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Guarding the order ... Police cars of the world
So there were 40 photos in a folder, into which, obeying the collectibles syndrome, I began to "postpone" photos of police cars in different parts of the world. Aasiaat, Greenland You can collect anything that is at least somewhat different from each other. Aachen, Germany Police cars ... On the one hand, they are all different, on the other, they have such a thing in common that when I see such a car, I immediately know - Police! Brussels, Belgium Dav ...
05.03.19 159
On your own to Sicily, Palermo, Syracuse, Catania (Catania)
The third day of my trip is Catania. For technical reasons in this moment there are no trains between Syracuse and Catania. Bus only. As always, my bus is 8 o'clock early. A little over an hour and I'm in Catania. On the Internet, I was able to find information whether there is a left-luggage office at the city station. Someone wrote at the end of the second platform. There is no. Checked it out. Someone wrote that there is no camera at all. I speak with full responsibility - there is. But not...
29.11.18 732
Independently to Sicily, Palermo, Syracuse, Catania (Syracuse)
The second city on my trip is Syracuse. I bought a ticket from Palermo to Syracuse on the website. The ride is three and a half hours. How to find a stop in Palermo: We reached the central station, the station building is in front of us. We go from the left side to the end of the station building, to the left about a hundred meters and exit onto the wide street Corso dei Mille. Follow it to the right. It runs parallel to the railroad tracks. Walk about five minutes and see such a turn to the right This is the entrance to the bus ...
29.11.18 669
On your own to Sicily. Palermo, Syracuse, Catania (Palermo)
Hello everybody. So I got to Sicily. A birthday present - a trip. Everything in order. I made a visa through the Italian visa center in Moscow. On Tuesday I handed over the documents, on Friday I received a passport with the coveted stamp for two years. as always, not about the sights, but about the fact that you can and should travel by yourself. It's not as scary as it seems. I ordered tickets and hotels at the end of September. My route: Moscow - Palermo, night in Palermo. Of...
28.11.18 856
Salerno is not a vacation.
Salerno is not well suited for recreation. Tourist infrastructure it doesn't smell there, which is strange. There are practically no attractions. Our vacation in Salerno cannot be called a vacation. We had a family vacation at Palazzo Natella Bed and Breakfast in Salerno, Italy. In early September 2017, almost 10 months before the trip, they made a reservation through Booking.com. Our family, composed of ...
06.11.18 1084
unexpected Treviso, call it little Venice
After another vacation in Croatia, we decided to visit Italy, namely Treviso and Merano. More than two and a half thousand kilometers are already behind, and there are still many interesting things to see ahead, and Treviso was the first point. The hotel is, as always, booked in advance on booking.com. They left Croatia with sadness that the rest by the sea had already ended. goodbye bathing early in the morning We move towards the Croatia-Slovenia border and constantly throw farewell gazes ...
02.10.18 1202
Italy sightseeing tour
In August 2018, we admired Italy on a guided tour from Biblio Globus (hosted by Italcamel). On the first day, they left us for 4 hours as homeless people to "walk" tired, hungry, sweaty after a flight from Moscow to Rimini without hotel accommodation, after which they took us on an excursion to San Marino. Accommodation for the night was in different hotels and different cities according to the excursion program, but the only normal one was a hotel on the outskirts of Rome. The rest of the hotel ...
09.09.18 1661
Steal
"Cities of Arts" - as the tour was called - are incomparable, but some of the additional excursions had to be removed for the reason that is indicated in the title. After San Marino we spent the first night in the town of Faenza at the Hotel Polo, four stars. For dinner and for breakfast, I went without a bag. The next day, when we drove off decently and the accompanying guide began to collect money for additional. excursions, headphones, etc., after payment I have left in my wallet ...
20.07.18 1891
My opinion about ITALCAMEL
I went to the excursion tour Pearls of Northern Italy from TUI, the host in Italy ITALCAMEL. Our mini-group was pioneers along this route, respectively, there were small overlays with the program, but I hope in the future the travel agency will settle these nuances. For the first time on excursion tours in Italy, I met an adequate host. It is clear that the Thalyans have a slightly different idea of \u200b\u200beverything, but unlike previous travel agencies ...
19.06.18 1893
Italy + Switzerland
In late April, early May, my husband and I went on a trip Italy + Switzerland from Krasnodar. Direct flight to Bologna (about 3 hours), all on schedule, but the last third of the people in the queue for registration were seated on the plane to different places, because there were no places nearby. Surprisingly, in the city of Bologna, on the way back, they were able to seat everyone more or less side by side. We arrived in Bologna at about 10.30. and we were immediately taken to the city itself for independent pr ...
11.05.18 56
Geometry of a fairy tale
We were lucky to be in this elegant city on a wonderful, sunny day. There was still snow in the mountains, and the air was invigoratingly cool, but the sky was full of blue. In February Milan, the breath of the approaching spring was already felt. Passers-by were hurrying somewhere; trams rolled and rattled, long shadows fell on the sidewalks, and roofs gilded in the sun. The city lived ...
