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Montblanc (Catalonia), Spain September 2024

We’d journeyed from Germany, through Switzerland and France, to Spain to escape the constant rain which seems to have been a feature of Northern Europe this last year. That was a good decision with the weather in Sitges (Catalonia) proving fine and the forecasts in Galicia and Asturias, in the far north west, looking even better. We decided to make our way to Galicia next (provided the weather stayed fine) by way of Aragon, Navarra, La Rioja and Castilla y Leon. Our next overnight stay would be in the small Aragonese village of Mequinenza, a 2.5 hour drive west.

We were almost halfway to Mequinenza when, looking for a place to stop for lunch, we discovered the small fortress town of Montblanc at the edge of the Prades Mountains. The town was founded by Alfonso I of Barcelona (Alfonso the Chaste) during the 12th century to protect the road between Lleida and Tarragona and it clearly prospered; as is evidenced by it’s huge church and various other impressive buildings. I don’t understand how I could have previously overlooked such an interesting place. It really is a hidden gem.

I parked just outside the medieval town walls close to the Convent de la Serra (on Paseo Josep Conangla) to take a quick look at the large church near the top of the town. There’s a sizeable flat topped mound just inside the town walls which provides views over the city and towards the Prades Mountains although the view of the back of the church (the Iglesia Santa Maria La Mayor) is less than impressive and for a moment I was tempted to return to the Van. I’m so glad I didn’t.

When I say ‘less than impressive’, I actually mean ‘odd’. It’s a mishmash of styles and, well, on the outside at least has a wholly peculiar appearance. The back of the church can be counted amongst the least attractive of any church I have seen. This can be explained in that it started life as a small Romanesque church dedicated to Santa Maria and as it’s congregation grew, work began on a Gothic style expansion. This expansion was frustrated by the Black Death (the Plague) which devastated the town in terms of the population and money with which to finish the church and so one side of the church was simply bricked up without any ornamentation. When work resumed in the 17th century an ornate Baroque facade replaced much of the Gothic facade, which had never been finished because of the Plague and had also been damaged during the Reapers War, leaving us with the most confused architectural structure which is now the Iglesia de Santa Maria La Mayor de Montblanc.

Don’t misunderstand me. The church still has much going for it. It just looks less than impressive from the back. The front of the church, with it’s Baroque style facade with Renaissance influences, is stunning. It also has some beautiful chapels (another sign of the town’s previous affluence) and a bell tower which it is possible to ascend.

I said bell-tower but it is not a tower as such. You actually climb stairs to a roof terrace where a half dozen or so bells are situated. Timing is everything and as I was climbing the stairs, the bells chimed for 11am. Let me tell you, they were loud.

*The views over the town from the church.*

I had stayed too long in the church already but had to see a little more of the town before returning to the Van for lunch which Vanya was preparing (had long finished preparing) and; I might as well get hung for a sheep as a lamb. No, it was a cold lunch and I was okay for a while yet. Thank goodness for cellular phones.

Montblanc’s old town centre is enclosed in some of the best preserved medieval castle walls to be seen anywhere in Spain and the narrow cobbled streets I followed on my way to the main square proved much the same. Higher buildings than is normal for such a rural part of the Region provided yet another example of the town’s previous wealth and, given how hot the day had already become, made for refreshingly cool streets.

There were a surprising number of people out and about; both on the streets, where local women were chatting excitedly with friends or neighbours they had chanced upon while on their way home from whatever it was they were doing and; in the Placa Mayor, where local men (their husbands?) were drinking beer and arguing and laughing loudly together. It was that happy, cheerful time of the day shortly before the afternoon siesta begins and after which the town centre would suddenly and quickly empty. I’m not trying to typecast men and women with that description but, the whole scene simply took me back to my childhood in Cyprus and Kenya where much the same scenes were played out almost every day before us kids were sent off for an afternoon nap. I really hated that time of the day.

It was time to get back to the Van. The return journey took me back past the church.

This was only a short stop but it proved a pleasant surprise and I would gladly revisit Montblanc. Also there is a World Heritage Site, the Monastir de Poblet, just 9 kilometres down the road that could be worth visiting.

Oh, and I don’t think I mentioned that according to local legend, Sant Jordi (Saint George) killed his dragon in Montblanc. It’s known as The Golden Legend in Catalonia. I reproduce below what I read about it:-

It seems that “Saint George was travelling on horseback when he came to Montblanc, which at that time was being terrorized by a large dragon. In order to appease the dragon the townspeople had started to feed it 2 sheep each day. When sheep weren’t enough they were replaced by human sacrifices. The king decreed that the person to be sacrificed should be chosen at random. Finally the day came that the king’s beautiful daughter was chosen for sacrifice.

