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A Week in Madrid

~ Bel Dunbar ~ Leave a comment

East Coast Floods

As you may have seen on the news, Valencia, Barcelona and Malaga (and many smaller places in and around these cities) have suffered due to severe rain and flash flooding caused by a weather phenomenon called a DANA – or a ‘cold drop’. This is basically when a warm front meets a cold front over an area of torrential rain. We are reading on the local news (and have heard the same from some locals) that this is getting worse with climate change. With over 200 known deceased, half the roads to Valencia have just been reopened. The Gvt has troops on the ground helping with the clean up, as well and thousands of locals turning up with shovels to help clear the debris. It truly is a very sad disaster.

MarioKart Scavenger Hunt

When we arrived last week, we started mapping out ‘the usual’ types of things to do in a new city. Not wanting to be too dull, I searched up ‘things to do with teens in Madrid’ – from this, we had a few new ideas to add to our list, including scavenger hunt, theme park (sadly only open on weekends) and illusion museum. In the last blog, Hamish briefly mentioned the MarioKart Madrid Drive (MKMD) – we quizzed him further on this. The race circuit is actually based on the real city of Madrid, complete with famous squares, buildings and statues. From there, we hatched a plan to play “MKMD Scavenger Hunt” (do not steal this original idea…).

Hamish listed the sites from the game and have walked all over the city finding them. What a great way to explore Madrid!

Here is a list of some of the sites we have crossed off the list this week:

The Prado Museum – El Retiro Park – The Palace – Plaza Mayor – The Madrid Bear – Gates of Europe – Puerto del Sol – Carlos III statue – Real Madrid Stadium – Mercado de San Miguel

Public Transport

We all agree, Madrid has the best public transport system we’ve encountered on our travels – ever. Our hosts left us a multi use card (with one fare on it) and it has been easy to top up from our metro station, which is a mere 25 steps away. You can purchase 10 trips for about 6.5 euro and we’ve used this just about every day we’ve been here. We are well North of the city, but it’s only a quick 20-30 minute metro ride, changing lines once, to reach the centre. Unlike other public transport systems we’ve encountered, the trains arrive on time, they are clean and uncrowded, there are usually seats and it’s easy to work out how to get to the next line. 5 stars, highly recommend.

Museum of Illusions

If you have been to Phillip Island, you’ve likely been to ‘Amaze n Things’ and the Museum of Illusions is similar to this. Lots of mind bending displays, rooms and puzzles. It was a bit of fun before our night tour.

Dark Side of Madrid – Night Tour

We had booked a night walking tour advertised as ‘free’ and ‘scary’ – free tours are not free, there is an expectation you pay ‘what you can afford’ and/or ‘what you think the tour is worth’ (but there’s a fair bit of pressure to pay 15 euro per person). For over 2 hours, our guide (trained actor and flamenco guitarist, Paul) regaled us with stories of torture, ghosts, murder and the Spanish Inquisition. It was a large group, with guests from the US, Germany, Netherlands, UK and Australia (us!). There’s a gentle hint of crowd participation, but Paul dropped many guests in it with his stories about blood lust from their own countries! Rod and I have since watched the Netflix movie ‘Veronica’ loosely based on Police reports from 1991 about one of the stories of paranormal activity.

Interestingly and disturbingly, the ‘garrotte’ method of death (basically a seat where your spinal cord is severed by a huge kind of wooden spike) was last used in 1974. In 1975 firing squads were used to off criminals on death row. Capital punishment was outlawed in 1978. The Spanish Inquisition was the longest running, from 1478 to 1834.

Rest Day/Explore Local Neighbourhood

After two fulls days completing many many steps, we had a bit of a rest day, where Hamish did some school work, we caught up on washing and explored the neighbourhood. There are a couple of supermarkets within walking distance we have visited: Dia and Tedi. Prices are much lower than Australia even with our poor exchange rate! My store bought sangria cost about $2.50 (plastic bottle, 1.5L, no judgement required thank you…). We are in a high density suburb, but you wouldn’t know it. There’s green spaces everywhere, wide roads with easy flowing traffic, lots of shops and cafes, as well as a very large shopping centre that takes about a 10 min walk. Rod had a haircut in the street across from our apartment. Underneath and next to our apartment block, there’s a fruit and vegetable shop and a pharmacy next to that. We feel Madrid has been well planned with its’ citizens in mind to suit the quintessential Spanish lifestyle.

Telefonica Museum/Art Gallery

This was a bit of a flop. It’s a museum dedicated to the progression of technology, which we thought would be interesting. All the signs were in Spanish, but the displays spoke for themselves. We liked the wall of mobile phones from ‘brick’ to smartphone. Rod and I discussing the pros and cons of the phones we’d once owned, got in trouble for touching the phones by a passive aggressive staff member (the second one we’d encountered in this building). We heading to the next level, which was an exhibition about something way too avant guard for my brain. Not wanting to waste more precious minutes of our lives, we dumped this museum and moved onto our next activity for the day.

Bike Ride – El Retiro Park (by Rod)

We then headed towards El Retiro Park. We had been previously, dear reader, and thought we would head back for a more comprehensive exploration on some hire bikes (e-bike for Hamish to persuade him to participate.) The bike hire place was very efficient, with friendly staff and located within 100 metres of the entrance to the park. We had a self-tour map, pointing out points of interest, but it was again in Spanish and not terribly meaningful. However, the park is full of interesting sites, which speak for themselves in any language. It was a beautiful day for a ride and we all enjoyed meandering through this spectacular park.

Boat Rowing – El Retiro Park

After this (and the worse afternoon tea we’ve ever had) we booked a rowing boat, as is per the custom on the man-made lake in this park. Most people weren’t skilled in the art of rowing a boat, but they did their best, with only a few minor collisions. Rod took the oars to begin with, with me navigating (as usual) then Hamish was keen to try his hand at rowing too. He did a great job and rowed us back to the dock when our time was up. Definitely a fun little activity to do if you’re in Madrid.