19.02.18 3079
Rest at the thermal spa before Christmas. Cycling around the area. Part 7.
Part 7. We decided to devote some days to exploring the surroundings, borrowing bicycles from the hotel and taking a ride. The trips turned out to be very wonderful and completely calm. You move along the roads if there are no bike lanes, the main thing is the mutual respect of the participants in the movement. I don't know, maybe someone has difficulties (I met in some reviews), but having experience driving a car (i.e. knowledge of traffic rules), there are no problems. We plotted routes with m ...
22.01.18 2530
Rest at the thermal spa before Christmas. Walking tour of Padua.
Part 6. On the third day we got out to Padua, explore the city and buy tickets to Vienna in advance. In the morning after breakfast, we went to the station, bought tickets from the machine there and went to Padua. Regional train drove to the station in 10 minutes. At the station, they tried to buy a ticket for the passing train to Vienna from the Trenitalia machine, but it did not work, since the train was international and owned by QBB and had to go to the ticket office. There was a line at the checkout, we didn't ...
30.12.17 2357
Before Christmas by train from Moscow ... and the goal was to relax in a thermal resort!
Part 5. The day has come when we leave Rome, we are going to rest, this was the purpose and the reason for organizing this trip. We're going to Montegrotto Terme! Yes, the original goal was to go to a thermal resort. We have already been to Hungary, we have been to Austria, but in Italy we have not been in hotels with thermal pools. We heard about Abano Terme from friends and started spinning. The result was a travel program that included Rome, and at the end Vienna again. Morning...
26.12.17 2644
The fourth day - a trip to Ostia Antica. Ostia is a 40-minute metro ride (with transfers) from Termini station, but we went the other way. In the morning, we set off on foot from the hotel along Viale Aventino towards the Porta San Paolo gate, which is part of the Aurelian Walls, with which the emperor surrounded the city in the III century. On the way, we met such a sculpture Wall, 18 km long, surrounded all seven Roman hills, it had 18 gates and 381 ...
23.12.17 2450
Part 3. The third day - on this day, back in Moscow, online tickets to the Vatican Museums were purchased. The ticket price is 16 euros + 4 euros for on-line booking, i.e. 40 euros were immediately withdrawn from the card and a booking sheet was sent, which was replaced with tickets at the Vatican ticket office. After the Vatican, just a walk around Rome, i.e. we'll see how it goes. We arrived at the entrance to the Vatican Museums in advance, almost an hour before, as they wrote on the Internet, but this is absolutely not necessary ...
July 15th, 2011
Hot...
The bottomless blue sky and the scorching sun of Central Apennine Italy. And although the air conditioner does not cope with the stuffiness inside the Renault Clia 1.2, and the engine is straining to hum on the narrow serpentines of Umbria and Tuscany ... all the same: Italy is a completely different feeling of life, when it beats over the edge and after spending 2 days on a trip, you start to remember what day is it, date and how long we are in this country.
I did very well to take the TIM mini SIM card immediately upon arrival in Rome. Tariff: unlimited internet for 24 euros (probably a month, but I don't care - we have 7 days italian holidays). Now I can leave dots on my facebook map and add photos from my iPhone to them.
Now, even if my memory fails, I can reconstruct the chronology of events in their whirlpool. Everything is mixed here: people, melodious Italian mova, smells of mown grass and flowers, taste of wine and food ... as well as absolutely stunning rural landscapes.
Why do we need Rome?
Rome is the point of arrival, especially since everything basic has been rewritten a hundred times already, as well as what has been seen more than once personally.
Rome is a trading point where you can buy necessary and beautiful things on the road, on a trip to the Italian outback, where they do not know how Valentino differs from Morello. Need shorts, T-shirts, slippers. Perhaps a shirt and trousers, in case of going out to a restaurant in the evening - I am flying light: should I go to Italy and take my clothes and shoes with me? Yes, old stuff, which is thrown out on the first evening, after walking along one of the narrow streets far from the stupid Via del Corso, where Osklen and Roy Roger's brands suitable for trips across Europe are located, and now Rome becomes unnecessary.
Everything!
Off the beaten path !!
To Umbria !!!
True, I confess that the original plan was for the province of Abruzzo, but Victoria (chonkin) so politely put me in Questions about Italy that I immediately changed the plan and decided to take for the crazy race three central provinces of Italy: Lazio, Umbria and Tuscany.
The day before departure with tickets purchased for AF miles, I went to the forum, clicked the button in the top menu "Hotels" and booked through http://www.booking.com/index.html?aid\u003d325219 a hotel room near the train station Termini. There is no need to give the coordinates of this hotel or try to remember the price: there are thousands of these hotels or mini-resorts in the Termini area! And they all cost about the same.
I pressed the second button after an instant confirmation from booking: http://forum.awd.ru/rent.php. I chose not the smallest, but also not the largest machine with a handle with a gasoline engine.
Then he tossed a pack of cigarettes, toiletries, a navigator and an iPad into an empty backpack. Everything. After 7 hours, it was necessary to leave for Sheremetyevo. That's all the preparation.
