Luxury on Lake Como – Villa d’Este
Trip Over to Lake Como
During our 3 weeks staying in Como the weather was generally perfect – cool, crisp, sunny spring days, but even on the couple of rainy days it was still perfect and didn’t stop us from getting out and about. The rain was never the umbrella type while we were outside – just the hat and coat variety.
It had been suggested to us that it is not possible to walk around the gardens at Villa d’Este unless we were staying there, that set the day’s challenge for us……. There were low, but non-threatening clouds over Como as the ferry pulled away from the wharf heading for Cernobbio (Pronounced:- Churn-ob-yo) just 2 stops away. The ferry passes another monument to Alessandro Volta, the local lad who invented the battery a few hundred years ago, unveiled in August 2015, this steel sculpture called Life Electric:-
“Inspired by the electric tension between two poles of a battery, the great gift from Volta to the humanity” – Daniel Libeskind from the Life Electric Project.
The sculpture takes on a life of its own in the variety of lighting conditions over the lake, sometimes almost blending into the lake, other times in stark contrast. Some local residents had signed a petition to stop this sculpture being placed in the lake, but now it is there with no sign of any animosity towards it, and it provides a good vantage point to walk out to with seating under the art work, giving a different view of Como and the surrounding area.
Villa Erba can be seen from the ferry as it approaches Cernobbio wharf, one of the many Villas in Cernobbia, groups can book tours here. Most of the villas are either private, or can be booked for events. But our mission was to visit Villa D’Este with its opulent gardens and hotel.
Within a few minutes our ferry had arrived at Cernobbio Wharf and as the ferry pulled up the last of the morning market was being packed away, suddenly we were the only people left on the streets. The drizzly, misty rain and cold must have kept everyone inside for an early lunch made from the produce they had just bought from the market. Undaunted, we continued on towards our challenge………..
The gardens in the villas were all very impressive, and even without land for gardening, hanging gardens add a creative touch to a house just up the road from the Cernobbio ferry wharf.
Up at Via Regina, the main road through Cernobbio around the west side of Lake Como, a side street, Via Monte Grappa, heads through the arch way before winding its way up into the hills. I love the way the Italians don’t knock down their history to make roads, they work with it. Parking is never a problem for these tiny Italian cars, there is always room to park your Fiat or Smart car no matter how small the space. If the car fits, park it!
After turning right at Via Regina and wandering up the road looking at various restaurants, reading menus (all sounding delicious) and trying to decide which one to have lunch in, and doing a bit of window shopping as the shops were all closed for the very civilised Italian long lunch break, we reached the next bend in the road and there were the gates to Villa d’Este. The plan to have lunch somewhere before going to explore the gardens went out the window as we hadn’t realised how close it was.
As we went striding purposefully in through the entrance gates to Villa d’Este the man in the gate office came out see what we wanted, quick as a flash Christine said, “We’re having lunch at the Veranda.” (I decided the terribly elegant couple in the photo of the main gates must be staying there as they weren’t stopped). He welcomed us to Villa D’Este and wished us “Buon appetito”. That was the lunch decision made………..we were in, mission accomplished!!
Prior to 1873 Villa d’Este was a private residence with a very interesting history involving nuns, a ballerina, a Russian Czarina and British royalty, although not all at the same time. Click here to read the history of the Villa.
Following the path lined with beautifully manicured flower beds, not a petal out of place, passing Villa Cima, a lakeside private, almost Tudor looking, villa on the estate built in 1814 by the Princess of Wales to accommodate Count and Countess Pino, the former owners of the estate, after she had convinced them to sell the estate to her (it was the least she could do). It is now one of the villas hotel guests can book to stay in.
Hundreds of immaculate hydrangeas line the interior of the restaurant, and yes, they are real, I checked!!
In summer the glass windows surrounding the Veranda can be lowered down into the ground so you really are sitting out on the veranda, and more tables spill out on to the terrace closer to the lakes edge.