Drinks/Tapas in Sol Cafe

To eke out the last of a beautiful day, we stopped in a cafe for tapas and a couple of drinks. We chatted, did our ‘daily puzzles’ and enjoyed the general ambience of being in this gorgeous city. We have absolutely fallen in love with Madrid! After our first day, Hamish summed up our sentiments nicely: “Why can’t we live in Madrid?”

Real Madrid FC Tour (by Rod)

Hamish and I navigate our way to the home of Real Madrid – Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. (Named in honour of a former President of the club.) We are booked in for a “Premium (guided) tour” at 1 pm. As usual, the Metro is super efficient and we arrive 30 minutes early. Thankfully there is free wifi and we do a few online daily puzzles to fill in the time. Our tour guide corrals us at precisely 1 pm and we are off. There are trophies everywhere on this tour, as Real Madrid have won the UEFA Champions League/European Cup a staggering 15 times (Milan is next best with 7 wins) since its inception in 1956. There are 36 La Liga titles, loads of Ballon d’Or, Golden Boots, yada yada yada. It’s trophy city. I do enjoy the stories about some of the legends of the game, such as di Stefano, Puskas and Ronaldo, et al, and Hamish said it was fun. The view of the pitch was amazing and the museum was vast (largely due to all the trophies they had to squeeze in.) The stadium just sits in the middle of the suburb. We had lunch literally across the street and the stadium just looms large 30 metres away. It is surreal. Lunch was a couple of cheap bagels form a bakery. Hamish suggested this might not be enough food to satisfy his hunger. I promise another stop, which could include some more food.

We grab a different train to seek out another landmark on the MKMD scavenger hunt; Torre Realia, or Gate of Europe. Emerging from the Metro the landmark is unmissable and impressive. There is also another structure here, the Calatrava Column. It gets some interesting reviews on Google maps, but it catches the eye. We grab some frozen yoghurt and I notice lots of young people enjoying th food from a plaza/cafe next door. I check out their menu and find bagels for 1 Euro! Nothing on the menu is more than 3 Euros. No wonder the young locals love it. I am feeling like we were ripped off at that bakery.

Shopping

With the boys headed to the football club, I planned some me time at the shopping centre. I had a lovely day exploring the shops and buying some bits and pieces. I finally sat down for lunch at 3.45pm in an Asian restaurant and ordered the daily plate (it might not actually be called this, maybe daily menu?) which consisted of 3 courses and a drink for 13 euro. I was able to choose from a number of options, but chose: tempura vegetables, a chicken salad and a Diet Coke. I couldn’t fit in any of the dessert options after this and to note, I could have had red or white wine as my drink. We have embraced the Spanish eating hours: tonight we sat down to dinner at 845pm!

Apartment Block Fire

Not to stress anyone, but as we both return from our different outings, from different directions, we notice there are multiple emergency services heading in the direction of our street – lights and sirens. Sure enough we look up and find smoke coming from the top floor of our building. I arrive and stand in front of the Pharmacy, message Rod to say ‘there’s an emergency at our building’ – just as I press send, Rod and Hamish emerge from the front door. We wait on the sidewalk with other residents and the crew of 3 fire engines, 2 ambulances and 1 police car. After about 20 minutes, the crews head off and we are free to get on with our lives.

Exit Strategy

Today we will do a bit of packing up, then head back into the city centre for last minute souvenirs and a slow, late lunch at the San Miguel market, which we adored on our first day here (see pics below). Yes, it’s touristy, but we’re tourists! It’s a busy place with lots of different Spanish cuisine on offer. I particularly loved the huge green olives stuffed with pickled herring, Rod’s favourite dish was chorizo in pasty and Hamish loved the dumplings. We might go ten pin bowling at the shopping centre tonight and get some dinner there. Saturday we drive to Seville and are there for 6 days – currently the weather in Seville is a glorious 23 degrees!

Montazels

~ Bel Dunbar ~ Leave a comment

We have spent five days in Montazels in a gorgeous house one of my workmates and her husband purchased (I think) about 10 years ago. Every year, they travel here to have a working holiday, dutifully restoring bedrooms, living areas, the kitchen, floors and bathrooms. Via social media, I have watched, and read about, their hard work, triumphs and difficulties in renovating a house in a country across the other side of the world. At last, we have finally had the opportunity to stay here, due to Jo’s very very generous offer whenever I have seen her at work, and Steve’s helpful logistics in the end to get us here!

As I write this, we have children of all ages knocking on the door for Halloween; thankfully we were prepared for this and bought some Kinder “Schoko-Bons” at the supermarket today!

You need a car to stay in this part of France. Some of the villages are close by and we walked between Montazels and Couiza a few times. But we also had a couple of driving trips to explore further afield.

Montazels is a commune of approximately 550 people and no shops. There is a church whose bells peal from 0700 to 2200 on the hour and every half hour. This morning the bell rang 20 times at 7am (even in my half sleep, my brain was counting). The church is 10 meters away. It was locked when we went to explore, but the outside is impressive none-the-less. In front of our house, there is a fountain; it currently holds no water, but does from time to time. It’s pretty old – in 1785 Parish priest Jean Bernard Carles built it with 3 dolphins who spout the water when there’s water to be spouted! We have walked up and down most streets in the village and even explored the cemetery with some very impressive, and I’m sure expensive, crypts and mausoleums. As you may have seen on my socials, Rod found a baguette vending machine around the corner; 1.40 euro goes in – a fresh baguette comes out to one very satisfied customer!

Couiza is one of the neighbouring villages with a population twice the size of Montazels. We walked there in no more than 10 minutes. Couiza has shops, restaurants and bakeries. I managed to discuss the type of cortisone cream I was after with the local pharmacist, who was very helpful and even though he said, “I only speak a little English” – his English was great and as we all know, my French is non-existent! The French people we have interacted with have been incredibly friendly and kind. They are very self-deprecating when it comes to their English language skills, but in the most part, this has been completely uncalled for. The French tend to have a bad reputation when it comes to dealing with tourists, especially those lacking skills in the French language, but this is not our experience.

