The hire car (a Fiat Punto) really got a work-out on this stretch of the trip. Driving from Florence we arrived in Pisa, walked to the Leaning Tower and saw this:
Now, I get enough of that sort of stuff with Wii Fit at home, so Adriana and I got a very creative photo taken, and I think you’ll agree:
After Pisa we drove north to Cinqueterre, which I’ve already posted about. We must have driven through about thirty tunnels on the way there, and it was great how they indicated the length of each tunnel before you entered it. It gave you an idea of whether you should try holding your breath or not. Also, although the countryside may be scenic and the weather near perfect, try to avoid driving with the windows down. A small wasp could get sucked into the car, get caught in the back of your shirt, and then sting you, which can be quite fun if you’re driving. Just saying.
After Cinqueterre we continued driving north to Milan, where we arrived at our really nice West Elm-like hotel, “The Hub”.
In Milan we got to see ‘The Last Supper’, though unfortunately you aren’t allowed to take photos of it. Some people did put a door through it at some stage though, so Jesus’ feet are cut off, something I only learned about on the day.
A day trip was planned to the Lake Como area and this, along with Civita, turned out to be another highlight of our trip. It was simply amazing. I somehow navigated the car through narrow roads up to Menaggio where we had a scenic lunch.
Ferries transport you between the three lakeside towns of Menaggio, Bellagio and Varenna:
So we left Menaggio:
visited Varenna:
and then headed to Bellagio:
before heading back to Milan. On the next day we started our drive East to Venice, and stopped off in Verona where we saw Juliet’s house, a small Colosseum, and a nice view over the river:
Click here for a link to the set on Flickr.
