VAN LIFE IN RURAL TUSCANY

[@OverlandingSophia]

Hello! Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend. This has been a week of long drives, Tuscan villages and lots of rain! We're trying to out run the storms and find some winter sunshine. The south of Italy is calling! Thank you for joining us on our van life adventures 🚐 💕 Chesca & Ben xx

[@JitsIntoTheSunset]

I’m gonna start by saying that I love the thumbnail! Seeing your beautiful faces so happy, lights me up! 😍 And then there is the voice over... Ben, I know we’ve told you this but really and truly, we love your voice over. You are a natural. You match Chesca soft and smooth delivery perfectly. Chesca, I loved the nuggets of history that you shared in your voice over but also how you articulate and document what you experience in real time. It’s like I’m right there with you (I wish 😭). Lastly... we are very glad to see that the chocolate spread has been enjoyed but that was meant to last you until you reached Sicily 🤣 I helped myself to a few spoonfuls of the stuff today. Sadly, it’s quite cold here in Switzerland and as you know, it doesn’t taste as good when it’s not melted. 😝 All in all, I think this is right up there with my favourite episode! 💛 Next Sunday can’t come soon enough. Missing you three 💕 Xx

[@OverlandingSophia]

Tania!! I can't deal, forever my hypewoman and bestie 😭Wish you were here exploring Italy with us. Life isn't the same without you both. Although Ben and I are dying to see the Switzerland film so we can let you off. Counting down the days until the Avengers re-assemble! Sophia is missing her bestie Jits 💞 PS: That chocolate spread lasting to Sicily was optimistic thinking 🙈😂

[@MariekeL]

Loved the vid! I think, from my guess, the square holes in the wall you were questioning is a columbarium. Which is basically a wall for urns to be put. As you said it was a burial site/ were tombs, that would be my guess! Looks very cool 👀

[@wobbleboxadventures]

Great vlog guys that chocolate spread looks amazing 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿👍

[@nickthomas181]

Hi, I hope your all fine its been so so hard watching anything been in a deep depression as I'm bipolar. My own travel plans have been stopped travelling from Corvid Epicenter Burnley to Scarborough for a holiday. So I finally got round to watching one of my favourite rays of sunshine Overlanding Sophia . Your starting to feel like the sun just beginning to peek from behind the clouds . There's isn't much to look forward to here so it's up to my favourite KZbin Avengers to fight not just crime but boredom and depression as well.........Such talents you have among yourselves! Thank you, stay safe, stay well.

[@chrisneedham5803]

Another great video. Glad you all didn't get washed away, I saw the storm on the news. 🐕🐾🐾🐕🍷🍺👍

[@OverlandingSophia]

Thank you Chris! Glad we didn't get washed away either. We did come across a few flooded campsites though. Such awful storms 😣

[@markplenty2631]

Yay, Pisa, I’ve been there twice and it’s amazingly beautiful, the walk up the Pisa Tower is good too if you wanted or did go up 280 steps.. the higher you get the weirder is is to be walking downhill upwards on one side and the view from the top is outstanding. 😍👌 I do Love Italy so much 🇮🇹 the people are so nice 👍 and the buildings are so old and picturesque. Im sure you were aware are the driving standards in the south are very erratic 😂😂🇮🇹👍

[@eddieh1530]

Good thing you guys were there to stop the tower from falling down. hehe Fun Story and thank you.

[@ThePolleys]

Got to love River’s funny five minutes running in and out the caves. Love the unusual places you end up finding. That chocolate spread “it’s not bought to be kept is it” haha!! Love it Ben. 😂😂😂 Glad you’ve started slowing down to explore. Our favourite days were those with no plans and staying still in Scotland ~ Sam & Dean xx

[@OverlandingSophia]

Haha she gets the zoomies in new places - must be all the exciting new smells! 😂To be honest, I don't know how we find these unusual places, I think they find us! Totally agree about slowing down with no plans, it really is the best way to travel. Think our plan is to head straight to Sicily and then gradually make our way back north 😊Lots of love to the four of you from Italia xx 💞

[@magnefauli]

Watching this from my van just south of Crotone I say, welcome to the south. I drove down from the austrian border in three days to get some feel of summer b4 the winter sets in.

