So happy the forum reopened last October!!!
I’ve started reading again (posts, travel journals) and chiming in on a few discussions. Now I’m stepping it up by writing a new travel journal—I’ve already posted a few between 2018 and 2020.
My latest trip was to Italy from August 27 to September 26, 2024.
As the title says, it was a wander through Tuscany in parts of the region that aren’t the most visited.
No Firenze-Siena-Pisa trilogy, no San Gimignano; there’ll be a quick detour into Siena, but I’ll skip the best-known sights. That choice, plus traveling in September, should help dodge overtourism. It worked out—crowds were light, sometimes very light, the whole way.
Here’s the practical rundown:
- a long trip outside peak season (ah, retirees!)
- solo camping (caravan)
- a mix of activities (hiking, mountain biking, sightseeing) in places that aren’t always packed with tourists. Still, I don’t feel like I ended up in some hidden-away spots.
Not sure if this will draw any readers.
DAY 1: Tuesday, August 27, 2024
The heat was intense on the drive in across the plain; two big storms—more rain and hail than lightning and thunder—threw the weather off, the first near Imola, the second on the four-lane road up the Savio valley. I left the Cesena-Roma four-lane at the Verghereto exit and climbed up to Balze (1,100 meters). The campsite is even higher (1,200 meters), in the forest near the source of the Tevere (Tiber).
Staying up here will cut down on driving for the first part of the trip: a route through the Appennino (Apennines) on the border between Toscana and Emilia-Romagna.
The temperature was surprisingly mild for the altitude, the air thick with moisture by late afternoon.
I drove back down from the campsite to Balze (2 km on the road) to grab groceries (it’s doable) and scout tomorrow’s hike.
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The endpoint of the planned hike is just a few meters from this sign (the trail crosses this road about 3 km from Balze). I realized Balze and the source of the Tevere (Tiber) are actually in Emilia-Romagna, not Toscana. I always thought the Tevere (Tiber), which flows toward Roma (Tyrrhenian side), started in Toscana!
I’ll come back to this quirk in Day 3’s write-up.
Hi Noëlle,
I’m giving a nuanced answer here: yes, there will be walks in the "Crete Senesi" toward the end of the trip, but no to the Val d'Orcia since I stayed within a 30 km radius around Siena, and the Val d'Orcia is a bit farther south.
The weather is perfect; off we go for a hike from "Passo di Viamaggio (970 meters)" to "regional boundary near Balze (around 1,000 meters)".
The hike starts on a road up to another pass (Passo di Frassinetto); then I climb through a wood on a trail that reaches a grassy hillside. I have to cross this gently sloping hillside by eye to reach the hamlet of Valdazze. I arrive just as the postman is passing by—Italian mail delivers to even the most remote spots.
From the hamlet, a drivable track leads near a tower (like a TV relay) that’s very close to "Monte della Zucca (1,260 meters)", the highest point of the hike.
There should be remnants of the Gothic Line at the summit. The Gothic Line was a German defensive line set up during the summer of 1944 to stop the Allies’ advance toward northern Italy. It roughly stretched from Massa-Carrara to Rimini, making the most of the terrain. Actually, all I saw was a tiny trench covered in humus and leaves.
The descent, a bit trickier than the climb, follows a ridge that curves in a large arc to the finish. The path only goes back up for the last 500 meters to reach the road.
From this ridge, you can see the village of Balze (zoomed-in photo).
The hike ends at the regional boundary sign photographed yesterday. In the photo below, you can see the end of the large arc that crosses the ravined areas in light gray (the lower part of the descent).
I still have to bike back to pick up my car at the hike’s starting point.
The hike (5 hours of walking, breaks included for me, route between 900 and 1,300 meters in altitude, heat tempered by the elevation, not a single hiker encountered on the trail) takes place along a ridge, more or less defined, separating the Tiber basin—which flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea at Ostia—from the Marecchia basin, which flows into the Adriatic Sea at Rimini. It’s a hike along the watershed.
Hike: regional border near Balze - locality "I Sassoni".
From yesterday’s hike endpoint, I head up to the "poggio dei 3 vescovi" (hill of the three bishops). The landscape is open with hay meadows and/or pastures.
The places named "poggio" (hill, knoll) on maps are high points characterized in this part of the Apennines by open landscapes. They differ from the mountains (the peaks), which are higher and, in contrast, covered in forest, thus associated with a closed landscape (background of the photo).
The trail then continues toward Balze, with the upper Tiber Valley on the left, flowing toward the hamlet of Colorio, then Valsavignone and Pieve Santo Stefano.
At the edge of Balze, the trail climbs, reaches the top of the cliffs (see yesterday’s photo), and enters a forest—a beech forest I won’t leave for the rest of the day.
The trail passes by a waterfall on the Tiber, just a trickle of water, goes around the campsite, and arrives at a parking lot. Here begins the section leading to the source of the Tiber: the trail is well-maintained, busy, and winds through a magnificent beech forest.
Near the source, a stele has been erected in the center of a small basin "to the glory of the river" (translated inscription: "Here is born the sacred river of Rome’s destiny"). The structure dates back to 1934; you can see an imperial eagle and wolf heads, symbols from Roman antiquity reused extensively during the Fascist period.
The river’s flow at the basin’s exit is quite weak at the end of August.
The pass (Passo Fumaiolo, 1350 meters) is nearby; you reach the road where there’s a hotel-restaurant, plenty of parking spaces, and lots of people enjoying the cool mountain air (a few fir trees among the beeches in this area).
I take two detours (not very interesting), one to climb up to "Monte Fumaiolo" (1408 meters), the other to visit a small ski resort. I think it’s worth mentioning in the past tense because I saw a ski lift gate that no longer seems operational, and the ascent trail overgrown with shrubs. There might still be cross-country skiing opportunities and definitely snowshoeing options on the trail network.
I then continue downhill through the beech forest to the place called "I Sassoni" at the forest’s edge.
I come back to what surprised me on Day 1: the Tiber (Tevere) has its source in Emilia-Romagna, not Tuscany. Today, I learned why. Well, that wasn’t the case before the Fascist period. Mussolini was Romagnol (born in Romagna), and for a few kilometers, the Tiber’s source was in Tuscany. He must have wanted to associate the Tiber and Il Duce (grandeur, etc.—megalomania) by making them "born" in the same region! Since he couldn’t change Mussolini’s birthplace or the Tiber’s source location, he changed the administrative regional borders! A personal decision by Mussolini.
I don’t know the details of this story—I heard it on the spot.
Day 4: Friday, August 30, 2024
Hike: place known as "I Sassoni" – Verghereto.
The view from "I Sassoni" (the name of the place likely comes from the huge rocks in the foreground) is clear; I’ve just left the beech forest on the Adriatic side, and the valley you can make out several kilometers away is the Savio Valley. The more distant ridge (Alpe di Serra) marks the boundary between the two regions.
Today’s hike is mostly downhill; there won’t be any beech forests since the altitude is too low. After about an hour of walking, the trail reaches a gullied area: the "marne di Montecoronaro" (or calanchi di Verghereto).
The path runs just to the right of the ridge and leads to a viewpoint above the village of Montecoronaro: the Madonnina del Crestone.
If you look closely (above the center of the photo), you can spot the village of Verghereto (the hike’s endpoint). You’ll notice that these badlands are common in this part of the Apennines on this side (Romagna); the same goes for the other side (Tuscany). The descent continues along the trail to the village (Montecoronaro), then on the road to the pass (valico di Montecoronaro).
This is where, on the Via Tiberina, travelers crossed from the Tyrrhenian side to the Adriatic side between Rome and Ravenna (SS3bis, or Strada Statale 3bis). The route between Pieve Santo Stefano and Bagno di Romagna (a mountain road) never allowed heavy traffic, so it became a provincial road. The SS3bis is now a dual-carriageway that crosses the mountain via a series of tunnels and viaducts; directly above the pass, the SS3bis runs through a tunnel.
To reach Verghereto, the trail descends, passes near another gullied area, crosses the Savio (dry at this time), then climbs back up to the village, which is the main town of the commune (800 meters above sea level).
The first kilometer of the trail is downhill to the bridge over the Savio River. From there, you’ll climb 500 meters to reach the ridge at "Passo Rotta dei Cavalli." During the ascent, a section near a ravine (recognizable by the light gray terrain) opens up the view toward Monte Comero.
A little higher up, the trail enters the forest and arrives at the mentioned pass (Passo Rotta dei Cavalli). From there, it takes about 2 to 2.5 hours of walking to reach "Passo dei Mandrioli." The trail stays close to the ridge (the watershed line) with no major climbs or descents, at an altitude between 1150 and 1250 meters. The forest covers the ridge and both slopes—a beech forest interrupted only by two small fir plantations (each about 100 meters long).
Walking for 2.5 hours (8 to 10 kilometers) with nothing but beech trees all around was an unusual experience for me—I haven’t seen anything like it in France. Accepting such a closed, wooded landscape with just one species over such a long distance isn’t something you take for granted. At times, you wonder: *Will I ever get out of here?* I found it stunning, but I can see how it might feel oppressive for some people (though I didn’t feel that way myself).
This wraps up the hiking days from the Balze campsite. The starting and ending points for the next hikes are too far away, so I’ll continue the route from Casentino (the upper Arno Valley), where I’m heading in two days.
To switch things up from hiking, I’m visiting Sansepolcro in Tuscany’s Valtiberina (Tiber Valley). I have to descend about 10 km to reach the SS3bis (a dual carriageway), then drive around 20 km south. By the time I arrive, it’s already scorching, and the day will be as sweltering as the previous ones—being at 350 meters above sea level makes it feel much hotter compared to the mountains.
Today, unusually, the cathedral bell tower is open to visitors, which gives a great view showing just how small the town is. The main square (Piazza Torre di Berta) is already set up with bleachers for the "Palio della balestra," a historical reenactment featuring a crossbow competition taking place next Sunday.
The duomo (cathedral) houses a rare crucifix, the "Volto Santo," dating back to the Carolingian era. In the 8th century, Christ is depicted wearing a tunic.
While wandering around, I come across the entrance to the ABOCA Museum, a museum themed around "plants and health." A tree has been placed inside a dodecahedron—is this an illustration of the relationship between nature and mathematics, or perhaps a tribute to the town’s famous son, whose birthplace is just a hundred meters away?
Piero della Francesca was born in the early Quattrocento (around 1410?) and died (in 1492) and is buried in Sansepolcro. He lived here when he wasn’t working elsewhere. His nearby birthplace reflects his family’s wealth. He was one of the greatest painters of the Italian Renaissance but also a mathematician, known as much for his scientific work as his art during his lifetime. He may have studied polyhedra, which could explain the tribute.
His hometown dedicates a museum (Museo Civico) to him, housed in a historic building, the "Palazzo della Residenza." This museum holds major works by Piero della Francesca.
We’ll start with his portrait, painted by Santi di Tito (a painter born in Sansepolcro) in the second half of the Cinquecento, long after Piero della Francesca’s death, so it’s based on other paintings, drawings, or engravings. Santi di Tito depicted the scholar and humanist more than the painter.
The first major work by Piero della Francesca in this museum is the Polyptych of the Misericordia. Its creation spanned about ten years, starting in 1445. Since the polyptych was dismantled, the panels have been arranged to reconstruct it.
The central panel features the Virgin with her mantle open and arms outstretched (a symbol of protection).
Finally, the panel just to the left of the central one, depicting Saint John the Baptist.
Here’s a detached fresco depicting San Giuliano, discovered in a church in Sansepolcro in the 20th century. This San Giuliano is richly dressed, in the style of the Quattrocento; all the Saint Juliens recognized by the Church lived much earlier, but Piero della Francesca drew inspiration from the society of his time.
The second major work by Piero della Francesca is *The Resurrection of Christ* (1463); it was painted here, on a wall of the great hall (or council chamber) of the Palazzo della Residenza, a civic building.
Two close-ups: one of Christ, one of a soldier.
And now, for a bit of fun—it’s said that Piero della Francesca included a self-portrait in each of these two major works. See if you can spot them... I didn’t find them in person at the museum, but I’ve chosen photos that make the search easier, in my opinion.
Solution tomorrow on Day 7.
During my visit to Sansepolcro, I focused on Piero della Francesca’s paintings, but I also saw other things I haven’t mentioned.
I preferred taking the traditional Via Tiberina over the expressway on the way back. Between Sansepolcro and Pieve Santo Stefano, it overlooks Lake Montedoglio (and the expressway, glimpsed in the photo), an artificial reservoir created about forty years ago for irrigation and downstream water supply.
The self-portraits of Piero della Francesca.
In "The Resurrection of Christ," you can see the faces of two of the four soldiers guarding the tomb. I’ve zoomed in on the one on the left, bareheaded. If we look closely at his face and then move to the central panel of the Polyptych of Mercy, under the Virgin’s mantle on the left side, we find the male figures. Only one has his face turned toward the viewer (almost full-on), and his features match those of the bareheaded soldier asleep in front of Christ’s tomb. Here are Piero della Francesca’s two self-portraits.
Today, I’m changing campsites. I’m heading to the Casentino (upper Arno Valley) via Pieve Santo Stefano, Chiusi della Verna, and Bibbiena. Since I’ll be doing more sightseeing than hiking in the Casentino, staying at a campsite in the valley seems better than one up in the hills. I find a spot in Pianacci, on the edge of Bibbiena and Soci.
I try to head up into the hills in the afternoon, but it’s raining, so I don’t push it. Instead, I head down to the valley to Poppi, where the Castle of the Counts Guidi is located. The village is built on a hill near the Arno River. As soon as I enter the old part of town, I find myself in the main square, occupied by the Oratory of the Madonna del Morbo (protection against the plague).
A street leads up to the top of the hill in front of the castle, a large quadrangle with a tower (rebuilt in the 19th century) and a protruding entrance. This façade has a slight resemblance to the Palazzo Vecchio: Arnolfo di Cambio worked here before designing the palace in Firenze.
Elegant bifora windows.
A grand staircase—or rather, a set of staircases and 15th-century galleries—connects the different levels from the courtyard.
The upper floor houses a beautiful reception hall, the festival salon. A significant library, created in the 19th century, contains many old books. Its display cases feature an original edition of Diderot and d’Alembert’s *Encyclopédie* (is this a rotating exhibit?).
The Chapel of the Counts Guidi was frescoed by Taddeo Gaddi. He painted "The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple" (mid-14th century) on this wall.
I finish the visit by climbing to the top of the tower. Downstream, about 5 km away, is Bibbiena; upstream (photo), at the same distance, is Pratovecchio. Closer, at the foot of Poppi’s hill, lies a small plain: the site of the Battle of Campaldino (1289), where the Florentines (Guelphs) faced the Aretines (Ghibellines) and emerged victorious.
Leaving the castle, I stay on Poppi’s hill and follow Via Cavour (with its arcades) to the abbatial church of San Fedele, visible in the photo above. The interior has a Romanesque appearance, achieved by removing Baroque additions to restore its presumed original look (20th-century restoration). Among the notable artworks (poor photo quality), there’s a "Madonna and Child Enthroned" (circa 1280) by an anonymous painter known as the "Maestro della Maddalena." Jesus is depicted as an adult, not a child—a symbolic choice I’ve never seen before, and I’m not sure what it means.
The weather is sunny and warm in the valley, which will be pleasant at higher altitudes. I’ll resume my hike and split the day into two parts: morning from Passo dei Mandrioli to Badia Prataglia, and afternoon from Badia Prataglia to Prati della Penna.
Starting at "Passo dei Mandrioli" (the pass), the trail descends through the forest on the Tuscan side—still beech trees, then a fir forest, and then beech trees again.
It leads to a sawmill by the road, and the rest of the way to Badia Prataglia (the village) is on the road.
After lunch, I set off again from Badia Prataglia. I climb for about twenty minutes in the sun before reaching a beech forest that covers the entire area up to "Passo Fangacci" (a refuge or forest cabin).
You can drive up to this pass from Badia Prataglia (partly paved road, partly dirt).
There’s still half an hour of walking left, still through the forest. The trail switches to the Romagna side, which is steeper. It arrives at another pass, clear of the forest—like a big meadow: Prati della Penna.
The beautiful weather is drawing me back to the mountains for a hike. Today’s climb to yesterday’s endpoint (Prati della Penna) takes a different route that passes through Camaldoli. Camaldoli is a monastery in the forest (about 800 meters altitude) and a hermitage in the forest (about 1,100 meters altitude). The forest is part of the Casentino Forests, Monte Falterona, and Campigna National Park, established about thirty years ago (Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi).
Since I’m coming up from the valley, I reach the monastery first. There are so few people that the tours before the 11:15 AM one were canceled today... so I join the late-morning guided tour. While waiting, the foresteria (monastery guesthouse) is open to explore, with its two cloisters.
The guided tour takes us through the cloister, the church (dei Santi Donato e Ilariano), and the convent buildings (Chapel of the "Madonna del conforto" (Virgin of Comfort), ante-sacristy, sacristy, monks’ choir, refectory, etc.).
Giorgio Vasari stayed at the monastery starting in 1537, at the age of 26. He came here (to the countryside) during a period of depression following the assassination of Alessandro de’ Medici by his cousin Lorenzo de’ Medici (Lorenzaccio). Introduced to court life in Firenze, he knew both of them. The monks commissioned works from him during his stay.
Between 1539 and 1540, he painted the "Deposition of the Cross," the central panel of the main altar’s altarpiece. During the church’s 18th-century restructuring, the painting retained its prominent place.
A close-up of the Virgin Mary’s group at the foot of the Cross.
The pharmacy has a separate entrance. Inside, besides the shop, you’ll find beautiful cabinets, many utensils, and in the chapel, another Vasari painting, "The Agony in the Garden."
The forest area around the monastery—and the hermitage—is a fir plantation established and maintained by the monks. It’s the only part of the forest where I saw a large area wooded with a species other than beech.
I have a picnic near the hermitage but don’t visit it, mistakenly thinking it wasn’t open to the public.
I set off on a short hiking loop starting at "Prati della Penna" (yesterday’s endpoint). I descend through the forest to the hermitage, then the trail climbs back up to the ridge separating the two slopes (Tuscan and Romagnol). When I reach the ridge, the weather changes quickly, and it starts raining. I find shelter—a poor one under the beech trees (no nearby cabin)—until the shower passes. I get pretty wet but not soaked to the bone.
After the rain stops, I decide not to go further and return to the starting point by following the ridge, descending back to "Prati della Penna."
This pass is a large clearing in the forest, but it’s not enough to open up the landscape to more distant horizons.
I start by heading to Bibbiena (the largest town in the Casentino) to pick up some tourist information and take a quick tour of the town, strolling through the streets of the historic center, lined with numerous "palazzi".
Palazzo Marcucci-Mazzoleni: decoration above the windows (Seicento).
I enter the "Propositura dei Santi Ippolito e Donato" (a church with special privileges ) with a beautiful interior that houses several works of art, including a triptych by Bicci di Lorenzo (1435).
The main street in Bibbiena is named (via Dovizi) after the eponymous cardinal who lived during the Renaissance and had the building constructed: Palazzo Dovizi, early Cinquecento.
I then take the road to Chiusi della Verna, passing through it to climb up to the Sanctuary of La Verna (Santuario della Verna), a place linked to Saint Francis of Assisi.
We’re in the mountains, at over 1,100 meters above sea level, in the "Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi" (at the southern edge of the national park). Among the many hikes you can do, you can go to Monte Penna, but I stay within the sanctuary.
From the square (called "Il Quadrante"), you can see the porch and the bell tower of the small church "Santa Maria degli Angeli" as well as the buildings of the old part of the monastery. Construction of this church began during the lifetime of Saint Francis of Assisi, or so it’s said.
It contains an enameled terracotta by Andrea della Robbia (before 1493): Cristo in Pietà. This one is polychrome, but the della Robbias made many in blue and white.
The "della Robbia" family is a family of Florentine sculptors specializing in enameled or glazed terracotta. The family workshop produced many pieces found throughout Tuscany, especially in churches.
From the square (Il Quadrante) in front of the large church, the view of the surroundings (Alpe di Catinaia) is expansive. This large church (basilica) was built later, at the end of Santa Maria degli Angeli (visible on the right); you can see the bell tower and the start of the portico.
The ceramicists of the "della Robbia" family also received commissions for the large church and other places in the sanctuary. This "Annunciation" is one of the masterpieces by Andrea della Robbia.
The portico adjoining the large church extends into a corridor called the Corridor of the Stigmata, at the end of which is the spot where Saint Francis of Assisi received the stigmata in 1224 (the miracle of the stigmata).
At the entrance to the corridor, there’s another enameled terracotta, a Pietà by Santi Buglioni (1532-1535). Santi Buglioni was a ceramicist who lived after the della Robbias, in the Cinquecento.
Finally, at the end of the Corridor of the Stigmata, a chapel was built that houses another enameled terracotta by Andrea della Robbia: Crucifixion (around 1481). Its dimensions (6m x 4.20m) are such that I wonder how it was made and/or transported, then installed in situ.
To be continued in the next post.
After lunch in Chiusi della Verna, I head to Caprese Michelangelo (formerly Caprese), the birthplace of Michelangelo Buonarroti.
Caprese had placed itself under the protection of Florence; the Republic appointed *podestàs* (citizens of Florence), who took turns every six months to administer, dispense justice, and so on. Michelangelo’s father was *podestà* in Caprese at the time of his son’s birth (March 6, 1475).
On the castle grounds stands the Michelangelo Birthplace Museum, where he was born in the *podesteria* (the *podestà*’s residence), a rather beautiful building.
The *podestà* carried out his duties on the ground floor; he lived on the first floor, where Michelangelo’s birth room is located.
The museum displays a triptych by Giuliano Amidei (*Madonna col Bambino*; around 1480) from an abbey in the area. The painter included a rare detail in this *"Virgin and Child"*: a cardinal flies from the child’s hands toward a cherry offered by a figure.
The museum also features documents about Michelangelo’s birth and plaster casts of some of his famous sculptures.
Now, let’s move to the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. Michelangelo painted a scene on the ceiling depicting the creation of Adam.
Adam is leaning against a sloping rock with a mountain in the background. As with many works of the Italian Renaissance, art historians have studied the landscape depicted here. Some theories suggest it may be inspired by Chiusi della Verna;
This rock is just a few meters from the *podesteria* in Chiusi della Verna, with Monte Penna—near the sanctuary—and its distinctive shape in the background. Michelangelo may have drawn inspiration from a landscape in the Casentino region he knew well to paint the creation of Adam.
You have to ignore the houses and vegetation around it; the resemblance is striking, and some experts wonder whether Michelangelo worked from memory or from sketches. In Chiusi della Verna, this site is called the Rock of Adam.
Just after leaving Chiusi della Verna, the road to Bibbiena passes at the foot of the sanctuary. Having been there this morning, I can identify the large church on the right and the building housing the Chapel of the Stigmata on the left.
