Back through France

Settling into our nice new campsite in Le Napoule France on a late sunny afternoon we decided to go for a healthy walk towards Cannes. It was a beautiful evening for photo taking as we walked around the seafront and we resolved the next day the catch a bus to Cannes, a train to Monaco and then return via Nice.

Returning to Wi-Fi at the camp we picked up a message from Adrian to say that Eleni was in labour.....yes!!!! It was like the world stopped still for two days. This new grandchild, otherwise known as "little bleep", was not going to arrive in this world without fanfare - from the time her entrance was activated she had us all on the edge of our seats, including the staff at the campsite. She had a free trip in utero in an ambulance with all the bells and whistles and by the time she finally made her grand entrance her parents, aunties, uncles, cousins, grandparents etc. were exhausted. To Adrian and Eleni a beautiful daughter Maya -  for me a first granddaughter to compliment my two amazing grandsons - for Gary a new granddaughter to call him Gandy (he is fortunate to have many others). Such relief that all turned out well and we cannot wait to meet her in February. Until then we will have to be satisfied with photos but she is beautiful and we love her to pieces.

So we actually did not see too much of Cannes or Nice but we had both been there before and made up for that by driving along the coastal road to our next destination which was Saint Tropez. Driving and stopping in Le Napoule, St Raphael, Frejus and other smaller villages along the way to take some amazing photos - the sea was wild and stormy that day but the sun was shining - we both reconfirmed that visiting main cities is definitely not our thing and that beauty for us lies with the sea, the sun and nature.

And so to Saint Tropez where lunch of 3 coffees, 2 baguettes and 2 cakes cost 36 euro?????? (About NZ$65) and it has rained and blown a fierce gale since we arrived. We have been stuck in Molly, apart from our sortie to Saint Tropez this morning, just making it back before this latest storm. Good thing was though we were waiting at the bus stop this morning when a really nice French man stopped and gave us a lift into the centre. The old city is very lovely once again with cobbled, narrow streets with high, old shuttered buildings like a huge maze. We love wandering these places but actually forgot that most businesses in France do not open on a Monday so it was quite deserted. The super yachts in the marina never fail to amaze, their opulence screaming elitism. We did however wander along hoping someone might offer us a job or at least a tour!!!!!!

We have made a decision tonight, based on current long term weather forecasts to pull the plug on Europe for this trip. We are heading back to UK to store Molly, visit family and friends, spend Christmas somewhere and New Year with Carol and her family, pack our bags again and head back to Thailand where we will find a place to stay with a beach and sunshine before making our way to Australia. A bucket trip elsewhere, maybe to Turkey, could feature but we need to work out timings etc. - future unknown!!!!

But back to the present and St. Tropez.........

Nestling down in Molly deciding on how to spend the rest of our time without squandering it, the wind started to pick up and shake Molly a little and the precipitation started to pick up in unison. Little to no sleep was had that night as gale force winds and torrential rain took control of our environment. Little did we know that half an hour down the road caravans had been washed away in flash floods, people were missing and lives lost. More by luck than judgement we had parked alongside a concrete wall with a hedge atop which deflected some of the wind but the car park was flooded when we finally stepped outside. We left as soon as we were able, sticking to the motorways, to Avignon. The trip took us a few hours but was nowhere near as bad as we expected.

Once in Avignon we felt safe again and found a really great campsite right by the bridge that takes you directly into the old, walled city........perfect.

Although Avignon was very cold we really enjoyed our stay here. It was so easy to walk anywhere and everywhere with such a lot to see and do and we took advantage of that. First stop....warm clothes for us both! Second stop.....flowers for our beautiful new granddaughter, Maya, and her gorgeous parents. It was all sooooo easy and affordable. Now we were ready to tackle the sites and the historic town, which were not too busy, at our leisure. Avignon, for us, had a special feeling about it although there was not a great amount to do. Just off the main square was a castle and the botanical gardens but the myriad of small streets emanating from this point could lead you anywhere and, of course, it did........straight to a most amazing, very small, Indian restaurant. It was tucked right away in a colourful part of the town but if Gary hadn't had both his eyes open we would have missed it!!!!! I had been lusting over an Indian for a while, and if truth be known Gary had too, so that made for the perfect day.

We were very fortunate to be in Avignon whilst "the tasting of the new wine" festival was on, so that was a must for us. We had seen the preparations taking place - mobile huts, lights, stage, carousel etc. - but had no clue as to what was to happen. Rugging up with ALL our new winter woollies, hats, gloves, down vests, scarves etc. we toddled off, like Michelin men, into the freezing unknown. Well, it was just sooo great! Think we were the only tourists there and where all the locals suddenly emerged from, in their hundreds, so late and on such a cold night, amazed us but it was such a happy occasion and atmosphere. After some funny French on our part,  lots of hand language, gesticulations and frantic running around by one poor lady (charades has nothing on this) and we now knew the order of events.......pay 3 euro each for a glass and a breathalyzer, get in there and taste as much free new wine as you like for the next several hours. Eat cheap food if you wish, watch a parade, witness the most colourful, elaborate light show on the castle walls and just wallow in happiness - and wine - under the prettiest Christmas lights I have seen in years. And we did. We also won - 2 really special wine glasses in their own tubes, a corker bottle opener and a pen. We bought 2 bottles of Rose wine (absolutely splendid) and finally wound our way back to Molly at a reasonable hour as we planned to leave early the next day for Toulouse.

I have said before that once in a while everything falls well into place and you feel comfortable and at home....so you stay longer and enjoy.

Not so our next stop - Toulouse. Because our kms between stops as we head towards UK have increased we treated ourselves to a paid motorway trip!!!!!! 36 Euro later???????

Anyway this campsite was dismal so because of that and several other factors one night was sufficient here and next morning we were on our way again this time to L'Estuaire in Charentes - again on the AutoRoute. 33euro later (double for NZ$) and that's our daily budget almost over without petrol or campsite fees. No more motorways for us.

Again this campsite was dismal, it was in the middle of nowhere - literally - and everything on site was closed. The bathrooms stunk, no one was in attendance, but they still wanted our money. In summer I imagine it would be a great place with a pool and leisure centre etc. but right now? --- Bad, very bad.

Once again we reflected on what we should do, how sunshine plays such a big part in motorhome life and whether we are doing the correct thing returning to UK etc. We think we were always a month behind where we should have been throughout Europe, weather-wise, but we learn from our mistakes and next trip we will be so much wiser.

So now we are in Nantes. We had a great trip here - no motorways - in brilliant sunshine although still very cold through the French countryside. The campsite is eco-friendly, modern, clean and well looked after. The staff is young, helpful and just great. We have caught up with all our washing, drying and jobs today,  bought a tram/boat ticket to discover Nantes tomorrow and may even stay another night to go for a good bike ride. We have the free use of a heated indoor swimming pool and all you can eat Wi-Fi for 1euro per machine. If the sun would come back out = perfect.

Nantes. This is another town/city that is very easy to fall in love with especially at this time of year. Crisp and cold and everywhere geared up for Christmas. Once again there is so much history here with quaint streets and beautiful old shops looking like something from the Dickens era only much more opulent. Little cabins decorated with Christmas lights have been set up in the square and are full of different things to buy for Christmas presents - there is a really nice happy feeling about Nantes.

We took a tram from the campsite, having to disembark, walk two stops and embark again because there was a huge demonstration happening, blocking the road and tramlines. There were no grumbles or complaints from anyone and the walk along the river was absolutely beautiful.

Our first stop though had to be a decent coffee so espying a cafe we ambled in and sat down in the window, beside another couple, to watch the world go by. Typical of us we opened a conversation with them and Gary is still amazed to this day re the outcome - they were English and lived 3 villages away from Cray’s Hill Billericay where my family and I lived!!!!. If I said Little Woking I could be wrong but the next village on from Ramsden Heath anyway. They had come to Nantes to oversee their boat build and we chatted for a good long while and once again will stay in touch. This is turning out to be quite a regular occurrence.

Having enjoyed our coffee and chat we headed to the ferry which would take us to a little fishing village across the water with brightly coloured houses along the fore shore. Sadly it was really cold and windy so a quick walk along the front was all we managed before jumping back onto the ferry and back to the mainland where we espied an Afghan restaurant offering a formula meal for a few Euros. Having no idea what Afghans ate, and definitely not understanding    the written menu we jumped in boots and all. (We also needed the loo). The meal was curry oriented which suited us     just fine as we were frozen to the core and was delicious. Feeling satiated we set off to explore all the Christmas shops and stalls. We discovered Georges Gautier a famous Confiseur and were spellbound just by the smells - the chocs were   too expensive for us to buy - and the interior of the premises were, as I said earlier, absolutely gorgeous and architecturally  so French!!!!!