[@OverlandingSophia]

Thank you for the welcome! Wow, that is one hell of a drive. Big respect to you for doing that, we feel like all we've done is drive and we're still a few hours away from the south coast 😂Hope you have a wonderful time on the south coast - maybe we'll see you around! 🚐xx Chesca

[@orchidhouse297]

Did you not visit the museum, or was it closed? If you are ever there again it is worth a visit. Hint - the best pizzas are to be found in the small piazzas well off the tourist track. A lot of caves were necropolises.

[@DavidHaney1]

❤ GR8 VID ~ LOVED IT ❤

[@stvmrdch1]

Great to see you all managed to miss the worst of the weather. I'm the same as Ben with choc spread. I can't buy it anymore as I over indulge. 😃 Italy is beautiful. Glad to see you taking in the sights. The South will be perfect for winter. Hope you are all well. Cuddles for River 🐾🐶. Have a great week ! 😀

[@OverlandingSophia]

Hahah I don't think I can blame you or Ben for wanting to over indulge in chocolate spread. That stuff is addictive! We can't wait to get to the south now, had enough rain! Hope you're having a lovely week, love from us 3 in Italia xx 🐶

[@182britania]

Great work from anchor man Ben 👏😁 ,even River got in on the action 🤣Pisa looked amazing,another great video and enjoy the South. X

[@OverlandingSophia]

Ben says cheers 😂Think he's found his calling! Glad you enjoyed this one, can't wait to get to the south and do some real exploring! x Chesca

[@mikeware4988]

Thanks for another great video,its great catching up with your adventures. Safe journey, take care.

[@OverlandingSophia]

Thank you Mike! It's awesome to hear you're enjoying following along. Hopefully we do something other than drive soon 🙈xx Chesca

[@martinedwards7339]

Thanks you make me smile,and I don't do that much at the moment.

[@OverlandingSophia]

Thank you Martin, hope things look up for you soon. Even the worst times come to pass, nothing lasts forever. The good, and the bad. Sending love to you from the three of us in Italy 💞xx

[@jackhaddley2875]

Amazing video as always. Been waiting for this all day! Perfect timing with a cuppa. Shame the weather rubbish but stay safe guys and enjoy your self. River stop growing as well, starting too get so big bless her. Xx

[@OverlandingSophia]

Thank you so much Jack! Hope you found it worth the wait 😊 Just made a cuppa ourselves, so we feel connected even though we're in different countries! The weather here isn't great but it's not stopping us from enjoying ourselves. River is going through another growth spurt, she gets bigger every day! Thanks again Jack, hope you're having a lovely weekend 💞 x Chesca

[@Jakallibon]

Hey guys!! First of all, sorry for the late one, hectic schedule has meant I've not been able to watch these vlogs until now. & what a beautiful thumbnail of you both too!!😄. Absolutely loved this video, pisa looked great also! I definitely want to go and see it one day in person. Will definitely be good now that you can slow down and take things at your own place, get to see the hidden gems of places you wouldn't normally see if you rushed. I hope all three of you are good and well, I'll be watching yesterday's vlog now!😄❤️ xx

[@OverlandingSophia]

No worries at all! Our videos will be here waiting for you 😊 It's a relief to be able to slow down and take things slower, although running from this bad weather has been a mission! Pisa is lovely, but the whole of Italy is beautiful and well worth a visit. Thank you for checking in with us and your support. Hope you're doing well Jak! xx 💞

[@always.wondering.wandering]

I watch the "Positano Diaries" and Nicki was showing the rain they had there this week. The sun came out and she had a lovely ride in the kayak with her little dog Holly. River will love a good run on the beaches in the south. Another British couple who have been traveling through Italy in their van is "Danny and Tulu", although they have been on pause for quite awhile now. I saw below that you also follow LeAw who are now in Sicily. I can't be there too but at least I can take in all of your travels by vlog. Thank you for sharing yet another leg of your journey. Ciao!

