majik

Genoa 25th-27th September. Arrived in to Genoa in the afternoon, after driving through the picturesque coastal hills of north-western Italy. We checked in on board Saudade, for a three night stay. The boys were up early to watch the AFL grandfinal live. After that our tour guides (Polly and Mike) took us to Rapallo, where we got a ferry to the beautiful village of Portofino. A drink in the piazza and then a stroll along the road took us to a small bay for a dip. We then had lunch at a beach bar, before heading back to the ferry. The next day, the girls had planned a trip to the Cinque Terre, while the boys were staying on board to clean out the car. Polly, Indi and I headed to Sestri Levante, where we caught ... read more

Venice 22nd-23th September. Things to do and see in Venice: Head up the main canal in a vaporreti for your first glimpse of Venice life. Stay in the heart of Venice at Hotel Rio. Catch up with friends from half a world away (in our case the Wilkies- Fi, Al, Georgie and Lizzie). Walk the lovely back streets of Venice and window shop along the way. Visit Piazza San Marco at nighttime and listen to the musicians at work. Get some pizza and sit on the steps of a bridge to enjoy. Walk into the remarkable Basilica Di San Marco. Cross Rialto Bridge at sunset for some great snaps. Eat some pasta at a local restaurant. Go to the fish markets in the morning and check out all the local produce. Stop at a small wine ... read more

Siena/Volterra 19th Sept We drove three hours north into the beautiful Tuscan countryside. Our first stop was Siena. What a picturesque town, with winding narrow streets and a lovely sloping piazza in the centre. Matt even stopped off for a hair cut at a local Italian hairdresser, who spoke no english at all. We then headed deeper into the countryside, to stay at the small town of Volterra. We didn't spot any vampires, but lots of locals at the pizzeria and bar. Our room at La Forsteria was good value.... read more

After a comfortable night on the car ferry, we arrived at Porto Torres in Sardinia. We drove for two hours to reach the North-West town of Olbia. Just north of the town was Camping Cugnana, where we were staying in an on site cabin. The kids were impressed with the pool and headed straight there for a swim. At 5pm we drove 20minutes along the coast to Porto Cervo, where Polly and Mike were based for the Rolex Maxi Cup sailing regatta with the owner. We checked out the very impressive boat and were taken to the crews beach party. Everything was laid on and Indi, Polly and I even got to dance to the band. Over the next two days Matt went on board for one of the race days and then we all ... read more

We drove for 6 hours and arrived in the centre of Barcelona at Hostal HMB. Once again our trusty laptop "googled" our way there by directions online. That evening we walked down to Las Rambles and checked out the street performers and the local scene. We spotted a couple of Gaudi's famous buildings along the way. We ate paella at a traditional Barcelona bar in Barri Gotic and soaked up the atmosphere. The next morning we hit the streets early to visit La Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's masterpiece. It is amazing to see the thought processes that have gone into the design and building process. We then headed to the historical area of Barcelona and then onto Museo Picasso. After a very inspiring day we drove an hour north to Girona, our accommodation for the night. ... read more