Cycling – turnrightoutofportsmouth

How to head home to the UK from Italy

Heading home from Venice we decided to head through Austria, so were able to visit Lake Garda and Verona on our way home 🙂

After 4 nights we reluctantly bid farewell to Venice. Our next destination: picturesque Lake Garda. On our way though we decided to stop in the historic city of Verona, a place steeped in romantic lore.

Our first glimpse of Verona was a pleasant surprise. We parked the van at a dedicated area near the rather impressive Porta Palio before heading off to walk into the city in the relentless heat of the day. Under normal circumstances we would have waited, but as we had only 1 night here we thought we should push on.

We first encountered the castle walls and another gateway randomly facing the river, and then made our way through a labyrinth of narrow streets and alleyways, each one revealing a piece of Verona’s rich history. The city’s architecture was a delightful blend of medieval and Renaissance styles, with charming towers, arches and frescoed facades around every corner.

One of the highlights of our Verona adventure was discovering Juliet’s house, or at least the 15th-century residence attributed to her. It was a lovely building with its iconic balcony, but whilst there were many people who seemed to be stroking the left breast of Juliet’s statue in the hope of finding true love, we were struck more by the sheer commercialism of the house, beautiful as it was.

Just a stone’s throw away, we also found ‘Romeo’s house’. While the authenticity of these sites may be debatable, there’s no denying the lure they have on tourists (more so Juliet’s house).

Verona also revealed itself as a treasure trove of historical and artistic wonders. We stumbled upon ancient mausoleums that spoke of a bygone era, a rather disturbing set of stocks with a metal neck ring in the centre of a piazza, their solemnity contrasting with the romantic legends that surround the city.

As the day turned to dusk, we sat outside the van with a neighbour, a young Israeli lady travelling on her own towards Norway with her dog Lady. She had the much better idea of wandering into the city in the evening when the heat had abated somewhat!

After a memorable night in Verona, our adventure continued as we made our way to Peschiera, a charming town nestled on the shores of Lake Garda.

We decided on Camping Butterfly, although we quickly realized that it was a rather regimented place with its specific schedules, including designated times for taking out the rubbish.

On our day in Peschiera we cycled along the scenic shores of Lake Garda, heading towards the town of Garda itself. The path proved to be challenging at times, especially the beach section, but the breathtaking views of the lake made it all worthwhile. We paused for a leisurely lunch and a stroll in the lovely town of Lazise, where we discovered a hidden gem of a bar called Nautica. It turned out to be one of the best dining experiences of our trip, with delicious food and a warm atmosphere.

On our way back, we couldn’t resist the temptation to cool off with a refreshing swim in the lake. Thankfully, we had remembered to bring our water shoes, which proved essential for navigating the stony lakebed.

Our second evening in Peschiera took us to a bustling bar, Mida’s Strube, where we found ourselves in the company of Italian triathletes on a training run/swim/ride – we think they may have been international competitors 🙂

As much as we enjoyed Peschiera, we decided to move on to Garda, where we found a dedicated parking spot just a short walk from the lake. This location was perfect for us, and we once again took a dip in the lake, even though it was a bit rockier and less convenient than our previous swim – still a welcome respite from the heat.

In Garda, we made a big mistake by choosing an empty lakeside eatery. Initially presented with an a la carte menu that didn’t quite appeal to us, we were surprised by the waitress’s lack of grace when clearing our table. After a while, we decided to ask another waiter for a different menu – which they did have. We enjoyed our meal and drinks but were taken aback by a hefty bill, including a cover charge of 4E each, reminding us of the importance of choosing wisely when dining in touristy areas. We were really annoyed with ourselves as we are fully aware of these potential issues…

A stroll around Garda led us to a brass band playing, a delightful déjà vu from a previous visit to the town. We had hoped to find the market to replace a cherished tablecloth from years ago, but alas, the market day was the next day, and we missed it as we drove away.

Our final stop in Italy took us to South Tyrol, just south of the Austrian border, where we explored the stunning scenery, admired mountain views, and stumbled upon a mysterious circle of standing stones. As we crossed into Austria and headed towards Germany, we reflected on all the memories that made our 2023 trip through Italy an unforgettable journey, at the same time we looked forward to our meander home through Germany, France, Luxembourg and Belgium, which turned out to be a rather wonderful few weeks 🙂

We stayed: Porta Palio, Verona

Camping Butterfly, Peschiera

Garda Parking, Garda

How we got from Florence to Orbetello on the coast, (via Monteriggioni and Siena)

After leaving Pisa we headed inland to Florence before making our way back to the coast at Orbetello via Monteriggioni and Siena. Next stop – Rome 🙂

Visiting Florence (or Firenze as it’s known in Italy), the cultural capital of Tuscany, is a dream come true for many. We felt that we should visit and see the main sights, but there wasn’t anything we particularly wanted to see. In this post, I’ll take you on a whirlwind tour of Florence and the places we discovered after leaving there, and before making our way to Rome.

