Northern Italy Highs and Lows

We set our sights on Florence, Italy - home of so many art treasures and great food! Wednesday was a long bit of driving - first through the French Alps.  Not over, but through - we had great views as well as lots of tunnels - one went right through Mt. Blanc and cost 58 euros for that tunnel alone! Both Dermot and I couldn’t get the image of Hannibal crossing the Alps into Italy with an army and war elephants out of our heads. We were very grateful we had tunnels and 150 horses instead. 

Since we’ve decided to keep our time on the road to less than four hours (by Garmin or Google maps reckoning) we broke the trip into two stages with the first leg ending near the town of Asti, Italy.  Yes, it’s quite a wine region too. There were great views from the hills driving to the campsite and I took a few more pictures that night and the next morning as we left.  But before we even reached the main highway the next day, we were flagged over by two police officers as we reached the end of a tunnel. They took Dermot’s driver’s license, his International Driving Permit (IDP), the vehicle registration, insurance documents and went back to their car for a long time. The officer came back and said that Dermot’s International Driving Permit was expired, they only last one year and Dermot hadn’t renewed his for 2018. That’s true but we thought the only reason for the IDP was to translate the information on the Driver’s License. The officer said there was a fine of 400 euros which needed to be paid right now, immediately, “Pronto!” Dermot opened his wallet and showed he did not have that much cash. The officer asked where we had come from and we think he was suggesting that we go get the cash and return. Since our Italian vocabulary is next to nil, all this took some time and the officer was getting pretty annoyed with us. I gave him my driver’s license and current IDP and suggested I drive.  He agreed but still wanted payment. He hadn’t  written a ticket so we thought it might not be a true charge. Eventually he let us go with me in the driver’s seat and both of us rattled. Welcome to Italy!  On researching further, Dermot found an IDP is a requirement for many countries so we may get a bill in the mail and I’ll be doing a lot of the driving!

Many more kilometers, tunnels and a few traffic jams later and we pulled into Firenze Camping. We strolled around and were very impressed! This place had the best facilities we’ve ever seen in a campground. There was an information booth where a woman called and booked reservations for us to see the Accademia (home of Michelangelo’s David) and Uffizi Museums. Score!! We had tried to reserve them on-line the previous night and only Uffizi was available so I thought we’d be out of luck without a ridiculously long wait in line. 

That night we went to dinner in the very chic camp restaurant which had a microbrewery, gorgeous bar, pool tables, etc. It was large and near full of customers even though it’s no longer high season.

Click here for more photos!

Thursday morning the camp’s shuttle deposited us about one mile from the heart of the main museums and attractions. On subsequent trips we learned the public bus system was a far better bet. We followed Rick Steves’ walk and stopped into a restaurant where we had a sampler of panini sandwiches and washed it down with a very good Chianti.  We were pretty tired after all that walking so we headed back to camp to rest up for our 8:15 evening at the Accademia.  

After a “whatever's left in the fridge” dinner at the campsite, we set off for the bus stop in plenty of time to make our 8:15 reserved entry into the Accademia.  The bus didn’t come as scheduled.  We nearly gave up and got an Uber but finally saw it coming. When it arrived, it was completely empty and as soon as we were on the driver took off, sending passengers flying. Apparently trying to make up for lost time, he raced down the streets and hit the brakes hard at each stop literally sending passengers reeling and bags sliding down the center aisle. At one stop, a well-dressed elderly couple got on the bus and the man started giving the bus driver hell in Italian. We were all amused. We made it in time and, of course, David did not disappoint. The following day we had an afternoon reservation to enter the Uffizi and we really enjoyed that very much as well. I only included a few pictures because they just don't do the originals justice. 

Afterwards, we found a nice restaurant and had eggplant parmigiana and a vegetarian pizza. Note: There are no pictures of meals because in every case we devoured the food before thinking of taking a picture of it.  Same goes for the gelatos we ate. One word to the wise, always make sure you see a price list and specify what size gelato you want.  If you leave it to the scooper, even if you say "piccolo," you'll end up with a 10 euro cup. Ugh! We felt it was a rip-off as did others who entered after us. After diner we strolled through Florence taking pictures of the city at night. Ahhhhhhh! Gorgeous!

