Drive on the auto strada to Viareggio.... Today we took the auto strada to Viareggio, a town on the beach west of Lucca. We had no problem getting onto the strada and it only took about half an hour to get there once we were on it. Viareggio is a very popular tourist spot for the locals.....but it really wasn't my cup of tea at all!!! I was expecting to see a sea of umbrellas and deck chairs BUT nothing like it was! For me it completely ruined the beach, whi...

Very naughty Bengy!!!! After such a long day yesterday, we decided to stay home for the day today. We took Bengy for a long walk along the river and then came back for lunch. About 4 pm we decided to drive down to Fornoli and have a look around. It is only a few minutes away by car. We got back about an hour later to find that Bengy was very unhappy to have been left at home. He has always been so good, we have left him alone for hours and he has never touched a...

Off to Cinque Terre...... This morning we left about 10am for another long drive in the hills, and another made even longer by the lack of signage!!!! This time we were ready for the signs too late and the changes of the route numbers, but no problems at all with that! They had plenty of signs all the way! BUT....we didn't account for the road closures!!! First one was after travelling down a very winding narrow road for about 8 km we suddenly come to a r...

Lazy day at home today...... After our big drive yesterday, we decided to take it easy today. Lauri mowed and whippersnipped, then we went to the supermarket. The weather here is in a different sort of pattern this week after being so hot last week. The mornings are lovely and sunny but every afternoon the clouds roll in and it rains a bit. Nothing torrential but it is a lot cooler at night lately. Too cool for a swim in the late afternoon, down to about 16...

A long drive in the beautiful Tuscan hills towards Siena....... We took a long drive in the countryside today.....at times made even longer by the wonderful lack of Italian road signs! There are no signs of turn left up ahead, the first you know of any sign is when you are right on the roundabout or intersection! So occasionally we would have to turn around after missing the turn! And then there is the way they number the highways! You are travelling on the...