My expectation of a relaxing, serene day trip from big city Milan to some quaint, lake-side towns by Lake Como was somewhat misplaced. Lake Como is very, very pretty but it is not particularly serene. Not sure what I expected of Lake Como but it’s hoards of tourists, touristy shops lining the small alleyways and an exorbitant 3 Euro per person cover charge (coperto) to eat a meal.at a restaurant.
We caught the train from Milan to Varenna which took just over 1 hour. It is worth to get up early to beat the crowds. It is nice to experience the place without quite so many people and before the heat really sets in! (To be honest, there were already plenty of people at 9am in the morning and it only proceeded to get more and more crowded.) We quickly caught a 15 minute ferry to Bellagio to try and beat the crowds but in reality, plenty of people had the same idea!
After sightseeing and checking out Bellagio, we caught the ferry back to Varenna and then later on, the train back to Milan. It makes for a manageable day trip from Milan an the mountain views from the train to Lake Como are spectacular.
Lake Como itself, is actually pretty big and it is unrealistic to see all the lakeside towns in one day. The three most popular towns are Bellagio, Varenna and Como. We skipped Como because it’s the largest town and supposedly the least pretty. It was also to allow us a more leisurely pace on the day trip and to avoid having a very long day.
Bellagio and Varenna are very similar. Pretty but very touristy. Cute alleyways but anything lake-side will have lots of people. If you head inland just a few streets, it becomes deserted. There are steep rocky hills that rise dramatically from the sides of the lake. It gives the impression that the lakeside towns cling to any tiny available space leftover between the hills and the water.
Church of St. John the Baptist, VarennaChiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie. VarennaView from the ferry leaving BellagioView from BellagioSalita Serbelloni of Bellagio – the famous main passageway in Bellagio which is picturesque and lined with touristy shops. Crowded with people in August!Grand Hotel Villa SerbelloniFerry between Bellagio and Varenna
Padua was a bit of a surprise. We chose to visit it instead of Trieste, driven mostly by price of accommodation. To our surprise, the old town of Padua contained many beautiful and historical buildings everywhere you looked. Unfortunately, the city was very quiet and shuttered up for the August summer holidays.
Outside of the old city, the stretch of road from the train station was very multicultural. Lots of Chinese run business and restaurants, kebab shops, bubble tea shops and a real diverse mix of people.
The train into Padua was insanely packed. This was the train into Venice. Considering there are a number trains on this line every hour, it is an indication of how many people are traveling at this time of year.
The most eye-catching and noteworthy attraction in Padua is the massive Basilica of Saint Anthony. This church was particularly ostentatious on the inside. In particular where the gold and silver encrusted room of the relics and the room with the tomb of Saint Anthony. Saint Anthony is the patron saint of lost things so he is the one to pray to when you lose something. This comes from a story during his life where he lost his prayer book. He prayed over it and the intern who stole or borrowed it, returned it!
Saint Anthony was noted for his powerful sermons and oratory. Supposedly, the Basilica was constructed for Saint Anthony after his death. Then they exhumed his body to place it in the Basilica. This was 30 years after his death and most of his body had turned to dust. That is, except for his tongue, which was still moist and glistening as if it belonged to a living person. It is surmised that his tongue did not decay as he was such a great orator. His tongue and part of his jawbone are stored amongst other religious relics in a special gated room for relics at the Basilica.
PaduaThe Basilica of St. AnthonyThe Basilica of St. AnthonyThe ostentatious roof of the room with Saint Anthony’s TombGated room with the relics at the Basilica of Saint Anthony – including the relic of Saint Anthony’s incorruptible tongue! The Basilica of St. Anthony – note the skeleton, winged angel blowing a horn on the top!The Basilica of St. AnthonyThe Basilica of St. Anthony – robes for purchase at the shop!Prato Della Valle, Padua, the largest square in ItalyPaduaPadua
In August, Milan is quieter than usual as plenty of the Milanese people escape the summer heat either to the coast or to the mountains. This, in addition to the public holiday to celebrate the Assumption of Mary, meant that the city was deserted. Many homes and restaurants were shuttered. Nevertheless, the areas around the main tourist attractions were crowded and busy. The line to get into the Duomo stretched out into the hot sun. (It was a bit offensive to see that ladies in their summery outfits were sometimes required to cover up further with disposable bibs that had to be purchased. Another excuse to squeeze a further dollar from a tourist.)
