Our road trip to Armenia continues. From Provence to the Côte d'Azur, on to Italy; sleeping in a tiny mountain hut, fleeting visit to Verona and so to Venice city of dreams. From Italy to Ljubliana and Zagreb, our first taste of The Balkans.

Zagreb, Croatia,  Sunday, 30th April, 2023

On a gondola in Venice, a dream come true

Good morning my friends from Zagreb.

We are now into day 10 of our road trip to Armenia.  The Mini made it to Zagbreb, over 2000 km from Madrid. Just another 4000 km to Armenia. I keep wondering if we really will get there. But, so far, so good. We are in the capital of Croatia at the moment after having traveled all the way from Madrid, so many kilometres  and so many more to go too. We are tired, of course, but enjoying each moment. It really is the trip of our life.

It was only a week ago today that we left our lovely Airbnb, the best so far, in Barbantane, near Avignon, run by Mireille and Jean Louis. They were also the best hosts, so far. Here are some photos of our last moments there after a splendid breakfast served to us in their dining room including a fresh French baguette which, for me, if it is good, is unbeatable. 

Our Airbnb home stay in Barbentane. See our little car, the Mini, behaving so well, so far. 

After our stay in Provence, last Sunday our destination  was to Biot on the Côte d'Azur but first we wanted to visit a pretty little village, Villeneuve-lès -Avignon, which we didn't have time to see the day before because of our horrible excursion to a giant Auchan hypermarket to replenish items left behind in a bag on the street in Blanes (damn). I had read it was as beautiful as Avignon. It is, I think, and, as most French villages, is beautifully kept. It also lies on the imposing Rhône River and has a Fort at the top of the hill, The Fort St. André, but we didn't have time to visit it. We did see though the Philippe-le-Bel Tower, another local landmark. I wondered why it was "bel" and not "beau" and my French speaking friends told me that is the old fashioned word for "handsome"; another little French lesson of which I had many during our time in beautiful France. The tower is where the famous St. Bénézet Bridge in Avignon should end but it is broken off now. Otherwise you could walk across the river to the bigger city. We contented ourselves just walking around the pretty streets taking in a Sunday morning in a small French village. It was a pity we had had breakfast as there were many tempting places to have a café au lait with a croissant which I adore. Here are a couple of photos for you to get an idea of what a pretty place it is. 

Enjoying Villeneuve-lés-Avignon

Another lesson was about the word "l'atelier". I know it means workshop but it is used for literally any kind of business you can imagine in French. That puzzled me but now I know. 

From Villeneuve to Biot, near Antibes, we had a 247km drive on very expensive motorways. The prices are scandalous but there is not much option. If we had chosen to drive on normal roads it would have taken 4 hours instead of 2.5. Biot is famous for its relationship with the Templar Knights (Crusades and Freemasonry). It's very pretty too. We  were staying just outside on a long street with many expensive looking houses. The Côte d'Azur is quite a luxurious area. The house we had chosen was this, run by Martine and her daughter Jade. They gave us a warm welcome. 

Our shared Airbnb near Biot

It's a very beautiful property and the pool was open so wow I thought until I looked closer and saw dust everywhere. The kitchen area was not good and the fridge looked like it hadn't been cleaned for a long time. I didn't like to say anything but I could have given Martine a lesson on upping her standards. I should have left her a bad review but I didn't as the place was perfect otherwise and our hosts so kind.

We settled in, had a bite for lunch, rested for an hour - me by the pool - and then drove the short 2km drive to the village of Biot. And, oh, I fell in love with it - the pretty stone streets with all the flowers, the Places des Arcades and beautiful houses. I noticed signs everywhere in French but in another language too. It was "langue d'oc" of course which is spoken in the region and looks like Catalan - very similar. What a place, no wonder it is well known and popular. It's just 5km from the beach and there are sea views everywhere. I took tons of photos - here are just 3 to share with you if you don't know Biot. What a beautiful location I had chosen. Maybe in another life we shall come and stay in the area to explore it better. I already knew Cannes and Nice so we skipped them and Biot is a much nicer place to stay if you are driving a car. 

Beautiful Biot

After we had had our fill of Biot, we decided to drive to nearby Valbonne, recommended to us by our hostess. I think we should have chosen Grasse - probably prettier - but you can't see everything. Valbonne also has a Place des Arcades (Arch Square) and that's where we headed. 

Valbonne

We sat on one of the terraces just to enjoy the place and rest a bit. We are not drinkers really so when I don't know what to order in the afternoon and it can't be tea or coffee because of the caffeine, I choose mint tea. For words I didn't know in French during our time in France, I used Google and gosh my vocab increased beautifully during those 3 days there. I left Eladio to buy some salad ingredients and suddenly realised I didn't know how to say lettuce in French. I knew tomato and avocado but not lettuce, funnily enough.  I didn't know it simply because I have never bought lettuce in France. My father who was an amazing linguist always said that when you learn vocab you have to use it to remember it. The word is "latuie", one I will now remember because I used it. 

Thus it was salad for dinner with some of our excellent Spanish ham of which we have brought packets and packets for our meals on route. We made our meal while our hostesses watched the Simpsons on TV in their huge lounge! Then it was early to bed after spending some  time uploading photos, responding to emails, etc. I got a better night's sleep in Biot.

Monday dawned and before heading for Italy, we were to visit Antibes and also see a friend, Andy, our ex Airbnb guest who is actually Scottish. He lived with us for more than a year and a half and we became good friends. 