The king tried to bargain with the townspeople but they insisted that the princess should be sacrificed as their children had been. Dressed as a bride, the princess was led to the dragon’s lair when, by chance, Saint George arrived at the town. St George asked the princess what was happening and she told him about the dragon and asked him to leave before he was hurt. Instead of leaving the princess to be eaten, St George fought and slayed the dragon.”

Clearly the people of Montblanc believe this legend because every year during April the town stages a week long Medieval Fair which includes a medieval feast, jousting tournaments, a correfoc and a re-enactment of the legend of Sant Jordi. That would be fun.

Anyway, on to Mequinenza.

Sitges (Catalonia), Spain September 2024 (Tour 10)

I was last in Sitges some 20 years ago for a conference with my then employers (Amec) and, from what little I saw of the town at that time, I liked the place. It was always going to be interesting to see how much the town has changed over the years and during this visit I would get two chances to check the town out; the first would be during the day on my own and the second in the evening with Vanya and our two dogs.

The day started with me walking some 15 minutes or so past the golf course and through a very pleasant residential part of the town to one of Sitges’ beaches, the Platja de Terramar. There I joined the wide palm lined promenade (the Passeig Maritim) and headed east for a further 15 minutes to the 17th century Eglesia de Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla (that’s Catalan for the Church of Saint Bartholomew and Saint Tecla). This route took me past what is often called the Platja de Sitges but it is in fact a series of 7 different beaches (each separated by groins); the Platje de Terramar, the Platja de la Barra, the Riera Xica, L’Estanyol, the Bassa Rodona, la Ribera and finally the tiny Platja de la Fragata. There are three more beaches to the east of the church which lead all the way to the harbour (the Platja Sant Sebastia, the Platja dels Balmins and finally the Platja Aiguadolc) but I decided to leave these beaches to a later visit. For information only, I found out later that there are a few nudist beaches in Sitges and one of them is on the Platja dels Balmins.

The beaches I saw during the walk are all blue flag clean and mostly sandy. They are as good as any to be seen in this part of Spain and at this time of the year are mostly empty. The busier ones, complete with street hawkers selling fake designer handbags and trainers, are at the church end of the Passeig Maritim where most of the restaurant-bars and, of course, the old town are located. Given it is mid September, I was surprised at how busy the bars are but; perhaps I shouldn’t have been with Ryan Air currently flying into Girona from Belfast, Cork and Dublin for as little as £40 return. There were probably more Irish in Sitges during our visit than any other nationalty.

The Church of St Bartholomew and Saint Tecla is Sitges’ most recognisable landmark; so much so it is known locally as La Punta – the Point. The church was closed during my previous visit and it was the same again this time. It’s shame, if only because the views from any one of the bell tower or the clock tower will, I think, be exceptional. I read that the local museum used to run tours of the church which includes an ascent of the bell tower but I don’t know if that is still the case.

While the vistas from the nearby ‘Palau de Maricel’ (the Maricel Palace) don’t quite match those of the church, they do afford some fine views over the Mediterranean; especially from the rooftop terrace and cloisters. The ‘Palace’, by the way, is the ‘must see’ place in Sitges. Built between 1910 and 1918 by artist and engineer Miguel Utrillo at the behest of US tycoon Charles Deering (of the Combined Harvester Family), it was part of a complex which would become home to Deering and serve to showcase his growing art collection. It didn’t last. The two men fell out in 1921 over certain financial irregularities and Deering closed everything down and moved back to the United States. Much of the complex was subsequently dismantled and sold off piecemeal with the City of Sitges buying the current ‘Palace’ in 1954. Inside and outside it is quite spectacular…

After exploring La Punta, I started back along the Promenade but only as far as the ‘A Facundo Bacardi’ monument (Bacardi being someone born in Sitges who emigrated to Cuba and then created the well known white rum which bears his name) and then turned deeper into the old town of Sitges by way of Carrer Primer de Maig. Sitges’ old town isn’t as large as many others (especially having regard to the size of the city – it has a population of about 30,000) but it is equally charming.

The wholly pedestrianised Carrer Primer de Maig de 1838, also known as Carrer del Pecat (Sin Street in English) is one of a handful of streets at the heart of Sitges’ nightlife. The street is not as bad as the sobriquet suggests (well, not before midnight anyway) and during the day it really is a most unassuming street that you could safely take the most prudish grandmother down.

Having said that, I’m uncomfortable with those hotels which openly declare they are open only to gay couples. Sitges has long been a truly cosmopolitan city where everyone is welcome irrespective of their gender or sexual proclivity and I recognise that the LGBTQ community has lent the city a great deal of spirit and colour but if this isn’t discrimination, it is certainly boorish behaviour and to be censured.

Rant over. Back to the visit. I wandered much of Sitges old town for a while longer and then stopped for a quick beer in one of the backstreet bars before making my way back along the Passeig Maritim to collect Vanya and our dogs for the evening sortie into the city.

