Finally in the warmth: Italy! 🇮🇹
Our first summer destination on this trip - and also the country with the smallest and narrowest streets. 😂 With our 7-meter Sprinter, we had a hard time in some cities/villages and actually got our first scratches on the car. 🙄
As we crossed the border, we were curious if we would face a control due to Corona, as it was described in the media everywhere - but there was no one there. 😂 So we also entered Italy without any problems. However, in everyday life, you could still very well perceive Corona, as some Italians even wear an FFP2 mask alone in the forest. Of course, they don't give up wearing it even when cycling or jogging, no matter how steep the hill is. 😆
What did we do first in Italy? Of course, eat pizza! 🥰 Then we left the beautiful Lago Maggiore and Lago di Como behind and drove to the charming city of Verona, where we first familiarized ourselves with Italian aperitif culture. 😅🥂
Deserted: Venice
With grey skies and our umbrella, we took the train to Venice - cars are completely prohibited here, except for residents. Then we took the famous water taxi to the Rialto Bridge - one of the main landmarks of Venice. We were lucky with the weather, and the rain only briefly set in as we ate our pizza for lunch - together with my family, who were also visiting Venice at the same time.
Right after lunch, the rain stopped, and we visited the Piazza San Marco, which was completely deserted thanks to the weather and Corona - Venice has certainly not seen this few people in decades. 😁
The best pizza of our trip: Milan
Since we didn't really like our parking spot in Milan, right in the middle of a large parking lot, we only stayed for one night in Milan. Nevertheless, we visited the entire city center, ate the best pizza of our trip, and ended the evening at the endlessly long bar promenade with a cocktail. Milan is really one of the most beautiful cities in Italy - especially in terms of all the possible activities!
Along the Mediterranean coast
The next morning, we set off early, right in the middle of rush hour, heading towards southern Italy. Specifically, we went to Genoa, with a brief overnight stop in the village of Crocefieschi, where we did a beautiful via ferrata and had to seek refuge in the refuge from the approaching thunderstorm. 😳😬 In Genoa, we stayed on a mountain with a fantastic view over the entire city. From there, we continued towards France, with stops in numerous small, charming fishing villages.
The last villages before the border
Halfway to the French border, we tested the outdoor suitability of our Sprinter again, on the way to the Degli Artisti via ferrata. With a length of 7 meters, the potholes and bumps on the small forest path were quite a challenge, but we made it to our overnight spot without touching the ground - would we have made it up with "normal street tires"? 🤔
But as soon as we arrived, we set off again for the via ferrata, which was about a 30-minute walk away. Halfway up, we suddenly could only see 10 meters ahead of us because we were in the middle of the clouds. The highlight was the 50-meter-long suspension bridge, which we couldn't even see halfway across. After a 90-minute descent over scree, we were finally back at the camper and could put our feet up.
Our last stop in Italy was the beautiful city of Imperia, which has an impressive harbor and a beautiful campsite right by the sea. We set off on the e-scooter to explore the city center and had delicious all-you-can-eat sushi for lunch. 😍In the evening, we watched the dreamy sunset over the harbor."
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