So that was our day in Nantes and next day we left early to find our way to a Camperstop site just north of Paris via the back roads of France through the Dordogne. It was a long trip through wine and agricultural countryside but finally Kate told us, after a final right hand turn, that we had " reached our destination". Err don't think so Kate we are virtually in a muddy farmyard and pictures of the site show lots of green grass. Recalculating Kate it appeared we had another 8.5km to go so off we set along narrow, hair raising, dirty farm tracks, up hills, through forests, back into the village, in what turned out to be an 8.5 circle back to where we started but...........without the final right hand turn. Omit that instruction, travel another 100meters and we were there. The original destination was just the other side of the farmhouse driveway?????? This was where we picked up a new type of friend - a cockerel - who was obsessed with us and followed us everywhere and yes..........4am he was awake and in fine voice.

Thank goodness this was only a one night stop-over as today we booked our ferry crossing from Calais to Dover for Saturday 30th November. We will go and stay a few days with Kirstie and her family in theTonbridge/Mayfield/Kent area. So, off to Calais where we have chosen to stay quayside and will be able to watch the ferries go in and out of the harbour. Sounds awesome eh?

Arriving in Calais I am amazed at how clever we have become finding intricate places without GPS -successfully. How we have learned to understand the different anomalies thrown up by a Kate and don't allow her to catch us out. So yes we found our car park stopover no worries. It was quite good really but there was a downside to it - well a few actually!!!! The crazy woman in the camper parked 6inches away from us; the inability to stand upright outside of Molly, the toilets closed because of a wedding????, and the noise of the endless ferries constantly coming and going. Positives: it was free and close to the ferry terminal. We also got to try our gas central heating system for the first time. It was really efficient, but probably heavy on gas and condensation was an issue.

Next morning we were up and onto the ferry saying our farewells to France and our hellos to Great Britain!

 

 

 

From Motovun Croatia to Massa via Conegliano Italy and onto France via Genova.

From Motovun Croatia to Massa via Conegliano Italy and onto France via Genova.

Deciding to leave Motovun relatively early as the weather had been stormy for most of the night we headed from Croatia back to Italy via Slovenia for another one nIght stopover In ConeglIano on our way to Massa. What we encountered along the way was terrifying!!!!

We should have realised something was amiss as not long after leaving the sheltered haven of our stellplatz and slowly winding our way down the hill, we came across this lorry resting against the crash barrier on a gentle bend with what looked like his entire load of bottled beer smashed on the road behind him the contents of which was slowly running down the hill.

We had felt a few wind gusts as we started our descent but expected them to ease as we got to the bottom but no way. Rounding the next bend we were hit by huge wind gusts seemingly coming from all directions buffetIng Molly every which way all over the road. Trees and branches were being torn down, road sIgns were flattened, debris was everywhere and this went on for miles and miles and hours and hours.  Each time we rounded a bend or got Into open space we were swiped by contInuous blasts and gusts and Gary was in 3rd gear most of the time trying to make any headway. The greatest concern was that a tree mIght get blown over eIther blockIng our way or onto us, after that beIng blown Into the crash barrIers or even toppled was a huge possIbIlIty. At one stage we stopped to wait it out in a carpark in a little village but the wind was sooo strong we were literally rocking and rolling as we sat there, stuff was blowIng past us, whIch was even more frIghtenIng than battlIng through It, so we contInued on. 5 minutes down the road there were parts of a garden shed or roofing iron in the road, a whole market installation with canopies etc was bent, torn and flattened and rubbish was strewn everywhere and flying like flags in the trees. Even big rubbish skips had been blown over so you can realise I am not exaggerating. We had heard that the wind patterns in Croatia at this time of year could often be quite bad so crossing the border into Slovenia, like an idiot, I thought it might magically change and I have to say for a few minutes it did....we hit a lull. Shortly after it was full on again and I can honestly say that I was fearful that we were not going to make it unscathed. It was only when we were almost to Conegliano on the motorway that it finally ceased........spitting Molly, Gary and me out seemIngly from the eye of the storm and all In one pIece thankfully.

Sitting here tonight in Conegliano, beside a Lidls store, no-one would know how horrific our day has been. Except perhaps the driver of the beer truck!!

We have since met another English couple in Italy who arrived in Pula just after we left for Motovun. They were advised to leave because of this impending storm. Just wished someone had told us that too!!!!

Anyway, so to Conegliano which was just a transit stop and as I said beside a Lidls supermarket. Bad move on our part for who would have expected sooooo much noise????? Everyone else bar us I suppose but once again we survived and moved on next morning to a place with it's own beach in a beautiful woodland setting in Massa. 6 hours we drove on motorways to get there with Gary saying "ooh I can't wait to get there, get set up and sit on the beach with a beer". The sun was shining and things were definitely looking better than the night before.......yeh right!!!!! We arrived exhausted to be met by a grumpy old Italian man who directed us right to the back of this huge campsite full of permanent hovels and cabins and instructed us to drive into this "gap" (because that is all It was) between a rusty, flat tyred truck and a mouldy awning. Within seconds we were bitten to death by mosquitoes and on examining the sanitary block - it definitely did not live up to it's name!! Right at this moment, as we were trying to find an alternative, Kate the GPS decided to have a "fatal error"!!!!!!!!!!

This was the first time through this whole journey that I was ready to throw in the towel but MacguIver to the rescue - finding a small space running parallel to the roadway and facing into the sun we moved, plugged in the electricity and tried to make the best of a bad deal. A few hours later, but unfortunately having to forgo all our travelling history on the GPS, Gary had Kate working again. As for the beach we still have no idea where it was or whether it even existed but our question is.......who on earth would wish to spend their holidays in those conditions and they obviously do, year after year, as these were all permanent, privately owned caravans with wooden, added extensions. If there was one foot between each site they would have been lucky!!!!! Horrid, absolutely horrid. Sounding our displeasure the next morning we were charged only 10 euro for the pleasure of overnighting there. We had no shower and only used the toilet once, for you know what, and saw no other lIvIng soul there except the staff!!!!!

To cheer ourselves up and finding another nice looking campsite to head for just outside of Genova (can't possIbly be two as bad as the last one) we opted for the coastal route rather than motorway. This site too was on the beach. The drive was fantastic but tough and as we travelled through Tuscany, looking down on the Cinque TIerra it was exquisite. The vineyards, the awesome colours of autumn, the little villages - absolute magic. Then we hit Genova city! kate the gps took us rIght through the center of thIs huge cIty rIght on rush hour! Wow, the Italian drivers are manic, but we survIved and made It in one piece to our next campsite........just like the last one!!!!!!! How can anyone enjoy a holiday in this skungy environment!

I say no more on the subject but that night we resolved to get out of Italy and back into France where at least some standards exist on the camping scene. If our next campsite had been like the last we probably would have started the journey towards home early but as we came down the hill having crossed the border in to France we high fived and just knew it would be different........and It is.

Mind you, the last few kilometers were edge of the seat stuff.... Molly's tank was below the empty mark and we had 9km to go for cheaper diesel. Had her in maori overdrive on the downhill bits!

Istria, Croatia

Istria.

If we thought getting into the environs of Venice was difficult then getting out was even harder. For some reason Kate had it in her mind we should go in the opposite direction so finding the autoban to Riejke became time consuming and frustrating. Twice passing underneath it, its access was not apparent so we appeared to go in ever increasing circles until finally, and totally out of the blue, there appeared this on-ramp. The town of Maestra whIch Is the feed town for VenIce Is a total shambles wIth road works absolutely everywhere, confusIng GPS and confoundIng drIvers (even locals). Combined with torrential rain this is a heady mix. Anyway we are now on our way to the east coast of the Istrian peninsula as we make our way to our overnight stop in a restaurant carpark In Ruper. We are having issues with most campsites being closed so "stellplatz" are now, all of a sudden, very important to us.

