This week’s blogger round-up takes us to two very different parts of the world. Jo Karnagan from Frugal First Class Travel gives tips to eating well in the Cinque Terre, that wonderful area on the west coat of Italy that I’ve blogged about in the past and where I probably had the best seafood meal ever, while Laurence and Vera from Finding the Universe take us on a self-guided tour of Copenhagen, home of the Little Mermaid and definitely on my wish list, illustrated with their usual stunning photographs. Enjoy!
Eating Well in the Cinque Terre
by Frugal First Class Travel, an Australian who loves to travel – especially in Europe – and who has gradually learned how to have a First Class trip on an economy budget, without missing out on anything!
The Cinque Terre is, like much of Italy, pure joy for frugalfirstclasstravellers. It is easy to eat well on fantastic local, seasonal food, and drink fabulous local wines, all at a bargain price! What’s not to love? So, here is the official frugalfirstclasstravel guide to eating and drinking well in the Cinque Terre:
Food – The Cinque Terre is all about fish and other fresh seafoods. Red meat and poultry is not well represented (and in some places not represented at all) on restaurant menus, so seafood is the way to go here. Read more
A self-guided tour of Copenhagen
by Laurence from Finding the Universe, of British origin who, with German-born Vera are travellers, into writing and photography, slowly exploring the world.
There are definitely more comfortable places to sit than on Hans Christian Andersen’s left knee. On top of that, instead of telling me a story out of the book that is resting on his right knee, he is staring over to the Tivoli, the famous theme park, completely ignoring me.
Well, I can’t say that’s good manners but I do understand why he is like that. Who even knows how many people sit on his lap on a daily basis to have their picture taken. Apart from that, it’s a really nice sunny day in Copenhagen, with the first flowers announcing that spring might finally have arrived after this long cold winter. So maybe Hans is just day-dreaming.
I, on the other hand, ain’t got time for that! I arrived here in Denmark’s capital yesterday and I have only today to see the city. Luckily it’s very walkable. Hey, why don’t you guys tag along? Yes? Cool! But I’m warning you: I’m a fast walker… Alright, let’s go! Read more
This week, in my bloggers’ round-up, Pierre from Paris on Demand suggests some original souvenirs from Paris, Sylvia from Finding Noon takes us to a Chagall exhibition in Paris that is on until 21st July and Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris describes her last-minute trip to Belgium, especially Ghent and Antwerp, instead of a boat trip along a canal in Burgundy, cancelled due to severe flooding. Enjoy!
Original souvenirs from Paris…
by Pierre from Paris on Demand, aimed at helping tourists and Paris lovers to get to know the city of Light under a different perspective, offering news and updates on exhibitions, museums, restaurants, off-the-beaten-track addresses, events and tips to prepare their trip and understand the Parisian way of life.
If you’re looking for chic and trendy souvenirs from Paris, look no further, “Les Parisettes” is for you! “Les Parisettes” is a concept store specialized in different types of products: kitchen accessories, stationery, tote bags, jewelry, candles, games, cushions and home decoration ideas. Everyone can find an original gift, in the colors of Paris and the Eiffel Tower. Maryse Bazzoli and Sophie Ollé-Laprune, the creators of the store, pay a lot of attention to select refined, Eiffel-Tower fashioned, quality items, only for you! Read more
A hymn…
by Finding Noon, an American living in Paris who appreciates fine art, good music, succulent food, and breath taking scenery
Rich blue sapphires, golden topazes, apple red rubies…. No, I did not go jewelry shopping this weekend, rather I spent a lovely hour (or so) with a fairly dense crowd at the Musée du Senat in the Luxembourg gardens diving into the sumptuous colors at the Chagall exhibit.
