odohertyelaine

We arrive by train from Bilbao to San Sebastián aka Donastia and have some lunch in a small bar which is very busy with locals. We have a Bocadillo (sambo) and a glass of red (sure you’d have to!) and as expected, it’s delicious! We do notice that people are constantly leaving wine in their glasses when they leave… madness I tell you!!!

There are a group of old ladies having a drink behind us (some on beer, some on wine), they have a big plate of what looks like Iberico ham on the table and they are barely picking at it. It looks delicious! As we get up to leave, one of them accosts Shane and insists he taste the ham. It’s so funny they’re all trying to talk to him but we’ve no idea what they’re saying!!! We check in to Koka Hostel where we have a private en-suite room and it’s absolutely lovely. Time to check out our surroundings so we take a short walk to one of the 3 local beaches – Zurriola beach. This has plenty of waves and is popular for surfing.

Across the river is the old town and the new town! They are separated by one street!

From here you arrive suddenly at another beach which is Concha beach – this is very famous and we will definitely be coming back here for a swim. It’s an amazing beach to have right in the city.

As you’d imagine there are plenty of churches around – all seem to be giant! We nip into St Vincent’s which happens to be the oldest building in San Sebastián, the earliest construction dating to 1507!

It’s time for a little rest and we’ve found a craft beer bar – Mala Gissona, so we enjoy a beer (a radler for me) and we can’t resist some sausage – delish!

Moving on, it’s time for a pinxto…. they all look so good and honestly we didn’t have any that we didn’t like! We particularly liked Bar Gure Txoko and Shane even had some tripe!

Next morning as we walk through the old town it’s a lot quieter and we can appreciate the buildings.

We take a trip up Mount Urgill to the castle and statue of Jesus (concrete Jesus as we call him) that overlooks Concha beach and the city of San Sebastián. The views from the climb are fantastic.

Approaching Concrete Jesus!

The sweeping view of La Concha is spectacular.

We walk back down and decide to walk the length of the beach. It’s roasting but part of the walk is sheltered and it’s just lovely.

At the end of La Concha beach there’s a tunnel that leads to the 3rd beach of San Sebastián – Ondarreta beach.

Tonight we have booked a food tour. Our guide is called Dariya and there are 8 of us in total – 2 Scots, 1 English, an American lady with her son and an Aussie called Natalie. All women plus Shane! We get off to a great start at Kutixik where we have some amazing ham, local sheep’s cheese with quince and some very nice cider.

I even get to pour the cider… and only spill a little!!!

We continue to the next stop for Bacalao (salted cod), served in the most beautiful sauce with Verdejo white wine. Then it’s off to La Mejillonera for mussels in a number of difference sauces. We eat them direct from the shell and discard the shell on the floor in a trough under the bar! With the mussels we have a glass of Tzekolina which I’m loving! Next we move onto some beef cheeks and a Rioja Crianza at Mendaur – so good!

Our last stop on the tour is for dessert and a digestif just across the street at Bardulia. We go upstairs and have a really delicious bread pudding type thing (I can’t remember what it was called) and a glass of Patxaran which was absolutely delicious. I think I’ll be looking for this at the airport to bring home and hope I still like it (unlike the Becherovka from Bratislava!!) when I get it home!

It’s been a very nice group on this tour but clearly the coolest person we met is Natalie, so we grab her and head to another bar for a drink!! We have a few Riojas and a great chat and then have a final one with a gilda before calling it a night at midnight!

Next morning we head to Concha beach which is packed with people (it seems to be always busy) but it is absolutely gorgeous. No photos as we don’t want to risk leaving our phones on the beach while we’re in the water. It’s the Atlantic so it’s cold initially … well actually it’s the Cantabrian Sea, on the Bay of Biscay which is in the Atlantic Ocean!! It doesn’t take long to get used to though, and we stay in for ages. There are no big waves so it’s perfect for me and I’m actually able to swim around. Love it!

In the afternoon we decide on a late lunch and in one of our local restaurants we have a chuleta – a giant steak …. Oh my goodness, it is fantastic! We have it with a plate of tomatoes and some bread… oh and some red wine of course… so delicious.

We while away a couple of hours enjoying it, digesting it and taking in our surroundings. A delightful Sunday afternoon.

Next day we take a trip to Hondarribia. It’s a town very close to the French border and it’s only 30 minutes away by bus. It is absolutely gorgeous with these brightly painted houses and buildings.

We walk along the seafront and are actually looking across to France!

After a quick pitstop for a coffee and an orange juice (freshly squeezed and so good!), we climb upwards to the old town.

Great views from up here and a lovely small town to wander around.

As we walk through, what used to be the main entrance into Hondarribia’s old town, the Santa Maria Gate, we get a “Welcome to France” message from our mobile provider!!! Yep, that’s how close we are!

It’s time for a bit of lunch so we find a bar and have…. you’ve guessed it, some pinxtos!! I honestly don’t think I’ve met a pinxto I don’t like!!

We take the short bus journey back and as it’s our last day in San Sebastián we have a short wander around the old town so we can tick a few things off our list! There’s a magnet to be purchased, ✅

A mushroom with egg pinxto to try along with a glass of MACERACIÓN CARBÓNICA at Bar Itxaropena! ✅ and ✅

We still haven’t had some Basque Cheesecske so we get one from a delightful bakery close to where we live and another from a very fancy bakery that almost looks like a Prada shop!! Both are good. The high end one is gooey and really cheesy… either way, that’s a ✅

All the items ticked off our list, we head back for a rest before our last evening in town. We decide to walk along the coastline and it’s a beautiful evening to enjoy it.

We make our way all the way round Concrete Jesus and see the famous “Constructcion Vacia” sculpture.

And on to the Harbour at Concha beach..

Back in the old town, I really want to end this trip how we began – wandering around streets filled with bars and pointing at Pinxtos we want to try… that’s exactly what we do to finish off this fantastic trip.

The sky is beautiful as we walk home truly satisfied we have experienced what San Sebastián has to offer.

We are heading to Northern Spain and finally getting to see San Sebastián which has certainly been on Shane’s list for a long time. We fly to Bilbao, considered the capital of Basque Country, and enjoy an intro to the world of Pinxtos!

We are staying in a guest room in an apartment that’s very central to all the action and once we’ve met our very chatty host Sonia, and get settled in our room, we head to a bar for a glass of Txakoli (kinda sounds like chocolate) and our first Pinxto!

This is the life! The ham is fantastic, the wine is fabulous and the price is cheap! They also have the European athletics on tv and I get to see the amazing Rhasidat Adeleke win a silver medal for Ireland. Woo hoo!!!

Next door is Bar Ledesma… now their array of Pintxos looks amazing…. Another glass of delicious white wine and this time we try the tortilla and some gilda (pickles, olive and an anchovy on bread) -Yum!

We go for a wander to the river and check out the sculpture in front of City Hall.

A couple more bars and a couple more pinxtos before we call it a night!!! We move onto the red here… ooh it’s so good and all of €2.40 a glass!

So many bars and so many pinxtos… we’ve done well for our first night!!

We have booked tickets for the Guggenheim which I’m excited to visit. About twenty years ago I visited the Guggenheim in New York City so I’m interested to compare. So next morning, we set off with umbrellas in the rain and admire the building from outside, as much as you can in the rain!!

We see the giant “Puppy” which is very cool.

There are lots of puddles as we walk around the very large Guggenheim but it has to be done…. I like the giant spider sculpture, named Maman (as a tribute to the artists mother), sitting alongside the river outside.

At the allocated time for our tickets, we head inside this gigantic building and explore three floors of art – modern art, so not always my cup of tea but we do see some interesting stuff.

We walk around “The Matter of Time”, a permanent installation by Richard Serra. The structures are made of eight gigantic pieces of weathering steel and are shaped into curves.

It’s still raining when we come outside so we take the tram to the famous Ribera market. It’s nearly 2pm so a lot of the market stalls are closing up but the meat and fish counters we see are very impressive. It’s the largest covered market in Europe. The Gastro plaza seems too busy and chaotic to queue for pinxtos that we can get more comfortably in a bar so we leave here and walk into the old town. We find a “Menu Del Dia” and have a delightful 3 course meal, with a bottle of wine plus bread (of course!) for €14 each! Happy days!

Casco Viejo, the medieval old quarter, is located alongside the Nervion river. We walk around the streets which are quiet due do the rain and it’s also siesta time. We see the cathedral which I would normally go into but we are a bit wet and tired and also it’s €10!!

Instead we visit Plaza Nuevo and enjoy the views of the city from the bridge, before heading back for a rest.

Later in the evening we go to Bar Iruna, which is a really old school bar where they pour cider from a height!

Surprise surprise they also have some amazing pinxtos!

Next up is Bar Atseden for more yumminess!!

Next morning it’s time to leave Bilbao and take the train to San Sebastián. It’s a fairly long train journey of just under 3 hours, on a train that is like a DART, that goes all the way to France!! It’s pleasant though and there’s a toilet on board and we’ve brought a banana and a nectarine so we survive!! The scenery along the way is beautiful.

See Part II for San Sebastián!

We are off to visit Caroline in Hamburg, Germany’s 2nd largest city. After a half hour delay (unusual enough for Ryanair) and it’s less than two hours flight from Dublin, and we arrive in time for a beer apperitivo and a nice dinner at the local Ramen restaurant.

Saturday morning it has to be parkrun time. We grab a couple of bikes and cycle to Alstervorland parkrun.

It’s a really friendly parkrun through a park alongside the lake and it’s all flat.

Easy peasy for us 4! Afterward they have cake and I get to try franzbrötchen, a pastry similar to a cinnamon swirl. The Pride parade is today so there are additional celebrations this morning.

A cycle and walk back to Caroline’s apartment where we have a delicious breakfast of eggs, mushroom, spinach and most importantly sausages!! And obviously an array of bread. We have bought a Deutschland ticket and are ready to avail of all of the travel methods… off we go!

We take a walk through Stadtpark and see the beautiful rose garden.

We also see the Planetarium.

Time to check out a beer garden so we head to Landhaus Walter.

There’s a large variety of beers, I go for a Radler which is essentially a shandy and it suits me just fine!

Next stop is for Spaghetti-Eis – a large ice cream with raspberry sauce and white chocolate shavings served in an edible bowl shaped cone! It is delish!

We walk over a number of bridges and past a number of canals…

Next stop is Monkey Beach bar on the canal. There’s great people watching here, in particular the paddle boarders and the sunshine is delightful.

We hit another bar across the road, also on the canal before heading for dinner and having a hamburger in Hamburg – it has to be done!!!

Next morning we take a 50 minute train journey to Lubeck. We start with a little kaffee und kuchen (coffee and cake) and then proceed to explore the old town.

The giant church at the centre of Lubeck is St.Marian, or Saint Mary’s. Sitting outside is the devil on the devils stone! The story goes that when the first stones of St Mary’s were laid the devil lent a hand as he thought it was to build a wine bar!! Unfortunately it was a Lutheran church!

Inside the huge church there’s a service going on and the pastor (I assume), continues his service while we walk around the edges and admire the building. There is an exhibition about the Jews of Lubeck who were persecuted and killed by the Nazis.

Opposite St Mary’s is the town hall, a dark brick building on the backside to Market square.

Most of the buildings we see are slightly leaning or just strangely wonky!!

As we leave Lubeck we walk through the old gates.

Looking back we have a great view of the gate and the church. We also manage to find rhubarb Fritz which we’ve been looking out for – delicious!

We get back on the train and go to Travemunde, a seaside town on the Baltic. It’s sunny but you can feel that Baltic wind!! We have lunch at a fish shack and I try the Backfish which is breaded white fish served in a white crusty roll! Very nice!

Time to dip our feet in the ocean… it’s cold but lovely.

Next day Caroline and I do a 9km run around the Alsta (the lake) and it is gorgeous.

It’s been quite a while since I ran that distance so a few breaks were needed but it felt great.

All cleaned up, we head out for breakfast, and after a battle with a few wasps (and maybe the best blueberry pancakes I’ve ever had), it’s time to explore Hamburg. We start with the Rathaus.

We walk through the Speicherstadt, a UNESCO listed site and the world’s largest complex of warehouses. We cross a number of bridges and canals and admire the Neo-Gothic red buildings.

We visit the home of the Hamburg Philharmonic. Opened in 2017, its construction resembles a hoisted sail, water wave, iceberg or quartz crystal resting on top of an old brick warehouse. It’s fantastic to look at and there are some great views from inside too.

The ticket to get inside is free, and the escalator is the highlight! The curved escalator, known as the “Tube”, is an 82-meter-long, convexly arched marvel and the longest curved escalator in Europe. 

Next is the Elbe Tunnel – this is my favourite thing in Hamburg. It was opened in 1911 and connects two suburbs on either side of the river Elbe. We walk down 24 metres, which is cool in and of itself…

But then you see the actual tunnel which has two parallel tubes – one for cyclists and one for pedestrians. They are 426.5 meters in length and decorated with tiles of fish and marine life.

It is awesome! We walk a little of the pedestrian tunnel and then take the giant lift, that can fit more than 30 bikes back up to ground level.

From here we take a short metro journey to the St Pauli (Green) bunker. Built in 1942 in just 300 days by forced laborers, it was an anti-aircraft tower and air-raid shelter. After the war it was too massive to safely demolish so it was repurposed as emergency housing, a television broadcasting studio, and eventually transformed into a major music and media center. More recently it got a “green” makeover adding trees and the greenery we see today.

After all that we need a little rest and we head to Ratsheren brewery. I’m on the radlers and it’s delightful (especially because it’s Monday!).

We are right beside the television and telecommunications tower which is the tallest structure in Hamburg.

We check out another brew pub and have noodles for dinner before calling it a day (after 29,500 steps!).

Next day we are by ourselves as Caroline and Tom have gone to Munich, so we take the train to Bremen. The train takes just over an hour and as we head to the centre of the action, we pass by an old church that is quite unusual on the inside! It’s Liebfrauen Church which dates back to 1040! Behind the alter is a swing with a sign saying “Here you swing with God’s blessing at your own risk ( Max. load 90 kg )”!!! Well that’s a first!!

Onwards to explore Marktplaz and the 600 year old town hall – Rathaus.

We see the giant statue of Roland in the Marktplaz. Apparently there are lots of similar statues to this in Germany but, at 10metres high, this is the largest. It dates to 1404 which is impressive.

The buildings around the square are fantastic.

We see the famous Town Musicians statue – Donkey, dog, cat, rooster. The donkey is well worn from all for rubs for good luck.

From here we walk through Böttcherstraße which is a short street, famous for its unusual architecture. It has some really cool shops and museums.

We walk a little further to Bremens oldest quarter – Schnoor. It is beautiful here – feels very “oldy worldy”, with small cobblestone streets and alleyways alongside 15th century buildings.

Wandering around the delightful streets of Schnoor…..

We stop for lunch at a restaurant called Kaiser Fredrich and I order Bremen Knipp, which is a local sausage made with oat groats and pork and fried until it’s crispy. It’s a bit like black and white pudding mixed together, and it’s served on spuds – fantastic!!

We walk toward the water and to Schlachte, a riverfront promenade along the Weser River lined with outdoor terraces and beer gardens! We choose Feldmans for a Haake Beck and look across to the red stone buildings across the water.

We have an easy dinner of herring salad on the balcony and that’s our time in Hamburg done as we fly home next morning.

In this neck of the woods “moin” means hello and in some places, like Lubeck, they say “moin moin”. For now though it’s bye bye to Hamburg. We will definitely be back!

We leave Lecce and take the scenic road toward our final accommodation destination in Puglia – Ostuni. We stop at a town called Mesagne (think lasagne with an m!), which has a Norman castle and of course a Centro Storico where there’s a wedding taking place. Another really pretty town.

Carrying on, we head for Ceglie Messapica, one of the foodie hotspots, so of course we have to have a meal here. We find Osteria Pugliese for lunch and it is fantastic. We have the daily special orecchiette and the famous Pugliese rolled meat dish – bombette. With some salad and potatoes alongside, we wash it down with a surprisingly nice rosé. I love eating in Puglia!

We take a walk around this maze of quiet, whitewashed medieval alleys, stone courtyards, and ancient defensive walls – another beautiful quaint town to enjoy.

We continue to Ostuni and check into our final Airbnb of the trip. We are staying at an amazing place – Trullo Di Mamma Lucia Ostuni. This is our house!

This is us on the roof….

And thus is our beautiful garden and pool!!!

We sit outside and have a light dinner of some delicious sausages and afterwards enjoy an Amaro (local firewater)!

Next day we set off early to visit Alberobello which is famous for the concentration of Trulli houses. We start on the main drag that is clearly the tourist destination but we’re early enough that there’s not too many people around.

As we continue walking around we realise there are lots of Trulli to see off the beaten track. Higher up, there are some great spots to get a view across these unique roofs.

I love this town but it’s time to move on…

Next is Locorotondo, consistently celebrated as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. It’s definitely quieter here and at this point we may be getting a little “Centro historico fatigue”!!

More churches… more piazzas, more everything old and beautiful…

For lunch we are going to a Masseria in Martina Franca. A masseria is a traditional rural fortified farmhouse serving up food that has been grown or reared on its farm. We chose Masseria Capella and are the only diners there alongside a tour bus from Ireland!!! There is so much food and as chief wine drinker, a lot of wine for me to get through!!!

Back at the house, it’s time for a swim (one the wine has worn off obviously 🤣).

I just love this pool…

It’s so lovely to have this place to relax in and after enjoying some sausages from the bbq (courtesy of chief bbq-er James), we are treated to a very colourful sunset… and maybe an Amaro or two!

Next day we visit the town of Ostuni which is just a few minutes from our Trullo. There’s a beautiful view from a “belvedere” looking at the city on a hill – it’s stunning.

We walk around the historico Centro and this town has a slightly different feel to the others. Lots of white washed buildings along the narrow streets and of course plenty of churches and small piazzas.

Apparently doors are a thing here too… bloody instagram!!

We drive to Cisternino to find a butcher that cooks the meat for you… they are called macellerias and we find one called Macelleria Braceria del Corso, in the Centro Historico. The meat is really tasty but the experience is a little underwhelming. I thought we’d see the meat being cooked but it’s brought from the kitchen and the overall service from a young boy, who clearly doesn’t want to be there, doesn’t help!!

I love my swim and relax time at our Trulli. It’s really hot and badly needed! And then of course there’s apperitivo time which is followed by another lovely sunset.

Next morning we drive for about an hour to Putignano and visit Grotto del Trullo. There are lots of caves all over Puglia but this is one of the few that is open to the public.

We head for the Centro Storico and walk around another pretty picturesque old town.

For lunch we find a fantastic sandwich shop and order “the queen”…. A fresh octopus sandwich …. So delicious!

Next stop is the beach. We find Pilone beach and once we figure out how to avoid the beach clubs and find the free beach, we strip off and head in. There’s a few gentle waves and the temperature is fantastic.

Back at home in our Trullo, we enjoy the pool and make the most of our last day in this beautiful place.

Goodbye Puglia, you have been amazing!

We set off from Polignano A Mare and stop at Savelletri, a fishing village about 30 minutes south. At Bar Skipper, I somehow manage to order an ice cream pastry for breakfast!

We continue along the coast road and arrive at Torre Canne, another pretty coastal town, this one with a lighthouse.

Back on the road we head for Brindisi. Although most people fly in here and leave for other towns, it’s a nice town in and of itself.

We have sussed out a really good restaurant for lunch and arrive hungry to La Locanda del Porto. I have a delicious pasta with fish and as the wine is almost as cheap as water, I have a wee glass of the house white – so good!

It’s only about another half hour drive to Lecce which is where we’ll stay for the next four nights. A really nice apartment in the old town. We park outside and walk through the narrow streets – I’m really liking the feel of this place.

We meet our host and settle in, which involves heading to the local supermarket for some provisions… liquid ones mostly!

After an apperitivo in one of the small squares, we have dinner at Crianza, the restaurant directly opposite where we’re having a drink. Everyone is happy with their choices and there’s a delicious bottle of red from Salento, which the waitress reckons is their best wine!

After dinner we take a wander around and see the Basilica de Santa Croce.

It’s a pretty large old town with so many winding narrow streets and alleyways. On the slightly bigger roads there are festive lights which make for a very nice atmosphere as we wander around.

Next morning we head to the market and pick up some breakfast supplies.

We set off to do a self guided tour of Lecce old town which is essentially a tour of churches! There’s an entry fee for a lot of them (there are so many!) so we buy a ticket that gets us into all the big ones. We start at the Basilica Santa Croce (which we saw last night), it’s stunning inside with a number of relics.

We enjoy the break from the sun each time we enter another church but there are just too many to capture here. We are also relic hunting and we are not disappointed- again, so many!! One of note is St Bernardino in Chiesa Del Gesu. A lovely statue of him but if you look closely, you can see his skull and bones beside him!

We stop for lunch at Antica Pucceria which has been in operation since 1941. We reckon the menu hasn’t changed much since then and we are served by the third generation owner, who is the young boy in the photo on the wall. The sambos are fantastic.

Feeling somewhat knackered, we head back to the apartment and relax on the top deck which has a small pool. It’s in full sun but delightfully cool.

Tonight we branch out from the traditional restaurants we’ve been eating at and go to a Hambirreria, which is what you’d imagine from the name…. A place of beer and burgers. My burger has pancetta, scamorza and potato on it… it definitely has a Puglia twist!

Australia are playing in the World Cup tonight so we find a bar showing the match and enjoy listening to some great tunes and watching the match. Alas no joy for the Aussies.

On Saturday morning it’s Parkrun time and lucky for us, Salento parkrun is just under a half hour away! It takes place in a remote “regional national park” that seems to double up as an olive farm. There’s a very small group of 34 people, half of whom are visitors. It’s blistering heat so we don’t break any records but are delighted to get it done and to meet a friendly bunch. There may also have been some drama with Rav and a snake but that remains unconfirmed! 😱

In the afternoon we explore the west side of the heel of Italy. First we head to Gallipoli (not to be mistaken for the Turkish peninsula featured in WWI!). It’s a beautiful old town surrounded by water.

We have lunch with a view and I try the ORECCHIETTE ALLE CIME DI RAPA, which is pasta with turnip tops. It certainly does taste of turnips and while I’m a fan of the vegetable, I’m not sure about it with pasta!!

After a wander through the old town, we leave Gallipoli and drive to Nardo. This is a much smaller town but has that lovely old feel to it. The temperature is in the low thirties and we (well I) am roasting so we stop for a Granita a limone in the square. Delightful!

It’s time for a dip in the sea so we make our way to Porto Cesareo and have a delightful dip in the cool (not cold!) water.

For dinner in the evening we go to Osteria da Angiulina, a homely looking establishment, a short walk from our apartment. We didn’t know this ahead of time but the menu was heavy on horse… not something I knew was popular in Italy. I go for a mixed grill, which yes, includes horse. The whole meal is delightful and of course washed down with some very nice wine of the case!

Next day we set off, after a burrata brekkie, for Otranto. Another beautiful historic town on the sea with a castle and a cathedral.

We have a paddle in the clear blue water…

We visit the Cathedral which has the biggest mosaic in Europe. The whole floor of the church is covered in a very impressive mosaic.

We also see the Chapel of the Martyrs, which houses the stacked skulls and bones of 813 local citizens, who in 1480, were publicly beheaded by the Turks as they wouldn’t renounce their catholic faith.

Onwards to the beach. It’s 30+ degrees and we are roasting so we find a beach club at Alimini beach and spend a few hours swimming and chilling! Gorgeous!

For our final dinner we make our way to LA CUCINA di Mamma Elvira and have another delicious local meal. It’s hard to order anything bad in this town!

Next morning we have a quick coffee at the Porta Napoli and it’s time to move on… Lecce you have been beautiful.

We take a 5 hour train from Rimini to Bari and meet up with our pals, Rav and James. Another short train journey to Polignano A Mare where we start our Puglia adventure. We are staying in an apartment with a balcony overlooking Piazzo San Benedeto and once settled we take a walk around this very cute old town. The famously “instagrammed” beach, Lama Monachile, is just a few minutes walk and it is very picturesque.

We have a tasty first meal of fresh fish and some local wine – we are off to a good start!

The scenery looking out along the coastline is beautiful as we take a walk after dinner.

And there are so many narrow streets to explore….

Next morning we set off to explore some more.

We see the statue of Domenico Modugno (who’s he you say!!), well he is the original singer and writer of the song Volare which is actually called “Nel blu, dipinto di blu”. It was a Eurovision winner before Dean Martin made it a worldwide hit. You can hear it sang everywhere we go!

We walk for about an hour to San Vito which has a harbour dominated by the 10th-century Benedictine Abbey of San Vito. Beautiful!

In the afternoon we take a short train journey to Monopoli. It’s a beautiful walled city looking out to the Adriatic Sea.

We check out the Basilica Cattedralle which is very impressive.

We walk the periphery of the town and through the beautiful streets and alleys. It really is a beautiful romantic town.

We decide it’s aperitivo o’clock and settle in a cafe for limoncello spritz – delicious!

We have a beautiful meal at Sangi Vanni Osteria and realise we were lucky to get a table as a significant queue has formed to the point where we have spectators while we eat!! The orecchiette and fried fish is delish and we taxi home (there may have been a few too many spritzes had!!).

Next morning we hit Lama Monachile beach for a “swim”…. but it’s hardly apt to call it a beach – while the water looks fabulous, it’s a nightmare to get in with the stones – you definitely need water shoes. The water does feel lovely and the views are nice… it’s not easy though!

In the afternoon we go to Bari. We head straight for Via dell’Arco to see the nonnas (grannies!) making handmade Orecchiette, which is the iconic cup-shaped pasta native to Puglia.

We have our first focaccia at Nonna Lina’s Traditional Food Wine and I have a Braciola meat ragu.

We explore Bari and see the Norman castle and a number of churches.

In the piazza St Nicola we visit the Basilica Pontificia Saint Nicola where there are relics of St Nicholas (yes Santa Claus)!! Apparently the relics make up more than half of the skeletal remains and there is also a jar with the saints manna… now if you follow my blogs you know I love a relic and there are so many here in Italy but this is a first for me to see actual manna!!! This manna is actually the most famous and documented example, which is said to have flowed from his remains since he was buried. [for those not in the know, which I’m guessing is most of you, “Manna of a Saint” (also known as the Oil of Saints) is a mysterious clear or amber coloured liquid believed to exude from the relics, tombs or icons or certain Christian saints… mad!]😱

We walk around the town and down to the harbour seeing more churches and piazzas. We walk for nearly an hour in blistering heat to the suburbs (the real Bari!!) to pick up a car and then head back to Polignano A Mare for dinner. We eat at Quadrifuglio and get to try the Spaghetti All’Assassinass. This is burnt spaghetti with Stracciatella cheese on top – it’s a first for me and it is fabulous.

The drinks are particularly good too!

Another walk around this charming town before a digestif on the balcony to finish off the night.

Next morning we walk to the train station where we’ve parked the car, as Polignano old town is a designated pedestrian zone. We drive to Altamura, the city of bread! We visit Forno Santa Caterina, a 700 year old bakery and get some bread and focaccia to take back to the house.

We have some local pastries at Caffe Svevo – very brazenly named as you’ll see from the photo!!

We visit the church of St Nicolai di Greci and find St Beatrice. Relics and skeletons abound in this region.

From here we drive just fifteen minutes or so and we arrive at Gravina in Puglia. This is an historic town know for its dramatic cliffs, ancient cave dwellings, and Romanesque architecture. We Walk to the Ponte Viadotto or Aquaduct bridge, for a view over the ravine.

From the other side of the bridge there is a great look back to the town built into the cliff edge.

We visit San Basilio Rock Church and then find a spot for lunch in a square by the cathedral. Every town seems to have a cathedral. I have a delicious bruschetta minus the tomatoes … doh!

Gravina feels like the poor man’s Matera and as it’s only another 20 minutes or so away, we make the decision to go there. It was a question mark as I’ve been before but I’m very happy to go back and I’m pretty sure it will be a highlight of the trip for the others.

There’s a lot of walking to do and lots of viewpoints of this unusual city where the cliff homes, “the sassi” were lived in by the poor for years.

We cover both sides – the more built up with hotels and restaurants and the quieter side where there are still parts cordoned off and inaccessible. I even find the hotel that I stayed in around 20 years ago!! We drive to the other side of the gorge to Murgia National Park, to get a full view back to the Sassi. It’s tricky enough to capture it in a photo but we try…

For our last night we dine on the terrace with the bread and some goodies we’ve picked up from the local supermarket. It’s delicious and the setting couldn’t be better.

It’s an hour bus journey from Rimini to the Republic of San Marino, which is the main reason we have come to Rimini. We set off on Friday morning to check it out and of course it means a new country ticked off our list! As we drive upward toward the capital town, also called San Marino, we get a view of Mount Titano and a taste of the terrain.

San Marino is a mountainous microstate surrounded by north-central Italy and is one of the world’s oldest republics. As we climb up the hill the views are stunning.

San Marino is known for its medieval walled old town and narrow cobblestone streets which are full of shops (it’s a duty free zone) and restaurants. The Public Palace is the building where official ceremonies take place and it is the seat of San Marino main institutional and administrative bodies. It also has a Statue of Liberty in front of the palace building.

The are Three iconic Towers that we climb further up to. These castlelike citadels date to the 11th century. It’s not a tough walk so we’ve plenty of time to admire the views.

The beautiful surroundings from the more remote third tower.

It really is all about the views here in San Marino. That said I did manage to buy a pair of funky leather sandals which I’m loving!

We have a traditional piadine for lunch and relax with a view.

San Marino is stunning. The views on a sunny day are hard to beat and we really enjoyed our visit. Ciao San Marino, it’s back to Italy with us!

There’s no direct flight from Dublin to Rimini, so we set off on the 6:30am flight from Dublin to Stansted to connect from there. It all goes smoothly and the lovely lady from our accommodation picks us up (for free). We are staying at a beautiful BnB apartment and couldn’t be happier with the facilities. Shoes off, flip flops on, we walk a couple of minutes to the beach. There are so many miles of sunbeds and umbrellas, it’s hard to imagine this could ever be full!

We paddle our feet and walk along the very nice beach.

For dinner we go to Amerigo (recommended by Annalisa our host) and have some seafood ravioli with mixed seafood and mixed veg – delicious! The wine of the Casa, at just €7 for a half litre, is also surprisingly good!

Next morning we go to the local cafe for our Italian Breakfast which consists of coffee (in my case tea) and a croissant. We are heading to San Marino today – that’s in another blog.

After our day trip to San Marino we hit “beach 46” restaurant for a fish dinner. Again this was recommended by our host and we even get a discount when we tell them Donna Analisa went us.

Our meal is beautiful and we have a bit of craic with the waiters and some very nice limoncello before we leave.

Next morning it’s time for parkrun which is in Marecchia park. It’s about a half hour walk to the park which is beside the famous 2,000 year old Tiberius bridge (a must see in Rimini) but unfortunately it is covered in scaffolding for some refurbishment!

Parkrun is great though …. There are quite a few visitors from abroad. It’s flat and we’re delighted to tick another country of our list!

In the afternoon we walk back to “Centro Historico” to check out the old town.

We enter through Augustus Arch which was dedicated by the people of Rome to Emperor Caesar Augustus, son of Julius.

We meander around the streets and the various piazzas. I’m excited to be at Piazza Cavour (🎵 what’s my life for) but quickly realise there are many Piazza Cavours around the country so it’s not necessarily the one Morrissey sang about!

We stop for lunch at Nude Crud in the Borgo San Giuliano neighbourhood which is where Fellini lived. Shane has a piadine and I have a cassoni which is essentially a folded piadina (a round, thin flatbread) stuffed with ingredients and cooked on a special hot pan

We spend an hour at the Fellini museum and it’s as you might imagine – a bit out there! Apparently the rhino makes an appearance in one of his movies – I may need to get on a bit of a Fellini buzz!

There’s a second part of the Fellini museum at Castel Sismondoa, a 15th century castle.

More interesting exhibits and artworks here. My favourite has to be (as I like to think of it), an homage to the reclining Buddha, Dolce Vita style!!

This evening we walk to the beach for a beverage before dinner. It really is beautiful relaxing by the sea, feet in the sand with a glass of vino. (it has occurred to me that the house wine in Italy is generally better than what you get in Spain… just saying!). We walk along the beachfront and I have a delicious carbonara for our final Rimini meal.

Next day we move on…. I really like Rimini. But for now “arrivederci”.

I’m spending four nights in the capital of Slovakia with my Supperclub buddies in honour of a recent birthday milestone.

The Ryanair flight is less than three hours and we arrive on time to our free airport pick up which Jennifer has scored through Booking.com. It’s about a 15/20 minute journey to our hotel which is fantastic. It’s called Hotel Loft and it’s a really cool building with “Fabrika” brew pub attached.

We decide to eat at Fabrika tonight as it’s fairly late and I get started on the list of local foods I want to try. Cabbage soup – doesn’t sound too appetising but it was delicious and had homemade sausage in it.

We have booked ourselves on a walking tour of the city, so after breakfast next day, we walk towards the old town to meet our guide. His name is Samuel and he gives us lots of historical information about the town. Among other things, we learn that Bratislava was once called Pressburg.

The entryway to the old town is through Michael’s Gate and it’s significantly busier here than it is in the newer part of town where our hotel is.

We walk through the old square and zig zag through the winding streets (this town is definitely not built on a grid). Entering the square in front of the beautiful Opera House, we are treated to some music from the fujara, a traditional Slovak overtone flute. Delightful 😁

We make our way to St. Martins cathedral. Mass is on so we have only a brief peep inside!

We climb up to the castle which dates to the 13th-century and houses the National museum. We are so lucky with the sunny weather.

From the castle we get a great view of the town and the Danube river. I remember seeing this bridge, which has an impressive viewing platform, when I was here last in 2019, but Samuel reckons it’s overrated and overpriced and the locals hate it… fair enough, we won’t go! We also see a group of wind turbines – they’re quite close but they are actually in Austria.

We’re almost three hours in, and Samuel is beginning to repeat himself (through spittle 😱), so we’re about ready to go when he announces he has a surprise for us… oh lord!!! He takes shot glasses from his backpack along with a flask of tea and a bottle of rum. Seems like an odd combination but we down it, thank him, give him a tip and off we go!! We head back into the old town and have a beverage in a café, sitting outside in the sunshine. We try the potato dumplings and fried cheese (more local food staples ticked off the list!)

We walk back to the square to visit the Franciscan church, as some pre-trip research tells me the incorrupt body of St Raparatus is in there. It’s a beautiful baroque church but we can only peer through the locked gates, and listen to the Franciscans praying. We’ll have to come back.

After a little rest in the hotel, it’s time to head out for dinner. Earlier Jen found a restaurant that she liked the look of – it’s called Divney Janco and we are delighted with our meal. Apparently in 1844 a Slovak poet, activist Janko Matúška, wrote a very famous protest song here. We have the Hungarian goulash, which is insanely flavourful, served with giant dumplings and a nice bottle of white, then a nice bottle of red! We are happy out!

We decide to go for a drink and happen upon this very local looking bar. We get chatting to a jazz pianist called Denis, who’s mad to chat to us and says he knows Irish people and they are the best. He’s got a good few drinks on him but his English is good and it’s very entertaining conversing with him. He says that he is so happy to chat to anyone, even idiots, but we are “fucking great people”!! The owner of the bar is a voluptuous, very well put together lady, with no English but a very big smile. At last orders, she gives us a round Becherovka, a Czech digestif, that is very popular here. It has a hint of cinnamon and is actually very tasty.

Next morning we explore more of Bratislava. We see the upside down pyramid which is The Slovak Radio Building and enjoy other buildings and statues and of course churches (although they’re rarely open to go inside). We also notice how clean the city is.

This afternoon we are going to a spa for a “splish and splosh” and a massage. It’s a beautiful facility,called Golden Kinaree, in the Sheraton hotel and it’s absolutely fab. We have the whole place to ourselves until one man arrives to use the sauna… we are all just a little bit stunned that he appears to have just a towel wrapped around him and he removes it in the sauna and starts doing leg crunches and stretches… seriously!!! When I go into the sauna he quickly grabs his towel and covers up… it’s a glass door, did he think we didn’t see him! 😱

We are on the waterfront at Eurovea City (a giant complex of shops and restaurants) and we’re hungry so we check out Kolkovna for a glass of wine and an appetiser. We have the most delicious Gruner Vetliner wine, not from Austria, but the Slovakian, Veltlinske Zelené. It’s so good and it’s actually the cheapest bottle we have bought so far (€16!)

We tidy ourselves up and head back to the old town for dinner. After looking in a few places, we settle on The Farmhosue and have a very nice meal with more local wine. We call into the Half Blind Pig for a cocktail before calling it a night.

After breakfast next morning, we take an Uber to Devín Castle. It’s approximately 12 km away. The ruins are extensive and it is such a lovely day as we walk around.

The castle was built as a fortress in the 13th century to protect the western frontier of the Hungarian Kingdom.

The scenery all around is stunning, on this glorious sunny day.

Slovakia is landlocked but connected to the sea via the Danube river. From the castle, we look out onto the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers.

After a fair amount of climbing, it’s time to come down and have a snack. Poppy seed cake is on the “must-try” list and they have a Gruner… delish!

We decide to continue our rural exploration and head to Marianka, a village in the foothills of the Little Carpathians. The village is the oldest pilgrimage site in Slovakia and the first pilgrimage site dedicated to the Virgin Mary – this sounds right up my street! We start with a visit to the church where there’s a rehearsal for a concert, starting shortly.

There are many small chapels around and in one of them I get “talking” to the parish priest. The problem is he only speaks polish and while I’ve said I don’t understand he continues to speak at me… pointing out paintings on the wall and who they are, what they mean (I assume!). Then he tells me to sing…. 😱. He’s intimating that the acoustics are good so I should sing…. Oh lord, I’m mortified but bust out a verse of Ave Verum!!! Thankfully the girls have arrived for backup and he ropes in a young man who translates for us…. Now he’s really in his element and starts telling us about the water from the near-by well and how it has apparently resulted in some miracles!!! I’m loving this but it’s hard to get away. Eventually we thank him and make a run for it!!

Grace had read that there are relics from the children of Fatima here but I couldn’t see them in the church so I go back in to check them out – they’re so tiny they’re barely visible!! Still, you know I love a relic!

Back outside we walk around the pilgrim area.

There’s a large group doing the Stations of the Cross which line the hill and we catch some of their singing. All in all, a weird and wonderful afternoon in a holy place. Love it!

Back in the city we visit the famous “Little Blue Church”, an iconic symbol of the city, built by a revered Hungarian architect. It’s very striking among the grey surroundings.

We’re all “churched” out so decide to visit Bratislava Flagship, a huge restaurant in an ornate old theater, with traditional Slovak fare & house-brewed beers. A glass of beer and a nibble on some potato pancake and fried cheese will keep us going until dinner.

The office of the president:

For our final dinner, we go to a restaurant called Pulitzer and I have a schnitzel that, as you can see, is giant!

Next morning I climb up to the gigantic Slavín war memorial, which is visible from much of the city, before enjoying a final hotel breakfast (which has been excellent btw).

We pack our bags and walk into the old town for a final look around. The Franciscan church is still closed so I’m sad to report I didn’t get to see St Raparatus.

We pick up some poppy seed cake at the famous Pressburg Bajgel, to be had on the flight home.

Grace and I decide to have some Thai pampering which is dished out on two low mattresses on the floor…. We fear the room may have seen some happy endings but I enjoy a foot massage while Grace goes for head, neck and shoulders. Quite the little adventure before heading home.

It has started to rain and there’s just time for a final bit of Slovakian grub at Koliba Kamzik. I try the garlic soup…. very garlicky, surprise surprise!! A lovely restaurant though, with really nice staff.

So off to the airport with us. The birthday girl is happy and we have had a fun filled, fantastic four days!

We’re nearly at the end of our month in Malaysia and today we fly back to KL (from Brunei) for our final 4 days. Our flight is a little delayed so it’s quite late by the time we arrive. Next morning we’re ready to investigate KL. We head out for breakfast and I have one of the last things on my list that I want to try – Murtabak, which is essentially a stuffed pancake. It’s very good.

After getting a few provisions (the obligatory milk for tea, water, etc), we go for a wander to tick some sites off our list. We visit Masjid Jamek, the mosque built at the confluence of the Gombak and Klang rivers, considered to be the birthplace of Kuala Lumpur. In fact Kuala Lumpur translates to Muddy Waters, which is how it got its name… the water is indeed muddy here!

Opposite Merdaka square we see the beautiful Sultan Abdul Samad building which originally housed the offices of the British colonial administration. In later years it housed the superior courts and now it is filled with galleries and cafes.

Cendol, which you find all over Malaysia has been on our list to try since we got here but we haven’t managed to have one… well until now that is. It’s a traditional dessert of shaved ice topped with soft, green, worm-like jelly strands made of rice flour, coconut ice cream, palm sugar and in the case of this one, kidney beans!!! It’s not very sweet considering it’s a desert – worth trying once I reckon!

We continue walking to Pasar Seni or the Cultural Bazaar. It was the original town market, constructed in 1888. There’s a huge amount of craft shops and food stalls and it’s a really buzzing place to walk around.

Another food item on my list to try is beef roti. This is a food staple that was popular on the Silk Road and consists of mince and onion rolled into pastry and deep fried. Now you wouldn’t want to be eating these regularly but it’s very very tasty!!

We go to the National Mosque – it’s giant – capacity to hold 15,000 people. We don’t go in although it does look like it allows visitors. Too many rules for us women!

When I was here in 2018, the construction of the building “Merdeka 118” was underway. It was finished in 2023 and is the tallest building in Southeast Asia and second in the world. I had a view of it from my hotel.

Our final stop is the Islamic Arts Museum. Housed in a beautiful building with some beautifully painted domes on the inside, it also has an inverted dome in the entryway. There’s a brilliant exhibit of the worlds most famous mosques with amazing models of them – in particular the giant Mecca.

A bit worn out from all the walking in the heat, we head back and go for a swim on the top floor of the building. I’m loving it with a view of the Petronas Towers.

This evening we go for dinner in a Chinese restaurant in the huge shopping mall beside us. Shane does the online order at the table and somehow manages to order me an XL dish while his is regular!!! Mine has “exploding pork and beef balls” and they are fantastic … and yes of course I share!!

Next morning we are off to visit the Batu caves. These limestone caves house the most important Hindu temple for Malaysian people.

We climb the 272 colourful steps and enter the main cave which is impressive as caves go, but the temple part is quite basic. We spend a fair while – mainly because I’m looking at the monkeys climbing the cliff walls!

There are monkeys roaming everywhere… as you enter Batu from the train, as you climb the steps and in the cave itself!

While it’s free to visit the main cave, there are smaller caves that you can pay to visit. We chose “Cave Villa” as I’ve seen it online and it looks really colourful – in a crazy tacky way, but I really want to see it!! It doesn’t disappoint on either fronts!

There are peacocks roaming around and some animals on display. We are also treated to a cultural show. A short one thankfully!!!

A few more monkeys terrorized on the way out and then we head home. We go for lunch at a restaurant called 1919 which has been around for as many years and have some Nyona food – salted egg chicken, tofu and a really good fried rice. Roasting again, it’s time for a swim to cool down. This time we head to the 6th floor to a much bigger pool… we even use the very well kitted out gym.

Later in the evening we walk through KLCC park and see the Petronas Towers light up. We go to Traders Sky Bar and have a cocktail with a view.

A light dinner at another mall restaurant, this time a Malay restaurant (that usually means no booze – you need to go to the Chinese restaurants for beer!), which like pretty much all the meals we’ve had, is really tasty.

Saturday morning means Parkrun… yay!!! There’s just one Parkrun in Malaysia and it’s in Putrajaya which is about a 40 minute drive from KL but we are committed! We get up at 6:15am and taxi in the dark, but by the time we arrive, it’s light and we are ready to go. It’s a small number of people but they are all really friendly.

We stay on in Putrajaya for a while to explore. It is a new city, built just over 20 years ago and is the administrative hub of the country. There is building after building of either government offices or residential apartment blocks.

And of course there are a number of mosques including this huge one known as the Iron mosque.

We walk along the river and see the Putrajaya Millenium monument.

Further along, bumping into hardly anybody, we cross this very impressive bridge and get some great views as we cross.

We get a great view back to Putra mosque, or the Pink Mosque – and the large Perdana Putra, which serves as the Prime Minister’s Office complex. We had close up views of these this morning as we ran Parkrun.

Looking down from the bridge on the extremely clean and well maintained roads and rows of residential blocks:

When we get back home, we swim, rest, pack and it’s time for our final meal. We walk past the Petronas one last time (I just can’t help taking a photo every time I see them!!)…

For our final dinner we eat at Bombay Indian restaurant and it’s quite fancy and really delicious and we can have a glass of beer!

Next morning we both fly home. I was supposed to fly through Dubai on Emirates but my flight has been cancelled due to the war that broke out this week. I’ve been lucky enough to get a flight to Istanbul and although when I arrive to the airport I think I’m getting booked through to Dublin, the pleasant tiny Malaysian woman tells me my flight to Dublin is actually tomorrow ….. SO that means although my Malaysia trip is over, I will have a day to spend in Istanbul before I get home!

This is the longest travel we’ve done in just one country and although there are still some parts we’d like to visit, we both feel like we’ve seen Malaysia and we give it 5 stars!