Basque Country; Biarritz & Bilbao

The Basque Country of the western Pyrenees spans the border between France and Spain along the Atlantic coast. The French side of this multicultural region is known as Northern Basque Country whereas the Spanish side is known simply as Basque Country. The Basque region has developed its own language called 'Euskara', however French and Spainish are more commonly spoken in their respective countries these days. So there's a quick geography / history lesson for you.

Anyway our first stop in Basque Country was Biarritz, France which is 38km north of the Spanish border. We were delayed leaving Nice due to a refueling strike which was a pain, however all wasn't as bad as it seemed as we were able to catch some of Germany-Argentina game (well Stu did anyway) as well as do a bit of wifi surfing to find out how to get to the hotel once we arrived. At first it seemed that we had no choice but to take a 30 euro taxi, but a review on trusty Tripadvisor came to the rescue and advised that the STAB buses (yes terrible acronym I know) runs "Le Bus Des Plages" which for 1.20 euro would drop us off right outside of our hotel - bargain!

After checking into the hotel and scoring what would be the first of two upgrades in Basque Country (LUCKYYYYY!!), we decided to head down into town for a late dinner and stroll along the beach. Walking down via the cliff walks and later the beach promenades, we were truly able to appreciate the beautiful scenery that we had heard so much about in our planning. For those of your who haven't already seen the photos on Facebook - you must check them out (although they don't quite do the views justice)!

Sitting at the beach after dinner was quite a treat as we were able to watch the surfers catching the last of the days waves as dusk settled in. Quite the change to the calm waters of Nice, Biarritz receives the full brunt of the Atlantic ocean which batters the coastline with giant wave after giant wave. As a result the town has become quite the surfing mecca, bringing surfers from all over the globe - even hosting international surfing competitions! In fact we just missed the Roxy Pro which was being held the weekend after we left! Doh! Anyway as darkness fell the temperature (and our eyelids) started to drop - so it was time to head off to bed!

The following morning we decided we would explore the coastline further by following the mapped tourist walk which happened to start just outside our hotel (that's handy); first stop the beautiful white lighthouse which Stu decided we were going to climb for a better view. 250 steps later we were at the top and were taking in the breathtaking 360 degree view of the rugged coastline and the immensely powerful sea. There was a nice breeze too which was greatly appreciated after the 250 step climb - he he! From here we followed the cliff walk back through the town via Miramar, Grand Beach and Point Atalaye, past the old port which was being battered by waves (how anyone drives there boat in there I have no idea) and out to the amazing Rocher de la Vierge (via the rusty bridge) and finally ended up at Basque Coast beach which was the final stop on our walk. You can see all of these spots in our Facebook photos.

Our next stop in Basque Country was Bilbao, Spain, home of the famous Guggenheim museum designed by Frank Gehry (one of my favourite architects!!). After a 3 hr bus ride through the beautiful countryside of Southern France and Northern Spain, we arrived at Bilbao's Termibus just in time to catch the eco-tram along the turfed tracks to the Guggenheim and our hotel, Hotel Miro. Arriving at the hotel tired and sweaty from dragging our suitcases up the grand Guggenheim staircase, we were surprised yet again with another upgrade to a "Guggenheim View Room" (which I had secretly wanted all along - YAY) and also found out that the Hotel had a complimentary self service bar downstairs for the guests to use! Bagless and our thirsts quenched we headed out towards the Guggenheim for a closer look and to check out the exhibits by Anish Kapoor, Richard Serra, Robert Rauschenberg (as well as the permenant collection also held in the museum). We were able to sneak a few photos in of the interior of the building as well as Richard Serra's "The Matter of Time" before being told "Ola... no pictures"! Ah well! My obsession with the building not quite quashed, we walked around its perimeter and across the neighbouring bridge (also very impressive) for a better look. It's amazing how different the building looks from every angle and in the different lights of day. This is the reason that we have such a HUGE collection of photos (most which are on Facebook) - if you're into you're architecture they're all definitely worth a look-see!

The following day we decided to explore the city further (with another stop at the Guggenheim - sorry I couldn't help myself), walking along the river towards the old town which we had heard was a must see. Unfortunately when we got there not much appeared to be happening, that was until we heard a humongous *BANG*! Realising that it was 12 o'clock and not a terrorist attack, we headed towards the shots to find men dressed in traditional clothes, firing small rockets into the air all the while being accompanied by a 3 piece band! To this day we're not sure what it was for or if this was a daily occurrence, but it was quite amusing to watch! Once the rockets had stopped we headed back over the bridge and into the newer, greener part of town and back out to the river for a walk to the maritime museum. Unfortunately for Stu the museum was shut so we had to make do with the boats moored in the dry dock outside. Stu's disappointment was short-lived as he soon found out about a funicular (cable car) which climbed the hill behind Bilbao center to a viewing platform above. So Maritime Museum forgotten, we headed up there for a look and to take some photos. The view did not disappoint and again you can see all the shots on Facebook.

