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Sopron (West Transdanubia), Hungary June 2025 (Tour 11)

We were scheduled to meet up with another good friend in Austria (our long standing pal, Gerhard, in Enzesfeld) but that wouldn’t be for another two days. In these circumstances and to make best use of the intervening time, Vanya booked us into the popular Fagus Spa Resort Hotel in the city of Sopron in nearby Hungary.

Sopron is very close to the Austria border; so much so that it’s signage is written in both Hungarian and German and it even has a German name – Oedenburg. For all that, Sopron is a fiercely proud Hungarian city. I should perhaps explain that under the terms of the 1921 Trianon Peace Treaty (a separate peace treaty in Versailles which reset Austrian and particularly Hungarian borders at the end of the Great War), it was determined most of Burgenland would become part of Austria except the city of Sopron would be allowed to choose between Austria or Hungary. Sopron’s citizens voted overwhelmingly to remain with Hungary. Because of this, the Hungarian government determined that a new city gate should be erected in Sopron (the Loyalty Gate) and; it is decorated with the motto “Civitas Fidelissima” which is Latin for ‘most faithful citizens’.

The drive from Loretto to Sopron took less than 45 minutes and we were soon checked into the hotel. Vanya and I then reached our own little treaty. I would walk the dogs for an hour while she took advantage of the hotel’s spa facilities and, therafter, Vanya would tend to the dogs while I walked into the city for a quick look-see. Winners all around.

This first tour of the city (I did a second with Vanya the following day) took me to Szechenyi Square, which is considered the city centre and; then, on to Fo ter (Hungarian for Main Square) in the heart of the old town. My first impressions were that Sopron is a picturesque little city (it has a population of just over 60,000 people) with some quite remarkable architecture and not a little history. This was going to be an exciting couple of days.

Szechenyi Square is easily identified by a prominent statue of Count Istvan Szechenyi (considered by many to be Hungary’s greatest statesman) but it is also home to a number of other interesting features including the ‘Sopron Letters’; the city’s theatre; the beautiful 18th century church of Saint Jude Thaddeus and; an intriguing monument to the Hungarians who lost their lives in the 1956 uprising against the country’s occupation by the USSR.

The Sopron Letters and, behind, the city’s theatre.

Carry on past the theatre into Sopron’s old town via Templom Street (that’s Templom Utca in Hungarian) and you’ll reach the city’s Main Square (Fo ter). I took a different route, turning right on to Fegyvertar Utca, so as to visit the tiny but pretty Orsolya Square (Orsolya ter). It was the Church of the Immaculate Conception of Orsolyita which most attracted me to this irregular shaped square and it is worth the detour. In 1747, Benedictine Orsation nuns established a convent, school and church on the square and that’s where the square gained it’s name. Sadly, Allied bombing in 1945 devastated the square, sweeping away the Lunkányi House and the Gyóni Géza House, together with the beautiful Mária Well. However, the square has been rebuilt with the church being completely restored and a new ‘Mary Monument’ now standing where the Maria Well once stood.

I’ll make just one other observation arising out of my short detour to Orsolya Square. As I entered the square, I noticed a couple of Stolpersteine amongst the cobbles outside 5 Fegyvertar Street in the names of Miksa Pollak (born in 1868, he became the chief rabbi in Sopron in the lead up to and during World War II) and Karoly Pap (born in 1807, he was a writer and Hungarian war hero during World War I). Theirs is a particularly sad story. They were father and son but the father disowned the son because of his political leanings – he joined the communist party. Both were arrested and murdered during the holocaust (as were all but one of the rabbi’s family, who escaped the country).

I exited Orsolya Square by New Street (Uj Utca); which runs almost parallel with Templon Street and, like Templon Street, ends at Sopron’s Main Square (Fo ter). New Street used to be called Zsido Utca or Judengasse in German (either way, that’s Jewish Street in English) on account of it’s two synagogues and so many Jewish families living there but; the name was changed in 1440 (probably on the back of yet another pogrom against the Jews but don’t quote me). Certainly, the Jew’s history in Sopron is not a happy one.

It seems, when I write about the old town of so many places in Europe, that I invariably write about medieval city centres. That isn’t going to be the case with Sopron. In 1676 a massive fire destroyed a large part the old medieval centre and the buildings were mostly replaced by Baroque structures (and interesting and impressive Baroque structures at that).

New Street, Templon Street and Main Square contain numerous examples of Baroque architecture; whether they be in the form of restrained yet elegant townhouses; or a more imposing, classical, hellenistic style, as is the case with city hall; or with an extremely ornate, almost gothic finish like the Holy Trinity Column. It’s a pleasure walking these routes and an absolute joy simply to lounge a while in the Main Square and take it all in.

