MAY 1st - 27th
http://www.findmespot.com/spotadventures/index.php/view_adventure?tripid=301507
Small video clips;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlUcI2bB0M0&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0iwR5E_WHc&feature=plcp
30th April;
Got to the ferry in plenty of time, and just as the rain started but thankfully the storm forecast did not appear. 14mls
01st May;
A very pleasant calm crossing, some reasonable sleep and a tea and croissant before disembarking. Breezed through customs and on my way, I choose a different route this time, skirting Paris directly before heading West then South, a nice easy route to follow and arrived at my 1st stop in Macon (386mls) at about 15.30, grunt again drove very well easily eating the miles. Then Macon campsite is easy to find, excellently located and great value at €15 a night. A great meaty bbq, a glass of wine and an early night.
http://www.eurocampings.co.uk/en/europe/france/burgundy/saone-et-loire/campsite-municipal-les-varennes-104114/#
02nd;
A couple of cups of tea and on my way, a straight forward drive into Italy down the toll roads before using one of the tunnels into Italy, the Col du Cenis was closed, the tunnel cost €38.60, ouch! But what I wanted to see was open or at least part of it, the Col du Sommelier, apparently the highest (baring the odd military one) drivable track in Europe, topping out at more than 10,000ft, so I took a drive up there but only got as far as the lake before the snow got the better and any further forward was blocked by snow at a modest level of 1950m, the whole area here is stunning, oh well next time. Then headed for the campsite at €15 a night in nearby Salterband, it closes for lunch and opens at 15:00, a nice convenient stop.
http://www.eurocampings.co.uk/en/europe/italy/piedmont/campsite-gran-bosco-117829/
03rd;
Awoke early, a bit chilly but what was going to be a stunning long sunny day, left early and headed across Italy, made excellent time and got to the old F1 racetrack at Imola, surprised how abandoned it felt, saw a nice respectful memorial to the late great Ayrton Senna, what a lost all those years ago, for me the best F1 driver of my generation IMHO. Made Rimini mid-afternoon and liked the place, though in Summer it’ll be a nightmare, a typical seaside resort, made the Alberello campsite at €14 a night just south of Rimini on the coast road with the beach just across the road, and dossed about in shorts and t shirt enjoying a local glass of wine and a lovely pizza in the restaurant, a great day.
http://www.eurocampings.co.uk/en/europe/italy/emilia-romagna/campsite-alberello-104931/#
04th;
Awoke just before 06.00 by the sun blazing into my tent, got up, showered etc, had breakfast and 2 cups of tea followed by a spot of sightseeing. Then hit the road, the scenic road/s all the way to Lake Trasimeno via San Marino which I was pleasantly surprised with, a lovely haven, and through some stunning villages all the way to lake Magione, stopping a few times to take pics or at vineries. Made camp, an afternoon nap, then hit the town, which is scenic, Campeggio Listro campsite is basic and cheap at €9 but the views over the lake are glorious inspite of the motorhomes blocking the view.
www.listro.it
05th May;
Up early, mug of tea and on my way. I wanted to get to the west coast and in no particular hurry, so just followed the map with the gps on just for guidance and saw some of beautiful scenery, stunning villages of which Sorano and Pitigliano. A glorious day’s drive across Italy and into Tuscany. Found a great Argentario International camping village (€16 a night) near the isle of Monte Argentario and then passed it and drove around this very scenic but busy little island from where you can get a ferry to Isola del Giglio to see the Costa Concordia if you wish. I didn’t so back to the campsite and pitched up, had a lovely walk around the camp and beach then back for food and drink.
http://www.eurocampings.co.uk/en/europe/italy/tuscany/campsite-int.-argentario-104856/
06th;
Awoke in the odd drizzle, showered, mug of tea and on my way, drove through some scenic villages before arriving in Castel del Piano, the campsite is called Camping Residence Amiata (€11 a night) a rustic but friendly place in this nice town, had a lovely walk around the old place in between the showers, back for a bbq and a glass or 2, then the rain came and did it come.
