Posted by: Debra Kolkka | April 27, 2026

Andorra

On our way from Italy to Spain we decided to stop in Andorra, a place we have not been to…a good enough reason to go.

Andorra is a tiny principality situated in the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain. It is believed to have been created by Charlemagne. It was ruled by the Count of Urgell until 988, when it was transferred to the Diocese of Urgell. Andorra was formed as a polity by a charter in 1278, being lordship within the Principality of Catalonia until 1715. It is currently headed by 2 co-princes: the Bishop of Urgell in Catalonia and the President of Spain. (Thank you Wikipedia)

We drove past ski resorts filled with huge hotels and apartments. There was still snow on the higher mountains but there appeared to be no skiing activity.

The drive from France up through the mountains was spectacular. All of these photos were taken from the passenger seat of our moving car. We went from beautiful green valley and rushing streams to snow capped mountains quite quickly.






The principality has a tax-haven status and encourages duty-free shopping. 8 million tourist visit the country every year.

We stayed in the capital, Andorra last Vella, the highest capital city in Europe. (1,023 metres above sea level) It is chock full of duty free shops! It is like a huge mall filled with shops and people looking for bargains.

The first thing I spotted upon leaving the hotel was a cow made of hydrangeas. The cow was wearing skis.

 

This is the main street. It is all duty free shopping with the occasional cafe or restaurant.

The real action starts around the corner, past a quaint building and a sculpture and city sign, to a huge shopping mall of duty free shops. It covered 2 city blocks. It doesn’t look crowded in the photos, but it was full of people shoppping. There was not a thing to interest me there.

 






I am happy to have visited Andorra. The drive through the country was spectacular, but since I no longer ski and that kind of shopping doesn’t interest me, it will be a one off. The hydrangea cow was the highlight.

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Posted by: Debra Kolkka | April 21, 2026

Sur le Pont d’Avignon

We visited Avignon for the first time, many years ago, before I started the blog. It was a short, overnight stay and I have few memories of it besides the famous bridge and the smallest shower cubicle ever.

We stayed a little longer on our recent visit. Avignon is situated in France’s Provence region, on the Rhone River. From 1309 to 1377 it was the seat of the Catholic popes. It remained under Papal rule until becoming part of France in1791.

A happy leftover from this time is the enormous Palais des Papes, now in the city centre. The old city walls remain. The walls measure 4,330 metres and were built with the soft limestone from the region.


Most people have heard of the Pont d’Avignon, the Avignon bridge. It was the first site we looked for. I learned French a very long time ago at school and we learned song about dancing on the bridge.  Others must have learned the song too. There were several people dancing on the bridge.

Only 4 arches of the medieval bridge survive. An earlier wooden bridge was built in 1177 and 1185. It was destroyed 40 years later. The building of the new bridge was begun in 1234 and had 22 stone arches. It was abandoned in the mid 17th century as the arches collapsed each time the Rhone flooded.

Now you can drive under the bridge.

 

The bridge joins the city wall and there is quite a bit to discover once you enter the site.


The Chapel of Saint Nicholas was built in the second half of the 12th century, but has been altered.


Obviously the bridge offers a great view of the river.

…and over the city skyline.


We had beautiful spring weather in April. There were green and flowering trees, pretty gardens and stunning wisteria in bloom.



I love the corner sculptures everywhere. Look up!


There are some good shopping streets.

The Palace is stunning. It is one of the largest and most  important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe. We didn’t go in…another time.


I caught the attention of a local.


This beautiful flower shop caught me eye.

We liked the look of this restaurant and went back later for delicious food and lovely service.

 

We discovered a delightful area close to our hotel. The Teinturiers street was named for the guild of the makers of the “Indiennes” fabric which worked along the banks of the river. The carders, spinners and dyers used the energy generated by the many water wheels on the river.

There is a small canal and one of the water wheels is still there. The shade trees beside the canal and the steeple of the Cordeliers church from the 14th century make for an excellent backdrop for the cafes and small shops that line the street.




I particularly liked the old stone pieces that are used as seats.

This one is the best! I want one.



We stayed at Hotel Le Magnan on the edge of the town, just inside the wall. It was easy to access from the main road into town and they had a car park. There are only a couple of spaces so you need to book one.