Surviving that stop, which was in the middle of nowhere, we headed South wanting to stick to the eastern coastal road. Once again Kate threw a wobbly and constantly tried to turn us back. Now, at the beginning of this journey, we would have done as she instructed knowing no better but now........oh no, we are wiley now! We ploughed forward accompanied by a constant barrage from Kate.......and made it!!!!! Through roadworks, through uncharted roundabouts, through a few kilometres in Slovenia, through all the obstacles Kate threw at us and the beauty of the scenery was breathtaking. The sun was shining, the Adriatic so blue, the roads so quiet and Molly and we were happy happy. We all felt we had come home. The drIve along thIs part of the IstrIan penInsula was quIte possIbly the most scenIc drIve of the whole trIp so far. The wIndIng road followed the coast through beautIful seasIde vIllages and then wound up the hIlls to gIve a panoramIc vIew of the whole coast back to RejeIka. We pulled over often to let followIng traffIc pass and on one such occasIon we decIded to stop for a brew and some lunch. What a great spot It was. To add to our elation we were driving through this really small town called LabIn and saw an LPG sign and gas bottles stacked In cages. Now, if you have read our previous blogs, you will be aware that gas bottle refilling is a nightmare in Europe and our lovely friend Cal (the ex  cop from the UK) had thankfully helped us out of trouble in Dubrovnik. Doubling back we were amazed to be able to get both bottles filled (something technical here to do with threads) wIth no problems and at a mere charge of 50kuna/7euro/14NZ$ each!!!!!! Now we can heat water, gas up the fridge and heat Molly with no worries. It's true! When you stop looking... you find.

So to Pula -to an "open all year round" campsite which, when we pulled up at the gate, looked horribly closed. In fact it was open but only the staff would have known that - extremely strange - but we were fortunate to meet up with someone just leaving who, very generously, turned around and walked us into the bowels of this huge campsite where absolutely everything was closed and locked up ( even permanent caravans were all wrapped in gladwrap) to a 2 stored house where all the staff were.....and there were plenty. We were allowed to park anywhere at all but only a small sanitation block was open and then onlythe female side, so this was a limitation, but eventually we settled Molly down, adjacent to the beach, with a view to die for over the Adriatic sea. To our knowledge there were only 3 other couples there.

Catching a bus the next day to Pula from the local village, albeIt after a very uphill bike ride to get there, we firstly espied an open post office to dispatch all the little baby clothes we have been collecting for Adrian, Eleni and little bleep. This, however, was not an easy process - having to return numerous times to the counter until we got it right (shades of the amazing race again) and queuing each time as well. Three quarters of an hour later it was all done (communist style) and I am pretty sure the parcel will make it??? Next stop just down the road a pharmacy - eyedrops for Gary and Panadol for our fIrst aId kIt. All is looking really good and we set off for Pula's hIstorIc, old town.

Pula holds many really great memories for me and I wanted to bring Gary here but..... it is a tourist town which hums in the season but not out of season. Everywhere was closed and the old historic town, devoid of life and colour, looked extremely sad. It's saving grace though, for us at this time of year,was the amphitheatre standing proud and tall and in amazingly good condition. The azure blue adriatic ocean can be seen through the arches around it's perimeter and as we walked around the outside taking photos we were drawn to the sound of lively, happy music and voices coming from a small bar on the corner. Deciding to explore further, or being just plain nosey, we were informed that in the bar was a very famous musician and singer promoting his new song. "Would you like your photo taken with him" in broken English "Er, no no, that is ok" but it happened anyway and the embarrassed Stefano was dragged out for a photoshoot and video footage with us. What happened next was really weird for we were approached by a lady, a journalist, who had heard that we came from NZ and wanted to interview and photograph us for a story in her magazine. So we oblIged and now we will wait and see.....she says she will send us the story by email.

Stopping to have a beer in the square/forum, where I celebrated my bIrthday wIth Foo and NeIl nearly two and a half years ago, we watched two weddings happen at the "town hall" and after buying some fresh bread and a Croatian savoury pastry we decided to head home by bus and bike.

Having our customary wine prior to the sun setting and sitting outside Molly in the balmy afternoon/evening we saw a kayaker paddle around the headland and into the bay. We both remarked what a fantastic evening it was to be on the water as the kayaker changed course and headed towards us. lIttle dId we dream we would be meetIng the most brave and InspIratIonal man we have ever met In our lIfetImes. Beaching his kayak in front of us he got out looked around and decided he could stay close to the shore at the campsite and endeavoured to pull his kayak up the steep stoney beach. He was exhausted and having difficulties so .......MacgIver to the rescue. Next thing I hear them laughing, shaking hands, checking over the kayak and an invitation has been given to come and share a wine when be has settled himself in and put up his little tent.

This is when we discover who he is, what he is doing, what he has done and what an amazing adventurer he is. Sharing food, wine and stories we spend the whole evening chatting and eating. He is Romanian, he is married with a 13 year old daughter Katrina, he is almost 50 and he has paddled 3, 600kms so far and walked, pulling his kayak behind him, for 150kms over 2 sets of mountains. He has faced high seas, huge waves, hunger, thirst, loneliness, heat, cold, winds, storms, fear and is now a very different person to the man who started this epic journey to paddle to Venice from Romania. He is almost there but now faces the most dangerous part of the journey because of the Croatian wind patterns. We helped him as much as we could. We shared our food, Gary gave him some new Khatmandu dry bags, coffee, bread and probably better than anything - companionship. He is an inspiration and will go home to write a book. Travel safely Lucian, return safely to your family in Romania and we will be thinking of you. We hope when you finally arrive in Venice there will be a fanfare awaiting you.

So after an emotional farewell with Lucian we headed on to Rovinj where we parked outside of the township and walked into the historic city. Once again everything touristy was closed but somehow Rovinj shouldered this well. It is beautiful with not one but two harbours and a maze of narrow streets with battlements surrounding it. We could not spend too much time here, the bad weather was rolling in agaIn fast as was the time, but that was ok. We will come back in the summertime and revel in it's vibrant beauty then. We still had a way to go to Motovun so after a brisk uphill walk to Molly, lunch in the van in a no campervan zone, we were off and the heavens opened!

And here we are in Motovun, in a Stelplatz owned by the hotel at the top of the hill in front of us. We have hot, hot showers; clean clean toilets with paper and handsoap; electricity and rubbish and campervan dump. To be honest better than a lot of campsites. The only problem is the weather.... but alas it is winter!

We did, the next morning, wake to a relatively sunny day so decided to make the 1km treck up the hill to the hotel to pay our camp fee, have a walk around and have some lunch. Well, what an interesting place with wonderful autumn views of the surrounding countryside. This is Croatian wine country, as well as truffle and olive oil, and the changing season has put on an awesome display for us. It is a very old village surrounded by a wall which you can walk around the top of giving you extensive, ever changing, panoramic views of the valley below. Truffle tasting, truffle oil tasting, cheese and salami tasting was on the menu and for those of you, like us, who have never tasted truffle oil....it has a very gentle garlIcky flavour to Its natural truffle flavour. Very hard to explaIn but absolutely wonderful. We bought a small bottle of black truffle oil to use with pasta or cheese - you do not cook with it.

A 2hour lunch was enjoyed at the hotel right at the top of the hill where we had a special menu with special discounts because we were in their stellplatz below and when we returned to the outsIde world It was spIttIng wIth raIn. As we made our quIck descent back to Molly, the thunder roaring around us, the skys grew darker and darker and once inside Molly the rain became torrential. (Home in the nick of time agaIn).

And that is how it stayed all night so next morning we were up and off early but neither of us was prepared for what this particular day was going to bring!!!!!!

But that Is for our next blog - see you xx

 

