Author: A Hap-pea Traveller

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La Dolce Vita – day one

Buongiorno

We were up with (before) the larks to head to Bristol airport at early o’clock to catch a 6 am flight to Naples, and by 9 am UK time, 10 am in Italy, we were off the aeroplane and in a queue, expecting to have our faces scanned and fingerprints taken as part of the EU’s EES system but despite queuing past a row of machines, we did not give up our bio-metrics, instead 15 minutes later we had cleared customs and found the Alibus to take us into central Naples. Barely pausing to cross the road (I am getting brave!) we headed straight into the train station, bought tickets (on our trainline app) and headed south for an hour and a half to our base for the next few day, Salerno.

Our host kindly met us of the train, and drove us the 5 minutes to our apartment, a pleasant room in the old town. On the way, he did tell us that it was unseasonably cold, normally by now he would have swum in the sea, and taken his boat out, instead he was wearing a wooly hat against the cold!

Dropping off our bags, we headed out for a quick explore and my, the wind was strong and cold! The sky was grey and threatening rain (that mercifully never manifested itself) and, if I’m honest, against this backdrop, Salerno did not really sell itself. It lacked the charm of a rustic Italian town, and couldn’t make this up with the characterful chaos of, say, Naples. But coffee and cake makes everything better, and being away is better than being bored at home.

We returned to our apartment where I enjoyed a late afternoon snooze – not only had we been up uber-early, it was the first day of my Easter holiday, having only just broken up the day before from a long and gruelling Spring term. Revitalised by sleep, and bundled up against the weather, we headed back out into town to eat, enjoying pizza and tiramsu.

… before heading home for yet more much needed sleep!

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Tuscany and (no) tinsel – day 5

Arrivederci

And so the day dawned on our final giorno (day!) in Italy – waking up in Pisa, once again the sky was clear, the air a little cold, but promising to warm as the day unfolded. With a late afternoon flight, we had a morning to spend in town before heading to the airport. Not wanting to lug our luggage around with us, and not able to leave it at our accommodation (We did ask, they said no, which was fair enough. Had we been staying in a hotel, I suspect we could have left it, but we weren’t and we couldn’t) so we used “Bounce” to find a left luggage space – there were plenty to choose from – we booked and paid online, and dropped our luggage of at a cafe, all very simple and easy.

This being a strike day, we then headed to the train station to ask if the PisaMova would be working, the helpful chap at TrenItalia info told me it was a different company so he couldn’t be sure, but as it is a largely automated system, he thought it would be working.

And then a short walk to our favourite Pisa cafe for la colazione (breakfast – a new Italian word I have just learned)

… and then a wander up through town to, and across the river looking peaceful and serene as it flowed from Florence in the winter sunshine …

… and we found a sunny spot to enjoy our last Tuscan sun of the trip.

We would have happily spent all day there, but an EasyJet flight back to Bristol awaited and we headed back down to the train station to discover that it looked like the PisaMova had succumbed to the strike, and wasn’t in operation. But no problem – we took a taxi instead, which for two, works out cheaper than the PisaMova (PisaMova is 6.50Euros each, taxi fixed price from station to airport is 11 Euros – with a 2 Euro tip, it costs the same to take a taxi as to take the PisaMova.)

Once on board, the flight home was less than two hours, the bauble hung on the tree, and the hap-pea travelling of 2025 comes to an end (but don’t worry – plenty of plans for 2026 already made!)

Buon Natale, and buoni viaggi

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Tuscany and (no) tinsel – day 4

Pistoia and Pisa

We woke, again, to a crisp, clear sky and decided to head 40 minutes up the train track to have a look at Pistoia, another Tuscan town. As we speed through the beautiful countryside, we marvelled at the mist, gently rising over the fields, a spectacular winter vista. But then we began to rise, at first slightly, but definitely noticeably as we entered a tunnel. We emerged from the tunnel into either fog, or low cloud. Not sure which, but the distinction doesn’t really matter. We hadn’t appreciated that Pistoia was little- not a lot, but enough – higher than Lucca, and there was no escaping it, we were in cold, damp conditions.

So what did we do? Find a cafe of course! Everything is better after Italian coffee and cakes.

Becky liked this cafe for the pastries …

I liked it for the view and company!

To be fair, Pistoia was (is) pretty,

there was a colourful market, a sculpture I didn’t find the meaning of, and plenty of shops selling pretty things

but we couldn’t get away from the cold and damp,

so after a few hours we headed back, briefly to Lucca

Our flight is 4.40pm tomorrow, and our original plan had been to stay in Lucca for one last night and then head to Pisa in the morning, have a mooch around the city before heading to the airport. But a couple of weeks ago we discovered that tomorrow (Friday 12 December) was a day of general strike in Italy, and we can’t guarantee that the trains will run, so we said “Arrivederci” to Lucca

and “Ciao” to a much warmer Pisa where we would spend the night

We headed out as the sun set, took in the lights and a street market, buying a Christmas bauble memento

and I was delighted to once again spot an original Fiat 500

We headed up to the tower – it wasn’t lit up – bit the space was pretty, and we both liked the sculptures of two horses …

Before enjoying a delicious last supper, a pleasant stroll back across the Arno to our apartment, ending the day much warmer than we had begun it.

