where to stay while roadtrippin' in Andalucia: our airbnb guide

charming cottage in Jerez de la Frontera

before our road trip in Andalucia {you can find the itinerary here} I've spent hours browsing Airbnb looking for dreamy cottages, cozy farms, cool yurts, enchanting cave houses (and even a  super cool airstream!)... now that the trip is over, and we had the chance to personally test some of those places, I don't want to waste this precious list of locations, that I think could be useful to someone who is planning a trip to southern Spain. especially if you, like me, are particularly picky when it comes to holiday accommodations,  as I'm usually looking for places I can remember {possibile in a good way!}, not impersonal or banal. 

if you are on my team, I hope you like this small selection: there are pictures and desctipion of 4 airbnbs where we stayed, and, at the end, the full airbnb Andalucia wishlist. 

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

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.

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.

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

July, Friday 17th. a dance with the honey bees

Andrea Paternoster, beekeper, and the honey bees of Borgoluce apiary

their flight is a dance, their voice is vibrant, they are hard workers, skilled in the art of good taste, they are gourmand and love flowers, they are team players, they are the best example of girl power, they vouch for an intact natural environment.

I spent a morning with the honeybees.

alpine botanical garden in Cansiglio. July, Sunday 12th

donkeys on our way back from the Cansiglio alpine botanical garden

how many amazing things we did in July! it confirms itself as my favorite month. i cannot wait to tell you everything about our Sicilia road trip, but we're not quite there yet. {i shared a little preview on Steller yesterday though}

during hot summer days i amore even more grateful than usual that we live so close to the mountains. just a quick lambretta ride and we can step into the enchanting Cansiglio forest, the closest green getaway. 

let's go: Sicilia by lambretta. July, Wednesday 22nd

another summer, another great lambretta adventure.

we're leaving today, destination Sicily!

on the road in June

28.06.2015

Monday, June 1st. the handmade amusement park in the forest

osteria ai pioppi by lambretta | vscocam

sometimes the most incredible places are the closest  to home. for us, this is definitively one of the cases.

the biggest slide of the park | vscocam

Casso. August, Sunday 17th

maybe i subconsciously link the ilford film's mood and dramatic grain to places with a troubled past.

Casso | ilford 125

Sarajevo. bosnian roadtrip #4

I am afraid this is gonna be a long post. Sarajevo is not an easy place to describe, so I'd better rely on some pictures to help me share the feelings inspired by the city.

Sarajevo skyline | nikon em + ilford 125 

I primarily intended to talk about our experience in Sarajevo without mentioning the war, or bringing it up as little as I could, to not let this dark shadow overcast the charm and the rising of a city that is still struggling with the past, still finding a new tune to dance.

Mostar. bosnian roadtrip #3

the Stari Most, built in the 16th century and destroyed on 1993 during the war, was rebuilt and completed in 2004. now it's the most famous landmark in Mostar again. | nikon f-801 + fujicolor 200

at the 485th km on our odometer, we were in Mostar.

mouthwatering smell of barbecue, stone houses, green hills and minarets surrounded us, while the old bridge, undisputed symbol of the town, was the center of gravity of this small and multicultural urban galaxy.
the heart of Mostar beats on the tangle of streets around the bridge, and all the tourist crowd seems to concentrate there, between restaurants and small shops.

bosnian roadtrip #2

dirt road to Jajce |  iPhone 4s + VSCOcam

bosnian roadtrip #1

before leaving | iPhone 4s + VSCOcam

where are you going again?

“Bosnia”. seeing the facial expressions that our answer evoked almost made me rethink our destination. yes, Sarajevo is not a typical summer destination for Italians, but, considering the number of “why?” that followed my answer, you’d think that Bosnia and Herzegovina is not a touristic destination at all, which is absolutely not true: many foreigner license plates move around Bosnian roads during summer, Mostar and Sarajevo’s tiny streets are crowded with tourists, and we met many young travellers from all around the world in all the hostels and guest houses where we stayed.

so, the surprise was not about the touristic value of the destination, but about the shadow of the war that continues to follow the name of this complicated country. i was a kid in the nineties, and the Bosnian war was one of the many wars seen on the tv news, but nearer, and therefore more real. it’s not guilt, the feeling that arouse when we think about the Bosnian war in 1992-1996, but it looks a lot like it. we were dreaming the European Union dream, and genocides were taking place a few kilometers outside our disappearing borders.