*It’s a long way back down that beach to the Van.*

There are definitely two sides to Sitges. Day and night in the town are as different as chalk and cheese and, well, as different as day and night. The days, at least in the closed season, are mostly quiet, slow and relaxed. It is as much about lazing on the beach or strolling the promenade as anything. Yes, there is the odd juvenile boozer who seems to have confused Sitges with Ayia Napa but, fortunately, such types rarely have the capacity to last.

Then there’s nighttime. We stayed only until midnight but saw enough to recognise that the city is transformed at night. There’s a wide variety of bars and restaurants (with cocktail bars presiding) and there are also numerous nightclubs, most of which stay open well into the early hours of the morning. Of course the nightclubs are dominated by the gay community but, so far as I am aware, they are generally open to all and they are great fun.

For our part, Vanya and I were happy enough sitting on a terrace outside a bar in the old part of the city; enjoying a bottle of wine, people watching and soaking up the atmosphere of what is clearly a very vibrant city. We found a place to eat right in the centre where the Carrer Primer de Maig meets the Carrer del Marques Monttroig and is crossed by the Carrer de Joan Tarrida. I’d recognise it again by it’s colourful umbrellas and by the way the seats of all the chairs outside the different restaurants are pointed towards the centre of the crossroads This wholly pedestrianised area was a hive of activity all the time we were there and a fun place to be. We would have been quite happy sitting there eating our good (albeit expensive) tapas and watching the world go by but our evening was further enhanced by a young acrobatic troop of dancers who entertained us at the crossroads for over an hour.

*Just look at the way all the seats are arranged*

It strikes me there’s an open, accepting and more relaxed atmosphere about Sitges at night. It’s comfortable. I think perhaps the good humour of so many people intent on enjoying themselves has a healthy, positive effect on others. It’s nice to think so.

Of course it may be different during the early hours of the morning, once the nightclubs are in full sway. We were not going to find out this trip. We had our dogs with us and so could not take advantage of the nightclub scene even if we wanted too but; there was time enough for one last leisurely stroll around the quieter parts of the city and that last half hour wandering the silent empty places, away from the busy cheerful bars and clubs, was as enchanting as anything we had experienced in Sitges. A couple of the following photos perhaps reflect that?

And there’s always time for Beanie pictures…

North in the morning but we’ll return to Sitges.

Argeles sur Mer (Occitan), France September 2024 (Tour 10)

I really like this part of France. We have been to the Vermillion Coast (la Cote Vermeille) a few times now; visiting Collioure, Banyuls sur Mer and, of course, little Saint Genis des Fontaines (where I buy my vin rouge de la maison).

Argeles sur Mer is not a town I have ever thought to visit before; largely because of it’s reputation as being one of the most popular holiday resorts on the south coast of France. It currently has a population of less than 11,000 and yet attracts more than 300,000 visitors every year. The town was busy even as I arrived during the middle of September although; a fairly stiff breeze was forcing the great majority of visitors off of the 7 kms blue flag beach and on to the Boulevard de la Mer which runs behind the beachfront buildings lining the promenade.

It took me about an hour to walk from Camping Le Dauphin into town and along the promenade to the harbour area.

*It would take a great many people to fill this beach*

The harbour area is more of a marina than a port; there being so many leisure craft docked there. It’s probably the most developed part of the town; lined as it is with restaurants, boutique shops and apartment blocks. There’s little on the seafront (and I include the harbour in this) to suggest the town was ever anything other than a tourist resort (except perhaps the few brightly coloured Lateen boats bobbing on the water) but, for all that, Argeles has not become a tacky tourist resort like so many. I quite like the place.

Carry on south beyond the harbour area and you will reach a small sandy cove edged by what were once fishermen’s cottages and/or temporary homes built by Spanish exiles. I don’t know which is true but they all now appear well tended and attractive. Behind them are some shops and a few small apartment blocks. This is the tiny hamlet of Racou and it seems a world apart from Argeles. It makes for a much quieter day on the beach too.

*A Tourist Office Photo of Racou which I could never reproduce*

There’s a path from Racou up to a viewpoint with views over Argeles. It connects too with the coastal path to Collioure. It was getting late and, much as I like the place, I had neither the time nor the energy to go on to Collioure. Instead I sought out Argeles’ old town and in particular L’Eglise Notre Dame del Prat (Our Lady of the Meadows).

The 14th century Eglise Notre Dame del Prat is situated at the heart of the old town on the Rue de la Republique. A narrow lane, Rue de la Solidarite, runs around the back of the church and the delightful little cottages that edge this lane, together with the buildings opposite the front entrance to the church, form a pretty little square which is home to a traditional market on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The church is full of character and famous for it’s Catalan paintings of various saints but it was the altar which most caught my attention. It is truly stunning. The 14th century bell tower is also impressive. It is a listed historic monument and it is possible to ascend the tower but only with an official guide at prescribed times. I missed out on that one.