Lunch was exquisite, we shared many dishes so we could taste as much as possible and were waited on hand and foot as there were almost as many staff in the Veranda as there were guests. I suspect though, even if every table was full, we would still be waited on impeccably. There was someone to take our coats, a sommelier to choose our wine, then the waiter recommended we share a Salmon and Strawberry entree, we then shared Duck Cannelloni and Ameriticiana Tortoli, all served up by the waiter at the table so we didn’t have chop and transfer half making a huge mess ourselves. Then the maitre d’ flambed our Crepe Suzette at the table – this was followed by the smoothest espresso coffee I have ever had – with a hint of chocolate.
Having eaten more than enough food to give us the energy to explore the gardens, and fortunately the rain had stopped, but it was still overcast, we set off into the gardens. There are a number of restaurants and bars at Villa D’Este, we walked passed the Terrace Bar that I’m sure in summer is full of sun kissed guests enjoying an Aperol Spritz overlooking the swimming pool that floats in the lake. Next to the Veranda Restaurant you can look up through the marble gardens, up the long path that leads to the statue of Hercules hurling poor Lica into the waters below. From here you can walk over to the back of the Villa d’Este gardens to the remains of Donna Vittoria’s towers and fortifications from the early 1800s, a bygone era in the life of the estate.
The Queen’s Pavilion was added to the estate in the late 1800s with steps going down to the lake and the underpass to bring boats in if the water gets too choppy for passengers to safely disembark………After bringing the boat into the protected water under the Queen’s Pavilion passengers could walk up the steps to the estate and the boat could be kept in one of the boat parking bays underneath.
In summer Cernobbio becomes a vibrant lakeside village, with many bars and restaurants open, but not on the grey day in early spring when we visited. We were not disappointed though, far from it, and we completed the challenge – we explored the gardens at Villa d’Este without staying in the hotel. I’m not sure if it was cheating that we were forced to have lunch there to get in through the gates, but if that’s cheating, I’m all for it…………
Book a tour on your Trip Over to Lake Como
Itinerary for Trip Over to Italy – Milan, Como and Venice
Qantas flight (Emirates code share) to Milan (Malpensa) from Sydney via Dubai
Stayed in Milan, Airbnb, for a week before going to Como
Picked up in Milan by Como Limousines and driven to Como
Stayed in Como, Airbnb, for 3 weeks
Picked up in Como by Como Limousines and driven to Venice
In Venice, water taxi to Al Ponte Antico Hotel for 3 nights and water taxi back
Picked up in Venice by Como Limousines and driven back to Como
Picked up in Como by Como Limousines and driven back to Milan (Malpensa) Airport
Qantas flight (Emirates code share) to Sydney via Dubai
Caught the bus down to the seaside today, the pebbles were bigger than I`ve seen on any beach anywhere, it was like a rock quarry!! How people were sitting on it was a mystery! Then to top it off it was high tide and I was ill equipped to walk thigh deep through the water to get to Isola Bella. Now I know what to prepare for, I`ll have another go later......
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#taorminasicily #taormina #isolabella #isolabellataormina #sicilianbeach #solotravel #solotravelinitaly #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme #seeeverythingdoeverything #solotravelinsicily #downbytheseaside
Went off into the countryside to the village of Shere in Surrey, just a short train trip from Waterloo Station, a fabulous pub lunch!!
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#shere #englishcountryside #whitehorsepub #solotravel #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme #waterloostationclock #seeeverythingdoeverything #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #magnolias #sherechurch
Walking all around Valletta, so many steps to go up and down!! Sunrise across Grand Harbour....Upper Barrakka Gardens and all around that area.
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#valletta #upperbarrakkagardens #tritonfountain #malta #solotravel #solotrip #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #traveltheworldwithme #neverstopexploring #traveladdict #maltalife
Having arrived in London really early, my hotel room wasn`t ready, so I left my luggage there and went to the Victoria and Albert Museum to see the Naomi Campbell exhibition while I waited. Love it when a visit to London coincides with a great exhibition @vamuseum
#naomicampbell #vanda #victoriaandalbertmuseum #London #londonfashion #londonstyle #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #solotravel #seeeverythingdoeverything #solotravelinlondon #traveltheworldwithme
Big day yesterday, out and about on Malta`s buses, so far so good, with my 7 day ticket in hand, went off to Tarxien, Marsaxlokk, Sliema and back to Valletta.