The preparation of my companion was more weighty: she bought an absolutely wonderful book by DK "Uncharted Corners of Italy" with a laminated map and color photographs of attractions.
In the evening, having come from shopping on wadded feet and fell as if knocked down in a pizzeria at the entrance of our mini-hotel, I found, using an iPhone with 3G, the place of our next overnight stay for tomorrow, Agritursmo Nociquerceto.
Clarification: From the very beginning, I suggested staying only at farms, in agriturismo, as I had a positive experience on one of my September trips, living alone in an estate overgrown with figs, pears and tomatoes - which I ate from morning to night, picking from the trees and bushes.
Imagine: you leave the apartment in the morning in a negligee and immediately consume fresh strawberries and melons from the doorway - just fresh! ...
This is how I imagined it. Well, actually, I had a similar experience, so I spoke very, very convincingly ...
To search for agriturismo on the website http://www.booking.com/index.html?aid\u003d325219, use the advanced search by enabling the filter option "hotel type" \u003d "other type of accommodation", indicating a major city in the desired direction, indicating the "radius" of 10-20 km from it. There you can also set the option "free wifi" and then you will be offered all agriturismo or b & b with internet in the area.
This is a smooth digression from my story for those who have not yet used the site for booking hotels without prepayment.
In the morning, having rented out a room to the hostess and walked 200 meters to the station, we found a rent car agency in its left wing.
The Europcar clerk indifferently looked at my voucher and handed over the keys to the car.
We loaded our things into the trunk. I entered the address into the navigator and we got ready to set off.
You have no idea how I like this feeling: you are sitting in your car, a cigarette in your mouth, next to a beautiful girl who peels an orange, gives you a bite ... You are on your own territory. You are protected by a metal-glass shell and you are not afraid of Romanian beggars, the heat of the street, Albanian thieves ... And ahead is the enchanting unknown of the upcoming discoveries and a pleasant chill runs through your skin: START YOUR TRAVEL
After a nausea on the outskirts of the city, which of course cannot be compared with the Leningradskoye highway on Friday evening, we break out onto a free but ideal highway and drive to the northeast. After 40 km, Garmin, in the voice of Natasha, whom I call nothing other than "bitch", takes us to the countryside, which guys already pleases with its spaciousness and air, so my companion had previously repeated several dozen times yesterday about "the smell of Rome and how She likes him ", admires the smells of field plants and the shady coolness of beech trees. I can imagine what will happen next ... I know that there is rural measured Italy
Almost all agritourism in Italy has one problem. This is a vague address. It is translated into our native language like this: figs in local localize until you balk ... Therefore, advice: having received booking confirmation about booking a farm, immediately write off the gps coordinates on this page. Then it will be extremely difficult to find them. I am now preparing the technical assignment for my partners so that the coordinates come to the mail along with the booking notification.
Another option: after reaching the intended place, go to some rural store or restaurant, dial the telephone number of the agritourism and answer the phone to the seller / waitress. Having received the necessary information from the owners by phone, they will explain on their fingers how to get to the right place.
In our case, everything was simpler: the owner, Matteo, came to pick us up in his Smart. Having danced along the asphalt road, we arrived at the Matteo estate.
I must say right away: I liked the guy for his responsiveness and desire to bring comfort to his stay. Not intrusive, but sensible. First, he brought a map of the area and circled all the places that can be seen that are interesting. Secondly, he brought a bottle of wine to sample. The wine is very good, I can recommend it, although in the heat I prefer white:
And thirdly, I did not care at all that I was smoking in the living room:
- You live here, not me. Smoke to your health!
Having learned from my passport how old I am, I said that his mother is the same age - 45 years old
And finally, he offered to have dinner in his family restaurant in the evening.
- And what about a big restaurant ?, I asked to maintain a politically correct conversation
- Yes for 700 seats
- Well, you're lying! - I could not resist. Do you have a restaurant in the village called Prague, or what?
- Come and see....
The surrounding landscape is a plantation of olive trees and a small rose garden. We have recently built two houses and now I am landscaping the area. Matteo says that in a month everything will be much more picturesque. Well, for now, in a nutshell about housing. Apartments Pomegranate, living room with two exits and a fireplace and a bedroom, also with an exit to the terrace. It is very cozy, clean and everything is there: a gas stove, a refrigerator, satellite TV, plasma in the living room and in the bedroom, a huge bathroom. All is yours. There are no strangers. In our time, several families lived in the estate - their children constantly stuck around the pool and did not bother us
It takes about 5 minutes to get to the restaurant and it really has 700 seats. People often come here from Rome and the surrounding people celebrate their celebrations. Matteo did not deceive.
To be honest, it was not very convenient for me when our table was on mine: "I want to try something local, recommend" was overwhelmed with snacks. And then another limoncella with grappa, and then another burning panna cotta ... And all this for 30 euros. At the end, Matteo thrust a bottle of wine into my hands and winked: for a good sleep ...
So the first day of our trip ended.