Esperaza is another neighbouring village twice the size of Couiza. We only visited twice, with the car, for groceries at the Intermache. It’s a very large supermarket and most of you would love pottering about there: everything from fresh pastries to fresh fruit to a few aisles of wine. In Australia, we like the “International Foods” section of Woolworths. Well, we love the “International Foods” sections in supermarkets here too! We have all been craving some Asian food – any type of curry, anything at all really! We have so far picked up some supplies: sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce, ramen cup noodles, jasmine rice (although it’s called Thai Rice), yellow curry, red curry (it was the hottest curry I’ve ever eaten) and Oyster sauce.

Alet-les-Bains is a ten minute drive and its’ population is about 350. It is quite famous for its’ abbey. The abbey is a ruin, but many walls and parts of the ceiling are intact. It was built about 1000 years ago and became a cathedral in 1318. Alet-les-Bains also boasts a (small) Casino!

Rennes-les-Bains is about as small as Alet-les-Bains, but it is a 15 minute drive through some very green and hilly countryside. I imagine the population of this village explodes in the warmer weather due to it being famous for naturally occurring thermal springs.

Mirepoix is a good hours drive from Montazels and boasts a population of over 3000 people. We spent a couple of hours here having lunch (ham and cheese crepe for Rod, chèvre and honey crepe for me, burger with mushrooms and chips for Hamish), then a scoop of ice cream for the boys. Mirepoix has a huge cathedral (Cathedral of St Maurice) and is well known for Tudor style buildings and reminded us of Dinan (also in France) from our pre-covid trip.

Carcassonne is the biggest city in the region with nearly 50 000 inhabitants. We visited for one reason: Carcassonne Castle, which is mostly intact, parts of it dating from the 12th century. To visit the castle is free but to explore via the 3km of ramparts cost us 26 euro (free for under 18 year olds!). As you may remember from prior blogs, Rod has a fear of heights (acrophobia) and Hamish and I think he did a great job walking around the ramparts with some steep, narrow winding staircases and some areas of height. The castle itself is very cool and is worth a visit. We still think Dover Castle is our favourite, mostly due to the recency of its use, but Carcassonne certainly would have packed a punch in its day. It also had a very impressive cathedral (St Michael of Carcassonne) whose stained glass windows are my favourite to date.

We have just run out of ‘Schoko-Bons’ for the kids trick and treating, so we’re now offering the citrus meringues we bought at Carcassonne today. The kids are very polite and no-one seems to have minded choosing a meringue over a hard caramel (much like a Werther) which we also scrambled to find. Tomorrow is All Saints Day and a public holiday in France. We have an early start heading for a town in Andorra called Arinsal. This is Hamish’s 3rd micro-nation and I think he can be a guest writer on the next blog.

Lake Garda, Northern Italy

~ Bel Dunbar ~ Leave a comment

Lake Garda is a moody child. Clear, blue, calm and loving when the weather is fine. Grey, sleek, mysterious and dropping its lip when it’s cloudy. Sad, drab, frowning and stamping its foot when it’s raining.

The southern end of Lake Garda aligns with Milan & Brescia to the West, and Verona & Venice to the East. To its’ North, Switzerland and Austria and to its’ West, France. Our host tells us it’s very popular with German tourists and we notice many during the shoulder season. Lake Garda is somewhat of a cycling Mecca; we are wading through roadies in which ever direction we have taken these past 5 days. In this year’s Giro, part of the route was through Lake Garda’s mountainous terrain and we’re not at all surprised! The area is also well known for hiking and sailing, as well as other recreational water activities. It’s beautiful and we’ve loved our time there.

Sunday. The rain has finally eased off and Rod and I are keen to get out on foot and do some exploring. We are high up in the hills, about 150m above the waterline, but feel after all the steep steps, hills and walking we’ve done lately, we can surely walk into ‘town’ and back again. We mostly follow the narrow winding road and spot a landmark in the port area of Maderno. I set my phone navigation to that point. We find little walk throughs, to keep us off the road; they are sleek and slippery with the recent rains on top of the moss which has accumulated in the shady parts over the years. We are spat out into a little residential street which brings us directly to the front of the Church of Maderno. It was built in the 8th century, but upgraded to a Baptismal church in the 9th century (we don’t actually know what that means…). We walked in through the solid doors, worn smooth over the years with use, and looked around in amazement. Hamish has called these happenings ‘happy accidents’ where we accidentally find a little treasure. The church was incredible, with the added bonus of: no crowds, no queueing and no cost. It bore the same intricate designs and paintings that can be seen in the more well known churches.

We followed the coast and found an old mansion built by a wealthy family called Delai. It was palatial and still quite impressive; the original frescoes can be seen on the external walls. We found some steps which put us up on the main road North – this wasn’t a fun place to be, due to our proximity of the traffic and lack of space for pedestrians, but the views were beautiful. We eventually found a lesser road and started our ascent back home. Mostly this was OK, but the last few hundred metres was killer!

Monday. Our plan for the day was to drive to the northern most town of the lake (Riva del Garda) for some exploration and lunch. The roads (and Italian drivers) have really tested Rod’s nerve and skill – the road was multi-directional, hugged the coastline and largely consisted of tunnels of various form: new machine built (well lit, wide with good drainage), old machine built (pointed dome shape, cut out arches with views of the Lake, narrow lanes with varying degrees of drainage) and hand built (dark, damp cave-like and narrow).

We eventually found a real car park (after Apple Maps suggested a car park existed in a school) and were rewarded with half a day set in the most beautiful waterfront surrounds. Pedestrian areas make life much easier and Riva mostly had car free zones. We found a little restaurant in a side street and had a light lunch (caprese salad, vegetable soup, lasagne and spaghetti with olive oil and chilli). We then caught a very steep funicular to visit the Bastione Di Riva (ye olde castle ruins). Fun fact: the funicular was finished just as COVID started. Prior to this there was a chair lift. Of course, gelato was in order after this excursion and you’ll be pleased to know I’m branching out, and getting out of my ‘but I only like vanilla’ phase and ordered some sort of cherry swirl which was to die for. The ducks were cute and very interested in hanging out with the people. How can anyone be grumpy when there’s gelato AND ducks!