You’re a hard one to keep up with, I must say... You visit places that are off the radar for most French tourists, and on foot, you take paths that are just as mysterious to the average person. A map with your route would’ve made this travel journal—packed with fascinating cultural details—much easier to follow. It’s like a treasure hunt; I have to ask Google where the place you’re talking about is just to see if it’s accessible from where I’m staying...
But I’m hanging in there!
I’m delighted to rediscover the terracotta works of the Florentine Della Robbia family, who invented glazing. I have a soft spot for the blue-and-white pieces—they really highlight the delicacy and expression of the sculptures. I restocked my photo collection at the Bargello Museum in Florence last year.
As for the bird in the Madonna and Child paintings, it’s not a cardinal but a goldfinch, which symbolizes Christ’s crown of thorns because it feeds on thistles, as its name suggests. My "knowledge" on this is brand new—I’d seen so many goldfinches in paintings at the Uffizi and finally looked up why!
Keep up the great work, and thanks for this original cultural journey.
Hi Noëlle,
Thanks for your input. When you're writing a travel journal, you're so immersed in the places, the stages, and the whole area you've visited... that you forget the reader doesn’t have a map of Tuscany—or a more detailed one of this part of Tuscany—right next to them. I’ll try to improve the journal’s readability by including maps with routes created using Google Maps.
For the sequence of hikes, I’d planned from the start to summarize the entire route, its origin (where I found it), etc., and to do that once I’ve finished the hike. Patience—it’s coming on day 12.
For the rest, I’m catching up on the days up to day 6, meaning everything I did starting from Balze.
My way of hiking means I always cycle back via the road from the endpoint to the starting point of the hike to retrieve my car, which I leave at the starting point.
Here’s what that looks like for the route from Passo di Viamaggio to Passo dei Mandrioli (days 2 to 5). The red dot represents Passo dei Mandrioli (Google Maps doesn’t print the name of the endpoint. Why?). It’s the road route from the red dot to Passo di Viamaggio that was traveled and is shown below.
The map really shows that these are mountain roads.
Here’s the route from Balze to Sansepolcro (red dot). The Tevere (Tiber) flows due south in its upper course.
I’m adding a third map because there are only villages or mountain passes in days 1 to 6 of my journal (except for Sansepolcro, which is a small town). The red dot is Passo dei Mandrioli.
The presence of Florence, Arezzo, the Republic of San Marino, and Rimini on the map should help locate where you are in the absence of a major city.
I’ll do the same for days 7 to 10 in another post. After that, I’ll resume writing the journal, including the maps in the narrative—one map every 2 or 3 days, or even a dedicated map for certain days.
It’d be great to get some feedback so I can see what these maps add (or don’t).
I’ll provide two maps to clarify the routes for days 7 to 10.
Useful map for days 7 and 10.
Day 7. Camping accommodation between Bibbiena and Soci. The red dot marks the Castello dei Conti Guidi in Poppi. Route: Soci – Poppi and back in the afternoon.
Day 10. Route: Soci – Bibbiena – Sanctuary La Verna (Google spells it in English) – Chiusi della Verna – Caprese Michelangelo. Return via the same route, except for the stop at the sanctuary.
Useful map for days 8 and 9. Driving routes.
Day 8. The red dot is at Soci. Route: Soci – Badia Prataglia – Passo dei Mandrioli – Badia Prataglia in the morning. Route: Badia Prataglia – Rifugio Fangacci – Prati della Penna and back to Badia Prataglia in the afternoon. Return to Soci in the evening.
Day 9. Route: Soci – Camaldoli – Hermitage of Camaldoli – Prati della Penna and back.
I started my sightseeing day in Bibbiena by visiting the archaeological museum. It's a local museum showcasing artifacts found in the Casentino (the upper Arno Valley), and I mainly focused on the Etruscan period.
Some terracotta antefixes from a temple are on display, including one with a woman's head.
This is a decorative roof element (made of clay), and its position is better illustrated by a diagram than by words. The edges of the roof were decorated this way.
The other Etruscan pieces I noticed were bronze objects from the Lake of the Idols (Lago degli Idoli). This lake is located high up near the source of the Arno, and since its discovery in 1838, over 2,000 small votive bronze objects (mainly statuettes) have been recovered. It's believed the lake served as a sanctuary, but an open-air one with no trace of construction (the site has been excavated several times). No decent photos possible due to reflections in the display cases.
I continued and finished the walk through the streets I started yesterday morning. The Palazzo Vecchietti-Poltri is built on the ruins of a castle, of which only a tower remains.
A few steps away, a panoramic terrace overlooks the Casentino. You can see the Castle of Poppi (visited 4 days ago) and, in the distance, the Pratomagno mountain range.
Map for days 11 and 12.
In the afternoon, I followed the Arno Valley up to Pratovecchio. Just after the bridge over the Arno, a small road on the left leads up to the "Pieve di Romena" (Parish Church of Saint Peter), built in the 12th century in pure Romanesque style.
It's set in the countryside in a lovely setting. Three naves, sculpted pillars, and an impressive apse (best visited in the morning for the lighting).
Continuing up another small road, I reached the Castle of Romena. Accessed via a cypress-lined avenue that evokes Tuscany—since I started my trip in the mountains of the Apennines, this was the first time I’d seen it on this journey—I couldn’t resist photographing it.
And I lingered a while around the castle grounds.
It sits atop an elongated hill, the summit of which was flattened to create a parade ground. At either end of the parade ground are the preserved ruins—towers that served various functions. It’s all in ruins (not much to visit), but the location is stunning, offering views of the entire valley and the mountains. You can see why the castle had strategic importance in the Middle Ages for controlling the valley. Like the Castle of Poppi, it belonged to the Counts Guidi family.
In the center of the photo, you can see a block of buildings, and to the far right, behind a row of cypress trees, a prison tower separated from the previous block by the parade ground.
The weather is gorgeous this morning, so I’m heading out for a day of hiking in the Apennines. It’s my last hiking day, and the only one that’s an out-and-back route. The start and finish point is "Passo La Calla" (the red dot on Day 11’s map), a pass at 1,300 meters above Pratovecchio-Stia.
The route is simple: the trail follows the Apennine ridge. It’s a series of climbs and descents (sometimes on one side, sometimes on the other, sometimes right on the ridge) with a clear viewpoint at Poggio Scali and miles of beech forest. I hike as far as the spot where I got caught in the rain three days ago (above the Camaldoli hermitage).
The view from Poggio Scali faces the Romagna side.
The beech forest along the trail.
We’re right in the Casentino Forests National Park (parco nazionale delle foreste casentinesi). These beech forests are a UNESCO World Heritage Site as "Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests." I’d love to come back here in the fall (the colors change, then the leaves fall).
The round trip is pretty long but not difficult, and I got back to "Passo della Calla" early enough to visit the Wool Art Museum in Stia.
Before that, though, I’m reflecting on all the hikes I’ve done. Wanting to hike in the Apennines, I chose a tiny section of the "Sentiero Italia": a trail that runs the entire length of the Alps, then along the Apennine ridge (from Trieste all the way to the tip of Calabria).
More info at sentieroitalia.cai.it
Here are the four stages I did (I’d downloaded a GPX track):
SI L02N Passo di Viamaggio - Balze
SI L03N Balze - Verghereto
SI L04N Verghereto - Badia Prataglia
SI L05 Badia Prataglia - Passo della Calla
Since I wasn’t hiking from hotel to hotel with a backpack, I split it differently: shorter stages with bike rides along the road from the endpoint back to the start to pick up my car.
Another site with info on the "Sentiero Italia" is vasentiero.org
It seems more recent and better for descriptions, maps, and accommodations.
The route is in the opposite direction, with stages numbered 166, 167, 168, and 169.
The Wool Art Museum in Stia is housed in the former wool mill that operated from the mid-19th century to the second half of the 20th century. That’s what makes it so interesting—while the millennia-old craft of wool work is on display, it’s also an industrial archaeology site.
I photographed machines I’d never seen anywhere else, like carding machines.
First carding machine.
Second carding machine.
These two carding machines were used one after the other in the industrial carding process.
The next step in wool processing is spinning. The machine below is probably a wool-spinning machine (to be confirmed, since I didn’t find the info in my notes). The fixed frame is on the right, and the wool there looks like what comes out of the second carding machine. The mobile part (on the left) moves back and forth, guided by wheels on a rail. I didn’t see it in action and can’t quite picture what happens in the upper part.
This last machine is a warping machine. It unwinds bobbins to arrange the threads side by side and create the warp—just before weaving.
The fabric produced is "panno casentino." Its production was revived for high-end clothing (there’s a shop on-site). It has a "brushed" or "fuzzy" look, achieved with a machine called a finisher (or finishing machine) that rubs the fabric.
Oh! What a coat made of "panno casentino"! It’s the model Audrey Hepburn wore in the film "Breakfast at Tiffany’s" (1961), adapted from Truman Capote’s work. This fabric had its moment of glory.
I’m changing campsites to stay near Arezzo, 8 km to the west, next to the village of Ruscello. Since there’s less than 50 km between the two campsites, I’ll have the afternoon to start exploring Arezzo. During this part of the trip, I’ll visit Arezzo and the surrounding areas: the Valdichiana, a bit of the Valdarno, and a return to the Valtiberina.
The red dot is Ruscello. Maps for the excursions around Arezzo will come later.
Arezzo is built on the side of a hill; a good first approach is to leisurely climb the hillside up to the main square (very well-known): Piazza Grande.
It’s quadrangular and sloped (since it’s on the hillside); here it is with the "Logge Vasari" on the right (Arezzo is Vasari’s hometown) and the Palazzo della Fraternità dei Laici on the left.
Once you cross it, here’s the view from above along the same diagonal (at ground level).
I’ll have a chance to return on a sunnier day.
When you climb to the top of the hill, you arrive next to the Duomo (Cattedrale di San Donato; Saint Donatus Cathedral). It’s a Gothic cathedral whose construction took a long time, finishing in the 20th century in the... Neo-Gothic style.
Here’s an example with the chevet (end of the 13th century) and the bell tower (mid-19th century, with the upper part completed in the 20th century). The locals in Arezzo nickname it "Il Matitone" (the big pencil) because of its distinctive shape.
The interior contains many works of art; among them, I chose the Ark of Saint Donatus (Arca di San Donato), placed behind the high altar, entirely in white marble, sculpted throughout the Trecento by several artists. This monument holds the body of San Donato.
Here’s the front with its profusion of scenes and pinnacles.
In the background, you can glimpse the stained-glass windows of the cathedral’s chevet, a major work of Italian Renaissance stained glass (Guillaume de Marcillat, around 1525).
The back, mounted on Corinthian columns, depicts scenes from the life of San Donato.
Piero della Francesca painted a Mary Magdalene (around 1460); he must have slipped away to create this fresco, which is the only trace of him in Arezzo outside of the Church of San Francesco (see tomorrow’s post).
Finally, this statue (unknown 13th-century artist) comes from the old cathedral that was located outside the city walls.
Right at the foot of the steps in front of the cathedral’s façade, the episcopal palace (a beautiful 13th-century building) is open for visits, with a museum on the ground floor and the reception rooms upstairs.
From the same period as the cathedral’s *Virgin and Child* (13th century), several polychrome wooden crucifixes are on display.
Among the paintings, I was struck by an *Annunciation* (Andrea di Nerio; around 1350). I often choose this subject to compare different periods and painters on a common theme.
To wrap up the museum, Giorgio Vasari, who was very attached to his hometown, painted a processional banner for the "Peducci" company (1549). On one side, the chosen subject is the preaching of Saint John the Baptist.
The reception rooms were frescoed in the early 17th century by Teofilo Torri. The one below (whose name and function I don’t recall) is adjacent to the grand Hall of Justice.
A beautiful day, not too hot, in Arezzo.
I park near Pescaiola station and then get around by bike and on foot.
The most famous and influential personality from Arezzo is Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574)—painter, architect, and the man who "invented" art history. He regularly returned to stay in his hometown and bought a house there, which he decorated himself (likely with some help, as was common at the time). "Casa Vasari" is therefore an artist’s home from the Renaissance, a rather rare testament to that era.
My photo choices (for the rest of the post) will be very selective and arbitrary; I’ll skip parts of monuments, or even entire monuments, to show only what remains most vivid in my memory when I write with several months of hindsight.
The Chamber of Fame and the Arts is worth seeing for its architecture and paintings (overview below).
On the ceiling, Fame, seated on a globe, blows a trumpet.
Between two lunettes decorated with portraits of painters, Poetry is absorbed in her creation.
The largest room, entirely decorated with frescoes, is the Hall of the Triumph of Virtue. At the center of the coffered ceiling, allegories of Virtue, Fortune, and Envy.
Surrounding the fresco above to complete the ceiling’s decoration, four paintings represent the four ages of life, including childhood.
Leaving "Casa Vasari," I head up toward the cathedral and quickly arrive at a square where the Church of Saint Dominic (Chiesa di San Domenico) stands. Gothic in style, it has an elegant façade, with the bell tower adding an asymmetrical touch.
Inside, besides numerous frescoes, there’s a large painted crucifix by Cimabue.
In the afternoon, the flags on the tower of the Palazzo dei Priori (now the town hall) flutter in the wind (photo taken on Via Andrea Cesalpino).
A few meters further down, I’m standing in front of the Basilica of San Francesco. This church, the most famous in Arezzo, is also a national museum and houses an exceptional work: the frescoes by Piero della Francesca in the "Cappella Bacci." This chapel is named after the wealthy family who commissioned the frescoes.
The chapel’s vaults were painted by Bicci di Lorenzo, who passed away shortly after. That’s when Piero della Francesca was called in. He created a pictorial cycle illustrating the "Legend of the True Cross," the story of the cross on which Jesus was crucified.
Piero della Francesca didn’t arrange the scenes in chronological order; instead, he used the chapel’s symmetry to place them. For example, there are two large battle scenes, positioned symmetrically along the chapel’s axis.
I’ve picked 5 frescoes and will stick to chronological order.
Adoration of the Sacred Wood and the meeting between the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon.
The Queen of Sheba arrives at a wooden bridge and kneels, sensing the prophecy tied to this wood.
The Queen of Sheba meets Solomon and shares the prophecy with him; all the figures in the scene are richly dressed in Quattrocento fashion.
The Dream of Constantine.
On the eve of the battle against Maxentius, Constantine has a dream and hears a voice telling him to fight under the protection of the Cross.
A night scene that made history in the art world.
Constantine’s Victory over Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge.
On the right (damaged fresco), Maxentius is already fleeing. On the left, Constantine’s army looks more like they’re parading than fighting—a spiritual victory without bloodshed?
Between the two armies, the Tiber River, where the battle takes place, is depicted in detail (houses, trees, reflections, ducks). The background landscape (with more relief) led some experts to suggest that Piero replaced the Roman countryside (the actual location) with Tuscany: the upper Tiber Valley where he was born. It’s not entirely convincing when you look at the fresco.
Discovery of the True Cross
I photographed the left half of the fresco, then the right half; the two halves depict different scenes (same principle as the first fresco I chose, Queen of Sheba and Solomon).
Three crosses are unearthed in a field (I only see two); they’re presented to Helena, Constantine’s mother. The setting is the countryside with Jerusalem’s walls in the distance, but the landscape is Tuscan, and the hilltop town is Arezzo.
The figure to the right of Helena and her court dwarf, dressed in white and facing the viewer, is believed to be Piero della Francesca (a self-portrait within the pictorial ensemble).
A dead man rises from his coffin, a miracle that identifies the True Cross. Now we’re in a city (architectural construction); the figures are dressed in Quattrocento fashion, as in the other scenes.
Battle Between Heraclius and Khosrow.
I’ve focused on part of this large fresco, where Christian cavalry intervene decisively in the battle.
This series of frescoes is world-renowned as an absolute masterpiece of Renaissance painting.
In the late afternoon, I cycled a stretch of the "sentiero della bonifica," which runs alongside the Valdichiana’s main drainage canal (from Chiani to I Ponti).
For this new day in Arezzo, I’m visiting the MAMM (Museum of Medieval and Modern Art), housed in a 15th-century palace, the "Palazzo Bruni Ciocchi" (courtyard with portico below).
The museum has around twenty rooms organized in chronological order; the selected photos follow this sequence.
The *Madonna di Montelungo* (circa 1250) was painted by Margarito d'Arezzo, born in Arezzo around 1220, one of the first known Tuscan artists. He signed his paintings (see the bottom of the photo).
Two centuries later, Parri di Spinello painted a *"Madonna della Misericordia"* with a predella (1435–1437). He was the most prominent painter in Arezzo between 1420 and 1450.
Giorgio Vasari also created a *"Madonna col Bambino"*, rendered in a very different style (1536–1537). The painting is known as the *"Pala di San Rocco"* because it was commissioned by the *"Compagnia di San Rocco"* (a confraternity).
19th-century painting reflects the Italian Unification with Carlo Ademollo’s work: *The Battle of San Martino* (1861). The painting was completed two years after the battle (1859), which is known in France as *Solférino*. San Martino is where the Sardinian troops fought, while the French troops were closer to Solférino (two neighboring villages in Lombardy).
In the afternoon, I return to *Piazza Grande* (different photos from Day 13, taken under a bluer sky). The apse of the parish church, *Santa Maria*, overlooks one corner of the square.
The *"Logge Vasari"* face south, forming a lovely arcade with café and restaurant terraces that weren’t too crowded this afternoon.
Here are the "Logge" and the Santa Maria church in the same photo; between them is the Palazzo della Fraternità dei Laici, which I’m going to visit.
The visit starts in the palace’s audience hall, where the fresco of the "Madonna della Misericordia" (1448) is located. The painter, Parri di Spinello, is the same artist behind the painting on the same subject in the museum. Since the commission was paid for by the Fraternità (we know the amount), the people under the Virgin’s cloak (there’s quite a crowd) are Aretine benefactors and/or members (of the Fraternità). Many of them, according to the provided details, have been identified.
Some of the paintings on display are historical testimonies, like this view of Piazza Grande, signed by Cristoforo di Donato Conti. It dates back to the Settecento, a century when "vedute" were all the rage. The square hasn’t changed much since then.
I’m looking at this model as another historical record—the oldest architect’s model I’ve ever seen. Vasari had it made in 1572, the year he was commissioned for the project. The model, limited to two arches, may have been used to convince the city officials of the project’s modular nature. After Vasari’s death (1574), construction continued on this principle (completed in 1595), with the ground-floor shops being sold in modules as work progressed.
The view from the panoramic terrace is a sweeping one over Piazza Grande and a circular one over the city of Arezzo.
The parish church "Santa Maria della Pieve" is located very close to the square (access via Corso Italia). It houses the large polyptych by Pietro Lorenzetti (1320), known as the Tarlati Polyptych, as it was commissioned by the Bishop of Arezzo. The painter wasn’t from Arezzo but from Siena.
The Virgin’s cloak is very unusual, as the painter depicted parts of it as fur (but what kind of fur?).
I end the day with this church and its bell tower. A symbol of Arezzo, it’s called the "bell tower of a hundred holes" because of its twin windows on all four sides.
Photo taken on Via Bicchieraia (facade under renovation; the bell tower is also clearly visible from the panoramic terrace, as mentioned above).
This morning in Arezzo, there’s a very busy market in the streets at the foot of the hill; you have to weave between the stalls to reach the archaeological museum (Museo Gaio Cilnio Mecenate in Italian). This Roman, originally from Arezzo and advisor to Emperor Augustus—named Gaius Cilnius Maecenas in Latin—is the origin of the words "patron" and "patronage" through his actions.
The museum is next to the Roman amphitheater, with its arena clearly visible, though nothing remains above ground.
The collections are divided between the Etruscan era (the Etruscans were very present in what is now Tuscany, especially to the east and south) and the Roman era.
Taking photos in archaeology is always tricky (display cases, reflections).
During the Etruscan era, the finest ceramic pieces were imported from Greece. Here’s the Euphronios krater (Attic origin, around 510 BC) depicting a battle between Hercules and the Amazons.
A red-figure amphora, also of Attic origin (dated around 415 BC), is decorated with "Pelops and Hippodamia on a quadriga." Here are the figures on the chariot.
And now, the four horses.
Still from the Etruscan era (around 600 BC), the torso from Marciano (a village in the Valdichiana) is sculpted from *pietra fetida*, a soft limestone often used by the Etruscans for funerary monuments.
Moving on to the Roman period and Arezzo’s splendor: from the 1st century AD, for over 100 years, Arezzo was the largest production center of *terra sigillata* (a fine red-glazed tableware) in the empire.
Here’s an example of a two-handled cup featuring knucklebones players.
This was mass-produced in workshops that signed their work (over a hundred workshops). Example with the signature of C. Volusenus (1st or 2nd century AD).
The Arezzo medallion is a curiosity made using *chrysography* (engraving and painting on gold leaf between two glass plates—don’t ask me for more details!). It dates from the imperial era, 3rd or 4th century AD. There are only about ten such medallions in the world produced with this technique.
In the afternoon, I head to the very top of San Donato Hill (Arezzo’s hill), where the Medici Fortress (16th century) was built. Coming from the city, you access it through a gate leading to a long interior corridor within the thickness of the fortification. Since it’s military architecture, all the walls are bare in these spaces. Don’t expect anything more than a walk along the ramparts.
The views from the ramparts aren’t directed toward the city (to the southwest) but toward the other directions. The photo gives an idea of the Arezzo surroundings, with the mountain called "alpe di Catenaia" in the background to the north. The terrace planted with umbrella pines visible a few hundred meters away is a large public garden: "parco il prato".
I head back down to the city and visit the "Badia di Santa Flora e Lucilla", a church located not far from San Francesco. Vasari transformed it architecturally; in the 19th century, a monumental altar created by Vasari for his family’s chapel in the "Pieve di Santa Maria" (see yesterday’s post) was moved here, where it now serves as the main altar.
In this church, you can see a "Visitation" by Giovanni Antonio Lappoli (1524). The information I read—either on-site or in documentation given in Arezzo (I can’t remember)—described the painter as mediocre, a better musician (and more interested in music) than painter, and cited the following criticisms:
1-stereotyped, inexpressive faces
2-drapery that reveals a clear lack of technique.
I’d never encountered such a harsh presentation of what’s on display, but I have to admit, upon observation, there’s some truth to those two points.
The weather is uncertain in the early morning; I leave fairly late, hoping for an improvement that never comes. The day turns out rainy (showers) and really cold for September. I’m heading to the Arno Valley and had planned an outdoor activity.
I make my way to San Giovanni Valdarno. I pick up some brochures late in the morning, then head up to Castelfranco di Sopra, which will be the starting point for a hike in the "Balze"—"area naturale le Balze" on the map. The red dot marks Castelfranco di Sopra.
The route takes me past the ravines and characteristic cliffs of this area.
I also have to take shelter from the rain for quite a while.
Among these distinctive formations, there are erosion pillars like the one in the center of the photo below.
I only saw what’s on the loop starting from Castelfranco di Sopra, but there are other sites if you head toward Loro Ciuffenna.
Now, here’s Leonardo da Vinci’s world-famous painting: the *Mona Lisa*.
