Wrinklies on the Run

FRIENDS OF RAMSGATE TUNNELS SOCIAL EVENING - 16th September

2011-09-10T11:28:00.000+01:00

Hi again Wrinklies Blogger

It appears that the RSVP links on the recent invitation to the Friends of Ramsgate Tunnels Social Evening don’t work with all email programmes. If you have responded either with the link or in any other way don’t worry, you have been included.

If you can’t make the link work just reply to either this or the original email with the number you expect to attend. Replying will not commit you to anything and not replying will not exclude you, but we would appreciate a response as an estimate of numbers will help greatly with preparations.

Regards,

The Ramsgate Tunnels Heritage Group

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Invitation to Wrinklies Blogger # from the Ramsgate Tunnels Heritage Group

2011-09-08T15:13:00.000+01:00

FRIENDS OF RAMSGATE TUNNELS NEWSLETTER

2011-08-14T09:44:00.000+01:00

Hello Wrinklies Blogger

It’s been around 6 weeks since the Ramsgate Tunnels Heritage Group won Lottery funding for the project and you’re probably wondering what’s happening. To keep you informed of progress the link below will take you to the first in a series of Newsletters that will keep you up to date with progress. It’s still early days but there will be more to report in future issues as the project moves forward. In this issue you will find preliminary details of a social evening for the Friends of Ramsgate Tunnels which we hope you will be able to attend.

The Newsletter is available for viewing in your browser at www.ramsgatetunnels.org/newsletter_1.html or as a printable PDF file at www.ramsgatetunnels.org/newsletter/newsletter_1.pdf

Regards,

The Ramsgate Tunnels Heritage Group

To unsubscribe from this list please reply to this email with UNSUBSCRIBE as the subject

The Wedding

2009-06-15T07:49:00.004+01:00

Just a snippet of Nicu & Florina's wedding. Check the background of the last frame . . .

Back at the House

2009-06-06T14:42:00.001+01:00

It’s nearly two years since we last visited our house and there must have been a very cold winter during that time. After priming the water system from the well I discovered five burst pipes. Residual water from the draining down process had taken it’s toll but luckily tools were on hand to make fittings and get cold water on tap. A quick trip into town for more fittings sorted the hot water. The sun is very hot which limits the time you can spend working in it but the next couple of days were spent clearing the garden of excessive growth and all is now as it was two years ago.

Time now for a break while we reflect and work out what to do next.

Romania – 25/05/2009

2009-06-06T14:41:00.001+01:00

Not being sure if the roads have improved in Romania we decided on an early start to see how we get on. Our destination is still 530 kilometres away. As part of the EU there are no longer any border formalities apart from a quick passport check.

Thankfully the main roads have improved, and most importantly the slow, smelly trucks appear to have disappeared and you no longer have to sit behind them on long and winding uphill roads with continuous white lines preventing overtaking. Now, modern trucks are often chasing us up hills but roads are wider with overtaking lanes. The other thing that has changed is that the police no longer find it financially viable to lay in wait for you to cross a white line in frustration to overtake. They now wait with their radar equipment to take advantage of the new roads. Yes, we were caught at 68 kph in a 50 area, and I was presented with a well rehearsed routine offering me the chance to pay on the spot in cash with no paperwork, or pay at a higher rate at the local Primarie (town Mayor’s office) with the possibility of penalty points on my licence. In an effort to keep the paperwork to a minimum and save the trees we struck a deal for an on the spot fine.

Despite improved roads and lack of slow trucks, progress is still slow because of the number and size of towns which have grown up along the main roads. It’s not unusual to find a number of towns in succession which can reduce your speed to 50 kph (32 mph) for 10 kilometres or more. Town signs mark the beginning and end of speed limits but they don’t start and finish with the built up area. When we were caught we were well outside the built up area but still within the town signs. Just to add to the frustration, more signs in town often reduce speeds down to 30 or even 20 kph for no apparent reason.

In spite of the slow speeds we made reasonable progress and arrived at our destination by early evening. We set up camp in our garden under the grape vine.

Across Hungary

2009-05-24T17:48:00.005+01:00

We’ve spent the day crossing Hungary. There are no direct main routes so we’ve cut across the middle at a slow but enjoyable pace. We’re limited to 70 kph (50 mph) with the trailer and that has helped keep the cost down. Speed restrictions are taken seriously in Hungary. We’re now camped at Camping Motel Maiko on the outskirts of Maiko, the last Hungarian town before the Romanian border. Another nice site but €14 this time.

Heading East – 23/5/09

2009-05-24T17:48:00.003+01:00

Having seen what we came to see in the area we’ve headed east towards Romania via Slovenia. The quickest route would take us through Bosnia and Serbia but that entails leaving the EU. From experience there are the irritating potential hazards of queuing at borders and import export problems for the Smart car on the trailer. Not being in the mood for this we’ve travelled across Slovenia and camped just in Hungary at Nyirfas Camping at Nagykanizsa. We have the place to ourselves and everything is clean and working, all for €9 including electricity. A bit different to Sorrento at €35.

