My first time in Roma, oh yes.
It was love at the first sight, and I can’t wait to go back.
Booked a tiny apt in Trastevere, we run as tourists for 2 days around Vatican Museums, Colosseo, Foro Imperiale, and more.

Before jumping into Rome, we did a break at Tivoli, Villa Adriana, built between 118 e 138 d.C by Adriano. It’s off course Unesco family’s member.

Every year I try to schedule a trip for New Year’s Eve, cause one of the worst moment to live, is waking up late jan 1st with big headache and to be too tired to do something.

SO I usually start on sept-oct to think about “where will I go?” This year my finger fell down on Matera, in Italy. I’ve never been in south Italy (shame on me), so I was quite excited to go. We just had one day, but it was the important one, jan 1st. I could write a lot about it, but don’t want to ruin the surprise to google it and find why is an Unesco world heritage site. Thanks to Michi for driving 7 hours go and 7 hours back, and to my friends for join us in this deep deep south trip.

It was my second visit to Brighton, it reminds me of Las Vegas with its weird “fauna” coming out during the night, and the decadence in the day. An exotic London. I had fun, especially when Michi and I went to a Mod boutique to shop for him. After a new look, we drove straight to the Seven Sisters. We were totally shocked about the landscape, it is a m a z i n g. I think I will rent a tiny cottage in future for a few days over there, it’s the perfect location to go for a walk, read a book and stay at the beach with fresh air, grandma style!

Our last stop was London for a few days, but I won’t publish any pics, ’cause you already know it.

Enjoy it.

When we reached the Beggar’s Knap b&b we were a bit “frightened”. It was a rainy day, a bit cold, and no one was around there. The house was beautiful, but with Addams Family taste, and also Royal Tenenbaums. A tiny lady opened the door, she was more than cute. We were alone in the house, no other guests, just the three of us, sleeping in this old and wet place. It has been sad to leave her, and I really hope to go back soon, but we had the Durdle Door – Jurassic Coast in the schedule, so after a big breakfast, a looong walk was waiting for us. We did it, and we are still alive.

Enjoy it.

Thanks to Michi for all the pics he took of me.

After a break in Truro for the night, where we slept at Rob’s bohemienne house, we jumped in the car direction Montacute House, in Somerset.

Bye Cornwall, see you next time.

Enjoy it.

Low resolution pics from my iPhone.

The Lost Gardens of Heligan are absolutely Lost. I gave my life to reach them, but once there, even if almost dead, I opened my eyes and fell into a mystic trip. Wild and tropical, if you get lost in the rainy jungle, you can even imagine to see monkeys. Last January I went to Mauritius, and I can’t see any difference. It’s huge and you can find everything you always dreamt about gardens. The pleasure grounds talk about flowers in a classic English style, the productive garden is about vegetables and fruits and you’ll meet lots of people working there ( you’ll learn how to grow up an Ananas). But the most attractive creature is the Mud Maid. The Heligan’s history is an ancient one, and thanks to Tim Smit, we can still living it.

Before going there, we lived one day in St. Ives. It is fabulous! Carribean sea (really), white sands, the tiny village on the beach is breathtaking. We got chance to visit also the Tate St. Ives and we were lucky to see Alex Katz exhibition, WHAOW, better than Damien Hirst one in London. Sad to leave a paradise like that, but we still had a long list to do. We skipped the famous Land’s End and Lizard, cause we saw many years ago, but I suggest them for new tourists.
My personal tip is: don’t go to Eden Project.

Enjoy it!

The Witchcraft Museum was an experience, I also discovered I would have been a Witch in Medieval period, cause lighter than the Holy Bible.
If you want to keep bad luck away, they suggest to wall a dead cat at home, weird, but who knows? It works better with cat and mouse together.

What else? Uh, I need a black cat, but alive, for good luck as well.

Enjoy it.

After a 5 stars breakfast (thanks Jane) in a 400 years old Cottage, we found ourselves in the ghostly Exmoor National Park. We safely drove across the zombie-sheeps reaching Clovelly, the “closed” village (for English roses Lovers!) and not enough satisfied, we forded the river to reach a coast during the sunset, known only by local surfers.

Enjoy it.

Bath “The Rich” was our 2nd stop. I won’t explain all the history about it, which is even very very interesting, but if you go to Somerset, you definitely have to stop here, especially if you are Jane Austen’s follower. The surprise is you can also find a garden paradise up to hills, not that far, called Prior Park.

*England during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee is beautiful, with those tiny flags everywhere*

Enjoy it!

Due to the fact I was roasting myself in my “BelPaese”, I looked for a fresh destination and my finger fell down again on south England. I always wanted to go back, so after 12 years, welcome moors to my eyes, fresh air to my skin, wind through my hair.
Somerset, Devon, Cornwall, Dorset were my view for a whole week, I met a lots of people and spoke English even to animals, walked up to the hills (touch my ass), and relaxed with Michi.

Salisbury was the first stop of the trip.
Enjoy it.

Back again to real camera.