The Fab Four Go On Tour........... — Steve Chivers Photography

London St. Pancras as we board the Eurostar to Paris.

Well dear friends, as the U.K. and Europe baked under the sweltering summer heat, many months of preparation and military planning finally reached their zenith as we headed for London St. Pancras Station to commence our “European Grand Tour”.

Our tour party was to comprise Mrs. C, Aunty Sarah, Sarah’s partner Mike and of course yours truly.

Our trip was to comprise:

Taking the Eurostar to Paris.
Two nights in Paris to include a full day of sightseeing.
A train journey on the Frecciarossa whereby we eat and drink our way from Paris to Pisa via Milan.
Four days in Pisa, which we would use as a hub to also visit Florence, Livorno and Lucca.
Then finally on to the Tuscan hills to celebrate the wedding of our niece (and Aunty Sarah’s daughter) Eleanor to her fiancé Kevin.
The wedding was also to include the gathering of “The Clan” with all the young people flying in last minute.

Indeed this was also to be a trip of firsts:

Yours truly had never been through the Channel Tunnel and I have ever only “Traversé La Manche” by ferry or by swimming (that’s a story for another time).
Mrs. C and I have never visited Paris together.
Mike had never visited Paris at all.
Mrs. C and I had never visited Italy together, other than a nightmare transit at Rome airport when I tried to cheapskate a flight from Dubai to London and never to be spoken of again….I digress!
I was desperate to go for a Pizza in Pisa.

To record this epic journey I wanted to travel light and so I packed the Leica SL2s, along with the super light and compact Sigma 45mm DGDN Contemporary lens (in silver of course to match my beard), and to record the Tuscan wedding, the Leica 90mm F2.0 Apo Summicron SL.

I must say that the Eurostar really was a star. Immigration at St Pancras was super smooth and efficient and we streaked through the tunnel in less time than it took Aunty Sarah to down her gin and tonic (so you know it was really quick!).

On arrival at Gare du Nord things were not quite so smooth. The queue for the taxis was almost the length of the journey from London to Paris and when we finally reached the front I gave the taxi driver our destination, in faultless “Franglais”, only to be asked to show him on google maps. He then repeated in french exactly what I had said and we set off across Paris, destination the Mercure Hotel, Boulevard Vincent Auriol, Bercy.

Mrs. C, with her faultless attention to detail chose the hotel location so as to be next to the River Seine, a 20 minute walk from Notre Dame, a ten minute walk from Gare du Lyon, from where we would embark the Frecciarossa and the fact that she was a member of the Mercure chain and thus we were assured free drinks on arrival. Winner winner chicken dinner and mine’s a large one…oops wrong blog!

Day One - The team preparing for a day of sightseeing.

We were up and at them early for our day in Paris and after a rather sumptuous breakfast at the hotel we headed off along the banks of the River Seine, destination Notre Dame. The walk was around 20 minutes but was absolutely delightful and I have included a selection of images of scenes which caught my photographers eye.

The serenely beautiful Statue de Sainte Genevieve.

Notre Dame - through the eyes of an artist.

Our next issue was how to try and encompass all the main sights of Paris in one day. Well Aunty Sarah was ahead of all of us and and had already planned for us to use the services of Big Bus Paris, which we were to board at Notre Dame.

There are helpful people at each stop who will issue you with tickets and for 49 Euros a head you get 24 hours to travel around a pre-determined route, taking in most of the main sights and allowing you to hop on and off at your leisure. Our route was the “Red Route” which would incorporate the following stops and attractions:

Louvre-Pont Des Arts: The Louvre & Pyramide du Louvre.
Notre Dame: Notre Dame, Saint-Chapelle & The Pantheon.
Musée D’Orsay: Assemblée National, Jardin des Tuileries.
Champs-Elysée: Avenue des Champs-Elysées, Arc de Triomphe and avenue Montaigne.
Grand Palais: Grand / Petit Palais, Place de la Concorde.
Trocadero: Trocadero, Palais de Chaillot & Musee Guimet.
The Eiffel Tower.
Champ de Mars: École Militaire, Hôtel des Invalides & The Rodin Museum.
Opéra Garnier: Galeries Lafayette, Madeleine & Musée Grevin.

Well, clearly we weren’t going to be able to visit all the above but we intended to do the full circuit on the top deck of the open top bus so that we at least had the full tour of Paris and so that I could record as much as possible. A return visit was to be planned out of season to do all the museums and galleries and anything else of particular interest.

I highly recommend ‘Le Grande Autobus Rouge”. From a photographers perspective it gives a uniquely different perspective from walking along the street although image stabilization is a must. However, it is popular and you may want to let one or two buses pass you by so that you can get the seat you want. Unless you want to simply get from A to B or in the event of a deluge of rain, the top deck is a must IMHO. The round trip takes one hour 45 mins but assuming you get off a couple of times for some sightseeing and a spot of lunch of say rillettes to start, followed by confit de canard, a couple of macarons with your noisette and all washed down with a bottle of the local Parisian marching juice, (a cheeky Parallele 45 Côtes du Rhône would be my choice) and a large glass of Calvados to finish, should ensure that the bus journey fills most of the day, especially if you fall asleep!.

Here is a selection of imagery that I captured to record the trip.

Arc de Triomphe - Place Charles de Gaulle.

The corner of Av. Winston Churchill and Pont Alexandre III.

First Glimpse of the famed “Tour D’Eiffel”.

The Eiffel Tower - my perspective on a well photographed icon.

Final view of the Eiffel Tower from Jardin des Tuileries.

As you probably have already guessed, you cannot even scratch the surface of Paris in just one day but we really did have a wonderful tour and we can’t wait to avail ourselves of a more leisurely visit, out of season, thereby avoiding the summer crowds.

Like all capital cities Paris is a game of two halves. There is the glitzy side with all you expect from the vibrant capital of France and then there is a darker reality with many folk struggling to get by and living from hand to mouth in the tented cities that line the Seine.

I was particularly struck by the street art although some may consider this as graffiti. However, I found it very edgy and everybody will form their own view; after all don’t they say that “one man’s fish is another man’s poisson”…...or something like that?

One man’s fish is another man’s poisson!

I know, regular readers are already wondering why I have made little mention of calories? Well let me assure you, right next to our hotel was the delightful restaurant “Chez Lili et Marcel”. We dined there both nights and my choices ranged from a simple steak frites to a delightful confit de canard. Oh this was definitely another of my happy places.

I think the next image sums up our Paris culinary experience; an excellent bottle of Côtes du Rhône, a large glass of Calvados, a noisette and a carafe of chilled water (the water is not for drinking but in case of fire!).

Sums up our Paris culinary experience - my very happy place!

The next morning was an early start as at 7.30 a.m. we headed for the Gare de Lyon to board the wonderful Fecciarossa on our way to Milan in search of “La Dolce Vita”.

La Dolce Vita - Image courtesy of @Kittytrice.

The Fecciarossa gleaming in the early morning Parisian light.

Now when I poneyed-up the dosh for our trip on the Fecciarossa it is fair to say that the girls had assured me that this would be no ordinary journey and would be both a culinary and scenic delight. So, my expectations were high.

You know when you board a plane and all turn right whilst a few lucky individuals turn left…..we definitely turned left!

Now that’s my type of passenger to seat ratio!

Having settled in to one of only ten rather sumptuous seats and having immediately been welcomed with my favorite reading, a food and drinks menu, I was definitely cooking on gas. I was shamed into not having a glass of Prosecco at 8.30 a.m. with my breakfast but by about 10.00 a.m. the red was flowing and I was extremely relaxed.

Its only 10.00 a.m. and Aunty Sarah very much in her happy place!

Our carriage even had its own meeting room which I booked for an impromptu board meeting of Chivers Consultancy, which primarily involved deciding what we would be eating and drinking for lunch!

Our board meeting - now that looks like a cheeky little red to accompany the risotto.

Now the scenery was wonderful and after a delightful lunch I may have drifted off in to a heavenly slumber so this was definitely a time to enjoy the moment. So for the remainder to the journey the camera remained firmly in the bag whilst my wine glass remained permanently replenished and what went on on tour, stayed on tour!

We arrived in Milan on time and spent an hour or so in the Frecciarossa lounge (thank God as Milan station was rammed and it was as hot and humid as Hades without aircon) before taking the cross-country train to Pisa (about 4 hours).

On arrival in Pisa we found that our hotel was located conveniently just across the square from the station. It was getting late and I still needed something to soak up all the red wine that I had consumed on the Frecciarossa. The hotel recommended a little pizza restaurant and I fulfilled one of my trip objectives; “Going for a Pizza in Pisa”.

“Going for a Pizza in Pisa”! - I am a simple chap and easily pleased

After a good nights sleep we decided to take a quiet relaxing breakfast in a nearby cafe. Well that wasn’t going to happen because I forgot we were in Italy and quiet is not something the Italians seem to do in the morning.

Now as usual, Mrs. C had been on the Duolingo for months and was approaching fluency and was busily using her Italian to try and determine which type of coffee nearest resembled a low fat single shot piccolo. It was either a Marichino or a Machiatone apparently. As usual I decided to wing it and speaking my rusty Spanish (because I didn’t speak Italian) and making some grunts and pained facial expressions (which was how the locals seemed to be communicating), I managed to acquire four coffees of various descriptions and four croissants. As I snaffled my breakfast the noise grew louder and the chaos continued and so we decided to head in to town in search of tranquility and the famed Leaning Tower of Pisa.

A tranquil scene at Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II.

I have to say that I really enjoyed Pisa. It is small enough to be convenient to walk around but large enough to have plenty of interesting streets and great restaurants.

With Mrs. C on Eugoogly we navigated through the streets of Pisa and finally made it to The Piazza del Duomo and the famed leaning tower, which I am pleased to report is still leaning.

Now approaching the Tower from Via Roma was complete carnage. Hundreds of tourists taking selfies, trying to have a picture framed with them holding up the tower, and one gentleman, I use the term gentleman in its loosest sense, lying on his back with his legs akimbo and with the leaning tower framed between them…..you get the picture and he certainly did!

This was not for me and so I did what I always do and looked for another perspective. The Battistero di San Giovanni stood majestically amongst the manicured lawn and the light around the Camposanto monumental di Pisa was beautiful. That was where I was headed.

The artistry in the stonework was magnificent.

Wonderful light, a bit of symmetry and a simple subject often give me the most pleasure.

Battistero di San Giovanni highlighted against the Cathedral di Pisa.

I captured the following images of the leaning tower, all of which were available without the throng of the crowds and seemed to provide a much better perspective, as I moved further and further away.

The view from Via Cardinale Pietro was the best IMHO.

After all the excitement Mike definitely confirmed that it was “cold beer o’clock”.

Now Pisa is a great place to act as a hub for exploring nearby towns. After a leisurely morning Mike was keen to visit the coast and have a swim. Livorno seemed the best bet and after a train and a bus ride we were by the sea in about 45 minutes.

Now Livorno seafront did not appear blessed with golden sandy beaches. Nevertheless, Mike is not one to be deterred and as he literally “abseiled” down to the rocky shore and enjoyed a swim with the locals, I managed to grab a few pleasing images before spending a leisurely afternoon sipping cold beer. You know it makes sense!

Livorno Seafront was not quite what we were expecting.

Me getting all arty again and one of my favorite images from Livorno.

In Livorno even the local Plod look stylish.

We stayed in Livorno until early evening when we enjoyed a fantastic Octopus Salad followed by Frito Misto at Restaurant Porto Di Mare, located on Viale Italia. A definite recommendation if you are a fish lover.

Frito Misto at Restaurante Porto di Mare.

A tip for all travelers when the temperature is 35 degrees celsius, there is not a cloud in the sky and you are visiting one of Italy’s most famous cities…..start out early!

We took the 6.30 a.m. train from Pisa Central, yes that is correct 6.30 a.m., and we were in Florence by 7.45 a.m. We strolled in to town and en route had a rather superior breakfast at the Hotel Flores located on Via Panzani. It was a bit of a treat but the perfect place to charge up the old calorie banks whilst Florence awakened.

Now Florence is both beautiful and popular and so even at 9.30 a.m. in the morning it was busy. Our first stop-off was the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiori. This was the moment when I realized my photographic error. I had my 45 mm walkabout lens which is usually perfect but for Florence, due to the narrow streets with extremely tall buildings in very close proximity, I really needed the 24 mm. I will know when I return for we definitely will.

Battistero di San Giovanni flanked by the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiori.

We then headed off to the Piazza della Signoria in search of the Statue of David by Michelangelo. I heard one tourist of English heritage ask his mother if the statue was of David Beckham! Well old “Golden Balls” may not have been there but there were plenty of other balls on show as all the statues appeared to be either naked, or chopping off some unfortunate persons head or both.

Cosimo de Medici - First Grand Duke of Tuscany.

The Fountain of Neptune - framing was a challenge for a family friendly blog!

Wandering through the Palazzo Vecchio a statue of a lion framed through an archway caught my eye. It wasn’t until I came up close that I realized there was a man’s head in its mouth! It transpires this is “La Pieta”, a contemporary 20th century artwork by Francesco Vezzoli.

I wonder what was exactly in the sculptor’s mind when conceiving this little beauty?

Whilst in the third courtyard of the Palazzo Vecchio I grabbed this image of a lady smoking by the no smoking sign. It just made me chuckle as she was clearly irreverent, she looked thoroughly cheesed-off, just wanted a smoke and as she stood by the no smoking sign she wasn’t going to be stopped.

Yet another picture of a man with a big chopper (no not a euphemism) cutting off someones head.

Approaching the River Arno along Piazza degli Uffizi.

I preferred the view back towards the Palazzo Vecchio.

We then came to the Arno River and caught our first sight of the famous Ponte Vecchio. It is Florence’s oldest and most iconic medieval stone bridge and crosses the Arno River at its narrowest point.

Built in 1345 it is world famous for the continuous line of goldsmith and jewelry shops built along both edges of the bridge. In the 14th century the shops on the bridge were originally occupied by butchers and tanners. However, in 1593 the Medici family restricted the shops to goldsmiths and jewellers.

Today, all you can see is high end jewelry and watch shops which, quite frankly, seemed completely out of character and left me completely underwhelmed or, as they might say in Italy, “one mans fish is another man’s pesce”.

I am sure you are thinking how I could possibly be grumpy in such a beautiful city. Well, I must admit the city itself is wonderful but having already kicked myself for not having a wide enough lens, the other thing that was getting my goat was that all the beautiful scenes seemed to be full of visiual pollution, primarily in the form of the dreaded white delivery van. I finally caved and did what I should have done from the start and simply made the best of it. However, if there is ever anyone from the Florence Bureau of Tourism reading this blog, how about making the centre of Florence a pedestrian zone?

A beautiful scene encapsulating the dreaded white delivery van.

As we headed back to Pisa we decided that a second visit to Florence was definitely in order, but it will be in the winter, out of season, when we will be able to take full advantage of the galleries and museums.

Our final day in Pisa involved a day trip to the nearby town of Lucca. Once again we started out early and as we pulled out of the station and crossed the River Arno I captured one of my favorite images of Pisa.

As I mentioned before the double decker trains provide excellent viewing and I was delighted to capture a couple of bonus images en route to Lucca.

Within half an hour we were arriving at Lucca Station and as I walked out the exit I captured my first image of the day.

A keeper within 5 minutes of my arrival.

Ok, a brief history of Lucca. It started out as an ancient Etruscan settlement before becoming a Roman colony in 180 BC. In 1160 Lucca successfully navigated the shifting regional power dynamics to remain an independent aristocratic republic, for nearly 500 years, fiercely rivaling neighboring Florence and Pisa.

