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Places worth going
All places →Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de MontmartreDon't missLandmarksBeautiful basilica, and if you don't go you're missing out! It sits at the top of Montmartre so you get all of Paris laid out from the steps, which is half the reason to climb up. Wander the streets behind it while you're there. Gets crowded though, so go early or late.BertakotekaDon't missFood & drinkHad the octopus, the chistorra, a ham pintxo, the fried squid, and more! Everything local, everything good, and the fried calamari with aioli was the pick of it. A few pintxos and a beer then move on: that's how the old town works. Amazing food in San Sebastián, though get used to not understanding what's going on!BicheDon't missFood & drinkHad the grilled octopus, mashed potatoes, fries, the chateaubriand with pepper sauce, and a bourbon-vanilla crème brûlée. The octopus was the standout, properly charred and sitting on a red pepper sauce, and the steak was perfect. Most places are stingy with the sauce, but this came with loads of it and it was delicious. The room is lovely too: exposed brick, low pleated lamps and big white flower arrangements. Not cheap, but it's the Faubourg Saint-Honoré and it earns it. Amazing food, amazing wine and amazing vibe!Bled CastleDon't missLandmarksWorth the climb for the view rather than the castle itself. From the walls the whole lake opens out below you with the island and its church sitting almost dead centre, forested hills all the way round and, the day I was there, heavy grey cloud sitting over the top of it. It's supposed to be the oldest castle in Slovenia, first written down in 1011, though what you're really paying for is that view.Blue LagoonDon't missLandmarksStandard stop on the island run, and the water really is that colour - shallow over a pale sand bar, so you can stand up a long way out. Plenty of other boats moored up doing exactly the same thing, so don't expect it to yourself. Still worth the swim.BordeauxDon't missTownsOne of the coolest cities I've been to. So much variety of amazing food, all kinds of cuisines, and even the fast food is innovative! Small enough to comfortably walk around and the public transport is great. Worth wandering with no plan, though do make your way to Place de la Bourse and the Miroir d'Eau at some point, the whole facade reflected in the water is the shot everyone comes for. Really loved it!Bormes-les-MimosasDon't missTownsProper hilltop Provençal village: narrow lanes, flowers over everything, views down to the sea. Small enough to do in an hour, and worth stopping for if you're driving the coast.Bouillon PigalleDon't missFood & drinkHad the snails, the bone marrow and the beef bourguignon - went in wanting to try things I hadn't had before. Really glad I tried the bone marrow, and the snails in their garlic butter were better than I expected. The bourguignon was good without being amazing. Classic bouillon prices too, huge portions and paper tablecloths for not much money. If you don't book, turn up early or expect to queue down the boulevard. Will definitely be back to work through more of the menu!Cap FerretDon't missTownsThe whole peninsula is worth the drive from Bordeaux. Wooden oyster cabins painted in every colour, the dune on one side and the basin on the other. Go for lunch at one of the shacks and stay for the afternoon. Best oysters in Europe I think!CassisDon't missTownsGorgeous little port town and the natural base for the calanques. Park above and walk down; the boats for En-Vau and Port-Miou go from the harbour. Give it a full afternoon if you can.Château LauducDon't missWineGorgeous venue, with tables out on the grass right at the edge of the vines, about twenty minutes from Bordeaux. Amazing wines and great food, and you can sit there while the sun goes down over the rows. Evening is absolutely the right time for it. Will be back!Cité du VinDon't missWineAn immersive wine experience more than a museum! The building alone is worth seeing: it's meant to look like wine swirling in a glass. Your ticket includes a tasting up in the Belvédère at the top, which also gives you the best view over Bordeaux and the Garonne, and the pours aren't only Bordeaux either, I had a Corsican white and a Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Easily half a day, and you can't go to Bordeaux without coming here!CONNOR’S - Australian Sports BarDon't missFood & drinkGreat Aussie bar in Bordeaux and my default when I wanted an easy night, so I ended up going multiple times. The staff are brilliant, which is half of why I kept going back. Good selection on tap, and a soft landing if your French isn't up to much yet. Will be back again!Disneyland ParisDon't missActivitiesI went