West Coast Trail: Darling River to Cribs

August 8, 2026August 18, 2026 / Maria / 1 Comment

Our strategy with the West Coast Trail was to avoid overwhelming ourselves. We had a few long days in our itinerary, but the goal was to intersperse them with more gentle, rest days. After a busy first day on the trail, involving a 4 hour shuttle ride and 14km of hiking, we planned to hike only 11km on Day 2.

It felt great to wake up on the sandy beach at Darling River. The clouds returned overnight, but it wasn’t raining and it was a cool overcast morning, which is very comfortable for hiking. Even though we only planned to hike 11 kilometres, we had to complete the first 9km before 1pm due to a tidal window.

Managing tides is definitely a big part of the West Coast Trail. As the name suggests, the trail is centered around following the coastline, and where possible, the trail will always follow the beach. There are some sections where there are impassable headlands and you are forced to follow the trail through the forest, and there are other sections where you cannot traverse the beach during high tide. In many cases, these sections have alternative re-routes through the forest, but in some sections, there is no re-route and if you miss the window, you have to wait.

On day 2, we had one section will a high tide cut-off and no re-route. So if we didn’t make it to Klanawa River Campsite by 1pm, we’d have to wait until 3pm. There aren’t a lot of sections like this, most of them have re-routes, and the sections without re-routes are generally only unavailable for a few hours during the very high tide.

We started our day with 3km of beach walking from Darling River, followed by 3kms in the forest. The final 3km before lunch was the tidally dependent section of beach walking. The goal was to start the final section by 11:30am. We were right on schedule, arriving at the beach around 11:15am and taking a short break before starting the beach walk. In general, I found the beach sections to be much easier than the forest. Sometimes beaches can be slow if you have to do a lot of walking across boulders, or cobble, or rocky shelves riddled with surge channels, but as a rule, they are easier to navigate than some of the muddy forest sections (wait until day 5).

The walk to Klanawa River was a little more technical, with some rocky shelves and beaches to navigate, but overall not too challenging and it only took us as hour to complete. Klanawa is a nice campsite on the beach, with a large river flowing through, but I don’t think it gets a lot of campers because it’s only 2km away from the much more popular Tsusiat Falls, which was also our final destination for the day. We weren’t in a rush and took a break for an hour at the river to eat lunch and go for a swim.

The first of five cable cars is located at Klanawa River. I believe later in the summer, you can sometimes cross a large sandbar across the river, but we opted to take the cable car. Fortunately there was a group of 4 guys at the cable car at the same time as us and they offered to assist us across so that we could go in the same car. The cable cars have varying levels of length and difficulty. This one was particularly long and it would be challenging for us to pull ourselves across if we both went in the car at the same time, so we were planning to go one at a time. Since they offered to assist, we went together, resulting in a lot less work.

Once across the river, we enjoyed 2km of forest walking to the beach at Tsusiat Falls. Along the way we passed several viewpoints along the bluffs and were very lucky to spot several whales playing in the shallows! Adriana spotted the first one and then we noticed several more, including a mama and baby. I’m not sure what kind of whales they were, but my guess is humpback or grey. We watched them for a long time because they were quite close to shore.

Arriving at Tsusiat Falls, it’s a long downhill and several ladders to get to the beach. You cross the top of the waterfall about 10 minutes before you arrive at the beach and I advise filling up your water bladder at the river. There is no flowing water at the beach and the waterfall isn’t accessible, so your only option is the pool at the base of the waterfall where everyone swims. We didn’t know this at the time and we didn’t fill up our water. I didn’t want to hike all the way back up to the river later, so I ended up filling from the pool anyways, but I used two methods of water purification, filtering and chemical treatment. It wasn’t my favourite water source, that’s for sure.

Aside from the drinking water issue, Tsusiat Falls is one of the highlights of the trail for a reason! It’s incredibly beautiful and you get to camp right next to the waterfall along the beach. It already felt quite busy with campers when we arrived, but we got there at 3pm and a lot more groups continued to arrive after us, making it even more crowded. There’s a lot of space to set up tents, but it was definitely more people than I like to camp with and what Brandon always refers to as “tent city”. We did find a nice place on the beach to set up and it was really beautiful. Adriana claims it was her favourite spot, but I personally favoured some of the less busy sites more.