I like Chagall. I am aware that he is not for everyone. Upside down chickens and flying musicians do not reflect classical realism, nor modern abstract purity and it all requires a willing suspension of disbelief. But I love his gem stone palette, and I find his fantastical characters, often dancing, kissing, playing music absolutely delightful. His work has been known to make my make heart do a little jig. I suspect I am not the only one and that this is perhaps why he was chosen to paint the ceiling at the Opera Garnier. His stained glass windows add the perfect counterpoint of colorful light to the cold grey stones at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Reims, making it my favorite cathedral in France. Read more
Last minute change of plans from Burgundy to Belgium and from wine to beer…
by Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, an American by birth, Swiss by marriage, resident of Paris with a Navigo Pass for the metro that she feels compelled to use
“I just spoke with someone at Le Boat. They had to cancel our reservation because the water level in the Nivernais Canal is too high. Can you find somewhere else for us to go?”
My heart sank when Stéphane called last Monday to tell me that our much anticipated boating trip in Burgundy with our daughter had been cancelled. Gone were visions of the three of us cycling to quaint villages for lunch and leisurely sipping red wine on the deck in the evening. Instead, I was charged with the task of finding an affordable last minute alternative during one of the busiest travel weeks in Europe. Even after hours spent scouring the internet, Sara and I couldn’t find a getaway that cost less than 1,790 euros per person. In desperation, I called Stéphane and told him that we were going to have to get creative, to think outside the box. “How about driving to Belgium?” I proposed. Read more
The first day in our home exchange in Ciboure on the Basque Coast gets off to a good start with breakfast on the terrace overlooking the Pyrenees. There’s so much sun we even have to open up the awning.
Breakfast on the terrace
After breakfast we go into the centre of Ciboure to buy fresh fish directly from the stalls representing the people who caught it. We choose a dorade rose (red sea bream) which is supposed to be the best of the sea bream family.
Ciboure
We then go to the Coopérative Maritime which sells clothing brands such as Saint James, Cap Marine and Armor Lux, very popular on the coast in France,particularly in the summer. I find a navy zippered cotton cardigan which will be perfect for cooler evenings by the sea.
Typical Basque architecture, even for recent homes
We go home and change into our cycling gear and set off by car to join the cycle path to Bayonne, a nice easy ride for the second day of the holidays. Jean Michel tries a couple of different places and then decides it’s the right one. Theoretically we’ve cycled along this path before but I don’t recognise it. But that’s not surprising – I don’t remember a lot of places we’ve been …
A stop along the hilltop cycle path
Instead of the flat path I thought we were taking, it starts with a steep hill. OK, I think, now it’s going to get flatter. But it doesn’t. We whizz downhill which is always worrying because there is inevitably a hill going up on the other side. Jean Michel then realises he’s somehow confused Saint Jean de Luz with Biarritz and the roller coaster bike path is not going to stop for quite some time. I groan inwardly.
View from the hilltop path
The coastal scenery is admittedly very beautiful but I’m so busy changing gears that I can’t really take it in. I also can’t take many photos because there is no way I’m going to stop on the way up a slope or I’ll never get going again. Also, my first gear isn’t working which doesn’t make things any easier.
Le C restaurant, Plage de Cenitz, Guéthary
After a while, I realise that if we don’t stop soon, we’ll never get lunch. It’s already 1.30. I see a sign that says “restaurant” just before another hill. We’ve only done 6 ½ kilometers but I’m exhausted. The road goes downhill and we come to a concrete building with a sort of garden tent attached to it and tables and even deckchairs on the grass in front, with a stunning view of the sea.
Tables and deck chairs on the grass at Le C, Cenitz Plage Guéthary
We don’t hesitate. I go inside to find a table as there are no sunshades over the outside tables and it’s about 28°C in the sun. I gradually start to recover and my beetroot shade slowly disappears (I’m not burnt as I’ve slathered on sunscreen). I look at the menu. Twenty euro for harmburger meat and French fries seems a little exaggerated.
Café gourmand at Le O
Then I spy the set menu for 19 euros – dish of the day, a glass of wine (will I ever get up the slope?) and café gourmand. The dish of the day is Spanish: small sweet peppers stuffed with garlic cream and cod, served with rocket. Sounds perfect. The waiter very sweetly brings us bread and some sort of spread while we’re waiting.
