Europe bound – 10 to 22 Oct 2021

On 06/11/202106/11/2021 By JuneIn France, FullTiming, Italy, RoutesLeave a comment

Woo hoo! After six months on the road in the UK, we boarded the 07.20 Eurotunnel service to Calais and set our wheels down on foreign soil for the first time in a year. The crossing was very easy and although we had all the paperwork we could have been asked for (COVID certificates and French Passenger Locator Forms), the only change to previous crossings was that our passports were stamped by French immigration. We had abided as far as possible with the requirement for no meat or dairy but with living full time in the van, and as June likes cooking, we have an extensive store cupboard. So the fridge was empty but we took a risk with the stock cubes and seeds in the spice rack (never knew they would be on the banned lists but stock cubes are a meat by-product and theoretically mustard seeds can be planted); thankfully no inspection but we would have dumped them all if need be.

The plan is to head quickly through France, Italy and Slovenia (soon derailed when we reached Italy!) to minimise the days in the Schengen Area thereby ensuring there would be no impact on next year’s travel plans. I’m sure most people are aware but for those who are not, since the beginning of 2021 when the glorious Brexit was implemented, UK passport holders, like all other non-EU citizens, are now limited to a maximum of 90 days in any 180 in the Schengen Area. This means that whilst long term travelling in Europe is not impossible, it does now require some planning to bounce in and out of the Schengen and non-Schengen countries. Hence the ultimate destination of Croatia which whilst in the EU is not in Schengen. Confused? You will be…… (really wish they’d put Soap on one of the streaming services. Sorry for the obscure reference to a 70’s TV program but if you’re of a certain age you’d understand!).

The first day in France was spent on the peage trying to cover as many miles as possible plus a supermarket stop to refill the fridge and cupboards. Although the tolls add up (€80.70 for this leg and a total of €128.30 in France and Italy on the way out), we think it’s worth paying as the peage roads are usually the most direct and we’ve never, as yet, been caught in traffic other than once after an accident – not us I should add! Beaune apparently is a great place to stop and on a wine route but this was just a quick overnight for us in the city aire.

Our next night would be close to Lyon as we had to find somewhere for a PCR test to enable us to get into Italy. If we had spent a couple of weeks in France this wouldn’t have been necessary but as we’d only left the UK the previous day, it was a requirement for us to enter Italy despite us both being double jabbed. Clinics offering PCR testing are widespread in France and although free to residents, we had to pay €44 each but the test was quick and the results were emailed to us within six hours. When we arrived at the campsite, the staff were really helpful in calling the clinic on our behalf to ensure we could get a test same day as well as sending us off in the right direction!

We only overnighted at Camping Barolles, but we would use it again – friendly, helpful staff, a small shop of essentials, fresh bread deliveries and a small bar plus all the usual facilities. Pitches were all of a reasonable size.

We’ve kept a close eye on the ever-changing requirements for travelling post-COVID and would suggest that if you are thinking of travelling you sign up to the respective country destination page on the FCO pages of the UK Government site. We’ve set up email alerts so we’ll be notified of any changes for the countries we are potentially visiting. Another good app is “Re-open EU” where you can input your originating and destination countries and it will tell you the latest requirements. We are amazed at the number of people whose first port of call for any travel information is social media!

From Lyon we headed towards the Alps where just off our route June spotted the road to Alpe d’Huez, one of the iconic Tour de France climbs. Well it had to be done and 20+ hairpin bends later we were at top! All we can say is “chapeau” to anyone who cycles up there. We had thought about staying here but it was still early afternoon and being in between seasons, nothing was open (a frequent occurrence on our travels) so we decided to drive back down again and cross the border into Italy. We only had a 48 hour window from having the negative PCR test to reach Italy so we would have gone the next morning anyway.

Armed with our test results we reached the border where they didn’t even give us a second look, let alone ask for any documentation! A bit miffed as it seemed that we had wasted €88 but best to be on the safe side and have everything in order.

Like Alpe d’Huez, the ski resort at Sestriere was mostly closed and a lot of building was going on in preparation for the forthcoming season, but the sosta was open so we overnighted there. Not the most glamorous of places but we were just sleeping there and we had a beautiful view out of the window to the valley the following morning.

After three countries in as many days we were looking forward to a couple of days catching up with ourselves in the Italian lakes and found a free sosta on Lago d’Idro, a small lake to the west of Lake Garda. The sosta is at the northern end of the lake near the town of Baitoni and was a great find as there was so much to do and see. We walked around part of the lake and the valley sides, sat watching the kite-surfers and found hides in the small nature reserve from where to watch the local birdlife. The field next to the car park is a landing site for paragliders and morning and evening we had parachutes overhead on their way to landing.

Away from the lake, there are multiple footpaths up into the mountains where there are many monuments and dedications to those who fought in World War 1 – the area is full of history as it had been part of the border between Italy and the Austro-Hungarian empire.

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Note the steel cable to hold on to as there was a drop off of about a couple of hundred feet.

We had originally planned just a couple of nights but after four nights we pulled ourselves away and moved a little further north to the village of Castelfondo. After a steep uphill climb through the narrow streets of the village, we spent a couple of nights in the sosta there from where we have stunning views over the valley which eventually runs through to Lake Garda. The area is very agricultural and the main crop seemed to be Delicious Apples – both red and golden. We really didn’t know that Italy grew so many apples!

Our main destination in Italy was the Dolomites where we wanted to do the one walk we had been unable to do on our 2018 trip. We also completed a couple of the mountain passes that we had only done from one side previously as the summits had been closed due to snow. Firstly though we needed to replenish food supplies so went to the city of Bolzano. We don’t know what it is with the South-Tyrol region of Italy but none of the supermarkets has a decent sized carpark so after trying a few shops, we headed straight out of the city and it took another couple of days before we found a place to shop. That was at Euro Spin just south of Cortina if interested!

We had one night near Val Gardena in another ski resort car park and then the next in the Valle di Cadore, at a free sosta before going to Misurina to be able to do the walk around Tre Cime which was on Bob’s to do list. We used the sosta at Misurina but had been unable to get the water we needed as the tap was broken (still had to pay €20 for the night!) but fortunately there was a tap in the town which we could use. Having to use this tap led to chance meeting with a fellow motorhomer who had been on the road for two years, leaving from his home country of China! He and his friend were travelling and cycling and had visited a number of countries on our wish list although for some of them his passport made visiting a lot easier than ours.

We were up at the crack of dawn the following morning to head up to the car park at the base of the famous Tre Cime peaks. Throughout the summer there is a toll to use the road but the ability to pay and park for up to a day and a half meaning you could spend the night there. We had just missed the cut-off for that so whilst we didn’t have to pay the toll, the car park ticket was only valid from 8am until 2am the following morning so if you wanted to spend the night, you had to buy a two day ticket at the cost of €45 PER DAY!

