 |
 |
Here we are in rainy Trento having managed to pack up yesterday in Venice before the rain started. We drove just over 100 miles yesterday to our planned campsite at the foot of the Dolomites, only to be totally unimpressed with it. It was Camping Molveno and they shut between 1pm and 3.30pm so you cannot pitch (unless of course you are German and turn up, block the entrance, then you get preferential treatment). We got bored and drove off to the next one, across the hills from Trento in a pretty little place called San Cristoforo. This is a smaller site with very friendly owners, and yet again full of Dutch who seem to camp everywhere except Holland.
So, we have a free day here where we plan to just chill, and then we will move on to Innsbruck in Austria to a bigger campsite with Wireless access (woooooo!). Unfortunately we seem to be being chased by the rain which is following us at every turn (that will teach us for buying the banana mobile!). So, we are now planning on taking a more direct route back to the UK after Austria and getting ourselves settled back in the UK for a spell before planning the next big adventure. Suggestions on a postcard since we've both got headaches from trying to come up with the next idea.
We went on the Gondola ride (a belated birthday present for Lorna, Happy Birthday to the most wonderful woman in the world).
This is a very wonderful city and we cannot recommend enough to everyone, to come and see it (before it sinks). Forget the Rough guides they are next to useless, the information is totally outdated and the AA guide to camping in Europe is only good to prop open doors (again the details on campsites bears little resemblance to the actual places).
So another 2 days to explore all of the city and see what we can find.
Also some new pictures posted of Venice and the Gondola Ride.
A big hi to Al, Hazel and Bel and their fab looking family website www.bartonworld.co.uk, also a big hi to the Woods who we met in France (soggy camping).
Now with the new look and feel website up and running we are off to experience all that Venice has to offer.
Caio Bella
We stayed in a beautiful town called Aosta, first in a hotel for the night (ah luxury and our first hotel since the first night in France), then for two nights at a little friendly campsite in Sarre nearby to Aosta - a very pretty little place it was too. We visited Mont Blanc by taking the longest cable car ride ever up to the Aguille Midi which has just fantastic views over Mont Blanc and Craig even got to walk on a Glacier.
Next stop was Lake Garda, the southern bit at a place called Salo (San Felice de Benaco was where the campsite was). This was a typical big holiday campsite, you know 4000 children running everywhere and adults sitting enjoying beer (oh sorry, that was us!). We hired bikes for the day and went off cycling around the edge of Lake Garda - well worth the experience.
So, after what should have been a 2hr drive down here to Venice we finally arrived late afternoon. This weekend is the worst weekend to travel in Italy, mainly because it is the Italian National Holiday and EVERYBODY and we really mean that EVERYBODY gets on the roads. So we joined the queues to Venice and sweated it out in the Banana Wagon.
Camping Fusina (which is where we are now) probably was an ace site several years ago but now feels very run down. However, our pitch is close to the waters edge and we can see Venice from the tent. It has the added benefit of us not needing to use the car for the next few days since we can take the 20 min ferry to Venice centre.
We hope to be able to post all the latest pictures up soon - well when we can find a modern Internet cafe that is....
In the meantime, hello to the homeless folks, hi to Christina who is on holiday in France right now and hi to everyone else.
Oh my what a downpour we have had. The rain has lasted a solid 24 hours and now we have broken camp in the horrible weather, both soaked to the skin.
Our plans may need revising looking at the current storm front hitting Europe, so we are now heading south and possibly missing Switzerland which is being hit quite bad.
So who knows, lets just hope we can dry out the tent and our clothes at the next site.
A big hi to Alistair, Catherine and the kids who we met in Clair Vacances (shame about the ground)
We have driven to Obernai with strong German influences. Managed to pack our soaked tent, drive to the next campsite and dry it out.
We took a trip to Camp Struthof, which is a former German concentration camp (the only one on France). This was very moving to see how stark it was.
Now we are camping in the highly AA rated Clair Vacances on the edge of Colmar, sorry AA this is a poor site in comparison to the Municipals. Imagine camping on gravel beds. The rules state no noise after 10pm and no ball games, which are ignored by everyone.
Next stop, driving through Germany to Switzerland and the next site called Alnutt.
See the latest photos.