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#malta #marsaxlokk #fishingboats #maltalife #solotravel #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme #neverstopexploring #traveladdict #seeeverythingdoeverything
Blue sky and sunshine, then 24 hours later all hell had broken loose. We had a massive storm, followed by lots of rain.....
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#stleonardspark #northsydney #blueskyandsunshine #raindrops #gumtree #walkinthepark #sydneylocal #sydneylife #sydneystorm #sydneyaustralia
A lunchtime walk in Hyde Park today, the Archibald Fountain has been all cleaned up, the flowers are blooming and the bin chickens are loving it!!
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#archibaldfountain #hydeparksydney #sydneylocal #sydneylife #sydneycbd #binchickens #binchickensofinstagram #flowersinthepark #lunchtimewalk
The public gardens in Taormina on land that was once owned by the same lady who owned Isola Bella in the late 1800s, Lady Florence Trevelyan, a distant relation of Queen Victoria who was exiled from England for having an affair with the future King Edward Vll (why wasn`t he exiled for the same issue??) She moved to Taormina and bought Isola Bella, later marrying the Mayor of Taormina. Together they created the public gardens, which are beautifully looked after to encourage various plants and birds to live there.
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#oarcotreveltan #publicgardentaormina #taorminasicily #taormina #walkinthepark #solotravel #seeeverythingdoeverything #solotravelinitaly #traveltheworldwithme #solotrip #madeinitaly #madeinsicily #sicilytravel
Right in the centre of Taormina is this over grown 2000 year old Roman Baths, inhabited by stray cats. There is a sign pointing to it, but it`s a bit of a mess.....then on the other side of the square is an old Roman theatre, also dating back to the 1st century.
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#romanbaths #romantheatre #taormina #taorminasicily #solotravel #solotravelinitaly #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme #seeeverythingdoeverything #solotravelinsicily
All the flowers are still looking fabulous on the walk around Cremorne Point on Sydney`s North Shore.
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#pinkflowers #purpleflowers #yellowflowers #cremornepoint #sydneylocal #sydneylife #sydneyharbourwalks #sydney #walkinthepark #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
Flowers hanging over someone`s fence in Neutral Bay, then on to St Leonard`s Park.
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#stleonardspark #stleonardsparknorthsydney #yellowfliwers #yellowflowersoftheday #walkinthepark #sydneylocal #sydneylife #sydneyaustralia #northsydney #sydneystreets
Some of the stations I became familiar with on my solo Italian adventure. Siena had the biggest step up from the platform to the train, but by the time I left Siena I was quite good at handling my luggage so it wasn`t a problem, and Pisa was the easiest and my visit to Pisa was a day trip from La Spezia, without any luggage!! Although I did have to change trains in Pisa a few days later on my way back through Florence to Venice....easy 🤩!!
For more info on the art of solo travel by train in Italy, click the link to my website in the bio.
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#traintravelinitaly #pisa #siena #Florence #laspezia #italybytrain #solotravel #solotravelinitaly #solotrip #neverstopexploring #madeinitaly #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #italytrip #italy #soloitalianadventure #solofemaletravel #solomidlifefemaletraveler #italiantrains #railwaystationsinitaly #traveltheworldworldwithme #traveladdict
Taormina has to be one of the prettiest towns, there is a festival on that seems to involve a lot of flowers, and there are a few thousand more people here than I was hoping for, but we all seem to be getting along!!
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#taormina #taorminasicily #visitsicily #flowers #italianhistory #solotravel #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme #neverstopexploring #seeeverythingdoeverything #madeinitaly
I started the day by walking a couple of kms up the coast, then came back and walked all around the edge of Ortigia visiting castles and forts along the way. At least Syracuse and Ortigia are relatively flat!!!
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#syracuse #ortigia #ortigiaisland #ortigiasiracusa #italianhistory #solotravel #solotravelinitaly #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme #neverstopexploring #madeinitaly #traveladdict #italytrip
Pitti Palace in Florence is definitely worth visiting, the home of the Medici rulers of Florence in the middle ages, and they lived well. The enormous Palace has a fashion exhibition in some of the rooms, there are sculptures of the family everywhere throughout the palace and the acres of gardens.
