Europe 23 May to 1 July 2008: Italy, France, Spain, England

The How To

2008-07-23T18:39:00.000-07:00

A couple of my loyal readers mentioned that this blog was very slow to load and crashed their computers. That's because I had everything opening on a single page.

I have archived the posts so they won't appear on the front page when you open the blog. See how much more quickly it opened that time!

See the Labels over there --------> on the right? Click on the name of the place you are interested in, and only the posts for that place will show up. They are listed in more or less chronological order. These labels show up on every page which opens, so you can jump from place to place without coming back here.

As well, there are some nice little clicky links below to take you to each of those places, (if you prefer it that way), and when I get time, each page as it opens should also have some clicky links to help you navigate to each place.

Enjoy!

Click on the name of the place below to jump to the posts about it (or use the lables to the right: your choice)
Rome, Pompei, Herculaneum, Naples, Sorrento, Lucca, Pisa, Menton, Gorbio, Roquebrune, Monaco, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Avignon, Pont du Gard, Cassis, Les Baux de Provence, Montpellier , Barcelona, Bournemouth, Wimborne Minster, The New Forest, Christchurch, Poole, Dorchester, Cornwall, London.

Yoou might also like to come and visit me at Sydney Daily Photo, or perhaps read about Arncliffe (Postcode 2205), or Istanbul , come Swimming with me, or find out about my grandfather's experiences in World War One at Percy Smith, Anzac.

1. Planes, Trains and Automobiles Part 1

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Above: Our Singapore Air A380 ready for boarding at Sydney Airport 22 May 2008

Above: From the vantage point of Row 62 in Economy (Main Deck) The new screens are bigger than previously, and it's great having the control set stored in the seat back...preferable to in the arm rest as in the Boeing 747, where it gets knocked accidentally, films change, disappear, call buttons get pushed and so on. The A380 seems roomier, even if its not. There is definitely more head room, if not leg room!

Above : The first drink and snack. I like the cup holders - another improvement over Boeing aircraft.

Above: The best meal I've eaten on a plane. The chicken tagine and cous cous out of Sydney. Ordered the diabetic meals (worth getting special meals; they come first, and then while everyone else is still chowing down the toilet is yours!)

Above: Some of the delights of Singapore Airport include free video games, free Internet.

Above: An altogether squeezier Boeing 777-200 from Singapore to Rome.Down the back again - row 46

It's a sad fact that, in the absence of teleportation or a Tardis, in order to get to Europe from Australia, you have to spend about 22hours in the air, plus a couple on the ground somewhere in-between (always an overlit shopping mall masquerading as an airport), not forgetting the 3 hours anticipating departure at your home aerodrome and the interminable age it takes to unload 500 bums from seats with their carry-on kitchen sinks and portmanteaus from the baggage belt.

Nevertheless, in the same way childbirth doesn't seem to deter some women from turning up for more of the same, and in the absence of an income stream more closely aligned to our desires and pretensions, we continue to fold ourselves in to knees-under-the-chin seats at the back of the bus and look forward to the next time. At least the entertainment system on Singapore Air is pretty good. I find it's when I've been able to travel every couple of years I've had a chance to catch up with all the movies missed since the last flight. This time I saw Atonement, Conversations With My Gardener and The Butterfly and the Diving Bell going over, and The Other Boleyn Girl, Roman Holiday, and Paris on the way back. (My record is an 8 movie marathon between Sydney and London. )

Unbelievably, there seem to be some people in the world who think anything over 5 hours is a long time to spend in a plane! Hah! I bet they also think they should arrive with a perfect coiffure and eyes not open only through the power of arrival-adrenaline.

Still, some things do change. When we first took off for Europe - Rome - in 1982, on a Qantas flight, it seemed to take the form of a milk train. After an interminable number of hours we were still in Australian airspace, having stopped in Melbourne and Perth, with stops in Bombay and Athens to come.

But the seat pitch 'leg room' seemed to be better in those days. Air New Zealand offered the best on its trans-Pacific flights, but nowadays, it's tray tables cutting you in half as the seat in front reclines, and DVT-grade cramps all the way.

Singapore Airlines' new A380 offers the unthought of luxury of private 'suites' up in the pointy end, but at $20 000+ that's unattainable for most of the rest of us. So while we dream of being told to turn left as we enter the plane, for most of us it's the long haul to the back of the bus.

Singapore Airport isn't a bad place for a swim, and the transit hotel is good for a few hours sleep if you've got hours to burn, and there are shower facilities at a reasonable cost if you have a limited time.

2. Rome - Piramide/Via Ostiense district

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Above: The Pyramid of Cestius (Piramide di Caio Cestio) which gives the Piramide district its name. It was built c. 18-12 BC as a tomb for Gaius Cestius Epulo, a Roman magistrate and member of one of the four great religious corporations of Rome. More at Wikipedia.

Above: Piramide metro station, on Line B of the metro system, and the most convenient way to move about the city. The Colosseum is two stations, Termini four.

Above: The street outside our apartment, Via Ostiense. It's one of Rome's ancient roads (heading towards Ostia Antica), and very busy. The apartment was double glazed and air conditioned, which meant street noise rarely bothered us. Lots of local shops along v Ostiense, including fruit & veg, gelato and bars. We shopped at local supermarkets in the vicinity.

Above: Ben sampling the Italian equivalent of Twisties.

Above: The living / dining room of the apartment - also sofa bed sleeping accommodation.

Above and Below: The extremely well-equipped kitchen.

Above: The main bedroom

Above: The bathroom, which also contained a very welcome washer/dryer.

Above and below: A couple of times we settled in to the cafe at Ostiense railway station for pizzas and coke! This included the morning of our arrival. Our flight arrived about 7am, and we were at the apartment about 9.30am....before the owner had a chance to clean and ready it from the previous guests. We dropped our bags and explored a little of the area. Amazing how you can keep going after a 24 hours with little sleep, with the excitment of "arrival adrenaline"

From 23 to 28 May we based ourselves in the Piramide district, at Via Ostiense 36. We booked an apartment through The B & B Association of Rome, which we found through Slow Travel Italy. It couldn't have been better. Everything went perfectly from the moment of first contact with the organisation and booking, through to the wonderful host contacting us afterwards to say we had left a couple of items, which we arranged to collect. The apartment owners have thought of EVERYTHING you could possibly need. It is one of the best equipped apartments we've ever stayed in.

We loved the feeling of staying in an authentically residential area of "un-tourist" Rome, yet so close to the hubub of more crowded, touristy sites. The gelato shop 3 paces from the apartment is sublime!

This was in sharp contrast to the UNREAL experience we had at the Hilton Cavalieri Hotel in Rome afew days later....

3. Rome - Circo Massimo, The Aventine and Protestant Cemetery

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Above: The Circus Maximus - once Rome's largest stadium. It was begun in the 4th C BC, and the last races were held in AD 549. The grandstands held 300 000 spectators. It is located in the valley between the Palatine and Aventine Hills.

Above: I came across this shoe on the wall on the Via dei Cerchi side of the Circus Maximus. A few days later when near the Vatican, I spied these police and wondered whether a female copper had lost it when pursuing crooks??

Above (and detail below): Municipal police near the Vatican. Note the woman officer's shoes!

Below: The Palatine from across Circus Maximus.

I walked an enormous distance on Sunday 25 May - from Barberini Metro and Palazzo Babeini (to see Caravaggios), past the Quirinale to the Trevi Fountain, to Piaza Venezia and the Vittorio Emmanuele building, on to the Capitoline museums (more Caravaggios), then skirting the Forum and Palatine to Circo Massimo, up to San Gregorio (where the view of the Palatine was not as good as this), up to the Aventine, visited Santa Sabina and San Anselmo, and back home via Via Marmorata. Piero and Ben were at home; both were off-colour.
Below: Parco Savelli on the Aventine, with its view of St Peters from the terrace

Below: View across the Tevere (Tiber) from Parco Savelli

Below: View to the Vittorio Emmanuele II monument from Parco Savelli

Below: "It's forbidden to trample upon the meadows" . Obviously.

Below: The Cimitero Acattolic0 (Protestant Cemetery):

Below: "The Guardians of the Departed". There are many cats living in the cemetery. A woman named Matilde Talli finances the feeding, neutering and medical attention of the cats, many of which are abandoned kittens. A small group of volunteers assists every day between 2:30 and 5:00pm.
For more information about the cats of the cemetery and Piramide area, click here.

4. Rome - The Vatican (including one Caravaggio)

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We've visited the Vatican and its museums, as well as St Peter's Basilica several times before. In 2003 we gave the museums a miss, but this time Ben was keen to see the Sistine Chapel. Photos are banned. But not in other parts.

This time we didn't bother with the long queue to go into St Peter's Basilica.

NB The pictures of the Caravaggios and other paintings were not ones taken by me; I found them on the Net.

Below: Dome of St Peter's and Vatican gardens from gallery within the museum

Below: ceiling of the Gallery of Maps

Below: Vatican Library. It wasn't open to the public, which it has been in the past.
Below: The spiral ramp by Guiseppe Momo (1932)
Below: The Basilica of St Peter's. Dome by Michelangelo, Bernini colonnade, facade by Carlo Maderno (1614):
I set myself the task of seeing every Caravaggio in Rome; didn't quite make it, but very nearly. The Vatican contains one Caravaggio painting - a spectacular Entombment, or Deposition, of Christ. Why the Vatican only has one is quite an interesting question, too detailed to go in to here. You'll find other Carvaggios elsewhere in this blog in other Rome and Naples entries.

5. Ancient Rome

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Below: The eight surviving colums of the Temple of Saturn, and three from the Temple of Vespasian. Taken from the back of the Capitoline hill.

Below: Looking over the Forum and to Colosseum from the Vittorio Emmanuele II monument

Below: From the Vittorio Emmanuele monument - looking across the Roman Forum to Trajan's Market.

Below: The Pantheon. Nearly 2,000 years old, and magnificent - my favourite building of Ancient Rome. It faces Piazza della Rotonda.
Below: Piero and Ben take a breather at the side of the Pantheon

Below: Underneath the Tarpeian Rock, from whence traitors were thrown. It is the southern tip of the Capitoline Hill.

These days the area around the Tarpeian Rock is a much frequented gay beat. It is named after Tarpeia, the younge daughter of Spurius Tarpeius, defender of the Capitol in the 8th century BC Sabine War.

Below: The Colosseum, commissioned by Vespasian in AD 72

Below: The Arch of Constantine, dedicated in AD 315 to commemorate Constantine's victory in 312 over co-Emperor Maxentius.

6. Rome - The Tevere (Tiber) and Trastevere

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Below: Tevere taken from Ponte Cestio across Isola Tiburtina
Below: From Ponte Sisto

Below: Ponte Sisto
Below: Santa Maria in Trastevere

7. Rome - Campo de' Fiori and the Jewish Ghetto

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Campo de' Fiori hosts market stalls, ranging from fruit and veg to tacky souvenirs. In the evening it's a favourite hangout for young people, with lots of bars and birrerias.

Below: Souvenir stall
Below: By mid-afternoon the produce market is over. Serious shoppers come in the morning.

Below: The Fontana delle Tartarughe (Fountain of the Tortoises) in Piazza Mattei in the Jewish Ghetto. Commissioned by the Mattei family for their piazza, between 1581 and 1588. The tortoises were added by an unknown sculptor almost a century later.

Below: Wall stencil, Jewish Quarter.

