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Europe and Scandinavia 2025
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Europe and Scandinavia 2025

A 66-day adventure by Milligans on Tour Read more
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  • Milligans on TourEurope and Scandinavia 2025Traveler
    Opera House

    Oslo, Norway

    May 16, 2025 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Another city, another hop on/hop off bus. Our time in Oslo was quite limited (6 1/2 hours) so once again, this was the best way to see a multitude of attractions/visitor spots in a short space of time. Oslo is a city of contrasts where old and new mix seamlessly. There are lots of green spaces and some very lush, expensive neighborhoods. We stopped off in the center of town and visited the King's Palace, Parliament building, the sculpture park, and the national theatre, and had our usual ritual of coffee and cake at a local cafe (or bakeri as they seem to be known as). We found it difficult to find a toilet that we could use without having to pay. In fact it was near impossible so the old credit card had to come out, at a cost of NZ$3.50 per visit, maximum 15 minutes per visit😂.
    We then took a stroll around the new harbourside town of Tjuvholmen, not too far from the cruise terminal. This spot encompasses numerous office spaces, apartments and restaurants/bars as well as lots of outdoor spaces for exercising, swimming, and generally relaxing. Oh, and fake, very realistic-looking, trees. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to visit the Opera House, which was a bit of a disappointment. Full disclosure: the photo of the opera house is not mine - it's a photo of a photo that was on the ship 😊    Read more

  • Milligans on TourEurope and Scandinavia 2025Traveler

    Final sea day, en route to Oslo

    May 16, 2025, North Sea ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    A chilled out kind of day embracing life on board. Today I'll post a couple of videos, one of the brilliant entertainment crew who have wowed us with shows every night, and one of the resident pianist who plays in the atrium for what seems like the majority of the day. Very easy to listen to.Read more

  • Milligans on TourEurope and Scandinavia 2025Traveler
    Maritime Museum

    Next stop, Hamburg, Germany

    May 18, 2025 in Germany ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    Sadly, after 19 nights, it was time to leave the cruise ship this morning. We will miss our favourite waiter Krisna, who looked after us from morning to dusk. These guys work incredibly hard - 11-hour days without a day off for their entire 8-month contract. We have had a ton of fun, visited many interesting places and made loads of memories but time for the next stage of our journey. Disembarkation was an easy process and we were at the train station in Warnemunde by 9.00am. We jumped on the train to Rostock in the hope of catching our train to Hamburg at 11.08am but unfortunately it had been delayed by a couple of hours and wasn't leaving until 1.08pm so it was quite a long wait at the train station. It was all a little confusing trying to work out what was going on because most of the staff at the train station spoke very little English but we did meet a couple of fellow passengers from the cruise ship who were able to help us. The train journey to Hamburg was pretty much non-eventful but we sat next to a young German lumberjack who spoke excellent English and had some great stories to tell of his recent travels. After checking into our hotel (only a 5-minute walk from Hamburg Central Train Station) we had a bit of a rest before embarking on a walk around the city, specifically the Speicherstadt area, a huge warehouse district for which construction was started in 1883. This area is also a UNESCO heritage site. Hamburg is a city of numerous canals and bridges (apparently there are over 2500 bridges) and the city reminded us a bit of Venice with all its canals and waterways. Regrettably for us, on our walk we ended up on the wrong side of town in an area where we didn't feel safe (by now it was about 8.00pm on a Sunday evening). I won't go into too much detail but we (me in particular) felt very unsafe, frightened and very vulnerable. And so concluded our evening walk around Hamburg City. We grabbed a bite to eat and headed back to the safe confines of our hotel.Read more

  • Milligans on TourEurope and Scandinavia 2025Traveler
    Night-time view of Torbole and Lake Garda