#pittipalace #palazzopittifirenze #palazzopittimuseum #solotravelinitaly #solotravel #madeinitaly #traveltheworldwithme #seeeverythingdoeverything #italytrip #neverstopexploring #italianadventure
Rushing through Sydney CBD this morning on my way to work, the storms they threatened us with didn`t materialise........yet!!
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#Sydney #sydneylife #sydneycbd #georgestreet #yorkstreet #morningcommute #sydneylocal #sydneyaustralia🇦🇺 #lightrail #walktowork
First day in Syracuse, arrived early on the ferry from Malta, then a train from Pozzallo to Syracuse. My hotel room wasn`t ready so I walked around Ortigia, had a coffee, checked out the markets, then my room was ready. I settled in then headed off to the archaeological park.....lots of ancient Greek arches, amphitheatres, and lots of modern bronze castings of ancient Greek things!!!
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#syracuse #sicily #sicilytourism #sicilytravel #visitsyracuse #archaeology #ancientgreekhistory #solotravel #solotravelinitaly #traveltheworldwithme #solotrip #neverstopexploring #seeeverythingdoeverything #madeinitaly
Strange weather, but at least we don`t have a cyclone to contend with.....
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#sydney #sydneylocal #sydneyharbourwalks #sydneyharbourbridge #sydneylife #sydneyweekend #nativeplants #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #outonthewater #sydneyharbour ##cremornepoint
Manoel Island, just next to Valletta in Malta, was the Royal Navy Base prior to 1964. Fort Manoel is apparently being renovated to make it safe to visit. But all the other buildings that were used by the Navy have just been left to fall apart. It is the strangest place, all the buildings would have been functional, but have just left derelict for the past 60 years.
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#manoelisland #Malta #derelictbuildings #valletta #solotravel #traveltheworldwithme #neverstopexploring #seeeverythingdoeverything #solotrip #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
A beautiful spring day in London, cool, crisp, but so much warmer than I was expecting 🌞 St James`s Park was in full bloom🌼🌷⚘️🌺
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#London #stjamesspalace #stjamespark #magnolias #pinkblossoms #walkinthepark #traveltheworldwithme #solotravel #solotrip #seetheworldthroughmyeyes
The beautiful little island, Isola Bella, in the bay below Taormina once owned by Lady Florence Trevelyan after she was exiled from England. To get to it you need to walk through the water, only 20 to 30cm deep at low tide, more at high tide, but worth it for the views.
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#isolabella #isolabellataormina #taormina #taorminasicily #solotravel #solotrip #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #neverstopexploring
Such a beautiful weekend in Sydney, the weather is just perfect!! The sun glistening on the water around Cremorne Point!! 🌞😍
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#cremornepoint #sydneyharbour #sydneyharbourwalks #sydneylife #sydneylocal #Sydney #sydneyaustralia #sailingonsydneyharbour #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #rockformations #sunglisteningonthewater
The southern end of the Queen Victoria Building being watched over by Queen Victoria, and Sydney Town Hall across the road.
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#qvbsydney #queenvictoriabuilding #queenvictoriastatue #sydneytownhall #sydneytownhallclocktower #lightrail #sydneylife #sydneycbd #sydneylocal
Walking to North Sydney to catch the Metro into the city in the morning.
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#northsydney #walktowork #pinkflowers #sydneyharbourbridge #sydneylocal #sydneystreets #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #morningcommute
Made it back across the Grand Harbour and up on to my terrace in time to watch the 4pm firing of the cannon from the Saluting Battery
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#cannonfire #valletta #salutingbatterymalta #solotravel #solotrip #malta #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #traveltheworldwithme #seeeverythingdoeverything #maltalife #grandgarbour #grandharbourhotel
Some of the places I visited on my solo Italian adventure
Top row - Venice, Florence, Siena
Bottom row - La Spezia, Porto Venere, Lerici
For info on where I stayed and how I got there, travelling solo with luggage, click the link to my website in the bio.