[@OverlandingSophia]

Bonjourno Adele! I've just googled the Positano Diaries and it looks so cool, might have to give her a watch 😊We also follow Danny and Tulu, and hope they're having a beautiful time wherever they are! Seems like Italy is the place to be this winter 😋Thank you for watching, hope you enjoy the vlogs once we actually get to do something other than drive 😂🙈Ciao! xx Chesca

[@kenredgate3690]

Not toured much of Italy so looking forward to this . Been to Venice and once drove through from Austria to France , beautiful scenery but was just passing through . Enjoy the trip , stay safe .

[@OverlandingSophia]

Well we really hope you enjoy travelling vicariously through our vlogs, hopefully they will give you some ideas for when you make it down this way 😊Italy is a beautiful country! Hope you're having a lovely week, sending love from Italia! Chesca xx

[@tracybennett5481]

Bianco in the province of Reggio Calabria is lovely, very Italian , and very friendly, we had a policeman translate our order for us in a cafe once and a police escort to a restaurant when we got lost!

[@OverlandingSophia]

Haha sounds like a very Italian thing to happen, they are such friendly people! We've now made it over to Sicily, but if we pop by Bianco I'll think of you! 😍

[@rwilson6637]

Great vid! We did the Rome ring road today but luckily no trucks on a Sunday! Hoping to get to sicily in a few days for the sun too 🍋🌞

[@OverlandingSophia]

Thank you Rachel! Ah amazing, maybe we'll see you there?! Sicily isn't a big place 🚐😊Safe travels on your way south 💞xx Chesca

[@aSC_na_kolenke]

New trips, new places, it's cool. And Yes, nut paste is delicious, we love Nutella.)))

[@OverlandingSophia]

Chocolate spread is the best! If a little addictive 🙈😋xx Chesca

[@danviridian]

Hey guys, you should definitely try to hook up with LeAw (Leave Everything and Wander) - they're in Sicily now I think and they have a great channel. Cheers :)

[@OverlandingSophia]

Yes we've been following those guys and getting plenty of ideas for our own Italian travels. It would be amazing to meet up if the stars align! 🚐 💞 🚐

[@joanqualters1665]

Loved this video very interesting xx

[@claretbuck1882]

Keep on running till it stops 👌🏻

[@OverlandingSophia]

Love your thinking, that's exactly our plan! 🚐💨 x Chesca

[@sharonaddison809]

Hope you've got rid of that rain, so much like being at home and was like me last week on the Isle of Wight :). That chocolate spread looks incredible. Add some oat milk to it now it's almost empty and really shake it about - you'll get some fabulous chocolate milk. Italy looks amazing, I'd find it hard not to live off pizzas x

[@OverlandingSophia]

Sharon, did anyone ever tell you that you're a genius?! Why did we never think to do that!! Now we'll have to go and find another jar just to try out the milk idea 😋Italy is really beautiful, even in the rain. Can't wait to slow down and really explore this country though xx

[@sharonaddison809]

@@OverlandingSophia haha, well that's a good excuse for Ben to eat his way through another jar of chocolate goodness xxx

[@roamforloam7917]

Great vid guys. Good to get moving straight through to the south. It takes me ages in Italy if there's no plan, Stopping in every village etc. Siena is definitely worth stopping at if you go back to Florence(personally I prefer Siena). Good luck for the south. Awesome.