    Hamburg to Milan

    May 19, 2025 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Another day of travelling, this time making our way to Milan. Hamburg Central Railway Station is massive and navigating our way to the correct platform to catch the train to the airport was a tad daunting. We were almost there and then realised we didn't have tickets so had to fumble our way around ticket booths that were mostly in German. The good thing about train stations and airports is that there are always Police or security guards who are willing to help out as best they can. While waiting for the train to arrive a german-speaking man tried to usher us up to the front of the train. Again, we relied on security to help us out and point us in the right direction We found out later that the reason we had to move to the front of the train was because only the first three carriages went all the way to the airport. Sound advice from a kind stranger. Our flight to Milan took off on time and we arrived at Milan Linate Airport approximately 1 1/2 hours later. A quick trip to pick up our car and we were on our way to make the 2-hour drive to Torbole, the most stunning lakeside village at the top of Lake Garda. This is the third visit we have made to Torbole and it is one of our favourite destinations. Roberta was there to greet us and it was so good to give her a big hug. A lot of you will probably remember Roberta as one of our international homestay students who lived with us in NZ for 6 months. We spent the evening catching up with Roberta and her Mum and having a bit of down time. We'd pretty much been travelling for 2 days and were kind of exhausted by this stage so it was a quiet night in and early to bed.Read more

  • Milligans on TourEurope and Scandinavia 2025Traveler

    Special times in Torbole

    May 19–25, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    How happy were we to see Roberta again upon our arrival in Torbole. For those of you who don't know, Roberta was another of our international students who we hosted in NZ almost 20 years ago and we have maintained a close relationship since then. She works in Zurich but took the week off to come and hang out with us (and her family of course 😉). We were fortunate enough to be invited to once again spend the week in Roberta's parents' home, which has the most amazing views over Lake Garda and Torbole and the mountains beyond, but oh my gosh, if you walk down to Torbole it's one heck of a climb to get back up to the house - I counted approximately 200+ stairs. However, if you do drive into town and back you definitely need to have a second and possibly third set of eyes to keep an eye out for cyclists. Torbole is well-known for its mountain biking tracks and there are a huge amount of cyclists around, often on narrow roads. Windsurfing/foiling are also popular sports and there are quite a few windsurfing schools in the area.
    We have certainly been well looked after all week thanks to the hospitality of Roberta and her family. While Roberta and her sister Carlotta speak excellent English, her parents do not so there was a little bit of a barrier there but the Google Translate app has been our saviour. How good is this app!! Also useful for translating signs, packaging, grocery labels, etc.
    There are many lakeside villages within driving distance of Torbole so we have spent the week exploring the villages of Malcesine (my favourite, we went back a second time), Riva del Garda, Arco and Limone, and at the same time taking a bit of a trip down memory lane. Think gelato, pizza, pasta .... and of course aperitivo, the tradition of having a pre-meal drink, typically aperol spritz, at a local bar, with snacks being provided.
    It was a delight to catch up with Luisa and Othello yesterday, the parents of Giulia, yet another one of our homestays (sounds like we were serial homestay parents - oh wait, we were 😂). We enjoyed lunch at the Casa Beust lakeside restaurant together with Luisa and Othello's niece Naomi (a great translator, thank you!), and Roberta and her family and her partner Jacapo. A big thank you to Roberta for organising the lunch on our behalf. Sadly Sunday came round and after a quick visit to see Luisa and Othello, it was time to say goodbye. A few tears were shed (many actually) but we are so grateful for such a fabulous week reconnecting with old friends and making new ones ❤️.    Read more

  • Milligans on TourEurope and Scandinavia 2025Traveler

    And finally, Limone

    May 24–30, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Another quaint little village on the shores of Lake Garda. Most of these villages have small populations that are boosted by tourists over the summer months. The history during war times is really interesting. Fun fact: Parts of the James Bond movie Quantum of Solace were filmed through and along the road tunnels around Lake Garda.Read more

  • Milligans on TourEurope and Scandinavia 2025Traveler

    Remember Asti Spumante wine?