I forgot to say that the Outlet Ponzano Soratte is 5 km away. You can walk around - see and buy something. Still, sales began in Italy ...
Guided by the marked map of Umbria, we decided to go in the morning to the Cascate delle Marmore waterfall, which is located near the town of Terni. After surfing the booking, I found us accommodation in the area of \u200b\u200bthe old Etruscan city of Orvieto
But in order, as we enter Umbria - the land of Etruscan cities and the land of gourmet meat-eaters
Umbria
There are no road markings that you leave the province of Lazio and find yourself in Umbria. We just arrived at the waterfall, and this is another province. The Cascate delle Marmore waterfall is considered one of the highest in Europe. 126 meters of dense jet, which breaks into mist at the bottom of a stone well. I didn't expect to see this in Italy. You can see it. I highly recommend stopping by a butcher shop on the way to the falls and buying prosciutto and greens for a picnic. There is a park, there are tables and you can sit well in the shade and have a snack with a bottle of wine
Prices in rural Umbria are pleasing: all for 1 euro.
1 liter of wine \u003d 1 euro
1 kg of ripe and sweet peaches \u003d 1 euro
1 kg ground tomatoes with shriveled asses \u003d 1 euro
Well, meat products, as you can see in the photo, went up not far. The products are fresh. Homemade bread ... although I don't eat bread in my homeland, in Italy I allow myself to. And nothing - the belly-ass does not sag.
The waterfall is normally located according to the signs. Parking is free. Entrance ticket on observation deck bought at the box office at the waterfall.
On a hot day, mist cools well. Yes, there is a terrible heat in July. I kind of like it when it's warm, but sometimes I want to fall into the water and lie there like a frog.
Further north, a tour of the gluttonous, lovers of homemade sausages, salami and dried hams begins: the gastronomic Umbria from Spoleto to Norcia. Norcia is called the capital of meat-makers and salami-makers. It is located to the east of Spoleto, but we did not get there, since the road there is serpentine, and our accommodation turned out to be ordered in the opposite direction - to the west of Spoleto. But even in Spoleto, you can find authentic butchers' shops where, in front of you, a bunch of salami in a noble-moldy white shell will be removed from your eaves and cut into parchment using a modern method. And the smells ... You know what the smells are in these shops. There you just want to grip the hanging sausage with your teeth and eat-eat-eat.
Well, we turn west and drive towards Lake Bolsena, again to Lazio ...
Italy is a rich historical heritage, world-famous culinary delights, stunning nature, musical and literary wealth, design masterpieces - this range can be continued indefinitely.
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The cost of rest in Riccione. September 2018.
tour cost
We took a tour with a departure from Moscow (ourselves from Siberia). As a result, a ticket for two cost us 64 thousand rubles for 10 days, plus about 20 thousand paid for the flight to Moscow and back. And since our visa expired, we had to open new ones, and this is an additional payment of about 4000 rubles, if translated from euros. We landed at the Rimini airport, the guide who was with us on our last visit met us, he even recognized us and joked all the way to Riccione (a nice bonus).
For a long time we have been buying all excursions only on the street, so it comes out much cheaper. It is better to take excursions as a package, then there will be either a good discount, or they will give you some kind of excursion as a gift. We took tours to Venice, Milan, Verona and we were given an excursion to San Marino as a gift, which costs 15 euros. Everyone liked the excursions very much, they were in Venice for the second time, they paid 60 euros per person for it, plus we rode gondolas for 15 euros. We went to Milan for 75 euros, we also stopped by the outlet village as part of the excursion. The trip to Verona for 60 euros also included a visit to Lake Garda. Here was an unpleasant moment, our guide said that all the beaches on the lake are paid and you will need to pay 10 euros for the entrance. As luck would have it, we had no cash and we decided to just wander around the town, leaving our swimwear on the bus. And literally 5 minutes after the walk, we came to an excellent municipal beach... It was very disappointing to sit by the lake and not be able to swim.
Food and products
It seemed to me that eating in Riccione is a little more expensive than in Rimini. On average, a dinner for two took us around 30-40 euros with two glasses of wine. Pasta or pizza cost around 10-15 euros, I took lasagne for 9 euros. Some kind of vegetable salad with tuna could be bought for 5-6 euros. A glass of wine cost 1-2.5 euros. Tiramisu - 4.5 euros, panna-cat - 4 euros. We dined mainly with fruits, went to the nearest supermarket and bought a glass with an assortment of fruits already cut for 2 euros. Delicious and refreshing in the heat
Souvenirs and other goods
Riccione has a whole shopping street where you can easily get lost. The shops are different, from products of local designers to major global brands. Obviously cheaper than in Russia. We bought well in an outlet village in Milan, so in Riccione we only bought small things, for example, very beautiful sandals for 20 euros, slip-ons for grandma for 10 euros, a cool swimsuit for 5 euros, a set of CK underwear for 45 euros and jeans for 10 euros.
