Epic Italy Road Trip: Read Tim’s Full Travel Journal Here

We embarked on a 3 week epic road trip through the Nothern part of Italy, from Liguria to Tascany and back up to the Dolomites. We had such an amazing time that we want to share our day to day adventures with you. Hopefully it can inspire you on when you travel to Italy yourself. Enjoy reading Tim’s Italy Travel Journal.

Our Italy Itinerary

On the right you can see our full itinerary.
We planned our trip thoroughly and think we made the best out of the 3 weeks we had.

Below you can read all our adventures in Tim’s Travel Journal. Enjoy!

Click on the itinerary to enlarge it.

June 15: Here we Go!

After a little stress to finish everything at work in time, I got everything done. And, I get a promotion when I come back!! What better way to start the vacation! But first dinner at Oma and Opa’s. With full bellies and snacks for the road (of course plenty for Nala) we were driving to our first pitstop near Frankfurt. We will only stay there for the night, sleep in, enjoy breakfast and then continue to Switzerland.

We arrived at our first destination near Frankfurt airport. Very nice and calm drive, no issues and faster than expected. Even though we are very close to the autobahn, we are next to trees and a beautiful little lake. Perfect for Nala and letting her out in the morning. She could walk off leash. Time for some relaxing and sleeping.

June 16: Enjoying Switzerland for One Day

So, we had quite some radical changes of plans. Our friend, with whom we were supposed to stay for two nights, told us yesterday that a family member was in the hospital and he obviously needed to go there and be with his family. He wanted us to come anyway, only a little later than planned. But we said that we will find something else and he should be with his loved ones.

When Dennis woke up, we decided what to do and booked one night close to Luzerne at a nice hotel by the lake with breakfast for a night, The second night, we will already spend in Italy and drive 2,5 hours to the Como area (Genoa is then only 2 hours the day after, so quite relaxed compared to the original plan).

We started the day by enjoying a nice late and extensive (included) breakfast so would not need to stop for lunch anywhere. We then walked our morning round with Nala around the lake next to the hotel, quite beautiful actually. Then we were back on the autobahn again driving to Switzerland. On the way, we had to fill the tank by the time the reserve light already went on (panic!). We got to a gas station a little off the road with low prices and included service. So, a nice guy filled up the car, cleaned the dirty windshield (so helpful!) and we could already buy a vignette for the Swiss roads so we would not need to stop at the border to get one. Perfect!

After the planned 4,5 hours (no traffic issues) we arrived in the cute town of Buochs. Parking and Nala were free (not the case in Frankfurt) and a Spar supermarket across the street. After dumping our stuff we immediately went to a cable car nearby to climb a mountain in the area for a nice hike. Up there, it was a very welcoming 18 degrees with the same hot sun as downhill. So, perfect hiking conditions. We really enjoyed it and it took us about 2 hours for the loop trail with nice views and some drone shots. We were just in time to catch one of the last rides downwards and drove back to Buochs.

We wanted to buy something simple at the Spar to avoid the high Swiss prices, but only found (amazing) honey and saffron chips we enjoyed later in the room. No food to-go though, so went to find a nice restaurant anyway. After walking around and also to the lake promenade, we found a Thai restaurant that had a terrace and good (veggy) options. Really yummy, but the bill was not: 66€ for 2 drinks and 2 meals. Luckily, we only had to do this once and would get breakfast at the hotel before we could enjoy the Italian food and prices. After that, we went back to the hotel around 20.00 to rest from the bad sleep and long day to be well rested tomorrow, since we want to leave early to avoid congestion at the Gotthard tunnel. Can’t wait to be in Bella Italia, even a day earlier than planned.

June 17: Exploring Lake Como for One Day

We woke up early as planned and had full bellies from breakfast around 9.00. Time to go in case we would have traffic before the Gotthard tunnel. Google said only 2.15 hour to Como. Is that possible? Yes it is! Google sent us off the highway just before the traffic jam started via a short scenic route and we ended up on the highway just before entering the tunnel. Only a few minutes wait at the traffic lights and off we go. Perfect! Why does not everybody do that??

So, we arrive in Como as planned around 11.30. Here we are Bella Italia! Even though the signs said that the parking garages were full we quickly found a tiny one right in the center close to the lake. We went off to the lake first and walked around there a little. Already hordes of tourists (a lot of Americans!). The waterfront is nice but we have seen way better around Lake Como. So, we walked into the old center and visited a beautiful huge cathedral. It was quite hot outside but the shade it was still nice, good for all of us.

We craved our first Italian Gelato all of a sudden, so we looked up good shops in the area. We found one with good ratings just behind the cathedral. We both had zabaione and I had fior di latte (pure milk taste) and Dennis had lemon. Both my flavors were incredible, especially the milk surprised me. So rich and creamy, almost like soft ice. We walked on a little more in the center and found really nice little streets to walk through. Then we walked back to the car to drive to our hotel about half an hour to the south.

Appiano
We arrived as planned in our little town for the night with a quick stop at the gas station (the machine shouted at me what to do and how to pay, so even the biggest idiot would understand, thanks). The hotel had actually a tacky motel vibe but we could park just in front of the room with a carport per room, so it stayed in the shade. That was quite helpful. The room couldn’t be described any other way than porn room. Mirrors everywhere, even on the ceiling. But it is nicely air conditioned and the bed is big. But it also had an old feeling and had seen better days. Almost no power outlets to charge our stuff and the wifi is crap. Luckily I brought my work phone for free wifi hotspots.

After a short relax moment and photoshoot with Nala, we walked into the town because we needed to kill time before the restaurant opened at 18.30. The town square was very cute with  a beautiful little church that dated back hundreds of years. But we were done quite quickly, so we walked back before we could walk to the restaurant that was about 5 minutes away. It was right next to a quite nice outdoor swimming pool and looked quite modern. Even though we were one of the first people around 19.00, it quickly filled up completely. We both had our first Italian pizza of the trip and it was good!! We had pizza regina (perfect tomato sauce, and buffalo mozzarella and basilicum that were both added after baking with a sprinkle of amazing olive oil). The pizzas were huge, very yummy and perfectly soft. We also got pizza oil with it (amazing olive oil with peppers), perfect to dip the huge crust in. With overfull stomachs and only paying 30€ in total (even got free limoncello and yummy fried dough snack before), take that Switzerland! Happy and full, we walked back to the hotel to rest and relax a little. We wanted to take it slow this trip with enough relaxing moments. And no alarm needed for the morning. Tomorrow, the “official” part of the trip will continue and our first 2-night stay, Genova!

June 18: Our First Day Exploring Genoa, Italy

We left our motel/love hotel situation after a nice breakfast. It was only a 2 hour drive to Genova. The route there was actually very scenic. Even though we stayed on the highway, the route became very curvy and wound through mountains and valleys with picturesque villages and we could only drive 60-80 km/h most times. That was a really beautiful surprise.

We arrived in Genoa quite early and had to wait in line for the parking garage for about 20 minutes before a spot became available. We needed this one because it is closest to the apartment and we got a discount by the owner. So, the car can rest for 2 days in a safe and cool underground space, while we enjoy the hot harbor and city center of Genoa.

It was really warm and humid when we arrived, but we quickly got some clouds (more like curtains) that helped a lot with the heat. The harbor area was really nice with gigantic cruise ships and a hint of sea air. We spent enough time there to get us to 15.00. We went back to the car for our luggage and walked to the apartment. It was at the beginning of a tiny alley right at the beginning of the old center. We had to walk the stairs to the 8th floor (luckily no suitcase this time), brings back memories of recent trip to Paris. Only this time we do not need a key (all with pincode).

The apartment is really cute, crooked and well designed. The view from the rooftop terrace is also gorgeous. We then walked into the center and already saw so many nice buildings, streets and shops. Most is closed on Sunday, but we got (free!) Giacobbe (kind of amaretti with different flavors) from an older man who sold them. So nice of him (probably because of the vlogging). We also found a Genoa magnet, check! For lunch, we found a good gelateria with special Genova coffee flavor and Sicilian pistachio. Especially the last one was amazing, with pieces of pistachio and even a little salty. Wow! We saw so much already that we started wondering what to do tomorrow. We also had our eye on a little restaurant that we did not know the opening hours of (nowhere to be found). So, we went there around 18.45, already very (h)angry at that point. They were preparing to open and we could make a reservation at the bar. Turned out to be a good choice since it was super crowded inside and outside and even a queue was now there. We then realized that we could not sit at the bar with Nala because of too little room for people to walk. Luckily, a table was free and the couple sitting next to it from Canada was more than happy to have us sit there with Nala (who dove directly under the table and fell asleep for the rest of the dinner). The food, especially the gnocchi with fresh pesto was amazing, such an intense basil flavor. I would say a perfect first day of Genoa, but more exploring tomorrow!

June 19: Second Day in Amazing Genoa

We started the day with a little breakfast in the city, me focaccia genovese (plain with salt and oil) and Dennis a pistachio croissant. Nothing huge or special, but the place was nice with a calm sitting area on the street. We then wanted to try a San Marzano tomato, which was amazing. We got it at a small fruit and veggies vendor who gave it to us for free, so nice! We also realized that if you randomly walk through the city and end up in a narrow alley with almost no people, you would always come across prostitutes. Felt a little shabby and illegal to be honest, totally not like Amsterdam for example.

We then walked to a famous forno that we knew from Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy. Super nice people that worked there and we could even see how they massage the dough with olive oil in the back (talk about food porn much). We bought classic focaccia and farinata (chick pea flour deep-fried bread). Loved both! We still had room for more, so we tried new gelato, the Semifreddo. It means “half-frozen” and is almost like a mousse but then cold like gelato, really awesome.

We also visited the big cathedral in the center, Dennis even went all the way up the tower for a nice view. I was fine on the ground level. We then walked further out of the oldest part of the town and into a bigger, fancier newer part. Still gorgeous though. We found a nice park for Nala first and then continued to a restaurant for lunch (Il Genovese) for the best pesto (also a top from Stanley). I had pasta with homemade pesto, potatoes and green beans. My goodness, that was amazing and truly the best pesto I have ever had.

We then walked to Mercato Oriental, which was almost closed and a lot of stands already were (on Monday they close a lot earlier). We found some nice pesto to bring home as a souvenir. Also, there was a fabric shop were we bought a kitschy lemon tablecloth for outside. On the way back, we bought different types of hazelnut spread to compare with Nutella for a video. Surprise surprise, we found something even better and will take it home.

For dinner, we found a random nice and calm street with a Ligurian restaurant with very cute outside sitting. We ordered different farinata with toppings, I had tomato and buffalo mozzarella and Dennis Calabrian spicy salami and buffalo mozzarella. Really nice and different from either a focaccia or pizza. On the way back, we walked forever to let Nala do number 2 which finally happened just before we went back inside for the night. Talk about drama! Tomorrow we will leave for Cinque Terre!

June 20: Walking in Cinque Terre and La Spezia

We had bit of a rocky start. I had to clean up shards of glass from my glass that I shattered during the night (no idea how/why). When preparing the breakfast, Dennis bumped his head at beam on the kitchen ceiling quite badly so I had to take over while he put a cooling pad on it to prevent a bump forming. We still enjoyed the pastries we bought at a bakery yesterday for breakfast, especially the apple and cinnamon cake was great. We then went to the car, where we realized that the discount code we got from the apartment did not work and we payed 83€ for not even 2 days. What a waste of money, but nothing we can do about it now.

We drove a little less than 2 hours to Cinque Terre through nice mountain ranges and a lot of tunnels. We first went to Riomaggiore, the biggest of the 5 villages. Beautiful but very hot and crowded with tourist (so many Americans in this part of Italy since we came here). We also had pizza for lunch, margherita and marinara, but very nice, especially the pureness of the marinara one. On the way back to the car, we shared a fresh and tasty lemonade. They use the super tasty Ligurian huge lemons, which have such a good flavor to them.

We then continued on to Manarola. Still touristy, but not as much and totally different vibe which we actually really loved. Also, the viewpoint on the village was perfect and the wind from the sea was very welcome! We then continued to La Spezia to check into our nice guesthouse room for the night. The owner was very nice and helpful and we booked breakfast for 5€ per person with her, easy does it. We then cooled off a little before driving into the old center of La Spezia for dinner. We walked around a little at the harbor and the park there (mostly for Nala), before we found a nice terrace with very good food. I had gnocchi alla Portofino (with tomato sauce and topped with pesto) and Dennis regional hand rolled pasta with rabbit. The desserts were even better. We had our first Torta della nonna (which we will have in Tuscany again, our nostalgic favorite from our first trip together in 2014). I had latte dolce fritto, so sweet fried milk with berry sauce. Both amazing! On the way back to the car and home, we needed to have another gelato and both had a creamy lemon gelato at Wow, where everything was eatable, even the spoon which came in different flavors (I had coconut, Dennis pistachio). Perfect way to end the day before we will leave Liguria in the morning for Tuscany.

June 21: Lucca, our Favorite City in Tuscany

We started the day with breakfast on our balcony. We booked it at the guesthouse since there was nothing close by and it was only 5€ per person. We then checked out early and drove to Lucca, which was only about an hour away. We immediately felt the nice vibe of Lucca again and realized why we loved Lucca so much the first time we were here in 2014. It was also not that crowded, tourists here and there but absolutely fine. We found nice souvenirs early on (a tile for Firenze, little early though) and a Christmas ornament. Check!

We then spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon by exploring the old center, so beautiful. Many beautiful churches, the unique tower with trees on top (we had to take turns because Nala was not allowed), and cute alleyways. We also found (again) amazing gelato with lemon, panna cotta, chocolate, orange etc., basically all the good stuff.

We then drove to our place for the next 2 nights for check-in which was only 15 minutes from the center of Lucca. Gosh, what a beautiful Tuscany country home. The apartment was beautifully decorated and furnished, way bigger than we needed, nice and cool and surrounded by a huge and beautiful garden we can use as well. The owners, Giulio and Massimo, have outdone themselves and were very friendly. We also made a reservation at their restaurant 35 minutes away for the next day to have dinner. Very excited to see it! The rest of the night, we had the whole premise to ourselves as they work the whole evening. Nala loved it! Dennis also bought groceries at the local Lidl (why do we not have so many amazing fresh pasta???) for the coming days for breakfast and lunch.

And then it was time for a trip down memory lane. We wanted to visit a local pizzeria we found randomly 9 years ago where we first had and fell in love with Torta della Nonna. It was a 25 minute drive and we came by the village of Torre where we stayed in a beautiful house back then. It now seems abandoned and it was not on AirBnb anymore but we couldn’t find it online as being for sale. What a shame! We then had again amazing pizzas at Pizzeria Al Casone. The lady serving us was the same as back then and we immediately recognized each other, so nice! Her English has improved a lot, also the menu is huge and translated, they upgraded the place a little (mainly new paint and a few new decorations) but it still felt very local and it was still cheap (pizza starting at 5€). We then of course wanted the torta, but it was not available that day (they had a changing dessert menu per day that we needed to ask from her). What a bummer! But we had something new that we loved just as much: dessert Versilia! Super local since it comes from Gelateria Versilia in a town called Massarosa. It is a frozen milk ice cream with rum, a bit of dough on top and a rum-filled chocolate truffle inside, also all frozen (description on the website: semifreddo inside a small jar which is turned upside down on the plate, and is offered as a truncated cone made up of ice cream with cream, chocolate, liqueur and eggnog cream, on top a block of soft sponge cake). Just wow! Happy, full and filled with nostalgia, we drove back down to our place to relax. Tomorrow, we will stay around the house for all our sake since it was forecast to be 34 degrees. Better stay in the shade of the garden and the coolness of the air conditioned apartment.

June 22: A Lazy Day at our Apartment near Lucca

Today was supposed to be a very hot day (34 degrees), so we decided for all our sake to stay at the house and do nothing, just relaxing. So, that is what we did. For dinner, we had a reservation at our hosts’ restaurant in the Tuscan mountains about 35 minutes by car from our place. But it was so worth it. It was at a dead end street in an old watermill next to a creek. We first had drinks at the bar by the water that you need to reach by a tiny bridge.

When it was time for dinner, we had such a great time. The atmosphere, the sound of the water and the staff was amazing. And do not get me started on the food. We had 3 courses and all were mind-blowing (poached egg with truffles, lasagne with smoked provola cheese and zucchini, but the good ones with zucchini flower, and chocolate mousse with salted caramel and popcorn). It was a lot more expensive than usual, especially for Italy, but so worth it for once. On the way back, we stopped by a village close to our place to visit a tiny graveyard by night which looked stunning with all the lights on. Tomorrow, we will continue deeper into Tuscany to the area of Siena.

June 23: Exploring Tuscany from Pisa to Volterra

Breakfast was mainly leftovers from the last days, so again bread with scarmorza blanca for me and mortadella for Dennis. We also had a tiny tiramisu (we could not take them with us, so unfortunately we had to eat them, too). After a friendly goodbye with our host Giulio, we continued south. We had a quick 30 minutes stopover at the leaning tower of Pisa, just for the obligatory photo, this time with Nala. We did not want to spend any more time than necessary since we have been there 9 years ago, it was hot and disgustingly many tourists walking around.

So, we quickly continued to our main destination for today, Volterra. On the way there, we stopped at Teatro di Selenzio, a park in the middle of nowhere for Andrea Bocelli. Nice and calm stop with nice views, but not too impressive. What a cute little, medieval town! It was easily walkable since it was not very big but had a very charming atmosphere with many nice alleys, streets and buildings everywhere. We really enjoyed ourselves, especially because the temperatures there were really perfect for exploring, not too hot and a nice breeze. We also had our first panini at a cute little shop. The panini were amazing, especially with the nice black truffle sauce on it. After exploring a little more, we continued to our destination for the next 3 nights in the middle of Tuscan countryside.

The drive to our little Tuscan village for the next three nights was quite beautiful, just as the place we are staying. There were actually 2 houses, one more self-sufficient and one in the older building with a more BnB vibe. That is where we got a room. But first, we were welcomed by the 2 brothers of the house, super friendly and helpful guys, and the 2 dogs running around in one of the big gardens. Nala got along with both Stig (the small one) and Gaston (the one with the huge ears) perfectly. And she loved to run and play in the garden. So, we also found paradise for her.

The room we will call home until Monday is very spacious and has such a charming vibe, just as the rest of this 400 year old place. We decided to relax on some of the many relaxing areas in the garden (Dennis claimed the hammock of course). When it was Italian dinner time (around 19.30), we drove to a restaurant nearby with good reviews and that was recommended by the owners. It did not disappoint, what a gorgeous place and terrace to sit on. The food was fantastic. We both had pici, Dennis with ragu and I pici aglione. My version was the classic Siena version with tomato sauce, garlic, chili peppers and crunchy breadcrumbs. They call it cucina povera, since it is poor people’s food, but the taste was divine. I will try to make this at home for sure! For dessert, we had Torta della nonna, a little different again with their own version of it (nicely decorated with roasted pine nuts), but so tasty. We also tried a regional specialty which was cantuccini dipped in sweet dessert wine. Quite special but also good. Never had such good cantuccini before actually. They were still very hard but not dry at all. Coming home after dinner, it was almost time for bed already. Perfect day exploring more of Tuscany for sure!

June 24: The Most Beautiful Place in Tuscany: Val D’Orcia

Starting a day with breakfast on the balcony is always a good idea. We got a very extensive one by our host with homemade apricot cake, lemon cake (both fantastic), omelette and ricotta with olive oil, tomatoes and fresh basil. Perfect way to start the day! Then we took off to Val d’Orcia, a region that is always used for typical photos of Tuscany. It was gorgeous but not much better than what we already have seen around here. Not sure if it was worth driving an hour there. But we enjoyed the time and stopped many times to take photos and even took out the drone a few times. Late afternoon, we, especially Nala, were done with the heat and tired. So, time to drive back. The rest of the day, we spent in the gorgeous garden (this time I was in the hammock.) Felt like heaven on earth, perfect temperature, perfect breeze, and peace and quiet. We wanted to go out for dinner, but we happened to crash a tiny wedding dinner by the people that stayed in the other house. They got married earlier that day in the little church around the corner and only had their children and grandchildren with them. Looked very nice and as a perfect spot to do that. But that meant we got the leftovers brought to us every now and then to enjoy in the hammock. Just perfect! It is really easy to relax here. The people are so friendly, the food is amazing, the location is terrific and Nala has the biggest garden to just do what she likes. I would not mind staying here for longer.

June 25: Our First Time Visiting Siena, Tuscany

Starting the day off with yet another fantastic homemade breakfast. I could get used to this! Today, we drove to Siena which was not even 20 minutes by car. When arriving, we happened to crash some kind of festivity, people were dressed in orange and made music in the streets. No idea what that was. We absolutely enjoyed the atmosphere in Siena, what a beautiful town. One of the most beautiful we have seen so far. Especially, the cathedral was stunning inside and out. We also bought another magnet for our collection and a lemon plate. We fell in love with the Tuscan lemons in the last couple of days and they have a lot of lemon themed souvenirs everywhere.

After a fantastic but warm day in Siena, we drove back to out place and enjoyed the relaxing vibe in our garden again (second time in the hammock for me). For dinner, we went to a simple restaurant near Siena, where the staff was very charming (Nala even got treats) and the food good. We both had pici again (Dennis with ragu and sage butter, me with pesto, tomatoes and pistacchio). Unbelievable that this would be our last here already before leaving tomorrow for Florence. We will miss this green and relaxing piece of Tuscan heaven.

June 26: The Best Ice Cream in Italy: San Gimignano

Last homemade breakfast, and best so far. We even got eggs with homemade mayonnaise and sandwiches with artichoke and egg. So good! Then it was time to say goodbye to the dogs and the brothers that run this family business so well. We would love to come back someday, maybe with friends. Who knows? On the way to Florence, we first drove to the town of San Gimignano for the supposedly best gelato in the world. First of all, we had to park a little outside of the center at the beginning of the hill which meant we had to climb a little in this heat because the good spots were already full. We walked like vampires running from shade to shade (mainly for Nala of course). There were also so many tourist walking around (and standing in your way). It felt like they dropped busses full of Americans all at the same time. It was yet another beautiful, charming and old town, but nothing we have not seen before. But we came for the best gelato! And it did not disappoint. Hard to say if it is the best in the world (we had some really good ones in Rome) but it was very good. Especially the one with basil, tomato and strawberry was so different than usual but went so well together, wow! We also found more lemon souvenirs (christmas ball and some small lemon bowls. Since it was only 50 minutes from here to Florence and we could check in early, we left after our gelato lunch to be there early.

We first drove to the pre-booked parking garage which allowed us to enter the limited traffic zone (hopefully this was not a scam and we get a huge fine like 2014 in Pisa). We had to leave the keys behind so that the guys could park the car in 2-level construction. Always feels weird to leave your car behind with the keys, we are just so not used to valet parking. The apartment was very close by but we had to search a little because Florence has red and black house numbers, red is business and black is residential. Of course we immediately found the red one, but searched a little for the black one. Happened to be on the little piazza. We entered on the second floor, so only one staircase to climb. It was a really spacious and cute place, only the wifi is crap and the air conditioning is a little underpowered. It is enough to not sweat, but has to stay on the whole time to have a sufficient effect. Also, the windows are super thin so it feels like the windows are always open and you can hear what happens on the street. Hopefully this would not impair our sleep later that night.

We first chilled a little and let Nala have a nap, she needed it. We then went out for dinner. Our first reservation was canceled, so we quickly ran to another restaurant from our list that was very close. We happened to be there a few minutes before opening and ended up in front of the queue (which appeared within 1 minute). We were lucky and got a table. It was almost full in no time and very busy, but in a good way. The food we had was really good, but we expected more by seeing the line outside and reading about it. After dinner, we walked uphill a little to the famous spot to watch the sunset that everyone goes to. But it was stunning. We were just in time for the golden hour and enjoyed the view a lot! Tomorrow, we will explore this beautiful city in more detail. When the sun had set, we walked back down again for another gelato. We came across a really good one where I had my new favorite Fior di latte again. Perfect way to call it a night. A lot more Florence coming tomorrow!

June 27: Our First Day in Beautiful Florence

Nala loved having her own bed in Florence and felt completely relaxed. When she was awake, she then jumped right onto our bed from hers to cuddle. We decided to leave early in the morning to avoid the extremest heat (34 degrees forecasted with already around 30 degrees by noon). We first went to the duomo to have a small breakfast and we found a cafe that sold maritozzo (the fluffy cream filled buns from Rome). Really nice, these ones even had raisins in them. We then wanted to enter the duomo, but the queue was way too long so we kept on going. In Florence, they ask an entry fee almost everywhere and quite much So, we went to Mercato Centrale, a food market with primarily local products downstairs and a food court upstairs. On the way, we passed dozens of stands with leather products for sale (the smell, and almost all vendors seemed Indian or similar, very fishy). Dennis tried something local again, a bread with the 4th stomach of a cow (lampredotto). So basically intestines, yikes! He liked it at first but then stopped eating because it was too slimy… I had a local vegetable soup with bread crumbs called Ribollita, very simple but tasty (again one of those dishes for the poor). I also had a Carrozza, a fried mozzarella sandwich. And it was exactly that, a lot of mozzarella in a greasy deep-fried sandwich. Good, but not amazing.

We then walked back to the duomo but on the way we found another amazing gelateria where they had Hojicha (roasted Matcha) and also Mandarin-Orange. Both absolutely amazing! Dennis then went to stand in the queue for the duomo while I went home with Nala since we cannot enter with her. I was quite happy to hear an hour later that it was not worth it because it was not that special and we have seen a lot better churches already, We thought it would be better since the outside was so stunning.

We then stayed inside for the rest of the afternoon to escape the heat. However, both of us went to the supermarket on our own to buy some culinary souvenirs for home already. We found great olive oil, pistacchio pesto, licorice liqueur, Limoncello cream liqueur, San Marzano tomatoes in a can (half the price as according to the Albert Heijn website), mandarin jam and pici. A little pricey, but hopefully we can cook some nice meals at home with these. For dinner, we barely left the house since we got a table right in front of the door at nice little osteria. We regretted sitting outside because it was still hot and humid, but we managed and the food made up for it big time. Dennis had amazing pappardelle with duck ragu and I had parmigiana alla melanzane (eggplant with parmigiano cheese), which was simple but yet so fantastic. I will try this at home for sure! As a dessert, we had homemade almond cake with pistachio, ricotta, chocolate and orange, wow!

We then rolled over to our place again, finally back in the air conditioning. Because our place was so badly insulated, the airco needed to be on non-stop. Especially the floors and the bathroom were really warm and it felt like having floor heating on all the time. Luckily we had airco in the living room and the bedroom.

June 28: Our Second Day in Firenze (Florence, Italy)

Same as yesterday, Nala slept in her own bed so we all had enough space (and less heat) before she jumped over to cuddle. We bought a quick breakfast at a bakery around the corner (mini sfogliatelli with custard filling, yum). We then walked to Palazzio Vecchio so Dennis could climb a tower for a nice view over the city. We needed to wait a little before it opened, so we stayed in the shade of the old buildings and (almost explicit) Roman statues of naked guys all around us. While waiting, Dennis all of a sudden stood up and weirdly ran inside. He sent a message a minute later that it was a bathroom emergency (aka wet fart) but likely no damage was done, phew! After Dennis came back from the tower, we walked a little by the river, bought and sent a obligatory postcard to my grandma and had again amazing gelato (bergamot, which was super fresh and citrusy, and buentalento, a local flavor that super creamy and one of the best ever). Back at our piazza, we went to the Schiacciateria across the street where they sold amazing schiacciata (obviously). They were like a more flat and nicer Florence version of focaccia.

The rest of the afternoon was again a lot of relaxing in the aircon to escape the humid heat. For dinner, we went to the vegetarian restaurant nextdoor, but for Dennis, it was a total failure. The place was too hot, Nala did not want to do number 1 or 2, we sat in a corner that felt like a castout place, and he did not like the food. So, we left quickly without antipasti or dessert. We then walked to a little park for Nala, where she did everything she needed to do. On the way back, Dennis “deserved” and extra snack so he wanted a special bread with burrata and raw ham. But they were sold out (so much for being hangry). We then went to the same gelateria as for lunch to treat ourselves to something we knew would be nice and we had the exact same flavors again, but now a bigger cup for 5€ each before going back to binge some Netflix for the rest of the evening.

June 29: Next Stop: Foodie Heaven in Bologna, Italy

Today, we left Florence in time and got a quick breakfast at the same bakery as yesterday. We called the garage that we wanted to pick up the car as instructed 20 minutes before. When we arrived, the car was still parked. What was the point of calling again? But they quickly got it for us and we drove to Bologna, only 1,5 hours away. We had a little traffic in the beginning (construction, maybe they took Germany as an example? I hope not). Of course, we had to pay toll again and for the second time on this trip our ticket did not work at the end so we had to wait for a service staff member to help us out. Felt like it took forever, but luckily the cars behind us did not honk or showed any anger towards us (we have seen differently before).

We reached our garage, which was similar to the one in Florence: small, hidden in the center in a little alley and we had to leave the car key to have it valet parked for us. Still felt weird to just leave your car to a stranger with the keys inside. We could leave our luggage until the check-in. So, we just started exploring the city from there (after finding a necessary emergency number 1 place). It was already lunch time, so we went to one of the restaurants from our list, which was a very good choice. They just opened for lunch and we had a nice table outside on a calm street. The service was very nice and professional, but the food was astonishing. Dennis had the Bologna classic: tortellini in beef broth. I had breathtaking risotto with melon, which was not on the menu but a recommendation of the day by the waiter. Wow, that was amazing. We will try to make this at home (perfect balance of sweet and savory).

While having lunch, we got a text that our room was ready. So, we went there immediately after lunch before getting the luggage. It was only a few minutes away and we realized that it was just at the beginning of the super famous foodie street with dozens of nice restaurants and market stands on one end and the big main piazza on the other end. The apartment itself is also really nice (good insulation, airco and modern). We even have an elevator this time (after climbing two floors and then half a floor down again, weird, but hey, we take it). After a short break and lunch for Nala, we went outside again to start exploring. And Bologna did not disappoint. It has really different vibe, less hot and humid (so nice!!!) and less tourists. Perfect combination! The architecture is really distinct with a lot of red, nice pillars and a lot of roofed pavements, which is perfect for the shade and gives a unique atmosphere.

We also visited a special church which is actually 7 small churches combined which looked stunning was like a little maze. Of course, we also made time for gelato again. We found a really good place with super nice and special flavors. Salted pistachio pesto (Mindfuck because it was not sweet at all), salted caramel with crunchy chocolate and biscotti della nonna with crunchy cookies.

For dinner, we went back to our street and the restaurant next door (literally). It was one of these typical restaurants in that street where you could taste typical Bologna mortadella, hams and pecorino and parmigiano cheese. Really awesome flavors, not too expensive, nice waiters that tried to avoid stepping on Nala who was laying in their path every time (but sometimes failed and were sorry every time, one even said sorry to Nala personally). As a little dessert, we had raviola (a cookie with jam filling). Bologna really left a great first impression, so we could not wait for more exploring tomorrow.

June 30: Luckily we have Another Full Day in Bologna

After a good night sleep (finally blinds that keep most light out and a room that does not need aircon during the night to keep you from melting away in your sleep), we got breakfast at small local bakery which had amazing baked goods. Especially that thing with apple filling inside, a big soft cookie on the bottom and puff pastry on the top was just perfect. Good start of the day!

We then went to see the basilica almost next door which was quite stunning on the inside with a gigantic altar thingy and having a meridian line on the floor with a hole in the roof to tell the time and date. Very interesting and unexpected in a church. Around 11.00, we went to a cafe for special espresso. Rain was also forecasted for today and by the time we got there on the roofed terrace it started raining. Phew, good timing! We als heard thunder a few times but it was less bad than expected. The coffee was amazing! Dennis had one with zabaione and I had, of course, caffe della nonna with custard powder sugar and pine nuts. Both were really good (and probably very high in calories). I forgot to bring some Rennie, because I normally do not drink coffee as it is bad on my stomach. Later on, I would regret it a little…

We then went to Mercato delle Erbe, which was a very nice and cute indoor market with some restaurants and street food on the sides. We had eggplant with parmigiano piadine (sort of a wrap), which was good but a bit too pricey and underwhelming. We then went to have a few slices of pizza with mozzarella, panna cotta and zucchini. Really nice and creamy! And not expensive as you pay per kilo. At the exit, we also had (again) amazing gelato. They finally had licorice, which was really good, and fior di latte, but now with mint and basilicum, also awesome!

We then walked back to our place since I started to feel some heartburn because of the espresso but even worse, also a nasty number 2 coming. I will avoid any details, but it was indeed nasty and took a while which made me rethink if I would drink coffee ever again…

Late afternoon, we went out again to walk a little more through the city in parts we haven’t been to. We even found a canal that you could see through a tiny luke. We didn’t even know Bologna had any body of water. It is also well hidden between the houses. We also find some more things for in the house (bottle for oil, something to put in the bottle for easy pouring and little metal bowls for sauces fitting our Indian themed tableware). We then got back to our foodie street and had a snack and cocktails for 7€ each (Long island and Mojito). We felt a little tipsy afterwards, especially Dennis. But we then made it to nice restaurant nearby that specialized in homemade pastas and had really nice cantina vibe. Dennis finally had the famous ragu Bolognese as lasagne and I had amazing tortelloni with sage and butter. We had room left for dessert but got it at mercato di mezzo. Dennis had a huge tiramisu that he wanted for his last night in Bologna (but regretted that choice a little afterwards because it was “too much”). I had a tiny pistachio cheesecake, yum! We also scored our first ever Too Good To Go bag at the same vendor. 3€ for a whole meal with grilled veggies and ricotta in a bread bowl and a croissant and a jam bun, breakfast and lunch secured for tomorrow! But that was it for our food tour in Italy.

Tomorrow we are leaving for the mountains where the food is supposed to be more like in other Alp regions. We will stop in Verona on our way to the Dolomites first, which is about halfway and on the route. The whole drive should take us about 4 hours. We were very happy and surprised about Bologna, but also cannot wait to get away from the cities and the warmth to more nature and nicer climate (however, today was mostly fine besides the rain, 26 degrees and a bit too humid in the afternoon).

July 1: From Verona to Nature in the Dolomites

For breakfast, we had the breads from the Too Good To Go bag (nice croissant and filled jam bun) and filled lemon cream breads we had yesterday that Dennis got while walking Nala this morning. It was then time to leave Bologna and drive to the mountains. On the way (1,5 hours driving) we stopped for 2 hours in Verona because it was so famous due to Shakespeare (there is even a Via Shakespeare). We first found a calm picnic bench to have the ricotta and grilled vegetable salad from the Too Good To Go bag, which was nice. We shared that one and Dennis and Nala shared some leftover ham from our first dinner in Bologna that he kept.

We then walked to the Arena (looks like the Rome colosseum), but it was mainly covered in construction for a music show. We kept on walking through the streets, which were from then on very full of tourists. But the city was quite beautiful with stunning and unique buildings, statues and frescos. Of course, we also had to see Juliet’s balcony. As expected, everyone did. So, there was a queue but luckily it took only 5 minutes. It was nice but less spectacular than one might have thought. Especially, the massive amount of tourists took away a lot of the charme. Also, there was a statue of Juliet that everyone touched at her breast. I mean: why??? Wasn’t she like 13? People… At that point, we decided that we have seen enough, eat later in the Dolomites and start driving again.

The drive was about 2 hours from Verona, but it felt a lot longer. We had much traffic because of construction or unknown reasons. Also, idiot drivers that drive in the middle of the road (seems to be a trend in Italy). The route itself was stunning since the landscape changed to green mountains. We also had some rain on the way which was actually good to clean the windows and the car itself of the dust from the past weeks.

After driving small and curvy uphill roads for the last 20 minutes, we reached our hotel. We were confused how to check in because the signs were not clear, the phone we called for check in was not helpful but we managed when another guest showed us they way to our self check in (aka a tiny barrel with our invoice and key in it next to the other guests’. The room is fine but nothing stunning (other options for this area were way too expensive). We relaxed for an hour before we drove to the supermarket to get some snacks for the coming days and then went to restaurant with stunning views and really good food. It is such a mindfuck to be still in Italy but everything is German all of a sudden, it really feels like being in Austria.

Dennis needed to have a schnitzel of course as this was his first chance to get one (it was good, so were the fries). I had amazing limited potato dumplings in butter with a really tasty mushroom filling. The prices were still very Italian, so perfect for us. Dennis felt right at home apparently, since he just burped in the restaurant and did not even realize. I kindly pointed it out to him, that’s me. No idea if someone else heard. Time to leave again (this dinner was less than an hour, perfect). We made it to the car (it started raining in the meantime), huge Dennis burp (“I am not used to having so much schorle.”) and off we went back to the hotel for some chill time with series and snacks in bed. Perfect!

July 2: Stunning Nature at Alpe di Suisi (Seiser Alm)

We slept well in our little Dolomite room but Nala got hungry when the lights were already off and eat her second portion in the dark. If that is what she prefers, who am I to judge. She also woke us up during the night since her water bucket was empty and she pushed it over the floor. She knows how to get our attention, but the timing was weird. I hope this will not become standard behaviour when we are back home.

The included breakfast was actually quite good. The highlight was the juicer that one could use to make their own juice with oranges, pineapples and ginger. Never had such an amazing breakfast drink before, everybody should do this. Then we went to Alpe Suisi/Seiser Alm, since that is what we came here for. We took the cable car up the mountain to around 2000m. Nala had to be muzzled like all the other dogs around (there were quite a lot), luckily we brought the muzzle with us we actually bought for Paris. The checked in very thoroughly, so no way around it but Nala did it well. After having some difficulties to find the right trail and walking along the road with cars and bikes coming as well, we found the correct trail soon and enjoyed the breathtaking views.

This area with its unique mountain peaks is really stunning. The weather was also perfect, cool air and hot sun (almost too hot sometimes, but only 17 degrees in the shade). Nala also had a great time running off leash, playing with other dogs, drinking from natural springs or just laying in the flower fields. We really enjoyed ourselves up there. We had a quick lunch at a alm house terrace where they served typically Tyrolean food. But it was super expensive, so we only had baked potatoes, an apricot strudel to share and 2 drinks (still 33€!). The walk back was just as gorgeous, same procedure downhill with a muzzled Nala and back in the hot car to drive too our hotel. Here we spent some relaxing time on the bed and the balcony before heading out for dinner again. We went to the same place as yesterday because everything was good there. Dennis had of course schnitzel number 2 (just as good only the fries were a little too soft this time). I had my (probably) final Italian pizza (marinara, which I learned to love because the flavors are intense, simple and it’s also the cheapest, so perfect in every way). Time for some relaxing, series binging, and after digestion, a little snack.

July 3: The Most Beautiful Lake in the World: Lago di Braies (Pragser Wildsee)

After starting the day again with wonderful breakfast and (too much) fresh juice, we left for the second destination in the Dolomites. On the way, we planned to visit a very beautiful lake as our activity for the day. It took us about 2 hours through mountains, valleys, tunnels and villages. We arrived as planned, but had to queue with the car to get to the lake. It is very popular so we needed to wait to get a parking spot. Did not take as long as expected but of course we needed to pay as for every touristy nature attraction (10€ for the day).

We walked around the whole lake, which took as about 2 hours. But we took it very slow and Nala could run off leash almost all the time, play with other dogs and fetch sticks in the water. Really fantastic, especially the color of the water (bright turquoise). The weather was also perfect with 20 degrees, hot sun and some clouds. After our walk, we had a quick portion of fries before leaving for our hotel for the next 2 nights.

The ride was only 40 minutes and through a stunning landscape with curvy roads and uphill. The last ten minutes, we actually left South Tyrole and entered the Veneto region, which is Italian speaking again. So weird. It also got cold and very rainy around that time (14 degrees only). The hotel is next to a little lake with nothing else close by, so we will stay here for the rest of the day, eat in the hotel restaurant and enjoy the cozy, modern room with amazing views from the 2 big windows (only when there was no fog). The room even has a beamer for on the roof, how cool. We also had Nijntje lamps! I tried to get it to work but the wifi was crap. Maybe later.

We had dinner downstairs. The menu was small and the mainly had toasty, pizza and focaccia. And the waiter mostly spoke Italian but we could still communicate perfectly. Dennis’s pizza and my focaccia were absolutely fine. But the tiramisu was actually amazing. Probably the best we have had so far. Who would’ve thought to find it in the mountains? It was almost like there was also a little syrup in there. We spent the rest of the evening inside the cozy bed. Nala still needed to go outside but it was raining so hard (even turned into a thunderstorm later on) that we kept waiting until last minute. But there was no way around it, so I quickly went just outside the door and Nala quickly did her thing, phew! In the meantime, the heat turned on automatically and was super hot. We went downstairs to have the reception turn it off. They said they did it but of course, it takes some time before the heaters cool off. So, we opened the windows completely to not die of melting. That is quite the achievement with only 10 degrees outside.

July 4: Hiking the Drei Zinnen (Tre Cime di Lavaredo)

We woke up early as planned to be on time before the rain and people. The alarm went off at 7.00 but we woke up even a little before that. By 8.30, we had a nice breakfast downstairs and were in the car to go uphill. Not even 1 minute driving, we were already in traffic waiting in front of the gate to pay 30€ for entrance and parking. It took maybe 10 minutes and we had our car parked even before 9.00.

The views up there were stunning, probably one of the best we have had in the mountains so far. It was also sunny and warm enough to take off our jackets after some hiking even though it was only 13 degrees. The sun was still powerful up there. We hiked to trails to amazing viewpoints, took nice pictures, flew the drone of course and had a drink at the end at an Almstube (for the lack of a better word).

We spent about 4 hours up there, so when coming back to the hotel, we were already hungry for lunch again (a slice of pizza each for 5€). Back in the room, we felt a little tired so we relaxed and later on even took a short nap. For dinner, we went to the tiny village downhill, which mainly consists of a few hotels, a supermarket and some restaurants, all with stunning views on the local lake. We were there before opening, which was a good decision. People were already in front of Pizzeria Edelweiss (a name that only work here) waiting for them to open. We got a table and both ordered a pizza (mine was with buffalo mozzarella and truffle, Dennis had grilled pork and sweet-sour onions). Both quite big and almost too much and we had to wait more than half an hour. The restaurant was completely full by then and people waiting in line. Crazy, because it was not that good. When we wanted to pay, Dennis came back because I had to use my card instead of Apple Pay. The lady at the register was super rude and unfriendly saying she needed the check with our table number to do anything. I tried to explain to her that I was just sent there and she now has the check. She only spoke Italian and did not try anything to help until she asked a colleague which number we had. Then, after the machine took forever to process the payment, she talked some more Italian (probably all rude curses I did not understand), then a fake smile and a “Grazie, arrivederci”. Luckily, the rest of the staff was nice and so was the food. We only paid 33€, still more than that old hag deserved. Back at our hotel, we craved the nice tiramisu from yesterday, so we had dessert there before going upstairs to sleep in Italy for the last time during this trip. Tomorrow, we will drive over 4 hours, crossing Austria, to get to our last stop, Munich.

July 5: Driving to Munich for some Bavarian Culture

This morning, we slept a little longer but still had plenty of time to have breakfast, pack the car and walk Nala around the little lake next to our hotel. First, we drove almost an hour back the same route we came to get to the highway. Not far before the Austrian border, we of course had to pay the Italians for using their highway one more time (2,90€). We then entered Austria, where we needed to buy a vignette for 10 days to be allowed to use their highways (9,90€). However, at a certain point around Innsbruck, they asked money again for using a certain part of the highway (no idea why, but it costs 11€). I am so happy we don’t have systems like this in either Germany or the Netherlands. We also needed to fill up the car on the way and wanted to do that in Germany, but we took the last gas station in Austria because Dennis was tired from driving and the car almost empty. Good decision, because there we paid 2,09€ per liter, whereas the first gas station after the German border was 2,20€. At that border, they also had a border control on the German side, but we could just drive through slowly. No idea why they were doing this, did not feel a lot like one Europe to me.

When approaching Munich, we also had some heavy rain showers and the temperature dropped from 27 to 19 degrees at one point. After about 4 hours, we arrived at our hotel. It was quite modern and the room was nice. After a quick relaxing recharge moment, we walked to the center. We have a park on a hill next to the hotel with a stream at the bottom, so perfect for walking Nala. The walk into the center was only 20 minutes and we already saw some nice buildings. On the way, we got our first pretzel (with butter) as a lunch snack. Could be worse than that.

We then already saw some Munich highlights like the huge and stunning city hall. We also went to the cathedral (big but not impressive) and a drink at a bar next to it. We then realized we were quite tired from the day and then decided to have early dinner at a Vietnamese street food restaurant we saw on our way here. We had amazing food there (bao burger with lemongrass tofu and a banh mi sandwich with minced meat for Dennis). At the Lidl next door, we bought snack for tonight of course. Back at the hotel, we already changed for the night since none of us needed to go outside anymore. Tomorrow, the weather is going to be warmer and sunnier and we will have the whole day to explore Munich, more than enough for our pace.

July 6: Another Full day Exploring Munich, Germany

We slept in longer than usual (apparently we needed it). So, we took it slow before we started to walk into the center again. We had breakfast at a bakery close by with nice sandwiches. We then walked along the river to the English Garden. On the way there, we saw some nice buildings and local areas already. The park was really huge and nice to walk around in with Nala. We even found a spot with very strong currents in the river where people were surfing. From there we walked back into the center, while crossing the Hofgarten (a formerly royal garden belonging to the Residence). We also came by a yellow church, which was absolutely stunning the inside (mostly white but with very detailed carvings on the walls).

We also checked out some souvenir shops but realized after some time that we were still quite tired, almost exhausted. It has been exactly 3 weeks since we left, probably that was it. So, we decided it was time for lunch. We passed the Viktualienmarkt (a very famous daily market) without buying anything there and went to have a Schmalznudel, kind of weird donut fried in clarified butter. It was nice but not mind-blowing. We then decided to buy some treats for Nala to give her some extra energy for the rest of the day since had not eaten yet. She was very happy about it (we still do not understand why she eats everything except her normal food sometimes on vacation).

We then decided to take a long break at an Asian cafe with matcha drinks and matcha cake. Everything was quite good and we had a nice spot on the terrace with 23 degrees and a slight breeze. Around 17.00 it was time to meet with one of our subscribers Thomas, who had met in 2020 already. We works in Munich, so we met after he came from work. We went to the Hofbräuhaus, the famous and super touristy beer hall from the 16th century where we had traditional food and drinks. Everything was quite good and we had very nice time chatting while sitting in the biergarten with hundreds of others (it is a really hugeass place). Around 19.00, Nala really needed to pee and we had finished our dessert (Kaiserschmarrn, mine is better). So, we paid, walked until the river together before saying goodbye to Thomas and then went back to our hotel to spent a few hours there to relax and watch something.

Tomorrow, we will really start the ride back. We will take it slow in the morning before driving to out stopover hotel near Würzburg before driving home the next day. No touristy things anymore, just driving and relaxing.

July 7: A Stopover in Randersacker

This morning, we took it slow since we had no plans for the day and late check out at 12.00. When we finally had left the bed, we walked Nala in the park and then had late breakfast at a bakery in the area. Around 12.00, we left for our stopover just before Würzburg. It took us about 3 hours but felt a lot longer because of the many, many construction sites where we could only drive 80 km/h. The BnB was in really nice town just below the vineyards and there were many cute alleys and colorful houses. Also the BnB itself was really cute and quiet led by an elderly couple. The room was very spacious and cold even though there was no air conditioning, while it was around 30 degrees outside. We decided to relax and go for early dinner at 17.00, which we did at a very nice local restaurant only a few minutes by foot. The staff was super nice and the food as well. Dennis could of course not resist to have his third schnitzel. But the highlight was the dessert which was recommended by the waitress. Apfelkräpfle, a local specialty like and apple beignet with a lot of sugar and cinnamon together with very good vanilla ice cream. She did not oversell it! With very full bellies, we walked back and relaxed for the rest of the day to be well-rested for the last drive to get home.

July 8: Home Sweet Home!

We had set the alarm to 7.00 to leave early, but were actually awake at 6.00 because of the sunlight and the church bells ringing. Why??? But we took advantage of it. After an early breakfast (started at 8.00, but we could sit down 15 minutes early), which was really good and in such a cute room while the owners were bustling about somewhere. We were on the road even before 8.30 and the road was still very quiet in the beginning. The drive was supposed to take 4 and 45 minutes. But especially the last 2 hours, it got busier and just at the end (40 km before the border and again just behind it) we were stuck in traffic for 30 minutes in total. But because we left so early and only 2 very quick stops, we arrived at 13.15 in Spankeren where Oma was already waiting to greet Nala. We then immediately unpacked (did we buy so many souvenirs??), Dennis went quickly to the supermarket while I was walking Nala in the forest. It was above 30 degrees, so went there by car and only did a short round, which was enough for her to enjoy the familiar surroundings, do all business, scare the cows and run around. When we came back, Dennis was already asleep on the couch. It is good to be back home.

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