Lutheran Church Tower (from Templon Street)

Main Square exemplifies the rich history and culture of Sopron. For my part, pride of place goes to the 58 metre high Fire Tower (Tuztorony); which was erected immediately following the 1676 conflagration with a view to preventing any recurrence but; I’m biased because I was able to ascend it’s 200 spiral stairs and enjoy some great panoramic views. Underneath it is the aforementioned Loyalty Gate; an exceptionally impressive City Hall; the elegant Storno House, where the musician Franz Liszt stayed in 1820 and 1881 (and part of which now serves as a museum); the imposing Holy Trinity Column, which was erected near the end of the 17th century in recognition of the city surviving a plague epidemic and; most interesting of all, the 13th century Goat Church (Kecske Templon).

As is to be expected across central Europe, Hungary has it’s fair share of cafe-bars and one of the most pleasant to sit outside of on Main Square is Corvinus which operates out of the ground floor of the historic Storno House. According to Fodor, Corvinus combines a cafe, pub, pizzeria and restaurant all in one. I have no reason to doubt that but during both my two visits to the place (once with Vanya) I was more than happy to sit at a table outside with a cold beer.

I left Vanya outside the Corvinus for a short while while I explored the Goat Church. It’s as beautiful inside as it is outside and; it comes with a legend as to how it gained it’s name. There are two stories as to how it came to be known as the Goat Church. One story is that a poor farmer’s goat dug up a pot of buried treasure and he subsequently used the treasure to build the church. The other is that the church was built by a local lord whose coat of arms (on his flags and shield) included a horned goat. It is the former tale which is most believed although, I am very sceptical

Vanya enjoyed visiting the city almost as much as me and we could easily have spent the rest of our second day wandering the old town but; the temperature was approaching 30 degrees centigrade and it wouldn’t have been fair on the dogs. Instead we returned to the hotel and together enjoyed some of the spa facilities. Although, half an hour was enough for me.

And the hotel? It was fine. We didn’t take advantage of all the facilities on offer but we very much enjoyed the hotel bars. The cocktails on offer were very reasonably priced although; having tasted (amongst others) their Banana Colada and, best of all, their Orgasmus, I don’t think we were overly concerned with the price. The Orgasmus comprised Bailey’s, Cointreau and Coconut Puree while the Banana Colada was made of Bacardi Rum with Pineapple Juice, Coconut Puree, Banana Puree and cream. Both were deliciously refreshing.

All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Sopron and will definitely return.

Rust am Neusiedlsee (Burgenland), Austria June 2025 (Tour 11)

This will be a short post because, after Loretto, we made our way to Rust am Neusiedlsee; a place we visited not so long ago. You need only refer to the Tour 6 blog on Rust to find out about Rust’s two most interesting buildings, the Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity and the Fischerkirche. I think I previously mentioned that, if you get your timings right, it is possible to climb up into the belfry of the Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity for some quite exceptional views over the city and across the lake. Well, once again our timings were out, as the church was closed. On this occasion I wasn’t too disappointed because the weather was awful and I doubt we’d have been able to see very much but; more to the point, we had returned to Rust to see some of the hundreds of Greylag Geese which wander the city at this time of the year and the 24 breeding pairs of white storks which nest above the city roofs at this time of the year.

What I perhaps didn’t mention previously is that, with a little over 1,900 inhabitants, Rust am Neusiedlsee is Austria’s smallest city (having been endowed with the rights of a Royal Free City by the Hungarian Crown in 1681) and that Rust is known as the City of Storks; on account of the many storks which breed on the city’s chimneys. The stork is close to the hearts of the people of Rust and are viewed as the city’s heraldic bird. They have nested in the city since the early 20th century but numbers dwindled until in 1965 there were only 3 nesting pairs. A stork club, dedicated to the conservation of the resident storks, was formed (the Ruster Storchenverein) and, good news, last year saw a record 86 young storks hatch in the city’s nests.

While the bad weather didn’t stop us in our pursuit of the storks and the geese, it did impinge on the city’s annual musical festival which was underway as we arrived. A grand tent sheltered us and the performing artists from the worst of the falling rain but the tent had been pitched on a slight slope and rainwater was streaming around our feet and on through the tent towards the lake.

We stopped and listened to a couple of bands complete their repertoire but, despite their best efforts, it was not a fun experience. It was simply too wet underfoot.

Eventually it stopped raining and began to brighten up but by then we had had enough…

…and we set off for dinner at the Oleander Heurige in Trausdorf an der Wulke, just outside Eisenstadt. The welcome was warm and the food was pretty good at the Oleander but it is more of a restaurant than a heurige.

Loretto (Burgenland), Austria June 2025 (Tour 11)

We arrived in Loretto to meet with friends, Claire and Thomas, and would stay three or four days; visiting Loretto, the nearby city of Rust (we were there a couple of years ago) and Trausdorf an der Walke during that time.

The first day, however, was simply about chilling with our friends in the garden over one of the best barbecues ever – Dorade (Sea Bream), Sardines & Prawns were on the menu. And the drinks? We went through a bottle of Deveaux Champagne we’d bought in France, numerous glasses of the local (Burgenland) Chardonnay, a couple of really great Margaritas made by our host and half a bottle of a Single Malt Laphraoig.