Jean Michel congratulates me on all the hills and suggests we go back to the car, load the bikes again and go to the place he meant to go to in Biarritz in the first place. Sounds like a good idea to me. I manage to cycle back up and down the hills, only getting off and pushing the bike twice.
The flat path
When we finally get to the flat bike path, I’m not sure my legs are going to cooperate. But apart from a few initial undulations, the bike path really is flat. It’s also shady and I begin to wonder whether I was right to leave our sweat shirts in the car. After those horrible hills, it seems dead easy though. The sky isn’t as blue as it was when we started out.
Along the Adour near Bayonne
At Bayonne, we find the café where we had a cold drink last time we cycled from Biarritz, next to the Adour River with a lovely view of the old town opposite. Afterwards we cycle around a bit. The sky is looking more and more threatening so we decide we’d better start making tracks.
Having a drink on the riverside in Bayonne
We stop and put our jean shirts on. The tide is turning and the air is much cooler. We hope it won’t start raining before we get back to the car because we obviously don’t have our rain capes. About 3 K before we reach our destination, we feel the first drops. We’re nearly back at the car when they start getting heavier and, thankfully, IN the car when it really starts to rain.
Storm brewing on the cycle path
However, it doesn’t last that long and we follow the coast road back to Saint Jean de Luz, congratulating ourselves on not having to go up and down all those hills again.
This post is part of the Lou Messugo monthly All About France blog link-up. For other entries, click here
I can’t believe that I have lived in Paris for 35 years and never been to one of its best museums. Musée Carnavalet in the Marais had always been described as a museum of French history which seemed very dry to me but someone posted a photo on FaceBook recently which made me think that it was perhaps worth going to.
Musée Carnavalet façade
Jean Michel had a day off on Tuesday and the weather still wasn’t condusive to going to Parc des Sceaux to see the Japanese cherry blossoms so I suggested Carnavalet instead. He didn’t seem convinced, so I dug out the trusty Routard : “One of Paris’ finest museums not only because of its setting, its proportions and intimate character, but also its excellent permanent collections.
Beautiful wood panelling with Voltaire’s chair on the right
The French Capital is brought to life in paintings, sculpture, furniture, everyday and decorative objects. Carnavalet is often considered to be a secondary museum that you only visit if you have a bit of time left over after doing the Louvre and Orsay – a most unfortunate opinion. Nothing could be more passionate and amusing than discovering the many faces of Paris in the Middle Ages, the Revolution, the Reign of Terror, the romantic era or the sixties.
I was surprised the skirts were so short – they’re cyclists!
It’s like walking into a picture book where you can let your imagination wander from one era to next, like in a dream, fascinated by the powerful evocation of scenes from the daily life of Parisians in days gone by. Carnavalet: a must!”
Vaulted arcades, Place des Vosges
Well, that convinced him and we set off on metro line 1 to Saint Paul and walked through Hôtel de Sully with its flowering lilacs and onto. Place des Vosges. I’d forgotten how attractive it is, with its brick and stone vaulted arcades, terrace cafés and leafy garden surrounded by early 17th century apartment buildings with uniform façades, somewhat similar to Palais Royal which, however, has the added advantages of not having any cars.
Place des Vosges
There was no queue when we got to the Museum, mainly because it’s free like all the other museums owned by the city of Paris. The building itself is very large and consists of the original town house built in the mid 16th century and purchased by the city of Paris in 1880 and Hôtel Le Peletier Saint-Fargeau connected by a gallery on one side.
Shop signs at Musée Carnavalet
The first room was totally unexpected and I knew immediately that I was going to enjoy the visit. It was full of wrought iron shop signs and lead light windows. In the following room, the façade of an old apothecary’s had been reconstructed.
Reception room from Hôtel d’Uzès
The late 18th century reception room in the next section comes from Hôtel d’Uzès in rue Montmartre and is quite magnificent. Its beautiful wood panelling is an original example of the neoclassical style.
Detail of wood panelling
Many more reconstructed interiors followed, with painted and sculpted wood panelling and matching furniture, all in beautiful condition. A fellow visitor, who seemed to know the museum intimately, told us it was the best collection of furniture outside the Louvre.