Apart from seeing Andy, I really wanted to visit Antibes which conjures up the magic of the Côte d'Azur, it really does. I have been to Cannes and Nice on many occasion but never Antibes. I first came across the place when I read a short story  by Somerset Maugham many years ago. Called "Three fat women of Antibes" - it's a great story and quite funny. But of course it is also famous because Picasso lived there. One place that sprung to mind during our time on the French Riviera, the most luxurious and richest part of France, was Cap d'Antibes and I wanted to see it. I did that day, but at a distance.

We left our Airbnb in Biot - lovely place, lovely people, but frankly a bit dirty, early at around 9 am and drove the 10km or less to Antibes. We parked next to the old town as instructed by Andy. Couldn't believe we paid 23 euros for 2 or 3 hours - told you it was expensive. As we walked out of the car park this was the view we were greeted with - the port and the snow capped Alps in the background and Italy of course. What a view. 

The port and the snow capped mountains of the Alps in the background

We weren't meeting Andy until 11, so we had plenty of time to walk around the town and it's quite big. We walked first to the Plaçe Nationale where we had agreed to meet our friend and to get our bearings. The town was just waking up and the shops were opening. Here is Eladio in the square. 

Eladio in the Plaçe Nationale on Monday morning in Antibes.

The shops looked so enticing but I couldn't be buying stuff in France. I prefer to wait till Turkey and the Caucasus. Every town in France has a street called Rue de la Republique or Charles de Gaulle - the French are a  nation that is very proud of its history and traditions. We walked along the latter, just to get a feel of the place and it is a beautiful town. I did look in the shops though as I needed a coffee maker - mine got lost when Eladio left our bag with picnic stuff on the street in Blanes (hahaha) and I found it at Monoprix. I first came across this well known French chain of department stores when I went to Paris on a school trip aged 14. Ah ha, I said,  I might find a new French press there and, bingo, I did. Now I  could be sure of being able to make coffee every morning on our trip. Once inside Monoprix we also went into the food department for more provisions to last us a few days. Eladio went for the smoked mackerel and I made a bee line for prawns and "rilette de porc", a sort of fatty meat spread - not paté or foie, but oh so delicious. I first discovered it at my cousin Zuka's place in France. Love it. Here is Eladio outside Monoprix. He is holding their supermarket bag which I shall use with pleasure in Spain - much nicer than using Mercadona bags hahahaha. 

Eladio coming out of Monoprix in Antibes where I found my French cafetiere and we bought some lovely food provisions. 

We then walked slowly back to the Place National stopping at a wonderful boulangerie to get a sandwich for me and a piece of quiche for Eladio for that day's lunch on our way to Genova in Italy. When you see a queue outside a French baker shop, you know the produce is of the highest quality. While there, I couldn't resist buying a small fruit tart and strawberry mousse. 

We met Andy at Le Vieil Antibes coffee, arriving before him so as to find a table. The waitress had a very thick south of France accent but she was easy to understand. My mother was sent to school in Cannes at the age of 6, sent there from Bulgaria for 4 years. She, of course, learned French quickly but always told me, she acquired the local accent which when she only got rid of in later years. Oh, but my mother spoke perfect French, loving what they call "argot" (slang). She also  loved engaging with French lorry drivers using argot who she understood perfectly. So I thought of her when I spoke to the local waitress, a lady in her 60's at least and with a smile on her face. 

Andy who lives in the centre, was soon with us. It had been 3 years since he left us just before Covid lockdown  when he quickly left his job as a coach at Banco Santander and drove all the way back home from Madrid to escape it. His room has been called "Andy's room" forever since. What a wonderful man he is. He is Scottish and, like me, also worked for Motorola. It was on a sabbatical from their Danish branch that he came to Antibes. He must have fallen in love with it as he is still there, apart from the short time in Spain with us. In his time with us he became a friend, almost a family member, so our reunion with Andy was very special. It was great to meet a friend on our journey. We shall be meeting more - some of them ex Airbnb guests, like Andy, who have become friends. We got someone to take a few photos to remember the reunion, like this one below. 

A photo of our reunion with Andy

We spent an hour at least in that lovely square catching up on our lives since Covid. There was so much to say and to ask. Before we left, Andy showed us part of Antibes which maybe we wouldn't have seen without him. We saw the Cathedral with its history of the Templar Knights as well as the castle. Andy

explained that the name of the town, Antibes, comes from the Greek, meaning "the town on the other side" but which side, Nice or Cannes? No one knows. We also saw the Picasso museum housed in the castle where the painter lived. Unfortunately, being a Monday it was closed. 

The Picasso Museum.

Close by is the sea from where you can see what I wanted to see, "Cap d'Antibes". Oh, wow, a place, what a view. Andy took some photos and this is my favourite. 

In Antibes with Cap d'Antibes behind us - where the rich live

From there, Andy walked us down to the car park passing the town beach he and his family bathe at. We were soon down by the port with the wonderful views of the Alps and our time in Antibes came to an end - short but very sweet. We said goodbye to our friend and off we went again. 

Our next destination was Genova or rather the Genova region which we would get to on the motorway - it cost 20 euros or more I think - awfully expensive too in Italy. We filled up on petrol at 2 euros a litre at a small stopping place called "Bellesoleil" (pretty sun). It was frankly amazing as it is right on a rock on the coast overlooking Monaco. Just look. 

