The 2007 EpiBlog

Well its the end of another trip. We did 4400 miles during the 80 days we were away (should have been able to go around the world I suppose) and stayed on 39 sites in 9 countries. What were the highlights? Impossible to say, there were so many and so varied.

Firsts? - Rosemary caught her first fish in the sea, we saw firefly - never seen them before, a ten mile road tunnel under the Alps, a small deer skipping down the road - only ever seen the road signs before! Slovenia and Croatia - never been there before, that's just a few.

As a means of keeping everyone informed how/where we were, then the blog seems to have worked, once I gave up looking for WiFi hot-spots and used mobile phone updates instead - but who knows what next years technology will bring.

The wanderers have returned

Back home this morning - in the rain! We actually stopped the night, part way home, in the Thurrock motorway services amongst the juggernauts. Not the most attractive stopover, but it was free (thats another story!) so we treated ourselves to an English breakfast in the cafe before returning. I shall be uploading some more photos to add to earlier blogs over the next few days.

208m MW

To anyone over a certain age this can only mean one thing - Radio Luxembourg! Remember 'tuning in' on the radio (home made even in my case) to listen to the top twenty countdown on Sunday evening? Were you an Ovaltiney? Well, Radio Luxembourg appeared as a dot on our map of Luxembourg so we just had to go and see what was there. Sure enough there were the old medium wave aerial towers and the transmitter building, maybe even the studio's. So here's the photo that takes me back 50 years.

Last but one night away

Its nearly 'gooey gnome' time and we are in Belgium near the French border for our last but one night away. Hope it has stopped raining at home. We visited Ypres to learn something about the 1st WW battles and the huge loss of life that occurred around the Flanders fields. The whole area is a memorial to the soldiers who died here. The Messen gate is just one example and has the names of the 54,000 commonwealth British soldiers who were lost and never found. It made the Daily Express headline of the day 'Killer storm hits Britain - 4 dead' seem completely irrelevant.

The Storms continue

We are in Luxembourg now in an area known as little Switzerland, very pretty but no snow. Had a quick look at the Rhine and then crossed the border back into France (and motorway tolls) near Strasbourg. It was a nice day yesterday until about 10pm then we had 3 cracking storms again and another this morning - they seem to be following us around. 255 miles from Calais now and back on schedule. We took the van out for the day and went to Vianden which is near the German border and has a huge castle on the hill overlooking the town. We went 500m up the hill on a chair lift and then walked back down the hill to the castle and into the old town.

Germany, Luxembourg then home

We are definitely on our way home now! We are in Germany about half way between Basle in Switzerland and Strasbourg in France, just off the A5 motorway. Judging by the number of NL plates around the site this is a popular route south and stop off for dutch caravaners. The van is creaking under the load of Italian wine and Swiss chocolate (and we still have Belgium and France to shop yet). I will have a day off driving tomorrow while Rosemary does some washing, then it will be off to Luxembourg for a couple of nights before hopefully finally reaching Calais on Wednesday evening for the ferry on Thursday.

Switzerland

Looking back we should have either spent less time here or planned it better. Switzerland is a very expensive place and we 'stumbled in' without a even a map or a guide book and probably spent more in 5 days than the previous 3 weeks. There is so much to do see, the scenery is fantastic and it is a bit overwhelming knowing what to do. Next time we need more planning and to obtain all the appropriate passes and 'discount' tickets before we go. Everything seems to be priced on the assumption that you have a 50% off deal. We didn't - but we will next time!

