riding the Falzarego pass in the Dolomites

a cloudy sunday
a couple in need of fresh air and freedom
a vintage lambretta
a pass in the Dolomites, between Agordo and Cortina d'Ampezzo

romantic weekend on the roads of Collio, on the border between Italia and Slovenia

busy days and weeks, and then suddenly, like a breath of fresh air, a couple of days just for ourselves: riding together under the spring rain, drying up under the warm golden light of the afternoon, exploring new roads, tasting new things, finding our temporary hideaway in the woods.

as much as I can enjoy our daily life, jobs and routine at home, I love our lambretta weekends away. they kind of charge my batteries.

this time, we went a few kilometers east, to the famous wine region called Collio Goriziano in its italian part, and Brda when you cross the national border and enter to Slovenia.

riding a vintage scooter in wintertime: Ryo's snowy lambretta road trip to Hokkaido, Japan

a few weeks ago, I was working on a post about riding a vintage scooter during winter, when the images of an incredible and snowy road trip started filling my social newsfeed. they were the amazing updates of Ryo Mochizuki's journey to Hokkaido, the northernmost region of Japan. these pictures suddenly made me feel incredibly inadequate to talk about the subject, considering just my limited experience, so I've decided to ask someone who clearly knows a thing or two about riding a lambretta in wintertime, even in a snowy area: Ryo's himself. 

curious already?

here's my interview to Ryo Mochizuki about riding during winter and his lambretta road trip to Hokkaido. 

ride a vintage scooter through the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse, Austria's most beautiful panoramic road

riding a lambretta through the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse

since I had found out about Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse, a panoramic road in Austria which, on paper, seemed a wonderful way to spend one of our lambretta weekends away, I've been hoping to find a lovely autumn day to enjoy it to the fullest.

good weather was an indispensable requirement to confront the long road and the highest mountain of Austria. since we were planning our little trip for mid-October, of course we weren't completely sure we were actually going to leave until the day before: we checked the weather forecast everyday that week, but even when the nice symbol of the sun steady showed up on our screens, we've never dreamt we'd be so lucky! we have ridden through Austria's highest scenic road on the best autumn day you could imagine, with blue cloudless sky and a view made of stunning mountain peaks, snow and those amazing warm tones that you can find during October in the Alps.

I will never forget it, it has been one of the most beautiful ride of my life, so I've prepared this detailed post to share all the informations with you ♥

my lambretta alphabet: letter #B

i diari della lambretta's illustrated abc

B for Bettinelli

early autumn alpine weekend in Cortina d'Ampezzo

the pink hues of a Dolomites sunset

we started the new season in our own way, by taking a couple of days by ourselves, to go to the most beautiful town of the Dolomites, our dear Cortina d'Ampezzo. 

in spite of being quite close to our home, less than 90 kilometers, even when we visit for a day or just an afternoon (it happens), the chilly air and the stunning alpine landscape don't fail to make me feel happier, somehow clearer and recharged. it's mountain magic, nature magic. 

we visited some old spots and tried new ones, starting with a lovely glamping experience at the international camping Olympia, where we rented the cosiest wooden tent.

the blue hour  in Cortina, outside our wooden tent at camping Olympia 

Andalucia on the road: 13 days, 1000 km, 2 (vintage) wheels

if you dream about visit Andalucia someday, if you are planning a trip to Andalucia, if you are just curious about our road trip in Andalucia by lambretta, in this post I'm sharing our day by day itinerary on the road for a 2 weeks long trip, with some personal notes, tips and the usual illustrated map, of course.

Andalucia on the road, illustrated map

my lambretta alphabet: letter #A

illustrated ABC's of what lambretta world is to me.

a for adventure

Arte Sella: contemporary art in the woods

one of the (many) perks of film photography is that you look at your pictures more often. a few days ago I was tidying one of my drawers and found the roll taken in a beautiful summer day from last year.

it was august and we had just come back from our lambretta road trip in southern France. you may expect we'd take a little break from the road, but clearly we were feeling nostalgic already, and went to a field trip to Arte Sella, an international outdoor exhibition of contemporary art set up between the fields, woods and mountains of Trentino Alto Adige, in the municipality of Borgo Valsugana.

spring weekend in Veneto: welcome to La Scuola b&b, a charming school - themed guesthouse

cherry blossoms, lambretta, some time just for us, and a charming, romantic retreat on the hills of our beloved region: these were the ingredients of our last weekend on the road. how could I ask for more? 

the road to Lusiana, passing through Bassano del Grappa, Marostica and the cherry tree road | watercolor map