Tuesday. Rod has been wistfully watching the ferries cross each day, so it was only fair we explore the Eastern side of the lake by catching a ferry to Torri del Benaco. Torri is another small village and we’d done zero homework except for Rod checking out the ferry timetable. The ferry ride was smooth and in 30 minutes, we were walking off the gangway. We walked to our left and found another castle: The Scaliger castle, built in 1383 (although Rod tells me there was a castle there prior to that from the 10th century). The castle/museum was closed between 1230 and 1430 (typical Italy, closed for lunch) so we continued sauntering along the waterfront, which is a very pleasant way to spend some time. Plenty to see: water birds, buildings, statues, boats, mountains and the clearest water you can imagine. We ate lunch at a restaurant right on the lakefront and had pizza and pasta, and some refreshing rose wine (it seems to be sparkling here? – no complaints from us though!). Hamish fed the ducks with grissini and once again, we reminded ourselves how fortunate we are to be living this travelling life.

We lined up at precisely 230pm for the castle doors to be unlocked. The goal for Hamish and I was to visit the ramparts. The ferry was due to leave at 305pm so we dutifully walked through the other displays (fishing, olive oil production, something else…) before reaching the top of the castle, grabbing some quick pics, peering over the edges, before climbing the narrow stair case back down, collecting Rod on the floor below, then heading to the ferry. We made it with time to spare! Gelato was our reward back in Toscolano-Maderno, as well as the discovery of another gorgeous little church. We have seen 5 perfectly preserved, intricately decorated, old churches in Lake Garda, including one with a crypt – they have been very impressive, more happy accidents.

A note on Cycling: we haven’t.

We’re now in France, in a medieval village called Roquebrune in Cap Martin. It is tucked into the corner of France and Italy, with Monaco a mere 9km away. We’re here for 4 more nights – more stunning views which make the wine taste even sweeter.

Tuscany

~ Bel Dunbar ~ 2 Comments

This post comes to you from the confines of our cosy apartment in the lush hills of Toscolano-Moderna, Lake Garda. Lake Garda is the biggest lake in Italy and we are situated on the western side. We arrived mid afternoon Friday – it’s been raining for the past 4 days so our activities have been curtailed to an extent.

Rod’s note to self: Rookie mistake.

After collecting our lovely lease car in Rome we need to refill the tank fairly soon. I pull off the motorway and stop at a bowser and am pleasantly surprised when an attendant offers to do the job. (It can be confusing working out the system in a different country.) It seems expensive when I look at the total, as I have seen fuel much cheaper already on this trip. Whilst waiting for Belinda and Hamish to return from the Autogrill (and trying to figure out how to lock the car*) I check out the price per litre at a bowser. It seems comparable to others I have seen. I wander over to the bowser where I was refilled and it is more than 30 cents per litre more expensive! I have learned that there are two choices- Self or Service. I will not make this mistake again.

* The car locks automatically when you walk a few paces away with the key. We have a spare key, which was still in the car. So it would not lock.

Santa Brigida – We stayed 3 nights in this quintessential Tuscan village. When you picture Tuscany in your mind (take a few seconds to do that now) I’m sure the images popping into your head are some of these: an abundance of olive trees, wineries, hills and mountains, rivers, stone walls, narrow roads, elderly people conversing on corners and houses the colour of an “Autumn” eyeshadow pallet. This is exactly what we experienced – we wished we’d stayed longer.

During our stay, we successfully attempted two day trips to Florence, catching the train from Sieci which was a 10 minute drive from our village. On our first day in Florence, we headed to the famous Ponte Vecchio which spans the Arno River. We had a basic (but expensive) lunch and walked across the bridge and then headed to the Michaelangelo Pallazo (the highest lookout in Florence). At this point in time, it was a bit drizzly, but not too bad. I had an umbrella, Rod had his waterproof jacket and Hamish had his puffy. I tried to share my umbrella with Hamish, but this was tricky on the narrow paths. The weather was 20-ish degrees, so we were sweaty as well as being rain drenched – such a lovely combination. Once at the lookout, there wasn’t much to see due to the grey skies, drizzle and cloud cover, so we looked for a toilet (it was closed) and then the heavens decided to really open up. We made our way into a very flash hotel for some afternoon tea and plan our escape back to Santa Brigida – no taxis, no buses…it was looking like we were going to have to walk in the pouring rain, but then at the last minute, a taxi dropped off a couple and we jumped in.

Not to be deterred, we planned a second trip to Florence. A note here about us and being organised: we are not. We barely made the train in time due to the post office visit taking way longer than expected and then, not being able to find a car park at the train station – and all this after giving ourselves PLENTY of time. We are going to have to lift our game for December, when we will be travelling between countries on trains. Back to our Florence trip – we felt we were more organised this time with wet weather gear and walked around the Duomo and had purchased tickets for the Galileo Museum. The museum was an interesting look at the evolution of science and technology over time, from early telescopes, microscopes, scales, electrical equipment and medical models. Galileo’s middle finger is preserved and just sits there; thin and papery, jutting out from a glass vase – apparently it was removed when he was relocated from one burial site to another.

This map was made in 1688
Weigh chair

As we left the museum, the rain ramped up. At one point we sheltered in the Lego store with others! The wet weather gear was no match for the torrential rain (well, my umbrella was great, but my shoes were drenched and my jeans wet up to my knees – Rod and Hamish didn’t fare particularly well either, but their torsos were dry!) Florence’s buildings have no overhanging rooftops, which meant most visitors in Florence that day suffered and/or huddled in doorways. We eventually made it back to the train station and had afternoon tea, before catching the train back home. The rest of the day was spent drying clothes: jackets, shoes and bags.