When you look at the landscape behind the model’s right shoulder, you’ll notice it looks a lot like what I just saw—the "Balze" of the Upper Valdarno (I find the resemblance really convincing).
Experts have suggested that Leonardo painted this landscape (which he knew) as the background for his painting. But given how famous the *Mona Lisa* is, there are countless theories about the background (both in Tuscany and other regions of Italy). Leonardo may have combined several landscapes from different places or even painted an entirely imaginary one.
As for the other parts of the landscape, the multi-arched bridge near Mona Lisa’s left shoulder can’t be found exactly in the "Balze." However, there’s apparently one about 20 kilometers away that might fit.
The lake surrounded by jagged peaks, near the model’s face, simply doesn’t exist in this part of Tuscany.
Back in San Giovanni Valdarno, I visit the "Museo della Basilica di Santa Maria delle Grazie." I pick out two works before moving on to what the museum is really known for.
Mariotto di Cristofano was born in San Giovanni. Here’s a detail from a *Christus patiens between the Madonna and St. Lucy* (around 1420).
He’s not the only painter born in San Giovanni. Masaccio was born here too, along with his brother, nicknamed "Lo Scheggia." The latter, also a painter, specialized in furniture painting for the upper classes. The museum displays a side of a wedding chest, a typical example of this work: the story of *Trajan and the Widow* (around 1430–1440).
But people come to this museum for one specific reason: it houses one of the three *Annunciations* painted by Fra Angelico (Guido di Pietro, Fra Giovanni da Fiesole, Fra Angelico, or Beato Angelico) around 1430–1440.
Next, I visit another small museum, the "Museo delle Terre Nuove," located in the Palazzo d’Arnolfo. There, I learn why San Giovanni has a rectangular plan within its walls—a layout I’d noticed when arriving in the center.
San Giovanni was built from scratch by the Florentines for political reasons. They distrusted the local nobility (feudal lords) and wanted to attract part of the population to new towns to reduce the nobility’s influence. Many of these "new lands" (or towns) were designed with a rectangular plan.
In one of the palace’s rooms, there are round paintings intended for a Medici villa, by a painter born here: Giovanni Manozzi, known as Giovanni da San Giovanni (early 17th century).
*Bacchus and Ariadne.*
When I leave, I find myself in the square facing the basilica.
And after seeing San Giovanni’s plan in the museum, you immediately realize that at the far end of the square (the middle of one side of the rectangular enclosure), there should be a gate (the layout seems odd anyway).
In fact, there *was* a gate. Then a miracle happened.
In 1478, a 75-year-old woman (Monna Tancia) knelt under the gate in front of an image of the Madonna. Her infant grandson was an orphan (his parents had died of the plague), and she was then able to nurse him, saving him from certain death.
An oratory was built, then a chapel (or vice versa), and later a church, which became a basilica… and now there’s no gate at the far end of the square.
Cold, windy day, but quite sunny. I’m visiting two medieval villages in the Valtiberina: Monterchi and Anghiari.
Here’s a little map of the loop I did (and no, it’s not from Google).
Monterchi is perched on an isolated hill, and the view over the surrounding countryside is lovely. It also gives a pretty accurate idea of this part of Tuscany.
Monterchi is enclosed within walls and has a strong medieval character.
Here’s a house inside the walls.
Next, I head to Anghiari. This village overlooks the Valtiberina; it’s larger than Monterchi and belongs to the "I borghi più belli d'Italia" (Italy’s most beautiful villages) club.
Ramparts, café terraces, and views over the Tiber Valley.
At one of the village’s high points, the Palazzo Pretorio (or Vicar’s Palace) is now the town hall. It’s a 14th-century palace with an L-shaped plan, and its façade is decorated with the coats of arms of the vicars and podestàs appointed by Florence.
Anghiari also has gates, staircases, sloping alleys, and towers...
There are also churches and at least two museums. The Palazzo Taglieschi houses the national museum in a maze of medieval houses; it’s an art museum, but there’s also ethnography.
Here’s a Madonna from the 14th century, originating from the Valtiberina. The Virgin’s frontal position and braided hair tie her to a popular tradition.
I won’t show anything else from inside a church or museum.
There’s another museum in the village, the Museum of the Battle of Anghiari (1440). This battle saw the Florentines defeat the Milanese; it’s famous because of a lost painting commissioned from Leonardo da Vinci as a commemorative piece to adorn the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.
From the rampart walk, you can see the battle site. According to the information provided, it took place in the plain a little farther than the last car visible on the road. There’s also a walk (not done) on the actual battle site.
In the distance, you can make out the town of Sansepolcro.
Finally, there’s still the matter of finding an overall viewpoint of the village by switching hills.
The Sant'Agostino church is built on the rampart with an apse resembling a tower.
A wider shot shows the entire rampart and the oldest part of the village, called "Il Borghetto."
I’ll be spending the day in Cortona. Since there’s so much to see there (at my visiting pace), the day will be pretty packed—early start, late return. The weather is still cool, but the wind has died down and the sun is out, so it feels much better.
Cortona’s site is exceptional. The town sits on a hillside, but the plain at its foot is 400 meters above sea level, and the Girifalco fortress at the top is at 650 meters. So it’s not just a small hill—it’s a remarkable vantage point over the region, used and fortified since Etruscan times (likely one of the most important Etruscan centers).
I manage to park near the Etruscan wall (5th century BC), which stretches about 4 km and runs all the way to the top of the hill. It surrounds the historic town and is really impressive when you think about how old it is.
In Cortona, there are two types of streets: the first follow the contour lines, and the second connect them, running steeply uphill.
I enter the town through the "Porta Bifora," a gate in the wall, and climb a steep street up to Piazza della Repubblica, the central square.
The "Palazzo Comunale" dominates the square: a clock tower and a grand Renaissance staircase built on medieval foundations.
Nearby, "Piazza Signorelli" is the town’s second square. This morning, both squares host a market that draws a big crowd—locals and tourists alike. It’s the only place on this trip where I’ve seen so many foreign visitors.
I continue to "Piazza Duomo" (a viewpoint over the Valdichiana), where the diocesan museum sits across from the cathedral.
It’s relatively small but features some major works.
Luca Signorelli (1450–1524), born and died in Cortona, is the town’s pride. He’s one of the great painters of the Italian Renaissance. *Communion of the Apostles* (1512) includes a close-up of Judas.
Another painting depicts Santa Margherita da Cortona, who died in 1297, and scenes from her life. The artist is anonymous but believed to be Sienese, from the Trecento. The saint wears a halo long before her canonization in the 18th century—proof that popular devotion moved much faster than the official Church...
This museum also has a second *Annunciation* painted by Beato Angelico (see San Giovanni Valdarno, Day 17, for the first one).
I prefer this one because of these differences:
- The architecture where the scene takes place
- The angel’s wings
- The angel is static in the first one; here, he’s (almost) still in motion
- The angel’s hands emphasize his words in this version.
Along the wall below the museum, "Via Janelli" is lined with medieval houses (I don’t have any documents dating them). I notice that they’re built in brick from the first floor up, while the "palazzi" are made of stone throughout.
In the afternoon, I visit the MAEC (Museum of the Etruscan Academy and the City of Cortona), where I’m particularly drawn to the Etruscan section.
This statue comes from the Sodo tumulus, an Etruscan burial mound at the foot of Cortona’s hill; it was part of the entrance to a podium-altar.
To better understand what this statue represents, I’ll describe what I saw later in the day when I visited the tumulus site at Sodo.
You accessed the tumulus via a stone staircase, where the sculpture was part of the side ramps; at the top of the stairs was the podium-altar.
This staircase has been reconstructed using some original blocks, but not the statues (originals are in the museum, reproductions at the tumulus).
Around much of the tumulus’s circumference, the retaining wall is original (6th–5th century BCE); the tumulus contains two tombs from that period.
Back at the MAEC, which displays many Etruscan artifacts, here’s an amphora made of "bucchero" (late 7th, early 6th century BCE)—a black, shiny, monochrome ceramic.
The funerary amphorae are decorated with small bronze pieces, like these dragon heads.
I end the visit with an impressive piece: a large bronze candelabrum. The photo doesn’t do justice to its size or the extreme complexity of the work—it’s definitely very heavy (16 burners, numerous figures). Archaeologists believe it may have been used to illuminate a place of worship.
Afterward, I take a walk around town in search of viewpoints, which are bound to exist given Cortona’s hilltop position. "Via Santa Margherita" runs along the city walls, and the view opens up when I reach the start of the Via Crucis. I’m on the southern slope of the hill, with Lake Trasimeno (Lago Trasimeno) in the distance, in Umbria.
Further south, in Tuscany, is Monte Amiata with its volcanic shape—still 1,700 meters high. In the foreground, the Valdichiana.
I’m heading back to Arezzo one last time to visit the Ivan Bruschi house-museum. It’s housed in a beautiful building, the "Palazzo del Capitano" (Palace of the Captain of the People), located on Corso Italia, right across from the "Pieve di Santa Maria." I’m a bit reserved about the interior—there’s a lot of stuff, but it’s not well showcased, and it feels like a real mess.
A bank foundation (I can’t remember which one) put together a collection of paintings displayed in the house, which are better than the other objects.
Here’s a way of depicting the Annunciation from the very end of the 16th century: Alessandro Allori (1591), a painter from the late Mannerist period.
Moving forward in time, we reach the middle of the 17th century with Giovanni Battista Salvi, known as "il Sassoferrato" after his birthplace. He’s famous as the painter of Madonnas, specializing in the subject, which he depicted hundreds of times—likely because he lived during the Counter-Reformation. His style is classical, with a lot of softness, balance, and serenity, which comes through in the painting on display.
A temporary exhibition has been open for a few days, dedicated to jousts and tournaments in Tuscany. I picked out a mannequin (Florentine-made, 1579).
In the city center, I also notice small signs marking the filming locations of the movie "Life Is Beautiful" (Roberto Benigni, 1998).
I leave the city via "Piazza Sant'Agostino," a spot I hadn’t visited yet.
Time to insert a little map.
Yesterday’s route went from Ruscello (the end of the blue line at the top of the map) to Cortona (bottom right).
This afternoon, I’m taking a bike ride on the "Sentiero della Bonifica"—the Pieve al Toppo to Frassineto section, which extends the ride I did on Day 14.
"Bonifica" means land reclamation. This plain, the Valdichiana, where water used to stagnate, was the focus of drainage and agricultural development work in the 18th century (if I remember correctly). The main canal (Canale Maestro) directs water toward the Arno, and the "Sentiero della Bonifica" runs alongside it, creating a flat path of about 60 km starting near Arezzo and heading south (toward Chiusi).
The route I took isn’t on the map (you can see Pieve al Toppo, the starting point, then it heads toward the black dot), because it’s a bike trail with sections of gravel, others on dirt roads (strada bianca), and some on grass (less common).
Next, I visit a village overlooking the Valdichiana: Civitella in Val di Chiana. See its location on the map.
View of the Valdichiana.
The village is surrounded by walls, with a church and a "rocca" (fortress). The main street runs from the church to the "rocca."
Below is the lower part of the village, along the walls.
The fortress is Lombard, dating back to the 600–800 period. This photo shows the keep, which was damaged by German troops in 1944.
This village is a "martyr village." German troops executed over 200 people here on June 29, 1944—one of the mass massacres of the war in Italy. A memorial site is set up under the arcades of the main street.
I’m heading to the last campsite of the trip, near Siena, specifically in Sovicille. Since it’s about 60 km away, I’ve got plenty of time to make the journey, settle in, eat, and get ready to head to Poggibonsi in the afternoon.
The final part of the trip (the Siena area) is beginning, and it’ll revolve around the "Via Francigena" (the walking route), which I’ll follow—mostly by mountain bike, with a bit of walking—starting from Colle di Val d'Elsa. I’ll also do quite a few visits while staying in the left half of the map above.
The "Via Francigena" is a pilgrimage route that runs from Canterbury to Rome. Since I’m not a pilgrim, I see it as a long-distance trail (GR). In Tuscany, I’ve traveled it from the north of the region up to Colle di Val d'Elsa, the town from which I’ll pick up the route again heading south.
The stages as listed on the "Via Francigena" website:
Stage 32: From San Gimignano to Monteriggioni (starting from Colle di Val d'Elsa)
Stage 33: From Monteriggioni to Siena
Stage 34: From Siena to Ponte d'Arbia
Stage 35: From Ponte d'Arbia to San Quirico (as far as Buonconvento)
I decided to check out the Poggio Imperiale fortress in Poggibonsi.
This fortress is the first major (unfinished) fortification project of the Florentine possessions by the Medici at the very beginning of the 16th century. I couldn’t quite picture the shape of the fortress with its walls due to the complexity of the terrain. Inside, the pentagonal-plan citadel (cassero) is built on a spur, and that’s what I’ll be visiting. I took the photo from the San Lucchese monastery, located on a slightly higher hill.
The spur is completely blocked by this wall, and the only entrance to the citadel is the gate you see in the background (photo below). You then pass through a long tunnel to reach a barracks area and emerge onto the parade ground.
In the photo above, the wall and barracks area are on the left; the parade ground, on the right, extends to the end of the spur.
I’m now on the parade ground, looking toward the barracks.
From the end of the spur, the view over Poggibonsi and its surroundings is expansive, here looking toward the Strozzavolpe castle.
Next, I head to the San Lucchese monastery. The church, preceded by a portico, has a single nave. At the entrance to a chapel, there’s a series of frescoes illustrating the story of Saint Stephen. The saint is taken in his cradle by devils who carry him away by boat; they place a little devil in the cradle to trick his nurse, who might not notice the horns and think the child is still there (Cennino Cennini, 1388). It’s like a graphic novel before the genre was even invented (or a fictionalized life, if you prefer).
I end the day in Colle di Val d'Elsa by covering a short section of the "Via Francigena" (which can only be done on foot). It’s the crossing of the river park; the trail follows the river from the swimming pool to the southern exit of the town (frazione di Gracciano).
A refreshing route, perfect for a swim in some spots, all just steps away from the city.
I’m spending the day in Colle di Val d'Elsa (see yesterday’s map), with a visit planned in the morning and mountain biking along the "Via Francigena" in the afternoon—all under mediocre and quite chilly weather (a sweatshirt was necessary). The San Pietro complex occupies the premises of the former eponymous monastery in the upper town; it recently opened, and the presentation is meticulous.
Here’s a painting titled "Birth of the Virgin" (late Trecento); if you look at it as a testimony, Cennino Cennini painted a Tuscan interior from that era.
From the same period (second half of the Trecento), a Sienese painter, Luca di Tommé, painted numerous Madonnas, including this one, which comes from the church of Pernina, a rural church lost in the Montagnola on the municipality of Sovicille (see the day after tomorrow).
He wasn’t an innovator but a painter inspired by Duccio di Buoninsegna, who lived 70 years before him.
Two centuries later (1581, Simone Ferri da Poggibonsi), this painting has almost purely utilitarian value, featuring a model of the city on a tray. The patrons hoped that by offering it to an ecclesiastical dignitary, Colle would become the seat of a bishopric.
A leap of a few centuries brings us to Antonio Puccinelli, who, in 1859, painted a man with stunning realism. But who is this man? It’s Saint Peter... and I’ve cropped a detail from an Assumption with 2 Saints.
There’s no doubt this artist was interested in photography. But he wasn’t a photographer—he was a painter: Adamo Lucherini. I photographed an oil on canvas exhibited in 1915: "portrait of my father." Amazing!
To wrap up the visit, let’s return to the riverside in what is now the river park. Antonio Salvetti (who was a painter, architect, and mayor of Colle) painted in 1895 "the niche, summer on the banks of the Elsa"; I recognized a place I passed through, with a much sunnier atmosphere in the painting than during yesterday’s walk.
In the afternoon, shortly after leaving by mountain bike from the "frazione" of Gracciano, I arrive at the place called "Le Caldane," a spring feeding the Elsa that has been known since antiquity. It was developed into thermal baths during the Etruscan, Roman, and medieval periods; a few parts of the pools remain, which are masonry (probably a reconstruction, I think).
The trail crosses the countryside and arrives in the village of Strove on a well-restored square, set back from the road.
We don’t follow this road for long; a network of paths and, finally, a very small road lead to Badia a Isola, a former abbey built on a height that once gave the impression of being on an island. It’s a Romanesque construction from the 12th century, with an entire village surrounding the abbey.
The last part of the trail leads to Monteriggioni, to the hamlet at the foot of the hill crowned by the famous walls. I return to Colle di Val d'Elsa by road.
Cool, overcast weather all day with the threat of showers. It’ll be a transition day; since planning a long mountain-bike ride is risky, I won’t leave Monteriggioni. Instead, I’ll walk across Siena following the "Via Francigena" route, from "porta Camollia" in the north to "porta Romana" in the south. This isn’t a visit to Siena—I’ve already been there.
A quick detour to see the "palazzo pubblico" from the side you never see—the back (photo taken in "piazza del mercato").
Then, to get to "porta Romana", I take "Via di Pantaneto", then "Via Roma". Along the way, I pass the church of San Giorgio. The interior was completely redone in the 18th century (appearance after the 1731–1738 renovation).
Once outside "Porta Romana", I see it as a traveler arriving from Rome via the "Via Cassia". Built in the 1320s, it was a monumental entrance.
The structure consists of two arches (visible in a row in the photo above). Between the arches is a space enclosed by side walls—this entire ensemble forms "Porta Romana".
The day after tomorrow, I’ll leave from "Porta Romana" to continue south along the "Via Francigena".
In the afternoon, a temporary break in the weather gives me time to do a short stretch of the "Via Francigena" northwest of Siena. Starting from a spot on the SP101 (near a rural guesthouse), the trail crosses a wood frequented by locals mushroom hunting (the season must be right). It’s followed by a rough section on small roads (around Le Querce, Le Coste, Poderuccio) that leads to "Viale Cavour", the avenue leading to "Porta Camollia", the northern entrance to the old city.
The end of the day is spent in steady rain (luckily, I finished my route). It feels like night falls much earlier than usual because of the lack of light.
Persistent rain for most of the night.
I’m heading back to Colle di Val d'Elsa one last time, but this time I take tiny roads—some of them unpaved—that wind through the Montagnola.
Rural churches are scattered across villages (like Ancaiano) and even out in the countryside, like the Church of Pernina (San Giovanni Battista Church, mentioned in 1078, Romanesque). There was probably a hamlet here back then. One of the paintings I saw the day before yesterday came from this church (Luca di Tommè’s *Madonna and Child*).
I’m checking out what makes Colle so prosperous today: crystal (95% of Italy’s production, 15% of the world’s). The region originally produced glass, and in the 19th and 20th centuries, Colle was a major glassmaking hub. The brand-new Crystal Museum is on an old production site, where a furnace and its chimney have been preserved and integrated into the surrounding area (lower town).
From the Trecento onward, glass was produced in the Valdelsa, especially in Gambassi Terme (about 30 km from Colle). This town "invented" a glass model that’s stood the test of time: the Gambassi. Here’s a modern reproduction of it (based on the info provided, you can still buy this glass today).
After strict crystal standards were adopted (in the 1950s or 1960s, if I remember correctly—so take that with a grain of salt), manufacturers took a major turn. They brought in "designers," and the models produced changed completely.
Here’s the "Pitagora" glass, designed by Marco Zanusso (1969)—a triangle-circle combo, with a transition from base to container.
In the same vein, here’s the "Mapan" glass, designed by Sergio Asti (1970)—a square-circle combo, with the same base-to-container transition. Though it came after the previous one, this glass was more successful: it’s part of the MOMA’s permanent collection in New York.
A few more years later… 1986. Angelo Mangiarotti created "Ice Stopper" (sorry for the poor photo quality). This glass is a sloped cylinder (but not *too* sloped—it still needs to stay upright). It’s not quite a perfect cylinder, though, because it has an inner protrusion (an outer indentation) with a smooth shape. Its purpose? To keep ice cubes from reaching the drinker’s lips. Now *that’s* peak futility.
That’s all for the Crystal Museum (you can tour some of the factories—I didn’t).
The afternoon was spent in the countryside between Monteriggioni and Siena, with scattered showers. The "Via Francigena" winds along the foothills of the Montagnola, roughly at the border between farmland and wooded areas (so parts are in the forest, others at the edge). I remember one stretch (about 800 meters) where the wheels were completely caked in sticky mud, making it nearly impossible to move. That was a result of yesterday’s rain and last night’s downpour.
Castello della Chiocciola, a private castle along the "Via Francigena."
The last part of the route skirts the "Pian del Lago" area, a former lake drained in the 18th century to create farmland. A monument commemorates the project, which required major work—including the construction of a drainage tunnel. Here’s the entrance (the tunnel goes under a hill to reach a valley where the water could flow out).
I linked up with yesterday’s route just past the structures (monument, tunnel) in the "Pian del Lago" area.
About 1 km from the campsite, there’s a winery with direct sales: after stopping by, I’ve got a case of Chianti (Colli Senesi) and a case of Vermentino to fit into the caravan’s storage. I take a quick stroll through the center of Sovicille and then head out for the day.
I plan to go mountain biking this morning, a hike in the early afternoon, and a visit afterward.
For the mountain biking part on the "Via Francigena," that means picking up the route at Porta Romana (Siena), where I stopped the day before yesterday. I’ll head southeast away from Siena, following "Strada di Certosa"; the road descends and offers views of the city.
I’m about 2 km from Porta Romana, and you can clearly see "Torre del Mangia" on the right and the cathedral on the left.
The next photo is taken from farther away, after leaving the urban area, and a bit more to the left; as a result, the cathedral (clearly visible) is on the right side of the photo.
The foreground (the bottom of the photo), with plowed fields and crops on the hillside instead of large wooded areas, gives a preview of the landscape to come—the "Crete Senesi," the clay-rich Sienese hills.
I continue to a place called Renuccio (not marked on the map; this hamlet is south of Bucciano).
After lunch, I’ll walk a loop called "Anello delle Biancane di Leonina"; it’s right in the heart of the "Crete Senesi," quite far from the "Via Francigena" route. This is the spot labeled "Crete Senesi Asciano" on the map.
But before reaching the start of the hike, this photo, taken along SP438, perfectly captures the "Crete Senesi" landscape: rows of cypress trees, crops and plowed fields covering the entire hillside up to the summit, farms perched on the hilltops, fewer wooded areas (no forests, just groves), and little (if any) vineyards or olive groves.
The hike (or walk; about 5–6 km) starts from a parking lot near the road. It’s characterized by the presence of "biancane," clay mounds covered with sparse vegetation except on the south-facing side; on this southern slope, the alternating rain and sun create small ravines (erosion), and no vegetation manages to take hold.
A panoramic view of the "biancane" area; I assume the name comes from the fact that these mounds create white or light patches in the landscape. In any case, the color is reminiscent of the ravines seen in the Apennines at the start of the trip.
View of the village of Mucigliani (on the side opposite the "biancane"). Among the crops, there were cereals, sunflowers, and others I didn’t identify; by this date, everything had been harvested.
