Can you go offroad in a Nissan Micra?

During our trip thus far, we are heavily reliant on our wonderful TomTom GPS (Thanks again for the present!). It has steered us through Belgium, Wales, England, France, Switzerland, and now into an unmaintained road in rural Italy.  Having rained heavily the night before, the road had turned into a clay and ended up taking the Nissan Micra for a slippery dip ride down hill.

Presented with the perfect opportunity to meet the locals, I gestured in true Italian style and was replied with "Mamma Mia!" and a tractor soon after. Another testament to the fact that great adversity presents great experiences!

In Love with Italy - Part 5 (Milan)

On our last day in Italy, we visited the fashion capital, Milan. It was a far cry from the quiet and peacefulness of the countryside, but it did have its own little charm. Unfortunately Easter Monday meant that a lot of the temples of haute couture were closed. 

In Love with Italy - Part 4 (La Villa)

Marisa managed to discover a truly memorable place to stay while we were in Piedmont. La Villa is a restored 17th century palazzo that brought all the modern luxuries but still kept the character and warmth of the Italian countryside. We are now considering visiting again in time for the truffle hunting season!

In Love with Italy - Part 3 (The Food)

Marisa is always the sceptic on Italian food. Always with the comment "They all taste the same!" and nothing a bottle of Dolmio can't do. After this trip, I am fairly positive we have a convert to love the freshness and simplicity of the food. We even had the chance to continue our Michelin star tour at Ristorante Donatella in the little village of Oviglio.

In Love with Italy - Part 2 (Portofino)

The glitz and glamour of the Italian riviera was definitely evident in Portofino. After a 2 hour drive from where we were staying, the clouds slowly opened up to reveal a beautiful Spring day. Seafood, luxury yachts, and Italian's with 5 o'clock shadows and cardigans wrapped around their shoulders.

In Love with Italy - Part 1 (The Wine Region)

We took advantage of the Easter break to travel to the Piedmont region in north west of Italy. Blessed with great weather (never trust weather reports) we drove into the wine region of Barbaresco! Surrounded by the picturesque Italian backdrop, we.. or should I say I sloshed down the vino. With each sip, the landscape looked more and more beautiful! 

A beautiful Spring Day

It was a beautiful warm and sunny spring afternoon. A good wander in the park.



Tomorrow is my first day at a temp job...hopefully it will extend longer than expected!