Compared with most of the cyclist we saw today – and we saw a lot of them -we are spring chickens! There are a lot of Dutch people and a lot of electric bikes. Considering most of the cycle paths are flat, I don’t imagine it makes a lot of difference. We might be looking into them in another ten years though.
We drove to the pretty little town of Cochem with its hordes of tourists mostly from the many cruise ships that travel up and down the Moselle. We crossed the bridge and joined the very pleasant cycle path on the other side. No trains or busy roads, unlike yesterday on the Rhine.
The Moselle which flows through France, Luxembourg and Germany, joins the Rhine at Koblenz. The 45 km section we cycled along today is very meandering and therefore very picturesque with riesling vines growing on steep hills on both sides.
We had lunch in Beilstein, a tiny village with a boat landing that empties large numbers of cyclists and other German day tourists into the street. We found a little Bistrot at the end of the village that looked half deserted and we able to order trocken weiss wein and schollenfilet, only because the waitress brought us an English menu. I don’t know why phone app dictionaries can’t get their act together and add some useful vocab. Whenever I look up something it’s not there.
By then we’d only done 12 km and I was saddle sore but we pressed on and were rewarded with more bucolic scenery and pretty little villages. We did stop a couple of times, of course, for things like cappuccino (awful) and eis ( much better).
We crossed the river a couple of times, at Senheim and Bullay where there is a double-decker road and rail bridge with no separate lane for bikes. Fortunately everyone was going in the other direction. We should have taken a ferry but it wasn’t clearly marked on our maps.
We had intended to go up to a blick (look-out) at Zell but one look at how high up we’d have to climb caused up the change our minds. We turned around and headed back and were dismayed to feel a few large raindrops. In my optimism ( and lured on by the weather forecast) I had not taken our rain capes. It was short-lived however and we made it to the train station in Bullay without getting soaked. A fifteen minute ride took us back to the unusual Renaissance Revival turn-of-the century train station at Cochem where we started from.
On the way home to Kobern-Kondorf we visited the little village of Tries-Karden whose oldest house was built in 1562 only 20 years before ours!
Three completely unrelated subjects for my Weekly Blogger Round-Up today. First, if you’re wondering whether to take the train or hire a car in Europe, Paula McInerney from Contented Traveller will help you to make the right decision. Next, if you’re looking for a weekend getaway idea, Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris has an excellent suggestion – Chartres. And to finish off, Wendy Hollands from Le Franco Phoney tells us all about the famous Saint Bernard dogs. Enjoy!
Self-Drive versus Train Travel in Europe
By Paula McInerney from Contented Traveller. When they are not living in Australia, she and her husband Gordon travel the world, trying out houseboats, tatami mats, cave houses and over water bungalows, with serendipity as their watchword.
There are pro’s and con’s to driving yourself or catching trains in Europe, however, we decided relatively early on that train travel is our preferred option. We have done both.
From our own experiences, we have looked at the positives and negatives of both self drive and train travel. Hopefully this will assist in your decision. Read more
Completely charmed by Chartres – A weekend getaway to the “City of Lights and Perfume”
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
It’s odd how much the weather impacts our perceptions of a place. The first time I visited Chartres, it was pouring. After admiring Chartres Cathedral’s magnificent 12th- and 13th-century stained-glass windows, we quickly toured the city’s windblown streets before seeking refuge in a café. Over cups of hot chocolate liberally topped with whipped cream, we surmised that we had seen most of what Chartres had to offer and beat a hasty retreat to Paris.
