Lake Maggiore

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My name is John Cronin and I was the courier at Lake Maggiore for the 2010 season.

Lake Maggiore is the second largest lake in Italy and arguably the least known of the three great Italian northern lakes, this is a pity as it has so much to offer. Apart from the beautiful location with quaint lakeside villages and a backdrop of snow-capped mountains, it is an ideal location for all sorts of water sports and outdoor activities, my favourite was rambling into the nearby hills or cycling to villages around the lake. Many of the Canvas guests spent their time driving further afield to explore historical towns or to find some of the waterfalls and Roman bridges that were in the locality. 

As a courier there are only eight tents to look after which means it is easier to keep on top of cleaning and give individual attention to guests also the mobiles are campsite owned and cleaned. Most of the guests at Lake Maggiore are from Holland, Germany and Denmark with smaller numbers from the UK, this gives it very much an international flavour. Everyone is very friendly, and language is not a problem as nearly everyone speaks English.  A courier's social life revolves, most of the time, around the campsite cafe and bar where there is music most evenings. Also the nearby towns of Verbania and Stresa have plenty of bars, cafes and restaurants to enjoy.

On a courier's day off, as well as exploring the local countryside, there is a good bus service to most parts of the lake and the railway station is within walking distance from the campsite. The amazing cities of Milan and Turin are easily accessible by train and the lakeside town of Locarno in Switzerland can be reached by train or boat.

I found Lake Maggiore to be a real European crossroads and a great place to meet people from many nationalities.

Lazio & Umbria

Plenty has been written about Rome but Lazio, the region in Italy that contains Rome, is often neglected. Beautiful countryside, living medieval hilltop towns, renaissance palaces, large and tranquil lakes in old volcanic craters, thermal springs and great wines.

Lake Bracciano is a large lake in a volcanic crater. Bracciano town has a renaissance castle on the water's edge. Tom Cruise married Katie Holmes here in 2006. On the east side of the lake is the smaller town of Anguillara Sabazia. Narrow pedestrian streets snake up the hill to a church with panoramic views across the lake. Visit Anguillara Sabazia in the evening to enjoy the spectacle of the sun setting across the lake.

To the east of Rome, high on a hill, is the ancient town of Tivoli. Once the playground of the stars. The Villa d'Este is in Tivoli town itself. The building is interesting enough but the the gardens, with over 300 fountains, is the perfect place to chill on a hot afternoon.

In the valley below Tivoli is the Villa Adriana. This is the site of a huge complex that the Emperor Hadrian built for himself in the 2nd century. He was not a great fan of Rome. Much of the marble and numerous statues were 'relocated' to the Villa d'Este in the 16th century

A little to the north of Lazio, in Umbria, the Marmore waterfalls, near Terni are definitely worth a visit, especially on a hot day as you can cool off in the spray from the torrent of water pouring over the cliff edge. The Romans constructed the waterfall by diverting a river over a cliff in order to clear out a stagnant land area at the base of the cliff. It remains the largest man-made waterfall in the world. The waterfall has now been adapted to also generate electricity and as a consequence, the flow is diverted to the hydroelectric turbines at various times in the day, reducing the waterfall to a trickle. Check times before visiting!

Seaside towns out-of-season are fascinating, but so are ski resorts. North-east from Rome is Monte Terminillo, in the Apennines chain. This is Rome's 'local' ski station, and at 2215m above sea level, it is pleasantly cool(ish) even in the height of summer when Rome can become unbearably hot. There are beautiful walks through mixed forests, with amazing views across adjacent valleys. Many Romans escape here in August and so most of the bars and restaurants in the ski resort are open and welcoming.

Compared to other regions, Tuscany and Lombardy in particular, Lazio and Umbria are relatively undiscovered by foreign tourists. There are little gems waiting to be discovered in the countryside if you can escape from the magnetism of Rome.