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!