Much has been made about how Venice has been allowed to breathe again.
As the crowds have eased with dolphins leaping in the Grand Canal and mermaids sitting by the Rialto Bridge.
Of course, in spite of what everyone says you can get away from the crowds in St Mark’s Square.
Walking on water: From the annals
One obvious place to go is a church and don’t worry if you’re not religious you’ll be bowled over by the art.
While you can leave the young (and old) lovers on their gondolas while you retreat for a bit of history in the Jewish ghetto.
Although you won’t make the same mistake and turn up on their Sabbath, Saturday.
Anyhoos, while there is never a bad time to go to Venice, there are some great deals just now.
With Ireland’s national airline carrier Aer Lingus offering Dublin-Venice from €29.99 for travel until November 30. Book by September 14.
Hitting the slopes again
Snow business: In the Pyrenees
I can rarely be accused of not keeping my social distancing on the slopes… I’ve usually veered off piste, heading obviously for a fall.
But, of course, like everywhere and everything the ski industry has had to adapt to this virus, and they are.
And the good news for the punter is that they are bending over backwards (a bit like me in a heap on the snow) to lure us back on the slopes.
Pierre & Vacances have ‘a new flexible rate’ only requires a €1 deposit to book.
And you can cancel free of charge if you change your mind.
They also have an early booking offer with savings of up to 20% for all winter dates.
For bookings until September 23 while they pledge to refund the difference if you find it cheaper elsewhere.
You want a deal? Of course you do and this a Christmas one too.
You’ll get seven nights at the Residence Le Sequoia in Font-Romeu in the Pyrenees down from €609 to €488 from December 19-26.
That man Van again
Put your hat on it: Van Morrison at the Europa
And this is tailor-made for social distancing, Van Morrison in a cabaret setting at the Europa Hotel, Belfast, which I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying.
The concerts will take place over three nights on October 29, 30 and 31.
Tickets which you can get from Ticketmaster will be sold in pairs or by tables of eight and the maximum number at each show will be 184.
You’ll get a drinks reception beforehand (remember them!) and a two-course supper.
Prices for the first two rows are available at £250pp, or £2,000 for a table of eight.
And all other tickets are £150pp or £1,2000 per table of eight.
8And there are a host of attractions on the doorstep.
If you can pull yourself away from the nearby Crown Bar such as the excellent Ulster Museum, Grand Opera House and Titanic Belfast.
I dipped my toe in Croatia although alas not its islands nor indeed Dubrovnik but that’s another story.
If you’re travelling from Ireland go with Croatia Tours through Split as I did on my way to Medjugorje with its sister firm Marian Pilgrimages
And here don’t we know that Ireland’s national airlines carrier Aer Lingus will save me from myself by flying me straight to Dubrovnik’s front door from €39.99.
What’s the Croat deal?
As luck would have it we have some Croatian deals here for you.
British Airways has three routes to Croatia to Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik, with flights from Heathrow and Gatwick.
Ryanair has also resumed flights from London Stansted to Pula twice a week, and to Rijeka once a week.
And because we love an island… Losinj, known as a healing resort, can be reached by private plane or luxury car transfer with Losinj Hotels & Villas.
From many European airports, with Pula, Rijeka and Zagreb the closest options.
You’ll want to check out the Boutique Hotel Alhambra, an Austro-Hungarian Art Nouveau villa built in 1912 in Art Nouveau style.
And which also boasts the world-class Alfred Keller Restaurant which specialises in seasonal and local produce.
Spend fur nights at the Boutique Hotel Alhambra and enjoy one complimentary night from €954 (£866) based on two adults sharing a Deluxe Park Side Room for B&B. Valid for stays until October 3, subject to availability,
No, I haven’t persuaded The Scary One to leave the delights of North Berwick near Edinburgh, I’m merely flagging up Edinburgh Airport’s http://www.edinburghairport.com reopened destinations.
And the last word is to back Aer Lingus’s www.aerlingus.com stance on the Irish Government’s latest direction of travel on quarantines.