I reach near the highest point of the hike; the "biancane" appear from a different angle, and a small pond has been created for irrigation (acting as a reservoir).
Near the high point of the hike, looking toward Mucigliani.
At the highest point of the hike, on a flat area, a stone artwork by French artist Jean-Paul Philippe (1993) is installed; it’s called "transit site." A slab, a chair, and a window (all made of stone) evoke the lying-sitting-standing positions and relate to the sun’s position at sunset during the summer solstice.
I arrived here following a "strada bianca" (white road) between two rows of cypress trees, passing near the Leonina castle, now transformed into a luxury accommodation.
The return (the hike is a loop) crosses the area of the "biancane."
From the "biancane," you can see, in a line, the small pond and the village of Mucigliani.
Once the hike was over, as soon as I drove off, the road climbed, and the panorama included the "strada bianca" leading to Leonina as well as the "biancane." Looking at the line of hills in the distance, you can immediately tell that this background isn’t part of the "crete senesi" (Sienese clay hills).
A little further on, from the roadside, a ray of sunshine on the "crete senesi."
A few more kilometers, and a small road leads to Mucigliani from the SP438 (road access to the village).
I arrived on the map at the point marked SP438.
From there, I head toward Monteroni d'Arbia: the route is on a dirt road (strada bianca) passing through the village of San Martino in Grania. On this dirt road, I’ll cross paths with several cyclists (there are more here than on a regular road), which leads me to the following digression after doing some research.
An annual cyclotourist event takes place near Siena called EROICA (start in Gaiole in Chianti). It’s a "vintage" race with several routes (distances) using as many "strade bianche" as possible. Associations have been created to preserve these roads, which have heritage value (keeping them unpaved). There are such dirt sections in Chianti, in the "Crete Senesi," in the Val di Merse, and in the Val d'Orcia.
The approach is reminiscent of preserving cobblestone sectors in northern France.
Early in the cycling season (before Milan-San Remo), the "Strade Bianche" race takes place on these roads around Siena, finishing in Piazza del Campo. It’s a road race where part of it (the decisive part) doesn’t take place on asphalt... which brings to mind Paris-Roubaix. The rest is different: no cobblestones but "strade bianche" (over 70 km), no flat terrain but continuous elevation changes with constant ups and downs.
The San Martino in Grania section is one of the longest and toughest in the race.
End of digression.
After Monteroni d'Arbia, I go to Murlo. Many Etruscan remains (archaeological site) have been found there and gathered in an antiquarium-museum housed in the former episcopal palace.
Here’s the reconstruction of a roof edge. The pieces at the top, with gargoyles and human-headed antefixes, protect the wooden beams from water. The terracotta pieces at the bottom serve a decorative function; they’re arranged repetitively to form a frieze. There are several models, including a horse race (below).
You can also find terracotta statues, like this sphinx placed on the reconstruction where it would have been in ancient times—on the roof ridge.
And to finish, here’s Murlo’s most famous statue: the "Cappellone," a seated man with a trimmed beard and a wide-brimmed hat. Imagination has led some to call him the "Cowboy of Murlo," while others see a sombrero in his hat. His position was likely on the roof ridge, like the sphinx.
The return to Sovicille is partly on "strade bianche" this time located in the Val di Merse (section Murlo-Radi, then another after Ville di Corsano).
Google didn’t let me return (virtually) to Sovicille—the maximum number of intermediate stops for the route had been reached.
This day starts under bright sunshine, which will last to make it one of the most beautiful days of the trip.
I head toward Torri, a "frazione" of Sovicille where the former Torri Abbey is located, and you can visit its cloister (it’s the point below Rosia on the map). The village sits high on the slope of the Montagnola.
It retains a medieval feel with walls that serve as an enclosure, an access gate, and narrow streets. On the right side of the photo, you can see the church of Santa Mustiola, and further to the right, buildings adjoining the abbey’s cloister.
After passing through the access gate, I’m on Piazza Grande. This lovely square is in the civil part of the hamlet; to reach the religious part (the former abbey), you have to go under the arch visible at the back of the square and walk along the church’s full length to the cloister entrance.
On one side of the square, you can see the communal oven, quite rare and perfectly preserved.
The abbey’s cloister rises over three levels, built with different materials (stone, brick, wood) at different times (late 12th century, 14th century, 15th century). The photos go from general views to details.
The cloister’s lower level is Romanesque; the effect created by the bichromy is spectacular. The columns are circular or hexagonal, smooth or sculpted.
View of the column-capital-pulvino-arch base stack.
I use the term "pulvino" to describe this inverted pyramid-shaped element placed above the capital. It serves both a structural role in supporting the arch’s base and a decorative one. I found the term in Italian documentation but haven’t found a valid translation for this architectural element, nor do I know its name in French.
These "pulvini," all unique, are mainly decorated with geometric patterns. The characteristics of the cloister’s lower level date its construction to the late 12th century, around the same time as the church’s consecration (1189).
Biblical scenes are another, less common decoration on the "pulvini"; here’s Cain murdering Abel.
The church isn’t open for visits (at least not today). The abbey buildings adjoining the cloister once housed a winery (when?), as huge barrels and fermentation vats remain. This cloister is a hidden gem (reopened during summer 2024 with limited hours after a restoration period).
I then move from a small region around Siena (Val di Merse) to another small area (the "Crete Senesi") to go mountain biking along the Via Francigena. You can immediately recognize the Sienese clay lands in the photo below, taken from the Via Cassia (SS2 on the map) south of Siena.
The Via Francigena route from Renuccio to Isola d'Arbia is uninteresting. From Isola d'Arbia onward, it’s a whole different story, and I’ll ride all the way to Ponte d'Arbia on "strade bianche" or trails.
I’m about ten kilometers from Siena, but looking north, the city is clearly visible—you can spot the "Torre del Mangia" and the cathedral.
The route passes near the "Grancia di Cuna," an example of a farm-hospital that was transformed into a fortified farm in the 14th century to protect stored harvests in the granaries. The whole structure is impressive.
A detour leads to the hamlet and the entrance of the fortified farm. These buildings aren’t open to visitors, but their imposing appearance holds up. Of course, everything is built with brick.
Leaving the Cuna farm, the path climbs into the hills west of the Val d'Arbia and stays there until Ponte d'Arbia. At the top of the first climb, the fortified farm appears in a setting that places it right in the "Crete Senesi."
This was followed by about ten kilometers through the hills between Monteroni d'Arbia and Ponte d'Arbia.
Surroundings of Monteroni d'Arbia, rows of cypress trees.
Surroundings of Monteroni d'Arbia, rows of cypress trees.
Monteroni d'Arbia in the valley.
Surroundings of Monteroni d'Arbia.
Surroundings of Monteroni d'Arbia.
Surroundings of Ponte d'Arbia.
Back to the starting point of the MTB hike (Isola d'Arbia) via Via Cassia.
The landscapes I enjoyed the most during the trip were those of the "Crete Senesi", the Sienese clay hills.
Today's map: there's a direct road between the Abbey of San Galgano (point west of Monticiano) and Chiusdino, which doesn't appear on the map.
On the road leading to the Abbey of San Galgano (where I'm headed), following the "Torrente Rosia" upstream, you pass by the "Ponte della Pia".
This bridge, originally Roman and rebuilt in the 13th century, spans the river with a single graceful arch. Despite the recent rains, I can descend into the stream bed. Today, the bridge has no parapet—I don’t know if it was built that way or if it’s the result of time.
After arriving at the site made famous by San Galgano, I visit the abbey, then the hermitage. I’ll present the route in reverse to follow the chronological order.
At the top of a hill (Monte Siepi) stands a structure called the rotunda. The interior features alternating bands of two colors.
At the center of the rotunda is the spot where it all began: a rock into which San Galgano, a wealthy young noble, plunged his sword as a sign of renouncing pleasures and military life. It’s been there since 1180... protected by a plexiglass dome—clearly needed to put an end to some *very* predictable attempts.
After 1180, San Galgano lived as a hermit on this hill.
Things moved quickly after that: Galgano’s death (1181), canonization (1185), construction of an oratory and the rotunda... the site’s fame grew. Expansion in the Trecento and the choice of Ambrogio Lorenzetti to fresco the chapel (walls, lunette, vault).
Meanwhile, in 1218, construction began on the grand Cistercian Abbey of San Galgano. They chose a flat spot at the foot of Montesiepi hill. The church is a large Gothic-style nave, roofless since the late 18th century.
The central nave, viewed toward the choir.
Among the conventual buildings (mostly gone), a beautiful chapter house.
The abbey is located in the municipality of Chiusdino in the Val di Merse, near the river; the village is 250 meters higher, and no matter how you approach it, you have to climb several kilometers to get there.
A medieval village with a small museum containing artifacts related to San Galgano and the abbey.
San Galgano thrusts his sword into the rock. Urbano da Cortona, marble bas-relief, 1466.
From the Montesiepi hermitage, a Madonna and Child. Niccolò di Segna, tempera and gold on panel, 1336.
Reliquary of San Galgano’s head. Pace di Valentino, goldsmith from the second half of the 13th century. As the title suggests, San Galgano’s head was inside.
I then travel about 30 km on small roads through a wooded area to reach the Petriolo thermal baths, or rather the "bagni di Petriolo." There’s a free natural spa with several pools, among other things. The water springs at 43°C (the hottest pool is close to that temperature) with a strong enough flow to keep all the pools warm. It’s rich in hydrogen sulfide (hence the smell) and minerals. These baths have been known since antiquity, with periods of prosperity (construction) and periods of neglect.
Today, both at the abbey and the thermal baths, there was a large crowd (mostly Italians, hardly any foreign tourists—was it because it was a Sunday?).
On my way back to Sovicille, 2 km before the town, I pass by the parish church of "Ponte allo Spino." It’s lit by a fairly low sun that highlights the color of the stone before it soon falls into shadow.
Another chilly, rainy day; I’ve planned an indoor activity for the afternoon, but I’d like to do a short stretch of the Via Francigena this morning. So I’m heading to Buonconvento and setting off on a loop that takes me from Ponte d’Arbia to Buonconvento along the Via Francigena. A sweatshirt is a must, and I finish the loop in a few raindrops.
Buonconvento will be my endpoint for the Via Francigena on this trip.
The rain doesn’t last all through midday, so I can take a stroll around town (a medieval town surrounded by walls). Below is the west side of the walls.
I’m visiting the abbey of "Monte Oliveto Maggiore," located in the municipality of Asciano but closer to Buonconvento. Although the abbey is in the "Crete Senesi," the landscape is different: forest and "calanchi" (ravines or badlands).
These ravines look a lot like the ones I saw in the Apennines at the start of the trip (same type of soil , same erosion phenomenon).
The abbey is active, occupied by Olivetan monks (a Benedictine order); the main cloister, entirely frescoed, is the artistic marvel of the abbey. Luca Signorelli began decorating the cloister’s perimeter (1497–1498); Giovanni Antonio Bazzi (Il Sodoma) completed it (1505 and later; he was 28 in 1505). It’s one of his earliest documented works.
These frescoes depict the life of Saint Benedict, a more or less legendary tale.
Benedict leaves his father’s house to study in Rome. He’s accompanied by his servant Cyrilla.
First miracle: he repairs a plate or sieve broken by his servant. You can see the servant and the broken plate, Saint Benedict, and the miraculously repaired plate—this is the left part of the fresco. On the right, Il Sodoma painted himself in a luxurious Renaissance court costume. The far-right part is out of frame.
Benedict makes a spring gush from the mountaintop. He’s depicted twice in the fresco, which blends portrait and landscape.
Florent, a priest jealous of Benedict, sends prostitutes to the monastery (to discredit Benedict). Group portraits, architecture, and a distant landscape.
This fresco is by Luca Signorelli: Benedict tells the monks where and when they ate outside the monastery. In the photo, you only see the scene of the meal in an inn; pictorially, that’s the main part of the fresco. Benedict’s intervention is shown in a small space not visible in the photo, at the top right of what’s shown.
Benoît miraculously obtains flour and restores the monks. Two scenes: the miracle of the flour and the meal. A little anecdote in the foreground of the meal scene: the first monk on the right takes his neighbor’s bread (in addition to his own) under the amused gaze of the monk serving.
With his gaze, Benoît frees a peasant from his bonds. A scene with four portraits (Benoît, the peasant, the two soldiers) plus a spectator page. A landscape background with the peasant’s arrest scene.
The fresco cycle covers the entire cloister; the gallery is enclosed on all four sides to protect them. As you walk through the gallery, the frescoes are at eye level and about 1 to 1.5 meters away (protective barrier). These rare conditions (often, they’re much lower and farther away) allow you to fully appreciate them.
In the refectory, the table is set for the evening meal.
The convent buildings include a beautiful library whose sculpted door is the work of a monk.
Back to Sovicille after realizing, upon leaving the abbey, that the afternoon had been quite rainy.
There will be a day in Siena during the trip; I won’t be visiting what the city is famous for (I’ve already done that on a previous trip). I’ll explore some more off-the-beaten-path spots and do some shopping. I’ll start with the "Collegiata di Santa Maria in Provenzano." Built around 1600, it features a beautiful travertine façade with a still-prominent Renaissance influence. The pilasters play a major role in the appearance of this façade.
It was constructed to serve as a reliquary for a miraculous statue: the Madonna di Provenzano, which is housed in a tabernacle at the center of the high altar. In front of this altar, beneath the dome, are the coats of arms of the Grand Duke of Tuscany and his wife (in marble).
A very beautiful church with no crowds at all (I’m alone inside).
Through small streets, I’ll head to "Piazza San Francesco," the heart of a student district.
The façade of the Church of San Francesco is the result of a neo-Gothic restoration from the early 20th century.
Behind the façade, the single nave has an impressive volume. Great height, wooden-beamed roof, flat apse: it seems simplicity and monumental character were often sought after in Franciscan churches. The effect is even more striking since there’s no one around.
Among the works on display, I chose the "Martyrdom of the Franciscan Friars" by Ambrogio Lorenzetti (a detached fresco, around 1320). A century after the founding of the order, missions had gone to the East, and some had been massacred, though it’s unclear which event is depicted here. It’s a rather rare representation for that era.
The pagoda (though it’s not actually a pagoda) has no specifically Eastern architectural elements; the scene is extremely violent and frightens some female onlookers, who recoil. The executioners are particularly hideous.
I continue my walk through the same neighborhood and arrive near Fonte Nuova, one of the fountains that supplied the city with water (built in the Trecento).
In the afternoon, I visit the Sanctuary of Saint Catherine of Siena, constructed over various periods (up to 1939) and incorporating the Benincasa house, where Catarina’s family lived—a family of 25 children.
The oratory of the kitchen was arranged in the Cinquecento at the site of the family kitchen. The main altar depicts Santa Catarina receiving the stigmata (by Bernardino Fungai). The other walls are decorated with scenes from Santa Catarina’s life.
Lower down in the house (which is on a hillside), the oratory of the bedroom was restructured in the 19th century.
The sanctuary’s church preserves a miraculous crucifix (a painted cross) from the 12th century linked to Santa Catarina. It was in front of this crucifix that Catarina is said to have received the stigmata in Pisa in 1375.
You can’t stroll through Siena’s streets overlooking the Campo without being reminded of this square: this will be my last photo of Siena.
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After as many weeks as I have fingers on my right hand, we're hitting the road again, fully recovered from our pharaonic adventure. Back in France to drop off our daughters (sorry, girls!), this time it's just the two of us, ready to be welcomed by a new destination. They say it offers one of the richest cultural heritages in the world for those willing to put in the effort. It's the land of the ancient Silk Road, where we'll follow a journey steeped in history and discoveries straight out of *One Thousand and One Nights*. A former Soviet bloc region independent only since 1991, we'll be walking in the footsteps of Genghis Khan, Tamerlane, Alexander the Great, Marco Polo...
Another fun fact about this country: it's strictly forbidden to import porn on your phone. True story. The same goes for painkillers! Unless it's about sodomy—though the two don’t seem connected, that’s just how it is. Don’t ask me why! Anyway, I’m getting off track. Here’s the big question: Where do you think we’ve just landed?... To give you a hint, the locals are known for being incredibly welcoming. No sooner said than done—our first taxi driver, proud to transport French travelers, refused to let us pay for the ride. Great vibes for these two weeks ahead. So, any guesses?
Uzbekistan!!!
With my girlfriend Christelle, we’ve chosen South Africa for our first trip to Southern Africa, focusing on safaris—after a long debate with a Cape Town/Kruger combo.
But that would’ve meant cutting out St Lucia, which would’ve been harder to fit into another trip.
And St Lucia—thanks to Michel and all those travel journals—we really wanted to go there.
So our 11-night itinerary ended up like this, mostly shaped by school holidays:
- 3 nights in St Lucia
- 1 night in Hluhluwe
- 1 night at Mkhaya Game Reserve (Eswatini)
- 1 night at Hlane Royal National Park (Eswatini)
- 3 nights in Kruger (Berg en Dal / Satara / Tamboti)
- 1 night at Shindzela Tented Camp in the Timbavati private reserve
- 1 final night in Kruger at Lower Sabie
All of this in the off-season and rainy season, just a month after catastrophic floods that killed over 150 people and seriously damaged Kruger’s infrastructure.
I’ll jump straight to St Lucia and skip the loooong journey to get there (with a layover in Frankfurt, landing in Johannesburg, a domestic flight to Durban, and the rest by rental SUV—First Car Rental, perfect, no complaints).
To motivate readers—especially some familiar faces here—I’ll drop in a first photo.
"So, my little wanderers, back at the decks? What’s this mystery destination you’ve got in store for us at the start of the year?"
Yes, the schoolyard bell’s ringing again! We’re hitting the road... or rather, the skies! At first glance, our destination might surprise more than a few. First off, simply because I was here exactly twenty years ago, and I don’t usually like retracing my own footsteps. Secondly, because the name of this place screams mass tourism—basically the opposite of what Flo and I look for.
Despite that, in this land of backsheesh, I’d promised myself I’d come back one day to experience it my way. And since Flo told me, during our wanderer chats, that this destination straddling Africa and the Middle East was in her top 2 travel dreams, the stars aligned for this roots-style trip to quickly make it onto our pharaonic festivities program! Unless you’re totally clueless in general knowledge, you’ve probably guessed by now—we’re off to Egypt! Of course, a few classics will be on our itinerary, but above all, we want to soak up a culture that can’t be appreciated in four-star resorts or on a Nile cruise boat. And let’s be clear, these next two weeks won’t be a walk in the park—neither for our two daughters who are joining us, nor for our bodies!
And that’s clear from the get-go: after our first flight, eight hours of trying (and failing) to sleep on Milan airport’s metal seats, our second flight, landing, passport stamps, our Uber ride, and our first Cairo kilometers, we finally drop our exhaustion at the little guesthouse we booked in Giza. Doesn’t all that energy deserve a little reward?
Oh, absolutely! And here it is: a full-on slap in the face for everyone! But just look at this view from our hotel terrace? For 20 € a night for four, even with this incredible view, I figured the room must be pretty shabby, right? Nope... Is the staff rude, then? Nope... Okay, so what’s the catch? You’re gonna tell me breakfast is included too? Well, yes! Honestly, this Egypt trip is off to a great start.
And the rest of the afternoon, spent rubbing shoulders with locals, only confirmed this vibe. After digesting our pyramid view, we dove into the hustle and bustle of our neighborhood with the goal of exchanging money, eating at street stalls, and testing the hospitality of the locals. Ten out of ten!
Eight little sun breads with baba ganoush and falafel? 80 pounds, or 1.5 €. A dozen Middle Eastern pastries? Same! 80 pounds! Two hawawshis, those little pita breads stuffed with meat and spices? 10 pounds each, or about twenty cents! Not to mention all those smiles and free "welcomes" left and right!!!
What a welcome! We end this first day with a sunset over the three sisters of Giza—where we’ll obviously be gawking tomorrow...
Voyage réalisé avec ma compagne du dimanche 5 juillet 2026 au mercredi 22 juillet 2026.
Nous avons longtemps hésité avant de décider si nous louions une voiture ou si nous nous déplacerions en transport en commun. Finalement, au vu du nombre de posts que j’ai pu lire de voyageurs s’étant fait arnaquer par la police ou par les loueurs, et même ceux recommandés par tous les blogs ou commentaires, nous avons décidé de nous déplacer en transport en commun. Cela se fait très bien. Effectivement on est un peu moins libre d’aller ou on veut mais c’était pour nous beaucoup moins de stress.
Dimanche 5 juillet :
Arrivée à l’aéroport de Cancun. Retrait d’argent au distributeur dans le terminal juste avant la sortie. Le comptoir des bus ADO (qu’ils prononcent « A-Ji-O ») est situé dans votre dos quand vous êtes face au distributeur. Bus vers le centre de Cancun 145 pesos par personnes.
Logement « Rose 5 » réservé sur Booking. Studio très propre parfait pour une nuit. Les indications du proprio pour accéder au logement étaient très précises avec photos à l'appui. L'arrivée est autonome et se fait par code. Le terminal de bus Ado est située pas très loin ainsi que des commerces et restaurants. Nous avons beaucoup apprécié que la clim ait été mise avant notre arrivée. D’ailleurs je vous invite à prendre des logements avec systématiquement la clim car il fait très chaud au Mexique.
Lundi 6 juillet :
Achat d’une carte sim dans une boutique TELCEL avec de la DATA. Ma compagne qui est sur Free a pu utiliser son forfait classique. Pour information j’ai trouvé le réseau très instable. Dès que l’on sortait des villes cela ne captait jamais que soit moi avec TELCEL ou ma compagne avec Free.
Autre point de vigilance, attention au hors forfait. J’ai dû remettre ma carte sim quelques secondes (moins de 30 secondes pour recevoir un code sms pour ma banque) et mon téléphone s’est visiblement connecté à internet. 8 euros de hors forfait.
Départ en bus ADO vers Chiquila pour 278 pesos par personne. Durant notre voyage, les bus ADO ont toujours été à l’heure, confortables et propres. Par contre la clim y est poussée à fond donc prévoyez de quoi vous couvrir car il y fait froid. Certains trajets étaient complets alors que nous étions en saison basse donc prévoyez de les réserver 1 ou 2 jours avant directement sur l’appli (quand elle fonctionne) sinon au comptoir de la compagnie.
Arrivés au terminal ADO à Chiquila, les comptoirs des compagnies de ferries sont juste à côté. Il y a des départs toutes les 30 minutes en alternance, donc pas besoin de réserver à l’avance. Il vous suffit de prendre la compagnie qui a le prochain départ (330 pesos par personnes).
