MARI'S TRAVELS WITH HER CAMERA

Category: Europe – Mediterranean

Spain, Italy, P:ortugal & France

  • Get Active and Healthy with Silver/Spain

    Get Active and Healthy with Silver/Spain

    New kid on the block for holidays in the sun, SilverSpain.com, is launching its programme of healthy body, healthy mind, and healthy eating holidays for the over 55s, holidays that also focus on companionship and relationships.  For people who want to improve their lifestyles, or who are in retirement and want to keep fit and healthy, these holidays for the more mature traveller, of 5 to 7 days duration with an option to extend the holiday,  are a welcome addition to those currently on offer.

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    Based in Malaga on the Costa del Sol, SilverSpain is ideally placed for sussing out the perfect restaurants, walks, events and foodie trips that are included in the holidiay, and guests are based in a selection of luxury, top-end hotels both in Malaga itself and in stunning locations on the outskirts of the city, most with spas and flower-filled gardens. Exterior-Hotel-Vinuela,-Malaga

     

    I’ve just had a trip to Spain to sample what they are offering later in the year (at the moment, from October) and I absolutely loved it, from the early morning exercises to the specially made morning smoothie followed by the healthy buffet breakfasts.  And, the smoothies were always luscious fresh local fruits with no green kale or spinach mixes in sight!  Plus, eggs, cheeses, hams and other foods were on the buffet table.

    Walking in the National Parks and valleys in the area I found to be a special treat as these are activities I wouldn’t normally be able to do by myself.  Everyone walked at their own pace, some slowing down to take photographs, some striding out with vigour and others just ambling along and smelling the flowers, but it all served to keep us active and moving.Walking

    Other events consist of  visiting vineyards, learning to cook paella and then having it for lunch,

    Paella-chefbird-watching, a visit to a meditation centre, sight-seeing trips to places like Ronda, Nerja, and the famous white villages, a few hours spent in a Haman (with massage), seafood lunch on the beachfront at Malaga, and an Equestrian show with flamenco (this one not to be missed).

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    All these ‘extras’ are included in the price of the holiday and together, make up a very attractive package.

    Although these trips and walks are all taken at a leisurely pace, if anyone feels like opting out of them they can do so – it is a holiday after all.  Equally, for those who want more regular exercise, specialist breaks are planned, as well as specialist weeks for clients who may want to spend more time studying mindfulness and gaining insights into their life.

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    P1000418Life expectancy continues to increase and holidays like these, organized by people who are dedicated to the philosophy of a healthy, active life and happy relationships as we grow older, are a breakthrough in advancing the cause of living better while we live longer lives.

    Don’t think this is some freakish ‘alternative’ lifestyle holiday where you deny yourself the good things of life.  Great food and great wines, sunshine and blue skies are all there, just as you’d expect, but the added value is the feeling at the end when you find yourself fitter, healthier, and possibly happier, for the experience.

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    So, get ready for a Spanish-style pub crawl on a Tapas evening in Malaga when you will enjoy whitebait, anchovies, patatas bravas, and other Spanish delicacies, washed down with a few glasses of wine in a Bodega in operation since 1840.  You don’t believe me? Ask SilverSpain about it.

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  • Weekly Photo Challenge – ORANGE

    Spanish oranges
    Spanish Oranges – Photo Mari Nicholson

    What cold be more orange that these gorgeous Spanish oranges.  The very sight of them makes me salivate remembering how they tasted.  How come we never seem to get really juicy oranges these days?

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    Young monks changing their robes – Photo Mari Nicholson

    I never did find out why these young monks were changing their robes in the street by the Grand Palace in Bangkok, but they did it discreetly and looked decidedly pleased when they had accomplished the task.

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    Pottery for Sale on a Valencia street – Photo Mari Nicholson

    I’m a sucker for anything that looks ‘local’ even though I know I shall never use it when I get home, but in my minds eye I can see me producing succulent food smelling of rosemary and garlic, mint and oregano, the whole resting on a bed of peppery olive oil and maybe some ciabbata.  Dream on.  I get home, realize it’s another foolish buy and it ends up at the back of the cupboard.  But I love the orange colour of these dishes and yes, I did buy some.