www.amiata.org
07th;
It poured down all night, didn’t sleep a lot, left just after 08.00 and did some exploring, a lovely region, again just following a map to see where it takes me. After some stunning villages, made Siena and the sun was shining, what a glorious historic place. Spent a lovely few hours wandering around, this is where the famous horse race takes place and probably the city I liked the most. Campsite excellent but expensive at €22 (charged as a camping car) a night, and as Siena centre is a few kms away, you can easily get a bus into town, there are stops just outside the campsite.
www.sienacamping.com
08th;
Up early in the sun and keen to see the main Chianti region, stunning villages all of them, of which Gieve in Chianti stands out with it’s beautiful piazza. This whole area is just stunning, different from the Provence region of France, the landscape is different, there are a lot of hills of about 500/600mtrs, lots of little villages carved into the hillsides the whole area is just so picturesque, certainly one of the places I’d like to live in. Made Florence early afternoon, had a bit of trouble finding my planned campsite, very glad I did find it, an excellent site very near the Michelangelo Piazza and within walking distance of the historic sights of this beautiful city and only €18 a night. So I did spent a couple of hours just enjoying the weather and walking around Florence, the capital of Tuscany.
http://www.ecvacanze.it/en/campingmichelangelo
09th;
Another hot and sunny day, as I was sharing Florence yesterday with 1000’s of people my plan was to get an earlier start, so I left after breakfast for another day sightseeing and just taking it all in, spent about 4hrs on foot just wandering around, including an indoor food market, EU rules do not apply here, just like the French, the Italians take what bits they want and what bits they don’t want from the white elephant that is the EU.
Back for an afternoon kip, wandered to the campsite café to buy an internet card, closed from 12.00-17.00, bizarre as it has a veranda overlooking the campsite and Florence, oh well might as well enjoy a glass of the local region, everyone knows Chianti, but the whites are also varied, not only in taste (some are an acquired taste, being kind) but in colour I would expect to see in dessert wines, but what do I know. And an average Chianti isn’t cheap, expect to pay between €12-€30 a bottle, those that are cheaper wait for shopping at Lidls etc, also Eurospin and Coop are excellent value supermarkets, same quality different price.
10th;
Another hot and sunny day, a lovely drive visiting more stunning towns of which Certaldo stands out, and a visit to the village of Morrocco, yes with 2 r’s but finally ending up in San Gimignano, what another stunning historic place, the campsite is about 30min walk from the town centre or you can get a bus. Another tourist hot spot, 100’s of tourists, 100’s of school kids but still a lovely place and every shop you can imagine selling fabulous local produce and of course the normal tat.
Another great day, really enjoying this whole region, I walked back to the campsite (€18 a night), Camping Boschetto di Piemma is a lovely, well kept site just outside the town.
www.boschettodipiemma.it
11th;
Easy going today, some more stunning little villages including Volterra and coming across a flower festival in Montecatini, is was great seeing the children and women dressed up, the old men at the front of the procession carrying a branch of various flowers, such a spectacle. Then onto the coast and Cecina, my planned campsite just south, and lovely it is to and only €12 a night.
www.letamerici.it
12th & 13th;
Lovely Le Tamerici campsite, near a beach and a nice seaside town with a great front full of cafes, pizzerias and shops etc along with the hot weather. So I decided to stay here for a couple more days. A nice swim in the cold Thyrrhenian on Sunday morning, just as well the weather turned blustery in the afternoon along with a shower or two.
14th;
Up early heading north now to Pisa, stopped for supplies, and zig zag my way to Pisa through some more lovely villages and stunning countryside. Arrived at the campsite at about 12.00, only 1km from the leaning tower etc, a lovely well kept campsite and only €12 a night, the idea being to stay 2 nights, but with no campsite in Lucca, I’ll stay here 3 nights and use a day for Lucca, a walled town about 20kms to the north.
www.campingtorrependente.com
You can easily get a train (station 10mins walk away) for a €3/4 euros each way, it’ll save the hassle of driving there, parking etc.