*Part of the square formed by cottages on Rue de la Sokidarite*

It was at least a 3 mile walk back to our camp site (Camping Le Dauphin) but I made it in time for pre dinner drinks with Vanya. Camping Le Dauphin is an excellent 5 star campsite by the way that didn’t charge silly money (we paid an off season price of just 26 euros for a plot with private showers, etc). It is an excellent stop over place but a bit too far out of town for Nala (and probably Vanya too).

Would I return to Argeles? Yes, provided it was out of season and; given more time, I would be keen to undertake the 8km walk up to the Tour de la Massane for it’s views of one of the prettiest coastlines in the south of France.

Violes (Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur), France September 2024 (Tour 10)

We were in Violes, in the southern Rhone Valley, to sample the wines at the Domaine des Favards and thereafter enjoy their annual celebration ‘Bodega La Nuit Favardaise’ (although, in truth, we didn’t know about the winery’s annual celebration until after we arrived). The Domaine des Favardes is first and foremost a very successful working winery of 25 hectares owned by the Famille Barbaud but they have converted a large stretch of land next to their bodega into a first class campsite. How Vanya finds these places I don’t know but we booked in for two nights.

There was nothing open in the village of Violes that first night. In fact, there is very little in the village to open. Google ‘Francethisway’ and check out Violes and everything they write about is at least 5 miles away – witness Seguret and the Dentelles de Montmirail.

Please don’t misunderstand; I’m not complaining about Violes. We know from our earlier travels in this Region that there’s plenty to see and do in the area, if not Violes itself. We were there to relax and enjoy the local wine and we weren’t going to venture out while the Mistral was blowing a hoolie. Our first evening was therefore spent in the campsite’s restaurant enjoying some good French cooking and getting a sneak preview of a couple of the local wines.

A little about the Mistral before I continue. It’s a wind and it had been blowing for a few days before we arrived and showed no sign of abating. It can blow any time of the year but is more common in the autumn and winter. It occurs when warm air coming in from the Mediterranean meets the cold air from Central France and the Alps. The warm air rises leaving a space for the cold air from the mountains to fill and this cold air then sweeps down through south east France to the Mediterranean. It makes for very strong cold winds which get even stronger as they are funneled through the narrow Rhone Valley. I heard a local man describe the Mistral as ‘exhausting’. He could not have described the phenomenen better but, it wasn’t going to spoil our wine tasting the next morning and, anyway, on the plus side this strong wind clears away pollution and makes for very blue skies.

Unfortunately for Vanya, the Domaine des Favardes produce just two white wines; a Cotes du Rhone ‘Les bons moments’ and a CDR ‘L’affute’ and as a result her wine tasting session the next morning was soon concluded. We shouldn’t have been surprised because only 6% of wines across the Rhone Valley are white, 13% are rose and a whopping 81% are red. There was no doubt which of the wines would win the white category either because the L’affute is stored in oak casks and Vanya hates oaked whites. So sorry for laughing Vanya.

I didn’t mind either of the white wines but it was the reds I was looking forward to tasting and when our host started on them, they just kept coming. I was a very happy chap.

Before this session, I knew very little about Cotes du Rhone wines other than that there are 4 grades which are produced across both the Northern Rhone and the Southern Rhone (where the terroir is somewhat different). The best wines are the ‘Crus’ AC; the next best are the ‘Villages’ AC from a named village (e.g. CDR Villages Plan de Dieu and CDR Villages Chusclan) – not just any old village but one of 20 specified villages. The third level are ‘Villages’ AOC which are not produced by one of the 20 specified villages but by a CDR accredited commune. The fourth and final level, which amount to some 50% of the area’s controlled wine production, is the CDR AOC. Anything else just isn’t Cotes du Rhone (officially).

I’m not sure I learned a great deal more about Cotes du Rhone wine at the Domaine des Favards but I certainly got to taste a few. These included (a) Les bons moments rouge 2023 13.5%; (b) CDR Les Grandes Terres 2022 (Grenache, Mourvedre & Syrah grapes) 14.5%; (c) CDR Villages 2020 (Grenache & Syrah) 14.5%; (d) CDR Villages Plan de Dieu 2022 (Grenache & Syrah grapes matured in oak barrels for 12 months and at their best after 6-8 years) 14.5%; (e) CDR Villages Plan de Dieu les Givres 2021 (Grenache, Syrah, Carignan & Cinsault) 14.5%; (f) CDR Villages Plan de Dieu les Brigands 2022 (Cepages, Grenache, Cinsault & Syrah and at their best after 8-10 years) 14.5%; (g) CDR L’une et L’autre 2020 (matured in oak barrels for 16 months and also at their best after 8-10 years) 14%.

There was only the one wine I was unsure about, the Les Givres. The rest were fine but the winner for me was the L’une et L’autre with the ‘Plan de Dieu’ (a named village) coming a very close second. Needless to say, we purchased a mixed case of our favourites.