Soirée at the Pré-Catalan by Henri Gervex
We didn’t see the whole museum, which is very extensive. I particularly liked the gallery connecting the two hôtels which houses the Seligmann donation depicting French society during the Belle Epoque at the turn of the 20th century.
Wood-stove in the shape of the Bastille Prison
There is practically an entire floor given over to the French revolution and I saw a painting and mock-up of the Bastille prison for the first time – not to mention a ceramic wood-stove in the shape of the huge fortress-like prison.
Reconstructed bedroom in the Napoleon section
We didn’t see Paris in the 16th century or Marcel Proust’s bedroom or the Second Empire collection which was closed for renovation. There is also an archeological section including neolithic dugout canoes that are about 4,000 years old so there will be plenty to see for future visits.
Afternoon tea at Carrette’s, Place des Vosges
After leaving the museum we went back to Place des Vosges and had a wonderful afternoon tea at Carette’s served in Limoges porcelain with exquisite cakes and very friendly service. I saw they serve breakfast and lunch as well so we might be going back there as well!
Musée Carnavalet, 23 rue de Sevigné, 75003 Paris. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm except public holidays, Easter Sunday and Whitsunday. Free of charge.
Carette, 25 Place des Vosges, 75003 Paris.
This Wednesday’s Bloggers’ Round-Up starts with a trip to Parc de Sceaux in Greater Paris with Andrea from Rear View Mirror to see the spectular cherry blossoms in bloom at the moment. Pierre from Paris on Demand invites us to the Orsay Museum to see an amazing collection of works from the 19th and 20th century from an private American collection. Marie from Europe Trip Tips, a new blog on my list, gives us a photographic tour of the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris. Enjoy!
Paris Day Trip: Parc de Sceaux
by Andrea from Rear View Mirror (formerly Destination Europe), a fellow Australian who, after 6 years of living in France, has given up herParis apartment to live a nomadic life slowing travelling around Europe, experiencing each destination like a local
If you can bear to leave Paris for the day but still want a typically French experience, Parc de Sceaux is a great spot for a classic picnic of baguette, cheese and wine. Although the park is a popular weekend destination for Parisians, it’s not widely known to visitors of the city. It’s worth a trip if you’ve already visited much of Paris and are looking for something different or if you want to see the stunning cherry blossoms in spring. Read more
A passion for France
by Pierre from Paris on Demand, aimed at helping tourists and Paris lovers to get to know the city of Light under a different perspective, offering news and updates on exhibitions, museums, restaurants, off-the-beaten-track addresses, events and tips to prepare their trip and understand the Parisian way of life
Starting on April 16th, the Orsay Museum will host one of the most awaited exhibitions of the 2013 Spring as it has gathered 70 masterpieces from the Marlene and Spencer Hays Collection. The Hays are an American couple from Nashville, Tennessee, who have developed a passion for art and France. Spencer has become a business mogul by selling, among other things, men’s suits, books and health insurance. Since the 1980’s century and as his fortune grew, he and his wife have gathered an amazing collection of works from the 19th and 20th century. Read more
The Sainte-Chapelle of Paris – in Photos
by Marie-Eve from Europe Trip Tips is a something Canadian, full-time travel blogger, amateur photographer, translator and copywriter living as an expat in France who’s been to over 17 European countries and keeps adding new ones every other week.
The Sainte-Chapelle had been a long standing item on my Paris to-do list, but for some reason, I’d never got around to it. I had deemed Notre-Dame and Sacré-Coeur more worthy of my attention – the former for its free entry, and the latter for the views.
It wasn’t until my most recent trip to Paris that I finally managed to visit the gorgeous Ile de la Cité, skip Notre-Dame altogether, and focus my visit on the well-hidden Sainte-Chapelle. Read more
You no doubt read Susan’s description of a country “Charcuterie” in yesterdays’s bloggers’ round-up. But she doesn’t just spend her time buying “persillé” – she also runs a business. Susan and Simon and Célestine, their 1953 Citroen Traction Avant vintage car, who has just acquired a little sister called Claudette, take visitors on luxury tours of the Loire Valley, visiting châteaux and tasting wine. What more can you ask of life? My post on My French Life this month gives all the details!