    May 25–26, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    After leaving Torbole we drove down the A22 towards Milan and then onto Asti, famous for the well-known Asti Spumante wine (c'mon girls, we all know we've bought those $4.00 bottles of Asti in our younger days when money was tight 😉). We managed to score ourselves the cutest little (as in huge) apartment for the night for a very competitive rate, including breakfast, so we were pretty pleased with ourselves. The stars were aligning because we were expecting to pay an additional €15 a night for parking but were lucky enough to get a free park right outside the entrance to the apartment (trust me, finding a parking space that you don't have to pay for is near-nigh impossible). The town itself was pretty uneventful but we did come across a park that was home to multitudes of turtles. Their living conditions weren't the greatest but they were living their best life.Read more

  • Milligans on TourEurope and Scandinavia 2025Traveler
    2Look how close the railway line is to the apartments

    We made it to the coast

    May 27–28, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    We have spent the last couple of days road tripping through quaint Italian villages and towns in the Piedmont region, known for its numerous wineries and vineyards - seriously, there are wineries for Africa. We stopped at a rest area for a break and happened to notice a rather large castle on the hill in the distance so went on a mission to find it. Well what a find that was. The castle was in the town of Costigliole d'Asti, also known for its many vineyards. First impressions were that it seemed like quite an affluent town. We drove up to the castle looking for a place to have our lunch but what we came across was the most magnificent view across the valley and beyond (see video). Next stop was Alba (where we spent the night), the home of Ferrero Rocher chocolates. We stopped by the factory hoping to go on a tour but were disappointed to be told that they don't run tours. The guy at reception told us "only police and employees are allowed in" 😂. Strangely enough, they didn't even have a seconds shop on site. Oh well, maybe another time. We set off the next morning at a reasonable hour in the hope of finding a couple of wineries where we could do some wine tasting but alas, it appeared that nothing was open. We settled for a tiny cafe/wine bar and had a glass of wine at 10.30 in the morning - yikes!). But it would have been 8.30 at night in NZ so we're all good, right???. The rest of the day was spent making our way to the coast and stopping at little villages or places of interest. The architecture in all these places is quite mind-blowing.Read more

  • Milligans on TourEurope and Scandinavia 2025Traveler

    Helloooo France

    May 28–29, 2025 in France ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Driving long, windy roads can be exhausting, even as a passenger 😉, so we decided to make an overnight stopover at the seaside town of Diano Marina. It is one of the few places on the Ligurian coast that has a long sandy beach (about 3 km in total). The beach season is in full swing and the beaches were filled with chairs, umbrellas and lockers/changing rooms for pretty much its entire length. For a daily fee of €15, you can hire two loungers and an umbrella but don't expect a lot of privacy. There is however a tiny segment of the beach that is free of charge but you have to bring all your own chairs, etc. Another wee feature of the town is that many of the streets are lined with orange trees. Not sure if you can help yourself to the oranges but we weren't game enough to try!
    After a very fulfilling breakfast at the hotel this morning, we made tracks with the aim of driving along the coast road and stopping at San Remo and Ventimiglia. However, our plans were thrown out the window once we arrived at San Remo. The place was awash with traffic and scooters, scooters and more scooters. I'm convinced San Remo must be the scooter capital of Italy. So we kept driving until we reached Ventimiglia, another seaside town on the coast. We managed to find a car park a little bit out of town so stopped for a walk along the boardwalk and to stretch our legs, and for Neil's obligatory espresso coffee. He's pretty happy with the prices over here compared with NZ - generally around €1.50, which is about 3 NZ dollars.
    We crossed the border into France without incident, although seeing the guards standing there with their rifles at the ready was a tad intimidating. We have checked into a fairly old but decent hotel and there is only the road and a carpark between us and the Mediterranean sea. The road is quite noisy when we're sitting out on the terrace but once in the room it's relatively quiet. The highlight for tomorrow - a trip to Monaco.    Read more

  • Milligans on TourEurope and Scandinavia 2025Traveler
    2Notice anything strange about this statue?

