FRANCE- PART 1

Picturesque scenes greeted us in France. The stunning coastline of clean streets and modern villages were a welcome change from Italy. We drove to Monaco, where we walked the streets admiring the wealth of yachts, cars and incredible buildings. We stopped for lunch at a lovely restaurant with views of the port before continuing our journey in the afternoon to Eze. 

The village of Eze was one destination from my childhood that has been imprinted in my mind with the memory of escargot at Chez Dor, an amazing restaurant with views of the coastline. Upon returning, the charm of the cobble stone streets was still prominent, although we didn’t dine at the Michelin Rated restaurant from my memories. We left Eze after a stroll through the village and headed for Nice, staying at a campsite just out of town. 

The following day we rode our bikes down the Promenade visiting the produce and flowers markets in Old Nice to pick up some delicious bread, cheeses and figs and picnicked on the beach. Afterwards we headed up to Castle Hill, a preserved Battle Fort and Gardens with a waterfall and a beautiful view over Nice.

After a great night in Cannes we headed down the coastal road of the French Rivieria for the day, another truly remarkable coastline, stopping at St Tropez for quiche and elcairs for lunch and many French skate parks along the way. We stayed that night in a campsite just outside of Marseille with all the trimmings, pool with slides, tennis court, mini golf and Ping-Pong. 

The next day we visited Marseille, known for being a gritty city, meant that it was a skater’s paradise. We first headed to a famous skate park bowl by the beach and enjoyed lunch by the water before heading to another skate park in the afternoon. Brightly coloured graffiti and a cool location made this a stand out park in my eyes, and in Matts as well.

 Late in the afternoon we headed to the town of Avignon where we stayed at a campsite in a prime location by the river overlooking the famous Pont Des Avignon (bridge). A month long festival was underway so we joined the festivities listening to a DJ by the water as the sun set and explored the beautiful ancient town that looked magnificent lit up at night while street performers entertained the masses. 

The following day we headed to Nimes, another town not far from Avignon where we visited yet another skate park before visiting the famous Roman amphitheater that was nothing in comparison to the Colosseum. We headed in the afternoon to Montpellier where we stayed at a campsite waiting to get the car serviced in the morning. The next day we explored the streets of Montpellier while Kermit was being serviced. Once Kermit was fresh and ready to go, we headed towards the board to Spain. Quite a short but sweet time in France, I am definitely looking forward to returning after Portugal, but for now, the adventure must continue. Hola Barcelona!

ITALY- PART 2 (AND MALTA)

Our arrival in Rome was beautiful. Hot. Very hot, but beautiful. Blue skies and sunshine welcomed us to the historic capital. We settled into our campsite outside of Rome and cooled off in the pool after lunch. That afternoon we caught the metro, that like the city its itself- is ancient, and walked to the Spanish steps. Unfortunately due to poor timing, much of Rome was under restoration. To our disappointment the restoration included most of the main sights including the fountain at the Spanish steps, Trevi Fountain and even the Colosseum.  However, Rome is filled with so many stunning monuments that there was still so much to see. We jumped on a free tour that night and were guided around the city wandering through churches, marveling at architectural masterpieces and even learnt inside theories into the creation of the unbelievable Patheon dome. Our tour ended just after eight and the two and a half hour walk left us starving, so we found a cute little restaurant close by and dug into some pasta before following it with delicious gelato from the famous San Crispino, a favourite amongst the locals.

The following morning we woke bright and early and headed into the city toward the Vatican in an attempt to beat the horrendous crowds.  We climbed to the top of St Peters Basilica and admired the view of Rome and then slowly made our way through the cathedral gazing at the incredible art and intricate features. Although I have been to Rome once before, as a fifteen-year-old, most of the sights were lost on me, so it was great to return with more appreciation for the finer details. Once we immerged an hour or so later, we couldn’t believe the enormous line that had filled St Peters square, and were relieved that our timing had been perfect.  We walked back through the city to Lango Argentina, the ruins that now house an unofficial cat sanctuary, although due to the heat the cats were no where to be seen, hiding in the cool of the shadows. We walked past the Mouth of Truth before continuing through the Roman Forum towards the Colosseum. We admired the view, at least of the side without scaffolding and moved on to enjoy at late lunch at a stunning osteria in the city where I ate one of the most delicious gnocchi dish of my life- and it wasn’t even my usual gnocchi quattro fromaggi! Unable to handle the incredible heat any longer, we headed back to our campsite for a swim, dinner and enjoyed sangria at the bar while socializing with some other young campers. The following day we had good intentions of heading into the city for more sight seeing, but the heat had become too much that we settled for laying by the pool and relaxing instead. That night we watched the world cup in the campsite bar making friends with two Australian couples who we enjoyed dinner with.