We had the peacock room…very flash.

There was a lovely courtyard below.


Avignon didn’t disappoint on our second visit…there might be a third in the future.

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Posted by: Debra Kolkka | April 18, 2026

A century of fashion in Florence

At the magestic Palazza Pitti in Florence there is a fashion exhibition at the Museum of Costume and Fashion. It is a century of fashion, but there are earlier exhibits as well. Stunning paintings relating to the fashions are shown near the garments.

Be prepared to climb several staircases to get to the exhibition.

Walk through some beautiful rooms to enter the museum, and don’t forget to look up.



I loved this hat near the entrance.

Italian gown from the second quarter of the 18th century.

 


On a wall nearby.

A few decades later

Moving on.



Wedding gown 1884


More.


From here we move into the next century.

Circa 1913



A simple tunic from the Venice workshop 1910 – 1920.

Jacques Doucer 1910 – 1920 kimono.

Mariano Fortunt 1934 tunic.


Coco Chanel 1929 and Galileo Chini of Florence 1912

The backdrop.

1925 Italian.


1923 Italian

1930 Jeanne Paquin

Madeleine Vionnet 1937 – 1938


Elsa Schiaparelli 1936

Elsa Schiaparelli 1938 – 1939

Madeleine Vionnet 1934.

1950s

Yves Saint Laurent 1958.

Christian Dior 1948.

Sartoria Magnani 1958 – 1959


1960s.

1960s

1970

 

Andre Courreges 1975


Pierre Cardin. 1969

Federico Forquet ((Napoli) 1962

Gianfranco Ferre 1987 – 1988

Gianfranco Ferre 1997


Gianfranco Ferre 1997 – 1998

Valentino Garavani 2000 – 2005

Federico Forquet 1968

 

Prada 2007 – 2008

John Galliano 1998

Maurizio Galante 1996


Jean Patou

The exhibition finished without any explanation at this point. I hope I have got all the names and dates correct. There was quite a lot to see.

A general ticket into Palazzo Pitti will allow entrance to the fashion collection. You are free to see other collections as well. I am happy I was in Italy to see this interesting progression of fashion.

 

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Posted by: Debra Kolkka | April 14, 2026

My favourite street in Rome

Via Magutta is my favourite street in Rome. I came upon it by accident a few years ago and I walk along it every time I go to Rome. It is a cobblestone street with ivy covered walls and lined with plant filled pots. It is rarely busy.

Via Magutta is close to the Spanish Steps and runs parallel to with Via Babuino, which leads to Piazza del Popolo.

It is known as the historic “street of artists”. It has attracted painters, sculptors and poets from the 17th century. Its famous residents have included filmmakers Federico Fellini and Giulietta Masini, actress Anna Magnani and painter Giorgio de Chirico. In the 1953 film Roman Holiday Via Magutta 51 was Gregory Peck’s character’s apartment.

Now it is home to designer shops, galleries, a couple of stylish hotel, cafes and a restaurant or 2.

 


This appealed to me. The note asks the reader not to take the cushion away, it is for the cat.


The entrance to a hotel.

A stunning fountain.


A lovely place to live.


We had lunch at this interesting looking restaurant.


We were in Rome in March. It seems the shoulder season is no more. The city was packed. We walked across to Trastevere thinking it might be more calm there. We were wrong.

This, walking past Castel St Angelo.


The seagull watched in amazement.

 

This, in Trastevere.



This, at the Pantheon.


I had to have a Roman artichoke.


There were some quiet spots and some lovely old doors, and fountains.





I first saw this several years ago…park your dog. It says “OK, you go, I will wait for you.”

We got up early on our last day in Rome in the hope of avoiding crowds. It worked.

The Spanish Steps where you can actually see the steps.

…and the lovely fountain in front.

The Trevi Fountain had already gathered crowds.



It really is stunning.

The Piazza Navona is better now that the souvenir stalls have gone.

This beautiful cafe not open yet at Doria Pamphlij

We had the walk around the ruins of the Forum all to ourselves once we got though crowds at the Vittorio Emanuel II memorial.






I was sorry to see Caffe Greco still closed. I always had a coffee there at least once when in Rome.


I think winter might be the best time to visit Rome.

