Crossing into Italy felt monumental. Switzerland had been stunningly beautiful but also relentlessly demanding — the climbs, the altitude, the sheer scale of everything. Coming down the other side of the Alps, the air got warmer, the road signs switched language, and something shifted in the atmosphere. Europe feels different country by country, and Italy announces itself immediately.
The descent brought me to a lake campsite unlike anything I'd expected to find in northern Italy — turquoise water, palm trees, a cycling path running right past the entrance. The kind of place you'd normally book months in advance. I just rolled in, pitched the tent, and sat by the water for a long time.
Later that evening, circumstances and budget meant improvising a sleeping spot under a railway bridge. It sounds worse than it was. Dry, sheltered, and with a certain rough poetry to it — the kind of accommodation you only get when you're moving through the world without a fixed plan. That's where day four ended: under Italian stars, listening to the odd train pass overhead.
- Date June 25, 2025
- Milestone First Alpine crossing complete
- Entered Italy 🇮🇹
- Overnight Lake campsite + railway bridge
