After arriving in Italy 11 Dec, we spent 4 days in Siena at our new home, at school orientation and the end of year school movies night and bake sale. We then packed up again and hit the road Saturday 15 December for a 12 day driving holiday adventure that went something like this:
Siena - Bologna - Modena (overnight)
Modena - Verona - Bolzano (5 night base for the Dolomites) Daily trips to various towns - Brixen, Vipiteno, Merano
Bolzano - Bormio (3 nights)
Bormio - Como - Porto Ceresio (Lake Lugano) - Switzerland - Xmas Eve and Xmas Day
Porto Ceresio - Varese - Parma (overnight)
Parma - Siena
For those of you not thinking I was able to switch off, I have not written at all until now as I’ve been staring out of windows, checking out the view, knitting and even reading (yes I remember how to read a book!)
Saturday 15 December -
We are finally getting over jet lag which I have realised is really just kids melting down about nothing at all and parents having so much less patience to deal with it!
It was 2 degrees and we packed the frosty car and hit the road, stopping 5 minutes into the journey for delicious, giant cannoli travel snacks. Back in the car and we headed to Bologna for our first stop of the day. We walked around the city, went shopping and found a huge food market with a food hall where we had pasta, pizza, cheese and salami and wine for lunch. I’m getting used the varieties of these foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
We got back in the car and headed for Modena where we arrived at 4pm and it was already pitch black, the sun is only up this time of year from 830 - 4pm, so the days are quite short but hoping it helps the girls sleep in! We were all ready for dinner by 5 but nothing inItaly even opens before 730pm so we kept everyone awake by finding a game shop and buying a new board game, Sushi Dice - highly recommended! Now a family favourite of ours. Finally the restaurant opposite our AirBNB opened at 730pm and we went for a lovely dinner, still getting used the the fact that wine is 2 euros a glass so water is generally more than wine on our bills.
Sunday 16 December -
We started the day with pastries from the local bakery and hit to road to head for the Ferrari Museum in Modena which opened 930am. We spent a good hour looking at all the cars through the years while Audrey directed us through the exhibition in charge of the iPad app and English translations. Ben enjoyed this stop much more than all of us but we figured we were heading into a week of Xmas markets to it’s only fair to give him some Ferrari time.
We arrived in Verona at lunchtime and hit our first Xmas markets so were all VERY excited by the many stalls with snow globes, soaps, toys, woollen items, xmas ornaments and so much more. Food stalls included pretzels, hot chocolates, gluwein, doughnuts, strudel, olives, focaccia, cookies, chocolates, eggnog and we managed to try pretty much everything we saw (I’ve gone through an entire bottle of eggnog in 4 days, but at 7 euros its a bargain!)
Ben was getting pretty overwhelmed so I had to round up the girls who could have spent hours buying bits and pieces and we hit the road to Bolzano and our base for 5 days to explore the Dolomites.
Monday 17 December -
Had a lovely day in Bolzano at the Xmas markets, the girls bought new very warm jackets with fur hoods from H&M, drank lots of gluwein to stay warm and went out for a delicious German dinner. This region is heavily influenced by Austrian/Switzerland so everyone speaks German and Italian, all signs are in both languages and the food is very German. Was a nice break from pizza and pasta!
Tuesday 18 December -
Today was pretty epic as it was the first time the girls went to the snow. We drove to Merano, 40 minutes from Bolzano to a gorgeous town up in the mountains, stopping for an authentic Austrian apple strudel o the way. We headed to Merano 2000 ski resort and spent most the day up there on our new 3 euro toboggans playing in the snow. Ben, Audrey and Hayley went down a huge toboggan run that took them 40 minutes while Polly and I found the gondola and accidentally rode it for free until we were told to get off and buy a ticket. We then headed to Merano Xmas Markets which were on the river and had local delicacies for dinner, a quick merry go round ride and home, feeling exhausted.
Wednesday 18 December -
We opted for a low key day to catch our breath and went to thee local shopping mall for supplies. Decathalon for more warm ski gear, a new big red toboggan, xmas gifts, supermarket supplies and more. The afternoon was spent back in the apartment snuggling and watching the new Kurt Russell Xmas Movie.
Dinner at a lovely Austrian restaurant where the girls got delicious wiener schnitzel, I had goulash and Ben pork knuckle. On the way home from dinner it started snowing so we all got out at home and played in the snow for a while, first falling snow for the girls so pretty special.
Thursday 20 December -
It snowed a lot overnight so we woke up the the cars, pavements, roofs and everything covered in snow and looking like a fairytale.
We headed to the Otzi museum as Hayley had just studies Otzi (iceman) in history this year and we discovered he was found here in Bolzano to went to the museum to check it out which was surprisingly good. We then stopped into the Bolzano Xmas markets on the way back to the car for food. We then spent the rest of the day driving to gorgeous little fairytale villages - Brixen and Vipiteno. We found parks all along the way including an amazing playground with a huge hill so we could try out the new toboggan. We stayed there until it got dark, it was also zero degrees and we were frozen to after a very long day, headed home to Bolzano.
Friday 21 December -
We drove from Bolzano to Bormio which was almost 4 hours, we arrived for a late lunch at Bar Crystal at 3pm after a few stops as Audrey felt car sick on all the windy roads and switch backs, which Ben likes to drive like he’s in a race car. We walked around Bormio and worked through ski rental, ski school and Bormio 2000 and 3000, getting supermarket supplies for dinner and getting an early night for skiing the next day.
We booked an amazing new ski chalet called Chalet Heidi which was superb and I could have stayed here forever. It was right next to the gondola up to the slopes and cut into the mountain, only opened 9 months ago, gorgeous fireplace, 2 designer bathrooms, think doonas, full kitchen, and just the most stunning furnishes I have seen. Reminded me of a snowy version of Wolgan Valley. I got very used to sitting by the fire, staring out onto the slopes and sitting on eggnog.
