April 1st – April 30th
1. Tuscookany
We thoroughly enjoyed our three days in a Tuscan villa, cooking good food and drinking great wine. We wish we could have stayed longer!
2. Venice
Venice was everything we had imagined it might be. The canals and bridges, the gondola ride, the glass. The Vaporetto was such a great way to get around at a really reasonable cost for a multi-day ticket that covered all forms of public transport. It was even more beautiful at night.
3. Ferrari Museum
This, particularly the F1 simulator, was just so much fun. We spent hours here reading all about the history of the company, the cars and racing.
4. Statue of David
As well as finally seeing this work of art in person, our guide’s passion for this statue (she referred to it as “my boyfriend” as she sees him 6 days a week) was infectious and her knowledge of why this is such an amazing work of art made it more than just a viewing. We now understand why this is a masterpiece.
5. Bardenas Reales
This little detour was such a surprising gem we didn’t know existed until the night before. It would be well worth a day or two of your time if you had a camper! The rocky landscape shapes and colours of the striated rock were so interesting and would look different at different times of the day as the light changes.
6. San Marino
We didn’t really have much knowledge of San Marino before we went, but the old town is perched on a hill, with a great defensive position, three towers, a long history and distant views. It was a great day!
7. Siena
Siena makes the list because it was really different to other cities we visited. (Comparatively) Tall red brick buildings, narrow streets and Piazza del Campo.
8. Last Supper & Milan Duomo
Seeing Da Vinci’s Last Supper in person was a privilege. And the Milan Duomo was huge with stunning banks of stained glass windows at the rear.
9. Lake Garda
Lake Garda was lovely. Steep mountains dropping into the lake, small towns perched on whatever buildable land there was, the haze of moisture sitting above the water. Just not the driving!!
10. Violin Museum
This was an unexpected highlight, particularly being fortunate to be able to hear a 500 year old violin, made by Stradivarius being played.
An Unplanned Year 
Leave a comment…