2018 is here and I hope it shapes up to be a great year. I will head back to Italy in a few weeks to start work in the garden at Casa Debbio. It gets bigger and better every year.
Of course it is fun to look back over the last year to remember some past adventures. If you click the highlighted name the relevant post will appear. There are lots more if you look back through the archives.
In January I visited the Great Ocean Road with my son and we stopped at the magnificent Twelve Apostles. Even a grey day could not dampen our enthusiasm.
Noosa on Queensland’s aptly named Sunshine Coast is always a favourite and a place to enjoy a gorgeous beach before heading to European winter.
February called me back to Bagni di Lucca. I do like the winter landscapes there. Ponte a Serraglio looks wonderful at any time of the year.
I went to the Carnevale in Viareggio in March. Trump was obviously a popular topic for political satire.
In March we also went to Saturnia in the Maremma area of Tuscany to soak in the hot pools. It is an area we will explore forther in 2018. We spotted several gorgeous villages tucked into the hillsides and can’t wait to get back.
By April the garden at Casa Debbio was really coming to life. Peonies were blooming along with wisteria, lilac, roses and all the other gorgeous things in our expanding garden.
We visited Elba with friends and loved it. This is another place we will try to return to on a regular basis.
We also drove to Croatia and stayed beside the sea in Rovinj.
May is the perfect time to enjoy our terrace at Casa Debbio. Afternoon tea with a view makes the hard work in the garden worthwhile.
In May we also went to Greece for the first time. Why did we wait so long!!! We loved Athens, Santorini and the quiet island of Syros.
We took visiting friends to one of our favourite places in Italy, Portovenere, an easy day trip from Bagni di Lucca.
We reluctantly left Italy in June and travelled home via Iceland and Helsinki.
Noosa is excellent in winter, so a beach visit in July seems like a good idea.
In August I visited my son in Victoria again and we visited some charming country towns.
I was back in Europe in September and took a quick trip up to glorious Paris to revisit this wondeful city and see the spectacular Christian Dior exhibition.
October sees the leaves begin to change colour on the Tiglio trees beside the road in Ponte a Serraglio.
I went south in Italy to visit my relatives in Sorrento and took day trips to Positano and Capri. I really must go there more often. We are planning a trip to Naples in spring so I can see the Amalfi Coast being added to this.
Autumn is one of my favourite times to be in Italy. In November Lucca put on a great show, making a walk on the wall even more spectacular than usual.
December saw us back at the seaside, this time in Western Australia.
We stayed with lovely friends we met through the blog. One of the best things about writing a blog is the people you meet along the way.
2018 will surely bring new adventures…I am ready.
I hope the New Year brings delights for everyone.