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Tuscany and (no) tinsel – day 3

Lucca

When we first discovered Lucca in April ’24, one of the things we fell in love with were the wide city walls that encircle the city. They are a wide, tree lined boulevard that encircle the city, about 5km in circumference and are perfect for a stroll, a cycle or a run. So after a breakfast of – yes, you’ve guessed it! – coffee and pastries, we set of to walk all around the town.

It was very pretty, some trees had lost all their leaves, some were still a delicious autumn yellow, and some were falling from the branches, giving the feel of a warm autumn day rather than the mid-December day it was.

And some of the leaves were massive!

As we walked, the sun came out, the coats came off, and we found a bench to sit and soak up the sun and the ambience in this tranquil, beautiful space.

Having circumnavigated the city, it was time to have some lunch and we went to a little restaurant that we had discovered on our first visit. The food was squisito – Italy does do food so much better than anywhere else. We shared two dishes, home made ravioli, and a pork focaccia sandwich, before completing perfection with a tiramisu pudding.

Having decided that we hadn’t walked enough steps by now, after lunch we headed up the bell tower of the church near our apartment. 3 euros each, and 270 steps up …

to the top of the bell tower

It was worth it, the views were magnificent

and in this one, you can see where we were staying (the red arrow marks the spot)

And then it was time for afternoon cakes!

It has been a holiday of chilling: eating delicious food, in beautiful surroundings, just watching the world go by. Holidaying at this time of year, we probably have spent more in cafes on coffee and cake than in, say the summer, as what else do you do? (Its a hard life!!) But to counteract that, not many people want to/can go on holiday in early to mid December so flights and accommodation have been cheap – we’ve spent about £300 in total for the flights and accommodation for our five day trip (and that’s in total, not each)

And as night fell, we set out to once again enjoy the festive lights of Lucca. The streets were much quieter than they had been on Monday night, but the lights no less beautiful.

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Tuscany and (no) tinsel – day 2

Florence

Day two of our Italian travels and it was up early to catch a train to Florence which was, of course, beautiful. First stop was our favourite cafe (how pretentious is that, to have a favourite cafe in Florence) for breakfast of coffee and cakes, before heading out to wander the streets under a clear blue sky, and ever warmer sun.

We didn’t get our artistic hit from the Uffizi gallery, instead seeing our works of out on the street. We saw and “collected” a lot of Clet Abraham’s “No Entry” signs – playful and fun, and adding a purpose (if you needed one) to just walk the streets of the city

We also saw a few iconic images of iconic images with added googles:

and there was other street art if you kept your eyes open:

and Becky was particularly keen to find some work by Kraita317, with his distinctive style:

She was particularly happy when we stumbled upon a complete picture

It was a beautiful day in a beautiful city, and by the afternoon the sun was strong and warm – what else could one do but sit on the banks of the Arno, drink coffee and soak up some December sunshine:

By nightfall, the city became even more beautiful and magical, if that was possible. A spell binding city, and possibly better seen under the December sun (and night) than in glorious spring sunshine, but accompanying hoards? (https://hap-pea-travels.co.uk/italy/the-italian-job-day-5/ )

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Tuscany and (no) tinsel – day 1

Festive Lucca

After the wonderfully warm dry summer, it has been a long, grey, and very wet autumn and early winter in the UK so it was a very pleasant surprise when we stepped of the plane to be greeted with blue skies and warm Pisan sun. We didn’t linger long in Pisa, instead taking the PisaMova from the airport to the train station before getting a train for the 30 minute journey to Lucca, our base for the next few days.

The sun continued to shine on us as we made our way to our apartment in the historic old town, dropping our bags off, and heading out to explore the town as the light began to fade. By luck more than judgement, we had arrived on a local bank holiday, the Christmas lights having been first turned on on Saturday, and Monday evening was a local Christmas celebration, and it seemed like everyone in the whole town and surrounds had crammed into the town to eat, drink, shop and be merry.

Whilst enjoying our first Italian coffee, cakes and focaccia, we heard the beating of a drum and the clear deep boom of a tuba, we followed the sound and found the local brass band belting out some Christmas classics.

After listening to them in the square, they set off, still playing, through the streets and so we followed them.

We continued to wander the streets, exploring this pretty Italian town, enjoying the lights and festivities.

As the evening wore on, the crowds began to thin, and by the time we had had something to eat the main square that had been packed full earlier in the evening had returned to a scene of calm serenity and beauty, and we headed home, happy after the first day of our latest Italian escapade.