Here is an earlier post about Caffe Greco…

Buffalo Bill was here

Another favourite is still open, Tazza d’Oro, but there was a long queue so we walked past.

Tazza d’Oro – the best coffee in Rome

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Posted by: Debra Kolkka | April 7, 2026

More Montenegro

We stayed an excellent hotel just outside of the main town of Kotor, in the suburb of Dobrota. It is on a tiny strip with one road on the edge of the Bay of Kotor.

The water’s edge has some fine old buildings including St Eustachius church.

This building is waiting patiently for someone to come along and bring it back to life.

A patient cat waiting for some attention.

The views across the bar are spectacular.

After a storm there was snow on the mountains.



Little gardens and wildflowers are coming to life.


This is a view from the hotel.

 


The hotel is called Hotel Palazzo del Mare – Essenza. This was our room. It was extremely comfortable, the staff were friendly and helpful and it was a great base for our travels.

We visited the town of Budva. The new part of the town is not particularly interesting. There are huge apartament buildings being constructed so I suppose it is a popular spot for some.

The old town is small and could do with some love. We didn’t stay long.


There was a large golden ball bell just outside the old town walls.  It was a prop in a 1964 movie called The Long Ships. The movie was filmed in the area.

 

We also went to Tivat. Once again the town wasn’t of much interest and we went to the new port area. If you are into boating, this would be the place for you be.

There are expensive yachts waiting for their owners. The expensive shopping area is getting ready for the season. It was a miserable, blustery day. I can imagine how fine it all must look in gleaming sunshine. I think passegiata here would be quite something.

 








We stopped for a coffee to get out of the rain and spotted lamingtons! So far from home.


…spotted on the way back to the car.



I am becoming increasingly disappointed with travel guide books. I wish they would be more honest so we could make better decisions.  After visiting a couple of towns we looked more closely to some descriptions of others and didn’t go there.

We loved Kotor, Perast and driving through the incredibly beautiful mountings and around the Bay of Kotor. We will return.

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Posted by: Debra Kolkka | April 2, 2026

Perfect Perast

Tiny Perast in the Bay of Kotor was one of our favourite places in Montenegro. It is a small, mostly pedestrian village on the coast near Kotor. There is one road running along beside the water’s edge. Parking is at either end of the village. Driving is restricted.

It is a UNESCO protected Venetian style site, renowned for its 18th century stone palaces, some of them now stunning hotels and restaurants.

We were there when it was practically empty. There were very few people enjoying this gorgeous place. I believe it is brimming with tourists in the warm months. I can understand why.

Come for a short walk.

Not far from the water’s edge is the small island of St George. The St George Benedictine monastery was constructed in the 12th century.

There are 2 tiny islands off Perast. Lady of the Rocks is a man made island, created by sailors depositing rocks after finding a Madonna icon in 1452. It houses a 17th century church, a museum and a small souvenir shop.

There are boats to take visitors across to the islands, but the wind was ferocious while we were there so it will have to wait until next time.

 

Moving on…







 

There are lots of restaurants beside the sea, with excellent views.

We had coffee at Dardin.


It looked lovely so we went back later for dinner.

This is the Grand Heritage Perast. It is housed in three impressive buildings.




It was too windy to sit on the seaside terrace, so we had lunch inside.

We did have a view.


Lunch was excellent.

Perast was very pretty in the early evening.

On our third visit to Perast we found the museum we had seen a couple of times, was open. We expected to find some ancient relics. Instead we found this lovely collection from Perast’s shipping days.

At the entrance is a huge Venetian coat of arms.


The first room we walked into was filled with beautifully preserved seafaring items.

I loved this wonderful old trunk.

This is a model of one of the ships built in Perast.

A fabulous uniform.

Another room was filled with weapons. Time and money would be better spent on things not designed to kill people.


My favourite room had clothing of the era.


A child’s outfit.


Throughout the museum were children’s illustrations, a nice touch.


If we ever come back to Montenegro we will stay in Perast.

 

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Posted by: Debra Kolkka | March 29, 2026

Kotor, the old town

Kotor is known for its dramatic fjord like bay and its well preserved medieval old town. The rugged mountain looming behind the town adds to the drama.