from opening to close, and did both parks, Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios. A full day, not a half, and you'll walk a very long way! Main Street first thing before the crowds build, the Studios in the afternoon, then back over for Hyperspace Mountain at dusk when the whole place lights up. It rained on and off all day and it honestly didn't matter, but take a jacket rather than an umbrella, your hands will thank you. Looong day but a great experience!Donostia / San SebastiánDon't missTownsBest eating of the whole trip and only about forty-five minutes from Biarritz! Do the old town in the evening - pintxos and a beer/wine per bar, then keep moving. The bay is beautiful but the food is the reason to cross the border.Eiffel TowerDon't missLandmarksGo up, and time it for sunset. The very top was shut on my night because of high winds, so I only got one level up - and I took the stairs, which as someone scared of heights I did not love! Completely worth it though: the Champ de Mars straight below you, then the sky going orange and pink and the whole city switching its lights on. I came back to see it from Trocadéro and Bir-Hakeim too, and it's different every time.GenoaDon't missTownsGenoa doesn't get the attention it deserves. I had a bright morning down on the seafront, a promenade above the rocks with a pale church and bell tower behind and the water flat and blue out to a headland. The real thing though is the old town behind it, one of the biggest medieval quarters in Europe, all caruggi - alleys so narrow and tall you lose the sky - and then you pop out into a marble palazzo square. Eat the focaccia, it's a religion here, and this is the region pesto comes from. Would go back and give it longer.Giens PeninsulaDon't missOutdoorsThe drive out to Giens is lovely on its own, salt flats one side, sea the other. It's also where the Porquerolles boats go from, so you'll probably end up here anyway. Windy, always!Grossglockner High Alpine RoadDon't missJourneysOne of the great drives, and worth building a whole day around rather than just crossing over. Thirty-odd hairpins climbing to about 2,500m under Austria's highest mountain, the road stacking up the valley below you, a couple of little tarns and a hut at the turn, and cloud sitting right down on the ridges at the top. Lower down it opened out into blue sky and big white cloud. You stop constantly, because every corner opens onto something new. It's a toll road and it's not cheap, and I'd pay it again tomorrow.Guinguette BikainaDon't missFood & drinkGorgeous place. A proper Basque guinguette right on the water, with tables under the trees looking over the river. Amazing range of food and drinks, and a lovely spot as the light goes. Will be back!HvarDon't missTownsA long lunch and a wander, which is exactly the right way to do Hvar. I had the grilled meat - ribs, ćevapi, chops and grilled vegetables - and then walked it off in the stepped stone lanes that run down to the waterfront, bougainvillea over the walls and tables set out along the steps. The whole town funnels down to the harbour, so you keep getting these slots of blue between the buildings. Climb up to the Spanish fortress if you've got the legs for it, the view back over the Pakleni islands is the picture everyone comes for.KarerseeDon't missLandmarksWorth going out of your way for, and worth staying until the light goes. The lake sits in the trees with the Latemar's spires standing up behind it, and it's so still that the whole forest and half the mountain come back at you off the surface. The water is an extraordinary green - they call it the rainbow lake, and the story goes a wizard shattered a rainbow into it. I stayed on for the sunset and got the spires lit orange, then a last silhouette with one tall spruce against the sky.La baraque à huitresDon't missFood & drinkHad the oysters, prawns, bread with salted butter and a couple of pâtés, with white wine. Great wine, great oysters - honestly on par with NZ oysters, some of the best in the world! It's right in among the oyster huts with the water at the end of the lane and the beds out in the bassin in front of you, which is a big part of why it's so good. Will be back.La cabane dans les vignesDon't missWineHad the Château de Fontenille, Les Demoiselles, the "Je suis Gris", a charcuterie board and a cheese plate. Gorgeous place, worth the drive! Great food, great wine, and a great way to end the trip. Would go back.Lake BledDon't missOutdoorsGo down to the shore in the evening. The lake was still enough to hold the reflection of the whole far shore, the castle up on its cliff off to one side and the island church small in the middle distance, with a thin crescent moon already up. It's the postcard and it absolutely earns it. Take a pletna out to the