We started to observe a familiar pattern with the weather on the trail. For the first 4 days, we would awake to overcast mornings that would change to sun by mid-afternoon and stay that way into the evening. It made for really nice days because we had the cloud cover while hiking in the morning, but we got to enjoy the sun while relaxing at camp in the afternoon. The only issue was that it could get quite hot and there is limited shade on the beach.

We brought a tarp with us, which proved very handy, and we got into the habit of Adriana setting up the tent while I would set up the tarp. In my opinion, tarping is a real skill. If you have the right support structures nearby (i.e., trees), it can be really fun, but if you don’t have anything solid in which to attach the tarp, it can be very challenging. Tsusiat Beach was difficult, but I was able to build a reasonably functional shelter. By the time we got it set up, we were feeling overheated and took a break underneath to eat some snacks, but ultimately decided the waterfall was the best way to cool down.

I changed into my swimsuit and walked to the end of the beach to see the waterfall. I’d swam at Darling River the previous day and it had been quite cold, as was the swim at Klanawa River. But I was delighted to discover that the pool at the base of Tsusiat Falls was the warmest freshwater on the trail! It was really refreshing and we were able to linger in the pool for a while. There’s a large rock near the edge of the waterfall and we hung out there, taking turns to swim out under the spray. We met 3 women on the bus that were on a similar itinerary as us and we spent some time with them at the pool (credit to them for the photo above of us on the rock). It was one of the most enjoyable moments on the trail.

It was really nice to arrive at Tsusiat Beach at 3pm, because unlike the first evening, it gave us lots of recovery time before the next day. We had to do a longer distance on Day 3, due to a lack of campsites, so it was nice to have lots of time to take it easy. We enjoyed our dinner and then collected some firewood. Since it was late June, the province wasn’t yet under a fire ban. We weren’t sure how long that would last or how long we would continue to get nice weather, so we took the opportunity to enjoy a campfire. Carolyn introduced me to the one match challenge a few years ago, where you try to light your campfire using only one match. I’ve really taken it to heart and I was successful in getting our fire started with just a single match, of which I’m pretty proud!

Day 3 was our longest day, distance wise. We got into a habit of waking up at 7am and starting our hike by 9am, which I thought was pretty reasonable, but seemed to be late for everyone else. People were often leaving by the time we got up and it wasn’t uncommon for us to be some of the last people to leave. There were two other groups that were of the same mindset as us, the 3 women from the bus, and the group of guys that helped us across the cable car. As a result, we got to know both groups over the course of the week. Although the women ended up increasing their pace at some point at we didn’t see them anymore after day 4.

We had to hike 17km, which was the minimum distance for the day. There’s not a lot of campsites in this section of the trail, so a lot of people stay at both Tsusiat Falls and Cribs Beach because the only other option is to stay in the cabins at Nitinat Narrows, which are more expensive and have limited capacity. Nitinat Narrows is located around the midpoint of the trail and requires taking a very short water taxi across the water. The crossing is managed by the first nations in the area, the Nitinat, who also manage the crab shack and cabins located on the other side of the crossing.

We had to hike ~8km to get to the crab shack, but it’s a quintessential part of the trail and hikers are usually thrilled at the opportunity to have a fresh cooked meal in the middle of the trail. The day started with a long beach walk, during which we got to pass through a sea tunnel at Tsusiat Point since the tide was low. It was really cool, but we did cut it pretty close to the tidal cut-off and the water was nipping at our heels as we went through. The beach was followed by a larger forest section, though you could pop in and out of the forest to hike along the beach in a couple sections. We opted to stick mostly to the forest in this area, which had lots of nice beach viewpoints.

We were very excited when we finally arrived at Nitinat Narrows, which has some of the bluest waters. It’s probably less than 100 metres to cross the channel, but we got to ride with a very nice man named Sam and his very calm dog. But mostly we were excited about the crab shack! In the end, I didn’t actually end up ordering crab because they also had halibut and ling cod, so we opted to get the ling cod with a fully baked potato instead. It was really yummy and not as messy as the crab, but if I ever go back (unlikely), I think I’ll opt for the crab next time.