View of Monaco from a petrol station on our way to Genova from Antibes

There was a wonderful picnic area and we decided to eat our lunch there as we knew we would never find anything nicer. I told one of the staff it was the most beautiful service station in France - a nice young man who helped us out with pre paying filling our tank - so different to what we are used to. Soon we were on our way again, a 200km drive or so which would take us longer than we thought. Soon, too we were in Italy. The roads changed - they are better in France- and oh my God how fast the Italians drive. The road was dangerous, lots of bends, endless tunnels and lots of lorries. Eladio is a great driver but was feeling sleepy so I had to take the wheel and it felt like being in a rally. I had never concentrated on my driving as much as that day.

But it didn't end there. Our Airbnb was supposedly near Genova - about 20km - but it took us ages as the location was high up in the mountains in an area called Capanne di Marcarolo (National Park) in Piadmont. That name took me back to history lessons at St. Joseph's College when Miss Scorer taught us about the Unification of Italy, hahahaha. The drive was pretty frightening but I made it until suddenly a huge tractor type vehicle was coming towards us and we both had to stop as the road was so narrow. That's when let Eladio take over. It seemed an age until our Sat nav told us we were at our destination. Except, that we weren't. We were a bit lost and had to call the owner but coverage was patchy. Finally we found it, a tiny little mountain cabin which seemed like something out of Heidi. This was our place. And this was what it looks like:  

Our tiny Airbnb mountain cabin in Capanne di Martorolo

Emanuela, the owner who has a large house on a farm, greeted us and showed us inside. That's when I saw the bunk beds. I don't think I have slept in one since I was a child. This was the "hut" inside. Tiny didn't begin to describe it. OMG.  

Our tiny and very compact Airbnb accommodation in Capane di Martorolo

I didn't say a word as I went inside. I honestly wondered how we would sleep there. But I had to lump it as there was nowhere else to go. But it sort of grew on me - was this a crazy thing to do, an adventure, a romantic night in the mountains, I just didn't know. Eladio, meanwhile kept taking pictures. The surroundings were beautiful and you know what, after a while, the place just grew on me.  Here I am sitting in our little garden which is bigger than the cabin. Even our Mini seemed big beside it. 

The cabin garden

We settled in the best we could but of course our suitcases wouldn't fit so we took out what we needed and left them in the car. I then went back probably 10 times to get things, haha. It was sunny and too early for dinner so went on a delicious walk to what we thought was a lake. The sign post said 750m but it was wrong. It would have been a 2 hour walk so after a while we turned our heels and came back to our unique accommodation. I don't think we will ever forget our stay there.

We managed to make a delicious dinner which we ate at the tiny table on tiny chairs but enjoyed every morsel - especially the grillette. I made fried eggs for Eladio!

There was not much else to do afterwards then get ready for bed and I, at least needed to catch up on my sleep.  I had to have a photo of Eladio on the top bunk bed to show you. This is him in our tiny, tiny, mountain hut. What an adventure. 

Eladio settling down to sleep in his bunk bed in the tiny mountain cabin

The bunk beds were surprisingly comfortable and the cabin was warm. I was awake at 3 and 5 am but managed to sleep again until 6.

It was Tuesday 25th April, day 5 of our road trip so we had to leave early. This is a photo I took where you can see my suitcase outside the house and the family cat!

Last picture of our tiny mountain cabin - notice the cat and my suitcase 

Our next destination was Dogoletto near Venice which was about 245 km. So off we set down that terribly windy and narrow road which took us to the motorway. Eladio drove and we both commented just how fast the Italians drive on their motorways (autostradi). But often there are 3 lanes which makes competition for overtaking lorries easier, hahahaha. The tolls are probably even more expensive than in France and even the petrol is at 2 euros per litre. In France they have  a complicated system of pre paying for petrol where you have to choose how much to fill up with. It has stumped us a bit and we needed help. So, when we drove into a petrol station on our way to Venice that day, I was delighted to see a real person waiting for us, a person who would fill our tank personally and then charge us there and then with the card. How civilized I thought and so much easier. 

We decided to stop off in Verona which was on our way. I mean we couldn't not stop to see a little bit of the City of Love made famous by Shakespeare. He was inspired by an Italian novel of some kind to write Romeo and Juliet and Verona is supposedly where Juliet's house is and people queue to see the balcony. Apparently it was added in the 19th century for tourists (boo hoo). I was interested in Shakespeare's obsession with  Italy where 13 of his 38 plays are set - that's a lot, 3 of which are set in Verona. No one knows if he ever went there but maybe he did. There are many reasons he set his plays in Italy - it was in fashion, its people passionate - so good for drama - but also because if in his plays he wanted to criticise English politics which he did, setting them in Italy would distract any criticism towards his politics, or something like that. I read this here 

Verona has other places of more historical significance, mainly the Arena, the Roman amphitheatre where operas are held, but this was a flying visit so we only saw it from the outside. 

Eladio outside the Arena in Verona

We were lucky to find a free parking space in the street but had to walk quite a way to the centre as cars are not allowed - no wonder as there are far too many people. Tourism in Italy is a bit much and I was put off by the huge queue to get into Casa di Guiletta. We should have bought the tickets online to get in but something didn't work and you can't buy them physically. Thankfully though the visit to the patio and balcony is free. But we waited more than half an hour. This is it with Eladio in front. 

Juliet's supposed balcony

In the same courtyard/patio there is a statue of her which I think doesn't look at all as how I imagine her. I loved Franco Zeffirelli's Rome and Juliet film which I saw many times and bought the "LP" of the soundtrack. So, that's how I imagined Juliet played by a very young Olivia Hussey, not by the statue in Verona. In any case, we had to have a photo with it for which there was another queue.