The following morning (ridiculously early) we were back on the bus headed back to Biarritz to pick up our hire car and start our 4.5 hour drive north. Next stop Coral and Billy's beautiful "Moulin Du Goth", Creysse - i'm so excited!!

To check out our photos of Basque Country CLICK HERE FOR BIARRITZ and CLICK HERE FOR BILBAO.

Ooo das NICE!

Now that we finally have wifi again you are going to be flooded with blog installments - hope your little eyes are ready for all the reading!

Today I'm going to start with Nice, our first stop and home base for a fantastic week on the beautiful Cote D'Azur!

After an epic day on the tarmac and rails (11hrs in total) we finally arrived in beautiful Nice! Both Stu and I were desperate to go for a swim after the miles and miles of tempting azur water that passed us by, however that would have to wait as we had to check into our apartment and meet the oldies and Danny!

It was so lovely to see my grandparents again (and you too Dan!) - I could see their beaming smiles from across the carpark! Once we were all settled into our shoe box (read: studio apartment) it was time to hit the town and few glasses of red wine and dinner (moules frite).

A short stroll from the apartment was the Promenade D'Anglaise which stretches down the entire beach front from the airport to the old port! There is always something to do and see on the Promenade so it was a daily fixture (as you will see in our photos). The beach in Nice is pebbly but the sea is a calm, azur blue - so a swim (or dip of the toes) is a must!

Our first day together we decided to explore Nice further on an open top bus. These tours are always a great way to explore a city if you only have a short time as they point out the main sights (it's also good for the oldies who don't walk far). Starting from the Promenade we cruised past the old port (best place for food) and up into the hills for a spectacular view over the city. From here we cruised back down into town, past the Matiz museum, Massina Square and the Russian church. Once we were off the bus we sought shelter from the blistering heat in a local cafe for some milkshakes and to watch England get smashed by the Germans in the World Cup (very sad).

Day 2 we headed to Monaco and Monte Carlo on the train (only 20 mins south) and again decided on an open top bus tour. We walked around the marina (past row after row of luxury super yachts) to the closest stop. 30 minutes later we were still waiting as every bus that drove past was full - something had to be going on! Ah a cruise ship had jus docked in town that's why! So we headed off to try our luck at another stop (pre cruise terminal) - success! After a lap of Monaco and Monte Carlo along the famous race track - we hopped off the bus to check out the Royal Family's Car Museum! This was a real treat for the boys as there were over 100 cars ranging from the Ford Model T, to the Ferrari Daytona and even the latest Mercedes concept car! From here we headed to the famous Monte Carlo Casino for a flit on the pokies (no winnings I'm afraid)! The casino really lived up to it's reputation with super cars lining it's forcourt - they were even filming a new film called "Monte Carlo" at the adjacent Hotel De Paris! Very flash! With two hours to spare before the train we headed up to the Exotic Gardens to check out the view over Monaco! By the time we got up there we decided to pass on the gardens - settling on a photo of Danny next to a cardboard cutout of the gardens (we named it Jewish Exotic Garden) and a tasty beverage in the terrace cafe! Perfect end to the day!

Day 3 we picked up a hire car and headed east towards St Tropez and Cannes. St Tropez is 130km and a million traffic jams away from Nice. Who'd have though such a popular place would only have one road in and out. When we finally arrived in St Tropez we opted for a drink at a local beach bar to check out the scenery. The beach here is completely different to Nice - while it has golden sand the sea is darker in colour - strange considering were not that far away. Anyway we continued our journey to the port and were again greeted by huge super yachts - they seem like quite the staple in the Med. The port is very quaint and very Italian looking (and rammed full of tourists - explains the traffic jam). We wandered around the port past the local artists and ice cream stands and climbed the sea wall for a better view. From here we headed back towards Nice via Cannes. I must admit we were a little disappointed with Cannes - while the beach is sandy like St Tropez the city is dirty and has a tacky 60s vibe about it. Not as glitzy and glamourous as you'd imagine. Either way it was still nice to see and obviously still as popular as ever.

Day 4 we were back in the car for a trip into the hinterland. My grandparents came to the Cote D'Azur 51 years ago on their honeymoon and had fond memories of a quaint artsy medieval town called St Paul de Vence. While it wasn't located on out map - Vence and St Paul were (2 seperate medieval towns). We first headed to Vence which turned out not to be the town we were looking for but was so pretty that we explored it's walled town anyway. From here we headed to St Paul via Col de Vence a craggy peak 950m above sea level with breath-taking views to the ocean. We finally reached St Paul, a hilltop walled town that hurrah is also known as St Paul de Vence. According to my grandparents the town hadn't changed much in 50 years (only the style of art) - the same restaurant they dined in was even still there over looking the local vineyard! Amazing! This town is definately a must see!