Saturday 22 December -
FIRST TIME SKIING….we headed up to Bormio 2000 at 9am bright and early. Rented all the girls ski gear and bought Audrey new gloves to keep her hands warmer. Then headed over to our 2 hour ski lesson with Ninja at the International Ski School. When the lesson ended at midday we wanted to have lunch but the girls did not want to get off the slopes, they were loving it! They ended up skiing and hanging on the slopes until it was dark ant 430pm. Not bad on the first day to do 7 hours of skiing! We had a dinner booked but Audrey fell into a deep sleep by 6pm and the other girls were not far behind so we stayed in as dinner only starts at 8pm ay most restaurants. Ben and I spent the whole day watching the girls, chilling at the bar, and drinking warm alcohol as aperol spritz. We really want to ski now after watching the girls so have booked a one week ski trip back to The Dolomites in February when they are on school break.
Sunday 23 December -
EPIC DAY staring with a visit to the park and buying snacks for the girls so we could leave them at the chalet with supplies while we headed out.
Ben and I had our first outing without the girls to Terme Vecchi which was mind blowing. Ben and I spent 2 very relaxing hours moving through the old Roman baths, outdoor thermal baths overlooking the mountains, infinity jet pool, salt rooms, saunas, cold baths and relaxation rooms.
We arrived back to the chalet with an hour to spare for lunch (lasagne!) and then off to the Husky Village for sled rides. Adults have their own sled and kids go with an instructor in the wagon. Hayley was desperate for her own but was legally too young. Loving the Italian way, they were shot of instructors so she ended up with her own sled after we all had a 3 minute briefing (the words to have the dogs speed up, slow down or stop!) With no paperwork signed and nothing else to do, we were off at high speeds along the edge of a mountain. I fell over once and had to run and chase my sled as the dogs kept going, it really was an adventure! Polly told me afterwards, if she died it would be doing something she loved. We had time to learn about the dogs and play with them afterwards, there were 64 huskies in total and we fell in love with them.
Monday 24 December -
Reluctantly we checked out of the gorgeous Chalet Heidi, vowing to be back in summer or next winter. We had Xmas eve dinner so did not want to get to our new AirBNB too late. We were aiming for Como to have lunch and a break but turned off the freeway early and ended up in a gorgeous little town by Lake Como where we had lunch, various panini, focaccia and a salami platter. We then aimed for Como where we came across Xmas markets and a lovely Xmas Eve vibe, and I knew there was a Santa event happening at 4pm so we stayed around the Duomo in the centre of the Piazza and then the ‘acrobatic’ Santa and his elves climbed down the Duomo handing out lollies tool the kids. We were not driving in pitch black to find our AirBNB in the town of Porto Ceresio on small windy streets with very patchy Italian directions of how to find the apartment. After getting terribly lost, by accident heading into SWITZERLAND and back to Italy, the AirBNB lady who spoke NO English came to find us and direct us to the house and we only had 20 minutes to get changed and ready for Xmas Eve dinner.
Xmas Eve was better than I could have ever imagined. We had the full Italian Xmas experience surrounded by beautiful family, friends and new friends, more food and alcohol than you could imagine, presents, games, and the most divine setting I’ve ever seen. We were invited to friends who we have not seen for over 10 years since they worked in Australia with Ben. We were there with all their extended family and their friends who are a lovely family from Australia (who have been living in Shanghai and Germany for the past 6 years) and of course Bardot the Italian sausage dog.
The food went on for hours and included caviar, risotto, hare lasagne, pigeon with truffles, rabbit, veal and tuna sauce, tiramisu, panettone and so much more. Extended family (aunts, Uncles, cousins) came over after dinner and we all did presents, more food and stayed until after midnight Xmas Eve. It was an epic night which I will always remember.
Tuesday 25 December -
Xmas morning we were all shattered so stayed in PJs and played all our new board games and headed back to our friends around midday and somehow managed to stay until 10pm after such a lovely Xmas day, which included a very long lunch, board games, a walk with the sausage dog for the girls while the boys played Italian pool at the local bar, and then we stayed for dinner, desserts and has all the extended family come over again at night. We were all exhausted, full, tired but so content from our amazing Xmas day with so many gorgeous people, old and new friends.
Wednesday 26 December -
Ben went on a hike with friends while the girls and I went to Lake Lugano for a walk by the lake and some breakfast. We all met up at 11am again and started our drive from Lake Lugano to Parma for an overnight stop. Parma was SO foggy we could not see more than 10 meters in front of us, so driving was slightly harrowing! We arrived at our very foggy B&B, Locanda Abbazia which was in an old converted Monastery where the Monk cells were converted into accomodation. The fog made it so eerie and gorgeous at the same time. Audrey and Polly were starving so I offered to head out into the super thick fog and look for a supermarket in the pitch black, super narrow, one lane roads….nothing like baptism by fire on the roads! Well through the fog we happened to find a huge outlet mall and walked around for a few hours before heading back to the others and to dinner at the B&B.
Thursday 27 December -
Parma is the home of parmesan Reggiano, parma ham, balsamic and so much more. It is knows for tours of the cheese factories and ham making facilities but all tours need to be pre-booked and are 2-3 hours. Ben and I will come back another time but the girls were not up to it, still exhausted from Xmas and late night, they just wanted to head home to Siena. We did a few cheese shops on the way into Parma town and then a hugely famous little sandwich shop Pepen with a line out the door where we got lunch. Ben ordered the house favourite, raw horse meat sandwich and we were all game enough to try it (except Polly). We arrived home just in time for a Tuscan sunset at 4pm and were happy to be back in Siena.
