After completing our house sit in Loro Piceno, we decide to travel north to the city of Modena, where Mic had spent some time with work in 2005. Given the number of Gelato shops we visited, I secretly feel he was trying to find the holy grail of Fior di Latte Gelato, which he has raved of since his initial visit. However, given this region has a reputation of making some of Italy’s best Gelato, it’s well worth the search. 😋 Whilst the photo below doesn’t indicate it, I was more interested in the many fashion houses with such unique and high end styling.

In addition, Modena is the birthplace of Balsamic Vinegar producing a range of aged, pungent and tasty vinegerettes to add to that summer salad. We just had to purchase a bottle to pack with our homeward bound suitcase.

However, Modena is best known for Ferrari, in particular Enzo Ferrari, who built the iconic prancing horse brand. We visited his museum in the city centre, which happened to be his birthplace until he sold the family home at the age of 20 to fund his first race car. He was certainly an interesting character, who left Modena only for the annual Italian Grand Prix and once to visit Paris to settle a business dispute. He never flew in an aeroplane, travelled to Rome or stepped into a lift.

Then of course there is Maserati, who also commenced their rivalry and to this day still manufacture within Modena. Mic informs me that the Ducati motorbike is manufactured locally in Modena and Laborginni is 30 minutes down the road at Bologna.

However, apart from the premium car market the city is also known for its opera singer Pavarotti. He was born, raised, lived, performed and died here. The theatre aptly recognises this with a prominently positioned statue commerating his life and my own Opera Tenor could not resist a photo beside the great man. I think the McDonald’s serviette was a bit much though. 🤣

Finally, if that’s not enough reasons to visit Modena, the Piaza, Cathedral Duomo di Modena and Corso Duomo are points of interest as well. Who knows you may even be as fortunate as we were and arrive just in time to hear the bell ringers perform.

To finish off our house sit in Loro Piceno we decided to visit a stunningly beautiful winery and have dinner at a popular Italian restaurant. But first the winery.

From the entrance you follow the avenue of Pencil Pines to the classic Italian style building, perched overlooking the 70 hectare vineyard, on a 500 hectare estate that’s in Le Marche. It’s a family success story and of recent times they produce native Italian grapes like Sangiovese, Ribona and Montepulciano, as well as French varieties like Merlot. Starting from 1 Euro a litre, can you believe it!

Next, a cosy night out in a delightful Italian restaurant with food, ambience and service to match. It’s a family affair again, with Ivano and gorgeous fiancee Georgia greeting and serving customers. The talented Ciro and his assistant Davide busily prepare scrumptious meals with the freshest local ingredients out the back. We thoroughly enjoyed the traditional Naples pizza. It’s a family recipe passed down from their father, which Ciro has mastered to perfection. Their pasta is to die for also. Mic enjoyed gnocchi with guanciole. All of this was enjoyed with a local red house wine, simply superb! 😘 They are pet friendly too, so Birillo sat patiently by our feet the whole night. We are very grateful for the experience, as our last night in Loro Piceno will be forever memorable. Just perfecto!

La Bella Italia…La Bella Loro Piceno…L’amore Birillo. You may think I’ve fallen head over heals in love with Italy and the beauty of this amazing country, its people, architecture, food, wine, gelato and our gorgeous pure bred Italian teddy bear, Birillo. And undeniably you’d be right. 🥰 It’s bounissimo. If you have ever wanted to find your Anahata Chakra ♥️ then this is the place, Loro Piceno. With a skyline on a day like this, extending from Ancona to Piceno it’s hard not to feel emotional. As the breath taking views have us perfectly positioned between the sea and mountains. There is a stillness here that can’t be described and is what makes this place so magical.

And like every fairy tale there’s always some juicy story line that makes the visit to this medieval town a little more enticing. Quite literally, Loro Piceno is known as the land of Vino Cotto. A strong wine, amber in colour with a tendency to develop into brown shades (which the Italians tend to associate this particular colour with that of a Rooster’s eye). To make this delicacy they use the “must” and cook the wine in copper pots; fermentation relies on old methods that remain substantially unchanged. The final product has a fruity aroma with a flavour in perfect balance of acidity and sweetness. We’ve managed to secure ourselves a bottle and hope it will last until we get home. 😋

Other finds include the austere castle which was built on a large rock face back in the 6th Century, a home owned by nobility that was passed onto Dominican nuns in the 17th Century. The monastery closed in 2013 with the last nun departing in October of that year. Brunforte Castle is now looked after by the residents of Loro Piceno with visits to the castle restricted to the church and old kitchen.

