ROAD TRIP TO ITALY
ROAD TRIP TO ITALY
You may have the universe if I may have Italy
(Giuseppe Verdi)
Hi everybody! Here I am again, taking my humans for a new adventure!
This time, I took them on a road trip to visit our family in Italy. Here they are:
This is my Italian cousin "Boole" (named after the English Mathematician George Boole), the cutest dog ever!!We departured from Spain, so in this post, I´ll include all the pet-friendly places we found during our way to Italy.
The first stop was in FIGUERES
It is the capital of the comarca of Alt Empodrà, in the provice of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. This town is the birthplace of Salvador Dalí and houses the SALÍ THEATRE-MUSEUM designed by Dalí himself, wich attracts many visitors.
There are many things to do with your humans in Figueres, such us visiting some of the many MUSEUMS OR MONUMENTS
...walking tours to see some points of interest or landmarks, such us the FACE OF DALÍ
or the Christmas Market...
... maybe the SANT FERRAN CASTTLE, or LA RAMBLA DE FIGUERES which is surrended by nice restaurants and shops.
One of those restaurants is LA TAVERNA DEL BARRI VELL, where dogs are welcome.
They are great with dogs! They have available blankets, bowls, toys and other stuff for dogs, in case someone needs them. Also, dogs are allowed in all areas of the hotel, even at the dinnig room. Here you have a link to find other PET FRIENDLY HOTEL IN FIGUERES
The second stop was in GRENOBLE, France.
Roads in France are nice and they have amazing green resting areas where you and your humans can stop to strech your legs or have something to eat or drink.
Grenoble is a city located in the southeastern France at the foot of mountains between the Drac and Isère rivers. It's known as a base for winter sports and for its museums, universities and research centers. The spherical cable cars called "Les Bulles" (Bubbles) connects the town to the summit of La Bastille hill, named for the 18th/century fortless on its slopes.
I took my tow-legged family to the hotel LE HUB to spend the night there.
Although dogs are welcome, I don't recommend this hotel because rooms are very dirty and in bad conditions. I include a link where your humans can find other alternatives:
The third stop was in CRODO, Italy.
Other points of interest in Crodo is the THE DEVIL'S WALL, a megalitic structure which it is believed that it was a place for workship, and the THE HOUSE MUSEUM OF THE MOUNTAINS, opened only in summer but opened to visitors all year round by appointment.
In Crodo, my cousin Boole, took us for hiking to the IL GIARDINO GLACIALE DEGLI ORRIDI DI URIEZZO, a beautiful mountain with calming landscapes.
If after hiking you and your humans are hungry. You can go to RISTORANTE PIZZERIA CAMPAGNA. It is located in the mountain and they cook the best gnocchi ever! Although, initialy dogs are not allowed, if you behave well, they can allow you to go inside. 
After lunch, you can take your humans for a walk to ALPE DEVERO. It is a natural park situated in LEPONTINE ALPS where you can enjoy breathtaking landscapes and visit cozy villages.
The fourth stop was STRESA. A beautiful town next to the Lake Maggiore. It is the best place to blend relaxation and culture in a enchanting setting. Its river walk, is a wondeful place to go for a long walk enjoying the views of the lake.
Or perphaps, you can visit the three BORROMEAN ISLANDS : Isola Bella, Isola Pescatori, and Isola madre.
Along the river walk, you can find a little port and the spot to buy the tickets for the boats to visit these islands.
You can barely see it in this picture, but Boole is in the water. He loves water, so wherever he sees water, he just jumps in 😂
After such a long walk, I bet you and your humnas are hungry. I suggest going to TAVERNA DEL PAPPAGALLO an amazing restaurant and pizzeria where you all can eat the best pizzas ever. Dogs of course are super welcome 😀
Here are you have some links to find more things to do in Stresa:
Fith stop: LEGGIUNO
It is a town located in the province of Varese, Lombardy, Italy. It is known that the great Italian Operatic Tenor Giuseppe Borgatti died there in 1950. There are exciting things to do in Leggiuno. However, I took my humnas to see an enchanted forest that people visit on Christmas.
You all will enjoy it for sure!
Well, we are already in our sixth stop: BAROLO. If you and your humnas like wine, you cannot miss this place. Your humans will love you more afterwards... 😜
In Barolo, you can visit the winery MARCHESI DI BAROLO. Included in the list of the world's best vineyard of 2022, it is a pet-friendly winery since 1929 and encompases approximately 430 acres of vineyards.
Learn about its history and how they make their wines...
And taste some of their wines along with local food.Near this winery, there is another nice place to take your humans: CASTELLO DI GRINZANE CAVOUR
Built in the middle of the 11th century, this casttle overlooks the stunning panorama of the Langa hills and has been awarded as UNESCO world heritage site.
It is a pet-friendly casttle, so if you are a dog who likes History, you cannot miss it, since you can go inside with you humans 😀💚. Inside the casttle, you´ll be able to visit the Langhe Museum...
The Piedmont regional wine shop, the in vigna open air museum....
and have a glass of wine or taste some delicious hot chocolate at its cozy café with wondeful views to the vineyards.
