Location: Chateau de Regnéville, Regnéville-sur-Mer, Normandy France
I’ll say one thing about writing a blog, it does focus you to read a bit about where you’re passing through. It would be easy to just drift on through these places. Drive-by tourism I think its called.
Does this remind us a bit of an English coastal resort…except with sand not stones….Straining to see across the English ChannelClifftop walks ruleCarolles Plage – great rock pools
Take today for instance. We have been continuing to make our way up the north Normandy coast, and stopped for a bit of wander along the cliffs, looking north over the town of Carolles, before parking up for the night next to a castle ruins. Now if i hadn’t been writing this blog, I reckon I could have easily pulled away in the morning learning nothing more than what was on the info board at the castle. All it said really was that it was built in the 12th century, and for the next few centuries was a fighting base for either the French or the English, depending on who was on top at the time.
Google wasn’t much more helpful, on this particular pile of stones, but it did get me down various rabbit holes learning (or perhaps re-learning because I would have been taught this stuff at some stage!) about this little corner of the world that has had such a huge impact on my English heritage.
Truffy’s evening locationChateau de Regnéville
I didn’t even know (remember from my…yawn…school history) that the word Normandy is derived from the description “Northmen” (or Vikings) who raided down this part of the coast, and eventually settled and inter-married (presumably after the raping and pillaging phase?), then were awarded lands by the French in return for bashing the English a bit.
A long abandoned fishing boatLa Sienne – the tide goes out a long way hereSandbanks on La SienneFabulous shadows
I guess the most famous bit of English clobbering from this part of the world happening on October 14th 1066 at..yes…the Battle of Hastings. The lovely Mrs A having gone to school there, would have heard our version of that little fisticuffs. Yup…French rule for poor old Blighty, the Norman Conquest as we called it. You’d think we’d have ended up with better food and nicer accents?
Here’s an exam question..if the French speaking nobility who lorded it over the English peasants for the next few hundred years, had forced them to learn their lovely language, what would have been the changes to history we would have seen? Frogs legs and a glass of wine as a Friday night supper, not prawn vindaloo and ten pints of lager? I admit to going down another rabbit hole and reading a whole series of answers to that question. The more you read, the more you realise the less you know. This trip has sure made me realise how woefully ignorant I am!
Location: Morvan Regional Natural Park, Ousoux-en-Morvan, Bourgogne, France
Thursday: When we saw a green patch on the map not far from us we couldn’t resist heading there to visit to hopefully do some hiking. We succeeded in our mission… In fact over the last two days we have walked more than 32 kilometres (or 20 miles in old measurements)….and our legs are feeling it too! These have not been flat kilometres either – we are staying on top of a hill, which means around half a kilometre of ascent and descent each day too!
Morvan Regional Natural Park (RNP) is a designated rural area with a strong identity derived from a rich natural and cultural heritage. The goal of an RNP is to encourage sustainability in development while preserving the natural and cultural environment. It’s a large area, so we picked a random campsite with good reviews and drove on over. It turned out that the village we picked, Ouroux-en-Morvan, is the official centre of the Eurozone (the 19 countries adopting the Euro as legal tender)…not that we saw much evidence of that.
We arrived around lunchtime, and were not long set up when we headed out for a hike. Given my broken toe, we have avoided hiking for the past month and a half , but the pain has now dulled to feeling just like a bruise… we’re not used to hiking!
Appreciating the change in scenery, looking very dry in late summerTrees lush with seeds, nuts and fruitA butterfly enjoys the last of the summer flowersThese legs were made for walking….
The scenery is very rural, rolling hills, fields of cattle, corn and hay, forestry evident everywhere. The walking paths are mostly old farm tracks, been around for so many centuries they are even marked on Google Maps.
Setting off down one of many criss-crossing lanesBeautiful woodland pathwaysA gorgeous fox hunting field mice and lizards in a field, we watched him for about 20 minutes as he got closer and closer to us
We hiked over to the Chapel of Banquets, a small church built in the mid 1800s on the grounds of a Château. It had commanding views over the countryside and was a great spot to rest and have a cup of tea.