Now before you go any further, I’d just like to tell you about a competition I was invited to enter recently. You may remember that I received an honour award from Expat Blogs last year thanks to your help. They are currently running an expat contest. You’ll find my entry, “Ten Top Châteaux in the Loire Valley, if you click here. Please feel free to make a comment and twittter the post if you enjoyed it. You might help me win a prize.
And now for Susan, Simon and Celestine!
Introducing Célestine, Susan & Simon of Loire Valley Time Travel in France
What better way to visit the beautiful French châteaux of the Loire Valley than in a shiny black 1953 Citroën Traction Avant!
When I learnt that Loire Valley Time Travel is run by two fellow Australians, I was curious to hear their story and learn more about their tours.
Susan and Simon lived in England for many years before coming to the Loire Valley. Susan, the tour leader, worked in one of the world’s leading heritage organisations and has a particular interest in textiles and costume. Having originally trained as a hotel manager, she is passionate about the food and recipes of the Touraine region.
Simon, the driver, was formerly a professional musician and teacher. He loves Célestine and thinks that 80 km/h is the perfect speed to cruise through the countryside. He’s very willing to stop and have visitors take photos or just soak up the scenery. After all, none of the historical sites in the area will disappear “if we take 10 minutes longer to get there,” he says. Read more
Some more Australian connections for this Wednesday’s Bloggers’ Round-up, starting with Phoebe from Lou Messugo, who takes us on a visit to Châteauneuf in the south of France; Susan from Days on the Claise who describes her local charcuterie in Touraine and Carolyn from My Sydney Paris Life who gives us a very moving description of the beautiful Nissim de Camondo museum in Paris. Enjoy!
Châteauneuf, my secret hill village
by Phoebe from Lou Messugo, a traveller, francophile, expat, mum and foodie now living in Roquefort les Pins where she runs a gîte after many years of travelling and living in Asia, Eastern Europe and Australia.
The Alpes-Maritimes is bursting with a multitude of pretty hill villages, called “villages perchés” in French, built during the middle ages in strategic spots on mountain tops and hill sides. There are at least 15 within half an hour’s drive of Lou Messugo, all with their own charm and more or less renovated/developed for tourists or left in an authentic untouched state. But there is one so close and yet so hidden that many people visiting the area wouldn’t even realise it exists. (I’d be prepared to bet a significant amount of local residents don’t realise there’s a medieval “perched” bit either). I’m talking about the village of Châteauneuf de Grasse on the outskirts of its famous neighbour, Grasse. Read more
La Charcuterie
by Susan from Days on the Claise, an Australian living in the south of the Loire Valley, writing about restoring an old house and the area and its history, and running Loire Valley Time Travel.
The charcuterie in Preuilly is well patronised and they have a good range of products. Most are made in house, some brought in. French charcuteries focus mainly on value added pork products — often cured, but sometimes simply cooked and ready to eat. They also do salads and prepared dishes. This is because many of them, like the one in Preuilly, are also traiteurs (caterers). Read more
A Legacy of Beauty and Remembrance: Musée Nissim de Camondo, Paris
by Carolyn Barnabo from My Sydney Paris Life, writing about global families and change and life in special geographic places that have captured her heart
Earlier this week, Clive and I visited Paris’s Musée Nissim de Camondo. In the days since then, we’ve often found ourselves returning to the story of the family whose sad, horrific history shaped our experience of spending time in what was once their home.