The Twurps in the Alps

We spent 3 days in the mountain region near to the Alps sight seeing and taking photos. Firstly a lazy day walking around Engleburg which is a 'dead end' as far as a paved road is concerned, at 3000 ft, but then becomes a hiking trial in summer and ski centre in winter. The camp site shares its amenities with a 4 star hotel so it was really nice This is also the place to go to the top of Mt Titlis in a rotating cable car to view the Alps, which Mark and Christina did when they came to Lucerne, but at £60 each was out of our budget. We moved on to a new site at a small place called Meiringen, via Lucerne, to find that it is famous for a couple of things. Meringues (they were named after the town) and a water fall where Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty fell to their deaths in Conan Doyle novel. Quite a few English people here, especially visiting the falls - which we did too on the funicular railway. Finally spent a night at Camping Jungfrau which is about as close as you can get to the really big mountains with a caravan or camper. Unfortunately we had storms the night before and the morning turned wet and overcast, so no mountain views of the Eiger or Jungfrau before we had to leave. The webcams on a TV weather program were showing a grey speckled screen from all the peaks. We were going to take the 'viewing' train to Murren at 6000ft but that was pointless in the rain. Maybe next time - but at least I got a sticker for the van!

Switzerland - lakes and mountains

We have been in Switzerland for 3 days now and it hasn't rained for the last two days. First we stayed at Buochs for 2 days and enjoyed a boat trip on Lake Lucerne. Enroute we passed thru a 10 mile long tunnel thru the Alps a very interesting experience. Now we are in the mountains staying at the foot of Engleburg (site is at 3300 ft) and we will be heading to Interlaken to stay near Eiger and Jungfrau later this evening. According to the GPS we are only 536 miles from Calais so nearly home. We should actually have been waiting for the ferry as I type this, but Katie changed the booking for us and we will be home on 29/30th now.

More Italian lakes

We finished our stay on Lake Garda by driving the 40 miles or so round the top of the lake which gets much narrower and steeper sided in the north. The road on the West side is very impressive with tunnels and balconies practically the whole way down. We stopped for lunch in Limone which nestles in a 'hollow' in the rocky face and is a warren of steep cobbled streets full of bars, cafes and nice little boutiques. Its also a popular boat trip from the other side of the lake and was full of trippers consuming huge ice creams. Lost Rosemary for over an hour but she didn't seem to mind for once. We moved on to Lake Iseo which is much smaller and less commercialised, but has an island with a 2000 ft mountain on it, so just as spectacular. However like most lakes it has its share of rain. The day we chose for a trip around the lake developed into a typical English lake district day out - wet. It finished with another cracking thunder storm - begining to lose count of them on this trip. The site we are staying on is very small, only 64 lawned pitches, but immaculately maintained. Never seen such high tech sanitary facilties and the owner is brushing and mowing grass within 30min of a pitch being vacated.

The Sunflowers have bloomed

Before we came away on this holiday we had a trial run to Sandringham (with M and M) and while we were there bought a miniature sunflower seed kit. We sowed the seeds a week before we left home and have been caring for them on our travels. I am pleased to report they have now flowered. Unfortunately the biggest stem broke off in Croatia, when it was just a bud, when the container plunged to the ground, but it has flowered in a vase nonetheless. Thinking of planting them in the Alps when we get there!

Lake Garda

The difference between the beach resorts of Croatia and Lake Garda area is very marked. Garda is very cosmopolitan and sophistated catering for every taste from aqua parks to Saga holidays. We are staying at Camping Serenella which is half way between Bardalino (which gives its name to a well known wine) and Garda which gives its name to a well known lake. The two are joined by a 3 mile paved promenade which makes for a very pleasant stroll. There are many lakeside 'watering holes' en route to tempt one with enormous ice creams or something stronger. I must confess that we have not been delivered from temptation! Rosemary almost caused an ecological incident by feeding the ducks yesterday! A piece of bread she threw was carried away by a coot to feed one of its tiny babies. A swan decided it wanted the bread and grabbed the baby duckling in its beak. Some German onlookers went hysterical when they thought the swan had eaten it alive. All very embarrassing. Still having storms at storms at night with almost continous lightening for hours on end - very spectacular but a bit tiring. We have just explored the south east corner by ferry boat and will take a brief drive round the rest of the lake (its over 20miles long) before moving on.

Back to Italy and the lakes.

