Room with a view

We were a little nervous about the hotel we had booked which was 4 kms outside of Menaggio. We found the bus OK and when we eventually found the hotel we were absolutley blown away. Perched high on the hill we had a view of lake Como and were out of the bustle (mainly of American tourists) of Menaggio. The hotel also had a panoramic terrace with great cheap pizza and birra. Bliss. So much so that we stayed an extra night. Spent two glorious days sitting on ferries going up to Colico (one day) and down to Como (the next) and eating pizza watching the sun paint everything golden. Perfect.


So, that brings us up to date. Yesterday we caught a bus, a ferry and two trains to get to Padua where we finally found a hotel and now we are stuck here for two nights because of a train strike. So today is admin day. We are not sure quite where next but perhaps Slovenia. Ciao for now.

(the view from our hotel)

Following the Rhone and walking in the Alps

After spending a week by the side of the Rhone in Avignon we drove up beside it to Lyon where we dropped the car off and stayed for a night before catching a train to Geneva. There we changed to another train which went alongside lake Geneva (beautiful) to Visp at the bottom of the Alps and then caught a tiny cog driven train up up up to Zermatt. We spent the next two days walking amidst the stunning alpine meadows with their amazing wildflowers including one 8 hour walk up (for three hours!) to the holbalmen which is a high meadow opposite the Matterhorn with the most spectacular panoramic views of the Swiss alps. It just about finished us off but was well and truly worth it!


us and the matterhorn!

Next day we caught the Glacier Express across Switzerland to St Moritz. A great train trip which follows the Rhone until it disappears into the Rhone Glacier and then follows the Rhine from its beginnings. Down from 1600m Zermat to Brig (300m) and then up to the 2200m Oberalp Pass and down to Chur (200m) and then up again to St Moritz at 1700m. The last bit from Chur was the most amazing because it is done without rack and pinion just using these amazing spiral tunnels which go like a rollercoaster through the mountains and over gorges.

St Moritz has a beautiful lake which we walked around twice before catching the Yellow Post Bus up and then down down down the most spectacular hairpin road into Italy and down to Lake Como and hopped off at Menaggio.

Avignon

From Cadaques it was farewell to Spain after three fantastic weeks. We schlepped up to Avignon via a night in Montpellier to meet up with Rosemary and Peter (G's Parents) for a week in a nice apartement in the old part of town. It was great to have our own space and to be able to cook for ourselves and do washing! (ah, its the little things...) The night we arrived it was the annual Avignon music festival which was crazy - the streets were rammed with people and bands and orchestras playing in the squares and churches and streets and cafés.

Highlights of the week included visits to the Popes palace, Villenueve des Avignon, and some of the stunning hill towns - Gordes, Rossillion, Vernaques and Les Beaux de Provence. We spent a lovely relaxing day swimming at Pont du Gard and also had a fantastic second anniversary dinner thanks to Mum and Dad!

Barcelona and Cadaques

Sorry for the long silence - we will plough through what we have been doing since Madrid.

We caught the fast train (oh why can't they do it in Australia or UK?) to Barcelona for a night and re-acquainted ourselves briefly with its stunning architecture and buzz. Would love to have spent more time here but we were craving some beach walking so we boarded a bus up the Costa Brava to beautiful Cadaques.

Cadaques is right up near the French boarder and is surrounded by very high hills over which the bus goes, skidding around hairpins. It is a small town curved around a bay of stunning blue water lapping a craggy rocky coastline over which we tromped that afternoon. Dali lived for 40 years in nearby Port Ligat and the rocks are reflective of his paintings - weird shaped outcrops and bald hills.

Next day we went for a long walk along the coast and found not one but two completely deserted beaches in June on the Costa Brava. Brilliant. Swam, hiked back, swam some more and arrived back in town for sunset cervezas. Bliss!!!