Arrivés à Holbox (à prononcer « Holboch »), nous avions réservé un logement via booking à la « casa de nana ». Le logement était un très grand studio avec frigo, plaque pour cuisiner et ustensiles. Le gros plus de ce logement est L'emplacement. Il est situé à 100 mètres de la plage et 200 mètres d’un supermarché Chedraoui. Ils fournissent des serviettes de bain et des serviettes de plage. La climatisation fonctionnait parfaitement. Il y a une boîte à clé pour pouvoir les laisser dedans quand on sort. Par contre personne n’était là à notre arrivée pour nous ouvrir la chambre, nous avons dû attendre un moment. Le wi-fi était bon et heureusement car durant les 4 jours de notre séjour à Holbox, le réseau de téléphone n’a
jamais fonctionné. Au dire des locaux cela est assez fréquent à Holbox, comme les coupures d’eau.
Heureusement j’avais eu la bonne idée de télécharger une carte sur maps pour qu’elle soit disponible hors connexion, ce qui nous a permis de retrouver plus facilement notre logement. Le logement est accessible à pied depuis l’embarcadère.
Le restaurant à côté de notre logement (La Barracuda) est très bon si vous aimez les fruits de mer et je vous conseille leurs différentes recettes de poulpes.
Mardi 7 juillet :
Nous avons fait une sortie kayak dans la mangrove de Holbox le matin à 6h. Nous cherchions une sortie kayak au lever du soleil dans la mangrove avec un guide francophone. C’est le cas dans l’agence « kayaking Holbox » où Diego, le boss parle anglais et français. Il était accompagné de Gustavo, un collègue guide .
Nous avions réservé pour une sortie collective mais nous n’étions que 2. Diego a quand même maintenu la sortie là ou d’autres l'auraient annulée faute de participants. Nous avons donc eu droit à une sortie privée au tarif groupe ce qui est très professionnel de sa part.. Ils nous ont fait découvrir cet écosystème merveilleux pendant plus de 3h. Nous avons vu toutes sortes d'oiseaux : flamands roses, pélicans, aigrettes, frégates....Des raies , une limule et un petit crocodile vraiment bien caché. Diego et Gustavo ont vraiment l’œil pour voir les animaux. J'aurais pu passer 100 fois devant le crocodile et je ne l'aurais jamais vu tellement il se
fondait dans le paysage. Ses explications sur la faune et la flore étaient très intéressantes. Nous avons eu aussi droit à une petite pause où nous avons dégusté des mangues et bananes qui n’ont vraiment pas le même goût qu’en France . Un régal les petites mangues jaunes mexicaines. Je recommande Diego et son agence pour une sortie kayak en français (tarif 1000 pesos par personne).
Le soir, nous sommes allés à pied à Punta Coco pour voir la bioluminescence. Pas besoin d’excursion guidée pour cela. Si vous ne voulez vraiment pas marcher vous pouvez prendre un taxi. A Punta Coco il vous faut passer le bar restaurant sur la plage et ensuite aller vers la gauche dans un espèce de bras de mer qui forme un lac. Il faut remuer les pieds ou mettre les mains dans l’eau et l’agiter, c’est le mouvement qui fait produire la lumière. Attention ne vous attendez pas aux photos que vous avez pu voir et qui sont toutes retouchées !
C’est sympa à voir mais vous ne serez pas éblouis par la lumière...
Mercredi 8 juillet :
Sortie requin baleine avec « My Holbox tours ». Pourquoi vous conseiller cette agence plutôt qu’une autre parmi les différentes offres pour nager avec les requins baleines ? Tout simplement parce que Valérie sait s'entourer de tr��s bons professionnels pour rendre votre expérience exceptionnelle. Nous étions avec le capitaine Fernando qui fait tout pour placer son bateau à la perfection et faciliter votre immersion. Dans l’eau nous étions accompagnés de Humberto qui fait lui aussi tout son possible et se démène pour que vous
passiez un moment incroyable. Il ne se contente pas de vous "surveiller" pour que tout se passe bien comme le font certains guides d’autres compagnies en vous abandonnant. Non, Humberto lit la trajectoire du requin baleine et vous guide. Vous n’avez plus qu’à le suivre. Il ne ménage pas ses efforts en vous tenant la main pour vous guider dans cette rencontre rapide mais intense . Humberto filme aussi ce moment. Il vous proposera de visionner les vidéos et vous proposera de les lui acheter. Ses vidéos sont de très bonne qualité.
Fernando et Humberto nous ont aussi préparé à manger. Mention spéciale pour leur guacamole . Valérie est là pour que tout se passe bien sur le bateau et répondre à vos questions en français, anglais ou espagnol sur cet animal. Si vous choisissez My Holbox Tours , vous serez sûrs d’avoir une prestation de grande qualité.
Concernant la sortie en elle même, avant de s’y lancer il faut savoir que les requins peuvent être très loin. Le jour de notre sortie nous avons fait 3h30 de bateau avant de les atteindre. Les bateaux utilisés sont des petits bateaux et autant vous dire qu’à l’aller, quand on n’était pas dans le bon sens par rapport aux vagues, ça tape dur ! Sur les 9 passagers 4 ont vomi. Par contre une fois face au requin vous oubliez tout ça. Même si nager avec le requin baleine n’est pas une promenade de santé. Ils nagent assez rapidement donc il faut de l’endurance pour les suivre. Vous aurez normalement droit à 2 passages. Notre premier passage a duré un
peu plus de 4 minutes et le deuxième 2 minutes environ car il allait assez vite et nous étions encore fatigués de notre premier passage. Cela peut sembler court mais quand on palme c’est très long. En tout cas c’est vraiment une expérience à faire mais choisissez bien la compagnie avec qui vous le faites. Au retour il y a un arrêt à Cabo Catoche. Franchement le snorkeling est assez décevant si vous avez déjà fait du snorkeling ailleurs dans le monde. Par contre le stop repas au Cabo Catoche est très sympa pour se reposer (sable blanc et hamacs).
Jeudi 9 juillet :
Petite balade à pied en direction de Punta Mosquito à 6h du matin. Très sympa.
Ferry en direction de Chiquila (330 pesos par personne) + bus Ado en direction de Valladolid (300 pesos par personne).
A Valladolid, réservation via Booking à l’hôtel « Casa Lucia ». L’hôtel est très beau, dans un style
colonial , il est très proche du terminal des bus ADO et du centre. Il est très calme et propre. Il y a une cuisine commune que l’on peut utiliser avec frigo, micro ondes et une fontaine à eau, avec une grande tablée devant la piscine, et un espace terrasse intérieure sympa. Le petit déjeuner, très simple, était inclus. Les seuls petits bémols étaient la taille de la chambre et de la salle de bain qui étaient assez petites, l'absence de miroir dans
la chambre, et le ventilateur qui faisait du bruit.
Vendredi 10 juillet :
Pas très loin du terminal de bus Ado se trouve la station de colectivos pour Chichen Itza . Il propose une offre aller-retour Chichen Itza avec possibilité au retour de vous déposer au cénote Ik Kil et ensuite de vous ramener à Valladolid pour 370 pesos par personne (entrée Ik kil comprise)
Pour la visite de Chichen Itza nous avions réservé une visite avec un guide souvent cité sur les groupes qui s’appelle Juan Pat. C’est un maya qui vit pas très loin du site et qui parle un excellent français. Il prend les places à l’avance pour vous et fait la queue pour être le premier sur le site. Cela nous a coûté 500 pesos par personne + les entrées. Sa visite dure 2 heures et est consacrée essentiellement à la pyramide principale et au terrain du jeu de balle. Il est passionné et passionnant même s’il semblerait qu’en tant que Maya, certaines
de ses affirmations seraient un peu partisanes. Il me semble vraiment important de prendre un guide sinon vous allez vraiment passer à côté du site. Vous pouvez contacter Juan Pat par whatsapp au +52 985 121 2381
Nous sommes ensuite allés au cénote Ik Kil (douche et gilets obligatoires, casiers à disposition) Effectivement il est très fréquenté, mais il est quand même très très joli avec sa végétation luxuriante.
Samedi 11 juillet :
Comme nous n’avions pas de voiture mais que nous voulions néanmoins visiter d’autres cénotes où il semblait compliqué de se rendre en transport en commun, nous avons fait le choix de réserver un taxi pour la journée. Nous nous sommes donc mis d’accord pour 1200 pesos pour nous amener à 3 cénotes différents et nous attendre à chaque fois: Xcanahaltun, Palomitas, Sac-Aua. (Pour trouver les taxis c’est simple : ils
stationnent à l’arrivée de la gare des bus ADO.)
Il nous a rejoint au cénote Zaci que nous avions rejoint à pied. Nous y sommes allés à l’ouverture, nous étions les premiers et seuls un moment ! 150 pesos par personne. Joli cénote en centre ville avec une belle végétation luxuriante. Il ressemble un peu à Ik Kil mais avec moins cet effet cylindre profond impressionnant.
Cénote Xcanahaltun : le plus beau cénote parmi ceux visités. Entrée 250 pesos par personne. Il s’agit d’un cénote fermé avec un trou qui laisse passer la lumière. Un décor de grotte. Kayak possible dans le cénote. Il y a plein de petits poissons au bord qui mangent les peau mortes de vos pieds. Etant fermé, l’eau est... très fraîche !
Cénote Palomitas : entrée 250 pesos par personne. Très beau cénote fermé, encore plus fermé que Xcanahaltun. Le trou au plafond est encore plus petit, donc très sombre quand nous sommes arrivés, ambiance un peu impressionnante. Extraordinaire lorsque le personnel allume les lumières, le cénote rappelle une « cathédrale gothique » pleine de stalactites très clairs.
Cénote Sac Aua : entrée 290 pesos par personne. L’entrée inclut la visite d’une grotte avec un guide local (paiement au pourboire). Ce cénote est très original avec son île centrale, et beaucoup moins couru que Suytun.
Pour info l’eau est vraiment très froide dans les cénotes. Dans ces trois cénotes, en juillet, nous étions seuls un moment et pas vu plus de 2 familles en même temps, vraiment très agréable !
Dimanche 12 juillet :
Bus Ado vers Bacalar (536 pesos par personnes).
A Bacalar, nous avons logé via AirBnb chez une hôte qui s’appelle Luli et qui propose plusieurs chambres avec salle de bain et cuisine partagée.
La chambre est joliment décorée dans un endroit agréable. Elle est idéalement située à proximité de la lagune et du centre ville. La cuisine partagée est pratique. La moustiquaire est utile au dessus du lit car il y a beaucoup de moustiques à Bacalar. Luli met à disposition un bidon d'eau ce qui est très appréciable. Seul gros point noir, c’est l’absence de pression à la douche, obligés de se rincer en remplissant un seau d'eau.
Par ailleurs il n'y a pas de "réelle" porte qui sépare la chambre de la salle de bain. Nous n'avons jamais vu Luli mais elle était très présente par message. La terrasse au milieu de la végétation est agréable.
Du terminal ADO au logement nous avons pris un taxi pour 40 pesos. Comme ce taxi avait été honnête sur le prix (nous nous étions renseignés auparavant) nous avons décidé de l’utiliser à chaque fois que nous avions besoin d’un taxi à Bacalar. Voici son Whatapp : +52 983 184 3585
Lundi 13 juillet :
Nous avons fait une sortie bateau sur la lagune avec « Bacalar Francophone activités ». Nous n’étions que tous les 2 donc cela nous a coûté 3500 pesos. Si nous avions réussi à être 4 cela nous aurait coûté 1000 pesos par personne.
Nous avons fait un tour privé de 4h sur la lagune avec Steeve et son bateau très confortable. Il est québecois donc parle un français parfait. Pendant ces 4 heures, Steeve nous a fait découvrir les différents lieux emblématiques de la lagune mais aussi des lieux où les autres bateaux ne vont pas. Il nous a raconté l'histoire de la Lagune. Il est aussi de bon conseil pour les lieux où aller et les restos où manger. En petit bonus une vidéo prise avec son drone lors de notre pause baignade.
Mardi 14 juillet :
Nous sommes allés à Los Rapidos en taxi (400 pesos aller retour) et entrée à 225 pesos par personnes. C’est très touristique mais c’est vraiment très beau. On peut y manger (cher), se reposer, faire autant de fois que l’on veut la descente des « rapides ». C’est intéressant si on y passe plusieurs heures. On ne peut pas y faire entrer nourriture et boissons, que l’on dépose à l’entrée et reprend à la sortie.
Mercredi 15 juillet :
Les mercredis, la navigation est interdite sur la lagune de Bacalar, nous avions donc prévu une autre excursion.
Visite de Calakmul au départ de bacalar avec l’agence ABCtours ( Whatsapp +52 983 319 8359)
Cette agence nous a organisé une excursion au départ de Bacalar et à destination de Calakmul avec un guide francophone. La communication avec l'agence a été très fluide en amont par whatsapp. Mr Checo le chauffeur et Fernando le guide qui parlait un très bon français sont venus nous chercher le jour dit. Mr Checo a conduit très prudemment sur cette longue route. Il s’est toujours assuré de notre confort. Fernando est passionné de faune et de flore. Il est biologiste, diplômé en ornithologie donc il est incollable sur les animaux.
Le moindre bruit ou chant et il sait de quoi il s’agit . Il a l’oeil pour les repérer, des plus grands au plus petit .
Lors du trajet nous nous sommes arrêtés au km 27 pour une petite balade en forêt, puis nous sommes ensuite allés voir les 2 principales pyramides du site . Au retour nous nous sommes arrêtés à la grotte aux chauves souris pour ce spectacle magique de plusieurs millions de chauves souris qui en sortent chaque jour à la tombée de la nuit . Au final nous avons vu ou aperçu furtivement pour certains, dans la foret, au bord de la route ou sur le site, des singes araignées, des singes hurleurs, un toucan , 2 tapirs , des dindons , 2
cervidés, des oiseaux . Si comme nous vous êtes très branchés faune et flore plus que archéologie je vous recommande cette agence et excursion avec Fernando.
Le prix n’est effectivement pas donné, mais la route est très longue entre Bacalar et le site (3h30). Prix : 3900 pesos par personne pour 2 (3500 si 3 et 3200 si 4)
jeudi 16 juillet :
Trajet en bus ADO vers Playa Del Carmen (614 pesos par personnes)
A playa Del Carmen, nous avons logé dans un logement loué sur Airbnb. L’immeuble est situé sur la place de la mairie, à côté du casino.
Le gros plus de ce logement est qu’il est très bien situé, pas très loin de la quinta. Cuisine plus que sommaire mais un frigo qui marche bien. Des supermarchés sont disponibles à proximité. La piscine sur le toit terrasse de l'immeuble est très sympa. Par contre les 2 gros points négatifs sont l'insonorisation (on entend carrément le réveil du voisin, et toutes les animations sur la place) et l'absence totale de pression à la douche. Nous étions obligés de remplir une poubelle d’eau pour nous la verser dessus. Quand nous l'avons indiqué au propriétaire il nous a dit que cela n'était pas normal et que quelqu'un passerait régler le problème mais nous
n'avons jamais eu de nouvelles. Au vu des précédents commentaires, le problème semble connu mais non réglé.
Playa del Carmen est très touristique côté quinta avenida, mais dans une ambiance musicale et bon enfant ;
nous ne nous sommes jamais sentis en insécurité. Énormément de petites boutiques de souvenirs pour touristes sur cette avenue. Jolie sculpture monumentale sur la plage (les deux personnages qui se rejoignent dans les airs), à coté de laquelle on peut voir le spectacle des Voladores (des hommes qui montent sur un mat, s’y accrochent les pieds par une corde, puis en descendent en tournant, en « volant » autour du mât, tête en bas. Spectacle au chapeau plusieurs fois par jour. Plus jolie que la quinta avenida à notre goût : la
calle 38, végétalisée, luxuriante et plus calme que la quinta avenida, à découvrir en début de soirée, avec la mer au bout. Repas très bons et prix très raisonnables au tacos « El Tio Noy », à quelques mètres de la quinta avenida, dans une rue perpendiculaire.
Pour vos souvenirs, nous vous conseillons d’aller au Walmart plutôt que sur la quinta, où vous trouverez à bons prix et fixes des têtes de mort, de la tequila, du mezcal, des portes clés, des mugs, des verres...
Vendredi 17 juillet :
Nous avons fait l’excursion vers Isla Contoy. Isla Contoy est une île non habitée très protégée. Seules 200 personnes peuvent y accoster par jour par roulement. Seules quelques compagnies ont donc le droit d’y accoster. La plupart des agences délèguent donc la journée à une agence tierce.
Nous avons donc réservé via l’agence VRM (Viviendo Riviera Maya) mais ce n’est pas cette agence qui assure la prestation mais Ocean Tours Mexico. L'île préservée de Contoy est un petit paradis . Nous avons été accompagnés par des guides multilingues et notamment francophones tout au long de la journée. Steffy nous a donné des renseignements sur l'île de Contoy lors d’une petite balade sur les chemins balisés de l’ile et Leño Tlatemoa a mis l'ambiance sur les trajets en bateau avec sa musique et ses danses . L'île de Contoy
est vraiment magnifique et le repas du midi était succulent : poisson et poulet grillés, guacamole et totopos, riz, fruits, boissons (tout est apporté et repris par l’équipe des guides) La partie snorkeling est par contre assez décevante si vous en avez déjà fait à Cozumel par exemple. Le stop sur Isla Mujeres n’a pas trop d'intérêt non plus car trop court pour explorer l'île et c’est une île excessivement touristique. L'excursion a en tout cas était très bien organisée par cette agence et nous avons passés une très bonne journée (prix 2970
pesos par personne)
Samedi 18 juillet :
Nous voulions faire du snorkeling à Cozumel mais nous trouvions que les prix des agences francophonesvétait très chers. Par ailleurs, pour faire du snorkeling nous nous sommes dit qu’il n’y avait pas de nécessitévd’avoir des guides francophones.
Nous avons donc trouvé une solution bien moins chère en prenant nous même le ferry à Playa Del Carmen etven choisissant une agence de Playa Del Carmen. Le ferry aller-retour nous a coûté 663,50 pesos parvpersonne. Nous avons ensuite pris un taxi pour rejoindre le bateau de snorkeling (100 pesos). L’agence quevnous avons choisi s’appelle Mystic Snorkel. Ils n’ont pas de locaux. La sortie nous a coûté 1400 pesos parvpersonne. Il s’agit d’un petit bateau mais ce jour là nous étions les seuls donc nous avons eu une sortie privéevau prix d’une sortie collective. Nous nous sommes arrêtés sur 4 sites différents. Ils étaient tous très différents
les uns des autres et très jolis. Nous avons vu toutes sortes de poissons, de coraux, un requin nourrice et desvtortues. Le site El cielo avec ses énormes étoiles de mer est exceptionnel. Si vous devez faire du snorkelingvdans le péninsule du Yucatan c’est vraiment la sortie à faire car les autres sites sont assez « pauvres ».
Dimanche 19 juillet :
Matinée plongée avec Triton Diving. J’ai choisi l’option plongée sur Cozumel. Très bonne expérience.
Réservation par whatsapp facile. Le jour des plongées c’est Selene, francophone, qui nous encadrait. Selenevest très attentive à la sécurité de son groupe . Les briefings sont clairs et précis. Sur Cozumel nous avons faitv2 sites très différents : le premier en plongée dérivante avec beaucoup de vie. De beaux coraux et poissons.
Le deuxième était une épave, le C53, un bateau de 56 mètres dans lequel on peut pénétrer. Peu de vie, maisvune belle épave coulée exprès pour les plongeurs donc en très bon état. Un moment inoubliable. Selene avmême pris des vidéos durant la plongée, que le club transmet par la suite gratuitement. Je recommande cevclub.
Pour information à Playa Del Carmen les plages étaient remplies de sargasses pendant notre séjour, malgrévla présence de barrières et malgré le ramassage quotidien. Il semblerait que le problème soit inextricable etvque les sargasses arrivent de plus en plus tôt dans la saison. Des locaux nous ont dit que le tourisme en avaitvpris un sacré coup cet été et qu’ils se demandaient si le tourisme pourrait exister encore longtemps sur lavpériode des sargasses. Beaucoup de touristes traversent donc vers les îles pour aller profiter des plages
d’Isla Mujeres et Cozumel, juste en face, dont ce côté (ouest) est épargné.
Lundi 20 juillet :
Trajet en colectivos pour Puerto Morelos. Un premier colectivo en direction de Cancun qui vous arrête entre Puerto Morelos village et Puerto Morelos plage (40 pesos par personne) et un autre de cet embranchement au bord de la route à Puerto Morelos plage (10 pesos par personne)
A puerto Morelos, nous avions réservé via Airbnb une chambre dans l’établissement Piedra Del Caraïbe.
Meilleur logement de nos vacances au Mexique. Il s’agit d’un appart hôtel. L'appart étant prêt avant l’heure du check in, on nous a autorisé à y entrer. Le logement était fidèle à la description, grand, spacieux, avec un lit King size confortable. La douche avait beaucoup de pression ce qui n’est pas une évidence au Mexique. Le personnel était très gentil et accueillant. Il nous ont permis de profiter de la piscine, des toilettes et de la douche sur le roof top, après le check out, et dans l'attente de l’heure de notre départ vers l'aéroport de Cancun pour notre vol retour. Ils ont même gardé nos bagages. Je recommande fortement cet établissement.
A Puerto Morelos, il y avait beaucoup moins de sargasses qu’à Playa Del Carmen. Cela était un peu plus baignable.
Nous avons fait la sortie snorkeling avec la coopérative des pécheurs pour 450 pesos par personnes durant 2 heures. Le récif est à proximité de la plage (il est interdit d’y aller à la nage) donc il y a très peu de temps de bateau. Ce n’est pas aussi joli qu’à Cozumel mais c’est sympathique et pas très cher. Sur la page de Puerto Morelos vous pouvez aussi accéder à un petit récif pas en très bon état. Il y a aussi un cénote dans la mer où l’eau douce se mélange avec l’eau salée. L’eau est trouble à cet endroit-là. Très bon dîner et excellents cocktails à « la choza del puerto ».
Mardi 21 juillet :
Flâneries dans puerto morelos (allez voir l’église et lisez bien tout ce qui est écrit, c’est divertissant!!), farniente à la piscine de l’hôtel et départ vers l’aéroport de Cancun en taxi (400 pesos) réservé par Indrive, pour rentrer en France.
Nos coups de coeurs :
- Holbox
- la sortie requin baleine
- les cénotes
- la flore et la faune locale très présente
- Isla contoy
- Cabo catoche hormis le snorkeling
Ce qui nous a le moins plu :
- la bioluminescence (très peu visible malgré de bonnes conditions)
- la nourriture que nous avons trouvé peu diversifiée dans les taquerias
- les pourboires constants
- le manque de pression dans les douches (fixes au mur, sans flexible et pommeau)
N’hésitez pas si vous avez des questions tant que c’est encore frais dans nos têtes.
I’m sharing a little recap of this new 4-week trip to China—nothing fancy, just my experience.
We’re taking advantage of the extended visa exemption to return to China for the 4th time. I loved last summer’s trip so much that I’m a bit worried about being disappointed this year. Plus, I’ve had a few hiccups before this departure: my WeChat account got blocked, and I couldn’t recover it (luckily, Alipay still works fine); I couldn’t verify my 12306 account for weeks; Trip.com failed to book our second train; and I’ve got an injury that’ll slow me down during the trip... Ugh, I hate starting a trip with these kinds of issues. Then, oh surprise! Just before leaving, my 12306 account got verified! Super easy to use from that point on—I could book a few train tickets without fees.
