Sunshine in Italy

We had a lovely warm day in Nice for the morning and viewed the beach but decided it wasn’t us as the stones on the beach were almost too much for most people to navigate in bare feet. They looked most uncomfortable unless they had a mat under them to lie on or boat shoes on their feet; neither of which we had. So we explored the old streets of Nice and the unusual shops that were to be found there. We enjoyed a shop that sold all sorts of designs enveloped in a clear resin including paint brushes – very clever. We went to the Museum of modern art with Noami in tow saying that it was a load of rubbish. But interestingly we all enjoyed it and got many laughs from the pieces on show. It was a good contemporary museum to visit in terms of its range of art.

After a leisurely late lunch by the fountains we set off back to hotels as Therese wanted to use internet and Naomi wanted to sleep before visiting Monte Carlo casino that night. Luckily we decided to do things in that order as a thunder and lightening storm followed by torrential rain would have ruled out an afternoon on the beach even if we had wanted to.

Italy here we come. We started along the coast towards the border to be confounded by traffic. So that is easily fixed – hit the “peage”( pay motorway) and $30 later and 2 hours as opposed to 6 or so we were in Portofino, famous as the wedding place of Wayne Rooney a couple of weeks ago. Well this was a lovely spot to visit but given the breakfasts at the hotels cost $100 that blew our accommodation budget for the day so staying was not an option. What we did see while we were there was some amazing super yachts and a truly beautiful piece of the med with the rocks rising out of the sea and buildings hidden up in the rocks.

Next target – Cinque Terra – UNESCO heritage site along the med coast where 5 towns are perched on the rocks above the sea. We stayed at a place called Levanto from which it was easy to train into the Cinque Terra National Park and it had a “nice” beach (less stones than Nice etc). It had a slower pace about it and we found a lovely Alberge close to beach and settle for 4 days. But best of all the weather is great, blue skies with a hint of a breeze blowing off the sea. Mark has hit the med water and had his first of many swims here I would say.

We set off at 7.30am next morning to tackle the coastal walkway that connects all the 5 towns along the coast. We planned to beat the tourists and the sun. Both of these plans worked as by the end of the trail we had certainly found tourist-Ville and no longer had the track to ourselves. But the scenery was spectacular with sparkling sea disappearing on the horizon in the sunny haze and rocks that dropped down to bleu – green seas. The track also wound its way through local gardens where olive trees, grapes vines and fruit trees found homes in carefully retained areas of the hillside. These guys would farm the vertical slope if they had to.

These Italians do not let terrain stop them going places. The motorways and the train track go through hills and over bridges not deviating from the planned course because of hills and valleys. Amazing stuff.

Food – yes it is as good as we expected. The gelatos, pizza and pasta have all been top class. So far the coffee has passed muster also. In Levanto we have found a couple of places that do good food for reasonable price that we will visit more over the next couple of days. The parmesan cheese here has a great zing to its flavour and they give you copious quantities to smother over the pastas. Certainly enjoying the summer weather and activities that have finally come our way.

Having walked the coastal path along the five towns the next challenge was to walk to the end of the park to a place called Port Venere. This track would take some four hours from the last town on the coast as you first had to climb to the top of a ridge before an easy walk along the ridge downwards to the coast. We found a bus that took us two thirds of the way up to the top of the ridge so we were able to cut the trip back to about three hours walking. But the walk was well worth the effort as the views were spectacular, the bush clad hillside scenery contrasting at each turn with the sparkling blue med sea. We were high up with views down on townships that had carved a nook in the rocks and perched themselves and their farmlets on the hillsides dropping down to the sea.

Once at Port Venere we decided to get a boat back to the coastal town we started at. This was an inspired choice as the views from below looking up at the ridge provided more revelations. Those villages we saw from the top perched along the hillsides looked more dramatic from below. I have no idea how they harvest their grapes and get them up the hillsides for wine making.

We take for granted in NZ having access to any beach on any coastline we want. This right doesn’t exist over here for two reasons. One there isn’t much coast line that can be called beach and where beaches can be found they are small and have very few public areas, the rest being set up with chairs and umbrellas that where you need to pay to enter. Consequently you find people perched on rocks, jetties, concrete abutments, whatever they can find to sunbathe upon. I find it quite comical as I wouldn’t go to the effort to climb to places some go to just to lie in the sun by the sea.