Speaking of squeezing tourists (and locals), restaurants in Italy do not serve free tap water. Italians seem to have a distrust for the cleanliness of their tap water, which could be interpreted as a distrust in their government and authorities. Bottled water has to be purchased (at a cost to the customer and to the environment!) When we requested tap water from a waiter, he clearly understood but returned with bottled water claiming that they did not have a tap!
Beware also the cover charge (coperto), 1 to 3 Euros per person, and the “maggiorazione”, a further 1 to 3 Euros per person. The cover charge is supposed to cover napkins, cutlery etc and the “maggiorazione” is generally only charged in tourist areas as some kind of surcharge. When a pizza can cost 7 Euros, the added cost of the “coperto” and “maggiorazione” can nearly double your food bill. Italy does not have a tipping culture but these added charges really leaves diners with a sour taste after their dining experience, thereby almost eliminating their chances for a tip. To be honest, these added charges drove us away from restaurants towards bakeries, takeaways and supermarket picnic food dinners. So much for sampling the much esteemed Italian cuisine!
Strangely, the sidewalks in Milan are pockmarked or dented in very particular shapes and in only specific areas. After some deduction, it was concluded that these are from the kickstands of bicycles, scooters and in particular the heavy high powered motorcycles. It seems that the soft material that the sidewalk is constructed from is unable to withstand both the summer heat and the point force of a kickstand. Seems strange that Milan is unable to perfect their recipe for sidewalk material when plenty of other places manage to.
The main train station, Milano Centrale is an imposing building built in a fascist style for Mussolini to convey the power of the regime. The Duomo is seriously impressive and incredibly ornate. The conclusion however is that whilst Milan is worth a visit, a visit in August with the local population mostly absent and the summer heat is not the best.
Milano Centrale train stationMilano Centrale Train StationMilano Centrale Train Station – this was in construction years before Mussolini became Prime Minister but when he did, the plan became more complex and majestic. Mussolini wanted this station to represent the power of the Fascist regime. Milano Centrale Train StationBuilding with Painted Ceramic Tiles – The architecture is in the Liberty style i.e. the Italian variant of Art Nouveau. It can be spotted by it’s distinctive use of leaves, flowers and over the top ornamentation and decoration.Private Fountain – There are a lot of private green spaces in Milan. Most of them, we can never even glimpse. We managed to get a view of this private fountain through the bars of the property gates. Vine Covered BuildingGargoyle with Downpipe Flamingoes in Central Milan – peaking through the bars of a private fence, we saw a group of flamingoes by a pool!Lego Duomo – the Lego version of the most popular attractions in Milan The Duomo, Milan The Duomo, Milan – crowded with tourists! Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II – super high end shopping mall. Lots of people and queues outside Louis Vitton and Dior amongst others!Statue of Leonardo Da VinciSforzesco Castle – surprised that it was free to enter the grounds for a wander! Sforzesco CastleSforzesco Castle
Sforzesco Castle – note the little piles of cannonballs on the ground!
Sforzesco Castle
Sforzesco Castle
Just in case all the photos of old buildings made you forget that this is Milan, Italy’s wealthiest city!
A lot of people would have heard of Cannes and Antibes in the south of France. Actually, the whole coastline along that area is a holiday destination for Europeans in the summer. The vivid blue, sparkling water of the Mediterranean sea and the coastal aspect brings a relief from the heat. The area is littered with large pleasure crafts in the water, buzzy alfresco restaurants and crowded beaches. The day time temperatures in August are unpleasantly hot. The mornings are pleasant and the temperature drops as the light fades at the end of the day making an evening stroll an absolute pleasure.