    The glitz and glamour of Monaco

    May 29, 2025 in Monaco ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Before we talk about Monaco, let's talk a little bit about Menton, a hidden gem on the French Riviera tucked in between the border with Italy and France and the principality of Monaco. This was our base for a couple of nights while we explored Monaco but is so much cheaper than its wealthy neighbour. It has a subtropical climate so even winter is not really that cold; a small population of only about 30,000 residents, obviously this swells in the summer months; a gorgeous, well-kept old town; a stretch of coastline that would be the envy of many bigger cities; and many bars and restaurants along this stretch of coastline where you can sit and have aperitivo, dinner, or just a cup of coffee right beside the Med and watch the world go by. Would highly recommend Menton as a place to stay if you are planning on visiting Monaco. It is an easy bus/train ride across the border and you are not paying exorbitant prices for accommodation. We chose to take the bus because the bus stop was less than a 2-minute walk from our hotel; it took only approximately 20 minutes to reach our stop near the palace. We were told that the train takes about 10 minutes but it's still about a 15-minute walk to the castle. The other advantage of the bus is the scenery along the route. The road climbs up quite high so you get to experience these stunning views across the sea and over to Monaco (it's best if you sit on the left-hand side of the bus on the way to Monaco to maximise these views). We were told that changing of the guards takes place at 11.55 am every day so we timed our journey to coincide with this.
    Lucky we got there early because the crowds were already starting to claim their viewing spots. The police (and there were a lot of them) were awesome and encouraged all the young kids to sit inside the barrier and watch proceedings from there. After the event, we took the opportunity to go on a tour of the Palace, wander all the little side streets by the palace, visit the Cathédrale de Monaco (so, so beautiful; it looked like they were preparing for a wedding when we visited), walk the streets where the Grand Prix took place, wander around the marina and ogle over all the super yachts, check out casino square (along with 50 million other people), take a peek inside the casino, and wander through the sculpture garden. The city was busy with workmen taking down all the temporary grandstands and structures that were a hangover from the F1 Grand Prix that had taken place just a few days earlier. We had originally planned to go to the Grand Prix and watch from the fan zone but people had told us how busy and expensive it would be so we decided against it. The super yachts in the marina were obscene!!! So huge, so luxurious, so ostentatious - talk about super yacht envy 🤗. Getting into the casino (for a look only) was also an interesting exercise. There were security guards everywhere and every person wanting to get through the doors was frisked. All except this little old lady from NZ who they just ushered through - I was obviously no threat to anyone 😂. Getting through the main doors only gets you into a foyer with a few exclusive shops, an expensive looking restaurant, and a display of an F1 car from a local boy who won the Grand Prix many years ago. If you want to get into the actual casino you can get into the first room (pokies only) for free but any further and you have to pay. Apparently real estate in Monaco is some of the most expensive in the world. It is a city that exudes wealth and opulence. Think luxury cars, super yachts, exclusive lifestyles .... oh well, back to our cheap hotel in Menton.    Read more

  • Milligans on TourEurope and Scandinavia 2025Traveler
    Those lids on top of the barrels weigh 10kg and are used to help shape the cheese
    Curing the roundsThe aging process. The darker cheeses are those that have been aged for a longer period of time

    Parma, the home of parmesan cheese

    May 31, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    No visit to Parma would be complete without a cheese factory tour and a tasting of the famous Parmigiano Reggiano, aka parmesan cheese, and so that is exactly what we did! We drove about 6km out of town to the San Pier Damiani 'dairy' (the cheese factory) and learnt about the cheese making process. It was really interesting but we were surprised, in this day and age, at how manual their processes were. No fancy machines moving things along the production, everything is done by hand - a huge undertaking. After the tour we were able to sample three types of parmesan - one that had been aged for 12 months, another that had been made using the milk from brown cows (as they are known in Italy but in NZ we know them as Jersey cows) and aged for 15 months, and another that had been made using the milk from Friesian cows and also aged for 15 months. All nice tasting cheeses. A surprise addition to the tour was a small tractor museum that was also on site; this was purely self-guided and Neil was in his element.
    We then took a trip into town (Parma is a university town) to have a look around but nothing really appealed and we were sweltering in 31-degree temperatures so we drove back to the comfort of our air-conditioned hotel.    Read more

  • Milligans on TourEurope and Scandinavia 2025Traveler
    Piazza del Campo, the main square of SiennaPiazza del CampoSienna Cathedral, which dates back to the 1300sSienna CathedralPiazza del Campo, the main square in Sienna's historic centre