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#venice #basilicasanmarco #florence #pontevecchio #siena #sienabelltower #laspezia #portovenere #lerici #Italy #solotravel #solotravelinitaly #solotrip #madeinitaly #neverstopexploring #traveltheworldwithme #italytrip #italianadventure #alianarchitecture #solotravelinitaly #neverstopexploring #oldbuildingsmakemehappy #historicbuildingsenrichourlives #historicitaly
The never ending parade in Taormina continues.....
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#taorminasicily #taormina #sicilytravel #sicilytourism #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #solotravel #traveltheworldwithme #solotrip
In Florence I stayed @hotelatlanticpalaceflorence , just a short walk from the railway station, and an equally short walk to Duomo Firenze, Ufizzi Gallery and Ponte Vecchio. The roof top bar at the sister hotel, Hotel Machiavelli, 50 mtrs down the street has amazing views over Florence. In the hotel foyer is an amazing vase made to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Italian Constitution in 1898. The city of unbelievable art and design starts right here in the hotel 🤩. The hotel is very comfortable, safe and serves a lovely breakfast to fuel you up for a day of exploring.
For more info about the hotels I stayed in on my Solo Italian Aventure, click the link to my website in the bio.
#hotelatlanticpalace #hotelatlanticpalaceflorence #hotelatlanticpalacefirenze #florence #duomofirenze #viewfromtheterrace #solotravel #italytrip #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #neverstopexploring #traveltheworldwithme #traveladdict #solotrip #solotravelinitaly #italianadventure #madeinitaly #italianhistory #italytravel #historicbuildingsenrichourlives #solofemaletravel #solofemalemidlifetraveller
A big day of wandering all over Palermo. It`s a grubby, gritty city, everything needs a good wash, but you get over that pretty quickly!! Easy to get around on buses and walking, the Ballaro Markets are quite an experience, all the vendors shouting, very crowded, seafood sitting out in the sun, cooking various gizzards to put on bread rolls (no thanks!!) Then I escaped to the calm of the botanical gardens....
#Palermo #palermosicily #ballaromarket #mercatoballarò #botanicgardens #sicilytravel #solotravel #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme
Flowers exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea.
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#flowers @saatchi_gallery #kingsroadchelsea #London #londonart #londonstyle #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #solotrip #solotravel #traveltheworldwithme #seeeverythingdoeverything #traveladdict
All the action out on Sydney Harbour last weekend🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞, this weekend it has done nothing but rain, or rain more🌧🌧🌧
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#sydneyharbour #sydneynorthshore #sydneyharbourwalks #sydneyaustralia #sydneylocal #myhometown #sydneylife #sydneystyle #seeeverythingdoeverything #traveltheworldworldwithme #outonthewater #boatsboatsboats ##sydneyferries #cremornepoint #cremornepointwalk
I think this critter is a Water Dragon, apparently they live around Cremorne Point on Sydney Harbours North Shore. We just stared at each other for a while, then he ran off down into the bush towards the water.
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#waterdragon #sydneyweekend #sydneynorthshore #sydneylife #sydneyharbourwalks #sydneybythesea #sydneyharbourbridge #sydneyharbour #sydneyoperahouse #sydneywaterdragon #cremornepoint #cremornepointwalk #pinkflowers #blueskyandsunshine
We`re all ready for Santa here in Sydney 🎅🎄🥂!! Best wishes for tomorrow - hope you`re not on the naughty list!!!!
#christmasinsydney #christmasready❤️🎄🎁 #waitingforsanta #merrychristmas🎄
Around 45 minutes on the train from Palermo, Cefalu is a pretty seaside resort town with old historic buildings, like the duomo that opened in 1240. The beaches are sandy here so in peak summer they must be packed. I wanted to walk up to the top of the rocky backdrop, but I got to the half way point and someone told me there were another 275 uneven steps to climb up from there, so I opted out, my knees were already feeling it!!