Venice

Venice. And wind down the hill/mountaIn we did and up and down numerous others till we finally came to the entrance of the motorway via a petrol station so, as we were there, Gary decided to top up the tank with diesel. We are keeping a log of where and when we fill up - how much, cost etc. So whilst Gary fills up I normally furiously do my duty - speedo, litres, euros, date, place etc. This time though the specs were wiped off the bowser before I had time to complete my data entry???? but not before I had written down the Euro amount. Gary climbs back in - "wow" he says, "87 euro for that top up, pretty expensive diesel". "No" I say, "I wrote down 71 euro in the book because that was what the finished amount was".To be honest we were both shell shocked because not half an hour earlier the sweet little old lady who ran the campsite we stayed at in Tuscany had tried to overcharge us a night's stay but we had put it down to a genuine mistake. Now we were being overcharged again. So we park up and walk into the station expecting a fight to get our money back and well, it was totally the opposite! We showed him what I had written in the log, he opened his wallet and gave us the 16 euro difference straight away in cash wIthout any argument. Mind you there were 2 policemen sitting in their car on his site so whether that made a difference? Trouble was, twice in 1 hour with the second one being such an obvious scam, my rose coloured glasses were shattered! So on the motorway and Molly once again performs really well - we love Molly - and we arrive in Venice, unfortunately still in the pouring rain, to a mass of roadworks. LIterally 2 hours later we are stIll tryIng to access the campsIte set In the GPS and Kate (the GPS) Is throwIng a hIssy fIt. We have done U turn after U turn, done our shopping at Lidls during one of the circular events, and have not been able to penetrate the roadblocks to get to the side of the river that the campsite is on and, believe me, we have tried everything. It is now getting gloomier and gloomier and night time is fast approaching. Abandoning our aIm to get to that campsite we head for Fusina where there is another site, a little more expensive according to our book, and where I stayed 2 years ago wIth Foo and NeIl. We arrive there within 15mins with much relief. This site however is now 34 Euro a night and it is winter here, low season!!!! The supermarket has closed up, as has the restaurant, the pizzeria, the bar, in fact all the facilities except the sanitary block - what a rip off. We do manage to get the price reduced to 30 euro a night but it is still double what we have been paying of late. Hey- that's Venice for you! We choose a site right by the water and watch the big trading ships toddle past Molly's window, sIlhouetted by the light of the moon. Tomorrow we hope for better weather so we can spend Gary's birthday in Venice The rain got increasingly heavier throughout the night but the next morning we woke up to fog and the rain had stopped and.........could that be a little flicker of sunshine on Gary's birthday? Feeling happier we caught the Fusina ferry to Venice and by the time we arrived, quite early to try to beat the crowds for a while, the sun was shining. First stop St. Peters square. Traipsing along we started to see a few people wearing knee hIgh, bright orange disposable boots over their shoes and noticed raIsed board walks springing up........yep, believe it or not, Venice, of all places, was flooded! There were places we could not get to but all in all we spent most of the day walking, seeIng a lot of VenIce, getting lost, finding little maIzes of back streets away from the tourist areas, had a great lunch, hooked into free wifI and caught up with things, bought Gary's birthday present, sat and ate cream croissants and drank limoncello in the sun while we waited for our return boat and had an amazing day. It was warm and bright and just....Venice! We scuttled back to Molly as the sun set and it grew cold and cooked Gary's birthday dinner request - sausages, wedges, tomato/garlic salad and fresh vegetable stir fry.....yum. Oh forgot....with lashing of red wine. Tomorrow we head for the Istrian peninsula - down the East coast to OpatIja and then on to Pula looking for warmer climes again.

Italy.

Italy Feeling quite stressed with this forage into new territory - driving Molly for the first time in darkness, filling up with diesel (not petrol Cal) in a large city and finally finding the port and the correct area to wait etc.- we finally set off but not before we learned from Wendy that we had to also find the company office to collect embarkation documents even though we had booked our passage on line. Surprisingly enough it all worked really well, even though we hit the evening rush hour, and we arrived at the correct place with a full tank and time to spare. Looking and feeling like campervan professionals we threw open the camper door to let in the balmy evening and set to making "a nice cup of tea". Within seconds, and with a whoop and a roar, up pulled Mark and Wendy behind us. They are savvy travellers, we are just learning still, and had done a  full reconoitre and document collection in daylight so were very relaxed about the whole deal. Sharing a lovely cuppa we waited and then we were boarding. Through passport control, finger biting stuff, onto the boat to our booked reclining seat.......this was our second mistake for, although the crossing to Bari was good, we were frozen all night and could not get back down to Molly to get more layers or blankets. Seeing W & M next morning bright and fresh after their "cabin sleep" our lesson was learned.....again. 8am we were allowed downstairs to Molly. We were last in the queue again! Now this is where we learnt another lesson, don't trust the GPS! Kate the gps was instructing us to exit to a main road.... The guard at the gate waved us away energetically - twice!!!! The second time round the block he had to assist us to back out into traffic and we were told the exit from the port was 3km up the bumpy road.  But we survived and headed north off the boat to Manfredonia to a lovely, quIet campsite on the beach on the East coast of Italy where no one spoke a scrap of English!!!!????!!!! It was here though that Gary managed to fix the upper light on the back of Molly, where we went for swims in the ocean, long walks along the beach and met a lovely, hard workIng couple from the Netherlands who owned a business with everything to do with sailing - from teaching sailIng to brokering sail boats. They had the most wonderful 6month old puppy with them called Yesee and although she was not a pure bred she was 80%  Pharoah. Sooooo intelligent, so obedient, so happy to entertain herself - I could have taken her with me. Her owner was surprised at how easy she was and how eager she always was to please......beautiful. So we stayed for a few days and then decided to cross Italy to Pompei near Naples and, as Is our norm, not via motorways. Taking the lesser roads we always see the country in depth; the beauty of the surrounding countryside; the pretty, narrow villages and basically the heart of each country. Just not this time!!!! Poor Molly! This journey took several, bone shaking hours on roads that defy explanation and don't deserve an entry in this blog. A disgrace and a huge disappointment with rubbish everywhere. We have seen bad but this was worse. Arriving in Pompei was no better either and we had by now developed a "clonk" underneath Molly which was making us nervous. But hey! We were in Pompei!!!!!! A place we never expected to see in our lifetime and what a place. Firstly though came our trip to the crater of Mount Vesuvius. Absorbing all the wonders as we snaked our way up the mountaIn, once again we were hit by the sight of decaying rubbish in truckloads on the roadsides. This was a fantastic place with beautiful views over Naples where, once we reached the actual summit, we indulged in a glass of "blessed vino roso", kicked back, people watched and took In the enormIty of what Mount VesuvIus had achIeved In her lIfetIme. And so It was that next day, In the quIet early mornIng, we walked Into Pompei and, as we entered, I was completely overwhelmed by the abject misery it exhuded. The feeling was surreal, It rushed at me and hIt me In the chest. It took a long while to dissipate and for me to feel myself again. I have never experienced anything like it before but maybe Pompei does that to many? Pompei itself is incredible as I hope our Facebook photos show. We spent a whole hot day here and it was mind blowing. Stopped in time, preserved and then unearthed again it is clear that, to be honest, we have not progressed that much - except perhaps in IT and travel. Clearly they had takeaways, beautiful houses, fresh and pure water, raised pedestrian crossings, plenty of shops, laundries, brothels, good roads, entertainment. To have died such horrible deaths at the base of Vesuvious leaves us wondering why Naples, also at the base of Vesuvius, is the most densely populated city in Europe? Always having longed to venture around the Amalfi coastline but not recommended to do so in a campervan we took public transport as the easy option the following day. Our campsite was perfectly placed beside both the entrance to Pompei and the Pompei train station so a short traIn rIde to Sorrento and a very long and very haIry coach rIde all along the coast through PosItano to AmalfIe got us there just in time to miss the last and only boat to Capri! Never mind next time? Once again Amalfie is a very cute and quaint, quite small township geared for tourists and settled on the edge of the Adriatic. It was a very warm day so a paddle, something to eat on the beach and a walk through the tourists shopping area where we bought home-made Limoncello and cheap Parmesan cheese - oh and another stretchy growy thing for "little bleep" who incidentally is due in 2 weeks time - and we were once again into our even more reckless journey back along the narrow roads and haIrpIn bends to Pompei. . So now the inevitable was looming - driving Molly, with the "clunk", out of Pompei along cobbled and potholed roads till we either found a mechanic or at least got on to a better road surface on the motorway. Gary had gIven Molly a complete look over but could fInd nothIng amIss at all. We decided to leave at 7am the next morning to beat the traffic and maybe take a shorter 1 minute route the wrong way down the one way system straight onto the motorway - it was after all just at the bottom of the road! Neither of us slept much that night wondering what the problem might be so we were up bright and early for the off. Sadly even pre 7am does not beat the set up process for a tourist day in Pompei so we were forced to follow a circuitous route around the one way system which actually was not too bad. Once on the motorway Molly was her happy self with no more "clunks" to be heard and we happily headed for Rome albeit completely via the motorway system which in Italy is very expensive as are most things! Rome. Finding open campsites at this time of year is proving difficult but Gary always seems to come up with a good one and this one at PrIma Porta had a free shuttle to and from the train station which would take us directly to Rome in about 20mins. We arrived at this campsite on Halloween, big in Italy, and they were having a special dinner and live music in the restaurant that evening. We seem lucky to come across these special things from time to time which can change your whole perception of a campsite so we decIded to joIn In. The wIne was plentIful, the food good but the lIve musIc was overruled by the soccer match on TV so left early ready to face Rome the next morning. We had planned to visit Rome over a few days but found one day sufficient for us as we really are not big city fans. Once again we set off early to beat the crowds and we managed that initially. Buying a hop on/hop off bus ticket and walkIng we saw most of what we both really wanted to see, and some sights we really wished we hadn't seen, but were happy to leave the throbbing crowds behind as we battled our way back up to the station In the darkness. St. Peters square and the VatIcan was nothIng as I had ImagIned It to be and I stIll wonder whether we were at the correct place really - although I Know we were. The Colluseum was Gary's want so he was happy too and yes it is a fantastic place to visit but oh the crowds!!! Once on a bus there is NO WAY you would contemplate getting off to see a specific site because getting on another bus is almost impossible even though you pay double figures for the priviledge. Once at a specific site queuing for hours is mandatory and for us just not worth it. So we hopped on, stayed on, went round and round and got off only when we knew we could walk the rest of the way to what we wished to see. Doing just that we stumbled across a really quirky cafe in a back street where nothing was built square, everything was topsy turvy and embellished with wonky half columns and love seats and Roman figurines. It was dark, nothing matched but the food was awesome. You could choose from dozens of different, fresh dishes exactly what you wanted and all for 6Euro??? Plates piled high we discovered they had free wifi too which was an added bonus. So we enjoyed our day in Rome and left the campsite the next morning heading for Tuscany which is where we are now In BarberIno Di Mugello. High up in the mountains, in the fog and pouring rain but this campsite is immaculate and seems to be run by 2 old ladies, who make a mean cappucIno, with a little help in the evening in the Pizzeria. We think we are the only people staying here though but we also presume people come from the village to eat and drink in the evening as they always seem busy and have a vast array of goodies for sale in the very well stocked deli and shop. We were met with a handshake and a tour of the place, it is only small and stuck on the side of a hill. If the weather were better it would be gorgeous but it is definitely Autumn here. Tomorrow we wind down off the hill to Venice where we plan to celebrate Gary's birthday on 5th November. X