Lipica and the Lipizzaner Horses – 22/5/09

2009-05-24T17:48:00.001+01:00

After a morning foray into Slovenia to find a supermarket, the afternoon was reserved for the Lipizzaner horses back in Slovenia. For €17 you get a guided tour of the Lipica stud farm and museum, plus a show at 3 pm where the horses are put through their paces. The history of breeding Lipizzaners at Lipica can be traced back as far as 1580 when an Austrian Archduke set up the farm in order to add Spanish and Arab blood to the strain first used by Romans for chariot racing. Currently there are about 300 horses at the farm and around 6,000 worldwide. This means Lipizzaners are an endangered species when it comes to the logistics of breeding pure thoroughbreds. Pay attention, we will be asking questions on our return!

Time to Move On

2009-05-21T17:48:00.000+01:00

Today we’ve moved round the coast to a campsite on the hill top overlooking Trieste, just a few miles from the Slovenian border. The interest here is mainly a small community called Lipica, famous for breeding and training of the white Lipizzana horses associated with the Vienna Spanish Riding School. Lipica is less than 10 miles away just over the Slovenian border

Venice

2009-05-21T08:52:00.001+01:00

The beauty of Venice is it’s location and unusual transport network. It’s possible to drive to the city and park or take a train but for us the ferry was the obvious choice. From just outside the campsite to Venice takes 25 minutes and you get some good views on the way.

The city is a maze of narrow passageways and bridges across the canals, punctuated by occasional squares and churches. The city centres around the Rialto district, best known for the Rialto Bridge. We decided to get lost and use the sun to keep a rough idea of where we were going. Photographing Venice is difficult because you look up at most things. Wherever there is a good photo opportunity there are always tourist tack stalls and thousands of tourists in the way. It’s not possible to get a photo of Venice’s most famous building, the Basilica di San Marco, without getting at least two tack stalls in the shot. Having got that off my chest, Venice is a fascinating city and easy to get around, especially if you understand the comprehensive water bus network.

We ended up in St Mark’s Square as do most tourists, something that is not lost on the Venetians. Hot and tired when they arrive here most will want some refreshments which are readily available. A cup of coffee will set you back around £5 and a small beer will cost just under £10, assuming you exchange your money wisely. The internet tells me we can get €1.10 to the pound, local exchange rates give €0.80 which will put the beer up to around £12.00. Don’t think you can do Italy on the cheap!

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North to Venice

2009-05-19T18:46:00.000+01:00

Having had a taste of Florence and not being particularly impressed with the campsite’s lack of internet connection we have moved north to Venice. A few years ago we stumbled on a campsite at Fusina which is on a peninsular across the lagoon from Venice. It wasn’t quite so easy to get to this time. We were within a few miles of the site and the road suddenly split, none of which was shown on our out of date GPS maps. In the heat of the moment I made a wrong decision and took the motorway to Treiste in Slovenia. It was another 20 kilometres before we could get off the damned motorway and head back to the campsite.

We’re now settled just a stone’s throw from the water’s edge looking out across the lagoon to Venice. Huge ships pass just a few metres away as they enter and leave the nearby docks. There is a ferry that runs every hour from just outside the campsite across to Venice.

Florence

2009-05-18T18:45:00.000+01:00

The decision was made to go to Florence. We didn’t really want to tackle another city but we didn’t want to miss anything either. To pass so close to Florence and not visit would be sacrilege. The 130 mile journey form our Fattore Amico camp didn’t take long and we arrived early afternoon. Campsite Michelangelo is within 15 minutes walking distance of the city centre and most city sites are accessible on foot. We set camp and waited for the heat of the day to pass before venturing in.

Campsite publicity is keen to tell you that the site is adjacent to the famous Piazzale Michelangelo, but what they don’t tell you is that it’s set on top of a hill overlooking the city. This gives spectacular views from Piazzale Michelangelo, but it does make the 15 minute walk to town considerably longer on the return journey. We ventured in for a few hours and wandered around taking in some spectacular architecture and street entertainment. We had decided not to bother with any more museums. We’ve already seen the Vatican Museum which is reckoned to be the best in Italy, if not the world. Having sampled the atmosphere and resisted the famous Italian ice cream parlours we made a quick stop at a small supermarket and purchased a box of 8 mini ice creams to help us on the climbed back up to Piazzale Michelangelo.

Just as it was getting dark we made an unscheduled detour (that’s another way of saying we got lost) up what must be the longest flight of steps in the world. At one point I thought we were getting close to a cardiac incident. I’m not saying which one of us suffered the most but she was OK in the end. Once back in Piazzale Michelangelo the views over the city were spectacular and adding to the ambience was a musician playing love songs on a flute with an orchestral backing track.

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Sorrento to Tuscany

2009-05-17T18:42:00.000+01:00

Time to move on away from the tourist infested Mediterranean coast and head back north. We’re now in Tuscany where the wide open rolling hills and pastures are a total contrast to the rocky and congested coast back south. The big debate is whether we should visit Florence or go straight to Venice. To give us time to think we have stopped for the night at a Fattore Amico listed farm. Not sure what Fattore Amico means but they publish a handbook of over 1,000 vineyards and farms where campers can stay for one night free of charge. We’re now camped in a field somewhere in Tuscany and for less than the price of a normal campsite we’re camped for the night and have had a two course meal with drinks in the farm restaurant. Agro Tourism appears big here, and Tuscany is a lovely area to stay in. It’s getting dark now and we’ve just been visited by a young horse roaming loose around the farm. Also an owl has started hooting and one of the farm dogs has just taken Dot’s shoes.