Gino Bartali Museum – earlier this year, my friend Trent (workmate and cycling aficionado) had loaned me a book about an Italian cyclist (Gino Bartali) who was a professional cyclist for 20 years, won two Tour de France races, 10 years apart, as well as two Giro d’Italia’s two years in a row. He also is perhaps less well known for his work for the Italian Resistance: carrying messages in his bike frame, hiding Jewish families, working with a priest in Florence to provide false documents and leading Jews to the Swiss Alps. As he was somewhat of a national treasure the Nazi’s were loathe to upset the general population, so left him, largely, to his own devices. He would ride in his racing jersey with his name on it, all in the name of ‘training’ – hiding in plain sight. His home town of Ponte a Ema was only a short drive from our village of Santa Brigida, so we visited the museum on our way to Lake Garda. The museum is only open on a few days, for a few hours, so the planets aligned for us! The museum is about cycling and the progression of bike technology, not about his resistance work, but it was very interesting for Rod and I. Bartali’s TdF winning bike was on display, as well as a few of his jerseys. Other Italian cyclists have jerseys and bikes housed there, such as Vincenzo Nibali – I could lift his bike with one finger! (Bertali’s bike on the other hand, is made of steel) and look at the size of that jersey! Incredibly privileged to be able to visit this museum.

Front press brake
Want to change a gear? Pull these levers!
Gino’s Maglia Rosa

We are staying at Lake Garda until Wednesday. The weather is due to clear up tomorrow afternoon and we’re keen to hire some bikes Monday and do a bit of exploring around the lake. Some of my cycling friends would love the amount of climbs, elevation and switchbacks here, but for the rest of us humans, we just look in awe.

3 Days in Rome

~ Bel Dunbar ~ Leave a comment

Today is Tuesday October 15. It’s currently 10pm and we’re sitting around our very beautiful apartment in the Tuscan hills north of Florence, in fact, in a small village called Santa Brigida. (Edit: It’s not 10am Wednesday morning…) We collected our leased Peugeot 308 today from the Rome depot (we’ve done this twice before, once in Rome and once in France) and we will have it for the next month. Let me know if this is something you’d like to hear more about – hiring cars in Europe can be tricky and expensive, but we’ve found this lease company great to deal with.

In other news, since our departure 3 weeks ago, Hamish has grown and is now the tallest member of the family. Something I was acutely aware of when we got into the car today. He’s going to be wanting some front seat leg room!

Back to Rome – let’s start with Transport:

Departing Athens was straightforward – Uber and an airport bus. The bus is a dedicated airport bus, but has nowhere to store luggage. We just placed our bags flat in the central, circular, concertina area mid-wickets; no one seemed to care and no doubt we’re not the first ones to do this. Moving day is always lengthy and tiring. Always. We flew with ‘Sky Express’ a Greek airline and were rewarded with seats in the 3rd row – the curtained off area! Sounds fancy, but Sky Express are a bit like Jetstar inasmuch as you pay pay pay for everything (extra bags, food, seats etc). We had a 15kg checked luggage allowance and a 8kg carry on limit, but with a bit of prior rearrangement of heavier gear, did this easily.

I’d pre booked tickets on an airport bus from Rome Airport (Fiumicino) to the central train station (Termini) as it was half the price of the direct train – the Leonardo Express. Everything was running smoothly until we got to Termini and had to find our next platform, to catch a local train to a stop near our suburb. Rod bought our 48 hour public transport passes (Roma 48) and we eventually found the station Laziali – separate from Termini altogether. The ‘station’ and ‘platform’ looked like a scene from a post apocalyptic film – unmanned station, no one around, grass growing up through the tracks, a two carriage train, a teen jumping the barrier. Was there even a driver? Who knew. As the train pulled in we spoke to the driver “Saint Elena?” (That was our stop) “Si, yes, we stop” – so we got on. Like I said, not an ordinary train at all. Two steps up, very high into the carriage and then single rows of seats either side of the carriage. No button to press to alert our stop is coming up – we looked confused at best and thankfully a young man with his family talked to us and helped us out. Our plan was when the train stopped, I’d jump down and Rod would pass the luggage out as quickly as possible! It worked out in the end, and in fact, we caught that little weird train again today to get back to the Termini.

Whilst in Rome we used the metro – it was fast and efficient and the trains arrived (unlike the busses in Athens). But like Athens, most of the trips we experienced had 4 or 5 times the amount of people who can actually fit into a carriage. You just keep moving forward and moving forward, making sure you can reach one of the grab rails. It’s definitely a novelty, but it wore off quickly. Hamish was quick to spot someone getting up off a seat and would try to position himself ready to sit down.

Accommodation: Last week our Rome accommodation was cancelled and I rebooked a 2 bedroom apartment in a SE suburb of Rome called Pigneto. I’d ummed and aarhed about Pigneto from Australia months and months ago, but had gone with something a little closer and let’s be honest, a little cheaper. Rome is expensive! Pigneto is described as ‘hipster’ and this was apparent by the cool bars, restaurants and the trendy people riding bikes: fats, fold up electric, single speeds and cruisers. The vibe of the suburb wasn’t apparent until we headed out for dinner – the place was vibrant and we loved it. Our apartment would not have been out of place in Fitzroy or Brunswick, for example, but the only thing we didn’t enjoy were the neighbours who would activate modes: ‘yelling loudly’ or ‘singing badly’ as their only form of communication. Fortunately we have adjusted our meals times already (dinner at 8pm-ish), so we didn’t have to bear the noise for long.

In Pigneto and Vatican City we noticed a couple of street artworks we recognised from Paris 9 years ago: Space Invader. Invader is a French street artist who is known for tile mosaics based on the space invader game. A good pick up from Rod!

Food & Drinks: We have eaten well in Rome, very well. Pizza, focaccia, pasta, gelato, wine, aperol spritz, various cured meats and cheese – we have loved it all!

Activities: Day 1 – self-guided tourism. Before arriving in Rome, we were aware of the major restoration works being undertaken for the 25 year jubilee (it’s a religious thing) that is happening next year. So we were expecting scaffolding and barrier tape, but we didn’t care. The city is still impressive and we loved wandering the streets and side alleyways.