Visas and Vistas

Good things come to those who wait - or so we hoped.  We have been traveling in Europe now for four months. Hard to believe, right? I’ve mentioned the three month visa limit for U.S. citizens in the Schengen region during earlier posts. There was always the possibility that my long stay visa request could be denied and I’d be required to make a hasty exit to one of very few non-Schengen countries in Europe or somewhere father afield for our remaining time. I won’t go into all the details here but we returned to Lyon for a week of preparation after receiving a letter from the Office of French Immigration and Integration (OFII). There were forms to print, documents to assemble, a required X-ray at the only approved lab (to rule out TB I’ve heard), other procedures, and a good deal of worry.  

Single wheel transportation in Lyon.

In the interim, there was a complicating factor. I had had a recurring medical issue since July that I was told required surgery. So Dermot and I waded into the French healthcare system. My French is passable for locations frequented by tourists but wasn’t up to the task of answering medical questions. Google translate to the rescue - I armed myself with written descriptions of my symptoms and presented myself at medical facilities. I don’t have anything except hospitalization insurance here but I was treated far better than I expected. Visit to a Doctor - 25 euros; ultrasound - 39 euros! I had a referral for surgery but my initial inquiry  indicated the earliest appointment for a non-emergency was in November. I didn’t want to try other avenues until after my Friday afternoon visa appointment.

Hundreds of Florida turtles recuperating in Lyon.

As we waited for the OFII appointment, we had dinner at Laure's house, walked around Lyon, and ate fantastic food both made in our camper and at restaurants in Lyon. We walked through the huge Parc de la Tete d'Or in downtown Lyon that included a botanical garden, deer, emu and yes, hundreds of Florida turtles recuperating in Lyon.  Zoom in on that picture.  That's really what it says. I have no idea why these turtles needed to come all the way to France to recuperate but there you are. You just never know what you're going to come across when you travel.

After dinner at a restaurant one night, we walked through the streets of old Lyon which includes lots of renaissance buildings and loads of charm. People shun indoor seating in restaurants during this time of year so they spill out into the street-side tables. They are also masters of flood-lighting so the night views of buildings are incredible.

Click here for pictures.


I was very nervous that the OFII wouldn't approve my visa, but Friday finally came and I GOT IT! We wanted to celebrate but we weren’t free yet - there was still that pesky medical issue holding us back. Was it pushing my luck going straight from a win on the visa to try for a second on the surgery? Probably. But with the referral and ultrasound in hand, we drove straight to the medium-sized hospital where I’d had the ultrasound and asked for an appointment with a surgeon. I can only imagine how long I’d have waited in the U.S. with no insurance, no primary doctor, and poor language skills but a little over an hour later, I had an early Monday morning appointment. Amazing! 

I was so very excited! Now we were free to plan the rest of our trip without worry! Under doctor's orders to refrain from too much walking and remain "tranquil," I restrained myself and let Dermot do all the heavy work while I researched our way forward from Lyon. 😇 😜

On Monday, the surgeon explained my options and we both felt the best choice was to delay surgery until I returned to the states. At the end of the appointment, he asked if I had some form of insurance. Explaining I only had it for hospitalization, I asked him to charge whatever was customary. Charge for a surgical exam and consultation - 50 euros! As he wrote prescriptions, I told him how amazed we were with the care I had received on getting an appointment and he said this hospital was private. We're still shocked at the low cost of medical care here as well as how everyone we met seemed much calmer than in hospitals in the states. I'm not looking for a political debate here, just being appreciative. 

Where will we go next??    🗺  Tune in next week to see.

Burgundy - Wine Region Extraordinaire

Monday we left Paris and headed toward the burgundy wine region. We were startled by the many fields of brown, unharvested sunflowers and dried corn that looked like victims of extreme heat and/or drought. Burgundy was a world-wide reputation for wine but the land devoted to vineyards is relatively small.  Those in the know informed us that the topology and geography is such that the grapes from one row of vines will produce a very different wine that those just a few feet away. 