We were sufficiently rested when, that same evening, we made our way back to the winery to join La Nuit Favardaise. It was well attended by residents of not just Violes but various other villages in the area and all had dressed having regard to the continuing strong winds (in what the Geordies would call ‘their big coats’). The Mistral was still in full flow.

I tried a couple more glasses of the Les Givres during the course of the evening and, I am pleased to report, I warmed to it.

The locals are clearly made of hardier stuff than us because within an hour, Vanya and I decided to retire to the Van. We can attest to the fact, however, that the party continued to precisely 0H30 as advertised on the admission ticket. The music played by the DJ Mister Flo was good and loud.

The next day we left Violes to drive further south and west to Les Argeles sur Mer, near France’s border with Spain. Before leaving I, once again, battled my way into the village for a final look and to buy some fresh bread. My first thoughts apropos the village were correct. It really doesn’t have much about it but, the bakery at the main cross-roads produce first class bread and the nearby cafe-bar does a good coffee.

There follows a couple of photos of the village…

*The village centre; the bakery is next to the pizza bar*

Les Argeles sur Mer next… and of course, one of my favourite wineries (Les Vignerones des Alberes) is very close by at Saint Genis des Fontaines.

Seguret (Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur), France September 2024 (Tour 10)

We were heading to Violes but, on the way, stopped off at the tiny hilltop village of Seguret.

The ‘old town’ part of Seguret clings to the western side of a small hill in the Northern Vaucluse area and is as deserving a member of the ‘plus beau village de France’ community as any. It is almost completely encircled by two roads; the Rue du Barry which stretches along the lower part of the town and is little more than an access road and; the Chemin de L’Auteret which stretches along the upper part of the town and leads to the village church, L’Eglise Saint Denis. The area in between these two roads is entirely pedestrianised and comprises two narrow winding cobbled streets being, the Rue des Poternes and the Rue de Four. The main street is the Rue des Poternes which stretches the entire length of the village. The other, the Rue de Four, is a spur which leads off the Rue des Poternes and up to the church. Both are beautiful.

We approached the village from the north, entering via the 12th century Porte Reynier (also known as the Portail de la Bise), and then walked the length of Rue des Poternes. Narrow and winding is an understatement but it is full of interest and a photographers dream.

The Rue des Poternes is largely residential but there are a handful of craft shops and/or galleries and three cafe-restaurants, one of which was shut. Le Mesclun, further down towards the southern entrance to the village is reputed to be the best for food but it too was closing as we arrived and we therefore made do with Le Cote Terrasse; friendly and welcoming but not good value.

There’s no market square in old town Seguret; the village is simply too narrow. Instead there is the Fontaine des Mascarons; the ‘fountain of masks’ on account of the four sculpted heads with spouts through which potable water flows. At one time, this was the only source of drinking water in the village. Close to the fountain is the old lavoir (communal washtub for want of a better description) and a drinking trough for the village’s animals. This would have been the village’s principal meeting place; as is evidenced by the adjacent village clock and belfry.

There’s a second larger lavoir at the southern end of the village just outside the Huguenot Gate on the Place des Arceaux.

Having walked the length of the Rue des Poternes, Vanya was content to wait in the Van while I walked the remainder of the village. I escorted her back to the Van by way of the Rue du Barry and then took off, firstly, up the Rue de Four to the church and then up the Chemin d’L’Auteret to the castle ruins. That way, I would be able to cover the whole village.

Saint Denis was closed but the panoramas from a viewing platform outside the church more than compensated; especially those across the Rhone Valley.

Indeed, the views from the church are better than from the castle ruins higher up the hill (and don’t let anyone tell you different); particularly those to the south east (which could be the jagged teeth of the ‘Dentelles de Montmirail’). Actually, I thought the walk up to the castle ruins a complete waste of time. The views are obscured by trees and there’s nothing left of the castle that is worth seeing.

That’s all I’m inclined to say for now about Seguret except that during our short stay the wind started blowing a real hoolie! I thought at the time that such a strong wind had to be the Mistral. If so, we would be in for a rough ride at our next stop, Violes.

Saint Genix Les Villages (Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes), France September 2024 (Tour 10)

We were on our way into France to escape Switzerland’s rain and Vanya picked out a camp site in the Savoyard at a place called Saint Genix sur Guiers. Neither of us had heard of the place before. Imagine our surprise when, later that day after we had checked into a campsite in the town, I read a post on facebook by friends of hours who had overnighted in Saint Genix just 24 hours earlier! These friends were walking a Camino from Geneva to Le Puy en Velay and this route took them along the GR65 which passes, amongst other places, through Saint Genix (and ultimately on to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain). Small world or what?!?