island if you've got a morning - they're rowed by hand, standing up - and eat a kremšnita, the cream cake the town is known for, which is far better than a tourist cake has any right to be.Lake BraiesDon't missOutdoorsDeep green-blue water with a pale gravel shore running into it, cliffs and pines down the far side and the old wooden boathouse at the head of the lake. Genuinely as good as it looks, which I wasn't expecting given how photographed it is. The loop round the edge takes about an hour and gets you away from the crowd at the near end within about five minutes. It's also where the Alta Via 1 starts, if you ever fancy walking to Belluno.Le PanierDon't missTownsBest hour on foot in Marseille! It's the old quarter above the Vieux-Port, all steep lanes, pastel walls and pale blue shutters, with washing hanging out of the windows. It gets quiet as soon as you climb away from the main drag.Le Train de La RhuneDon't missJourneysAbsolutely recommend taking the little wooden rack train up La Rhune, a unique experience not far from the Spanish border. It's been running since the 1920s and grinds up at walking pace for about half an hour, with ponies and sheep wandering across the track. The ride is spectacular and the view from the top is gorgeous: the whole Basque coast laid out below you, Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Biarritz and the beaches running north into the haze. Go for the view, and stay for it. Take water and snacks: the café at the top won't refill your bottle and it's pricey.Les Chantiers de la GaronneDon't missFood & drinkSand underfoot, low crate tables and rope swings hanging from the plane trees, right on the bank of the Garonne. Lovely for a late afternoon drink and a snack; I had oysters and wine and it was super. Would go back.Les Drôles BORDEAUXDon't missFood & drinkHad the foie gras with cannelé toasts and onion compote, then grilled meat with baby potatoes. One 27€ menu, all made in house, and one of the best value meals I had! The foie gras with cannelé is such a Bordeaux idea and it really works. Small room on rue Saint-Rémi so book.Les Halles BacalanDon't missFood & drinkCovered food hall directly across from the Cité du Vin, so pair the two: do the museum, then come here to eat. Around twenty stalls under one roof, with oysters from the basin, charcuterie, cheese, Basque food, and wine by the glass from people who know it. You order from whichever counter you like and sit at the shared tables in the middle, which is the best bit, because you end up eating a bit of everything instead of committing to one menu. Busy and loud in a good way.Notre-Dame Cathedral of ParisDon't missLandmarksI didn't go inside this time, but it's magnificent from the outside - the west front, the rose window and all that carving over the doors. I did go in back in 2007 and it's absolutely worth it, so make time if you can: it's free now it's reopened, but book a slot ahead or you'll be queueing for an hour.Notre-Dame de la GardeDon't missLandmarksGo for the view. The whole city is laid out below you, with the Frioul islands and the Château d'If out in the bay and the coast running off both ways. I didn't go inside the basilica, didn't need to. Fair warning: I drove up and it's a set of very narrow, very steep switchbacks, so take the bus if you'd rather not deal with that.Old Port of MarseilleDon't missTownsThe heart of Marseille and where everything else runs off from. Masts and superyachts side by side, the fish market at the top end in the morning, and the whole thing glitters in the afternoon light. Walk the full length of it at least once; you'll end up back here anyway.Parc national des CalanquesDon't missOutdoorsI chose not to hike it and took a boat trip instead. Seeing five or six calanques for not much money was so worth it! From the water you get the full height of the white cliffs with the pines somehow growing straight out of them, and right at the head of En-Vau there's a little beach you can see the swimmers on. If you do the walk, pack plenty of water and food, because there's nothing but nature when you get there.Passion Med - Catamaran Var - Excursion et privatisation bateau vers PorquerollesDon't missActivitiesBest day of the Provence leg! Half a day out of Giens on the catamaran, anchoring off Porquerolles to swim and snorkel, and the crew were great company. You see the island from the water rather than going ashore, which honestly was the better way to do it - would absolutely do it again.PeitlerkofelDon't missViewpointsYou can drive to this one. The pass road brings you out onto open meadow and Peitlerkofel is straight ahead - twin summits and a great pale wall of rock, with hay barns and spruce scattered across the green in front of it. I pulled over and just stood there for a while.