The Chapelle de Banquet – so named because of the feasts local villagers used to enjoy on this hill with a viewIt looks like there have been pagan visitors recently…Mr A sitting in the shade pouring us a herbal tea…Enjoying the view…already feeling the walk after only 6km
The circuit walk then proceeded to follow trails through beautiful woodland, across streams and passing via tiny sleepy villages.
Beech trees filtering the sunlightLoving the sceneryGuard geese make a welcome change from yapping farm dogs
We concluded our walk at our campground after 15km (9 miles), where we ordered two plates of fish and chips, enjoyed with a bottle of wine purchased at a cave in our nearby village of Ousoux-en-Morvan. Yes…we combined hiking with wine tasting, not something we do every day!
Friday: After that successful walk, we decided to repeat our efforts the following day. This time the circuit took us down to a reservoir and back up – a 17km hike. The day was even warmer, topping out at 31°C, so the final kilometres uphill were pretty exhausting.
Every little village has a well with one of these pumpsBeautiful colours of the countrysideWe are eyed with suspicion by the bovine locals everywhere we goBonjour!Countryside viewsReservoir Panniciere-ChaumordAn elfClimbing up and and up on our return hikeDwarfed by giant pine plantations…Relishing the shadeWe enjoyed a cup of tea here while watching a pair of swamp harriers hunting in the field below
After showers and lots of rehydrating we still managed to go out to dinner in our local village. In the main, Ouroux-en-Morvan looks fairly run down and abandoned, weeds in the gutter and a general feeling of neglect. It was pretty quiet on our visit despite being peak holiday season in Europe, with plenty of room on our campsite for spontaneous visitors. We can imagine it would be fairly bleak during the winter months. That said, our dinner at Le Lion d’Or was delicious, and their excellent reviews well deserved.
Pastis as an aperitif for Mr AHouse red for Mrs A
We had four courses for €25 (AU$41/£23) plus a carafe of house red (which was really good). Despite dairy being an issue for me, I was able to eat something from every course (other than the local cheeses – this is cow country), including a marvellous poached pear and home made blueberry sorbet. A fabulous end to our visit in the region.
The village lit up as the sun setsHeading homeGoodbye Morvan
Location: Saint Ulrich am Pillersee & Kaltenbach, Zillertal Valley, Tirol, Austria
Saturday: Our final day in the Kitzbühel region was very wet. We had been invited over to Maayke and her husband Simon’s house for lunch so we could get some cat-time and some ideas for places to visit during our next couple of weeks. We donned our waterproofs and hiked the 4.5km over to their house.
Raining cats and dogs on our walk over….
We arrived rather damp, but soon warmed up with a fabulous feast for lunch and shared a bottle of delicious wine while stroking their gorgeous Persian cats and getting some tips for further exploration in the Tirol area.
Adorable cats gave us our feline fix Maayke, Mrs A, Simon and Mr A…the cats refused to pose
Sunday: It was time to pack up Truffy our motorhome and drive deeper into the mountainous Tirol region. We had been given a few suggestions about where to head and finally settled on the Zillertal Valley. It lies around 40km east of Innsbruck, and is well known for its network of cycling trails. But first we had to get there, and decided to take a bit of a detour on the way to see the Krimml Waterfalls, the highest in waterfalls in Europe – the fifth highest in the world. Their backdrop is the snow covered mountains of the Hohe Tauern National Park, containing their highest peaks.
We parked up and paid our fee, then we paid another fee to see the waterfalls. I must admit that’s a first for us, paying to see a natural landscape. Anyway it was quite spectacular, if you could look past the rows of cafes and streams of other visitors!
The force of the water is massive, sending a spray over everyone. Look to the right to see the scale – yes, those are people!Getting a refreshing shower stood hereMrs A trying not to slip into the raging torrent belowThe view from the cafe where we stopped for refreshments
We moved on and followed a route that would take us over a high pass to the Zillertal Valley. Well that was quite an adventure, with the first part of the route being via a single track road with occasional passing places, sheer drops and largely no fencing! Of course we met two motorhomes coming the other way on the narrowest section. All breathe in! I’m so glad that we went for a left hand drive vehicle, as most of our challenging driving will be in Europe where I can see a little better what’s coming round the tight bends.
Sheer relief to be up safe and soundHow’s that for another fine view?
The view from the top of the pass was just breathtaking. We decided it would make a top lunch spot and settled down for a calming cuppa and a sandwich. Heart rate settled, it was time to tackle the route down, which thankfully was mostly on two lane roads. I just had to avert my eyes from the precipitous drop to my right. Catherine was as cool as a cucumber of course enjoying the views.
Another blind bend…this is a wide bit of road with white lines!A bird’s-eye view over the valley as we come down the switchback roads
The bottom of the wide valley floor was reached and our campsite located. Nowhere near as nice as our previous one, crammed in next to a main road, but it will suffice as a base.
Off we headed next on the bikes down the valley, along with half of Austria it seems also cycling! It’s great to see so many different ages enjoying a ride on a glorious Sunday afternoon. Families towing trailers with nodding off children, mountain bikers wearing big grins and mud streaks, and of course the odd roadie with a serious game face on.
Not tired of the mountainous views yetMr A looking tiny
The valley is populated with a string of small villages nestled on the bright green slopes, the cycle path cutting through fields of corn, with jagged mountains piercing the sky in the distance. Not a bad ride at all!
Flowers line the banks of the Ziller River we cycle alongside for much of the ride
As all the shops are closed on Sundays, like most countries in Europe (frustrating) and supplies were low, we had an early dinner, and once again had to pay cash as no cards were accepted.
A glass of wine turned into dinner tooIs this the Austrian banks not supporting small business?
This was sixth time in as many days this has happened, and every time I have asked the merchant “Why no cards?”. The answers have ranged from “All our customers want to pay with cash” (when I was left wondering “Am I not a customer then, as I don’t?”) to “It’s too difficult as we are a small business” (I fight the urge to smile, remembering so many market stalls in other countries where I see traders using their phones or tablets to transact).
Austria appears to be a country that is very conservative in its culture, with its traditional food, dress and customs. Their approach to tourism it seems therefore is to offer what they always have, hearty food of meat and dairy dishes, chosen from a menu with no other language other than Austrian.
The incredible natural beauty of the country, and its seemingly endless options for outdoor activities, will keep bringing more and more tourists, with diverse expectations about what they want to eat and how they want to pay. Last year Chinese visitors to Austria were up by 25% for instance, and they. like me, will expect the convenience of paying by card, phone or watch, shopping when they want to, and seeing a variety of food options on a menu. They all seem to be sticking to the big cities though as we have only met a handful of non-Europeans since arriving here.
It will be interesting to watch how and if the Austrians adapt, hopefully without losing the traditional culture that is part of its charm and attraction. The government is certainly innovative in how it has invested in cycling though, even providing e-bike charging points along some of the paths!
The sun setting over the valley
We rode back to Truffy as the sun set, completing our 25km ride safe in the knowledge we were unlikely to meet a car on our path.
Location: Kranjska Gora, Slovenia and Ferlach, Austria
Another fine morning dawned so we decided to don the hiking shoes and explore a new dimension of Kranjska Gora, heading up into the mountains via the chair lift.
Mr A enjoys the journey up
Once up the top though, the walks were pretty much all up, and on a 30 degrees day it was hard going.
Mark finding his leg muscles wondering what’s happenedThe pathway becomes very steep and largely washed out by the winter’s snowmeltMrs A pleased her airway is nice and wide right now – breathing well!
We walked a couple of kilometres up to a great viewing spot, and enjoyed the downhill a lot more than the up!
Looking out towards the Austrian border These craggy peaks still a great novelty for usYellow Foxgloves brighten up the woodlandShades of mauve (species unknown to us!) attract many butterflies The downward chair lift takes the pressure off still delicate toes! You can see the mountain bike park tracks beneath us, the town of Kranjska Gora and into the valley beyond…
We wandered into the pretty town of Kranjska Gora to find somewhere for lunch. Unlike many ski resort towns we have visited during summertime, this is busy and bustling, full of e-bikes for hire, busy cafes and interesting shops.
A very pretty town with cobbled streetsA brief moment with no cyclists on the pathway
It’s great to see a town being successful all year round – no doubt the cycleway passing through is a big drawcard, with many tourers stopping for the night in hotels and B&Bs here.
Our evening’s sosta with a view
Full of pizza, we returned to Truffy to move on to our next destination, out of Slovenia, and into Austria our eighth country this year (the others being New Zealand, Australia, UK, France, Italy, Croatia and Slovenia).
It was less than an hour’s drive to our next destination, Ferlach – Austria’s southernmost town. We took the Karawanks Tunnel, a nearly 8km tunnel beneath the Karawanks Alpine Range.
80km/hr through the tunnel…we’re through to Austria in no time at all!
We had a very loose plan on the other side, aiming for the region of Carinthia. There are a number of cycleways in the area, coupled with beautiful castles and mountainous scenery. We were keen to check it out.
We found ourselves a parking place in Ferlach, a town famous for its gunsmiths, making guns for hunting which are used worldwide. Behind us are the mountains we were the other side of this morning and beside us a babbling mountain creek.
Our nearby creek might get a workout tomorrow with 33°C forecast.A little further upstream are these lovely falls
We got the bikes out for an explore. The town is so pretty, and hardly a person around.
A lovely water feature surrounded by blossoms in the town squareMr A kindly demonstrates one of the many hanging arrangementsCycle friendly bridges over the creek
We had an explore locally before heading down to the 510km Drau Cycle Path which runs alongside the River Drava nearby. We did a small taster cycle as it was getting late in the day, but it has definitely encouraged us to come back and see some more tomorrow.
Beautiful reflections along the riverSchloss Hollenburg – medieval castle built in around 1100Heading back to camp through a local farming village
After riding 19km, a beer in the local pub completed our day before we headed back to camp for showers and dinner. A great introduction to Austria.
We had driven past Lake Bled on our way to Bohinj and it looked lovely, but totally booked out in terms of camping opportunities. We could have done a day trip, but were really keen to see it in depth, so instead booked a hotel room for a couple of nights.
We selected the Grand Hotel Toplice, one of the oldest and most spectacular hotels on the lake’s edge, with fabulous view across to Bled Castle and Bled Island. We have our 17 year wedding anniversary coming up next month and I will be in London for my next hospital appointment, meaning we won’t be together. So, what better excuse for a few days of luxury?
Breakfast at the hotel was an event in iteself, with the best spread of food either of us have seen in many years of staying in hotels.
Delicious breakfast of poached egg with avocado and salmon, with an amazing view
DIY museli with fresh nuts, seeds and fruit, cold meats and juices, cooked eggs, sausages and vegetables, cakes, buns and yoghurts – the choice was endless and meant there was no need for lunch! All this while sat on a balcony with arguably one of the best views in the world.
We set off after breakfast to Bled Island on which stands the Church of the Mother of God, Mr A valiantly rowing us over in a wooden boat.
Getting a post breakfast workoutLady muck
No motorised boats are allowed on the lake, keeping it serene. The church date back to the introduction of Christianity in this area (the year 745), with many adjustments over the years – mostly in the mid 1400s. Before this, there was a temple on the island dedicated to the Slavic goddess of love, Ziva.
Traditionally the groom has to carry the bride up these 99 steps before they can marry at the church!Looking back towards Bled CastleThe church as we approach the islandA shoal of fish under one of the rowing boatsVery fit rowers paddle boatloads of people to the island all day long
Humans have been settled in this area since the Stone Age, with numerous artefacts found and displayed in the Castle, which we walked up to on our return from the island. There we enjoyed more amazing views, and saw our first little Slovenian red squirrel.
A well deserved shady break after the climb upImpossible to do these views any justice…looking down towards Bled IslandBreathtaking…but breathing well (still hobbling with injured toes though)Looking east towards the Karawanks…some big hikes through here
After an hour or so enjoying the hotel’s spa we went back to the room to get ready for dinner…Mr A decided to see whether we could get an upgrade. Well, he was very successful – managing to get us room 501, the best lake view room in the hotel!
A room with a view – cheers! 17 years of marriage coming up on 16 August…Our hotel and new room as seen from the opposite shore, beneath the castleYet another photo of our ever changing view to the castle and island
Truffy was parked nearby so we picked up a bottle from our champagne stocks and cracked it open to celebrate with a glass of bubbles before going to dinner.
Dinner was at Restaurant Sova, which we had booked because of its fabulous reputation for both modern and delicious Slovenian food as well as having a wide selection of local wines and highly trained sommeliers. We were not disappointed.
Delicious local wines sampledThey allowed us to split a glass into two glasses to widen the sample tastedWe enjoyed a bottle of the middle wine – Starà Brajda Old Vineyard Red 2015Food was amazing too – this seafood risotto with a scallop with champagne foamMr A enjoyed a pasta with cheese and truffles
Our evening finished off with a free live concert as part of the ‘Taste Bled’ weekend event. A great band called Lumberjack entertained us with covers from Kings of Leon, Lenny Kravitz and Dire Straits among others, before a ‘famous in Slovenia’ band headlined playing their own music (which was great for the locals especially). A perfect end to a perfect celebration!
After sunset – the view out towards Bled Island, the church all lit upThe castle floodlights stay alight all nightThe twinkling lights of the township
I really did not expect to like Lake Bled as much as I have done. After Lake Bohinj, seeing big hotels, restaurants and a casino it all felt a little commercial. But in reality it has been far from it. The local people have been so friendly and welcoming, the hotel staff excellent, and everyone clearly loves Slovenia and is full of recommendations of what to see next. It has been more like being welcomed into a small town. This area will always have a place in our hearts.
Sunrise this morning
It’s so hard not keep looking at this ever changing scene, the chiming of church bells around the water (especially now as I write on Sunday morning, calling people to service). With a late checkout today I think we will treat ourselves to this view just a little bit longer before we jump back into our camper and continue our journey in Slovenia.
We found a place to park Truffy and wandered into Slovenia’s capital city – all very easy as it’s so dinky! The vibe was just so good.
We climbed up to its centrepiece, the magnificent castle.
Our first sight of the castle walls as we climb up Mrs A relishing every single easy breathLooking down to where we started…great views all the way
We did the whole Ljubljana Castle tour with audio sets and it was so worth it. From the unique artefacts showcased in the museum (including a 5,000 year old Celtic vase), to the description of its turbulent history as it suffered the onslaught of the mighty Ottoman Empire – at one stage only 100 miles from its doorstep, to the beautiful entertaining spaces that have been created inside the old castle walls and are a hub for modern day culture in Slovenia.
An art exhibition space in what used to be artiilery storageRestored rooms with colourful storiesOn climbing to the highest tower, amazing views over the city and beyondLooking into the castle groundsYou can see a third of Slovenia from the top of this towerSpiral staircases – wisely providing separate staircases for up and downNow that’s what I call a wine fridge…or two…
Really the only parts of its history not covered was that during the Second World World War it served as an Italian prison (was that a deliberate omission? I don’t really understand the unwritten rules around what’s not spoken about in a tourist context). Then right up until the 1960s the castle was used as overspill city housing for the poor.
Imagine calling this your home…One solid building
A short ride down on the funicular railway and it was time for lunch. We seem to have slipped unconsciously into that Mediterranean pattern of no breakfast (well we substitute tea for their coffee), then lunch as our main meal and a snack at night. I think Catherine’s missing her creative time in the kitchen!
Water is a key feature in the city with the Ljubljanica River forking off and looping around, creating an islandOur seafood restaurant with a viewA tasty Chardonnay for Mrs A – we are rather appreciating Slovenian wine after the desert of Croatia
We had a lovely meal by the river at a fish cafe, then wandered around the lovely streets filled with interesting shops, cyclists and happy smiley folk! What a great vibe…a city we would call at first glance like this very liveable.
A colourful cityBustling with outdoor dining
In fact it’s the most likeable capital city we have seen so far on our travel based on our criteria – easy to get around by bike, waterways and green spaces everywhere, loads of food and wine choice, easy access to the mountains.