15th;
had a lovely time walking around the walled city of Lucca, a lovely place, just big enough for all that is Italian and not too touristy. * See notes on Italian public transport at the bottom.
16th;
Another wander around Pisa today, a bit of shopping and just chillaxing in glorious weather and enjoying meeting fellow campers including a guy who’s cycling from Barcelona to Iran. Why not!
17th;
up early, left early for Viareggio, a lovely port but all along the front was a white van stall market, which apart from selling the normal fake goods and tat just blocked the beautiful beach and view, so I moved on. Inland again to Camaiore and then north to Borgo a Mozzano and its’ famous bridge, well famous to the region anyway, followed a lovely twisty road towards Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, it takes longer to type than drive through, a stunning place. Stopped at some caves, I’ve seen better so I moved on and just followed the road to Aulla not before topping out on this lovely scenic road, a real find. Onto La Spezia, a lovely town and port, still a military naval port, no camping here so I climbed out and into the Cinque Terre.
Didn’t know much about this area, but spoke to a couple who had recently been here, so I found a nice campsite in Levanto but was fully booked, so I found another one and pitched up late afternoon. This whole Cinque Terre area is not cheap, the campsite Campeggio Pian di Picche is €18.50 a night but very friendly with clean facilities, but if you eat and drink out the prices are expensive, but still a lovely place though in July and August extremely busy.
www.piandipicche.it
18th;
Up early and to the train station, and then trained and walked for about 7hrs along the Cinque Terre (five villages) down and up, up and down, including the “Lover’s Walk”, a tiring but a lovely day, glad I did it. On the 25th of October 2011 this area was hit by a devastating landslide, Vernazza in particularly suffered.
19th;
A quick around the pleasant seaside town that is Levanto, back to camp and left for Portofino. Initially looked at taking the coast road, but with another 3 or 4hrs on the journey decided against it, hopped onto the toll road and about 2hrs later and €4.50 toll came at Rapello.
A quick look at the campsite, nothing special and pricy, so a quick drive to Portofino, a spot of lunch, drive back and pitch up. Not a chance! From the nearest town it’s about 6kms to Portofino, so I drove there (vehicles towing caravans or others outside the permitted 2.3m wide x 3.2m high x 6m length no access down this road) I got there and no parking spaces for vehicles higher than 2m left and the place was heaving with 1000’s of tourists so I turned around headed back, not a single decent sized parking space anywhere, back to town and parking very limited. Yes I could of parked and caught a bus/boat/walk with loads of others heading that way back, but then it started to rain and thought, I’m not actually that bothered, another day, maybe.
So back through Rapello and hit the toll road all the way round to Sanremo, the weather had improved though a lot more windy. Would have liked to have seen Portofino, but hey ho sometimes things aren’t meant to be.
Found a lovely campsite (€16 a night) on the edge on this old seaside city, Villaggio dei Fiori is a huge well kept site near the bus route and a great little supermarket just up the road, so 2 nights here.
www.villaggiodeifiori.it
20th;
A walk into Sanremo was in order for today, 2.5kms each way from a lovely campsite though has a causeway in front of it instead of a decent beach, Sanremo is a large but a scenic town with a lovely port and small beaches. You can also get a train to Monaco which is about 30kms south.
A nice walk, back for lunch and the weather changed a bit, showers and still windy. But it’s Sunday and every Sunday thus far has been wet and windy but Mon-Sat reasonably good, hope it continues.
21st;
It rained all night and possibly for the next 2 days. So back to the original plan and head north, so hopped on to a toll road to Ventimiglia and on up into France, I did this road in my Series and remember how stunning it is, a great drive, even in rain.