Okay, so a little about Saint Genix. The town is located at the confluence of the Rivers Rhone and Guiers and it’s proper name is Saint Genix les Villages. The town was known as Saint Genix sur Guiers until, in 2019, some civil restructuring saw it merged with the two villages of Gresin and Saint Maurice de Rotherens and formed into the new commune of Saint Genix les Villages. Much of the signage in the town still refers to Saint Genix sur Guiers.

It is a small fairly unassuming town of just over 3,000 people which became famous for it’s Gateaux Saint Genix. This cake was created by a local pastry chef, Pierre Labully in 1880. In truth it is more a Brioche than a cake. It is a bread made with leavened dough to a fairly common recipe but Labully made it his own by adding pink pralines (sugar coated almonds) and topping it with sugar before baking. The resulting product caught on and is now made all over France. The Gateaux Labully bakery where the product was first created was closed for holidays during our visit but I was able to get one from the Gateaux Saint Genie bakery on Rue de Couvent. It is quite tasty but proved a little too dry for me.

There’s not a great deal to the town in terms of things to see or do. Why else would I go on so much about a cake that I didn’t really enjoy? However, it has a little church, L’Eglise Notre Dame de l’Assomption, which is worth a visit. By Roman Catholic standards it is simply adorned but it is charming. I particularly like the entrance with it’s curved staircase and and the fact that there’s a plaque inside honouring the town’s war dead (1914-1918 and 1939-1945). Such plaques are not that common in French churches, nor English ones for that matter.

Next door to the church on Place de l’Eglise is a bar-restaurant (Cafe des Sports) which appeared during our visit to serve as much a focal point in the town as the church itself. It was full of people on the two occasions I visited it; once during the day to reserve a table for dinner and again that night to enjoy the dinner. The welcome on both occasions was warm and friendly.

A few photos of the town…

… and a fine sunset the other side of the Guiers…

Montreux (Vaud), Switzerland September 2024 (Tour 10)

The good weather was set to hold for another half a day and we had a choice of visiting either Lausanne or Montreux. The camp site owner was in no doubt – it had to be Montreux by a country mile.

We took the train from Cully along the shoreline to Montreux with free return rail tickets provided by the campsite. It seems there is a system here (The Lavaux Transport Card) whereby tourists staying in approved accommodation qualify for free local train tickets for each day of their stay. The campsite owner simply issued us with vouchers (one each for Nala and Beanie too) and we were off.

If our journey along the north bank of Lake Geneva to Montreux is anything to go by, the rail system in Switzerland is excellent. It is public transport at it’s best or is it that I am so disillusioned by everything to do with the UK’s rubbish service? There are Panoramic and Belle Epoque trains operating on this route but we caught one of the regular double deck trains. Everything about our journey to and from Montreux was on point. The service was frequent, punctual and efficient. The trains (and stations for that matter) are clean and spacious and, best of all, is the consideration given to disabled travellers (and dogs like Nala in her walking wheels). Oh, and if that wasn’t enough, the views from the train were spectacular.

With the latest weather forecasts predicting heavy rain during the course of the afternoon, we were only ever going to have time to see Montreux; which is a shame, because we were also keen to visit some of the villages that our train paused at on it’s journey to Montreaux. Saint Saphorin, in particular, looked worth visiting and Vevey, of course, was home to Charlie Chaplin for many years.

We’d been told that a walk along the promenade in Montreux is an absolute must when visiting the town, not least because of the marvellous views out across the lake, and that was to be our first goal. From the railway station we headed down through the town to the Quai Edouard Jaccoud and; then followed it eastwards through the Quai de la Rouvenaz (with it’s Freddy Mercury statue) and; the Quai Ernest-Ansermet (with it’s statue of Les Amoreux) and; on to the Quai des Fleurs (with it’s Casino Barriere and many different annuals – 330,000 flowers are embedded along the Quai des Fleurs every year) and; finally, through to the Via Francigena (with it’s excellent views of the Chateau de Chillon). We’d been warned not to enter the castle, on account of it being ridiculously overpriced, but we were ready for a cup of coffee anyway and so retraced our steps to the Casino Barriere de Montreux.

Vanya wanted to see Queen’s old recording studios (Mountain Studios) which were incorporated in the casino building when it was rebuilt following the 1971 fire. Freddie Mercury had an apartment overlooking the Quai des Fleurs and he encouraged the band to invest in the recording studio. They bought it in 1979 and kept it until after his death, when Queen’s producer, David Richards, took it on. After Richard’s death in 2013 it was converted into a museum exhibition known as “Queen – The Studio”. Vanya was enthralled by the exhibition and subsequently spent the time it took me to drink two cups of coffee regaling me with anecdotes about the place. Amongst other things I learned, Queen produced 7 albums there and; other recording artists who used the facility included David Bowie, Brian Ferry, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Phil Collins and Michael Jackson. The list goes on and on.

You’ll have to speak directly to Vanya about the anecdotes. I’ll leave you with a few photos of our time in Montreux.

