Trip through Europe Part II (Italy, France, ... and back to Italy, Austria and Hungary)

(You can find part I of this article here)

    We continued our drive from Switzerland to Italy, passing through nearly endless tunnels for hours and spotting a waterfall here and there. 

    By the time we reached the Italian border, the surrounding mountains were notably smaller. Soon after crossing into Italy, we arrived at Lake Como, a very large body of water shaped like an inverted 'Y', whose hilly shores are peppered with lively mansions and colorful bushes of different kinds. We arrived late in the evening at our apartment in the scenic city of Lecco and had little time to walk around to grab some food. The next morning, we drove to the village of Bellagio, where we parked in a cute park on the lakeshore. The park featured nicely groomed flower arrangements, trimmed blooming trees, and a few towering palm trees. We took a 15-minute ferry ride to Varenna, another picturesque village that seems straight out of a fantasy book. The place was crowded with tourists, but its narrow streets and neat house walls make it definitely worth visiting. Some of the steep hills around looked strange. One of them reminded me of a sleepy giant platypus! We spent a couple of hours in the renowned Villa Monastero, a historical botanical garden full of wonderful plants and surrounded by unbelievable views.

    Late in the afternoon, we hopped again in the car and drove through Northwest Italy, passing Milan and Genoa until we finally reached France. Our final destination was the Nice area on the French coast, and we drove on a highway close to the sea yet at a high altitude. I was again surprised by the number of tunnels and viaducts here; they were essential for managing traffic. By the time we arrived at our hotel in Juan-les-Pins on the Antibes peninsula, we were all very tired. Driving for days is exciting, but it definitely causes exhaustion, so resting for the next several days in this heavenly region was a blessing. Since we were quite familiar with the French coast, we visited a different place every day: the historic Antibes, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Èze, Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. We went swimming on different beaches, ate the local quiche and flan, and walked around villages. It has become a tradition for my father and I to take the Nietzsche Path (Chemin de Nietzsche) in Èze, a one-to-two-hour hike descending from an altitude of 450 meters to the sea, full of panoramic views. 

    

    But this year we discovered a new place, thanks to my Mom who read about it. At the top of the Antibes peninsula is Cap d'Antibes. This place is somewhat outside the main tourist areas, therefore the water is the cleanest I've seen on the French Riviera. I spent many hours diving and admiring the marine life here, including an octopus, tens of fish species of different sizes and colors, sea cucumbers, algae, and more. I had no idea the Mediterranean is home to such creatures and it's amazing they are roaming a couple of meters from the shore!

    After about a week of recharging our batteries, we started our long journey back. We crossed again into Italy, but this time we headed northeast towards the Dolomites. It took us around 12 hours to reach Trento, a city at the base of the mountains, mostly because this time we drove a good portion of the trip near the sea instead of on the highways. I learned that a good part of this region was ceded from Austria to Italy following Austria's defeat in World War I. That explains why we heard people speaking German in the grocery stores and gas stations! After another night of rest, we decided to cross the Dolomites while avoiding highways, which was a great choice! We drove for hours on winding roads, admiring some of Europe's most beautiful mountains as we passed through Bolzano and Cortina d'Ampezzo. I was pleasantly surprised to see so many people riding bicycles and enjoying the scenery. At some point the altimeter on the Touareg notified us that we had reached over 2200 meters, which was a record. 

    Eventually, we reached Austria again and drove by a strange-looking green lake with a white stone bottom. The water was too cold for a swim this time, so we continued our road trip until we finally reached our last stop in Szombathely, Hungary, before heading back to Romania.

    The entire drive covered over 4,500 kilometers, including all the stops and detours, but it was well worth it. I will never forget it!