There are many, many small towns all devoted to wine production so we stopped for one night at Avallon so that we could tour the northern towns of the region the following day. Having eaten mostly at restaurants in Paris, we cooked our first healthy meal in a while and relaxed. 

The next morning we went drove to Vezelay and hiked to the top of the hilltop town famous for its Basilica of Saint Madeleine. The Basilica is huge and beautifully simple (especially compared to those in Paris) and holds the supposed relics (e.g., bones) of Mary Magdalene. It was a destination for many a pilgrim for centuries and is a stop on the Camino de Santiago. After touring the basilica, we went out to the gardens for its hilltop views but saw more signs of heat stress in the fields.  

Next we headed to Semur-en-Auxois where we got a map from the TI and just walked the streets and ramparts as well as Rick Steves’ suggestions. We parked outside of the medieval walls and walked into the town.  It was lovely with it's romantic massive, round towers and broad ramparts. That night we camped at a site in the middle of vineyards and watched as the sun set across the vines. We bought a local wine and Epoisse cheese (from the town of the same name which we had passed) to have with our dinner. The wine was very good but the cheese was too salty.

Wednesday we drove through wine country and vineyards as we traced the wine routes south of Beaune. We toured Château de la Rochepot. It looked like a fairy tale with its patterned roof, towers and well in the courtyard.  We enjoyed the very interesting kitchen and furniture.

Link to website with more history and far better pics than I took.

We then drove up into the cliffs and took pictures of the small burgundian towns below. We were back to threading our large van through medieval streets and Dermot was back to being nervous.

Thursday we drove through a few small wine towns north of Beaune then changed to a campsite closer to town.  From here we walked into town and visited the beautiful Hôtel-Dieu which was the hospital in Beaune from 1446 to 1971. The pictures showing the roof are quintessential burgundian, except that the original roof had even more colors making the patterns even more fantastic.  

Link to more history and better pics again.

This was mainly a hospice for the poor. Due to the complete lack of understanding as to how disease spread, it's probable that most of those who came here in the early years "would have been better off left in a ditch outside" according to Rick Steves. It is now a museum which includes displays to show how the hospital looked in operation, beautiful 15th and 16th century  tapestries, and a splendid masterpiece of an alter piece.  There was also a fascinating pharmacy (I took extra pictures for Theora). Of note was that the most common medicine was a cure-all that included herbs, wine and opium. 

Beaune is a vibrant town that seems very real and liveable.  There are interesting old buildings with carved stone sculptures over doorways and modern shops on the ground floors. There are many nice bistros and cafes inside the walled town and many places to taste wine. 

On Friday we took care of essentials, relaxed, then walked to town for dinner at a lovely restaurant. We ordered a bottle of wine I didn’t think we’d finish in one sitting - I was wrong. We then wove our way thru the streets - yes, we were weaving.  We were excited to see “Les Chemin de Luminieres” which translates to”The Paths of Lights.”  After dark, they project “light animations” onto seven emblematic buildings. The scenes changed frequently and many were enchanting. There was a bell tower onto which they projected an orb of light threading along the side of the building being chased by a kitten and then appearing to enter into the window.

Click here for our photos.

Saturday we visited market day and bought local cheeses, sausage with nuts and figs, fruits, veggies, olives and bread. We then prepared meals in the camper with our haul and went into town at night to see more of the nightly show.  

Sunday we packed up and headed south thru vineyards in the Mâconnais région.  We stopped at two small towns with lots of history.

Chapaize

This town grew around its benedictine abbey but only the 11th century church remains.  Dermot and I marveled at the support columns which leaned outward and we took turns pointing out other structural anomalies.  You'd really need faith to worship here! There was also a plaque with the names of the people who died in WWI from the tiny town reminding me of the terrible toll of the war that was supposed to end all wars. 

Nearby Bracion is a tiny town with an out-sized history. At its peak there were 60 residents but now there are only a handful.  It's big attraction is a romanesque church with thick columns and some surviving frescoes from the 11th and 12th centuries.  There was a scattering of paper confetti hearts and other shapes we guessed meant three had very recently been a wedding here.  

The town still had a single entry point, defensive walls, a covered market, a castle and was as cute as could be. Link to more history and photos here.