By Juliet's statue, not really like I imagine her

There is a place for people to leave heart shaped padlocks - see below - a bit much I thought and wonder what they did with all the old ones. I didn't get one but I did get  a big coffee thermos and key ring - a bit tacky I know but I love drinking coffee from it. 

All the heart shaped padlocks people leave in the patio at Juliet's house

As we left, it began to rain and we were hungry so rushed into the first place we saw to get a pizza. I mean you can't visit Italy without eating pizza can you? It's nothing like what we get outside Italy. This was ours and I have to say the dough was out of this world, thin, soft and crispy all at the same time. We had it with some lovely local wine. I asked for Prosecco which comes from the Veneto region but they didn't have it (boohoo). 

Our pizza in Verona

We got lost leaving Verona with so many roads and motorways which looked like a spaghetti junction, hahaha but soon we were on the A4 that goes from Milan to Venice. It was about 1.20h to Dogaletto and after a while I took the wheel as Eladio was feeling sleepy. It didn't take long to find our next Airbnb, a much larger accommodation than the tiny mountain hut hahaha. This is the house we stayed at. Our room is the one on the second floor with a huge balcony. Michelle, the young owner, greeted us and welcomed us in. It was a nice big house, not my style inside but everything was clean. The best part was our huge room with an enormous bed with a memory foam mattress, not to mention our own bathroom. When looking for accommodation I have 4 requisites; private bathroom, use of kitchen, wifi and somewhere to park. This was it - notice the recycling bins - very strict in Italy. Spain is way behind when it comes to recycling, I'm afraid. 

Our house with a space for our car in Dogaletto near Venice. Perfect accommodation 

Recycling bins at Michelle's house.

It's so complicated, he has a general bin in the kitchen and then separates waste himself, bless him or otherwise I would have got it wrong, hahahaha.

Eladio asked what the programme was for the evening and I told him, leisure time, that we were not going anywhere. We had to recharge our batteries for 3 nights and 2 days visiting Venice. One of the things I did though was to book our accommodation in Ljubliana and Zagreb, our next destinations after Venice. 

We slept like babies on the wonderful memory foam mattress. I woke up at 6 am on Wednesday morning but had gone to bed early, so was feeling refreshed. Wednesday was the day we were going to see Venice for the first time; one of the most important visits of this road trip. I have travelled all over the world but never to Venice so this was a dream come true. Our place was 17km from the city which you cannot drive to so we drove to the nearest bus stop and took the bus to the city. It left us at Piazzela di Roma. The first thing we saw was a canal except that we were told later it was a river, New River. Not all the canals are canals apparently. Venice is an archipelago on the Adriatic Sea,  each island reached by a bridge over a canal or river or by boat of some kind  - a real maze. 

Venice, the pearl of the Adriatic and one of the most unique cities and most beautiful, in the world, has many names:  La Dominante, Serenissima, Queen of the Adriatic, City of Water, City of Masks, City of Bridges, the Floating City and City of Canals. I would call it also a City of Dreams. It is totally spell binding as I would come to realise when I explored just a small part of it. 

Everyone who gets off the bus heads, like we would, to Piazza di San Marco which is a 2.4km walk. But before that we spotted our first gondola and just had to get on it. I realised later we should have done so on the Grand Canal for better views, but never mind. Rafaele, was our "captain" and we were his "passageiri"hahha. I know some Italian from having done a course about 40 odd years ago. It was after studying Spanish and Portuguese and I remember getting a bit mixed up but I did learn the basics, especially the pronunciation and it was fun trying to speak the lingo while in the country. 

And this is Rafaele

Rafaele, our gondolere

Gondolas only exist in Venice and were first used in the 11th century and are unique to the city. Today there are some 500 in use. The ride was just 30 minutes and we saw many churches of which there are over 130, as well as water taxis and all sorts of boats. I was interested to see boats offloading goods for bars and restaurants, even dustbin boats or ambulances. The ride on the gondola was the highlight of our day in Venice on Wednesday. We couldn't have gone on a better day as the weather was perfect, sunshine and about 18ºc. Here is a short video of part of our ride. 

Saying goodbye to Rafaele who has been sailing on the canals for 30 years, we got off and made our way to the Piazza di San Marco. Thankfully there are signs everywhere and where there weren't we used Google Maps. The signs are mostly to the square but also the Rialto (high river) where one of the most famous bridges is. Here is Eladio showing me the sign posts.

Sign posts to St. Mark's Square

It's quite a walk but an interesting one as you walk over canals and past beautiful churches and buildings. And, finally, we found the heart of the city where the Basilica or Cathedral is. There too is the Palazzo Ducal and the Bell tower (the tallest building in the city) and the beautiful clock tower. This, my friends, is the Basilica - a mixture of Byzantine, Romanesque and Gothic architecture. I've never seen such a beautiful cathedral in my life and neither has Eladio who knows a lot about cathedrals having studied theology and been a priest. 

The Basilica at St. Mark's Square is magnifent

As to the square it is unique and huge, difficult to take in. Often in these past few months when we were having our morning coffee in Boadilla, I would say to Eladio, close you eyes and imagine having a coffee in St. Mark's Square which is what we did on Wednesday. We chose the most famous bar, Lavena where the waiters come from times gone past as does the bar itself. There was a live band playing wonderful music. I took a video of this most  unique moment for us which you can see here. This was after ordering a capuccino at 16 euros a cup, but I thought it was worth it. A fellow tourist took this photo of the two of us which rivals with the feature photo of us on the gondola.