Back in France

Our target was a little town about 10km from the Andorra border, from where we would investigate Andorra’s tax free shopping amongst other things. The town Sur d’Urgell which had a Parador that we had intended to stay at for a treat. Well we had our own balcony with a view over the Pyrenees and a gym(we had nearly forgotten what one of those was) but most importantly fine weather. The days were beautiful and we enjoyed exploring the town that held the Kayak events for the Barcelona Olympics. They had rigged up this incredible venue by diverting the river through the town down a km long stretch and over a weir into a power plant. But they also had a side shute that had a slalom course set up down which they could divert the water by shutting off the power intake. A great set up and all set in a park like surrounding in the middle of town. We have seen some clever stuff in the towns we have visited.

Our visit to Andorra was a bit of an anticlimax. It was a little place set in the hills with basically one road running through the valley and full of shops. They had less tax than the neighboring countries hence the attraction for shopping. But as we weren’t in need of any designer gear (even at a reduced rate) we came away empty handed.

We were now saying goodbye to Spain for good as we were heading north into France heading to the central country – Languedec – Rousillon. Along the way we continued to see the places the where the French go to play in the Pyrennes. They love camping and this area was covered in camp grounds and there were winter and summer activities galore to entertain. We stopped at a town that sold itself by having these funny people sculptures showing the activities in the area. We stopped to take photos but as usual we get distracted by other finds – this time a deli with food to die for. We settled for some more Brebis(sheep) cheese, local pate and an anchovies dish but could have bought heaps more.

We wound our way through some incredible feats of road engineering, switch backs, viaducts to finally emerge at the Med. We searched out the med for lunch but ate in the car as gusty winds made outside eating impossible. We found more interesting sculptures, highlighting the variety of artwork displayed in town centres, on roundabouts etc. And they are not all old statues which is great.

We got as far as a Beziers, close to the Mediterranean and where the weather was still supposed to be good. And we woke the next morning to brilliant weather and set off on bikes to the coast (25k). We sat by the beach having lunch but the strong winds that had plagued earlier visits to the med continued to make the sand an unpleasant place to be. But we loved getting out and about. Because it was Saturday there was markets to explore in towns along the way.

The main reason we stopped at Beziers was to experience the “Le Neuf Ecluses” – the nine locks stacked one after the other on the Canal du Midi. It is fascinating watching the boats go up and down this amazing climb. We also took in some medieval games on the canal where row boats with a raised platform at the back carried jousting men towards each other. The goal was to knock one of the jousters off. On board were a drummer and clarinet player to play dramatic music whilst each interchange took place. The person who was knocked off then swam to shore. His jousting pole and shield were recovered by a small power boat and returned for the next joust.

Having gained a little sunburn and feeling absolutely revived we headed back to our hotel to rest up before going out to celebrate my birthday. Bezier had a strong African influence and so we chose an African restaurant and thoroughly enjoyed the spicy food for a change. The waitress was a lively African lady who spoke great English and didn’t mind that Mark tossed a glass of red wine over her.

Continuing north towards one of the “must sees” of the trip – the Millau Bridge. Arriving at Millau we first went to a Museum that looked at the development of bridges around the world over time – from the arched based constructions to triangular based construction. With this background we went out to visit this amazing bridge that is about 900m long and 340 odd metres at its highest point above ground (as high as the Eiffel tower). It is a beautiful structure that is great on the eye and viewing a film on its construction only increased the awe. At times the pillars were above the cloud line.

The it was into the caves of Roquefort to see how this world renown blue cheese is made. Bread is put in underground caves where penicillin mould is allowed to grow. This is harvested and then added to sheep’s milk. The curd is formed into rounds and placed in the underground caves to mature. This blue cheese has a soft texture with a wonderful taste (if you like blue). We couldn’t take photos of the cheese making so we got photos of the sheep statues on the roundabout nearby.

Continuing on we went to investigate the Gorges of Tarn formed as the Tarn river scoured it out. If we thought that the Pyrenees was the home of camp grounds well that was nothing compared to this place. Camp ground after campground lined the base of the gorge where a beautiful clear river inspired rafting, fishing, kayaking and swimming. Also we discovered that this was a cherry growing region and enjoyed some of the early season cherries straight off the trees. They were so sweet and warm like they carried the sun straight from the tree.

We drove till near dark and stopped at a quiet hotel in the gorge only to find that it had a Spanish flare as we were back to one long pillow again. The interesting thing we found along the way was a couple of old villages literally built into the rock along the gorge face.

