thursdaysd Wanders South
 

I planned my European trip this year in three parts. It was built round my niece's wedding in England at the end of August, and the center section was two and a half weeks in England. Since I had to travel in the summer, I decided it was the perfect time to finally visit Scandinavia, and I just finished the TR for that section:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...goes-north.cfm

I stayed very busy in England, and got behind on the TR, so instead of writing a TR for England (maybe I'll do that after I get home), I'm starting over with the third part, a zig-zag trip south, taking in north-east France, a little Switzerland, northern Italy, and the Basque country, finishing in Barcelona on Halloween.

As with the other TR, I'll be posting the same text, but with photos, to my blog:

mytimetotravel.wordpress.com

September 11-14, 2015: Struggling in Strasbourg

Growing up in England, I would spend every winter suffering through a series of colds. When I moved to North Carolina, where the summers are (very) humid but the winters (very) dry, I was delighted to make it through the cold season with just one or two illnesses. Since the weather while I was in London this trip was more like winter than summer, I suppose I should not have been surprised to succumb to a virus. A visit to a walk-in clinic in Portsmouth produced the depressing advice: "take paracetamol and come back in two weeks if you're not better". At least the advice was free.

By day five, when I was scheduled to fly to Strasbourg, I was no better, and although had no wish to fly while sick, I didn't have a Plan B. At least I figured I was no longer infectious. I made it through the flight without too much discomfort, retrieved my bag (from a different carousel than the one listed on the monitors), took the train into town, and it was only when I checked into the Hotel Suisse, right behind the cathedral, that I realized I had become almost completely deaf. Happily, by next morning I could hear again, but it had been frightening, and walking the streets with no sound from the traffic was decidedly eerie.

Despite my temporary deafness I had been able to order dinner, at La Cloche a Fromage. In my experience, few places want to provide fondue for one person, but La Cloche was happy to fix fondue or raclette for solo diners. The restaurant also owned the most extensive cheese selection I have seen outside a shop, and I went back another night for the degustation menu. Add in a cheerful staff, some of whom spoke impeccable English, and I was tempted to go back a third time.

On my previous visit, in 2009, I had fallen in love with the cathedral, easily one of Europe's best, and the main reason for my return. Perhaps it was because I was visiting in mid-September instead of mid-April, or perhaps river cruises had become more popular, but Strasbourg was a lot more crowded than on my first visit. Some, like the couple from Nancy who sat next to me at dinner Saturday night, were French, but most seemed to be groups off the river boats. Still, I got a good long look at the cathedral, both inside and out. The magnificent west front, totally covered in statues, still soared over the Place de la Cathedrale, the stained glass still fascinated and the gilded organ still gleamed. Protective railings hid the lower level of the pulpit, but the angel column and astrological clock in a side chapel still drew the largest crowds.

Building started exactly a thousand years ago, and as part of the celebrations the west and south fronts were lit at specific times at night. Unfortunately, it was too cold and wet for me to want to linger outside, especially as I remained sick. Indeed, so far from getting better, I was getting worse, with paroxysms of dry coughing attacking me at irregular intervals. Research on the web ruled out bronchitis, but perhaps I had walking pneumonia? When asked about a clinic, the helpful woman on the hotel's front desk sent me literally round the corner to a doctor.

The French doctor agreed with the English: virus, will take two weeks to clear up. But he did write me a prescription for some medications, and the visit was interesting. The waiting room held maybe seven chairs, and across the hall was just an office and an examining room, and the doctor. No receptionist, no nurse, and no back office staff processing insurance claims. Since I had neither a French nor an EU medical card, the doctor wrote me a bill, for all of 30 euro (the three medications cost 13 euro). No wonder the American health system, weighed down by the red tape and bureaucratic overhead of the insurance industry, costs so very much more than the European ones.

Besides the cathedral, I had planned to spend more time admiring the many old buildings in Strasbourg, and to make a return day trip to Colmar. Between the weather and the virus, I had to scale back a bit, but I did see more than the cathedral.

I'm looking forward to this trip report. I've Always wanted to visit Strasbourg, and the Basque country also calls my name.

Also in Italy, most family doctors don't have a secretary or other staff. When you join the National Health Service, you choose a family doctor from a list of doctors practising in your town. (You can choose a doctor in a different town if you prefer.) The doctor gets paid a flat fee to attend to your primary health needs, and to refer you to a specialist, if she thinks it necessary. So there's no insurance claim at all.

Doctors here spend a good deal of their time just writing new prescriptions. Even if you're taking a medicine that you'll need to take for the rest of your life, you have to get it refilled about once a month, and you can't do it by phone (yet). Our family doctor has taken on a secretary to help with the prescription part of the practice, although each one still has to be signed by the doctor.

Hi THURSDAYSD,

Running out the door so I don't have time to respond - but I will!

Glad you posted.... :)

bvlenci - highly recommend Strasbourg. More coming. Also good base for other worthwhile places, like Colmar. The difference between the French doctor's office and my US doctor's office was so extreme it was almost funny.

LTD - nice to see you here!

I love Strasbourg and Colmar :) and your TR's, so definitely following along.
Just noted on your other report about airbnb and the keys, I recently registered with them and booked some accommodation without even noticing the part about key pickup LOL, lucky you reminded me to check this...

Strasbourg is on our list, so looking forward to your impressions.

I hope you feel better soon!

Following along, sorry to hear about the virus, very tedious.

Following as well......just returned from a wonderful vacation in the UK and delighted to meet you the 1st of the month.

Good to see you all! So nice to meet you at the London GTG, gail.

I'm going to put up one blog post for Strasbourg with just photos, as I have a bunch of ones of street signs, but will write a second post before I do that.

<b>September 12-14, 1015: Strolling Strasbourg</b>

When I visited Alsace the first time, I chose to stay in Strasbourg rather than Colmar because I figured there would be more to do if it rained. It rained a lot, and I visited pretty much every museum on the T.I.'s list, even including the Musee d’Art Moderne et Contemporain, although admittedly, that was as much for the building as the contents. The building was indeed interesting, and I enjoyed a special exhibition on color, but the permanent exhibition, as I expected, left me cold.

It rained a fair amount this time too, but I only revisited a couple of museums. I had wanted to go back to the Musee de L’Oeuvre Notre-Dame, where the collection includes the statues removed from the cathedral during the French Revolution and later replaced by copies. Alas, it was closed, apparently for work on the building, and instead I went next door to the Palais Rohan for the Decorative Arts Museum. I enjoyed it a bit more this time - perhaps I had missed the explanatory text last time? But I did not revisit the Beaux Artes and Archaeological Museums in the same building.

With somewhat limited energy, I didn't make it back to the enjoyable Musee Alsacien, but I did have a nice time at the equally recommendable History Museum (if you go, do get the audioguide). I had actually forgotten about the magnificent three dimensional plan of the historic city, which has a room of its own. I had not forgotten the informative displays on the years of the city's independence, but I think the 20th century displays may have been new. The city, and the region as a whole, did not have a happy time, tossed back and forth between France and Germany as the fortunes of war dictated, and the citizens had a particularly hard choice after Hitler annexed the area in 1940, the men who remained being conscripted into the German army.

The city today feels thoroughly French, but a border existence has of course left its mark, and I considered the half-timbered buildings of the Petite France area, the tourists' second target after the cathedral, more German than French. Very photogenic, of course, and although it was overwhelmed by tourists on the weekend, I found it quieter on Monday. But photo-worthy buildings can be found all over the old town, and Strasbourg is a great place for just wandering.

The Petite France area is also notable for its canals, and the old town as a whole is surrounded by water. Sunday afternoon I abandoned the crowds west of the cathedral and strolled east along the river bank. My rewards included an attractive church and a pretty park. If I had kept going east I would have reached the very modern enclave of the European Parliament, but I didn't have that much energy. I could have joined one of the boat trips, but during the middle of the day they were packed, and later my cornea problem would have made it almost impossible for me to see against the sun.

Talking of modern buildings... I was traveling with a downloaded chapter from Lonely Planet (no question, I much prefer paper guidebooks, but on a long trip some compromises are necessary), and Lonely Planet recommended a visit to the newly opened Grand Mosque. A little puzzled to find no mention of it in the literature from the T.I. I stopped by to enquire. Oh yes, I was told, it does exist, a little far from the center perhaps, and yes, you can visit. Not in the literature? But it's a new building and we concentrate on the history. Not being at my brightest at the time, I did not point out that the Modern Art Museum and the European Parliament were also new.

I didn't make it to the mosque, and I didn't make it back to Colmar either. I had intended to go my last day in town, but the morning was occupied first by my visit to the doctor, and secondly by a panic when my iPad refused to turn on. By the time I had taken it over to the Apple store on Place Kleber, which I had fortuitously noted the day before, and where the problem was quickly fixed, it was too late to get to Colmar before lunch, and after lunch the rain started up again.

I did make it back to my favorite restaurant from my last trip, Strissel, on Saturday night. I had made a dinner reservation at lunchtime, but it had disappeared. Fortunately, I had made it for 7:30, which was early enough for me to get a table anyway. The place was slammed, and I watched a lot of people turned away. The foie gras d'oie "Maison" was as good as I remembered, and a local specialty, tarte flambee gratinee, more filling than I expected.

This visit would, of course, have been more successful if I had been feeling better, but I still managed to enjoy myself, and would still be happy to return. And if I returned I would definitely go back to La Cloche a Fromage and Strissel!

Oops, that should have read 2015, not 1015, of course. Unfortunately I haven't figured out how to time travel.

Wifi in my hotel in Varenna was abysmal, and wifi in my hotel in Stresa (well, on Isola Superiore) didn't work until late last night...

<b>September 15-18, 2015: Not So Hot in Nancy</b>

Traveling while sick, especially traveling solo while sick, is a miserable experience. Admittedly, some situations are worse than others. Breaking my wrist in Switzerland was a lot worse than the virus I had acquired in London. Still, I had a lot less energy, and even enthusiasm, for sightseeing than usual. The weather in Nancy didn't help, being cold and grey when not actually wet and windy. Even my Norwegian umbrella, guaranteed sturdy, got blown inside out a time or two.

This is by way of explaining why, although I had returned to Nancy to revisit its museums and wander its streets photographing Art Nouveau buildings, I managed the former and not the latter. A more accurate weather forecast might have helped, as the weather was worse instead of better my second full day in town. Still, even Art Nouveau buildings need a little sunshine to photograph well, and trying to manage both an umbrella and a camera in a high wind is a recipe for disaster.

While I am a big fan of Art Nouveau, the term covers several different styles, and I like some more than others - I am not wild about National Romantic for instance. French is one of my favorite variants, and Nancy was the home of French Art Nouveau, and of some of its most famous practitioners. My museum day began at the Musee des Beaux Arts, although once again I was totally unimpressed with the main collection, and had some difficulty finding the Daum glassware in the basement. The museum had been extended at least once, and the visitor is confronted by elevators that only go to certain floors, and signage that is less than helpful. The staircase in the addition is quite nice, however.

Once I found the access to the basement, at the far end of the main floor, I had the feeling that the area was treated as something of an afterthought by the museum staff. It was anchored by the massive remains of some of the city's former fortifications, I noticed a rather bleak lecture room, one wall held a massive modern tapestry depicting good fighting evil, designed by Jean Lurcat and created by Aubusson, apparently for the university, and one long, low room held case after case of Daum glassware, mostly from the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. A couple of other cases held more recent output. After a slow and appreciative walk past the glassware, I took a look at the rest of the museum. About the only thing that held my attention was an installation of colored lights and mirrors. You could walk into it, and I found it quite attractive.

But the museum I most wanted to revisit was the Musee de L'Ecole de Nancy, a house built for Eugene Corbin, a patron of the Nancy school, and completely furnished with items from the period, some of them owned by Monsieur Corbin or his brother. When I had visited the last time I had been carrying a heavier than usual day pack, as I was switching hotels, and had been a bit distracted. The museum still didn't have secure storage, but I carried the important items in the waist bag that doubles as my camera case, and left my day bag in the unguarded cloakroom. This time I went round slowly (when not attacked by a coughing fit) and was pleased to find a second option on the audio guide, commentary supposedly from the owner.

The lack of secure storage was a problem at other Nancy museums. The Beaux Arts museum said they didn't have a cloakroom, but when I found a perfectly good set of lockers, and went back to the front desk to point this out, said that they were off limits because of terrorism. (The security guard took pity on me and let me use one, but don't count on it.) The Lorraine Museum had no storage of any kind, and once again I was carrying a heavy day pack while I waited to check into the Hotel des Prelats. I can't really recommend this museum, all you really need to know is that a former King of Poland became Duke of Lorraine and Bar after his daughter married King Louis XV of France (must have one's father-in-law suitably situated), and that he was responsible for Nancy's stunning Stanislas square. Unfortunately, the beautiful gilding on the baroque ironwork that is a feature of the square looks its best in sunshine, and there was no sunshine while I was in Nancy. Consequently, I took no photographs of the square, having take a lot the last time.

One piece of good news: After two months on the road I was in dire need of a hair cut. An enquiry at my hotel produced a recommendation for a salon literally next door. I was pleased with the result, especially as it cost about half what it would have done at home. (Checking the real estate listings, I was also surprised by the house prices - considerably lower than I expected.) I finished my visit with dinner at the Brasserie Excelsior, one of the few remaining commercial Art Nouveau buildings in town. If I return to Nancy, and I may well, I need to remember that the interior of the restaurant is not that interesting, and the food overpriced and pedestrian. On the bright side I can recommend the omelets at T'Roi, just off the square, and the enormous slice of raspberry pie and coffee I enjoyed at Foy, on the square.

Anyone still reading?

<b>September 18-21, 2015: Respecting Zurich</b>

On Fodors, people are always being advised not to go to Zurich. Now, if the issue is whether to spend time in the mountains or the cities, under most circumstances the mountains should win. But it also seems that when it's just a matter of cities, Zurich is still always getting dissed. Now, the only time I tried to visit Switzerland's mountains, my trip was cut cruelly short when I fell and broke my wrist as soon as I arrived in Murren. I do want to go back, but for an appreciable amount of time. On this trip, I was just looking for a three night stop to break the train trip from Nancy to Varenna, on Lake Como.

My first notion was to wander through the Black Forest on the way south, but I got spooked by recurrent German rail strikes, and I wasn't sure anywhere rated three nights. I did book a hotel, with difficulty, in Konstanz, but then discovered that Oktoberfest started the day I planned to arrive. Since I am no fan of beer, loud parties or oompah bands I promptly canceled the booking and made one for Zurich instead. Zurich made the train trip easier too: one change in Basel between Nancy and Zurich (where the passport control offices were empty but the customs office was manned), and a direct train to Como where I could transfer to the ferry to Varenna. So I put up a post asking whether anyone had a good word to say about Zurich, and I did some research on my own account, and I concluded that three nights might actually be too short. Between interesting museums, a pretty lake, and several possible day trips I thought I would have no difficulty staying busy. And I was right, although I would have been happier if the museums I was most looking forward to seeing had not been undergoing renovation.

I spent the rather gloomy afternoon of my arrival day walking down one bank of the river and up the other side, visiting three churches on the way and checking out a few of the shops. (Not that I had the least intention of buying anything.) I enjoyed the river views, admired several of the buildings, and was repaid a number of times for looking up. The Grossmunster, supposedly founded by Charlemagne, had impressive, carved, bronze entry doors, stained glass by Giacometti, and a stern statue of Zwingli close by. Across the river in the Fraumunster I was reminded that I don't care for Chagall's stained glass (or his paintings, for that matter). No photos were allowed in those two churches, the third, St. Peter's, was notable only for the largest church clock in Europe.

The next morning the sun shone and I activated my Zurich card, which covered public transport, and headed for the Bellerive museum, only to find it closed. I was able to photograph a Corbusier house right opposite, and since I was close to the boat dock I decided to take a "short" (ninety minute) trip on the lake, covered by the pass. This worked very well, as I saved sightseeing time by eating lunch while I was on the boat, and I very much enjoyed the views. True, the lake is not surrounded by mountains, but the hills are fine, and so are the many villas and villages.

In the afternoon I attempted to visit the Design Museum. Its usual digs are also closed for renovation, but it was hosting a couple of exhibitions in a building further out. (The permanent collection can only be seen on a guided tour, and the times didn't work for me.) I found the exhibition on digital media mildly interesting, but was seriously impressed by a display of Steve McCurry's photographs. Many were from Afghanistan, covering over thirty years, but some were of places in Asia that I had visited. His photographs are so, so much better than mine... I finished the day at the History museum, where I enjoyed the period rooms, some built into the museum itself, and some impressive gold hoards, along with artifacts from La Tene. The museum was being expanded, but the main collection seemed to be intact, and the courtyard hosted an exhibition of photographs of work and workers, a number of the occupations shown are now obsolete.

My second full day I went to St. Gallen, primarily to visit its magnificent library. No photos are allowed, so I can only tell you that its claim to be one of the best libraries in Europe is well founded. Its collection goes back to the 800s, and the room itself is impressive. I was glad of the audio guide, which also covered the temporary exhibition on the development of legal systems. While checking directions on my phone I noticed a Textile Museum, which took up part of the afternoon. I had not previously known that embroidery had been Switzerland's main export around the turn of the 19th century.

The biggest problem with Zurich, alas, was the cost. Hotels were high, but I scored a reasonable if somewhat worn place a stone's throw from the huge main station (which had an equally huge shopping arcade underneath). Food and drink, however, were stratospheric. Over $5.00 for a single shot of espresso! Fast food (at the Nordsee chain) almost $20 without wine! So I did not eat particularly well in Zurich. Plus it turned out to be the center of the DCC scam. Every place I used my credit card, and I mean every place, from coffee shops on up, had their machines set to offer USD before CHF. At least the machines gave me the option, but I got very tired of figuring out how to select CHF. (For those unfamiliar with this piece of banking chicanery, it means that you are charged in your home currency with a hefty markup on the exchange, instead of in the local currency plus whatever currency conversion fee your credit card company charges - which for the cards I travel with is zero.)

Frankly, I have always liked Zürich, but probably not for the right reasons. I think it is quite lovely and interesting, but more importantly I have friends there with whom I stay and who won't allow me to spend a single franc when I am with them, except for the final ritual chocolate shopping. They pay for the restaurants, they pay for transportation, they pay for anything that I glance at in a shop with the intention of buying it.

They don't even seem to realize that the reason I visit them in Zürich so rarely is because it is so embarrassing. Luckily, I am able to host them in Paris from time to time, but even then they still pay for about half of their expenses, no matter what I try.

Of course, I will not deny that their finances surpass mine considerably so this is perhaps the way that things should be in a perfect world.

Last time we went around the Zürichsee quite a bit, and this is some of what I saw: http://anyportinastorm.proboards.com...ee-area?page=1

Love the post and the pics, kerouac, thanks for the link. Those bells were priceless!

Happily, no snow when I was there, in fact bright sunshine for my lake cruise, but I was still feeling under par and didn't take photos.

No "incident" on my train, but I did notice that almost everyone in my carriage got off at the last, otherwise undistinguished, station in France. No passport checks, but French custom's officers came through, and there were custom's officials in Basel checking some people. I also noted that the French train still came in before the currently defunct passport booths, and that they had not actually been removed.

I sympathize with your feelings about your friends' generosity, and I do agree about liking Zurich, although if I go back to the area I will try to improve my timing and stay in Konstanz, where I can maybe afford to eat! I liked going downstream from the station, and admiring the buildings, several of which had interesting carvings, and I liked going upstream under the trees, which were sporting autumn colors, and had branches trailing in the water.

BTW, for anyone reading who is interested in my hotel, it was the Arlette Beim (or Am) Hauptbahnhof.

Question for kerouac - is the DCC scam confined to people with US credit cards, or is it practised on Europeans as well?

Actually, just about every ATM in Switzerland gives you a choice between receiving Swiss francs or euros and just about every coin machine (bus and tram tickets, parking meters...) also accepts euros but at the exact current rate. I'm sure that DCC is proposed for purchases but at the normal rate since everybody knows the proper exchange rate by heart.

Everything that I have read seems to imply that the Swiss are certain that they will adopt the euro sooner or later since they are surrounded, but they want to delay the moment as long as possible.

Hi, Thursdays, I'm catching up with you again. Sorry you were stilling ailing in Switzerland.

Hola from Cuenca Ecuador. I have only just found this, have been pretty much incommunicado since middle of August ( when you were on the Hurtigruten if I remember rightly!)
I am going to try to keep up but not sure if I will manage to make any pertinent comments. I get back around the same time as you, November 2 whenever that is.
Hope you are feeling better by now. Just going to reread more carefully.
Take care.

Interesting, kerouac, thanks for the info. If the exchange rate is correct, it's a convenience, not a scam. In the case of USD, it is very definitely NOT the correct exchange rate. I was too busy looking for the way to opt for CHF to pay close attention to amount in USD, but I'm pretty sure that coffee, already in the stratosphere at 5.05 USD had another 20 cents added, and a meal at 20 USD was marked up by 2 USD. So 5 to 10%, which could add up fast in Zurich!

Hi Kathie, when do you leave on your next trip? Am still short on energy, alas, but the cough has mostly gone.

Hope you're having a great family time in Ecuador, gertie. Yes, mid-August was Hurtigruten and my niece's wedding.

We leave on Nov 2. We are excited to be returning to Burma!

Your question serves as a reminder that I still have plenty to get done before we go!

Right after I get home! I'll be looking out for your TR. I'm sure you'll have a great trip.

Kerouac, So glad you discovered Einsiedeln last year! I stayed in Rapperswil a few years ago, and this had been a researched daytrip for me, including the Goldapfel Backerei Museum...aah, memories!

<b>September 21-24, 2015: Sun and Rain on Lake Como</b>

Switzerland's scenic mountain railways are a major tourist draw. I rode one of them, from Montreux to Interlaken (although part of the journey was on a bus) on my ill-fated 2005 trip. That ride I went first class, paying extra for a front row seat in the dome car, sitting above the driver. But just as there are multiple scenic routes (the most famous - or most promoted - are the Glacier Express, the Bernina, the Golden Pass and the William Tell) there are different ways to experience them. The tourist trains offer options at different price points, you don't have to take the most expensive, as I did in 2005, but regular passenger trains also run those routes. True, you don't get a dome car, but you get a pretty good view anyway, at potentially much lower cost.

I planned a variation of the William Tell route, which starts with a slow boat trip down Lake Lucerne, before passing through the Gotthard tunnel and finishing at Locarno or Lugano (change at Bellinzona). My train from Zurich would also go through the Gotthard tunnel, but instead of changing trains at Bellinzona I would ride all the way to Como, where I would take the ferry up the lake to Varenna. Only one train a day would stop at Como and not require me to change trains, and by booking ahead I paid a mere 10 CHF for it (10.39 USD at today's exchange rate). The base price for the William Tell route (which admittedly included the boat ride), without any kind of pass, was 197 CHF, or 123 CHF with a half-fare travel card, and that wouldn't get me to Como.

My cheapskate train ride was a great success. Lake and mountain views alike were excellent. The Swiss railway website had said that second class would be packed the whole way, but at the back end of the last second class coach, where I was sitting, there was space to change sides when the sun started hitting my reserved seat. Yes, I arrived in Como on a hot, sunny day, the first in what felt like forever. I hefted my case down the steps in front of the station, and then rolled it easily through town to the ferry dock, where I found a mob of day trippers. Since they all wanted to sit outside in the sun, and I chose to sit just inside in the shade, they were not a problem. Although I abandoned my nighttime cough medicine in Zurich (I had been waking up groggy) I was still feeling fragile, and just sat and admired the beautiful lake views instead of taking photographs.

I had had some difficulty with reservations for the Italian Lakes, even at the end of the season, and was sleeping rather more expensively than usual at the Villa Cipressi, although they had put me in the annex above the breakfast room instead of in the more impressive main building. I still had a pretty good lake view, which I appreciated, and a big room with a comfortable bed, but wifi was so bad as to be essentially useless. This would have been less of an annoyance if the weather had stayed fine, but I should have taken photographs on the lake trip, as my first full day was grey and cloudy, and the second featured driving rain and wind so strong it blew my supposedly sturdy Norwegian umbrella inside out.

I did make it to Bellagio the first day, finding it, as I had expected, well provided with expensive shops and restaurants, but also with with good views. I found a neat little place, Art in Flower, near the top of the main drag, for a quite reasonable lunch, wandered back down through a quiet park, and then around the point that divides Lake Lecco from Lake Como. I caught the boat back as rain started.

Given the horrible weather, and my lack of energy, meals occupied more of my attention than the mostly non-existent views. I enjoyed one excellent dinner in the Villa Cipressi's dining room - although a big group of women from Missouri (or was it Michigan) kept the noise level high. I highly recommend the delicious veal. I can also recommend the pizzas at the Royal Victoria Grill, just a short walk away, and the friendly service at the Albergo del Sole, also nearby, although the food was just average.

What I can't do is recommend the Osteria Quatro Pass, since they did not honor my reservation. They claimed to have mixed up the names, but not only is mine unusual, but I had a reservation for one, and all the tables held at least two people. Their offer of an aperitif and a suggestion that the wait might only be twenty minutes did not impress me. I rarely drink aperitifs, I would have had to drink this one standing out in the alley, and I had no faith at all in the estimate of the wait time. I went back to Albergo del Sole, where I was comped a much more welcome limoncello at the end of the meal.

Of course, the morning I left the sun was out, but I took a taxi to the station anyway (it was uphill). Although I was early I found Platform One already packed with people, several with huge suitcases, and few of whom had apparently bothered to look for the departure board (hidden in the waiting room), which said that the train we were all waiting for would leave from Platform Two (there were only two). True, we didn't need to cross the tracks until shortly before the train was due, but even after a few of us led the way, there were still die hards on Platform One when the train to Milan pulled in.

<b>September 21-24, 2015: Sleeping on an Island</b>

From Lake Como I moved on to Lake Maggiore, notable for the three Borromeo islands and two islets, named for the prominent banking family that acquired them in the 16th century, and still own Isola Bella and Isola Madre. The first town I visited in Italy, back in 2004, was Stresa, on Lake Maggiore. I wanted to revisit the lake, but I had discovered that I could sleep on one of the islands, Isola Superiore (or dei Pescatori), which I thought might be both more peaceful and more fun. I booked a room with a partial lake view at the Belvedere, which got me a large plain room, a large square terrace, and a fine view, although very little sun as the terrace faced north and east and was shaded by buildings. However, the no-view rooms looked out on a narrow alley, so the upgrade was definitely worthwhile.

I had also upgraded, I forget why, part of the train journey from Varenna to Stresa. I had to change in Milan Centrale, a station I would rather avoid, but I left Milan in Tourist Preferente class, which somehow managed to fit four large-feeling seats into the same width carriage as regular tourist class. I sank gratefully into my seat in the almost empty carriage, having had to tow my case all around the station in search of toilets and food, and then the full length of the platform to reach my carriage. The trek from Stresa's train station to the ferry took a while, but at least it was downhill.

Sleeping on Isola Superiore turned out to be a good news/bad news deal, with the tilt towards bad. The views were lovely, and the island was quiet at night. However, it was tourist central during the day, especially at lunch time. At night, most of the cafes shut down, leaving a few expensive restaurants and a couple of lakeside places hosting tour groups who arrived on chartered boats. I got a 10% discount at the Belvedere's restaurant, and had one good meal, but one not so good meal, there.

Besides Isola Superiore, you can visit Isola Bella - baroque palace and formal gardens - and Isola Madre - older palace and extensive, wilder gardens. There's a combo ticket that gets you into both palaces for a reduced price, but you have to visit both on the same day. I had three full days and no need to rush so instead I arrived early two days running on the two different islands. This worked for avoiding crowds on Isola Madre, but not for Isola Bella, where there were plenty of tour groups. I only visited Isola Madre on my last trip, and having now seen both it is the one I would choose to go back to, even though it is obvious that any available funds are spent on Isola Bella.

The palace on Isola Bella is infinitely grander, built and decorated to impress, but I preferred the family retreat feel of the palace on Isola Madre, where you can wander at will. In fact, in order to dodge the one tour group there, I went round twice. The shell grottoes in the basement of Isola Madre left me cold, in both senses of the word, while there is a beautifully frescoed sitting room with garden views on Isola Bella I would love to spend time in. I also loved wandering under the trees in the less formal grounds on Isola Bella, where I picked up a stray feather from a molting peacock. Unfortunately, my camera battery gave out shortly after I arrived there, and I wasn't carrying the spare.

Besides the islands, tourists are encouraged to take a three-cornered trip to Switzerland - a couple of trains to Locarno, and the boat back. I had taken that trip in 2004, and the Centovalli train through the mountains from Domodossola had been scenic, although very crowded, and I had enjoyed Locarno and its historic castle, but I really felt no need to repeat the excursion. I did wander again along the waterfront at Stresa, past the grand hotels left over from the turn of the 20th century.

I enjoyed two beautiful days before the weather turned bad on me again.

Hi Thursday, I'm just catching up on your trip and I'm interested as you're going to lots of places we haven't made it to. We have a very old friend we moved to Geneva a few years ago and we still haven't managed to visit him in Switzerland, but I like the idea of the successful cheapskate train ride you described!

Hi WTB - gorgeous, gorgeous scenery in Switzerland, but it can be very expensive! B&Bs and hostels and train passes can help....

Traveling vicariously with you...

Have had some really, really bad wifi....

<b>September 28 - October 2, 2015: Enjoying Turin</b>

With a choice of Milan or Turin after the Italian Lakes I had no difficulty picking Turin over Milan, which I had already visited. Turin seemed over-provided with interesting museums, not to mention cafes and restaurants. Hotels were a little more problematic, and I wound up sleeping a bit above my usual price point at Townhouse 70, which had actual turn-down service (provided even when I put out the do-not-disturb sign). The staff were very helpful, breakfast was good, and I slept well.

Founded by the Romans, for centuries Turin was the seat of the House of Savoy, which held sway over varying swathes of northwestern Italy and southeastern France, and ultimately provided reunified Italy with its first king and its first capital. The city had the buildings and avenues one would expect of such a power base. In the city center many of the streets were lined with soaring arcades, no doubt providing welcome shade in the summer, and providing me with shelter from the rain. A little further out the streets were still wide, wide enough that I noticed cars parked along the center line! When just one or two cars were using this novel parking lot, they had their hazard lights on, but where several were lined up they didn't bother.

The Savoy family also built castles and palaces in the surrounding countryside, and although many have disappeared one, designed as a hunting lodge, still stands in Veneria Reale and was recently renovated after years of abandonment. Calling it a hunting lodge is seriously misleading, palace would be more accurate, although in one of its earlier incarnations it was even bigger. The grounds have also been rescued, and should really be seen on a sunny day. Unfortunately, Accuweather once again proved inaccurate, and I visited on the wrong day.

The basement provided more information than I really needed on the history of the family and of the building. All of the furniture was long gone, so the rooms upstairs were mostly empty, but the walls and ceilings were plenty grandiose. A special exhibition on Raphael contained a number of pictures borrowed from Florence, a city I still have not visited. While I could appreciate Raphael's ability, I was not converted into a fan. I'm afraid I was actually more appreciative of the Venetian barge in the stables.

The really grandiose palace, of course, was in the center of Turin. I was suitably impressed, but the more baroque buildings I see, the more excessive I find them. The Madama palace/castle, which I also visited, did offer some medieval church artifacts, along with cases of silver, glass and ceramics. And, reached through the wintry gardens, access to a tower and a view. At least you could visit the gardens at the Madama palace, those around the Royal Palace were suffering from neglect and off limits.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my visits, but not as much as those to other museums in town. I confess to complete disinterest in the Shroud of Turin, so I skipped that museum, as well as the well-regarded museums devoted to film and Fiat. I would like to have visited the Decorative Arts and Risorgimento museums, but there I would have had to join a guided tour in Italian. The official at the Risorgimento museum seemed positively offended that an English speaker might want to visit his museum! But I had a lovely time at the virtually deserted Asiatica Museum, and a pretty good one at the popular Egyptian Museum, said to be the best outside Cairo. It was certainly a great deal better maintained and curated than the one in Cairo, although my audio guide was partially defective.

The Asiatica's collection was small, but included some exquisite pieces. Not to mention, Tibetan thangkas from the 15th century which I was surprised to see in Turin. I did ask how they came to be there, but the language barrier proved insurmountable. The ritual artifacts made from human bone in the Tibetan section were even more surprising! A temporary exhibition on the Spice Route, featuring National Geographic photographs, reminded me that I still haven't made it to Central Asia...

The man who completed Turin's Egyptian collection, Schiaparelli, obviously had unusually good relations with the Egyptian authorities. Although short on gold artifacts, the museum held a very great deal of everything else you might expect in the way of sarcophagi, grave goods, and statues. The remains of a couple of pleated linen tunics must be among the oldest textiles on view anywhere, and a bed, complete with bed linens, was not much younger. The visit ended with a long mirrored room full of large statues. The museum was extensive, and by that time I was almost too tired to appreciate them.

Aside from museums, I also made sure to visit some of Turin's historic cafes. I mostly drank coffee - proper macchiatos! - since although the one spritz I allowed myself in the San Carlo came with munchies, they were not particularly good munchies. (I was starting to feel that I had been eating and drinking too much and was gaining weight.) The San Carlo, once a hot bed of revolution, featured mirrors, frescoes and chandeliers, but ultimately my favorite was the smaller and darker Mulassano, covered with beautifully carved wood panelling.

One consideration in picking Turin over Milan had been that I didn't have to get up quite so early to catch the direct TGV to Lyon, but I still left the Townhouse 70 shortly after 7:00. I had been looking forward to a reputedly scenic journey through the mountains, but the weather was uncooperative. In Italy one band of cloud lay in the valleys, and another draped the mountain tops.

Hi Thursdays, I'm catching up with you again. I hope you are recovered from your illness. There is nothing quite so annoying as being sick while traveling... especially when moving every few days.

I have wondered whether we would enjoy Switzerland - we have mountain views at home and have been to the Himalayas and the Andes. You description of your train journey sounds interesting.

Hi Kathie, good to hear from you.

Thanks, I have recovered, although I had a sore throat a couple of nights ago, which was worrying, but then it just went away.

Unfortunately, my visit to the Bernese Oberland was cut short when I broke my wrist, and I only had a glimpse of the mountains the morning I left. But that was enough for me to want to return - I don't have mountain views at home, alas, but I have seen the Himalayas and the Andes. I didn't want to take the time this trip, as it warrants more than three days. But consider the Italian Lakes as well, they have mountain backdrops (see the photos on my blog).

<b>October 3-6, 2015: Pau and the Pyrenees</b>

I went to Pau because of a book. Not a particularly good book, I suppose, nor is the author, Dornford Yates, much read these days. His descriptions are too elaborate, and his attitudes too Edwardian, for current taste. But in his day he was quite popular, both for romantic comedies, which I read, and light adventure, which I did not. Pau is also, perhaps, not so popular these days, but in the early 20th century it was a favored winter destination for the English, who rented, bought or built villas there.

While I was interested to see the villas, a number of which remain, what drew me was Yates' description of the Pyrenees as seen from the town. Pau is built on two levels. At river level you find the train station, the town swimming pool and a number of houses. But take the old-fashioned funicular up from the station, and the rest of the town spreads back from the edge of an almost sheer drop, with a kilometer long promenade between a chateau and a casino, facing the mountains. The boulevard, lined with palm trees, even has a balustrade.

Back in 2004 I visited Pau on a day trip from Bayonne. The train ride, climbing among trees dressed in spring green, was almost magical - it felt like the morning of the world. The chateau was impressive, although the tour was in French and Henri IV's crib ostentatiously decorated with plumed spears. The park by the casino made for a pretty walk. But the mountains were shrouded in cloud. I promised myself I would return, but for more than a few hours, to improve the odds of actually seeing the Pyrenees.

None of Pau's hotels were particularly enticing, so I booked an AirBnB apartment with a balcony that promised mountain views. With no good route by train from northern Italy to southwestern France, I was glad to find a cheap flight from Lyon and the mountain train route from Turin. While I booked into the NH airport hotel in Lyon I had thought to go into town for dinner, and even solicited suggestions here. But I had been eating rather well in Italy, and needed a break from rich food. In the end I spent the afternoon catching up on sleep, and dined off the hotel's buffet - lots of salad, meats and cheeses.

For some reason the T-Mobile plan on my smart phone doesn't work well in the south of France, and I had a little difficulty connecting with my host. But the apartment matched the photos, the terrace looked towards the mountains, and adjacent windows gave me a grandstand view of the Place Clemenceau, which was hosting events for Breast Cancer Awareness. My host also gave me directions to a couple of open grocery stores, which was a relief since I had arrived on a Saturday afternoon.

This was my third AirBnB rental. The first taught me to make sure there was an elevator if the apartment was above the (European) second floor. This one reinforced the lesson from the second: don't rent from bachelors. True, this time there was plenty of closet space, and even a power point next to a mirror, but only one towel (another was delivered next day) and the sheets and towels were too dark for me to be entirely sure about how clean they were.

I didn't revisit the interior of the Chateau, although I did stop by the modest house where Marshal Bernadotte had been born. He had a truly remarkable rise, from total obscurity, by way of Napoleon's army, to King of Sweden. The current Swedish royals are his descendants. The museum, however, is probably only of interest to Swedes. I also had a nice time checking out more of the villas, but aside from the Chateau and the mountains, there really isn't a lot of sightseeing interest in Pau, it's more a place for flaneurs. The changing scene in Place Clemenceau enlivened the weekend, but would be tamer during the week. Saturday included couples dancing the tango in one corner of the expansive square and four children's trampolines in another, with a parade of motor bikes towards the end of the afternoon. Sunday morning was quiet, but a series of marathons started and ended right below my windows later on.

And the mountains? Yes, I did get to see them, and I enjoyed them very much. Only with real clarity at dawn and dusk though, and I did wonder whether the persistent haze was less a function of the weather than of pollution. The book that sent me to Pau was published nearly a century ago, and in that time Pau has been a center of the aviation industry, after hosting the world's first pilot school, and later of the petrochemical industry.

Monday afternoon I found a free ebook version of "Jonah and Co." on the Project Gutenberg website, and enjoyed rereading it.

Great write up, I too have wanted to get to Pau, but so far it has avoided me.

Mrs Bilbo broke a wrist above the artic circle (nasty place to break) in Finland and the whole hospital had a receptionist and that seemed to be about it. Doctor looked at it, said "its broken" and set it before sending it for a 3d xray to check her work, Machine was next door and generated a CD which the doctor put in the her pc, yep set as she wanted it.

Being Brits the cost was zilch and we got to keep the CD. Still the 90 minute drive over frozen ice in a taxi hurt Mrs B and my wallet a bit.

The total time taken, about 20 minutes, enough time to watch Emerdale in Finish on the TV.

Thanks for your comments on the mountains, thrusdays.

Your time in Pau sounds lovely and restful.

Thanks, bilbo. Yes, Pau isn't the easiest place to get to. There is still a train to/from Bayonne (I think I conflated the Bayonne to Pau ride with the one to St. Jean Pied-du-Port, which is currently partly by bus.) But there are just a few direct flights - Paris and Marseilles as well as Lyon.

Sorry to hear about Mrs Bilbo's wrist, and especially the taxi ride! I had to have pins put in mine, and spent the night in the hospital. Alas, not free, since I am an expat Brit these days.

Pau is a very pleasant city, even though I have never been to the top.

kathie - it was a restful visit, although the weather wasn't the best. However, I think I had an allergy to something in the apartment. I thought I was coming down with a cold, but then realized it was only in the main part of the apt. Possibly to the mosses - and funghi? - growing on the balcony....

kerouac - the top? You mean up where the chateau is? I thought that was the main part of the city.

Forgot to mention an odd fact about pronunciation. Reading the book, I thought the town was pronounced, roughly, "paw". In 2004 I discovered, I thought, that the locals pronounced it "po". I preferred my version, but when in Rome. Then I happened across a wiki piece that said that in Occitan and Basque it is indeed pronounced "paw".

<b>October 6-11, 2015: Basing in Bayonne</b>

Bayonne, besides possessing plenty of interesting old buildings and a Basque Museum, makes a good base for the French Basque country. When I stayed there in 2004 I spent more time day-tripping than in town, visiting Pau, St. Jean-de-Luz on the coast, and St. Jean Pied-de-Port in the mountains. Having already stayed in Pau, and having not especially admired St. Jean-de-Luz, this time I visited St. Jean Pied-de-Port, Biarritz, and Bidart.

Rick Steves, the American travel guru, recommends basing in St. Jean-de-Luz. I suppose that might make sense if you had a car and were using the same base for France and Spain, but for someone using public transport it makes no sense at all. It is not even part of the Biarritz-Anglet-Bayonne bus network, which offers a day pass for a mere two euro, and if you're taking the train to Spain you have to change in Irun or Hendaye. Then, seaside resorts don't usually interest me, although I had a wonderful time in Biarritz this trip.

Neither the hotel nor AirBnB offerings in Bayonne were inspiring, so I opted for closeness to the train station and stayed at the Ibis Styles. The rather decrepit hotel I had used in 2004 had closed, and the building which I think had housed it looked ready for demolition. The Ibis was cheap and cheerful but had horrible wifi, and if I wanted to eat well I had to cross the bridge to the old town. (I got plenty of use out of the cheap bus passes.) The hotel sent me to the Bistro St. Cluque, which was conveniently close when it rained, but I found the food at best average. This was sad, as when I checked my old website I saw that it was the bistro I had very much enjoyed in 2004. (My new favorite was La Chistera, under the arcades across the river.)

Two wide rivers meet in Bayonne, and plenty of water was flowing under the several bridges. The Basque Museum was on the riverfront across from the main part of the old town, and kept me occupied for a couple of hours. Farming implements and stone crosses on the ground floor were succeeded by china and furniture further up, and then by information on Bayonne's history as a port. Nothing on the Basque independence movement, although there was some information on Basque identity. A temporary exhibition informed me that rugby had become an important sport in the area at the beginning of the 20th century, but the permanent collection was all about pelote.

I nearly lost my nice Norwegian umbrella after visiting the museum. As it was wet, I put it on the floor by my chair while I ate a rather good lunch at a place just past the old-style iron and glass market hall. When I left I forgot it, and a couple of hours later when it started raining again, realized what had happened and went back for it. The bistro was about to close and at first seemed to be claiming no knowledge of my umbrella. Eventually they said that one of the waitresses had gone home with it, and once we established I was not leaving town for a couple of days, said they would arrange for its return in the morning. At least they lent me another umbrella, and I did get mine back in the morning. What would have happened had I been a day tripper with no French I don't know.

I enjoyed Biarritz so much I'm giving it its own post, but St. Jean Pied-de-Port occupied less time. While the train tracks from Bayonne are being relaid passengers have to switch to a bus at Cambo-les-Bains, and the route seemed less scenic to me than I remembered. The town is the starting point for many of the people walking the Camino to Santiago, although I would be inclined to begin on the other side of the Pyrenees! Not too many pilgrims around in October, just a handful in St. Jean-de-Port, and I would see a few others in Pamplona and Leon further along the route.

I loved the mountain views, of course, but once you've hiked up (and up) the ramparts to the (closed) citadel, and along the river, and photographed the old buildings on the side streets, there is really nothing to do in town. Bidart, which I visited as an alternative to St. Jean-de-Luz, was particularly unsuccessful, being a more suitable destination for someone with a car, and in any case preeminently a place to surf, or to watch surfers. I did find watching them an interesting accompaniment to lunch, but that was long enough. I went back to Biarritz for the afternoon.

I had arrived in Bayonne on a train with rolling stock so old, it still had compartments instead of airline-style seating. I left the same way, headed for Hendaye, where the train would arrive just too late to connect with a Euskotren commuter train to San Sebastian and I would have to wait nearly half an hour for the next.

<b>October 8 and 10, 2015: Beautiful Biarritz</b>

Biarritz. Seaside resort par excellence. Grande dame of the Belle Epoque. So not my kind of place. And yet, I had a wonderful day there. So good I thought about staying there instead of Bayonne if I were to revisit the French Basque country - at least until I saw the prices in the cafes.

I'm not fond of resorts, and I don't much care for beaches - I have mile upon mile of golden sands just a couple of hours drive from my house, and I rarely make the drive. I no longer plan to visit tropical beaches on trips to Asia, unless I am really, really tired. But I love Nice - in the off-season, only in the off-season! - and I loved Biarritz. I don't think it's just because they're French. Nice is a great town to visit quite apart from its (pebbly) beach, on which I have never set foot. And it's a short bus or train ride away from lots of other compelling destinations.

Biarritz isn't a particularly good base - Bayonne is better - and I didn't care over much for the town, although there are a number of interesting buildings along the seafront. But the day I visited the sky was blue and the wind was strong, and there were enough rocks along the coastline to produce plenty of wave action, and that's what I enjoyed. Since I visited the first time on a weekday in October, the ocean-front walkways weren't crowded - I found the crowds a couple of blocks inland, on the shopping streets. When I went back on a Saturday, on a calm day, there were many fewer breakers and many more people. Since I was back in town to visit the Asiatica Museum I didn't mind too much.

The bus from Bayonne dropped me outside the T.I., and I headed down hill to the ocean, roughly in the middle of the promenade. Walking north, at first I was right on the edge of land, but then, after climbing rather a lot of steps, I wandered under wind-blown trees to eventually arrive at a lighthouse and a welcome cafe. Public transport didn't reach that far, so I walked back into town for lunch (forgettable) before continuing south, finding rocky headlands, one crowned with a Madonna statue, and a small fishing port where I could walk out on the jetties among the waves.

My visit to the Asiatica Museum was also enjoyable, although photographs weren't allowed because a previous visitor had abused the privilege. Most of the artifacts were south Asian, with some Chinese ivories, and Chinese and Japanese porcelain, and some of the pieces were said to be unique. As in Turin I was surprised to find a number of early Tibetan thangkas and bronzes. Afterwards I indulged in a crepe de citron and coffee in one of the cafes overlooking the beach.

Hi, thursdaysd -- I've finally had a chance to read about your southern wander -- at least as so far recorded -- thanks so much for posting such detailed and informative reports! As you so often do, you have reminded me of some wonderful travel moments and inspired further travel aspirations.

I haven't seen any references to coughing for a while, and sincerely hope that means that you finally recovered from the lingering cold that plagued some of the earlier parts of your journey.

Looking forward to more....

Thursday - I was really interested to read your thoughts on Biarritz.

When I was a child I used to visit a very grand house with my grandmother. The very elderly lady we went to see there would tell me all about the lovely art work, truly incredible stuff. Needless to say it's no longer there. Anyway, I admired a drawing of a girl my age and she said, "It was drawn on holiday in Biarritz". This was the first time I'd ever heard of the place but it made an impact. In more recent years I've though vaguely about going when I've seen it on a Ryanair destination list but always wondered what one would find there? It was delightful to visit through your eyes.