Coffee in St. Mark's Square

I took loads of photos but this one with the friendly waiter is my favourite. 

Eladio and the waiter

We could have sat there all day but we had to see more. By then Venice was teeming with tourists but what can you do? The whole of Italy is like that; just overpopulated with tourists. If it is like this in April I wonder what it is like in July or August; impossible. 

Before trying to go into the Basilica, we walked to the Grand Canal just off the square. Here is a snapshot of that part of St. Mark's Square. 

St.Mark's Square, or part of it. 

And there it was, the Grand Canal which looks like open sea. And there were all the gondoleres waiting for tourists. 

By the Gran Canal

Just off the Grand Canal you come to another of the most famous sights in Venice, the Bridge of Sighs. Someone offered to take our picture for which I adjusted my sun glasses and they fell into the canal - ouch. It is called the Bridge of Sighs for two reasons: One is that if a couple kiss while passing under the bridge they will enjoy eternal love- The other is people sigh in despair as they see the Grand Canal for the last time. 

The famous Bridge of Sighs

The Grand Canal

When we had had our fill, we walked back to St. Mark's Square to try to visit the Basilica. We went past another landmark, the Duke's Palace. 

Palazzio Ducal

While queuing to go inside the Basilica,  I was right in front of a beautiful white building with the symbol of St. Mark at the top (with a lion) and fell in love with it, just as I had fallen in love with Venice the moment I stepped into St. Mark's Square. It is the Clock Tower. 

The Clock Tower in St. Mark's Square

We had to wait for about half an hour to go in and it was actually free - most surprising. I honestly can't describe just how beautiful the Basilica is. If you've been you will know that and if you haven't I suggest you go. 

I was piqued by the Confession boxes, like this one. I wondered if  tourists ever go to confession, hahahha. 

Confession box in the Basilica

We were hungry when we came out and wrongly decided to have lunch at a restaurant by one of the busiest tourist spots the Rialto bridge. It was a tourist trap but the location was amazing as was the food. This was my bruschetta.

Brusshetta, delicious

And here is Eladio at our table. 

Lunch in Venice on Wednesday

After lunch, we were done. Besides we had to walk 2.4km back to the bus station so we called it a day. You can take in so much beauty and then no more; because the Stendhal syndrome kicks in and you can't carry on. It took a while to find the station but we did and were soon on the 53E bus back to the towon of "Malcontenta" - means not happy both in Spanish and Italian hahaha.  We were bushed when we got off but before heading home, made a visit to the local supermarket, or rather hyper market, IperLando, recommended to us by our host Michele. It was huge and excellent with prices similar to Spain, thus much cheaper than in France. We bought lots of fruit as well as bread, milk and some mortadela for me. And, of course, we bought some prosecco wine which is from the Veneto region. I also bought some gnocci which my host cooked for me, bless him. 

We were soon home where we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in a leisurely manner. Again I slept well and woke up early on Thursday morning when we had another day to look forward to in Venice. Our host recommended we visit some of the many islands that Venice is made up of. The most popular it seems are Murano, Torcello and Burano. I learned that Venice has 113 islands, 40 of them being inhabited. Amazing. 

I wasn't sure how to get there, how to get tickets, etc, but I found out easily when I got to the Piazzele Roma (where the buses stop and next to the Grand Canal). We booked a 4 hour trip starting at 11.30 which would take us to the islands. Here is Eladio queuing up. 

Getting on the ferry near the train station in Venice on the Grand Canal

Honestly we knew nothing about the islands, not much about Venice either but we went away feeling we had touched its surface.

The ferry  stopped at St. Mark's Square to pick up more passengers which gave us a great view of Venice. Here is Eladio as we approached this most famous square. 

Approaching St. Mark's square, the heart of Venice

We went past many of the islands, as well as the Lido which is very near and has a beach. Everything was explained first in Italian then in French and lastly in English so all quite understandable. On our boat I heard two women/girls talking and one had a strong Yorkshire accent. Of course I spoke to them. I couldn't resist it. One was from Rishworth in Calderdale near Sowerby Bridge - Happy Valley country and the other was from Liverpool - a "liverbird". They had worked together for Virgin airlines and were good friends. The Liverpudlian, a beautiful woman in her late 40's remarked to me that my husband was "gorgeous". I agreed, of course, but then she said it to him. He was totally taken a back but responded like a gentleman and said you are gorgeous. I told her he was my own George Clooney, hahahaha. We made friends with them easily and would see them on and off all through the day.

The first stop was Murano, famous for glass making. We got off the boat and were ushered into Industria Vetri Artistici Ferro-Lazzara where we got a demonstration on how Venetian glass is made. And here below is the "maestro" Mariano who made the glass objects you can see in the photo below. 

Mariano the glass maker - Murano, Venice

Of course we were then ushered into a sales room where we did not buy any glass. It's not really my thing. At home, though, I have some Murano glass vases bought by my maternal grandmother who visited Venice in the 60's. She loved it. Me too. 

We only had about 50 minutes at each island and after the glass blowing, we found the perfect place to have a wonderful cappuccino. Italians really do know how to make them; after all they invented them. 

We love our mid morning coffees and to have one together in a place like Murano made it extra special that day. This is where we had it; just look at our surroundings and just look at the blue sky. We were very lucky with the weather in Venice. I'm sure it's not the same if it rains. Everything was blue, beautiful. 

Capuccino in Murano - the island where glass is made

From Murano we sailed to Torcello, an island that is very popular with Venetians. They call it the abandoned island as its population fled from the island centuries ago after some natural catastrophe. It houses a 7th century church which was the cathedral of Venice until the 18th century. 