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#cefalù #cefalubeach #cefalusicily #cefaluduomo #visitsicily #solotravel
#solotrip #seeeverythingdoeverything #neverstopexploring
Pisa is a short train trip from my base in La Spezia, finally a lovely sunny day🌞!! Arriving in Pisa, after crossing the river, I walked up the main street, looked in a few shops, then wandered through a few piazza`s until I caught my first glimpse of the Leaning Tower - amazing!!! The whole area was so well managed, all the lawns are there to keep people back from all the monuments, that way everyone can see, instead of just a few. A fantastic day trip💖
#pisa #torredelpisa #torredelpisa #solotravel #solotravelinitaly #solotrip #neverstopexploring #madeinitaly #tripovertoitaly #traveltheworldwithme #italianarchitecture #italianhistory #italytravel #italianadventure #historicbuildingsenrichourlives #oldbuildingsmakemehappy #seekandyoushallfind #seeeverythingdoeverything #experiencelifethroughtravel #traveladdict #daytripfromlaspezia
Went on an excursion through the centre of Sicily to the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento near the south coast, then remains of Greek Temples built on the 5th century BC! Then we went down to the coast to look at Scala dei Turchi, the natural formation of step like ridges in the rock. Ottomans Turks found shelter here, giving it the name.
#valleyofthetemples #agrigento #agrigentosicily #scaladeiturchi #Sicily #solotravel #solotrip #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #neverstopexploring #seeeverythingdoeverything
I travelled by train between destinations on my solo adventure to Venice, Florence, Siena, Pisa, La Spezia and Cinque Terre. Very easy to use, booking through @trainline I became very adept at handling my luggage on my own, changing trains and enjoying hurtling through Italy in comfort.
For more info on the art of train travel in Italy by clicking the link to my website in the bio.
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#traintravelinitaly #solotravel #solotravelinitaly #solotrip #madeinitaly #traveltheworldwithme #italytrip #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #traveladdict #travelinitaly #italiantrains #cinqueterre #cinqueterreitaly #cinqueterrenationalpark #cinqueterrecoast
As the ferry leaves Mosman Bay as seen from the Cremorne Point walk, Sydney Harbour was sparkling all weekend🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞
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#mosmanbay #cremornepoint #northshore #sydneyweekend #sydneylife #sydneyaustralia #sydneyharbourwalks #sydneystyle #seeeverythingdoeverything #traveltheworldworldwithme #outonthewater #boatsboatsboats #sydneyferries #myhometown #sydneylocal
A short train trip from Syracuse, then a walk up the hill to Noto. A town with more churches per square inch than I`ve ever seen!!!!
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#noto #notosicily #sicily #sicilytravel #solotravel #solotravelinitaly #solotravelinsicily #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme #neverstopexploring #seeeverythingdoeverything #madeinitaly
When I was in Mdina a few days ago, I could see the giant domestic of the Mosta Rotunda off in the distance (have a look at that reel). So I caught the bus to Mosta!
The Rotunda was built in the early 1800s, so quite modern by Maltese standards! I walked up 75 steps of the narrow stone spiral staircase into the dome, then back down to check out the WWll air raid shelter underneath, and the bomb that landed here but fortunately didn`t explode.
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#mosta #mostarotunda #mostarotundachurch #maltalife #malta #solotravel #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme #seeeverythingdoeverything #traveladdict #exploretheworld #exploremalta
Easter Sunday in Palermo, not a chocolate Easter egg to be found!! I caught a bus up to Monreale as I had been told the gold mosaics in the duomo were amazing. I think a catholic church service for Easter is not the place an atheist should be! Even if the building was amazing, dating back to the 1100s. I just can`t agree with them asking the poorest people to donate money to the wealthiest organisation in the world, and giving nothing in return, the homeless will still be on the streets tonight!
I then caught a bus to Mondello, apparently the most famous beach in Sicily. Looks lovely but I have never been hounded by so many Indians wanting to sell me a sarong😧!!
#monreale #mondello #Sicily #eastersundayinsicily ##solotravel #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme ##seetheworldthroughmyeyes
My last evening in Syracuse, it has been a really lovely place to explore. Making my way up the east coast of Sicily, I`m off to Taormina today.
