Last summer Olga and I worked our way around Northern Italy, it was the best holiday I ever had. Warm weather, great wine, wonderful food, brilliant scenery, so many photo opportunities and by far the best company ever.
Loads more after the jump...
We flew out to Venice, and stayed for three days on the Lido island. With a pass for the vaporetti that meant we could travel as much as we liked we worked our way around the islands of Venice, trying to avoid the crazy August crowds and soak up as much of the culture and history as possible.
After Venice we hopped on the train and headed for the mountains. We got off the train in Verona and took the most beautiful coach ride up the side of Lake Garda. I spent the whole time staring out of the window enjoying the amazing views that were on display. Around every corner was another fantastic vista, with the mountains falling down to the lake and stunning little towns nestled in amongst the olive trees.
We stayed in Malcesine on Lake Garda for a week and in this time sampled many of its delights. From kitesurfing to hill walking, and tasty gnochi to the most amazing olive oil ever, we had a great time!
After our week in Malcesine we headed down to Florence for a short stay in the city. Olga had raved to me much about Florence. When we arrived it was hot, busy and fascinating. There was so much culture that it was hard to know where to look. We spent a day looking around the Uffizi gallery which was awesome, and we also got up early to grab pictures of the Duomo in the golden morning light.
We then met with Olga's family and headed into the Tuscan countryside. As well as sitting in the pool we went on day trips to San Gimignano and Siena. Hot days meant that the evenings were the best time to go, and in the evenings the light is simply gorgeous so I had much to appreciate.
I left Olga to stay in Italy with her family and flew back to the UK. It was such a beautiful experience - one that I will never forget and I am truly thankful for.
You can see a wider selection of pictures here: Italy selection set
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Labels: 2010, experience, holiday, italy, personal, summer, travel
