Our Italian adventure ended spectacularly yesterday with a UNESCO listed train journey through the Swiss Alps aboard the Bernina Express. Before we headed to the border train station in Tirano we squeezed in a quick ride on the funicular that transports residents and tourists between Como and Brunate. It takes 7 minutes on a track... Continue Reading →

Our delight in yesterday crept up and caught us by surprise. We weren't expecting much from the day: a long freeway trek from Villa Campestri to Brunate, a hilltop town overlooking Lake Como. But it became one of our favourite experiences of the trip. First we stopped for cappuccinos in the UNESCO listed town square... Continue Reading →

Now, don't get me wrong, Florence is absolutely gorgeous. But I didn't fall in love with the city. Sacrilege! I think I've become a smaller town girl. Perhaps my expectations were too high. So many people told me how amazing it was. Maybe it's like seeing too many previews of a movie and the real... Continue Reading →

We had the most unexpectedly lovely afternoon in Lucca yesterday. The town was once the hub of silk production in Italy and is filled with churches and rich merchants' towers. The merchants built the towers with single rooms on each floor: bottom commercial, second living, third bedroom, etc and kitchen at the top with a... Continue Reading →

There are waaaaaay worse places to be lost than Tuscany, so I'm not complaining (too much) about how many times we misplaced our route yesterday. But let me start at the beginning. Our gorgeous country retreat does everything so so well. Breakfast even includes a huge honeycomb dispensing the local sticky stuff. Classy! After brekkie... Continue Reading →

I only gave you half the holiday story. I've been holding out on you ... DD flew to Rome to meet me on Sunday night. Lucky me! The rain was absolutely bucketing down when he arrived, so he was drenched when he finally puddled into the hotel from the station. But we only had one... Continue Reading →

My ex was waiting for us when we pulled into Rome Termini Station yesterday morning. It was time for me to say goodbye to the kids for three weeks. We hugged and kissed and I wished them a good holiday. Then they were gone, without a backward glance. You know you've created a secure environment... Continue Reading →

Our Naples hotel, Il Convento, is in a great part of the city. It's a block into the Spanish Quarter, right near the bustling Via Toledo. Via Toledo is full of boutiques and buskers and market stalls and thousands of boisterous, strolling locals. Our backstreet is crammed with little shops selling fresh fruit, seafood, deli... Continue Reading →

Things didn't get off to the best start with our Pompeii adventure. I decided we should take the tourist bus there. But could I find the bus stop in the relentless rain - after paying 35 euros for our tickets? No, I could not. Various helpful Napolitanos pointed us in various unhelpful directions before we... Continue Reading →

I was nervous about spending three nights in Naples. One friend told me it was a horrible place, while my mum begged me not to go out after dark because she'd heard it was the Mafia capital of Italy (she's also convinced Mt Vesuvius is about to blow). But I've found myself unexpectedly charmed by... Continue Reading →