It is possible to climb the 1350 steps to the San Giovanni fortress above the town. (I didn’t) The old town walls climb up behind the town to the top. There was already fortification in Illyrian times. The fortress was reconstructed in the 6th century by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I. 2 earthquakes have failed to destroy them.



 


The old fortifications are impressive at the entrance to the old town.




The main entrance, the Sea Gate.

On the wall inside the entrance.

The clock tower in the large square inside the sea gate. It was built in 1602.


Cafes in Weapons Square wait in for the influx of tourists.


There are lots of interesting things to discover in the old town.

St Luke’s church.


This gate is the entrance to the path up to the old walls.





Saint Michael’s church.

Remember to look up.


Saint Tryphon cathedral. It was consecrated in 1166. It is the largest and most ornate in Kotor. It has been damaged twice by earthquakes and has only been restored completely recently.u

To one side is a staircase that takes you up to a small museum.



There is a great view of the square below from the balcony of the church.

Everywhere you walk in Kotor you see cats. They seem to be stray cats, but they all look healthy and cared for. They are quite friendly and will kindly allow you to pat them. Cats are considered good luck and protectors against pests.
They originally arrived on trade ships and are now welcome members of the Kotor community. There is a cat museum, but it was not open while we were there.


The thing to eat in Kotor is fish. We ate twice at Dekaderon, close to St Tryphon church.

A fresh fish is brought to the table and then it is whisked off to be cooked. We had bruschetta first then the fish was filleted and deboned and placed on top of vegetables…delicious.

Kotor is a popular stop for cruise ships. We saw 2 while we were there. They are huge. A shop owner told us there can be 7 a day in the high season.

At least visitors don’t have far to walk to the old town once  they  get off the ship.



On Saturday there is an excellent produce market under a portico near the Sea Gate. The selection was great and the vegetables looked as though they had been freshly picked that morning from a local farm.


It is easy to see why Kotor is a popular destination for visitors to Montenegro. The old town is well preserved and presented, We visited early in the season. In a week or two it will be a lot busier. Because it is quite small I can imagine that it could be very crowded, and hot. I much prefer to travel out of season.

 

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Posted by: Debra Kolkka | March 26, 2026

Montenegro, Podgorica to Kotor

The flight to Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro, from Rome is only 1 hour 20 minutes. Flying towards the coast the rugged mountains and green farmland come into view.



Podgorica is no doubt a great place to live. The guide book said it is one of the dullest capital cities in Europe, a bit harsh. It has busy shopping streets and some nice parks. We were only there for the night, so didn’t do much sightseeing.

Podgorica has a major parking issue. The kind man at the car hire at the airport said there are plenty of car parks. He neglected to say that all of them are full. Any space on or near a road has a car in it. Paid carparks were all full. Footpaths double as car parking spaces on occasion. We finally managed to find a space after driving around for sometime. It was a short walk to the hotel.

We left the next morning, heading for Cetinje, the historical capital. It was the capital of Montenegro until the country was subsumed into the first state of Yugoslavia in 1918.

The road through the mountains to Cetinje is stunning. The rocky mountains loom on either side of the highway.

The town sits in a basin surrounded by the Loveen massif. Look up in all directions and you see mountains.

The main street is pedestrian only. The trees are all bare right now, but it will look wonderful soon. Visiting before tourist season and crowds means not seeing places are their very best. I can live with thst.

There some stunning buildings in the town…the French embassy.

An old building. It looks like something the Adams Family would have liked.

The Minestry of Culture.

 

A colourful street.

The Blue Palace is the official residence of the President of Montenegro. It was built in 1895.

You see the mountains in the background.

Busy cafes in the square.

King Nicola’s Palace has been a museum since 1926.

A small church near the Cetinje Monastery.

The Cetinje Monastery is a monastery of the Serbian Orthodox Church. It was founded in 1484 by Prince Ivan Crnojevic of Zeta. It was devastated in 1692 in a war in 1692 and rebuilt in 1701 – 1704.


Always a mountain in view.

History museum.

The National Museum was once Government House.


Another fabulous old building in the main street.

Another square with outdoor cafes.

I liked the colourful row of houses and shops in the background, particulars the yellow building. I loved the detail at the top.

Not far away we found the Fairy of Loveen, a monument to 350 American Montenegrins who died when their boat was sunk off Albania on their return to Montenegro to fight in WWI.