Amalfi Coast

2009-05-16T20:36:00.001+01:00

Today was reserved for the Amalfi Coast, reckoned to be one of Italy’s most scenic drives. It certainly is and there are many picturesque small towns clinging to the steep hillside as it tumbles down to the sea. What wasn’t so good were the plagues of tourists that engulf them. Parking is almost non existent in most towns. Tourists and locals alike line the narrow roads outside town with cars and buses.

Our destination was the town of Amalfi where we parked close to town because we could get in a small gap with the Smart. The town was a disappointment as there was very little there other than grossly overpriced tourist tack and restaurants. This is rip off Italy at it’s best. A bread roll filled with ham & tomatoes €5, orange juice €5. Even allowing for the recent demise of the pound that’s still very expensive for a seaside town without a beach. At least the cities have something to offer other than the name.

The only thing of interest in Amalfi was a wedding at the picturesque church. The groom was a member of the Cabanieri, one of the many different police forces in Italy. There was a guard of honour dressed in rather splendid if not O.T.T. uniforms.

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Back at camp we had new Italian neighbours pitched next to us with their caravan. This made our exit for tomorrow rather difficult as we were wedged between the olive trees. We decided to manoeuvre our van into a better position for a quick getaway in the morning just in case of the very unlikely event that we were up before our neighbours.

Unexpected Activity in Camp

2009-05-15T19:00:00.001+01:00

Today was another lazy day in and around camp. After an initial sunny start the skies clouded over and the wind got up. This was very unfortunate for our German neighbours who has opted for a boat trip around the Isle of Capri. We decided to do some catching up back at base and just relax. There was still some activity in camp when everyone left for their excursions. On the pitch next to us we were unexpectedly treated to a couple performing what comes naturally. We managed to capture the activity on film for your pleasure.

During the morning a couple of cruise ships anchored in the bay below our campsite and ferried their guests ashore to top up on tourist tack in Sorrento. After some lunch we ventured off into the unknown with a visit to a small village by the sea where there was nothing but a hotel, car park. a couple of small restaurants and a small shingle beach, entry to which cost €6 per person inclusive of a neatly aligned sun bed. Unfortunately one of the restaurants was cooking fish, but the prices were ridiculously prohibitive. We then immediately took a short cut across the peninsular and found a supermarket in Sorrento where we bought some fish and had our own al fresco fish dinner at a fraction of the restaurant cost.

Time for Reflection

Southern Italy’s is not what I had expected. The countryside along the coast is interesting provided you like vertical aspects. Anything remotely horizontal has been built on or otherwise scarred by man. Only in the historic areas are the buildings of any interest. Towns are drab and roads are poorly maintained. There does however appear to be a nice harmonious way of life amongst the chaos. Life is for living and the Italians do just that in their own way and at their own pace. Streets are very narrow which provides shade from the sun and creates a very pleasant ambience when you can get away from traffic. In Sorrento everything is geared towards the tourist but you can glimpse a more relaxed way of life through the tourist veneer. Shops shut for a couple of hours during the day and everything is done at an unhurried pace.

The south must be the area where Italians get their reputation for driving habits. To the north in and around Rome driving is quite sedate and broadly conforms to international standards. In the south it’s just manic with very little appreciation of laws. Drivers and scooter riders appear to exist in their own little bubbles with no concept of what’s going on outside. To get anywhere you must just get on with it and hope everyone else has the same desire to reach their destination intact. I quite enjoy this style of driving but the ACAS system sitting next to me keeps going off.

Top ten driving tips:

1. Check your vehicle regularly, if the hooter works it’s OK
2. Disengage your brain before moving off
3. Drive on the right, but only if it’s convenient
4. Don’t look in your mirrors, it will frighten you
5. Don’t consider others when manoeuvring, it’s not your problem
6. Speed limits must not be obeyed
7. Prohibition signs must be ignored at all times
8. Always follow cars ridiculously close to their offside rear corner
9. The loudest hooter has priority
10. When parking, make sure you overtake just before stopping

Vesuvius and Herculaneum

2009-05-14T19:52:00.001+01:00

Today’s chore was to be quite laid back. First we planned a drive up to the car park at Mount Vesuvius, then a ride on the chair lift to the summit, followed by a short drive to nearby Herculaneum. Being British we avoided the motorway toll by using the urban roads. That was the first mistake. Tom Tom said it would put 10 minutes on the 27 mile journey. In reality it took an extra half an hour through continuous urban sprawl, punctuated only by pot holes, non functioning traffic lights, scooter riders with a death wish and car drivers with no concept of “other traffic”. There is one positive aspect to the bad road. There are quite a number of young lady scooter riders and the rough roads cause some very interesting wobbles. The danger here is that the scooters often wobble as well.