We didn't have long to linger so walked back along the canal. I spied an unusual brick and stone bridge so got my husband to pose. It's great isn't it?

Brick bridge over the canal in Torcello  - the abandoned island, a favourite of the Venetians. 

We were soon on our way to our last destination, Burano, one of the most northern islands and the furthest away (40 minutes sailing from St. Mark's Square). It is famous for its coloured houses and lace making and full of canals and beautiful bridges. I managed to get the guide to let us take the next ferry so as to give us more time in Burano. It overawed us as soon as we stepped out. It was like walking into a fairy tale. Every street was a colourful surprise and we couldn't stop taking photos. I particularly like this one of my "gorgeous" husband.  The one below is of me in the same place. 

Eladio standing by one of the canals

 

Me in the same street in Burano

By then we were hungry and spied lots of enticing eating places. This is the one we chose. We were served by a Cuban waiter who was a sweetie.

Lunch in Burano

 

We both had pasta but didn't have a bellini - the typical Venetian cocktail made with prosecco and peaches. We were told we should go to Harry's Bar in the centre to try them but never made it. 

After lunch. we strolled along more colourful streets and came to this pretty square. This is it. 

Main square Burano - coloured houses

I loved it so much I took a video which you can see here. In that same square I bought a beautiful white scarf embroidered with dark blue flowers. I bought it because I loved it but also because I need a headscarf for when we visit churches in Turkey, Georgia and Armenia. 

All too soon our 4.5h boat trip to the 2 islands of Murano, Torcello and Burano was over and we were back in Venice. The first stop was St. Mark's Square where we decided to get off instead of near the bus station, just to get another chance to see the city. Before we left, we had a photo with the English girls with whom we had made friends that day. 

Our fellow passengers on the island tour from Liverpool and Rishworth Calderdale Yorkshire

By then the city was even fuller of tourists than the day before so at times we had to queue to walk. We got lost on the way back through so many streets and across canals and bridges but made it to Piazelle di Roma where we caught the 53E bus back to Malcontenta.

We were home by 6 pm which gave us plenty of time to rest before dinner. I spent the time uploading photos, responding to guests and updating my guest calendar - I got 5 new reservations for our 3 places; our home in Madrid, the house in Asturias and the apartment in Santa Pola - great stuff. That day at home a family of 7 from Indonesia arrived. Suzy was in charge of greeting them and was very excited to speak Indonesian to them. That day too, sadly, for me, at least, I bought a one way ticket to Bali for Suzy which is where she wants to live and to start life again. The next day was her birthday and she turned 39. She considered this her birthday present. For me it is a worry.

Dinner was a small affair but I loved the leftover gnocchi. Then it was early to bed and I slept sort of ok that night. I woke up on Friday morning at 6 am in plenty of time for leaving early for Ljubliana.

Friday was Suzy's birthday. She turned 39, just one year short of 40 and we weren't there. She won't be at home when we return either as she is leaving on 9th May to live in Bali again . Thankfully Oli would be with her and they were having dinner together that night to celebrate. And, oh, by the way, I have some news about Oli and Miguel. They are getting married on 16th June. It will be a low key wedding - not white bridal dress and they are marrying for practical purposes only. In any case, it will be a joyous occasion. 

But home was far from our thoughts as we left Dogaletto for Ljubliana.  Finally we would be entering the Balkans, an area which I have never been to. But on the way we had been recommended by our host Michelle to visit Palmanova about an hour away and on the way to Slovenia. I had never heard of it but it looked intriguing. This is what it looks like from above.

Palmanova, a 9 star fortress town built in the 16th century to defend itself from invasion. 

I had never heard of so-called "star cities" but my cultured husband had. There about 8 of them in Europe and I think Palmanova is the finest. These star shaped forts came into being during the Renaissance. It's a military style architecture which came into being in the 1500s and 1600s when most parts of Europe were eternally at war. 

We were there very shortly bur unfortunately it was raining - while most of Spain was sizzling with temperatures reaching 38ºc in Seville! - so we parked easily and walked into the main square. It is so huge it was impossible to take a photo. 

The main square and the very centre of the 9 starred city of Palmanova just an hour from Venice

We walked into the cathedral where a funeral was being held and respectfully walked out and along one of the 3 fortified exits vying with cars at the same time. The outside of the town, with its star shape,  is all green and lush and if it hadn't been raining we would have loved to walk all around it. 

So we walked back into the main square to have our last coffee in Italy before continuing our journey. Of course I had a cappuccino. Oh the Italians are the only ones who really know how to make them.  This is where we had it, under the awnings because it was raining.

My last cappuccino in Italy was in Palmanova, an intriguing town.

Very soon we had passed Trieste and were entering Slovenia. I looked up the policy on motorway tolls. They are prepaid and you have to register your car and your details online and then get a receipt which you must present at a service station. The system is called Dars Go. It was a bit complicated but as I am becoming a very good co pilot, I managed and as soon as we had passed the border I paid at a service station and we were ready to go. 