In honour of the food, well our taste buds are dancing for joy. The best egg pasta in Italy made fresh daily by Miconi. Thank goodness, to get to the shop we have to walk up a very steep incline. But wait there’s more, morning cappuccinos, pastries to die for, decadent gelato and a fabulous seranading butcher, Giuseppe Peppecotto. He’s been every where man, including our very own Uluru. I’m truly inspired with such fresh produce at my finger tips, the gastro journey has reached new levels. Watch out kids, you’re in for a real treat when Mamma Mia returns home.

However, the real highlight of Loro Piceno, are the memorable sunrises framed by the Apennine mountains. Simply stunning!And of course our new best friend forever, Birillo. I just want to pack him in my suitcase. 😍 He’s so cute, with the charisma and personality to match that teddy bear face.

Nestled away on the north-eastern side of the Apennine Mountains, completely surrounded by Italy, is the most serene microstate in Southern Europe, known as the Republic of San Marino. This amazing country stands as its own testament to time, having been built on Monte Titano as a series of towers in the 4th Century, which has been instrumental in retaining its heritage through various wars without defeat. What an achievement! Is it any wonder their motto “Libertas” (in Latin) means “Freedom”?

Everything about this country seems unique. It has its own constitution with the earliest written documents still in existence, is tax free (which makes buying anything locally cheaper than anywhere else in Italy), has its own national anthem and car licence plates featuring a Coat of Arms with the three insignia towers embellished on the aluminium.

Getting to the heights of San Marino is no easy feat, especially if you’re travelling in a motorhome. Nevertheless, we made it!! But venturing further a field to explore the towers involves purchasing a ticket for a cable car. You can ride either one way or return. However, on reaching the top for the more adventurous types like us, there is still more leg work to be done as it’s a must to scale the heights of Guaita, Cesta and Montale the tower fortresses in sequence. The views from the top will not disappoint and well worth the effort.

Of a more intriguing nature is the second tower which houses a Museum of Ancient Weapons; cases of chain mail, lances and pistols. Most are authentic, though some I’m informed are reproduced fakes. To the untrained eye they all look real to me. 😟 In fact, I find it quite ironic you can witness all of this weaponry behind glass cases in the museum, but just step outside and you can purchase any type of weapons, right next to your touristy souvenior shop. How odd!!! 🤔

Overall, a great day out and such a hidden gem.

We were advised that you have never really visited Venice unless you get lost down one of the many alleys and across the 118 islands that make up the city of Venice.

And honestly, it is the best way to discover all Venice has to offer. However, they say all roads lead to Rome, well almost, as the clever Venetian’s have them leading to the main tourist icons of Piazza San Marco, Basilica Di San Marco, Campanile Di San Marco, Palazzo Ducale, Grand Canal and Ponte Di Rialto Bridge.

Just stunning! With the main places of interest behind us, we take a moment to appreciate Venice’s (Venezian) history which dates back to the 6th Century. With the fall of Rome many of the main lander residents fled to the protection of the Venetian lagoon, where they eventually established themselves as merchants becoming the epicentre of european trade with the assistance of Marco Polo (and no it’s not just a pool game that we’re all familiar with, he was a real hero that brought wealth and prosperity to the Republic of Venice). It was his understanding and relationship with the East that was documented in his travelogue “The Travels of Marco Polo” that fostered trade routes and made Venezian’s wealthy. As a consequence the city grew in power and importance having the maritime trading monopoly. They were ruled only by Doges, not a monarchy surprisingly for over 1000 years. Clever building techniques saw them drive Oak or Larch into firm ground, in some cases 6m deep. The timber thus being starved of oxygen, saw them petrify rock solid, providing the firm base still in existence today. Many other unique building methods were implemented, and my very own Kenny (who does our RV waste) had to get a photo by one of the 400 remaining well and cistern pits. Note the cat water bowl at the front, because residents were encouraged not to house them so they would catch rats during the height of the plague. Now the cats take refuge in the public hospital and are well looked after by the staff there.

However, I can’t only dish out on Mic on this occasion, because checkout the clothing I chose to wear on day one. I had tourists lining up to take them on a Gondola ride along the numerous Veneziane canals. If I only I had one of their straw boater hats with matching band 🚣‍♀️🤣.

So getting back to losing yourself in Venice. Venetians are known for their lace, Murano glass and carnival masks. They are lovers of the arts, that being either musical or painting.

Then there’s the food, with cicchetta (small tapas), mainly fish based, being the local delicacy. Plus Mic’s favourite, Gelato. Yum!

Finally, in Munich we bought his and her BMW Mini cars. In Venice we just had to buy a boat. Spending the kids inheritance 🤣 and loving it.

What “Charter Boat”??

We have arrived in Austria, specifically Salzburg … the home of Mozart and the Sound of Music.

My master photographer Mic, captured this view as we made an early start to witness all Salzburg had on offer and you can easily see why it earned this catch phrase. The old town is just picture perfect also.