While welcoming the lifting of the restrictions from July 9, they merely want clarity until then.
As one who would gladly queue overnight to get back, I echo their call. And all my airline friends who we appreciate even more, if that’s possible, now we’ve been seeing them less Flyday Friday – Airline angels with wings
But I’m not here to talk about airline uniforms, though there would be no harm in it, and I will get back to you on that.
More importantly these behemoths of the skies are only getting us flying again.
Emirates will begin flying to and from Dublin from June 15.
In the frame
Among 16 other cities to Dubai, the others being Bahrain, Manchester, Zurich, Vienna, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, New York JFK, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jakarta, Taipei, Hong Kong, Perth and Brisbane.
Check Emirates’ website for conditions and prices and keep updated on Ireland’s travel rules.
All’s well that ends well
Welcome on board
There are worse ways to spend an afternoon than aboard an Etihad airplane in Dublin Airport.
Getting the full VIP treatment and winning air miles. Only I haven’t cashed them in yet.
But I will when the Scary One lets me get travelling again… and, no it’s nothing to do with COVID.
I’m eating alone
There’s always a big welcome from our friends at Etihad and they have introduced Wellness Ambassadors to deal with your every flying need.
They showcased their own livery rebrand and new uniforms in the last couple of years.
And they continue to keep us occupied and enamoured with foreign destinations.
Virtually for now such as through Seattle and the Olympic National Park.
Green for go
And the brilliant blue water blue water at Lake Crescent and hiking routes through Hoh Rain Forest only make us more impatient to get on that flight out to Seattle.
I’ll let you into a little secret… and I know all the right people! Portugal will be the country we’ll all be visiting first when we come out of lockdown.
No, it wasn’t Maria dos Anjos, the niece of the last Little Shepherd of Fatima, who told me though she probably knew this already, and that COVID-19 was coming.
I consider myself partially responsible for not sharing the impending pandemic.
No, not Maria dos Anjos
Because Maria was trying to tell me something of import back in 2018. It’s just that my Portuguese stretches to Obrigado and Obrigada.
Which, going off on a tangent, my Dear Old Dad loved to screech out long after we’d returned from the Algarve.
Susana mirabilis
We all have Susana Cardoso, the Director of Portuguese Tourism in Ireland http://www.visitportugal.com to thank for giving us a preview of what Portugal will look like in the coming months.
Venice of Portugal: Aveiro
And the good news is that we will all hopefully be able to see first hand with September slated as the month…
When Irish visitors will all be reacquainting themselves with an old and trusted friend.
Yes Portugal, and for me also the best guide a man or woman could have, and that man and woman is me and the Scary One.
Splendid self-isolation in a castle
The one and only Jose Madomis https://www.madomistours.pt, the Special One, who showed off his beloved Coimbra and Portugal Centro.
The Portuguese are showing the way as the gold standard on safety and accountability with their Clean and Safe stamps which almost 3000 tourism companies have signed up for.
Beach life
And for those of you who are sick and tired of being palmed off with promises that amount to very little.
Under the guise of ‘The New Normal’ or ‘O Novo Normal’ as they never say out there.
Let me now tell you that there will be sand.
All this space
Not for sunbathing yet, but then what a waste of time that is, but you will be able to book your own space on the beach and also go into the water…
And that means you mad surfers too with Portugal a Nirvana for those who walk on water.
All the old favourites
Social distancing is key to us all enjoying all the things we always love in Portugal.
Hotels, restaurants, cafes, golf, museums, castles and parks and it is a price well worth paying.
Of course, all of this is marivilohso, but are we going to be able to get out there.
Rome wasn’t built in a day… if it was there wouldn’t be so much to enjoy.
But if you’ve only got one day (and maybe the next morning)…
Then what to see and what to miss out?And how to do it for less than €50 spending money.
Fun and games at the Circo Maximo
Bohemian Trastevere next door past the Circo Maximo is a better bet.And I recommend the welcoming and economical Hotel Trastevere although remember there’s a €4 a night city tax.