We’re sticking with Free’s e-SIMs, which work great in China.
August 2–3
Anyway, on the morning of August 2nd, we took the RER to CDG. As usual, we couldn’t check in online. It’s always a bit frustrating, especially since we didn’t have any checked luggage. We flew with Air China. We arrived at the check-in counter at 9:50 AM, 2 hours and 40 minutes before the flight. The line for our check-in stretched 300 meters across the airport in both directions. What a joke!! We spent 1 hour and 45 minutes in that line just to reach the counter and get our boarding passes. By then, it was 11:35 AM, and boarding had already started at 11:20 AM. The screens showed a 25-minute walk to our gate—on the other side of the airport, of course—plus we had to go through passport control and security... Long story short, the plane didn’t leave without us 🙂 We boarded among the last passengers, and we took off at 12:30 PM. We’d flown Air China four times before, but this time, it felt *really* low-cost. The check-in chaos, the cramped seats (12 seats per row), no music by artists known outside China, mediocre food, and a boarding area at Beijing Airport with only 10 seats—worthy of Ryanair or EasyJet. And yet, the price was sky-high. Again, D.’s vacation requests were denied outside of July and August, so we’re traveling from August 2nd to 30th. We couldn’t have picked a worse time for inflated prices, and with the situation in Iran, we got hit with a 390 € fuel surcharge. I’ve never paid so much for flights—I felt like I’d bought business class, but nope, far from it!!
We landed in Beijing around 4:15 AM. It was 28°C with thick fog. We drove and drove and drove for 20 minutes, as usual in Beijing. Then we went through a first check, a second check, a third check, and waited for our connecting flight at 6:40 AM. A small Airbus A320, but way more space than in the Boeing 777 from the first flight. We landed in Kunming, Yunnan, around 10:15 AM in the rain.
We headed to the subway. You can’t pay at the machines with Alipay here either, so we set up the transport QR code directly in Alipay to scan at the subway gates. The process is a bit long the first time if you haven’t entered your info before, but once it’s done, it’s *so* much easier! We took Line 6 to the terminus for 6 yuan each.
We’d booked a hotel nearby, on the 16th floor. It’s actually studios on different floors of a huge residential building. The view’s pretty nice from here. We settled in quickly—back to those wooden beds, or rather, mattresses as hard as wood, which we *hadn’t* missed...
Then we went out for our first bowl of noodles of the trip and wandered through the shopping streets of the old town.
It was crowded, and the weather was cool—around 19–20°C. We tried a local specialty: milk skin, thick, dried, then grilled with rose jam. Yeah... we won’t be having that again. The taste and texture of the milk skin... no thanks.
We saw a lot of wild mushroom hotpot too. It’s on our list for later. We also passed through the Jinma and Biji gates, where I played with reflections in puddles. I *love* doing that 🙂
At the end of the day, we headed to a temple advertised as open 24/7 on Amap. Of course, when we got there, it was closed. We’ll go back tomorrow. That was the first of many disappointments with Amap this trip—I hadn’t had that issue on previous visits.
We were exhausted after that sleepless flight. Night was falling, and we decided to grab a quick bite without much appetite. We shared a delicious vegetable fried rice for 12 yuan—we even left half of it. The portions are *huge*.
After a couple of small purchases, we headed back at 9 PM, wiped out, after walking 17 km between the airports and these first steps in Kunming. I expected to see quite a few Western travelers here, but we didn’t spot a single one. Instead, we met lots of curious Chinese people, many of them super friendly and helpful—almost *too* eager, like when they’d run to serve us as fast as possible. It’s a bit much, but it’s great to be back!
If I close my eyes and think of the Sultanate of Oman, I first smell a light scent of incense, feel the warmth of a sunbeam on my skin, before sand slips through my fingers. I taste the sweetness of a date, a real candy, then the flavor of coffee with a hint of cardamom and rosewater... I hear the desert wind whistling in my ears, the distant call of a muezzin, then the murmur of water. I open my eyes to see smiles, welcoming gestures, a turquoise sea, rocks ranging from ochre to purple, deep wadis where torrents burst forth, orange dunes, white sandy beaches where tiny crabs scurry at full speed. I see incredible oases emerging between arid mountains. I see abandoned villages that I’d dream were full of life, imposing fortresses overlooking valleys, and lively souks where offers are delicate and negotiation is a mutual courtesy.
All that, and so much more.
This is what I tried to capture in my illustrated travel journal, which I’ll fill in here and there with photos.
I drew this journal “cold,” after my return (actually, I made it this summer, while our trip was last winter). It’s a pretty special format—I bought it in Japan without really knowing what I’d do with it. Well, it found its purpose! Below is a photo of this accordion-style journal: here, it’s only partially open, because when fully unfolded, it’s 5 meters long!
For drawing enthusiasts: The accordion format is both a constraint (each sheet is 9 cm x 27 cm) and a freedom (you can create a fresco). The paper is also a bit special: it doesn’t allow for fine lines, but it takes ink well (liner pen). However, everything has to be done almost in one go (with a very light pencil sketch) because it erases poorly. It absorbs too much water for coloring with markers or watercolors (unless you avoid soaking it), but it works well with oil pastels and their use with a brush and solvent. Since it’s yellowish, it allowed me to create contrasts even with white pastel.
On the right, the "welcome marker"—those dates offered everywhere as a sign of hospitality. On the left, a tribute to those stunning doors worn by time, admired all over the old quarters, including the abandoned ones.
Oman is one of the world’s largest producers of frankincense resin. Incense burners are everywhere, from the simplest clay ones to the most precious handcrafted silver ones...
Hospitality will often lead you to accept a small coffee, an "Omani coffee," very light, subtly flavored with cardamom, maybe a touch of saffron, and occasionally rosewater.
Here, I’ve depicted a man in the common everyday attire of Omanis: the dishdasha, mostly white (during the week and daytime; colors are more common in the evening or on Fridays and Saturdays). While you’ll see some men dressed in Western clothes, they’re very few. The white dishdasha is truly the shared attire of all men. The dishdasha, which has no hood, is distinguished by a small pom-pom attached to the collar, the furakha, which is soaked in perfume. And believe me, Omanis go overboard with it! "It smells like the pom-pom" is an expression that’s now part of our shared language, my husband and I.
Another must of men’s attire is the kuma, a small round head covering, usually white with brightly colored patterns. The keffiyeh is also worn (but without the cord called an agal in Arab countries), and it’s mostly worn by those with roots in the desert, from what I understood.
And what about the women, you might ask? Some are veiled, some in full black (but not a burka—more like a chador + abaya), due to the influence of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, whereas the traditional outfit used to be a layering of very colorful dresses. Most of the women we saw wore neutral clothing, a plain veil over their hair, but with their faces uncovered. We also saw many saris and colorful veils—don’t forget that 40% of the population consists of Indian, Nepalese, and Bangladeshi immigrants, who work a lot in tourism, hospitality, restaurants, services, and construction.
Just to clarify, as a tourist, there’s no pressure to wear a veil, and never any disapproving looks. Of course, you’ll save the mini shorts, plunging necklines, bare shoulders, and midriffs for the hotel terrace—but I’d say that’s the same for men and women, and with the sun being strong, it’s better for your skin too.
Here’s the introduction! In the next post, I’ll tell you about my itinerary, and we can dive in!
Hi everyone, we're back from a DIY USA road trip we organized from July 31, 2026, to August 26, 2026.
The destination: The Southwest USA, including Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. Roughly 7,000 kilometers covered.
The car: A Chevrolet Equinox for two, rented through BSP Auto and Avis. Inside, we had 2 suitcases, a travel bag, two carry-on bags, a Walmart cooler, photo gear, and water bottles (a 40-pack).
The route: Dallas DFW, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Alpine, El Paso, Tucson, Sedona, Albuquerque, Amarillo, and back to Dallas to finish with a departure from DFW.
The travelers: Two seniors well advanced in years (73 and 75) but still active (nothing too physically demanding—to stay alive and fund our trips), fully independent physically, though a bit less so mentally. Big USA fans, a country where anything is possible. More walkers than hikers, preferring 3-star hotels over roadside motels, Italian restaurants over US food, frequent stops for photos, museums over nothing, naps over forced marches. Not too whiny, just enough to stay French in the land of the "great Satan," as they say.
Not great with languages—street English (but handy), and my Spanish is non-existent except for: "Hola! Una cerveza por favor!" That’s about it. My wife understands everything but refuses to speak.
The cost of the road trip: Around 12,000 €, including AF flights, the car, gas, gifts, visits, and everything else. Well managed, since we’d budgeted 13,500 € initially.
The positive side: A delight, with those endless open roads. Museums to discover. The realization of the Hispanic presence and its important history in this part of America. Lovely locals. Tourists who were more or less friendly. A terrible Texan accent that was hard to understand. Gas stations that were like real stores, with prepared food, alcohol sold in Arizona and New Mexico, and employees who were always up for a laugh!
The negative side: The heat throughout the trip... 43°C in Dallas at the end. Impossible to walk the streets. Lots of homeless people in downtown Dallas. Hotel breakfasts that were always the same. You get used to it.
So, it was positive overall, but the concept is starting to wear us out. We might rethink the DIY road trip model for next time. If the man upstairs grants us more time.
Next up, we’ll wait for the first batch of sorted photos to go through the wringer.
Hi everyone, I’m Patrick, 67 years old, a seasoned traveler (already 22 trips outside Europe).
In autumn 2025, I took my first 3-week trip to Japan, with stops in Tokyo, Kamakura, Matsumoto, Kamikochi, Takayama, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Koyasan, Tokyo again, and Nikko.
I wanted to go back in May 2026 and explore some lesser-known places to complement my first trip.
Last year, there were four of us traveling together to discover Japan (a fairly classic itinerary). This time, I’ll be traveling solo for part of the trip and with a couple of French friends for the rest.
The weather was gorgeous in May, averaging around 25°C, with two very hot days in Kyoto and only two rainy days.
As usual, I organized everything myself, gathering plenty of information from various sites, including this one.
Transportation:
An ICOCA card is essential.
I got a 5-day Kansai-Hiroshima pass because I took the shinkansen between Hiroshima and Osaka three times, and it paid for itself quickly.
Accommodations:
Mostly through Booking. No issues at all. Average cost was 46 € per night.
Meals:
For breakfast, I alternated between buying food at a konbini to eat in my room or on the train and grabbing something at local cafés.
For lunch and dinner, I tried to vary my meals as much as possible—lots of sashimi, sushi, and ramen.
Okonomiyaki in Osaka and Hiroshima.
Oysters in every form (raw, grilled, fried) in Onomichi and Hiroshima.
A variety of seafood (shrimp, shellfish) in Hiroshima and Matsumoto.
Fish whose names often escaped me, but notably mackerel and eel (unagi).
Tempura and gyoza.
Chicken skewers (yakitori) and one teppanyaki meal.
One omakase meal (9 different dishes).
In the end, not much meat aside from a few yakitori skewers. No splurges on super expensive wagyu or Kobe beef.
Average dinner cost: 4,800 yen, drinks included.
The Itinerary:
Day 1: Departure from Brussels
Day 2: Arrival in Osaka
Day 3: To Himeji, then Kurashiki
Day 4: To Fukuyama, then Tomo no Ura, then Onomichi
Day 5: Cycling the Shimanami Kaido
Day 6: To Takahara, then Hiroshima
Day 7: To Kyoto to attend the Aoi Matsuri parade
Day 8: To Miyajima
Day 9: Hiroshima, then Kyoto
Day 10: Southern Kyoto
Day 11: Northern Kyoto
Day 12: Final day in Kyoto, then to Nagatsugawa
Day 13: Start of the Nakasendo Trail (Magome to Tsumago)
Day 14: Second day of the trail (Kiso Fukushima)
Day 15: Third day of the trail (Narai), then Matsumoto
Day 16: To Mt. Fuji (Kawaguchiko)
Day 17: To Tokyo
Day 18: Excursion to Enoshima and Kamakura
Day 19: Flight home, with a 10-hour layover in Hong Kong
Day 20: Arrival in Brussels
Traveling with just one spare pair of underwear, considering a hot shower a miracle, never staying in the same place too long by sleeping wherever night catches us, taking whatever local, improbable, and rickety transport we can find—this is the DNA of us wanderers. Except this time, the script for our movie is going to be a whole different genre. On paper, the destination doesn’t exactly scream epic adventure: Réunion! And what’s more... we won’t be two, or four, or even ten. We’ll be a solid thirty. All from the same family. Yes, thirty. At this point, it’s not just a trip—it’s a summer camp on the move! Why inflict this on such a peaceful island? Because my brother decided to get married there with his lovely bride. A great idea, you might say... especially when it involves relocating the equivalent of a small Ardennes village 10,000 kilometers from home for three weeks! So who’s stepping up to be the guide and wave the little flag?
So, for an exceptional trip, exceptional stories! Don’t worry, the debates at the supermarket over whether to choose plain chips or roast chicken chips, the beach picnics washed down with ti’ punch, and other rougail sausages to digest by the pool will only make it into the family archives. Here, I’ll stick to the tales of our beautiful escapes, the ones where we explore the wild corners of this little volcanic rock planted in the middle of the Indian Ocean. So where exactly are we headed?
For the first week—the subject of this first installment—we’re taking it easy. We’ll start by rediscovering the coastline, from the Souffleur in Saint-Leu to the Hermitage lagoon, before a little trip to the Cirque de Cilaos and its legendary road with 400 turns, just to get our legs warmed up.
This travel journal is therefore intended solely for my photos, to present a consistent style.
All the shots were taken with a simple Samsung Galaxy smartphone and with whatever was at hand.
All stays combined, I’ve spent the equivalent of three years at most in Thailand, and I’m not a big expert on the country.
However, after many trips, lots of reading on VoyageForum and other sites, and conversations with many locals as well as expats, my view of the country is becoming clearer, though it’s constantly evolving. You never stop discovering and learning.
I guess I wanted to piece together a puzzle, mainly for those who want to get an idea of the country here and for those who miss it.
I don’t know if this minimalist sharing will interest anyone, but it’ll do me good to put it together. After so many months without traveling and then these other long months with VF closed, there’s plenty of material available.
There’ll be a mix of places, periods, and subjects, but it might well be intentional.
I suspect many Thais have dogs because they make excellent guards for the home. Nothing better to deter burglars or to signal the presence of a snake. You’ll often see Thais tapping the top of their dog’s head, but don’t be fooled: it’s a sign of affection from them. Judging by the dogs’ reactions, they’re used to it.
Thailand is one of the countries on the planet where rabies is still present, so keep that in mind. It’s not just bites that can be dangerous, so don’t let just any dog lick you. Especially on a wound, of course.
Even though dogs often fear humans—this dangerous and unpredictable predator—we still need to stay cautious.
Be careful when walking into alleys because the dog will defend its master’s big property, be careful at night, and be careful when they’re in packs.
It sometimes crosses our minds that Thailand isn’t really made for walking around, and dogs are one of the reasons.
That said, it’s not uncommon to see them chasing bikes or scooters. Cars, though, are much rarer—they’re too big.
It seems Thais prefer to give their dogs freedom by not locking them behind gates. Though sometimes the gate is closed, the little side door is wide open. Oh, and sometimes there’s no gate in front of the property, or it’s been broken for years.
You’ll often see dogs sleeping on the side of the road, sometimes right on the road. When you arrive, they move aside nonchalantly—or not at all. It’s less funny when they suddenly appear from thick vegetation, which reminds visitors not to drive too fast. As a result, you’ll notice that dogs with injuries or missing legs aren’t that rare.
Since they believe in reincarnation and respect for all forms of life, they don’t chase dog packs away too much, and they don’t sterilize them enough. Seeing a small pack roaming freely in the countryside, you might think it’s best not to cross paths with them at the edge of a field.
A darker side of this is that euthanasia isn’t often practiced. Twice, we saw dogs at temples on the brink of death, enduring terrible suffering. No one did anything about it. The image (and the smell) of one of them, dying and emitting the stench of death, still comes back to me sometimes.
Some of you may have seen the YouTube vlog of a French woman living in Phuket who was given a little pig by her Thai friends. The well-fed animal quickly became a happy, enormous beast with its own garden. Yet, it didn’t take long for it to fall seriously ill and become incurable. In her video, the French woman described how difficult it was to find a vet willing to perform euthanasia.
You’ll often see bowls by the side of the road. Thais leave food and water in them for stray cats and dogs. Overall, they have a big heart for animals.
If you ever pop into a shopping mall, you might see people pushing their small dogs in strollers. It’s not a gimmick—it’s just that these strollers are provided for customers to put their pets in, otherwise you can’t bring them inside. It looks a bit odd when you expect to see a baby.
It was winter, a winter with beautiful weather,
A season that only exists in the southwest of America,
I remember very well what I told you that morning
A month ago... A century ago, an eternity ago...
We’ll go... wherever you want, whenever you want...
Well, yeah, back from our adventure in our enchanting American West just a month ago, we’re already taking a bite out of one of its lesser-known competitors. "Flo, if you had to pick just one reason to justify your love for the U.S., what would it be?" The greasy, dripping burgers? No, I don’t think I’m going out on a limb by saying it’d be the wide-open spaces... And that’s exactly what our new quest is taking us to—a land on the other side of the globe where the horizon also seems endless, where silence tastes like salty wind and sand, where freedom is measured in kilometers of desert tracks, where the GPS is mostly there to confirm you’re lost in the middle of nowhere... Add to that magic formula the fact that you’ll see more zebras, giraffes, wildebeest, and elephants than people per square kilometer, and you can imagine us setting foot in Southern Africa for the first time, more precisely at the small airport in Windhoek, capital of... of...? Brush up on your geography, damn it! We’re landing in Namibia!!!
To be honest, Namibian landscapes have been flirting with me for ages. So how did I resist this island of temptation for so long? First, the budget. Let’s just say that for the same amount of effort (and kidneys), the bank lets you choose two other adventures almost anywhere else on the planet. Then there were my girls. Yeah, back then, they were too little to dose up on Malarone, the only malaria remedy at the time... Long story short, ten years later, all the planets have aligned. First, I won the Euromillions! Well, almost... Let’s just say my girls are now old enough... not to take Malarone, but to stop following me on all my adventures! Jackpot! "Flo, how about a little two-person caprice, just the two of us, tackling the Namibian tracks?"
As we landed on the runway, first wow effect: The horizon is immense. It’s flat as can be, incredibly flat... So much flat space! Did I mention it was flat?... Looking into the distance, it feels like your gaze could circle the Earth without hitting a single obstacle—until you end up staring at your own backside. "Oh, what a nice view!" Well, it’s the first time I’ve seen my butt from this angle! Touching moment... Sorry, I’m rambling—must be the exhaustion from the three-flight marathon we just powered through via Ethiopia and South Africa... And yet, no time to philosophize about my anatomy. As usual, we want to rack up our first kilometers to be front and center at dawn tomorrow. After wrapping up the tedious Namibian immigration formalities and meeting the 4x4 that’ll be our companion day and night for the next fifteen days, we’re off! We’re not exactly fresh, but we’re ready to tackle the next five hundred kilometers in night mode, cruise control set due south! Just outside Windhoek, the local wildlife—a jackal—welcomes us with a smile: "Welcome to Namibia!" That’s what it said! Honest... Okay, first endless straight road, first flaming sunset, first corrugated dirt track, first Milky Way with zero light pollution... You get it—it’s definitely the day of firsts... First night camping, too, in the big trunk of our Toyota Fortuner parked by the side of the track... The real adventure, the kind that smells under the arms, can finally begin...
"How about a Christmas market this year, huh? A little romantic weekend getaway...
- Yes! That’d be cool! Strasbourg? Colmar?
- Feels a bit déjà vu, doesn’t it? Plus, slim chance of snow there... And I’d love something a bit more exotic with a touch of originality..."
"Okay, Google, give me the list of the five most beautiful Christmas markets in Europe.
- In fifth place, the Christmas market in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.
- Save your breath! Lithuania, here we come!"
We wanted cold, and cold is exactly what we got the moment we set foot in this new, unknown land. As for landscapes, forests and lakes stretch as far as the eye can see across this vast plain, its vegetation scorched by the frost of a winter that’s clearly already well underway here.
Lakes, in fact, set the scene for our first visit to Trakai Castle, whose brick-red towers and walls rise proudly against the azure sky of our first day. Lakes, because this castle was built on an island and is only accessible on foot via a series of walkways spanning half-frozen lake offshoots. I couldn’t have picked a better spot to build my castle! Translation: We’re totally sold! Proof is we spend two hours hiking around the area, alternating between forests, reeds, and cozy houses tastefully decorated for Christmas.
Here we go—finally, the big day has arrived! A trip the whole family (my two kids, my husband, and me) had been looking forward to for so long.
To keep it short, we left from Nice, arrived in Namibia on June 25, 2025, and left again on the 21st—four weeks later.
We used an agency for all the camping reservations, activities, and the car rental. At least that side of things was taken care of. Michaël was our contact throughout the planning and the trip itself.
We spent our first night at Londiningi BB. A bit out of the city center but very quiet. The rooms were spacious and clean, and we could eat on-site that evening. Perfect for recovering from the flight.
This travel journal is our second on VoyageForum, following last year’s where we recounted our four weeks in Vietnam.
The goal remains the same: since some members on this site share tips, experiences, and great deals that help us prepare for our trips, we do the same after returning—both to give back a little and in the hope that our experiences might be useful to others in some way.
Our route was as follows: Bangkok, Siem Reap, Krabi, Suratthani, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao, Chumphon, Bang Saphan, Prachuab Khiri Khan, Sam Roi Yod, Hua Hin, Phetchaburi, Bangkok.
Beyond rediscovering Bangkok, our objectives were the long-held dream of seeing Angkor and exploring southern Thailand, much of which isn’t overly touristy.
A quick big thank-you to Barbot, who took the time to answer several of our questions.
12/07/2013
The cheapest flight we found earlier this year was a Paris-Bangkok route with a layover in Moscow for 1440 €, total for two people.
So, this time we tried Aeroflot. Airbus A318 for the first leg, A330 for the second. Nothing particularly annoying to report—the passengers were very calm, the cabin temperature was comfortable, and we had enough legroom.
That said, the quality of the meal trays was pretty mediocre, and the flight attendants weren’t exactly comedians.
We’d like to remind everyone that it’s best to exchange as little money as possible at the airport upon arrival, since the rate is about 5% worse than at city banks.
Of course, we made sure to take the airport exit where you can catch official taxis to avoid getting scammed. So, we queued up, a little lady gave us the ticket, and off we went with the driver.