Though the afternoons can be hot, the signs that Fall is coming are all around us.  

Paris!

What can anyone say about Paris that hasn’t already been said? It can certainly be overwhelming but we had time on our side. We could linger and even extend our time here if we wanted. We camped on the outskirts of town at Camping de Paris- seven nights cost us the equivalent of $170 dollars. In fact, we arrived on a Monday and the van never moved until we left the following Monday. We took the camp-sponsored bus right to a metro stop each day and planned our visits around the weather and our whims. We loved having no set plans and being able to wander Paris' many gardens without pressure.

Though I had been to Paris several times, it was Dermot’s first trip here so I wanted to make sure we took in the things that would make him feel he had really experienced it. Unfortunately, we were both under the weather and we pretty much wore ourselves out most days. On Friday and Saturday night, we learned that there was some kind of late night dance place nearby making sleep difficult. Ear plugs to the rescue!

Tuesday we took Rick Steves' Historic Paris Walk to the Notre Dame Cathedral, Deportation Memorial, Ile St. Louis, the Latin Quarter, Place St. Michel, Sainte-Chapelle, Palais de Justice, one of the original art-deco “Metropolitan” subway entrances, the Conciergerie, and Post Neuf. Some of these we came back to tour later.  

Wednesday we went to the Louvre which is amazing and inspiring in all the most important ways a museum can be.  That being said, it has now become a destination for people who simply go there to take selfies with the most important art pieces. The Mona Lisa was so mobbed you couldn't just look at her, you were jostled by people trying to get close and get a picture of it, then turn and get selfies. I saw one woman in the Egyptian art area just posing next to object after object, adjusting her expression then snapping several selfies hardly glancing at the object itself. It is simply not the same experience I've had in the past and that was disappointing.

Wednesday we went to the Arc de Triomphe and then took a long walk down the Champs-Élysées. Thursday we went to Versailles and the lines to the palace were so long we took the staff’s recommendation to first visit the gardens, the Trianon and Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet where she recreated/retreated to the simpler life of her youth in Austria. This place is huge - we did over 10 miles of walking! We had packed a picnic lunch and ate it in the peace of the gardens. Dermot and I enjoyed the hall of mirrors and the “Gallery of Great Battles” depicting the many military achievements from Clovis (first king the Franks) to Napolean.  

Friday we spent a great day exploring the Orsay Museum and the Orangerie Museum. These were both better experiences than the Louvre because the people seemed much more interested in seeing the art than being seen with the art (selfies were banned!) or taking pictures of the art. I love to look at the brushstrokes of the artists and one detail I never knew was that Gauguin painted on such poor quality canvas it almost looked like a burlap sack! We relaxed in the Tuilleries Garden before dinner.

Saturday in Paris we went to the Pompidou Center and saw an amazing collection of modern and contemporary art. I’ll admit that there was a lot in this museum’s collection of the most recent art that baffled me. This museum was much more enjoyable than the Louvre as well because the people who came here were respectful and the place wasn’t over run. Afterwards, we experienced a true French specialty - a huge protest march to save the planet!

Then we went to see Sainte Chapelle. Built between 1242-1248 for King Louis IX to house the Crown of Thorns relic (which cost far more than the building) using the lastest architecture at the time which allowed massive stained glass windows that were truly incredible. Only Royals were allowed to worship in this chapel - staff and commoners worshipped in the basement under a painted ceiling. It struck me as strange when Christ taught love for the common man, but then again the French revolution was several hundred years off.

Sunday we started off going to the Grand Palais, Petit Palais and the Champs-Elysee gardens. Since this day was hot, we laced our way through parks and green tree-lined streets near the river. The huge trees along the river were chestnut trees and they were in season so they littered the walks and we heard them falling (hard!).  In seems that Paris is overwhelming when you try to see it all in a short period of time, but there are parks both large and small throughout the city so you always have a place to escape the crowds, enjoy a shady spot and relax. It's also a great place for people-watching.

Click here for the photo album! I added comments on most but you have to open the album and page through each photo to see the comments. 

