Your reference to Berceto in deviating from the autostrade reminds me that we’ve done so several times, but usually in the other direction. We exit the autostrada at Fornovo and head toward Calestano. Near there is an osteria, si chiama Locanda Mariella, that serves the simplest possibile fresh local food (including eggs with white truffles in autunno), at the lowest of prices, and that has a wine list that is extraordinarily extensive. On any of your jaunts, have you stopped off there?

The A15 is our ‘local’ autostrada so we use it a lot, but mainly the bit between La Spezia and Pontremoli which is pretty good except when everyone is heading down to the coast or coming back again mainly in the summer. Normally however it’s relatively quiet, it’s the stretch from Pontremoli to Parma that we don’t like, especially going downhill through tunnels and around sharp bends. It’s also a very narrow autostrada in places which doesn’t help. We often take a cross country route on the old strada statale over the Passo della Cisa to Berceto. It’s quite a curvy road and perhaps a bit slower, but you meet maybe 5 or 6 cars on a normal day so not at all stressful! By the way, if you’ve never been there, Berceto is a really interesting and attractive little town once you’ve penetrated the ugly modern bit.

you absolutely nailed it about the A12. We spend about 6 months a year in Lido di Camaiore, and take the A 12 often on the way north or on the way to Liguria Ponente. It is a marvel of engineering (as are the soaring auto strade of the north, in the Dolomiti), but also treacherous. Le gallerie sono le sfide, sorry, the tunnels are the challenges, but less so than the first several tunnels of the connecting autostrada toward Milano, the A7. Have you tried the A 15 from La Spezia to Parma? Gorgeous, but always under construction.

Thanks yet again for your ralazione favolose.

Un saluto,

Bill

Scusi, Serena. My email was not meant to take up time from your busy schedule. Please forgive me.

Thank you for all the wonderful stories I read in your blogs. I am saving them for a dear friend who doesn’t have a computer. She speaks Italian fluently and I know she will enjoy everyone of your blogs. At least 10 or 12 await her.
Buona saulute

Thanks for the compliments, it really helps me to know that my blogs are useful or enjoyable to readers such as yourself. I didn’t understand your question however: “Why can’t I c I save them in both scripts. copy it in text anymore?” Could you clarify please.

Serena

Thank you, Serena, for the wonderful pleasure I have reading each one of your blogs.

Question: Why can’t I c I save them in both scripts. copy it in text anymore?