Last March my better half & I went to Majorca for the whole month. We enjoyed an easy stay enjoying daily life, occasional trips across the island … and we also liked to visit beaches. To be honest it was rather cold and rainy sometimes, we didn’t walk or even dash into the water even if there was some blue sky … In general the beaches were empty – almost no people, nearly no tourists,…
In February we went to Naples as you may know by now because of the posts about Pompeii and Capri. Most of the week we were in Naples … walking Naples. The impressive horse’s head is part of an equestrian statue, Il Statue di Fernando I di Borbone, in front of the royal palace. We first went there on a Sunday morning, but long queues of visitors made us looking for a bar where to…
Last February when my better half & I made a trip to Naples for about a week we also went to Capri. In the morning we climbed on a ferry to Capri and about 1 hour later we arrived in the harbour. When leaving the ferry we thought about what to do next … and there was an answer straight ahead. A small tourist boat waited offering a tour around Capri. So we started our…
It was in February when my better half & I decided to travel to Naples and staying there for about a week. Of course Pompeii was one of the spots we wanted to go … and in February Pompeii is empty. When according to reports during spring/summer/autumn there are ten thousands of tourists visiting ancient Pompeii daily, in winter it’s only few people you’ll find around you when roaming the ruins. The weather … there…
Early season in Brittany … early season in Normandy! We left Brittany for a short trip into Normandy. It isn’t as if Brittany is suddenly short of any fantastic sites, gorgeous beaches and cities w/ impressive cathedrals … My better half & I decided to visit Mont Saint-Michel which is just behind Brittany’s border to Normandy. So during our 1st week we made some preparations like the routeing, which ended up in deciding to spend…
June is early season for Brittany resp. the whole of France because in July & August all France goes on holiday. A trip to Brittany was on our holiday schedule for some years, however … Last year we finally set the scope on Brittany – only to learn that during July & August a trip becomes difficult: only very few apartments to rent at sky-high prices even if you look about 3-4 months earlier. Also…
Imaging a square with a side length of about 400 m. Inside there are streets and alleyways lined with houses, some places … all in a checkerboard pattern. In Southern France this type of city is called bastide. The square resp. the bastide is bordered by a high wall with impressive defense towers and 10 gates. A village in this area was mentioned for the first time about 100 B. C. It expanded into a…
There’s a long & winding road – at least for the last part of the route – from coast level to L’Abbaye Saint Félix de Montceau resp. the ruins … The abbey was founded in the 11th century and abandoned end of the 18th century when it became state-owned. Only parts have survived until nowadays. The main entrance to the church is in the shade – and well locked. Inside there are some events every…
Almost 900 years ago almost in the midst between Béziers and Montpellier the abbey Sainte-Marie de Valmagne was founded and thrived for the next centuries. Of course after 1789 the abbey was desecrated and became a state property. Nevertheless the abbey was preserved and sonn became a famous vineyard. It is a historic landmark attracting lots of tourists as well as oenophiles. A tour of the abbey always will lead to the wine shop ……
Next to Arles there is Nîmes. (Ok: Arles has got about 50 k inhabitants while Nîmes counts almost 150 k … Btw: this is a reason while it took us about 30 min to enter the city centre by car and another 30 min to leave it. My better half & I recommend to take the TGV – earnestly.) Both cities were flourishing during Roman times – and the Romans left an impressive footprint. Most…
Arles, in the South of France, goes back about 2500 years to the era of the Greek and the Romans. It became an important centre for commerce and a military base at the crossing of main Roman arterial roads. So it’s no surprise that also cultural interests came up and Arles got, about 2000 years ago, sites for entertainment. Until today these sites are used for events. There is the Roman Amphitheatre which could be…
When our stay in Mallorca came near its end we decided to do – finally – a trip into the mountains: Serra de Tramuntana. Our first stop was Lluc with its church and monastery – however, the first impression you’ll get is the big parking ground and the services. Obviously it’s a place popular with tourists and locals; we learnt that it is an established venue for workshops etc. all years round (… and there…
In the north of Mallorca there is the Serra de Tramuntana – peaks up to more than 1400 m. In the south? There are only few points emerging from the plains. One is Sant Salvador, only 510 m high, but allowing breathtaking views all around Mallorca. Near Sant Salvador a cross (14 m high) called Creu d’Es Picot was mounted at 478 m. You may spot the northern mountains as well as the large bay…
Imagine a sunny day in October … My better half & I are in Port de Sóller (Mallorca) walking along the beachfront from lighthouse to lighthouse. (I’m honest: we made about 2 – 3 km each way …) You may catch sight of the lighthouses – they are somewhat isolated. While the bay spoils us with a nice sandy beach, beyond the bay there is a rough coastline. We started somewhere at the beach and…
A village on Mallorca … My better half & I did sightseeing in Mallorca for quite a while now and we came across some villages. When talking about a village I think of small cities with about 3000 … 5000 inhabitants somewhere on the island. Of course there is a center meaning that there is a Plaça Major with a church and some cafés, some bars, restaurants … When looking for some information I found…