Having wound our way up Vesuvius we found that the chair lift no longer exists and the only way to the top was via a steep loose surfaced path which takes about half an hour for the moderately fit. I’m not telling how long it took us. The views from the top across the Bay of Naples are spectacular but the main interest is the volcano itself. Vesuvius is mainland Europe’s only active volcano and scientists have calculated that it should erupt every 30 years or so. The last eruption was in 1944. The only signs of activity at the moment are small puffs of smoke from the crater sides and the feint smell of sulphur. Looking around the crater, there is no doubt about the power unleashed when it does decide to go off. After walking as far as we could around the rim it was time for the descent. The path is just steep enough for your feet to roll from under you on the loose surface so care must be taken. The other danger was hundreds of school kids coming up the other way whilst texting on their phones and not looking where they’re going.

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Back at the Smart we set course for Herculaneum about 4 miles away in the middle of town. Tom Tom knew where the site was but didn’t know the road network is being reconstructed and access roads have changed completely. It was a case of ignoring the female instructions and finding my own way, a task that I found quite familiar. Herculaneum is in a similar state to Pompeii although some of the buildings are more intact because the eruption of Vesuvius didn’t hit here quite so hard. Some of the wooden structures are still in place although heavily charred. Like Pompeii, most of the artefacts found have found their way into museums. What a pity they haven’t been replaced by replicas showing them in their true context. Herculaneum was a small fishing community unlike the large wealthy city of Pompeii and is therefore much smaller. Our visit lasted about two hours before we made our way back to the campsite, this time using the motorway.

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Pompeii

2009-05-13T21:51:00.001+01:00

The drive to Pompeii was only 17 miles but we had to encounter Sorrento again. Sorrento is set on a hillside above tall cliffs in the Bay of Naples. As a tourist resort you can imagine that space is at a premium, and they don’t waste any of it on the roads. The main through route twists and turns up and down and is barely big enough for two cars to pass yet it has to accommodate trucks and coaches. Just to add to the confusion we encountered a traditional Italian funeral where the mourners walk in procession behind the hearse. Our journey took us a little longer than expected.

In AD 79 Mount Vesuvius erupted and buried Pompeii in volcanic ash. Over the last 250 years excavations have been carried out to uncover a complete Roman town which has been preserved in remarkably good condition. Vesuvius has not erupted since 1947, which is more than can be said of the local roads which are in a bad state of repair. Parking was easy for us within a minute’s walk of the archaeological site.

Entry to the site was €11 each and an audio guide €5. The site is vast and has many areas of interest. As you walk around listening to the guide you begin to get an idea of life in the town some 2,000 years ago. It’s quite remarkable how advanced the Romans were and how little we’ve progressed. Everyday life was very similar to ours today, or rather ours is very similar to the Roman ways. The beauty of Pompeii is in it’s completeness and originality but unfortunately many of the treasures found here have been taken away to museums for safe keeping and cannot be seen in their true context. There are still many wall paintings that remain in place and much of the architecture is intact. After around 6 hours in 30 degrees we returned to the van for a break before an evening stroll in the centre of Sorrento.

In total contrast to the hostile chaos of Sorrento’s through routes, the centre is virtually traffic free and is a maze of tiny streets packed with cafes, restaurants, gift shops and artisan's workshops. The temperature was a pleasant 20 degrees and there was a great atmosphere without the hustle and bustle of other Mediterranean resorts. Unable to resist the temptation we succumbed to more Italian ice cream, this time real mixed fruit in a creamy vanilla cornet for €2.50. Well, I think we deserved it. We set Tom Tom to take us back to the van, about 2 miles. The route took us down some very narrow back streets that focused the concentration even in the Smart car. You tend to pay more attention when you see scuffs and paint on the walls either side of the street.

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Up Pompeii

2009-05-12T17:34:00.001+01:00

Acting on good advice we headed South to Sorrento. From here we are within 20 miles of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Vesuvius and Amalfi. There is a national road that follows the coast but we decided on the toll motorway to get the job done. Sorrento was about 175 miles from our campsite and the tolls amounted to €16. The coast road was probably very scenic but the thought of going up and down round and round with the trailer on the back wasn’t very inspiring and would have put a strain on the van.

All went well until we left the motorway and drove the last few miles passing through small towns and Sorrento city. The towns cling to the coast with roads barely big enough for cars that have to accommodate coaches and us! All was well on the driver’s side but things were getting a bit heated in the vicinity of the passenger’s seat and the ACAS (Audible Collision Avoidance System) kicked in. Realising tension was mounting ACAS was requested to be quiet or go to the back of the van and go to sleep. Things progressed nicely from then and we arrived safely at the campsite. We’re now camped in an olive grove an the side of a hill with views over Sorrento and the Bay of Naples. We’ve also been told that there’s a boat trip from the beach below our campsite that does an evening tour of the Isle of Capri. As I’m writing this I’m sitting under an olive tree watching the passing boats. Dorothy has just poured the wine and is cooking (al fresco) what appears to be some kind of mushrooms and pork slices. We could be here a while!!