Loretto is a tiny market town with fewer than 500 residents. It was elevated to town status in 1991 which, surely makes it the smallest market town in Austria and yet; it’s Basilica, the Basilika Maria Loretto, attracts 100,000 pilgrims every year and at least 20,000 on one day in August (Assumption Day). Imagine trying to park your car in the town on that day. The Basilica grew from a simple chapel in 1659 to become a Servite Monastery and thereafter a Papal Basilica. The monks departed years ago but they left their cherry orchard intact and we spent much of our second day in Loretto first wandering the Basilica and then collecting cherries from the large orchard.

Just a little history about the church – The 1659 chapel was built soon after a miracle was recorded in Loretto. It seems the house of Mary (mother of Jesus) suddenly appeared in Loretto. I’m not convinced as to the veracity of that particular tale but the then Pope thought it true and; in 1997 Pope John Paul II awarded the church (the Church of the Immaculate Conception of Loretto to give it it’s full name) the title of ‘Papal Basilica Minor’. Whether you believe the supposed miracle or not, the interior of the Basilica is truly stunning and in the original church (around which the monastery was built) is a Black Madonna. I’ve only ever seen one of those before during our travels and I cannot recall precisely where (but I think it was somewhere in Spain).

Except for the Basilica, there’s little else to Loretto. It has a Heurige (a wine tavern), the Gasthof Graf (a local pub) and a bakery but that’s pretty much it except that it sits at the heart of the beautiful Austrian Province of Burgenland.

In case you are unaware, Burgenland is the smallest and most easterly of Austria’s twelve Provinces. It is a narrow strip of land which extends along the entire border between Austria and Hungary. At it’s northern end, it borders Slovakia for a few kilometres and at it’s southern end it borders Slovenia. To it’s west are the two Austrian Provinces of Styria and Lower Austria. Austria’s capital city of Vienna, in Lower Austria, is only 30 miles from Loretto. Burgenland’s quite remarkable capital, Eisenstadt, is just 8 miles from Loretto and Rust am Neusiedlersee is just 16 miles away. Those three cities, Vienna, Eisenstadt and Rust figure among the most beautiful in Austria. And, before I forget, Burgenland is home to some of the finest wines in the country.

In the morning, weather permitting, we’ll visit Rust.

Mozirje (Savinja), Slovenia June 2025 (Tour 11)

While at Varpolje we took time out to visit the small town of Mozirje, just 20 minutes drive away. We chose Mozirje because the weather forecast predicted it was going to be an uncomfortably hot day for the dogs and we thought to go somewhere which wouldn’t entail too much driving and where there would be plenty of shade. The Mozirski Gaj Flower Park in Mozirje was recommended as just such a place. Neither Vanya nor I have been particularly interested in such places before but it proved an inspired choice.

The Mozirski Gaj is a real success story. Built on the site of an illegal landfill on the right bank of the River Savinja at the edge of Mozirje; the Park has been transformed, since it first opened as a tulip garden in 1978, into one of the area’s most favoured tourist attractions. Despite the Savinja bursting it’s banks in 1981 and totally destroying all of the tulips, the Park now features some seven hectares of well thought out beautiful themed gardens and an open air ethnographic museum; not to mention 30 different varieties of tulips which now total 150,000 flowers.

Some of the gardens are amazing, with my favourites being a small Japanese Garden, a colourful rock garden and an extensive aromatic herb garden. Dotted in and around the gardens are various ethnographic features: a mountain lodge, a water mill with adjoining forge, a Venetian sawmill (i.e. a water powered sawmill), a traditional granary and a large apiary (with more than 800 bee famiies) all of which complement the gardens wonderfully. But it doesn’t end there. There’s a tall wooden observation tower plus; the biggest wind chimes in Europe and; another of my favourites, an Enchanted Garden complete with a range of fairy-tale houses. These houses proved a dream for both Beanie and Vanya. There’s even a small chapel (the Saint Valentine’s Chapel) which is used to hold local wedding services.

We spent a good 3 hours wandering the Park and then settled down for a beer and a glass of wine outside one of the two cafe bars. The Mozirski Gaj proved a surprising and thoroughly enjoyable outing and one I would recommend.

And Mozirje Town? Too small and too quiet for me.

Varpolje (Savinja), Slovenia June 2025 (Tour 11)

We were on our way to see friends in Austria but, we had two days to kill and the dog trainer at Grado had recommended we visit the Velinka Planina Plateau in Slovenia. This is a 600 hectare pastureland deep in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps at some 1,600 metres above sea level where; every year, the shepherds/herdsmen drive their goats/cattle for the hot summer months (late May to September). They have built numerous traditional shepherd huts of spruce shingles up on the plateau and this is one of very few places left in Europe where the traditional herdsmen’s culture is still alive. The timing would have been great but, Vanya was told our Van would be too big for the campsite up on the plateau and; she was never going to agree to the alternative approaches which would entail either (a) our walking up to the plateau along a well marked trail from Stahovica Village or (b) our taking a cable car and then a chair lift up to the plateau from Kamniska Bistrica village. Instead, she found us a first class campsite (Camping Menina) in Varpolje, Slovenia.

