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Architecture, Cycling, Italy, Restaurants, Sightseeing

Cycling on Lake Garda #2: Bardolino – Lazise – Peschiera – Sirmione

September 17, 2015 Rosemary Kneipp 1 Comment

The weather is rather overcast when we set out but the forecast says it’s going to improve. We’re a bit disappointed because we don’t have the magical light we had yesterday when we cycled to Malcesine.

We decide to drive to Garda 9 k to the south and stop and visit Torri del Benaco on the way. It is our closest village, after all.

The typical crenellated towers in Torri del Benaco

We admire the 14th century castle with its typical crenellations and the usual little rectangular port but the threatening rain doesn’t encourage us to linger.

There is a lot of traffic at Garda and not much hope of free parking so we push on to Bardolino another 3 K south. We find a place to park on the side of the main road just before the town and set off on our bikes into the centre. After a couple of kilometres on the main road, we find a very pleasant bike path and discover a most delightful little town, though very different from the villages between Torri and Malcesine.

We continue along the edge of the lake passing a series of camping grounds all full of German and a few Dutch campers. Our hotel is full of Germans as well. Ours is the only car without a D on it!

One of the many camping grounds along the waterfront. This one has little hillside bungalows!

As we approach Lazise, there are more and more people on the path, which is no longer reserved for bikes. We often have to get off and walk. As we finally reach Lazise, we understand why. There is a huge market and the whole town is full of people. We have trouble getting through with our bikes.

The market spreads so far that we find it difficult to even see the town!

The market on two sides of the port in Lazise

We find our way out as quickly as we can and finally come to a bike path again. The sky is clearing and the light is improving reminding us of yesterday’s magic.

The path peters out and becomes a beach. The only way out is through a camping ground that takes us up to the main road again. A bike path along the edge goes past the Caneva World and Gardaland entertainment parks but it’s not very scenic to say the least !

We finally arrive at what we think is Pescheria but is actually a marina outside. We hesitate to have lunch there but Jean Michel wants to go on to Pescheria and find something more typical. However, when we get there, it seems so full of tourists that we don’t go into the town and continue along the edge of the lake.

The view from La Congileria — The view from La Conchiglia

We’re forced back onto a bike path along the main road again, and eventually veer off to the right where we find a restaurant with a terrace called La Conchiglia which we later discover also fronts onto the main road! We’re nearly at Sirmione by then. It’s 1.30 pm and we’re hungry! We appreciate the excellent rib steak and cold house red.

A bike path along the main road then takes us up the peninsula to Sirmione which is once again packed with tourists. It’s hard to really appeciate the surroundings with so many people in every direction. We buy our ferry tickets to back to Bardolino (28 euro for us and our bikes for a one-hour-trip), find somewhere to leave the bikes and vist the town.

It's nearly the end of the bougainvillea season but it's still stunning — It’s nearly the end of the bougainvillea season but it’s still stunning

There is bougainvillea everywhere and despite the crowds and the shop fronts we can make out some lovely old buildings.

The Grottoes of Catullus built in Roman times

After the obligatory gelato, we wait for the ferry. Because we have bikes we’re taken to the top of the queue and get excellent seats on the top deck. We get a bird’s eye view of the Roman ruins of the Grottoes of Catullus and immediately regret we didn’t visit them.

Lazise from the ferry, looking much better without the market and the crowds

As we approach Lazise from the ferry, we are able to get a better view of the castle and waterfront that was obscured by the crowds in the morning. The streets are practically empty. Advice: always visit in the afternoon!

The Romanesque church of San Severo with its olive trees

We soon arrive back in Bardolino and set out in search of the little Romansque church of San Severo. We visit in turns to avoid having to lock our bikes and the second time I go past I hear singing. I assume it must be recorded music although it’s very powerful. “No”, says Jean Michel, “it’s a young girl.” I go back in but she has stopped singing. “Encore,” I say hopefully and she obligingly sings again. Her voice brings tears to my eyes.

We cycle back to the car and are soon ensconced on our balcony with the usual glass of white wine. Although today is somewhat of a disappointed after yesterday, the sunset turns out to be the best so far. and the singing is unforgettable. Tomorrow we’re off to Padua.

Architecture, Cycling, Flowers & gardens, Food, France, Germany, Loire Valley, Restaurants

Cycling along the Cher from Montrichard to Saint Aignan

August 14, 2015 Rosemary Kneipp 12 Comments

Sunday is cool and rainy so we have reserved our weekly cycling excursion for Monday which dawns bright and sunny. We are off by 10.30 am to Montrichard on the Cher River, about a half an hour’s drive from Blois, via Chaumont. We are going to get cycle maps at the tourist office.

Montrichard castle from the main street leading to the tourist office

They don’t have any. That’s a disappointment but we have seen on the Internet that there is a cycle path to Thésée about halfway along the 20 K route. We find a parking lot near the river and set out.

The Cher along the bike path leaving Montrichard

Initially the path is promising and we’re happy to be on our bikes again. The lack of maintenance, however, soon becomes obvious (read : the path is often rutted and you have to keep your eyes on the ground all the time). When you glance at the scenery, it’s quite bucolic, marred only by the smell of pollution caused by ever-increasing green algae.

One of the many locks along the bike path

We go past several locks, all of which seem to be functioning and automatic. Most of the lock houses seem to be converted into holiday rentals. From time to time, I get off my bike and walk over a rough patch, rather than find myself face down on the gravel in front of me. “Don’t worry”, Jean Michel consoles me, “after we get to Thésée, there’s a real bike path.”

Troglodyte houses in the limestone cliffs

Well, yes, there is a sort of a bike path between the river and the railway line but the maintenance isn’t any better. On the other side, we can see many troglodyte houses built into the limestone cliffs, but it’s not really scenic.

An enormous grain silo with a vineyard in front

Nor is the modern version of a cathedral, aka a grain silo. It even has a pseudo bell tower.

The approach to Saint Aignan with its château and collegiate church

The approach to Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, however, which we’ve never visited, more than makes up for the mediocre ride. The château stands on the hill just opposite the bridge with the collegiate church to the left.