The first time I read about Musée Nissim de Camondo was in Edmund White’s ‘The Flâneur’ (2001). I know little about ‘decorative arts’ and tire quickly of stately homes brimming with historic furniture and all manner of objects — I’d rather explore the gardens and grounds outside. But White’s recounting of the de Camondos’ personal story grabbed me and I’ve had this museum on my Paris to-do list ever since. Read more
Three very different posts in this Wednesday’s Bloggers Round-Up: Yetunde from Like Home in Paris takes us on a guided tour through an unexpected venue: Paris’ oldest hospital, Jo Karnaghan, in her usual practical way, gives excellent tips on how to plan an itinerary (part 3, so don’t miss the others) while Stephanie, the Llamalady from Blog in France, has found a wonderful French site connecting up geographical locations and famous French writers. Enjoy!
Hôtel Dieu: The unexpected inside Paris’ oldest hospital
by Yetunde from Feels Like a Home in Paris, local Paris holiday rental specialists, who blog on tips, happenings & lots of food & drink from the city they love.
Visiting Notre Dame on Ile Saint Louis in Paris, you can’t help but notice the rather large Hôtel Dieu hospital close by. It has maybe even shown up on a few of your photos but have you ever been inside?
It would never strike me as a normal part of my day to enter into a hospital unless I really have to. I have only ever visited two emergency rooms in Paris and needless to say that I hope to never have to do it again. But when you consider a hospital that was built between the 7th and 17th century you have to take pause and notice it. Read on
Itinerary planning 101: Part 3 – the finishing touches to your travel plan
by Frugal First Class Travel, an Australian who loves to travel – especially in Europe – and who has gradually learned how to have a First Class trip on an economy budget, without missing out on anything!
How are you going with your plans for your latest itinerary? Have you got a good outline of where you are going, your budget and how you are planning on getting about? In the final installment of this short series we fill in the blanks with all the special moments that will make your trip one to really remember……
1. List all the things you want to do in each of your destinations
Taking into account the length of time you have in each destination, make a list of all the things you want to do for each of your destinations and prioritise them. Read on
Map of Literary French History
by Stephanie, the Llamalady, from Blog in France, an Irish llama and alpaca breeder living in the centre of France, who also runs a carp fishery and a holiday gite
Here’s something rather interesting – it’s a crowdsourced interactive map of France that allows you to discover quotations or descriptions about various destinations in the country by famous French writers.
Zoom in to the area of France that you’re interested in on the Google map in and you’ll see little blue flags. The quotations are linked to these. I was of course interested to see what’s been written about my local area. As I suspected, George Sand had a lot to say about the place. Here’s her (George Sand was the pen name of Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin) view of Boussac. Read more
After taking the metro once, we decided we’d rather use the bus, particularly since there were no direct metro lines between Sant Pau where we were staying and most of the places we wanted to go. Jean Michel took charge and, after six days, knew his way about better than our home exchange host who has never taken the bus in Barcelona. We took the metro once on the last day and got out at the wrong station.
You can use the 10-ticket metro card on the bus (just under 10 euro) and keep using it for 1 hour 15 minutes, which was handy when had to change bus lines. It was rare not to get a seat and most of the time the bus was half empty, but I guess there are a lot more people in the summer. The big advantage is that you can see where you’re going and it gave me a lot of opportunities to examine the architecture.
The city of Barcelona is laid out on a grid plan, except for the Barri Gotic, the historical quarter, which has lots of little streets arranged more haphazardly. The other streets are very wide and the intersections all form a hexagon. At most bus stops, there are luminous signs indicating when the bus is coming but they are most unreliable. They say “imminent” when the bus has already left and will just from 4 mins to 6 mins and back to 2 mins waiting time for no apparent reason.
One time, the sign said there was a 25 minute wait bus, so we decided to walk down to the next stop that had a better selection of lines. After a couple of minutes, we say the bus go whizzing past. Usually though, the most you have to wait for a bus is about 10 minutes.
Inside the bus, there is a sign indicating the next stop and often a recorded voice to go with it. It took me a while to realise that “Prospera parada” was not actually a stop but means “next stop” in Catalan.
I’m not sure what time the buses start running, but they go until about 10.30 pm. If we went home later than that we would take a taxi, which cost from 8 to 11 euro depending on where we were. There are positively zillions of taxis and you only have to stand on the pavement looking expectantly for one to appear.
When we come out of Cinc Sentitis at midnight on the last evening, a cab immediately pulled up. However, when we reached the flat, I suddenly realised that I no longer had my iphone. I rang the restaurant but they hadn’t found it. Next morning, I rang the central lost & found number for taxis (902101564) and was still hopeful the taxi driver might have found it and handed it in (I’m pretty sure it slipped out of my pants pocket when I sat down – no points for stupidity here).
However, by the time we left Barcelona at 3.30 pm, it still hadn’t turned up. In the meantime, I went to the big Apple store next to Plaça Cataluyna where a very friendly Australian helped me log into my account and declare it as lost. But since International Roaming was switched off (I had been using wifi), there was no way of tracking it. At least none of my photos are lost because I downloaded them all just before we went out for dinner and I synchronised recently.
The Australian sent us to the police station on the Plaça but it would have taken more than an hour to make a declaration and we obviously didn’t want to miss our flight. There were three other lots of tourists declaring missing items, but theirs were all cases of pickpocketing. By the way, all the taxis are identical – black and yellow – regardless of the company. You need to memorise the number each time as you get in or ask for a receipt. Neither of which I did, obviously.
I can see that tomorrow’s going to be a long day organising a replacement with my phone insurance.
The posts on my Wednesday Bloggers’ Round-Up today are all by Australians (or people with Australian connections) and all on the subject of Barcelona. Kathy Stanford from Femmes Francophiles has suggestions for both fine dining and casual dining in Barcelona, Craig Makepeace from Y Travel Blog offers lots of insider tips on things to do while Laurence from Finding the Universe offers us spectacular photos of Gaudi’s monuments that I can’t wait to visit! So let’s go to Barcelona!
Barcelona: Gastronomic Dining
by Kathy Stanford from Femmes Francophiles, an Australian who an ongoing passion for France and the French language just back in Australia after a holiday in Europe
I visited Spain for the first time in 2001 as part of a whirlwind tour around Europe. I couldn’t understand people who raved about Spanish food. The food served to tourists on bus trips is generally lacking flavour and unexciting. All this changed last year when I stayed with Isa and Julio in Andalusia. What a revelation.
In January this year, in addition to tapas, I was fortunate to dine in the Michelin starred Cinc Sentits restaurant in Barcelona. Read more
Things to do in Barcelona
By Australian blogger Craig Makepeace from Y Travel Blog, who, with Caz, believes that life is about creating great memories and making it a story to tell, and they do that through travel.
Looking for tips on things to do in Barcelona? As part of our city guides series, we interviewed Mariana Calleja from Travel Thirst who has been in Barcelona since January 2010, fell in love with the place, and decided to stay longer. Mariana shares with us her insider tips on the best things to do inBarcelona plus where to eat, sleep, drink, shop and explore. Why Visit Barcelona? Barcelona is a very rich city in many aspects. The easiest way… Read more
Gaudi’s Barcelona
by Laurence from Finding the Universe, of British origin who, with German-born Vera, are both travellers, into writing and photography, slowly exploring the world.
Gaudí. It’s kind of hard to visit Barcelona without spending your time gaping in awe at the architectural and artistic genius that he left behind all over the city.
A great deal of my week in Barcelona was therefore spent, gaping in awe, at his many truly incredible constructions. As well as gaping, I was also taking the odd photograph, which I’m sharing with you today. I wasn’t able to visit every bit of work he did, but I’d like to think that I took in the serious highlights.
In a future post I’ll be going more into the details of what to see and do in Barcelona. For now though, less detail: more eye candy.
The Cinque Terre is, like much of Italy, pure joy for frugalfirstclasstravellers. It is easy to eat well on fantastic local, seasonal food, and drink fabulous local wines, all at a bargain price! What’s not to love? So, here is the official frugalfirstclasstravel guide to eating and drinking well in the Cinque Terre:
There are definitely more comfortable places to sit than on Hans Christian Andersen’s left knee. On top of that, instead of telling me a story out of the book that is resting on his right knee, he is staring over to the Tivoli, the famous theme park, completely ignoring me.
