Dries Buytaert

Italy 2022

Van in camping mode
Our van in camping mode; ready for the night. In the background, the towers of Ottobeuren Abbey in Germany.
Outdoor café with red tablecloths in Innsbruck's old town, with people dining and pedestrians walking nearby.
The old town of Innsbruck in Austria.
Camping near Innsbruck, Austria
The view from our campsite near Innsbruck, Austria.
Four horses grazing in a grassy field near a campsite in Innsbruck, Austria.
Horses next to our campsite near Innsbruck, Austria.
A close-up of a light brown horse with a white mane, surrounded by flies near a campsite in Innsbruck, Austria.
Horses next to our campsite near Innsbruck, Austria.
A person sits in a rocking chair, looking at mountain views through a large window at a hotel.
Enjoying the views at Hotel Alpen Tesitin in the Dolomites.
Hiking around Tre Cime di Lavaredo
Rifugio Auronzo, an Italian Alpine hut in the Tre Cime Natural Park. We parked our camper van on their parking lot and started hiking from this hut.
A trail marker painted on a large rock. The marker shows that we are on trail 101 and/or 104.
We started with trail 101 from Rifugio Auronzo. From trail 101 we merged onto trail 105, looping the Tre Cime.
Hiking around Tre Cime di Lavaredo
Rifugio Lavaredo, an Italian Alpine hut in the Three Peaks region at an altitude of 2,344 meters. The scenery is breathtaking.
Vanessa standing in front of three giant mountain peaks.
The views in the Tre Cime area are mesmerizing. The famous Tre Cime peaks are partially shown in the background.
A sole flower surrounded by rocks and mountains
Wild flowers are randomly seen throughout the Tre Cime terrain. I like how this flower claimed its place in the world.
Vanessa standing on a rock, using her trekking poles to maintain her balance.
The path around Tre Cime is very rocky and not always easy to follow. There were still patches of snow to navigate around (not shown in photo). All in all, a very doable 10 kilometer hike.
A woman in a black swimsuit stands in an outdoor infinity pool, looking at the mountains in the distance.
Vanessa in one of the outdoor infinity pools at Hotel Alpen Tesitin.
An indoor-outdoor pool at Hotel Alpen Tesitin with large windows showing a mountain view.
The indoor-outdoor pool at Hotel Alpen Tesitin has a tranquil vibe.
A small church with a tall steeple stands in a green valley, surrounded by trees and mountains.
The Church of St. John with the Dolomites in the background. Consecrated in 1180.
Santa maddalena church in funes
The path to the Santa Magdalena Church. It's about a 30-minute hike.
A wooden signpost with "Panoramaweg" written on it, pointing towards a hiking trail surrounded by greenery.
For the best views of the Santa Magdalena Church, hike up the Panoramaweg.
Santa maddalena church in funes
The Santa Magdalena Church with the Dolomites in the background. The church belongs to a tiny village of the same name tucked in the southern end of Val di Funes. The exact date the church was built is not known, but it was first mentioned in historical documents in 1394.
Flags waving fiercely due to a storm
We experienced a sudden and violent daytime storm at Lake Garda.
Signs that read "Wine tasting" and "Wine shop", with arrows pointing left.
Wine tasting at Villa Calicantus, a small organic winery in the heart of Bardolino Classico. We enjoyed meeting both owners, Chiara and Daniele Delaini, and learning more about their vineyard. We ended up shipping 12 bottles of their wine to our home.
Old bottles of wine and a chalkboard with the text "Today slow service".
"Today slow service" is exactly what we wanted at Villa Calicantus. We loved the 2-hour wine tasting and lunch.
A woman in sunglasses reclines on a lounge chair by the pool, reading on her smartphone.
Reading next to the pool at Ca Murreta Relais.
Grape vines with hanging green grapes are lit by string lights against a dark blue evening sky.
Summer nights under Italian grape vines.
Clothes hanging on a line attached to a Volkswagen camper van, drying in the open air.
When in Italy, it's almost a must to air-dry your clothes on a line. Fortunately, we found this handy drying system that attaches to Miles, our Volkswagen California.
Outdoor garden with seating under a large tree, overlooking green hills.
One of the gardens at Dievole. Perfect spot for an 'aperitivo'.
A boy fills his water bottle at a historic fountain in San Gimignano.