Next stop Nice. We were off to catch up with Naomi and Therese on our way to Italy. We drove the motorways in quite persistent rain until 50km from Nice where we ducked down to the coast and at which point the rain disappeared. We wound our way through some lovely little places with beaches where you had to pay to use. You could rent a deck chair and umbrella also. Some beaches are public and some are private and you have to pay to use. The mountains came right down to the coast and were a brick red colour. This provided a sharp contrast to the green and blue of trees and sea at sea level.

We wound and wound our way along the water front on our way to Cannes. Well when we hit the marina we new we were where the rich people go with huge boats tied up and designer shops lining the beach front. The drive through town was slow and cars were bumper to bumper and footpaths crossing at more than regular intervals made driving nerve racking.

So after being held up in traffic for half and hour we decided to cut loose and hit the motorway into Nice, a good decision. Then as usual we struggled to get a park anywhere in central Nice. So into a car park and as usual the daily fees were around the $40 but what choice do we have. But we found a place to stay nearby (nothing is cheep near the coast) and found Naomi and Therese’s Hotel and arranged to rendezvous next day. By now the temperatures where about 25 degrees and the day was very pleasant.

The rain in Spain falls mainly in the Pyrenees

We were nearing the end of our stay in Spain with one place left to visit: San Sebastian (Donostia in Basque). A trip along the beautiful Atlantic coast was reminiscent of NZ’s coastlines but we were still plagued by unseasonably cold and windy weather so stopping on the beach was not pleasant. Before we get there however we had to visit a sculpture park, Chillida Leku. Here, this mans amazing sculptures made out of huge pieces of steel or stone were displayed on about 40 acres. His design plans were interesting to see, but how he bent the steel and made almost invisible joins belies belief.

However getting to San Sebastian was the object of the exercise and once there it was the usual – no where to park except in terribly expensive car parks ($42 per day). But we had no choice if we wanted to investigate San Sebastian. This was a popular beach place and for a moment we thought we weren’t going to get accommodation as the first place was full but luckily the second one we tried had one room left. It was a Saturday after all and the place was full of people visiting. Because our park was so far away from the accommodation it was back to the plan we had done once before – toilet bag and change of undies in a small backpack and food to the hotel. (Note Jocelyn sunbathing in a raincoat on a seat in San Sebastian - that has been the story of the weather on the Atlantic coast)

We went investigating but once again the Pinchos bars beaconed for lunch and the patisserie shops had cakes to die for – I just had to have a pastry layered cake with Crème Anglaise and fresh cream between pastry layers finished with crunchy caramel topping. We had learned that in Spain that eating and drinking at the bar is cheaper than either at tables or on the terrace. But here the coffees were half the price inside to outside so we ate at the bar. I think the same happens in Italy so we are prepared. The main reason seems to be that if you eat at the bar and drop your rubbish on the ground, they can serve and clear without leaving behind the bar.

San Sebastian’s beaches were pleasant beaches with mild surf and people were trying to soak up the sun rays they could catch whilst hiding from the wind. San Sebastian was simply full of people at night. Bars overflowed into the streets and others were wandering enjoying a pleasant enough evening in the old town area. It was compact and easy to get around with a lot of pedestrian only areas.

It was goodbye Spain the next day. On the way out we passed through the last fishing village before the border and stopped for a coffee. Here we were in for a treat as a traditional Basque singing competition was being held. We stayed around to listen to a couple of the groups sing all dressed in traditional garb (did you know that the espadril (a rope soled shoe) originated in Basque).

I was happy to be going back to France as the driving is easier; the drivers are more patient, you don’t find an Audi up your rear end and beeping to get past. You don’t get cars flying past you when the open road speed is 90km/hr (I might add these were mainly Audis, Mercedes and BMW’s – it seems like having a flash car in Spain is a license to drive like a madman). Spain generally is more hectic and people less polite and less aware of you. Service is often carried out without a hello, goodbye or even looking at you during the transaction. The French are just so polite in comparison. Spain seems a bit like NZ, everyone going somewhere in a hurry.

Welcome Francia- First stop, La Rhune mountain which is on the French Spanish border and a rack and pinion train takes you up for spectacular views (yeah right). It was a nice day at the bottom but by the time we got to the top it would have been close to zero with vicious winds and clouds rolling over us. Luckily there was a café with HOT drinks to warm us up while we waited for the next train down. The views once out of the cloud were great.