The landscape in this region is drier and more rocky than other parts of France. It more closely resembles Australia.
The old city of Antibes is quite crowded with tourists in August. There are lots of small alleyways and quaint shops. The wait staff in the restaurants swap effortlessly into English to cater for the English speaking tourists.
Due to the love of dogs in Europe, many European cities smell of piss. It’s unfortunate as the stench mars a lovely visit. Perhaps more greenery in some of these old towns would help both with cooling the place in the summer and give the dogs (and maybe the men) somewhere more absorbent to relieve themselves! France has been a country where there are no free public toilets. This, I suspect, results in many of the male population relieving themselves for free where they can.
The beaches here are so much more crowded than Australian beaches. The quality of the beaches are also inferior to many Australian beaches as the sea floor is quite rocky and the sand is not as pale and fine. Nevertheless, it is so hot that everyone heads to the beach to cool off!
Whilst this area is beautiful, my strong recommendation is to avoid this region in August. It is too hot, crowded and expensive.
Plage Des OndesPlage Des OndesPlage des Ondes, between Juan Les Pins and Antibes. How many beach umbrellas can you count in this small space?Plage Des Ondes – so crowded with not a spare bit of sand to spare for anyone! The smaller super yachts parked at Port Vauban, AntibesThe buzzy evening vibe in Old Antibes in AugustCrepes being made in AntibesMoules MariniereMarché provençal AntibesMarché provençal AntibesNight over the water in the South of France (Golfe Juan Vallauris) – in August, the days are very hot but the nights are a perfect temperatureCannesCannes BeachPlage de la Gravette, Antibes Plage de la Gravette, Antibes Laneways in AntibesMarina at Golfe Juan Vallauris
Arles, located in Southern France, is famous for two main things. One is it’s Roman amphitheatre and the other is for Vincent Van Gogh. The Arles Amphitheatre was built in 90AD and used to host 20,000 people to watch chariot races and hand to hand gladiator combat. Two thousand years later, this amphitheatre is still amazingly being used. They hold bull fights and other events such as plays and concerts in it.
Vincent Van Gogh and a number of other famous painters lived and worked in this area. Van Gogh produced over 300 painting and drawings during his time in Arles.
Old Walls around Arles – you can see from the stones that there has been some reconstruction at various stagesAlleyways of ArlesA river cruise boat making it’s way down the Rhone River in ArlesCloître Saint-Trophime – ArlesArlesArles Amphitheatre (Arènes d’Arles)
Bilbao is a city that has became more of a travel destination vs just an industrial city when the modernistic Guggenheim Museum was erected. Whilst the museum is the most striking thing about the city, there are plenty of other historical buildings to enjoy when walking around Bilbao as well as the Basque cuisine.
The Basque region includes both Bilbao and San Sebastian and these people have their own language, history and cuisine. Interestingly, the Basque language, Euskera, is an isolated language. It’s origins are not known but it does not have Latin roots like French, Spanish or Italian. When looking at signs in Basque, the words are mostly unintelligible as are littered with T’s and X’s. It is not related to any other language in the world and is the last descendant of the language of pre-historic Europe.
Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao – including Puppy, the world’s largest flower sculptureGuggenheim Museum BilbaoGuggenheim Museum Bilbao
Guggenheim Museum BilbaoStained Glass at Bilbao-Abando train stationBilbaoBIlbaoBilbaoBilbao – many elegant and stately buildings wherever you look in the central areaBilbao CathedralBilbaoBasque Tuna and Potato Stew (Mamitako) – a fish dish eaten on tuna fishing boats. This stew was hearty and the seafood scent permeated throughout, giving this dish lovely fragrance and flavour. Red Fish with Garlic Oil – this dish has integrity! The fish is cooked splayed open and drizzled with a salt, oil and browned garlic. It doesn’t look attractive at all on the plate. Note the eyeball! The fish has lots of bones and is hard to eat in polite company. This is not what matters. The meat on this fish was sweet, tender and beautifully cooked. The garlic oil elevated this dish without overwhelming the mild fish. This was foremost about taste and not looks. I like a restaurant brave enough to do that! These are people who know what is important in life!