The sign on the bridge at Saint-Aignan showing the demarkation line

Jean Michel points out a sign on the bridge that says “1940-1944 Here was the line of demarcation. We will remember them.”

One of the many luxuriant flower pots in Saint Aignan

Now comes the important bit. Lunch. It’s 1.15 pm and it’s Monday (read : most restaurants in France, particularly in the provinces, are closed). Now my idea of a restaurant when we’re cycling is a pleasant, inexpensive, non-touristy-looking place, with shady trees over the outside tables and a direct view of the river. The sort they have in Germany all along the Danube.

Gasthof Berzl in Kelheim - the sort of place where I like to have lunch when cycling — Gasthof Berzl in Kelheim – the sort of place where I like to have lunch when cycling

The only problem is that it seems to be a rare commodity in France. We cycle through the village and only discover a kebab place near the church and an indoor crêperie. We ride along the river in both directions and finally have to resign ourselves to coming back to L’Embarcadère which fronts onto the main road and doesn’t have a terrace. However, with a four-course menu for 13 euro, it’s definitely inexpensive.

L'Embarcadère where we finally eat — L’Embarcadère where we finally eat

I have stuffed tomatoes, steak (small piece) and chips, cheese and ice-cream. It’s all palatable though nothing special. Jean Michel has the same thing except he has beef flank (hampe) instead of steak. Just in case you’ve never discovered this, the piece of meat that’s called steak (often written steack) in France is not what Australians call steak. It’s a specific cheap cut of grilling beef. It is NOT fillet or entrecôte.

The château up on the hill seen from a house near the tourist office

We’ve finished our coffee so we set off to visit the town, starting with the tourist office because we’d like to find a better route to cycle back to Montrichard. Disappointment once again. They don’t have any cycle maps either. They give us a map of the town indicating 20 places to visit, but with explanations for only two of them : the castle and the collegiate church.

We’re just next to the road leading up to the château and we debate whether it’s worth it. We decide to make the effort. Halfway up, we talk to a man with a truck sweeping up dead leaves. I can’t believe there are already autumn leaves in August but the man tells us the trees have a disease. That’s a relief (not for the trees of course). Needless to say, the chestnut trees are already shedding their leaves everywhere. Sigh.

The château is privately owned, but visitors have free access to the courtyard. What a discovery! We’re so glad we made the decision to go to the top of the hill.

The château with its 9th century tower, Renaissance château with its scallop shells and François I salamanders, was once the home of several generations of Duc de Beauvilliers.

It has a wonderful view and lovely proportions. I particularly like the large stone urns with their blue flowers and immediately decide to plant them at home next year. I just have to find out what they are …

The collegiate church with its Republican inscription

We ride back down into the town and visit the 11th century Collegiate Church which has two interesting features. On the front there is an inscription that says « République française Liberté Egalité Fraternité ». Now, you must admit it’s original! The church was auctioned off during the French Revolution and given back to the Catholic Church in 1800.

The recumbent statue of Jeanne can be seen on the right — The recumbent statue of Jeanne de Perellos can be seen on the right

The other attraction is the tomb of Jeanne de Perellos, with its recumbent statue. She was banished from the church for seducing Louis II of Chalon, Count of Saint-Aignan from his legitimate spouse in 1420. What a claim to fame!

The monumental staircase opposite the collegiate church leading up to the château

Opposite is a monumental staircase leading up to the château.

We cycle back through the little town with cobbled streets and several very old houses and down to the river. I have checked the map and found a little white road that runs roughly parallel to the main road and will take us back to Montrichard. Jean Michel has approved it.

The church with its unusual archway in Pouillé

Well, it might run parallel to a main road, but it’s still a 90 kph road and we have to ride one behind the other which isn’t much fun. At Pouillé, which is roughly opposite Thésée, we see an interesting church with an archway on the right. Initially built in the 11th and 12th centuries, it was bombarded in 1940 but has since been restored. There are no cafés.

A shady terrace in Angé, very welcome after riding for 15 K under a 30°C sun

We continue on our way until Angé which has a few historical houses but more importantly, a café with a shady terrace out the back. By now it’s 30°C and we’ve been riding in the full sun since leaving Saint-Aignan. A cold drink is most welcome.

Jean Michel studies the map again and tells me we’ll be able to leave the main road soon and take a smaller road. It does not happen. The smaller road is now part of an industrial estate. However, we are nearly at Montrichard which has a beach on the Cher and, best of all, ice-cream.

La Plage restaurant & bar at the beach in Montrichard

It’s like being at the seaside ! We go to a restaurant bar appropriately called La Plage which even has a live band playing old time songs – not particularly melodious but it all adds to the ambiance. We have an excellent ice-cream from a smiling waitress before mounting our bikes and riding back to the car: a round trip of 46 K and 3 ½ hours in the saddle.

Australia, Guest post, Lifestyle, Restaurants

A Postcard from the Island

July 24, 2015 Rosemary Kneipp 2 Comments

Every so often, I receive a “postcard” from my friend Alan Stretton whom I have known for more than 40 years. This one took me back to Townsville, where we both grew up, and to my holidays on the Island, which is still my very favourite place today. I would like to share his postcard with you.

When Alan is not living in Canberra he is perfecting the art of slow travel; do less but experience more.

“The island referred to in the postcard is Magnetic Island off the coast from Townsville, Alan tells us. “Ever since I was a child we referred to it as ‘the Island’, to differentiate it from all the other islands in the sea.”

“Hello, Alan. How is the pizza?”

“The pizzas are delicious as always, Lucia. I was wondering if I could order the pasta with prawns, anchovies and chilli to take away?”

Silence and a look of puzzlement was not quite the response I was expecting.

“The rest of my family are leaving tomorrow but I am staying an extra day. I don’t want to cook on my last night.”

I can see Lucia’s look of puzzlement changing to one of incredulity.

“You want to take the pasta home and place it in the fridge overnight and then reheat it in the microwave tomorrow night?”

Her look makes me wish that I could just fade into the background of coconut palms and granite boulders. But I stumble on.