Got in the Alps and snow even at this time of year, back into Italy towards Cuneo and then left towards Gap, haven’t been on this road before, absolutely stunning, beautiful lakes, mountains and forests all around. The few campsites that were open were rustic, so I carried on through Gap, Grenoble (been there before, not a favourite place) and headed north to Lyon. Even though it had been a long day I didn’t feel that tired and after dodging the traffic in Lyon at rush hour decided to go back to my 1st campsite at Macon for 2 nights rest and hope the weather improves……
22nd; ………….it hasn’t, oh well awning out, shopping and sightseeing on the cards.
23rd;
Up early and eager to move on, no toll roads today because I had time and wanted to see some of the beautiful French countryside, and it was and I did, from Chateaus to vineyards all through some stunning villages. Found a municipal campsite L'Arbre Sec (€6.50 a night, the French get it right again) just 2kms from the centre of lovely historic Auxerre opposite the Auxerre football stadium, Auxerre is a really nice place, had a good couple of hours walking around, back for dinner and a glass or two.
Then as a fairground was just 5mins walk away I had a wander around there for an hour or so, a great day, a bit tiring but well worth it and in the evening the sun finally made an appearance.
24th;
Up early, packed up, a mug of tea and left, another scenic non toll road drive all the way to Albert (and not that much slower in a 110 and about €40 cheaper), a sobering drive to visit my great uncle’s graves in this Somme area. Found the excellent campsite in Albert, Camping du Velodrome is a lovely small site only about 2kms from the centre and great value at €12 a night.
25th;
Another hot sunny day and another sobering drive around more war graves in the morning, there are so many in this small region it’s difficult to visit them all or take in the scale of lost!
Back for lunch and a visit around the lovely place that is Albert, a really nice place, a visit to the Somme 1916 museum which is well done, and after some sightseeing wandered back for an evening sat in the sun.
26th;
Up early on another bright morning, shower, mug of tea and on my way, another pleasant drive on non-toll roads all the way to Le Havre to see if my booking for Sunday’s ferry was ok. I was north a couple of days early anyway, once booking was confirmed I drove out of Le Havre, over the Normandy bridges and into lovely Honfleur.
Back at the lovely campsite that is Camping du Phare (€12 a night) and in Honfleur, so pitched tent, had lunch and then wandered around, the festival of sea is on, so Honfleur was packed with people, boats, houses, buildings and cafes etc all decked out in bunting and flags, a lovely scenic end to a another great trip.
Back for a quick nap, a glass or 2 and dinner and then another wander around Honfleur this time at dusk, stunning with all the lights on and the little place bustling with 100’s of people in restaurants and cafes around the basin, a lovely scenic picture.
27th;
Ferry at 17:00 so no rush today, got up, packed up, showered, mug of tea, brought crossiants and a baguette, strolled back, had breakfast, another mug of tea and left campsite.
A short simple drive to Le Havre, drove around for a bit, visited the docks shopping area, nothing really I wanted, so drove to the docks and waited for boarding to start.
With a 10ml (approx) drive home from Portsmouth it’ll put the trip at 2,979mls. Another great trip, some fantastic sights, tasted some great wine, met some really nice people and Grunt drove faultlessly.
Now then; Glass of wine, plans for northern Spain and Portugal, and off we go again.
Cost; France is still cheaper for nearly everything, diesel is about €1.35/1.50 a litre in Italy it’s about €1.70/1.80 a litre, food and drink in supermarkets is also generally cheaper.
Public transport in Italy; you must buy a ticket before you board a bus or train and you must validate this ticket in little yellow boxes on the bus or at train stations before you board. Tickets have a time limited on them and are also generally for one way, even if your return trip is within the time limit to return you need to use the return ticket and validate this before you board.
Speed traps; loads in Italy, but thankfully I wasn’t in a hurry though at least 3 drivers overtook me in Italy and were pulled over down the road.