Walk the walk
A family thing happened on the way to the Forum
It’s free and it’s fun… to people watch, window shop and you can take pictures at your leisure.
L’Amore: With La Scary One
You’ll pay for the privilege of eating and drinking near St Peter’s Square and the Trevi Fountain.
Instead grab a pezzo (slice of pizza) on the go for about €3, fill your water bottles from the ornate water taps that proliferate around the city.
Rather than buy it from the shops.
Or just go into a grocery or supermarket and buy a picnic of bread and cold meats. For about a fiver.
This is free
Playing the Emperor
Walking boy the Colosseum and The Forum never loses its appeal but you don’t have to go in, the audio guides will only tell you what you can find out online anyway.
And he’s free
Il Papa’s home. Photo by Valentin Onu on Pexels.com
Book an audience with the Pope. It’s Mass but he plays to the gallery and the backdrop of St Peter’s can’t be beaten.
If you can’t get an audience, and you’ll need to book in advance, then attend Mass in St Paul’s Basilica – you’ll be in there anyway.
Or any of the churches in the city, they double as art galleries.
Other frescoes
The test of time
The Sistine Chapel is a truly wonderful work of art but frescoes can only really be enjoyed if you’ve got time, space and quiet.
Besides every church in Rome has a stunning fresco.
The best fresco, of course, is in the Pantheon, the 7.8m diameter hole in the dome, because God made the view.
It changes every day.
When it rains on Rome stop whatever you’re doing and rush to the Pantheon.
Spend a penny
Penny for your thoughts
No, not that penny, although I can recommend the toilets in the oh-so English Barrington Tea Room, near to the Spanish Steps – Byron, Keats and Shelley lived around her.
More Babington Wee Room, if you like.
No, spend a penny by throwing one over your shoulder into the Trevi Fountain.
It’s a cliche, and a superstition but it’s everything that people say it is.
Of course, they know you’ll come back to Rome… how could you stay away?
Skulls and bones
When you’ve seen everything else – and definitely make time for the Castel Sant’Angelo (€10.50) https://www.castelsantangelo.com which is next to St Peter’s Square where rich Papal history was played out.
All wonderful wonders we’d all agree and ones you can tick off with G Adventures www.gadventures.co.uk and well done Uswitch but why no place for the Acropolis?
Our forebears in the Middle Ages believed that Finisterre at the outpost of Galicia in north-west Spain was the end of the world.
And they would carry their penitential pilgrimage, the 87kms to Santiago de Compostella on to Finisterre.
Well, if this is the end of the world I’m jumping right off. Gladly!
Here’s your ‘cut-out and keep’ guide to everything you want to know about Finisterre and the Camino…
I need a rest… after that coach ride!
Piper at the gates of heaven
Santiago to Finisterre, 87kms: What else would you expect at the Edge of the World? A Galician piper belts out a Celtic tune by the lighthouse at Finisterre, the westernmost post of their world.
A sign with the Camino shell, marks 0,00kms.
Many pilgrims continue on by foot from Santiago to Finisterre.
Wendy, my fellow peregrinos, take a three-hour coach ride from Santiago (€26 return) on our last day, Wednesday.
Any trip to the Edge of the World should not be rushed, there is much to see, from quiet coves to golden beaches and coastal villages.
With azure and terracotta-washed cottages.
As I look out on the horizon from atop the cliff on the clearest of clear days I can see why my Celtic predecessors refused to countenance that there could be anything beyond or above this.
Wear light clothes
The legend of the Camino
Santiago de Compostella, or ‘St James of the Field of Stars’, the name derives from the belief that the bones of St James the Greater were taken here from the Middle East to Spain.
Where he is reported to have preached earlier in his mission.
In 814AD Bishop Theodoric of Aria Flavia, is said to have been guided there by a shepherd who had been led to the bones by a star.
A church was built over the bones and later replaced with the Catedral de Santiago.
Pilgrims have been walking the Camino, originally from their own homes as a starting point. ever since, as a penance and to gain indulgence.
The Scallop Shell
When St James’s disciples were shipping his body to the Iberian Peninsula a storm is said to have hit the boat and his body was thought lost to the sea.
