Aeolian islands of Lipari and Isola di Salina

We really loved these islands many of which are known for their exceptional volcanic origins. Salina is part of a World heritage site and has an abundance of fresh water which allows the cultivation of the Malvina Grapes, capers, figs and olives. The island is mainly untouched by development but popular because of its beaches which were lovely but stoney with no sand, although that didn't keep the sun bathers away. The photo above is a sample of lava rocks for sale with some being very beautiful when cut open.

 Wash day in Isola di Salina. We loved wandering these lovely old narrow streets with their cooking odours, music and family conversations breaking out onto the street below. Such a memorable atmosphere.

 Above is the tiny harbour of Lipari. The largest island of the group. They have a very lucrative industry in tool making from the abundant supply of Obsidian. We thought the island was very pretty and tranquil. Hardly any tourists!! But that dream all came to an end about 11am when all the ferries from Sicily started arriving and the people poured off. We were glad we had arrived in early and had at least two hours in the quiet. We learned later that it was a religious  day of St Bartolomeo. They had processions, stalls, a concert and fireworks which all started after dark so we went back into town in the evening for dinner and there was a great party atmosphere.

 The main street in Lipari with everyone gearing up for the evenings celebrations but the storm clouds are gathering.

 We made it to the restaurant just in time before the wind and rain whipped in. The waiter changed our outside wall table to further in. Still a great view where we watched the storm come and go fairly quickly.

 This is a night shot of the harbour photo above. The lighting on the church was beautiful.

 Very colourful ceramic shop in Isola di Salina.

 Which of the grand children would love this very old double seated tin scooter. Shame our suitcase wasn't big enough.

 A piece of volcanic rock displayed at the entrance to the coffee stop in photo below.

 Isola di Salina

 One of the small stoney beaches. The water was so clean and clear. Diving around the island is very popular.

Isola di Salina above.

Saturday 28th August.
We have just arrived in Zakynthos one of the many Greek Islands. There was a massive earthquake here in 1953 which flattened the town leaving only three buildings but looking at it here from the ship you would never know. We are looking forward to getting out to look around but its one of these days where Rugby comes first and the Boy himself is comfortably seated in the front row watching NZ vs Australia.
Will be back in a few days with another update.

Gaeta to Sorrento

 From Rome we went to Gaeta an old well preserved Roman town. The heat and high humidity had followed us from Rome but we managed a few good walks ( with plenty of steps of course) We came across this produce market where I discovered this unusual long vegetable. The orange flesh was the same consistency of a kumara. The man in the stall told me it was called a zucha. Someone else told me later it was a squash but whatever it was it was really huge.

We walked up through the narrow streets to the top of the town and then on above that to the look out over the beaches.  On the way we we discovered this cafe below which had a small three wheeler truck protruding through its  wall as some kind of feature. It was full of boxes and junk. Maybe thats where it was abandoned when it refused to go anymore so they built around it!!!

 At the top we were rewarded with a view of the Grotta del Turco and the 14th century Chapel of the Crucifix which was built on top of a large rock that broke loose and fell deeper into the mountain split. Inside the chapel was the tomb of General Napolean Alexander who had been a commander of the Gaeta Fortress at the entrance to the harbour.

 The narrow stairway through the rock up to the church and lookout to the Grotto below.

 The long and busy beaches where the Romans flock to show of their bronzed bodies! We saw women in their 70s to 80s still wearing skimpy bikinis and lying on deck chairs in the full sun. In a lot of cases not a pretty sight but they were doing what they loved.

 Sorrento coming into view during breakfast. Too humid and sticky to sit on the balcony. We loved Sorrento. Its really beautiful although very crowded. The narrow streets with their colourful shops are  so charming (below)

 We had Sunday lunch at this beautiful outdoor restaurant high up on the cliff top over looking the Sorrento Bay.  We easily passed a couple of hours in the cool breeze just enjoying the view.

                               Summer times and R & R. Well it was Sunday.

                              Sharing the sea with all kinds of marine craft.

Last evening we dined on board for a degustation Italian meal which was absolutely beautiful. The chef is very creative and made some beautiful and unusual dishes. Richard was feeling very adventurous and had pigeon for his main course. He really enjoyed it. Said it was slightly gamey but very tender and tasty.  Oh dear it wasn't for me though! All I could think of was the filthy pigeons around all the outdoor cafes. They really have become a big problem in most of the places we have been to in Europe.

We have just arrived this morning on the Italian Island of Lipari. We have three days here and then on to Greece for just over three weeks which we are really looking forward to as it includes some of the islands as well. This is replacing the visit to Turkey which was cancelled because of the unrest.

Until then we hope everyone at home is well.

Nice to Rome

 Sorry this has been a long time since I last updated. Our two days in Nice were fairly quiet and spent with friends catching up on news and some leisurely strolls. We passed the site where the tragic act of violence had taken place a couple of weeks earlier and many people had lost their lives. A very sad sight where people were still paying their respects and laying flowers.

After Nice we moved on to Portovenere which is an absolute favourite and where we had spent three days last year. Because our friends were with us we retraced some of the places we had visited and took a ferry along the coast to the Cinque Terre which is a national park as well as a world heritage site. We passed the five villages which are hugely picturesque and visited two. Veranza and Monterosso which is the largest. Its absolutely fascinating how the little cliffside houses are so well preserved and not changed by modern intrusions.  Photo above.

 Richard took a fancy to this bronze lady high up above the town of Portovenere.