Herdmen’s huts up on Valinka Planina Plateau…

… where the views are quite exceptional.

Camping Menina is located on the banks of the River Savinja not far from the Logar National Park in Slovenia. As with the Valinka Plateau, we were unable to visit Logar Park during this tour (Vanya was being troubled by her joints) but Camping Menina proved a great find (quite unlike anything we had stayed at before) and we stayed for two nights; taking time while we were there to visit nearby Mozirje (the subject of a separate blog). I also took a long circuitous walk to Nazarje to visit the local chemist but there’s little else of interest in Nazarje.

A little about Camping Menina:- It’s definitely one of the more welcoming campsites we have visited during our travels. The reception staff were especially helpful, speaking good English and proving very knowledgeable about things to see and do in the area. The Logar National Park sounds particularly interesting.

The campsite itself is criss-crossed with streams and natural ponds and is something of an adventure playground with it’s high level walk ways and obstacle course. I think they called it the ‘adrenaline park’. The site also offers climbing adventures, gorge scrambling, kayaking (when the river levels are high enough), horse riding, mountain biking and hiking, etc – not that we participated in any of those activities during this stay. We did, however, make good use of the restaurant-bar which offers breakfast, lunch and evening meals and, be warned, the portions are huge (and the prices reasonable). There’s even a small spa area; complete with sauna, jacuzzi and even massages.

A few photos…

We’d definitely return to this area and would happily use Camping Menina again. Hopefully we’ll then visit the Logar National Park and the Velinka Planina Plateau.

Grado (Friuli Venezia Giulia), Italy June 2025 (Tour 11)

Grado is a small but classy resort on the Isolo di Grado, otherwise known as the Island of the Sun and sometimes the Island of Gold on account of the rich golden colour of it’s beaches. Being connected to the mainland by a 4 kilometre long causeway, inside of which is a picturesque lagoon, Isola di Grado is actually a peninsula, not an island, but; no matter.

Historically Grado was a fishing town and it still operates a small fishing fleet but that is fast giving way to tourism. The town has a population of about 8,000 but this number inreases greatly during holiday periods. It is popular with Italian, Slovenian and particularly Austrian tourists; as is evidenced by the restaurant menus invariably being written in Italian and German. Small wonder given that landlocked Austria is only 80 miles away and Grado has some of the finest beaches on the Adriatic Sea.

It’s medieval old town (the centro storico) is a jewel of a place. Mostly pedestrianised it is not very large but; it is wholly charming with a tangle of winding alleys and cul de sacs filled with pretty stone houses bedecked with flowers. Some alleys lead to tiny squares holding one or more colourful cafe-bars and restaurants. It’s delightful.

A much larger square, the picturesque Campo del Patriarchie, is the historic centre of Grado. On this stone paved square you’ll find the beautiful 6th century red brick Basilica di Sant’Eufemia; the even older Basilica di Santa Maria delle Grazie and an interesting little chapel the name of which I’ve completely forgotten (that’s what comes of getting weeks behind with the blog). Next to the Basilica di Sant’Eufemia is a wonderful octagonal shaped Baptistery (the 5th century Battistero San Giovanni) and behind the Basilica is a Lapidarium where various fragments of archaeological interest are exhibited.

I mentioned that Grado is a resort town. Indeed, it has 10 kilometres of rich golden beaches. The 2 kilometre long Spiaggia Principale is, as the name suggests, the town’s primary (fine sand) beach but; it is mostly sectioned off into different pay beaches. At the western end of the resort, close to the old town, is the Costa Azzurra Beach. The Costa Azzurra is one of those rarities in Italy – it’s one of the more beautiful beaches on the Adriatic, let alone in Grado, and entry on to the beach is free! It’s backed by plenty of cafes and bars and beach umbrellas and deck chairs, etc are available for rent. Another free beach, but with fewer cafe bars in evidence, is the Spiaggia Libera and then; there is the Lido di Fido Dog Beach which, of course, is a dog friendly beach. The one common feature of all the many beaches in and around Grado (there are others that I have not listed) is that all are blue flag beaches with a shallow, calm sea.

I’ve not mentioned the camp site we stayed at. It was the 5 star Club del Sole Tenuta Primera Grado Family and it too has a very impressive beach . Recommended by ACSI and available to us at just 27 Euros per night, it appeared a first class site (can you believe it even has it’s own marina and a dog trainer is on hand for those with unruly dogs?) but I’m not sure we would use it again. It opened for the year some two days before our arrival and yet many of the site’s facilities weren’t available to us (including the bar, the restaurant and the swimming pool). The fact is, the staff were still finding their way around and really didn’t have much idea. It took more than 30 minutes to complete our registration (notwithstanding that Vanya had pre-booked); the staff were at odds with each other as to whether ACSI applied; the camp guide couldn’t find our allotted plot on the site and; worst of all, we were charged 14 Euros per night for the second dog. No, in future we would use one of the sites closer to the town. There is no shortage in the area.

I mentioned that the camp site has a dog trainer. I took Beanie and he won first prize against a couple of other dogs in a series of search competitions – Beanie pulls out all the stops when it’s food he’s hunting for.