Sunday was a funny day. We had breakfast in Croatia, morning coffee in Slovenia and lunch in Italy! Finally stopped at Lake Garda having covered 285 miles in the day. Very few lorries on the road on Sunday so it makes sense to get some comfortable miles in. There are 120 sites around Lake Garda so finding a pitch is not a problem at the moment, although the ACSI one we chose is about 90% occupied. Planning to spend about 3 days here washing and doing a few boat trips around the lake. Then maybe move to Lake Iseo. Immedialely noticed English and French voices, not to mention Dutch and Italian, around us. A big change from the last few weeks in Slovenia and Croatia.

Krk Island and Istria

We lingered longer in Krk Island than expected but it is a rather laid back place like most Islands I guess. Just beach, bars and camp sites and souvenir shops of course The old town at Krk was a bit dissappointing but we have done so many nice old towns already in Italy. Its also the destination for most of the coach trips and where the pirate boats etc are touting for business. Punat where we stayed 4 nights was much nicer and enjoyed a lovely position on a large bay with a huge marina. The camp site was near the entrance to the bay so we could watch the yachts and launches going out for the day and we had some good sunny weather for a change. It was good stroll into the village to shop or simply stroll. Baskra and Istra Baskara on the southern tip have suberb view to the other isands and mountains on the mainland. Istria and Krk are very much German holiday playgrounds, about 90% with maybe 5% Austrian. No English newpapers till August (!) and not many English. This is the furthest East we will get this trip.

We are on Krk Island now

We have spent the last week on Krk Island the biggest of the Adriatic islands and connected to the Croatian mainland by a toll bridge. The first 2 nights we were close to the capital Krk which was a bit disappointing and as campsite doubles as a winter boat store - a bit of a shambles. The last 4 days we have been at Punat on a site over looking the entrance to the bay, a short stroll to the harbour/marina and under the shade of a huge fig tree. Its a very picturesque but popular area of holiday islands and we have driven to the southern most point, Baskra, which one must always return to (apparently). Clothes must be expensive there, as a lot of people are not wearing any! Its an ideal sailing area with lots of island and coves to visit if you dodge the numerous ferry boats which are doing the same. Just bought some very fresh mackeral (I think!) on the quay to BBQ tonight. The fish we caught yesteday, Rosemary caught her first ever fish from the sea, were not big enough to eat unfortunately. I suppose we need to start heading home soon, but the chances of getting the 20th June ferry are a bit low, what a surprise, but who cares!

Photos

I have now uploaded a few photos which go with previous posts. So if its still raining in UK (it is here) and you have nothing better to do, then have a look back at May and April posts.

Croatia for some more sun

Slovenia is lovely and green cos it has a fair amount of rain. Seems to bubble up over the mountains in the afternoon and then tip it down in thunder storms until the evening. Decided to head south for some more sun instead of Austria, which was just as wet apparently, although we were only about 10 milles from the border at Bled. Guess what - more torrential rain on the way but it seems to have gone away now and at least it is always warm. Spent the first two nights on Istian peninsular in Croatia near Rovinj and caught some fish in the sea and bbq them for a (very small) starter. Me real hunter gatherer now! Moved a but further south to Pula to see the roman ruins and lie on the beach before we go round towards Krk island. The camp sites around here are huge, this one has 6000 in mid summer and more like hoilday camps with entertainment etc (if you want it) and Wifi. Hope to upload some photos later.

Final stop in Slovenia

We left Bled to head south for Croatia but spent one last day on the Slovenian coast. It rained all night at Ankaran where we stopped the night but the following day was much better (at first) and we spent the morning in nearby Portoroz on the Piran peninsular. This is a very young smart resort and we had a coffee in a hawain style bar on the beach.

A walk around Lake Bled

Spent most of one day walking round Lake Bled with stops for lots of photos and coffee. Its only 3 miles so should have taken a couple of hours. But thats not including the steep detour up to the castle on the cliff for the view over the lake. Stopped half way up for a break and panini in a lovely little pizza place. When we finally made it to the caste there was a wedding going on and believe it or not the bride and groom came from Blaby and Broughton Astley, villages near where we live in Leicesteshire. What a small world it is!

Lake Bled is Beautiful

Its 25th May, our wedding anniiversary, and we arrived at Lake Bled in northern Slovenia last night. Sometimes(!) the guide books are a bit OTT but the lake really is emerald green and with the Alps as a backdrop, the tiny island and castle up on the cliffs make this a beautiful setting. We took a boat ride over to the island by rowing boat and rang the church bell, to make a wish, as have countless other tourists, but it is a delightful place. The camp site is right on the lakeside and really peaceful, the bar and restaurant close at 09.00 pm. This morning a 'cheeky' jay stole a bread roll from our breakfast table and tried to fly off with it. Thought the begging ducks were bad enough.

Ljubljana - capital of Slovenia

Now in Ljubljana in Slovenia, very green and picturesque. Its taken five years and hundreds of sites, but we have finally stayed on a site with another Nu Venture motorhome! Not a Surf, but a Rio, and a couple just like us! When Slovenia declared independance in the early 90's, Ljubjana became the capital city. It is small by UK standards of course but a really young, fresh and lively place with a high student population. We had a thunder storm just after we arrived so stayed on site most of the day and went into town on the bus for the evening and then again to the castle and market the next day (I think we saw one policeman in all that time). Rosemary declared the market to be excellent and we came away with strawberries, cherries and some local cheese and wine.

Treiste (last stop in Italy for now) to Slovenia

We decided to have one last night in Italy to break the journey from Venice to Slovenia and headed for a sosta (from the book) at another grotta, but could not find it. Think we may have located a road/track leading to it but it seemed to be 'guarded' by several permanent Italian motohomes so decided not to investigate further. Instead we spent the night on the harbour car park in Trieste with 3 very friendly Italians who gave us a map of Croatia and told us what 'we must go to see'. A change of itiniary seems very likely! The next day we had breakfast Italian style in a bar in the square before stopping on the motorway into Slovenia. We spent an hour chatting to a Slovenian family with Sam(o) the son who spoke excellent English and interpreted for his parents, who loved our motorhome. Sam is still studying at 27 and hoping to get a good job abroad eventually, we swapped phone numbers and emails - good luck Sam.

Venice

We left Italy on Tuesday after spending 4 nights in Venice, or at least just a 30min ferry ride away, and a night on the harbour wall in Trieste. Venice was really nice although teeming with tourist in all the hot spots and it was expensive. Rosemary refused to have a coffee in St Marks square cos it would have cost a 10 pounds per cup. The gondolas are a rip off as well, as you might expect, but the water busses for which you can get an all day 'rover ticket' are much more convenient way of seeing most of the sights. There is a real maze of narrow streets and canals, everyone has a map and everyone seems to be lost! The camp site on the seaward side of the lagoon which 'contains' Venice was very busy considering there are around 20 large sites on that stretch alone.

San Marino what a location

Close to Rimini is San Marino, an independant republic with frontier post, governor and its own army. The old town sits along the ridge of a 2000ft rock/mountian. We took the van right to the top having missed the cablecar car park - we seemed to be going up and around for ever. The views all around were amazing. We walked up to one of the towers right on the ridge and had lunch in the 'Falcons Nest' pizza restaurant and it certainly felt like it. There were some very impressive cars in front of the governers office and lots of saluting by the guards - must have been something important happening. An annual vintage car rally passes thru the old streets every May (we missed it by a week) - must be quite a spectacle.

The East coast resorts

We hit the east coast at Riccione (near its better known neighbour Rimini) and had a couple of stops both here and at Cervia a little further north. This is 'lido' country and the fine sandy beaches are mostly operated by concessionaires who have established vast fields of brollies and loungers with bars, play areas and anything else they can think of to attract the punters from their neighbours. The going rate for a brolly and 2 loungers is about £10+ per day in the season.

Where are we now - Sunday 13th May

About 30 miles from Ancona (on the East coast) crossing the Appenine mountain range which runs down the Italian peninsular. We are actually in a 'sosta' in the huge car park for the Grotto di Fassisis which is an area not unlike the Cheddar gorge. We have just spent 5 days relaxing around Lake Trasimeno (on two really nice sites) followed by 3 days exploring Umbrian villages. We are running out of superlatives to describe the special places, like St Francis's Basilica in Assisi, that we have been to visit. More 'tales' later when we hit the big sites around Venice with WiFi. PS Our weather is perfect now and we have just clocked up 2000 miles.

Two free nights in Sostas

We had not tried the Italian sostas (camper stops) until now. Rosemary selected one south of Assisi at Trevi in the Spoleto valley - except it wasn't. It was 500ft up the side of the valley 'in the most spectacular position of any of the hilltop villages' - guide book quote. I was a bit apprehensive about trying the hill but it was getting a bit late and the Twurp hasn't let us down yet. We got some some very funny looks when we appeared in the village square - and we were the only van in the basic sosta - what a surprise. Lovely village with steep windy streets, boxes of geraniums everywhere and spectacular views. We stopped in Bevagna the next day, another pretty village actually in the valley, which was teeming with locals in Sunday best after a confirmation service. We walked around the village a bit and then they were gone - presumably to lunch. That seemed a good plan and we had an excellent, simple, lunch in the main piazza beside two Germans who were cycling to Rome. There was a much smarter, bigger, sosta here with 6 motorhomes staying but we moved on and stayed in the huge car park of the Grotto de Fassis, which is a bit like Matlock Bath, on our way through the mountains to the east coast. This time we just had a senior Italian couple for company and Rosemary did some more fraternizing. The announcer on the nearby railway station woke us the next morning - I think it was the 6-50 to somewhere.

Assisi and the Umbrian villages

Umbria has 6 of the top 10 'pretty' villages in Italy and it shows. They are mostly on the tops of hills of course and the most famous of these though hardly a village is Assisi, the home of St Frances. We left the Twurp in the hospital car park caught the local bus to join the many American tourists in the main piazza (they all found the right car park!) The first sight of the basillica is amazing (gee - I'm overwelmed). It is huge and built on two levels clinging to the side of the hill. We were able to see St Francis tomb and relics and tour the churches but not the monastry. We had a coffee in Bar St Frances with some nuns (!) and found the hospital bus and got on, but it took off in the wrong direction. Fortunately it was a circular route so we saw all the rest of Assisi in the half hour journey - which was really nice!

Lake Trasimeno

This is the 4th largest lake in Italy, about 8 miles square with camp sites all around, and is situated in Umbria. We spent 5 relaxing days around here on two different sites. The first site in the NE corner was OK and ideal for fishing (did not catch anything :-( but it suffered from too much snow, not the 'wet stuff' but the fluffy stuff from the trees, so we moved after 2 days. The second site was near to Passignano, one of the larger villages on the lake, and in the grounds of a very nice villa hotel. We took the boat ride out to Isola Maggoire one day and walked up to the top of the island for the views. Also met and lunched with a very interesting couple with lots of experience of caravanning in Italy and who gave us some good tips. Had a few cappuccinos and a typical lunch with fish (perch) from the lake in Passignano - excellent. It would be a great place for sailing Frisby and Catluem.

Florence in the rain

Since leaving the coast on 2nd of May we have 'enjoyed' 5 days of wet weather. Rain, thunder and heavy showers with the odd sunny spell and the UK basks in sunshine! However we have been doing culture this week so it did not really cramp our style. Siena was a little gem of an old town with super doumo and huge campo. Florence is just wall to wall 'art and history' from Galileo's grave to Michel Angelo's 'David' (amazing!) and needs a month to do it justice - we did a couple of days! Good place for a future weekend break. In between Chianti is a beatiful landscape of hilltop towns, sweeping green hills and the trademark fir trees. The wine museum in Greve was a real treat, we even sampled some £50 bottle wines. We are leaving today to go to Umbria and the sun is shining again. A few days chilling out around Lake Transimeno then to Assisi and thats as far south as we will go I expect.

Florence

Florence was just a 40mins bus ride away from the site a Troghi, so very handy and cheaper than the in city site! We spent just 2 days in Florence but even a week would not have been enough. Although everything is quite close together and within walking distance there is just so much to see. We managed the Duomo (better on the outside than inside) its gold fresco'ed babtistry (vice versa), the Pita Palace (now seen enough 'Madonna with Child' from every known old master), San Groce (everyone who has been anyone is buried here - from Galileo, to Dante to Michel Angelo) and the Academia. The latter has the original David sculptured in marble by Michel Angelo, its 17ft high and absolutely stunning.

A drive through Chianti country

Between Siena and Florence is Chianti country with its famous DOC vineries. The scenery is really nice, rolling green hills, vineyards and picturesque hilltop villages. We stopped at Castellina, Rada (most ornate loo Rosemary has ever graced) and Greve (the wine capital of Chianti). It was a bit hairy at times negotiating the steep windy roads in thunder storms. In Greve there is a wine museum where we purchased a sample card (10 euros) which is then used in automated wine dispensers. There are over 140 different wines to sample from 100euros/bottle downwards. We tried a few and bought a bottle (or 2) before descending into the Arno valley for a campsite near to Florence.

Siena

Siena is a beautiful old walled town perched on a hill with a huge shell shaped plaza fronted by the old town hall and tower, now a museum. The marble cathedral is also huge and contains many sculptures and works of art by the old masters, Pisano in particular. We saw all the sights including the creepy crypt and I went part way up the tower to take some photos. Enjoyed coffee and cakes in Nannins (the place to go apparently) and wandered the lovely narrow streets before returning, a bit tired and wet, but having dodged the heaviest showers.

The Tuscany culture trail

By the end of May day (with typical wet bank holiday weather) the locals had disappeared and we were almost alone again on our 'en suite' pitch (fee included private shower room and kitchen with thatched eating area!). But after 5 days it was time to move on to Siena via the rolling hills of Tuscany and stopping at the old hill town of San Gimignano. It has many stone defence towers that stand out on the landscape like medieval sky scrapers. We missed the car parks and ended up in the old town where only locals are allowed to venture - we were quickly directed out again! Not far away is the beautiful city of Siena which has a campsite just outside the city walls. However it was closed, for no apparent reason so Plan B took us into to the hills where we could catch a bus into Siena. It rained heavily in the night and we were under a lot of trees - we moved.

Where are we now?

About 30 miles south of Pisa on the Tuscany coast, along with lots of Italians, enjoying a holiday weekend. Its busy !!I
I have many posts and photos to upload on our progress, but finding accessible WiFi points is more of a problem than I expected, so they will have to wait. Writing this at the campsite Internet Point which is what I must do in future methinks.

Astonishing Pisa

What a wonderful 2 days we had in Pisa. The site we found is within site of the famous tower so it was an easy stroll on both days to the Piazza de Miricoli where the leaning tower is just part of the group comprising an impressive domed cathedral (Duomo) and an amazing babtistry. Needless to say there were loads of tourists at times but we were able to explore some of the lesser known sites by the river to escape the crowds. We had to have a pizza, in Pisa, just off the square and then back to catch some evening sunshine on the site.

Our Easter Bunny was amazed at the site of the leaning tower.

La Spezia and the bay of poets

A biggish town with a large naval base at the southern end of the rocky Lingurian coast, we stopped just outside for a night on route to Pisa. The area was popular with many English poets as the most romantic village in Italy, Portovenere, is nearby. There is a grotto dedicated to Byron who was a good swimmer and Shelly who drowned near here - not so good. It was liberation day eve, 24th April and also the day that Man Utd beat AC Milan 3-2. Saw most of the match on TV - whilst keeping a low profile!

Cinque Terre - what a surprise

The Cinque Terre is 20KM of coastline having 5 villages perched on the cliffs and connected by dramatic cliff walks, a train and not much else. We caught the train to Riomaggiore and then walked back to Corniglia in the middle of the group (thank heavens for the ecobus for the last half mile to the old centre) which was high up on the cliffs. We lunched on typical foccacia at Manalora and hopped on the train to see Vernazzo, the most photogenic of them all. What a spectacular and scenic day. Stayed the 2 nights outside Deiva Marina on a site which had a courtesy bus to the station and where Rosemary 'bonded' with an old Italian lady - like she does.

Down the Ligurian coast

Left earlyish, for us, on Sunday to make the most of the truck free motorway on our 130 miles to the other end of the Ligurian region. Its was a very 'exciting' drive with literally hundreds of tunnels or viaducts thru the mountains that skirt this part of the Italian coastline. Went straight thru Genoa and made for Porto Fino. Unfortunately there were thousands of others out for Sunday lunch so we could not park anywhere near. Maybe next time.

San Remo first stop in Italy

Sunny and warm - bellissimo. Decided to stay in San Remo for three nights. Excellent site with a sea view and all mod cons. Walked into San Remo past the old mansions and hotels which made the town a popular resort in bygone days. Good sandy beaches and restaurant still line the prom. Had first real Italian pizza for lunch, wandered round the casino (loads of fruit machines) and an unusual Russian church. Very colourful good quality market, bought trousers for Rosemary and a hat for Peter. Climbed up the steep narrow alleys of the old town 'La Pigla' stopping en route for our first cappuccino and cakes. Fine view over the town and harbour from the church at the top. Back by tram for an early meal. Christened the new BBQ with grilled Sea Bass and baked banana with chocolate. Finished off a bottle of Soave, fed the tame blackbirds with grapes and dozed. Freeview box works fine in Italy (provided you speak Italian of course).

Onward to Italy

Left the site at Cagnes sur Mer but the traffic was horrendous, so no chance of parking on the Promenade des Anglais for a walk round the old town. The sea mist was coming in again and it was murky on the A8 out of Nice. Stopped to look down into Monte Carlo from the service station and with the cool mist and previous traffic experiences, we decided to bypass Monte Carlo and Monaco this time. Left France and descended into Italy, the mist dispersed and we quickly found the site, Villagio dei Flouri, at San Remo. We chose a nice pitch with a sea view. Unusual site as it is fully block paved but has lots of flowers and vegetation as its name suggests. A few British motorhomers passing thru, like us, with whom we exchanged experiences on sites and Aires on our ways thru France.

San Tropez to Nice

Drove the 50 miles are so towards Nice along lovely coast road thru St Maxime, Port Grimaud and St Raphael. As we approached Cap d'Esterelle a thick sea mist rolled in and at times completely shrouded the red rocks of the cape. Picnicked on a lay by at the top of the cape and took photos as the mist rolled in and out. Approaching Cannes the traffic became horrendous not helped by frequent road works. The beaches were full of holiday makers and it was impossible to stop anywhere. Same problem in Antibes, we drove round the old walled town but the parking has all been changed, so made for a nearby site in Cagnes sur Mer. Bad sign posting, or navigating, led us up a steep winding hillside again! Disappointing site (for ACSI book) 2km from anything, including bread, so we just stayed one night. Met some Irish caravaner's booked in for 4 weeks!

St Tropez and Pampondelle

It was as short drive from Roquebrune to St Aygulf where Rosemary enjoyed here first French market. Bought a cockroach fridge magnet and lots of fruit and veg and coffee'd French style. On to San Tropez where we found a convenient parking place and wandered round the old port which is now full of very expensive boats. Browsed the pavement artist works and strayed into the old town itself where Peter enjoyed a Grand Marnier crepe. We managed to get separated and spent an hour literally going up blind alleys before being reunited over a (very expensive) coffee. Went to look for an Aire (from the Guide) book which was excellent. Right on a superb beach, the other side of San Tropez, and 200yds from a site shop for morning bread etc. We were the only GB and smallest of the 20 motorhomers overnighting as usual. It was only 5 euro a night, cheaper than the coffee and run by an English chap who was very surprised to see us!

RoqueBrune break

Whilst having breakfast outside we heard some rustling in the leaves and to our great surprise it was a tortoise! We told the receptionist about it and worked out, with a lot of sign language that it was her escaped 'turtle' - she was very pleased to get it back First day without driving we spent in Roquebrune, an old town with a lot of history and its famous red rock as a back drop. Tried to find the restaurant we ate at many years ago but could not really remember where it was or its name. But we had a good meal (menu du jour) and some wine by the old town square, posted Marks birthday card and picked up some bread. Took some photos of the rock and the lake before returning after a relaxing day.

Arrived on the Cote d’Azur

Arrived at the Cote D'Azur on Sunday afternoon having just clocked up 1000 miles since leaving Croft. Staying at a site beside the big rock at Roquebrune which brings back memories of a Eurocamp holiday with the children over 20 years. On that occassion we were in a tent at St Aygulf and were flooded out after a torrential thunder storm - while we were out having a meal in Roquebrune.

Friday the 13th on the Autoroute du Soleil

Stopped for first big supermarket shop at Beaune before joining the A6 Autoroute to bypass Lyon and make some miles due south. After gloroius weather earlier it was starting to become overcast with some drizzle by the evening. Having averaged over 200 miles per day for the last 4 days we decided to have a rest day and stop two nights to avoid the expected busy traffic on Saturday. Found a nice site in the Ardeche on the side of the Isieux valley - after taking a wrong turn and going 4km up a 1 in 8 hill with no way to turn round. Good van test. The site in the ACSI book has only us and 3 other Dutch caravans and has just opened for the season, so a lot of clearing up winter ravages. It would be a lovely site when in full swing with very friendly owners. The nearby village of St Laurant de Pape is a nice strole away and has a boulangerie and chacuterie for Rosemary to drool over. Its me off down to get the fresh croisants on Sunday morning then its off to Provence on the A7/A8 autoroute to complete 1000miles and the first leg. Expecting to find a site with WiFi to make my first post.

Wine Country

Decided to use a combination of A26 to avoid Troyes and then the old N74 to follow the Siene valley south. This is a picturesque route up and down the valley and passes within 2km of the source. Unfortunately it does not pass Dijon as we hit the outskirts of the town in the rush hour. However it is the start of the Grande Cru wine route and we passed through some places we had 'drunk before', then spent the night in Nuits St George region on campsite that was part of the Chateau Pressey Primieux domain. The wine was pretty good too and only €4 from the site. Met a British couple with big caravan on their to way to Provence for the first time. Walked into village to stretch our legs and take a few photos. Interesting remnants of Easter festivities and offerings to the 'wine gods' for a good harvest. A lot of activity all around trimming and tending the vines.

Next stop Soissons

We headed south down an almost deserted A26 before leaving it to find a lunch stop on the Somme. This we did in Perronne picnicking in the town centre on the river, where Rosemary bought some frites from a 'Frites Van'. Then on to the municipal campsite at Soissins which is obviously a busy transit stop for GB and NL heading north and south. We walked along the river (Ainse) into the old town which was largely destroyed in the 1st war. There are two memorials, at either end of the main square, to the French and British who died in the conflict.

Over to Calais

We had an uneventful drive to Dover, boarded the ferry and left for Calais, arriving an hour later than scheduled, after a smooth crossing. The official Aire de Service appeared to be full but we spotted about 20 French motorhomes on the West Quay and joined them for the night. A lone lady on her way home to England after 4 months in Benidorm arrived later so we chatted about overwintering in Spain, with a dog, before bedding down for a quiet night.

Italy here we come 2007

This year we plan to tour Northern Italy taking in a mixture of history, culture, scenery and of course, lounging about on the beach. Time permitting we also plan to venture briefly into Slovenia and Northern Croatia. We also need to have an overall objective and this year it is - to visit as many countries as possible in the round trip from Calais to Calais. If we include Monte Carlo, San Morino and Leichenstein then we should fit in about 11 on the return leg.

That's the plan but we just have a departure date, 10th April and a provisional return date of 20th June and nothing definite in between. So anything is possible until the insurance runs out in early July.

Watch this space for progress. Not that we plan to spend all our time on the Web, but Peter may find a few hours to spare on a camp site with WiFi or the occasional internet cafe.