Below: Casa di Lorenzo Manilio, Via del Portico d'Ottavia
The 15th century revival of interest in the arts and philosophy of antiquity inspires some people to build houses reminiscent of ancient Rome. In 1468, Lorenzo Manilio built this house for his family and decorated it with elegant classical inscription.

Below: Israeli flags and kosher shops in Via del Portico d'Ottavia

8. Rome - Renaissance and Baroque Palazzi (and 14 Caravaggios)

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The Renaissance palaces (palazzi) of Rome give the city much of its character. Quite a few of them these days are galleries, some state owned, others privately owned. Many still retain apartments which sometimes the original families still live in. On this trip I visited several of the palazzi, including one which I don't have photos of - the Palazzo Colonna. That was for a reception for the conference we were attending.

Palazzo Barberini
Maffei Barbeini became Pope Urban VIII in 1623 and built his family a grand palace. Architect Carlo Maderno built it like a rural villa, with wongs extending into the gardens. Maderno died in 1629 and Bernini took over, assisted by Borromini (Maderno's nephew).
It is part of the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, and I went there to see the Caravaggios - St Francis in Meditation (1606); Judith and Holofernes (1598) and Narcissus (1599) - see entry on Caravaggio. I also enjoyed seeing Hans Holbein's portrait of Hebry VIII, dressed for his wedding to Anne of Cleves, and Raffaelo's La Fornarina (the Female Baker)

Piazza Barberini, with Bernini's Triton Fountain was named after the nearby palazzo in 1625.

Below: Judith Beheading Holofernes c 1598

Below: Narcissus c 1598 -99
Below: St Francis c 1606

The Quirinal Palace
Official home of the Italian President. It was built in 1573 by Pope Gregory XIII as a papal summer residence. It was also used as the location for papal conclaves in 1823,1829,1831, and 1846. It served as a papal residence and housed the central offices responsible for the civil government of the Papal States until the Unification of Italy in 1870. It became the official residence of the King, and then in 1947, the President.

Palazzo Venezia
Built 1455-65 for the Venetian Cardinal Pietro Barbo, later Pope Paul II. It has also served as the Ventian Embassy before passing in to French hands 1n 1797. Since 1916 it has belonged to the Italian state. Mussolini used it as his headquarters and made speeches from the central balcony.

Below: Palazzo Venezia on the right. The construction work in the middle of the piazza (PIazza Venezia) is for the third Metro line, due to open in 2018.

Below: Piazza Venezia, with the Palazzo Venezia on the left, looking up the Corso. Taken from the steps of the Vittorio Emmanuele II monument.

Palazzo Doria Pamphilj (formerly Palazzo Aldobrandini)
Another stop on the Caravaggio trail. While the marvellous Rest on the Flight Into Egypt, and a John The Baptist (with the ram nuzzling St John), the Penitent Magdalen was on loan to an exhibition in Forli in northern Italy. Never mind, another reason to return to Rome!
The palazzo is enormous, probably the largest still privately owned in Rome. It is still inhabited by members of the family, and the gallery audo guide narration is done by the current scion, Prince Jonathan, the adopted English-born son of the three-quarters English Princess Orietta Pogson Doria Pamphilj and her husband Frank Pogson. Orietta was the daughter of Prince Filippo Andrea VI. The family story is interesting. Obituary of Princess Orietta.

Below: Palazzo Doria Pamphilij on the left.

Below: Courtyard inside the Via del Corso entrance of the Galleria Doria Pamphilj

Below: Taken from a window of the galleria Doria Pamphilj - a wonderful example of Roman hand language. Italian Hand Gestures - Youtube

Below: Penintent Magdalen 1596-97. On loan elsewhere.
Below: Rest on the Flight Into Egypt 1596-97
Below: St John The Baptist c 1600. Almost identical to the one in the Capitoline museum

Palazzo Spada
Built around 1550 for Cardinal Capo do Ferro. In 1652 Borromini built a trompe l'oeil colonnaded gallery featuring false perspective. It appears four times longer than it really is - about 37 metres instead of 8. The gallery has two works by Artemisia Gentileschi. I didin't get inside this time - but it's on the list for next time.

Below: The trompe l'oeil gallery at Palazzo Spada

Palazzo Farnese
Currently the home of the French Embassy. This palazzo is one of the grandest in Rome. Construction began in 1515, commissioned by Alessandro Farnese, who had been appointed as a Cardinal in 1493 at age 25 (thanks to his sister, who was Pope Alexander VI Borgia's official mistress). He became Pope Paul III in 1534 and employed Michelangelo to complete the third story with its deep cornice and to revise the courtyard, as an emblematic "power house" suitable to the Farnese family.

Below: No, not Palazzo Farnese, but another building in the piazza which the palazzo faces.

Galleria Borghese (formerly Villa Borghese Pinciano)
The Galleria Borghese houses a substantial part of the Borghese collection of paintings, sculpture and antiquities, which was begun by Cardinal Scipione Borghese, the nephew of Pope Paul V (reign 1605–1621). Borghese used it as a "villa suburbana", a party villa at the edge of Rome. Scipione Borghese was an early patron of Bernini and an avid collector of works by Caravaggio.

We visited mainly in order to see the Caravaggios - Boy With a Basket of Fruit; David With the Head of Goliath; John the Baptist; Madonna and Child with St. Anne (Dei Palafrenieri); Young Sick Bacchus; St Jerome Writing.

Below: Picnic lunch in the Villa Borgese garden

Below: Sick Bacchus c 1593. Reputed to be a self portrait

Below: St Jerome c 1606
Below: Still Life With Flowers and Fruit 1590s
Below: Boy Peeling Fruit c 1593

Below: Boy With Basket of Fruit c 1593
Below: David With Head of Goliath c 1609 -10. Another self-portrait
Below: St John the Baptist c 1609
Below: Madonna With Serpent c 1606

9. Rome - Capitoline (including two Caravaggios)

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Below: Palazzo Senatorio - historically used by the Roman Senate, now the meeting place of the Comune di Roma (City of Rome). The statue of Marcus Aurelius is a copy of one found in the museum to the left of the Senatorio.
Below: Looking from the Palazzo dei Conservatori, the seat of the magistrates during the late middle ages. There's a couple of Caravaggios in there: Fortune Teller I (not as good as Fortune Teller II in the Louvre) and John The Baptist.
Below: On the sides of the niche in the panels of the stairway, Michelangelo placed two colossal statues of rivers (almost 15 feet long) sculpted in the second century AD and coming from the thermae of Constantine on the Quirinal Hill. This is the Tiber, flanked by a tiger that was later changed into a she-wolf and the twins. This statue originally represented the Tigris and the characteristic attributes of the Tiber river were added only in the sixteenth century.
Below: Newlyweds pose for photograps in the portico of the Palazzo Nuovo
Below: The original bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius in the Palazzo dei Conservatorio museum. It is the only fully surviving bronze statue of a pre-Christian Roman emperor. Others were melted down for coin or other uses in the Christian era. Statues were also destroyed because medieval Christians thought that they were pagan idols. The statue of Marcus Aurelius was not melted down because in the Middle Ages it was incorrectly thought to portray the first Christian Emperor Constantine.The statue was erected in 176 DC. Its original location is debated: the Roman Forum and Piazza Colonna (where the Column of Marcus Aurelius stands) have been proposed. In the medieval era it was one of the few Roman statues to remain on public view. In the 8th century It stood in the Lateran Palace in Rome, from where it was relocated in 1538 to the Piazza del Campidoglio (Capitoline Hill) during Michelangelo's redesign of the Hill.
Below: Head of a colossal 4th century AD statue of emperor Constantine I in the Palazzo dei Conservatori

Below: In the Pinacoteca of the Capitoline museums is this Fortune teller by Caravaggio (1596). Compare it to the one in the Louvre, underneath (also 1596). I've stared at both of them for a long time. Admittedly i'm more familiar with the Louvre version, but I much prefer it. The light source is more evident, but there's also something about the subjects - Caravaggio seems more intimate with them. The young gypsy is more worldly wise and craftier, and the young buck more gullible. The whole seems more intimate and immediate. The model for the boy was probably Mario Minniti who was a friend, colllaborator and lover (?) of Caravaggio in Rome in the late 1500s. He eventually married and returned to his native Sicily and is an artist of renown.
Below: St John the Baptist c 1600. A subject Caravaggio returned to over and over (probably because he was being commissioned to execute this popular subject) and there are several in various places in Rome. His model may have been his servant, a boy called Cecco. There is an almost identical version to this in the Galleria Doria Pamphilij.

10. Rome - Trevi Fountain

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I'm generally not a superstitious person, but one thing I do insist on is throwing a coin into the Trevi Fountain on every visit. So far it's always worked!

11. Rome - The Spanish Steps

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12. Rome - La Cafe Vita

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13. Rome - Plane, trains and autos Part 2

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14. Rome - Other bits (including six Caravaggios)

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Above: One of the loveliest piazzas is Piazza del Popolo.
We particularly like it for the church of Santa Maria del Popolo, wherein are housed two magnificent Caravaggios - Conversion of St Paul and Crucifixion of St Peter. These two were designed by Carlo Rainaldi - Santa Maria dei Miracoli (left) and Santa Maria in Montesanto. To appear symmetrical, the one on the right was given a circular dome, the one on the left an oval, because the site on the left was narrower. Below: Conversion of St Paul 1600
Below: Crucifixion of St Peter 1600

Below: A typical Roman street scene.

Other bits include a few churches, which we only visited to see Caravaggio paintings inside.

San Luigi dei Francesi, the French church in Rome has the Matthew cycle. Outstanding. Ben was really impressed by these. In fact he was pretty impressed by Carvaggios generally and was interested in the use of light and dark, the hallmark chiarascuro technique.

Below: The Calling of St Matthew 1599-1600
Below: The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew c 1599
Below: The Inspiration of St Matthew c 1602
Below: Around the corner from San Luigi is San Agostino, and another Caravaggio, Madonna di Loreto, c 1603

15. Rome - Cavalieri Hilton

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The Conference I attended was held at the Hilton Cavalieri Hotel.

We really didn’t enjoy our stay in this over-priced, over-blown hotel. Everything looks “luxurious” on the surface, )if not a bit like an explosion at the Versace factory)and there is that level of obsequious service (every member of staff greets you EVERY time you walk down a corridor, even if only 5 seconds earlier!). There are pool attendants in crisp white uniforms, and many of the guests have deep tans and lots of gold bling. Surface sophistication is a good summary of this place.

There is “free” use of the hotel pool for guests (and it is a good pool, big enough for real exercise), BUT just try to sit anywhere, or even put your book and towel down, and you’ll be pounced upon and told you must pay a 16 Euro sun lounge fee. You would think at a room rate of >300 Euros a night, use of the pool and a place to put your towel might be a given!

Although swimming laps during opening hours, I was tapped on the hand and told I was swimming "contrary to regulations". I never found out which regulation, but assume it may have been because it was cloudy? Or perhaps because I put my towel down on a chair undercover? I said that if a manager cared to come and explain the regulation to me perhaps we would have something to discuss, but no-one appeared, of course. Perhaps that explains why there is rarely anyone IN the pool, merely adorning the edges? The pool doesn't open until 9am, so if you are there for a conference, don't think about a pre-breakfast swim for exercise.