Passo delle Erbe is a lovely drive in its own right and there is parking at the top, so you get the whole view without having to walk for it. If you have longer there is a loop trail that goes right around the base of the mountain.
Late morning was good - the face was still catching the sun when I was there. Gorgeous.PEPPE PIZZERIA Etienne MarcelDon't missFood & drinkHad the burrata with pesto, the focaccia and a pizza with ricotta, slow-roasted datterini tomatoes, aubergine and basil. Neapolitan done properly, with the puffed, blistered crust to prove it, and the burrata was so much better than it needed to be! There's usually a queue out onto Étienne Marcel but it moves quickly, so join it, or book!Plitvice Lakes National ParkDon't missOutdoorsGive it a full day, and go early. Sixteen lakes stacked down a valley, each one spilling into the next over travertine barriers that are still growing, so the whole thing is a staircase of water. It's boardwalks most of the way with one flat electric boat across the big lake, and the water is an opaque green that goes properly turquoise wherever it shallows over the limestone. It was grey all day when I went and it didn't dull the colour one bit. Gets very busy in the middle of the day, so the early start is the whole game.Pont de Bir-HakeimDon't missLandmarksBest view of the Eiffel Tower in Paris and hardly anyone on it compared to the Trocadéro. Go at golden hour and walk the middle deck between the pillars.PorquerollesDon't missOutdoorsI saw it from the water rather than landing, out on the catamaran with Passion Med, anchored off the beaches to swim. Even from the boat it's stunning: pine right down to the sand, and water that really is that colour. Worth knowing the boat timetables are awkward if you want to go ashore. The last one back leaves before sunset, so for an evening there you'd need to stay the night.Predjama CastleDon't missLandmarksA properly strange thing to stand in front of. The castle is wedged right into the mouth of a cave in a grey limestone cliff, pale walls and a shingled roof under a huge overhang, and it's reckoned to be the largest cave castle in the world. The story goes that a robber baron held out a siege here for a year because a passage through the rock let him keep sneaking out for supplies. From inside, a gap in the raw rock frames the village roofs and the wet road far below.Restaurant La CabaneDon't missFood & drinkHad the razor clams in parsley butter with a chorizo crumb, the linguine in truffle cream with burrata and a parmesan crumble, and the fillet of sea bream in an aioli crust with crushed potatoes, with a rosé. The razor clams with chorizo were excellent, the linguine was the one I kept going back to - truffle cream, a whole burrata melting into it, the crumble for crunch - and the dorade under an aioli crust was better than it sounds. Outside tables, rosé, right by the water - exactly what you want in Hyères.ROCKWOOD - Good place & good tasteDon't missFood & drinkRight on the quay by the Quinconces, so it is an easy one to fall into after walking the riverfront. Grab a table outside and watch the trams go past. Good spot to end up rather than plan for!Rôtisserie Poulettes Fernand LafargueDon't missFood & drinkHad the crispy chicken, the wrap and the Caesar salad across a few visits, because I kept going back. The gratin dauphinois is the side to order, and whatever is in their curry sauce, it is amazing. Quick, cheap and a good lunch stop on Place Fernand Lafargue. Will be back!Saint-ÉmilionDon't missTownsWell worth the drive out from Bordeaux for an afternoon. Steep little limestone village and honestly gorgeous. If you see one thing, make it the church carved into the rock. Do a tasting while you're there too, mine was down in a cellar cut into the limestone under the village, which beats a tasting room every time. Go on a weekday if you can, the lanes fill up fast with tour groups.Saint-Jean-de-LuzDon't missTownsA working fishing port with one of the best sheltered beaches on this coast inside its sea walls, and a town behind it that still looks Basque rather than built for tourists: red-shuttered hotels, timber balconies, and the church where Louis XIV was married a street back from the front. Come down off La Rhune in the afternoon, walk the Grande Plage at low tide, and eat on the harbour.SchoberDon't missViewpointsAbout an hour up through the trees and you come out on a rocky spine with the whole Salzkammergut in front of