A boy filling up his water bottle at a historic water fountain in San Gimignano.
A woman sits outdoors, smiling and enjoying a relaxed moment at Dievole.
Vanessa enjoying the aperitivo at Dievole.
Aperitivo
Aperitivo! One of my favorite Italian traditions.
Vin santo and cantucci
At the end of about any meal in Tuscany, you're offered Vin Santo and Cantucci. Cantucci are crunchy almond biscuits. You dip them into Vin Santo, a sweet Italian dessert wine.
A lit candle in a glass sits on a table, with a person resting their feet nearby.
Summer nights by candle light.
A rectangular swimming pool with clear water, surrounded by grass and plants, overlooking rolling hills and farmland.
The pool at our friends' house in Tuscany. Incredible views!
A small shop in Pienza with wooden doors, potted plants, and a chair outside on a stone street.
A shop in Pienza.
A rusty old bicycle leans against a textured stone wall in Pienza, Italy.
An old bike in Pienza.
People sitting at an outdoor café table watch as blurred pedestrians walk past on a busy street in Levanto.
People watching in Levanto.
Wooden trail signs with red and white markings point to different hiking routes along the SVA path in Cinque Terre.
We hiked part of the SVA, a scenic coastal path connecting the 5 villages of the Cinque Terre. I'd like to come back to hike it in its entirety.
Colorful underwear and clothing hanging on a clothesline outdoors, secured with clothespins.
Honeymoon appropriate underwear.
Breakfast in the van
Breakfast in the van. To eat: fruit, yogurt and granola parfait. To drink: coconut water and coffee made in the percolator.
Small boats floating near the shore of Levanto beach, with people and umbrellas scattered along the sandy coastline.
Levanto, a seaside town with great beaches.
Five small, wooden fishing boats next to each other.
Fishing boats in Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre. And a woman swimming with her hat on.
A person in red shorts jumps off a rocky cliff into the sea while others swim below.
Cliff jumping in Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre.
Small fishing boats floating on calm water in Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre, with people on nearby rocky steps.
Fishing boats in Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre.
Colorful hillside buildings in Manarola, Cinque Terre, with people swimming and relaxing on rocky cliffs by the water.
Manarola, one of the villages in Cinque Terre. We went for a swim. Highly recommended for those who love adventurous swimming.
A person takes a selfie reflected in a restaurant sign that reads "Osteria Francescana.
Foodie selfie!
Rows of large Parmigiano Reggiano cheese wheels stacked on shelves in a storage facility.
Walls of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
Stacks of large Parmigiano Reggiano cheese wheels aging on wooden shelves in a storage room.
Wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
A wooden barrel containing 100-year-old balsamic vinegar with a glass siphon tube partially submerged inside.
A barrel with 100-year old balsamic vinegar at Acetaia Leonardi. Its thick syrupy texture and deep sweetness was incredible.
Rows of wooden barrels used for aging balsamic vinegar at Acetaia Leonardi, arranged in traditional "batteries.
Wooden barrels of balsamic vinegar at Acetaia Leonardi. Barrels are oranganized in "batteries". Some of their batteries have been in use for over 400 years. Love the traditions and long-term planning.
A woman in a colorful outfit leans on a stone railing, smiling, surrounded by pink flowers and greenery.
Vanessa at Casa Maria Luigia in Modena.
Chefs carefully plate "Five Ages of Parmigiano Reggiano" at Francescana at Maria Luigia, a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
Massimo Bottura's "Five ages of Parmigiano Reggiano" being plated during our dinner at Francescana at Maria Luigia, a three-Michelin-star restaurant in Modena. "Five ages of Parmigiano Reggiano" helped Osteria Francescana become the number one restaurant in the world in 2016 and is one of the most influential culinary dishes of the last decade.
Massimo bottura francescana crunchy part of the lasagna
Massimo Bottura's "The Crunchy Part of the Lasagna" debuted at Osteria Francescana in 1995. This iconic dish is no longer available at Osteria Francesca, but lives on at Francescana at Casa Maria Luigia.
A deconstructed lemon tart with broken pastry and yellow cream is arranged on a plate, resembling a dropped dessert.
"Oops! I dropped the lemon tart." by Massimo Bottura. It recognizes that mistakes are not only human, but also beautiful.