Guests are not allowed to iron clothes. The excuse given is “European fire regulations”. Strange, I’ve never encountered that regulation in other, lowlier hotels in Europe! Might it have anything to do with the exorbitant prices they charge for the hotel laundry to iron clothes? I did see one guest scuttling down a corridor with a contraband iron! It was cheaper to buy one new and smuggle it in than pay ironing prices (eg 11 Euros per shirt, 3 per pair of nickers, for those so inclined)

A coffee costs 8 Euros, a small coke from the minibar the same. A hamburger is 25 Euros. Check your bill on the TV regularly - we found mysterious minibar charges appeared which we had to query. They were politely amended.

The hotel has a shuttle bus which operates a few times a day to Piazza Barberini in Rome; be sure to queue at least 10 minutes before departure to get a place; otherwise it is a taxi ride, or there are public buses from nearby, but you won’t be volunteered that information by hotel staff.

You pay the same whether you have a view over Rome or not. The "other" side where we were has a splendid view of an enormous communcations tower and the hotel driveway.

There is no need to pay the hyper-inflated food prices at the hotel as there are some terrific restaurants nearby for those who venture out of the “compound”. Turn right out of the hotel and walk about 10 minutes to Piazza delle Medaglie d’Oro and you will find some good options, including a Sicilian restaurant . A bit further on, in via Prisciano, da Luciano can be recommended. Good local fare in a middle-class neighbourhood.

Below: The magnificent view of the Communications Tower from our room

Below: The lift foyer on our floor
Below: A sign spotted on a room service trolley in our corridor
Below: The room

Below: The pool

16. Rome - The Conference Goers

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Above: View of the vatican and Rome from the Villa Miani, next door to the Hilton
Above: Villa Miani where the formal dinner was held. Next door to the Hilton.

Below: Reception on the rooftop terrace of the Hilton Cavalieri

17. Pompei - the Hotel Diana

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We just loved the Hotel Diana - the antithesis of The overblown Hilton Cavalieri. A small, family owned place, the staff are as friendly and helpful as you could wish, the coffee hot (and affordable - 1 Euro a cup!) and the general ambience unpretentious and delightful.

The outside terrace surrounded by orange trees was a lovely spot to rest after a day paying homage to the Ancients, or to bring a few slad makings back for an evening feast, and just generally chat and unwind.

The Diana is 100 m from the main rail station, on a quiet, dead end street, so no passing traffic. If you find yourself sojourning in Pompei, we thoroughly recommend the Diana!

Above: Breakfast at the Diana. Not shown, but also featured were handpicked apricots and oranges from the hotel garden.

18. Pompei - The new town

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Pompei is more than an ancient site. The modern town of Pompei is a thriving, bustling centre. Its other "claim to fame" is a religious sanctuary, the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of Pompei, founded in 1900. There were bus loads of pilgrims arriving every day and we witnessed a procession one evening when we were dining. the church seemed to be full of people sayign the Rosary at any one time. The souvenir stands and shops of Pompei town are an eclectic mix of ancient site mementoes and religious paraphenalia.
It has a few other distinguishing features, including:

. more gelaterie than we have ever encounted in any other town. Delicious gelato!

. a large number of sleeping dogs. Well, they sleep by day, and stroll by night. If you walk after dark, you will inevitably be accompanied by descendents of the subject of ancient Pompei's Cave Canem ('Beware of the Dog') warnings! Actually they are a pretty friendly bunch....we didn't meet any aggressive ones at all! Wish i'd taken some pics of the sleeping / strolling Pompeian canines.

. the simply wonderful Hotel Diana (see separate blog entry).
Above: The Santuario della Madonna del Rosario - church and campanile in the centre of Pompei.

19. Ancient Pompei

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Above: The Forum, with Vesuvius in the background. The forum was the centre of public life, and the oldest part of Pompei, built on the highest spot. Behind the forum was the Basilica - public administration buildings.

Above: Looking towards Vesuvius.

Above: Large Palestra - a gymnasium with swimming pool in the centre. Only 13 feet wide, Cicero complained that he needed a wider pool to avoid hurting his hands against the wall.

Above: The Anfiteatro (Amphitheatre) - used for gladitorial combat, and the oldest one of its kind in existence. The stone piers were separated into different sections for different social classes. A large cloth canopy provided shade.
Above and below: A tavern (thermopolium) in Via dell'Abbondanza which sold food and drink which had a counter opening on to the street. This one belonged to Asellina, and there is a depiction on the wall of foreign waitresses. The jars kept food and drinks hot.

Above and Below: The large theatre (2nd century BC) seated about 5 000 spectators.

Below: A huge floor mosaic in the House of the Faun depicting Alexander the Great in battle. The original is in the Museo Archaologico Nazionale in Naples. And it is magnificent! This was one of the largest houses in Pompei.

Below: A mosiac depicting a dog in the entrance to a house.

Below: Looking along via di Nola towards Porta di Nola, from the intersection with Via del Vesuvio/Via Stabiana

Below: The magnificent frescoes of the Villa of Mysteries, a large villa outside the ancient walls. It was built in the early 2nd century BC, and converted from an urban dwelling into an elegant country house.

The frescoes are said to represent a bride's initiation into the Dionysian mysteries or a postulant's initiation to the Orphic mysteries. Some say the owner was a priestess of the Dionysian cult, then widespread in southern Italy. Dionysus was the Greek god of wine.

20. Ancient Pompei - Botanic Gardens

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A project is underway within the archaeological site of Pompei to cultivate many of the plants which were grown in ancient Pompei.

This botanic garden is a serene haven. There are specimens of many food, construction, medicinal and aromatic, textile and decorative plants (many of course had more than one use).

Fruit trees include apple, olive, pear, fig, almond.
Medical and aromatic plants: basil, marjoram, thyme (antiseptic), garlic (high blood pressure), rue (abortion). Construction: ash tree - whose very flexible wood was used to build bed staves; the willow tree - used to weave baskets; the poplar - cut in foils for baskets.
Bulrushes - used to drip ricotta cheese, and vegetables were tied up with them.
Canes - making musical instruments, traps and pikes and dividing walls for houses and padding mattresses with blooms.
Vegetables included legumes and cereals (chickpeas, lentils, peas, broad beans) which were cooked as soups.
Textile plants were flax, hemp, “ginestra” from which ropes, nets and canvas were made, while the cotton-wastes were used for lamps. Fabrics were dyed with blooms of the “ontano” and the card of the “fullones” was used to tease wool.
“Coronarie”, evergreen plants received a special mention in Plinius work book XXI; they were used to weave celebratory, cult and therapeutic crowns.

21. Herculaneum

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We have visited Pompei a couple of times before, and it is certainly majestic and vast. However, we had never been to Herculaneum, which is a much smaller, more intimate site, about a tenth the size of Pompei, and much better preserved. It allows you to understand domestic settings much more readily. It's well worth making the trip to this rather unprepossessing modern town - really a suburb of Naples these days, or at least consumed by the sprawl of the Neapolitan metropolis.

Herculaneum was a fishing and port town of about 4000 people, a resort for the wealthy Romans and Campanians. It was destroyed by earthquake in 62AD and then swalled by the Vesuvius eruption in 79AD. It is closer to the volcano than Pompei, and was buried in 16 metres of mud. Thousands of people tried to escape by boat, but were suffocated by volcanic gases.

The town was rediscovered in 1709. Amateur excavations were carried out until 1874. Serious work resumed in 1927, and continues. Much is buried under the modern town of Ercolano.

Below: The site and the modern day shoreline. It was closer at the time of the eruption.

Below: Looking towards Vesuvius and the modern town of Ercolano.
Below: Typical Roman peristyle (the colonnaded walkway) and atrium (inner garden) in the Casa d'Argo (House of Argus) on Cardo III
Below: Niche near the Casa d'Argo
Below: At the intersection of Cardo III and Decumano Inferiore, a shop/cafe - thermopolium - selling food and drink. The earthenware jars were for food storage and keeping things warm.

Below: Mosaic of Neptune and Amphitrite, in the summer dining room (triclinium) of a very well preserved house.
Below: Wider view of the nymphaeum (monument to the nymphs) in the Casa di Nettuno e Anfitrite
Below: Atrium of House of the Black Hall
Below: Walking along Cardo V

Below: Ben at the Casa del Rilievo di Telefo (House with the Telephus Relief)

Below: the palestra (gymnasium), with what I like to think is a lap swimming pool, but probably isn't!

22. Napoli - round and about (including one Caravaggio)

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To be honest, the whole prospect of Naples has always intimidated me somewhat, and we have skirted around its edges on each visit to Italy - visiting the ancient site of Pompeil, staying in Salerno, visiting the Amalfi coast, travelling through on trains between points further south and Rome...

This time we decided to set aside some time to explore at least part of Naples, with an eye on the national Archaeological Museum and Caravaggio paintings in particular.

We decided to rest our heads in much calmer Pompei, and travel to Naples as a day trip. I think our decision was justified, and although we got a lot from our toe-dipping in Naples, it's still a bit too frenetic and noisy and chaotic for my taste (people pushing and in close proximity in very narrow streets are never my idea of fun, especially with THREE people together, one of them young. You can never walk together and usually end up on a group-march, single file).

Still, I'd now like to return to Naples and discover more.

The pictures are a bit diappointing. It was a grey and drizzly day to start with, and it was hard to get good light in the narrow streets....

Below: Piazza near the central railway station.
Below: Via Tribunali, a main shopping street, in the Spaccanapoli section of the city
Below: In the same area. I don't know what this building is.
Below: A smaller street off via Tribunali
Below: The small octagonal chapel of Pio Monte di Misericordia houses one of Caravaggio's masterpieces, The Seven Acts of Mercy. The chapel is a lovely haven free of the noise and chaos outside. We were there alone for most of our visit and able to sit and contemplate the painting before us for a long time.
Below: The Caravaggio painting, Seven Acts of Mercy.
Below: Piazza Riario Sforza with the Guglia di San Gennaro (Spire of San Gennaro), dedicated to the patron saint of Naples in 1636, to thank San Genaro for saving the city from an eruption of Vesuvius in 1631. The yellow building on the right is the Hotel Caravaggio. It looks nice.
Below: A view of rooftops from the Museo Archeologico Nazionale
Below: Pizza at a local pizzeria near Capodimonte
Below: The Bay of Naples from the park at Capodimonte
Below: Advertising within the central railway station. "Vesuvius and Etna...Never So Close As Now."

Below: A decent reproduction of The Seven Acts of Mercy c 1607

23. Napoli - National Archaeological Museum

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The Museo Archaeologico Nazionale in Napoli is where original mosaics, frescoes and other objects uncovered from ancient Pompei and Herculaneum and other excavations around Vesuvius are housed. There are also Etruscan and Egyptian relics, Greek and Roman sculptures. It is a magnificent museum.

Possibly the most memorable room is the Gabinetto Segreto (Secret Cabinet) - a collection of ancient erotica from pompei and Herculaneum. It was reopened to the public in 2000 after decades of being restricted to those with academic interest and permission.

Below: Ben joins in discussion with these classical wise ones.