The following day we decided to head into Rome again, we walked around the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, winding through back streets. Another exceptionally hot day meant we didn’t last in the city long heading back to the campsite at lunchtime. We drove to a skatepark for the afternoon where Matt skated while I read. We headed back for another swim in the pool before joining all of the young tourists at the bar for a drink and to watch the soccer.  The campsite had a hostel feel, so it was nice to interact with some young people.

 

The next morning I woke, with a pounding head from a little too much wine, and we packed up and started our journey to Naples. We drove for hours through winding roads on cliff sides before arriving at our campsite in Sorrento, a mere hour from Naples city. The following day we journeyed into Naples on the train from Sorrento, we walked the tight cobbled streets and ate incredible three-euro traditional margarita pizza. We decided to stay another night in the incredible campsite with views over Naples bay, so the next day we visited Pompeii and wandered around in awe of the remarkable ruins that survived Mt. Vesuvius’ power. That evening we watched as the German soccer team thrashed Brazil in a campsite filled with German tourists, let just say the atmosphere was euphoric.

Our next day was spent driving the incredible Amalfi Coast, winding on the terrifying road, that boasts some of the most astonishing views in Italy with citrus and fig trees and brightly coloured flowers perched on the cliffs between little towns. We drove almost all day, stopping only for lunch, heading towards Reggio Calabria in the bottom of Italy. We stumbled upon a campsite in who knows where, which at this point was almost impossible, and decided to have a look. Half way down the winding dirt road on a cliff, we decided we were either going to die by driving off into the water or be stuck. We persevered, finding a simple campsite with incredible views situated right on the water. We made dinner and enjoyed it while the sun set in magnificent shades of orange over the sea. We dozed off to the familiar sound of crashing waves, almost half expecting to wake up in Kiama.

The next morning we began our drive to Sicily again, boarding a ferry at lunchtime, we arrived in Messina to be greeted by crystal clear turquoise water. We drove until we found a little town called Milazzo where we stayed in a campsite for the night. We woke early, and jumped on a minicruise tour of the Aeolian Islands.  The sea was choppy due to high winds and the swell huge, making for a terrifying journey to Lipari. Once we arrived safely (barely) in Lipari, we walked around the stunning island town before stumbling upon a little patisserie that made Cannoli. We had been holding out, waiting for real traditional cannoli and this looked like the real deal. Empty cannoli shells sat waiting to be filled with the mixture of sweet ricotta and mascarpone. Our first cannoli did not disappoint, it was incredible, marking the beginning of my addiction with the popular pastry. Our tour continued to the Island of Vulcano, famous for its… you guessed it, Volcano! The smell of sulfur was strong in the air and the beach was a juxtaposition of black sand and ice blue water. We visited the sulfur mud baths, the natural healing springs, although the smell was overwhelming so we didn’t last long. We spent the rest of our time exploring the island and swimming at the beach. Our ferry arrived late in the afternoon to take us back to Milazzo were we stayed at our campsite another night enjoying dinner in the restaurant by the water.

The next morning drove to the town of Taormina, which was bursting with charming tight laneways and awe-inspiring views; we ate all of the Sicilian street foods- cannoli, arancini and granite- in one day!  That afternoon we drove to Catania to a campsite on the water where we spent the next day exploring the city and swimming in the ocean. Waking the following day, we headed to the town of Syracuse, an unassuming town that surprised us with picturesque travertine buildings and an amazing produce market. We were on the search for yet another famous cannoli spot when we stumbled upon a delicatessen within the market, selling all kinds of cheese and meats with the owner, an elderly man, making sandwich concoctions for the bargain price of four euro. He uniquely made each sandwich, with the perfect combination of market fresh produce, meats, cheeses and a lot of Italian love. The best sandwich of my life. No joke. After that life-changing experience, we continued Pozzallo where we waited to board a ferry to Malta.  

Malta! Our holiday within a holiday. Leaving Kermit safely locked away in Pozzallo we boarded a ferry to Malta, the motherland. Matt was bouncing in his seat like a child on Christmas Eve as we were a mere two hours from the country that gave him his heritage.

