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Sospel village near Monte Carlo

August 17, 2015 by David Herd

North of Monte Carlo

Sospel village near Monte Carlo

Sospel village near Monte Carlo

Sospel village near Monte Carlo is a small town situated about 15km inland from the coastal resort of Menton & close to the French border with Italy. We were based in Breil Sur Roya just a short drive through the mountains.

Briel Sur Roya to Sospel & Monte Carlo

Sospel village near Monte Carlo

A short drive to the coast.

Medieval town

Sospel village near Monte Carlo

This small medieval town feels almost Italian in character, maybe because it was part of Italy until 1860.


 

Relaxing in the town square

Sospel village near Monte Carlo

   Sospel became prosperous in the 13th century when an important salt trading route between Nice and Turin passed through the town and those using the route paid tolls to use the bridge across the Bévéra river.  

Houses along the riverbanks

Sospel village near Monte Carlo

    The streets of the old town contain numerous attractive medieval houses, many with decorative painted facades.  

Toll Bridge

Sospel village near Monte Carlo

The tower in the centre of the fortified bridge was originally the toll gate for the mules using the trade route. A bridge has stood here since at least the 13th century, although it is likely the original version was built of wood. In 1522 the wooden bridge was replaced by a stone version, much as we see it today.

Viaduct beside the village

Sospel village near Monte Carlo

You can spend many days exploring the beautiful part of France.

Coffee with Deborah

Sospel village near Monte Carlo

  Thanks for sharing my Sospel village near Monte Carlo photo blog, lots more links below.                  

  Checkout some more of my terrific blogs on the links below.
 
A-One hotel on Beach Road

Seven deadly Songkran days

For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.               

 

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1g Duck

 


Europe before Covid-19 & mass immigration.

 

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 2 photos

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

June 8, 2015 by David Herd

Ibiza

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

 Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid was a shock to me when I returned after 36 years since my last visit. I couldn’t believe the number of condominiums along the Costa Brava.

Please forgive the photo quality, my 1.2 mega pixel Canon was my first ancient digital camera.

Ibiza beach

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

It was the off season in April so the people were few and far between, consequently I thought Ibiza was fairly overrated.


 

Valencia

 Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

This trip was part of an around the world journey starting in Bangkok before moving to Spain then on to Venezuela, Cuba and Los Angeles.  

David herd in Valencia

  Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

Valencia was founded as a Roman colony in 138 BC. The city is situated on the banks of the Turia, on the east coast of the Iberian Peninsula, fronting the Gulf of Valencia on the Mediterranean Sea. Its historic centre is one of the largest in Spain.

Better shot of the same place.

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

 Found this on my friends Jean-Paul Facebook page. 

Benidorm, we hated it. 🙂

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

I think the average age of the English and German tourists was mid 70s, there were walking frames everywhere. We went to a couple of bars and restaurants that were copies of similar places in Blackpool.

Cold beers in Benidorm

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

  I was travelling with Les who was a friend from the Gold Coast.  

El Campella near Alicante

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

Revisiting this seaside village was full of nostalgia for me. I had great memories from way back in the late 60s when I was travelling around Europe in a VW Kombi with 2 Kiwi guys. Campella was one of our favourite places where we ate Paellas and washed them down with gallons of Sangria. In those days the men would go fishing off the African coast and the women would sit on the beach making and repairing the huge fishing nets. It was a different world then.

This was 1965

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

 This was Rosemary & Mary, two American girls we met in Campella all those years ago. 🙂

Here are the 2 kiwi guys

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

 Keith Wagstaff & Dick, the photo was taker in Konstanz in Switzerland.

 Deja vu

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

So here I am again 36 years later eating Paella and drinking red wine, the more things change the more they stay the same.

La Manga

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

  We stayed one night in La Manga, who knows why? Certainly nothing to write about here.  

On to Madrid for a little history

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

It was nice to leave behind the walking frames and pommies (Englishmen) drinking pints and singing songs from WW2.  

Madrid

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

I really need to visit Madrid again one day.

Palace Hotel

Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid

Thanks for visiting my very ordinary post  on Spanish Coast Ibiza Madrid with poor quality photos, please have a look at some better efforts in the section below.

A-One hotel on Beach Road

Seven deadly Songkran days

For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.               

 

 Soi Cowboy                  Nana Plaza                    Patpong

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 That’s all folks

1g Duck

Europe before Covid-19 & mass immigration.

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 2 photos