Italy Autumn 2022 - San Marino, Tuscany and Liguria

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Packed up we set off inland and towards one of the oldest republics in the world San Marino. More culture coming up……founded by a stonemason monk who left Rimini to set up a church on mount Titano back in the 10^thcentury the country carries his name Saint Marinus. I’ve visited before but it was Mel’s first time and a new country for her list as we try to visit every country in Europe over the coming years in our van. The town of San Marino is atop of the mountain and the small streets and interesting buildings are all stepped on the side of the mountain with some amazing views. There are 3 towers that were built as defences along with fortified walls and the more recent government buildings, it’s nice and picturesque but there is an element of tat shops and fake stuff being sold but that’s alongside designer stuff which is cheap as it’s a tax haven, it’s worth a few hours wandering. A quiet night in the van and more catching up with family on the site where it was very quiet with very few vans staying this night.

With the cities and towns of Emilia Romagna behind us we headed inland to the rolling hills of Tuscany. The E34 route south west is a very scenic journey but the road surface is shocking and needs major repairs. We picked the town of Arezzo as a stop off as it was on the way to Siena and sounded like it was worth a visit. We decided to free camp again in a car park and there were 15 other vans so it felt pretty safe. As you walk towards the town you can see it is mostly on top of a hill and the council have put in escalators to take you up to the top was is a great idea. We had a walk around the quiet streets and piazzas reading a bit about the history supplied to us by the tourist info office. More churches and palazzos and even a ruined roman amphitheatre were all within a short walk of each other, but the main draw to Arezzo is the stunning Piazza Grande. The sloping Piazza is surrounded with portico buildings, a large church and a palazzo plus some very old and interesting architecture, there’s also plenty of eating places where you can sit and enjoy the views and that’s what we did. Now having been in Italy for 6 weeks we’d had a few pizzas but the one we had at the Vasari café was the best by far and probably the best I’ve ever had it was 10/10. As the sun was setting we walked back through the Piazza Duomo and back to the van where we had a very quiet nights sleep in the car park.

Before we hit more of Tuscany we had a few days where we could add another place to the list so we crossed into Umbria and down to lake Trasimeno and to the lakeside town of Passignano. It’s located between the lush hills of Umbria and the large lake. The campsite is in the grounds of a smart hotel and for the next 3 days we walked into the small town and around the old hill top fort and tiny streets where each year a festival is celebrated by teams racing to carry a boat out of the lake and up to the highest point, we chilled by the lake (we needed a rest after walking over 70 miles in the last 2 weeks), ate excellent food in the restaurant and sat by the outdoor heated pool and whirlpool, all very nice for late October.

After the 3 days of relaxation we were back on the road and as Passignano was the furthest south we were going we hit the road north, back into Tuscany and to the city of Siena. Along the route to Siena the Tuscan hills are littered with villas on the hill tops and all look like something from a movie, one day Rodney! Again Siena is another of the popular cities but it doesn’t have many campsites nearby, in fact the choice is very limited. We stayed on a site called Il Sambuco just to the north of Siena and it was an Agritourismo site which means basically on a working farm of some sort. This one was an olive farm so our van was parked slapbang in the middle of olive groves, very nice. As usual we jumped on a bus that afternoon and headed to town. Sienna is famous for it’s twice yearly horse race the Il Palio but it has lots of beautiful buildings in the old town to look at as you wander around. We did just that and after walking from the old roman entry gate in the north down into the Piazza del Campo we had again seen churches, museums, palazzo’s and the small tight alleyways were full of bars and cafes and it was all very nice. We watched a film on Il Palio the night before so when we arrived in the piazza we had that in mind and how it would look on those 2 days in July and August each year. It is hard to imagine that 60 thousand people pack into this piazza and a horse race takes place around them, watch the film (BBC il Palio on youtube) it’s a great spectacle. We sat in a bar and had a drink soaking up the atmosphere of the tourists sitting in the piazza, taking their pictures of the Torre del Mangia, the Palazzo Publico and the piazza itself. Siena’s Duomo is just around the corner, it’s made of marble and stands out amongst the old town buildings high on the hill top, it was built from 1189 and the dome was finished in 1264 and is quite a building. After our cultural fix we headed back through more piazza’s, passed the Basilica San Domenico which is a massive church on another hill top then headed back to site after another good days walk. With it being on a farm the cockerels were up and at it at 6am so that got us up but we had a quiet morning sat in the olive groves before going into Siena again. We had a few drinks before grabbing a pizza for tea, then we found Bar San Pablo which is just off the piazza del campo but has a balcony in the back room that looks over the piazza so with a drink and a great view we had a great night.