In order to protect its prized liberty the city built its colossal tree-lined walls which were constructed between 1530 and 1650.Today these walls remain perfectly preserved and intact.

French troops captured the city in 1799, and Napoleon later later gifted the city to his sister, Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi. It officially joined the unified Kingdom of Italy in 1860.

First glimpse of the walled city from Lucca station.

The famous city walls still perfectly intact.

As you would expect, first order of the day in Lucca was breakfast. Mrs. C had thoroughly researched Lucca and brought us to Cafeteria La Colonna. This was a world apart from my chaotic first morning in Pisa as we deftly ordered two Machiatones and two pastries which were absolutely delicious.

This was our sort of breakfast location.

Then Mrs. C deftly guided us around Lucca. All I had to do was point and shoot.

Anyone fancy a communal bath - not the first time I will have got my kit off in public…I digress!

Perhaps the focal point of Lucca is the Piazza dell’Anfiteatro. We call it a square but it is technically an oval or elliptical plaza, famous for being built directly upon the footprint of a 2nd-century Roman amphitheater. Oh for a fisheye lens!

Lucca was definitely my sort of place. As we wondered the back streets I came across Nadia Caselli, sitting at her loom in her tiny store. She invited us in and was even happier for me to take a few pictures as she skillfully worked on her loom.

I just love anything that is hand made and beautifully crafted. Nadia said there were only three ladies in Lucca who still keep this art alive. MRs. C. bought a lovely momento from her and should you visit Lucca please look in on Nadia at “La Tessenda”,Via. S.Frediano n.2 55100 Lucca and support a lovely person and a true craftswoman.

Always time for a bit of retail therapy.

We had such a wonderful morning in Lucca. Again we didn’t even scratch the surface. Most certainly when we return to the area we will aim to spend a couple of peaceful days in Lucca.

Two Tie The Knot in Tuscany:

So far our grand tour had been absolutely wonderful. We had travelled so far and done so much, yet felt completely refreshed and relaxed. Now for the grand finale of our tour as we headed in to Tuscany to attend the wedding of Aunty Sarah’s daughter Eleanor to her fiance Kevin.

My first view of Tuscany from the balcony of our apartment simply took my breath away.

Now our niece Eleanor follows the family trait of never leaving anything to chance. All the arrangements had been planned in advance so that for the two days it just required all the guests to eat (boy did we eat), drink, (they made their own wine which was quite superb) and celebrate a wonderful occasion with all the people we love.

The wedding itself took place amongst the beautiful Tuscan hills and the whole occasion simply took my breath away.

I think I must be going through the “manopause” and I seem to be extremely emotional these days and not afraid to show it. Thank goodness for autofocus and image stabilization as I blubber my way through the wedding ceremony.

Aunty Sarah - A very proud mother of the bride.

If you would like to see more of the wedding I have created a specific gallery, “A wedding in Tuscany”, which can be viewed in the gallery section of this website.

After the wedding we had a sumptuous wedding feast, drank the local wine and danced our way into the night. It is fair to say that the next morning one or two people may have had sore heads!

Quite selfishly this was an opportunity for me to update my pictures of all the young people:

“Little Prince” - Simon a.k.a. “Chipmunk”.

Anna’s husband Matthew giving it the full “Howard Carter” look.

So I had my updated images of all the young people but what I really wanted was something elegant of the love of my life, the beautiful Mrs. C.

Mrs. C. - After 40 years together she still takes my breath away!

If you are still reading, thank you for your support and perseverance and I hope you have enjoyed following the exploits of “The Fab Four” as we plotted our way across France and Italy. We have lots more planned so stay tuned for more adventures.

Cheers and good health from The Fab Four.

Ah yes, where is the bench of Contemplation I hear you cry? Never fear, I had not forgotten and I felt it only appropriate to feature our beautiful bride taking a moment on her Tuscan Bench of Contemplation.

Without further ado, á bientôt, ci rivediamo presto and may I wish you all an enjoyable summer from a sweltering Plymouth U.K.