Europe part 4

Europe part 4. Sorry folks you need a coffee and an armchair for this one.....enjoy! Saying farewell to Markus and Livia, a very difficult thing to do indeed we headed for Lake Bodensee, Constance, Germany. It is quite weird when travelling in Europe as you can cross many borders between countries several times in one day just getting to your destination. Arriving there, after Kate (GPS) taking us the wrong way, we finally found the campsite.....closed. Close by was another one which was extremely decrepid but on the lakeside so we opted for a one night stay. These stops are only really rest stops as we are on our way South now to Croatia. It was a horrible place with an open communal shower block which reminded me of Autswitch so with the weather getting colder by the day a quick walk along the lakeside was the most we could do here and we headed for Leichtenstein - the 4th smallest country in the world. The journey there was out of this world. It was sunny, the grass was so green with a backdrop of magnificent mountains and we could not stop taking photos. The scenery was right out of a Heidi picturebook. Unfortunately arriving at the campsite it started to rain, the mountains misted over and everywhere became quite bleak. Once again this was only a stopover but we are becoming more aware that winter is on the way and we need to expediate our move South. Next stop Innsbruck Austria. Travelling mainly by motorways through the mountains once again we were struck by the scenery and tunnels. Sooooooo many tunnels!!!!! One was 13kms long and to be honest they are not my favourite things but the journey was good and the campsite is great - state of the art everything. We were staying here 2 nights originally but guess what......it is raining so our bus trip to Innsbruck has been put off till tomorrow.....we are now staying 3 nights and will cut short a day further down the track. Today was perfect for our bus trip to Innsbruck which was free. The bus arrives directly outside the campsite and takes you the 20minute trip to the town centre and back and all for free - amazing service. The downside, or maybe the upside, is that it is Sunday and no shops are open in many European cities on a Sunday. The weather however was sunny and perfect. Finding our way to the old town we were pleasantly surprised to find quaint streets bustling with tourists with plentiful cafes spilling onto the footpaths. The city is full of history and typically Austrian with buildings beautifully decorated dating back to the 15th century. The streets are narrow, the buildings very tall and higgledy piggeldy and there was a very discreet Macdonalds tucked away in a cloister. Colour abounds as do the buskers. Along one of the main tourist streets where little shops sell touristy Austrian things I found myself a knitted bobble hat lined with polar fleece - excellent for those cold morning walks to the loo. Unfortunately I could not persuade Gary to indulge so he could have warm "morning ears" too. Vanity, vanity! Yep it is getting cold quickly. Innsbruck has hosted 2 winter Olympic games in the past and has the most amazing ski jump structure rising out of the valley. (photos on Facebook)  It is not at all difficult to imagine it here in the winter covered in deep snow - it would be magical. There is also a Luge run in Innsbruck but unfortunately we did not discover that. Having had an Italian lunch in an Austrian city we headed for home and back to Molly - to sit in the sun with a glass of wine and watch the sun go down. Moving on from our most amazing campsite EVER - it was a real pleasure to shower and pamper here in spacious, heated shower cubicles - we travelled all day through the mountains and countryside crossing from Austria to Italy and back to Austria to reach our destination of Dubriach just outside of Villach. Once again it is by a lake, surrounded by mountains and seemingly just waiting for winter to fully arrive bringing with it the snow and skiers.......but we are looking for the sun!!!! On our journey here today over the Swiss alps of 268kms we decided to stop for lunch at a hotel/restaurant. Hungry we jumped out of Molly and approached the building which looked quite deserted. Stepping inside we were met initially by a barking poodle so we walked deeper into the labyrinth and eventually a man appeared. I have to say here the place was quite large and very tastefully decorated. Enquiring as to whether the restaurant was open we were assured it was. Producing a bunch of keys from his pocket he swiftly unlocked a room which had a restaurant look about it and all very pristine. Deciding there was no turning back now we ordered a drink and selected some pasta from the menu - just a starter each. I am sure you know what I am going to say next - yes........the meal was amazing and cheap and out of all the places we could have stopped we were soooo pleased we stopped there. Once again in the middle of nowhere but if you are in Austria for the snow season this is the place to go and stay. We will stay at this campsite, agaIn just for one night. We have no internet/wifi and in this day and age that is inexplicable. The site is huge, has a sanitary block that would be better placed in Disneyland with grottos etc (don't get it either) and the weather is bleak. We left sunshine in Innsbruck this morning so once again this is disappointing. Tomorrow we travel to Lake Bled in Slovenia and boy I hope it is sunny or at least warm. Gary has chosen a campsite so hope that is good too. Travelling along extremely poorly maintained roads in Slovenia, Gary thought all hIs teeth were going to be shaken out, we arrived at Lake Bled via a very high, very narrow, hilltop village. ( think Kate GPS was miffed with us for some reason cos she took us some weird ways that day) to the exact campsite I had stayed at two and a half years earlier with Foo and Neil. The campsite is directly on the lakeside which is awesome as Bled is very pretty. The cafe out front was still there but unfortunately the coffee was not as memorable......but Bled cake, yummy plus plus. The campground was almost empty and it was obvious a lot of rain had fallen as it was quite churned up but we found a good spot, settled Molly and then went for a walk around the lake. We were lucky as although the temperature was not high and coats were required the sun peeked out occasionally and our photos were clear of the lake and the changing colours of Autumn. The lake has an island in the middle with a beautiful church where people can hIre a traditional dragon boat or row themselves to for a visit and the island is popular as a wedding venue. Slovenia was cheap in 2011 but it has discovered tourism and is now quite expensive by comparison. 24 euro was needed to get us to the island which we felt was exorbitant. Our circumnavigation of the lake took a couple of hours including an exploration of Bled and was very pleasant. The lake freezes in winter and iceskating and walking to the island is then an option. Deciding to stay another night as it is quite enjoyable without hordes of people here, the following day we walked to Bled castle up many, many steps and steep hills. It was so worth it! The weather was overcast and foggy but this helped to set the scene surrounding the ancient castle and gave us a different view of this magnificent lake and area. The castle was exemplary and we spent many hours there learnIng much about the hIstory of the area, the dIfference In local weather patterns In relatIon to wInemakIng and vIneyard dIstrIbutIon. The monks used to make wIne In the castle but now they only sell from there as the vIneyards today are no longer local - maInly because of clImate change causIng shorter summers and longer wInters. A large amount of old tools, utensils and jewellry have been found In the area and In the lake, datIng back thousands of years. We enjoyed our tIme at the castle and Lake Bled In general. Walking home back to Molly we stopped and enjoyed a 3 course meal for 8 euro 50 cents, which was delicious, at the local boat club (Lake Bled is where many of the Slovenian Olympic rowers do most of their training and where the world rowing champs are held). Tomorrow we head for Postajna to the caves and I really hope it will stop raining!!!!! So a quick trip along the very nice motorway saw us arrive at the caves. Deciding to stay at the Aire there which Is specifically for campervan pArking we were shocked to see that the cost had rocketed to18 euro for an overnight stay. Come on Slovenia this is an offput for tourists and you are paying heavily for these inflated prices. I stayed here with Foo and Neil, once again in 2011, and my memory tells me it was 12 euro and almost full. The caves are as busy - if not more - and only 2 vans are overnighting here???? And it is raining - where is the sun? The caves though are wonderful, magical and just like a wonderland. For Gary it was his first visit, for me the second and it was still as captivating. It has become a great deal more commercialized but wow.....those stalagtites and stalagmites!!!!! I have put a video and photos on Facebook. The caves open to the public are 7kms long and part is done by train and part by walking. The caves themselves are over 27kms deep. Discovered in 1818 they have been open to view since 1819 but were abused during the 2nd world war when petrol was burned in the opening section which is now stIll quite black. Hey guess what we are sitting in Molly, listening to good music, drinking wine and it is RAINING! As long as we can figure out how to pay and get out of this aIre tomorrow we are heading for Starigrad Paklenica near Zadar Croatia in the morning. Next morning and still in pouringing rain we walked the 200metres to the pay machine, paid our 18 Euro and got our escape code. Heading South to warmer climes where there was no need for bobble hats and rain coats was uppermost in our minds. It actually was a good trip down, once we got Kate up to speed and taking us in the right direction - like South and not North - and we could always see brighter weather on the horizon. Unfortunately that is where it stayed and we seemed doomed to be travelling hundreds of kms, with a leaky windscreen to boot, forever in the pouring rain. Arriving at the Slovenia Croatia border we actually had to stop at the border booth ( SlovenIa sIde ) and hand over our passports. First time since Paris I believe! Croatia is now part of the European Union so this was a surprise, as was the scrutiny. My British passport was no problem but Gary's NZ passport with no stamps in it was a challenge for the border policeman. With both of us trying to look as though we were not in the least concerned we sat and waited watchIng the forehead frowns deepen. Just as quickly he suddenly looked up, saw the long queue behind us, passed over our passports ( no stamp again) and waved us on. However a few metres down the road it was the turn of the Croatians to scrutinize the passport. So now we have neither entry nor exit Slovenian stamp in Gary's passport so..... how can we possibly be here at the Croatian border? More forehead frowning but eventually a stamp and an order to drive on. Phew we made it through. You are probably wondering why the concern? Well it is all to do with the Schengan agreement whereby Gary can only stay in Schengan territory for a maximum of 3 months and then is duty bound to leave and not re enter for a further 3 months. Those who are good at maths will know we have been in Europe and Schengan country since mid June so well over our legal stay but with no stamps in passports, literally no stopping or passport checks as you cross borders who the hell knows where we are and have been anyway?????? Travelling for most of the day along the Croatian AdrIatIc coastline which is very beautiful in it's own way - barren, rocky, austere and dotted with small fishing villages in most of the small bays - we finally arrived at our destination which was a small campsite, not