pinkbirdflies

Met “Team Intrepid 3” at our Rome hotel and had a nice dinner of Spaghetti Carbonara and vino rosso…my room is like a corridor!!! Walked to the Spanish steps, Trevi fountain, The Pantheon and Palazza Venezia where Callum and I got a bus to Vatican City. We marvelled at St Peters square and the Basilica and squeezed in a quick tour of the Vatican museum and Sistine Chapel with its famous paintings by Michelangelo. Just so much to take in…incredible…Pasta again for lunch at La Famiglia before heading to Florence by train.

Walked from piazza Venezia past the Roman Forum remains to the Colosseum. Being a Sunday it was busy but mainly with a kids volleyball tournament taking up a whole street! All quite spectacular. Continued on through Palatine hill and came to Circo Massimo (circus maximus) where all the grand outdoor events were held. Caught a yellow bus and did a circuit of all major sites. Vatican city area was packed so just looked from the comfort of my seat! Croosed the River Tiber near the island back to the old quarter Trasteverse! 

Went walking around Trastevere and found essentials…ATM, Post Office and small fresh food market. Had a cappuccino and was sorely disappointed…lukewarm and teeny tiny cup even though coffee flavour fine…Will have to switch to Macchiato…forget anything coming close to flat white. Wandered in the other direction from apartment and crossed the river Tiber stumbling upon the Campo De’ Fiori a hub of activity with markets and restaurants and people. No matter where you turn there is a statue, fountain or fabulously historic building or church. I’m quite taken by Rome. Got a taxi to Piazza del Popolo which has at its centre an Egyptian obelisk and the two churches Santa maria die Miracoli and Maria in Montesanto. After a fabulous hair cut and colour by Gianni at Noi Salon I walked down the long shopping street Via del Corso and didn’t buy a single thing!! Taxi back from Piazza Venezia which has the huge and impressive monument of “Il Vittoriano”. Big day actually..trying to get my bearings in a unfamiliar city…needed an Peroni to cap it all off!

After a morning of sipping mint tea, an attempt at haggling and a walk around a bright and sunny Chefchaouen we travelled for 4 hours by private mini van through fertile agricultural lands to the city of Fes. We passed through wheat growing areas and down into lower areas and wider river valleys. Fes is an old and important spiritual and learning centre with a new town and and ol town, the Medina. It is the largest in Morrocco, a labyrinth of alleyways, covered and uncovered with small stalls, repair places, herbalist, food places and people all living together. It covers over 7 acres and you would get seriously lost without a guide and you have no idea which direction is which…We visited a few places of note including the Palace gates, Jewish quarter and lookout before touring a ceramics factory. Then we entered the Medina and didn’t emerge for hours….amazing sights and also very sad and almost sickening sights e.g beggars, sick people and diseased cats, rubbish and rotten stench…but the fascinating prevails! Donkeys are used tor transport things,Camel and goats heads for sale at butchers who just hang the meat in the open, herbs, spices, junk, appliances, scarves, leather goods, sweets, breads, shoes, tourist tat, ceramics,carpets, woven good, jewellery , junk, clothes…an incredible array…lovely lunch in a beautiful restaurant that you would never imagine existed in the middle of it all. Dinner confirmed the morroccan menu is fairly standard..tagine,cous cous, kebabs, soup, salad. All good but not as flavoursome as I imagined. Had Casablanca beer which I was suprised about being a Muslim country. However, certain places do sell alcohol and wine is also made and sold here..I guess at restaurants and hotels mainly. 

Bus to the Algarve region of Portugal to the coastal town of Olhao set in an estuary, back water area near the Atlantic Ocean. Checked into a lovely Pensione with antique portuguese furniture (and shared toilet!). Fresh fish for dinner. A noisy night though as the locals make Friday nights a big one. The best portuguese tart I have ever had and wandered the fresh produce and seafood market on the waterfront, buying ingredients for tonights salad and fish dinner consisting of “Dourada” or sea bream which the man gutted and scaled for me. The group then caught a local passenger ferry to the Island with a beach facing the Atlantic which was just beautiful. Freezing water but lovely sunshine and warmth. Settled in for a long lunch at the only restaurant and tried cuttlefish in black ink and grouper…both delicious. Everyone prepared dinner in the pensione kitchen and Jaime made a big bowl of his Sangria…

Saturday night and the group of 12 met for the first time then went to dinner at a local, family operated spanish bar/restaurant. We have kept Jaime as the tour leader and have a trainee lady from Majorca. We have a young girl Li from China (studying in the USA), Wendy and Chris from New Zealand, Mal and Di from Victoria, Marg and Pete(?) from Wangaratta Victoria, A younger Canadian fellow Ramone, Mel from Australia living in London, Annika a girl from Australia and Raphael a older fellow from Perth. the group seem to get along well and join in. We were up for an early 40 minute Madrid Metro trip before a 2 and  a half hour train trip through high, hilly country to Salamanca. Fairly nice hotel here and the town is old, pretty and has a central area with a very old university housed in Gothic style buildings and near cathedrals in a similar architectural style. We had our orientation walk and lunched together at a typical spanish restaurant. Our time is free to explore until 12pm tomorrow. P.S The Iberian ham we had last night was “black” meaning the very best. they carve all their ham on the spot with a special device to hold the leg. It is like a cured, dry style ham…not pink and moist like our leg ham.

After our dinner of roast suckling pig we left early the next morning by bus and train to Madrid, the Spanish capital. Using the metro we checked into our hotel in a suburb of Madrid called Legazpi. I’am totally sick of the backpack…so may have to explore another option…hmmm, you certainly learn a lot from travelling!!! We had our “orientation” and walked the main part of the city, Sol,  and Mayoral square. We lunched at a typical tapas style bar and then explored the shopping area.    Hopefully baggage issue finally sorted!?! Rather proudly caught the metro back by myself and did washing at the local laundromat…found some fruit to eat and getting ready for Flamenco club performance tonight and dinner at Spains oldest restaurant at 11pm. I will be asleep. Madrid is not exceptionally appealing to me so far. Large city, grimy and lacking trees and green. Organised “cartels” of beggars in the central area and constant warnings of pickpockets. Jaime was certain 2 guys were going to unzip my backpack on the train and grabbed my back! We were follwed by another shady character and relentlessly harrassed by a young beggar girl when at the ATM. There is a  noticeable police presence though! Will explore more tomorrow. This is the last night of the Intrepid Paris to Madrid section of the tour and everyone is going separate ways. I stay with Jaime the leader and continue through Spain, into Portugal, then Morrocco with a new group of 11 other travellers. Should be interesting!

A gorgeous city of churches, spanish style architecture, ceramics and a castle. Staying at Hostal Jaime near the ancient Roman Aqueduct which is a magnificent engineering feat.

Pintxos, Iberian ham, seafood, rosado, Atlantic ocean, beach, Jesus, Basque…