At just over 20,000 square kilometres, the country of Slovenia is a good deal smaller than Australia’s largest cattle station (Anna Creek in South Australia at 23,600km²), so its major tourist attractions are apparently heaving …we will find out tomorrow!
We capped off the day with a sunset cycleThe bridge of dragonsDragons do indeed live here…
Sitting in New Zealand at Christmas we had read about this National Park that has 17 waterfalls cascading through its limestone country. Now we were here..and loving it. Yes it’s popular with 1 million people visiting last year, but there’s a reason it’s popular – it’s absolutely breathtakingly beautiful.
We had booked a tour from the camp site we stayed at, a 9-5 day visiting the highlights of the park by minibus. There’s no way we would have seen some of these place left to our own devices.
A two hour walk had us deep in the forest on boardwalks, with streams and small cascades flowing all around us.
Water water everywhere, the boardwalk wound across lakes and streamsA Baltic Green Lizard poised ready to fight his opponent The boardwalk – busy already at 9.15amSmall cascades give us hints of the beauty aheadThe waterfalls increase in size….helped by a huge thunder storm last night, bringing the first rain here for 40 days
Then we came to the first major waterfall, which allowed swimming. Catherine was off as I guarded our bags. It did look quite spectacular.
Skradinski Buk – the longest waterfall on the Krka River . Swimming is allowed hereMrs A feeling refreshed after her dipTravertine islands, barriers and lakes help create the falls which send a fine refreshing spray of mist for a hundred metresEnjoying the sprayRelishing the shade on the the way back to our bus – it was about 34 degrees centigradeCloth making and basket weaving was common here historically and here we see where the cloth was washed – right up until the 1970sThe power of the water here has been harnessed for electricity since the late 1800s – the first hydro electric plant in Croatia
A Franciscan monastery sat resplendent on a tiny island in one of the lakes, Roman catacombs beneath another monastery…this park has the lot.
An Eurasian Kestrel soars above us searching for food in the valleyA dry, harsh country – much of the water deep undergroundThose monks certainly knew how to isolate themselvesBeautiful pink Oleander grows wild everywhere we go in Croatia
We had lunch in a little tucked away cafe alongside the ever present waterfalls. Simple but lovely food served with Croatian wine….yup still the same verdict…thumbs down in the vino.
Cold meats, cheese, bread, olives and sliced tomato – simple fare but tastyIf you wanted to cool down you could sit at one of the wet tables, with the water rushing past your bare toesKrka Monastery – built on top of Roman catacombs – mentioned in texts back as far as 1402. The fountain in the foreground is thick in dripping mossThe church painted in richly coloured frescos was renovated in the past decadeA refreshing breeze entices you to this windowImagine the monks here…More secret viewing spots visited along the wayBilusica Buk – at the furthest easterly part of the park, very remoteA Roman military camp and amphitheatre are to be found near here – Bisulica Buk
The park entrance fee was about AU$50 and the trip including the monastery tour and lunch the same. What great value! With a million visitors a year it was disappointing to see little evidence of that money being reinvested in the park, but that seems to be the story across Croatia with the tourist dollar. I wonder whose pocket it goes in?
Saturday: It was a dusty start to the morning after a fun Friday night out with Mel and Barney in Loro Piceno, with delicious food followed by dancing to a live band on the cobbled streets.
Exploring the streets of Loro Piceno
May explain the sore head on Saturday morning…Varnelli – similar to ouzo…
Fabulous cover band at La Taverna, singing a wide variety of songs in English
Mel had booked a haircut for me in a local village, and with none of the staff speaking English I was pleased Google Translate worked well enough for me to get the cut I wanted and not end up with a shaved head!
Our friends from the UK arrived early afternoon, successfully finding the house and enjoying a light lunch as we all caught up on news.
In the evening Mel and Barney had booked us a table at a local restaurant, Casa Azzurra. It is set around a pretty courtyard, with delicious food and wine.
