The number one reason folk come to Granada is La Alhambra and after a visit of my own, it's easy to see why. The last stronghold of the Moors in Spain, the palace itself is remarkably intact - apparently the Christians found it so beautiful they couldn't bear to destroy it ... a sentiment I'd definitely agree with. Almost every surface of the huge stronghold is intricately carved, and leads through so many beautiful rooms, chambers, halls and courtyards it's hard to keep track. It's truly an amazing place - if you ever get the chance to go, don't pass it up ... a fair few of the Busabout kids did just that and I'll be definitely making them rue their decision when I catch up with them down the road tonight.
‹ 24.5.02 / 0 comment(s) ›
Madrid
After a nice little stop in the sleepy beachside town of Peñíscola (snigger), the wheels on the bus went round and round over the rolling plains of Central Spain (it didn't rain so I can't comment further) and finally we got to Madrid at 6:30pm. In 32degC heat. Not so nice when you have to lug your pack for a good 15 minutes to reach the hotel. Still, mustn't grumble ... it was festival time (in honour of Madrid's patron saint) so that meant lots of people about and a pretty cool atmosphere. The closest I got to bull-fighting was watching one in a bar - it left one of my companions decidely light-headed and me not much better. Riveting and repulsive, all at once. The next day was "focus on culture" time so I checked out the Reina Sofia Museum - loads of modern art including stuff by Miro, Dali and Picasso, his massive "Guernica" being the highlight - and the Prado Museum ... a huge collection of 15th-19th century art, with a big Spanish focus. Very impressive. Interspersed with the high art was a good dose of low-brow: Star Wars: Episode II was showing (in English!) and I was powerless to resist it's pull. Yeah, it's flawed ... but it's fun, and seeing former New Zealand soap stars as galactic bounty hunters was well worth the price of admission alone! (a paltry 4 euros).
‹ 22.5.02
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Barcelona
I'm happy to report that my second trip to Barcelona was just as enjoyable as the first. I swung into full tour guide mode for a few of my uninitiated fellow travellers ... a whistle-stop trip around notable Gaudi sites [last year's impressions]. First on the list was Parc Guell, which I missed out on last time ... we rounded the corner of the gates and, wouldn't you know it, stumbled right into the middle of an S Club 7 video shoot. Awww, crap. For those of you who are interested in such things, they are all very short and that-blonde-one-wot-sings was smoking furiously between takes. Aside from that minor scenery blip, the rest of the Parc was great, as were La Pedrera and La Sagrada Familia - just as beautiful the second time around. The following day was mostly occupied with being lazy - a long stroll around Barceloneta and the beach-front and a small amount of pinking up too (one wouldn't want to be seen to be too pale, now would one?). Top dining tip: if you're visiting the Catalan capital, check out "La Crema Canela" at the top entrance to the Plaça Reial. Absolutely fantastic food and setting, and two courses and a share of a goodly amount of wine only came to around 12 euros. Muy bueno!
‹ 22.5.02
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Nice
After a short stop for at Pisa for the obligatory "look-at-me-I'm-so-cool-because-I'm-holding-up-the-Tower" photo shot, the bus finally pulled into Nice in the early evening. And didn't we lap up the French Riviera ambience! A beautiful twilight otherwise spoilt by the dodgy Gallic dinner-time institution that is "Flunch" (and those of you who've been to one of said establishments will know exactly what I'm talking about). The following day, a few of us dusted off our gladrags and went to investigate Monaco - home to the immaculately groomed and spotlessly clean ... and I just mean the streets. The wealth on display their was in equal parts phenomenal, laughable and disgusting. The streets were all fenced up in preparation for the upcoming Grand Prix, so you really did have the feeling you were visiting some sort of elaborate zoo for the vieux riches. A jaunt to Cannes was undertaken the next day, which just so happened to be the opening day of the 55th Film Festival. The closest brush with celebrity occured we got was hearing photographers clamour for Woody Allen's attention at a press conference. We didn't see him. I suspect they didn't either.