7 things about our road trip to Vietnam we keep telling people

"how was Vietnam?"
"tell me all about your trip!"

as soon as we came home from Vietnam, and started answering our friends and relatives questions, these have been the main topics we go on chatting about:


1. vietnamese coffee, or cà phê

after the third one, you'll be addicted to it.

one of the many coffee breaks during our sidecar road trip from Hanoi to Hoi An

newsletter

hi ♥ 

I love to have a blog, and i diari della lambretta has been a cozy place that I feel comfortable in (and inspired by) for quite some time now. 

anyway, I feel the need of a new tool to communicate with you. my plan is not to stop updating i diari della lambretta, but to improve my relationships with you, without -for example- the mediation of Facebook. 

the first idea is the creation of a newsletter. if you have been reading i diari della lambretta, if you like my travel style, or the lambretta/vintage wheels world, or my illustrations, I'd love if you sign in. 

I'm planning to share with you:

* some cute illustrations, mostly mine but not always, mostly travel-related but not always

* the latest blog posts from i diari della lambretta

* new products or news from on my e-shop

* stuff that I think you may find interesting 

* pics and informations about nice places I've been to 

on my honour, I promise that I will not spam you. I'll be moderate and, I truly hope, interesting. 

I've always been a BAD pen pal (some of you are already aware of that), but I've always loved the idea of being one. maybe this time I will improve myself.

the newsletter will be written in english or italian, depending on your preference when you sign in. 

ah, I almost forgot, you can do it here. 

the first (e)letter is going to be sent as soon as spring begins! 

Vietnam on the road on a vintage sidecar motorcycle

vietnamese people, watercolor illustration 

since we've moved in together, we have a coin jar with "Vietnam & Laos" written on it. 

as wedding present, our lovely witnesses gave us plane tickets to a destination of our choice, so after our lambretta honeymoon in Provence, we started thinking about the next adventure in South East Asia. 

when we read on the Lonely Planet guide that riding a motorcycle in northern Vietnam is a lifetime experience, that was it. we remembered an old classic, the BBC Top Gear Vietnam special, watched it for the 100th time and booked a flight to Hanoi. 

love rides! Valentine's Day 2017

for all the lovers who ride. happy valentines! 

lambretta en Provence: honeymoonin' on the roads of Southern France

Provence road trip, watercolor map 

this post is intended for:

- anyone curious about details and organization of our trip to Provence, Southern France

- anyone going to visit Provence soon, by scooter or motorcycle or car

- anyone planning a road trip by vintage scooter

I really hope you find it inspiring, pretty and useful. and yes, I woud love to read your feedbacks.

July, Saturday 23rd

it did happened ♥

2016 first ride. January, Sunday 17th

my 2016 travel dreams in watercolors

happy, happy new year! 

i hope 2016 found you well, healthy, in good company and with a brand new list of resolutions in your pocket.

of course i've done mine. it's thinner than usual, as i'm gonna spend most part of my free time and energy {not to mention savings} organizing the wedding {missed something? check this post}, at least for the first time of the year.

anyway, it doesn't mean that this narrow version of the new year's to do-list is lacking a chapter entirely dedicated to travels.

i tried to keep it real, and still don't know if they are achievable or not, but these are currently my travel dreams for 2016: 

provence

before choosing Sicily as the destination for our lambretta road trip last summer, Marco and i briefly considered going to southern France. since then, i've been daydreaming about lavender fields, blue shutters and charming countryside. i bet Provence landscape and our lambretta would get along just fine. 

autumn. to - do list

i'm fond of lists. even too much, i suppose. i make lists all the time. to-do lists help me staying focused and working on myself. i usually do better with short term list, checking all the boxes. long term to do lists tend to lose their relevancy after some time {i don't even recognize my own dreams when, in december, i re-read the to-do list i wrote in january}. then, there are bucket lists, things i love lists, and more! do you make lists? what kind?

this is the third illustrated autumn to-do list in a row. i love to put all the sweetest autumn plans into that, in order to be excited for the new season instead of being nostalgic for summer.

Sicilia on the road, 10 days and 2 wheels

after i had  the 101 film photos developed, my travel journal scanned and i finished the watercolor illustrated map last night, it's time to talk about our road trip in Sicilia, and i'm still not sure i have the right words for this.

Sicily is overwhelming.
there is so much to do and to see {and to eat} in this blessed island that 10 days can be considered as the first, inebriating, sip.

this post is meant to be for anyone who is curious about details and organization of our trip, who is going to visit Sicily soon, or is planning a road trip by vintage scooter.
enjoy!

Sicilia by lambretta watercolor map