*Heading off down the Quai Edouard Jaccoud*

Montreux is a really charming town and well worth a visit if only to walk the promenade and soak in the views across Lake Geneva. Yes, there are a great many tourists but, so what? Just enjoy the place.

Heavy rain curtailed our visit to Montreux. When it continued through the next day and was forecast to get even worse, we made the decision to drive on into the south of France and Spain if necessary. We wanted more sunshine.

We missed out on Lausanne and Saint Saphorin and Vevey and some of the higher villages (Grandvaux and Chexbres) but, we’ll be back!

Cully (Vaud), Switzerland September 2024 (Tour 10)

Cully (pronounced Coo-Eee) is a tiny little wine village on Lake Geneva in the French speaking Vaud Canton. It is almost halfway between Lausanne and Montreux and it proved a wonderful place to stay on account of it’s having all the facilities we needed (including an excellent campsite and a choice of restaurants) and it’s close proximity and good travel connections to Lausanne, Montreux and numerous local towns and villages in the Lavaux.

Switzerland’s Lavaux region is home to the country’s celebrated Chasselas vines and the terraces on which the vines grow almost monopolise Lake Geneva’s northern shoreline for a 7 mile stretch between Saint Saphorin and Lutry (and passing through Cully). The terraces have been awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

After the disappointment of Aarburg, our first sight of Cully as we drove down to the village from the E62 was so very encouraging. The rain which followed us along the Swiss motorways for most of the morning had abated and the sun was shining. We drove slowly through Chexbres (our attention divided between the contents of this pretty little village and it’s wonderful views over Lake Geneva) and then slower still through Epesses (as alluring as Chexbres but with considerably narrower streets and an abundance of busy tractors) and then we entered Cully and our spirits soared.

Our campsite (Camping de Moratel) isn’t cheap, even out of season, but it is almost perfect, even having it’s own marina and beach on the lake (Plage de Moratel). For what remained of that first afternoon, we were content to chill and within minutes of parking the Van up on a great pitch with views over Lake Geneva, we were sitting in the sunshine with a glass of cold bubbly to hand.

After a while I felt sufficiently refreshed to scout out a bar or restaurant for the evening. There is a surprising amount of choice for such a small village; probably on account of the CGN Boat Cruises stopping at Cully throughout the day and; of course, the Lavaux Vineyard Hike passes directly through the village. I reserved a table at the Cafe de la Post; there being plenty on the menu to satisfy Vanya’s palate and mine and because they were quite happy for us to bring our two dogs into the restaurant.

Thereafter I completed a thorough tour of the village, including a visit to the railway station to check the next day’s train timetable for Montreux. The campsite owner had convinced us that Montreux was a far better choice than Lausanne for a day out and who are we to argue with the locals?

So, having organised dinner and ascertained train times to and from Montreux, it was time to relax again. Indeed, it was time to sample the local wine. There are numerous wineries in the village, mostly very small affairs (almost cottage industry establishments) but I sought out one of the larger producers because of the greater choice of wines. I found the perfect establishment in “Les Freres Dubois”. They are based in neighbouring Epesses but have a wine shop in Cully. The shop manager recommended a glass of ‘Braise d’Enfer’. I’m not sure I agree with Falstaff’s assessment of the wine -“Full-bodied, yet extremely delicate on the palate, with subtle acidity and yellow fruits. Long, salty and mineral finish” – but it was very tasty. I hope that the Cafe de la Poste hold that wine.

A few photos of the village:-

The food and the welcome at the Cafe de la Poste later that evening was great. Vanya started with a charcuterie followed by a cheese fondue; the fondue being made made with Vacherin Friebourgeois which, we learned, is an endangered cheese because only a handful of artisan cheesemakers know how to make it. It did taste good. I chose some huge snails as a starter; followed by a Gambas au Tandoori, poivrons et oignons riz. Delicious. The white wines we tried with the dinner were not up to the standard of the “Braise d’Enfer” that I had enjoyed at Les Freres Dubois but they kept us happy…

… and tomorrow, Montreux.

Aarburg (Aargau), Switzerland September 2024 (Tour 10)

We drove into Switzerland today in search of better weather. Our entry wasn’t without issues at the Swiss border since we had inadvertently bought the wrong vignette (to drive on the Swiss motorways) over the internet. It took almost an hour to sort but we made it in the end.

Vanya had found us a campsite (Camping Wiggerspitz) in the small town of Aarburg which has, we were informed, a spectacular 12th century castle – one of the largest and most impressive in Switzerland. Unfortunately , what should have been a three hour drive to Aarburg became a five hour trial because of the delay with the vignette, traffic congestion around Zurich and wet weather but, again, we made it in the end… and the castle does look awesome.

Sadly, it is not open to the public… well, not unless you are under a certain age and have committed some misdemeanour… it’s now a borstal! We went for a wander around the town anyway and so that I could visit the tidy looking Reform Church which stands in front of the prison. Of course the church was also shut. So too were all the local cafe-bars. Ever felt that circumstances were conspiring against you?

