Orvieto, Bolsena, Civita di Bagnoregio

Today’s photo roundup is brought to you by the amazing hill towns of Central Italy. This region is remarkable for its rich history, agricultural output (and resulting food and wine), natural beauty, and wealth of things to see and do. We only had a couple of days, but managed to take in a lot. Due to the  scorching summer heat (temperatures have remained in the 35-40 degrees celsius range), we found ourselves traveling from lake to lake in our rented Westfalia van. You really do need a vehicle to get around this part of the country, and even with one, it takes a long time to drive the windy roads and often steep hills between towns. Built in strategically defensible positions, there are hundreds of hill towns in this part of Italy, each offering unique views, sites and local specialties. Lake Bolsena and Bolsena town (Laggo di Bolsena) Civita di Bagnoregio Orvieto…Continue Reading

The Road to Monte Cassino

From Gargana, we decided to drive across Italy and then up the Mediterranean side of the peninsula toward the hill towns of Tuscany and Umbria. Along the way, we ended up spending the night in the shadow of Monte Cassino, home of a famous 6th century Abbey, as well as the scene of a ferocious and hard-fought battle in the Second World War. Unfortunately, the Abby was destroyed by allied bombs during the war, under the mistaken belief that the Germans were using it for artillery spotting. It was rebuilt after the war. We hadn’t planned to stay in Cassino, but I’m glad we were able to pass through. Although we didn’t visit the Abbey itself, we had a good night in the camper van with some pasta dinner and a documentary about the WWII battle that we streamed over the campground‘s wifi. In the morning, we visited the Commonwealth War…Continue Reading

Camping in Italy

Most people see Italy via train but we decided to rent a Westfalia camper van and drive around at our hearts desire. We rented the van from a company called Van Italy, which is a small operation with locations in Rome and Cesena, where we got ours. Besides renting the van at $2,000 for 17-days, we also paid $200 for extra travel insurance so we have the option of popping over into Austria, Slovenia and Croatia. Another great feature are the “Night Kits” (15 Euro each) and “Kitchen Kit” (25 Euro) the company has available to rent. Surprising though the kitchen kit didn’t have a wine opener! This seems like an essential in Italy, no? Campgrounds in Italy seem to always have toilets and sinks but never have toilet paper or soap, so remember to bring your own. Showers cost extra at some campgrounds (.50 to 1 Euro) and typically…Continue Reading