“I don’t want to cook on my last night on the Island. You are closed so I will have to go to Picnic Bay and the food there is not very good.”

“We do not normally do take away except for pizzas. But I will do it for you. But it will not taste very good. Are you sure you want it?”

I feel as if I am 14 again, at school, being grilled by the Deputy Head Mistress and all my seemingly innocent answers are clearly not cutting the mustard. And this from the normally charming Lucia who makes customers feel that she and Alberto opened their Caffè dell’Isola just so that they could serve you.

After another uncomfortable silence, a hint of possibility lightens Lucia’s face.

“Can you come here tomorrow just before we close at 3 o’clock?”

“Sure.”

“Good. If you come then I will cook dinner for you. It will be closer to the time you eat the pasta and I will use meat rather than seafood so it will reheat better.”

Lucia’s generosity means that honour is restored and we smile broadly again. Relieved, I return to my pasta and a large glass of wine.

The next afternoon I return to Caffè dell’Isola and Lucia cooks macaroni with Italian sausage, zucchini and feta for me to take away. She refuses to accept any payment. Luckily I had thought to take a decent bottle of wine to give Lucia and Alfredo as a farewell gift. They are trying to sell the cafe so may not be here when we next return to the Island. “Follow us on Facebook. We will be somewhere.”

With my dinner in the bag I walk across the road and the 50 or so metres of wet sand left by the low tide until I am standing in calf deep water watching many rays gliding at surprising speed and five or six small black tipped reef shark looking for small fish. When I stand still, they come within two metres.

I am glad to report that life in paradise is as good as they say.

Architecture, Cycling, Food, France, Restaurants

Cycling in the Poitevin Marsh #2 – The Wet Marsh

July 15, 2015 Rosemary Kneipp 8 Comments

We wake up rested in our B&B and have a delicious breakfast in the courtyard in front of the main house, consisting of freshly-squeezed orange juice, two types of bread, two types of brioche (a sort of bun loaf), a mini-raisin roll, a slice of raisin bread, 5 types of jam, a soft-boiled egg and a yoghurt. We won’t be having an early lunch …

Our starting point for the day is a few kilometres west of Maillé at Vix Bridge, on the edge of the “wet” marsh as opposed to yesterday’s “dry” march. The main waterway is the Sèvre Niortaise River but the whole area is riddled with little canals and bridges. It’s midday by the time we get on our bikes.

Jean Michel on a bridge over one of the canals

The ride is pleasant, along a canal, with trees on either side. No wind although there isn’t a lot of sun. My weather app says it won’t rain so we haven’t brought our capes. We come to the little town of Maillé with its port and posters made from old postcards showing life in the town in days gone by.

Old postcards made into posters in Maillé

We go past an unusual pump room obviously an addition to the house, with the pump wheel outside.

A pump room built on to a house with the wheel outside

As we approach Maillezais after cycling past more canals we are impressed by the enormous cathedral ruins looming towards us. It’s the sort of view you only get on a bike.

The looming ruins of Maillezais cathedral

By this time, Jean Michel has started to get hungry so we find a table on the shady terrace of the Auberge de l’Abbaye. Not that we really need shade – the sky is looking increasingly ominous and I’m beginning to regret the capes.

Auberge de l'Abbaye in Maillezais with its interesting floral and vegetable arrangement — Auberge de l’Abbaye in Maillezais with its interesting floral and vegetable arrangement

We order a salad including a local speciality called a farci which is a sort of flan made of eggs, sorrel, spinach and other vegetarian ingredients. I rather like it but Jean Michel is not that keen.

Typical stone house with painted shutters

The next village is Liez with its typical Romanesque church and stone houses with painted shutters.

The church spire at Neuil Abbey seen from the mediaeval garden

We arrive at our destination of Neuil-sur-l’Autise where we visit the local abbey built in 1068, in much better condition than Maillezais but not as impressive.

Mediaeval bagpipes which start playing as you approach. The only problem is that the previous instrument is still playing another tune ... — Mediaeval bagpipes which start playing as you approach. The only problem is that the previous instrument is still playing another tune …

This time, we visit the inside, but it is so full of interactive technology that it doesn’t even feel like an abbey. I don’t mind the Renaissance musical instrument display though.

Even the cloisters are being overtaken with sound equipment for a concert, I presume. I manage to take one photo though and I love the capitals!

The very amusing capitals in the cloisters

There is mediaeval herb garden and we take the opportunity to ask one of the ticket sellers if he knows what the plants are. He is extremely knowledgeable. We discover what an acanthus is. The leaves are often used for sculpted scrolls in churches. I put it on my list of plants to buy …

Acanthus flowers. You can just make out the leaves which seem to have suffered from some sort of disaster

We return along the path we came on but this time we go to St Sigismond, where we stop for a lukewarm coke, then Mazeau. It’s started spitting but not enough to really bother us and there is enough wind to dry us out as we go. We just hope it won’t get any worse.

This must be the strangest sheep country I've ever seen! — This must be the strangest sheep country I’ve ever seen!

The view is more or less the same, with the addition of a flock of sheep in a most unlikely forest of trees.

A bridge over a canal - but which canal? — A bridge over a canal – but which canal?

We come out along a large canal with absolutely no idea where we are. Jean Michel rarely gets lost but the paths are so winding and there are so many canals that it’s not easy to find our way.

We’re not lost however and we eventually arrive in Damvix. By then, we have cycled 50 K and all I want is a cold drink. Since it’s 7 pm, we settle for a glass of local white accompanied by the music of a live pianist on the keyboards which I initially find aggressive but eventually enjoy.

A much appreciated drink in Damvix after 52 K

Only another 10 K or so to go, according to Jean Michel. At least the rain has stopped. The path along the canal with its patches of waterlilies suddenly becomes very bumpy and we realise we’re on the wrong side. We eventually find a bridge and cross over.

On the wrong side of the canal with its waterlillies — On the wrong side of the canal with its waterlilies

I notice a restaurant along the way called the Le Vieux Batelier (the old boatman). The name rings a bell but it’s not until we finally get back to the car, having clocked up 62 K, that I discover it’s the one I had seen in the tourist brochure.

