Through Tuscany to Umbria

On Tuesday 18th May, we left the shoreline of Northern Tuscany and set off to travel through the heart of that region to the neighbouring region of Umbria, which we have not previously visited.

The final few days at Torre Del Lago Puccini had included visits to Lucca, Pisa and Pietrasanta. Pisa was the site of a previous brief visit, but the other two were visited for the first time and are to be highly recommended.

Our journey to Umbria was only around 150 miles, but was not without incident. After taking a wrong exit at a roundabout, I was forced to negotiate the narrow streets of a hilltop village centre in order to retrace steps to the aforementioned roundabout. The locals looked on in total bewilderment at the smiling foreigner with large car and caravan snaking along narrow lanes previously intended for wheelbarrows! Still, all went smoothly and we soon were re3united with the roundabout and after listening more carefully to Tom Tom, we took the correct exit.

Having previously chosen a site on the shores of Lake Trasimeno, near to the village of Passignano, our hearts sank as we entered the site, which was a dump. A barking German Shepherd (4 legs) in a compound around a caravan was the final straw. Our practice in the narrow lanes of the previously mentioned village, stood us in good stead as we drove in, drove round and drove straight out again! After checking the site book, we managed to book into a nearby site 10 minutes later and felt that we had escaped the slums and had arrive in Heaven, and better still, there was a lakeside pitch just waiting for us. The views across the lake to the nearby Umbrian hills (see photo), and also towards the village of Passignano, with the castle topping the ridge and finely sillouetted with the setting sun (see other photo) was the perfect vista to accompany our glasses of wine. Now, this is what I call living!

On a practical note, I can say that driving in Italy is an experience and to assist others, I provide the following information:

Traffic Lights: Green - Go quickly. Amber - Go very quickly. Red - Go at full throttle.

Indicators: Flashing to left or right would not appear only to be a signal of an intention to turn, but is taken by all and sundry as an invitation to overtake whilst one is turning.

Traffic Laws: Optional unless you are a scooterist in which case, observation is seen as dishonourable.

Mobile Phones: Only to be used whilst driving and also at the same time smoking a cigarette with the remaining free hand. In our personal experience, this also includes bus drivers.

Buongiorno,

John and Margaret.