MMM – September 2019

68 outandaboutlive.co.ukSeptember 2019

T

hreeweeks innorthernItaly with

only one thingonmymust-do list felt

likegloriousblankpages in mytravel

journal tofill asI wanted. Myonly plan was

toseethe BedolinaMap, one of the world’s

oldest maps.

I lovemapsandreadthemlikebooks,

planning drivingroutesand walks fromthe

lines onthe page. After learning aboutthe

almost 3,000-year-old Bedolinaengraved

map on alarge rock highin anItalian alpine

valley I was eager tovisit it.

Wedrove across the Italian border

fromSlovenia nearGorizia asI browsed

througha freeguidebook Ihadpickedup

aboutthe natural protected areasin Italy’s

Friuli Ve nezia Giulia. The photographs

of interesting andbeautifulplaceswere

inspiring and our plansforthe next few

weeks slowly started tofirmup.

Friuli Ve nezia Giulia is a region of

northeasternItaly borderingSlovenia

andAustria, which hasits own language,

Friulian. Wehadbypassedthis areaon

previousvisits butquickly foundit is packed

withvariety, fromwildlife-richflat coastal

wetlandsonthe Adriatic tothe splendourof

the mountainousDolomites.

Wesettled into a campsite nearthe

lovely seasidetownof Grado. This low-

ABOVESiviano isa

charming town

Fantastico!

Northern Italy is a treasure trove of amazing

scenery, ancient history and more

WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY:Carol Kubicki