Now, thanks to some blissful, sunny weather and a four-day “Vin et Terroir” tour organized by the Loire Valley Tourist Board, I realize how much I missed during my initial visit and have added Chartres to my list of favorite weekend destinations. Read more
Visiting the Original St Bernard Dogs
by Wendy Hollands from Le Franco Phoney, an Australian who writes about all things French in La Clusaz, Annecy and Haute Savoie as seen by an outsider
Did you know that Saint Bernard dogs were originally called Barry dogs? I learnt this when I visited the Barry Foundation in Martigny, Switzerland last weekend. The foundation was only set up in 2005 to continue breeding dogs like the legendary dog called Barry, who lived at the Great Saint Bernard Pass from 1800 to 1812 and saved more than 40 people’s lives as they crossed the difficult terrain. The dogs come in both the fluffy variety that we know from films like ‘Beethoven’, and also in a more labrador-like short-hair variety. Read more
This week’s Blogger Round-Up starts with a post by Judy MacMahon from My French Life who shares 4 secrets spots for hot chocolate – I shall be the first to try! Next Phoebe from Lou Messugo takes us to visit the Blue Church in Bratislava – I’m so jealous because I didn’t know of its existence when I visited the city last summer. Anda from Travel Notes and Beyond then tells us the good and bad of Istanbul which will stand me in good stead when I go there in September. Enjoy!
Paris off the beaten path: 4 secret spots for hot chocolate
by Judy McMahon from MyFrenchLife, a global community of French and francophiles connecting like-minded people in English & French
The French know their chocolat chaud like no one else: it’s how they begin their day! After all, there’s nothing quite like a proper French hot chocolate – except perhaps drinking said French hot chocolate in Paris…
There are the classic, well-known spots to sip a hot chocolate in Paris. And then there are those little cafés that the Parisians would love to keep for themselves; but secrets have a way of getting out. Read more
The Blue Church, Bratislava
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
After two years of writing exclusively about France, mostly about the area where I live and French culture, I’m diverging into wider pastures, so this, my friends, is my first offering not about France. I’ve been itching to write about other places I’ve been and having just returned from a trip to Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava I’ve decided it’s now or never!
Bratislava, the tiny capital of Slovakia, is only an hour’s drive from Vienna, making it perfect for a day trip. I had done a little research about the place and knew that I wanted to see the Blue Church, no matter what. And in this case the “no matter what” was a big black cloud and rumbles of thunder coming from the general direction of the church. Read more
The Good and The Bad of Istanbul
by Anda from Travel Notes & Beyond, the Opinionated Travelogue of a Photo Maniac, is a Romanian-born citizen of Southern California who has never missed the opportunity to travel
It is difficult to judge a city of the size of Istanbul after a 5 day trip, but if I were to describe the little that I saw of it in just a few words, I would say: huge, crowded, majestic and unique. Huge, because the city boundaries cover almost 2,000 square kilometers, while the metropolitan region, or the Province of Istanbul, covers 6,220 square kilometers. Crowded, because everywhere you go in Istanbul you walk almost shoulder to shoulder with thousands of other people. Read more
After visiting Erasmo and having lunch in Treporti, we are on the vaporetto to Burano along with a lot of other people. They all get out and we join the throng. I didn’t remember it being this crowded seven years ago.
Crowded streets in Burano near the vaporetto
We enter what looks like a very expensive lace and household linen shop and see a lady making lace by hand. Burano claims to have the oldest tradition in Europe for embroidered/needle lace which was created in about 1500 using a needle and thread.
Lace making in a shop in Burano
When we come out, we take the first turn to the right and find ourselves surprisingly alone. This is the Burano I remember from seven years ago, with its gaily coloured houses and quiet streets.
Gaily coloured houses in the back streets of Burano
We wander around the back streets for a while then down to the lagoon and back through the canal until we rejoin the main square Piazza Galuppi. I want to visit a shop we went to last time that has a lace museum inside but we can’t seem to find it.
One of the canals in Burano
On the right there is a sign for the Venetian Museo del Merlotto housed in the historic palace of Torcello which houses the Burano Lace School from 1872 to 1970, but it’s not what we’re looking for. All I can remember from last time is that it was about midday and was very hot!
Burano lace museum
I decide to ask so we go into a shop called Dalla Lidia Merletti and I explain what I’m looking for. Yes, the museum is down the back of the shop! Cabinets containing lace line the long corridor and at the end is a room full of more lace ncluding lace dresses.
A lace dress made of traditional Burano lace
At the top of a wooden staircase is another part of the collection, including French lace. In the 1600s Burano embroidery became increasingly complicated and it soon spread through the rest of Europe. France imported Burano lacemakers to work in the lacemaking areas of France, particularly Normandy. We see an example of French lace.