Sixth stop: AVIGNON,FRANCE.
While it's largely famous for its 14th-century heyday as a papal capital and its even older 12th-century bridge, Avignon has plenty to offer beyond history. Here you have some things you can do with your humans in Avignon.
- Enjoy a great breakfast at MAISON VIOLETTE. It is located on Place des Corps Saints, in the historic center. You will love thier sweet madeleins, raspberries pastries or one of their many French cakes.
- Visit the PALACE OF THE POPES. It was the abode of seven sucessive popes during the 14th century.
3. Travel back in time in PONT D'AVIGNON. Built in the medieval period, today it's classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
4. Buy some local food at LES HALLES D'AVIGNON. A storied indoor market with a vertical garden, cafes and stalls selling local products, meat and cheesse, among other delicious things.
5. Go for a walk to LE JARDIN DU ROCHER DES DOMS. A beautiful park where you can walk along the river, have a cup of coffee in one of its cafes or just enjoy the beautiful views.
6. Get lost in its medieval streets...
... full of lights on Christmas.
7. Take your humans to one of the trendiest cafes in the city, such as CAFE TULIPE, with a wide variety of specialty coffees, as well as a selection of delicious cakes and savoury snacks and mouthwatering homemade French sweets.
8. Surprise your humans with one of its many PET FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS
I guess that after a day in Avignon, you and your tow-legged family are tired.
Here you have some PET FRIENDLY HOTELS in Avignon, where you all will be able to get some rest.
Seventh stop: CÉRET
It is located in the South fo France in the Occitania Region, just next to Spain. It has an extraordinary climate since it is in between the Oriental Pyrenees and the Mediterranean sea. This charming town was built inside a Medieval wall and it merges both French and Catalan historic heritage and cultural traditions.
Céret is full of charming streets and plazas where you can go for a walk, for shopping or just enjoy some live music.
This town is also known by the legacy that some artists such as Picasso, Matisse, Chagall or Miró, left behind. Actuallly, Céret was named the Cubism Mecca because of that. You can enjoy their works at the MUSEUM OF MODERN ART OF CERET.
The name of this town "Céret" comes from its delicious cherries that every year are collected. However, it is also known by its history. Walking along their streets you can see its historic legacy such as the
Surrounded by nature,
you can take your humans for a long walk and visit more historic sites, such as PONT DU DIABLE a medieval bridge built between 1321 and 1341. 
The views are amazing!!!
If after walking you all are hungry, here you have some dog-friendly restaurants nearby:
Near Céret, there is a nice hotel where you and your tow-legged family can stay: APPART HOTEL CASTEL EMERAUDE.
It is localted on the mountain, next to a river and surrounded by trees and green areas for you to run and take your humans for a walk....
or just get some relaxing time.They love dogs. When you check in, they give you a welcome gift with two delicious bones
and a ball to play with your humans.
My humnas love me to play with them with the ball, so It was a nice surprise 😀
However, if your humans drive, tell them to pay close attencion to the speed limit because in Céret area, if you exceed just one number the speed limit, you will receive a fine in your mailbox when you go back home 😖
So... if you don't feel like driving, here you have other DOG-FRIENDLY HOTEL IN CÉRET
Last stop PERPIGNAN
Located in the South-West of France, it is one of the most beautiful cities of the country all around the year, but specially, on Christmas due to its atmosphere, lights and mulled wine stalls that will make you feel warm.
There are some historic and cultural sites to visit in Perpignan such as the TRAIN STATION which Salvador Dali called the "center of the universe" because according to him, he experienced a vision of cosmogenic ecstasy in 1963. Two years later, he painted LA GARE DE PERPIGNAN, a monumental canvas measuring almost 3 by 4 meters where Dali represents his autobiography.
Other historic sites to visit are the CATHEDRALE SAINT JEAN BAPTISTE , the HÔTEL PAMSor the CASTILLET.
But if your humans feel like going for a walk, take them to the TÊT RIVER with colorful views and full of Christmas stalls to buy gifts, local products and food and of course, mulled wine.
If it´s lunch time and you are hungry, just next to the Têt River you will find a local market where you can either buy meat, cheese and other local products, or you can have them cooked and eat them there.
But if you are more of a "restaurant dog", here you have some local DOG-FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS in Perpignan.However, if your humans like to eat something sweet after lunch, you must take them to one of the stalls located along the Têt river, where they cook the most amazing crepes!
I guess that after all this walking and visiting you all must be tired. Here you have some PET FRIENDLY HOTELS in Perpignan for you all to get some rest.
Well... It's time to head back home!!! I enjoyed very much showing you some nice places where you can take your humans for a road trip. If you hit the road and want to stop, take a look at the resting area PENEDES in the province of Tarragona, Spain. You will find a restaurant and a big shop, as well as a gas station, and most importantly, a big green area where you can take your humans to play with the ball so they can stretch their legs.
What would do our humans without us! 😜
Finally, if you would like to plan a trip to one of the countries that are included in this post, here you have the requirements to enter each country with pets.
See you in the next adventure!
I miss my cousin Boole 😞
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