anyway, this is not the place, nor i am an adequately qualified person to talk about this. i’d try to mention the war as little as possible during this trip’s reportage, because that was exactly my goal: to build another Bosnia in my consciousness. a big mosaic made of landscapes, faces, songs, stories, animals, past, future, architecture, myths, books, religions, recipes. a place that was touched by a bloody war but that’s not its only feature.

this, to know Bosnia better, to be able to think about it regardless of the war, was one of the reasons why we chose Bosnia as our destination, but not the only one. other reasons had been more practical: near, with a good ferry boat connection, doable by lambretta, cheap; others more intangible: we’ve heard a lot about Bosnia and Sarajevo during the past months. as the 100^th anniversary of the beginning of the 1^st world war (yeah, another war.), Sarajevo was on the news for a while, being the casus belli scene (archiduke Franz Ferdinand was killed on Sarajevo’s latin bridge, triggering the diplomatic crisis between Austro Hungarian empire and Serbia). moreover, my sister just graduated with a thesis on a project developed in Bosnia, where she took two field trips.

let's go: Bosnia roadtrip. July, Friday 25th

we're leaving! summer holidays are here.

we're about to spend a few days on a roadtrip by lambretta in Bosnia we've been planning for weeks: this afternoon we're going to sail from Rjeka to Split, and then we'll make a big balkans loop through Split, Neum, Blagaj, Mostar, Sarajevo, Travink, Jajce and back to Split and the ferry boat to Rjeka.

i'm excited but departures make me nervous.
wish me luck and good weather ♥

{p.s. for on the road updates follow marco's instagram or i diari della lambretta facebook page}

via Caprera festival

slovenian roadtrip. August, 16th-18th

after our osmize tour, marco and i spent the night in Trieste, to be back on the road the next morning, headed to Ljubljana. it was our very first time abroad by lambretta, and seeing the state line sign was thrilling!

practical info  

if your are coming from italy like us, and willing to do a roadtrip abroad by lambretta/vespa/scooter 125 hp or less, you can not use the regular driving license (patente B) like in italy. you need a motorcycle license (patente A). 

i must admit that i didn't know much about Slovenia before this trip. the few things that used to come into my mind were pointed steeples, a language written with so many "J", and caves. as soon as we crossed the border i realized that i was oblivious to the most obvious feature of Slovenia: over half of the territory is covered by forest, it's the heaven of the outdoorsy life. i could feel the chill on my arms and the mossy smell in the air, crossing woods, large cultivated fields and rural villages all the way until the capital city.

practical info 

Slovenia is famous for its efficient highway network {one of the few things i knew}. in order to have access to the motorway you have to buy the vinjeta, a toll-sticker that represents a subscription, which can be annual (95 euros for cars, 47,50 for motorcycles), montlhy (30 euros for cars, 25 for motorcycles) or weekly (15 euros for cars, 7,50 for motorcycles). so, motorcycles, cars, and most of the campers (less of 3,5 t) do not need to stop at the road toll every time they enter the motorway. the vinjeta can be purchased at gas stations. 

one of the outcomes of the vinjeta system is that motorways are usually busier than normal roads. as far as i've seen, i'm glad we have taken the normal road: it's not just cheaper. it was quiet, no traffic at all, and very scenic: ideal for a roadtrip, i highly recommend it.

coming from Trieste, shortly after the slovenian state line, the village of Lipica is worth a stop.  it's known for the Lipica stud farm, where lipizzan horses are bred. the road passes by large lawns, bordered by white fences, that match the light color of the horses. they appear like a fairytale vision.

the outstanding Postojnska jama {Postojna cave} could be a perfect second stop, and for the most romantic there is the Predjamski grad {Predjama castle} just 9 km away.

once in Ljubljana, we settled at Ljubljana Resort camping, a nice and cheap accomodation. the city center is close, but not in a walking distance, so it can be reached by bus or by bike. the camping has a convenient bike rental service. 
the city is not like i imagined it at all. Ljubljana is very european. the bridges on the water and the bicycles make it look like Amsterdam, the stylish cafès remind me of Vienna. people hang out along the river banks, chat loudly on the tables outside the restaurants. Ljubljana made me instantly feel relaxed, at ease. it felt like summer. my sundresses and sandals met its dragons and art nouveau buildings, and they get along. 

some highlights from our days:

• shopping in Stari trg and Gallusovo nabrežje {check Sisi shop for home decor and accessories, and Spin vinyl for secondhand records}
• a walk (and a nap) in park Tivoli
• buying local products at the farmer's market in Vodnikov trg
• listening to some jazz at Gajo Jazz Club
• a lunch with the university crowd at Skriti kot
• a couple of margaritas at Joe Pena's 
• sweet treats: macarons at Lolita and cakes at Zvezda

as you know, i have a soft spot for street food. the local delicacy is called burek, a pastry made of phyllo dough, filled with meat or cheese {i saw a pizza burek, too, but i did not try it}, good for a tasty snack or a super quick lunch. 