Unfortunately there’s no WIFI Internet here so no pictures for a while, unless we make a trip to McDonalds with the compute as they no have free WIFI.

Lazy Day

2009-05-11T22:30:00.001+01:00

Nothing much to report today. We stayed in and around the campsite until about 3 pm to catch up with ourselves. By mid afternoon we were suitably refreshed and went into the city again for a last lap of the sights on the hop-on hop-off tour bus. This time we hoped off and spent some time in one of the piazzas to do some people watching whilst consuming the most expensive ice cream I’ve ever eaten. It was then a short walk to re-join the bus and head back to the car.

Being a work day traffic was a little more hectic today and I had to give the car a bit of a hurry up to stop being swamped by Smarts and scooters. Smart Cars are everywhere here and we must appear quite trendy to have one with the steering wheel on the wrong side.

Back at the van it was time to reflect on our time in Rome as we plan to move on tomorrow. The city really is magnificent and the visit was well worthwhile. For me the highlight was eating a Cornetto on the roof of St Peter’s basilica – yes, the Pope sells ice cream and drinks on the roof of the cathedral for those who venture up into the dome.

The plan for tomorrow is to drive South to Sorrento where we understand there is a campsite overlooking the bay of Naples. From here it’s only 15 miles to Pompeii and just a little further to Herculaneum and Mount Vesuvius. But tomorrow is another day, and who knows what might happen.

Photos of the Colosseum & Palatine Hill

2009-05-10T19:44:00.001+01:00

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The Colosseum

2009-05-10T19:07:00.001+01:00

Our campsite runs a shuttle bus to the Vatican for a return fare of €3 each but it doesn’t start until May 15th, next Friday! The local buses are confusing so we drove into the Vatican area again, parked and bought tickets for the hop-on hop-off city tour bus. Our destination was the Colosseum but a tour of the sights with English commentary was interesting. Just about every corner of the tour route opened up a piece of history and the amount of surviving architecture is staggering.

On arrival at stop 6 for the Colosseum we found the usual tourist chaos and worked our way to the entrance. Tickets were €12 each and whilst sorting ourselves before entry we were offered special no waiting tickets including an English speaking guide for an extra €10 each. We politely declined the offer and found that if we wanted to buy an official tour inside the Colosseum for just €4.50 there was no waiting and the tickets included entrance to all the surrounding archaeological areas. Another scam avoided and €11 saved. We opted for the audio tour so we could take it at our own pace in the 30+ degrees of sunshine.

The Colosseum lives up to all it’s hype and exceeded my expectations in terms of size and magnificence. The story as told by my audio guide was quite different from what I had imagined. What surprised me most was the story of hunting the wild animals. Apparently animals such as lions rhinoceros and elephants were let loose in a reproduction of their natural habitat and then hunted down. Many humans lost their lives during the hunt, quite often by design. Here is not the place to give a lecture on the history and construction of the Colosseum mainly because I can’t remember it, but it’s well worth looking up if you like that kind of thing.

We spent the afternoon wandering around the archaeological area of the Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. Ancient Rome was governed from here and there are many relics remaining despite the ravaging of barbarian invaders following the downfall of Rome. It’s also believed that the site of Lupercal was the cave where Romulus and Remus were suckled by the wolf after being abandoned by the river Tiber. You will recall from your school days that Romulus killed Remus and is recognised as the founder of Rome. Please remember all this as we’ll be asking questions when we return.

After about 7 hours in the heat we were “cream crackered” and headed back to the tour bus to continue the tour back to the starting point. We returned to the car for another manic drive back to the campsite. We’re now sipping red wine in the cool of the evening. What makes it even better is that the wine is only €1 for a litre and is quite nice.

Photo Album of Switzerland and Pisa

2009-05-09T22:11:00.001+01:00

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Vatican City

2009-05-09T18:29:00.001+01:00

Last night the Oasis Tribute Band struck up right on time and were quite good despite the handicap of playing Oasis music. They were so entertaining that I went off to sleep without any problems. Dorothy stayed awake to enjoy them and heard the disco start up somewhere else on the campsite. She eventually went to sleep after plugging here ears. It was quite frightening this morning seeing her wake with toilet paper sticking out each ear, but I’ve got used to such things.

We decided on a visit to the Vatican today and set Tom Tom for nearby parking. The journey from campsite to Vatican City was around 7 miles and we only saw two crashed cars! The intended car park was closed but we soon found another just 5 minutes walk from the basilica of St Peter.

There was already a long queue to get into the basilica so we decided to see the museums first. For €14 you get access to all the museums including the Sistine Chapel. The complex forms the largest and richest museum in the world and is full of artefacts from every period of the city’s history. The building is decorated with works from famous artists such as Raphael and Michelangelo. You could spend a whole day in the museum alone, but we were also interested in St Peter’s basilica.

Entrance to the basilica is free and the massive building is richly decorated and full of features from the Renaissance and Baroque eras. Words escape me so here’s a few pictures . . .

CENTRAL AISLE

PIETA by MICHELANGELO at age 24

BALDACCHINO 20 meter high canopy made of gilded bronze

THE HIGH ALTAR

CEILING ABOVE HIGH ALTAR

With just a little energy left we decided on a visit to the Catacombs containing many of the Popes tombs. After exiting we decided on a last treat to see the treasury. We joined the queue and after around 10 minutes we discovered we were queuing for the Cupola, which turned out to be the dome. A lift takes you to the roof of the main building after which there are another 320 steps around the dome to the top. To start with the steps just went up and round but slowly the walls began to lean in as we neared the top. Eventually we made it to the top for some magnificent views of The Vatican and Rome.

We managed the journey back to our campsite without any incidents and we’re now contemplating tomorrow. Maybe the Coliseum or maybe the swimming pool.

South to Roma

2009-05-08T19:10:00.001+01:00

Yes the spelling is correct – when in Rome do as the Romans do!

The possibilities for today were narrowed down to Florence, Sienna or Rome. We opted for Rome as it was the easiest place to get to. If we’re not saturated with Renaissance Art after Rome we can visit Florence and Sienna on the way back North. Tom Tom GPS was set for a campsite near Rome with the option to avoid motorways.

The road was OK running parallel with the Mediterranean coast until turning inland to our chosen campsite. Tom Tom said the site was just over the brow of the hill and as we came over the top – nothing except empty fields. Either the site has closed down or Tom Tom has a problem. We set course for the next site 7 miles along the road and as we drew nearer to Rome we encountered the inevitable traffic jam – Friday afternoon at going home time. Just half a mile into the traffic jam we found our next site which is set on a hill away from the traffic and about 7 miles from the centre of Rome. Facilities are first class and include a swimming pool. Price is a little high at €35 but that includes a surcharge for the Smart, and we are about as close as we can get to the centre of Rome.

The site is a Camping Village with a massive amount of low cost static accommodation available, and there appears to be an abundance of international youth. About 100 metres from our van we currently have an Oasis Tribute Band playing around the swimming pool. Hopefully this will cease around 9 pm when a disco takes over until 2 am at another indoor location. Click HERE to see where we are on Google Earth

Campo dei Miracole

2009-05-07T19:02:00.001+01:00

Pisa’s main attraction is the Field of Miracles which encompasses the Leaning Tower, a Cathedral, a Baptistery, a medieval cemetery and two museums. Our GPS guided us straight to the nearest car park from where it was only a five minute walk to the sights. After negotiating hundreds of stall selling leaning towers, leaning cups & mugs, leaning jars of olive oil etc. etc. we arrived at the Campo and bought tickets for all attractions at a cost of €25 each. Waiting time for the tower was just 45 minutes. The famous lean has now been stabilised but the top overhangs the vertical by more than 4 meters which means visitor numbers have to be controlled on a time basis.

Once in the tower there is nothing to see except over 300 steps taking you up to the external walkways. Finally we climbed a spiral staircase to the very top of the balustrades where we had magnificent views of the complex and surrounding area.

The Cathedral (Duomo) is magnificent and contains many treasures dating back to 1300. Built towards the end of the thirteen century the medieval cemetery (Camposanto) is also a magnificent site. The cemetery was built for burial of the dead and instruction of the living by means of huge frescos around its four sided cloister arrangement. It fell into a terrible state of disrepair and many of it’s frescos were destroyed by allied bombing in WW2. It’s now undergoing reconstruction and preservation.

INSIDE THE CATHEDRAL

MEDIEVAL CEMETERY

Finally we visited the Baptistery which is basically a massive ornate dome and quite plane inside. We were also treated to a sample of it’s acoustic qualities whilst up in the gallery.

BAPTISTERY

Out in the streets around the complex we found some pizzerias, tourist shops and more pizzerias. For lunch we had pizzas for around €5 each and a beer that I don’t know the cost of as a young couple from Yorkshire treated us. They were both civil servants so I don’t feel quite so bad about letting them pay, it was our money anyway!

We’re now back at the motor home and will soon decide on what to do tomorrow. Florence is only 70 miles East, and Rome is 200 miles South. The weekend is also looming, so we may just hide up in the countryside somewhere until next week. Today it’s been a lovely day with blue skies and in the low 20’s Celsius.

A Piece of Pisa

2009-05-06T19:39:00.001+01:00

Another lazy day travelling just 226 miles to a campsite near Pisa. The site looked good on the map, right next to the sea just outside town. The reality was a little different. The site was near the sea but between the road and shore for about half a mile in each direction was a swathe of Pizzeria establishments. The only sandy beaches are man made and appear to belong to the Pizzerias. Thankfully it’s early season and tourists are almost non existent. Some campsites don’t open until June 1st.

We had a small problem entering the motorway network. As you enter you must collect a ticket and pay when you exit. It’s a good scheme but unfortunately our machine refused to give us a ticket. No matter which button I pressed nothing happened. The last one I hit was the big red one and after a short delay the barrier opened. At the other end we just explained what happened by means of international gesturing and the nice man at the exit barrier just entered a code for our entry point at Milan, deducted the relevant fee from my card and away we went. You have to be careful with gesturing as pre conceived ideas of national identity can accidently manifest their selves if you’re not concentrating on the job in hand – if you get my drift!

Italian drivers are quite good on motorways, they respect speed limits within a little and appear quite courteous. But when you leave the motorways they appear to have a national obsession with driving close to your rear offside regardless of what speed you’re doing. It doesn’t bother me, in fact I find it quite amusing. It does appear to bother them judging by the sudden release of aggression as they eventually roar past, only to pull in and stop a short distance down the road, possibly to comb their hair.

Tomorrow is reserved for the leaning tower, this time the real one!

Ciao a Tutti

2009-05-05T17:08:00.001+01:00

We awoke to sunshine which disappeared within a few minutes of completing our morning ablutions. The secret plan was to go Paragliding if the weather was good, but there were a couple of other obstacles. First, one of us was just a little over the weight limit and the second was having to pay an extra £2.90 each on our insurance to maintain cover. I think we could have got around the weight problem by using ratchet straps to hide the excess, but with no thermal activity it was perhaps a risk not worth taking.

The second disappointment of the day was that the Gothard and Susten passes were not open. We intended to take a scenic tour through these passes in the Smart Car and I’ve been following information on the internet which suggested they would be open any day. Unfortunately yesterday’s rain fell as snow up on the mountains and it would be another week or two before they opened.

It was time for Plan B. We serviced the van, said our farewells to our host Heidi and set off for Italy passing through the Gothard Tunnel. As we came out the other side we had left the cloud behind and also changed languages. Although still in Switzerland the language is now Italian. We continued as far as Lugano where we found a nice campsite by the lake and set up for the night. Lugano is a very stylish town with designer labels and cafe culture, so maybe we’ll not bother to venture in. We’re not particularly impressed by that nonsense and my £3 Tesco jeans and Mongolian Kashmir hat may stand out a bit.

So we’re still in Switzerland (just) but will head towards Pisa tomorrow – probably. Oh, and in case you’re concerning yourselves over our motorway vignette problem, we did purchase a second one for the trailer. We’ll see if it was necessary tomorrow at the border.

Water Wet Day

2009-05-04T17:37:00.001+01:00

We had torrential rain during the night (apparently) but the forecast for today was “a chance of rain”. We decided on a tour up into the surrounding countryside and a walk around the nearby town of Thun. We also walked up to the Schloss but declined the chance of a tour as it was quite expensive and only housed a local history museum and collection of armour. The church was free however, so we had some of that!

After lunch it was back into the mountains to Trummelbach, where 10 glacier waterfalls have been made accessible inside the mountain by means of a tunnel lift and hundreds of steps. This UNESCO World Heritage Site drains the mighty glacier defiles of Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau mountains. It carries up to 20,000 litres of water per second and throughout the year it carries 20,200 tons or stone fragments and silt. All this raw natural power exposed for our pleasure – and I forgot the camera! Good job the phone takes pictures.

Back at the campsite we’ve been making plans for tomorrow. The weather forecast is still not brilliant so we may move on towards Italy. We’ll see what happens in the morning.

What Shall We Do Today?

2009-05-03T18:25:00.001+01:00

The weather was excellent today so we decided it was time to venture up into the mountains. It was just 13 miles from our campsite to Stechelberg where we took the lifts to the top of Schilthorn. First stop was at Grimelwald where we transferred to another cable car to Murren and then via two more cars to Schilthorn.

At 2971 meters Schilthorn is not the highest mountain but it gives an excellent view of the three tallest peaks, Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau. On a really clear day you can see as far North as Germany. Schilthorn was the setting for James Bond’s film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, a fact that is not lost on the Swiss when it comes to souvenirs and promotional material. Click HERE to see where in Google Earth.

After digesting the views it was time to digest something else in the Piz Gloria, a revolving restaurant at the top. It took us one revolution of the Alps to consume James Bond Spaghetti and Cheese on Toast, Swiss style. Fantastic!

On the way down we stopped for a walk around Murren which is a typical Alpine village and car free. There were some lovely gifts for sale but fortunately being Sunday the shops were shut. Another bit of first class planning.

Back at the campsite it was time for a local beer with our hostess Heidi who has enlightened us about a few things to do locally. Who knows what might happen tomorrow!!

Lazy Day

2009-05-02T18:36:00.001+01:00

Weather not quite so good today with some light rain mixed with sunshine. Although there were clear periods we didn’t venture into the mountains and had a lazy day. We took a trip into Interlaken and managed to escape without spending all our money and in the afternoon we went for a walk to the next village.

Next to our campsite is a landing area for Para gliders that launch from the top of surrounding hills. They do tandem rides for the likes of us. Shall we?

We’ve had a request for a photo of a Swiss cow with a bell. Also next to the campsite we found this for Allison . . .

Yodeleh-Hee-Hoo

2009-05-01T17:38:00.001+01:00

Day four and we’ve made it as far as Switzerland – just a one day drive for most people! Not sure we’re legal however. The nice lady at the border sold us a motorway vignette for the camper, but the lady at our campsite thinks we should have one for the trailer as well. We’ll have to sleep on it and search our consciences in the morning.

We’re camped at Camping Hobby just outside Interlaken. From our van we have a view of the Eiger mountain and Jungfrau is just behind the trees. Click HERE to see where in Google Earth.