French lace
Back in the shop, we are asked in French if we want to buy anything. I would like to find a piece of local lace to make a fabric panel to use as a bedhead in Blois. A table runner would seem to be a good solution. We finally settle on a very expensive piece but Jean Michel easily manages to bring the price down by one-third! The shop is not very busy and we are soon talking about home exchanges with the entire staff.
We walk out very pleased with ourselves and make our way back towards the ferry. A crowd has gathered around a band of gondoliers with accordeons and other instruments, all singing very loudly, particularly one man in ordinary clothes wearing a gondolier’s hat. At the end, the gondoliers all applaud and he walks off into the crowd. He was just a passer-by!
Another canal
An ice-cream seems a fitting way to end the day while waiting for the vaporetto to go back to Venice.
We did a lot of walking in Venice and saw a lot of doors with often intricate decorations. These are just a few!
This was my favourite, that we passed several times. I’d love to know who he is!We saw quite of few of these – the traditional forcula or oarlock from the gondolasTypical intercom cum letter box, with only one letter box, as usual.Love these heads!Two very intricate doors on a very old façadeIron door flanked by wrought-iron oculiMetal door with two laughing heads
On our last trip to Venice seven years ago, we chose not to go on a gondola ride – it seemed too much of a cliché. Instead we took the little traghetto ferry across the Grand Canal.
The tragetto (ferry) across the Grand Canal
This time, however, I am fascinated with water traffic in general and our home exchange host tells us that the building we are staying in was once a workshop for making gondola oars and oarlocks (forcula) so I start taking a greater interest in Venice’s iconic boat.
Oars and forcula in one of the last workshops in the Castelo quarter
First, we learn there is a difference between the 11-metre long gondola with its typical figurehead and slightly asymetrical shape designed to row on one side only and turn in a very small space, and the sandolo, which is shorter, symmetrical and originally from Burano.
The sandolo, originally from Burano Island, is shorter than the gondola and symmetrical
The gondoliers have to wear black trousers, black shoes and a striped top. They also have a straw hat but don’t have to wear it while rowing. Considering the height of some of the bridges, it’s not surprising though some manage. We observe various collars and tops but the older gondoliers wear a white pea jacket with a sailor collar and elasticised waist over their stripes.
Gondolier ducking under a low bridge
The basic price for a gondola ride is fixed by the gondoliers’ federation at 80 euro for 35 minutes. If you want to change the itinerary, extend the time or be serenaded, it’s more expensive. Our French guidebook, Le Routard, recommends a gondolier who speaks French and takes you through the back canals rather than the Grand Canal so we go looking for him, but to no avail.
Gondoliers waiting for custom
I check out a few websites but the price instantly climbs to 100 euro or more for an on-line booking, and since you have to book ahead, you need to be sure of the weather. A gondola ride in the rain does not look much fun!
Gondoliers in their traditional garb
It’s a bright sunny morning so we decide to try one of the piazzas rather than the Grand Canal and head for Campo dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo where the Ospedale is.
Alessio, our gondolier, coming to meet us
On the way, as we cross a bridge, I see an empty gondola with a whistling gondolier. We do not want a half-hearted young man talking on his cell phone all the time. “E libero?” I ask. “Si, yes, oui, English, Français?” “Français,” I reply, as Jean Michel would like to be able to communicate as well. “I’ll meet you at Santi Giovanni e Paolo,” he says.
Sitting in Alessio”s gondola with his credentials displayed
He pulls up and before we get in, he takes the protection off the seat, makes sure everything is spick and span and asks if we know the price: 80 euro for 35 minutes with part of the ride through the smaller canals and the other part on the Grand Canal. Otherwise, we can have a longer ride with trimmings for 120 euro an hour. We settle for the regular 35 minutes.
The current gondola price is 80 euro for 35 to 40 minutes with a maximum of 6 people (you can always share to make it cheaper)
“Je m’appelle Alessio“, he says, and hands me down. Jean Michel follows. Ensconced in our seats and very pleased with ourselves at having found a genial French-speaking gondolier, we set off. “Walking around Venice is wonderful,” says Alessio, “but seeing it in a gondola is magnificent.” We have to agree.