Expecting a little island of old stone buildings we were surprised by the sight of a beautiful built up tourist hub. Stunning clear blue water and picture perfect skies setting the backdrop for the ultimate island getaway. With everything already booked and organized, we arrived to our hotel and relished in the simple forgotten luxuries of crisp clean white sheets on a double bed, that felt like a king after months sharing a single, and an ensuite (that was sanitary!) with fluffy white towels. The next four days were spent relaxing and exploring, we rented a scooter and rode around the island. We ate traditional pastizzis and enjoyed a drink and a night out in Malta’s “Kings Cross” equivalent. We ate well and relaxed in the sunshine, it was the perfect retreat. Before we knew it, and much to Matt’s disappoint and pleas to stay and live there forever, it was time to head back to the harsh realities of camping life in Italy. Hard bed, mosquitos and no personal space were awaiting us.

We boarded a ferry back to Sicily and picked up Kermit, who of course was very happy to see us, and drove to Palermo. We stayed in a campsite just outside of the Sicilian capital and visited the city and Trapani before it was time to board yet another ferry, this time a lot bigger. We boarded the ferry in Palermo and after a long 21hours on the sea; we arrived in Genoa in the north of Italy. We spent the night in a campsite in San Remo near the border of Monaco. After six weeks of travel through Italy we were more than ready to move on. Having eaten excess amounts of pasta, pizza, cannoli and gelato (foods that I thought I could never tire of) I was craving anything new and different. I was ready for a change of scenery from copious amounts of Roman ruins and churches, crazy drivers and dirty streets. Bring on Monaco and the French Riviera!

ITALY- PART 1

Our trip in Italy began like any good Opera- filled with Drama! We entered from Austria through the towering Alpine ranges, driving into tunnels that wove and turned like on Top Gear. We arrived in Mestre near Venice with absolutely no idea where we were, as we exited the highway and drove through the town Matt started having trouble with Kermit and we began to worry. Kermit has been less than kind to us of late, with a broken water pump and two services back in Denmark and Germany, then issues along the way with smoking brakes and overheating up hills, it has been a tough ride. Now here we were in Italy and the gearbox wouldn’t find first or second gear. Oh dear.  We drove the streets cautiously looking for help, tourist information or something and stumbled upon a campsite we had read about near Venice. We pulled in and decided in was time to bite the bullet and contact our English European Breakdown Company for some help. After a six-hour wait in the forty-degree heat outside of a campsite we decided help wasn’t coming anytime soon so we checked in for the night and watched the beginning of the Soccer World Cup with a few vinos. Finally at 7am, we received a call saying our tow truck was ready and we caught a lift to the mechanic a mere two-minute drive away- IF ONLY WE KNEW! Shortly after the diagnosis came through and a small pin was missing from the gearbox and the part wouldn’t be here for 4 days. So with no more assistance from our breakdown company, we drove slowly back to our campsite and checked in again and began the wait.

 On our first day we caught the bus to Venice and we meandered through the winding cobblestone streets with no map, just directing ourselves towards the main attractions like the Rialto and Piazza San Marco. We stopped for a late lunch in a beautiful courtyard in San Polo and heading back to our campsite to swim and sunbake by the pool. After a rest day cleaning, washing and food shopping we were ready to go touring again on Sunday.

We headed on the bus back into Venice and walked to the ferry point where we headed to the quaint Islands of Burano and Murano. Burano is a kitchy place known for its lace- everything from clothing to tablecloths. The island is bursting with different brightly colored buildings sporting an array of flowers, flags and drapes that pop and excite in the sunshine. We enjoyed a traditional lunch in Burano before heading off to Murano. Murano is home to the traditional Venetian blown glass, we wandered through the streets windowing shopping at the stunning (yet very expensive) hand blown glasses and even watched a few glasses be made in one of the stores. What an incredible talent and art form it is!