    A taste of Tuscany

    June 1, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Today's travels took us to Siena, in the heart of Tuscany. What initially caught our attention was the fact that since our last visit to Siena 10 years ago, elevators have now been installed to assist people in getting to the top, Yes, it is a steep climb to get to the square and its surrounding buildings and I completely understand why they are there but I kind of felt that the escalators had taken away some of the authenticity of the buildings and architecture. It was a long weekend in Italy (Republic Day is celebrated on 2 June each year) so the historic centre was extremely busy. Among the hustle and bustle, we discovered the most delicious artisan food store where we were treated to many tasty samplings, ranging from chocolates to biscuits to liquors. It was also a really hot day so of course we had to also track down a gelato shop (this is becoming a daily activity 🤭). A day well spent wandering the streets.Read more

  • Milligans on TourEurope and Scandinavia 2025Traveler

    Home for the night - an actual castle!!

    Jun 1–2, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Yes, an actual castle - how friggin exciting! Castello di Valenzano's origins date back to 1434 but today it is used for weddings (there is a church on the grounds) and events, and of course a bnb. It's obviously proving popular because there were a lot of people staying. The panoramic views across the valley were spectacular and we enjoyed a nice meal in the restaurant. Perhaps a once in a lifetime experience.Read more

  • Milligans on TourEurope and Scandinavia 2025Traveler
    The water in the spa was cold so it was perfect on a hot day

    The captivating town of Assisi

    Jun 2–4, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    We arrived in Assisi not really knowing what to expect but wow, were we impressed. From the outside it looks like just another medieval city on the hilltop (trust me, there are plenty of them) but you step inside the walls and its natural beauty is on show. Maybe it was all the lush gardens and plants on display that made this city look a little different? Assisi is the birthplace of St Francis, the patron saint of Italy, and is a popular pilgrimage site for many christians. There were quite a few monks and nuns wandering the streets the day we visited. A large castle (Rocca Maggiore) towers over the city and although it's a steep climb to get to the top, we had to do it. Maybe it's a bit mean of me to say but it was quite entertaining watching some of the people huffing and puffing their way to the top - sorry if I've offended anyone 🤭. We didn't go inside the castle because there was a charge and we're too tight with our money 😂. Again, the views from the top were nothing short of spectacular, you could see forever. We ended up staying two nights in Assisi so we could have a bit of down time and relax by the pool. We met an Australian lady down by the pool and ended up having drinks with her on the balcony of our room and all three of us going out for dinner together. So lovely to meet you Anna and thanks for sharing your knowledge of the area. Unfortunately the lady running the bnb didn't speak a word of English so it was quite challenging from that aspect. I've said it before but Google Translate really has been our best friend.Read more

  • Milligans on TourEurope and Scandinavia 2025Traveler

    Marmore Falls

    June 3, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    These falls were so magnificent they deserve a post all of their own. It is the largest manmade waterfall in the world at about 165 metres high. The falls operate on a set schedule and fortunately for us we arrived about 15 minutes before the water was set to be released again from the reservoir above. The spray from the falls was incredible and jackets or ponchos are definitely recommended. There is a walking track that leads to the top of the falls so Neil went for a bit of a stroll while I stayed behind observing the beauty of the area while trying to keep dry.Read more

