Conclusion after five weeks: Viva l'Italia!

Our tour through Tuscany is drawing to a close. We have to leave our campsite , Ciro Park, on Monday at noon. Then we'll head north. On Wednesday, we'll stop in Straubing, my old hometown, for a few days.

The past five weeks have been an adventure – packed with unforgettable experiences. Of course, there were a few "outliers"! The parking ticket in Montalcino immediately comes to mind: 129 euros for illegal parking – I still haven't forgiven the Italians for that.

We've experienced so much! We enjoyed our first stop in Peschiera on Lake Garda so much that we briefly considered staying there. Then came the drive to Lucca – and our desperate search for an Italian gas cylinder. The parking spot in the backyard of an old car repair shop, the beautiful city center with its ancient buildings.

Ai Linchi will remain in my memory – mainly because we mixed up the parking spaces there. That resulted in the maneuvering incident of my life.

Also unforgettable were the problems at the toll station on the way to Vada, when we couldn't get a coupon upon entry and feared causing chaos upon exit.

The week at the Tripesce campsite with Angelika and Martin was balm for our somewhat stressed souls. The time with them was wonderfully relaxing – pleasant conversations, hours spent together on the beach, and even more hours at the weekly markets. A passion of Angelika's and mine that – as the word itself suggests – also creates suffering: for Martin and me. We had to deal with…

Afterwards, we visited the Tarot Garden of the artist Niki de Saint Phalle with her enormous fantasy figures. The hot springs of Saturnia, the drive through the rolling hills of Tuscany with its picture-perfect panoramas, Capalbio – a town where, if you listen closely, the old houses whisper of bygone eras.

Montalcino, the gateway to the Val d'Orcia, with its centuries-old wine tradition, and the cheese town of Pienza, where we were swept away by a huge stream of tourists.

Via Sinalunga, the forgotten city, we conquered Siena. Despite all the outstanding sights, the first thing that comes to mind is the taxi ride up to the weekly market – a ride during which I sent more prayers to heaven in five minutes than in the last five years.

Our days in Siena were wonderful, the architecture deeply impressive. However, spending time in big cities is tiring for us – and for our two dogs. On top of that, we were parked in a huge bus parking lot, surrounded by heavy traffic.

It was just as well that the weather forecast for Monte Argentario promised sunshine, while the rest of the Mediterranean coast looked rather gloomy.

We spent the last ten days on the peninsula – and didn't regret a single one. Orbetello, Porto Santo Stefano, and nearby Porto Ercole are beautiful. The two harbor towns, in particular, are reminiscent of photos from Italian picture books. Add to that our adventurous scooter ride, the mussel feast, and the amusing conversations with our "campsite manager," Livio – in a cheerful mix of English, Italian, and German.

And most importantly: except for two days, we had glorious weather, mostly bright sunshine and temperatures around 20 degrees.

What is the conclusion?

Viva l'Italia! There's no better way to put it. 🇮🇹