Generally, this system works well because these drivers are registered, know their duties, and the risks they face if they break the rules. Except that day, right off the bat, we got the scammer of the day. His first move was to snatch the ticket from my wife’s hands—the one you’re supposed to keep in case of a complaint. My husband saw it, but after a full day of travel, we were a bit out of it, and honestly, there was no reason to be suspicious. But once we started driving, the guy refused to turn on the meter. We insisted more and more firmly, but nothing. So, I used the famous method of opening the door and starting to step out of the car. At 40 km/h, that scares the driver more than the passenger. He finally turned on the meter, but that didn’t calm him down—quite the opposite. For the next half-hour, he ruined the ride by demanding extra fees here and there. Having dealt with several scam attempts last year in Vietnam, this wasn’t exactly new, and we were proud of ourselves for staying pretty zen. Still, this guy was a little scary—he was completely wired and aggressive. Honestly, it was hard not to think he was on something. He’d be perfect for a *Scarface* remake. When we finally arrived at the hotel, he followed us to the entrance. We paid the two tolls (25 and 45 baht), gave him the usual 100 baht extra for the ride, and stayed polite but firm. So, meter: 245 baht + 100 baht + 25 and 45 baht for tolls—we paid the exact amount, no way we were tipping this guy. He left furious, but he was already like that before picking us up... Anyway, avoid Mr. Chartree Chidchen, number 089 826 7308, car E2663!
We were so relieved to finally settle in at Feung Nakorn Balcony hotel in the temple district. 42 € per night, great reception, all the staff is friendly. The AC works fine, the bed seemed hard at first but turned out to be comfortable. The hotel is quiet, away from the nightlife, but at this time of year, many places are less crowded than in high season. Even with a nice fish pond and outdoor breakfast area, it’s a decent hotel, though we felt we could’ve found something better.
After a night on the plane, the first afternoon is always a bit of a slog. We napped for a few hours, and when we woke up—guess what—we were starving. We visited a temple across from the hotel (nothing special) and then decided to take the Chao Phraya Express, the river shuttle that serves many piers along the river. It was a really enjoyable experience. The steel gangway wobbles when you board and disembark, the boat sits low in the water, and sometimes you get splashed. During peak times, you’re packed in like sardines, but most of all, there’s that exotic urban landscape passing by, especially the temple rooftops.
At that exact moment, the boat was packed. We didn’t see a ticket booth at the pier, and we tried in vain to pay the few baht for the ride. The cashier on the boat was too busy, and another employee we called didn’t have time to help us. Oh well, we weren’t going to force the issue. Still, this mode of transport is super practical for avoiding traffic, and at the piers, the lines with station names are clearly marked, with colors matching the flags on the boats. Combined with a map like the *Routard* guide, it’s easy to navigate.
We easily made it to the restaurant *Harmonique*, located near one of these piers. It’s a unanimous favorite on this forum, and let us tell you—it’s well-deserved. What a wonderful experience that evening! We only saw the outdoor gazebo because there was no way we were dining inside. It’s not flashy, so those looking for a luxurious setting should look elsewhere.
That night, the staff was a bit slow, and we had to track them down several times to move things along. But oh, my friends—what a feast on the plate! Start with the appetizer platter for two at 250 baht, featuring four specialties, each more tempting than the last, followed by their famous crab curry for 200 baht. There’s *so much* crab in there! The dish is so delicious and rich that when you finish, you feel—how to put it—like it was almost *too* good, to the point where you’re almost put off eating for days. And also, oh yes, we *will* be back. Their satay chicken is just as amazing, and it would be a crime not to mention their generous dessert with ice cream, warm banana, and chocolate, plus their *excellent* almond milkshake.
Later, we took a taxi to Kao San Road, mainly to book a Ko Tao-Chumphon trip for 600 baht per person at the Lomprayah counter. In hindsight, we should’ve booked all three of our trips there right away.
Kao San Road is *ultra*-touristy—better for younger crowds, but it’s still worth seeing. There’s rock ‘n’ roll, hippies, and crowds everywhere.
We walked back to the hotel, and when we got a little lost near a canal, a really nice older Thai man spontaneously appeared out of the night to kindly point us in the right direction.
Finally, a real long night of sleep ahead—we cranked up the AC. Sweet, the vacation has begun!
Hi there,
I just got back from a trip to Sri Lanka from December 18th to January 1st with 2 adults and 2 kids (12 years old).
If it helps, here’s my itinerary.
We left on December 18th from Madrid with Qatar Airways. No complaints. I booked my tickets back in March for 800 € per person. (I flew from Madrid because I live near the Spanish border and was too worried about strikes in France.)
We arrived on December 19th at 4 PM (local time). Before leaving France, I’d booked a taxi through MyTransfer for 59 € to Sigiriya. A van was waiting for us at the airport exit.
A never-ending 3-hour drive to Sigiriya. We stayed at Samana Guesthouse—very simple, clean, with a pool and an excellent Sri Lankan breakfast. Shower and straight to bed.
Friday, December 20th: Beautiful weather, but very humid and hot. We visited Lion Rock (36 € for adults) and then Pidurangala.
I loved both sites—they’re a must-do in my opinion.
Spent the late afternoon by the pool.
Saturday, December 21st: Another gorgeous day. The guesthouse manager offered us a free 2-hour tuk-tuk tour. We first visited a lake, rice fields, the temple, and the Sigiriya market, plus the usual tourist trap—the botanical garden (no pressure to buy anything at the end).
Then we took a tuk-tuk to Dambulla Temple, the Golden Buddha, and the wholesale market.
Sunday, December 22nd: Still beautiful weather. I’d booked a taxi for 8 AM. We did all the long trips by taxi to save time. I’d ask for prices from 2 or 3 WhatsApp taxi agencies 2 days or the day before—super responsive, always got replies within 5 minutes. We headed to Ella (4-hour drive) for 22,000 LKR.
Arrived in the afternoon at Rest Full Homestay—a small, family-run guesthouse. Clean, cozy, and an amazing Sri Lankan breakfast.
In the afternoon, we went to Nine Arches Bridge. It was a Sunday, a Sri Lankan holiday, so it was *packed*—mostly locals and very few white tourists! Even though it was crowded, it was cool because it was all Sri Lankans. We waited an hour for the train. It’s worth seeing, but honestly, I didn’t think it was that amazing.
Then we headed to the station to check if we needed to book tickets for the train to Haputale—turns out, no.
Monday, December 23rd: Beautiful weather. We hiked Ella Rock—a gorgeous trek. The final stretch is steep but shaded, so it wasn’t as tough as I’d read. The whole hike is stunning from start to finish. We saw the train pass twice (one blue, one red) and lots of women picking tea.
After that, we did Little Adam’s Peak. It’s not hard, but it was *packed* with tourists—meh. Luckily, at the top, you can walk a bit farther (down one side and back up) to get some space to yourself.
What I *didn’t* like was the commercial vibe at the big café/restaurant with a pool at the entrance of Little Adam’s Peak. Loud music, all that money being made right next to little souvenir stands run by Sri Lankans or tea-picking women. Felt off.
Ended the day buying souvenirs at one of the few shops we found during the trip.
Tuesday, December 24th: Beautiful weather. Took the train to Haputale. We got to the station 30 minutes before the 9:30 AM train. We could’ve taken 2nd or 3rd class—I went with 2nd (160 LKR per person).
It was crowded, but we managed to get seats—first 2, then 3. Only a 1-hour ride, but I *loved* it—windows and doors open the whole time.
Arrived in Haputale around 11 AM, and the mist was already rolling in.
We walked to our guesthouse, The Mist Holiday Bungalow. Simple but clean, with a great view of the tea plantations. The owner’s wife is Vietnamese and used to work for French tour operators, so her French is still pretty good—helpful for us since our English is terrible. They booked us a tuk-tuk for 4:45 AM the next day (2,000 LKR) to Lipton’s Seat.
Spent the afternoon wandering around Haputale. Not much charm, but there’s a nice fruit and veggie market and a short walk through the tea plantations.
Wednesday, December 25th: Beautiful weather. The tuk-tuk was on time to take us to Lipton’s Seat. We were the first ones there—the sky was just starting to turn pink. In the end, only about ten of us watched the sunrise. The guesthouse had packed us breakfast, and we walked back down (half on the road, half through the plantations). Didn’t see any tea picking since it was Christmas, but the walk was still incredible. We took detours through villages full of kids.
After that, we visited the tea factory. The tour was really interesting, and we took the bus back down to Haputale. Such a great moment—whole families were heading to mass, dressed up and made up. All so beautiful.
At noon, we left for Udawalawe National Park. Taxi for 14,000 LKR. Stayed at River Inn Safari Cottage. *Warning*: It’s the same place as Eagle Safari Cottage. I don’t recommend it. We’d always stayed with families before, but here it was just staff—totally different vibe. The pool was nice but not very clean (water was murky). The bungalow was big and fine, but it was brand new—so new the asphalt floor wasn’t fully dry. It’s in the middle of nowhere, so we had to eat on-site. Couldn’t leave a review on Booking because they never confirmed we’d stayed, and they canceled our reservation the next day.
Thursday, December 26th: Beautiful weather. I’d booked a safari through the hotel for 5:30–10 AM for 54 USD. Honestly, yes, there are a lot of jeeps, but it was great. The kids loved it—we saw everything there was to see.
Left by taxi at 11:30 AM for Welligama (12,000 LKR).
We didn’t stay in Welligama city but at Coconut Beach, between Welligama and Midigama. *Total crush* on the guesthouse: Sky Mountain Café with View. Such a lovely family. The mom makes amazing meals at reasonable prices. The view from the hill over the sea is unreal.
Spent the afternoon walking along the beach.
Friday, December 27th: Beautiful weather. My kids are surfers. Unfortunately, there weren’t any boards their size to rent at Coconut, so we took a tuk-tuk to Welligama Bay (1,000 LKR). They surfed from 8 AM to 5 PM—rental was 5,000 LKR for the day. Meanwhile, we walked the beach and swam. Water was 29°C.
Saturday, December 28th: Beautiful weather, rain from 4 PM until midnight. Same surf day. They were so well-behaved the whole trip, so this was their reward.
Sunday, December 29th: Beautiful weather. Beach day at Coconut. *Warning*: It’s a reef break. For surfers, there are three spots (Coconut Left, Middle, and Right). The boys bodysurfed (with fins) all morning, and at 1 PM, we took the bus to Hikkaduwa.
Stayed at Hotel Universal Beach. Nothing special—right on the water, but the rooms were dark even though they were clean. The manager was super nice, but the rest was meh, and breakfast was mediocre compared to what we’d had before (2 eggs and 3 slices of toast). Plus, it was late—8 AM.
First impression of Hikkaduwa wasn’t great—way too many Russians for our taste.
Monday, December 30th: Beautiful weather. Spent the whole day exploring. Turtle Beach, then the other side of the beach (toward Galle) near the fishing port. The beach there is much wider, with scattered hotels and super quiet. It’s beautiful—I should’ve booked somewhere in that area. Ended up having a great day away from the crowds.
Tuesday, December 31st: Overcast, then beautiful, rain at 4 PM. Had to end the year (and the trip) with some surf. Rented boards for the kids (3,000 LKR per board for the day). Bad luck—the waves were on a reef break but small. Not great for them, but no big deal. They still got out of the water by 2 PM. Walked the beach (which is gorgeous), had a juice, and went for a swim. Then back to surfing in the rain at 4 PM.
Wednesday, January 1st: Left by taxi at 5 AM (18,000 LKR). Flight at 10 AM. Arrived in Madrid at 8 PM.
I could have titled my travel journal like Carmen: "Some trips are born twice." Indeed, we had considered this destination back in February 2020. However, an honest tour operator advised us against traveling at that time due to the climate. So, we gave up and opted for Guatemala instead (see "On the Mayan Lands" on this site).
So, why this title? When I was in primary school, over 65 years ago, the illustrations in my history books (Machu Picchu) and geography books (Lake Titicaca) made me dream, and those images stayed in my mind. It took until 2026 to finally make this dream come true!
We prepared our trip with Tout Pérou, a French-speaking "agency." Everything was handled via email and WhatsApp exchanges with our contact: Laurent, who was both competent, friendly, and full of good advice.
For 200 €, Tout Pérou provided us with drivers and guides whenever we wanted, helped us buy our domestic flights (cheaper when purchased in Peru), booked shuttles between airports and hotels, and got us a discount on the train ride to Aguas Calientes, as well as on the buses between Chivay and Puno and between Puno and Cusco. In short, Laurent took care of all the logistics and the Machu Picchu tickets. It was up to us to book our hotels. Tout Pérou provided a list, but we weren’t obliged to follow it. Another advantage of the package: we didn’t have to pay in advance; we paid the service providers directly day by day.
We didn’t meet Laurent in person because he was on vacation in Europe. Before his departure, he gave us a briefing, provided a summary table with the entire program, the service providers, their phone numbers, their fees, the schedules, and gave us plenty of advice (money, exchange, safety, etc.). After returning at the end of our stay, he kept checking in on us.
Lastly, we had also gathered information from Arnaud Lagadec, who runs a hotel in Cusco and offers tours of the region. He gave us a lot of useful information. Another contact: Thomas Montaigne, very friendly, who runs an agency in Arequipa (Agence Pérou Exclusif).
Day 1 – Paris to Lima
Foreword
I’ll share our trip without any pretension—I don’t have the talent of some contributors on this forum—and I’ll illustrate it with a few photos (taken with an ordinary smartphone). My comments are personal and only reflect my own views. So, please be kind! Feel free to comment on my story as you like, but let’s avoid pointless debates.
Even though we live in the south of the Paris region, true to our habits when the flight is in the morning, we chose to spend the night before our departure in a hotel near CDG and parked our car in a parking lot in Garches. This way, we avoid the stress that often comes with traveling around Paris (accidents, roadworks, traffic jams, etc.).
Check-in and border control went smoothly on that Sunday morning. Our Air France flight was uneventful. In Lima, border control took a particularly long time, and for the first time, we didn’t get an entry visa stamped in our passports.
As planned, a driver took us to the Miraflores district, where our hotel was located. We were surprised by the numerous signs about possible tsunamis, having forgotten that Peru is prone to such events and regularly experiences earthquakes. We’d see the consequences of these during our journey.
Exhausted from the early wake-up, the 13-hour flight, and the 7-hour time difference, we had dinner at the hotel before a restful night.
Note that this day was Peru’s presidential election day. As a result, we weren’t served beer—the sale of alcohol was banned that Sunday.
We did the Langtang trek (hike) from September 10th to 17th, with the first and last days being the trip from Kathmandu and back—so 6 days of actual walking. It’s a fairly well-known trek but certainly not as famous or crowded as those in the Annapurna or Everest regions, which is why we chose it.
In theory, it’s mandatory to have a guide for this trek. In reality, it seems there are ways to bypass the regulations: we met at least two people hiking without a guide—a South Korean, a New Zealander, and possibly also a couple of English women and an American couple, though we’re not sure if they had a guide.
The agency we booked with had told us it was an affordable trek for relatively older people in good shape—which is our case (I’m 72 myself). I have to say upfront that we found it quite challenging, maybe because we didn’t have good weather—it was the end of the monsoon season. To be clear, no matter your fitness level, I’d say doing this trek in the middle of the monsoon season would be suicidal.
Day 1 – Journey from Kathmandu to Syapru Besi
On Monday, September 8th, there had been violent protests in Kathmandu against the government, which had, among other things, blocked access to social media and been accused of nepotism and corruption. There were 19 deaths. The situation was very tense on the day of our departure, Wednesday the 10th. The agency warned us that public transport was very unreliable. So, we decided to take a jeep, at an additional cost of $100 ($160 minus what was already budgeted for the bus).
We left a little before 7 a.m. and it took us a good hour just to reach the outskirts of Kathmandu. Along the way, we saw several houses and vehicles set on fire by protesters.
The road to Syapru Besi is only 120 km, but it’s frankly awful. It’s always narrow, winds through endless mountains, and the shoulders range from bad to confusing to nonexistent. Several sections are just dirt tracks. We didn’t regret opting for the jeep, as we could stop several times at our convenience—if only to let Y (my Thai partner) throw up everything she had. She’d taken her usual motion sickness medication, but the constant turns, accelerations, and braking eventually made her terribly carsick.
In Nuwakot, we stopped for breakfast at a nice little restaurant, Jimbu. It was around 8:30 a.m., and we’d barely covered 60 km. The restaurant has a lovely garden overlooking the Trishuli Ganga, the river flowing down from Syapru Besi. First photo: the river in the bottom right corner, mist and clouds over the mountain on the other side.
An hour later, my second photo: the hills along the Trishuli Ganga. You can see the different crops—lush green rice paddies in the lower right and corn, already yellowed and likely harvested, in the foreground on the left. And of course, the mist and clouds through which you can glimpse the mountain on the other side of the river.
When we started looking for a summer destination a few months ago, our first criterion was to avoid extreme heat and heatwaves. We had already been to Norway two years ago and are considering going back in the future for other occasions. So, we had some fun asking ChatGPT which destinations enjoyed a mild climate during the summer without going too far. Among the list provided by the AI were the Canary Islands... The idea of a place we wouldn’t have thought of first, both not too far away and exotic enough, appealed to us: “Hmm, why not?”
This destination had never really attracted me, though Magali was a bit more interested. Five years earlier, COVID had caused a short break in my professional activity, and I had planned a trip because the flight price was attractive, and I was looking for a destination different from what usually appeals to me, more than out of deep interest. From a distance and with a social judgment I acknowledge (it’s not great, but it’s not completely wrong), I had the image of a destination for party-goers enjoying the sun without the slightest interest in local culture, with concrete coastlines and denatured landscapes—everything I detest the most. Still, I had done some quick research on the different islands and spotted Lanzarote for its beautiful volcanic landscapes, hiking trails, beaches, and the impression of a good balance between activity and fewer crowds than Tenerife or Gran Canaria. Then I dropped the idea of going, without ever reconsidering traveling to the Canaries...
Until now! Because we started researching the different islands of the archipelago to see which ones might appeal to us the most. It was La Gomera, the third smallest island of the archipelago, more praised for its hiking trails and preserved nature than for its beaches, away from mass tourism (fifty times fewer tourists than Tenerife) but still a bit more developed than its wild neighbor El Hierro, that caught our attention. Contrary to what might be suggested later, I’m not at all addicted to AI, but I use it from time to time to synthesize quick research or simply for experimentation. Since ChatGPT had started anticipating my tastes lately as if it had become my buddy (often successfully, sometimes off the mark), I asked which Canary Island would suit me best for a trip with my family. The tool answered first with... La Gomera. So, I tested it and teased it a bit to see if this suggestion was well-founded, as the method sometimes makes it contradict itself. But no luck: “You’d appreciate the wild nature of El Hierro, but with family, you’ll find little activity for the kids. You won’t like the touristy vibe of the big islands like Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura. You could consider La Palma, but it’s really La Gomera that will suit you best, based on your interests and the criteria given.” So, we dug deeper into our research and were convinced without a shadow of a doubt that this island was the one waiting for us.
Without knowing it, we had Canarians in our circle who revealed their origins when they heard about our travel plans. One from Tenerife insisted we’d be better off choosing Tenerife (obviously...) because it also has preserved spots and that La Gomera, “you can explore it in two or three days, you’ll get bored quickly...” The other, a colleague from Gran Canaria who had never visited La Gomera, still recommended it without hesitation because it turned out her parents had just gone there on vacation: they loved it and had encountered few tourists. She also tended to think this destination was usually the subject of short stays, but according to what her parents told her, taking your time there was also a great idea. However, in our research, the idea that La Gomera is an island you can explore in three or four days max kept coming up. So, we considered combining its visit with La Palma or El Hierro, the other two that caught our eye. But hopping between islands by ferry represents a significant budget for non-Canarians, even more so for a family of four. Then, scrutinizing Google Maps, it seemed obvious that two weeks were too short to discover two islands as they deserve, and that there seemed to be plenty to see in La Gomera, given its very unique culture. After all, we read that some people spend several months a year there, others never even leave... Finally, these landscapes and this atmosphere, which seemed to us a mix of Europe, North Africa, and Latin America, tempted us. So, it would be two weeks in La Gomera, deal!
La Gomera is therefore the second... well, the third smallest island of the Canaries since La Graciosa was recently recognized as a fully inhabited island. It has the shape of a rough circle about 20 to 25 kilometers in diameter and has just over 20,000 inhabitants, half of them in its capital, San Sebastián de la Gomera, the only real town. Like its Canarian sisters, La Gomera is a volcanic formation that rose about 10 million years ago. The island is very mountainous and rugged, covered with red and black rocky landscapes. Geological activity has shaped, between the sprawling massifs that end in steep cliffs in the ocean, six coastal valleys with tropical vegetation that have favored human settlement. They divide the island like slices of a cake; from the north clockwise: the agricultural Vallehermoso, the rustic Agulo, the green, humid, and fertile Hermigua, the sunny capital San Sebastián de la Gomera, the southern and isolated Alajeró-Santiago, and the seaside Valle Gran Rey. They constitute the six municipalities (more like cantons to our French understanding) of the territory.
The large solidified magma massifs that shape the heart of the island have created a large depression more protected from the sun at its center, allowing the growth of a vast laurel forest, today grouped within the Garajonay National Park, La Gomera’s green lung, which has earned it the status of a World Biosphere Reserve. Its completely European appearance contrasts sharply with the rocky and tropical landscapes of the rest of the island. Thus, the climate varies greatly from one point to another on the island: in summer, you can quickly go from a dry and sunny valley at 35°C to a humid forest area at altitude at 18°C.
La Gomera was populated late. As with the rest of the Canaries, human presence is thought to have begun about 2,000 years ago. Groups of animist Berbers, probably fleeing persecution, gradually populated the archipelago, especially the western islands and La Gomera, becoming its small aboriginal population: the Guanches (or later Gomeros). The animist and pastoral civilization of the Guanches thrived until the Spanish takeover in the 15th century, which, after a short period of harmony and mixing with the indigenous people, suddenly ended in bloodshed... La Gomera later became the “Columbus Island” after Christopher Columbus’s stopover, increasing the blending of populations. In the 20th century, many Gomeros emigrated to Cuba and other Latin American countries in search of a better life, bringing back a mix of cultures and traits quite palpable in today’s Gomeran culture. It is, however, in La Gomera that the vestiges of Guanche culture seem to have left the most traces, in the language, gastronomy, social practices... Moreover, most Gomeros, especially in remote villages, have a particular identifiable type and proudly claim their ancestral roots, even making La Gomera a bit exotic in the eyes of other Canarians.