Total money spent on vacation
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May holiday experience
Carry out warm may holidays in Rome - the dream of many people. Therefore, at this time we found a city overflowing with tourists. But what the weather! Rome at this time blooms and smells good, disposed to long walks.
Where is the best place to stay?
We booked an apartment. The whole apartment cost us five hundred euros in five days. The amount seems large, but by dividing it by five people, we saved a lot. I think only living in an apartment in a quiet, remote area from the center can you feel the spirit of this city. The owner of the apartment lived in the same building and brought us breakfast every morning in the morning.
How to entertain yourself at the resort?
Being a guru independent travel, we planned our route in advance. We spent three days only in Rome. Roamed the trodden hiking trails, admired the main sights of the city. Many are surprised that we did not take the time to inspect the main cultural sites from the inside - did not visit the Vatican, did not look at the Colosseum. To be honest, we did not set ourselves such a goal. And the queues at the entrance that stretched for kilometers did not cause delight. We preferred to see more, but only from the outside.
The fourth day we dedicated a trip to Naples. This racy seaport struck us no less than Rome. Throwing a coin into the Tyrrhenian Sea, I decided to definitely spend my honeymoon there.
On the final day, we wanted to hide from a large number of people and taste non-tourist Italy. For only one and a half euros and a half-hour road, we again found ourselves on the coast Tyrrhenian Sea... The seaside town with the self-explanatory name "Lido" can be reached by train along a single Roman travel ticket... Since the swimming season had not yet started, the beach was empty. We spent the whole day recharging ourselves with the energy of the sea and the warm sun.
Leaving the station "Lido Centro", we immediately got to the free beach. There I first saw black sand. The free beach intersected with the paid one, where, despite the lack of tourists, everything needed was located - sun loungers, umbrellas, small beach cafes.
Since I myself did not stock up on beautiful dresses for evening outings, I purchased my universal black dress in Rome. Shopping in the city is fraught with ruin. The city is replete with expensive shops with quality Italian items. To deny yourself the pleasure of walking on them is simply a sin for a woman!
The number of cafes and restaurants in Rome can be compared to the number of shops. The price level is about the same everywhere, and the quality of food and service will not leave anyone indifferent. We certainly indulged ourselves in delicious food without a twinge of conscience. However, we organized the most memorable dinner for ourselves. A local shop near the apartment bought wine, different types of cheeses, pesto and fruit. The picture of our colorful feast still stands before my eyes, and the memory of the divine taste of gorgonzola is salivating. Back in Rome, I will definitely make myself a cheesy day!
Traditional Valdostan lunch;
Walk in the Gran Paradiso park, visit the waterfalls;
On request:
Excursion to the Fenis castle, Sarr or Forte di Bard;
Guided tour of Aosta.
Meeting with the guide at the hotel or in the center of Turin, where a walking tour of the city will begin with a visit to the main attractions of the historical center.
During a guided walk, you will see:
Cathedral (Cathedral of John the Baptist), where the main relic of Christianity is located - the Shroud of Turin; Church of San Lorenzo, where the copy of the shroud is located;
Carl Alberto Square; Palace of Cariniano, gateway to the city of Augusta Taurinorum (29 BC Porta - Palatina), Victor Veneto square;
Royal Palace, Madama Palace, Mole Antonelliana Tower - the symbol of Turin, and many other attractions.
You will hear legends, myths and curious stories about the city, you will find out why Turin is considered the capital of Italian ...
The city of Bari is the ancient capital of Apulia, was founded half a century earlier than Rome. Its founders were the inhabitants of the island of Crete and it was called after the name of the leader - Japigia. Then the city came under the rule of the inhabitants of the Balkan Peninsula and they began to call it Barion. From about 300 BC e. and until the 300th century A.D. e. the city was under the rule of the Roman Empire. After the invasion of the barbarians and the fall of Rome, the rulers are constantly changing in the city - Saracens, Arabs, Byzantines, Venetians. When the relics of St. Nicholas were brought in (in 1087), power in the city belonged to the Byzantines.
In 1156 the Norman king captures the city and completely destroys it, the only intact building is the Basilica of St. Nicholas. At the end of the 12th century, power in the city was inherited by the Swabian king Frederick II ...
February 21st, 2015, 01:40 am
“Your documents, please. Where are we coming from? Present your international rights, I don't understand anything about these ", - a mustachioed policeman on the streets of La Spezia waving his reflective stick to the right and left, -" Oh, are you from Russia ?! Moscow is very beautiful city. " He stopped, wished him a happy journey and sent on. But after a kilometer, history repeated itself. There was a computer in the trunk of a police car, connected to a database. They knocked me through, checked the documents for the car, wrote down all the passport data and released me. I still don't know what it was. For no apparent reason, the only case of meeting with the police during the entire two-week trip. But I know that, contrary to the persuasions of many, I did not draw up international rights in vain, otherwise I would have had the opportunity to get to know the mustache better and find out what the Italian branch looks like. This was my first big overseas road trip.