When visiting Bilbao, we had the opportunity to head out to Plentzia. This is a town about 45 minutes north of Bilbao with a gorgeous, wide, sandy beach. It was a Saturday when we went and there were lot of people heading out for a beach day in Plentzia.
View of the Plentzia River from the bridge (Pasarela De Plentzia) by nightPlentzia PortPlentzia Beach – we didn’t realise how great this beach was until we saw how crowded beaches were in the south of France. This is quite deserted in comparison!
Catching the train to San Sebastian, Spain from Toulouse, France, it was striking how the landscape changed from more lush forests to a drier landscape reminiscent of Australia. As we starting walking around San Sebastian, we could feel refreshing coastal breezes. It was such a relief compared to the stifling heat of Toulouse.
San Sebastian is a city which survives on tourism, especially in the summer months. It was clear why when we visited. It has a big stretch of beautiful, sandy albeit crowded beach, elegant buildings and a buzzy summer holiday vibe. People were relaxed, wondering about in brightly coloured summery outfits and sandals. There was plenty of al fresco dining options for eating and drinking.
We did a tips only, free walking tour and learnt that San Sebastian has a whaling history (until they hunted them right out of the area!). Then these coastal people become corsairs which are basically “legal” pirates who raid ships on behalf of the crown and once they give a cut to the crown, the rest was theirs to legally enjoy. San Sebastian also grew when the queen of Spain started to holiday there and when she did, brought much of the court and aristocracy with her. This was how money started to pour into this place and the fancy, elegant buildings were put up.
San Sebastian City HallSan Sebastian – weather monumentSan SebastianSan SebastianBasílica de Nuestra Señora del CoroSan Sebastian PortSan SebastianSan Sebastian Beach – Playa de la concha – super crowded in the August summer holiday season! San Sebastian – these ostentatious bridges! San Sebastian – another ostentatious, over the top bridge!
Even before arriving at the Toulouse Matabiau train station, it was obvious we were heading to a busy place. With every approaching station, the train became more and more full. By the time we arrived, every seat was taken and there were people and luggage in the aisles. As we exited the train, there were lots of people waiting to get on urgently. This was probably because, only the people who got on first would get a seat. Despite the strong heat of the day when we got off the train, the city was busy! This was no sleepy town like Limoges! Toulouse is France’s fourth largest city following Paris, Marseille and Lyon.
Due to the searing summer heat, the best time for a wander around town is in the cool of the morning. The afternoon and in particular late afternoon is extremely hot. It was 37C on the day we visited. Unfortunately, the downside of our early morning walk-around is that the attractions were closed. This meant we couldn’t take a peak into some of the historical churches. When walking around Toulouse look around and look up. There are so many stately and elegant historic buildings, narrow alleyways. We even found a hidden church on the way to Monoprix, the local supermarket!
The biggest disappointment of our visit to Toulouse was being unable to get either an English speaking tour to the Airbus factory or even an English speaking “free” walking tour of the city. It’s a real pity. Toulouse is famous for being the home of Airbus and an insight to the Airbus aeroplane factory would have been a real treat!
Saint Jerome Catholic Church at Toulouse – this was the hidden church close to the Monoprix in the Toulouse old city. A man was seen emerging from a dimly lit corridor. Inside were several rooms where church services could be held. There is very little sign of this church from the street.A statue in Toulouse. Note the space invader on the right side of the wall! Saint Stephen’s Cathredal (Cathédrale Saint-Étienne) Saint Stephen’s Cathredal (Cathédrale Saint-Étienne) Saint Stephen’s Cathredal (Cathédrale Saint-Étienne) Le CapitolePlace du Capitole Couvent des Jacobins Canal Du Midi – a 240km long navigable channel, made to help connect the Mediterranean to the Atlantic Basilique Saint-Sernin de Toulouse Jardin Japonais Pierre Baudis ToulouseToulousePont Neuf