  • Milligans on TourEurope and Scandinavia 2025Traveler

    Roadtripping

    Jun 4–5, 2025 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    Getting a little behind with these updates! We pretty much had 2 days on the road, staying overnight in a gorgeous bnb on the outskirts of the small town of Atina. The road tolls are very expensive here in Italy so we have turned on the 'avoid toll roads' option on our GPS and although it takes longer to get from point A to point B, the landscape is a lot nicer than simply driving along the autostrada. It also allows us to go off the beaten track a little if we see something we want to explore. Like this little lake we could see in the distance, so off we go in search of it. It was very inviting but do you think I can remember the name of it - unfortunately not! There were people wakeboarding, someone was paddle boarding, there was a group camping on the side of the lake, and there were a couple of areas where you could hire kayaks, pedal boats, paddle boards, etc. I imagine weekends would be very busy here.
    Also, what is it with all these vapor trails we are seeing here in Italy? Every time we look into the sky there are numerous trails, not just as a once-off but frequently.
    We arrived at our bnb early afternoon, so we had time to chill out a bit by the pool before heading into town. We drove into the old town looking for somewhere to have dinner but that was a bit of an exercise mid-week. It was quite early by Italian standards (no-one generally eats before 8 pm at the very earliest) so we found a bar in the piazza to have a drink and while away the time. Drinks were finished and still nothing so we headed into the new part of town and drove around for about 10 minutes before we found a wee pizza place that was open - whew, we're not going hungry tonight after all 😉.
    Maybe our host did think that we had missed out on dinner because the next morning we were treated to a scrumptious breakfast that consisted of everything you could think of - cereal, yoghurt, ham, cheese, tomatoes, boiled eggs, pastries, croissants, toast, juices ... there was so much for just the two of us. Our host was the sweetest lady who tried really hard to engage with us even though her English was a little broken. It was quite sad to leave this bnb.
    Our next stop was Napoli (Naples) but I don't really have too much to say about this stop. In fact we didn't even stop, we drove into the centre of town and drove straight out again. The place was not a good advert for Italy and the driving, holy moly what a terrifying experience that was. The amount of traffic is insane and there didn't appear to be any road rules. It simply seemed to be a free-for-all (scooters, cars, vans, trucks). We were talking to a local person that night about the traffic in Napoli and their response was "if you can drive in Napoli you can drive anywhere in the world". It's not an experience I wish to repeat!    Read more

  • Milligans on TourEurope and Scandinavia 2025Traveler
    These stones across the road are apparently the equivalent of what we know as a pedestrian crossingThe main arenaWe asked our waiters to take a photo of us and this is what we got 😀

    A step back in time

    Jun 5–6, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Of course we had to make an overnight stop in Pompei to visit the ruins. One night became two, the beauty of not having any set itinerary to follow. We rocked on up to our bnb expecting to be met by a lady (Nicola) but instead got met by a hot young Italian guy (his name was pronounced Knee-cola, as in coca cola). He was the most helpful guy, advising us on tours and even dropping us off at the ruins so we didn't have to take our car.
    The ruins were really interesting but walking around for more than 4 hours in 30-degree heat was pretty exhausting, and there wasn't a lot of shade. The park allows for up to 20,000 visitors a day so it does get quite busy, particularly with tour groups. There were quite a lot of archeologists working on site and there is a lot of work going on to keep the ruins in as much of their original state as possible. The remains of 13 victims were found in the vineyards in which they lay. The solidified ash had preserved their remains and plaster casts of their imprints were able to be made.
    I did enjoy Pompei town. It is mainly a tourist town but has an old-world feel and the people are charming. We found a delectable gelato shop that we frequented every day, oops! Seriously, gelato with cream on top, how good.    Read more

  • Milligans on TourEurope and Scandinavia 2025Traveler
    The crater of Mt VesuviusNo idea what this is but it made a great photo😀See the windy, narrow road below?An idea of the steepness of this trackAnd if the bus comes the other way - you back up of course

    Scaling new heights

    June 7, 2025 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    We did something a little different today - we went on a bus tour. We got picked up in a mini van and were taken to a central point in town where we jumped on another bus that took us up Mt Vesuvius. Well not quite all the way to the top. My Vesuvius is about 1281 metres above sea level and after an approximately 45-minute uphill drive the bus stopped and we all disembarked. It was then another 30-minute walk up a fairly steep gradient to reach the crater. The walk was not too bad but again, it was the 30-degree heat that gets you. The weather was hazy so the view across to Naples was pretty average. We only had a maximum of about half an hour up the top before making the trek down to meet the bus. Going down was definitely harder than going up, especially on the gravelly track, where there was a tendency to slip every now and then. The road was especially narrow and the driver would give three quick toots on his horn before approaching a corner to warn of his imminent approach. We had a couple of close shaves when a bus approached coming in the opposite direction.
    Remember how we stayed in a castle about a week ago? Well tonight we stayed in a nunnery! The accommodation was a separate building on the grounds of the convent and we were greeted at the gate by a nun. We had no idea that it was a convent and there was nothing in the booking.com blurb to stay otherwise but the room was very comfortable and we had a good night's sleep. This place had the most expansive vegetable garden, growing everything from tomatoes, courgettes, spring onions, lettuces, beans, to name a few.
    The nunnery was in a town called Castellammare di Stabia, which was in the news recently (about 7 weeks ago) for all the wrong reasons. There is a cable car that connects the main part of town with Monte Faito, a small mountain range. A cable snapped, causing a cable car to plunge to the ground and killing 4 people and seriously injuring another. Obviously the cable car is closed for the immediate future.    Read more