Spanish Steps – Trevi Fountain – Pantheon – Colosseum – Roman Forum – Palatine Hill

Day 2 itinerary – organised tours. We’d planned months ago to do separate activities today based on interest and it worked well. On this trip, Hamish would like to go to as many micro-nations as we can squeeze is, starting with Vatican City, the most micro of them all.

Rod and Hamish – Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel (written by Rod and Hamish)

We arrive quite early, since we all took the same train and Belinda’s tour starts 30 minutes before ours. It’s very quiet in and around the Vatican at this hour. We look for our meeting point, which is a shop, but it is closed, so we walk around the corner for an early morning tea. No complaints from Hamish!

We start on time, after the shop does open and begin the walk to the Vatican museum, smugly strolling past queues at least 100 m long, with little evidence of movement. But then we get planted somewhere in a queue and the whining starts from some of our group. Why are we waiting? We paid extra for this! (Boomers!)

But the wait is brief and we are underway. It is quite overwhelming, with non-stop art/artifacts amidst a constant throng of shuffling people. We keep moving and observing; statues, gardens, views, paintings, fountains, tapestries, sarcophagi and more, before finally landing in the Sistine chapel with its abundance of art works and tourists craning their necks to view the ceiling. Our guide is good and the bluetooth works well. Hamish agrees that was a fascinating journey.

Hamish: it was amazing going to a teeny tiny country. A micro nation is a country less than 2km squared and I don’t know why I am interested in them, I just am. To me it did feel like a different country, due to, I don’t know, just the vibe. TBH is was amazing going to the Vatican – it was cool.

Belinda – St Peter’s Basilica, Papal Crypts & Dome climb.

I learned quite a bit about The Vatican (for ease, I think I’ll just combine Vatican/Vatican City/Catholic Church and call it “The Vatican”) from the guide on my 3 hour tour, but none of it was endearing. I tried to be open minded and non-judgemental, but it was a challenge…Here are a few (objective) facts:

The Vatican is not subject to regular laws and rules, including tax laws. Near the end of WW2 they protected a high level Nazi (I won’t name names, but he was instrumental in the ‘Final Solution’) by giving him false documentation/passport to escape to Brazil (in return, he allowed a few Jewish people to live).

There is strict, state run media – no free press.

All visitors are subject to CCTV

The current Pope is 88 and is confined to a wheelchair – he tried to be progressive once by showing support for all people and their right to marry, but this backfired and now he espouses a woman’s place is bringing up children and men should work to support their families

The current St Peter’s Basilica incorporates the old Basilica (which was destroyed thousands of years ago) and is a very impressive cathedral. It’s beautiful.

There are 550 steps to the top of the Dome – some are wide and flat, some are steep and worn. The Dome is the highest point in Rome – nothing is allowed to be higher. Many people climbed it, including me and when you get to the top, you get a photo and start the descent. I’m OK with heights, but at one point the dome is starting to curve in, but you’re still walking in a straight line – it messed up my proprioception for a bit, as my poor little brain tried to make sense of what was happening!

The ‘paintings’ in the Basilica are actually glass mosaics, due to the lack of temperature/humidity control. The original paintings are stored somewhere else.

During reconstruction of part of the building a full male skeleton was found: this was said to be St Peter. No carbon dating, no scientific proof – could be anyone, but The Vatican says it’s him, so it’s him.

And finally, the tour guide didn’t like it when I mentioned The Vatican protected “an Australian Cardinal” – did I care? No. His response was along the lines of ‘you shouldn’t let your personal life become public’ – I could have (should have) stood up for the lives of many Australians who have been abused by Catholic priests, but didn’t want to be escorted from the premises, or taken out by a Swiss Guard.

And just before I go, you can select a picture to make it full sized and don’t forget, you can have this blog delivered to your inbox by hitting subscribe at the bottom of the blog.

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Athens Part II

~ Bel Dunbar ~ Leave a comment

It’s currently Friday evening – here’s an update of our last few days in Athens.

Wednesday October 9

After a few busy days, we planned a low-key day, with really just one item on the agenda: Filopappou Hill. I’ve just realised this hill bears the same name as the Main Street near our apartment (must be someone important). We caught the 227 into the city and walked to the hill. Rod was navigating (at speed) and I had to slow him down at one point to have a look at the Acropolis, visible from the end of a street. I love finding those little treasures.

The hill was the home of two significant sites: Prison of Socrates and The Pnyx.

Socrates was an old guy who would hang out in coffee shops with young people, suggesting they ‘question everything’. He wasn’t popular with the establishment, so was imprisoned and executed. The stone prison was later used to house and protect antiquities during WW2.

The Pnyx from 507 BC was the original meeting place of the Athenians where democratic discussions took place – making it important in the creation of democracy. The Pnyx (pronounced Nix) was a good spot to view the Acropolis from a different angle – it also looked like a great place for a mountain bike.

We meandered our way back into the city, through one way streets, alleys and market places. Rod, envious of our small cross body bags, purchased one from a stall. Hamish was positively starving by this stage; we found a bakery selling various pies – but not pies like we know them. The pies we purchased consisted of filling (chicken for Rod, feta and spinach for Hamish, leek for me) between filo pastry and measured about 12cm x 12cm (we can’t agree, but they were huge!). They cost just over 2 euro and were delicious – I could only manage half of mine, so wrapped it back up and bought it home for another time.

Thursday October 10

Our destination today was Aegina Island. It was a quick 40 min trip from the port of Piraeus to the island and cost 30 euro each for the return trip. This day had originally been pegged for another activity (cycling rail tour) but it was tricky to get to via various public transportation modes and the temp was set to be 31 degrees, so reluctantly we pulled the plug on this, but not until after I whined, “…this was the only thing I wan’t to do in Greece!”

We caught the bus, then the crowded, fully graffitied train to Piraeus where we sat in the wrong waiting area, in front of the wrong high speed catamaran with 3 or 4 other anxious passengers, until we suspected something wasn’t right, about 5 minutes before lift off. We still don’t have our travel brains fully engaged! A quick walk of about 300m put us in the right area and we didn’t have long to wait before we boarded.