Florence: The Duomo and Beyond:

We stayed outside the city centre in a fairly uninspiring, but handy, camper stop in Scandicci. It was convenient as we had just a 10 minute walk to the tram which then took us into the centre within about 15 minutes. If you’re ever here, do make sure that you’re holding on when the tram starts up – the driving of trams, and trains, as with any vehicle in Italy is very aggressive, leading to people nearly falling over left, right and centre….

Arriving in the city centre, we picked up a map from the information centre and then made our way to the historic centre, where we were met with a view of the spectacular Duomo and Baptistery, both of which are truly breathtaking. It really is a sight to behold and as a result, after much umming and ahhing, we decided to join one of the long queues to go inside the iconic Duomo. Our queue snaked its way past the campanile (bell tower). Of course, there were no queues there as it is ticketed only!

Once inside the cathedral, we soon discovered that the real marvel lay in its exterior beauty rather than the interior. We looked at the dome from below, which was definitely worth seeing, and tried heading down the steps towards the crypt (the crowds were inhibiting) only to find another area that needed to be paid for and, of course, the gift shop….

With many warnings in mind we chose to sit outside a bar at the dome end of the Duomo for a drink – I enjoyed a limoncello spritz 😊 It wasn’t overly expensive and we were able to appreciate the exterior of the cathedral more – noticing that we were sitting at the point where they had yet to clean!!

We spent the rest of the day simply exploring the city’s other architectural gems, such as the Ponte Vecchio, populated entirely by high end jewellers shops, and various palaces (Pitti Palace), statues and fountains. We saw the Uffizi gallery from outside, but the queues were huge (and you really do have to book ahead if you want to go inside).

We enjoyed a nice lunch at Il Bargello (me, ravioi; Calv, meatballs) overlooking the magnificent building that the National Museum di Bargello is housed within. We also enjoyed our 2^nd gelato of the trip (the first having been in Lucca – it was more expensive in Florence!!)

We stayed:- Scandicci

Monteriggioni: Leaving Florence behind, we had found a camper stop with all services (including toilets, showers and electric – for 16Euros per night) at the enchanting walled town of Monteriggioni, a true hidden gem. Although we were heading for Siena (having seen it recommended by another tourer) we decided to stop here first and then just have a short 10-15 miles to Siena the next day. We ended up staying 2 nights as it was just perfect, with the most wonderful views over the Tuscan countryside 😊

Heading about half mile up the steep hill on the Via Fracigena (an ancient walk from Canterbury to Constantinople) we town itself. It is a tiny town that captures the essence of medieval Italy. The atmosphere was vibrant on a Sunday, as locals, cyclists, bikers, and tourists alike filled the narrow, windy cobblestone streets. We soaked up the town’s rich history, strolled around it’s few streets, and partook of a quick drink and ice cream sundae. The church was tiny but beautiful, and we enjoyed listening to the bells ringing.

(Campers note – there is a car park just below the city walls where you can park for a lower day rate. If you don’t fancy a bracing walk up the hill!!)

We stayed:- Monteriggioni

Siena: Moving on on Monday we continued just a few miles up the road to Siena, where we parked in an authorised stop which is used by coaches. Again, not overly inspiring – being in the middle of a roundabout – but perfect for our purposes (cost 20Euros).

We could see Siena as we approached, perched high above the main road. Walking up a road (which is normal it would appear..) we found the elevators to take us up to the historical centre. This is a city renowned for its medieval architecture and famous Palio horse race. Once we knew this all the mini ceramic helmets on sale in the tourist shops made more sense! There is a lot more to it, including, of course, a duomo, a magnificent piazza dominated by a tower (which you can go up – we couldn’t face it!!) We’re convinced that this square is where public executions were held (Piazza del Campo). For lunch we enjoyed a giant slice of pizza (which I worked out how to eat – after I’d finished and having made a bit of a mess!!) We later returned to sit on a narrow, perhaps you could say rickety, balcony overlooking the piazza, enjoying a drink and indulging in a bit of people watching 😊

The narrow streets were a labyrinth, with mopeds zipping by at every turn, defying the conventional rules of the road (as seems to be the norm in Italy ☹). Amidst the confusion, we stumbled upon a delightful surprise: the enchanting strains of a piano practice accompanied by a soaring opera soprano, drifting from a window high above us. It was one of those moments that will stay with us forever – and made the fact that we were lost, again, very worthwhile 😊

We also walked a fair way to find the fort shown on the map, then walked the whole way around the fort to find the entrance (we should have turned right… we always should (except when leaving St Peter’s Square in Rome, but that’s another story…)) and watching a fairground HGV going through one of the entrance arches with just cms to spare!!