  • Milligans on TourEurope and Scandinavia 2025Traveler
    View from our hotel roomFancy beach club by the Marina

    Recommendations from a stranger

    June 8, 2025 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    Neil and I desperately needed haircuts (and a colour in my case😃). So, as we were walking around Pompei town we came across a hairdressers and poked our heads inside to have a quick look. We were a bit apprehensive as we really needed someone who could speak English and we could explain what we wanted, otherwise there was the potential here for things you end in disaster! We were in luck because the lady who came to assist us was the owner and her English was perfect AND she squeezed us in that very same afternoon. She did an amazing job and we were both very satisfied. Anyway, the point of all this is that we were talking to the hairdresser about our travels and she recommended that we head down to Salerno because it has white sandy beaches as opposed to the rocky beaches on the Amalfi coast. We did a bit of research and headed down that way the next day. Well, only a very small stretch of these white sandy beaches are for public use, the remaining sections are used by the hotels and you have to pay to use them. Also, I was under the impression that the hotel I had booked had a swimming pool but alas this was not the case (the photos on booking.com were obviously incorrect). What it did have was a great view of the ocean and a comfy bed - the perfect base to put our heads down for the night. We wandered down to the marina for a drink, did a bit of grocery shopping and had an early night. Despite the recommendation from the hairdresser, we only stayed one night.Read more

  • Milligans on TourEurope and Scandinavia 2025Traveler
    Good-quality supports for the vines 🤔

    Amalfi Coast

    June 9, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    The whole reason we headed down to the south of Italy was to spend time on the Amalfi Coast and we're finally here. So very picturesque. Our drive from Salerno to Vico Equense passed through the towns of Maiori and Minori so before we set off we decided to do the Path of the Lemons walk while passing through (thanks for the recommendation Andrew and Chrissy). We checked out where to park before we left and made our way to the carpark. All was going well until we had to pay and get a ticket to put on our dashboard (you have to estimate how long you think you are going to be parked there). Unfortunately neither our credit nor debit cards could be inserted into the machine. After many attempts we gave up and found a local person to help us out. Anyway, long story short, the parking area was for residents only and we weren't allowed to be parking there. Oh dear, our best laid plans thrown out the door. After much discussion and confusion with a young local lady on her scooter we found out where the 'parking garage' was located and made our way there. Safely parked up, our next ordeal was to try and find the start of the walk (remembering of course that we had done all our research before we left Salerno but all our plans were thrown out the window when we had to move to another parking lot🫣). Anyway, we find the start of the walk and we're off. The Path of the Lemons is a gentle walk through lemon groves and vineyards that connects the coastal towns of Maiori and Minori. The walk can be done in either direction but we chose the Maiori to Minori option. It's only a short walk that takes about 1 1/2 hours but there are approximately 400 steps up and 400 down. The views are to die for and the walk is not crowded like most other places on the Amalfi Coast. About halfway up there is a place called Golden Dream, a little farm shop/cafe where you can walk through their lemon garden. They make fresh lemonade that you can purchase for €3 each and it comes with a wee lemon biscuit that would have to be one of the nicest I have ever tried. It was a welcome break after the climb up in the hot sun and to reset for the trek down. I kind of felt like a bit of an intruder because you are walking directly past people's homes but how lucky are they to live in such a desirable location.Read more

  • Milligans on TourEurope and Scandinavia 2025Traveler
    Sunset over the Mediterranean sea