you: the Fuschlsee straight below, more lakes stacked away behind it and the peaks along the horizon. Steep in the trees and then suddenly not, which is the best kind of walk. Worth the climb for that view alone.SecedaDon't missViewpointsOne of the best things I did. The cable car does the work from Ortisei and then you walk out onto the ridge at about 2,500m and the Odle just rears up out of the meadow in front of you, a great tilted blade of rock that doesn't look like it should be standing. Turn around and the whole range is opposite: the Sella flat-topped and enormous, the Sassolungo's towers off to the side, and Val Gardena and its villages a long way down between them. There's a viewing ring up there with the distances to cities all over the world on it, which is a nice touch.Sella TowersDon't missViewpointsWorth being out for the hour before dark. The rock goes to one long wall running the width of the sky, towers standing off the end of it, scree fanning out below and dark pines along the meadow, and the light comes off it pink for a few minutes before everything goes flat.TA SushiDon't missFood & drinkHad the salmon nigiri, the avocado maki, salmon and cream cheese rolls under a crisp onion crumb, and a donburi with salmon and a whole fanned avocado over the rice, with pickled cabbage and cucumber alongside. Everything came out fresh and the boards kept arriving - far more food than I expected, and great value with it.
It is tucked in the lanes behind Forum des Halles, so it is easy to get to and a great stop in the middle of a day walking the city. Would go back!UrtijëiDon't missTownsA great base in the Dolomites and a lovely place to spend an afternoon. The centre is pedestrianised, the town is stacked up the hillside in wood and white render, and the mountains are right there at the end of every street.
The cable cars run up to Seceda on one side and the Alpe di Siusi on the other, and those are the real reason to come.
Everything is signed in three languages and the town has a name in each - Urtijëi, St. Ulrich, Ortisei. Leave the car in one of the garages, the streets themselves are closed to traffic. Would go back!Altstadt SalzburgWorth a stopTownsAn afternoon in the old town on a wet grey day, the big cafe umbrellas up over rows of empty wooden chairs, market stalls at one end of the square and the smart shops down the other. Salzburg wears Mozart heavily - he was born on Getreidegasse and you will not be allowed to forget it - but the setting does the work regardless, with the fortress sitting up on its rock above everything. Rain suited it, honestly. Get up to the Hohensalzburg for the view over the rooftops to the mountains.Ancona PortWorth a stopJourneysOff the overnight ferry from Split, in at first light. It's a working port - cranes, ferries, a little red lighthouse on the end - and the town stacked up the headland behind it. Nothing to stay for, but arriving by sea beats another morning on a motorway.Arc de TriompheWorth a stopLandmarksI only looked from the outside this time, and it's worth it for that alone. Much bigger up close than you expect, and the carving around the base is extraordinary. I went up back in 2007 and it was amazing: the twelve avenues spreading out from it is the best way to understand how Paris is put together, so go up if you have time. Use the underpass, and do not try to cross the roundabout!Blue CaveWorth a stopLandmarksThe trip out to Biševo, and then a wait offshore with a line of other boats for your turn. You transfer into a little boat that ducks through a low opening, and inside the light comes up through the water from underneath so the whole cave glows blue. Ten minutes and you're back out, and the wait is long, so go knowing that.Canal Saint MartinWorth a stopOutdoorsIf it's on the way, have a look - the green iron footbridges and the lock gates are pretty enough. Nothing spectacular though, and maybe the grey weather didn't help. I wouldn't make a detour for it.Castle of Châteauneuf-du-PapeWorth a stopLandmarksI went purely for the name! It's the ruin of the popes' summer castle and there's not much left of it, but you're up above the vineyards with the Rhône valley spread out below, and on a clear day you can see for miles. Really nice if you like a good red. If it's on the way, definitely stop by.Château Grand MayneWorth a stopWineDefinitely do the tasting. You get walked through the barrel cellar with the barrels stacked up, then sit out in the garden with