Once in Aegina, we walked along the foreshore and then settled in a beach area with a food and drinks bar. We paid 10 euro for 2 x lounge chairs under umbrellas and it was well worth it. The water was crystal clear and inviting. The three of us relaxed there until it was time to catch the ferry home. In lieu of the hassle of the public transport, we booked an Uber and escaped the crowds.

Once home, Hamish bailed on our evening plans to find a rooftop spot to watch the sunset over the Acropolis. Rod and I found a lovely bar and had a couple of drinks and some food, whilst admiring the view and appreciating the sheer size and beauty of the Acropolis. We also received a video call from Rod’s old footy mate Jerome Percy, who now lives on a farm in Greece!

Friday October 11 – Today!

Today was an admin/housework/prep day – we head to Rome tomorrow, so there’s always a bit to organise the day before departure:

”How are we getting from Rome airport to our apartment?”

”What public transport card should we use in Rome?”

”How are we getting to Athens airport and what time do we need to leave?”

”What time is the flight again?”

We’re also trying to settle our house which has been on the market for months, so that took a big chunk of our time. Finding a post office was high on the agenda for Hamish to post one of his beloved books home (he refuses to leave it here as it’s part of a series…) fortunately it was only 9 Euro to post to his mate Jak in Milawa. The three of us had lunch in Plateia Varnava (where we had dinner the first night) and Rod headed to the Panathenaic Stadium, which he can talk about below. Hamish and I walked home via a little bakery and I marvelled at the steep streets – I would never want to park on a hill like this! At best, I’d want an auto!

Panathenaic Stadium (by Rod)

This amazing structure started life as a (horse) racecourse over 2500 years ago. It was reshaped over centuries before hosting the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1896 modern Olympic Games. It is the only stadium ever constructed entirely of marble. The first thing that struck me was its steepness. I bravely ascended to the top level and (even more bravely) peered over the upper edge, only to find dirt and trees at my eye level. The stadium has basically been built into the floor of a valley. So even though it rises over 20 metres from the track to the top, it is the pretty much at ground level. It is an awesome structure and is still the last venue in Greece for the Olympic flame in the relay/handover before it goes to the host country.

A few observations about our travels so far:

The weather has been perfect – not too hot, not too cold, not too many crowds (well, not like summer)

Once you get public transport sorted, everything is sooo much easier

Living in the local neighbourhoods is how we get a glimpse into everyday life

Apps have vastly improved since our last trip

It’s good to be our of your comfort zone

Sometimes chicken looks like ham

Thanks for following along – we’ll check in again after our long weekend in Rome.

Athens Part I

~ Bel Dunbar ~ Leave a comment

It’s late Wednesday afternoon. I’m sitting on the balcony of our apartment building in a suburb of Athens called Pagrati. It’s a huge 2 bedroom apartment right amongst the locals and we love it. From the very end of the balcony we can see the Acropolis, in the opposite direction a small chunk of coast and on Hamish’s bedroom balcony, Mt Lycabettus. We are 1 minute from the bus and supermarket, and a few more minutes to the main local street Filolaou, which is loaded with shops, bakeries, cosmetic stores, hairdressers and cafes. We are the stand out ‘non – locals’ in this area, but everyone is super friendly.

Since arrival, we’ve been busy busy busy! Here’s a day by day overview of what we’ve been up to.

Saturday 5/10 (Hamish’s 14th Birthday)

We wake up early and pack the last of our things before our host Nico (the friendliest host we’ve ever met!) bids us farewell and packs us into his wife’s Hyundai. He tells us she doesn’t work (she does, she cleans the 3 apartments) so will drive us to the airport for a fraction of the price of the taxi. She is a lovely young woman, originating in Poland and has been in Crete for 5 years married to Nico. She chats about her new and old life on the trip to the airport. They both have told us life is tough in Greece: wages are low, he says people need to work two jobs to get by and he is not lying. I see him in one of the restaurants (he was leaning on the bar having a ciggie, but tells us he worked that day) – he also works in a hotel about half an hour from Agia Pelagia. Her cosmetics background is not useful in Agia Pelagia. They go to Poland every year in the off season with their cat. He works (Nico, not the cat) and she gets back into her cosmetics work (lashes, brows etc).

Hamish has not slept well so is grumpy on his birthday. We have given him a Crete t-shirt and when he opens it he says: “Oh, something else to pack” Rod and I roll our eyes. He’s been difficult before on his birthday, so we just ignore it. Things turn worse for Hamish at the airport when he is reallocated to a seat diagonally across from us. It’s not a window seat. He can have a window seat in row 18, but he says he’ll stay near us. He can’t sit in our row because he needs to be 16 to sit in row 10 (just one ahead of the exit row). He is scowling. We get through security easily and find some breakfast, hoping this will help his mood (it usually does). He is still not very pleasant, but improves after I buy him a ‘birthday’ sugar doughnut. He goes for a walk, comes back and unprompted, apologises to me for his behaviour. We are friends again.

Getting to our apartment is relatively quick and easy: the X95 bus followed by an Uber. As stated, our apartment is in a local neighbourhood and is beautiful. Athens however, isn’t giving a great vibe. We’re pretty open minded about cities and places we’re visiting: Athens is old and a little tired. But so are we.

Our host has left balloons, a cake, candles and a card for Hamish. How lovely. Rod and I head to the supermarket to get supplies and then explore the local area. We are on the lookout for a birthday cake for Hamish and we find something pretty special (he tells us later it is ‘too creamy’ for him *insert eye roll) It’s similar to a cheesecake and at least Rod and I have enjoyed it this week… The host has also left instructions on an area to go for dinner. Getting there is a tangled maze, dotted with scooters, cars and one way streets, but suddenly we’re in a gorgeous town square ‘Platia Varnava’ Finding somewhere to eat is easy and we all enjoy our traditional foods (spicy cheese dip, meatballs, salad, pita, tzatziki).