busy, right on the edge of the sea. This was perfect! Selecting our perfect spot, in this perfect campsite, we proceeded to find a level park which we did, well, as is usual for us cos we are the perfect team, but not before Gary wrapped poor Molly round a big pine tree!!!!!! Some could say this was my fault for lack of direction but I would like to point out here that there was another person helping and I think the entire blame is his. ( it was just a minor bruise on the awning casing..... Took a bit of bark off the tree) Waking up the next morning and the sun was shining brightly - success at last. It is amazing how the warmth of the sun on your body lifts the spirits and energizes you. Taking a long walk along the coastline we found a great coffeshop, Starigrad was nothing special in itself, bought some local currency and ambled back to base. Breakfast, lunch and dinner was eaten with our feet dipping into the ocean, all the washing was brought up to date, dried and put away, the housework was done and I even went for a very quick dip in the Adriatic which was very, very, very cold.....but fun. Here we met Imka and Reiner from Berlin and what an amazing couple. She is 72 and he 73 and they were both as spritely as spring chickens and enjoying their lives to the max. They shared valuable knowledge and information with us with regard to Venice and also shared a bottle of wine or two with us as well. We hope to keep in touch with them as they head to Sarajevo to meet up with their son for their 46th wedding anniversary. Well done you guys it was our delight to meet you both and we wish you safe travels into the future but It was time for us to move on to Split via Zadar. Saying emotional farewells again we set off along the well maintained coastal roads of Croatia admiring the beautiful, dramatic coastline as we went. Zadar was a disappointment for us. We were trying to find the pipes in the sea that play tunes as the tide and waves roll in and out. It is magical and eery and beautiful all rolled into one. This was one of our first sunny, calm days for ages and we thought that the pipes would not be playing so we didn't make a lot of effort to find them and of course we didn't.......find them that is. We will be going back that way anyway so we still have a chance and, not wishing for bad weather really, I just hope the sea has a little spunk about it on that day to make It worthwhIle. FInally rollIng Into SplIt and our next campsIte we were amazed to be dIrected to our new pItch, once agaIn dIrectly on the edge of the sea with full sun as well. GettIng ourselves establIshed we were just about to sIt down wIth a glass of rose when an English couple - he another ex English policeman with an amazing sense of humour - from the next campervan approached us thinking we were from GB. "No" we said "we are from New Zealand" and with that another couple came from the other direction saying "Did we hear there are some more kiwis here?". So the rest I will leave to your imagination. The Kiwis, Mark and Wendy, live in Auckland but are doing as we are - travelling for one year having rented their house and given up their jobs. Wendy was a top, talented cross country endurance motorbike racer In NZ. Their travels have taken them roughly through the same places as us through Europe and the 6 of us, Calum and Jane, Wendy and Mark will meet up again in Dubrovnik hopefully. It is so nice to meet such like minded people with whom we have soo much in common and you feel you have known for years. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening and completely impromptu. So today we have chilled in the sunshine and walked into the local small village, paddled in the ocean and pigged out on the biggest hamburger ever. Gary has had a Croatian haircut for 5Euro (40Kuna) much too short but will last him another 3months and tomorrow we catch the bus to Split. We have been told this pitch is probably one of the best on this campsite, the weather is good, the wifi is free so we will probably stay here for a few nights and really chill out. All change......Waking up after a night of torrential rain, thunder and lightning and all is very miserable. Jane and Calum have moved on and Wendy and Mark leave today. A high wind has now picked up and having just caught our awning before it took off (well really Mark and Wendy did) we have decided to definitely stay put and have postponed our trip to Split until tomorrow. As the day progresses the weather improves and a gas refIll becomes our prIorIty. With some instructions from reception we walk, with our large gas bottle, up over the hills and far away to get it refilled. What an amazing thing that we can do this here in Split as we had heard it was quite a difficult thing to do in Europe and here we are in Croatia. So on we trudge and following a map we finally reach our destination. By this stage Gary is complaining that one arm is now 6 inches longer than the other but this is all worth it!!!! Dropping off the bottle we were met by two really nice Croatian men who very apologetically told us that bottle refills were not what they did???? They did however tell us where we could get it done, many kms away, gave us a history lesson on Croatia, Split and the "home war" and bid us a friendly farewell. Carrying the bottle in the other hand to even hImself out Gary and I walked all the way back to the campsite. NO, Gary would not hear of me carrying the jolly thing - male pride.......? Eating at the restaurant that night with friends we decided to have an early night and prepare for our trip to Split in the morning. SPLIT.....a beautiful, historic, ancient township buIlt wIthIn the palace walls and boastIng the most stunning harbour, Is totally surrounded by concrete jungle suburbs The old town is amazing with it's narrow maze of streets but because it is difficult and expensive to build on the rocky ground they tend to build concrete multistorey accommodation which is truly ugly. And the tagging.......everywhere. We bussed in on a gorgeous sunny day and really enjoyed ourselves discovering the majority of streets within the old palace walls. We kept popping up in different places continually and even discovered 5 tenors singing Croatian songs in what appeared to be a dome shaped natural amphitheatre. Each time we took a new narrow street or alleyway we came across another square or another area of remarkable buildings. It was a great day and made even better by finding three new outfits for the baby due next month and a pair of boots for me. Catching the bus back to our beautiful beachsIde place in the sun we resolved to stay another night or two. Staying 2 more night's we felt really rested, enjoyed the weather, topped up our tan, drank cider in the camp bar, watched as a Red Cross/Search and Rescue/Fire Department tent city was erected for a Civil Defence excersise in the bay and then left for our all day trip to Dubrovnik via the one and only gas filling station a few kms out of Split in the total opposite direction to Dubrovnik. GPS set and off we go!!!!! Quite a while later we found the place which looked really promising but alas it was Saturday and closed. Staying lighthearted we headed off to DubrovnIk and the cruIse down along the CroatIon coastlIne was absolutely stunnIng. The journey took us soooo long as we just had to keep stoppIng for photo shoots and to buy local produce from stalls at the roadsIde. Between SplIt and DubrovnIk there Is a 15mInute journey where you have to travel through BosnIa so once agaIn we were a lIttle concerned re Gary's Shengan status. We needn't have been concerned though as even though Gary accIdentally drove through the second half of the border patrol without stopping there seemed little concern. Arriving quIte late into Dubrovnik by road takes your breath away. Instantly it engulfs you in it's spirit. The city and Its envIrons are a sheer delight even though the roads to the campsite quite narrow. The campsite was so so but the best part was the first evening, spent not only with our four friends from Split, but also another NZ couple - Gary and Diane - and their friends from the UK. 1.45 a.m. we rolled into bed but a great night was had by all. Next day, feeling a little groggy and with spare Panadol, we bussed into Dubrovnik to do the tourists things on offer. Oh boy what a day and that was when we fell in love with this amazing, robust city. Walking the streets within the walled city was in itself breathtaking but actually walking on top of the walls around historic Dubrovnik had us enchanted. It was the perfect day, perfect weather, perfect scenery, beautiful colours everywhere and we spent hours just absorbing it all. The walls, the harbour, the hIstory - everythIng - finishing it off with a pear cider each at a bar, sIttIng perfectly balanced on a rocky outcrop wIth the AdrIatIc ocean poundIng below, the sun settIng over pIcturesque DubrovnIk and the deep, turquoIse sea. You reach thIs bar through a small hole in the thIck, 17th century, city wall. Today was our tourist day, tomorrow we were hoping to learn more about the attempted destruction of Dubrovnik in 1991 - not so long ago. Arriving wearily back at the campsite we said our goodnights and fell into bed both thinking how lucky we were to be here in Dubrovnik......just how grateful and just how lucky. Only allowing 2 night's in Dubrovnik and having booked our overnIght ferry tickets from the port of Dubrovnik and Bari in Italy, our last day was going to be all about finding gas!!!!!! Getting up early we were in the process of packing up Molly to go in search anywhere to find someone who could help us with gas when Calum approached. As quick as you like he and Gary struck a deal and we had a full double sized gas bottle in Molly again. My goodness that was such a relief and it also meant we could quit the campsite on time, run the fridge off the gas whilst we parked in the campsite park and go back into the old town to do more exploring for the day prIor to regIsterIng for the ferry. Thankyou sooooo much Calum and Jane for your generosity - enjoy the bubbly and we will catch up in January 2014. So everything now under control and Gary a much happier man we bussed back to town, using our donated tickets, but not before bumping into another young couple from NZ pitching their tent on the site - Sarah from CH/CH and Matt from BlenheIm. They are on their way home Mum's and Dad's - no need to worry! This day in Dubrovnik was always going to be unfathomable and sad interspersed with brightness. First stop Fort Lovrijenac the vast defender of the city where hamlet plays are now performed. It takes quite an effort to get there up many, many steps but well worth it especially for the photography. Next stop the cable car and the photographic collection and explanation of the Homeland war which I am sure you will recall in 1991 if for no other reasons than the atrocities that occurred. It is well worth googling this event because I most certainly do not wish to revisit it here - for Gary and myself it made no sense. Very sobering. On the positive side they have rebuilt, restructured, regrouped and got on with life and all within 20 years. Figure Christchurch could take a leaf!!!! Tourism is flourishing. And so to our final lunch in Dubrovnik and even that was fantastic, eaten overlooking this fabulous place. Dubrovnik we love you and we will be back. Keep yourself safe so that our grandchildren and great grandchildren can follow in our footsteps and experience the heart and soul of you as we have been lucky enough to do. So we say farewell to all our new friends Calum and Jane who will be moving on to Montenegro. Wendy and Mark who are on their way to Turkey via Greece and it is an emotional time for everyone. We have laughed so much, drunk too much and have exchanged information and knowledge we have gleaned along the way. Thanks for a wonderful time. But wait....... Wendy and Mark are on the same ferry as us to Bari but that is for the next blog.xxxxx