In terms of other things to see or do in the area, I didn’t get to see the place but, some 14 kilometres north west of Grado is the UNESCO World Site of Aquileia which was founded by the Romans in 181 BC and, over time, grew to become one of the largest cities in the world with a population of more than 100,000. It was almost completely destroyed in 452 by Attila the Hun and never regained it’s prominence. Most of the old city is still uncovered and not only is it one of the north of Italy’s main archaeological sites but; it is considered to be the most complete example of a Roman city anywhere around the Mediteraanean.

Murano (Veneto), Italy June 2025 (Tour 11)

We came to Venice for a 2 week honeymoon immediately after our wedding. It is perhaps appropriate, therefore, that we should have returned to the city on the 34th anniversary of our wedding – 1 June 1991.

We were off to visit the Venetian island of Murano. Despite many previous visits to Venice, Vanya had not once been to Murano and she wanted some Murano Glass to take home to the UK. I’d been once before; in 1968. I was dragged there by my parents and forced to endure a glass factory and glass blowing tour (which I’m told is an essential part of any visit to Murano but; for a 14 year old boy?!?) and that experience rather soured the place for me. Whatever my prejudices, it would have been a tad foolish of me not to take Vanya there and; besides, I didn’t enjoy my first visit to Chioggia but the follow up visit proved an absolute delight – see previous blog.

With a little over 6,000 inhabitants, Murano is the second most populated of the Venetian Islands. In common with all the other islands it’s principal industries used to be fishing and salt production but late in the 13th century these industries gave way to artisanal glass making after the rulers of Venice decreed that all of the city’s glassmakers should be housed on Murano so as to limit the increasing fire risk caused by the glassmakers furnaces. It was an inspired decision because on Murano the glassmakers were able to work together to perfect their art and the island flourished with Murano Glass became renowned throughout the world. Indeed, Murano’s name is now synonymous with glass making.

Our campsite, Hu Camping Venezia, runs a regular bus shuttle service to and from Tronchetto which is on Venice’s main island of San Marco. The shuttle takes about 10 minutes and from there it is another easy 10 minute walk to the vaporetto stop at Piazzale Roma, where there’s a frequent water bus service to all the major islands, including Murano. As we arrived, there was a huge queue for the Line 3 vaporetto to Murano (it was a bank holiday weekend) but Nala was in her water wheels, thus qualifying as disabled, and we were able to jump the queue with only those who had bought VIP tickets going ahead of us. Great result, not least because we were stood in one of the least crowded parts of the boat!

I’ve always enjoyed riding the vaporetto (for me, it’s an essential part of any trip to Venice) and our journey to Murano Colonna (one of half a dozen stops on Murano) took less than 25 minutes and was smooth throughout.

Everything changed within 2 minutes of our exiting the vaporetto. Murano was packed and we were faced with having to force a passage through countless tourists thronging the narrow paths alongside the canal which separates San Pietro from Santo Stefano. In case you don’t know, Murano comprises seven small islands (all linked by bridges) with the three most interesting being those of San Pietro, Santo Stefano and San Donato. All three have plenty of shops selling Murano Glass but San Donato also holds the Vetro Glass Museum (previously a 17th century palace, the Palazzo Giustinian) and the beautiful 12th century Church of Santa Maria e San Donato (also known as the Duomo di Murano). Walk the length of San Pietro from Murano Colonna and you can cross the Ponte Longo to San Donato.

Having said that, walking the length of San Pietro and crossing to San Donato was the last thing on our mind. It was hot and very crowded and the first thing we did after disembarking was to find a cafe with shade and some cold drinks while the crowd from our vaporetto dispersed.

It was a good decision. A half hour later we were able to amble the length of San Pietro and cross over to Santo Stefano for a while, until Vanya had her fill of sightseeing and bought a couple of very nice wine glasses (which her mother paid for as a wedding anniversary present). Two of the most interesting features on Santo Stefano are just metres apart. They are the Clock Tower (the Torre dell’Orologio) and a blue sculpture known as the Comet Glass Star which was crafted by the Master Glassmaker Simone Cenedese in 2007.

Three hours of browsing glass shops on Murano was more than enough for us, even with copious drinks breaks, and so we retraced our steps to Murano Colonna and took a vaporetto back to Piazzale Roma.

So that’s it – Murano will never be listed among my 3 favourite Venetian islands. It doesn’t compare with San Marco (for history and pageantry); nor Burano (for fishing, colour and lace); nor Torcello (with it’s tranquility and relative abundance of green grass and trees) but; I do rate it above Lido (notwithstanding Lido’s incredible beaches) and; I would visit it again (should we need more Murano Glass). The facts are (a) I’ll never tire of riding the vaporetti (and you have to use a vaporetto or similar to get to Murano) and; (b) it’s always pleasant sitting in an Italian bar drinking coffee and watching the world go by (and you can do that in Murano, just the same as anywhere else in Italy) and (c) there’s no getting away from it, Murano has the most extraordinarily, beautiful glass.