Below: Hercules' bum
Below: The Farnese Hercules - made by Glykon of Athens, it is an enlarged copy of a sculpture by Greek master Lysippus. Napoleon is said to have regretted leaving it behind when he left Italy with his loot in 1797.
Below: The Farnese Bull, behind drapes while the room is being restored. You can see it here. According to Pliny the Elder it was commissioned at the end of the second century BC and carved from one whole block of marble. It was imported from Rhodes as part of the collection of artwork and sculptures owned by Asinius Pollio, a Roman politician. It is widely considered the largest single sculpture ever recovered from antiquity, made by Apollonius of Tralles and his brother Tauriscus.
It represents the myth of Dirce. She was tied to a wild bull by the sons of Antiope, Zeto and Amphion, who wanted to punish her for the ill-treatment inflicted on their mother, first wife of Lykos, King of Thebes.
Below: Three pieces from the Gabinetto Segreto collection
Below: Is that a gun in your toga, or are you just happy to see me?
Below: One of the most famous pieces is this fresco of Priapus - Mercury from Pompei
Below: Amazing mosaics from . This was my favourite part of the museum, apart from the gabinetto segreto. The bottom one is from the large theatre at Pompei. There are many others, and they are all absolutely beautiful.
Below: This model of Pompei, the idea of archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli, was made of wood, paper and cork between 1861 and 1879. It reproduces every detail found in the ruins to that time. In some cases when detailed records of decoration are needed, the model is the only remaining source.

24. Napoli - Palazzo Reale di Capodimonte (including one Caravaggio, a A Gentileschi and a Brueghel)

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The purpose of our visit was to look at two paintings we've longed to see for ages - Caravaggio's Flagellation (160710) and Atemisia Gentileschi's Judith Slaying Holofernes (1597-1651)

There is an amazing lot of other magnificent works of art, brilliantly displayed as well; it ranks as one of the best art museums I have visited. There are some Brueghels which can take your breath away. Amid more "usual suspects" - cricifixions, annunciations etc, there is a painting The Blind Leading The Blind by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, which is beautifully rendered. It is a subject I haven't seen in art before. There's also his Misanthrope.

The Cravaggio is hung in isolation at the end of a very long corridor. As you appraoch, it is framed by innumerable doorwars and arches. The lighting is dramatic. The whole effect is quite breathtaking and derserving of this powerful and dramatic work.

The Royal Palace of Capodimonte was built by Charles VII Bourbon as a hunting lodge, starting in 1738. Charles inherited his mother, Elisabetta farnese's art collection. 17th century artists and travellers flocked to look at it. Visits were halted during French rule (1806-15) when the palace became the residence of Joseph Bonaparte and Joachim Murat.

In 1860, the Galleria d'Arte Moderne was established.

Below: I forget who these were by, but they impressed me!

Below: Caravaggio's Flagellation
Below: Artemisia Gentileschi Judith Slaying Holofernes
Below: Pieter Brueghel the Elder - The Blind Leading the Blind

25. Sorrento, and a tour of darkened train stations

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We spent an afternoon and evening strolling and having dinner in Sorrento. Had a nice, if very pricey dinner, and then caught the Circumvesuviana back towards Pompei. Dinner wiped out our cash, and for some reason we didn't top up right then, so we had about 10 Euros between us.
Then, on the train, we were preoccpied & missed our stop. Easy! Get out next stop & catch train back. Hmm. 5 platforms. Which one?
Ask at ticket office : "which platform for Pompei?" Platform 4. Good.
Wait 20 mins train arrives. Doesn't say Sorrento on front.
Ask someone
"per pompei?" Si.
It's one station, right?
Train arrives at next station. Name at station bears no resemblance to Pompei. Says
Boscotrecase - which means Three Houses Wood, by the way.

Panic & get off train, realising it is heading up a branch line. Wait another 20 mins on a dreary, dark (now about 9.05) platform to go back to previous station. Get there about 9.30.

Ok. This time we're right. Train arrives. Oops! Again doesn't say Sorrento. Train doors open & I stand there just long enough to study map above opposite door to realise there are TWO pompei stations on different lines. (well 3 really cos there's also the state rail mainline station we first arrived at from Rome)

Then the doors closed. Ok. Got it figured now! These trains from platform 4 go to
the OTHER - 3rd - Pompei stationn, & guess what! We realise from piecing together
info it is 300 m from hotel, not 2k! Bonus!

Two trains bound for Sorrento pass thru on platform 2, & we breezily watch
them pass.

Two other passengers arrive. Two women we had seen in Pompei earlier in the day.
English speakers. From Thirlmere. They have a map of the trains! And atimetable. Except only for Sorrento trains, not this other branch.

We all wait together. After 40 mins we kinda think there might not be another train! Err, one last chance...there is one more to Sorrento - last for the night, at about 10.45. If we miss that one we're up the creek, we with 10Euros - not enough for a taxi fare.

I stroll up other end of platform where I can see some blokes on platform 1, and mustering my best Italian scream into the night air : is there another train to Pompei from this platform?

Hand signals & shouted replies indicate Nup. Ci sono finito for tonight.

Onto platform 2, & last train, then 2 k walk. With dogs. For Pompei turns into a town of strolling dogs after dark. Arrived back at about 11.30pm, instead of 9.30 having had interesting tour of boring, darkened railway stations somewhere between Pompei & Naples.

Below: View towards the bay
Below: Picturesque street
Below: View across the Bay of Naples towards Vesuvius, from the Villa Communale, with the bathing jetties below

Below: the small Villa Communale (public garden)
Below: A picturesque spot for wedding photos.

26. Travellin' around

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Below: Pompei Scavi - the station on the Circumvesuviana line which is on the Sorrento line. Many visitors to the Pompei site arrive here.

Below: Ercolano -The station for visiting Herculaneum's ruins.
Below: the Circumvesuviano - return from Sorrento. This is the train we were on when we over-shot the station.

Below: the brand new regional train taking us from Pompei to Naples for our return to Rome. So new the remnants of the plastic which had covered the seats was still visible.

Below: the train from Naples back to Rome.

Below: leaving Naples
Below: The station at Lucca
Below: Waiting at Viareggio (I think) for train to Genoa
Below: The train from Viareggio to Genoa

Below: train from Pisa to Lucca

27. Lucca - the town

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Lucca is a beautiful town, which was a Roman colony founded in 180 BC. The magnificent walls were built in the 16th to 17th century. Big, fat walls, still entirely intact. Lucca is a great city for walking and bike riding - possibly the most bike-friendly town I've been to in Italy.

Below: A courtyard off via Fillungo, the main shopping street.
Below: The Piazza del Anfiteatro, which is a market piazza which follows the outline of the ancient Roman amphitheatre.

Below: The outside of the piazza di anfiteatro
Below: Piazza Santa Maria, which has the tourist information office, and two bicycle hire shops.
Below: The Saturday market inside the walls
Below: The garden of Palazzo Pfanner
Below: Palazzo Pfanner and the campanile of the cathedral of San Martino

Below: A wall denouncing fascism
Below: a local bar

Below: Shop selling lots of limoncello
Below: Beautiful iron and brick work in the Piazza San Michele

Below: Graffiti at the railways station. Fuck Fascism.
Below: Nazi symbol placed in a bin labelled "Shit"

28. Lucca - cycling and walking the walls

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Lucca's 16th-17th century walls are stunning, and perfect for riding a bike around. Ben and I hired bikes and set off. They are about 4kms in length.

The walls were built as a defence against Tuscany, but never needed to be used, which s one reason they are so beautifully intact.

Below: Outside the wall
Below: Palazzo Pfanner and its garden and the cathedral

29. Lucca - People

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Some of the people we saw around Lucca.

Below: We espied this young cello maker, Fabio Piagentini, out of the window of our apartment, and went over to have a look at his shop. He was a friendly young man who invited us in to watch him work, and talk a little about his art.

30. Lucca - Churches

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Lucca has some magnificent examples of Romanesque church architecture.

San Frediano

San Frediano features a magnificent 13th century mosaic of The Ascension. Inside is an even better treat - the body of one of Lucca's patron saints, Santa Zita.

Above: Santa Zita. Her body is brought out once a year to be touched by the devout. Born 1218, died 27 April, 1278. Canonised 1696.

The Legend of Santa Zita

Zita was born in Monsagrati, a small village not far from Lucca.

She was employed as a domestic by the Fatinelli family in Lucca, and every day she would give away leftover bread to the local poor.

Mr. and Mrs. Fatinelli were good people who had several workers. Zita was happy to be able to work and send money to her parents. She tried to live responsibly. She formed habits of praying that fit in with her schedule. She rose early to go to daily Mass. Zita was diligent in her work. She felt it was part of her very self. But the other workers were annoyed. They tried to do as little as they could get away with. They began to pick on Zita and oppose her without their employers noticing. Zita was hurt but she prayed for patience. She never told on the workers. She insisted on doing her work as well as possible no matter what they thought.

When one of the workers tried to kiss her, Zita fought him off. He left the room with several scratches on his face. Mr. Fatinelli questioned her privately about the incident. She told him honestly what had happened. After that, Zita became the head housekeeper. The Fatinelli children were placed under her care. Best of all, the other workers stopped persecuting her. Some even began to imitate her.

A jealous fellow employee betrayed her to the owner of the house, who in turn challenged her.
When he asked her what she had in her apron, legend has it that flowers fell out instead of the original bread.

Zita spent her whole life with the Fatinelli family. While others came and went, she stayed. She served them lovingly. She loved them like she loved her own family. By her example, she helped people see that work is beautiful when it is done with Christian love. Zita died peacefully on April 27,1278. She was sixty years old.

On April 27th, 1278, the bell of the church of San Frediano (near where Zita worked and lodged) was heard to ring. What was strange was that nobody was pulling the ropes -- The ringing is said to have coincided with Zita's last breath.

From Welcome Tuscany website

San Michele in Foro

Built on the site of the old Roman forum. Its facade is a fabulous example of Pisan-Romaensque architecture. Every column is different. ost of the decorations are pagan. It was built between the 11th and 14th centuries. There is a huge winged figure of St Matthew on the pediment.

The Cathedral - San Martino

The campanile was built first, so the facade looks rather cramped. The campanile was begun in 1060 as a defensive tower. The facade dates from 1204.

31. Lucca - the apartment

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We rented a studio apartment for the three nights we were in Lucca. It was in the building below...enter by the green door, and it was on the first floor on the left hand side. You can see two open windows, and a trompe l'oeil window on the side wall.

The location was really convenient - inside the walls, and walking distance to everywhere.

Although small, we had a very comfortable stay there. Three people is the maximum that can be accommodated here, but the owners own another, larger apartment in the same building.
See their website here.

32. Lucca - from the apartment window

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33. Pisa - the town

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We visited Pisa on a day trip from Lucca. In 2005 I was there with my friend Collette, and had everything - money, cards, passport - stolen at the ticket office of the Leaning Tower. We then spent a day travelling to Rome to get an emergency passport, instead of enjoying Lucca where we were staying. We were pleased to see that the arrangements at the ticket office have since changed to make the "crush scam" I was involved in less likely. And nothing untoward happened - we had a great day.

Above and Below: The Arno river and the church of Santa maria della Spina. Spina means thorn, and the church supposedly houses a thorn from Jesus's Crown of Thorns. It was built between 1230 and 1323. It was rebuilt above the river, to prevent flooding, in 1871.
Below: Coconut snacks for sale near the railway station
Below: Piazza dei Cavalieri. This building is one of Pisa Universiy's most prestigious colleges, the Scuola Normale Superiore. It was designed by Vasari in 1562. The decorative effect is called sgraffito - designs scratched into wet plaster. It represents allegorical figures and zodiac signs.It was headquarters of the Cavalieri di Santo Stefano, an order of knights created by Cosimo I in 1561.
Below: Also in the Piazza dei Cavalieri is Palazzo dell'Orologio. It contains the library of the scuola normale superiore. Until 1804, it was an infirmary and residence for elderly knights.
Below: Through a door off the Piazza dei Cavalieri, you can find these gardens

Below: Piazza Garibaldi, near the river. It is in the exact middle of Pisa. They were setting up for a concert.
Below: eating pizza in the main street, Borgo Stretto, after a hard day's sightseeing.