One of the things I love about France is that there are so many statues and memorials dedicated to the memory of good works and support not just in Paris but all over France.  One that really struck me was a dedication to Lafayette supported (according to the plaque) by the school children of the United States as thanks for France's support in our war for independence from the British.  It got me thinking about our current national debate about monuments and wondering how many Americans would even remember France's support of us. In case you're interested: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_%C3%A9questre_de_La_Fayette_(Paris)

We experienced the lively Trocadero scene and then strolled towards the Eiffel Tower where we took in the views of the city and joined the crowds in taking selfies and pointing out the landmarks to each other. This was our last night in Paris and we enjoyed the sunset and watched as the city of lights lived up to its name.

We've heard many Americans say the French are rude but we haven't experienced much of that. However, there were a number of times I observed my fellow Americans behaving in cringe-worthy ways.  Here is a sample:

Overheard in the Louvre:
A man in his twenties strides up to a huge, famous painting, snaps a photo of it and says to his girlfriend: "Why does he get to be King and nobody else does?  Why does he get all that and not everyone else." This might be understandable if it depicted a king due to heredity but this was the painting of Napolean crowning himself Emperor with a nearby explanation. Aargh!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Coronation_of_Napoleon

Overheard in the Louvre while trying to enjoy "The Wedding at Cana:"
Woman in her twenties to friend: "Oh, it's The Last Supper!"
There's not an apostle in sight, there is, however, a dwarf, there's a dog on the table, and, well - you judge:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wedding_at_Cana

Overheard a woman in late 20's/maybe early 30's near the Eiffel Tower:
"So, like, what is it? I mean, like, some kind of sculpture?"

Now is it any wonder Americans might have a reputation in France?

England in August

London - Chinatown

We flew from Shannon to Bristol, happily reunited with our campervan and headed to our campsite in the Cotswolds.  This area is known for its picturesque villages, separated by hilly farmland.  England has "right to walk" laws so the public can walk through a farmer's field and there are many great walking trails. We had only one day in the area so we had to make the most of it.  As is the case in many parts of Europe, this area's charm is the result of an economic catastrophe for the people in the past - they had no money to update their residences and even the formerly rich had to give up estates. In this case, it was the collapse of the wool market.  All the towns' houses were made of the same buttery yellow stone.  In fact, even new construction was painted the same color so by the end of the day I was longing for some other, any other, color.  Even a gray or white would do.  Nope. None. 

Windows were made up of many small panes of glass (much of it looked very old) and quite a few were tilted or bowed.  There were no "must see" sights, just nice villages to stroll and enjoy little details that captured your imagination. Here are some of the standouts:

Stow-on-the-Wold 

We strolled through the town and happened onto the "oldest Inn in all of England" - The Porch House. And it did look old - the plaque indicated it was established in the year 976. The town even had the iconic red British phone booth but was updated inside.  We found the tourist information (harbored inside the library) and the woman at the counter offered a map that listed shops and very little else in the way of information. She told me you could walk to the wells but she hadn't been there herself. From other sources, I had learned that this had been the site of a Roman Fort and burial mounds from the Stone Age and Bronze Age but there apparently isn't a market for those types of sites here as we never ran across any.

http://www.go-stow.co.uk/stows-history/

We had a lunch of butternut squash and chili soup (an improbable combination I had to try but shouldn’t have) and a sausage and fried egg sandwich in the Queen's Head Pub. The pub was quaint in that it was old but well-maintained and, true to its name, had a shockingly large, pure white ceramic bust of queen Elizabeth inside the pub taking up an inordinate amount of space. The Brits do love their royal family!

Fortified, we set off in search of the wells and found them, but no further information was there about them. The map provided also noted “The Stocks” in a tiny green space town (again with no details posted) and there were a set of stocks I didn’t bother to take a picture.

Bourton-on-Water 

This town was larger and more full of tourists and had the added feature of a small stream running through the middle of it with very small bridges in a nicely landscaped park.  It has been nicknamed “The Venice of the Cotswolds” but Venice has nothing to worry about.  

We drove through Cirenchester which was much bigger, and Bibery which was small but we had run out of steam for more wandering at that point. 

Manchester 

Manchester United is Dermot’s favorite soccer team and his nephew knew a person who had season tickets and was looking to sell the seats for a game between Manchester United against Tottenham - an important game for Man U! 