Oh, and Vanya is delighted with her new glasses…

Chioggia (Veneto), Italy May 2025 (Tour 11)

Our next port of call, after Monte Argentario, was to be either the Venetian island of Murano (because Vanya wanted more Murano glass to take home to the UK) or Chioggia, a tiny island a little to the south of Venice (because I fancied a trip down memory lane). Venice would be a good jumping off point for both of those places and Vanya therefore booked us into (surprise, surprise) Hu Camping Venezia.

Most people would drive from Monte Argentario to Venice in the one day but that is not our style. Firstly, I dislike driving the Van any more than 3 hours at a time (so that I get to enjoy more of the places we pass through) and; secondly, Vanya wanted another stay at the excellent Hu Camping Norcenni at Figline Valdarno (so that she gets to enjoy more time in the best camp sites). We broke the journey at Figline Valdarno and that evening, while drinking some fine wines in the camp site enoteca, we formally classified Hu Camping Norcenni as a “Most Excellent Camp Site”.

As indicated above, the following day would see us drive to Hu Camping Venezia: our jumping off point for visits to Murano and Chioggia. It took us a little over 3 hours to get from Figline Valdarno to Venice and on the way, we passed the 4,000 mile mark on this tour. We also decided that we would visit Chioggia ahead of Murano. I’ve never been a great fan of Murano.

It was 1968 when I last visited the little fishing port of Chioggia. I had not long turned 14 and was on a family camping holiday on the Adriatic when a genial Italian fisherman (who was camped on the same beach and had become friendly with my parents) invited my brother and I to join him on a visit to his workplace (a fish processing plant on Chioggi) as a reward for our helping to teach his children how to swim. I kid you not. I don’t remember a great deal about the trip except that my parents were pleased to see the back of my brother and I for the afternoon and the fisherman was delighted to show off his new best mates to his work pals. I do recall not being very impressed with Chioggia at the time but; that may have had something to do with the fisherman taking us for lunch in the fish factory’s canteen and feeding us whitebait (or similar), washed down with red wine. Nowadays, I would love the experience but in those days I didn’t drink red wine and the thought of eating fish complete with head, fins, scales, etc made me want to throw up.

On this occasion, Chioggia proved an absolute joy! I cannot think of the words that will do the island justice but, we both fell totally in love with the place. It is almost all the best bits of Venice without the glitz and the crowds. It is how Venice must have been before it grew up and became overrun with tourists… and it’s cheaper.

Words fail me… and so, a few photos…

Ponte Vigo & Chiesa Sconsacrata di Santa Croce

I took a great many more photos in Chioggia (regular readers of this blog will have noticed that there’s not one photo of a church, interior or exterior, included amongst the above and neither have I reproduced any of the photos which properly demonstrate this is still very much a busy fishing centre) but I trust those I have reproduced here provide some idea as to how magical this island is? Certainly, there are some positive memories of Chioggia now ingrained in my mind which will remain with me forever – the view along the canal from the Ponte di Vigo; walking the Fondamente Riviera Vena (without a doubt, my favourite walkway); eating cicchetti at a bar on the Corso del Popolo and sipping coffee outside the Hotel Grande Italia on Piazzetta Vigo to name but a few.

A wedding was in progress as we were wandering the streets and the happy couple seemed delighted when, during their photoshoot, I shook the groom’s hand, kissed the bride and wished them all the best for their future.

Next time I visit Chioggia I would be inclined to stay in a hotel so as to be able to sit on a quayside in the evening and watch the sun go down – perhaps with a good bottle of red wine and some whitebait or similar? I saw a couple of suitable looking establishments on Fondamenta Mario Merlin but; hey, I’ll be back more than one more time.

We’ll definitely return to Chioggia!

Monte Argentario – Porto Santo Stefano (Tuscany), Italy May 2025 (Tour 11)

Apologies. For many reasons (but mostly as a result of my website account having been temporarily suspended by Namecheap) it has been well over 3 weeks since I’ve been able to update the blog. During this time, we have continued our travels around Europe (it’s 22 June 2025 now and we are currently in the north eastern Dutch Province of Friesland) but; I’ve taken hundreds of photos and made copious notes about the places we have visited and; I’m reasonably confident I can bring the blog up to date in the not too distant future (barring any further unseen complications). Of course, the entries may be a bit shorter than normal.

I mentioned in my last entry (Suvereto, Tuscany, Italy) that Vanya has the bit between her teeth with regards to camp sites and had booked us into another Hu site (Hu Camping Orbetello – near Monte Argentario) which she wanted to check out. I think she sometimes forgets she is no longer a travel agent. No matter. Although nowhere near as impressive as it’s sister site (Hu Camping Norcenni in Figline Valdarno), there’s nothing wrong with Hu Camping Orbetello except it is a long walk from the campsite to the two places on the Monte Argentario peninsula which I most wished to see, namely Porto Santo Stefano and Porto Ercole. Result – I did a great deal of walking but ultimately missed out on Porto Ercole.