ACSI card once again saves me quite a few €'s
http://www.findmespot.com/spotadventures/index.php/view_adventure?tripid=301507
Small video clips;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlUcI2bB0M0&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0iwR5E_WHc&feature=plcp
30th April;
Got to the ferry in plenty of time, and just as the rain started but thankfully the storm forecast did not appear. 14mls
01st May;
A very pleasant calm crossing, some reasonable sleep and a tea and croissant before disembarking. Breezed through customs and on my way, I choose a different route this time, skirting Paris directly before heading West then South, a nice easy route to follow and arrived at my 1st stop in Macon (386mls) at about 15.30, grunt again drove very well easily eating the miles. Then Macon campsite is easy to find, excellently located and great value at €15 a night. A great meaty bbq, a glass of wine and an early night.
http://www.eurocampings.co.uk/en/europe/france/burgundy/saone-et-loire/campsite-municipal-les-varennes-104114/#
02nd;
A couple of cups of tea and on my way, a straight forward drive into Italy down the toll roads before using one of the tunnels into Italy, the Col du Cenis was closed, the tunnel cost €38.60, ouch! But what I wanted to see was open or at least part of it, the Col du Sommelier, apparently the highest (baring the odd military one) drivable track in Europe, topping out at more than 10,000ft, so I took a drive up there but only got as far as the lake before the snow got the better and any further forward was blocked by snow at a modest level of 1950m, the whole area here is stunning, oh well next time. Then headed for the campsite at €15 a night in nearby Salterband, it closes for lunch and opens at 15:00, a nice convenient stop.
http://www.eurocampings.co.uk/en/europe/italy/piedmont/campsite-gran-bosco-117829/
03rd;
Awoke early, a bit chilly but what was going to be a stunning long sunny day, left early and headed across Italy, made excellent time and got to the old F1 racetrack at Imola, surprised how abandoned it felt, saw a nice respectful memorial to the late great Ayrton Senna, what a lost all those years ago, for me the best F1 driver of my generation IMHO. Made Rimini mid-afternoon and liked the place, though in Summer it’ll be a nightmare, a typical seaside resort, made the Alberello campsite at €14 a night just south of Rimini on the coast road with the beach just across the road, and dossed about in shorts and t shirt enjoying a local glass of wine and a lovely pizza in the restaurant, a great day.
http://www.eurocampings.co.uk/en/europe/italy/emilia-romagna/campsite-alberello-104931/#
04th;
Awoke just before 06.00 by the sun blazing into my tent, got up, showered etc, had breakfast and 2 cups of tea followed by a spot of sightseeing. Then hit the road, the scenic road/s all the way to Lake Trasimeno via San Marino which I was pleasantly surprised with, a lovely haven, and through some stunning villages all the way to lake Magione, stopping a few times to take pics or at vineries. Made camp, an afternoon nap, then hit the town, which is scenic, Campeggio Listro campsite is basic and cheap at €9 but the views over the lake are glorious inspite of the motorhomes blocking the view.
www.listro.it
05th May;
Up early, mug of tea and on my way. I wanted to get to the west coast and in no particular hurry, so just followed the map with the gps on just for guidance and saw some of beautiful scenery, stunning villages of which Sorano and Pitigliano. A glorious day’s drive across Italy and into Tuscany. Found a great Argentario International camping village (€16 a night) near the isle of Monte Argentario and then passed it and drove around this very scenic but busy little island from where you can get a ferry to Isola del Giglio to see the Costa Concordia if you wish. I didn’t so back to the campsite and pitched up, had a lovely walk around the camp and beach then back for food and drink.
http://www.eurocampings.co.uk/en/europe/italy/tuscany/campsite-int.-argentario-104856/
06th;
Awoke in the odd drizzle, showered, mug of tea and on my way, drove through some scenic villages before arriving in Castel del Piano, the campsite is called Camping Residence Amiata (€11 a night) a rustic but friendly place in this nice town, had a lovely walk around the old place in between the showers, back for a bbq and a glass or 2, then the rain came and did it come.