34. Pisa - Piazza dei Miracoli

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The Main Event in Pisa is, of course, the Piazza dei Miracoli. There are four main buildings of interest:

The La campanile - better known as the Leaning Tower
Il Duomo (cathedral)
Il Battistero (the baptistery)
Il Camposanto ("Holy Field", or cemetery)

The Leaning Tower is the raison d'etre of tourism to Pisa. It has been an attraction ever since it was built (leaning). It was begun in 1173 and strate dto tilt before reaching the third storey. It was completed in 1350. A fantastic history of the tower, and the politics around it can be read in the very entertaining and easy to read book Tilt by Nicholas Shrady.

The Cathedral was begin in 1064. It is a wonderful example of Pisan - Romanesque architecture.

The Baptistery was begun in 1152 and finished a century later. It was begun in Romanesque style and finished in Gothic style by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano.

The Camposanto was begun in 1278 by Giovanni di Simone. World War 2 bombs destroyed much of the frescoes. There is a major restoration underway.

Below: Approaching the piazza, past the tourist stalls.

Below: The cathedral, roof of the baptistery and leaning tower. Below: One good shove.
Below: ooops! Too far!
Below: Oh no! It's going to topple the other way.
Below: Inside the cathedral. Playing with fire (artificial).
Below: Ceiling and interior of the cathedral
Below: Inside the baptistery from the gallery
Below: View of the cathedral and tower from the baptistery
Below: The Leaning Cathedral of Pisa
Below: Nose in a book, baptistery, while mum lingers at photos
Below: The camposanto

Below: Frescoes in the camposanto
Below: Statue of Fibonacci

Fibonacci was a Pisan mathematician, whose name was Leonardo of Pisa (c. 1170 – c. 1250), also known as Leonardo Pisano, Leonardo Bonacci, Leonardo Fibonacci. Fibonacci is best known for spreading of the Arabic numeral system in Europe, primarily through the publication in the early 13th century of his Book of Calculation, the Liber Abaci, and a modern number sequence named after him known as the Fibonacci numbers, which he did not discover but used as an example in the Liber Abaci.

The nickname Fibonacci came about because his father Gugliemo was nicknamed Bonaccio ("good natured" or "simple"). Fibonacci is derived from filius Bonacci, meaning son of Bonaccio.

The statue was finished in 1863 and placed here to honour Fibonacci. It is not known what he looked like.

Below: Chains which used to close the medieval harbour of Pisa. They were taken by the Genoese rivals who won the Meloria battle in 1284 and they gave them back to the city only in 1860.

35. Menton - the old town

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Menton is a beautiful town right on the French side of the border with Italy. Its climate is exceptionally mild. It is reputed to be the warmest place on the Côte d'Azur in winter - a subtropical microclimate.

These photos take us on a walk through the old town, starting at the main Place in the lower part. There can be found many cafes, restaurants and shops. The streets then wind upwards until you are rewarded with the most beautiful views over the port, beaches, town and Italy.

For views and tours of Menton every day of the year, visit Jilly's blog: Menton Daily Photo.

Below: In the main square, there are lots of restaurants and cafes, a great place to rest after a walk, or get the energy to set off.

Below: And the location of a terrific restaurant, Le Balico

Below: Another great place for a rest
Below: Oops! Road blocked! Jilly says that work has been going on in the main street through the old town for many months.
Below: The main church of Menton, Eglise Saint-Michel is on the right side of this place, which looks over the port and beach. That's Italy in the distance. In August there is a music festival held in this Place. The mosaic paving depicts the coat of arms of the Grimaldi family (the royal family of Monaco, who once held much more vast territories) Below: A lovely house of the old town
Below: Lots of rooftops
Below: Terracotta rooftops, so typical of the Mediterranean. Australia is another country which adopted terracotta for roofing houses, especially in the early 20th century. Our house in sSydney has Marseilles tiles, shaped differently, but similar colour.
Below: Roofing work underway.

Below: Views of the port and towards Italy
Below: The steeples of two churches in the old town. The taller one is Saint-Michel
Below: The cemetery in the old town is the final resting place of many foreigners who came to Menton for their final years. One famous Permanent Resident is William Webb Ellis, who is credited (probably spuriously) with inventing the game of Rugby.

Below: The cemetery can be seen on the upper level at the right

36. Menton - the house

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Our beautiful friend, Jilly not only opened her gorgeous home to us, she squired us around and showed us the lovely places in her part of the world. Jilly boards dogs at her dog pension, so we also had the company of four lovely dogs, all impeccably well-behaved.

Below: Houses nestled in a valley above Menton with a view to the ocean. The roof top just below road level is our digs.

Below: The upper terrace

Below: Breakfast on the upper terrace

Below: Ben and the pugs settle in for some TV watching
Below: The lower terrace. Our suite was through the further blue shuttered doors
Below: Looking from the lower to upper terrace

Below: Our room
Below: one of our fellow guests at Pension Milou, Rosie.

Below: Beau is Canine-In-Residence. A lovely fellow who has had a hard life until adopted by Jilly. Now he is king of the castle, but a very 'umble one!

37. Gorbio

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Gorbio is an enchanting medieval village in the hills above Menton. We spent a morning wandering around with our indefatigable 'tour guide', Jilly. You can see many more lovely photos of Gorbio on Jilly's blog Menton Daily Photo. Down the right habd side of her home page you will see Labels : Go for Villages Close to Menton - Gorbio to see all her posts featuring Gorbio.

Gorbio has a population of 930.

Below: The village has a functioning lavoir - an outdoor wash-house, fed by water from the fountain.

Below: The sign says: L'USAGE de la FONTAINE et du LAVOIR est STRICTEMENT RESERVE aux LAVANDIERES

Below: Garden of a house where a wedding recently took place from (the bride's parents')
Below: This fountain was built in 1882.
Below: Place de la Mairie, with the Town hall (Mairie)

Below: A colourfully decorated household mailbox.

Below: The square outside the village church, the Eglise Saint Barthélémy. The pink rose petals are left from the wedding couple of weeks earlier.

Below: Inside the church...the one of the altar end didn't turn out (bad light conditions, ie too much)

Below: One of the lovely cobbled medieval streets
Below: This dog on the balcony has a great view over the valley and motorway.
Below: This picture of the motorway was not taken in the meieval village, but a bit further down. These European roads in the sky are an engineering miracle!
Below: The town oven, still used for baking breads and pastries I believe. Especially useful if you are baking large quantities on trays too big to do at home.
Below: Looking up at the Tour Lascaris from Place Honoré Vial
Below: We passed this yard where tree branches which had been painted or treated in some way were propped. Many artistic people live in Gorbio, so no doubt they will turn up somewhere as part of a creastive endeavour.
Below: Two young students and a dog ( at least I think they were students, and were meant to be studying for end of year exams) take a coffee break outside this house at the top of the village.
Below: The Yellow Pages had recently been delivered.
Below: walking down from the chateau at the top of the village. Love the plastic cafe-type strips in the doorway. Reminds me of Australia in the 1960s!
Below: I loved the juxtaposition of the plastic flower pot against the rustic stonework. Out of place? At least it is terracotta colored. The petunia is a gorgeous shade of purple, anyway.
Below: More traditional earthenware pot.
Below: A Nativity scene in the village, behind a locked door, but a grille means you can look in.
Below: Back in the main square of the town, with its fountain. Built in 1902 as an abreuvoir (feeding / watering trough) for mules and donkeys, it takes the form of a harness and pair of baskets as carried by mules.
Below: On one side of the square is this house with trompe l'oeil windows
Below: Relaxing after our walk at the Bar Les terrasses. It was from here I took the previous photo.

38. Roquebrune

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Roquebrune-Cap Martin is another charming village, between Monaco and Menton. Past visitors and residents in the area have included Coco Chanel, Greta Garbo and Winston Churchill. And now us, thanks to Jilly again.

Le Corbusier the architect drowned off the coast in 1965 and WB Yeats died here in 1939.

As with Gorbio, you can also enjoy Jilly's strolls through the village on Menton Daily Photo.

Below: Before we head up to the medieval hill village, down near the sea is the public pool / open air cinema.

Below: Looking east towards Menton
Below: We arrived in the village in late afternoon, in order to have a walk and then eat in the main square, Place des Deux Frères, at the reataurant, La Grotte, seen under the Xth century castle. The restaurant is carved out of the 'pudding rock'.
Below: Houses, pools and gardens tumbling down the hillside.

Below: Looking west towards Monaco

Below: These young girls busied themselves with their toys, while the young boys played football in the square. Lots of pink!
Below: The sun is getting lower and darkness will soon start to fall over Monaco
Below: Time for dinner. I had a seafood entree and the best pizza I have tasted in a very long time (sorry, Naples!). In fact, it was one of the best meals of the entire trip.

Below: By the time we had finished eating it was dark. Looking up at the illuminated castle
Below: An then fireworks over Monte Carlo. Like Sydney, there are regular fireworks when there are cruise ships in port, or elaborate private functions.

39. Monaco - around and about

2008-06-08T23:19:00.000-07:00

I have mixed feelings about tax-haven Monaco (population c.33 000) and Monte Carlo (population c.3 000) . Monte Carlo is one of the five administrative areas comprising Monaco. On the one hand it is a concentration of conspicuous consumption (greed?) and manifest privilege, and on the other it is a beautiful place well worth visiting. Unfortunately our whistle-stop tour meant we didn't have time to linger and discover some of the beautiful gardens for which it is renowned, or look in detail at beautiful belle epoque architecture and the like. One of the things I was looking forward to was swimming in the lovely public pool at the port (see next blog entry) which meant less time for other pursuits. Another "next time" !

For more journeys and views on a daily basis, I recommend you look at Jilly's gorgeous blog, Monte Carlo Daily Photo.

There are real people who live and work in Monaco, so it's not only about glitz and glamour. Those beautiful people don't get their champagne glasses filled and yachts swabbed down by dent of osmosis....real people have to provide those services.

Jilly told us that two years ago the French government lowered bus fares to 1 Euro per journey to encourage the workforce to use public transport in order to lower the number of cars trying to enter the city. It was enormously successsful, so much so that the workers were being crowded out by tourists who were able to take advantage of it.

Most governments of my experience would immediately react by putting restrictions on, and making life difficult again for some of the users; the French administration instead increased the number of bus services to try to cope.

Below: The "walking street" of Monte Carlo, rue Princess Caroline.
Below: The view of the harbour from the shade where we were having lunch
Below: A sculpture near the Monaco Yacht Club at Port Hercule. I'm guessing it's a statue of Hercules...the only inscription is on the plinth, saying "Vax Cartie" . Don't know what that means. There is some fabulous public art in this city, and worth having a look at on Jilly's blog.

Below: The "superyacht" Lady Moura, deemed to be the 11th largest private yacht in the world (2006). It is owned by Nasser Al-Rashid, a multi-millionaire Saudi Arabian businessman. The escutcheon (shield), which you can't see, and the name, which you can, are carved in 24 carat gold. Al-Rashid reportedly paid over $US 100 million for it. Below: More in our price range, the Bateau-Bus will take you across the port for the unstratospheric sum of 1 Euro!