[@OverlandingSophia]

Thank you! We're exactly the same. Took us 6 weeks to do Portugal and we barely made it halfway up 😂Think our plan is to head to Sicily and then slowly make our way back up north again from there. Thank you for the recommendation of Siena. I've heard it's a beautiful place. Hope you're having a lovely week xx Chesca

[@barrywatler7482]

Another great video, River is getting bigger each week, love the pancakes prefer them to the American Pancakes but with just a touch of sugar and Lemon Juice . I am envious of your journey we have been travelling for the last two weeks but did have to return home unfortunately. You have to eat chocolate quickly just in case it goes off. Stay safe. Cheers from Australia 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺

[@OverlandingSophia]

Thank you for your support as always Barry 💞 River is going through another growth spurt we think! Crepes are so much nicer than thick pancakes, and lemon and sugar is a winning topping! 😋 Shame you had to return home from your travels, hope you guys get to go out again soon xx

[@lazios]

12:00 (Sutri) It's part of the old etruscan territory (modern days Tuscia, Viterbo province), and thats tombs are an etruscan necropolis.

[@Fluid35]

Hey guys. We will be passing though Lucca next week for the classic car race Mille Miglia. Check there website for the route. Love your videos!

[@OverlandingSophia]

Ah nice! We never made it to Lucca, but it looks beautiful. Enjoy the race!! Hope the sun comes out for you 😊🌞x Chesca

[@revyera]

I really didn't like Pisa when I visited, only the very centre was worth visiting imo. Happy you enjoyed the city though! Sad you were not able to go inside the tower, it's such a funny and wonderful experience

[@OverlandingSophia]

It's not our favourite place we've been, but, it's one of those places that you must see at least once in your life! The town itself is really quite pretty to wander through, with lots of cafes and restaurants. Would have been great to go inside the tower, but little River couldn't go in - and if she can't go, we can't go 😂 xx Chesca

[@revyera]

@@OverlandingSophia I visited in the summer some years ago, there was a lot of trash, so many tourists and even more sketchy people trying to sell you junk. My guess is that you experience was way better than mine, simply because it's October now 😂

[@OurWildHorizons]

Ah that rain won’t leave you alone! At least you didn’t waste a day of sun driving the many miles though! How much of that jar of chocolate spread did ben eat?! 😂

[@OverlandingSophia]

Tell me about it! It's like it's chasing us 😭Still, rainy days make perfect travelling days. How is the weather in France for you guys?! I reckon Ben ate a good 60-70% of that jar 🙈xx Chesca

[@fatboyandjac]

Hi guys love the videos great to see you back on the road we are planning places to see and stay so can you guys tell us the name of the site you stayed at in Pisa Regards Jac

[@Professionalmoochers]

I’d be the same with that chocolate spread!

[@OverlandingSophia]

Hahah the stuff is too good! 🙈

[@frankschannel3278]

You guys should go visit Perugia too!!! If you go let me know I’ll send you to one of the best restaurants in the historical centre of the city 😁✌️

[@OverlandingSophia]

Now that sounds like an offer we can't refuse! We are very far south of Perugia right now, hopefully we can drop by on our way back! 😍 xx Chesca

[@frankschannel3278]

Overlanding Sophia yessssss 😁 just let me know and I’ll hook you up for some goodies 😋 keep up the great vids 🙌

[@RobboAndTheculv]

I think the holes in the walls of the domed "bar" were for jars of ashes ........I think.

[@OverlandingSophia]

Ah that would make sense! Maybe it was a crematorium? Would explain the domed ceiling. Would also make sense seeing as all those caves were tombs at one point. Thank you for your knowledge Viki! 😊

[@desbuckle6907]

Here you are Chesca a link for supplies for Ben's habit :boutique-perlamande-noiseraie.com/gb/sans-lait/527-1533-choke-nut.html

[@OverlandingSophia]

Amazing!! Thank you Des!! I'll order some more, it does wonders at keeping him quiet 😜 xx Chesca

[@gothicpagan.666]

One of many things you learn by travelling is where you would like to settle down. I personally love Italy, 4 houses/renovations latter I'm still stuck as to which one to keep? 🤔 I've had worse problems ☺ Just keep heading south👍

[@OverlandingSophia]

Very true! Although I've yet to travel to a place that feels like it could be 'home' - except some remote parts of Dartmoor 😂4 house renovations! That's great going. Paradox of choice though by the sounds of it! 😬xx Chesca

[@hakanhakan9706]

Do you have plan to visit Turkey?

