Roma. We only decided to go the day before. A massive cold front came through the north, temperatures plummeted and mist started falling from the sky. I had a completely unfounded notion that Rome would be a shell of its ancient glory, sucked of its soul by tourism. And that I would have my camera pickpocketed, which I had failed to insure before leaving Australia.
Cinque Terre
I have been on the fence about taking the kids to Cinque Terre, renowned for its hiking trails linking intensely coloured villages cascading down craggy cliffs. I didn’t know if I had the stamina to experience this magic against a soundtrack of whinging and arguments. But after our time in Firenze, I realised it couldn’t possibly be worse.
Dolomites
A couple of months ago, Karl was doing some research on Italy; a concept that escaped me entirely. He raised the subject of bringing car seats for the kids, noting that the Italian standard was just a booster seat and that whilst that might be acceptable for Matisse, it was 300% illegal by Australian standards. At the time, I was feeling irresponsible and claimed if it was OK for the Italians, it was OK for me.