  • Gathering in the Mussels & Scallops

    Gathering in the Mussels & Scallops

    At one of Brighton’s seafood restaurants yesterday I had some amazing mussels, the like of which I hadn’t expected to find in the UK.  They reminded me of the time I was in Galicia in Northern Spain and my trip out to the mollusc beds to see them being collected, and an even better recollection, the meal we had on the return boat journey of mussels cooked simply in wine and garlic in a traditional enamel pot and served with fresh crusty bread and bottles of unnamed, in fact unlabelled, wine, which nevertheless tasted like nectar.

     

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    Vigo, Galicia

    Galicia in Spain’s green north is a far cry from the Costas and is nowhere as well known as the southern provinces, yet it is probably the most beautiful part of Spain with really white sand beaches, fragrant pine trees perfuming the air, beautiful buildings, great hotels, and wines produced in small quantities and kept for local sale only.  If you think only of sun, sand and Sangria, think again and head for Galicia for seafood, shellfish and the road to Santiago.

     

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    Gathering in the mussels – Photo Mari Nicholson

    O Grove was once an island but today it is joined to the mainland thanks to the winds from the south-west, which have caused the surrounding sands to form an isthmus and it now sits on the mouth of the Arousa estuary, a stone’s throw away from the luxury Parador Pontevedra.  As well as shellfish gathering and shallow-water fishing, the local population of approximately 12,000, lives from the farming of mussels, oysters and scallops.

     

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    Bateas in the Sea

     

    Ropes, on which the molluscs grow, are hung from bateas, wooden platforms in the water, and these heavy ropes which can weigh up to half a ton when the mussels are fully grown, are checked out and collected daily.

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    Re-arranging the Ropes – Mari Nichol

     

     

    From your boat you can watch the men drag up the heavy ropes of scallops and mussels as they stand on wooden rafts in the water, the bateas.

    Since 1963, the port of O Grove has staged a yearly festival which takes place over several days during the first two weeks in October.  Many excellent local wines are available but it is almost compulsory to drink the local “Rías Baixas”  as an accompaniment to the wide variety of seafood but, believe me, it is easy to get a taste for this little-known wine (little known outside of the area that is).

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    At the festival, visitors can wander among the food stalls, sampling delicious seafood cooked by locals, dishes that exploit the riches of the surrounding Atlantic Ocean including mussels and turbot, for which the region is famous, oysters, clams, shrimp, scallops, velvet crabs, crawfish and goose barnacles.  O Grove’s seafood festival also comes with music and dancing.  Every day different bands play traditional Galician folk music which includes a lot of Galician bagpipes, and there is the usual folkloric content in singing and dancing.

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    Collecting the Scallops – Photo Mari Nicholson

    Local boats make trips out to the mussel and scallop beds and these can be booked at any of the agencies around the port.

    Should you want to do some local sightseeing there are a couple of local towns worth visiting, and the busy city of Vigo is an hour or so on the train.  You can even visit Santiago de Compostela for a day.

    What to see nearby: 

    Illa de AToxa, whose fame is derived from its medicinal mineral waters and mud, the therapeutic properties of which for the skin and respiratory passages as well as the salts and soaps which are made from them, have turned the island into a major spa resort.  AToxa is the biggest of the half dozen islands, which emerge with the ebb and flow of the tides on the O Vao mud flats.

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    Isla de La Toja or Isla de la Atoxa where the main building to visit and to photograph is the hermitage church of San Sebastian dating from the XII century.  It is completely covered with scallop shells to protect the façade – quite an amazing sight.

  • Palermo -Sicily’s Chaotic Capital

    Palermo -Sicily’s Chaotic Capital

    Palermo is like nowhere else in Europe.  It’s a crazy, chaotic, crumbling city with a vibrant life that has led it to defy the Mafia, the last in a line of exploiters bent on conquering and subduing the spirit of its people.  Every neighbouring power at one time or another. has occupied this island that lies at the crossroads of the Mediterranean, with the result that it offers the visitor a heady mixture of aromatic Arabic food served in tiled restaurants that hark back to Spanish invaders, and stunning architecture and artefacts from Greek and Norman periods.  All this in streets lined with crumbling buildings, visual proof of the Italian Government’s neglect of a region for which it seems to have no respect.

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    View from the Cathedral by Solange Hando

    We all think we know Palermo from years of watching films like The Godfather (in all its parts), and Scarface, but the films have never shown the beauty of the baroque palaces, the marble statues that are public art, the beauty of the bay at sunset and the tranquillity of the surrounding countryside.

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    Outdoor Art in Sicily – Photo Mari Nicholson

    The façade of the Teatro Massimo, the magnificence of the Cathedrale at Monreale, five miles south of the city, with its fabulous mosaics brought to Sicily from Byzantium, and the hidden beauties of the marble Serpotto Cherubs in the Oratorio del Santissimo Rosario, are Palermo at its best.  At its worst are the alleys strewn with litter, the almost feral children that chase each other around the stalls in the markets, itinerant sellers of silver jewellery and leather belts who accost you at tourist spots, and neighbourhoods filled with ghosts.

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    Teatro Massimo In Piazza Verdi, Palermo – Photo Mari Nicholson

    Italy in the raw is on every Rococo street corner, the Italy of Andrea Camilleri’s  Inspector Montalbano (he operates in a different region of Sicily but the sense of his world is here).  Stand in the Piazza Verdi opposite the Teatro Massimo, Europe’s third largest opera house, and look towards the steps of the theatre on which the final scene of The Godfather III took place, and I defy you not to hear the swelling music of Cavalleria Rusticana and hear the howl of anguish from Al Pacino as his beloved daughter died in his arms.

    But it is in its streets that the real Palermo, and Sicily, is revealed and in its boisterous markets with their mixture of fresh food, dusty shoes and lurid outerwear vying for your attention with the fast-food stall, the fresh orange-juice seller and the suspect ‘antiques’.  Crumbling baroque facades look down on this carnival of life which attracts the rich and poor of the city.

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    The Orange Juice Seller, Palermo, Sicily  –  Photo by Mari

    Despite advances made by the justice system and the reverence in which Giovanne Falcone and Paolo Borsellino are held (the two Judges gunned down by the Sicilian Mafia in 1992) the honoured society is still a reality in Palermo.  Its presence is a burden the Sicilians have had to bear for many years because few were prepared to defy the demands of the organised crime ring and, let’s face it, it dispensed a type of justice, the only sort on which the poor could rely.

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    Herb Stall in Palermo Market, Sicily – Photo by Mari Nicholson

    Yet by the end of the 20th century and as a result of the assassination of the two popular judges, the Sicilians began to challenge the status quo.  Led by Rita Borsellino, sister of the assassinated judge, a native of Palermo and an activist,  an anti-Mafia movement, Libera, was formed.  Now another movement called Addiopizzo, meaning ‘goodbye to protection payments’ is operating, a movement that is trying to involve tourists for the good of the city.

    Addiopizzo was founded in 1994 by a few young restaurateurs who had a vision of  a Sicily where the Mafia did not control all sectors of the economy and where businesses of all sizes could keep 100% of their profits.

    This organisation has now moved into offering anti-Mafia tours and accommodation and lists of bars and restaurants are available where it is guaranteed that the owners are  refusing to pay protection money.  Addiopizzo offers walking and cycling tours, car hire and accommodation, and can even arrange a tour to Corleone.

    Addiopizzo could be the saviour of Palermo and the means by which the people’s pride and their strength to resist the corruption which has ruined their city, could be resurrected.  I personally, can highly recommend all their tours and the walk around Palermo is truly an eye-opener.

    In the midst of the chaos, the crumbling architecture, the fading grandeur and beauty of its palaces and mansions, the city has a vibrancy not felt in any other city in Italy.  It has a life of its own, a language of its own, and it has art spilling out on to the streets.  Go see for yourself, and when you’re there, do support ADDIO PIZZO.

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    The Ubiquitous Scooter – Photo by Mari Nicholson

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  • Shakespeare’s Cities (2)

    Shakespeare’s Cities (2)

    HAMLET – Denmark

    No use telling the world that Hamlet is not autobiographical as approximately 200,000 people beat a path to Kronberg Castle in Denmark every year.  Shakespeare set the fictitious story in Elsinore Castle and it is presumed that this was Kronborg Castle which has existed since 1420 and is considered to be one of Europe’s finest Renaissance castles.

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    Elsinore (Kronberg Castle) – WikiCommons

    Despite being burned to the ground twice, Kronberg has continued to maintain its vital position at the head of the Øresund Sound. Ships passing into the Baltic Sea used to pay tolls at the Castle and Helsingør (the Danish translation of Elsinore) was once one of the most important towns in Europe.

    Shakespeare’s evocative imagery, the dramatic story, and the play’s worldwide popularity means that thousands of people visit Kronborg Castle every year.  A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000, the dingy catacombs and graceful towers have become synonymous with the doomed Prince Hamlet.   Guided tours are offered in June, July and August, but the best time to visit, if possible, is during the annual Shakespeare festival in August.

    From Copenhagen the journey takes less than 45 minutes or the “Hamlet” ferry takes passengers from Helsingborg, Sweden through the narrow strait.

    MERCHANT OF VENICE – Venice

    Italy was one of Shakespeare’s favourite locations in which to set his plays.  Venice, which provided the setting for the story of Antonio, Bassanio and Portia in The Merchant of Venice, is one of Italy’s glories, its beauty breath-taking when approached from the sea, and its treasures among the greatest in Italy.

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    The ghettos may have gone, but this famous port city is still exceptionally atmospheric.  It’s hard not to have flashbacks to scenes from the 1973 Nicholas Roeg film Don’t Look Now if you are strolling around Venice as dusk falls.

    Take a gondola to Palazzo Ducale and explore the former wine bars, cafes and churches,   visit some of the art galleries, relax on a boat ride to the outer islands and when the sight-seeing has exhausted you, take the canal trip down to Padua.  But, for some quiet time to think about the play, you will have to visit in winter – the only time the tourists don’t visit in their thousands.  With four or five giant cruise ships docking most days, Venice is in danger of losing all character and the world of Portia and Shylock may become a thing of the past.   It’s impossible to see Venice properly during the day, for that you have to wait until the cruise visitors have returned to their ships when you are no longer forced to dawdle behind them as they crowd the streets in groups with their cameras on sticks held high, desperate to get the photograph that may serve as an aide memoire when they return to their cocooned cruiser.

    If I can paraphrase, it must be Venice, there’s a gondola in my photograph.

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    MEASURE FOR MEASURE – Vienna

    One doesn’t associate Austria with Shakespeare yet for some reason he set one of his plays in Vienna, a Vienna that is not recognisable today but that has some similarities with the Vienna that existed immediately after the Second World War when it was a city divided between the four powers, Britain, France, Russia and USA.

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    Concert Hall in Vienna – Mari Nicholson

    Measure for Measure is set in a Vienna whose streets and taverns are teeming with criminals, prostitutes and pimps, not one we would recognise today.  This problem play offers us the purity of the city that was Austria’s cultural crown jewel, long hailed for its art, architecture and intellectuals as a city that has to balance purity with la vie bohème; the old with the new.  Often referred to as one of Shakespeare’s problem plays, its text has often been altered to suit the mores and morals of the period in which it was performed.

    Most of the action takes place in the Duke’s palace, in the city prison and in the streets of Vienna. The play’s main themes include justice, “mortality and mercy in Vienna,” and the dichotomy between corruption and purity: “some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall.”

    Today’s Vienna is more about Strauss than sin, Mozart rather than mayhem.

    There is little to remind you of Measure for Measure but Vienna boasts Shakespeare Garden, a space dedicated to the flora and fauna in his works, a pleasant place to spend a little time.  Then maybe light a candle at the gothic St Stephen’s Cathedral and enjoy the quintessential coffee and cake at Hotel Sacher where you will have to join a queue for perhaps 20 minutes in order to get a seat and a piece of that cake – Sacher torte – but it’s worth it.

    Have a traditional night out at the Viennese Opera before heading to a trendy bar in Freihaus or to a restaurant for the perfect Weiner Schnitzel.  Shakespeare would have loved it I bet.

  • MOSTAR, UNESCO World Heritage Site

    MOSTAR, UNESCO World Heritage Site

    Dalmatian Sights:

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    Modern day Mostar – Mari Nicholson

    Famous for the bridge that was destroyed in the 1990 conflict in the Balkans, the historic old town of Mostar in Herzegovina that spans the deep valley of the Neretva River, is somewhere that should be visited by anyone who travels to Dalmatia.   Most of the old town, as well as the bridge, was destroyed in that dreadful war, signs of which are still in evidence around the area.

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    Mostar, Astride the River – Mari Nicholson

    Dating back to the 15th century, Mostar was developed as an Ottoman frontier town and was further developed during the 19th and 20th centuries when the Ottomans were seemingly unstoppable as they pushed at the gates of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire.

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    Old Bridge – Photo Pixabay

    Long known for its old Turkish houses and the iconic bridge, Stari Most, after which the town is named (mostari meaning the bridge-keepers) many of the dwellings in the Old Town were restored or rebuilt in 2004 with the help of UNESCO.   The Old Bridge was originally designed by the architect Hajruddin, under the direction of his famous architect teacher Sinan, and its reconstruction was based on thorough and detailed analyses, use of authentic materials and techniques: the reconstructed portions have been left visible.

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    Before the war, Muslims, Christians, and Jews, mosques, churches, and synagogues existed side-by-side indicating that the Roman Catholic Croats, the Eastern Orthodox Serbs, and the Sephardic Jews, had lived peaceably together with the Bosniak-Muslims for more than four centuries and the town is an outstanding example of a multicultural settlement with its pre-Ottoman, eastern Ottoman, Mediterranean and western European features. cafe-near-entrance-to-the-souk-mari-nicholson

    It is hoped that the reconstructed old bridge and city of Mostar will serve as a symbol of the coexistence of the diverse cultural, ethnic and religious communities in this region.

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    Old Houses, Mostar – Photo Pixbay

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    Mostar Bridge today (watching the Cliff Divers)

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    A Plea from the Heart – Don’t Forget the Past – Photo Pixabay

  • Montpelier: Antigone Area

    Montpelier: Antigone Area

    Montpelier had been experiencing rapid growth since the 1970s.  The city was on line to become the new regional technology centre and there was a need for expansion and for more public housing.  In 1979, the newly elected municipal council of Montpelier, with far-seeing vision, decided to develop a whole new district to provide for this expansion and link the centre to the River Lez.  The plan for the stunning development incorporated a west-east axis consisting of a landscaped boulevard and a series of squares enclosed by residential blocks each of seven-stories, to terminate in a new waterfront “port” along the Lez.

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    Magnificent Buildings along the 1 Kl-length of Antigone – Mari Nicholson

    Thus did Antigone, surely the most attractive of new developments in France, c0me into being.  The 1-Kilometre length of this development was built on the grounds of the former Joffre Barracks, located between the old centre of Montpelier and the River Lez which meanders along the eastern side of the city.  It is known as the Champs-Élysées of Montpelier and the master plan was designed by Spanish architect, Ricardo Bofill – who also designed the majority of the buildings – as a series of grand neo-classical structures with pediments, entablatures and pilasters on a gigantic scale.

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    Neo-Greek Statues with Fountain – Mari Nicholson

    The Antigone squares are idealised, perfectly proportioned Renaissance spaces with grand names like La Place du Nombre d’Or.  Neo-classical Greek statuary that harks back to another age is dotted about the boulevards and plazas in streets that were planned to allow a paved walkway from Place des Echelles de la Ville to the River Lez.  A continuous movement of wheeled devices and small battery-powered minibuses provide transportation within the mall.

    Antigone is an enormous project in every respect.   It includes about 4,000 new dwellings and 20,000 sq. meters of commercial space, the Languedoc-Roussillon regional government headquarters, office space, various government offices, restaurants and cafes, schools with special housing for students and artists, sports facilities, and underground parking.  This new development is town planning n a grand scale.

    among the water spouts with Greek statue centre – Mari Nicholson

    The only other project of this size and scale designed by one architectural firm is the Karl Mark Hof in Vienna, but this has a mere 1500 dwellings as compared to the 4,000 at Antigone and almost no other services.

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    On the River Lez there are various watersports for the public – Mari Nicholson

    A visit to this remarkable area of Montpelier makes it easy to see why it continues to attract worldwide attention.

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  • Palavas les Flots – Montpelier’s Seaside

    Palavas les Flots – Montpelier’s Seaside

    Just six kilometres south of Montpelier lies Palavas-les-Flots, a seaside town with some very fine seafood restaurants lining the canalised section of the River Lez  that runs through the centre of the town just before it enters the sea.    This has the effect of splitting the town into two sections, a Left Bank and a Right Bank, the names by which they are known.

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    See Palavas by Chair Lift- Mari Nicholson

    In the centre of the town is the distinctive ‘lighthouse of the Mediterranean’ with its popular revolving restaurant: next to this stands the church of Saint Pierre with its attractive garden.  There are few other sights to detain one in this seaside resort – it is a place for relaxation and enjoyment of the watersports and the facilities on hand.  What is a charming sight, though, is the canalised section of the town on which the fishing fleet makes a fine picture on a sunny day as they get ready to set sail.  And again, on their return, photographers line up to  photograph the fishermen who sell the fish directly from the decks of their boats to customers from the nearby flats and even from towns beyond.

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    The restaurants that line the canal are a magnet for visitors from Montpelier, especially at weekends, and you should be prepared to wait a while for a table and again for the meal to be served once you have chosen a restaurant.  The favourite meal is  mussels , served n every imaginable style, and always in the traditional big, blue enamel pots beloved of French restaurants.  They can be recommended.

    Those who enjoy the fun of local markets should visit on the mornings of Monday, Wednesday and Friday when there is a market in the town.

    Palabas-les-Flots, Montplier

    The seafront is a short distance from the town centre and has a wide sandy beach, not what one would call a ‘golden beach’ but nevertheless, sandy and clean.  It is seven kilometres long and with this massive stretch of seaside comes all the water-related sports activities you could wish for  – kayaking, jet-skis, windsurfing, paragliding, swimming, snorkelling and diving.  Most of the equipment can be hired from concessions on and around the beach.

    The sprawl of apartment buildings that is a backdrop to the beach either side of the centre is not especially handsome but the little harbour is attractive and from the small concrete pier are some good views of the town and across the bay to La Grande Motte.   And as I said, the good stretch of sandy beach is an ideal spot for families and couples to enjoy the facilities on offer.

    Just outside Palavas, a short walk away, there are natural ponds that are home to an interesting selection of wildlife.   What attracts most people to the area, however, are the flocks of flamingoes that live here and that make a visit to the ponds something rather special.

    How to Get to Palavas-les-Flots from Montpelier

    By Tram or Bus, but the tram is so quick and fun to ride that I recommend them.  Purchase tickets before boarding, multi-lingual ticket machines at each tram stop. A day pass is recommended if you plan to use the tram much. Be sure to validate your ticket in the machines, being found without a valid ticket means an on-the-spot fine of around 30 euros. Not speaking French is not accepted as an excuse.

    One-way tickets cost €1.40 round-trip €2.50. A 24-hour bus and tram ticket is €3.80.  Line 28 runs to the beach at Palavas les Flots.

    The “Navette des Plages” bus runs non-stop to the “Face a la Plage” beach, between Palavas les Flots and La Grande Motte. Bus 131 runs to Palavas-les-Flots.

     

  • MONTPELIER, France

    MONTPELIER, France

    If there’s a city in France that can offer more in the way of enjoyment, relaxation, places to visit outside the area than Montpelier, then I have yet to find it.

    Known as the sunshine capital of France because of its 300 sunny days per year, Montpelier lies just 11 km from the Mediterranean coast and has its own wide sandy beach within an easy tram ride.

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    Montpelier combines recent history and old-fashioned elegance with a youthful feel, mostly due to its large student population and its university.  It had the first medical school in France at which Nostradamus and Rabelais studied and is a delightful mix of old buildings in the centre, and  major new-age industries in modern buildings around the edge.  Lovely beaches are nearby at Palavas-les-Flots. What more could anyone want?

    As easy town to get around, the places listed as ‘must-sees’ are more or less grouped together, the Place de la Comédie, the Peyrou garden, the Charles de Gaulle esplanade,  t the Arc de Triomphe,.and the Saint-Roch church, all on the well-trodden tourist route.   However, like European capital cities such as London, Madrid, or Paris, the city abounds with special neighbourhoods with individual identities, some specialising in artisan work, some in antiquities and others devoted to food and wine.  Their social mix gives them a fascination lacking in other towns in the region.

    The Three Graces Statue, Montpelier

    The centre of the action and the beating heart of the pedestrianised centre is the Place de la Comédie.  During the morning there is a market at one side of the Place where the local farmers set up stalls and sell fresh fruit and vegetables: off to one side of this is the flower market, a static garden of jewel-coloured blooms and plants.  During the season an old-fashioned carousel is stationed at the other end of the square near the Opera House (a useful place to arrange to meet someone as is the statue of the Three Graces).  In the middle of the square street artists demonstrate their talents as magicians, living statues, cycle gymnasts, mime artists and break dancers.  Passengers coming from the St. Roch railway station with their wheeled luggage skirt around them as they dodge the colourful trams that glide over the yellow paving while students watch from the nearby cafes, their books open before them.

    Cae Riche, Montpelier, France

    The large student population makes it a lively spot all year round and gives the city a buzz. The cafés, bars, and bistros in the pedestrianised city square which spill out onto the street are one of the attractions of Montpelier and it can be difficult to find a table at certain times.  One of the busiest cafés, the Café Riche, is also the most popular and dominates the square with a grand awning bearing the name and date of its foundation.

    Famed for its produce, Couer de Bouef

    Couer de Bouef Tomatoes – a Speciality of the Region

    The Montpelier region is known for its local produce, its excellent wine, its fine dining and its farmers’ markets.  It has 3 Michelin-starred restaurants in addition to other excellent eating places and bistros.  Being right in the heart of the Languedoc, the opportunity to sample the luscious wines of the region as well as those of nearby Roussillon shouldn’t be missed, and tastings at nearby vineyards are easy to arrange.

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    Restaurant in Montpelier

    The old town with its medieval narrow streets is lined with upmarket boutiques and antique shops interspersed with restaurants and typical houses of the area fronted by private courtyards, a  world that sits quite comfortably with cutting-edge design and architecture in other parts of the city.  Check out the mock-Gothic Pavilion Populaire and compare it with the modern, glass-clad town hall.  Even transport gets into the act, with designer trams from the hand of no less than Christian Lacroix!

    Montpelier, France
    Montpelier

    Wander along Rue Foch, a road carved through medieval Montpellier to the Arc-de-Triomphe, a glorious golden stone arch which could only be in France and which was built to honour Louis XIV.  Just beyond this point, you will come upon the king mounted on a horse on the magnificent Peyrou Promenade.

    King Louis XIV on Horse

    Antigone is Montpelier’s new modern part of the city, is located to the east of the historic centre and is the biggest single development to be built in France.  This extraordinary development which extends the city to the banks of the River Lez, has been designed by Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill and was completed in the 1980’s.

    Antigone.-Montpelier
    Antigone

    As it’s name implies, the area is based loosely on the architecture of Ancient Greece and a further link is apparent in the boulevards with names like Rue de L’Acropole and Rue de Thebes that open out and lead you into large squares with names redolent of famous Greek events, like Place de Marathon and Place de Sparte.  The neoclassical design of the buildings, the sculptures, and the layout, are dramatically different to the architecture of the old town, and although on a larger than life scale, it is all well proportioned.

    At the end of the Antigone district is the Place de Europe, a huge semi-circular area with a crescent of buildings. On the other side is the River Liz adding to the drama of the site and on the opposite bank the ‘Hotel de Region’ also built in the neo-classical style.

    Palavas-les-Flots, Montpelier

    Palavas-les-Flots, Montpelier

    The fishing port of Palavas-les-Flots is worth a trip even if it’s only for a bowl of mussels served with chips (French fries to some) or garlic and herb breads in any one of the ways in which they are served here.  The port is making great efforts to turn itself into a seaside resort but despite the attempts of the many boat owners to entice you aboard for a sea trip, a fishing trip or a tour around the lagoons, it remains firmly a place to visit for its great food.  Bars, bistros, and ice-cream parlours line the central canal and you can walk a few miles along the spit of land to the medieval Maguelone cathedral which stands between sea and lagoon.

     

    donna's book

     

    Best Guide Book

    Montpelier and Beyond Travel Guide is a pocket guide to the best of Montpellier, written by two award-winning travel experts Donna Dailey and Mike Gerard and published by the team behind the successful Beyond London Travel.   Available from Amazon as an e-book or a download for Kindle.

     

  • The Artichoke, Rome’s 8th King

    The Artichoke, Rome’s 8th King

    I’ve given up trying to cook artichokes as sampled in Rome and I’m feeling very cross with myself.  I never fancied myself as a great cook but I am a fairly good one, but artichokes have beaten me.

    I’ve always liked them but always bought them in tins or jars.  Then I went to Rome in May when the artichoke season was at its height and every restaurant and trattoria was serving them in ways I’d never even thought of and I OD’d for a week on this king of the vegetable world.  In fact, it’s called the 8th King of Rome in that city.

    Artichokes and Wine, a Great Combination - Mari Nicholson

    It’s scientific name is cynara acolymus and it was named after Zeus’s former lover who betrayed him and was transformed into a prickly plant in revenge, but its etymological root comes from the Arabic alkaharshῡf.  As it grew in popularity from being a food of the poor to one much sought after by the rich, it’s shape was appropriated by architects who used it to adorn various buildings, Chartres Cathedral being one.

    The Purple King of Vegetables for the Romans. A restaurant display – Mari Nicholson
    Outside one of Rome’s Artichoke Restaurants. A nice display of the offerings to be had inside – Mari Nicholson

    The Italian artichoke usually has dark purple leaves and is eaten as an appetiser, in pastas, and as a vegetable with meats and fish.  It can be boiled, fried, roasted, steamed, sautéed, or marinated and I will gladly eat it any which way!  In Rome I usually had it “cariciofa alla giudia” which I was told is an ancient Jewish method from the 16th century and entails the vegetable being deep-fried twice.  That flavoursome oil dripping down one’s chin.  Decadent, I know, but delicious.

    DSC00957 - Copy

    Restaurant Window in Rome – Mari Nicholson

    My favourite restaurant for this appetiser (I reckon 3 makes a good starter) is Trattoria da Giggetto to which the concierge at my hotel directed me, saying that it had been serving up the artichoke for three generations.  The secret, so the waiter told me, was to open the artichoke leaves like a flower and to cook it first in boiling oil before roasting it for a little and then deep-fryng again.  Labour intensive, yes, but sheer heaven when you taste it.

    Deep Fried Artichokes a la Romana - Mari Nicholson
    Deep Fried Artichokes, Decadent but Delicious – Mari Nicholson

    I tried.  I deep-fried, then I roasted, then I deep-fried again and all I got was an oily vegetable that bore no resemblance to the ambrosia I had partaken of in Rome.  There’s only one thing for it.  I shall have to return next May and eat it every night as I did this year and try and wangle an invitation into the kitchen to see how it’s really done.

    Prepared artichokes for sale in Rome market

    Prepared Artichokes for Sale from a Stall in Rome – Mari Nicholson