 Next it was on to Civitavecchia the port town and gateway to the city of Rome.  We only had one visit into the city of Rome where we spent a long and full day touring all the city highlights. A day of seeing spectacular ancient sites but a very testing day in terms of the huge crowds, heat and high humidity as well as having a guide with excellent knowledge but who over loaded us with information and went on for a lot longer than was necessary telling us more than any average person could absorb and ended up with everyones eyes glassed over !!  It started off well with the visit to the colosseum early in the morning and followed by the Roman Forum.

 The Colosseum from the outside and above from the inside.

 Then it was on to the Vatican. Again an absolutely beautiful place to visit but the crowds in most areas were shoulder to shoulder and we were literally herded through long halls and narrow corridors and you couldn't stop to view anything. The Italians really need to concentrate on doing some crowd control as in many places there were no visible exits and if there had been a fire or terrorist event then it would have been a major catastrophe. It was not a pleasant experience and the heat and humidity inside was just awful. I counted nine tour group leaders flags above and behind us in the photo above.
If anyones thinking of visiting the Vatican, do it on your own with an audio system so you can try and avoid getting caught up with large groups.

Yay no crowds above. But all roped off. This was one of the corridors to the tombs of some of the past Popes.

 Above and below is the opulent interior of St Peters Bascilica where we at last had a bit of short-lived breathing space and could enjoy the surroundings. Then it was time to leave and follow our guide outdoors but Richard managed to get himself separated from our group with all the jostling from the large crowd of people and became lost for about 15 minutes. Anyway all was well but gave us a bit of a fright.

Back soon.

Tarragona Spain, Barcelona, Collioure France

 Im not sure whether I will ever get the 'hang' of doing this blog. It doesn't ever do what I want it to do and again the photos are all out of order which is frustrating.
We are still getting in plenty of great sightseeing etc and some long walks. Somedays its a struggle to remember where we were yesterday as it all tends to blend in. Think its an age thing!!!

The photo above was taken from 300 steps up in the Guadi basilica which is his most famous building. A great view from up the top but I couldn't  wait to get the walk down over, because it was so steep and claustrophobic. I sent photos through last year of the Basilica but they were taken of the exterior as we couldn't get inside to look. They have a better system this year as all tickets now have to be booked ahead and they only take in 8,000 a day and you are given a time so it was all very orderly and not crowded. Gaudi died in 1926 when he was hit by a city tram. The building work is now financed by donations and admission fees and is due to be completed in 2026 for the 100th anniversary of his death. There are also 6 other Gaudi buildings in Barcelona and are part of a World Heritage site.

 A recently completed section of one of the wings.

 Above is Tarragona, Spain which is about an hours drive from Barcelona. Well known in Catalonia for its its wine because of the slate rich soil and ideal climate. There are many family owned vineyards here. The beachfront in Tarragona was very pretty and held many ruins of buildings including the one in the foreground of the Roman Amphitheatre.


Tarragona is also well known for its expertise in the centuries old tradition of building human pyramids, known as castellers. These human towers often reach as high as five stories. Below is a town monument which was quite spectacular. There was lots of advertising of the annual tournament to be held in the former Tarragona Bull ring. Its a huge venue and by all accounts tickets are completely sold out each year.

Below is the exterior of the Gaudi designed Baslica which will eventually have 8 towers on its completion. We went up one of the towers on the right.

 Back to Barcelona!! The building above is an apartment building by Gaudi called the Casa Mila. It is now a cultural centre with a number of private apartments remaining. We were lucky enough to get the opportunity to join a small number of others from the ship for a private viewing in the home of Señora Carmen who has lived there for many years. Her husband passed away tow years ago and she is in quite frail health after suffering a stroke. A very gracious lady who struggled with her speech but managed in broken English to give us a tour of very colourful home full of paintings ( many by her late husband) and furniture designed by Gaudi. It really was an honour to see all these gems and enjoy a glass of cava and some pastries.

 The interior circular courtyard which the apartments surround.

 Her husbands art studio which looks as though it was left just the way it was before he died.

 The lounge.

 These are the doors which separate the dining room from the kitchen. All beautifully hand painted.

 Small window in the door which looked out toward the inner circular courtyard.

 From Barcelona we took a day trip to the tiny principality of Andorra which was a three and a half hour drive north and along the narrow valleys and foothills of the Pyrenees. It was a beautiful and interesting drive with the massive mountains towering above us.

 Andorra itself was quite tiny. It is ruled jointly by France and Spain and has an elevation of 2,000 metres. It attracts over 10 million visitors each year. Winter sports and warm sunny weather in the summer and duty free shopping are apparently what attracts people. Surely its beauty too must play a part as it was very beautiful with towering mountains forming a very imposing back drop. We really loved the day we spent there in spite of the long drive.

 Andorra, above and below.

 Two days ago we arrived in Collioure in France which has a very rocky coastline, lovely cobble stoned narrow streets with lots of little boutiques with locally made items. Problem was that it was very hot and crowded and we only lasted two hours in town. The next day we decided to get out really  early to beat the crowds. It was a very windy day but we walked from Collioure around the bay and over the hill to the next town Portovendre.  It was a beautiful scenic walk there and back and we were really ready for lunch when we got back. Chose a lovely outdoor restaurant with blue and yellow table and chairs which looked very inviting and the food and atmosphere was lovely too.

 Bonsai grapevine plants.

 Early morning shot of Collioure from the ship.

 Collioure harbour with part of the old fort.

Portovendre was a very tidy and pretty fishing village bathing in the early morning sun.

Well thats all for now. Will be back with more news soon. We have just arrived in Sanary-sur-mer which is looking very inviting from what we can see from the ship. Hope you have all kept warm with the snow and cold temperatures over there.