The 17th century gondola repair yard in Dorsoduro on Fondamenta Nani
He fills us in on life as a gondolier. Both his father and grandfather were gondoliers (we know that our home exchange host’s son unsuccessfully tried to break into the profession). A gondola costs 30 000 euro and lasts about 20 years, after which time it starts to lose its curve. We’ve already been to the gondola repair yard in Dorsoduro.
Three gondolas at once and the gondoliers are all calling out to each other
He comments on life in Venice and the various buildings we pass. Then, to our delight, he starts singing. Whenever we pass another gondola, he launches into a conversation in Venetian. He’s obviously well known and a lot of bantering seems to be going on.
Approaching the San Sofia traghetto stop near the fish market
We turn into the Grand Canal and after a fairly short time, we pull over next to the traghetto stop near the fish market. Jean Michel and I look at each other – time’s up already? But Alessio alights and greets a young man who places a punnet of strawberries in his hand. He offers us some. I apologise as I don’t eat strawberries but Jean Michel takes one and says they’re delicious.
Approaching the Rialto Bridge
At one stage, we point to the sandolo and ask if it’s a real gondola. Alessio laughs and says that most tourists don’t know the difference but it’s like comparing a Fiat 500 and a saloon car.
An ancient gondola on the quayside near Ospedale vaporetto stop showing the typical figureheadwith a bar for each quarter (sestiere) of Venice
We continue on our way, down towards the Rialto Bridge, then back into the smaller canals, with Alessio cheerfully alternating comments, singing and whistling. When we arrive back at Ospedale, he takes our photo, telling us to say spaghetti, which is very successful with Jean Michel, who’s not usually very photogenic.
Saying “spaghetti” at the end of our wonderful gondola ride
We give a tip and he is very surprised – Jean Michel gets the rest of the strawberries! Definitely worth the cliché … And a little piece of advice – forget about taking photos or videos while you’re in the gondola. You can get exactly the same ones on the vaporetto or walking along the canals. Just sit back and enjoy a one-off experience.
It’s the first of May, Labour Day, and the sun is shining brightly unlike the day we arrived. There’s a gondola race in Venice but it’s not in the centre and we’re afraid of the crowds. Instead, we head for the island of San Georgio to visit the church there. We push our way through the crowds near Piazza San Marco to San Zaccharia to take the vaporetto across the lagoon and I’m glad we decided against the gondola race!
San Giorgio
We take photos of the opposite shore, with the Doge’s Palace and the famous column in the middle of the Piazza, then enter the church. Strange. It’s free. I see a sign “Lift to the top of the belfry” and suggest we take it. We pay our six euro each (that’s why the church is free!) and stand in line for the 6-person lift.
Our first view when we get to the top of the belfry showing the Renaissance Cloisters
At the top, there is a spectacular 360° view but only a very small space so we take turns to get a bird’s eye view of Venice through our cameras and binoculars. We can see right across the island of Venice to the other side. Nothing could beat this view.
We have to forego a visit to the Renaissance cloisters because they are closed. The vaporetto arrives and we manage to get two seats outside at the back so we stay there for the next hour, going halfway around the island and up through the Grand Canal discovering new palazzi until we arrive back at San Marco by which time the crowds have doubled, if that’s possible.
Palazzo Barbarigo on the Grand Canal
As soon as we can, we leave the main area and head homewards. On the way, we find a little restaurant called Luna Santada on Rio di San Severo canal which we’ve already noticed. A table awaits us and we have another perfect view – it’s obviously on the gondola route!
Our lunchtime view from Luna Santada
After a poetic evocation of Marco Polo’s return to Venice after his voyage across the globe, the placemat tells us that Luna Santada is a culinary voyage that takes you from Venezia to many different gastronomic worlds, on his trip, on my trip, be my guest and travel with me. Could we have chosen better?