a glass - there's a swing under the trees, which is a lovely way to drink Saint-Émilion. Grab a bottle on the way out, it's cheaper here than in town.CologneWorth a stopTownsI got up high on the far bank for the view back over the river, and it's the one that sticks: the Dom's two black spires in the middle of everything, the Hohenzollern bridge crossing the Rhine below and the arched station roof tucked in beside it. Cologne is a rebuilt city and doesn't pretend otherwise, which I liked. Cross the bridge on foot through the love locks, then go and drink Kölsch properly in a brauhaus, where it comes in little 200ml glasses and the waiter keeps replacing it until you put the mat on top.Duomo di MilanoWorth a stopLandmarksStand in the square a good while before you go anywhere near the door. Pale marble and a whole forest of spires - there are around 135 of them - against a hard blue sky, and it's far bigger than any photograph makes it look. They started it in 1386 and were still finishing details into the twentieth century, which you can feel. Go up onto the roof if you do one thing: you walk out among the spires themselves, which is completely unlike looking at it from below.ETABLISSEMENTS GALHAUDWorth a stopWineThe tasting is down in the limestone cellars carved under the village, which is half the point. Cool, quiet and candle-lit, and you sit at a table down there with the bottles. Lovely people and good wine. Do this instead of tasting in a shop at street level!Fort de SocoaWorth a stopLandmarksThe old fort sits out on its own breakwater at the western end of the bay, with a small curve of sand beside it and La Rhune standing up behind the town. Ten minutes on the way is all it needs: walk out along the wall, look back at Saint-Jean-de-Luz across the water, and carry on.Hvar to Split crossingWorth a stopJourneysTime this one for the evening if you can. Coming back into Split with the sun dropping behind the Marjan hill, the whole waterfront went to silhouette and the light laid out flat across the water. Nicest hour of the day to be on a boat, and it costs nothing extra to book the late one.Jardin Botanique de BordeauxWorth a stopOutdoorsLovely quiet spot on the right bank and a nice change of pace from the city. Proper tall palms, glasshouses, and plenty of shade. Good for half an hour after walking over the Pont de Pierre, and it's free.Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-HöheWorth a stopViewpointsDrive all the way to the end of the road for this. You look straight down onto the Pasterze, Austria's longest glacier, and its meltwater lake, a pale grey-green, with waterfalls coming off the rock walls opposite. What stays with you is how far the ice has pulled back - there's bare rock and outwash everywhere it used to sit, and markers on the path showing where the glacier reached in living memory. Sobering, and worth seeing while it's still there.Le Michel'sWorth a stopFood & drinkHad the steak and fries and the onion soup. Best French onion soup I've ever had, even if I wasn't sure how to eat it at first! Nice steak, great vibe.Le MolinaWorth a stopFood & drinkHad the frogs' legs, the râpées and a green salad. I don't know if this is ever on the way, it's out at La Talaudière just outside Saint-Étienne, but what a place! Amazing vibe, lovely team and great food. The râpées are the local speciality so have them here, and the plates are generous. Grab a table outside if the weather is good. First time eating frogs and I thoroughly enjoyed it!Marché municipal du Cap FerretWorth a stopFood & drinkProper oyster market. Crates of Spéciales and Traditions straight off the basin, sold by the dozen with lemons and a knife for a few euros, and a counter where you can just stand and eat them. There's a Basque pintxos stall too, ham and padrón peppers on bread, if oysters at ten in the morning is a step too far. Go in the morning while it's all still out.Marjan viewpointWorth a stopViewpointsWorth the climb for this. The whole of Split is laid out below you - the old town under its terracotta roofs, the Riva curving round to the harbour, and the islands sitting out across the water. There was a cruise ship in when I was up there, which gives you the scale of the place better than anything else does.
I went up twice, once in the evening and once in the middle of the day, and it was worth both. Pines and cypresses frame the view so you get a slightly different picture depending on where along the path you stop.
