After collecting my passport, we
headed south and spent a few days in Alsace wine region of Eastern France,
crossed the border into Freiburg (for a few hours just to say we’ve been to
Germany) & stopover in Switzerland, where we finally found some summer sun,
a few weeks around the Lakes district of Northern Italy, Verona, Rimini, San
Marino, Siena, San Gimignano, Lake Trasimeno, the coast of Tuscany & now
Rome.
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| Siena Cathederal |
Switzerland is such a beautiful
country; it’s just like a postcard. It’s such a pity we couldn’t stay
longer as we were just passing through but we have friends who live in
Switzerland and we hope to catch up with them next year & explore this
amazing country some more.
I didn’t know much about the Lakes
of Northern Italy and it certainly is beautiful. Lake Garda is the
largest lake and Lake Como is considered the most beautiful. We did the
scenic drive from Como to Bellagio and it’s said if you can do this drive and
survive then you can handle any and all road conditions in Italy. It’s
just wide enough for a car and certainly makes an interesting experience when
you have to share it with oncoming cars, the local buses, houses built up the
side of the hill & a sheer drop on the other. SMAZING!
George Clooney wasn’t home, but next time we’ll make sure to drop in for a
drink.
We were lucky enough to score a lake
view pitch on Lake Garda so stayed for a week so & enjoyed some down time
after a full-on couple of weeks in England and the epic drive through France,
Switzerland & Northern Italy.
Next stop was Rimini (no sand on
that beach, just deck chairs and umbrella’s) where we spent a few days in the
calm warm waters of the Adriatic before heading inland to explore Siena
(highlight) & across to the coastal region of Tuscany around Grosseto,
Punta Ala & Monte Argentario – all I can say is WOW & SMAZING!
Most of this section of our trip has been ‘rough camping’ alongside lakes or on
beach car parks and we’ve now got use to having a cold shower outside and
living 24/7 in our togs (Aussie term for a swimsuit - for all you Pommies out
there!)
Since hitting Lake Sarnen it
Switzerland to arriving in Rome, we haven’t had a day with temps under 30c or a
drop of rain. YAY! Most days are around 33-35c and most nights are
20-25c. We are loving it! Paul looks like a local with his lovely
Mediterranean skin all tanned and I think I can say my Scottish skin is
starting to look a little less fluorescent.
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| Fontana di Trevi |
We’ve also fallen in love with Rome all over
again. What an awesome, AWESOME city this is and it would have to be
right up there as our favorite European city. We only spent 1 day/2
nights in Rome, so a lightening visit and enjoyed walking around the streets,
reminiscing of our previous visit here in 2007. I will never get sick of
looking at Fontana di Trevi, Pantheon or the Coliseum.
We drove
around on dusk one night, past the old city walls and saw things we didn’t see
last time. We don’t have many pics of Rome as it’s a tricky to find
somewhere to stop whilst trying to keep an eye on swarming traffic at the same
time, but the memories will live on.
I’ve also learnt to drive like a Roman!
Not quite sure who gives way, where and when, but I’ve come to realize that if
you hesitate, you’ll be left for dead in a cloud of dust and smog, so just go
for it, straddle a few lanes at a time and don’t look at anyone!
As they say - When in Rome…….
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