Walking past the Maritime Museum
The obligatory siesta and we’re off again, past the Maritime Museum, along the lagoon and over the bridge to Santa Elena island to see the sunset. There are no bars along the way and sundown is still a couple of hours away so we decide to take the vaporetto to the Lido, Venice’s iconic island that I have been reading about in novels ever since I can remember. For some reason, we didn’t go there on our last trip.
Closed parasols at the end of the day on the Lido
The first thing that strikes us is the presence of cars and buses. The Adriatic and the famous Lido beaches are on the other side of the island which is 500 metres wide and 12 kilometers long. If you’ve never seen an Italian beach, it’s difficult to imagine. They are lined with paraols and deck chairs in neat rows and the sand is usually grey.
Aperitivo at the Villa Laguna
The Lido is no exception. We can’t see anything to redeem it and even the Grand Hôtel des Bains, where Death in Venice was shot, is closed. So much for our aperitivo. All is not lost, though, because we end up at a table on the lagoon at Villa Laguna, sipping pinot grigio and admiring the view for a surprising 5 euro each. This is the life.
Sunset over Venice from Santa Elena island
We head back to Santa Elena in time to watch the sun set over Venice from a convenient bench. Unfortunately, the restaurant we found on the island seven years ago (Osteria Santa Elena da Pampo) is closed so a helpful local tells us to eat at Mario’s which I won’t recommend. The food is average and the service abysmal. But we are sitting outside and the weather is still balmy.
I am fascinated by the activity on the canals and lagoons in Venice. I can sit and watch them for hours. There are no vehicles of course and everything has to be transported by water.
[Sorry about the sound – I don’t know how to remove it yet!]
The gondolas, vaporettos and water taxis are the most obvious, but they are actually only a small part of the traffic.
Morning delivery on Rio di San Agostino
In the morning in particular, there are all sorts of boats on the smaller canals, with people loading and unloading everything imaginable.
Sanitrans picking up a man in a wheelchair
Yesterday, we saw a speed boat called Sanitrans which pulled up at a landing to collect a man in a wheel chair.
About to unload goodness knows what!
Imagine having a mattress delivered or large pieces of furniture. No wonder everything in our home exchange flat comes from Ikea. The delivery charges must be horrendous.
Standard cart with two extra small wheels for going up hump-backed bridges
Of course, once the goods are taken out of the boats, they have to be transported by hand so the delivery men (I have not seen any women!) all have these nifty little carts with extra wheels to help them go up and down the hump-backed bridges. And a lot of arm and leg muscles.
Boat with hoses – we can only guess what they are for.
We can only guess what all the hoses are for on the boat above.
People training for a regatta
Several times we saw people training for regattas but they are so fast that it’s difficult to catch them in time.
Rialto Bridge on the the Grand Canal
Today we went to the maritime museum near the Arsenal, a bargain at less than 2 euro per person and half-empty. They have a very large collection of scale models of every shape and size, spread out over five stories, including a room dedicated to the stunningly decorated Bucintoro, which was the ceremonial barge of the Doges of Venice.
Mock-up of a Bucintoro, the Doges’ ceremonial barge
Every year, on Ascension Thursday, the Doge would throw a ring into the lagoon, symbolizing the marriage of Venice to the sea. The museum has a collection of these rings. We were mystified when we first saw them!
“Wedding rings” for vessels – about 18 or 20 cm in diameter
While we were having a cappuccino opposite the lagoon, a barge went past loaded with cranes and cement mixers!
The gondola experience still awaits us so keep tuned!
In this week’s Blogger Round-Up, Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris takes us to Bergamo in Italy where she was given a special guided tour of the San Pellegrino art nouveau building, while Janine Marsh from The Good Life France takes us to a flea market in Le Crotoy in the lovely Somme Bay on the coast of Normandy, one of our favourite cycling spots. To end up, Margo Lestz from The Curious Rambler introduces us to the gourd festival in Nice, “the perfect place to see all things Niçois”. Enjoy!
