With some reluctance, we set off from Porto on the drive to Lisbon. Arriving in the afternoon rush hour was probably not a brilliant idea and Lisbon traffic is a bit chaotic at the best of times. TomTom also suggested we turn the wrong way into a couple of one-way streets, which didn’t help. Finally … Continue reading LISBON
Despite a couple of hiccups in getting there, Porto was fantastic. Iberia Airlines (read Tiger Air) could do with some communications training. Our flight to Porto from Madrid was cancelled (bad weather they said). The blue skies seemed to dispute this. Poor bookings seemed a more realistic reason. Anyway, after lining up at several queues … Continue reading Porto Fantastico
Our original plan after La Rioja had been to drive to Porto in Portugal to meet up with Marg and Brad. The car rental companies however, had other ideas, wanting more than €500 as a one-way fee. The one-way fee to Madrid airport was only €30, and flights to Porto from Madrid only €50. So … Continue reading Castile and León – Burgos and Segovia
With the title, I am trying to say wine and food heaven, which is how I feel about La Rioja at the moment – after a cellar tour, wine tasting and beautiful lunch (see above) overlooking the Ebro at Roda winery. We began Tuesday collecting our fantastic little Smart car for our journey to La … Continue reading La Rioja – Paraiso del Vino y la Comida
That’s “peen-chos” for the uninitiated – basically basque for tapas but with its own San Sebastian flair. But more of that later. We arrived in San Sebastián on Sunday on an early flight from Barcelona and were immediately impressed with the beauty of the whole area. Our apartment was not ready until 3:00pm; which was … Continue reading San Sebastian y Pintxos
Yesterday was all about Gaudi. We started at Sagrada Familia. There are no superlatives to describe this cathedral. Everywhere you turn, there is something else to marvel at. And this is a building that won’t be completed for another 9 years. The future central tower will dominate Barcelona from every vantage point. Whilst the exterior … Continue reading Gaudi
We arrived in Barcelona yesterday to a beautiful day with the sun shining and around 20 degrees. The city is busy, but magnificent. Our boutique hotel with around 10 rooms is in a fantastic old building with a cafe and supermarket outside the front door and a terrace outside our room where we ate breakfast … Continue reading Hola Barcelona
Mia caro famiglia e amici, We are just wrapping up our stay in Catania, and our holiday. I won’t be reporting on the Hilton Rome Airport. Firstly, don’t believe everything people tell you or what you read. We quite liked Catania. Catania is Sicily’s second largest city with a population just over 300,000. It has … Continue reading Catania
Ciao di nuovo dall’Italia, Yesterday we decided to brave the Sicilian bus system again and set off for Noto. This is a town built entirely from scratch in the early 18th century after the original Noto was destroyed by an earthquake in 1693. It is impressive; built from the same light coloured limestone as most … Continue reading If it ain’t baroque…..a trip to Noto
Ciao a tutti, Sadly, we had to say goodbye to Palermo. We realised that three nights had really not been enough time – we had barely scratched the surface of this beautiful city. On our last night, we re-visited our favourite restaurant (two nights out of three!) Da Bacca, where we were welcomed like lost … Continue reading Arrivederci Palermo e benvenuto a Siracusa
Colin & Sally's Travels 