Pink Prosecco to commence the evening
Enjoying our aperitif
Casa Azzurra
Sunday: The eight of us piled in to two cars and headed up to Mount Sibillini National Park, a hour’s drive away. It was a warm day, around 35 degrees in the valley, but as we climbed we were relieved as the temperature dropped to the late 20s.
Our first stop was at Lago di Fiastra (Lake Fiastra), the main reservoir for the region. The turquoise waters look quite striking, surrounded by mountains and beaches. There were quite a few people swimming in the water and picnicking on the shore.
John enjoying the view in a field of wildflowers
Karen, Mel and Stuart enjoying the view
Many of the buildings in this area are still damaged from the two major earthquakes in 2016. On the winding road up the mountains there was extensive evidence of work done to shore up the cliffs and prevent rockfalls and landslides, and many buildings remained abandoned, shored up by steel cables and wooden braces.
Church and buildings unsuitable for occupation post earthquake
We continued a short way up the mountains to Rifugio di Tribbio, a lovely rustic restaurant Mel and Barney had found. What a gem! There’s no way you would stumble across this as a casual visitor without the local knowledge. There we feasted on three generous courses and two litres of wine for the grand cost of about €160 between the eight of us (AU$33/£18 a head). We sat outside on a bench table with great views across the mountains.
Views of the nearby ruins of Magalotti castle
After lunch we wound our way up the mountains even further, found a shady parking spot and headed off for a walk. It’s a glorious time of year in the mountains, with wildflowers in every corner.
Wild peonies (Paeonia officinalis) growing on a limestone slope
Every square metre is covered in flowers – pinks, mauves, purples, yellows…so pretty
Lovely orchids
Wild Narcissus (Narcissus poeticus)
We did a lovely circuit walk – steep on the way up and blissfully downhill on the return loop, helping us burn a few lunchtime calories and enjoy the clean mountain air.
Wondering whether the last glass of wine was wise!
The walkers – minus Barney – L-R Mrs A, Mr A, Catriona, John, Stuart, Karen and Mel
Looking back at the lowlands which look rather hilly when you’re down there!
We drove back down the mountains and into Loro Piceno for an evening cocktail at La Cantina, a bar with a terrace boasting amazing views over the valley and out towards Mel and Barney’s house. We then headed home for an early night in preparation for celebrating Catriona’s big birthday tomorrow, the reason for this gathering of friends.
Enjoying the views and drinks
Catriona tries out a swing chair
Karen and Catriona try out their first Aperol Spritz
Wednesday: We have friends of friends who have kindly invited us and some of our friends (with it so far?) to stay with them in eastern Italy in the region of Le Marche (pronounced lay markay). To be honest, until they gave us their address we had no idea where that was, or even pronounce it. Well now we do and what a find it has been.
Le Marche doesn’t roll off the tourist tongue like Tuscany, and the thankfully the coaches aren’t rolling down the streets just yet in this region…. We arrived via the excellent west to east route along SS77. A dual carriageway with tunnel after tunnel bored through the mountains that run in a chain down this part of central Italy.
We were making for a campsite our friends had suggested in the grounds of an old abbey and country park near to their village. We had given ourselves a couple of days to explore the area and get things prepared for the onslaught before everyone else arrived.
We arrived to find a beautifully near deserted camping area, with only a couple of other vans there. We picked our spot and had just set up the chairs…as a motorhome drove right next to us completely blocking our view. I gave him my best evil eye and exaggerated “what the ….” shrug…he moved off when Catherine joined in! She’s a terror…
Time for lunch
So with view restored we were soon visited by a young cat who was clearly Italian given his chattiness and general exuberance! He was to become our constant companion over the next two days..,well until someone else pulled up he thought might feed him…
There goes our last tin of tuna…
It was time for our customary exploration on two wheels. What a ride we had, as we came round corner after corner with a new vista of perfectly green fields opening up…and the odd snow capped mountain! This was cycling heaven.
Fields of spinach
We made our way through the park, exploring Roman ruins, admiring the bird life, and smelling the wild flowers.