It was really nice to take a break, but we still had 10km to go after lunch, so after massaging our feet and stretching our legs, we returned to the trail. There’s another large forest section after the crab shack, but it had a lot of boardwalk that was still in reasonably good shape, so it made for a quick walk. The West Coast Trail has a reputation for being very muddy and challenging in the forest. We definitely encountered this in a few sections, but overall, the forest walking isn’t too bad on the north side of the trail. It’s much worse on the south side because a lot of the old trail infrastructure and boardwalks are deteriorated to the point that they’re now a hazard rather than a help, but up to this point the forests were still quite manageable.

We stopped at a bluff viewpoint and ended up spotting some more whales! These ones were further out, but we could see them spouting and we were really excited when we got to see one of the whales dive, meaning we got to see its tail. Eventually you arrive at a bridge where you can cross the Cheewhat River, then it’s a nice straight path through the forest to return to the coast. We arrived at Clo-oose Bay, which is a giant golden sand beach that ended up being one of my favourite beaches of the entire trail. It was hot and sunny when we arrived, so we decided to stop for a snack break. The water looked so inviting in the sun, so I convinced Adriana to take our shoes off and we ran into the water to soak our feet before continuing on.

If you time it right with the tide, you can walk along the beach pretty much the entire way to Cribs Beach, but we did not, so we had to go in and out of the forest. We were able to walk most of the way to Dare Point, after which we opted to take the re-route through the forest for a couple of kilometres. The trail returns to the beach at Dare Beach, where we took another break and I ate my second lunch, which was taco salad for taco Tuesday. At this point in the trail, I felt like we were constantly ravenous. Usually it takes me a few days on trail before I get hiker hunger, but both Adriana and I had it from the very beginning. We were honestly worried we were going to run out of snacks and were cognizant of rationing them, but fortunately our hunger did even out later in the trail and I had enough food for the whole trip.

By the time I finished second lunch, the tide had receded enough that we could follow the beach to our final destination at Cribs Creek. There were several rocky shelves and some boulders along the way, which made for a more interesting hike. The only challenge is that at the end of the trail, when you arrive at Cribs Beach, you have to walk out on the rocks partway into the ocean before you can find a place to climb down to the beach. It’s a rock shelf that acts like a natural breakwater for the beach. This was problematic because, while the tide was low enough, the waves were crashing against the rocks on the other side of the breakwater. It was too close for comfort for me, so we stuck to the shallow edge of the rocks in case a big wave came up that could knock us over, and we got out of there as quickly as possible. It ended up being fine, but it wasn’t our favourite.

We were some of the last people to arrive at Cribs Beach for the night and similar to Tsusiat Falls, there was lots of space for tents, but it was very busy. We ended up setting up camp on the far end of the beach, which meant it was quite a walk to the outhouse and bear cache, but there was only one other tent nearby. It was much later in the day when we arrived at Cribs, but it was still hot, so I tried to get another tarp shelter up and failed miserably. It was probably one of my worst tarping jobs. I was able to hide under it for sun shelter, but if tested, it would not have stood up to rain.

I like Cribs Beach, but it felt like we didn’t spend a lot of time there. By the time we set up camp, filtered water, and cooked supper, the sun was already setting. We chatted with our neighbours for awhile, a couple from Saskatchewan. They were nice, but we decided the man lacked some serious judgement. He’d convinced his partner to hike the trail with him and it was both her first backpacking trip and her first time camping ever! To make matters worse, they had a very aggressive itinerary and she was not having a good time. I know the West Coast Trail is a world renowned trail, but most of the people we met were local to BC. Even though it’s popular, it’s a very challenging trail and it’s not a good idea to under-estimate it. It’s definitely not a trail I would recommend for first time backpackers or campers.

At this point, we were more than halfway through the trail, but not halfway through the itinerary. The trail was about to get a lot more technically challenging, and we encountered some pretty adverse weather conditions on day 5. Tune back in next week to read about it!

10 Easy Day Paddles near Vancouver

July 28, 2026 / Maria / Leave a comment

The main focus of this blog is definitely backpacking, which is one of my favourite summertime activities. But I also spend a lot of time kayaking and have slowly been working my way around the easy paddling trips near Vancouver. My husband and I own two sea touring kayaks and for this post, I decided to compile some of our favourite day trips near the lower mainland! It’s easy to rent boats for a lot of these trips, but there are a few where it’s easier if you have your own.

Jug Island / Twin Islands

A kayaker paddles towards Jug Island on a sunny day with calm waters in Indian Arm. Jug Island is located near Belcarra Regional Park in Vancouver, BC.