Below: The casino. This is the Prince's door, the private entrance of the Prince of Monaco, sued when the Royal Family attends opera or ballet in the theatre. It is illegal for any citizen of Monaco to enter the casino!
Below: The facade of the main entry of the baroque-style casino. Its architect was Charles Garnier, who was also responsible for the Paris Opera building. Construction began in 1858, and the theatre was added in 1910.

Below: Only the ritziest cars are allowed to park outside the casino. Tourists then take shots of themselves pretending they own them.

Below: This stunning Sky Mirror and fountain in Place du Casino was a gift of to the principality from philanthropist Lily Safra. It is concave, made of highly polished stainless steel, the work or British artist Anish Kapoor. The original one is in Nottingham, and there is one in New York City's Rockefeller Centre.
Below: Why use the public pool when you can have one on your yacht? Bit hard to strecth out for a few laps though.

40. Monaco - the pool

2008-06-08T23:18:00.000-07:00

This public swimming pool in Monaco is located right at the port, in La Condamine area. What a wonderful facility it is. It costs only about 4,70 E (3 E for kids) and you can stay as long as you like.

A little while ago, Jilly from Monte Carlo Daily Photo featured the pool, and asked "how long does it take to fill?" I got it right! (It's about 5.5 hours). And then I got to swim in it, which Jilly also recorded for posterity.

I was quite surprised when I dived in to discover that it's salt water. For some reason I expected fresh. It was a terrific pool to swim in, and apart from some serious laps, I had fun mucking around with Ben.

41. Villefranche-sur-Mer

2008-06-08T23:17:00.000-07:00

We didn't go to Villefranche, just whizzed through on the train between Menton and Avignon. It was nice to see some of the coast from the train; along this stretch it is quite mountainous, and the train spends a fair amount of time in tunnels.

42. Avignon - Sur le pont (Pont St-Bénezet)

2008-06-08T23:16:00.000-07:00

Listen and watch here (click)

Les beaux messieurs font comm’ ça

Et puis encore comm’ ça.
The handsome gentlemen go this way

Then again go that way

Chorus:

Sur le pont d’Avignon

L'on y danse, l'on y danse

Sur le pont d’Avignon

L'on y danse tous en rond
On the bridge of Avignon

We all dance there, we all dance there

On the bridge of Avignon

We all dance there in a ring

Les belles dames font comm’ ça

Et puis encore comm’ ça.
The beautiful ladies go this way

Then again go that way

Les militaires font comm’ ça

Et puis encore comm’ ça
The soldiers go this way

Then again go that way

Les musiciens font comm’ ça

Et puis encore comm’ ça.
The musicians go this way

Then again go that way

Pont St-Bénezet originally spanned the Rhône between Avignon and Villeneuve-lès-Avignon on the opposite bank. It was built between 1171 and 1185, with an original length of 900 m but it suffered frequent collapses during floods and had to be reconstructed several times. Over the centuries, it became increasingly perilous as arches collapsed and were replaced by rickety wooden sections. It was finally put out of use by a catastrophic flood in 1668, which swept away much of the structure. It was subsequently abandoned and no more attempts were made to repair it. Since then, its surviving arches have successively collapsed or been demolished, and only four of the initial 22 arches remain intact today.

In fact, people probably would have danced beneath the bridge (sous le pont) where it crossed the Ile de Barthelasse on its way to Villeneuve. The island was (and still is) a popular recreation spot, with pleasure gardens, and folk dancing was a popular pastime for many years. The bridge itself is far too narrow and slippery and uneven to have accommodated dancers.

The song was originally composed by the 16th century composer Pierre Certon, though with a very different melody to its present version and under the more accurate title of "Sus (sic) le Pont d'Avignon". The modern version only dates from the mid-19th century, when Adolphe Adam included it in an 1853 operetta entitled l'Auberge Pleine. It was popularised by an 1876 operetta which renamed the song, as currently, "Sur le Pont d'Avignon." (Thanks Wikipedia)

There's an interesting little museum in the bridge, where you can listen to various versions of the song.

43. Avignon - The Town

2008-06-08T23:15:00.000-07:00

To Avignon, where are other gorgeous and delightful friend, Nathalie, took great care of us and helped us find our bearings. Nathalie, like Jilly, is a bloggy friend, who also takes stunning photos. (OK, you could argue that the south of France provides a ready-made palette for successful shutter-bugging, but this pair have serious talent). You can also meander around Nathalie's photo blog Avignon In Photos to discover aspects of her home town we just couldn't uncover in our fleeting visit.

Below: The view from Nathalie's terrace, across the rooftops to the Palais des Papes
Below: Nathalie's view in the other direction
Below: On a trip to the supermarket, we discovered varieties of coke we never knew existed. We lined them all up for a snap.
Below: One of the gates in the old walls. Along with the locals we parked our hire car outside the walls, where it is free. We were staying about 100 metres' walk inside the wall.

Below: View of the Rhône across Île de la Barthelasse to the castle in Villeneuve-lez-Avignon (see separate entry). Taken from Rocher des Doms, a park atop the bluff. The vineyard is a recreation of vineyards that existed at the time the popes occupied Avignon in the first half of the 14th century.

Below: Notification from the local council indicating that a resident within the building has approval for traffic to be halted outside for a specified time and date (14 June from 08:00 to 18:00). Because the streets are so narrow, this approval must be sought if you wish to arrange delivery of whitegoods or material to be carted away, etc. Nathalie explained that you go to the mairie (town hall) with your proposed date and time, and permission is granted as long as there is not a conflicting demand in a street required for diversion of traffic from yours! The Town Hall keeps the "master plan" . And it works.
Below: Ice cream pit-stop in Rocher des Doms.
Below: Cathédral Notre dame des Doms and Palais des Papes
Below: Outside the Palais des Papes
Below: Palais des Papes
Below: Trompe l'oeil people watching over Avignon
Below: A Sunday morning stroll along Rue de la République

Below: Pretty window
Below: The facade of Les Halles (the indoor market) features this astounding "vertical garden" . I've never seen anything like it before, and found it might impressive. Inside, the food stands are mouth-wateringly delectable, and one of the few places to get food on a Sunday morning. It looked like lots of people were stocking up on sweets and cakes, tartes and viandes before heading off to maison maman et grand-mère 's for Sunday lunch!

Below: A certain Italo-Australian goes native in France, ensuring that his morning baguette doesn't get home end intact! Sprung!
Below: Hmmm - edible g-strings?

44. Avignon - Rue des Teinturiers (Street of the Dyers)

2008-06-08T23:14:00.000-07:00

Our spartment was in a street which ran into Rue des Teinturiers. The street was traditionally where fabric dyers worked. The River Sorgue powered the water wheels which powered the mills along the street.

Nowadays there's a myriad tiny theatres and lots of snall cafes and bars lining the street. Avignon hosts an annual, world-renowned Festival of Theatre, when performances take splace all over town, including in some of these theatres which are as tiny as 50 seats. The cafes would place a couple of tiny tables outside under the plane trees alongside the river.

When we were there, performances were taking place in some of the performance spaces, and we often passed evening audiences spilling into the narrow cobble-stoned street, enlivening it with chatter.

The street seemed to be a centre of "bohemian" Avignon. Here's some scenes from Rue des Teinturiers. I regret not taking more photos in the area, but I think it was a case that we were often "passing through" on the way elsewhere!

Below: A restaurant named Woolloomooloo, which, despite its name (a Sydney harbour suburb), bears no connection to Australia these days. Nathalie said the name is a mystery to the current owners! Its warm, red glow at night was a beacon to us, for it was located at the corner of the street we were living in.

45. Avignon -artistic walls

2008-06-08T23:13:00.000-07:00

Lots of trompe l'oeil and posters and stencil art/graffiti around Avignon. Here's a selection of what I saw.

46. Avignon - île de la Barthelasse

2008-06-08T23:12:00.000-07:00

île de la Barthelasses is the biggest river island in Europe, and provides a playground for Avignon. We didn't pay a visit until our last morning, which was a Sunday. We found many people strolling, walkign their dogs, playing with their kids, setting up picnics, and all the sort of things that people do on Sundays the world over.

And we discovered a very nice municipal swimming pool, though it was a bit hard to see as you had to walk up a driveway and through a cafe/restaurant area. We settled in for a coffee and tea, and watched the few kids who were playing in the pool. One young lad took quite awhile to get u the courage to leap from the 3m board; you could feel the tension amongst the cafe crowd, and the collective exhilation when he finally took the plunge, and once he did, he was back for more.

We didn't have our swimming stuff with us, but it was also a little cool. The days previously had been sunny and bright, but the famous mistral had also been blowing, so apart from our excursion to Cassis, swimming wasn't high on our agenda. Mind you, if I had my cossie, I would have taken the plunge!

Below: View of Pont Saint-Bénezet from the island

47. Avignon - Villeneuve Lez Avignon

2008-06-08T23:11:00.000-07:00

On the afternoon we arrived in Avignon, Nathalie picked us up from the TGV station, and after a luscious lunch at her place, we went across the river to Villeneuve Lez Avignon.

The town's origin dates to the Abbey Saint André founded in the 6th century. King Philippe le Bel (the Fair) gave orders to construct a forteress to command the bridge of Saint-Bénézet of Avignon. Cardinals, popes and other clergy built palatial residences (livrées) and founded convents and churches.

Despite this churchmen's presence, Villeneuve was part of the Kingdom of France, while Avignon was part of the Papal States until 1768. Avignon's inclusion as part of France was formally recognised by the pope on 30 May 1814.

Below: First stop in Villeneuve was this orchard, where we spent an hour contentedly picking (and eating - well, gorging on) cherries. We had enough cherries to keep us going for days afterwards.

Below: Looking towards Fort Saint-André. Under the contreol of the King of France, it is surrounded by walls built in the 14th century. We climed up and walked around the castle, which is still in private hands, and occupied. There are terrific views across the Rhone and to Mont Ventoux and Les Alpilles mountain range. (see my enbtry on Les Baux for views of Les Alpilles) . The apricots were not quite ripe. To see what it looked like a week later, see Nathalie's blog here.
Below: One view from the castle. (I think I bumped the setting on my camera, and these pictures didn't turn out all that well)

Below: Another view, with Mont Ventoux (Windy Mountain) on the left in the background.
Below: The view towards Avignon - you can see the gilded Madonna statue on Notre dame de Doms cathedral. In the foreground, a courtyard of the Carthusian Monastery, Chartreuse of Val de Bénédiction. It now hosts author and artists in residence programs and retreats.
Below: The main square of the village of Villeneuve Lez Avignon. The plaque reads: Le Lézard. Symbole de la doucer de vivre à Villeneuve Lez Avignon, le lézard vous invite à prendre le temps de "Lézarder" dans notre ville et de découvrir sa légende. Inaugure le 25 juin 2005 par Monsieur le Député Maire Jean-Marc Roubard et l'Association de Commerçants - The Lizard. Symbol of the sweet life in Villeneuve Lez Avignon, the lizard invites you to spend "Lizard" time in our village and to discover its story. Unveiled 25 June 2005 by The deputy Mayor, Mr Jean-Marc Roubard and the Chamber of Commerce.

48. Avignon - the apartment

2008-06-08T23:10:00.000-07:00

Nathalie's friend Françoise has recently renovated a studio apartment in her house. We rented it for 5 nights and found it suited us perfectly. We were inside the city walls, just off the Rue des Teinturiers, and walking distance of everything there is to see in Avigono. Plus the bonus of being in a "real" part of town, not surrounded by tourists day and night. That's what we love best about accommodation - somewhere close to the tourist action but in the thick of "real life".
Below: The studio bedroom, across a tiny courtyard, which contained a barbecue and brought lots of light into the main room.