www.amiata.org
07th;
It poured down all night, didn’t sleep a lot, left just after 08.00 and did some exploring, a lovely region, again just following a map to see where it takes me. After some stunning villages, made Siena and the sun was shining, what a glorious historic place. Spent a lovely few hours wandering around, this is where the famous horse race takes place and probably the city I liked the most. Campsite excellent but expensive at €22 (charged as a camping car) a night, and as Siena centre is a few kms away, you can easily get a bus into town, there are stops just outside the campsite.
www.sienacamping.com
08th;
Up early in the sun and keen to see the main Chianti region, stunning villages all of them, of which Gieve in Chianti stands out with it’s beautiful piazza. This whole area is just stunning, different from the Provence region of France, the landscape is different, there are a lot of hills of about 500/600mtrs, lots of little villages carved into the hillsides the whole area is just so picturesque, certainly one of the places I’d like to live in. Made Florence early afternoon, had a bit of trouble finding my planned campsite, very glad I did find it, an excellent site very near the Michelangelo Piazza and within walking distance of the historic sights of this beautiful city and only €18 a night. So I did spent a couple of hours just enjoying the weather and walking around Florence, the capital of Tuscany.
http://www.ecvacanze.it/en/campingmichelangelo
09th;
Another hot and sunny day, as I was sharing Florence yesterday with 1000’s of people my plan was to get an earlier start, so I left after breakfast for another day sightseeing and just taking it all in, spent about 4hrs on foot just wandering around, including an indoor food market, EU rules do not apply here, just like the French, the Italians take what bits they want and what bits they don’t want from the white elephant that is the EU.
Back for an afternoon kip, wandered to the campsite café to buy an internet card, closed from 12.00-17.00, bizarre as it has a veranda overlooking the campsite and Florence, oh well might as well enjoy a glass of the local region, everyone knows Chianti, but the whites are also varied, not only in taste (some are an acquired taste, being kind) but in colour I would expect to see in dessert wines, but what do I know. And an average Chianti isn’t cheap, expect to pay between €12-€30 a bottle, those that are cheaper wait for shopping at Lidls etc, also Eurospin and Coop are excellent value supermarkets, same quality different price.
10th;
Another hot and sunny day, a lovely drive visiting more stunning towns of which Certaldo stands out, and a visit to the village of Morrocco, yes with 2 r’s but finally ending up in San Gimignano, what another stunning historic place, the campsite is about 30min walk from the town centre or you can get a bus. Another tourist hot spot, 100’s of tourists, 100’s of school kids but still a lovely place and every shop you can imagine selling fabulous local produce and of course the normal tat.
Another great day, really enjoying this whole region, I walked back to the campsite (€18 a night), Camping Boschetto di Piemma is a lovely, well kept site just outside the town.
www.boschettodipiemma.it
11th;
Easy going today, some more stunning little villages including Volterra and coming across a flower festival in Montecatini, is was great seeing the children and women dressed up, the old men at the front of the procession carrying a branch of various flowers, such a spectacle. Then onto the coast and Cecina, my planned campsite just south, and lovely it is to and only €12 a night.
www.letamerici.it
12th & 13th;
Lovely Le Tamerici campsite, near a beach and a nice seaside town with a great front full of cafes, pizzerias and shops etc along with the hot weather. So I decided to stay here for a couple more days. A nice swim in the cold Thyrrhenian on Sunday morning, just as well the weather turned blustery in the afternoon along with a shower or two.
14th;
Up early heading north now to Pisa, stopped for supplies, and zig zag my way to Pisa through some more lovely villages and stunning countryside. Arrived at the campsite at about 12.00, only 1km from the leaning tower etc, a lovely well kept campsite and only €12 a night, the idea being to stay 2 nights, but with no campsite in Lucca, I’ll stay here 3 nights and use a day for Lucca, a walled town about 20kms to the north.
www.campingtorrependente.com
You can easily get a train (station 10mins walk away) for a €3/4 euros each way, it’ll save the hassle of driving there, parking etc.