We opted for the one-day ticket but it was worth every penny. There are various walks around the formation, all clearly marked and we opted for one just short of seven miles taking us in a wide loop around the base of the peaks. The weather was on our side and we ran out of superlatives – it was all we’d hoped for.

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When we initially planned this trip, we’d thought maybe a week to get to this point…. Well having left home almost two weeks ago and having cut France to two overnight stays, we really had to move on to our next stop – Slovenia, but that’s for the next post!

Sites used:
Charles de Gaulle Aire Park, Beaune: €6.90 for 24 hours, €4.20 for access to WC emptying point. EHU and water available at additional costs. Large car park close to town.

Camping Barolles, Saint Genis Laval, France: €20.94 p/n plus EHU at additional cost. Small tiered, hard standing. Bus service from outside into Lyon.

Sestriere ski resort motorhome car park: barrier was open when we stayed so probably charges in summer/ski season. Some EHU points, water and dumping facilities.

Lago D’Idro motorhome park, near Baitoni, Italy: free parking. Water and dumping facilities a short walk away.

Castelfondo motorhome park, Italy: €15 p/n. Water and EHU on each pitch. Service point available for dumping grey and black water.

Val Gadena: barrier was open when we stayed but charges applicable in season. No facilities. Sloping car park.

Valle de Cadore sosta: free. Water and dumping facilities.

Misurina camper sosta, Italy: €20 p/n. Water and dumping facilities (water not working when we visited).

Lago d’Antorno, Italy: free. A rutted, muddy area where motorhomes pitch up for an overnight stay.

Bob’s big birthday road trip 2018

On 08/05/201801/02/2020 By bobIn France, Italy, Switzerland, Trips4 Comments

20th April

Usual departure routine with Bob leaving home at lunchtime, June leaving work at 5pm and meeting up again at Ashford International railway station. A quick trip down the motorway soon saw us at Eurotunnel for our crossing to Calais. Luckily this time we had already decided to go no further than Citie Europe as the trains were all running late so we finally parked up around 11pm local time.

21st April
A day on the road heading in a south east with tonight’s destination being about 100km beyond Dijon with the only detour being a shopping stop at Carrefour in Reims.
Overnighted in Aire Le Bresse Poulet, a large but relatively quiet service station.

22nd April

France, Switzerland and Italy today. Left France via Chamonix but no stopping in Switzerland this time other than to pick up the vignette (form 1519, 32.50 Swiss Francs and required for vehicles over 4t).

Switzerland into Italy was via the St Bernard pass but unfortunately the actual pass had not re-opened after the winter snow so we had to use the tunnel at the extortionate cost of €41.80. After a slight detour, (ie going the wrong way!) along the Autostrade we turned off the main road to drive up the Cervino Valley for tonight’s stop at the motorhome park in Breuil-Cervenia. Great spot for a two night stay at €7.60 per night with facilities to take on clean water as well as dump the black and grey water.

23rd April

With good weather forecast for the earlier part of the day we walked into town (there is a shuttle bus for €1 per person but it’s only 10 minutes) and bought a cable car pass, €31 each, to head up to the Plateau Rosa. We don’t ski but it seems this is a popular resort amongst our friends and given the multiple ski runs we could see why! In the absence of skiing there was not much for us to do other than indulge in some people watching initially with coffee and then, seeing as it was lunchtime, a bottle of local red whilst, with the exception of a brief snow shower, enjoying the glorious sunshine.

As the cloud came in we took the three cable cars back down to the town to look for a coffee but everywhere seemed closed – the town was very quiet but this time of year is between seasons.

24th April

Today’s original plan had been to drive to Lake Garda but a warning light on the dashboard indicating there was a problem with the brakes had us trying to find a Mercedes garage on route. After some toing and froing via Google translate we found a place in Ivrea and arrived there just after lunch. Although they did not speak much English and our Italian is almost non-existent, we soon got to the source of the problem but they couldn’t fix it on the spot and tomorrow is a public holiday. Given that we are heading back into the mountains we felt we had not choice but to stay in the area and are booked in for first thing Thursday morning. In the meantime, thanks to a very nice man we got chatting to in the garage who spoke perfect English, we will be staying in a little sosta/campsite on the edge of Lago Sirio.

Cost here is €5 per night plus €3 for electricity plus a €5 refundable deposit for the site access card.

25th April
Today was a forced day of rest. Not that was a problem as we were staying in a pretty nice little site that was just cross the road from the lake around which we took an all too brief post-lunch stroll (the indication was 90 minutes but we did it in 45 and were certainly not racing!.

26th April
Arrived at the Mercedes dealer for just past 8.00 where we left the van while we went off to Carrefour and Decathlon.

Both sets of front brake pads were changed at a cost of €260. Not bad we felt as we left for our next site at Lago di Ledro via the western edge of Lake Garda. Up until now the Italian driving was OK… However the drivers we encountered along the lake side had a different, more ‘adventurous’ style. Some of the overtakes were a trifle risqué to say the least, including the overtake around a blind bend in a tunnel!

The Camping Al Lago is a great little site with good facilities. The free Wi-Fi worked on our pitch really well and we were almost as far away from the buildings as you could have got.

27th April
The big day! As it was Bob’s birthday we had planned to go on a Via Ferrata trip that we had booked with Roberto from www.discoverydolomites.com

Roberto collected us from the entrance to the campsite at 9.00 and a short while later we parked up on the outskirts of Biacesa di Ledro. After about an hours walk it was time to put the harness and helmet on before we clipped on the line.

This had always been on Bob’s list of things to do, not June’s though.. as always she took the challenge and joined in the fun. This particular Via Ferrata, Cima Capi, was a good one to start with and is one of the original routes used by the Hungarian-Austrian army during the First World War. This marked the frontline with the Italians on the other side of the valley.

It really was a fantastic day that we both enjoyed and we both ached a little less than we imagined we would the following day. All in all a Grand Day Out!

Evening time we went to a local restaurant, Osteria La Torre which was a great way to finish a great day.

28th April
We had decided to stay at the campsite an extra night and walked around Lago di Ledro stopping for lunch for a pizza, well when in Italy etc, at Hotel Pizzeria Cima D’Oro over looking the lake.

29th April
As it was the weekend (and a bank holiday one at that) and with a tendency to squish as many motorhomes in as possible we had a bit of manoeuvring to get off our pitch but soon were on the road again. Destination into the thick of the Dolomites.

The first real mountain pass we came to was the Passo Rolle 1981m which was beautiful and quite a lot of snow at the top. We dropped down into San Martino di Castrozza where we stopped in an Sosta like no other. Sostas, known as Aires in France, are locations where motorhomes can park quite cheaply, sometimes free. Often not much more than a car park but lots have somewhere that you can drop off your grey and black water and top up with clean water. There are some with free WiFi. Yes the UK has a lot to learn about encouraging motorhome tourism.

This Sosta was €10 and included free WiFi, albeit we didn’t realise at the time. The dump station was under cover and one of the best we have ever used facility wise.

The town, like a lot of towns we were to find, was almost closed. It appears that there are 2 distinct seasons, winter and summer, and during the gaps between a lot of the towns and cable cars don’t just reduce servcies but seem to go into hibernation. We should have done a bit more research, I guess, as we had wanted to take a few cable cars to reach hikes, however with the scenery we were not going to complain.

30th April
Looking at the map, we do now and again, we saw a large lump of dolomite in front of us that we could drive around. The rock gets the name from Deodat de Dolomieu a French mineralogist who identified the rock formation was a variant of limestone, calcium magnesium carbonate. This area was subsequently named the Dolomites in his honour.

So off we set to circumnavigate the Pale di San Martino. It was, as most of the drives in the area were looking to be, stunning. On then to Passo Pellegrino. Who knew they would name a mountain pass after a soft drinks company! Leading up to this pass were quite a few hairpins… But more, far more, were to come.

From the western end of the pass we headed north to Ortisei St. Ulrich via the Passo Sella at 2218m which had dozens of hairpins. A great drive.

The aim was to grab a cable car to a rock outcrop called Seceda. Sadly the cable cars were shut down so after a bit of shopping we headed to a Sosta at Plan De Gralba. It was a large car park (and one of the few we found that along this stretch of road that would actually allow motorhomes) but we had it all to ourselves and as no one came to collect payment it was free!

1st May
Back tracking a little we headed east over the Sella pass again and to Campolongo via the Passo Pordoi 2239m which had 33 hairpins on the downward side heading east!

As the Passo Gardena 2136m was reported closed we thought we’d check it out to see how far we could get. Well it appears we could get to the top! One of the reasons for ‘giving it a go’ was that a friend had mentioned there was a shop at the top that just had to be visited. Indeed there was. A shop that sold everything from aprons to serious rock climbing hardware. We came away with nothing 🙂

After lunch at the top we headed to our next campsite ‘ Camping Sass Dlcia’.

This site is the highest in the Dolomites and although quite a big site it is in a pine forest you really don’t get that feeling as the pitches a well spaced out although again given the time of year there weren’t that many visitors. The showers really good and the staff very helpful.

2nd May
As the weather was closing in a bit it became a stay at home morning where June baked cake and bread. Using the MrD Thermal Cooker and the Omnia stove top oven.

As it brightened up we took a bimble along on the few mountain tracks nearby. Following a series of zigzags we ended up at a mountain refuge with a small church nearby. Again this church was dedicated to the First World War. Albeit I am not a religious man at all but it is quite powerful to think of the dedication that folk had to build churches in so many difficult to access locations. We also managed to grab a quick Geocache. As we started to make our way down it began to rain and sleet a little…. OK a lot!

3rd May
Leaving Camping Sass Dicia we headed to an Aire near Tre Cime (Three Peaks). In an attempt to bag a few more passes though we didn’t take the most direct route though. We managed to hold up traffic on the Valparola 2186m and the Falzarego 2105m passes. Maybe now is a good time to apologise formally to all past and future drivers that may be held behind a 4 tonne Motorhome from the UK that is crawling up, or down, an obscure mountain pass. We do pull in to let the traffic pass if safe to do so but when going uphill, this is a little less likely as once we get going I like to keep the momentum. On this trip we have pulled over many times…. probably letting 10s of vehicles pass but to-date we have only had an acknowledgement from 2. It doesn’t take much for a friendly wave or toot as you pass. You never know it may make me more likely to pull over next time you are behind me 🙂

We stopped at Cortina for a few supplies and a coffee… It is taking us quite a while to get our heads around the lunchtime closing hours of about 11.30 to 3.30 or any time between. But hey we are on a holiday and we don’t mind grabbing a coffee ot two while we wait.

As I mentioned at the start of today it was our aim to park up very close to Tre Cime in an Aire. However when we reached Lago d’Antorno we found the road was closed. This was a bit of a blow as the hike around the peaks was one of the big things on our list. Still it does mean we will have to come back 🙂

We found an aire close to the nearby Lago di Misurina which was free, at the time.

4th May
At this altitude, 1754m, there was still quite a bit of snow about still. After a quick wander around the lake we moved on to Lago Braies. Time was running out and although we had quite a few days left we had to start travelling west’ish.

On the app Campercontact, which we use a lot when in Europe, there were a couple of car parks close to the lake that said motorhomes could stay overnight in. We parked up in the one closest to the lake and for €12 not a bad location. No facilities but it was good hard standing and very quiet over night.

Now Lago di Braies..what can be said? It is a truly beautiful lake and the large hotel next to the water’s edge was used during during the last weeks of the Second World War.

The water is a stunning shade of green and, at this time of the year, a really tranquil location. There is an easy walk around the lake, about 5k, albeit a few steps on the way.

5th May

Still heading west we had a longer driving day today as we left the ragged peaks of the Dolomites and drove through rolling green hills (and apple orchards – have never seen so many!). We managed one pass – the Giovo 2094m but our plan for the Stelio, where we intended to overnight, was scuppered by the approach roads being closed.
After tight squeezes through several Swiss villages and a two way, one lane tunnel (traffic lights either end) we spent the night in Livigno. An OK site with facilities to drop and pick up water, electrical hook-up and free wi-fi for €20 per night

6th May
We left Livigno, back through the Munt la Schera tunnel €22 each way into Switzerland and headed to Randa near Zermatt for a few days. Essentially we’re pretty much back where we started the trip proper in Cervinia – just the other side of the Matterhorn!

A drive of extremes – motorway, main roads, large towns and little villages. A heavy winter snowfall meant that the major passes were still closed but we ticked off two smaller ones, the Flüelapass, 2383m and the Oberalp, 2004m, although the snow was still piled high on the roadside and skiers were out.

With the Furka Pass being closed we took the car train (CHF58 for the motorhome) which was an experience but it probably cut hours off the journey!

Stopping at Camping Attermenzen, Randa in the valley that leads to Zermatt. The site has a few level pitches but I would always bring levellers if you are intending staying here. Very quiet at the moment but I can imagine in summer this, like many campsites in the area, will be very busy.

7th May

As you can’t access Zermatt direct the easiest way is via train from the next town down the valley, Tasch. The site has taxis available at 8.00, 9.00 and 10.00 (CHF14 per person return) that will take you to Zermatt however Tasch station it is an easy 20 minute walk.

At the station we bought a combined ticket for Zermatt and the Gornergrat (CHF114.80 per person return) which is a stunning train ride up into the mountains that gives you a cracking view of the Matterhorn.

The train winds around the contours of the hillside using a cog system until you are over 3000m up. There was still quite a bit of snow at the top but the views were amazing. The iconic top of the Matterhorn drifted in and out of view. After quite a few photos and just ‘mountain watching’ we grabbed a bite to eat in the summit cafe (not cheap but, hey, all part of the day out) and then made our way back to Zermatt.

8th May

This was just a day at the campsite… No more and no less 🙂

9th May

Leaving the campsite we headed west to Chamonix where we spent a few hours in the town. The Aire at Chamonix is one we have used before. Not much more that a big car park, it is very handy for the town centre and the Cable Car to the Aiguille du Midi, which if you haven’t visited we would recommend…. on a clear day as the views can be stunning.

10th May

Finally heading home…. Stopped at an Aire near Troy. Again no more than a car park but very close to a man made lake. Nice walks but I can imagine in the summer it will be packed.

11th May

Onwards to the tunnel. The van had developed a small snag in that the battery ignition light would flash on and off for the first 10 miles or so of most journeys. Probably the alternator brushes we think but will get it looked at as soon as we can once home. In addition the Goldschmitt levelling system had started to play up. Once the legs were retracted one of them would slowly lower which set off the warning buzzer. Thankfully this would sort itself out within a few miles of driving. One more for the list once we get home.

All in all we cannot complain about the van at all. We have owned it for 5 years now and this trip is the first time we have had to source a Mercedes dealer. Not bad when you consider we have driven over 36,000 km. I guess that is the advantage of having a Hymer built on a Merc. Just reliable.

Tonight we will stay at the French side of the Tunnel in the Citi Europe car park again.

This trip had been in the planning for many months. It turned out to be a little different than we expected but being the adaptable, rather than the moaning ‘it’s always going wrong’ type of people we still had a fantastic time.

The main differences were down to the cable cars being closed. We had planned to do much more hiking. It appears that a lot of the towns close down in between the winter and summer seasons. The big benefit to us was that it was very quiet.

As far as the hiking is concerned….. well we will just have to go back again. Sometimes it can be a tough life.

We are VERY lucky.

A bit of Italy in October

On 28/12/2015 By bobIn Italy, Italy 2015Leave a comment

With basic flights from Gatwick to Malpensa at around £50 return this was always going to be a good trip away with friends….

Having finally sorted out the hire car (and you think you’ve done everything from here….but that’s another story), we drove along the beautiful Como lake side roads directly to the B&B Miralago Bellagio . I guess this was a family home in the day and still had a great look about it.

With free wifi and a really substantial breakfast it was a winner and another lucky pick from TripAdvisor! Located on the other side of the headland in a peaceful setting, some rooms are lake facing but all clean and comfortable. Staff were friendly and accommodating and were on hand for wine and beer of an evening at very reasonable costs. Have to say it again though….the breakfast was amazing – fresh fruit, homemade pastries and cakes as well as the continental staples of meats and bread as well as cooked eggs. Our room was over the kitchen and the smells wafting in of a morning were worth waking up for! The main town of Bellagio is a 10 minute walk up along winding paths in amongst the houses over a small hill. Walking down into the town revealed a stunning view out over the lake.

We had dinner that night at Ristorante La Terrazza Belvedere and with it’s view over the lake, it provided a good end to the day. There are a number of lakeside restaurants as you would expect and offer good spots for people watching as the sun goes down behind the mountains. Aperol and Prosecco are not necessary but it would have been rude not to!

The Stelvio Pass

The next day had been planned for a while… A ride out to the The Stelvio Pass on the Swiss border. It is one of the roads that Top Gear has used in the past for some of its programs. Following a post on Facebook friends suggested that we took in the Gavia Pass too. Great idea..however when we reached the pass we found it closed.

After a quick lunch of pasta in the town of Ponte di Legno at (a Pizzeria which wasn’t actually selling pizza – I would have thought that was a first in Italy) we continued on to The Stelvio Pass. It is a stunning drive reaching snow as we approached the summit. At the top we had been told of a stall that sold the best Bratwurst… however as we were running late he was shutting up as we parked!..

We did manage to find a place for a coffee though..albeit there was a man sat reading porn at a nearby table….Very odd but the coffee was good.

Messing about on the water

Saturday was going to be a more relaxing day… For €15 you can buy a boat ticket that allows you unlimited travel on the mid section of Lake Como. So with tickets in hand we set off from Bellagio to Menaggio, having stopped off in Varenna the night before for a Pizza.

Its is a really relaxing way to get about and see other small towns in the area with the inevitable coffee or two. From there we took the ferry to Cadenabbia and walked, quite a few kms, to Lenno before returning to Bellagio. If you feel so inclined there are a few cycle paths off the main road but we stuck to walking this time.

That night was a belated birthday treat for Sarah and Colin… We went to Hotel La Pergola which was only a few minutes walking distance of our hotel. The food was superb and not overpriced given the location (the restaurant is right on the side of the lake) but we thought the place lacked atmosphere – it was a Saturday night and we were the last to leave at around 9.15pm. However that may have been the time of year as nowhere we visited seemed busy and some places were closed for winter.

Romeo, Romeo where are ya

Sunday was off to Verona. Only a 2 1/2 hour trip and easy parking which is always a bonus. Of course the first stop was always going to be a coffee but from there we went to the Arena, which to be honest was little disappointing. It would have been a stunning place but they were still dismantling the stage plus all the lighting and sound rigs from the summer opera season. We were told this though when we bought a discounted entry ticket but we didn’t realise the extent to which the Arena would be covered. On the other hand we can’t imagine a more breathtaking venue in which to watch opera – not our usual theatre choice but here we would certainly give it a go!

We had to see the Casa di Giulietta which is said to be the location of the balcony Shakespeare based the Romeo, Romeo where are ya story. It is a real tourist trap – despite every where else we went being fairly quiet, we found all the tourists here! But still we were in Verona so it had to be done. A beautiful building from the outside (we didn’t pay to go in) and yes we did leave our names on the wall on the entrance to the courtyard. With both Bob and Colin being so tall it may be a while before ours are covered!

That night we ate at a place we had noticed the day before called Enoteca CavaTuracciolo.

We chose this place based purely on it’s looks being somewhere very different from our usual choice of restaurant and once inside we were not disappointed. Not the largest menu on the food front and don’t expect too much choice of beer (in fact the night we went they had sold out the night before with a large party) but don’t let that put you off.

Having little knowledge of Italian wine we opted for a suggested food/wine menu of which there were four depending on your wine preferences – pick your combination of red and white for the three glasses and for each there is an accompanying 3 course menu. The staff were very helpful and didn’t make us feel stupid for not being wine experts. The simple but delicious set menus were €24 each – we opted for cold meat starters, pasta main and all options had a cheese platter to finish. The wines varied in price – our choice of 3 reds was €18.

All in all a great place to spend our final night in Bellagio and would highly recommend even to non-wine buffs!

Como and home

Our last day, this time around, saw a trip to Como town.

It is really worth taking a trip on the funicular. A great place for views over Como and the surrounding area. €5.50 return journey for adults and cars every 15 minutes or so, so not too much hanging around waiting. There are restaurants and bars at the top but we didn’t visit any of them.

All in all a great location for a weekend away and the timing was perfect – it would probably be too busy for us in the summer. Just over an hour from Milan and we had our perfect combination of water and mountains; the food and wine were pretty good too!

A few photos from our trip to Bellagio

On 17/10/2015 By bobIn Italy, Italy 2015Leave a comment

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Why I won’t be using @holidayautos again

On 17/10/201517/10/2015 By bobIn Italy 2015, Trips3 Comments

We just returned from a long weekend in Bellagio Italy. It was a beautiful location and we had a great time but I have returned to the UK with a bit of bad taste and it was nothing to do with the Italian food… it was a result of a hire car excess …. 2800 Euro excess!

Before we left we booked an Avis hire car through Holiday Autos to be collected at Malpensa airport Milan. We took advantage of the Collision Waiver, Theft Waiver and Third Party Protection…… now you would have thought we had it all sewn up… Sadly not the case. Now I am sure the excess was in the small print but, with all the above protection and waivers I didn’t pick up. I really thought I had the full set.

The end result was we paid an extra 211.98 Euros for Excess reduction and 9.15 Euros for Windscreen protection. Yes we could have opted out and stood the 2800 Euro excess had we had a ding….. But we decided better safe than sorry. Looking at the vehicle we ended up with there had been a couple of dings that some poor soul had probably paid the excess on!

Did it ruin the trip?… No of course not… Did it bankrupt us… again thankfully not, but what it did result in is me never booking through Holiday Autos again..next time I will go direct to the hire company.

Italy…. for a few days…

On 03/10/201503/10/2015 By bobIn Italy 2015Leave a comment

The next planned trip is off to Italy. Staying in Bellagio we will be exploring, drinking and eating with great friends….

One of the plans, if the weather is clear enough, is to drive the Stelvio Pass. This has been made famous by Top Gear as one of their preferred routes

The planning for this trip started a while ago…. when we managed to get EasyJet tickets from London Gatwick to Milano Malpensa for £50 each…return! Yes the price increased a bit once we had chosen seats with lots of leg room (well I,m 6’4″ and Colin is 6’7″) and hold luggage but that was our choice. Basic price was a bargain. We found accommodation via Trip Advisor and we are good to go.

Homeward bound

On 05/08/201431/12/2015 By bobIn Italy Switzerland 2014, TripsLeave a comment

Overnight, as normal, we had a little rain but by the morning this had stopped and our journey home started. There is no doubt in June or my minds we will be returning. In fact when the time is right for us to live this lifestyle permanently, about 2020, we will be bouncing from mountain range to mountain range. We both love the rugged views and even more the rugged driving.

Our aim was to stop near Reims so we could Carrefour shop. However we left picking an Aire too late. We aimed for one we had used a couple of years ago on the return from Lac Annecy but it was full. The handy app showed another nearby but when we could locate it and asked a local he shook his head saying there wasn’t one, despite there being a sign up on the wall of a house (put no parking places). We headed back to the motorway and picked a small Aire and slept well.

From there we moved on in the morning towards Calais for a bit of shopping. We found the fuel at the Auchan in Avenue Roger Salengro at least 20 cents a litre cheaper than the motorways. When you are filling up with over 80 litres that is more than enough for a #Clewleystopsforcoffee treat.

By the time we get home we will have travelled 3750 Kms, 2343 miles. Our 18 Overnight stops were around £360 (including 4 nights at campsites which accounted for about £230). The tolls were around £225 plus £23 for the Swiss Heavy Duty Tax as we are over 4 Tonnes). We used Tesco points towards the EuroTunnel and ended up paying about £30.

Update from the Motorhome parking at Citie Europe.

We have used the Motorhome parking here many times and today was the first time we have ever witnessed any suspicious activity. While cooking June saw a guy trying to get into a Hymer parked behind us and against the wooded area. Fortunately the van was locked and occupied. The guy ran off into the woods. Bob went to have a ‘look’ but he had long gone. As always security should be taken seriously as you would at home. We never leave the van unlocked or unalarmed. I have other security devices (including my big Maglite) fitted to the Motorhome and ways of monitoring it while we are away. There is kit out there folks please find it and use it, but never stop living the dream.

A few of the photos we took on this trip.

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20 miles later

On 05/08/201405/08/2014 By bobIn Italy Switzerland 2014Leave a comment

I write this from a beautiful Aire at almost 2200 metres and with stunning views all around. But first can I have a little rant? There are two categories of motorists I detest; apart from killers of course, they are drivers who do not thank you for lettng them through and those that drive on the hard shoulder of a motorway when there is tailback. The former I am more inclined to think maybe it was just a bad day and they forgot or were listening to little Gertrude in the back and normally they would wave and smile at me for my good deed. HOWEVER the second group I really and permanently detest. Today we spent a couple of hours in a queue on the road that leads to St Gotthard’s tunnel. No idea what the cause was as we turned off to St Gotthard’s pass before we came across the mayhem. During this time at least 10 cars of differing nationalities insisted in undertaking. Now, puts on ex-traffic cops hat, the hard shoulder accounts for about 4 times the fatalities than the other three lanes added together (I think those stats are current, if not let me know ex-traffic lads). There is a good reason for the the hard shoulder, despite some UK bean counter deciding that ‘Managed Motorways’ are the way ahead. The emergency services use them to make to the scene to save life and have been trained to do so safely… Yes I know some need the toilet and don’t have the luxury of one at the rear their vehicle, many were in fact pulling over and having a quick wee….male and female. The oiks that we witnessed today we just careless at the best. What they are implying, I think, is their day is far more important that yours and mine who wait patiently. End rant, I thank you.

Your driver for the day ladies and gents.

Maybe I should have more compassion for my fellow law breakers! Yes, we are now legal in Switzerland. Last night I discovered that our vehicle should have a Form 15.19. (Don’t forget the dot). As we are over 4 tonnes we should have purchased said form as soon as we crossed the border some three days ago…… My only excuse your honour, as feeble as it is, is that I hadn’t planned to come into Switzerland on our freestyle trip and hadn’t researched Switzerland too much.

Our dilemma was, do we just carry on and hope the rozzers don’t stop us or do we return to Italy, do a quick U turn and pretend that was our first entry. We went for the latter. We are normally reasonabley law abiding folk, and while Clewley’s luck has served me well, I wasn’t sure my IPA card could get me out of a ticket. So off we went back down the very wet valley to the border post at Luino. A few clicks later and I managed a U turn to saunter back. Having stopped that the customs point I asked for the 15.19 and was told I don’t need one as my vehicle wasn’t big enough. Not big enough? Doesn’t he know a Clewley when he sees one. Anyway I paid my 32.50 Swiss Francs and we were legal again. Hoorah!

Having stocked up with goodies we joined the motorway and you’ve heard the rest as far as that road is concerned. We never intended going through the tunnel as the St Gotthard’s pass looked far more fun. Time lapse to follow folks…

Whoever Gottard is his pass is almost spectacular (saving that word for later and also we couldn’t see too much through the mist ). His pass first opened in the 13 century according to Andrew Sykes novel Crossing Europe on a bike called Reggie….great read by the way Andrew if you ever read this.

Having completed this pass in the Motorhome, poor Andrew cycled it!, and as we reached the commit moment for Furkapass (you at the back stop sniggering now!) the gear box jumped into neutral. Right on a roundabout. It took a few minutes but soon we were on our way but I could read June’s face she was a little worried it may happen again. Well relying on Clewley’s luck we continued over the aforesaid pass….I am not saying it again ’cause you’ll only laugh again.

Now Gottard must have been really pee’d off at the discovery of FP as it is truly Stunning. Not knowing where to look next there were lots of ooing and wows. Basically you just zigzag up the up to 2000 meters and then zigzag back down only to do it up one more time to the night’s stop at the top of Grimselpass. When we get back I will upload a gallery of photos for this trip but it make take a while to select those we want…

We were aiming for an Aire at Berghaus near Grimselpass but there is a traffic light system that regulates going up the pass and the return journey. I mistook the red light as a pass blocked so we found another spot for just £7 .

And finally, why is this post entitled “20 miles later”? That was the distance, as the crow flies, between last night’s and tonight’s locations. However, a swift trip to Italy, a hunt for a decent supermarket, a two hour traffic jam and a stop for lunch added up to eight hour driving day……oh to have wings!

Valle Verzasca

On 05/08/201405/08/2014 By bobIn Italy Switzerland 2014Leave a comment

Heavy storms overnight made the packing away of the girls tent a little damp to say the least. Still we were on the road by 10.00 and off to the supermarket so carefully plotted on TomTom. Well had it not been a Swiss holiday we would have shall we say…. Note to self, check holidays of the countries you are visiting before the food runs low. Thankfully we needed fuel so picked up the basics in a service station before heading up the valley.

First point to stop was the dam just a few clicks along the winding road. There appear to be quite a few Swiss drivers who love hugging the central white line. No matter if they have a drop on their side or a cliff…they don’t like to drive on the edge…just saying.

The car park for the dam is quite small and after waiting a few minutes for a space June noticed a few people walking towards the dam entrance from the north. Just a few hundred metres further along were several parking places with room for the Motorhome and these were free. Back at the dam, as I think I had mentioned yesterday, there is a bungee jumping platform. Sadly we didn’t have a spare 250 Swiss francs so we gave that a miss….this time. We watched a couple of lads take the jump, one of the longest in Europe. Bob now fluent in Swiss asked for a sticker and ended up with a map of the valley, but hey the map was free. Driving up this valley was just stunning. I know I use that word a lot but it was, promise. I could prove it by boring you with footage from the Road Hawk we have fitted to the front screen but I guess you would rather take my word for it. (May get some time lapse for tomorrow though as we go over the Alps).

We stopped at Lavertezzo where there is a double arched bridge, and a geocache if you are up for it too. Parking a few hundred metres north of the bridge at 2 francs an hour or you can get the Verzasca Parking Card from info points, restaraunts, campsites and the machines with a green background. The water is so clear at Lavertezzo there is a company that does dive trips there. Well I guess if you have no coast you have to make the most of what you have.

To be honest it looked great fun and the water was very very clear. Having grabbed a geocache and managed to keep our feet dry we went back to the Motorhome fed the meter again and took lunch at the riverside. Amy, of course, went swimming and deserves a medal…the water was a tad cold. The rocks along this valley are full of mica (see I did learn something from that OU geology course) and glisten in the sunlight. Yes the sun was out!!

Après lunch we made our way to Sonogno (Son-non-yo) which was to be our camp for the night. And what a site. The village is, yes you’ve guessed it, stunning…no really it is look.

The Aire is at the end of the car park and for a grand total of €16 a night we have water and dumping facilities in a beautiful Swiss valley. And the ticket covers us for use of the car parks in the valley until tomorrow at 19.00. Just a 2 minute walk to the village this Aire is really well positioned. The village has a few souvenir shops, a restaurant and cafés. There is a beautiful church looking over what I guess must be the village green.

So much sun

On 05/08/201406/08/2014 By bobIn Italy Switzerland 2014, TripsLeave a comment

Today the sun god has come out….the skies are as blue as blue can be and not a cloud to be seen. The site was really quite quiet during the night helped by the barriers being closed to cars at 10.00 pm. We did see a security guard patrolling during the evening but how much of that continued after dark I don’t know.

It looks like we will be carrying out the 3 S’s today, swimming, shopping and siesta’ing. Chloe did say if it was sunny today she would swim out to a pontoon in the lake with Amy…time will tell:)

The lake frontage at the campsite gives great access to the water. Amy was in a quick as she could be. She is a real water baby. As the morning progressed we were joined by a floating bar. This boat went from mooring spot to mooring spot around Lake Maggiore selling ice creams and drinks.

Floating bar with a few clouds in the background now.

By this time the girls were out on the pontoon so we were unable to bankrupt ourselves for a second day running.

The afternoon saw us back in the town…. Wander through a market and the towards the old town where we had a few beers and as we were not in the lake front area much cheaper…..more similar to London prices.

I think if we were here on own own June and I could stay in Locarno a lot longer. There is a Sosta just down from the campsite and while this is not much more than a car park the two of us wouldn’t need much more. The girls have enjoyed the lake frontage and swimming and to be honest our fellow campers have been well behaved and some a source of almost constant conversation. With comments like ‘ what is she doing wearing those?’ And ‘what music is that…our speaker system can easily out do theirs if we tried’ oh and the ‘are they real?’ Meanwhile Bob just sat there drinking yet another beer….. And asking why do so many people insist in walking across our pitch? It wouldn’t happen on a Caravan Club site I can tell you!

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Just a small storm then…

On 31/07/201405/08/2014 By bobIn Italy Switzerland 2014Leave a comment

During the night we were woken by a huge thunderstorm. It was the loudest I had ever heard and I guess that some of that would have been echoing around the mountains….

The day was a bit of a wash out in that it rained for most of it but we still managed a wander into town for a #Clewleystopsforcoffee and ice cream.

Cannobio really is a pretty little town with cobbled stone alleyways linking the bigger streets. It is a must for a return on a dry sunny day so we can take a boat trip out on the lake.

Tomorrow may be a move to Locarno, 30 minutes north and in Svizzera. Still on the glacier formed Lake Maggiore though. Switzerland at this point is greatly Italian speaking. Italy only became unified in 1861 and even now residents have more feeling of loyalty to their region than their country.

How much?

On 31/07/201405/08/2014 By bobIn Italy Switzerland 2014Leave a comment

The site has 360 pitches and typically of European sites the pitches are very close… Having said that we had a site big enough for the van and the girls tent. The cost came as a bit of a surprise having spent €10-16 for Sostas here and there… It was €199 for 2 nights….but that did include electricity (although that was an extra)! Switzerland was living up to it’s expensive reputation. This was only to be compounded when we had ice creams and coffee later in the town (another €60!). However it was a pretty little harbour with free wifi here and there. I even managed to download the Switzerland map for my Map.me app.

Delta Camping looking out over Lake Maggiore

Before we visited town though the girls had a quick swim in the lake at the site’s own beach. Not really a beach but a waterfront access which is rare for a campsite on the lake.

Having downloads the new map and the Sostas for Switzerland I picked out one at the end of the Verzasca Valley in a village called Sonogno. Part way along the valley is the Verzasca Dam, which is one of the highest dams in Europe and used in the opening scene of James Bond Golden Eye and home of the alleged highest bungy jump location in the world. The Sosta is at over 900 metres the girls may need thier sleeping bags.

As we sit and chat over a glass or two…… Peach tea for the girls of course, the next years trip is already being discussed…. This is driven by the girls and at the moment looks like this.

Amy’s view of the trip so far,

Pisa

Pisa was a quick trip. We first went for a cheeky little coffee ( Even though I don’t like coffee so I just had a coke). Soon after that the tower slowly came in to sight with all the tourists doing the tourist pose of holding the tower up. We we made our way round the tower , photo bombing on the way. We then saw the cathedral, it is massive I must tell you and many photos were taken. We made our way through the market and then we had to take the tourist pose. We then made our way through the tourists and back to the Motorhome.

Florence

When we got to Florence the first things we found were the midges. That wasn’t fun. It soon became evening and we wandered down to the to the viewing point. We were waiting there for a while for the sun set and in that time there was a wedding and a flash mob choir for a proposal. Then instead of a lovely sun set we got a thunder and lightning storm but the cathedral was still beautiful.

Venice

When we got to the camp site we managed to get a beautiful pitch which over looked the lagoon and Venice. We got a boat out there which was a 30 min boat ride yet on the same boat we had had a tourist guide which was reading the book about Venice which didn’t fill me with confidence. When we got off the boat we went down the path way and found a lovely violin man a he was playing Just One Cornetto (O Sole mio). Once we had had a look at all the shops and bought what we had to buy, we got on a gondolier which was very fun and we manage to photo bomb a lot of photos. All together it was one of many places which stunned me to the ground.

Cannobio

There in not much to say about this place except rain . This is because we stopped there one night and there was the biggest thunder storm EVER and the other night it was -20 degrees.

Anyway this was one of the best trips I have ever been on Bob so thank you love you to the moon and back

And to the lakes….

On 31/07/201405/08/2014 By bobIn Italy Switzerland 2014Leave a comment

Left Venice by 9.00 and having failed to find a supermarket (seemingly non-existent in Italy!) we headed off to the lakes.

We arrived at the Sosta in Cannobio on the north west shore of Lake Maggiore to the customary clap of thunder and associated downpour (and again we arrived mid-afternoon so spaces available. By early evening it was full). To be honest though, so far we have only had to cancel one planned activity and that was the cable car in Chamonix. For the remainder of the trip we have arrived to rain but by the time we were in an position to explore the rain had stopped and the weather was fine.

Our Destination

En route June had set the washing machine to work. We have a plastic box with lid and fill it with water and soap. This is then put in the shower tray with any small items that needed washing. The drive then vibrates the washing and all we have to do is rinse it. I wish I could claim it as my idea, however, I read about it on a Motorhome forum somewhere.

All for €16 a night.

Cannobio is a very pretty town with cobbled paths and beautiful lake frontage. There are boat trips from the town and the Lake Maggiore Express which is a combination of boat and train rides around the lake. This trip can be made either clockwise or anti clockwise. And if this rain keeps up there may be a more detailed paragraph or two about it.

The main part of the town is along the waterfront with numerous restaurants and cafés. With a Carrefour Market along the main street.

The trained eye may even pick out a kebab shop….. But I have been studying this subject for many years and have reached the status of kebabologist. Training started an a young age while serving in TVP at various towns around Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and my specialist area of Oxfordshire. I only just failed the ‘keeping the kebab intact on the dash of a moving vehicle while on a blue light run’ but I did get honours in the ordering from height while on the Air Support Unit.

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What a difference a day makes

On 31/07/201431/12/2015 By bobIn Italy Switzerland 2014, TripsLeave a comment

A cloudy start as we made our way to the office 25 yards from the campsite entrance to grab 4 tickets for a return boat trip to Venice. At €13 each…. Not bad for a 20 minute trip each way but be sure to get to the jetty ahead of time – we took the 10am out and 16.30 back, both of which were pretty chaotic! The boat takes you into Zattere where it is only a quick walk to the main points of interest.

A lived in face

As we walked towards the centre we passed a old chap with a violin. His face was ‘lived in’ and I am sure he could tell a story or two, he looked a real character.

For June and I it was a return trip but as the day cleared and the sun shone down it became a different Venice to the spring time of our last trip.

A quick stop at the Ponte dell’Accademia for some Time Lapse photography (will be posted when we get home) and on to the Piazza St Marco.

One of the things to do on June’s list was a ride on a gondola. So after lunch in a little square we made our way back to the outskirts of Piazza St Marco and paid our €80 for a 30 minute trip. It’s the same price for up to 6 passengers and the boats are owned by the gondolier. It is a ‘got to do’ really and none of us had been on one before. There was no ‘just one cornetto’ sang to us but we did get a bit of history as we were gondoliered along. Apparently you train with your father for a year, then go to college to study English, French and Spanish together with Venetian history. You can then take a driving test. After all that you still have to take a swimming/life-saving test before you are qualified…. Or so our Marco Polo told us anyway.

A gondola ride for four

Back to the camp site for few domestic chores and planning where to go next. We knew we wanted to go towards the lakes towards the second week and it now looks like we will be off to Lake Maggiore. We have been using an IPhone app called Parking by Campercontact an app by the Netherlands Camper Club. It has proved its worth as you can down load maps for the area you are looking to travel to. There are other camping apps but they do not have the download option. I have also saved the sites listed as POIs for TomTom.

Our next stop

The other app I have found really useful is maps.me. This is £2.99 and again offers the option of downloading the areas you are travelling to. The maps are really detailed showing Supermarkets cafés etc.

And we continued to laugh…as it rained again..

On 27/07/201431/12/2015 By bobIn Italy Switzerland 2014, TripsLeave a comment

Leaving the Florence Sosta which for Motorhomers among you has a black and grey water dump and fresh water tap, we made to the campsite of Fusina in Venice. As we neared Venice the rain started…. well to be honest it poured and poured. Fusina, on the mainland, is really well located with a pedestrian ferry to the central Venice. Partly due to this though it wasn’t cheap at 54 Euros a night plus an extra 5 Euros if you wanted WiFi access by reception.

Going to have a little rant now…. If you charge what you think is a fair price of 54 Euros, and I guess bearing in mind it was the peak season and it was on the outskirts of Venice and you insist on charging and extra 5 Euro for WiFi make sure it covers all the site! Rant over!

We picked a pitch with water frontage hoping the rain wouldn’t bring it closer, and plugged in. Ahhhh aircon tonight if we need it. For the past few nights we had….well I say we but I mean June and I, had the benefit of a fan above our bed that could run off ships power. It was a God send, if I was a believer, and I will thank our friends who had it fitted when they owned the van. I can remember, and am reminded quite often of this, saying when we bought the van “we’ll never use it and as for those hydraulic levellers I may get them removed for more weight capacity”…. So far we have used the levellers almost every opportunity and it does give a certain smugness ( yes I know that isn’t a nice trait) when we arrive and I get out with the remote to play ‘how level can I get this this time’

Anyway Venice. As I look out of the window, having been assured by the lady that took my passport at reception that Venice is there in-between the rain laden clouds, I get a quick flash and clap of thunder….that storm is back with vengeance! At least we’re warm and dry in the van and we didn’t laugh too much at the poor souls whose pitches are now under water or even having water pumped off them! Well she did assure me that tomorrow was going to be sunny.

Oh we have ships too

Florence by day

On 27/07/201405/08/2014 By bobIn Italy Switzerland 2014Leave a comment

A simple walk into town took us straight to the Ponte Vecchio. First things first #Clewleystopsforcoffee and then onto Piazza del Duomo. The first stone of the Cathedral, as we see it today, was laid in 1296 and the building was complete 170 years later. The exterior work is stunning and not matched inside, which is quite plain when compared with some other cathedrals around the world.

Just one of the locals

We bought a 10 Euro ticket each which gave us access to the top of the dome (access to the main cathedral is free). This same ticket also gave us access to Giotto’s Bell tower and The Baptistery of San Giovanni. The climb to the Cupola and to the top of the Duomo was 460 steps with only 320 to the top of the Bell Tower. The passage ways can be narrow and I didn’t envy the guy I passed at the bottom of the tower who had 4 cycle helmets strapped to his rucsac and was upward bound. At some points I had been flat against the wall while someone travelling in the opposite direction was likewise as ours backs made friends.

From the Duomo

Both the Duomo and the post lunch trip to the Bell tower offered great spots for photos across the city

Ponte Vecchio

On to Pisa and Florence

On 27/07/201405/08/2014 By bobIn Italy Switzerland 2014Leave a comment

As we left Pisa it was pouring down….. hey it was Italian rain …who cares…. As we drove into Pisa we picked up a sign indicating Motorhome parking….. we followed these excellent tourist information signs….. until they stopped in with no parking to be seen. But we have sussed the Italians out now and managed to find a road side parking slot near the river. A 15 minute walk took us to tower that is a little skew wiff.

The Campo Dei Miracoli (the main area by this skew wiff tower) was full of tourists all going for ‘that’ shot of someone holding the tower up. We managed a couple of those photos before we returned to the van. We did look at going up the tower but it seemed the tickets gave you a time slot, ours would have been 2 hours after buying the ticket.

Pisa

Having ‘done’ Pisa we made towards Florence and another Sosta. This one was about 20 minute walk to the Ponte Vecchio, but more of that later. That evening we walked for about 20 minutes to Pizzale Michelangelo which is a stunning view point looking out over the city. While we were there we witnessed a flash mob Choir and a proposal of marriage in the middle of the performance. All as the sunsetting amidst a thunder storm with lightning off to the west.

Florence

Balsamic vinegar with Ice Cream..

On 23/07/201431/12/2015 By bobIn Italy Switzerland 2014, TripsLeave a comment

Having left our campsite and via Carrefour we decided to head down the “scenic” coast road and not the motorway. Unfortunately you can’t see too much of the beach as for about 50km it is hidden by one long strip of hotels and beach bars all with their regimented rows of loungers. To reach Pisa we had to turn inland and then the adventure began……There was a diversion you see and they seem to run out of signposts very quickly. We were going so well until the signs ran out and then even the girls noticed we had gone past one particular junction 3 times. So with all thoughts of scenic drives gone we headed to the motorway… That took us to Lucca… OK Pisa can wait for a couple of days. I am sure.

We had a campsite in mind and Tom-Tom took us straight there.

Campsite Lucca

We arrived during siesta time and while waiting we were joined by several other vans – there was going to be a rush to the office when it opened….. Could Bob beat the 3 French vans and the German to the best pitch? The site Il Serchio was 28 Euros a night and had all we needed…. laundry facilities, showers etc (albeit we can shower in the van) together with electric. Again we can cope without mains as we have a fairly big inverter that will even run the coffee machine.

Once all plugged in we made to town, a 15 minute walk. Lucca had been sold to us as a quaint little town with nice ice cream. Once in the walled town it was clear to see why; narrow streets and an abundance of coffee shops and gelateria. We settled on one that served a multitude of combinations including vanilla and Balsamic Vinegar.

Vanilla Ice Cream with Balsamic Vinegar

We then had a wander around the town and even managed to drop off a Travel Bug in a Geocache….

Escaping the rain

On 23/07/201431/12/2015 By bobIn Italy Switzerland 2014, TripsLeave a comment

Having taken the decision that the weather was too changeable in Chamonix (3rd time lucky maybe for the view from the Aguille de Midi?), we headed off to Italy after a short incursion into Switzerland. With the cost of the Mont Blanc tunnel being around €150 for a vehicle of over 3m and because Bob likes a challenging drive and we are all partial to a photo opportunity, we decided to go over the Alps via the Grand St Bernard pass.

As we were driving along one section, June looked down to the side and noticed it was along way down. As we turned another hairpin bend the cloud below suddenly cleared and we were treated to a spectacular view of Vallee du Rhone so we pulled into a viewpoint to jump out and take photos. Well June would have, but at this point we realised her camera was still in the drawer at home but hey, we only had another 12 devices capable of taking still photos!

We had the option of either going through a tunnel or taking the pass right over the mountain top – no choice really. The pass was longer but the drive stunning and we were in no rush. A succession of hairpins took us down into Italy and sunshine and we came out of the mountains into a huge agricultural plain which seemed to be growing mostly rice.

Back on the motorway we headed towards Genova (Genoa) and the coast and then mile after mile of either tunnel or viaduct…..The Italians do seem to take the most direct route through the mountains! We were aiming for a sosta a little further down the coast at Marinella di Sarzana about 50km north of Pisa with the idea being that we could have an early start to the town to do some exploring. At €10 a night this was a basic site but had fresh water and the facility to dump grey water – enough for us for the night. Across the road from the site was a beach and we had hoped to be able to go for a swim but the thunder storm continued to haunt us and the sea was too rough. We managed to find one bar open for a quick drink before the rain really set in and the girls managed a quick paddle.