Cinque Terre
We were eager to see the five towns of Cinque Terre (Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola & Riomaggiore), and to hike the trails that connect these coastal villages. Driving to the coast of Liguria there were many mountains in our path, and that led to many tunnels. Along the way we drove through Rapallo and Pignone. And then we began to head upwards on narrow, winding … Continue reading Cinque Terre
A Couple of Nices in Nice
Encouraged by road signs with our name on it (Who says the French aren’t friendly and welcoming?), we headed toward the Cote d’Azur. We stopped in Cannes for a picnic lunch on a bench by the beach. The coastline is pretty, but the beaches are made of stones, not sand. After lunch, we checked into our hotel in Nice and then walked around the city, … Continue reading A Couple of Nices in Nice
Three Days in Provence
After stopping for lunch in Avignon, we drove to St Remy, a small, artsy village in southern France. We had rented a room above the Point Rouge art gallery, and Stefan and Olivier greeted us warmly, showed us to the most beautifully unique room of our trip so far, invited us to explore the gallery any time day or night, and reminded us that breakfast … Continue reading Three Days in Provence
Bonjour, France!
Driving toward France we saw the Pyrenees mountains rising in the distance. Our first stop was Carcassone, a medieval town with a castle that needed exploring. We hauled our bags up to the quirky apartment we had rented and then headed to the old town. We walked through streets filled with shops, restaurants and galleries. The castle greeted us with a grand entrance, and we … Continue reading Bonjour, France!
Barcelona
Some days we pack a lunch before we get on the road, other days we just plan to stop along the way to find food. USUALLY, either approach works out well. On our way from Valencia to Barcelona, we drove along the coast, expecting to find a pleasant spot to stop for lunch by the beach. On our first try, we drove down sandy paths … Continue reading Barcelona
Valencia
Every stop is different, and our room off an alleyway in Cartagena was modest, but a great location in Old Town. We explored the beautifully tiled pedestrian area for one brief day and night before we continued on to Valencia. Valencia was breathtakingly beautiful. Our first day in Valencia we toured the City of Arts and Sciences, a large-scale urban recreation center, with a small … Continue reading Valencia
Seville & Granada
We passed vineyards, olive groves and impressive rock walls as we headed across southern Spain. Tavira was a pleasant stop for lunch by the Gilao River. A lovely room in a charming building greeted us in Seville. We took a looong walk along the pretty Guadalquivir River, seeing the sights and locating the Torre del Oro (top right). More walking brought us to Maria Luisa … Continue reading Seville & Granada
Perceptions from Portugal
After loving Lisbon, we wrapped up our tour of Portugal with a few brief but spectacular stops. We stopped in Evora, and walked the town to find the Royal Church of St Francis and next to it the Capela dos Ossos – Chapel of Bones! The sign over the chapel door says: “We bones that are here await yours.” It was eerie and amazing! The … Continue reading Perceptions from Portugal
Loving Lisbon
From our traveling on the boat days, we’ve learned to try and keep our driving time to just a few hours each travel day so we can enjoy more time at each stop. Heading south from Porto, we first stopped at Nazare, a seaside town that is a mecca for surfers due to the huge waves on its north shore in the winter. Since it … Continue reading Loving Lisbon
Porto.
On our way to Porto, we stopped at the town of Penedono, to see the very small (by castle standards) Castelo de Penedono. The castle wasn’t hard to find in the tiny town. We were permitted to explore the castle on our own, with the understanding that if we hurt ourselves, it was our own damn fault! We had the place to ourselves and spent … Continue reading Porto.