    Time for a rest

    June 10, 2025 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    If any of you have driven through the Amalfi Coast you will know the trials and tribulations of this coast road. The road is very windy (as in bendy, not blustery) and extremely narrow in places with many steep inclines. Put together, this all makes for a challenging drive. Not that I was doing any of the driving, Neil is our chief chauffeur. So we decided to have a fairly slow day today and just drive into Sorrento for a bit of a look around and a bit of shopping and then chill out by the pool in the afternoon. A perfect day! As we were getting ready to leave, we heard what sounded like gunshots (it was loud!) but on further investigation, fireworks were being set off in the village and the village was abuzz with people. We believe they were celebrating the first communion of some of the young children in the village. The fireworks went on for ages, although they didn't make much of an impact in the daylight. The booms were deafening though.
    We were treated to more fireworks in the evening as we were enjoying dinner from our prime viewing table at the restaurant next to the hotel.    Read more

  • Milligans on TourEurope and Scandinavia 2025Traveler
    Positano
    PositanoFree beach in PositanoPositanoPositanoPositanoThe 'rules' of Positano. Not sure what the consequences are if you break these rules🫣AmalfiThe picture doesn't really show it but these lemons were huge, particularly those on the right.Amalfi CathedralLemons, lemons and more lemonsNo cone required 😊AmalfiAmalfiBeach Club in Amalfi where you have to pay to use the beachAmalfiSorrentoA potato and sausage pizza - not what I was expecting 🤔The gorgeous entrance to the Sea View Restaurant, which has amazing views across the ocean2Positano

    Where to today?

    June 11, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We had an early breakfast this morning with a plan to go to the island of Capri. We allowed ourselves plenty of time and got to the bus stop across the road from the hotel at 8.20am in anticipation of catching the 8.35am bus to the train station and then hopping on a train to Sorrento. Hmmm, 8.45 and still no bus; 8.55 and still no bus: 9.05 and still no bus. Oh wait is that the bus coming ..... nope, not our bus. Bugger, this is not going to plan. Capri is very popular and we wanted to get out to the island early but the delay with the bus not turning up made us rethink our plans. Okay, let's put plan B into action and go to Positano and Amalfi for the day, which is exactly what we did. Oh and in case you're wondering, the bus arrived about 9.20! We arrived at the port and booked two tickets with an itinerary that took us on a ferry to Positano, stay for about 1 1/2 hours (this was plenty), catch the ferry to Amalfi, stay for a couple of hours (possibly could have done with more time here), then catch the ferry back to Sorrento). A full day's trip. On the ferry ride to Positano we met another couple from NZ (Napier) who were travelling around Italy for a bit and were staying in Positano for 3 nights.
    Both Positano and Amalfi were stunningly beautiful but were a lot more expensive than their lesser-known neighbours. As an example, we stopped at a bar/restaurant for a bite to eat and noticed that an Aperol Spritz was €16, yet at the resort we were staying at, we could get an Aperol Spritz for €6. We didn't stay for lunch 😉.
    Lemons are a key agricultural product of the Amalfi Coast and they can be found in many shops, either in their raw form or in gelato, cakes, etc., and are common on souvenir products such as aprons (yes I did buy one), cups, shirts, dresses, etc. In fact they are literally everywhere.
    Positano is pretty much built on the side of a cliff face and there are many hotels and restaurants scattered among the town with amazing views across the sea. But there is a small price to pay if you want the luxury of these locations and views - up to 500 steps or more to reach your chosen hotel/restaurant. Good luck!
    After arriving back in Sorrento we made our way back to the hotel just in time to have a swim before dinner. We have met an English couple who are staying at the same hotel and the four of us have been having dinner together each night. Tonight's treat was the Sea View Restaurant, which is with walking distance of the hotel, albeit down about 200 steps and along the road (there are no footpaths on the road, which was fine going down but a few extra navigation skills were required on the way back). I ordered a potato and sausage pizza, thinking that I would get a pizza with thin slices of potato and sausage lathered in cheese but what I got was totally not what I was expecting. Basically, it was pizza and chips (see photo). Also, can you believe that this was a small pizza (supposedly only four pieces). Lesson learnt!    Read more

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