Sunday 6/10

Our activity today is a free walking tour of Athens. We Uber our way to the meeting point (as we haven’t organised our public transport cards yet and the Uber is like 4 Euro, so cheap) and see our tour guide George. People arrive in dribs and drabs – we are group of about 10 from the US, Australia and Argentina. Hamish is the youngest, but there’s a 19 year old from TAS and the Argentinian couple are probably in their early 30’s. The rest appear to be retired, some sporting knee braces. I remind Hamish he may have to engage with people today. He doesn’t look impressed – I’m starting to wonder what has happened to my interested boy, surely 24 hours of being 14 hasn’t had that much of an impact yet! George is energetic and knowledgeable. He has a background in history, archaeology and architecture – a perfect combination for a tour guide.

George
Arch of Hadrian
Monthly changing of the Guard

I have a lovely time chatting to the young woman from Tasmania and likely miss some of the important information, but not the story of the Greek priest (Archbishop Damaskinos) who saved the Athenian Jewish population by getting them fake ID cards. The Germans said they knew he was behind this and ordered a list of the names of all Jews in Athens. The story goes, he presented the Nazi’s with a list of 2 names: his and the Lord Mayor’s. The Nazis threatened to execute him and he goaded them by saying “make sure it’s a hanging, because that’s how Greek religious leaders are executed” which threw the Nazi commander off and his life was spared.

The 3 hour tour turns into a 3 and 1/2 hour tour and, like that, we have a great overview of the history of Athens, the Gods, the buildings and some prominent Greeks. George provides us with recommendations of where to eat and what to visit – everyone tips him (as is the practice) so he is well rewarded for his time.

We leave the group and immediately go in the wrong direction, but find some food and cool drinks before eventually heading home where we do some washing and I crack open the 2 Euro cask of Sangria (don’t judge me) whilst Rod has a wine and Hamish an orange Fanta. The washing is hung on hangers inside or on the outside clothesline, which is accessed via the kitchen. I am careful not to drop anything, as it’s 5 stories down and I don’t know how to get to the yard where our undies may land. Rod is unable to hang the washing out due to his fear of heights. I don’t mind posing for a photo to prove how brave I am.

Later that night Rod figures out how to log into Netflix (he thinks this is some achievement) and we discover ‘Kaos,’ which serves as our (heavily modernised and embellished) recapitulation of George’s lessons on Greek mythology.

Monday 7/10

Hamish and I have voted for the Athens War Museum today and we start there, but not before Rod has found a local kiosk and purchased our Athens Cards (8 Euro for unlimited public transport rides for 5 days) and we’ve scoured the public transport website which is confusing at best. Turns out our bus (the 227) is 100m away and is a direct line into the main square (Syntagma Square). We tap on and find a seat. We walk through the beautiful, shady and quiet National Gardens and our interest is piqued by the many, many armed responders leaning against the garden walls, some in full riot kit, with riot buses on corners. We work out the Presidential Mansion is what they’re guarding.

The war museum is a combination of general Greek/Athenian history and military history and is excellent. I particularly liked the statue of ‘woman with folded arms’ – I’m sure you can relate.

Greece seems to have been at war for ever! They were at war before and after both the 1st and 2nd world wars – dreadful. Hamish scores a free ticket due to being under 18, so the museum costs us only 10 Euro.

Surgeon’s kit complete with metal trachy
Early machine gun

Our next stop is the Acropolis, but we haven’t pre-booked tickets (I tried and tried the previous night, but had difficulties) so are told there’s no more tickets left for the day. Not disheartened, we eventually find the 227 bus stop which will bring us home. The bus is already full (no sitting or standing room) but another 12 people get on, including us. We are packed in – there are no safety rules. The bus driver keeps making stops and we are relieved when our stop finally arrives. We chat simultaneously on the walk to the main street about our individual but shared experience. The 227 is something to be reckoned with.

I have threatened Hamish with a haircut and his day has arrived (see pic). The hairdresser works silently and meticulously- he charges a mere 5 Euro for the haircut, but Rod gives him 10. Rod and I enjoy cooking dinner tonight in the apartment kitchen, without the little necessities from home (olive oil, non stick pans) but we manage well – whilst eating out is nice, it’s not sustainable for a trip of this length and chips with every meal are only a novelty for so long. We have one more flight until we have a car for a month, so will have a bit more space for food items we can pack up and take from one place to the next. After dinner I book the tickets for the Acropolis.

Tuesday 8/10

The 227 lets us down. We wait and wait and wait. The bus disappears off my live map twice, so I find us a new bus which is a 15 minute walk away. I’m sick of waiting for a bus that’s never arriving. No sooner do we get to the end of the street when the 227 rears its ugly head – but it won’t stop for us. I apologise to the boys and we walk back to the original bus stop. The 227 eventually arrives, but we’ve been waiting for over an hour.

Our plan today had been:

Museum of Ancient Greek Technology

Picnic in the National Gardens

Acropolis – the ticket is for 3pm

But due to the dismal bus operations, our timings are out of whack. We decide to eat our picnic lunch first, which is a very pleasant way to spend 30 minutes. We then walk to the museum. It’s a small but impressive museum. The guides there run some displays and we learn that the early Greeks invented:

Automatic wine dispensers

Door alarms

Computers

Magic fountains

Military signalling systems

Musical instruments

Basically loads of stuff using hydraulics and/or pneumatics. We stay there for an hour, vowing to return to finish the museum after our Acropolis visit.

We walk to the Acropolis and enter the massive compound. We weave our way up the Acropolis complex, looking at other ruins (Dionysus’ theatre – Greek God of having a good time – the first ever theatre) and another theatre that has been renewed and is used for modern day concerts, before summiting at the Parthenon, which sits atop the Acropolis. The views are spectacular. The crowds are OK and we head to the Greek flag. The Acropolis is huge – we also see Athena’s temple. We don’t spend loads of time there, but the entire excursion has take us over an hour. We descend, get water and head back to the museum where we play ancient games and try to solve a 24 piece tangram. None of us can.

We brave the heaving 227 and grab spicy cheese dip and crackers to go with our evening drinks on the balcony. Life is good, but we are leg weary and looking forward to a quiet day tomorrow.