‹ 22.5.02
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Florence
Heading up to Florence was interesting - Busabout schedules several "bonus stops" along interesting routes, and we managed to take in Perugia (home of Baci chocolate) and San Gimignano (purportedly home to the world's best gelati ice-cream). My stomach therefore became home to a number of tasty treats over the course of the day and my belly will no doubt become home to a goodly proportion of unsightly flab. Indulgence is king, my friends. Florence itself was fantastic too, if a little rushed (apologies Bart!). I managed to beat the queues at the Accademia to see Michelangelo's "David" (they don't call it the world's best sculpture for nothing) and the Duomo too, but decided to pass on the Uffizi Gallery (my tolerance for Renaissance art beginning to reach its threshold) in favour of a nice stroll around the Boboli Gardens. A few of us took a day trip to Siena too - the Festival of Saint Catherine was just kicking in, so there was much bunting, flags and rowdy Italian street dining in that particular contrade. The Siennese(?) Duomo was spectacular too - lacking the wonderful cuppola frescos of Florence's, but making up for it in its liquorice-allsort-striped marble interior. Tuscany on the whole was brilliant ... rolling green hills, blue skies, narrow cobbled streets and a laid-back, enjoy-your-life atmosphere which you wish you could bottle up and take home with you. Not that we Kiwis necessarily do such things badly of course :o)
‹ 19.5.02
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Rome
The trip into Italy was spectacular - beautiful snow in Switzerland before descending into "The Boot" and heading across the fertile plains to Venice and an overnight stop there (having spent a weekend there already with Michelle in mid-January). I finally arrived into Rome late the next day and settled into the campsite - they employed a bizarre debit-card system where all cash purchases had to be made with the campsite card. Most odd. They also had several emus, peacocks and roosters running rampant. Odder still. Said avians also liked to chirp very loudly, very early in the morning. Every morning. But enough of that. Rome itself was spectacular ... everything you imagine it to be, and more. The Colosseum was amazing - we took a walk through that - as were the ruins of the Forum. The Castel Sant'Angelo was great too ... sumptuous Papal apartments and a wonderful 360 degree view of Rome. I made the requisite coin tosses into the Trevi Fountain as well - that was a real "wow" moment as I rounded the corner of the little side street and into the plaza itself. Gorgeous figures hewn straight out of the marble - quite breathtaking. Oh dear, I think I'm just ran out of superlatives. Never mind. A few of us also managed to score tickets to see doddery old J.P.II. do his Wednesday audience thing, but the pouring rain dampened spirits somewhat (yes, again). A half hour trudge in the wet to the train station I can do without ... the delights of the Vatican will have to wait until next time. Oh, and it's true what they say ... all roads lead there, it really wasn't built in a day and when you're there, you should try and do as they do. If not, managing to avoid being run over will suffice.
‹ 19.5.02
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Lucerne
My major achievements were seeing the paintings in the two covered bridges, and the amazing Lion Monument, carved straight out of a rock face and commemorating fallen Swiss troops in France way back when. The rest of the time it rained. A whole damn lot. Which was really annoying but par for the course in what I've decided is the most meterologically unstable country on the planet (bar the UK, of course).
‹ 19.5.02
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Lauterbrunnen
A speedy 20 minute train ride down the valley (again, no Heidi et al), saw me arriving at Lauterbrunnen: population, minimal. The township is flanked by by two sheer cliffs and the three massive peaks of Jungfrau, Monch, and Eiger (German kitchen appliances anyone?). Further fresh air was inhaled and yodelling was kept to a minimum as a few of the Busabout gang took off for the Trüellbach Falls, the only output for the three mountains' melting glaciers. So there was a lot of water running through the mountain. A lot. We dried off during a walk back to the campsite and returned to the scene a few hours later to watch four completely insane Danish base-jumpers throw themselves off one of the cliffs. Which is apparently a normal happening for round those parts. Personally, I prefer to go for the "sheer madness whichever way you look at it" angle - I'm sure I could have had just as much fun hurling myself off the cabin's top bunk, and have avoided donning one of those silly shell suits.
‹ 13.5.02
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Interlaken
A pleasant trip up from Geneva - the track hugged the lake for a good part of the journey which made for some top scenic moments. The sun was in full force by the time I pulled into Interlaken West station and the hike to the hostel wasn't too bad ... I had a few hours to kill before checking in so I successfully sat in the sun and commenced my holiday tan. It was good to get chatting with a few people as well after the relative solitude of Geneva: the basement bar with cheap(ish) pints of lager assisted in those endeavours too. You would have thought the two bunk beds welded together in the eight-man dorms would have as well, but there you go! A bunch of us got together one night and got Swiss with a mass fondue evening: cheese, meat and chocolate, plus free beer from the mustachioed, German-pop-song-singing maître'd made for a good night. To work all that fat off, myself, a mad Texan, an Aussie chick and a Philly lass decided to climb up a mountain (as one does in Switzerland). Harder Kulm was 1322m of pure slog, but worth the three hour hike for the superlative view and the cold beer that greeted us at the top. Despite extensive searching, Heidi, Grandfather, and Goat Peter were not however spotted.
‹ 9.5.02
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