Conzano and Pinocchio
Tuesday 16th June 2026 There’s an extraordinary collection of all things Pinocchio in Conzano. It is housed in the Vidua House Museum. I’m not able to establish why
Conzano Day 4
Tuesday 16th June 2026 Another busy day in the village of Conzano with an official population of 932. We visited Piazza Accatino (my grandmother’s family name) to buy some ch
Conzano Day 3
Monday 15th June 2026 Today was a 2 bus day plus a hire car. We took a local bus (in fact 2) into Alessandria to collect a hire car so we can extend our sightseeing to the other
Conzano Day 2
Sunday 14th June 2026 We set off down via Mezzavilla (our street) this morning in search of No 25 the former home of my grandmother’s family but along the way we got chatting
Conzano Day 1
Saturday 13th June 2026 We are staying in Conzano for one week where we have rented a villa. It is one of the few houses available for rent in this small hilltop village. My father
Bologna to Conzano
Friday 12th June 2026 Today was a 3 train day plus a taxi ride, but it almost wasn’t. As we were travelling on Wednesday we caught the notice that yet another infamous Italia
Bologna
Thursday 11th June 2026 Just a few more quirky things about Bologna. We stayed within the old city walls however they are not as evident as the complete city walls of Lucca. Th
Ducati by Susan
Thursday 11th June 2026 Can’t believe I am saying this but the tour of the Ducati factory was very good. We were able to get up close and personal with almost every step of t
Ducati
Thursday 11th June 2026 Today was Ducati Day. After making our plans in Australia many months ago to visit Bologna as well as the Ducati factory and museum, I then learned that the
Lucca to Bologna
Wednesday 10th June 2026. We are on the move again. It was a 2 train day. First we caught a regional train from Lucca to Firenze (approx 90 mins) and then boarded an intercity tr
Farewell to Lucca
Tuesday 9th June 2026 We stayed in the old city and our apartment was housed within a villa, accessed via a large and very heavy set of wooden doors. The apartments on all four sid
Lucca – Day 3
Tuesday 9th June 2026 Out and about exploring Lucca via the City Walls. First stop was the Botanical Gardens. They are inside the old city and are very compact. I was surprised to