It is a proper set of steps up rather than a stroll, so take water in summer. Would go back!MarseilleWorth a stopTownsRougher round the edges than the rest of the south and much more interesting for it! Give it a couple of days rather than a stop. The Vieux-Port, Le Panier and Notre-Dame de la Garde are the obvious three, and the calanques start where the city ends. Driving here is insane though: narrow streets, scooters everywhere and nobody indicating. Park it and walk, or use the metro.MilanWorth a stopTownsMilan gets called a business city with one good cathedral, which is unfair but not entirely wrong. The Castello Sforzesco is brick and enormous with the park running out behind it, and then out by Cadorna there's a giant needle threading a knot of red, yellow and green up out of the pavement, which is wonderfully daft and my favourite thing I saw. Walk the Galleria even if you buy nothing, and do aperitivo properly in the early evening - you order a drink and the food arrives with it.Monte TitanoWorth a stopViewpointsWorth the climb up just for the daftness of it - San Marino claims to be the oldest surviving republic in the world, going back to 301 AD, and it's a whole country stacked up one rock. Stone walls and stepped lanes, a footbridge over the path, geraniums banked along the terraces and signs pointing you up to the first tower. The three towers along the ridge are the thing, and the view off the edge on a clear day runs all the way to the Adriatic.OLALA BORDEAUX - Wine tours & tastingsWorth a stopWineAn hour with a sommelier and three Bordeaux - a dry white, a red and a sweet - each paired with something local: sturgeon rillettes with caviar, cured duck, a farmhouse blue. 35€ and I learned more about Bordeaux wine here than anywhere else! Do it early in your stay so the rest of the week makes more sense.Parque de Atracciones Monte IgueldoWorth a stopActivitiesTake the old funicular up if you can - but set your GPS to the funicular station at the bottom, not to Monte Igueldo itself, or you'll end up driving all the way to the car park at the top like I did and miss it entirely! Either way the view is the best in the city, the whole of La Concha curving round with Santa Clara island in the middle of it. There's a vintage funfair up there too and I went on the rides, which are properly creaky!Place de la VictoireWorth a stopTownsThe Porte d'Aquitaine on one side and a tram stop on the other, so you'll pass through here plenty. It's one of the main junctions in the city. Ringed with bars and it gets going in the evening with the student crowd. Handy base as well as a good spot in its own right.Place des QuinconcesWorth a stopLandmarksOne of the biggest squares in Europe and the Monument aux Girondins at the end of it is genuinely impressive. This is also where the markets and the funfair set up, so it's worth a look to see what's on.Rue Sainte-CatherineWorth a stopTownsThe longest pedestrian street in Europe and the spine of the city. I ended up walking it on many different days. The shops are the shops, but look up: it's all honey-coloured stone, wrought-iron balconies and bunting strung across the street. Good for getting your bearings, and the lanes either side are where the best of Bordeaux is hiding.SplitWorth a stopTownsSplit is the one that surprised me most. The old town isn't near a Roman palace, it IS one - Diocletian built it to retire into and people simply never left, so there are flats and bars and washing lines built into fourth-century walls. Go and stand under the vestibule and look straight up: an open circle in the brick dome with the sky through it, and usually someone singing klapa underneath because the acoustics are ridiculous. Get lost in the lanes, come out on the Riva for a coffee and watch the ferries. Wonderful place.Split to Biševo crossingWorth a stopJourneysOut of Split early on a fast boat, open blue water most of the way with the islands sitting low off to one side. A good way to start a day, though it's a long way out and you feel it in a small boat.The Grizzly PubWorth a stopFood & drinkA pub on Place de la Victoire, which is the student end of town and a good square to sit on. I had a cheap AND delicious mojito on the terrace in the rain and watched the buses go round; nothing about the pub itself you would cross the city for, but if you are at the Victoire it does the job.V.I.Pizz HyèresWorth a stopFood & drinkHad a pizza, the chicken Caesar and a bowl of hand-cut fries. The pizza was amazing, and the Caesar was really good too - proper chips and a good sized salad. Exactly what you want on a night you don't feel like going out. Handy if you're staying nearby in Hyères.