Barga

We awoke to a beautiful morning on Lake Orta.  We were off to quite an early start - down to the Po plain - the Pianura Padana  - a great hazy flat land carpeted by paddy fields filled at this time of year by the golden rice crop.  Then down to Genoa - very close to within a mile or two of the ill-fated bridge, and through the seemingly endless chain of tunnels and bridges to Lucca.  We did a quick shop near to Lucca - the temperature was 30° C!  Fabulous, but a bit of a shock ...

Up in Barga, the temperature was a few degrees less, as it has been today (Monday).

We are still a bit shell-shocked, but have had time to catch up with a few friends, and do some unpacking ...

A fine morning for our final day of travel

The terrible tunnels of Genoa - all 100 of them - but not so bad on a Sunday, when there are almost no lorries

Relaxing with a large cup of tea at journey's end - La Serra

Next morning, our favourite view reveals itself ...

Prosecco and lunch with Scottish friends, Susi and Ron

... and a sunset promising a clear day tomorrow

Lake Orta

Last year, we overnighted in Cannobio on Lake Maggiore.  We liked the feel of the place, so this year decided to do something similar, but for two nights,  For a change of setting we chose the small town of Orta san Giulio on Lake Orta.  The town is amazingly well preserved, and has been a place of pilgrimage/tourism for centuries.

The foothills of the Alps are visible above the rooftops as we plan our day

Outside the 16th century town hall in the main square

Taking it easy in the main square,  looking over to the island of San Giulio

Wonderful banana palms seen on a walk along the lakeside

Placid waters

Heading uphill to the viewpoint

Barbara at the door to our building

Isola San Giulio in the evening

Italia ...

Another fairly long trip yesterday through Switzerland, past Lake of Geneva and over the Simplon Pass to Lake Orta, one of the smaller Italian alpine lakes, very near to Lago Maggiore.

From the flat lands of France, through spectacular valleys past unknown alpine peaks to the warm holiday atmosphere of the small busy town of Orta San Giulio, it was quite a trip.

We were in the vicinity of the Matterhorn, and had hoped to get a view, but were disappointed.

From the car - a view of France, wooded and arable

Up into the Alps ...

A mountain, but not the Matterhorn!

Distant glaciers beyond an alpine village at about 1500m (5000 ft)

At the top of the pass (2000m, 6500ft), bare rock and trees give way to a landscape very reminiscent of the Pass of Drumochter (460m, 1500ft)

Back down the other side through narrow rocky chasms

Peace at last - a beer at sunset with Lago di Orta as a backdrop

La France

Our boat docked about an hour late due to last night's problems.  However the rest of the trip from Zeebrugge to a village near Besançon was uneventful.  Even the road round Lille - our bête noir - was strangely empty of the press of huge lorries we have encountered in past years.

A beautiful day of weather - perfect for driving.  Temperatures started warm and got warmer as the day wore on - eventually reaching 30° - we felt justified in using the air con!

The sun rises over a quiet sea

Energy from the North Sea - and not a fossil fuel in sight ...

Barbara refreshes the circulation in her legs at one of the mini-gymns at a motorway stop

French motorway driving - not the Doncaster bypass!

Our hotel at last - after 8 hours on the road - one sign reads "Chambres au calme" - just what we needed!

Bunting in the main square - a fading union jack among the EU flags is a metaphor for Brexit

Bill quails behind the cheeseboard at the hotel's restaurant ...

Jedburgh to darkest Lincolnshire and beyond ...

Drove down the A1 to Gainsborough yesterday, to sister Carol's.  Caught the edge of Storm Ali - first "named storm" of the winter.

Today was very windy, and on the way up to Hull, we were briefly detained as men and machines removed a fallen tree from the roadway just north of Gainsborough.

Arrived on time at the Hull P&O terminal only to find the boat was to be delayed for an hour and a half because it had to change berths at the last moment because of debris blowing about the wharf ...  It was very windy!

Now writing this post in the civilised surroundings of the bar of the Pride of York, after a good fill up at the supper buffet.  Boat seems steady as a rock, so hopefully that will continue, as the winds are due to slacken as the night progresses ...

With Carol on the windy banks of the Trent - the loading wharves of former days, and home of King Canute and friends in the 1030s

A waning moon over Hull harbour as we finally prepare to leave ...

Season of mellow fruitfulness ...

Grand weather down here in Jedburgh.  We went for a walk yesterday, and were impressed by the profusion of fruit in the hedgerows. 

Brambles galore!  Good enough to eat ... 

... which we did  - a lot!  But returned to pick some more next day - Betty is going to make Bramble gin ...

And haws - what can you do with haws? (if you're not a hawfinch ...)

The fly agaric - to be enjoyed visually, but not culinarly ...

... unlike the penny-bun fungus, or boletus called porcini in Italy and much sought after and foraged at this time of year and costing about €20 per kilo!  Totally neglected in our neck of the woods 

Sheep camouflaged in their pasture

As we get nearer to town, the elders are bowed under their harvest of berries

We're off!

A good night's sleep on the boat in Stromness harbour, then off at 06.30 headed for Scrabster. Spending the night on the boat saves us getting up at 5am. to catch the boat in the normal way!

Lots of gannets to see as we pass across the Pentland Firth.

Squally weather as we pass through Hoy Sound and say farewell to Orkney ...

... weather improving ...

... brightening up an hour and a half later as we approach Holburn Head on the Scottish mainland.

Orkney to Tuscany, Part Seven

We're off to Barga once again.   We have had a fabulous summer of weather in Orkney, and the flowers and inhabitants have bloomed in proportion.

The Merlin, a favourite boat in Stromness harbour, one of the last of the traditional lobster fishing boats, skippered for 60 years by Willie Sinclair 

A field of barley lies ripe for harvest.  For the afficionado, this no ordinary barley, but the ancient, 6-rowed variety, called "bere" in Orkney, and traditionally baked into bannocks

Barbara with her Shetland cousin Morag, who was recently down in Stromness to play in the inter-county golf tournament

The Thursday night dinghy racing - a good night for the photographer, not so good for the sailor!

Somewhere, under the rainbow - Barbara's Japanese anemones standing proud beneath a late evening rainbow.  We have had so many beautiful evenings.