Perhaps that’s why it has never really wanted to develop its tourist infrastructure too much. If we set aside the tourists who visit for the day by bus or boat from Tenerife on a marked itinerary (and whom we ultimately rarely encounter), La Gomera has remained a hidden gem, a destination focused on nature discovery that attracts hikers, nature-loving divers, and scientists for its fauna and flora, and to a lesser extent, beachgoers who don’t seek overly developed coastlines. Tourist activity is therefore limited. Roughly speaking, you’ll find a majority of Spaniards, including a substantial number of residents from other Canary Islands, many Germans who have a particular fondness for La Gomera and spend long stays there or own second homes, to the point that the German cultural footprint is clearly noticeable in some places (it’s said to be Angela Merkel’s favorite holiday spot), and still quite a few French. The presence of other nationalities seemed negligible to us. Most travelers come mainly for hiking, but it’s also a prime spot for whale watching. Additionally, the seaside resorts of La Gomera—San Sebastián, Santiago, and especially Valle Gran Rey—are well-known destinations for hippies, especially German ones, ranging from chic boho hippies to old-school hippies who’ve been there for decades, quite similar to those you’d meet in India in Goa, Rishikesh, or Paharganj. Thus, practices like naturism, vegetarianism, and local organic production are quite well established in some areas.
Some practical info:
- The round-trip flight from Paris to Tenerife cost us 365 € per person (outbound with Transavia, return with EasyJet), including checked luggage and three seats reserved side by side.
- We chose two bases to explore the island: one week in Valle Gran Rey, reputed to be the most pleasant of the three seaside resorts, and one week in Hermigua, more mountainous and close to the natural park. We booked two houses with balconies and views: the first at 120 € per night, the second at 99 €.
- The round-trip ferry between Tenerife and La Gomera cost us 270 € with the company Baleària Canarias, including discounts for children aged 4 and 12, but I don’t have the exact details. It was a bit cheaper than with the other company, Fred Olsen.
- Finally, we rented a car through the agency Cicar for 360 € for 16 days, which comes to 22.50 € per day.
- Apart from that, we didn’t plan anything and decided the day before or even the morning of what we wanted to do. We didn’t invest in any paper guide on the Canaries, as information on La Gomera was scarce, but we used the very comprehensive site La Gomera Travel, a travel guide published by the Canary Islands Tourism Council, a real goldmine of almost exhaustive information on the island.
Alright, off we go for 16 days of adventure discovering La Gomera!
Last October, we landed in Marrakech to spend a few days with family exploring Morocco’s roads.
Transport: a rented Dacia.
Accommodations: small guesthouses.
Our first stop was just a few kilometers from Marrakech, at a lovely house perfect for relaxing and recharging before continuing. It’s called Bleu House, a little paradise on the outskirts of Marrakech. The welcome was very warm, with a beautiful pool and a lovely garden.
Next, we headed toward the Tichka Pass. The road has really improved in recent years—it’s much easier to drive now. No more getting stuck behind trucks, and today, the construction is practically finished.
Morocco has turned green after the recent rains. It’s a joy for the herds and shepherds.
I hesitated about writing this travel journal...
This summer, we only did the classics (the 3 northern parks and Zanzibar) and let a local agency take care of everything from start to finish.
No craziness, no risks, no sleeping under the stars, no self-drive, no venturing off the beaten path, no incidents, and not even any delays in the pre-planned itinerary...
But don’t think we were disappointed!
The whole family (there were 6 of us) came back with smiles and memories of great moments spent together.
So, if you're looking for a "classic" way to discover Tanzania, this is the place to be.
Our 2-week itinerary:
- Arusha (1 night upon arrival)
- Tarangire (1 night)
- Ngorongoro (2 nights in Karatu then Irmisigiyo)
- Serengeti (3 nights in Robanda, Togoro Plains, and Seronera)
- Zanzibar Stone Town (1 night)
- Zanzibar Matemwe (3 nights)
- Zanzibar Jambiani (3 nights)
Come along, I'm taking you to this country where it's so nice to wander and slow down...
This trip was in 2023, but when I wanted to write my travel journal, VF was still closed to contributions...
So, now that I've just finished my Japan travel journal here, I figured it was high time to honor this destination we came back from so enchanted.
Disclaimer 1: This is a written travel journal. There’ll be text! Too much, for some!
Disclaimer 2: This is an illustrated travel journal. There’ll be photos! Too many, for some!
I have to say, every time I try to discipline myself, to keep it shorter, to include fewer photos... I end up adding more. It feels like my dear Aunt Nicole, who exhausted us with her slide-show evenings in the 70s/80s, decided to take her revenge. The upside for you, readers, is that you can slip away anytime without offending Aunt Nicole. I won’t even notice!
Anyway, since I love maps, here’s one to give you an idea of where I’m taking you. As you can see, we only saw a tiny part of Laos (the areas circled in red); we only had 3 weeks for ourselves (my husband’s newly retired, I still work), and we prefer taking our time over rushing around like crazy.
In broad strokes, it was very classic:
First, we “settled in” at Luang Prabang (8 days), because we wanted and needed to.
From there, we took three days to venture a little further north—not far in kilometers, but as we know, distances aren’t just about km!
Then we flew south to Paksé, letting ourselves drift down to the 4,000 Islands while stopping by the pre-Angkorian archaeological sites.
We wrapped up with the Bolaven Plateau.
A few practical notes: We arrived via Bangkok, then took a Bangkok-Luang Prabang flight, having picked up our luggage in Bangkok to check it in for Luang Prabang. No issues—the Bangkok airport, which many of you know, is very well organized.
We got our visas on arrival in Luang Prabang. Quick, but to be fair, we were on a “small” plane, and the big flights had arrived earlier, so we weren’t too crowded in line!
At the end of our trip, we didn’t fly out of Paksé but from the nearby airport in Thailand, Ubon Ratchathani (a 2.5-hour drive from Paksé), then Bangkok and Paris.
You’ll notice we skipped Vientiane to stay longer in Luang Prabang. That said, there’s now a high-speed train between Vientiane and Luang Prabang—good to know—and soon the (Chinese) train will go all the way to Bangkok and even Kuala Lumpur!
With that intro out of the way, let’s dive into the heart of the matter.
To be continued: Slowing down the pace... in Luang Prabang
It’s an ancient city that breathes, a living spring.
Here, no kitschy signs like “I miss you in Fengyu,” nor mass-produced fake antiques.
The century-old houses still bear the marks of wind and rain; in the morning, you hear roosters crowing, and at dusk, smoke gently rises from the kitchens.
This city doesn’t try to please anyone—like the spring water flowing through it, it simply keeps living at its own pace.
Located in Eryuan County, in the Dali Prefecture of Yunnan, the ancient town of Fengyu is a nationally designated historical and cultural city. It’s nicknamed the “land of scholars and ink”—during the Qing Dynasty, the Fengxiang Academy produced four *jinshi* and eleven *juren* in the imperial examinations. The Bai families made studying and farming a true legacy. Even on market days, you’ll find stalls of calligraphy and paintings, while lintels and screen walls are covered with family mottos.
Fengyu was also an important stop on the ancient Tea Horse Road. It preserves the second-largest Bai architectural complex in China, just after Xizhou. The famous traveler Xu Xiake spent seven days here and compared it to the “peach blossom paradise.”
I’m inviting you on a stroll through my drawings—a completely subjective, far from exhaustive, and totally personal take, since it’s based on my own sketches. I put this travel journal together after returning in late 2024, mostly using felt-tip pens and pencils, with a few collages thrown in. I worked from our personal photos.
Let’s start with the shotengai...
Our first "wow" moment came as we stepped out of the subway in Asakusa, the Tokyo neighborhood where we’d booked our hotel for our first five nights. Exhausted after our long flight, we finally arrived and took an exit that led straight into a shotengai—one of those covered shopping streets that pop up in city centers and flourished between the 1950s and 1980s.
It was an instant aesthetic shock, like a close encounter of the third kind between the modern city, a typical Asian market with its street stalls, the vintage vibe of the arcade, the sheer abundance of goods, and the bustling crowd—a mix of tourists, pilgrims (thanks to nearby Senso-ji Temple), and locals (it’s a very working-class area).
In the end, it set the tone for a feeling we’d experience throughout the trip. Wherever we went, shotengai turned out to be fantastic spots for finding little restaurants, shops, or even fresh produce. Some are like real mazes, like in Kyoto, where we spent ages trying to relocate a restaurant we’d loved ;-)
In Kanazawa, the Omicho Market:
And in Kyoto, Nishiki Market:
The latest travel journal about Turkmenistan dates back to 2019. Here’s a quick update on this vast desert country, which is now a bit easier to visit than before.
This is my first travel journal. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. The country is slowly opening up, but it’s still possible to visit sites where you’ll be completely alone. In five days, I saw two Hongkongers, a few Germans, and a Chilean at the crater, ten Chinese people in a capital bazaar, and that’s it!
It’s possible to visit Turkmenistan from Uzbekistan. The easiest and most economical way is to take a taxi to the border from Bukhara. The trip takes a little over an hour.
Crossing the border takes quite a while because many Turkmen bring back items bought in Uzbekistan to resell in Turkmenistan. For example, diapers, baby products, or beauty products.
It took me over 2.5 hours to cross the border. To visit Turkmenistan, it’s mandatory to have a guide and go through a travel agency. British agencies often offer three-, five-, or seven-day trips for over 1,500 or 2,000 €.
But if your budget is more limited, you can contact a few Turkmen agencies directly by email, and they’ll make you an offer between 700 and 1,300 € for three to seven days. I took a five-day trip from Turkmenabat in the northeast of the country to Dashoguz in the north. The goal was to visit the main UNESCO-listed sites, including Merv, and archaeological sites like Nisa or Gonur Tepe.
Your guide will also be your driver. They’ll pick you up at the border. The formalities are very long because customs officers have to stamp multiple documents, and obtaining the visa you previously requested from your travel agency requires several checks. But the process goes relatively smoothly, even if each step takes a while.
Once on the other side, the first surprise is the brand-new highway all the way to Turkmenabat. A very long line of trucks stretches for several kilometers on the Turkmen side to cross the border into Uzbekistan. According to my guide, Turkmen trucks transport gas and cotton (though not this season, since the harvest is in September), but they mainly fill up their tanks because fuel is much cheaper in Turkmenistan. A full tank for a car costs about 3 €, which is unbeatable.
From the Farap border post, the goal is to reach the city of Mary, which is home to the UNESCO-listed site of Merv in its suburbs, about thirty kilometers away. This city is known as a foundation by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC under the name Alexandria of Margiana. Several fortresses are visible.
After more than three hours on the road, we have lunch at a Turkish restaurant called Aladdin. Several quotes from the president are visible along the highway, but the road is in good condition, and we move along easily. This will be by far the best road in the country—things will get much worse later.
Roundabouts are particularly interesting because they feature emblems of Turkmen culture, like the dog, a carpet, the Ahal Teke horse, or Muslim symbols, even though the presence of Islamic artifacts is quite limited.
Preamble:
Africa was calling to me, so a year ago, with our usual travel companions, we decided to return to the continent we love so much.
Where to go?
Uganda quickly caught our attention—wildlife we’re used to seeing, plus gorillas and the shoebill we missed in Zambia.
We got in touch with Paul, who’s been mentioned several times on the forum back in September, booked our flight tickets, secured the gorilla permits, and by early October, the most important things were done.
We still had plenty of time to hold our "prep meetings" for the final itinerary.
Three days before departure, I sprained my ankle (my weak spot, as you’ll recall from our Colombia trip).
I wasn’t in great spirits, but after a year of waiting, nothing was going to stop me.
We’d see how it goes!
Off we went for our new adventures
If you're looking for great tips and offbeat spots, if you love exploring uncharted parts of a country, if the exotic is your adrenaline, then move along!
Our 15 days in early May in this part of Turkey (a country I first discovered during a city trip to Istanbul in 2017) will only tread well-worn paths and revisit popular routes. Simply because I kept hoping until the very end that our flight to Jordan wouldn’t be canceled. Events in the Gulf proved me wrong, so we left with:
Zero preparation.
Not a single hotel booked (well, except the first one), no visits planned, just a flight ticket bought three weeks earlier. No guidebook, no app—just the desire to explore southern Turkey and Cappadocia, whose images and the chance to stretch our legs had caught my eye.
Oh, wait—I did bring along a new guide: Gemini! Yes, my friends, generative AI was my chief advisor throughout the trip for sites to visit, accommodations, routes, and even restaurants! An experiment I wanted to try to form my own opinion on using this new technology. And what better way to test it than a Turkish getaway?
The verdict? You’ll have to wait for the trip recap to find out!
The main idea of the trip is also relaxation.
So, the plan is Antalya for a few days, the Turkish Riviera for a few more, Cappadocia as the highlight, and a return via Antalya to wrap up the trip. And it was all planned by AI!
So, if you're ready, fasten your seatbelts—cabin crew, doors to automatic and cross check—boarding for Turkey now!
It often happens that we're asked what to visit in Belgium.
And the answers usually point to Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, and Brussels—and rightly so, as these cities are well worth visiting ;).
However, Belgium, though small, isn’t just limited to these four cities.
I live in one of them (Brussels), enjoy spending time in the other three, but I’d like to highlight some lesser-known spots that could add to the trip for those who want to see a bit more or something different.
Between trips, I like exploring one or two corners of the country where I live.
Hence the idea for a travel journal of walks.
Most of the places I’ll talk about can be visited as a day trip from Brussels, whether by public transport or car.
In chronological order of the topics covered:
- The Gileppe Dam (Liège province) - message 2, page 1
- The Domaine de La Hulpe (Walloon Brabant) - message 3, page 1
- Mechelen (Antwerp province) - message 4, page 1
- The coast - message 5, page 1
- The Westhoek, from De Panne - message 6, page 1
- The Zwin, from Knokke - message 7, page 1
- Lier (between Mechelen and Antwerp) - message 8, page 1
- Mons (Hainaut) - message 9, page 1
- The Florenville region - message 12, page 1
- The East Cantons - message 13, page 1
- Dinant - message 18, page 1
- The Japanese garden in Hasselt - message 24, page 2
- Leuven - message 29, page 2
- Louvain-la-Neuve - message 32, page 2
- Ostend - message 42 (page 3) and message 166 (page 9)
- The floralies of Groot-Bijgaarden - message 43, page 3
- Halle Forest - message 44, page 3
- Pralines - message 54, page 3
- Charleroi - message 68, page 4
- Namur - message 92, page 5
- Le Bois du Cazier (Marcinelle) - message 95, page 5
- Couques and gosettes - message 96, page 5
- Liège - message 99, page 5
- Tournai - message 115, page 6
- Oudenaarde - message 121, page 7
- Meise Botanical Garden - message 124, page 7
- Tongeren - message 125, page 7
- Beersel Castle (Flemish Brabant) - message 126, page 7
- Brussels in lockdown (messages 150 and 154, page 8)
- Notre-Dame à la Rose Hospital in Lessines (messages 161 and 162, page 9)
- Westende (message 167, page 9)
I’ll keep updating this list as the journal progresses...
This trip had been on my mind for about fifteen years.
But the discomfort of overnight stays, the difficulty of communication, and the prices of the few car rental options kept making me postpone the project.
And then, everything suddenly fell into place—I told myself, it’s time!
The preparations took longer than usual; the destination is still far from mainstream.
A bit of Kazakhstan?
Not in the end.
The south or not the south?
Yes, in the end.
Pre-book or go with the flow?
Only two stops were a leap into the unknown.
To help me find the ideal route, I made great use of this forum (thanks to everyone for patiently answering my questions!), pored over travel journals and blogs (Christian, Jeff), zoomed in on Google Maps and Yandex, and bought the guide published by OunTravela about this destination (the guide has been updated since).
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You’ve got your passport, international driver’s license, bank cards, and euros?
Off we go to Lyon—just one night left before our early morning flight.
Tomorrow night, we’ll be sleeping in Bishkek!
(Steak for my partner’s mischievous nephews...)
You’ll find here a post with some practical information.
And here, the version of the travel journal without comments.
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As a supplement, the route track.
Not necessarily ultra-accurate since Google has serious gaps for this destination...
January 2026
Here we go again for new adventures and the pleasure of sharing them with you here! First of all, I’d like to thank everyone who helped me with the preparations, even with some last-minute improvisations just days before departure. Thanks to Montagnard74, Jojoone1, Songsam, Attila, Dennis2, NadegerFERM, and the authors whose travel journals about Laos inspired me (Montagnard74, Muriel18, Mavietongs...).
In this story, written by Richard and illustrated by me, we’ll tell you about the journey of four friends: Catherine, Richard, Nathalie, and Bruno. A reinvented but overall successful trip, filled with discoveries and surprises, the scents of spices and frangipani flowers, (too) spicy food, sunsets, and... one big mess.
I’d been wanting to discover Sulawesi for years. But then life happened—COVID, the cost of flight tickets, you name it. Long story short, years went by, but we finally set off as a family for a three-week trip in southern Sulawesi: Rammang Rammang, Rantepao, Sengkang, Bira, and Selayar.
I like to spend a good amount of time in the places I visit, giving myself the chance to really get to know the area and meet locals. So no island-hopping this time—just the south. But when I say "just," it’s not restrictive at all, given how rich this island is in landscapes, little encounters, and magical moments.
Wednesday 07/08 - Thursday 07/09:
We left Montpellier for what was supposed to be five flights, though we only took four to start, landing in Jakarta.
We picked up our luggage there to catch a flight to Makassar the next day. That’s the only way we could get an affordable ticket (702 €).
I won’t bore you with the flight details—there’s not much to say. We arrived at 7 PM and considered heading straight to Makassar that evening. But we opted for a recovery night before taking off again. Good thing we did, because my son’s suitcase was missing...
First contact with the locals was a bit stressful—a trip without your luggage isn’t exactly fun. But right away, a woman reassured us: the suitcase was just enjoying some extra time in Singapore. Maybe it was doing some last-minute shopping. Anyway, nothing serious—it was supposed to arrive at 9 AM the next day. That gave us some breathing room since our flight wasn’t until noon.
So off we went to our hotel (Days Hotel & Suites) near the airport. It was cheap (40 € for three rooms—my kids are older and need their space), but it wasn’t worth much more. The place had definitely seen better days. But no big deal—we were only there for the night, and... we got to watch France beat Morocco in the World Cup live at 3 AM. That’s what really mattered!
Friday 07/10: In search of the lost suitcase
First challenge of the morning: finding our missing suitcase. They sent us to the airport basement, to the staff entrance. We were greeted with smiles, and an airport employee led me through the underground corridors back to the baggage claim. Right on time at 9 AM, the suitcase arrived, just like they’d promised. We were finally complete!
Off we went to change terminals, grab a well-deserved meal, and board our fifth flight to Makassar.
Little side note: I struggled for a while trying to book domestic flights directly on the airlines’ websites with no luck. Without meaning to advertise (though I guess I am a little), I realized it’d be easier to use sites like tiket.com or Traveloka. That turned out to be a great choice—I even ended up booking hotels through them later in the trip.
12:40 PM: We were on our way to Makassar. First good news: we were the only tourists. Well, the only European tourists on the flight, anyway.
No, you’re not dreaming—the bag is full of... potato chip packets.
To each their own souvenirs, I guess...
When we arrived in Makassar, a driver was waiting to take us straight to Rammang Rammang: 250,000 IDR (12 €) to our guesthouse (Rammang Rammang House). Forget about meeting people on the bus—we were headed straight to the first stop of our trip, and it was already stunning.
My kids’ guesthouse:
Ours:
View of the little lake:
But not everything is straightforward around here.
I wanted to get a local SIM card for internet and calls. I found them expensive at Jakarta’s airport (20 € for 20 GB), so I decided to wait. Well, no luck in Rammang Rammang either. You can’t just buy one from the local shop—you need a Telkomsat store (they have the best coverage). So we’d have to wait for Rantepao to get Wi-Fi... When I say "local shop," I mean the little shack around the corner. No big deal—we’d find one easily in Rantepao for 5 € and 25 GB. So there we were, offline, just the four of us enjoying the amazing view.
Saturday 07/11: Rammang Rammang
We woke up early to the sound of wedding music blasting through the village (everyone’s invited!). Off we went to explore the area.
A little walking, a little boat ride (shared with a French tourist and a Polish one—yes, there *are* tourists here, just not many; 750,000 IDR for up to 8 people) through a lovely canal, and we discovered the karst site. It was peaceful and beautiful.
The river:
The karst site:
On the right, the "welcome marker"—those dates offered everywhere as a sign of hospitality. On the left, a tribute to those stunning doors worn by time, admired all over the old quarters, including the abandoned ones.
Hospitality will often lead you to accept a small coffee, an "Omani coffee," very light, subtly flavored with cardamom, maybe a touch of saffron, and occasionally rosewater.
Here, I’ve depicted a man in the common everyday attire of Omanis: the dishdasha, mostly white (during the week and daytime; colors are more common in the evening or on Fridays and Saturdays). While you’ll see some men dressed in Western clothes, they’re very few. The white dishdasha is truly the shared attire of all men. The dishdasha, which has no hood, is distinguished by a small pom-pom attached to the collar, the furakha, which is soaked in perfume. And believe me, Omanis go overboard with it! "It smells like the pom-pom" is an expression that’s now part of our shared language, my husband and I.
Another must of men’s attire is the kuma, a small round head covering, usually white with brightly colored patterns. The keffiyeh is also worn (but without the cord called an agal in Arab countries), and it’s mostly worn by those with roots in the desert, from what I understood.
And what about the women, you might ask? Some are veiled, some in full black (but not a burka—more like a chador + abaya), due to the influence of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, whereas the traditional outfit used to be a layering of very colorful dresses. Most of the women we saw wore neutral clothing, a plain veil over their hair, but with their faces uncovered. We also saw many saris and colorful veils—don’t forget that 40% of the population consists of Indian, Nepalese, and Bangladeshi immigrants, who work a lot in tourism, hospitality, restaurants, services, and construction.
Just to clarify, as a tourist, there’s no pressure to wear a veil, and never any disapproving looks. Of course, you’ll save the mini shorts, plunging necklines, bare shoulders, and midriffs for the hotel terrace—but I’d say that’s the same for men and women, and with the sun being strong, it’s better for your skin too.
Here’s the introduction! In the next post, I’ll tell you about my itinerary, and we can dive in!
The large solidified magma massifs that shape the heart of the island have created a large depression more protected from the sun at its center, allowing the growth of a vast laurel forest, today grouped within the Garajonay National Park, La Gomera’s green lung, which has earned it the status of a World Biosphere Reserve. Its completely European appearance contrasts sharply with the rocky and tropical landscapes of the rest of the island. Thus, the climate varies greatly from one point to another on the island: in summer, you can quickly go from a dry and sunny valley at 35°C to a humid forest area at altitude at 18°C.
Last October, we landed in Marrakech to spend a few days with family exploring Morocco’s roads.
Transport: a rented Dacia.
Accommodations: small guesthouses.
Come along, I'm taking you to this country where it's so nice to wander and slow down...
I’m inviting you on a stroll through my drawings—a completely subjective, far from exhaustive, and totally personal take, since it’s based on my own sketches. I put this travel journal together after returning in late 2024, mostly using felt-tip pens and pencils, with a few collages thrown in. I worked from our personal photos.
And in Kyoto, Nishiki Market:
Roundabouts are particularly interesting because they feature emblems of Turkmen culture, like the dog, a carpet, the Ahal Teke horse, or Muslim symbols, even though the presence of Islamic artifacts is quite limited.
A little sneak peek?
The karst site:
