And to the lakes….

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
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.
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. 

 

What a difference a day makes

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
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
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
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.

Florence by day

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 on of the locals
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
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
Ponte Vecchio