Jug Island is by far our most frequented kayak day trip. It’s located near Belcarra Regional Park and can be accessed from either Belcarra or Deep Cove. We always choose Belcarra since we live in Coquitlam, but it’s a ~5km round trip from both starting locations. There’s a large beach where you can land your boat and an outhouse, so it’s a nice place to stop. It usually takes us ~45 minutes to paddle there from Belcarra and we’ll often take a break and then continue on to explore Bedwell Bay or Twin Islands. Twin Islands makes for a longer day, as it’s a ~9-10km paddle, but it’s very beautiful there and it’s fun to swim from the south island. If you’re renting, you can choose from Deep Cove Kayaks or Takaya in Belcarra. Alternatively, you can also rent from Cates Park for a slightly longer paddle.

Barnet Marine Park / Rocky Point

A female kayaker wears a lifejacket and holds a paddle while smiling next to her yellow Boreal storm kayak on the rocky beach of Barnet Marine Park with the ocean and mountains in the background in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.

There are a few options for where you can paddle from Barnet Marine Park. I usually just use it as an alternative access point for Jug Island since it’s located in Burnaby and is sometimes a closer drive, but you can also paddle between Rocky Point and Barnet Marine from either location. Rocky Point is located in Port Moody and is a very easy access point. The annoying thing about Barnet Marine is that they now limit parking to 4 hours, which is difficult if you’re looking to do a longer trip. If you leave from Rocky Point, parking is also a challenge in the summer, but it’s easier to rent boats from Rocky Point than Barnet.

Buntzen Lake

Buntzen Lake is located super close to the city, in the town of Anmore. It’s the perfect place for beginners because the lake isn’t that long, but it’s big enough to make for a nice paddle to the end and back, roughly 10 kms. Plus you can also explore around the river and hang out on either end of the lake. A day pass is needed in the summer, which is free, but must be obtained 2 days in advance from BC Hydro. There are often canoe rentals available along the south beach.

Whytecliff Park

Whytecliff Park is located in West Vancouver near Horseshoe Bay and is one of many paddling options in West Vancouver. You can launch your boat from Whyte Cove, which is located in the park, or from Batchelor Bay or Horseshoe Bay. If you don’t mind a longer paddle, you could also launch from Eagle Harbour, at the beach next to the yacht club. There are no rental options from this location that I am aware of, but it’s a fun place to explore. Watch out for ferry traffic if you are paddling around Horseshoe Bay.

Bowen Island

I haven’t actually done this trip myself, but I’ve heard Bowen Island is great for kayaking. The best option is to walk on the ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Bowen Island and rent boats from Snug Cove on the other side. From here, you can paddle around the edge of the island. I recommend heading north as there are more beaches to land at in this direction. I believe more experienced paddlers will cross from Horseshoe Bay on their own, but I don’t recommend this.

Keats Island

Keats Island is a great destination from Gibsons. You can launch from the marina and paddle across the straight to Keats Island. Follow the coast north past the Shelter Islets until you reach Plumper Cove Marine Park, which is a great place to hang out for the day or to camp overnight. It can be windy crossing the straight, so I recommend doing this trip early in the morning. Rentals are available from the marina in Gibsons.

Widgeon Creek

Widgeon Creek is a very popular summer paddling destination in Pitt Meadows. Park at the main lot on Pitt Lake and paddle across the Pitt River to Widgeon Creek, which is a leisurely 6km paddle to the campsite. From there you can do a day hike to Widgeon Falls. This area is very busy in the summer, but head out in April or May to avoid the crowds. Be careful crossing the Pitt River, which can have strong currents, and leave early to avoid the wind. You can rent boats from Katzie in the summer, or through independent operators that deliver the boats to the lot.

Alouette Lake

Golden Ears Park is most popular for paddlers in the Gold Creek area, especially for SUP. But I think all of Alouette Lake is a great option for paddling. The easiest location to launch from is the boat launch at South Beach, and then you can head north on either shore of the lake. But pick one or the other because it gets windy on the lake and it’s not easy to cross back and forth. I regularly like to go out for a few hours and paddle up to Gold Creek and back. You can usually rent canoes on South Beach in the summer.