First stop though, the Untersburg, a popular skiing and hiking area just outside the city centre. From here you capture an amazing 360o view, all the way back to Germany.

After a small hike around the peak, we return to Salzburg to ascend the famous funicular to Hohen Fortress which was used to protect the valuable salt deposits that made this town so wealthy.

However, these attractions are just the starter, because Salzburg is best known for Mozart and the infamous movie musical, The Sound of Music. In fact, Mozart’s birthplace, is located near the centre of Salzburg and is now a museum of treasures. Aside from the golden flute, my favourite place in the museum was the sound room. It gives you the opportunity to listen to one of Mozart’s concertos. Who would have ever thought Mic would take a liking to this room also?Maybe I’ll now have someone to take me to a concert after all. 😍 Further more, for all the Wolfgang fans, Salzburg has become quite the expert in transforming the icon surrounding this great composer and musician into chocolate balls, perfume and some cute rubber ducks 🦆🎶.

Next, The Sound of Music. What we learnt from the real Von Trapp family tribute, was that they were actually Italian Citizens during the war and rather than climbing the Austrian Alps to escape German rule, they simply walked to the local train station and caught the train unchallenged. Talk about theatrical license 🤭. Then again, it is still the most watched musical film ever but remains a flop in Germany with many people never caring to which the film!

Finally, a few extra stops including the Salzburg Christmas Museum, imagining a white christmas in this beautiful area and a quick stop for lunch, this time in an Austrian Beer Tent to enjoy more roasted chicken, without a pretzel but Pomme Fritz instead.

Oktoberfest in September? Yes, that’s correct, this year Oktoberfest (or known by the locals as “Wiesn” meaning meadow) commenced on September 21 and runs through to October 6. If you happen to be in Munich during these dates it’s certainly worth a visit as it is the most famous beer festival in the world. However, for all the Australian’s who decide to go, it might be best to leave your passports in a safer place than bringing them along to the festival. Last year over 500 of them were lost 😩 and this year a second consulate officer has been sent to Munich to deal with the problem.

So, let’s start with the beer, after all that’s what the hordes of people are here for, aren’t they? Well, there are only 6 official Breweries in Munich that can participate in the festival during the traditional Saturday entry parade. Of course they are carrying the liquid gold on board and at approx $20 AUD for a 1 litre Stein of Beer (or Mass to the Germans) it will certainly cost you an arm and a leg if you have too many. The Bavarian suds are especially brewed for the festival, weighing in at around 6% alcohol content. On that point, we were advised it was a marathon, not a sprint, which I feel is good advice for those consuming this special brew.

So, to the famous beer halls now, where consumption takes place. Each Brewer had a unique and colourful theme all to promote their brand. The 6 traditional Brewer’s are Paulaner, Hofbrau (state owned beer corporation), Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Lowenbrau (Lion) and Spaten. To be served beer you need to be seated at a table, tip the Bavarian Barmaid, toast the beer by saying “Prost”, drink the beer sitting down and use decorum and comaraderie amongst strangers, as after all, everyone’s here to have a good time. To help with washing it all down maybe some pretzels and sausage will be the perfect accompaniment.

Next the yummy food! The specialty for the day is anything roasted. The choices typically consist of roasted beef, chicken, duck, pork or sausage. For Mic and I we enjoyed half a roasted chook. It was superb, moist, hot and well seasoned. And for dessert there’s a large assortment to choose from. In our case the warm strudel with vanilla sauce was hard to beat.

Now the rides & non alcoholic entertainment. You name it, it was there for both the little and big kids, from bumper cars, ferris wheels, haunted house, to the largest demountable rollercoaster in the world.

Finally, some fun facts:

• Visitors: 6.3 million
• Beer consumed: 7.9 million litres
• Ox eaten: 130 oxen
• Veal eaten: 27 calves
• Items in the Oktoberfest lost and found: 2,952, including underwear
• Around 8,000 full-time employees and 5,000 temporary workers
• Seats (total): around 120,000
• First took place in 1810 and officially there was no alcohol served???
• Plus some more fun photos!

After a quick recharge to top up batteries, water supplies and do some laundry at Lake Pilsensee, we return to Munich (otherwise known as Munchen), to explore the Old Town. (Checkout Mic though taking in the rays like the locals and can you blame them when the night time temperature gets down to 3 degrees Celsius. Well, not 100% like the locals because he has his clothes on. It’s not a rumor but fact that the Germans hate tan lines).

We decided to ride our bikes into the city centre today as there’s excellent cycling infrastructure across Germany. Within 10 minutes we arrived at the Marienplatz in time to observe the midday reenactments of a ducal wedding with a knights’ tournament and the merry men of Germany performing a Coopers’ Dance signifying the end of the plague. Once the clock chimes midday, for 15 mins the crowd is in awe as they listen and watch the Carillon perform. But don’t worry if you miss the show, all is repeated at 5pm in the Summer which will leave you with plenty of free time to explore the sights and grab some of the German specialties.