Zurich

Zurich - how wonderful or more especially Markus and Livia in Huntwangen who made our stay soooo amazing and special. Musn't forget Sydney and Pipo here the first bilingual dogs I have ever known. We stayed with them for a week and were made to feel so welcome from the moment we parked sweet Molly at the bottom of the steps to their beautiful Swiss house. We did so much and laughed so much in one week that I am unsure where to begin with this blog. The beginning I suspect. So to start. Arriving mid afternoon we sat down on the terrace with a wine/beer to nut out the weeks programme Markus had organised (we were fortunate and Markus unfortunate as he had had a shoulder operation and was on leave from his job as a police officer recovering). The sun was shining and at that time it was still warm. The list was lengthy and each day held something special to be done starting with a short drive to the Rhine, that first early evening, where we walked and sat by the river with a glass of wine while Livia stayed home to cook Spag Bol for dinner which was delicious. Overdosing on Swiss chocolate and Super Dickmanns after the meal we rolled into our comfortable bed (normally it is up the ladder we go) and slept like babies. Next day we were off to the Reinfeld Waterfall. Most will have seen photos on facebook because it is something that has to be seen as it defys description. Huge volumes of water have been crashing and cascading down this fall for centuries and if you were daring enough you could catch a boat to its epicentre and climb a tall shard of emerging rock - all that is left after years of erosion by the force of the water. We were told that wedding proposals are often made there. (Off limits for us!) That evening it was off to a Chinese smorgasboard for dinner. This was also Mongolian where you choose what you would like the chef to cook for you on the griddle. So delicious. So yes, once again, we rolled into bed and slept like babies. Waking up a tad late the next day we were off again to the top of Zurich!!!!!! Markus and Livia have a Nespresso coffee machine and a milk frothing machine so with a couple of stiff, strong coffees inside us we set off on our next adventure. A car ride, a train ride and a long uphill hike saw us reach the summit - eventually. Oh but it was worth it! The views of Zurich were to die for and another climb up a huge tower made the views even better. Returning home via DM - a shop where you can buy personal toiletries, haircare products, handsoaps, shower products etc etc for a fraction of the price of supermarkets - and another shop where wine is sold at discount on a Friday only (we bought 7 bottles for 27euro) - we struggled up the steps to the house. A quick change shower, a delicious early dinner and Markus's po...  guests started to arrive and Livia and I were off like rockets back into Zurich to meet up with Fransisca and go clubbing. 2am was our arrival time home, Gary was a little worse for wear but had retained his kitty miraculously and was snoring happily calling in the cows. A good evening was had by all but unfortunately little dancing. However, somehow or other, the fact that Gary dances with his thumbs up, just like Dan Carter runs, "thumbs up" dancing is now the rule and very fashionable with Livia and Fransisca???? This also creates much laughing and laughing and laughing, even with Gary - bless him. Next day we had a wedding reception to go to at a beautiful hotel in Zurich so there was no lie in for anyone. A workmate/friend of Markus's had married that morning and we had been invited with Markus and Livia to the aperitif section of the reception. This was rather beautiful and we met some very interesting people including some small but tough policewomen. From here we did a walking tour of Zurich which we really like as a city. When we first entered Switzerland we felt that it seemed austere and perhaps too regimented and orderly but our fears soon dissipated as we wandered around, finishing our tour at Markus's mothers bag shop on its final day of opening where all the beautiful leather stock was being sold at ridiculous prices. Of course there was cause for celebration so out came the champagne and nibbles in the middle of the shop, Gary bought a super, duper aerodynamic umbrella, I bought a super duper leather handbag and a scarf and Markus's mum gave us a lucky coin each for our travels. Big hugs and kisses all round and we were off again - Raclette was calling!!!!!!! Raclette is a traditional Swiss meal where cheese is grilled at the table whilst meat, mushrooms, corn and other vegetables are grilled on the top. Whole potatoes, gherkins etc are served and when your cheese is soft and gooey you pour it over the chopped up vegetables. This was really good fun and Fransisca and Rhudy joined us that night. And then the crocodile came out!!!!! If you press the wrong, or in this case right tooth, the head snaps down and a shot is drunk. Well I have a bit of a blank about the rest of the evening as does Fransisca so I guess the crocodile was not in our favour although Livia didn't fare that well either. However next day Gary and I had another date - brunch with Flo and Jenny - so no licking our wounds for us although the others were luckier. Now Markus and Flo were young lads who came to NZ to learn English and stayed with Gary and have kept in touch ever since so all this time spent with them was extremely special for Gary. They have both met lovely partners and are very happy with their lives. So Flo came to pick us up and back to Zurich we went where Jenny had prepared the most delicious brunch for us in their spacious apartment. Hours passed very quickly just chatting and eating as we caught up with their life, their hopes for the future and their travels and all too soon we were off again back to Huntwangen. NZ holds a very special place in their hearts and memorabilia adorns their apartment as a result. Thank you Jenny and Flo for the precious time we spent with you. Back at Markus's and we were off again to country fair in the next village to meet up with Livia's parents and grandmother. Everything in Switzerland is expensive but a free bus service had been laid on to get outlying people to the fair, much to Markus's surprise. A walk to Huntwangen village, a very nice coach ride and we were there -albeit a little chilly. This was a little like the local A and P show but we finally tracked the family down, wandered around, had some wine and sausage, sang lots of Swiss songs we didn't understand and left to travel back on our free bus with a dinner invitation for the following night with Livia's mother. We were very, very tired but very,very happy. The following morning was haircut morning for me. Livia was changing jobs so had a day off and had arranged the appointment for me. He, the Turkish hairdresser, cut 4 inches off my hair and I have to say it is the best haircut since I left NZ - and it's only going to grow again. Thanks Livia. Needing to blob out before our dinner date we all decided to go for a walk to Germany?????? Yes you can walk for an hour and cross two borders. So the Rhine it was and Sydney and Pipo really had fun chasing "whatevers" in the Maize fields. There is an abundance of excellent walks around this particular area  and all quite easy. A quick change and off for dinner at Brigitte's. The Swiss live comfortably, their furniture is modern and interesting. There is no carpet but tiles. The windows open every which way and have automatic shutters on the outside. Curtains are pretty and minimalist giving the houses a great sense of light. Brigittes garden was out of this world and everything is fashioned by hand. We took many photos as we would like the Lodge garden to be similar. Brigitte is not only a good gardener she is also an excellent cook serving us a traditional Swiss meal of Zuri gschnatzleds (get your tongue around that one if you can). For those of you who have seen the video that is what Gary and I are trying to say. So another lovely night was had by all and as Livia was starting her new job the next morning and we were all very tired we were packed off home with homemade cakes for the following day. Thank you Brigitte for a wonderful evening and wonderful food and welcoming us into your wonderful home. We will keep in touch. So our last full day was approaching and another morning walk with the dogs through the vineyards seemed a good idea. Leaving the road we passed Markus's neighbour who had been walking her dogs and had happened across some wild mushrooms. Ooing and arrhing over the sheer size and variety of them all we went on our merry way. That day Markus and Gary would save two beautiful birds entangled in the vine netting - cutting them free. It was a pleasure to see them fly away hopefully unscaithed. Arriving back home a basket of mushrooms was on the front doorstep, delivered by their lovely neighbour. Markus is a good cook himself and we had already tried his Mozzarella, tomato, basil, onion, balsamic vinegar and oil lunch which was fantastic so now he cooked the mushrooms to perfection. Our last meal together Markus had arranged for us to go on the Fondue cruise on Lake Zurich and we were to meet Livia at the harbour in Zurich. This was her first day in her new job and we were all anxious to hear how her day had been. No worries - all in her stride. She has a great job with lots of extras and is very happy. The fondue cruise boat was exceptional and the cheese fondue very, very filling. Zurich is beautiful by night, as well as by day, the lake having a rich "gold" side and a "not so rich"other side. We had a lot of laughs and a great deal of fun. Home to bed - our last night in a house before returning to Molly and making our way the following morning to Bodensee. So there we are - our very exciting week in Zurich. It was very difficult saying goodbye the following morning and extremely emotional too - but that is why we have viber and use it lots. Thanks Markus and Livia for all your planning and good fun - you thought of everything, even down to the Risoletto and you made our stay with you very, very special. One day we will see you in NZ or maybe sooner in Venice????!!!!!! Love to you both xxxx