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#syracuse #syracusesicily #syracusesicilystreets #solotravel #solotravelinitaly #solotravelinsicily #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme #neverstopexploring #seeeverythingdoeverything #madeinitaly #traveladdict
To get a better shot of the Cannon firing, I waited in the freezing cold at Upper Barrakka Gardens to I could secure this spot, the crowds were 10 deep behind me!!
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#vallettacannonshot #vallettasalutingbattery #cannonfire #cannonfireinvalletta #Malta #maltalife #solotravel #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #solotrip #seeeverythingdoeverything
Flying into London at sunrise, we had to do a few laps before we could fit into the landing schedule. Then straight on to the Underground and into the cool London air, which was so good after the relentless heat and humidity in Sydney.
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#londoncalling #London #thamesriver #toweroflondon #ritzlondon #caviarhouse #qantas #qf1 #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #solotravel #solotrip #seeeverythingdoeverything #traveltheworldwithme #flyinghigh
A great hotel in Venice for Solo Travellers with luggage, @rialtohotelvenice is easy to get to from the railway station or the airport with the vaporetto stop right outside on the Grand Canal. The staff are all lovely and so helpful. The location is perfect, at Rialto Bridge, you will always be able to find your way back, just keep following signs to Rialto!!
I had the best time there looking out over the Grand Canal, either from my room or up on the terrace, it would be so easy to spend all your time just watching all the goings ever changing happenings on the Canal.
I have written a story on my website about all the hotels I stayed in on my recent solo Italian adventure, all easy to access from transport, safe, friendly and comfortable. Click the link to my website in the bio.
Not an affiliate, just giving my honest recommendations.
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#hotelrialto #hotelrialtovenice #grandcanal #hotelsforsolotravelers #solofemaletravel #solomidlifefemaletraveler #solotravelinitaly #solotravel #italytrip #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #neverstopexploring #traveltheworldwithme #traveladdict #neverstoptravelling #italytravel #rialtobridge #rialtobridgevenice
The Palace built in the late 1500s for the Grand Master of the Knights of Malta. Now used as the office of the President of the Republic of Malta. It houses and enormous armoury collected over the centuries.
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#grandmasterspalaceandarmoury #grandmasterspalace #valletta #malta #maltalife #solotravel #solotrip #traveltheworldwithme #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #seeeverythingdoeverything #worldofmalta #traveltomalta
An afternoon walk around Cremorne Point to cool off in the sea breeze, summer has arrived in Sydney!! Blue sky, blue water, lots of boats, Sydney Harbour showing off it`s best side 🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞
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#cremornepoint #sydneyharbour #sydneyharbourwalks #sydneynorthshore #sydneybythesea #sydneylocal #myhometown #sydneylife #sydneyaustralia #sydney #sydneyinsummertime #blueskyandsunshine #walkinthesun #seetheworldthroughmylens #seeeverythingdoeverything #traveltheworldwithme #sydneyweekend #boatsboatsboats
The Greek Theatre in Taormina built in 300BC, still standing and still showing plays and operas. The views from the top of the auditorium out over the sea and the town are amazing....I think I took about 200 photos!! Slightly excessive, but I couldn`t stop 🥂🤩
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#taorminasicily #taormina #greektheatretaormina #teatrogrecotaormina #sicilytravel #solotravel #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #solotravelinitaly #neverstopexploring #seeeverythingdoeverything
Yesterday was perfect, not too hot, no humidity, a lovely walk through St Leonard`s Park to the Metro, then today, foggy, drizzly, bad hair.....yuk!!
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#stleonardspark #morningcommute #walkinthepark #northsydney #sydneycbd #sydneyharbourbridge #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #changeintheweather
The beautiful medieval city of Siena, one of my favourite places in Italy. It was the third place on my solo Italian adventure, I was made very welcome @relaisdegliangeli a lovely boutique hotel.....I could have stayed forever 💖
#solotravel #solotravelinitaly #solotrip #madeinitaly #traveltheworldwithme #traveladdict #siena #sienaduomo #piazzadelcamposiena #medievalcity #medievalitaly #italianarchitecture #italianadventure