I read up about Slovenia while Eladio drove. It is a small country, very green, lots of forests and mountains but with some coastline.  It belonged to many countries and empires before it declared its independence in 1991 when communism fell. Before, of course, it belonged to former Yugoslavia. Most Slovenians are Catholic, the population is only about 2 million and they speak Slovenian. Their language is a South Slavic language. The only word I learned was "hvala" which means thank you and is pronounced "vala". It is supposedly very close to Bulgarian, Serbo-Croatian and Macedonian. Curiously though they use the Latin Script and not Cyrillic. However, Cyrillic can be used too. I was intrigued by the accents on certain words. I think the correct word is "stresica" (in Slovenian) with the little upside down hat on the "c" and it  means "little roof".  This symbol/upside down circumflex or "caron" is used to to show that some letters are pronounced differently. In Slovenian, at least, and in Serbo Croatian,  and maybe others, the three letters   č, š  ž are pronounced "ch", "sh" and "je".   Frankly, I think the English alphabet could do well with introducing the "caron", hahahaha. This symbol is a  what is known in linguistics as a diacritical mark. Maybe some of you linguists out there can enlighten me further.  Today many Slovenians speak English as they do Italian on the coast. The country borders with Austria, Croatia, Hungary and Italy. As we drove to its capital Ljubliana, I saw vehicles from so many countries as I would everywhere in the region.

We soon reached the city and our wonderful apartment. This time I had found one on Booking and it was for us alone - no owner living in it. It was an attic apartment and was small but very compact. Here is Eladio settling in. We had lunch as soon as we were ready. 

Our apartment was housed in this beautifully restored house very near the old centre in Ljubliana

As soon as we were ready, we walked outside, determined to see as much of the city as we could in a space of about 4 or 5 hours. We were only staying one night - onto Zagreb the next day. The owners who have turned it into 11 apartments with most of them full when we were there, must be making a packet. The place was absolutely pristine. We loved it apart from the fact it was on the 3rd floor and there was no lift:-(

Eladio had looked up the main sights: the dragon bridge, the triple bridge, the cathedral of St. Nicholas, the boulevards, the food market - splendid - as well as one of the most important landmarks, the red church on the square by the triple bridge, the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation, as well, as a castle. There seem to have been castles and cathedrals in every town we have visited so far.  It was about 1.4km to reach the old town and it was a rather grey afternoon but at least it wasn't raining. Soon we arrived in the old town and the first thing we saw was the Dragon bridge. The dragon is a symbol of the city. Jason the founder of Ljubliana killed one. They say when a virgin crosses it, the dragons wag their tales. From its initial portrayal as a monster, it turned into the symbol and protector of the city. 

The dragon bridge in Ljubliana

There are many bridges that cross the "Ljublianica" river. The next one had padlocks hanging from it. It's real name is the Butcher's bridge but is known as the "love bridge" where couples padlock their love and drop the keys into the river. I took a picture but we didn't leave a padlock there hahaha. 

The butcher's bridge or "love bridge"

We were then suddenly in the Market Square with the Cathedral behind it and oh what  a thriving place it was. It reminded me slightly of Borough Market in London. There was food on offer from all the cuisines in the world. We weren't hungry but came back again several times and in the end purchased some ready made food for our dinner. 

The food market in Ljubliana

From there we walked to the cathedral and paid 2 euros each to go inside. It is Gothic and a symbol of the city. Eladio loved it and asked for a photo by the altar. His wish was my command.

Eladio inside the cathedral in Ljubliana

From the cathedral we walked to the "triple bridge", another city landmark with the imposing red church, the Franciscan church of the Assumption, in the main square by the bridge. Here is Eladio just in front of the three bridges.

Eladio next to the triple bridge.

I took a video which you can see here and below is a close up of the unique bridge. 

The Triple Bridge in Ljubliana, in the heart of the city

Above the old city is the castle. The part that attracted us was the funicular to get there and of course the views from above so off we went in search of the cable car. It was amazingly steep but a very short ride. In the cable car, we met two Spaniards, Charri and her brother Fito from Alicante and Murcia. They were accompanied by a local guide who I spoke to quite a lot. She was my main source of information during my visit to Slovenia. Fito took a photo of us at the top of the city. It was nice to meet some Spaniards. 

With a Spanish lady Charri from Murcia (in dark glasses) and her lovely Slovenian guide

And below is the castle which we only saw from the outside. 

The castle that dominates the city of Ljubliana

Once we had seen the views and walked around the grounds, we took the cable car down again and got talking to a young man and his girlfriend who are from Rome. He had studied in Valencia and was keen to practice his Spanish. When we talk to people and tell them briefly we are on a 12.000 km road trip with no return date they are all pretty amazed. I think they are amazed that people our age are doing it hahahhaa. 

Once on firm ground, we walked back into the old town and to the food market again. There, Eladio made a beeline for a stall selling barbecued ribs. It was owned by a very friendly Slovenian who has a restaurant called Stari Pisker. I knew "stari" meant old (it's the same in Russian) and he explained that "pisker" means pot. The dear man gave me his card and then took me to another stall he had where they were making Slovenian strudel. He asked me whether I liked desserts. The man doesn't know just how much of a  sweet a tooth I have hahaha. I chose the strudel made with apricot. We had to have a photo and I promised I would mention his restaurant in my blog and I have stuck to my word. 

With the owner of the Stari Pisker restaurant who gave me some of his delicious apricot strudel at the food market in Ljubliana on Friday

After thanking him for his kindness, we went on our way to explore more of the heart of the old city near the pretty river. The architecture seems very influenced from both Italy and Austria and maybe also Hungary and the houses bordering the river were all in good condition. Lots of people were having drinks on terraces all along the street. The place was vibrant. Here is Eladio posing for me on the street with all the terraces. 

