San Marino, San Marino

The road from Venice was 3 hours of flat, fast, expensive and dull motorway before reaching the winding inclines up towards San Marino - the little hilltop principality surrounded by Italy on all sides. After booking into Vacanze Camping, we eventually took the bus up yet more winding roads to the Unesco protected hilltop fortress of heavy grey stonework and narrow streets which clearly weren't designed with cars in mind.

What San Marino's streets do have in mind though is duty-free shopping and just about every shop sells cheap alcohol, cigarettes, perfume, designer gear ...or live firearms! Infact, such weaponry is clearly displayed outside the shops for all to see. Tempting as it was, I am not sure I could smuggle myself a sub-machine gun back though UK customs.

Some of the alcohol though is a bargain beyond belief and we met a real "character" (nutcase) in one such store who insisted on giving me a shot of almost anything he had behind the bar. Amongst the 80% proof Cannabis Absinthe and Hitler-themed "Der Fuhrer" wine, I picked up two big bottles of Amaretto for €2.80 each (about 15% of the UK supermarket prices) while my Dad got 3 good bottles of wine for €5.

The old city itself is a lovely place but it was unfortunately a bit foggy and drizzly while we were there. Three castles line the top of the steep hill like Russian dolls (where you can normally get a great view of the plains below) while the Santa Chiara Monastery and People's Palace are just some of the grand stone buildings which are shoe-horned into this tax haven along with the streams of millionaires and 4x4's.

Although it was only a short trip to this strange and posh little land, I recommend it for a visit and I think I can deservedly add San Marino to my growing wall of stickers.