Ronda, Spain (07/08/2105)

I had been to Ronda before when I was younger, though I did not remember much of it. So when my aunt and friends proposed to go see this small town located in the north of the resort town we were staying at; Marbella. So once we reached the town of Ronda, about 1 hour drive, we parked the car right outside the city walls and continued on foot.  We passed under the Puerta de Almocabar, built during the Arab rule in the 12th century and later modified after the Spanish Reconquista during the reign of Charles V. The first thing we saw was the Iglesia del Espiritu Santo a nice looking church from the 15th century, that also had a bell tower which we climbed to the top; entrance ticket was only 1€, though I had expected it to be free. Next we reached the really pretty Plaza Duquesa de Parcent, with the Palace of the city hall and the really nice church of Santa Maria la Mayor. This church built in the 15th century, stands on top of a previously built Mosque dating from the 12th; traces of it can still be seen inside. Most of the interior however is in the Baroque style, especially around the main altar. Ticket entrance was 4,50€ for adults and 2€ for students. After the visit we walked on and reached the famous and beautiful Puente Nuevo, spanning the Guadalevin river at over a 100m from the bottom of the canyon, to connect both sides of the town. It is called New because it was built after, in the 18th century, the older bridge further up the river built by the Moors. After several photos we went further on and reached the splendid Plaza de Toros, one of the oldest in Spain and probably one of the most beautiful. I decided no to go in since it was one of the things I remembered well seeing the last time I came, and instead decided to look other things around town. So while the others were visiting, I walked to the Alameda del Tajo, a small park with a wonderful view over the canyon and surrounding landscape. From there I went back towards the city center, I passed by the Iglesia Nuestra Senora de la Merced which was unfortunately closed, and entered the Iglesia del Socorro which had a beautiful façade but a more modest interior. I then went back to the Plaza de Toros to pick up the others and head to have lunch. We stopped in a really small but quite good Tapas place and ate several different dishes. After lunch the other were feeling tired and I tried to convince them to visit other things and then head to Zahara de la Sierra a really nice village close by. However they weren't feeling like it so I was able to see only a few more things. Walking back towards the car, we passed by the Iglesia de Padre Jesus which was closed but a beautiful fountain right in fron of it. We then walked across the Puente Viejo, probably a roman bridge first and then later modified by the Arabs. Right below it we entered the Banos Arabes, or Arab Baths, that showed how nearly a thousand years ago, while in Northern Europe people still lived in huts and filth, over here there were public baths available to anyone! Furthermore though not too big, the arches and rooms were very interesting architecturally showing how the Arabs had learnt directly from the Romans. Walking back up into town we passed under the Arco de Felipe V and then further on we saw the beautiful Alminar de San Sebastian which used to be the Minaret of a mosque. We eventually reached the car to go back home in Marbella. I was unfortunately unable to see all the sights I wished to see however this mean I shall come back to this wonderful town again.

The Puerta de Almocabar

View over the walls and town

Panoramic view of the Puente Nuevo with the canyone and the surrounding landscape

View over the canyon towards the Puente Viejo

The Puente Nuevo

One of the streets in Ronda

View of the walls

The Arab Baths

The Minaret of S Sebastian

Gavi (02/08/2015)

This day I decided to do a quick day trip to a small town called Gavi. I was staying at my relatives house in Alessandria, Piedmont for a few days before leaving for Spain, so I decided to do a quick day trip to this place located in the southern part of the province on the border with Liguria.
This small town, is mostly known for its impressive Fort; I saw that this day it was going to be open and had a free entrance for the first sunday of the month open museums. So we traveled about 45 minutes and reached the small town, we then drove up the winding and tight road leading to the fort.
A medieval castle was first built here in the 10th century being this area an important way from the Ligurian sea towards Piedmont and the north. However between the 16th and 17th centuries, being it in an extremely important location, the Genovese Republic decided to enlarge and fortify the fortress. It served its purpose as a defensive fortress until 1859 when it became a prison. In fact during WWII it was used as a prison camp for american and british officers. Once inside we formed a group and a guide accompanied us throughout most part of the fort to tell us its history. We noticed the different kinds of cells, ranging from those of the medieval times, tight, dark and humid to the more humane ones of the 17th centuries and those of WWII where the officers were even granted private showers with hot water and their own personal space. We walked around where we were shown the different areas of the structure, including the outer walls where the gunpowder storeroom was located in order for it to not destroy the whole fort in case it was hit. Unfortunately not all the structure was open for visiting since most of it is still under restoration, so we finished the visit and headed back to the car. We then drove back down into town and parked so we could walk around the town center for a bit. We passed by the church of San Giacomo Maggiore built in a Romanesque style but unfortunately closed, then along the main street with several interesting palaces from different periods and styles. Finally a quick look at the medieval tower-gate and then a stop for ice cream before heading back home.