Harrison Lake

Harrison Lake is somewhere that you need to be really careful paddling, but can make for a fun trip in the right conditions. It can be very windy at the lake, so my recommendation is to stick to early morning paddling and stay near to the edge of the lake. We camped at Bear Creek on a rainy weekend in June and stumbled into premium kayaking conditions. It was dead calm on the water and mystical with the cloudy skies. But exercise caution on a nice day.

Lightning Lakes

Lightning Lakes is a pretty safe place to kayak and is incredibly scenic. It’s located in E.C. Manning Park, east of Hope, and comprises two lakes connected by a small creek. It is possible to navigate between the two lakes, but it is narrow, so exercise caution. The views are beautiful and there’s no power boats, so it’s a great place to explore and enjoy the water and the mountains.

A Day in Milan

May 16, 2026June 8, 2026 / Maria / Leave a comment

After 2 weeks of hiking in the Dolomites, I had one day in Milan before flying back to Canada. Milan is not the natural entry point for the Dolomites. The closest airport is in Venice and that’s where I flew into. Venice was also cheaper, but I really wanted to visit Milan before leaving, so I paid extra to fly out of there instead. It was another full day of travel on public transport to get from Val Gardena to Milan, but it was sunny and warm when I arrived, in comparison to the chill that had moved into the Dolomites.

Milan is a large city, but a lot of the attractions are centrally located. I would have liked to stay right in the city centre, but I was alone and it was very expensive, so I opted to stay near the Milano Centrale train station instead. This made it easier arriving in the city and getting to the airport, which is quite far outside of Milan. That said, I didn’t love the neighbourhood around the train station. I don’t want to say it was unsafe, because I don’t think it was, but I also didn’t feel totally at ease there. I stayed in a nice little AirB&B, but because I was a woman traveling on her own, something about the location felt a little off.

I arrived around 5pm and had a day and half until my departure flight. I found a nice little restaurant nearby on the first night and was determined to try some of Milan’s classic dishes, the most popular of which is ossobuco alla milanese. It’s a veal shank with saffron risotto and it was as delicious as it sounds. I had a nice glass of red wine with it and really enjoyed the experience.

But I only had one full day in Milan, so I had a lot to explore. My plan had been to take it easy after doing so much hiking the previous week, but walking is by far the easiest way to get around, so I ended up tracking 16km on my solo day in the city. I left in the morning and decided to walk into the city centre. If you want to skip the line at the major attractions, I highly recommend getting your tickets in advance. The main thing I wanted to do while in Milan was visit the Duomo, which is one of the world’s largest gothic cathedrals and took nearly 6 centuries to build. It is the most iconic structure in Milan and absolutely worth the extra money I paid to fly out of Milan. I bought a timed entry ticket a few weeks before the trip so that I wouldn’t have to wait in line when I visited. I bought the ticket that included the walk around the walls, the roof, and inside the cathedral.

I enjoyed a scenic walk from my AirB&B to the cathedral, stopping at a very instagramable cafe called Gelsomina for breakfast. Along my way to the city centre, I walked along the via Monte Napoleone, which is part of the high fashion district. It was then that I realized I just happened to be visiting Milan at the end of Milan Fashion Week! I did not plan this at all, but it was a happy coincidence. It resulted in the city being a bit busy, but I loved people watching. I’ve never felt so poorly dressed in my life, but I loved checking out all the high fashion outfits people were wearing on the street.

The Duomo was everything I hoped for. It was a beautiful sunny day and it’s impossible not to be in awe of the intense level of detail sculpted into every inch of the massive cathedral. Even if you don’t go inside, it’s still awe-inspiring from the square. My favourite part was walking around the outer walls of the cathedral. It’s cool to walk on the roof as well and it has nice views of the city, but from an architectural perspective, I thought the walls were the most detailed.

It was also a Sunday when I visited and I realized when I entered the inside of the cathedral, pretty much exactly at 11am, that I’d arrived just in time for church. There was a procession of priests walking into the center of the cathedral and I sat in the pews for a while to watch the spectacle, even though I couldn’t understand anything since it was all in Italian. Somehow the cathedral feels even bigger from the inside, it’s hard to imagine how much stone the enormous columns are supporting.

