Time to rest & digest

It was about a 40 minute walk to La Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's bizarre and ingeninous Basilica, which is also a World Heritage Site. Barcelona wakes up slowly and the streets were relatively quiet, which made for a lovely walk and gawk. Google was in a good mood today and flawless in her directions - we rounded a corner, and there was the monstrous church, in all its bizarre, quirky, beautiful glory.

The line ups to get in were staggering, and so was the price (35 euros each), so we did our usual reconoitre while sitting on a bench and eventually decided just to walk the periphery. Somewhat annoyingly, they have done a good job masking the full view behind various barricades and as always, there was much work going on behind the drapes and under the cranes. They say it will take at least 100 years to finish this, and I believe them. Uber got us back to home territory around noon and from there, it was simply time to wander and explore, the waterfront being our ultimate destination. But only two blocks from the hotel we came upon the most amazing Street Food Fare. Lunchtime was the right time to be there and the aromas coming from the various booths and tents made it an easy decision. A few tokens bought a cold beer and mouth watering tapas from the vendors. There was everything from white tuna to handmade cheese, bluefish and squid, pastas, even rabbit with Kalamata olives. We took turns picking up the plates and sharing the goodies. Dave bought smelts. SMELTS. Sometimes brothers are just plain mean.

OK, so the smelts weren't as bad as they sounded. SMELTS. A name that only a mother could love. Stuffed to the gills (SMELT gills), we decided to wander the harbour, only about a 10 minute stroll further. It did not disappoint. Billion dollar yachts cuddled up to the party zone area, and everywhere people wandered happily, most with ice creams in hand. You just can't go wrong by exploring a major city by its harbourfront. A few pictures.

It's just 3 pm now, and I am back in my room with the AC on in an attempt to cool down. It is so hot here, and this is the peak of the day for the heat. Feet need a rest too. The original plan was for paella tonight and to walk La Rambla, but that plan might be under revision as I'm pretty bushed. And tomorrow is another travel day, this time to Tarragona, about 2 hours by train. This is where we'll be for the next five days or so, in a port city in northeastern Spain's Catalonia region. It has some remarkable ruins from the 2nd century that I am itching to explore. Plus, I am looking forward to the change of pace - from a city of 5+ million here in Barcelona to around 100,000, which should make for a peaceful few days to mark our final days in Spain.

Barcelona

This was a huge travel day involving ubers, buses, trains, planes and more trains. Arrived late afternoonish and managed to find our way here remarkably easily. There was time for tapas, some good Spanish wine, and a quick tour around the block. Much to explore in this huge city, and only a day or so to do that. Today will be a big one!

Picture taken somewhere over the French alps.... and the first store we hit was of course.... olives!

Auf Wiedersehen Salzburg

It was another picture perfect day, with fantastic weather and intensely blue skies. This magical place has captured my heart completely. Today we managed to find the right cathedral at the right time, and enjoyed the noon hour organ concert after the tolling of the bells in the Salzburg Cathedral. All of this for 5 euros. You can't imagine the acoustics in this undescribably beautiful church. It has six majestic organs, two of which were played by Mozart himself.

Do you see that baptismal font? It's from the 14th century, and that is where Mozart was baptised. Also another guy, that fellow who wrote the beautiful Christmas carol, "Silent Night." So much history here, much more than one could ever absorb in just a few hours. Intensely humbling. We had a few hours to fill in before our next stop at the Augensteiner Brewery, so we walked, gawked, and stopped again at the gardens overlooking the Mirabelle palace. Despite the population of this city, the traffic and tourists, it has a palpable feeling of peace. The hours were well spent just sitting reflectively in the rose garden and glancing up at the fortress far above us, where we stood just yesterday. Gratitude doesn't begin to describe my feelings. The brewery was a perfect ending to this part of our adventure, as it too has a centuries-old tradition. When you arrive, you purchase a beer token and are given a stone mug, weighing at least 2 pounds. From there, to a filling station. The stone crock keeps the beer icy cold, despite sitting out in the warm sunshine at picnic tables that can easily seat a thousand people. Inside the brewery is a fragrant warren of food vendors, all featuring the very best of Austrian cuisine. Mackeral with gherkin and dill and sour cream. Barbecued ribs. Sauerkraut. Dumplings of every sort. The portions were generous and delicious, and everything was washed down with a crock of beer in the company of hundreds of other happy souls. Quintessential Austria. And the perfect way to toast this part of our journey. Tomorrow morning, we train to Vienna, and from there, a flight to Barcelona. Next stop, Spain!