With each new trip, I notice how everything becomes calmer and more predictable. For some reason, hotels are already booked in advance, and the route is thought out in advance to the smallest detail. I remember how, as a student, I hitchhiked around Montenegro, and I had only round-trip tickets and a color-printed map of the Balkans with unclear relief outlines and approximate distances between cities. Then, returning home, you could talk for hours incredible storiesthat happened along the way, and tell stories about how we were almost eaten by hungry martens.
Now all the cards fit in a smartphone and there is no need for improvisation. What is it? I can not tell. Time? Rather, its disadvantage. Before, I could leave for a month without return tickets and not be afraid to return later. Now I have, at best, a week or two, but I want to see it for all four. And there is no longer a desire to spend the night in a sleeping bag in a ten-bed dormitory room, in the company of lost hippies, although there was such an experience before. Travel, they have not ceased to be interesting, but exciting and unexpected - rather yes. Watching the country from the inside, slowly moving by buses and trains - now these are only memories. If you look at the country from the inside, but in a short time, there is simply no alternative to renting a car.
In this sense, autotravel is something new, a new level of wandering, a kind of new quality of feeling of oneself - not as a tourist, but as a full participant in life around, here and now. This is certainly not hitchhiking, but something similar to it - with the car, freedom returns to me. The car is excellent at squeezing time - and this is both joy and trouble. It is a pity that now there is no time for a full immersion in travel. Now all that remains is to compress minutes, hours and days.
“Your documents, please. Where are we coming from? Present your international rights, I don't understand anything about these ", - a mustachioed policeman on the streets of La Spezia waving his reflective stick to the right and left, -" Oh, are you from Russia ?! Moscow is a very beautiful city." He stopped, wished him a happy journey and sent on. But after a kilometer, history repeated itself. There was a computer in the trunk of a police car, connected to a database. They knocked me through, checked the documents for the car, wrote down all the passport data and released me. I still don't know what it was. For no apparent reason, the only case of meeting with the police during the entire two-week trip. But I know that, contrary to the persuasions of many, I did not draw up international rights in vain, otherwise I would have had the opportunity to get to know the mustache better and find out what the Italian branch looks like.
This was my first big overseas road trip. Two thousand kilometers across northern Italy in twelve days, each of which is full of impressions to the limit. This format of tourism turned out to be very close to me. He allowed not only to look at the country from the outside, but to become a part of her life for two weeks - to see what you cannot see from the train window, to change the pictures in front of your eyes as you want, as if they were slides in a projector. Spontaneously make plans and tailor your own route on the go, stop at the side of the cliff and eat big green apples in the tall grass.
There are a huge number of advantages of moving by car abroad, one significant disadvantage is that you get tired. You really get very tired, but it's easy to deal with this, you just need to correctly develop the route and adhere to simple principles during the trip. Here are some rules that I made for myself after this voyage. It is good to lay on average no more than 150-200 km per day. If you suddenly need to change the region and drive 400-500 kilometers at once, then after that it will be correct to leave a day of rest with a mileage of no more than 50-70 km. Often such marches cannot be done, and if you cannot avoid them at all, then it is optimal to limit yourself to two or three in a couple of weeks. And one more thing - the last night before departure is best spent near the destination.
When traveling by car, it is tempting to embrace the immensity, but you should not give in to it. Better to avoid big cities. Take full advantage of the advantages of the car: concentrate on the province, small authentic settlements, natural beauty. If on the way you want to see big city, leave your car on the outskirts of some large supermarket and go to the center by public transport. This will save your nerves and save your wallet - parking fees in Europe are usually rather high. That's all the highlights. You can get ready for the journey.
We began our journey from Milan, having flown there with my beloved AirBaltic. The Budjet rental office right at the airport gave us, instead of the booked Peugeot 107, a nice Fiat 500 with round headlights, very reminiscent of a Mini cooper. The free upgrade turned out to be very pleasant: the car seemed to be created for the narrow streets of Italian towns, consumes little fuel, behaves perfectly both in the city and on the highway and has a city-mode steering, which is very useful on mountain serpentines. We got used to the car, noted the missing scratches in the checklist and set off towards adventure.
When preparing the route, countless pages of Vinsky's forum, reports in LiveJournal and foreign sites were read. We were drawn to make the first mistake of an autotourist and lay half of Italy for 12 days, also capturing Rome. Fortunately, the advice on the Internet had an effect, and at the last moment we canceled the hotel in the capital of Italy, deciding not to drive horses and stay more in Tuscany. As a result, our route looked like this:
Milan - Lake Como - Florence - Chianti Valley - Siena - Val D'Orcia - Pitigliano - Cinque Terre - Milan.
From the airport we headed north to idyllic places on the coast of Como. To the place of overnight stay, a small hotel in the village of Magreglio, which is located on a mountain right above the lake, there were some 70 km. We arrived in the evening and left already in the pre-sunset haze. We got used to the car, did not rush anywhere and allowed the navigator to go around paid site roads through secondary streets and villages. There were few cars around, and the taxi was extremely easy. Gradually, the plain began to give way to hills, and then to real mountains. Already in the twilight we drove into the peninsula between the two branches of Lake Como. Headlights snatched out the names of villages, individual houses with green shutters on the windows, rocks that now and then grew out of the darkness along the roadsides. A sleepy Italian province passed by, and it was hard to believe that we were here. Tired after the flights, we went to bed.