With so much to see, we’ve booked ourselves into a Walking Tour. The big attractions being the beer producers and the men in their lederhosen (leather shorts)!! It’s a real mix of sorts on the streets here as there are the Mediterranean style street cafes adjacent to the olde-world beer halls, in amongst the high end trendy department stores and luxury hotels. But the funny thing is that it works and in its own very special way is successful in drawing thousands of international visitors to this thriving city each year.

Other interesting sights included the fashion at Londonderry. The Dirndl is featured in a vogue magazine and is showcased in their front windows. It’s not uncommon from what is visible on the streets for this attire to be apart of a women’s and man’s wardrobe. Mic believes the red aproned attire would just be perfect for me at Xmas. Watch out kids and family you could all be in for a real treat this year.

But in amongst the madness are the Bavarian Surfers! Yes, they ride the waves from dawn to dusk on the man made Eisbach river, in the heart of Munchen. Thankfully they can swim as the current is so strong here they nearly get washed out to sea. Slight exaggeration but the eddies are like our rips back home.

Oh, and just so the parents don’t have all the fun getting dressed up in the traditional Bavarian costumes they have the authentic range for the children as well. The tailoring and overall quality is just gorgeous.

Check out our new wheels!

Seriously, this is more my style!

Or how about either of these Rolls Royce (which BMW now owns).

I don’t think so, however, this is more realistic!

Hmmmm, I am just not sure now. There are so many options to choose from at BMW’s original manufacturing plant, to decide which vehicle would suit our lifestyle best. As it happened, we decided to spend our second day at Munich’s largest tourist attraction (excluding Oktoberfest), that being, the BMW Museum, Factory Tour and futuristic BMW Welt.

BMW commenced in 1917, as a group of Bavarian manufacturer’s mainly building aircraft engines. After the war, they moved onto vehicles and motorbikes. In 1959, nearing bankruptcy, the company was of particular interest to Mercedes Benz. However, shareholders fought hard to retain the business and thank goodness they did as they now have 30 manufacturing plants situated across the globe and are world leaders in the luxury transportation sector. Today there are 8000 employees (+2000 robots) who work at the Munich site, producing a new vehicle every 60 seconds.

After the two hour tour, where we learnt they use ostrich feather dusters to preclean the vehicles before painting, we went on to explore the BMW Museum which had over 150 exhibits on display. My favourite was the Zetta. How cute is this four wheeler, 1 door, 12KW, bug car. I can just picture Mic and I driving around in this vehicle climbing the Bavarian Alps, especially with the sunroof down. Oh, by the way the sunroof also served as the required emergency exit 🤣.

However, I have a feeling, Mic’s favourite was the motorbike displays.

Also, checkout some of our other favourites!

And of course the new emerging electric vehicles (well, maybe not so new after all, since we learnt the first electric vehicle was built in 1881)!

But our real favourites are the Mini’s on display, with 2019 being their 60th year of production. Hard to think they are really a BMW though. All in all, a great day out, well worth the visit! Just tell Santa that Mic and I have been very good this year and that I would like a cherry red Mini Convertible and Mic would like the BMW Motorbike. Thanks, Santa 🎅

It’s not everyday you get to sleep over in a Bavarian Palace. Well, that’s what Mic’s trying to convince me of. I think he maybe a little delusional. However, I have to agree that the Palace Carpark does have a beautiful backdrop. So, this will be our base for our first two nights in Munich.

The Nymphenburg Palace and Park is a magnificent blend of architecture and landscape design. The vision to build the Palace was first preconceived in 1664, after the birth of Max Emanuel, the next heir to the Bavarian throne. His parents Elector and Henriette commissioned architect Agostino Barelli to manage construction and fulfil their dreams of building a summer residency for their son.

The interiors represent a range of styles from Baroque and Rococo to Neoclassicism. One of the main attractions is the light filled Great Hall which is in the centre of the palace. It has a lively fresco ceiling and stucco ornamentation, with golden chandeliers that add to the granduer of this exquisite space.

And the gardens outside are a combination of private retreats, ornamental fountains decorated with marble statues and wooded forests previously used as hunting grounds.

The gardens were built around a canal system and like a mirage, trick your mind to believe that the many features of this impressive space are closer than in reality. We walked a distance of approx 8km to complete one of the circuits. As we admired the surrounds of the outdoor areas, I wondered whether the name for the palace had been inspired by “Nymphs” mythology as there was a definite feminine influence connected to the natural beauty of the Palace grounds.