Of Dungeons, no dragons

Another picture-perfect day in Salzburg. First thing this morning, we set out to walk into the Old Quarter, on the hunt for St. Peter's church and graveyard. The walk was beautiful and relaxing. It's early fall here and yet the trees and flowers show no sign of surrender. It is cool enough for pants and long sleeves though, at only 8 degrees in the a.m. The claim to fame about St. Peter's is the graveyard. It is tiny, tucked in next to an equally tiny Medievil church, and the graves are what I would call, "living graves." They are all planted completely with flowers, each site has their own tiny garden and they are tended by family or friends with meticulous care. Some of the graves were too old to read the dates, and yet some new tenants arrived, surprisingly, just a decade or two ago. Because it is such a little graveyard, the graves are not owned, they are rented. And, if rent goes into arrears, the tenants are... er... evicted and put into a different kind of neighbourhood. You can see why I really wanted to visit this interesting spot! However. Google decided to have some fun at our expense. We set out confidently, through the Dam Platz (now so deserted in comparison to St. Rupert's Day.) And then we were duped into a series of tiny alleys and switchbacks, climbing higher and higher, up many old stairs, past ancient stone walls. Huffing, puffing, dripping sweat. And then, near the top, she announced with great pride "You have arrived." We looked at each other, then we looked around the vista. And we didn't see anything that even remotely looked like a boneyard. Shrugging, we backtracked down, down down down.... to the halfway mark. And oh look, what's that? A castle! Dave's face lit up. "Let's go there! Look at all the stairs!" Hello, Fortress Hohensalzburg. This was a mammoth and imposing 11th century castle complex, towering over Salzburg like a benevolent, powerful mother. It is one of the largest Medievil castles in all Europe, and for 13 euros, we secured our passes and began yet another climb that led to the most stunning views I have ever seen. I'll tuck in a few pictures here. I took about 500 today so I'll try to be editorial:

The climb to the top of the fortress was lengthy, but we trodded on. There was a light of amount of tourists, which certainly makes all the difference in the world. And every time we thought we had made it to the viewpoint.. surprise! More steps! All in all, the iPhones reported 50 storeys and I'm pretty sure that might be an understatement. I think she cheaped us out. At long last, the steps opened to the fortress courtyard, and that's when I could really appreciate the sheer scope of this monolithic castle. From the courtyard, you guessed it, more stairs and then ultimately came the payoff. A stunning view of Salzburg, enough to make me gasp.

This was a pano shot, so I hope it comes through and does justice to the beauty. The fortress included an absolutely excellent museum, with simple signage panels in multi languages accompanied with more modern graphics that did a great job of bringing history alive, right from the Middle Ages to the Baroque Century. I was absolutely transfixed.

Those shell-shaped dishes were from the Middle Ages, made of some kind of hard-baked clay and tucked into a shelf. I thought they were gorgeous. And the armour also included complete head sets of iron that the horses wore, and a full suit of armour that weighed 70 lb. Soldiers were damned tough in those days. No wonder these Austrians all look like Olympians. After another few hours of exploring, we discovered a funicular that would return us to ground zero. Great fun, and free. Everyone crams in and in about 5 minutes you are safely whisked to the bottom and as we descended I caught sight of the little graveyard below and lo and behold! St. Peter's it was! So, a bit of a circuitous route (to say the least) but so worth it. We found it. Take that, Ms. Google. Here are a few of the beautiful graves. I love the idea of such natural reverence to mark a final resting place.

Attached to the little church were the catacombs, and of course they needed to be explored as well. Although there were no tenants that could be seen, the atmosphere was spine-chilling, spooky, and ancient. The steps that were carved into stone were steep, uneven and sometimes very narrow, there was no consistency to them and I was grateful for the sturdy handrail, especially in the low light that pushed its way through tiny windows.

This last picture was taken from the atop the catacombs, and is a beautiful portrayal of ancient and peaceful St. Peter's church. It has been SUCH a day. Tomorrow, we will try once again to go to the Cathedral for the organ concert that begins after the church bells ring out at noon. And then wind up our last night in Salzburg at the Augerstiner Brewery. It is far too early to be saying goodbye to this compelling, evocative city. On the do-over list, for sure.

