From the Umbria region into Tuscany, we drove through too many gorgeous towns to count and in this part of the world the reward is in staying off the highways and taking the regional roads. As usual our stops along the way were guided by our appetite and we got to wander through some lovely villages while seeking out everything from coffee to soup to cheese and wine.
With the birthday boy guiding the Italian tour, we made a return visit to Siena which was as picture perfect as we remembered it. The grand Piazza del Campo in the centre of town is one of the largest we have ever come across and perfect for people watching, but the most impressive sight for us is the cathedral made from black and white granite and dominating the Siena skyline.
From the terrace of our guesthouse we had the most incredible view and fell in love with this special town once again as the sun faded on yet another amazing day of touring. Twice now it has been a highlight of our Italian visits, and a place we would highly recommend to anyone passing through this region.
Making our way north we stopped for a night in Bologna, said to be the foodie capital of the northern region. Its a big sprawling city complete with peak hour traffic, and so many delicatessens there were entire laneways with deli after deli offering their wares accompanied by a vino of course! Tonight our eating adventure would take place over two locations (because we can!) with first course and white wine seated on bar stools in a laneway, followed by second course, dessert and red wine in a restaurant that was established in 1927 and perfectly Italian in service and ambience. Bologna didn’t capture our hearts as other cities have, but the stop was worth it for an incredible night of eating!
From big city Bologna we hit Lago di Guarda and stopped to explore the small lakeside village of Sirmione. To enter the small town you actually walk onto the old drawbridge of the fort, and once inside there is a cute little village filled with colour, food and so much gelato. The passing parade of hot rods and vintage cars through the centre of the village was an unexpected bonus.
On the countdown to the big 4-0 we arrived in Verona and checked into our luxe hotel, the Palazzo Victoria, for a birthday splurge. A king size bed, expensive linen and breakfast that included prosecco, pastries and eggs to order were exactly what we were after; well timed too given we were now half way through our overseas adventure.
Verona is a beautiful city and on our first walk around town we were in awe of the beautiful architecture and the impressive arena sat right in the middle, Italy’s so-called “other colosseum” that was actually built before Rome’s version, acting as its prototype. As with most places in Italy we had no trouble finding wonderful places to eat and to partake in the ritual of sitting around in the afternoon drinking an aperol spritz.
There’s no doubt we had adopted la dolce vita (the sweet life!) on our Italian road trip and set ourselves up for a big fall once the Festival of Andrew concludes when we will revert back to the budget gypsy life. Our last hurrah on the big night was a three course meal in a perfectly Italian restaurant overlooking the river, tiramisu arriving at the table complete with a candle. Its certainly a birthday celebration we will never forget, and a country that will most definitely remain on our “must return” list. Arrivederci Italia!
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That is Amazing!!!!!!!!
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