Author Archives: admin

France – March 15-24, 2018 PROVENCE I passed into France twice – once in the Maritime Alps over a high snowy pass and then again on the coast just before the town of Menton, just a few kilometres east of … Continue reading →

Lombards. Not to be confused with the modern inhabitants of the region of Lombardy, Italy. The Lombards or Longobards were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774. The Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the Historia Langobardorum that the Lombards descended from a small tribe … Continue reading →

This was my first time in Italy. There is a lot to see and traveling in the winter worked out well. Tourists and crowds were few in this tourist magnet. I travel intensively and with a vehicle, I see a … Continue reading →

Monaco (pop 38,000)          March 15, 2018 History. Since the 13th century, Monaco’s history has been that of the Grimaldi family, whose rule began in 1297. Charles VIII of France recognized its independence in 1489 but snatched … Continue reading →

THE LAKES. Wedged between the Alps and the Po valley, the glacial lakes of Lombardy were formed at the end of the last ice age and have been a popular holiday spot since Roman times. At the region’s heart is … Continue reading →

March 2018 EMILIA-ROMAGNA PROVINCE Extending north from the Apennines to the fertile Po Valley, ER has some of Italy’s most fertile land. It is known for its luxury cars, regal mansions, Romanesque churches, and opera legacy (Verdi and Pavarotti). Many … Continue reading →

LE MARCHE PROVINCE. On the Adriatic and bordered inland by the by the pretty Appenines. Le Marche is one of Italy’s least known treasures. Historically, they were dominated by the Romans for 700 years, then sacked by the Goths, Vandals, … Continue reading →

Mar 4-7, 2018 CALABRIA PROVINCE The toe of the boot, it is mostly mountains and with a long history of poverty, mafia and emigration. It is not on many tourist’s lists of places to go. I had already driven the … Continue reading →

 by Adam Fletcher #1 PUT ON YOUR HOUSE SHOES So, here we are then my little Ausländer. Your first day as an aspiring German. You’ll have woken up in your bed, probably because it’s gotten light outside and you don’t … Continue reading →

Florence Jan 26-31. I took the Flixbus from Rome to Florence (10€ – this bus line offers unbelievably cheap bus fares on new, comfortable buses with wi-fi). But after arriving, it took me over 3 hours to get to my BnB. … Continue reading →