Not to worry. We drive back so we won’t have to worry about cycling after sunset. We have the deck overlooking the canal to ourselves. Business, once again, is very slow, we learn from the couple who run the restaurant. Maybe it will pick up after Bastille Day. We certainly hope so.

View of the canal from the deck of the restaurant

Jean Michel has one of the local specialities – eels (the other is frog’s legs) and I settle for an excellent entrecote. We drink the local Fiefs vendéens red with its unusual bottle.

After dinner, we drive off into the sunset …

Cycling, Food, France, Restaurants

Cycling in Poitevin Marsh #1 – Aiguillon

July 12, 2015 Rosemary Kneipp 11 Comments

The outside of the new kitchen window is finally finished and we are taking a well-deserved 3-day cycling holiday. We’ve chosen Poitevin Marsh after talking to friends. It’s been on the agenda for a while and isn’t too far by car (about 2 ½ hours). I’ve reserved a B&B that looks as though it has decent beds and pillows, is air-conditioned (we’re having unseasonably warm weather at the moment) and won’t be noisy.

It’s midday by the time we leave and I’ve packed a picnic so we won’t waste too much time. We stop at the tourist office in Luçon, the closest town to our destination, to get some brochures and buy bike maps. It has an amusing floral arrangement in front with a 40-year-old vine and a vine-covered man.

It’s about 4.30 pm when we arrive at our B&B, Château de l’Abbaye de Moreilles. Just so you know where we are, Poitevin Marsh is on the Atlantic Coast, just north of La Rochelle and Ile-de-Ré.

We are greeted by the owner who turns out to be somewhat of a character. Our room turns out to be in a typical low stone building with blue shutters away from the main house, bordered by a hedge of lavander and with its own private garden. The beds and pillows are very comfortable and we have everything we need except a hot water jug but that is so rare in France that I wasn’t expecting it. The swimming pool is right over the other side so it is very peaceful.

We check the bike maps and set out for Saint-Michel-en-l’Herm, 20 K away so that we can cycle to L’Aiguillon-sur-Mer to have oysters for dinner (a round trip of 30 K). We park at the church as usual and have a moment of panic when Jean Michel discovers that he can’t unscrew the attachment that holds my bike in place on the bike holder. Fortunately he has his tool kit and together we manage to get it off. Phew …

The luxurious bike path that only lasts 2 or 3 K

It proves to be a little difficult to find the bike route but I eventually spy a somewhat luxurious path and we follow it for the next couple of kilometres. After that, we’re on a secondary road.

The countryside is somewhat desolate and very windy. We are surprised to see what looks like an inland cliff face rising out of nowhere. We later learn that nearly the whole marsh was once the sea which has gradually withdrawn over the centuries, with a little help from the local population especially the monks.

To the left, you can just see the bridge between La Rochelle and Ile-de-Ré.

We eventually reach a dyke along the sea. As we get closer to L’Aiguillon, we have a view a far as the bridge between La Rochelle and Ile-de-Ré.

The beach at L'Aiguillon sur Mer — The beach at L’Aiguillon sur Mer

L’Aiguillon-sur-Mer itself is a bit of a disappointment. We are expecting something a little more lively especially as the summer holidays have already started. We push on a few kilometers to La Faute-sur-Mer hoping to find more activity. We do, but it’s very much a working-class holiday spot full of garish takeaways and fast-food venues.

The path to the beach at La-Faute-sur-Mer

We don’t check out the beach at La Faute because it’s a long way from the bike route over a sandy path. On the footbridge, there are several people fishing with carrelets, square fishing nets. They don’t seem to be getting much but probably enough for dinner!

We go back to L’Aiguillon and check out the three restaurants. We decide on Julie dans la Cuisine overlooking the oyster beds. It’s 8.30 by then and apart from three young waitresses, there is not a soul in sight. I ask where all the people are. “It’s Monday”, they say, and sigh. “Well, we know we’ll get great service”, I replly. We choose a table out of the sun and open the windows to let in some fresh air. It’s about 30°C outside but there’s a cool breeze from the sea.

Overlooking the oyster beds at L'Aiguillon sur Mer — Overlooking the oyster beds at L’Aiguillon sur Mer

We order oysters (unfortunately they only have N° 3 which are quite small) and mussels and French fries, along with a glass of the local wine. We taste it and it appears to be a sauvignon. I ask the waitress but she says she doesn’t know what it is and brings the bottle back ! Sure enough, it’s a sauvignon. She’ll know for next time.

N°3 oysters with typical vinegar and shallots sauce (which I don't like!) — N°3 oysters on a bed of salt with typical vinegar and shallots sauce (which I don’t like!)

A group of three adults, 2 children and a baby arrive and they are the only other patrons in a restaurant that can probably seat over a hundred people. The season does not seem to be off to a good start. Despite their size, the oysters are tasty but a couple of them have a brownish liquid. I ask why and the waitress goes off to see the chef. It’s because they haven’t been through the oyster beds. Hmm. I hope this isn’t going to be a problem.

By then it’s nearly 9.20 and we still have to cycle 12 km back to the car. We just make it before the sun starts to set. The long twilight, of course, is why we usually take our holidays in June and July. Tomorrow we’ll head further east to the wet marshlands. See you then!

Loire Valley, Loire Valley châteaux, Restaurants

The Secret Châteaux of the Loire Valley – Langeais, Villesavin, Montpoupon & Beauregard

February 23, 2015 Rosemary Kneipp 10 Comments

First published in The Good Life France

My top ten châteaux and castles in the Loire Valley are the four “Cs” – Chenonceau, Chambord, Cheverny and Chaumont – followed by the royal castles of Amboise and Blois, all of which are located in the same general area, then Azay le Rideau, Ussé and Villandry, which form another geographical group, and Valençay, out on its own.

Chenonceau, undoubtedly the most beautiful of all the châteaux

But there are many others, all with different appeal, that are well worth a visit. Langeais is a royal castle and fortress, while Villesavin, Montpoupon and Beauregard are châteaux.