View of the Fort

Inside the Fort with the prison cells

View of the Fort from the walls

View of the town from the Fort

The southern entrance

One of the streets of the town

The tower-gate

Trip around eastern Veneto (15/07/2015)

I left Jesolo, the beach town where I have a summer house, around 9;40 with my car and reached my first stop, the archaeological site of Altino about 20-25 minutes later. Once a flourishing and important roman city, it was sacked and destroyed by the invading barbarians and then slowly abandoned for a more safer area in the middle of the lagoon which turned into what is now Venice. So after parking the car I went to the museum's entrance but found a note saying to head on 300m where the new museum had been built. So I took some pictures of the roman tombs sitting outside in the old museum's courtyard and drove on to the new location. The new building in fact looked very new and large, once inside I asked the lady for a student discount, and she told me that since the museum was not fully complete yet the fee was 1,50€. I must say though that even if not complete yet, it is not a really nice museum, some displays were empty and the descriptions in general were a bit too long an boring. There were some nice artifacts on display but in general not so interesting. Hopefully in the near future they will finish the displays and present it in a more interesting manner so as to attract more tourists. So after the visit I got back in the car and headed for my next stop: Roncade. The main future of this little town is an impressive 15th century villa surrounded by a massive wall with towers, and behind it vineyards since it now works as a wine producing estate. Once inside I saw there was a possibility to have a tour of the place (for 10€) but I had to wait till the next one which was at 3:30pm so I decided to just see the garden and the outside by myself. After taking a few pics I was back in the car and heading for the next stop: Oderzo. This little town used to be a major roman city which once reached 50.000 inhabitants, however after the barbarian invasions it never recovered. Only during the middle ages and then under the Venetian Republic did it gain again a relative importance, though now it barely reaches 20.000 inhabitants. Once I reached the town, I parked my car right outside the city center and started walking around; unfortunately there was a market set along the streets so all the palaces were covered. I saw though that some were beginning to pack up so I decided to look for a place to eat while I waited. I found a nice restaurant just behind the Duomo, where I ate some really good strozzapreti (type of pasta) with 4 cheeses. After lunch I was happy to see the market was gone and so I was able to take some nice photos of the wonderful palaces of the old town. I then headed to the tourist office where I was given a map that detailed the many roman remains that dotted the town all over, I walked along the streets seeing mosaics, remains of villas and the remains of the roman forum. I then headed for the town's main square: Piazza Grande, with the nice romanesque-gothic Duomo, the Torresin or clock tower and several palaces. From there I walked back towards the car and stopped at the city's archaeological museum, which was quite small but had some 2 or 3 beautiful roman mosaics and some roman tombs and inscriptions. The video which showed the virtual reconstruction of the forum and a roman villa was very nicely done. Entrance fee to the museum was 3€. Heading on the next destination I decided to stop right before Portogruaro to check out the Abbey of Summaga, a nice Romanesque church built in the 13th century with frescoes of the same period detailing Mary and the Apostles. Since I was the only one there I was free to walk around without anyone bothering me. From there I got back in the car and entered the town of Portogruaro. I parked right outside the old city center and started the visit with a church right next to the parking lot, the Church of St Agnes. Then passig through the southern medieval gate I reached the old part of the town. A road heading north was lined on both sides with beautiful palaces, venetian styled and mostly gothic. I then walked on and entered the Museo Nazionale Concordiese, an archaeological museum depicting the roman findings of the nearby city of Concordia Sagittaria. It is thought to be the oldest museum in the Veneto region and one of the oldest in Italy. Ticket cost was 1,5€ with student discount. I thought the museum was quite small and a bit too full of objects, in fact most of the objects are cramped in the main room and are set up all around, like they did in older museums during the 1800s. Thus one can be distracted by all the things and cannot concentrate on one single piece at a time. Also the descriptions are a bit too small and not easy to read. Heading out of the museum I reached the tiny park located on the shore of the Lemene river, where there is a beautiful view of the back of the cathedral and a small square behind the city hall. There are also two really old watermills, perfectly preserved dating from the 12th century. I then crossed a bridge and reached the eastern part of the town, where the northern medieval gate was located. I then headed south along another road, parallel to the river like the one i previously walked on the other side, also filled with splendid palaces. I reached the Cathedral and went inside; rebuilt in the late 18th century and beginning of the 19th in a neoclassical style it doesn't feature anything important and the façade is incomplete; the bell tower is the only remaining part from the previous church. Close to the church is the city's main square: Piazza della Repubblica, with the wonderful gothic civic hall dating from the 13th century at its center. Behind it a small square overlooking the river with the old medieval fish market also in the gothic style. I then walked further on, passing through another medieval gate, and saw one last church before getting in the car: the church of St John. I reached the small town of Concordia Sagittaria, another once important roman town in the area. Once there I parked the car and entered the Cathedral, dating from the 15th century it is built over a few other Cathedrals that existed before, the most notable of which and also the first built in 350 A.D. Inside were a few remaining frescoes from the medieval times; I then headed out and entered the amazing Baptistery, built in the 11th century in a byzantine style and featuring frescoes detailing stories from the Bible and saints. It was then time to go so I got back in the car and back towards Jesolo, happy of having spent a day off from the beach.