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Loving Lisbon – day 6

Adeus Lisboa

After a wonderful few days, it was time to say “Adeus Lisboa, obrigado” and head back to the airport. Having whizzed through security, we made an error when approaching passport control. The line for EU citizens was, of course, very short, the line for electronic passports ( which could be used by UK, EU, US & (I think) Canadian citizens) was quite long, but the line for “All passports” was non-existent. So we chose that one. Mistake! It simply led you down a corridor into another, very full, hall of people waiting to have their passport checked.

To be fair, the queue moved quickly and after forty minutes we were through, with plenty of time before our uneventful flight home.

I loved Lisbon – pretty, full of character, but completely unpretentious. Other than a day of rain, the weather was warm and pleasant (although a few days later it was hit by torrential rain – we were lucky!), on the whole a cheaper European city, I’d happily return (although I suspect Porto will be next on our Portuguese agenda)

Obrigado, e adeus.

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Loving Lisbon – day 5

And the sun shone

Today we went to Lisbon’s seaside resort of Cascais, another 40 minute (5 euro return) train ride away, and the sun shone gloriously all day long.

Cascais is a very pretty seaside town, with several sandy beaches to explore. Being on the Atlantic coast, the sea is tidal, giving a different vibe from the meditation coast line we normally explore. Being buy the sea on a clear, warm sunny day, looking out to the infinity of the horizon does it for me every time. Although calm and still on the day we visited, there was a ruggedness to the coastline as we walked as far as Boca do Inferno – Hell’s Mouth – where sat and chilled overlooking the swirling sea, and swarms of fish – big fish – swimming at the surface. Whilst I am glad the weather was as wonderful as it was, I suspect it would also be quite dramatic to be at the same spot when the wind is howling and the sea surging.

Closer to town, the blue and white lighthouse created an iconic landmark

and with all this water and pretty beaches …

my resistance was broken and, despite having no trunks, and a towel the size of a postage stamp, I was inevitably drawn into the water myself. It wasn’t as cold as I had feared and, to me at least, better than luxuriating in any bath. The perfect end to a perfect day.

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Loving Lisbon – day 4

Sintra (in the rain)

The weather forecast for the day was not good, and, sadly, it lived up to its predications. We decided that, despite the weather, we would go to Sintra for the day – about 50 mins from Lisbon on the train – a tourist “must see” when you spend time in Lisbon.

Lisbon’s public transport network is extensive, cheap, and easy to use. We took a 10 minute metro ride to the Rossio district, where we boarded a train to take us to Sintra, I always like travelling by train, these were on time, clean and effective, and we were afforded glances of the fairy tale Pena Palace sat high on the hill overlooking the town as we approached.

On disembarking from the train, we first encountered a sea of guides offering to whisk us up to the palace and castle, but we ignored them as, in true hap-pea traveller style, we were going to take the bus. But before we had even left the station, the clouds descended, totally enveloping the castle on the cliff, and then the heavens opened.

We decided instead – umbrellas raised – to walk into the historic centre.

Along the way (a flat, level pavement) we encountered a number of sculptures to pique our interest.

If I’m honest, Sintra was a bit of a disappointment. Rammed with tourists (mea culpa – we were part of the problem too), and not much to it, although pretty enough, really just a disneyfied tourist trap, not somewhere I would rave about, or recommend. Now, I may have had a different opinion had it been a glorious day, and we’d gone up to see the palace with a back drop of blue sky, but I suspect the magic would have been dissipated by the volume of tourists. One of the things I have loved about Lisbon has been its authenticity – its not pristine and perfect, a little grubby in places, and faded around the edges but that gives it its real world charm, it is a working city, whereas I think Sintra now exists solely for the tourist.

But a slightly disappointing day was hugely improved by a magnificent meal back in town, at an authentic Italian restaurant round the corner from our apartment. The setting was lovely (thinking – hoping- that the rain had passed, we elected to eat outside, a good choice) the food fantastic, and a melody of ’80s hits a welcome relief from the dirge like Fado music that had accompanied our dining experience on the previous two evenings. And great value too, we had pistachio nuts and bread to start, Becky enjoyed a pizza, I demolished a delicious pasta bolognaise, we share a tiramisu, had two beers and two coffees all for less than 50 euros.

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Loving Lisbon – day 3

Revolution, the New World, and more tales from the riverbank

To my shame, my knowledge of Portuguese history is very limited, but I will endeavour to put that right over the coming months. But I have learnt that in April 25th, 1974, Portugal had a largely bloodless coup, now known as the Carnation Revolution in which they over threw their ruling party – Estado Novo.

Today, we bought 7 euro travel cards, giving us 24 hour transport on tram, tube and bus, and we explored the city to the west, first riding the iconic 28 Tram line, before visiting the LX Factory and then the Belem region.

From the Torres de Belem, it was easy to imagine explorers sailing west to discover the new world. I enjoyed ambling along the riverside, in the warm sunshine, taking in the sights

It was a day when the modern world collided with the old world. The bridge was spectacular, as was the MATT building, a day of doing nothing, but also everything. I enjoyed ambling without purpose (possibly helped by the being on the flat, rather than in the hills of Lisbon!)