travel – Page 5

Areal de Berres, Galicia, Spain

Found a little gem not far from my new home. There is a little park near of the river Ulla. It was started by a man who wanted a little place to have barbecues near the beach so he cleared a little land and built a stone grill. The neighbors stepped in and started helping. After some time, the Xunta took over and provided funding to keep it going.

There is quite a lot to explore. Everything is lush and green like the rest of Galicia. It feels a bit like a fairy tail, complete with a “hidden” stepping stone trail through this tunnel.

The water is cool and clear and nice for swimming. I am still getting used to living somewhere without so many venemous things. I counted 0 alligators, 0 venemous snakes, 0 venemous spiders, 0 large predatory mammals.

Clearing with a stone wall overlooking the river Ulla.

It is also a fun art exploration tour. The neighbors and the Xunta have brought out so much for guests to enjoy. There are carvings, sculptures, fountains, photographs, and tiles hidden throughout the park. I am sure I did not find them all, but here are a few of my favorites.

Venice, Italy

As always , I set out for a day of walking.

While Venice was absolutely stunning, this is one city I will probably not want to revisit. It was more overwhelming than beautiful. I don’t think I have ever seen so many tourists in all my life. It was difficult to walk even in large open spaces. I think even the Rastro in Madrid had fewer people than Venice. And the food was insanely expensive. Amazing quality, I have to be honest. This is some of the best fish of my life. But the prices in Galicia have me a little biased at this point.

I took a path along the outskirts to see what sorts of adventures I might find with fewer people. If you want to see my route, you can look at the Strava, but I was running out of battery and had to cut my walk short.

I started out on the main path where everyone steps into Venice. The prices here are so high. Do not buy anything when you first come in. If you wander only a little bit you will see everyone is selling identical “hand made” “original” products that rapidly drop in price as you walk further.

I made a left turn and it took about 35 seconds to be off the main path and into the residential areas.

With fewer people I was able to appreciate the beauty of the streets and canals a bit more. The colors here are really vibrant. I can only imagine how nice it would be to live in a flat over looking the canals. But this must be reserved for the very wealthy or the very poor.

I did eventually rejoin the tourists to go and explore the more major land marks. If you are into brand name shopping, this is a place you must go. I think it is the Italian custom to dress so well. I know I certainly did not fit in so well with my black combat boots that I wear for unknown distance adventures. But it was nice to look around.

I did finally cave and buy masks from a store where you could see they were in process being hand made. I think it was the loveliest mask store in all of Venice. The name was Papier Mache and they do have a website that ships internationally.

Verona, Italy

Verona made for a very nice day trip. The walk from the train station into the old town was long, but some very large landmarks made the trip more interesting. You can see the route on Strava if you are interested.

Coming into the downtown was much more interesting. The streets are just beautiful. The buildings are of similar color but there is so much variety in shape and texture that it is very visually stimulating in a happy and soothing way.

The colors of this city are so warm and relaxing. Everything seems alive and inviting. One of the plazas had a small market… and just look at this. The fruits are so perfect they’re cartoon colored.

Of course I had to visit Juliet’s House since I was in fair Verona. The lines were a bit much in the courtyard, but it was not too expensive to visit the museum and go up to the balcony.

Obligatory selfie on the stone balcony from Romeo and Juliet. (we’re not talking about the hair)

The museum was pretty neat, I am glad I took the time to stop in for the novelty alone. The waits were not so bad even though it looked like it in the courtyard.

This unique building in the middle of the street caught my eye. I went near to see what it was and learned that I could go inside. I made a tour through Il Chiostro di San Fermo. The architecture brings Roman and Gothic styles together. I would visit this again if I had a second trip to Verona.

A bit more wandering…

And I stumbled on the Basilica di Santa Anastasia.

After that, it was time to head back to the train station. I tried taking a slightly different route this time.