Behind it is the Vlach Church. The Vlach are believed to be the remnants of the Romans who retreated into less accessible areas when their boat was Slavs arrived. The fence is made from 1544 barrels of guns taken from the Ottomans during the 19th century wars.

Car parks were also difficult to find in Cetinje. We did find one not far from the pedestrian street. We were delighted to spot and empty space near the Vlach Church!

Then it was back on the road through more mountains. Some still had snow on top.

 

We missed a turn towards Kotor and instead of telling us to turn around the satnav sent us on a detour along a very narrow and winding road down through the mountains and back up again.

We passed tiny settlements, abandoned houses and the occasional small farm.


Once back on the highway we soon began to descend towards Kotor on the coast. We had to stop to take in the view a couple of times.

From the top it was switchbacks all the way to the bottom. Just as well we had practice on the 8 kilometres for switchbacks on the way to Casa Debbio, the house we had in the Apuane Alps in Italy.


There were wildflowers along the road on the way down.

 

We were lucky to have blue sky all the way.

Next stop Kotor.

 

 

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Posted by: Debra Kolkka | March 22, 2026

Valentino exhibition in Rome

I must learn to crochet. This is the message I took from Venus: Valentino Garavani through the eyes of Joana Vasconcelos. Joana Vasconcelos is a Portuguese artist who bridges art, fashion and craft.

This is what you see as you walk up the stairs to the exhibition. I remember this line from the movie about Valentino. It sounded wonderful when he said it in his delicious Italian accent.


Joana Vasconcelos installations are featured alongside Valentino’s stunning designs.

This is the entrance…

a Valentino dress.

 

A crochet sculpture by Joana…


Two crochet covered sculptures…



Closer.

The first room has a massive sculpture inspired by eight of Valentino’s dresses. It was created by more than 200 contributors.

 

Moving on…

 

Take a closer look at the sculpture. I will never look at my iron the same way again. One of them actually had steam coming out of it.

 


Take a closer look at the shoe sculptures.


I have one of those saucepans at home!


Looking up.



The final room.








The exhibition is on until 31st May 2026 in Piazza Mignanelli 23, near the Spanish Steps, just steps from the Valentino shop.

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Posted by: Debra Kolkka | March 19, 2026

Glorious Venice

I have been many times to Venice, but it is not possible to see too much of Venice. The fact that it is exists is remarkable. The city that sits on millions of wooden poles has managed to stay above the water in the lagoon for more than 1,600 years.

There are 14,000 wooden poles under the Rialto Bridge and 10,000 oak trees under San Marco Basilica, built in 832AD. How could you not love this city?

We drove to Venice and parked at the Tronchetto car park, turn right after leaving the bridge over the lagoon. From there we took a ferry to our hotel in Dosoduro. The minute the ferry turns into the Grand Canal the marvellous buildings lining the edges begin to appear.

 




The Rialto Bridge.

 

 

We dropped our bags at the hotel and went to Fondamente Nove to catch the ferry to Burano where we had a late lunch appointment. We arrived as the ferry was sailing off to Burano.

So, we turned around and walked back towards Piazza San Marco…more canals…


and we came across this, Campo di S.S. Giovanni & Paolo.

In the huge piazza is the church of St John and St Paul and a hospital.





It is difficult to get a feeling of the immensity of these buildings, and they stand on wooden poles.

We walked past more canals, more fabulous buildings..


I love finding small details.



We arrived at St Marks square. The church facade has scaffolding so I am just showing you the top.


Because we missed lunch we decided to have aperitivo at Florian, the oldest cafe in Italy. It recently celebrated its 300th year.

It was a beautiful, warm afternoon so we sat outside where the band plays.

We walked to the hotel past more  canals,





huge buildings,

shiny shop windows,


more details,

a beautiful cafe and florist,


a high fence with mimosa,

to the promenade in front of the hotel.

Hotel Palazzo Venezia.

The lovely entrance.



Our room.


The breakfast room.

Then it was out again to enjoy the warm evening.









There is much to love in Venice.

During covid, when I was stuck in Italy, I took advantage of one of the times we were able to move about, and went to Venice. It is interesting to look back to that time….

Venice and covid 19

more on my favourite area in Venice.

Dosoduro, authentic Venice

 

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