Thank you, St. Rupert

Move over Verona, guess who just took your place? Oh gosh, this incomparable Salzburg! This friendly, clean, orderly, historical, vibrant community has so much to give. Today was a long line of Hallmark moments, punctuated frequently by bucket list check marks. The aforementioned St. Rupert is the patron saint of Salzburg, and today was his big party day. A serendipitous event for us, because we had no knowledge of that. After waking to the pealing of church bells,I walked the 40 minutes into the platz (just like a piazza), and there found thousands of happy people in festive dress and beaming demeanor, all celebrating this special day. Austria at her finest. The women wore their best dirndls, and how beautiful they all were. Exquisite lace and deep emerald green velvet over eyelet, capped sleeved blouses were showcased and worn from the toddler to the dignified elderly. Leiderhosen were sported by the handsome Austrian men, usually embroidered and made of high quality suede. Beergardens were already active before noon and the woodsmoke from the Bratwurst vendors added to the party atmosphere - the line ups were long but jovial. Dave was thrilled with his Brat, mustard and 'kraut and accompanying bier. There was a midway with carnival-type rides for the children, and the hoots of laughter echoed over the crowds. We stayed for quite a while, wandering the platz under the Cathedral and then to the adjoining ones, Mozart's birthplace, and all of the quaint and orderly streets. Despite the thousands of people milling about, there was a sense of respectful camaraderie, and my few stumbling attempts at conversation were met with big smiles and instant conversion to English. I felt welcome. As always, we gravitated to the beautiful walks alongside the river, and today one side of the river was filled with vendors. Their tents went on for at least a kilometer and it was sooooo tempting to stop at each one and check out their wares. Beautiful wood carvings, leather works, Christmas ornaments, clothing, soaps, perfumes, sketches. It was a feast for the senses. The pedestrian bridges that crossed the river are frequent and afford scenic stops along the way, and the Italian tradition to affix a 'love lock' continues in Austria. The incredible Mirabelle Palace was a beautiful place to spend a little time on a park bench, and oh, the gardens! About four hours later, we elected to return back to our little Residenz, one of the nicest I've ever seen. You never really know what you'll wind up with when you rent through Booking.com, even though you try to set a fairly stringent set of requests. But this one is amazing and, may I add, has only 8 steps to enter! Gah it is so nice to be back on a ground floor! We have only 4 more days here, and that is far too short for all there is to experience. Tomorrow there will be another day spent en pied and one of the highlights will be a recital at the Cathedral just before noon. From there, exploring the old town, then a climb to the Salzburg Fortress and to the hills beyond. Oh, and a much antipated visit to the Augenstiner Brewer, infamous for live music, cheap food and great beer. Weather is holding beautifully, cooling down to the low 20s. Fall is in the air here, although the trees are only just beginning their graceful changes. I wish it would all slow down.

Arrivederci Bella Verona

It was a three church, two blister and 21,000 step day. Pretty good, considering that our start time was postponed until after noon due to rain and a morning spent untangling a bit of a booking challenge for our last week in Europe. Pleased to report that is now resolved and other than a train trip or two in the future, the business part of this trip is concluded and we can move on to more fun stuff, no doubt involving more ruins, museums, galleries and more than a few blisters. Damned feet. It's hard to say goodbye to Verona. She did not disappoint with her grace and beauty, the lively throngs in the piazzas and of course, the food. We walked the river again today to get back to the apartment and of course, now that things are looking familiar and I "might" be able to find my way around, it's time to pack up and leave. Figures. First thing tomorrow morning we'll be on a fast train to Salzburg, with a quick change in Innsbruck. This is part of the journey I have been looking forward to for months, as it will take us back through the outstanding Dolomites and over the Brenner Pass, about a 5 hour trip. Once in Salzburg, there will be a little cab ride to our new lodgings for the next six days and believe me when I say, I am so grateful that it's on the ground floor! I may not have been able to hike Tres Cime, but I've conquered more marble staircases (usually with a heavily loaded pack) than I can count. A few shots from today, not optimum lighting under a grumbling sky, but still beautiful to behold.

Lastly, an accurate portrayal of me at the top of the staircase, returning home with the groceries and wine.

Cortina d’Ampezzo

Right ho, I am officially caught up on sleep after a good 9 hours in the sack. Still thinking about our amazing trip yesterday, still fighting for words to describe the Disneyesque-like beauty of the Dolomiti area. It is a long drive to get there, almost five hours from Verona, about half on the autostrada. We lost about 40 minutes midway at a service centre putting some oil into the Fiat, after noting a warning light on the dash. Have you ever read a car service manual in Italian? I have. Anyway, it was our best diagnostic guess and after multiple inspections of the oil stick, we dumped in about a gallon (not really) and voila, warning lights disappeared and we were on our way again, only a little bummed out by the loss of time. The last two hours of the drive, as you approach Cortina d'Ampezzao, are thrilling. Jagged peaks, alpine lakes, peaceful cows grazing alongside the road, and too many hostels to count. This is a premium hiking area. At the base of the peaks lies a shallow, emerald-colored lake, and we pulled over to walk the periphery and try and get a few more shots of the mountains. Sadly, they were all wearing their cloud hats.