However, it washed ashore undamaged, coated by scallop shells.
Pilgrims display their shells for identification and are rewarded still with charity from locals.
Medieval pilgrims would also use them to scoop up drinking water: pilgrims take them home as keepsakes.
When to go
April-June, September-October: Galicia is at its most colourful with spring and autumn hues and the temperature is warm without being baking (late teens to early 20sC).
Winter is quieter and temperatures can dip to the early double figures.
Galicia is so verdant because of the rain so be prepared.
A hat and a rucksack… and you’re ready to go
What to bring
Walking boots and socks, picking trousers (convertible with zip to make them shorts).
No jeans, they’re restrictive and will weigh you down in the rain and mark you out as a newbie.
Shirts (long-sleeved and t-shirts).
Walking stick (depending on agility and age).
Light rain jacket and polar fleece.
Sun hat, sunglasses, sun cream.
Water bottle, first aid (Paracetamol, competed blister plasters and anti-inflammatory cream).
How to prepare
Caminoways.com hold training walks throughout the year for different levels of walker.
Alternatively avail of the many walkways around the country which can be similar to the Galician terrain.
And do your basic stretching exercises before and after walks.
Some Halloween spirit
Where to eat/drink
Breakfasts in designated Caminoways.com hotels are buffet style. The large range of fruit is healthy and refreshing, bacon and sausages are thinner than Irish tastes while scrambled eggs are constantly light, fresh and tasty.
Cafe/bars on the Camino are well priced, a range of filled baguettes are around a fiver.
And wine and lager range from around @1-1.50 and while the costs increase the nearer to Santiago you get they are not prohibitive.
Hamlets and towns are well served for eating places.
And if you do stumble across a Queimada (a Galician ritual involving stirring a brew in a fiery cauldron) as I did at the Mandala restaurant in Rua Cima Do Lugar, Arzua then that’s a bonus.
I had their equivalent of an early bird of skag bol and wine which filled the plate, all for €6.
I always seize on calamari where I find it, but it’s pulp (octopus) which is Galicia’s speciality.
Sit on a stool and eat with fingers, mopping up the tomato sauce from the bowl with bread and swirling it down with a large red (at La Puerta, Santiago, €6.50).
Santiago is noted for Padron peppers, usually green where the random one is very hot…. Galician Roulette. I chickened out.
Where to stay
Alfonso IX, Rua Do Peregrino 29, 27600, Sarria (close to the river) Good starting point, good hotel sundries.
Pousada de Portomarin, 27170, Avda de Sarria, Portomarin. A welcome archway after the first day. A cosy stay, and ah, a bidet!
Complejo la Cabana C/Dr Pardo Ouro, 27200.
Palasd de Rei: A bit of a hike up town so a walk to restaurants if you choose not to eat at the hotel. There was a wedding on when I tased which was good of them to arrange for our evening entertainment.
Teodora, Avda de Lugo, 38 Arzua: Centrally located, comfortable and friendly.
Amenal 12, O Pino: One-horse hamlet but that’s OK after a 30km trek, and the stew is filling.
Santiago: HOtel Geimirez, Horreo 92, 15702: Ideally located close to the historic old town. A welcome and deserved bottomless tube at the end of your Camino.
Walk this way
The different ways
The French Way: Saint Jean to Santiago, 770km. Las leg: Sarria to Santiago, 116kms.
Caminoway organise guided and self-guided tours on the many routes across Spain, Portugal and France.
Prices start at €560pp sharing for a six-night Camino trip, walking the Camino Frances from Sarria to Santiago, including half-board, luggage transfers from hotel to hole and holiday pack with pilgrim passport and route information.
Airport transfers, hotel upgrades and bike rental are also available.
This year is a Holy Year for Pilgrims as declared by the Pope The Holy Door of the Cathedral will be open for the Year of Mercy.
And, of course everyone’s Camino is their Camino… This was mine A pilgrim’s prayer.
Beefy: In London with a local
Living like locals in Saint-Pauli