Below: The courtyard from the studio bedroom

Below: The sofa Ben is sitting on folds out to a really comfortable double bed.
Below: In an alcove off the kitchen, the basin and shower.
Below: ....and the separate toilet
Below: Nathalie, Sally (experiencing a bad hair day - well it wasn't dry yet!), Piero and Ben in the courtyard
Below: The wooden chair was really comfortable!

Below: Our hire car at the Avignon TGV station.

Below: The TGV station.

49. Bollards

2008-06-08T23:09:00.000-07:00

In Italy you park where you feel like it. Who ever said you cn't see round corners? In Italy you use your side mirror, which is sticking out around a corner. (People are, however, fined - we actually saw this happen. Guess it's an attempt by the State to raise some money in a country where not paying taxes is a national pasttime).

In France, things are much more orderly. Or at least the city of Avignon and some private driveway owners are attempting, by a variety of means, to corral their fellow denizens' anarchist tendencies.

Ever since the first Roman pulled up his/her chariot in Gallia Transalpina (or Gallia Narbonenesis, or "nostra provincia" as they knew it affectionately - follow me here - Provence is derived from the Romans' proprietorial sobriquet) there's probably been a premium on parking space.

Here's a select few methods of parking dissuasion. And lest you think there's no traffic - these were mostly taken early-ish on a Sunday morning!

Below: Ooops! (And note the tree. Anyone who has ever seen a French movie, well one set outside Paris anyway, tell me there wasn't a scene with a car driving down one of those narrow country roads lined with plane, or are they lime, or maybe poplar - no that's more Italy - trees? I'm sure those trees are there to stop you parking to take a good picture - of the trees. Or to stop you driving into the ditch which is inevitably a metre deep on both sides of the road. They don't do road shoulders in French country roads spectacularly well. But you can't be good at everything, and this is the parkign obstacle capital of the universe.)

Below: Free parking outside the walls of Avignon! See those bollards? Well if anyone is parked behind them, you can't double park and thus trap them. Same if they have a tree in front, or anything to prevent them driving out on to the road. Otherwise you CAN double park - just perpendicular to the cars thus parked closest to the road. Neat huh?
Below: I think it's artistically placed on an angle on purpose, not the result of an incident.
Below: I think I'll dump these concrete blocks here and build a new bollard in front of my gate.
Below: Just try getting your truck through here!
Below: Hadn't they better erect some across the road to prevent head-on collisions?
Below: If we just push it a little way - that way - we might fit....
Below: There's always one in a crowd who has to be different
Below: Classical bollards. Chariot prevention . Or not.
Below: Smart cars not welcome here.
Below: Look out! You might be protected on the footpath, Piero, but absent minded eating of the ends of your baguette might have had unfortunate consequences. You might have banged your shins on something.
Below: Road signs to no-where, but that's better than No Parking signs.
Below: A-ha! the secret confraternity of the access-priveleged must be round here somewhere.
...and one lot in Montpellier

49. Pont du Gard - une spectacle

2008-06-08T23:08:00.000-07:00

No original photos of the spectacle, because I didn't have appropriate equipment to take decent photos, but a link which I thoroughly recommend you check out. And some photos from when Piero and I visited in August 1992.

Just before we arrived in Avignon, Nathalie mentioned on her blog, Avignon in Photos, a "spectacle" held at the Pont du Gard (Roman aqueduct about 20 kms from Avignon).

Nathalie said "The one-hour show by Groupe F involves fireworks, blasting flames, huge images projected on the viaduct and cliff below, humans dressed in lit-up costumes and strange humanoïds in flames appearing along the water's edge, flying in the night and dancing on the water"

We were lucky enough to get tickets for 13 June. We were enthralled. At times the Aqueduct was not just a canvas for light and fire, but a real part of the story of the show. I've never seen anything like it before. More than fireworks, more than a light show, it was a grand combination of fire, fireworks, lasers, the aqueduct, the river, puppets, real people (acrobats, dancers)....and of course music.

Here's a video which gives you an idea of what it was like.

Spectacle_de_nuit_2008
Uploaded by EPCCPONTDUGARD

50. Cassis

2008-06-08T23:07:00.000-07:00

Cassis, a gorgeous, relatively sleepy (though frenetic in high summer I believe) fishing town east of Marseille. We went there for a boat trip around Les Calanques, deeply incised cliffs. I loved the whole atmosphere of Cassis and would very much like to return for an extended period. Perhaps in retirement? With longer to linger, there are many walks in the area that would be worth doing.

Click here to go to a webcam of Cassis.

Below: The village and port
Below: Cap Canaille, the highest maritime cliffs on the Mediterranean. This photo, unlike the painting below, doesn't show the ochre colour of the cliffs (wrong light!)
Below: I uploaded this picture of Post-Impressionist, Pointillist painter Paul Signac's Cap Canaille (1889). It was sold by Christie's in New York on 6 Nov 2007 for € 9,600,000! Signac stayed in Cassis between April and June 1889. More about this painting, and Signac -
click here.
Below: ...and it's off to Les Calanques...

Below: Calanque En-Vau, perhaps the most beautiful of all. Other than getting a private boat there, and swimming off the boat, you can walk; it's about an hour from Cassis.

Below: Back in Cassis. Is there anything odd about the small pink terrace house?
Below: Well, perhaps not the house, but this man looks a little too large for the small window!
Below: Fishing nets

Below: Colourful baskets in a shop in the town.
Below: After a picnic lunch provided by Nathalie, we had a swim at the town beach. The watre was just a little chilly - like the south coast of NSW in summer, really.

Below: Paddle boats for hire were fairly popular.

Below: This beach was made up of tiny pebbles. I don't think I've ever swum at a pebble beach before. It was damned hard to walk on, and to get out of the water from! I kept losing balance....and it HURTS the under-side of your feet.
Below: Post-lunch, post-swim snooze.
Below: A game of pétanque, the Provençal version of boules. The word pétanque comes from 'Les Ped Tanco', meaning "feet together" in the Provençal dialect of the Occitan language.

51. Les Baux de Provence

2008-06-08T23:06:00.000-07:00

Set in Les Alpilles mountain range, Les Baux gave its name to the mineral bauxite. It was from samples from Lex Baux that in 1858 double aluminium chloride was successfully made, from which the metal is easily extracted. France was the largest producer of bauxite until 1939. Though bauxite is red, the mountains are limestone. "Baux" comes from the Provençal for "white mountain".

Les Baux's origins are much earlier than that. There are traces of human habitation from 6000BC. The site was used by the Celts as a hill fort or around the 2nd century BC. During the Middle Ages it became the seat of a powerful feudal lordship that controlled 79 towns and villages in the vicinity. The Lords of Baux sought control of Provence for many years. They claimed ancestry from the Magus king Balthazar (one of the 'Three Wise men', the one who took francincense to baby Jesus).

The lords of Baux were deposed in the 12th century. However, the great castle at Les Baux became renowned for its court, famed for a high level of ornateness, culture and chivalry. The domain was finally extinguished in the 15th century with the death of the last princess of Baux, Alice of Baux.

Les Baux was later joined, along with Provence, to the French crown under the governance of the Manville family. It became a centre for Protestantism and its unsuccessful revolt against the crown, led Cardinal Richelieu in 1632 to order that the castle and its walls should be demolished.

The town was granted in 1642 to the Grimaldi family, rulers of Monaco, as a French marquisiate. Nowadays the title of Marquis des Baux remains with the Grimaldis, although administratively the town is entirely French. The title is traditionally given to the heir to the throne of Monaco. Princess Caroline of Monaco uses the style Marquise des Baux, but, being a French title it can only pass through a male line under Salic law. It lapsed on the death of her grandfather Prince Louis II, the last male in a direct line. (Thanks to Wikipedia)

Below: Nowadays Les Baux is a tourist town, and very pleasant indeed. Pit stop for drinks (and reading).
Below: Views of Les Alpilles and the surrounding plains from the citadel - the vast ruined chateau.

Below: The Château des Baux includes three replica catapults, including the largest trebuchet in Europe. There are demonstrations daily from April to September. Below is a bricole.

Below: Another catapult
Below: Ready to be pilloried

Below: A print aetist's shop in the village.
Below: Picnic lunch
Below: View of Val d'Enfer from near Le Cathédral d'Images (see next entry)

52. Les Baux de Provence - Cathédral d'Images

2008-06-08T23:05:00.000-07:00

I think that quite possibly, of all the places we visited on this trip, the Cathédral d'Images at Les Baux was the most unexpected. We knew that we were visiting an old limestone quarry, but had no idea about the scale of the show within.

A constantly changing slideshow of images is projected on the walls and pillars of the underground quarry. A soundtrack of classical music plays.

The original concept was the inspiration of the French photographer Albert Plecy, who established his research centre in the quarries to support his work and his vision. Directors Gianfranco Iannuzzi and Renato Gatto now continue this legacy.

The theme changes each year, and when we visited it was all about Van Gogh

Click here for the official website.

Van Gogh arrived in Provence, in Arles on 21 February 1888 and stayed there until May 1889, when he committed himself to a mental hospital in Saint Rémy de Provence, where he stayed until May 1890, when he left for Auvers-sur-Oise north of Paris, where he was closer to his beloved brother Theo.

During his time in Provence, Van Gogh produced many paintings, including the two below.

Below: Les Alpilles Mountainous Landscape near Saint Rémy (1889-90)

Below: Wheatfield With Cypresses (October 1889) with Les Alpilles in the background. Hanging in the National Gallery, London.

53. Montpellier

2008-06-08T23:04:00.000-07:00

Our last night in France. We decided to spend it in Montpellier in order to catch the morning train to Barcelona t 7.30 am rather than 6-ish, which would have been necessary had we stayed in Avignon.

We booked a room at the Royal Hotel, whose main advantage was its proximity to the station; it was midway between the station and the main square, Place de la Comédie. There was nothing wrong with the hotel, just an efficient and standard chain hotel style room, probably a bit over-priced at €135 a night.

It was a Sunday night, and raining (the only rain we saw on our trip, until a short spell in England), so I can't say we saw Montpellier to its full advantage. It didn't feel unsafe, but there were several dodgy characters hanging around, and it took us ages to find somewhere to eat. One cafe we went into had no interest at all in serving; we left after being unattended for 20 minutes! We found the rather nice place pictured here.

Below: The Opéra-Comédie building from which the Place takes its name. From what we saw Montpellier boasts many handsome buildings.
Below: The train station with a colourful tram outside.
Below: The restaurant we ate at.
Below: Traffic stopper, Place de la Comedie

54. Barceloneta and the beach

2008-06-08T23:03:00.001-07:00

Where to stay in Barcelona? In 2006 when I was there for a conference, I stayed with my friend Colette in an apartment in beachside Barceloneta. It was within walking distance of the conference hotel. So for a family trip, the area seemed perfect - a few steps to the beach for relaxation if it got too hot for sightseeing, a local neighbourhood not YET fully yuppified, not glitzy, but close to all the tourist action.

Like Bondi, Barceloneta is a city beach. It's sandy, and clean, and packed on hot days as locals and visitors take advantage of the proximity of public transport (bus and metro). The waterfront and Old Port (Port Vell - see separate entry) was revitalised in the lead up to the 1992 Olympics. BArceloneta benefitted from this, though it retains its sense of "villageness" as a traditional fishing-family area. There are no huge supermarkets, just lots of local shops, small groceries and a neighbourhood covered market.