The Town of Cortina itself belongs in a fairy tale. Not only are the buildings all draped with floral gowns, the surrounding fields as you approach the town were covered in mauve fall crocuses (croci?). High end shops confirmed the fact that this is a town for the well-heeled, avantgarde crowd, all avid outdoor enthusiasts dressed in top named brands and looking tanned and ageless in their Ray Bans.

We had a good wander around and decided that we would complete the loop tour back to Verona, rather than spending the night and trying to hike the next morning. Rain was expected, so not much point. And after only one eff-up trying to get out of Cortina, we managed to find the A70 and settle in for another 3-1/2 drive. The first half was entirely through the mountains, with impressive bridges, very long tunnels, and glorious views around every corner. Eventually we rounded the final corner and joined the thousands of vehicles barrelling toward Verona. A 20 minute slow down came when we drove through a cloudburst, and I do mean "burst." Complete with flashbulbs of lightning, traffic blessedly came to a crawl and most people put on their hazard lights in order to politely request civilized habits from their roadmates. Fortunately the rain lasted only about 15 minutes. Any more than that and I fear that Italy would have been washed from the planet, such a deluge it was. We were grateful and more than a little tired to park the car just before the sun set. And today, the Panda will be returned to the car rental centre. Our parting gift to them are the two empty 10/40 engine oil containers which needed to be purchased at the service centre high in the alps. The price? Almost 25 euro each, or $74 Cdn. Not exactly a Canadian Tire deal, eh?

One for the books

A twelve hour day today, most of it gasping at one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Too exhausted for a full description right now, and I am off to bed early for a good sleep. Update tomorrow, but in the meantime, here are the majestic Tre Cime mountains.

Bologna

I am not sure what preconceived ideas I had about this beautiful city, but they all vastly underestimated the beauty and dignity of this graceful place. After an hour on the high speed train from Verona, we had a leisurely walk to the Piazza Maggiore, lined with colonnades, medieval and Renaissance structures including a rather provocative statue at the Fountain of Neptune. We had reflective hour in the Basilica di San Petronio, a vast Gothic bascilica housing 22 separate art-filled side chapels. From there, to the patio on La Cucina Italiana and a table in the breezeway directly across from the bascilica. There was only one thing to try on the huge menu, their signature dish of tagliatelle al ragu Bolongnese. And fresh cannoli - tiny ones, thank goodness, for dessert. Oh, and a bottle of a light rose. I'll bet I am making you drool, right? It was a very, very special gift from a very special daughter ♥.

20,000 steps and four hours passed very quickly, even in the warmth of a 30 degree day. We wandered back to the train station with plenty of time to spare because we were somewhat wary of an enormous, 3 floor, 30 platform station. Also, we had no idea from where we would depart. In Italy, they like to keep you guessing until about maybe an hour before your departure time. Only then will they post the 'bin' or platform number on a glittering board with a thousand destinations on it. Depending on your bin you then get to play Pacman, taking various elevators or stairs and roaring up and down tunnels and outracing old ladies. It's even more fun when you are hauling a suitcase. But! It turned out to be easy-peasy, platform #1 and our regional train was already waiting for us so we simply took our seats out of the sunshine and enjoyed a slower train ride home. Lots of stops along the way through pretty flat topography, barren fields and empty vineyards already harvested. It seems early to me this year but I am guessing that the terrible heat Italy experienced all August forced an early harvest. Then, back to Porta Nuova station and across the concourse to a thousand bus stop signs, where we figured out where our #11 bus should appear, but had no idea if it would go in the right direction or not. The visually-gifted sibling spotted the bus as it rounded the corner, across the arena, and the directionally-gifted sibling leapt into action, immediately comprehending we were on the wrong side. One short hustle and huff & puff later, we were in our seats and somewhat sure of our direction. It did prove itself out after 20 minutes or so when we rounded a corner and we saw "our" canal, so we knew to get off. But here's the thing. Not all buses (in fact, hardly any) are considerate enough to tell you what bus stops are coming up or even where you're headed. It's a bit toe curling until something of recognition falls into order, like a canal. Because street signs? Not so many of those either. Also, brothers are males and males don't ask directions. Ever. Meh, we made it. Canneloni and whitefish for dinner, the sun is setting, the little air conditioner is working hard to cool us down. It's been a very good day.