ITALY 2006

I left Dublin on the 19th of March for Munich. Walked around the city for a couple of days before picking up my car at National car rental. I drove to Italy through the Austrian Alps, stopping in Mittenwald. This is village is a must on any trip, as is the drive the picturesque road from Munich to Verona. The trip only took about 3 hours. When I returned I used the SS road in order to travel through the small villages along the way. This took about 6 hours, but I got lost and ended up in Strasbough. When I arrived in Italy, I went to Valeggio sul Mincio and stayed at the LE MURA DEL GHERLO, located south of Lago Garda and about 30 minutes from Verona. This agritourism B&B is probably the nicest place I have stayed during my travels. If you factor in the cost of the stay, it is undoubtedly the best place I have ever stayed. LE MURA DEL GHERLO is perfect for day trips to Lago Garda, Verona, Padova, and Mantova. Just a couple hours away are the towns of Milan, Venice and Bologna either with car or train. The nearby train station in Villafranco di Verona has frequent departures to all of the towns named.

After a my stay at LE MURA DEL GHERLO, I drove south to Porto San Giorgio and the home of my cousin Angelo. While there I visited the wonderful little towns of Le Marche. My next stop was L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region. Finally arriving at Vitulano for my Easter visit with my cousins. While there and for about a week, I tried to expedite my application for Italian citizenship. I failed!

After Easter, I returned to LE MURA DEL GHERLO. I took a day trip to Mantova before returning Munich, then to Dublin and finally home.

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