After travelling by train to Firenze we picked up a rental car and headed north to the Ligurian coast and the small coastal village of Camogli.

We have visited here a number of times before and love the relaxed nature of the town and the lack of tourists – except those from Italy. This is a place where those from Milano and Torino go for their holidays.

First off though, a shout out to the lovely Fabio who manages the Avis rental depot on Borgo Ognissanti in Firenze where we picked up our car.

Fabio took one look at the size of our bags and gave us an immediate upgrade to a larger vehicle – for free. He said we simply would not have fitted into the car we booked. He also gave us his email so if we had any problems we could contact him personally. Excellent customer service Fabio and the best way to start any driving experience in Italy.

Two and a half hours after leaving Firenze we were driving through Camogli. It was not our finest effort as we drove through the controlled part of the town – which is barriered off – and arrived at our hotel via a one way road the wrong way. The valets at the hotel thought this was hilarious.

We agree as we’ve been here many times before without incident – we blamed it on Covid and the 4 years it’s been since our last visit.

This is our home for the next 6 nights – a chance to relax, eat great food, drink some of the local wine and wander through the village. After the bustle of Rome and Venice, this is a welcome break.