In the morning we walked along Magreglio. The cute little dereverka is located at an altitude of 700 meters right at the top of the pass. Immediately after it, the previously almost flat road begins a steep descent with endless serpentines. In the center of the settlement there is a square with a church, a huge tree - it must be a linden tree - and observation platform next to it, from where the surface of the lake is remarkably visible. There are houses around local residents, many of which are for rent. And you can buy them, if you believe the advertisements on the doors of the local real estate agency, for the price of a one-room apartment in Moscow.
The local road, the one with serpentines, was chosen by cycling enthusiasts. In order not to run into the rear wheel of the cyclist, you need to move along it with the car very carefully. From here to the very shore of the lake, where our path lies further, you can even forget about the gas pedal. 20 minutes of free descent - and we are in Bellagio, tourist capital Lake Como. We found a parking lot before reaching the center. By the way, let's agree that if someone needs the exact GPS coordinates of any place that I mention in the story, ask for them in the comments.
What to say about Bellagio. Lake Como is one of the most famous brands in Italy. Everything that is here exists primarily for tourists and for the money of tourists, so I did not hope to see any secluded authentic town here. For this you need to go to the neighboring lakes - Magyore or even better to Orta. To go on them meant to make a big detour, and since Lombardy and the surroundings of the lakes are only the place of our first overnight stay, and we were not going to study them in detail, we chose the nearest and most tourist one.
Bellagio is an expensive and toy town. Ideal Italian houses with invariable green shutters, stone pavements, stairs to the lake and ... the ubiquitous crowds of tourists. Everything is very beautiful and boring. It will be more interesting to go by ferry to the neighboring coast in Tremezzo or Varenna. We chose the latter. The boat trip itself among such exciting landscapes is inspiring, so the town is also very poetic and fits perfectly into the alpine landscape. The sail is not long, literally 15 minutes, ferries run every half hour, but you have to be careful - in fact, no one looks at tickets, and instead of way back in Bellagio you can go somewhere to the far edge of the lake, from where it will be very difficult to get out. Better to ask again several times. Some! The peculiarity of Italians is that they are always happy to help. Even if they do not understand English, and you do not understand Italian. They will tell you something in the affirmative for a long time, smiling and accompanying their monologue with violent gestures, and at some point you will even think “oh yes, I got on the right ferry”, but it turns out that the Italian told you all this time that I should wait for the next one.
The journey was tight, and in the evening of the same day we had to cover 400 kilometers to Florence. We drove a little from Bellagio and stopped in some unnamed village, where we had a great lunch on the terrace directly overlooking the lake. If I chose the view from my house, I would choose this one. We left there about half past five. The longest stretch of the entire journey has begun, but believe me, in Italy, distances do not need to be equated with time, you just need to pay attention to which road you are driving. The oldest toll road system in Europe is working and developing here, and there is nothing better for traveling long distances than to actively use it. For example, these 400 kilometers, most of which are on the Milan-Florence Autobahn, we drove in 5 hours, stopping at a gas station. Most of the time, it took the way from Bellagio to the city of Como along a winding narrow road along the lake, where the average speed hovered between 30 and 50 km / h, then jumped onto the autobahn and rushed at the maximum permitted 110-130 km / h, without slowing down to almost Florence itself.
I was driving and thinking about different things. The road was straight as an arrow, and required absolutely nothing from the driver except to press on the gas and look at the speedometer. Driving on such an autobahn was a pleasure, though in the third hundred the monotony began to bother me. In this sense, of course, serpentines and regional roads are more interesting. We reached the place in the dark and later than I expected. I had to stray pretty much, confusing the exit from the Autobahn. Nothing, not fatal, but it turned into an extra 20 kilometers and a couple of euros. On the autobahns, you need to carefully look at the signs and not trust the navigator one hundred percent. He never let us down anywhere except on the Autobahn. Therefore, there are only signs here.
Jenny is clearly tired of waiting for us at her villa. Amazing hostess, this Jenny. I found it in the airbnb service. I already had a chance to try it in Holland last spring, and I really liked it - I presented myself as something between a hotel and rubber surfing. It seems like you pay money, but at the same time you live at home with local residents, communicate and get a new experience. And they manage to save quite well. So, in the matter of experience, the owner plays a key role. Here we were just fabulously lucky. Jenny rents a house in the suburbs of Florence, near the town of Pistoia. You can only get here by car. After Pistoia, the road to Jenny's village climbs up the hills. Its quality becomes worse and worse as it approaches the place. There must be an extraordinary view of the famous Tuscan hills around during the day, but now nothing can be seen beyond the headlights. By the way, here is another advantage of autotravel - you can choose places to spend the night without any restrictions, and hotels or apartments, where public transport does not go, they are usually cheaper and often have unique "chips".