15th;
had a lovely time walking around the walled city of Lucca, a lovely place, just big enough for all that is Italian and not too touristy. * See notes on Italian public transport at the bottom.
16th;
Another wander around Pisa today, a bit of shopping and just chillaxing in glorious weather and enjoying meeting fellow campers including a guy who’s cycling from Barcelona to Iran. Why not!
17th;
up early, left early for Viareggio, a lovely port but all along the front was a white van stall market, which apart from selling the normal fake goods and tat just blocked the beautiful beach and view, so I moved on. Inland again to Camaiore and then north to Borgo a Mozzano and its’ famous bridge, well famous to the region anyway, followed a lovely twisty road towards Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, it takes longer to type than drive through, a stunning place. Stopped at some caves, I’ve seen better so I moved on and just followed the road to Aulla not before topping out on this lovely scenic road, a real find. Onto La Spezia, a lovely town and port, still a military naval port, no camping here so I climbed out and into the Cinque Terre.
Didn’t know much about this area, but spoke to a couple who had recently been here, so I found a nice campsite in Levanto but was fully booked, so I found another one and pitched up late afternoon. This whole Cinque Terre area is not cheap, the campsite Campeggio Pian di Picche is €18.50 a night but very friendly with clean facilities, but if you eat and drink out the prices are expensive, but still a lovely place though in July and August extremely busy.
www.piandipicche.it
18th;
Up early and to the train station, and then trained and walked for about 7hrs along the Cinque Terre (five villages) down and up, up and down, including the “Lover’s Walk”, a tiring but a lovely day, glad I did it. On the 25th of October 2011 this area was hit by a devastating landslide, Vernazza in particularly suffered.
19th;
A quick around the pleasant seaside town that is Levanto, back to camp and left for Portofino. Initially looked at taking the coast road, but with another 3 or 4hrs on the journey decided against it, hopped onto the toll road and about 2hrs later and €4.50 toll came at Rapello.
A quick look at the campsite, nothing special and pricy, so a quick drive to Portofino, a spot of lunch, drive back and pitch up. Not a chance! From the nearest town it’s about 6kms to Portofino, so I drove there (vehicles towing caravans or others outside the permitted 2.3m wide x 3.2m high x 6m length no access down this road) I got there and no parking spaces for vehicles higher than 2m left and the place was heaving with 1000’s of tourists so I turned around headed back, not a single decent sized parking space anywhere, back to town and parking very limited. Yes I could of parked and caught a bus/boat/walk with loads of others heading that way back, but then it started to rain and thought, I’m not actually that bothered, another day, maybe.
So back through Rapello and hit the toll road all the way round to Sanremo, the weather had improved though a lot more windy. Would have liked to have seen Portofino, but hey ho sometimes things aren’t meant to be.
Found a lovely campsite (€16 a night) on the edge on this old seaside city, Villaggio dei Fiori is a huge well kept site near the bus route and a great little supermarket just up the road, so 2 nights here.
www.villaggiodeifiori.it
20th;
A walk into Sanremo was in order for today, 2.5kms each way from a lovely campsite though has a causeway in front of it instead of a decent beach, Sanremo is a large but a scenic town with a lovely port and small beaches. You can also get a train to Monaco which is about 30kms south.
A nice walk, back for lunch and the weather changed a bit, showers and still windy. But it’s Sunday and every Sunday thus far has been wet and windy but Mon-Sat reasonably good, hope it continues.
21st;
It rained all night and possibly for the next 2 days. So back to the original plan and head north, so hopped on to a toll road to Ventimiglia and on up into France, I did this road in my Series and remember how stunning it is, a great drive, even in rain.
