Venice

We stayed four days in Venice visiting museums and galleries and generally soaking up the atmosphere.

Street Scenes

Peggy Guggenheim Museum

Another visit to this fantastic museum/gallery which is a definite must. It’s quite small so very manageable and has a lovely garden with sculptures. It is also right on the Grand Canal.

Palazzo Ducale

Palace where the duke (doges) resided. Very palatial.

Le Soline camping

A lovely campsite near Siena. On a hill the panoramic views over the beautiful Tuscan landscape are stunning. It’s a largish site with many terraces so somewhere for everyone, has lots of trees but best of all has a proper size swimming pool with a cafe/bar and restaurant. There is also an attractive village within walking distance.

Towards the end of July it will start to get very crowded but at the moment it’s perfect. It looks as though there may be some cycle routes and we’re planning to try those in the next couple of days.

View from the van at Le Soline campsite near Siena

Palazzoni vineyard

We discovered Palazzoni near Orvieto the first time we went camping in Italy in 2000 and have gone back for a further visit whenever we we’ve returned to these parts.  They do a delicious golden Orvieto wine and a few years ago started producing a delicious Pinot Grigio. The father of one of the owners is an artist and one whole wall of the office is taken up with a wonderful colourful multi-media picture. Another side of the office is all window overlooking the vineyards and then Orvieto in the distance standing on a volcanic plug. What an amazing environment in which to work.

Wonderful picture by one of the owners at Palazzoni

Wine at Palazzone

Sorrento

When visiting Pompeii we decided not to stay at the campsite at the entrance (the reviews had put us off) but instead stayed at a campsite in Sorrento called Santa Fortunata. Beautiful views over the bay and the campsite itself was very leafy with terraces. It was good for a few nights. Very easy to get to Pompeii – a bus to Sorrento station and then a train, all for €2.80.

View over Sorrento from the campsite
View over Sorrento from the campsite

And we had a great spot for our encampment

Encampment at Santa Fortunata campsite
Encampment at Santa Fortunata campsite

with Vesuvius in the distance

Vesuvius
Vesuvius

And Sorrento itself was really beautiful

Sorrento houses
Sorrento houses

Sorrento houses
Sorrento houses

Lemon grove
Lemon grove