Ljubljana is a little city, and it's something that i really like. moving only a few km from the center, you are already in the open countryside, or in the middle of a forest.

the last stop of our roadtrip was lake Bled, a place surrounded by mountains, with a small island right in the middle of the water. the lake shores were crowded, but all the loudness could be left behind, by jumping on a pletna {traditional row boat}.

i bet this place look even more magical during the cold season, early morning, with the island all wrapped up in mist. it's a good excuse to come back again, don't you think?

{nikon f-801 + fuji superia 200}

osmize in Carso. August, Thursday 15th

for august short break marco and i decided to take a 4 days roadtrip by lambretta. it was our very first trip by lambretta headed abroad, to our neighbor Slovenia. anyway, our first stop was still in Italy, very close to the state line. the Karst Plateau {Carso, in italian} is a plateau area extending in both Italy and Slovenia. 

for a very long time, the first thing that pop up in my mind when it came to Carso was First World War and its memory and legacy still very linked to the territory. but, since last year when a friend introduced me to that, i have a new (and better) feature to think about -and love- about this place: osmize. 

an osmiza (or osmica) is a restaurant opened temporarily from a farm to sell its products. it's typical of Trieste's surroundings and all the Carso area. originally, the opening period was eight days, which in slovenian is said osem, so they're called osmize, even if the opening time is longer nowadays. 

for me, the most fascinating thing about osmize is that they're not easy to find. they're mostly located in the backyards of the farmers homes in tiny villages, and a result of their temporary opening is that you're never sure if they're open until you go there. 

{websites like osmize.net and osmize.com, which host an updated calendar, are an huge help!}

the bright side is that there are so many osmize that if you're wandering around Carso sooner or later you will see an arrow hanging above a bunch of leafy branches: it's a frasca, it indicates that an osmiza is near you.

a frasca, which indicates a near osmiza

it's like entering a secret garden, but full of delicious food. the atmosphere is the same you feel when you're at a family lunch: informal, intimate.
many kinds of salami and cheese are usually the main dishes on the menu, with a side of hard boiled eggs, pickled vegetables, olives and, of course, local wines.

simple food, very (very) cheap price.

osmiza Gabrovec - Prepotto

hard boiled eggs 

visiting Carso again, looking at the bright gold of its summer landscapes, relaxing in a couple of osmize was just the perfect beginning for our roadtrip.

osmiza's tables in a home courtyard

ready to continue our journey towards Ljubljana

{nikon f-801 + fuji superia 200}

i know i've been slow in posting lately, september has been crazy!
i didn't stay out of the web writing completely, though. you can find these photos and more info about osmize on my post for Cosebelle Mag here (italian only), and i did a guest post on Green Holiday Italy, a lovely blog about responsible travel in Italy (in english!). thanks again for the opportunity, dear anna.

romantic walk in Mezzano. August, Sunday 11th

another day in Trentino: a lovely sunday spent with my family wandering around the stunning Primiero Valley. anna, giovanni, marco and i took a morning walk surrounded by sunny Dolomites.

then, our afternoon gently passed in the exploration of Mezzano, a tiny village wonderfully still devoted to agriculture and handicraft work rather than tourism. 

Mezzano is quiet, beautiful. its people have experienced joy, love, pain, hard work, loss, hunger, as you can read by the old stone walls. not just metaphorically speaking. there are many stories and facts well narrated on small boards hung on the outer walls of houses. it's as if the village is directly speaking to its guests.

a path called Mezzano romantica {romantic Mezzano} follows the most peculiar and beautiful rural signs to
a deeper understanding of the territory, showing and explaining buildings, old water harvesting system, traditions and daily life.

woodpiles are the most distinctive features of the village.
the long winters have always forced the Dolomiti inhabitants to make copious stock of firewood to heat their homes. so, neat and towering woodpiles are everywhere. in the local language they are called canzèi, and every canzèl is a small masterpiece of care, skill and parsimony, that also colors the streets of a vivid palette of warm shades.

in addition to that,a group of artists has been asked to reinterpret the woodpiles concept to create artworks, so now you can find some beautiful and weird canzèi near to the ordinary ones.

 ,,

p.s. my sister and i are cat people. always been, always will. but we love dogs, too. and now we have a dog! you can take a peek at him in some pictures. his name is oreste.

{nikon f-801 + fujicolor 200}