Waking up to a very foggy morning in the olive groves, it wasn’t until 10am until the fog lifted and day warmed up almost immediately, we packed up and heading north for only 10 miles we stopped off in the medieval walled village of Monteriggioni. It’s not a big place but interesting that a small village should have such high walls from 500 years ago. It is on a pilgrimage route so has plenty of visitors to it’s church and is worth a stop off if passing by. After a short visit we continued through the scenic Tuscan hills and onto our site in Montopoli. Parked up we had a lazy afternoon then walked into the small village for a look around at teatime, there wasn’t much happening as it was midweek so we headed back for a quiet night. A very quiet night on a near empty campsite and we were up and walking to the train station and catching the train to Pisa. Twenty minutes on train from Montopoli/San Romano station and we were in Pisa. The main draw is obviously the tower but leaving the station towards the tower you walk down and through the main pedestrian shopping street, then cross the Arno river into the old town which is a very lively area even on a Wednesday. It's on a 15 minute walk from here and you arrive at the xxxx area where the leaning tower, the Duomo and Basilica are all together. This area is very busy with the obligatory shot of yourself trying to hold up the tower before it falls (it is actually falling that much that in 10 years it wont be able to go inside) we got our tickets and visited all of the sites but Mel didn’t want to go up the tower so after a good few hours we headed back into the old town for food. After the bruschetta, pasta and lasagne we sat by the river with a drink and watched the sunset. It was a late night back at site and straight to bed knackered, we had to do it all again the next day. Up again on to the train for the trip to Florence. As soon as we arrived at Florence train station you could tell it was going to a busy place as the train station was a bustling place. Walking from the station though Piazza Santa maria and into the old town towards Piazza Signoria it was definitely the busiest place we had been since Milan. As well as the many tourists it was full of kids on school and collage trips with groups everywhere. We got straight into the culture of medieval Florence by visiting museums, churches, sculpture parks and it was all very nice. There is so much to visit if you have time but just walking around the piazzas and buildings gives you a sense of how amazing Florence is and that so much of it is 500 years plus old. We had visited many Italian cities on this trip and Florence is right up there with the best. The duomo is massive and would be worth seeing inside but the queue was stupid long, plus other museums and the tower were sold out for the day so we had to miss a few things, but it means we have to come back one day. Down at the river Arno and over the ever busy Pontevecchio bridge onto the west bank and the place is just as busy at the Pallazzo Pitta but if you walk a little further and you end up in a tranquil botanical garden which seems a world away from the main piazzas. After a little breather we walked back over into the old town and found a pizzeria next to the Duomo for tea, before having a small pub crawl around the back streets. We’d had a great day out and 30000 steps later my feet were aching, back in the van we slept like logs. If you are going to Florence at anytime I would ay plan what you want to do and book tickets otherwise you might miss out.