We headed back on the ferry and spent our final night in Venice. With Monday’s arrival, the car was fixed and ready to rock and roll again. We drove to the town of Padua (Padova) and marveled at its beauty. Less touristy then Venice, Padua is quaint charming town, where we enjoyed a vino and a true classical lunch in an osteria favored by the local Old Italian men. We ate ham and bread with incredible vinegar and enjoyed fresh homemade pasta the way it should be. Late in the afternoon we headed to Verona where we sat high up on a look out and watched the sun go down over another stunning city.  We woke early, eager to begin our day and walked through the streets of Verona. We headed to the main square, Piazza delle Erbe, and admired the work of the painters capturing the mornings market before heading to Juliet’s Balcony, Verona’s most sighted attraction.  The balcony from the scene of the ill fate lovers was once a place of love and hope with couples leaving locks and scribing their love notes upon the walls, now however, the commercialism and touristy aspect seems to overshadow its original meaning with hundreds packed into the small space leaving inscriptions on anything from gum to Band-Aids. Though Juliet’s balcony may have lost some of its romanticism, Verona itself has not. The streets are quaint and the restaurants and buildings are beautiful, no wonder it set such a great backdrop for Shakespeare’s tale.

After walking the morning in the blazing heat, we headed to Lazise on Lake Garda to a waterpark and spent the afternoon being kids again. The picturesque Lake Garda with the Dolomites in the distance made for a beautiful getaway from all the touristy days, so we stayed another day laying by the pool and fishing and drinking into the sunset.

The following day we headed to Milan, arriving after lunch we spent the afternoon walking around the Duomo and window shopping and admiring the beautiful clothes before heading to Corso Como, a cool restaurant and bar strip where we had Aperitvo- cocktails and free buffet of Italian goodness! We watched the Italy vs. Costa Rica game with a bar full of Italians, holding our tongues (trying not to laugh) as they lost. We spent the rest of the night drinking cocktails and listening to an amazing DJ before walking back through the city and to our campsite.

The next day was International Go Skateboard Day, so we headed to Milano skatepark in the morning before riding into the city to Luini’s a famous institution in Milan serving the best panzerotti (a deep fried pizza pocket). Tourists and locals alike line up for the opportunity to eat these delicious pillows, and we were not disappointed, they were definitely worth the wait! We then rode to central station where the skaters had congregated at some of Milan’s most famous street skate spots to celebrate Go Skateboard Day. Matt joined the festivities while I took photos of the skaters. We rode back through the city and then drove to Pavia. We checked in at a campsite and rode into Pavia center to meet Bianca and Lorenzo. We walked around Pavia gazing at the beautiful heritage buildings and along the river before heading to dinner for the most amazing pizza followed by gelato. The night was wonderful, the company was delightful and we just really enjoyed a night out with other people our age. The following day we caught up on sleep and spent the afternoon by the pool relaxing after a fun packed few days. That night we drove to another campsite just out of Parma.

Parma is home to some of the world’s best foods, Parmigiano Reggiano and prosciutto di Parma (Parma ham). As our lives revolve around food, our mission was to indulge in these local delights. We spent the morning exploring the outskirts of Parma, searching for Parmesan farms although unsuccessful. We then drove into the city and rode our bikes through the main streets before finding an osteria (another traditional little restaurant) by the cathedral where we ate like gods. We treated ourselves to plates of local Parma ham selections and pumpkin and Parmigiano Reggiano ravioli, all washed down with quite a lot of the house vino bianco (white wine). 

After a long boozy lunch, we rode through the town some more before heading to Modena in the late afternoon. While enjoying some delicious gelato, we admired the stunning old town of Modena. While standing outside the town hall, we ran into Matt Orlando (head chef from Amass restaurant) who was in town for a special dinner for a few days. What a small world it is! What are the chances that we were standing in a square at the exact moment he passed by? That afternoon we ventured back to our campsite in Modena for a swim in the pool.

The next morning we began another produce driven day. Starting at a balsamic vinegar farm, Villa San Donnino, just out of Modena. Our lovely guide Sarah showed us through the attic of the property to see where the vinegar is stored and aged in batteries (sets of different sized vinegar barrels). We learnt about the long process of the real Balsamic Traditional, which is aged for a minimum of twelve years and the more exclusive Extra Vecchio, which is aged for a minimum of 25 years. Sarah then guided us through the tasting process from the store bought balsamic that is mass-produced to the different levels and ages of the real Balsamic. We even enjoyed aged balsamic with vanilla ice cream, possibly my new favourite dessert! 

We strolled around the beautiful vineyard and admired the stunning farm before driving to Hombre a cheese farm and dairy. We met the owner Giovanni and his brother Matteo and were given a private tour of his Parmigiano Reggiano aging room that stores an incredible 6300 wheels of Parmesan at 35kgs each. Giovanni then showed us into his father’s private Maserati collection museum filled with old cars and motorbikes. Matt died and went to heaven. Afterwards we headed to Spilamberto for the festival of Saint Giovanni and enjoyed a beverage in the small town market festival before heading to Bologna for the evening.