Once again, we managed to get back to the van within a minute of so of the heavens opening and yet another thunderstorm ensuing – luck seems to have been with us so far on this trip; long may it continue….

We stayed: Siena

Orbetello: Finally after the hustle and bustle of the previous week or so we decided to head to the coast before making our way to Rome. Plus we had just discovered that Friday was Republic Day, a public holiday, so we thought it prudent to get ourselves onto a site to sit it out.

We identified our destination as being Orbetello, a coastal town on a narrow spit leading to an island. We spent the first couple of days indulging in beach and pool time, interrupted on the last couple of days by bike rides. The first of these was not successful – we couldn’t find the cycle path we’d been told about, and ended up heading the wrong way when we got onto the island. With fast moving Italian traffic (mopeds overtaking the cars that were overtaking bikes – not great when they’re coming towards you on a narrow windy road) this wasn’t enjoyable, so we headed back early having only covered 9 miles.

We then did a bit of research and found the cycle path, so set off again the next day. Much more successful (managed a full 14 miles this time)! First stop on reaching Orbetello was lunch in the delightful Café Gagu. We then locked up the bikes and went for a wander, stumbling upon another hidden gem when we discovered the town’s history as a seaplane base, adding a unique twist to its charm. Orbetello town turned out to be a delightful surprise, and we were so glad that we went out that 2^nd day as it would have been so easy to head back to the beach and veg out!!

We stayed:- Camping Orbetello

Conclusion: So we went to Florence, Monteriggioni, Siena and Orbetello over the course of just over a week. Our favourite? For me it had to be Monteriggioni, followed by the day we cycled to Orbetello and discovered it’s hidden history.

What we are finding throughout Italy is that there is a lack of information available. Often there will be information boards, but they tend to go into so much technical detail (architecture etc.) that even I, a voracious reader, get bored and give up!!

The moral of the story however is to head off the beaten track and discover those places that are not written about and photographed everywhere – these new discoveries were very much more pleasant to visit.

See the following links for photos:-

Florence:- https://www.instagram.com/p/CsuHQYuoRw4/

Monteriggioni:- https://www.instagram.com/p/CsvhOvlorhU/

Siena:- https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs1MLeZIJAx/

Orbetello:- https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs_qJZXIR2M/ https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs4VFmZI2OH/

Valencia, Pucol and Sagunto

We decided on a final visit to the coast before heading for home, choosing a site near Valencia (Camping Valencia) in a small town called Pucol.

Even though first impressions of our chosen site were, shall we say, less than favourable, we managed to move to the nicer part of the site on the 2nd day and ended up extending our stay to a whole week 🙂

We did spend a fair bit of time simply relaxing here, but we also visited the nearby town of Pucol on our bikes – there are many opportunities for cycling, with a really good cycle/running path into town. We also cycled the other way along many green lanes/farm tracks – of which there are many 🙂

Days out were 1 day driving to Valencia, failing miserably to find a parking space so parking on the outskirts and riding back in! More on that later 🙂

We also drove in the opposite direction to visit the ancient town of Sagunto, which is well worth a visit.

So let’s start with our visit to Valencia. Having parked on the outskirts (I’m sorry I can’t tell you where exactly (it might have been Benimaclet), but it was adjacent to the cycle path and we parked for nothing). I do know that we headed past the university and into the city before finding our destination of The Turia Gardens. We had heard that this was a wonderful way to cycle the city situated as it is through it’s heart where the Turia River flowed until it was diverted to prevent further flooding.

With numerous exits and entrances to this 8km long area we joined a little way before the futuristic Museum of Arts and Sciences, an amazing building bordered by numerous wasterways and fountains. A beautiful, tranquil area to relax.

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We simply cycled along the paths of the gardens, eventually stopping for some lunch near the old city – I think it was the Bar Baja la Puente Calatrava (no. 7 on this list of Turia Garden eateries from JuliaEats). I do know that we enjoyed our lunch and that there was plenty of parking available for our bikes 🙂 I also know that whilst we were sat there there was a long series of VERY loud bangs, which startled us but seemingly nobody else! We later discovered that this is a daily occurrence in the weeks leading up to The Fallas Festival – The Mascleta; read all about it here.

We left the gardens at the Puente de Flores, bordered as it is on both sides with beautiful floral displays 🙂

We came out by the old gateway to the city (that we saw on our last visit), had a little cycle around the fountains before returning to the gardens and heading towards the car. Which we eventually found – even though we took a completely different route!!