Eladio yesterday in Ljubliana

Sorry, I don't remember any of the names as they were so complicated. But I did recognise one word - "street". I was happy to see it is "ulica" - just like Russian "ulitza". My limited knowledge of Russian will come in handy on our travels in the Balkans and possibly Georgia and Armenia. After more than 4 hours walking in the old city, we were tired. My smart watch told me we had walked more than 15.000 steps. No wonder my knee was beginning to hurt. But before we left I went back to a food stall offering Bosnian cuisine which I could not resist. There I bought my dinner, some flat bread with meat rolls and a tomato and pepper type sauce. 

It was a short walk back to our apartment where I sat on the terrace before climbing the 3 floors. I was intrigued to see our car, a Mini from Spain, surrounded by cars from Bosnia, Holland, Hungary, Serbia, Italy, Germany and Croatia - wow, I really was in the Balkans. 

Our car in the apartment building  car park in Ljubliana surrounded by cars from Bosnia, Serbia, Holland and Croatia. We were the ones who had come the furthest to visit Ljubliana

Once back in our lovely little apartment, I did what I always do in the evenings on our road trip; upload my photos and, when necessary, book our next nights. I had booked our place in Zagreb but needed to book somewhere in Slavonski Grod (town in Croatia, the half way mark between Zagreb and Belgrade), Belgrade and of course Sofia. I found what I hoped would be lovely places and booked them there and then. I am mostly using Airbnb but also Booking.

We ate our exotic food and then settled into bed to sleep or in my case watch a bit of The Diplomat on Netflix and then read.

The bed was very comfortable and I slept well. I was up at 6 am on Saturday morning but we didn't have to leave until at least 10.30. Our drive to Zagreb would be one of the shortest as it is only 140km from Ljubliana. We met the owner, Spela (pronounced "Shpela") just as we left and her daughter "Masha"; my namesake. Spela was lovely and told us about places to stop on the way to Zagreb. She said to have a coffee at the Hotel Grad Otocec and so we went there.  As we left the city, we filled the tank and were relieved to see a litre cost 1.4 euros. As we continue our journey it will get even cheaper. 

We were bowled over when we reached the Otocec castle. It was like something out of a fairy tale. This is it, as seen from the bridge over the River Kirka. It's now a 5 star  hotel and a far cry from where we would be staying in Zagreb. It was not open for coffee though, only opening at 14h and we couldn't wait. 

Otocec - beautiful place

Getting into Zagreb would be a challenge. Thankfully Spela had warned me we couldn't park in the centre and would have to leave our car in a garage further out. The owners of our accommodation told us which one and we found it quite quickly. It was about 500 metres from our accommodation but we needed a taxi for all our belongings. The place from the outside looked ghastly and I was disappointed. When booking it I  had put filters in for parking on the premises and a kitchen but the Niva Rooms had neither. This is what the entrance to it looked like; very off putting. 

The dreadful entrance to our accommodation in Zagreb

Again there was no lift and poor Eladio had to lug all our stuff up to the third floor. We didn't like the place but at least the room was quite big and extremely clean. We soon settled in and made a makeshift lunch which we ate in our room. Only then did we venture outside. It was warm and sunny - 22º - so no need for jumpers. From our street "Ilica", in the heart of the city, we walked to the big square Jelacic Square. You have to be careful walking the streets in Zagreb because of all the trams. 

Jelacic Square, Zagreb

From there we went in search of the Cathedral but it was undergoing repair work and could not be visited. We then walked along the supposedly prettiest street. It has an unpronounceable name: Tkalčićeva Street . We walked along it but I didn't find it particularly pretty. It was full of restaurants and bars and people, so lively but not as nice as the streets in Ljubliana. Zagreb had never been a place we were keen to see but it's on the way to Sofia. However, we shall see prettier areas of Croatia, like Dubrovnik and Split, on our way back through Greece and Albania. 

Tkalčićeva Street 

We decided to stop and have something to drink, to rest more than anything and we found a place on the so-called pretty street. Since we entered the Balkans, we have of course remembered and spoken about the terrible Balkan Wars here in the early 90's. At that cafe we did lots of research both to refresh our memories and to learn more. It is impossible to summarise them here but we all know just how terrible they were. They led to the complete split of former Yugoslavia into all the countries that are now independent. Both Eladio and I had learned at school that this was Yugoslavia, so no wonder, it takes a bit of time to place all the new independent former Yugoslave countries not only on a map but in our heads. This trip is helping. The Balkans are no longer a mystery to me. 

Eladio studying the Balkan War at a cafe in Zagreb yesterday

Before heading back to the Niva Rooms accommodation, we went in search of another city landmark, The Church of St. Mark. It's beautiful but again it was being renovated and we couldn't go in. 

Eladio in Zagreb town yesterday with the church of St. Mark behind him. 

As we ambled along the nearby streets we saw many bridal groups; so many I called out to congratulate them. Many of them headed to the top of the town which can be reached by a funicular - for their wedding photos. We went there too and were greeted with views of the city like the one below where you can see the cathedral. 

Views of Zagreb and the cathedral from the top of the town

We could have taken the cable car down but decided to walk "home". That day we walked over 12.000 steps and again my knee was aching. 

We actually slept well here and soon we shall be making our breakfast in our room. Thankfully, the place we are staying at in Slavonski Brod tonight has a kitchen.

And so my friends, I leave you here, from Zagreb. I am not sure where I will be writing from next Sunday but if all goes to plan it should be from Turkey. We are in no rush. We don't  have a return date so will take this slowly and enjoy as many moments of this trip of our life as we can.

Cheers and thanks for reading today's post,

Masha