A little bit of history. Barcelona is the capital of Catalunya (Catalonia), formerly independent, now an autonomous region within Spain (and with a long history of bitter conflict). A war was fought between 1701 and 1714, called the War of the Spanish Succession. It was a dust-up between the Austrian Archduke Charles against the french Bourbon Philip V about who would rule. The Catalunyans backed the wrong horse (Charles) and the city fell in November 1714.

Philip decided to build, at the city's expense, a huge fortress called "La Ciutadella" (now a massive park), and made the 5000 people living on the chosen land tear down their own houses stone by stone. Many were left in makeshift shelters on the beach, totally broke.

In 1735 a french military engineer called Prosper Verboom designed the neighbourhood called Barceloneta, reclaimed from the sea. The streets were laid out grid-like, with a market in the middle. The houses were long and narrow, only one room deep, so each room had a window and natural light. Houses were allowed only one upper floor. In 1837 the height restriction was modified, and then ignored altogether, so that every building is now at least four stories. It is one of these in which we stayed.

Barceloneta has been the traditional home of fisherfolk, port workers, sailors , with lots of seafood restaurants. Gentrification is happening, but there's still a lot of traditional families living in the area.

The photos are mix of those taken in May 2006 and June 2008

Below: The streets of Barceloneta from the beach at Placa del Mar. You can see the height of the buildings. Below: The beach (2006) . The whole area along the waterfront was cleaned up or re-developed in the period leading up to the Olympic Games in 1992. The city ensures the beach is cleaned every night.

Below: A photo shoot on the beach (2008)

Below: Beach cafe called a chiringuito (2008)

Below: Showers are provided by the city council

Below: Anti-littering campaign (2008)

Below: These concrete chairs are positioned for staring out to sea. And they ARE comfortable!

Below: Homage to Barceloneta by Rebecca Horn, a German artist and poet. Her sculpture echoes the narrow buildings of Barceloneta, with apartments stacked on top of each other. (2006)

Below: looking north from the Plaça del mar area to the Port Olimpic. The twin towers are the Hotel Arts, and behind it an office building. Rebecca Horn's sculpture is visible, and beyond it, the Frank Gehry work Fish. (2008)

Below: The Gehry sculpture up close (2008)

Below: And from inside the grounds of the Hotel Arts (2006)
Below: Real fish. Fresh catch sold each morning on the corner of our street.

Below: Looking north from the Hotel Arts along the Port Olimpic area. New restaurants and buildings emerged from the make-over for the 1992 Olymoic Games. (2008)
Below: Barceloneta - the beach at night (2008)

Below: Carrer Sant Miquel. The ground floor of this building is the flat we stayed in 2006 (2006)
Below: Carrer Sant Miquel (2006)

Below: Balcony (2006)

Below: Pretty window display (2006)
Below: Decorative wall tiles (2008) Below: How to dry your washing when you live on the ground floor (2008)

Below: Barceloneta market (2006)

Below: Parc de Barceloneta, created on the site of former gasworks (2006). It's a lovely green oasis. Music events are often held here (2006)

Below: the tower that looks a bit liek a minaret is an old water tower. Barceloneta Park. (2006)

Below: Plaça De Sant Miquel with the baroque church of Barceloneta's patron saint, Sant Miquel. (2006)

Below: Taken from the rooftop of the Museu d'Història de Catalunya (Museum of Catalonian History) - see entry on Port Vell - looking along Passeig de Joan Borbó, one of the boundaries of Barceloneta
Below: Paella, Catalunyan style - without saffron.

55. Barcelona: the apartment in Barceloneta

2008-06-08T23:03:00.000-07:00

In 2006 when I was in Barcelona with Colette, my friend from England, we stayed in Barceloneta, in Carrer Sant Miquel. The location was great - it met the criteria I prefer - a slice of "real life", not far from the tourist beat. So I looked for an apartment in the same area again, and came up with one in the same street. It's only a stone's throw from the beach, with plenty of local shopping, and a short walk away from transport of all kinds.

Below: Carrer Sant Miquel - the beach is at the end of the street. We were on the third floor (no lift).
Below: Carrer Sant Miquel looking in the opposite direction

Below: The traditional houses of Barceloneta are four to five stories high (added on to over the years) and similar in plan. They are one room deep, so each room has a light source, and all but the ground floor apts have a tiny balcony. All sorts of things happen on those balconies, including drying clothes, and eating!
Below: All the ingredients for my yummy salad were gathered in local shops. In the immediate neighbourhood there were no large supermarkets, but plenty of small grocery shops, fruit & veg shop and a covered neighbourhood market.
Below: Sheet washing day opposite.

Below: A good sleep after a long day touristing and a long night reading.

Below: Chef at work. Ben cooked a few times. His specialty: spaghetti carbonara.

Below: The front door opened on to the kitchen...the tiny bathroom to the right.

Below: The bedroom

Below: From kitchen to bedroom, bathroom on the left, balcony on the right.

Below: The stairs we climbed several times a day. My leg and foot on the left...

56. Barcelona - The Waterfront: Port Vell; Maritime Museum; Museum of Catalonian History

2008-06-08T23:02:00.000-07:00

Port Vell ('Old Port' in Catalunyan) adjoins Barceloneta. Once an industrial dockyard it is now a haven for expensive yachts and there are major re-developments including a large shopping centre, IMAX cinema, promenades.

Below: An extension of Las Ramblas, newly built, is the Rambla de Mar, a pedestrian walkway leading to the shopping centre Maremagnum, aquarium and IMAX. The statue, inspired by Nelson;s Column in London, is the Monument a Colom (monument to Christopher Columbus) erected for the 1888 Universal Exhibition. Though WHY I am still wondering about; Columbus didn't have anything to do with Barcelona. (2006)

Below: One afternoon we came across a band, Barrio Candela, playing their infectious brand of Latin-Reggae fusion. Here's Tomás on peercussion, and Gonzapa on alto sax. Download some of their songs from their site, and check them out on You Tube! And here. They are fabulous.

Below: Barrio Candela prompts by-standers to get dancing (2008)
Below: And this young woman sold their CD for €10 (yes, we bought!)

Below: Getting taken for a skate by the dog (2008)
Below: Barcelona Head by Roy Lichtenstein. Echoing Barcelona's favourite son, Antoni Gaudi's technique of trencadis tiling - smashing up ceramics and piecing them together, Lichtenstein created this from coloured ceramic tiles (2006)
Below: Barcelona's own Big Lobster, Gambrinus by Javier Mariscal. Mariscal designed Cobi, the mascot of the 1992 Olympics. It once marked the Gambrinus cafe and bar, now closed.

Below: Port Vell with Montjuïc behind. The Olympic stadium, pool and other facilities are on Montjuïc. (2006)
Below: The marina of Port Vell. You can just see the gondola cableway which links Barceloneta and Montjuïc. (2008)

Below: Port Vell. The intermediary cableway station is at the World Trade Centre. The cableway was constructed for the 1929 World Fair. (2008)
Below: Port Vell with the pedestrianised Moll de la Fusta, a seaside promenade. (2008)
Below: To the right the Palau de Mar, former warehouses, which have now been refurbished to house restaurants and the excellent Museu d'Història de Catalunya (2008)
Below: The Palau de Mar (2006) , the refurbished 19th century warehouse
Below: The Museu d'Història de Catalunya covers Catlalunyan history from the Palaeolithic era right up to 1980 and the re-establishment of semi-autonomous Catalunya. It's a fabulous place, a museum of social and political history, with explanations in English and Spanish as well as Catalunyan. Here's a typical 1930s kitchen (2008)
Below: A kitchen updated to the 1950s (2008)
Below: A typical 1960s bar (2008)

Below: Presidential table and chairs from the Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya (Palace of the Parliament of Catalunya
Below: Inside the Museu Marítim, in the old medieval shipyards (Drassanes) , members of the Friends of the Museum make model ships.

Below: The Drassanes, the refurbished shipyard. They used to be right on the sea.
Below: The vaults of the Drassanes, and a reconstruction of La Real, Don Juanse Austria's flagship at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, in which the Muslim Ottoman Empire was prevented from controlling the Mediterranean.

57. Barcelona - various people and places

2008-06-08T23:01:00.000-07:00

Las Ramblas
Barcelona's most famous street, Las Ramblas connects the waterfront and Plaça de Catalunya. Rambla means "and" in Arabic, and centuries ago it was a sandy gully of a river. By 1366 it was a clogged up sewer known as the Cagallel (the turd-taker) clogged wiuith sand. At the end of the 18th century, trees were planted benches, street lights, kiosks and flower stalls added.

Most tourists head here early in their stay. I've got to say it doesn't especially thrill me; human statues mingle with pickpockets and vast crowds wandering aimlessly....

Below: Facade of a former umbrella shop along Las Ramblas (2006)

Below: 'Performance artists' stage a sit-down meal along Las Ramblas. They didn't seem to be making any point other than that they could do what they were doing. (2006)

Bus TurísticMany cities have hop-on /hop-off open-top tourist buses. Barcelona's is one of the best. It takes you to every tourist "hot-spot", is frequent and efficient; a great way to get an overview of the city and work out those places you'd like to explore further.
Below: The queue to get on the bus can become exteemely long at the main interchange in Plaça de Catalunya. My tip - avoid the crowds and get on near Barceloneta!

Modern Barcelona

Below: Tram tracks along (I think) Avda Diagonal in the university district

Below: Smart young things in Avda Diagonal
La Ribera - The maritime and business district of medieval Barcelona. Includes the Born, now gentrified and much renovated and heavily touristed.

Workers

Below: This is how Barcelona stays so clean - an army of street cleaners. The streets are washed and cleaned every night, and litter patrols are on duty all day

Below: One of the rubber baskets the street cleaners use, in the Born district
Below: Santa Caterina market

Below: the courtyard of the Picasso Museum in the Born
Below: Near Parc Ciutadella...what a strange place to stop for lunch!

The Barri Gòtic - Here are the main institutions of medieval BArcelona, overlaying the ruins of Roman Barcelona. In the 1870s, when the city extended outwards into the Eixample (Extension) a 14th century time environment was preserved. This area includes the cathedral, City Hall (Ajuntament) and Catalan regonal government (Generalitat)
Below: Cathedral walls
Below: I've forgotten what this building is
Below: hangin' around the cathedral
Below: The "Bridge of Sighs" a 1928 pastiche.
Below: I came across Eduardo busking in one of the streets near the cathedral. Yep, I bought his CD. He was very good. Montjuïc - the name is probably derived from Catalan word for Jewish (juïc). The medieval Jewish community buried their dead here. The cemetery was plundered and the stone reused after Ferdinand and Isabella expelled all Jews from Spain in 1492. Republicans were executed here by Franco's firing squade. In the 1940s thousands of immigrants from elsewhere in Spain settled here in makeshift shacks and shanties. Now it is a playground for Barcelona - home to museums, botanic gardens, the Olympic precinct.

Below: Access can be gained to Montjuïc from Plaça d'Espanya up a series of escalators.

Below: Looking past the Venetian-like towers towards Montjuïc and the National Museuem of Catalunyan Art. Below: The Olympic Stadium

Camp Nou - the home of Barcelona Football Club

Below: Why not buy a fridge in team colours?
Estació Barcelona-Sants

Below: taxis and motorbikes

L'Eixample

Below: Coke, coffee and tapas on Passeig de Gràcia near La Pedrera (see Gaudi entry)