Thursday: The next day we went further afield through several of the nearby villages. And not a tour bus in sight…
Yes, still snow up there
More fields of poppies looking towards more hilltop villages…
The castle in Colmurano
A couple of happy cyclists
in the late afternoon we headed out again, I had spotted a winery within striking distance of the bikes.
Now that’s a decent driveway!
The terrace tasting area with fabulous views
Murola tasting room
Enjoying a few drops of red…yes we invested in a case and a half
A post tasting tour around the barrels and bottling plant
After some initial confusion about what we wanted, as I had asked for a “wine tasting”, which apparently in Italy is more of a wine experience with food (and €15-20 a head), not a tasting with the purpose of trying before you buy. We embarked on our mission to stock up with some more wine before the rest of the troops made it here. It’s a tough job but someone has to do it. And what a great selection of wines they had, set in beautiful grounds. Our host Anna even offered to deliver our wine to the campsite! Now thats a service I doubt you’d find at your average Tuscan posh as you like winery.
We think we will like it here!
A fantastic cycle home to Truffy
Friday we did a little more exploring on foot, taking a look at the monastery and abbey, and taking some of the footpaths at a slower pace, listening to the birds, smelling the flowers and generally just enjoying the peace before the storm.
Poppies are everywhere splashing red into the fields
Wild roses
Inside the abbey
Our friends Melinda and Barney arrived at around 5pm to escort us to their home in Loro Piceno, and tomorrow four more friends arrive from the UK. It’s all going to get a lot busier around here!
Wednesday: We only drove 15 minutes to Spello, just 10km away from Assisi, everything we had read suggesting it was worth a visit.
We took quiet winding roads through agricultural land, grateful we didn’t meet any other traffic along the way.
Maybe just room for a cyclist to pass here…fabulous roads to drive on as long as you don’t meet anyone!
Gorgeous views accompany us on our way
Spello is far less well known than Assisi, but its history stretches back just as far. Much of the town is built on Roman remains and foundations, and sits within an old amphitheatre. The churches are often built on top of old Roman temples, and encompass little clues here and there to the past.
We entered through a grand gateway flanked by towers, amazed that there was not a soul around. In fact that is one of the main appeals of this town – it is so close to Assisi but there are so few tourists here. The streets and buildings are quiet, taking on a pink hue from the Mount Subasio limestone used in their construction. The constant call of swallows can be heard as they swoop catching flies around the rooftops, and the hum of insects on the ever present flowers.
Where are all the people?
These stone walls were restored in the early 1900s
Every corner is filled with flowers
Pretty pathways in all directions
A lovely looking villa
Every little space is used for pots of colour
Richness of colour in every direction
Seppo is full of flowers, every windowsill, doorstep and corner brimming with blossoms. The few people we did see were often tending to their pots, painting wooden planters, replacing dying plants with new ones.
A local gardening enthusiast tends to his pots
There seemed to only be one cat in Seppo…quite a chunky one too!
Fine views across the Umbrian countryside
From the top of the town there are fabulous views back across to Assisi, a monastery behind us enjoying this view daily.
Assisi on the hillside opposite
Wander around forever and never see another person!
Heading off down yet another enticing lane way
Will we get tired of these views?
A flower within a flower?
If only we could understand the stories behind this architecture
We tried to find somewhere nice to have lunch, but the menus were quite restrictive in terms of dairy-free, and the restaurant we really wanted to go to was closed on Wednesdays.
Mr A making use of the Google Translate app to ask about dairy-free meals
So we wandered back through the town, calling in for some wine tasting on the way through (three small glasses for €10), and popping our heads into the Chiesa di Saint Andrea, a church built in the 11th century, an example of Francisan architecture.
Hard to resist another little alleyway to explore
Chiesa di Saint Andrea
Frescos by Tommaso Corbo in 1532
We’ve seen sculptures like this all over Italy
It was well worth the visit to Seppo. We didn’t buy any wine, the prices set for the American market (two to three times the usual cost!) rather than the Italian value we have become accustomed to. It would be a great location to stay if visiting Assisi and wanting to avoid the crowds, assuming you had a hire car you could park outside the town walls.
We, meanwhile, jumped back on the road and continued our journey towards the east coast.