Europe part 3

Europe part 3. Annesey. What a wonderful place to be especially in the sunshine. It is steeped in history, as our photos on Facebook showed, and is so, so pretty. It was one of those places where everything fell into place. The guitarist playing, once again, my favourite Bach Pachabels Cannon: the special table with two chairs at the restaurant sitting in the sun that we could just turn around and slide into for lunch: the dress rehearsal, in a tiny, cobbled square, of a modern day version of Romeo and Juliet by 11 to 17year old's which brought tears to my eyes and the general ambience of the little township with it's river, boats, fountains and flowers. It was a gorgeous day capped off by meeting up with a couple from Suffolk - he an ex London policeman in his 70's with the most amazing stories to tell - especially of the London underworld. We will keep in touch with Dot and Gill and hopefully one day meet up again. We left Annesy and toddled off to EvIan, also in France, having to take a detour along the way as there had been a dangerous slip on the route we should have taken. Coming to the top of a hill in the middle of nowhere In the forest we happened across this one buIldIng whIch was a bar/restaurant where we decided to stop for lunch. Asked in French by the hosts if we wanted to eat we sat down and waited. We ordered nothing but eventually out came a series of courses one after the other, IncludIng half a bottle of red wine and fresh water, which were delicious and never to be replicated again. It cost us a few Euro only and was really good value for money. Boy we were full and happy and we also got some help with the map and suggestions on where to visit thrown in. So never judge a book by it's cover because you just never know what you might find inside. That night we were very brave and freedom camped for the night in an "off the road layby" by the road through the forest and surprisingly we both slept really well. Next day we drove to the Cathedral caves deep in the forest. This was like going back too far in time and although the caves were beautiful they were extremely deep and to be honest dangerous and scary. OSH would have had a field day there and after our excursion (just the two of us with a very elderly guide) we were glad to drive away unscathed. From here-on the Americas Cup played a big part in our lives and our next stops were determined by Wifi accessibility. The racing was getting hot and no way were we missing that. Next stop - Marney. A very small village with very little to hold your attention. A few cobbled streets, a boulangerie, a couple of dress shops, a kebab shop and the most amazing hardware shop where you could buy anything and everything. It had a town square and a "chateaux" of sorts. Mmmmm we thought as the rain started in earnest, we will stay here 2 night's - at least we have wifi and the race will be over by then for sure. Next morning It was still raining, the racing still was not completed but towards late afternoon the skys brightened so we decided to walk the few metres back into town to get some French vanilla slices from the bakery. Well what a transformation. We had stumbled into the last of the farmers markets for summer and the whole village was buzzing. There were local cheeses, meats, pies, sausages, wine, fruit, veges but not only food - there were skitts and comedy, kids hip hopping, small plays etc etc. Everyone from the farming countryside were there to enjoy themselves and we were made to feel extremely welcome. We understood very little but knew when to laugh and clap and appreciate their efforts. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and left having bought a kebab each which was so big and heavy it lasted us for dinner that night and breakfast and lunch the following day?????? In the end we were pleased we stayed longer or else those experiences would not now be happy memories. Next stop Bouzey with Wifi. This is where we huddled round the tablet and cell phone, swathed in blankets beside the swimming pool at 11pm at night to watch the jolly Americas cup and to have group conversations with Ed, Foo and Adrian with regard to our obvious demise. We all knew what they were doing wrong how come they didn't???  Each time there was a delay we would rush back to Molly, get warm and go back down to the pool as this was the only place we could get sufficient reception. Of course this was always past 11pm at night when most people were in bed and still the Americans kept catching up prolonging our need for wifi!!!!! We were camped by a lake at Bouzey with a huge dam across it. The campsite was closing down for the season so there was little to do there except walk around the lake so one night was enough there. We hightailed it out of there the following morning. With the Americas Cup still raging on and us heading for Alsace, a motorway rest area was our next nights stop. This actually turned out really well as, at that hour of the night, 11pm Americas Cup, we were able to use their free restaurant wifi and keep warm as well ..... But Oracle won again and it was 8 all. Defeated we slept like babies in the carpark and continued on to Eguisheim, Alsaces the next morning. Can thoroughly recommend motorway rest areas though - the facilities are clean and of course there is always a shop and restaurant and the obligatory wifi. Eguisheim. Like something from a storybook. Everywhere there is beauty and colour and quaintness. This was where we saw the very high tech, high budget movie being made and the wine being bottled in the street. This village was built in an ever increasing circle from the central hub - the church - and is surrounded by vineyards. It was bottling time and harvesting time in the vineyards so it was a very industrious little village with such a lot going on. But......11pm and team NZ called. This time, sitting on a log outside the sanitary block, we watched in horror at our final downfall and the heartache that went with it. We were beaten by money not skill and team NZ can hold their heads high. Our last stop before Zurich was Mulhouse which was a lot bigger than we had anticipated and was slightly disappointing after the grandeur of Alsace. We biked into the old town to explore and spent a few hours there finding a shop full of mens clothes with New Zealand and silver ferns on. Our biggest memory here was the graffiti plastered along a whole street of buildings. We have to admit some were pretty special - there are obviously some extremely clever clandestine artists in Mulhouse. Next morning we were off to Zurich. We have our vignette which allows us to travel on Swizz motorways at an exorbitant price for one year (crazy) and we are both looking forward to seeing Markus, Livia, Florian and Jenny. That is a for another chapter though as we spent a week and saw so much it deserves a blog of its own. Bye for nowand love to all xxx