Exploring Northern Italy by Camper - Part II

We get out of the beautiful nature surrounding Lake Maggiore and back on the highway towards Milan. We also adapt, as best we can, to the Italian driving style. With our Bulli - no problem.

A highlight of our road trip through northern Italy is coming up: We meet Ted Russel Kamp. Gifted bass player of the band Duff McKagan and founding member of the famous band Guns'n Roses.

And the concert is awesome, it was very worthwhile to interrupt our nature trip for a day to dive into the big city bustle.

We just keep in mind what Duff sings in his last song: ´All you need is just a little Patience`.

However, we need ´patience` the very next day in Milan. Because it is so busy and the traffic seems to come straight out of hell.

A tip for all van travellers who want to visit Milan: Spend the night at the slightly outlying Agriturismo in ´Ronchetto delle Rane`. It's a bit like camping on a farm but still only 350 metres from the Milan tramway. Surrounded by greenery, your bus is safely parked in the shade and you can get to the centre without being stressed out.

Despite traffic chaos, sweating while trying to find a parking space and scary moments with scooters, Milan is an infinitely beautiful and elegant city.

If you have time, be sure to get tickets to see La Scala because it's an experience you won't forget. We did not go into the cathedral because of the long queue of tourists outside and the entrance fees (between 17 and 25 euros).

We had a quick espresso in one of the famous small espresso bars and left the city to continue our road trip through northern Italy.

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- Towards Como where the roads become narrower and narrower.

The landscape is - once again - indescribably beautiful. Como is a great city, but unfortunately also very crowded.

We prefer to continue through northern Italy. The road winds along the lake and the views are breathtaking. We actually wanted to stay in Bellagio but driving further into the sunset is just too beautiful. Passing Lecco, we head along the coast towards Varena. Another great tip on our route.

We spend the night at the ´Continental` campsite because it's only a few steps away from the lake. After we jumped into the water, we unpacked our camping table, turned on the stove and started cooking. Camping culinary of the finest kind with red wine, guitar music and good food. We fall asleep to the sound of the small waves.

Off's tip to visit the town of Varena is at the top of our list. And the visit is worth it because the town is a real gem in northern Italy and is built on the water. There are so many restaurant with a nice view of the lake. We opt for a little hideaway in the narrow streets of Varena. ´Borgovino` is the name of the teeny tiny ristorante that we discovered rather by accident. There are three tables outside close to the wall and seven inside. There's a menu or you choose à la carte from a few excellent-sounding dishes. The spaghetti - homemade and definitely the best arrabiata far and wide. The wine - incredible and the service friendly and courteous.

We can really recommend this place.

After dinner we visit the Leonardo Da Vinci Museum, though museum is a bit of an exaggeration. It's a room where sketches of the artist are displayed. They are reprints from the original ´Codice Atlantico`, the bound editions of all of da Vinci's drawings, sketches and notes. He lived in Milan for over 20 years and created ´The Last Supper` here, next to the ´Mona Lisa`, his most famous work. We stroll through alleys for awhile, walk up the hill and discover the wonderful restaurant ´Ristoro del Castello`. We buy a cappuccino and enjoy the breathtaking view of the lake up here.

Our next destination is already awaiting us. A beautifully located campsite on the northern part of Lake Como, the Lido di Colico. An absolute highlight, because it's quiet here and there's little going on. We get a pitch for our bus which is right by the lake and stay for two nights.

Windsurfing or kiteboarding invite us to stay and the nearby restaurants give us more possibilities to enjoy culinary delights.

But we prefer our own restaurant: our camper kitchen. There is something about this freeedom we experience! We enjoy our days at the lake, unwind and relax and on the day of departure we almost shed a tear.

One last highlight: we visit the nearby monastery - Piona Abbey.

At the entrance we are greeted by statues of saints. However, we quickly doubt the sanctity of the place when we see the a notice to tell us not to leave valuables in the car. Apparently, robbers do not shy away from the blessed halls of the church, yet it is a beautiful place. A monastery with a view of the lake. The monks knew exactly where the most beautiful place is located.

But even the monastic blessing does not help - we need to drive back home.

We crossed the Alps on our way here, so we have to go back crossing the Alps. This time, we don't take the San Bernardino Pass, but drive along the Julier Pass at 2284 metres instead. Here we discover: a view of snow-covered mountains, valleys. Pure nature. The whole thing is amovie-like setting.

Switzerland greets you with bells and barley soup. You'd think Heidi and Peter were coming around the corner to join us.

Now time passes really quickly and we approach Germany.

We've experienced so much in northern Italy in such a short amount of time.

One thing is for sure: It was not our last trip by camper.

All we need until then is: ´A little patience`.