The Castle of Roncade

Walls of the Castle of Roncade

Roman mosaic in Oderzo

View of the Duomo and square in Oderzo

One of the streets in Oderzo

Roman mosaic in the archaeological museum of Oderzo

Frescoes in the Abbey of Summaga

Inside of the Abbey of Summaga

View of the Abbey of Summaga

Southern entrance to Portogruaro

Inside of the museum in Portogruaro

View of the watermills, old fish market and Duomo in Portogruaro

Street in Portogruaro

View of the old mills

The main square and civic hall of Portogruaro

The Lemene river

Another street in Portogruaro

Cathedral of Concordia Sagittaria

Baptistery of Concordia Sagittaria

Frescoes inside the Baptistery

Evora, Sesimbra (15-18/06/2015)

I left Coimbra with my friend Flaviano at around 9:30 with the Redexpressos bus and arrived in Evora at 13:45. First thing we did was head to the Jardim Publico, or public park, not too far from the bus station, to have lunch with the sandwiches we made at home. The park was pretty nice and there were peacocks going around trying to get the few crumbs they could find. We walked through the park and reached the Palacio de Dom Manuel, or Royal Palace, built first as a convent in the 13th century and then transformed into a royal residence in the 14th century. The Palace was unfortunately closed so we then headed south right outside town to see the Igreja de São Bras which had a strange but interesting looking architecture. We then walked back into the city and headed for the next stop which was the Igreja de São Francisco, which was closed for restoration but the Capela dos Ossos, or Chapel of Bones, was still open. The entrance was 1,50€ for students plus a 1€ fee for taking pictures, which I could have saved myself from paying since there were so many people taking pictures, and they probably wouldn't have noticed me. The chapel was the resting ground of many monks and the walls, ceiling and columns were all covered in skulls and bones, very interesting but maybe too touristy. We then headed towards the Igreja da Graça, that wasn't far away, pasing through the pretty winding streets of the city. The church itself though was quite small and not much decorated inside. Next was the Largo das Portas da Moura, a small but pretty square with a lovely renaissance fountain at its center. After that we headed for the Cathedral which sits in the middle of the town. It is a very nice example of romanesque-gothic, and also one of the prettiest cathedrals in Portugal, first built in the 13th century and then enlarged in the 14th. The entrance fee for students was 3€ and included the visit to the church, the cloister and the tower/terrace. We went up to the terrace first, which had a wonderful view over the city and the surrounding countryside. After taking a few pics we met a group of old people that came from Italy and specifically close to where we are from: Vittorio Veneto. After a brief conversation with them, we went back down and into the cloister and then inside the church itself. Exiting the church we headed to the Largo Conde de Vila Flor, which had the beautiful Roman Temple at its center. The temple dedicated to Diana, was built in the 1st century A.D. The temple still survives quite intact because during the medieval times it was used as a tower first and then butcher shop. We then sat down and drank an ice-tea at the café on the square, and after that walked down towards the University which is housed in the Colegio Espirito Santo. Once a monastery, it still keeps a nice looking main closter at its center. Walking along the northern walls, we re-entered the city center; we reached the main square Praça do Giraldo, a very beautiful setting with a church at its western end and an interesting fountain at its center. What really caught my eye though were the porticoes or galleries all along the sides of the streets and square, usually very common in Italy, but which I had never seen in Portugal before. We then headed on to find a hostel, and not far from the main square we came across Old Evora. The owner, a Brazilian, was very friendly and told us we could pay the 12€ later. So we decided to finish visiting the city by seeing the southern walls and the aqueduct which cut trough half of the city. After the walk we stopped at a grocery store we we bought pasta and a sauce to cook back at the hostel. So we had dinner while an old couple from Australia talked with us for a while and later we met a weird 30 year old woman from Spain at the hostel that was just bragging how she enjoyed the Sant Antonio party in Lisbon, while Evora looked too desolate for her and wasn't so nice and quite average, though I didn't really agree with her. We then headed out for a walk and a drink, however it was quite windy and chilly, so after the drink we headed back to the hostel to sleep. To then catch