So, on then to our next stop, Nancy, a pretty little town with Prussian influences and a rather quaint old town (but the guide book is correct when it says that the Place Stanislas and approx 15 mins of stuff around it are the only things worth seeing).
We are currently staying at a little campsite just outside Nancy at Villey-le-sec. In our AA book of campsites this place is rated highly. We are reclassifiying our little book as useless since the site is in a word, basic. You have to provide your own toilet paper, toilets are communal - ok so this is the norm in Europe, but why do men have to smell so bad? The showers are appalling, ok so its all clean, but 30 second showers - come on! It's a tad run down and seems to be mainly a transit site for migrating Dutch who turned up enmass last night, pitched their trailers, caravans, children etc, then packed up at some unearthly hour this am to move on to the next brief stop - ah the joys of a relaxing camping Dutch style! (but the Dutch ladies, oh my, oh my, Xena is all Craig could mutter)
So we have another night here in the Lorraine area before we depart for the Alsaces and what sounds to be a pretty area!
ps. Hope you are all packed Mum & Dad, not too long now!
Well here we are sat in a Holiday Inn in Seven Oaks (even after the long queues on the M25 car park).
Last night we headed straight to the pool to cool down, it was hot and sweaty in the Banana Mobile (so hot that our clothes were soaked on the way across here, oh give me Air Con). The pool was indeed a blessing.
We spent the last few days with Allan, Bel and Hazel, thanks for putting us up and taking really good care of us, the Bar-B-Q was ace.
So today its the ferry to Calais and then a 75 mile drive down to Arras where we have another freebie night in a Holiday Inn. After that its our first camping experience in Chalons-en-Champagne (tee hee, yep our first Champagne region).
The plan now is to drive to Venice over a 2.5 week period, through France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria camping all the way. First stop at Venice will be to take Lorna on the Gondola for her Birthday.
Keep reading, cos we got the laptop with us and will also post pictures along the way onto www.ouronebigadventure.com/2006photos.
Look out France!!
Well what a hectic few weeks it has been:
- Picked up a new car (well battered ole beast)
- Got the windows "pimped" out black
- Got a roof box fitted
- Bought all our camping gear
- Went camping in what can only be described as HELL
- Took the car back to get it fixed a few more times (all at the expense of the garage)
- Left Scarborough forever
- Sat on the M1 for 7 hours
- Got a pebbleinthesea.com wheel cover
- Got pebbleinthesea.com up and running
Phew, it just seems like we haven't stopped since we got back from Greece. The car is all set to go and we are too. We camped in Scarborough to try out the new 5 man beastie (pictures are on the photo album www.ouronebigadventure.com/2006photos). The tent was ace as was the weather, but come Friday night they had managed to squeeze 35 tents onto the field with horrible kiddies running around at midnight.
So keep a look out for the Banana Wagon on the road, you will be able to see it over a mile away. Next stop is France on Thu 27th July as we make our way down to Italy and Venice (Lorna's belated birthday prezzie is a trip on the Gondola).
Feel free to add updates to the guestbook, which can be found with the photo album.
This is the last entry from Scarborough (ever). We now have the Banana Mobile (all pimped up with the blacked out windows, roof box and pebbleinthesea.com wheel cover). The camping gear is all bought and we have got some basic routes worked out, so now France and Italy here we come (Champagne and Wine regions especially).
We have 10 days left in the UK while we drive down to see our friends Al, Bel and Hazel in Hemel, before we board the ferry to that there France.
A big hi to Pauline and Ian, it was lovelly to see you again. A big thanks to Stuart and Jen for being really good friends and for a fantastic couple of days.
Also a big hello to Andy M, Zoe, Donald, Tracey and Rozia, it was fantastic to catch up with you on Friday and hear how good life is in the sweat box that is Visualfiles Lexis Nexis (so glad I left especially with a mouthful of a name like that). And last but not least hi to Christina (hopefully we will catch you in the Champagne regions).
A very big thanks to The Folks (that's Pauline and Mick for all your help and putting us up) also to Pete and Gail in that there Brum area and hi to Nick (thanks for the lift), Monica, Ant and Nicki.
So keep on reading and also checking out the photo album as we go along www.ouronebigadventure.com/2006photos
Drop us a line we will get access from time to time as we go along.