With one more place in Tuscany to visit we left Montopoli at lunchtime and headed north towards Lucca. An hour later as we arrived at the perimeter of the city it was clear something was going on in town, there was traffic control and hundreds of people walking towards the centre dressed as characters from superhero movies or comics. We had a few choices of places to stay but it soon became clear that all would be full as there were cars and motorhomes parked anywhere and everywhere alongside the roads. We then noticed a sign that said Lucca Comics and Games festival, we googled it and it is huge plus it was all sold out so we had to move on. So we headed to our next planned stop in Deiva Marina on the coast. At the end of October and early November there aren’t many campsites open in this area of Italy and when we got to this one it was almost full, but they got us in a place albeit not a great spot but it would do as we had planned a few day trips so we wouldn’t be on site much. The next morning the campsite shuttle bus took us to the train station in Deiva Marina so we could visit the Cinque Terre. As soon as we arrived in the station it was evident the train was going to be packed as the station platform was full. Squeezing onto train and heading to Riomaggiore the furthest east of the Cinque Terre villages full with day trippers heading to this very popular destination. We got off in Riomaggiore and as a section of the coastal path route was closed for repairs we couldn’t start our walk from here so we just had a quick visit, as mentioned it was packed solid and probably will be whenever you visit, but it is a nice place. We got back on the train and got off in Corniglia where we started the walk heading west along the high coastline path. Corniglia is another of the Cinque villages and again is very charming, picturesque but not as many visitors. The pathway took us form Corniglia, through Vernazza and onto Monterosso. It is a stunning walk and when the weather is good the views are amazing and for us it was 24 degrees, sunny and hot which did make it a little sweaty up and down the hills. It was busy all along the way especially in Vernazza where every space on the beach front and every seat in every restaurant was taken, it was a Sunday and a holiday weekend so no wonder. The best thing in Vernazza was a giant grasshopper landed on Mel’s leg and she shit herself (she’s even scared of butterflies for god sake!!!) Once the walk was completed we had well deserved drink in Monterosso and called home to catch up with family as they were having birthday parties. Knackered we headed back on the train and bus to the campsite, 7 miles, 30k steps and 5 hours later. Heading out again from site and on the train to Rapallo the next morning for yet another walk. Rapallo is a few miles from Genoa and is a great starting point to walk to Portofino. The route along the coastline is around 6 miles and takes you through the lovely sea side towns of Santa Margherita, Pedale and Paraggi before you arrive in Portofino. Now Portofino is a nice scenic place but it’s extremely over-rated for whatever reason, maybe some Love Islander I’ve never heard of had a coffee there one day? who knows. We did have a nice time wandering around the harbour and the few side streets before taking in the views from the church on the headland before we caught a boat back to Rapallo. Halloween was in full swing when we docked In Rapallo with all the kids dressed up and out with their parents filling the streets as they wandered around trick or treating (or whatever it is in Italy?). Back on site by 8pm and we were again knackered after a week of major sightseeing walks.

November 1^st and the first thing we did was call home to wish grandson Dougie happy 3^rd birthday, then it was a quick pack up and onto the motorway. After all 31 days in October were totally dry we hit a torrential downpour on as we drove passed Genoa on our way to Pietra Ligure. We arrived at the site in the pouring rain, got parked up and chilled whilst it rained. We actually had a very chilled out day even though the rain stopped we didn’t go anywhere. The next day was a lot different, warm and blue skies so we decided t0 get some washing done and go out late afternoon. We had been in Pietra Ligure on our first stop in Italy and now this was our last day in Italy 2 months later. Around 4pm we walked down into town and did a bit of present shopping before sitting in the square with a few drinks and some very nice tapas as the early darkness set in, it was a nice way to end our trip in Italy. The next morning we filled up with fuel just after leaving the campsite (it’s cheaper than France) and set off on the coast road as we wanted to stop in Imperia for a bit of shopping. We did that and joined the motorway and as the rain fell we crossed back into France and back to our caravan in Biot, just outside Antibes. Over the next 10 days we did some DIY on the caravan inside and out, we cleaned the motorhome out, did the washing and had a couple of nights out in Antibes and Juan Le Pins and enjoyed the late autumn sunshine.

On our journey north from Biot to Hull we were having 3 overnight stopovers. The first was in Montelimar, we headed west along the A8 then at Aix we joined the N7 route which takes you through Provence and into the drome region, it’s good to drive the national routes as you see so much more of the place. The following morning we were up and off by 9am and after a quick shop we were on the way north to Dijon. The route was again the national route via Lyon and Bourg. We needed fuel and quickly found that the tanker driver strike from October was still an issue as the next 3 petrol stations were empty, eventually when down to just a few miles we managed to fill up and arrived in Dijon. We had a quick walk into town to pick up a few presents then got our heads down. Early again the next morning and north through the Marne region into the Ardennes to a stopover in Charleville Mezieres on the Belgium border, all 3 stops were free camping places, perfect for just getting a nights sleep (see Park4night) app. Our final drive was through Belgium, via Brussels, Antwerp and into the Netherlands to Europoort Rotterdam and the ferry to Hull.

Until our next adventure in 2023.

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