Royal Castle of Langeais

The Royal Castle of Langeais, built in 1465 by King Louis XI, is an excellent example of a late mediaeval fortress, with a drawbridge in working order and a parapet walk with stunning views open to visitors.

The interior furnishing is typical of the period, with sculpted wooden chests and fine tapestries. Fifteen wax figures give a lifelike representation of the secret marriage of Charles VIII and Anne de Bretagne in 1491 when Charles was 21 and Anne only 16.

A wedding pageant at Langeais castle — The secret marriage of Charles VIII and Anne de Bretagne

A large park behind the château offers an excellent view of the Loire and even has (reconstructed!) mediaeval scaffolding. In the summer, pageants are often performed and we were lucky enough to witness a simulated wedding between a young lady called Raoulette and a man whom she had never seen, chosen by her upwardly mobile parents for his wealth.

You can have tea and cakes or a light lunch at La Maison de Rabelais just opposite the castle. It’s also a bakery and patisserie. 2 Place Pierre de Brosse, 37130 Langeais, France
+33 2 47 96 82 20

Château de Langeais (25 min from Tours, 1hr 15 from Blois, 15 mins from Villandry)

Open: February & March 9.30 am to 5.30 pm, April, May, June, September, October to November 11, 9.30 am to 6.30 pm, July & August, 9 am to 7 pm, November 12 to 31 January, 10 am to 5 pm, December 25, 2 pm to 5 pm.

Prices: Adults, 9 €, aged 18 to 25, €7.50, aged 10 to 17, €5, children under 10, free.

Château de Villesavin

Château de Villesavin, which isn’t really a castle, is an hour’s ride on horseback from Château de Chambord and was actually a glorified worksite hut built at the beginning of the 16th century by Jean Le Breton who was François I’s minister of finance and in charge of the construction of his “hunting lodge”.

The inside of the building isn’t particularly interesting, except for the “try-out” for the monumental staircase at Chambord and the kitchen, which has a few original features. Photographs of the interior are not allowed, unfortunately.

Far more interesting is the 19th century wedding museum with its large collection of wedding dresses, headdresses and globes!

In the grounds there is well-preserved dovecote with a spiral ladder and 1,500 dove cells. A second museum contains horse-drawn carriages and a large number of children’s carriages. The annual chocolate fair is held duringthe third weekend in October.

There is a gastronomic restaurant nearby called Restaurant l’Agriculture, Le Bourg, 41250 Tour en Sologne, 02 54 46 45 10 http://www.hotelrestaurant-agriculture-41.com

Château de Villesavin, 41250 Tour-en-Sologne (17 km de Blois, 9 km de Chambord et 6 km de Cheverny)

Open: March 1 to May 31, 10 am to noon and 2 pm to 7 pm (closed on Thursday in March); June 1 to September 30, 10 am to 7 pm every day; October 1 to November 15, 10 am to noon, 2 pm to 6 pm (closed on Thursdays in November).

Prices: Adults including guided tour + grounds + wedding museum €8, grounds + wedding museum €6, aged 10 to 16, €6.50 & €4.50, aged 6 to 9 €4.50, free under 6.

Château de Montpoupon

Château de Montpoupon, just 10 minutes from Château de Chenonceau, is an excellent example of what can be done to make a small family château attractive to the public. A recorded conversation between a young girl and her father, for example, is used to take the visitor through the living and dining rooms and King’s Bedroom downstairs and the family bedrooms upstairs.

fMontpoupon as you see it from the approach

Initially a mediaeval castle built by a Germanic clan at the time of Charlemagne, it has been converted over the centuries into a château. The towers from the original castle are 13^th century, the main block is 15^th century but built in a somewhat older style, and the gatehouse 16^th century.

The extensive 19th century outbuildings contain several exhibitions relating to the Hunt, which was and still is, one of the main activities of the various owners down the centuries.

The lovely collection of Hermes scarves at Montpoupon

In particular there is a large display of Hermès scarves which were originally an integral part of the hunting scene. A most enjoyable visit.

The Auberge de Montpoupon next door is open from 1st April but there are also several places to eat in Chenonceau with a view of the château, and other possibilities in Montrichard.

Château de Montpoupon (10 minutes from Chenonceau, 15 minutes from Montrichard, 20 minutes from Chambord)

Open: April to September, every day, 10 am to 7 pm. October, every day, 10 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 5 pm. 16 February, March and November, weekends and school holidays, 10 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 5 pm. Closed in January and December.

Prices: Adults €8.50, students & seniors €7.50, aged 6 to 15 €5.

Château de Beauregard

The château started off as a manor house in the 15th century and was confiscated from the owner, François Doulcet, by Louis XII when he was found guilty of embezzlement. François I used the house as a hunting lodge before giving it to his uncle René de Savoie who sold it to Jean du Thier, Henri II’s finance minister in 1545. Work carried out between 1553 and 1559 turned Beauregard into one of the finest châteaux in the Loire Valley. A gallery and an L-shaped wing were added to the original building.

The harmonious Italianised architecture includes arcades in the gallery surmounted by terracotta medallions. Its high white chimneys “à la Chambord” are incrusted with slate. All that remains of Jean du Thier’s interior decoration, however, is the Cabinet des Grelots, his work cabinet, with its delicately sculpted caisson ceiling completed in 1554 by the royal cabinetmaker Scibec de Carpi.

The stunning portrait gallery at Beauregard

But it was Paul Ardier, Louis XIII’s minister who was responsible for its most prominent feature. After retiring from political life, he decorated the Grand Gallery between 1620 and 1638 with 327 portraits spanning three centuries (1328 to 1643), forming the largest collection of historical portraits in Europe. They are not all works of art, of course, but the collection is impressive.

There is a restaurant in the grounds open from 10.30 am to 6 pm from 1st to 29th May, July and August.

Château de Beauregard, Cellettes (15 mins from Blois, 25 mins from Chambord, 15 mins from Cheverny)

Open: 18th November to 14th February, by reservation only (groups), 15th February to 30th March 11 am to 5 pm, 31st March to 29th June, 10 am to 6 pm, 30th June to 31st August, 10 am to 7 pm, 1st September to 2^nd November, 10 am to 6 pm, 3rd November to 11th November, 11 am to 5 pm.

