Honeymoon 🚍❤️🥂

June - August 2023
A 33-day adventure by Beth and Joe Read more
  • 19footprints
  • 8countries
  • 33days
  • 248photos
  • 19videos
  • 5.7kkilometers
  • Day 16

    Lake Garda - Base Camp & San Felice

    July 15, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    As we are pitching up at our next destination - Lake Garda - our new neighbour jumps out and offers us a tray of pomme frites! Known as Mr Chips from then on! Nice man.

    Another great site with our own bathroom pod. A pool, bar and restaurant all with views of the lake.

    From our site we walked to San Felice and hired a boat. Boating around Garda for an afternoon, around little islands with mountainous backdrops for miles. Captain Joe in his element. Anchored up for a swim in one of the coves (water was like a luke warm bath!) - happily bobbing around in an inflatable with a glass of fizz 🥂 … great afternoon!

    Back to base for an evening swim!
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  • Day 17

    Lake Garda - Salo, Bardolino & Portese

    July 16, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Walked to Salo today to get the hop on/off ferry boat over to Bardolino. We did not realise quite how big the lake was, so this was a great way to travel/see other ports.

    Bardolino was a very pretty old town. Many bars/restaurants/shops. Gorgeous waters, colourful flowers and boats a plenty!

    Lunch lakeside (over ordering and over indulging) watching the boats come in.

    Quick dip in the lake here and then boat back - this time to Portese.

    Man it’s hot! Off the beaten track, walking amongst the olive groves back to base we stumble across a tiny village and hear some live music rehearsals. We stick our heads in and they say there is a live concert on the square tonight … we will be back!

    Swim back at camp, no tea needed as still full from lunch and then head back to the little square in the evening.

    Stage set up, rows of plastic seats, hundreds of local Italians …. and us. The concert was organised by some rich local Italian family and free to attend! Bit of a pinch me moment as we sat through the concert not knowing what they were singing/saying … but beautiful and amazing to watch all the same. Singer was Roberta Montanari.

    What a way to end our Lake Garda visit 🎶 😊
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  • Day 19

    Portofino

    July 18, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Leaving Garda we head towards the Italian Riviera coastline. Windy roads and tunnels through the hill side.

    Staying in Rapallo where we have a day trip out to surrounding ports. Ferry hopping from; Rapallo > Santa Margherita > Portofino.

    Portofino - A postcard, picture perfect little fishing village lined with colourful buildings. We walked upto Castello Brown - short but steep walk up from the harbour. Steps and hills not an ideal combination in the baking heat but worth the panoramic views at the top! Think this is the hottest we have ever been. Disgustingly hot and humid 🥵

    Time for a drink to cool down and soak up the view whilst deciding what we would call our yatch when we win the euros … (let’s never talk about the price of those 2 drinks 😂) …

    On our last day here we had a chiller at camp. Think the heat zapped us yesterday so a quiet pool day was needed with a book in the shade!

    Our Yorkshire accents engaged conversation with a couple from Barnsley and another couple from Cornwall. Sharing travel stories, routes and where next!

    Pizzeria at the site with the best pizzas for 6 Euros in 5 minutes! Our Netherland neighbours also gifted us some water melon & wine … camp life 👍🏻
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  • Day 21

    Lucca - Air B&B Stay

    July 20, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    Chosen soundtrack for todays drive was Blur - in preparation for Saturday!

    Right, we are moving to Italy! When you think the trip can’t get any better we roll upto our air b&b in Lucca. This was a ‘holiday’, within the holiday!

    Greeted by Giuseppe (he is as Italian as he sounds!) and his daughter who translated for him. Presented with local ‘Welcome wine’ and olive oil.