 The next morning we woke and skyped home before heading into Bologna center for some Bolognese for lunch at a traditional trattoria. We visited the historical Duomo, and walked around all the main sights before calling it a night and heading back to our campsite. The next morning we left Bologna and head for Florence. We drove through the winding hills of Italy in the pouring rain and arrived in Florence just after lunch. We spent the afternoon meandering around the historical centre, visiting the stunning Cathedral and statue of Neptune holding Medusas head as well as Donatello’s versions of David. We enjoyed incredible gelato flavours like ricotta and pear, pistachio and white chocolate and crème caramel while sitting upon the canals.  We stumbled upon a beautiful looking restaurant where we sat and feasted upon some Florentine cuisine. 

The following morning we woke and embarked upon another adventure. We arrived in the quaint town of Lucca at lunchtime. The scenic center is encased within stunning Renaissance walls that define it and also create one of the most peaceful picnic spots, where we stopped for a sandwich of local meats and cheese before riding around the town. That afternoon, we headed through the sunflower fields to the seaside of Viareggeio, where we found a campsite that felt more like a hippy commune. We spent our time swimming at the beach and joining in the festivities as the locals danced to a band (that played broken English/Italian versions of new songs as well as some classics) late into the night. We were greeted the next morning with another beautiful sunny day, so we headed to Pisa. The incredibly famous and touristy town known for its architectural mishap is as astonishing as it reads. The true beauty and marvel of the leaning tower itself with its surrounding pristine green grass and Duomo is not lost regardless of how many tourists have flocked to “hold it up” and take their snapshots. We walked the town eventually finding a cute baugetteria that made sandwiches of porchetta, sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms that we ate beneath the monuments in the sunshine. 

That afternoon we followed another magnificent winding road through the Tuscan hills, stopping for a short wine and olive oil tasting, before arriving in Siena for the night. Sunday had arrived once again, although unlike most Italian towns that are quiet and sleepy on their day of rest, Siena was buzzing in anticipation as the famous Palio, bareback horse race, was a mere few days a way. Colourful flags of the competing contrade (districts) lined the streets and crowds marched singing their district’s song proudly towards the Piazza del Campo for the afternoon trials for the race. Unfortunately due to lack of planning, we knew we would be unable to sit in the infamous bleaches on the day of the race as they are booked two or so years in advance but seeing the chaos and atmosphere of the lead up was almost as thrilling. We spent the rest of the day walking the streets enjoying the enchanting city of Siena, marveling at the incredible architecture of the Duomo (cathedral), one of Italys most stunning Gothic churches. The next day, after a short nights sleep due to incredible thunderstorms, we woke to a sunny morning, luckily, as we were heading out for the day on a Vespa tour through the Chianti region of Tuscany. We arrived at the start point; merely surviving the drive thanks to our tour guides classic Italian driving abilities, and greeted our group for the day, ten American tourists.

After a somewhat shaky start on the Vespa, (for me at least!) the nerves settled and we began twisting and turning through the hills. The adrenaline was pumping and the sun was shining, it was absolutely amazing. We arrived at our first stop, Castello, and after a short guided walk we were given free time to explore the quaint town.  Armed with a delicious gelato we roamed through the small brick archways and relished in the view. When time was up, we jumped back on the Vespa’s and rode towards a stunning winery on top a hill. We walked up through the vineyard and met Matteo, our guide, and we began our tour of their small wine production. We enjoyed a wine tasting with a classic Tuscan lunch admist the wine barrels, tasting real Chianti classico and Cantucci e Vin Santo, a sweet wine with traditional Tuscan biscuits. After lunch, we got back on our Vespa and enjoyed the afternoon riding through the beautiful scenery, stopping to admire a nearby castle.

After a fantastic day with our group, we said arriverdci and jumped back into Kermit and headed for Massa Marrittima, to a little restaurant called Osteria Da Tronca for a delicious Tuscan feast. We drove through the sunflowers fields at sunset towards Grosseto where we spent the night. The following day we relaxed in Grosseto at Maremma, a favourite beach spot amongst the local Tuscans before heading to Rome the following morning. Bonjourno Rome!