We arrived at Burr’s Country Caravan site on a wet and windy day. Running along the back of the campsite was the East Lancashire Railway track and the campers would erupt into applause when the special steam engine train passed by.  

We spent a soggy day taking care of necessities like planning our next moves, making reservations, banking, and decoding the transportation system from our campsite to Manchester’s Old Trafford Stadium. 

The game started at 8:00 pm so we planned to spend the night in a Manchester hotel after the game.  Further complicating matters - Monday game day was also a “Summer Bank Holiday.”  I say this because apparently, everybody takes off on bank holidays begging the question why do they call them "bank" holidays at all?

We got an Uber to Bury, took the tram in to Manchester Piccadilly then hoofed it to the hotel noting the many rainbow-colored decorations welcoming people to the Manchester Pride Parade along the way.  Very festive!  It was a good thing because otherwise Manchester struck us as a large, dreary city.

Dermot wanted to arrive at the stadium early to soak it all in. Outside there were food trucks selling mostly fish, burgers, sausage, hot dogs and chips of course.  The food was pretty bad - just like home!  Inside the stadium they offered food and drinks at REASONABLE prices! Even half-priced drinks the hour before game-time! Not at all like home. I was so amazed I took a picture.  

Our seats were in the Stafford home supporters end behind the goal but they barely got warm because these fans stand throughout the entire game and sing, chant, clap and even berate other fans who aren't providing enough loud encouragement for the team. It was exhilarating at times, funny at times, and usually laden with profanity. Dermot’s take on the game: "It was a bad f@%¥£~# game to see because they lost three to nothing - at HOME!” 

Leaving the stadium was very orderly and calm despite 74,400 fans mostly exiting at once. The streets were thronged as we made our way to the tram station.  But people were generally courteous and much more civilized than the exodus from events in the US.  For at least the thousandth time I wished Florida had anywhere close to such a good public transportation system.

The following day we went mission shopping for jeans. We brought minimal clothing with us - I had reasoned we needed to buy clothes here so we’d stand out less as Americans. After recovering from sticker shock for US name brands like Levi’s, I finally found some but Dermot wasn’t tempted. As we passed a music store, I finally gave in to my whim to buy a tin whistle and a song book to give playing Irish music a go. I know - it would have been better to buy in Ireland. I’ll let you know how that goes if Dermot allows me to stay in the van.

Oxford

We parked at the Park and Ride, caught the bus to the city and spent the morning in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. It was light and airy and full of interesting treasures and informative displays - everything from ancient stone carvings to modern art from all over the world. 

Ready for lunch, Dermot steered us to a place that held memories for him. When Dermot came to England in the 70’s, his first job was washing windows in Oxford and he remembered that one of his stops was a pub called “The Bear” - Oxford‘s oldest pub. The pub is very small and it was chock full of display cases of ties from college students who had clipped off their ties for a free pint since the 1950’s. We then spent the afternoon in the Museum of Natural History and the Pitt Rivers Museum. 

The former was very modern and the later was much as I imagine museums from many years ago. Check out the hurdy gurdy! Our heads were spinning by the time we left!

When we got back to our camper van we spotted one of the most original camper conversions I had ever seen - a converted fire truck!

Click here for the photos.

London

We only spent two days in London - both were spent figuring out the transportation system. Actually, I love the system here, it seems safe, reaches all the the way out to our camping site during the midday and we just called an Uber driver to save us from walking along back country roads at night. We had a nice Indian meal before going to The Prince of Wales Theatre to see The Book of Mormon. It was very funny and the singing was wonderful. I had wondered if they would sound British or American and they nailed the American accent - I can’t comment on the quality of the Ugandan accent.  

The next day we visited with some of Dermot’s family members.

Some parting/random observations about England:

It has the most courteous drivers we’ve ever come across! They treat driving as a cooperative enterprise. When you put your blinker on, they actually slow down and let you in! I wish we could import that spirit to America!

We had vowed to eat healthier in England now that we had the camper and mostly we did, but at one store we found zero fresh veggies but a case full of - you guessed it: