulalia - pales in comparison to its modern competitor.

    We also walked from the impressive waterfront, where Christopher Columbus stands on a 60-metre column and gazes intently out to sea, all the way up La Rambla, a wide, partly pedestrianised and fully touristified boulevard that heads northwest to Placa de Catalunya, full of fountains, statues, pigeons and people. On the way, we called in at the market - La Boqueria - and marvelled at the chaos of people buying, selling, eating and drinking, all with the volume turned up to eleven!

    We also took a ride up to Montjuic, where the views over the city from the steps of the Catalonian Art Museum (with conveniently-located food and beer shop) were also brilliant.

    We stayed out of town a little and enjoyed shopping and eating local - once we got used to the fact that “local” means about 8:30 pm at the earliest! Even in our local area, the crowds out in the squares drinking and promenading - couples young and old, families with young children, young people out for the night - filled the streets with talk and laughter.

    One more thing, for a taste of a different Catalan activity, Google “Castells “, a UNESCO-recognised activity that involves building a human pyramid about six people high then sending a five-year-old scurrying up to the top.    Read more

  • TravelerEurope 2022
    Day 15

    Granada Saga

    September 22, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    We left the unique and beautiful Barcelona and ventured south for two nights in Granada, in formerly Moorish territory and final resting place of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, the power couple of the 15th century and architects of the Spanish Inquisition.

    Since 1521 they’ve lain together in the suitably ornate and tranquil Capilla Real, roused only by the shuffle of touristic footprints and the buzz of the audio guides. Not, however, by the clicks of cameras, as there were no photos allowed.

    The highlight of Granada by far, though, was the Alhambra. In 1238, Abdallah ibn al-Ahmar, ruler of the Emirate of Granada, dammed a river, installed a water supply and it all went on from there, with contributions over time from the various rulers of the area. Part palace, part fortress, part gardens, and a mixture of Islamic and Christian architecture, it took us four hours to explore and to take in the incredible views over the city.

    The Nasrid Palaces, which needed a timed entry ticket, were fascinating, with Moorish influence in the structure and the clever use of running water to cool the rooms.

    It started off Muslim, then in 1492 the Muslims moved out (not willingly, it could be assumed) and the Christians took over, making their own additions to the structure in a more western style.

    We also walked through the Alcazaba, the fortress guarding the western extremity of the complex, and finally through the Generalife, a most beautiful garden complex with a palace at its end, again all cooled by running water.

    Sunrise in Granada isn’t until about 8 o’clock at this time of the year, making the mornings crisp and pleasant. It’s very hot by afternoon, though, and has been a bit stormy, so a quick siesta followed by the traditional Spanish beer o’clock (actually, that’s the Dickson tradition), then a late to very late dinner has been the order of the day.

    As we write this we are on the train to Cordoba for some more explorations.    Read more

  • TravelerEurope 2022
    Day 16

    Cordoba Correspondence

    September 23, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    It was mid-afternoon when we arrived in Córdoba and it was hot as anything. The only people about were either finishing up their long lunches or cleaning up after them.

    When we emerged from a short siesta it was still very hot, but we walked down to the River Guadalquivir through the former Muslim Quarter along an endless array of narrow, winding streets and alleys.

    We took a look at the Roman Bridge and the river before hydrating with a few beers and an enormous gin-and-tonic, then set off to walk back. As we did so, life returned to the streets. The bar outside our hotel, which when we arrived looked closed-down, was open and crowded. The Plaza de Las Tendillas, the main square where earlier in the day it appeared that any piece of ground not in the shade was Kryptonite, was buzzing and bustling and the inhabitants of town were out parading, eating and drinking. What a transformation!

    The following morning, while it was still cool, we visited the Mezquita - officially the Mezquita-Catedral de Cordoba and since 1984 a UNESCO site. What a stunning place!

    A Christian basilica in the 6th century, a mosque in 768 then finally a Catholic place of worship from 1236, the building reflects the architectural styles of its various proprietors as it was added to successively over the 1500-or-so years of its existence.

    The interior was quiet and cool, and the pillars and double arches of the Moorish style seemed to go on forever. In the middle was the structure of the current Christian church, looking like it had been picked up and dropped down through the ceiling of the mosque.

    We also visited the Alcazar de los Reyes Christianos - Palace of the Christian Kings, although an hour of visiting after an hour of queueing for tickets probably wasn’t a good use of our time.

    The building itself wasn’t special, but the gardens, with extensive pools and fountains, were fabulous.