Prices: Park and château : 12.50 euro (park only : 9 euro); children from 5 to 13 : 5 euro (park only : 5 euro)

Accommodation, Food, Restaurants, Sightseeing, Spain, Travelling

Granada – Final Impressions and Suggestions – and maybe Cordoba

February 10, 2015 Rosemary Kneipp 13 Comments

I somehow feel that Granada escaped me. I think there are two reasons: the fact that I was still recovering from a bad bout of flu and the unexpectedly cold weather. It seems to me that Spain is an outdoor country and that is the only real way to enjoy it. With temperatures around freezing, it was difficult to find enough to do outside and the indoor venues were practically never heated.

We did not expect to see a snowman in Granada!

When to go – not winter!

So my first suggestion would be to avoid January and February, despite the oranges on the trees and the possibility of snow.

How to get there

I also think we were there too long, but surprisingly, the cheapest flights were Saturday to Saturday! There are no direct flights to Granada (you need to change in Madrid), so the cheapest way to go is via Malaga which has flights arriving from all over the world.

You can then either stay overnight in Malaga or take a bus directly to Granada. Because we were arriving at night, we pre-booked our transport from the airport to our hotel in the centre via airportshuttles.com. It wasn’t that much more expensive than public transport and much cheaper than a taxi. Our friendly driver was waiting for us and we arrived at our hotel in next to no time.

Bus from Malaga to Granada

We didn’t stay long in Malaga as there is nothing to see but new buildings. I seriously don’t see the attraction but Black Cat was there during fiesta time one year with local friends and loved it.

The bus station is within easy walking distance of the centre of Malaga. There are machines to buy your ticket (in English) and you get to choose your seat. The buses are modern and efficient and leave on time. We even had a bag of goodies on the ride back from Granada to the airport!

However, the bus station in Granada is very far from the centre so it’s better to take a taxi (less than 10 euro) to your accommodation. We literally walked outside and jumped in a cab. On another occasion, however, we walked there and bused back and it was long and complicated.

A café at the bottom of our hill with great tostadas

How long to stay – and make a side trip to Cordoba

I think that 3 or 4 nights is a maximum to spend in Granada. I regret that we did not get our act together in time to rent a car (50 euro for 24 hours), drive the 2 ½ hours to Cordoba, visit the famous mosque, stay the night, visit the rest of the town the next morning then drive the 2 ¾ hours directly to Malaga airport.

Eating in Granada

When we visit another country, we prefer to eat in fairly basic local restaurants rather than go for an often disappointing gourmet experience. Spain is known for its tapas. Sometimes, they are served free with drinks in the evening and other times you pay a small amount (1.60 to 2 euros a time) per serve. Some are very filling. Larger serves that you can share are called raciones.

We found the menu del dia (menu of the day) at 8 to 9.50 euros excellent value for money. It includes a starter, main course, dessert, bread and a glass of wine. There is sometimes a tapa as well. There isn’t a very wide choice but the food is often prepared on the premises and copious.

Breakfast with tostadas and fresh orange juice

Eating hours are very different from France. Breakfast seems to take place at about 10 am, with people having a break from the office. Tea or coffee, freshly-squeezed orange juice and a tostada (toasted bread) spread with tomato pulp and olive oil, butter or just olive oil are always offered. On the last day, we went to a very small café and watched the lady put some tomatoes into a blender to make the pulp. Delicioius! It seems you can grate the tomatoes as well. The total price for this type of breakfast is about 3.50 to 4 euros per person.

The wonderful breakfast café at Plaza Larga in the Albaicin we found on the last day!

Churros are another speciality of Spain. We loved them in Madrid but found that even in the most popular churro place in Granada (Futbol Café), they were salty and too chewy. You dip them in hot chocolate that is made with some kind of thickening. I don’t really think they are worth the calories to be honest!

The Futbol Café famous for its churros and where every game of futbol is celebrated with great gusto

Where to stay

With regard to accommodation, we chose a self-catering flat as that is what we prefer if we go somewhere for more than a few days. I’m still not sure about the location. We were halfway up Cuesta Alhacaba in the Albaicin, which is the oldest neighbourhood of Granada and definitely the most interesting. If we went down the (very steep) hill, we were in the main modern part of the town and if we went up the (slightly less steep) hill and wandered around the other side, we were in the older part. The two best vantage points, Mirador Nicolas and Mirador San Cristobal, are at the top of the Albaicin. However, at least in winter, there isn’t much open there at night.

Our self-catering flat from the outside, halfway up Cuesta Alcahaba — Our self-catering flat from the outside, halfway up Cuesta Alhacaba

The Alhambra, of course, is the star attraction, but it’s up on a hill and isn’t really close to anything else. A view of the Alhambra is much sought after apparently, but you can drink in the view from a lot of places in the city. To book ahead, you can use the official website and pick up your tickets in a ServiCaixa machine with your credit card.

One of the many views of the Alhambra from the Albaicin quarter

My perference still goes to Seville which we visited at about the same time several years ago and loved and Barcelona which we really enjoyed as well, especially anything to do with Gaudi. We also enjoyed San Sebastian, despite the weather!

Architecture, Art, Food, Restaurants, Sightseeing, Spain

Sun and Snow in the Albaicin in Granada

February 5, 2015 Rosemary Kneipp 11 Comments

Snow has been predicted but when we wake up, there is no sign of it. We walk up Cuesta Alhacaba, our double hill road, to Casa Pasteles on Plaza Larga for breakfast. There’s a market today – one clothes stand and a fruit and vegetable stand! We go for the tostado medio and have trouble understanding how much we have to pay : 7.70 euro, which somehow seems a very strange amount.

We walk down the other side of the Albaicin quarter through tiny winding streets, the sky dramatic with its bright sun, deep blue and menacing clouds. I’m starting to get the feel of Granada which has escaped me up until now. A word we keep seeing is Carmen, derived from the Arabic for a garden planted with vines. In Granada, it means a villa. I’d love to see behind the high iron gates.