Day 5 and we were down to 4 after Danny headed back to work in London. Now car and driverless we decided to take the train to Grasse - a town famous for it's perfumeries. On our arrival we headed to Fragonard, the most famous of all perfumeries in the area and took their free tour. It was fascinating to learn how scents are extracted and perfumes created. Apparently becoming "a nose" (scent creator) is quite difficult and there are only a few "noses" in the world today (most in Grasse). We of course couldn't leave empty handed and each purchased a memento before further exploring the city. After checking out the small streets, local church and view point it was soon time to head back to Nice and to get the grandparents off to Rome.

Day 6 - the day of rest, sun, sea and sand. With everone gone and a jam packed week behind us, Stu and I settled for some English magazines and a day lazing on the sun loungers of the Opera Plague beach club. We finally got to swim in the azur waters of the French Rivera!

Location:Nice, Cote D'Azur

Bellagio on Lake Como

After hours.....and hours on trains, on foot and even on a hydrofoil, we had left the hustle bustle, beggars and gypsies of Venice behind us and we had arrived in the lakeside village of Bellagio, located on the shores of Lake Como. The lake is shapes like a giant Y, and Bellagio sits on the peninsular that separates the two different “arms” of the lake, so the views from there in all directions are amazing!

After arriving pretty late in the afternoon on our first day, we checked into our hotel, checked out the amazing view from our window over the lake and up to the mountains, and then went for a bit of an explore around town, and sat down our hotels restaurant for what would be one of the best meals so far on our travels. It was funny because we were sitting at The Suisse Hotel, in Italy, eating French food, so I guess the EU is working!

There was something not quite right about this town, and we could not quite put our fingers on it! The following morning i had a revelation as to what it was about Bellagio that was a bit odd..... rangas..... everywhere.... daywalkers, nightwalkers, and even one unfortunate looking nightwalker that we saw down at the port who from the smell of him had wet himself..... not a pretty smell, and we never again saw him out in the daylight.

On the second day, we realised that if we were to get to Nice the following day we had to leave Bellagio on the 6am bus, catch a train from Como to Milan, and then another from Ventamiglia to Monaco, and then another into Nice, which was a full day of travelling, meaning we only had one day left to explore this amazing little villiage!

Team captain Natasha discovered a couple of walking tours, which guided us through the old streets of the town, and then over the peninsular through a few of the other communities which make up the area of Bellagio! The area is full of gigantic villas that for hundreds of years have been the holiday escapes for the rich and famous of Italy, at present, George Clooney, the guy that owns Guinness beer, and Richard Branson (among others) both have a villa located on the shores!

“Bellagio is a small community of about 26 communities, with 3000 residents, and one Australian – my wife” quoted our boat skipper as we took off from the shore to go and check out a few of the villages on the other side of the lake. He was a local who married an Australian woman and he was not short of jokes, some of them were nearly as funny as some of my jokes! When asked where he got the boat from, he convinced an American tourist that he got the boats from IKEA, much to our entertainment, however the Americans just didn’t get the joke, and must have now returned to America searching for IKEA the great boat builder! After a tour around the lake, we arrived at Villa Balbianello, which has been the set of many movies in its day, the most recent of which was the 007 movie, Casino Royale, in which this place plays host to Bond towards the end of the movie. This amazing Villa plays host to millions and millions of dollars worth of ancient art and was left to the Italian Heritage Trust by a wealthy explorer called Guido Monzano, who lived there until he died in the late 80’s. There is a room in the house which is set up as a memorial to his travels with gear he used to get to the summit of Everest, and the North Pole. He was also a bit of a freak, leaving many crazy demands to do with the maintenance of the property, including only cutting the entire garden using hand tools (to stop the noise of powertools), and also that twice a year the crushed white rock, which makes up all of the pathways and roads on the property, is to be raked up and washed so it remains white. These are probably a few of the reasons he died alone with millions of dollars and no wife or kids to leave the estate to!

On our return to the shores of Bellagio, we grabbed a quick French dinner...... at the Suisse Hotel.... in Italy, and called it a day, knowing we had to get up at 5 the next morning to make the 6am bus, and knowing the lack of organisation in the Italian public transport system, hoping that all of the busses and trains would line up and we would make it to Nice the following day!

Check out our Bellagio photos at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=445667&id=664955104&l=59ada72d9e or CLICK HERE