Feeling somewhat deflated with the town I googled Aarburg after returning to the Van. There are a handful of blogs singing the praises of the town but take away the castle and the church and, honestly, there is little else. Sorry, but Aarburg is one of those places you might pause at for a cup of tea and to admire the view of the church and castle from across the Aare River but, otherwise… we’re heading for Lausanne and/or Montreux.

Tubingen (Baden-Wurttemberg), Germany September 2024 (Tour 10)

We very much enjoyed Marburg and were reluctant to leave but, the weather forecast across Germany (and almost all of northern Europe) was so bad that we thought it best to make our way south west into France or even Spain. We chose to go by way of another scenic university city, Tubingen in Swabia. This city is purportedly one of Germany’s sunniest spots although you wouldn’t believe it while we were there. In fact, I’m thinking we should have driven even further west because I was absolutely drenched whilst wandering the city centre.

Tubingen straddles the River Neckar and a part of my walk into the city from the campsite took me on to the Neckarinsel. This artificial island is about three quarters of a mile long and a path lined with 200 year old Plane trees (the Platanenallee) runs it’s length to the Eberhardsbrucke in the city centre. This route along the island provides some fine views of the colourful 15th and 16th century buildings lining the Neckar. The most impressive views however are from the bridge or, better still, from a Stockerkahn which is a flat bottom boat not unlike the punts to be found on the River Cam in Cambridge. The Stockerkahn is propelled in the same way as a punt too.

*A view along the Neckar from the Eberhardsbrucke*

*The River Neckar complete with a Stockerkhan* *and the Zwingel Wall*

A staircase at the end of the island leads up on to the Eberhardsbrucke (which bridge is named in honour of Count Eberhard V who started the city’s university in 1477) and from there one can enter the old town via the Neckargasse or along a narrow path by the Zwingel Wall. I walked both routes during my short time in the city.

Before I forget, there’s a large birdhouse at the foot of the staircase which intrigued me. I learned that it serves to help control the city’s pigeon population which is as great a problem in Tubingen as in any other European city. When the pigeons nest in the birdhouse, city workers replace their eggs with plaster ones. This may not be one of the most successful methods of controlling pigeon numbers but it is perhaps one of the more humane.

Once up on the bridge I made my way to the 15th century Collegiate Church of Saint George (known more commonly as the Stiftskirche) which is on the Holzmarkt. This is another church which converted to Protestantism, the first Protestant service being held in the church during 1534. My primary reason for heading there was to take advantage of the supposedly good views from it’s belltower but, it wasn’t to be. The belltower was closed for the day but, no matter, the Stiftskirche is a beautiful and interesting church.

One detail I noticed about the church’s choir is that the carving of Moses shows him with horns on his head, much like a devil. I didn’t know this until today but it seems a great many images of Moses from the Middle Ages portray him with horns. It is not absolutely clear how this came about but it is suspected the horns were added to discredit him at a time when Christians and Jews were in conflict.

*Collegiate Church of Saint George (Stiftskirche)*

The Holzmarkt is adjacent to the Marktplatz and this market square has to be the focal point of the city with it’s more than impressive town hall (the Rathaus), Neptune’s Fountain (Neptunbrunnen) and the square’s many multifloored 15th and 16th century buildings. Tubingen escaped the heavy bombing which saw so many places devastated during World War II (only one bomb is recorded as having landed on the city) and it’s medieval centre is almost perfectly preserved.

The colourful Rathaus takes pride of place with it’s ornate astronomical clock and it’s tiny, flower covered balcony which comes into it’s own during civil wedding services when the newly married couple are encouraged to take their first kiss as husband and wife on the balcony in front of a cheering crowd.

And then it began to rain, softly at first…

Despite the rain I continued with my walk around this colourful little city; admiring the abundance of flowers and some very good street art (there was a lot of not so nice grafitti too – just awful scribble) and; visiting a couple more churches too but then the heavens really opened.

It was a cloudburst, a deluge, and I was well and truly caught in it. I was drenched. I found shelter for a while in a cafe (over coffee and apfelkuchen) but the rain wouldn’t let up and as time dragged on I felt obliged to try and make my way back to the Van. I started skipping (prancing is perhaps a more accurate description) from one door to another. It was slow progress… and then I noticed the Stolpersteine… more of Gunter Demnig’s work… small memorial plaques laid in the pavement in front of the former homes of victims of the Nazis… and my progress became slower still.

I made it back to the Van a while later. The bad weather stopped me searching out other stolpersteine and all the forecasts suggest it will continue to rain for the next few days.

It was time to move on. I missed out on the Hohentubingen Castle with it’s Renaissance style lower gate (the Unteres Schloss Tor), the Eberhard Karls University, the Wurmlinger Chapel and who knows what else but; I suspect I will return to Tubingen.