Our first destination is the 11th century Bañuelo, one of the oldest surviving and best-conserved baths in Andalucia and the oldest public building in Granada. It was not destroyed during the Christian era because it is underneath a private dwelling. We have the place to ourselves and are impressed by the sheer size of the baths although their tiles have long disappeared.

Banuelo, Granada's oldest public building — Banuelo, Granada’s oldest public building

As we walk past Plaza Nueva, I connect it up with the touristy place at the bottom of the Alhambra from the day before. Granada seems to have no centre.

Having coffee in the sun - at last! — Having coffee in the sun – at last!

After having our only outdoor coffee since the beginning of our stay in Granada, we visit the Royal Chapel and I’m astonished to see how terrible some of the wall paintings are although the faces of the sculptures on the ornate altar are finely carved.

We walk quickly through the modern souk in Alcaiceria, that replaced the original medina after it burnt down in 1843, and is now a craft market with lots of souvenir shops. We cross over Gran Via de Colon and start walking up the little streets to the Albaicin.

By the time we get to Plaza Aliatar, I’m more than ready for lunch – well, a rest in any case. We choose Bañeao with its 3-course menu at 9.50 euro and hope for the best. We are served a tapa consisting of a small fried egg surrounded by some sort of dried peas or beans, followed by what look like eggplant French fries, then grilled squid with salad. I have the somewhat liquid rice custard. People keep running outside to see the whispy little bits of snow that are falling.

It’s late afternoon and the snow has finally started, light at first, then gradually heavier. By the time we venture out to buy food for dinner, it’s snowing quite heavily and wetly. The paving stones are a little slippery as well.

When we look out the window next morning, we see there is still snow on the ground, especially on our terrace, but the sky is bright blue so we head over to our favourite Mirador San Nicolas.

It hasn’t snowed enough to turn the Alhambra white but the glinting rooftops and snow-covered orange trees are lovely. It’s biting cold though.

We make our way down the hill towards the university quarter where we’re going to visit the Carthusian Monastery and are delighted by the views of the city spread out before us.

From the outside, the Cartuja reminds me of the Cartosa near Milan, one of the most beautiful churches I’ve ever seen. The inside is very ornate with multi-coloured marble and polychrome wood drapery. Unfortunately photos are not allowed.

Former royal hospital, now Granada university

On the way back, we discover a new area we haven’t been to before and visit the former royal hospital, now the University of Granada. It consists of a series of beautiful white patios but no students. Maybe it’s holiday time.

We debate whether or not to eat downtown or up in the Albaicin and decide on the latter. As before, the views from the tiny winding streets are stunning but exhausting and it’s still very cold with little pockets of snow on the ground in some places.

We end up again on Plaza Aliatar and try the other restaurant, Horno de Paquito (horno = oven) which ostensibly has the same menu but turns out to have a lot more deep-fried dishes. We order a vino tinto followed by a vino roja, although we’re not sure what the difference is!

After our well-earned siesta, we suddenly look outside and see there’s a magnificent sunset. We quickly get dressed, but by the time we are rugged up and ready to leave, the sunset’s nearly over. I nearly burst my chest getting up another of those hills but we are five minutes late. Maybe we’ll do better tomorrow.

Architecture, Art, Restaurants, Sightseeing, Spain

Sunny Spain and the Alhambra

February 3, 2015 Rosemary Kneipp 17 Comments

We’ve booked our tickets for the Alhambra ahead of time on ticketmaster.es and collected them in a Servi Caixa terminal to avoid the queues. We know this from Barcelona. This is a great idea when there are lots of tourists but unfortunately it means you can’t choose the weather. Today it’s overcast and sometimes drizzly although we have a fleeting patch of blue sky mid-morning. The next sun is predicted for Thursday.

At about ten, after eating a boiled egg and a yoghurt at home, we walk down our double hill and left onto Gran Via de Colon, the main street of Granada. The first place we choose for coffee doesn’t have any tables left. This is a common occurrence during peak breakfast hour in Granada. Fortunately there is another place across the road with lots of tables.

We order our espresso and freshly squeezed orange juice, then tostados and tomate which are even bigger than yesterday. We pour over olive oil as we’ve seen the other other patrons do. Jean Michel finishes off my second one. It’s costs us a whopping 3.50 euro each.

Then we set off for the Alhambra which is on top of another hill. This world heritage site consists of a palace and fortress mainly rebuilt in the 11th century by a Moorish emir called Mohammed ben Al-Ahmar and converted into a royal palace in 1333 by Yusuf I, Sultan of Granada. After falling into disrepair it was rediscovered in the 19th century by European scholars and travellers.

By the time we get to the top of the steep hill at 11.30 and discover we’re at the wrong entrance for our tickets I need a very long rest as I am still tired from my flu. We find a restaurant where we can just have coffee because even by French standards it’s way too early for lunch and we can’t get into the Nasrid Palace until 2 pm. There is a welcome fire blazing in a brick fireplace. So much for sunny Spain!

I slowly recuperate while Jean Michel reads the guide book and we eventually ask for the menu. I order an eggplant salad and Jean Michel a Caesar salad and we both have our customary dry white wine (though I did have a red with my baby lamb cutlets yesterday which also went will with Jean Michel’s ox tail).

I’ll just make a slight digression here about the ox-tail which is a typical Andalusian dish during bull-fight season which obviously results in large amounts of bull’s meat.

The eggplant salad turns out to be slices of eggplant cooked in filo pastry – it’s very hard to get away from deep fried food here – on a bed of lettuce, hard tomatoes and capers with a sprinkling of parmesanand a large amount of mayonnaise.

We walk back down to the correct entrance and wander around the gardens waiting for 2 pm. We can see the Mirador San Nicolas opposite where we took our photos of the Alhambra the day before. It’s at the top of our double hill road. We can also see the troglodyte houses in the side of the hill.