    And then it was Friday night. If the town came to life at 8 o’clock on a Thursday night, it positively exploded on a Friday. We had another very happy dinner in the main square - the vibe was so good that even the buskers, seemingly all playing “Those Were the Days” on their violins or piano accordions, sounded pretty good.    Read more

  • TravelerEurope 2022
    Day 19

    Seville Epistle

    September 26, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    As our train headed toward Seville, the laughter and talk of a group of young women overpowering the carriage, the endless olive trees that were our scenery so far gave way to endless orange trees. Otherwise the country all looked about the same.

    We hit Seville on a weekend and it was all abuzz. No namby-pamby siestas for these people, when there was a long lunch and loud conversation to be had.

    The historic area around the Cathedral and the Alcazar was filled with horse-and-cart-riding tourists, cameras and selfie sticks and long queues.

    We visited the Alcazar in the cool of the next morning and it proved to be a worthy addition to our itinerary of Moorish architecture. The interiors reeked with history, either that of the Muslim founders over a thousand years ago, or their Castilian successors since the 1400’s.

    We walked along a raised wall with incredible views of the gardens, with pools and fountains and kilometres of perfectly-groomed hedges.

    A great, probably COVID-inspired development since we last travelled is the downloadable audio guide - scan the QR code with your phone and away you go, although it does need a local data connection.

    For a quick dose of extra culture we visited the Hospital de Los Venerables, a former refuge for ailing priests with a church that has a stunning painted ceiling as well as a small but significant art collection. Who knew there were rules for depicting the immaculate conception? Apparently she must be wearing blue and white, and be standing on a moon, which may or may not explain something about the early religious scholars!

    The Cathedral was our last stop, and it was a little overwhelming, an absolutely cavernous interior supported by monstrous pillars, endless chapels around the walls containing the usual dusty statuary and some stunning altar pieces.

    We had a couple of fabulous dinners close to home in Plaza Abastos, in the shadow of the Setas de Seville, a frankly weird wood and concrete structure that covers the entire square. Just when you think you are starting to understand a place…

    We felt like we barely scratched Seville, but are looking forward to our next few days in Caceres.    Read more

  • TravelerEurope 2022
    Day 20

    Caceres Correspondence

    September 27, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    We left the heat and bustle of Seville and took a very interesting 4-hour local train ride to Caceres, winding and rattling our way up hill from Andalucia until the land flattened out into a vast, brown plain for miles in every direction.

    We saw some interesting places, most of them rather desolate. Modern factories near the main roads had replaced the ruined ones by the side of the railway line.

    At the stations there would be a crowd of onlookers to see the travellers off, as if a train journey was still an event to be anticipated and romanticised.

    Caceres was a pleasant change, cooler and calmer. Dating to the year 25 BC but largely enhanced in the 1500’s using riches plundered from the Americas, its combination of Roman, Moorish and Western architecture got it onto the UNESCO list in 1986.

    The Monumental City of Caceres, the old town, is a monochromatic tribute to the art of stonemasonry, all brown-grey stone buildings and brown-grey cobblestones. The only other colours to be seen are the occasional flag on an official building and the traffic signs.

    We walked around and around, up and down hill, and took a look into the Concatedral de Santa Maria and its bell tower. We then visited the Museo de Caceres, which would have benefited from some English descriptions, although it was free for us old people. It also turned out there were some works by Picasso and El Greco in the fine arts section, but we ignoramuses breezed past them without paying attention.

    The museum building was on the site of the original Moorish fortress from the 12th century and we took a look down into the water cistern that still lies intact underneath.

    Finally, Plaza Mayor, adjacent to the old town, was a great, huge place to have a drink and a snack and watch the world go by (with a brown-grey backdrop). Come eight o’clock it would be crowded with couples, noisy children, dogs and pigeons, the restaurants would be filling up and another day of our Spanish holiday would be coming to a close.    Read more

  • TravelerEurope 2022
    Day 24

    Madrid Memorandum (1)

    October 1, 2022 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    Even a two-hour delay on our train from Caceres couldn’t dampen our spirits, as we left the heat of the south and settled into a cooler and rather damp Madrid.

    Our first stop was the Palacio Real, surrounded all around by beautifully manicured square and gardens and aesthetically matched by the cathedral across the square from it.

    The cathedral has the almost unique distinction of NOT being recommended for a visit by the Lonely Planet, so we skipped it.

    The Palacio Real, though, was stunning. Room after room filled with sumptuous furnishings and works of art, each decorated differently and almost all with incredible frescoes on their ceilings, it was almost a bit “ho-hum, another beautiful room” by the end. The Gasparini Room, entirely floor to ceiling and wall to wall carvings and Rococo swirls, took 55 years to finish, which was unfortunate as the king who commissioned it died in the meantime.

    There was some recent history there as well, including the signed deed of abdication of King Juan Carlos I from 2014. The Spanish people, it seems, didn’t take kindly to either his elephant hunting, his dodgy deals with Saudi businessmen or his mistress. Either way, it was interesting to see some modern history in amongst the antiquities.

    The following day we took a train to Toledo and, no, didn’t see Corporal Klinger anywhere.

    We did see some beautiful windows and stonework (that was just the railway station) as we trudged up the hill and across the Alcantara bridge (11th-century, but originally Roman) into the town.

    We spent longer than expected in the cathedral - Catedral Primada Santa Maria de Toledo, the head honcho of Spanish churches. That was because it was one of the best we have seen, particularly its stunning altar piece - “El Transparente” - lit by light from an incredibly-decorated skylight high in the structure.

    Toledo, was also fun (if slightly hard work) to walk around. Plaza Zocodover was crowded and bustling and the Synagogue of El Transito contained a small and indecipherable museum. Unfortunately, the Alcazar, imposingly commanding even in hilly Toledo, was closed for renovations.

    Since the sword is now pretty much obsolete for anything other than opening very large letters, it was also intriguing to see shop after shop selling this famous-if-now-pointless Toledo product.

    Madrid continues in a few days time…    Read more

  • TravelerEurope 2022
    Day 26

    Madrid Memorandum (2)

    October 3, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Our Madrid adventure continued with a few hours in the Prado. It was a great experience and we walked and stared until our legs ached. But boy, some of those artists must have had some weird stuff going on! Just take a look at Goya’s black paintings, for example (but don’t do it in front of the children!).

    We took a look at Retiro, the huge, manicured park, complete with boating lake, statues, buskers and lunchers that was quite packed on a Saturday afternoon, as was Plaza Mayor, the huge and elegant main square.

    The Temple of Debod, given to Spain in return for helping with the Aswan Dam, was an unexpected sight in another impressive park.

    We also took a day tour to Avila and Segovia, ten hours either sitting on a bus or following a woman with a flag.

    Avila, of which we had never heard, was a neat little town - the historic old town centre almost toy-like - with quite immaculate intact city walls, a basilica and the Iglesia-convento de Santa Teresa, built on the site of her birthplace. Saint Teresa means a lot to the Avilians, although whether it was a good idea to keep one of her wrinkled, decayed, 700-year-old fingers on display is uncertain. Still, apparently Rome has her right foot and part of her upper jaw, and there are other bits of her in various locations around Europe, so they’re not the only ones.

    Segovia, much bigger and with a spectacularly-sited alcazar, was more real, and we walked right across town from the Alcazar to the cathedral and finally the famous aqueduct. And rightly famous it is, too. Running right down one side of the Plaza del Azoguejo, and about 25 metres tall at its highest, it is pretty much unavoidable. It was an impressive end to an exciting, if long, day.

    We finished off our time in Madrid with some more walking downtown, followed by a couple of drinks in the rooftop bar of the Circulo de Bellas Artes. It was crowded and atmospheric, but, to be honest, a beautiful skyline isn’t really one of Madrid’s prime attributes.

    Madrid has been a brilliant, entertaining and interesting experience.    Read more

  • TravelerEurope 2022
    Day 30

    San Sebastian Spiel

    October 7, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    What a contrast! We left dry, brown, monumental Madrid, sat on a train for five hours of changing scenery and ended up in Basque Country, in green, seaside San Sebastian.

    With its own language, higher wealth relative to the rest of Spain and independent spirit, the Basque area is a bit unique. With the beautifully shell-shaped La Concha Bay, a vibrant and crowded old town and a fun-loving mix of locals and tourists, San Sebastián is most definitely unique.

    Although each part of the city has its appeal, “attractive” is the common theme. Even the railway station roof was designed by Gustav Eiffel.

    The old town, which, as it dates from the early 1800’s, isn’t really all that old, is an exciting network of narrow streets lined with crowded bars and restaurants and hordes of tourists. At its heart is Constitution Square, very picturesque and formerly a bull ring.

    The beachfront, with acres and acres of sand, is a standout amongst its peers, with a broad attractive promenade lined with some elegant-if-aged hotels from a bygone era. The beach, too, was dotted with leathery, elegant-if-aged humans relaxing in various states of semi-undress.

    We caught an antique funicular up Monte Igueldo, and found, along with the incredible views of the city and up and down the coast, a tacky amusement park taking up prime real estate.

    We also walked along the Urumea River that flows through town, and around the base of Mount Urgull for some great views of the Bay of Biscay.

    It has been good to finish our time in Spain with such a highlight. Some of the little things we will remember include the Hotel Niza, with its elevator dated 1911 and floors that sloped inwards as though the whole building was being sucked down the lift well. Then there was the Indian restaurant that had RUN OUT OF PAPPADUMS!

    We head to Portugal now, still enchanted by the wonders of Spain.    Read more

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