Duino Aurisina / Devin - Nabrežina

Parked under the trees is Trieste.

Tonight’s base is Camping Agriturismo Carso, tucked away up in the hills near Trieste, and it’s got exactly the sort of atmosphere I love on this trip — peaceful, proper old-school countryside vibes, and just enough civilisation nearby for the important things… namely beer and food 🍺

Vanilla is parked up nicely, kettle ready, gadgets charging, and the international campervan community is in full effect again. Swiss behind me, Germans to one side, Dutch on another pitch… like a tiny United Nations summit but with awnings and levelling ramps.

The scenery around here feels completely different again. Italy keeps changing every few hundred miles — Tuscany’s rolling postcard hills have now given way to rocky Karst landscapes and Adriatic air. You can definitely feel the Balkans getting closer now.

One of the best parts of this solo trip has been discovering places I’d never even heard of before leaving Stafford. You set off thinking you’re driving to a destination… then suddenly some random little campsite in northern Italy ends up becoming one of the memorable bits.

Tonight’s plan?
Cold beer. Bit of Underworld playing softly in Vanilla. Maybe stare at Google Maps pretending I’m on a military campaign across Europe. Standard campervan behaviour really.

Still can’t quite believe I’m actually doing this trip. 🚐✨Read more