One of the many beautifully carved archways

We begin our visit of the Alhambra. It’s full of people taking photos of each other in front of every single visible arch which somehow detracts from the atmosphere. There is no furniture, but mainly intricately carved Arabic inscriptions in the form of geometrical patterns, with painted tiles on the walls. I have to confess it’s all a bit repetitive for me and it is absolutely freezing cold as well.

Opposite windows looking over an inside garden

I do like the different patios with their fountains and greenery which are no doubt a welcome break from the steamy hot weather that most people experience in Grenada.

One of the many keyhole views overlooking the surrounding countryside

The path out of the palace takes us through more gardens and past stunning views of Grenada to the Palace of the Generalife and the Upper Gardens which we also try to imagine in the warmer weather.

We finally emerge an hour and a half later (the visit is supposed to take 3 hours). It’s spitting and we’re cold. Let’s find somewhere to have hot chocolate and churros we both decided of a common accord.

In the gardens walking towards the Generalife

We ignore the touristy places at the bottom of the hill and head for Gran Via de Colon. On the left we see a promising-looking place appropriately called Via Colon. We order our chocolate and churros and sit back in eager expectation. We have very fond memoires of eating the same thing in a very famous place in Madrid called Chocolateria San Giné.

The hot chocolat, which arrives first, is OK but the churros are very disappointing. They are large and a bit tough and SALTY. We coat them with sugar and dip them in our hot chocolate but it doesn’t improve them much. Jean Michel orders a chocolate cake with a strange spice in it to get rid of the salty taste. I reckon we might have done better in one of those touristy places after all!

Restaurants, Sightseeing, Spain, Uncategorized

Getting to Granada and First Impressions

February 2, 2015 Rosemary Kneipp 17 Comments

We leave Blois at 10 am on Saturday to drive to Orly Airport where we’re leaving the car in a somewhat suspicious-looking long-term parking lot near for the airport for 70 euros. If the car’s still there on our return, it’s a hassle-free way of get to the airport. Otherwise, we would have had to catch a train to Gare d’Austerlitz in Paris and taken a train out to the airport.

After my week of flu I seem to be having a relapse and the first thing I do on the Transavia flight to Malaga leaving at 4.35 pm is to nearly faint on the way back from the ladies. The hostess lies me down on a double seat and I sleep until our arrival at 7 pm. We collect our baggage and are relieved to see that the shuttle we booked at airportshuttles.com for 21 euro is waiting for us.

It’s quite balmy at 13°C. Malaga looks very clean and modern. The driver takes us to our boutique hotel . The rooms are small but very trendy. The sign behind the door says 200 euro but we are paying 72 euro per night, I guess because it’s winter. We leave our things and go to find a restaurant. Jean Michel says we’re near the sea so have to have fish.

At Bodeguita de Carlos that we find by accident, I order a grilled John Dory to share and Jean Michel eats about ¾ of it. I certainly can’t manage any more. All I really want to do is go to bed.

Next morning I am not feeling brilliant at all. We get dressed and go down for breakfast but the breakfast café is very busy and there are no tables. I start feeling really ill and we go back upstairs. Jean Michel goes down to secure a table and order coffee because I seem to be having orthostatic hypotension again and need to get the adrenaline pumping. We finally get served and Jean Michel has a buffet breakfast. I pull off a few bits of bread.

Olives and the Sierra Nevada from the bus on the way to Grenada

We decide to go straight to the coach station to take the 1 pm bus to Granada and I manage to eat a tortilla frances while Jean Michel has some sort of fish. The bus is new and takes 1 ¾ hour to get to Granada. It costs about 23 euro for both of us. From there we take a taxi to our rental accommodation. The sky is bright blue.

A very unwelcoming Spanish woman with minimal English shows us the flat which is arranged on two stories. The two bedrooms (one about the size of a monk’s room) are on the first floor with a patio outside and a bathroom up three and down two steps. Great in the middle of the night! A narrow tiled staircase leads up to a living room and rudimentary kitchen with a large patio outside with a lovely view of the city walls.

None of it feels very warm with a current outside temperature of 10°C predicted to fall below zero during the week.

We unpack our belongings and see that apart from oil and vinegar, the kitchen has nothing else, not even a teapot. The bed doesn’t look wonderful and there is a large round window without a shutter that turns out to be lit by a street light. Sigh.

Our street is called Cuesta Alhacaba which means double hill. All is said. We walk up to the top of the old Albaicin quarter by which time I am completely exhausted of course but I love the houses and Moorish decoration along the way.

We get our first sighting of the famous Alhambra and wander through the gardens of the Palacio de los Cordova. At the bottom of the hill on the other side, we walk along the Darro River until we reach the main thoroughfare.

I’m suddenly hungry so we go into a bar called Minotoro where we order freshly squeezed orange drinks, some slices of goats cheese and what turns out to be French fries with mayonnaise and tomato ketchup on them! Not exactly what I feel like …

Mayonnaise and tomato ketchup French fries

We decide to make our way home so we can have a siesta despite the fact that it’s near 6 pm but I’m feeling pretty exhausted at this point and we still have to climb our double hill to get back.

Church in Albaicin — Colegiata de San Salvador in Albaicin

The house is gradually warming up but I’m still quite cold. It probably hasn’t been heated for a while even though we’ve turned the electric heaters up to maximum. We sleep for an hour or so.

The courtyard of Le Ladrillo where we have dinner — The courtyard of El Ladrillo (the brick?) where we have dinner

Since there are no shops open on Sunday afternoon we still have no food so at about 8 pm (early by Spanish standards) we go looking for dinner. All those great tapas bars that we open during the afternoon are now closed but we eventually find a place called El Ladrillo selling grilled fish. Jean Michel misreads the menu and the waiter’s English is very basic so we end up with a large platter of fried seafood and a mixed salad. I eat the battered octopus pieces and half the salad but am not tempted by the rest.

Before we’re even finished, they’ve closed the kitchen, we’ve already paid and the waiter is whisking away our plates as soon as he can! We walk all the way down the hill for a decaff coffee (I must be crazy) and halfway back again to our cold house. I’m too tired by then to do anything else except go to bed!

Aussie in France