the 9:07 train we woke up and had a quick breakfast; with 9,90€ we reached Lisbon at around 10:30 and then headed for the Praça de Espanha where we took the 11:15 bus towards the beach town of Sesimbra. After about 50 minutes of bus ride, we reached this beach resort and decided to shop at Mini Preço for lunch. We had a few sandwiches at the beach right in front of the town center and bought some fruit to bring to the beach we were heading to. We started walking west along the coast, walked past the Marina and reached the camping site Forte do Cavalo: they did not have any tents to rent and the price was about 5€ each just for staying inside and on a rough ground which looked very uncomfortable. So we decided not to stay and headed on towards the beach, the way was not easy: we had to walk up a steep hill and then down a narrow path through bushes and rocks, but eventually paradise was in sight. From up the hill the water looked so beautiful and transparent, and once it down it looked even better. We set ourselves down next to a group of half naked girls, and apart from a small family a couple of old people and a few youngsters there was no one else.  It was the most beautiful beach I had ever seen in Portugal. We had a few swims and I also jumped off some tall rocks, then after nearly everyone left we took several funny pics and did some workouts on the sand. Since it was a bit windy there, we decided not to sleep on the beach but instead headed back to the city center. We then decided to have a nice dinner since we were't paying for sleep. So we chose a well reviewed restaurant called O Rodinhas, where I ordered a bitoque, a steak with eggs and fries, very portuguese, while Flaviano got fried cuttlefish. The bitoque was quite average but I guess I made a wrong choice since the cuttlefish tasted good as Sesimbra lies on the sea. After dinner it was time to find a place to sleep; we searched along the beach and found a small shack which probably served as a beach bar during the day, so we set up the sleeping bags and not long after fell asleep. We woke up early the next day, at 7:30 and went on to find a bar to have breakfast. After finding a nice and one of the only already open pastelaria, we had a plentiful breakfast and an italian woman, hearing us speak, asked if we knew where the Praia da Ribeira do Cavalo was. I told her the way and that it quite hard and far to reach. After breakfast we headed for the city beach and stayed there until lunch time, the sun was strong, the water was clear and refreshing and sometimes a guy selling Krapfen would pass by yelling "Olha a booola". For lunch we grabbed some fruit from Mini Preço, but first we ate a cheap but nice tasting hamburger at a bar right off the beach. Then back on the sand until late afternoon when we had a walk along the beach and decided to take a shower before dinner, however it wasn't permitted to use soap and shampoo but we did either way with a guys telling on us, while we faked we couldn't understand portuguese. After a short workout we decided to look for another nice place to eat, we looked on the internet but weren't so sure. Eventually we decided for Casa Mateus, it was quite fancy inside and we were definitely under-dressed with shorts and t-shirt; despite that we ordered a very nice fish each and a fish soup as an appetizer, with a really good white sangria as a drink. We ended up paying about 25€ each, with just the sangria costing 18€ total, but all was good and tasty so we were satisfied. We went back to the place we had stayed at the night before, and found they had covered the sand floor with marble slabs which were too hard and uncomfortable so we removed them, though they were very heavy, and then laid our sleeping bags on the ground. We then brushed our teeth at the beach shower before going to sleep. Waking up the next morning quite late: between 8 and 8:30, we headed back to the pastelaria of the day before where we had another plentiful breakfast. We then headed back to the beach and sun bathed until lunch when we ate a few sandwiches from the supermarket. Then after a little more beach time and one last swim, we left from Lisbon at around 3 and once there we got the bus back to Coimbra at 4 which eventually got us home at 6. Definitely one of the best trips so far.

The bones in the Capela dos Ossos

One of the streets in Evora

The Largo das Portas da Moura

The top of the Cathedral

View from the top of the Cathedral

The Roman temple

View of the square with the Roman temple

The cloister of the University

Evora's main square, the Praça do Giraldo

The city beach in Sesimbra

View of the Marina and the town of Sesimbra

The Ribeira do Cavalo beach

Another view of the turquoise waters

A view at sea level

The small beach shack we used as a sleeping place

The fort of on the town's main beach