[@OverlandingSophia]

Yes! One day 😊💞

[@snoman1999]

Oh that crappy Northern Italy weather.. I was wondering how that storm was gonna affect yr plans Ahhhhh really hope you guys don't regret not spending more time in the North 😩 To be fair we did the same on a fly drive holiday once.. The weather was awful in Tuscany and we headed North to France 😂 I know you guys film ahead of when you release but I hope the weathers ok when you hit Naples PIZZA 🍕is the BEST Then theres Pompei & Sorrento, before you hit the Amalfi coast road which has to be the most BEAUTIFUL drive in the world 🌎 (if the weathers good 😉) If you don't go to Amalfi where the best Lemons in the world are grown and they make the most amazing Limoncello and Positano 😍, I may have to unsubscribe 😂 (Kidding) Theres a town called Ravello up in the hills above Amalfi where there is an outdoor auditorium where they sometimes have concerts.. Even if theres no concerts the view is to die for.. We caught the ferry from Durres in Albania across to Bari and drove all the way along the foot of Italy and I think as it was out of season, most of the little coastal resorts were closed.. We crossed into Sicily and OMG what an Incredible place (Yr gonna love it) 🚐💨❤️🇮🇹 Oh !! we caught the ferry back from Palermo (sicily) to Salerno (Amalfi coast) on the way back so as not to have to do the long return drive 😉

[@OverlandingSophia]

Oh this is an amazing comment, thank you Ian! You are a goldmine of information, maybe you should start your own channel! We really wish we could see the north, but we'd much rather go in a better season so we can truly explore it. Naples we plan to do on the way back, same with Amalfi! We've been there before so concentrating on the places that are new while we have time 😊 So pleased to hear you loved Sicily, we can't wait to get there. Great tip on getting the ferry back to Salerno... might have to steal that idea from you 😋 We're literally planning our trip as we speak, and it's so hard. There is SO much we want to see. Some national parks with big, beautiful hikes, but the weather is looking cold and rainy for the next week so we're stuck as to what to do - wait it out or keep heading south. First world problems eh! xx Chesca

[@snoman1999]

Overlanding Sophia - The only reason we ended up in Sicily was because of the cold weather in Latvia 🇱🇻😂😂 That was the first place in October that had decent weather... We did start writing a blog when we set off in 2015 but it is so hard trying to keep up and still enjoy the journey that it only lasted a few weeks 🤣🤣 We now update friends and family with photos on my Facebook page 🙄 I know how much work you guys must put into a weekly Vlog to turn out such great videos 🎥 It really is much appreciated by all yr Subscribers 😍xx

[@snoman1999]

PS - The weather in Sicily is looking nice 👍🏼 Maybe catch the ferry ⛴ to Sicily now and maximise the good weather, then hit all the other places on the way back up OR when you’ve finished Sicily head down to Malta 🇲🇹😉❤️

[@JamesW81]

Hi Chesca & Ben, hope you're both well, just a quick question, What was the deal with insurance on the van? Did you insure it as a camper or something else, and was it expensive? Me and Mrs W are considering doing our own conversion and were just wondering. Thanks in advance :)

[@OverlandingSophia]

Hey James! We insured our van with Scenic Insurance. We don't have Sophia registered as a camper van, she's still a panel van according to the DVLA. Scenic have their own criteria for insurance so it didn't matter that we weren't 'officially' a camper van. Have just renewed with them actually! They're a great company and do specialist insurance for modded cars etc, so perfect for self built camper vans. Hope that helps 😊

[@JamesW81]

@@OverlandingSophia That's awesome, thanks so much :)