Got in the Alps and snow even at this time of year, back into Italy towards Cuneo and then left towards Gap, haven’t been on this road before, absolutely stunning, beautiful lakes, mountains and forests all around. The few campsites that were open were rustic, so I carried on through Gap, Grenoble (been there before, not a favourite place) and headed north to Lyon. Even though it had been a long day I didn’t feel that tired and after dodging the traffic in Lyon at rush hour decided to go back to my 1st campsite at Macon for 2 nights rest and hope the weather improves……
22nd; ………….it hasn’t, oh well awning out, shopping and sightseeing on the cards.
23rd;
Up early and eager to move on, no toll roads today because I had time and wanted to see some of the beautiful French countryside, and it was and I did, from Chateaus to vineyards all through some stunning villages. Found a municipal campsite L'Arbre Sec (€6.50 a night, the French get it right again) just 2kms from the centre of lovely historic Auxerre opposite the Auxerre football stadium, Auxerre is a really nice place, had a good couple of hours walking around, back for dinner and a glass or two.
Then as a fairground was just 5mins walk away I had a wander around there for an hour or so, a great day, a bit tiring but well worth it and in the evening the sun finally made an appearance.
24th;
Up early, packed up, a mug of tea and left, another scenic non toll road drive all the way to Albert (and not that much slower in a 110 and about €40 cheaper), a sobering drive to visit my great uncle’s graves in this Somme area. Found the excellent campsite in Albert, Camping du Velodrome is a lovely small site only about 2kms from the centre and great value at €12 a night.
25th;
Another hot sunny day and another sobering drive around more war graves in the morning, there are so many in this small region it’s difficult to visit them all or take in the scale of lost!
Back for lunch and a visit around the lovely place that is Albert, a really nice place, a visit to the Somme 1916 museum which is well done, and after some sightseeing wandered back for an evening sat in the sun.
26th;
Up early on another bright morning, shower, mug of tea and on my way, another pleasant drive on non-toll roads all the way to Le Havre to see if my booking for Sunday’s ferry was ok. I was north a couple of days early anyway, once booking was confirmed I drove out of Le Havre, over the Normandy bridges and into lovely Honfleur.
Back at the lovely campsite that is Camping du Phare (€12 a night) and in Honfleur, so pitched tent, had lunch and then wandered around, the festival of sea is on, so Honfleur was packed with people, boats, houses, buildings and cafes etc all decked out in bunting and flags, a lovely scenic end to a another great trip.
Back for a quick nap, a glass or 2 and dinner and then another wander around Honfleur this time at dusk, stunning with all the lights on and the little place bustling with 100’s of people in restaurants and cafes around the basin, a lovely scenic picture.
27th;
Ferry at 17:00 so no rush today, got up, packed up, showered, mug of tea, brought crossiants and a baguette, strolled back, had breakfast, another mug of tea and left campsite.
A short simple drive to Le Havre, drove around for a bit, visited the docks shopping area, nothing really I wanted, so drove to the docks and waited for boarding to start.
With a 10ml (approx) drive home from Portsmouth it’ll put the trip at 2,979mls. Another great trip, some fantastic sights, tasted some great wine, met some really nice people and Grunt drove faultlessly.
Now then; Glass of wine, plans for northern Spain and Portugal, and off we go again.
Cost; France is still cheaper for nearly everything, diesel is about €1.35/1.50 a litre in Italy it’s about €1.70/1.80 a litre, food and drink in supermarkets is also generally cheaper.
Public transport in Italy; you must buy a ticket before you board a bus or train and you must validate this ticket in little yellow boxes on the bus or at train stations before you board. Tickets have a time limited on them and are also generally for one way, even if your return trip is within the time limit to return you need to use the return ticket and validate this before you board.
Speed traps; loads in Italy, but thankfully I wasn’t in a hurry though at least 3 drivers overtook me in Italy and were pulled over down the road.
ACSI card once again saves me quite a few €'s