The Casino of San Pellegrino Terme – a magnificent Art Nouveau building reminiscent of La Belle Époque
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
If you’ve ever ordered a bottle of San Pellegrino sparkling mineral water while seated on the terrace of a Parisian café or purchased a six-pack of the distinctive green bottles from your local grocery store, you may have noticed the elegant building on its label and wondered about its history. Thanks to a special guided tour of the Casino (Grand Kursaal) of San Pellegrino Terme yesterday afternoon, I now know that the building is one of the most famous examples of Art Nouveau (or Liberty Style as it’s called in Italy) structures in Europe. Recently restored at a cost of 10 million euros, it’s also one of the most impressive buildings that I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting. Read more
Le Crotoy on the Somme France
Written by Janine Marsh from The Good Life France, an independent on-line magazine about France and all things French, covering all aspects of daily life including healthcare, finance, utilities, education, property and a whole lot more.
It was a lovely spring weekend in the north of France – perfect to indulge in the national French pastime of visiting a brocante. France is famous for its second hand markets, bric-a-brac markets, marche au puces, braderies and vide greniers – flea markets are known by several names and they are held in all regions.
They take place throughout the year but the majority are from March to October when better weather means stalls can be laid out in the streets of towns and villages. Some are small with just a few sellers and some are huge like the Lille Braderie with 10,000 stalls. Read more
Celebrating the Gourd in Nice
by Margo Lestz from The Curious Rambler, who lives in Nice, France where she likes to bask in the sunshine, study the French language and blog
Nice is a French city, of course, but it also has a strong and proud culture all its own. It was Niçois long before it was French and the people work hard to keep their Niçois traditions alive. It has its own language, anthem, traditional costumes, dances, songs, and food. The language is taught in schools and there are dance groups that perform at many events throughout the year. These associations ensure that the traditions are passed from generation to generation. And the calendar is dotted with several events each year that are typically Niçois. Read more
This week’s Blogger Round-Up takes us to Lisbon in Portugal with Jenny and John in Brittany, a place that is definitely on my shortlist while Adelina from Pack Me To visits the inside of the Parliament Building in Budapest which we didn’t see on our visit to Hungary last summer. Margo Letsz from The Curious Rambler, whom you met last week explains the importance of being polite in France, which you may remember from my post on bonjour. Enjoy!
Things to see and do in Lisbon, Portugal
by Jenny and John in Brittany, who recently left Stockport, England to live in France where they are renovating a house to create a B&B.
Lisbon is an amazing city, there is so much to do and so many places to visit, I am not going to go into much detail as the pictures say more than a thousand words.
The one thing I would recommend though is to go on the trams, we did not work them out and just jumped on one we saw, you can pay on the tram or get a day pass (the day pass is highly recommended as this allows you to travel all day and costs approx the same as two rides when you pay on the tram).
We travelled to the end of the line and then back again, the tram ride is fascinating as at times you can touch the buildings you are passing it gets so close. Read more
Inside the Hungarian Parliament Building
by Adelina from Pack Me To, a Chinese American who’s been traveling for as long as she can remember and has lived in the Netherlands and Hungary. She loves telling stories, and eating and exploring her way around the world.
Visiting the Parliament building in Budapest has been on my to do list for a long time. I had seen photos of the inside of the Hungarian Parliament building, which looked spectacular, and I wanted to see it for myself. A building that looks so magnificent on the outside is sure to look glorious inside right? I was not wrong.
I had a bit of a false start on my visit to the Parliament. The first time I went, I was informed that the tour for the day was only 30 minutes long instead of the regular 45 minutes, but the price was the exactly same. I decided to go back another day. Read more
It pays to be polite in France
by Margo Letsz from The Curious Rambler, who lives in Nice, France where she likes to bask in the sunshine, study the French language and blog
At this café in Nice, France, minding your manners can significantly reduce the price of your coffee.
Of course, this was meant as a humorous way to remind customers to be polite, but it’s a great illustration of the French attitude toward good manners.
In France the “courtesy words and phrases” are very important and NOT optional. Fortunately, they’re easy to master, but if you can’t manage them in French, at least say them in English. More than likely, the French will understand you and think that you’re a polite person who doesn’t speak French – which is, of course, much better than being thought of as a rude person who doesn’t speak French. So if you want to be polite in France (and I’m sure you do), here are some easy words and phrases (along with my attempt at phonetic pronunciation) to help you on your way. Read more