We made an early start from Figline Valdarno and travelled about 150 kilometres down through Grosseto to the campsite which is situated on a thin spit of land to the north of Monte Argentario. This thin stretch of land, which being made of sand is called a tombolo in these parts, separates the Laguna di Ponente from the Tyrrhenian Sea, which is part of the Med. Shortly after arrival I went walkabout along Strada Provinciale Giannella (SP161) which stretches the length of the tombolo and on into Porto Santo Stefano. It was a long, hot walk but it was easy enough until I reached the hamlet of Pozzarello; where the verge disappeared and I was compelled to walk along a very unsafe, narrow, winding road full of would be Italian F1 drivers. It wasn’t a long stretch of road and it soon gave way to a pedestrian path which followed the long disused railway line into the town but, it really wasn’t pleasant.

Monte Argentario and Porto Santo Stefano are sometimes referred to as Tuscany’s answer to the Amalfi Coast. Certainly, much of the peninsula’s coastline is picturesque and some of it’s villages are as arresting as those on the Amalfi Coast but… Porto Santo Stefano? Definitely not. Porto Santo Stefano is a small, pretty town with some considerable character but it doesn’t have the charm of the Amalfi Coast towns (e.g. Positano, Ravello, Maiori or Amalfi, etc). No, I think Porto Santo Stefano, with it’s abundant wealth and privilige, is better compared with Liguria’s Portofino or, more accurately, Rapallo. Neither Rapallo nor Porto Santo Stefano have the quiet sophistication of Portofino and/but, unlike tiny Portofino, their harbours can accommodate numerous large, very expensive motorboats. I feel a rant coming on.

Porto Santo Stefano’s beaches are fine (of those in and immediately around the town, Spiaggia La Cantoniera stands out) but; what I enjoy most about Porto Santo Stefano is it’s lively waterfront promenade (the Passeggiata lungo el Porto) which is dotted with just the right variety of cafes, bars and restaurants; a few shops (including two really impressive fish counters) and; two ice cream booths (selling the very best Italian ice creams). It’s a great place to sit and watch the world go by.

On the down side, there are far to many ostentatious motorboats cluttering not only the town’s TWO port areas (the old Porto Vecchio and the new Porto del Valle) but almost every available remaining inch of the beautiful quayside. The quayside should be reserved for traditional fishing boats, not giant motorboats and; the overweening owners of these behemoths should be instructed to anchor them offshore or, at least, to keep them in the port areas and leave the quayside for local fishing boats. I mean, how is anyone supposed to take decent photographs with these monstrosities obstructing any and all decent photo opportunities? Rant over. I think I need to stop and have a glass of wine.

These awful boats should be in the port…

The trouble you have to go through to take photos like this!

The walk into town in the day’s heat took more out of me than I thought and I spent far too long sitting, enjoying a very large beer (and an ice cream) on the seafront. I did find the energy to wander some of the old town up and around the 17th century Spanish Fortress but I wasn’t inclined to enter the fortress which contains a small museum but, for the most part, is now given over to cultural events and exhibitions. I also took a quick look inside the town’s principal church, the Chiesa Santo Stefano, but; with the long walk back to the camp site ahead of me, there was never going to be enough time to visit Porto Ecole. I understand Porto Ecole is considerably smaller and quieter than Porto Santo Stefano and I think I would prefer that but that will have to wait until another day.

The last word goes to the camp site. It’s beaches are great…

Suvereto (Tuscany), Italy

Having stayed a third full day at Hu Norcenni Girasole in Figline Valdarno, we felt it was time to move on. Our next stop would be yet another Hu Site (Camping Park Albatross) – Vanya now had the bit between her teeth so far as campsites were concerned.

Hu Camping Park Albatross is located between San Vincenzo and Piombino in the province of Livorno. We drove through San Vincenzo as we made our way south to the campsite and were not overly impressed by the place but, no matter, our primary reason for heading this way was to visit either the tiny island of Elbe (which was where Napoleon Bonaparte spent an all too short period of exile before Waterloo and which can be reached by ferry from Piombino) or the Tuscan hillside village of Suvereto (which is one of the ‘borghi piu belli d’Italia’ – one of the most beautiful villages in Italy). We settled on the latter, it being just 10 miles or so inland from where we were camped.

Suvereto, formerly known as Castello di Sughereto, is a remarkably well preserved medieval village of some 3,000 residents in an area of Italy known as the Maremma. This area of almost 5,000 square kilometres encompasses most of Tuscany’s Grosseto Province and extends along the Tuscan coast as far north as Cecina and as far south as Civitavecchia in Lazio. It fills much of what was once Etruria, home to the Etruscans, and is perhaps the wildest part of Tuscany. This is largely due to the Romans who, after finally defeating the Etruscans in 396, failed to properly care for the canals and drainage systems developed by the Etruscans. As a result, much of the land deteriorated into swampland, with malaria became rife, and only the hilltop villages (the likes of Suvereto, Pitigliano, Massa Marittima, Montegiovi, Canneto, Buriano, etc) continued to prosper. It wasn’t until the early 19th century that the Grand Duke Leopold II set about restoring the drainage systems and the land was properly reclaimed.

