Few days on the road in gorgeous Italy...

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Here we are, first little blog of the year. My apologies, I've been running a little to the left and to the right. Yes, I have to admit, life is a little too good at home....and this keep us pretty busy here!



So here is blog about Italy...little 12 days trip at the end of January. Could have done at least 5 or 6 blogs about this single trip, but here are all the best pictures in one short blog.



I love Italy in January. There are simply no crowds, and you can have superb accommodation for close to nothing...and yes, there is also the sales...plus some serious food to bring back home!



This little trip started in Venice, without actually stopping there. For rental car purpose, it is way easier to rent and return a car from the same location, specially in Italy! Yes, it was sunny and slightly cold. But who cares, what is important to avoid is the dumped and wet weather...and the total trip saw only two half days of those.



So a little itinerary just for the fun of it! Florence, Siena, Pisa, 3 out of the 5 villages of Cinque Terre, Positano, night at La Scala, skiing in Passo Tonale, little stop by Lake Garda, Verona, and finally one more stay in Venice!



By far not the first visit to Venice! But i did visit Florence some 25 years ago...and Milan nearly 10 years ago....but everything else was a first!



Cinque Terre and Positano where both on super high on my wish list! In January, there could be long rainy days...but it was the opposite that day. What a beautiful day...and not a single tourist around. I'm kidding...maybe 10 to 50 of them. I simply don't want to imagine what these places must look like during the high season. In January, even the locals have time for the visitors...we shall not be call tourists in January!



Milan was all about La Scala. The good deal seats...those with a decent price tag and a decent view....are so tough to get. I was online the second they went on sale...and found that for that opera, tickets went off in less than 12 minutes...except obviously if you are ready to pay 300 euros per seat...which most seats are! So what an evening, started at 8pm, was done by 11.30pm....I give you La Traviata by Verdi!



Next, came three full days of skiing in Passo Tonale, just short of 2 hours drive North of Brescia. I had seen on the news that the Alps had received huge amount of snow...well, that was for Austria, the snow never reached that part. Till, ample amount of snow on the gorgeous blue and red slopes. Italy, 18th country for me when it comes to skiing...and not the last one. It's also a super deal. 50 euros per day get you the ski pass plus the rentals...not bad. Passo Tonale is full of reasonable 3 stars options to sleep...and food was more than decent too!



Last stop Venice...this time by water taxi and some more boat travel! Will be back in January again. Sorry, not many pictures of the multiple pizzas and pastas...and yes, some local wine too!



next blog, you may have to be solid patient! Not that there is not much travel ahead...but mainly about places about which I blogged already. And next, it's more diving, more golf, more great wine and more friends...just not to be published!

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