And that was that! I walked through Parco Delle Mura on the way back. There were so many cicadas singing that the trees never stopped their buzzing. You could see this overlook of the walls to the city.

I think Verona is my favorite so far in Italy. It was just a lot more relaxed than Trento or Venezia and the whole vibe was just breezy summer cafe. I would definitely make a return visit for a romantic getaway.

Trento, Italy

Trento was such an interesting place to visit! This was done in two days. If you are interested in seeing the route I meandered through Trento on day one, you can see it on Strava. It won’t tell you much besides I just kept walking. There was a storm brewing and I wanted to see as much as I could before the rain. I planned to explore the city first then tour Castello del Buonconsiglio indoors during the storm.

I didn’t know anything of the city or what I might want to visit, so I just kept walking. I found courtyards and gardens and beautiful buildings. In once space there was a clothing exchange and people had dressed the trees!

I found this really beautiful church so I wandered inside. I lit a candle and made a prayer. I’m not religious, but postive thoughts and adjustments to your locus of control are helpful to everyone.

I found this really strange park that was filled with all types of art. The trees were wearing clothes again. It started raining a bit while I was in the park.

The storm was growing, so I went to the Castello del Buonconsiglio.

Unfortunately… it was closed. I hid from the lightening under this garden terrace. Miraculously, I found an open door! I was thrilled. I waited out the storm in the dungeons. I had a pretty good laugh about that.

I was worried someone would come and lock the door or that I would get in trouble because it was supposed to be closed. I did not get arrested for wandering around the dungeons and it did not take long at all for the storm to pass.

There was a nice view of the castello on my way out.

I did some more wandering. This time I made my way to the historic district.

I made my way back to the hotel because I had some work to complete. And I called it a day. I went on adventures to Venice and Verona in the following days. And returned to Trento for the Torre Aquila on a day when Castello del Buonconsiglio was open to the public. I had much better luck this time.

Entering the castello the original roman architecture was visible and frescoes adorned the walls of the entry way.

This may sound harsh, but I think the most amazing part of the castle tour was the view from this terraza.

Photos were restricted through the Torre Aquila. So I will link you here if you are interested in seeing the Cycle of the Months. Absolutely amazing. A little piece of the likely straight washed LGBTQ art appears in the month of June. There is a man dressed as a woman on the arm of one of the clergy. Of course this is to keep the clergyman safe from sin… or something like that.

I was especially impressed with the art of Giovanni Battista Lampi from the late 1700s.

And the ornate ceilings as well.

Outside the castello is a little cafe. They have a sign in English with varying prices for the same cup of coffee depending on how you ask for it using the appropriate italian phrases. The coffee gets cheaper the more polite you are. I had a good laugh.

Next up was the Museo Diocesano Tridentino. I was allowed all the photos I wanted in here. But it is all religious art.

I thought these panels were beautiful. One reflects the story of Mary’s ancestry.

The last exhibit in the museum was depicting the damage to Trento that occurred during the second world war. Quite a lot had been rebuilt.

Outside the museum, I was back into the historic district. The pigeons and the street vendors are both more aggressive here than I am accustomed to. The waiter gave me a spray bottle for the pigeons but I was not brave enough to use it on the woman demanding I give her 5 euros.

In conclusion, here are some gratuitous selfies of me wandering in Trento.

Illa de Arousa, Galicia, Spain

This was a paddle boarding trip where the afternoon was me vs. the rolling fog. Not a lot of photos from the water. This was one of the first kayak rentals I have seen in Spain, and it is the perfect spot for it. The water is calm with a mix of depths, boulders, and other interesting features.

The shore was a mix of granite and sand. Huge boulders separate smaller beaches of white sand. Some of those little beaches were better accessed by water than by land. I was able to find quite a lot of beach glass.

It is important note that they farm mejillones near of here. So it is an absolute must to stop for the best mejillones for you life at any of the beach side restaurants. Many of them will still be chewing their own dinner and you will have to remove their salad before eating.