    Amazing little villa in the stunning grounds of his house with a pool and a gated area to park up our ‘home’ for 4 nights. A top air b&b which also came with a dog, cat, chickens, 2 robot lawn mowers and most importantly air con!
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  • Day 22

    Lucca - The Walled City

    July 21, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Trip into Lucca today. Stood at a bus stop trying to work out the bus situation (public transport does not seem great here!) and then a friendly local pulls up and offers to take us … so we jump in. He didn’t speak English and wouldn’t take anything for the lift.

    Loved Lucca as soon as we entered the walled city! Compares to the feel of Venice only without the water and a lot more low key. Very Italian. Spent the afternoon getting lost in the cobbled streets, window shopping and visiting some of the many churches and cathedral.

    In the church San Michele in Foro there is an actual mummy encased in glass at the alter positioned as though it’s waving at you 😳 … time for a drink.

    Spritz, pizza and people watching at Piazza dell’Anfiteatro which is an oval area outlined by colourful Tuscan buildings - built on the former site of a Roman amphitheater.

    Back to Giuseppe’s - pool and pasta.
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  • Day 23

    Lucca Summer Festival ‘23

    July 22, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Festival day! Cycled into Lucca on the morning (for Parkrun which was cancelled due to the festival - oops, sorry Joe!) so instead cycled round the top of the city walls.

    Back to Giuseppes for a few hours by the pool and lunch before heading back to Lucca to soak up the pre gig vibes! Lucca was buzzing today. Many bucket hats, band t-shirts, espressos, spritz’ and gorgeous Italian snacks that seem to come with every drink!

    Festival site was on the edge of the walls. A fair size but not too big. Stalls serving aperol spritz and focaccia. Support act were a London band - Sounds Mint.

    Then Blur … finally a concert we did know all the songs and words too! Forgot how many big hits they had. Amazing to see live in such a venue - a relatively ‘small’ stage for Blur. They blew the PA system at one point!

    Thanks Lucca … already thinking about our next visit! 🧡
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  • Day 25

    Annecy

    July 24, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Long drive on the cards today as we head north and make our way into France. Drive made longer by torrential rain, lightening, roadworks and queuing for the Mt Blanc tunnel.

    Driving through the alps. Annecy bound at last! We came here on our first European road trip in 2018 and always wanted to come back.

    Took the bus (freebie!) from camp into Annecy. Very changeable weather. Cloudy and rainy 1 min, sunny the next.

    A walk about town, wonder on the lake front and seeing some familiar sights.

    Moody skies on the way back. Storm brewing. So a night in the van: food, wine and many games of domino’s were had!

    The following day was a lot brighter and sunnier! There is a cycle path all round the lake so we did that. 23 mile bike ride with a picnic stop lake side. Really enjoyed this and great views.

    Meal out in Annecy on our final night. Cheese, wine and some more cheese!

    Other Annecy highlights: finding and buying Spice Girls on vinyl (sorry Joe!), nutella crepes, random holiday biscuit purchases in Carrefore, paddle boarding for Joe and running for Beth.
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  • Day 28

    Eguisheim

    July 27, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Driving from Annecy to Alsace today. Chose the route through Switzerland 🇨🇭 some rather amazing outlines of snowy mountain peaks.

    Alsace - vineyard wonderland! Eguisheim is a little medieval village on the Alsace wine route. Narrow, concentric, cobbled streets lined with half-timbered, colourful houses with flower box windowsills.

    Basically walked the town, vineyards and tasted many of the local wines here and had a lovely traditional lunch out. A lot of menu guessing with the aid of Google translate again, but we were very happy with what arrived!

    Joe of course managed to find the only craft beer micro brewery in a village of wine …

    A rainy eve spent under the awning with a book and a film overlooking the vineyards! Some much needed downtime as the trip comes to a close.
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  • Day 32

    Homeward Bound!

    July 31, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    A pit stop in Rotterdam ahead of a choppy overnight ferry ride on the Pride of Hull back to English soil.

    Rain, cloud and a drive up the M62 to end the trip! Finally reunited with Lennon … (he was pleased to see us honest!)

    Home sweet home.

    Now, when can we go again?! …
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