And here is the picture: a man drives several hundred kilometers, strays, makes his way through the night through the Tuscan hills, passes sleepy villages where not a single person can be found. And suddenly, around the corner, a house appears, where they are waiting for you and greeted as a relative. They offer tea, talk about themselves, offer to sit outside in wicker chairs. And the room has a soft bed and pleasant coolness. The window overlooks a myriad of lights - these are villages and towns sparkling somewhere at the foot of the hills.
Jenny lives here, in the next wing. She works in the tourism industry, at the reception of a hotel, and she adapted her house for delivery and put it up in airbnb just a few months ago. We are the second Russian guests. The cosiness that she herself has created inside defies description. Designer figurines, aged furniture, hanging stands - in a word, all the interior decoration is created to please guests. The house itself stands as if on the outskirts, around - only olive trees and nothing else. In the morning we had a wonderful breakfast of eggs, fresh fruit, dairy products and dessert.
Oh poor guys! You must have come here from Russia to seek peace! ”Jenny's father asked questions. He watches local news and does not understand how we still live in Russia. "Never mind, don't worry, we also have a president - not sugar!" - he reassured us. Propaganda works on both sides of the barricades. But we know that it is better where we are not, and people - they are people everywhere, both good and bad. Various. My tireless travels around the world gave one very important understanding - the most ordinary people live in any corner of the Earth. The same as we are with you. And you shouldn't be afraid of them, avoid them, or blame them just because they don't believe what we believe, or because they dress differently. I am sorry that we are now hearing from everywhere that is causing more and more people to be in an anxious mood and distance from each other.
In general, my dad did not want to enter into political discussions, and we went to Florence. Jenny Village is a half hour drive from the city. Even though we chose to avoid major citiesFlorence cannot be ignored. The car was parked at a supermarket on the outskirts of the city, and went to the center by tram.
The old Florentine streets lured further and further. An amazing Tuscan city where you can wander for hours. It is a city of amazing architecture and countless museums. A reader who is in the slightest degree interested in Italy will immediately name a dozen of the sights of this city. The dome of the Duomo Cathedral, the architectural dominant of the city, seems to be an incomparable bulk with the usual four-five-storey buildings of the center. There are many vantage points, photogenic bridges across the river and, among other things, flocks of tourists.
Florence is good for a couple of days. We travel on an accelerated program and give it only one day. And then the fun begins - the roads of rural Tuscany.
The SR222 road from Florence to Siena runs through the Chianti Valley, famous for its vineyards, from the fruits of which the wine is made. Siena can be reached much faster on the motorway, but if your goal is to see Tuscany in all its glory, choose the SR222. This lightly loaded road winds past the picturesque hills, each turn revealing more and more new views that caress the imagination.
The earth here is velvety, elastic, as if it were not earth at all, but a woven cloth neatly gathered in folds. Now, at the end of summer, it is harvest time in Italy, and many fields are gray or golden. They say that the best landscape time here is spring and early summerwhen the grass is green and the poppies bloom in the fields. But even now, in August, it is beautiful and sunny here. On the way, you come across ancient fortified cities, each of which deserves a stop. Grave in Chianti, Castellina in Chianti are our towns for a couple of hours. A special place is the small village of Volpaya, located a little away from the main road. A packed, dusty primer leads to it, which either dives into the forest or goes straight along the bare hills. A real rural romance is already beginning around - with sheaves of hay, herds of cows, with even rows of grapes and postcard views of the hills that are lost over the horizon, where the neat lone cypress tree will surely be in the foreground.
The village of Volpaya is not at all like a village in our understanding. For us, a village is a dozen wooden huts surrounded by forests, and fields on which cattle graze randomly. In Italy, the villages are different. It is still a few houses, but stone and very old, most likely built around or inside the ancient fortress. So Volpaya is a stone monolith of interconnected buildings, adjacent to the walls of the fort. There are narrow arches between the houses, through which you can get to the other side of the village. People still live within these walls, and time goes on as usual, not noticing the change of centuries. A very atmospheric quiet place where there are almost no curious tourists, and there are very few residents. Here you can see the real old Italyas you imagine it.
The task is to find a structure lost in the Tuscan wilderness in complete darkness, knowing only approximate landmarks. At about midnight, I turned onto a back road. The moon outlined the silhouettes of the hills and a string of primer that stretched out into the darkness. I drove on. In the rear view mirror, impenetrable darkness and clouds of dust, reddish from the reflection of the parking lights. And headlights suddenly loomed ahead. We crossed with some kind of passenger car, simultaneously slowed down opposite each other, looked into the twilight of the side windows and drove on. Recently I watched a horror movie, there was a similar scene. After another five minutes, we finally managed to find the very farm.
Around it stretch fields of cereals, recently harvested, and therefore not rich in variegated colors. There is a ringing silence at night. The wind can be heard rustling on the ground, and from time to time a lone bird of the field calls out. There are almost no lights around, only if you look closely, you can see the lights of the same rare secluded natural boundaries very far away. Nice and peaceful.