Honestly, if I’d gone to Milan and just done the Duomo, I would have been satisfied, but it still wasn’t even lunch time yet, so I had lots of city left to explore. I spent some time walking up via Torino, which is another shopping district next to the cathedral, but much more affordable than the high fashion district, which was packed with names like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, Versace, Hermes, Valentino, and any other high fashion name you can think of.

The other popular attraction, which is located right next to the Duomo, is the Galleria Vittoria Emanuele II, which is basically another shopping centre, but has a beautiful glass roof. This area is also well known for the Camparino, which is a staple in Milan. While the rest of Italy is known for Aperol, Milan is known for Campari, a bitter Italian liqueur. I sampled a few Aperol Spritz during my time on the Alta Via 1, and I wasn’t a huge fan, but I figured, when in Milan, you have to try the Campari Spritz.

I decided to make a meal of it and found a nice restaurant in the Galleria. This probably wasn’t the wisest choice for my wallet, but I enjoyed the experience anyways. There were long lines at all the restaurants in the Galleria, but I was traveling solo and as a result, I was able to quickly find a table. The restaurant I picked had one table that sat only one person because of some restriction with the aisle, and I was more than happy to take it! I ordered a Campari Spritz with my meal, which cost a small fortune, but I reasoned it was all part of the experience. Unfortunately, it turns out I hate Campari. Like I said, Aperol isn’t my favourite, but Campari is so much worse. It’s incredibly bitter and while I’m sure it’s an acquired taste, I disliked it so much I didn’t even finish the drink. Oh well, when in Milan…

From the Galleria, I continued walking to see the Teatro alla Scala and the Castello Sforzesco, which is an old castle located in the enormous Parco Sempione. I saved my park exploration for a little bit later in the day and walked over to the Basilica di Santa Maria delle Grazie and the Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio. If you’re familiar with Milan, you’ll know that the Basilica di Santa Maria delle Grazie is the home of The Last Supper, which is painted directly on the walls of the church.

I’m embarrassed to say that I didn’t realize The Last Supper was located in Milan until a few weeks before my trip. Once I learned, I was keen to buy tickets, only to discover I literally couldn’t. Unfortunately, viewing The Last Supper is pretty much the biggest scam in Milan. The government sells entry tickets months in advance for viewings. They’re all timed and the number of people allowed in the church at a time is limited. Tickets aren’t expensive, only ~15 euro, but because there’s so few of them, they are immediately all purchased by scalpers, whom you must pay anywhere from $150 to $300 for tickets. I’m not sure if I would have been willing to pay this much if given the chance. I did look into purchasing scalped tickets, but due to the influx of visitors for Milan Fashion Week, I literally could not find a single ticket anywhere on the internet for the one day I was in Milan.

I walked to the church anyways because I wanted to see it and thought there might be a slight chance of getting a ticket on location. There was no chance, but it was a pretty church. Sadly I couldn’t go in, so I opted to visit the Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio instead. This was a great choice as this church is free to visit and was steeped in history. It was first built in the year 387AD, and re-built in the 11th century. It’s one of the best preserved churches in Milan and it has the most disturbing crypt. Underneath the pulpit is a sarcophagus housing the skeletons of Saint Ambrose, Saint Gervasius and Saint Protasius, still perfectly visible to visitors! Saint Ambrose died in 397AD and it blows my mind that you can see his attired skeleton still resting under the church.

After my little foray into history, I walked back to Parco Sempione and on impulse, made a quick stop into the Museo Pieta Rondanini. It’s a small museum that houses the last (uncompleted) marble statue from Michelangelo in 1564. While unfinished, the statue depicts the Virgin Mary mourning over the body of Jesus. Entry to the exhibit is pretty cheap, so I think it’s worth the visit if you have the time. I was happy to soak in the art history after 2 weeks of hiking.

I finished my day with a walk through the rest of the park to see the arco della pace, before catching the train back to my accommodations. I was tempted to walk the whole way back, but after 16km, my legs were finally starting to tire. I caught the train to the airport the following morning, which concluded my time in Italy. It really was an incredible trip and I’m so glad I made the time to visit Milan before flying home. I haven’t done a lot of traveling by myself, and while I was with Kristine for the majority of my trip, it was a nice experience to spend a few days traveling solo at the end. I enjoyed doing what I wanted when I wanted and I’m keen to go back to Italy one day to see more of the country. I still haven’t been south of Venice, so one day I need to visit Rome and the Amalfi Coast. So much world to explore!