There are two entrances through the largely intact walls which encircle the old village; the north gate, the Porta di Sassetta, and; a south gate, which lost it’s original name when it was rebuilt in 1857 and seems now to be known simply as the ‘new gate’. The entrances are connected by the village’s main thoroughfare, the Via Magenta. We entered using the new gate from the Piazza Vittorio Veneto but not before taking breakfast at a small coffeeshop, the ‘La Gattubuia’, which is esconced in the old walls on the Piazza. It was a lovely way to start the day; just sitting in the shade for a while and drinking coffee on this pleasant little square.

Of course, it was Vanya and our dogs who spent most of this short time on the square because, also on Piazza Vittorio Veneto are two churches, one alongside the other, which simply had to be explored. One is a very plain salmon coloured church, the Church of Saint Michael Archangel, which was built in 1881 but abandoned soon after and turned into a small museum (the Museum of Sacred Art). The other is the village’s primary church, Chiesa di San Giusto Vescovo. This church was built on the site of earlier Christian structures some time in the 10th century although, it wasn’t completed until 1189. It is named after a former Bishop of Volterra and; while it too doesn’t have a particularly impressive exterior, there are some interesting features inside.

The Chiesa di San Giusto has some interesting history about it too. In 1313, the Holy Roman Emperor (Henry VII of Luxembourg), who was not liked in these parts, was allegedly poisoned while taking holy communion and his body was temporarily interred in the church pending an investigation into his death (he died aged just 38). Franciscan monks from the nearby monastery then roasted the Emperor’s body over a fire and removed his head and boiled it. Now, why would they do that? Was it part of the internment process or were they seeking to conceal evidence of poisoning? I doubt I’ll ever know.

After a second cup of coffee, Vanya and I made our way up the Via Magenta into the old village. Suvereto is a compact village full of medieval stone houses linked by a maze of mixed stone, paved and cobbled streets and alleys. It is mostly pedestrianised because, with the exception of Via Magenta, the streets are too narrow for four wheeled vehicles. Moreover, it’s a mountain village with some steep streets which often give way to covered walkways and staircases and these too make it difficult for vehicles. You only need look at some of the photos I took to realise this.

… and there’s the ‘town’ hall in all it’s glory.

We made it to Suvereto’s equivalent of a town hall, the Palazzo Comunale, before Vanya’s concern about Nala’s ability to negotiate the steep streets in her ‘walking wheels’ prompted a return to the La Gattubuai. Before anyone gets too excited over the impressive looking Palazzo Communale, it is not open to tourists. I asked for a look-see and was politely declined.

Vanya was happy for me to continue my exploration of the village. I made my way back to the Palazzo Communale and then on to the village’s highest point, the 9th century castle ruin of Rocco Aldobrandesca. The ruin is being restored by the municipality but it is difficult to believe it was used as a private residence from 1800 up until as recently as 1950. It is very much ‘work in progress’. No matter, the short walk up to the ruin is worthwhile if only for the splendid views over the thickly forested Val di Cornia with it’s many chestnut trees, cork oak plantations, olive groves and vines. A little aside, did you know that the cork oak can regenerate it’s bark? It takes about 9 years.

The view after leaving the Palazzo Communale on the way to the castle ruin

The descent on the far side of the Rocco Aldobrandesca leads around to the Porta di Sassetta and the top end of the Via Magenta. This would lead me back to Vanya and our two dogs at La Gattubuai on the Piazza Vitorrio Veneto and, with a few short diversions, allow me to explore the rest of the village.

One of the more interesting buildings on the Via Magenta is the Chiesa della Madonna di Sopra la Porta. From the outside it looks like just another chapel but inside it is something else. Much like the time travel vehicle, the TARDIS (from the TV programme ‘Doctor Who’), the church seems to be far bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. For those who have never watched the TV programme (could there be such people?), TARDIS is an acronym for Time and Relative Dimension in Space and; thanks to “dimensional engineering beyond human comprehension”, the Tardis has the ability to fold one space inside another, thereby allowing it to be bigger on the inside. Simples!

Another interesting feature of the village is to be found alongside the 16th century Chiesa Crosifisso. It is the old cloister of a 13th century Franciscan monastery which now serves as a tiny square in the village, the Piazza della Cisterna. Some of the monastery buildings were knocked down and used to build the Chiesa Crosifosso and, more recently, others were converted into private houses. By the way, it was monks from this monastery who ‘handled’ the body of Henry VII of Luxembourg, whom I mentioned earlier in this blog.

There’s also some interesting street art in this area but I cannot tell you anything about these pieces.

Chiesa Crosifosso. The arch on the right leads to…

I’ve just realised how much I’ve written about Suvereto and I haven’t got around to mentioning the area’s red wine with it’s DOCG label. I’ll leave it at that except to say that we were so pleased to have visited this village. It’s a pocket of wholly authentic rural life (I read that description somewhere and/but it really does suit). There is also a real lived-in feel about the place and we highly recommended it as somewhere to visit.