St Jean de Luz and then Biarritz were again busy with holiday makers and very similar to San Sebastian but smaller and slower paced. Once again people made shelters on the beach to escape the wind and soak up the suns rays. Only a few hardy children ventured into the water or wetsuited surfers. Mark is coming to terms with the fact that he won’t be having a swim in the Atlantic before we leave it.

Even though the weather forecast was for rain in the Pyrenees, we continued with our plan to traverse the Pyrenees from the Atlantic to the Oriental Pyrenees. Our trip from Biarritz took us through the Basque Pyrenees that is renowned for its food. So we had to stop along the way to buy different samplings of their major productions. The famous cheese Iraty D’Ossau, a cheese made from sheep’s milk was a must try and proved to be worth the stop(It disappeared real quick). All along the way local farms advertised their cheese sales and other local artisanelles offered their canned confit and terrines as well as comfitures. We obliged by buying a pimento jelly and a canned terrine. We have not found the illusive Gateau Basque, but will endeavour to hunt it down and try it out.

Continuing into the Ossau valley where we hope to mountain bike and do some walks we started to experience the real hills of the Pyrenees. Until then the hillsides and valleys had largely been farmed. Here it was more like the alps, forest covered peaks, rivers and lakes. A great place to put roots down for a couple of days. Well at least we thought so. As it turns out it is becoming a bit like ground hog day here; “I think it looks like rain” being the mantra each morning. We went for a drive and ended up in the clouds driving on dangerously steep roads and I thought “we could go over the sides and no-one would know where we are”. But the sheer awesomeness of the waterfalls cascading down the mountains and the cloud shrouded mountainsides disappearing above remind you that you are in a potentially dangerous environment and sends shivers down your spine. With the prospect of rain yet again tomorrow I think it will be another driving day just viewing the Pyrenees as we are not equipped to tramp or ride in the wet and cold (temps as low as 11 degrees brrrrrh, and that is out of the wind).

The next day is another ground hog day but it didn’t just look like rain, it was raining. We had decided to drive the Pyrenees if it was raining so off we went. This is the most amazing place on many fronts. The ranges are several layers deep and we climbed over pass after pass and along side us on every pass were crazy Frenchmen (of all ages) cycling to the top where a ride waited to take them back. We are talking serious heights (2,000m +) and serious grades (13%). We saw a group of ladies, most looked 60+ tackling a 1700m pass and lots of older men as well on the others. It is truly amazing the numbers of cyclists in the Pyrenees. It was in the Pyrenees that we again came across the camper vans and groups of bikers touring; this is indeed a popular are for tourists but it is a pity that most things are still closed during the week or don’t open till July.

We feel very French with our chilli bin ad picnic supplies so that we can stop and have a brew and a bite along the way. The French are really into roadside picnics (and picnics in general) and even take chairs and tables with them to set out when they find the right roadside spot. However we saw one couple taking this picnic idea to the extreme. Sat at their table, they picnicked in the rain whilst they each held an umbrella over themselves and the food. Now I ask you??? We are not that extreme but are really enjoying our picnic stops.

We wandered back over the Spanish border for a look at the Pyrenees from the Spanish side and it was here that we found where the Spanish get into the outdoors and active lifestyle. There was river rafting and canyoning, mountain biking, motocross, trekking opportunities at several places here as well as many deserted ski fields along the way. Village after village have chalets by the millions that the Spanish obviously come to for weekends and holidays. Accommodation is easy to find here (not like other places we have been to) and camping is popular. This was echoed on the French side of the border as well. It is said that in summer the Parisians leave Paris to the tourists and now we know where they go – the Pyrenees. We suspect the Spanish do the same.

We finally saw the skies clear and the temperatures rise to 23 degrees at which time we stopped by a river for a picnic. We continued on up towards another pass on our way towards Andorra and got a glimpse of the unpredictability of mountain weather. We saw the temperature drop from 23 degrees to 8 in a matter on a couple of minutes as we drove straight into a thunderstorm with hail that was so thick it formed drifts on the road. Then at the top of the pass the road was dry and temperature climbed to 15 degrees again. Truly freaky stuff.

Again we signs of major development in Spain. In one village Mark spotted 5 cranes in a row erecting new apartment building in one town. We came across major new roading initiatives covering km after km. These guys don’t do things by halves when it comes to roads.

Our target was a little town about 10km from the Andorra border, from where we would investigate Andorras tax free shopping amongst other things.