Oops, We’ve Been Caught

2009-04-30T20:34:00.002+01:00

That didn’t last long. We were hoping to save a fortune in fuel by posting photos of Europe taken at Mini Europe in Brussels. But we’ve been caught at the first attempt!

We camped just outside Brussels on Tuesday night at Camping Traianon which turned out to be slightly less salubrious than Caravan Club sites in the UK. The Ladies facilities were locked, and judging by the look of the Gents it was probably a good thing. The site was a mixture of residential and touring caravans, but all the other tourers appeared to be semi static, possibly occupied by workers in Brussels. We were next to the only other Brits who were a little evasive about why they were there, and we’re fairly sure they were “travellers”. The whole site was a European version of what the Americans call a Trailer Park. Click HERE to see where in Google Earth.

Wednesday morning we drove the Smart into Brussels to find Mini Europe at Bruparck, Unfortunately the conference centre at Bruparck was the venue for some big convention on Seafood. The Police were out in force redirecting traffic as the road system had been re-arranged for the day. We managed to park close to our destination for just €4 and just a short walk to Mini Europe. The walk was interesting as we were fighting our way through thousands of “delegates” rushing around like insects, armed with computers, flip charts and flashy suits, all on their way to decide what we want and no doubt conspiring to massage and manipulate the maximum amount of cash from us. If I sound sceptical it’s because I am. Such a sight illustrates just how much centralisation and control of our lives happens in and around Brussels. Thousands of “delegates” all on expenses and all contriving at our expense!

Mini Europe is a collection of scale models depicting famous buildings from each European country. With working displays and wonderfully accurate models it’s possible to get a taste of Europe in just a couple of hours.

After Mini Europe we visited the nearby Atomium, a massive stainless steel structure representing an Atom. This and the nearby Belgian Village were built for the Universal Exhibition of 1958. The Atomium (now restored) provides excellent views of Brussels while the Belgian Village (now modernised) provides a selection of traditional fare – Quick Burgers & McDonalds!!

That was enough for one day. We resisted the temptation to visit the Manneken Pis, a statue of a little boy peeing, allegedly in embodiment of the spirit of the city. It was back to the gipsy site to start preparations for moving on.

THURSDAY

Just a leisurely drive (if that’s possible in Europe) as far as Strasbourg where we’ve stopped for the night on a motorway service area with all facilities including motorhome/caravan waste disposal points, water , showers and free WiFi.

Good Progress on Day 2

2009-04-29T16:21:00.001+01:00

We awoke to brilliant sunshine, and after a shower and breakfast were on the road again.

We made good progress and before the day was out we were sight seeing at our first planned destination, Pisa in Italy. The famous sight here is the Leaning Tower or Campanile. The tower is 55 meters in height and has never been straight since it’s construction. The nearby Romanesque Cathedral was built between 11th and 13th centuries.

We’re now safely camped up again for the night ready for more sight seeing tomorrow.

Off to a Good Start

2009-04-28T20:29:00.004+01:00

With a very civilised ferry time of 10.00 am and only a few items left to pack it should have been a very pleasant start to the journey. That was until we both locked our house keys in the house along with a few other items such as passports, car keys etc. Not to worry, it all came right in the end and we arrived at Dover with plenty of time to spare, which was a miracle as her who must be obeyed was definitely operating at much less than full performance due to the lack of a second caffeine intake.

We arrived at the docks and parked behind another motor home, which we were soon to discover was driven by Mr Haveitall. He very soon started to explain all his recent acquisitions to me and how they would help him on his journey. He was apparently on an adventure of a lifetime to the Dutch Bulb Fields, where he was to be escorted by the Caravan Club. Next, he explained a few tips and tricks on how to stay safe in Europe and during this conversation he explained he was a retired Health and Safety operative! Luckily it was now time to board and in the ensuing panic he managed to activate his vehicle alarm with his wife inside. Having resolved this issue he then proceeded to board with hazard lights flashing. Thankfully this was the last we saw of him.

When we decided it was time to stop, it should have been an easy matter of finding a nearby campsite and letting the GPS guide us there. The first attempt went a bit wrong when we were sent round some backstreets on a shortcut between two main roads. The temperature began to rise in the area of the passenger seat and the newly applied hair dye began to fade. Just to finish it off, when we reached the main road it was closed for road works. Unable to find a way around the blockage we opted for Plan B.

We selected another nearby campsite, wound our way through ever smaller backstreets and arrived at the campsite barrier. Unfortunately the campsite owner was not present and neither was anyone else who was able or willing to open the barrier. This time we had to unhitch the trailer to turn round and commence Plan C.

After around 7 miles we arrived at Camping Trianon and it only took around 20 minutes to find someone who could open the barrier. We’re now camped somewhere past Brussels, but still haven’t found anyone who can negotiate a price or tell us where we are. We have been walkabout to the local civilisation where we though we had discovered the name of the village Te Koop. Following further research we now believe Te Koop means for sale.

Wherever we are, we’re safe and well.

Early Fiat for sale near the campsite

Time to Go

2009-04-27T16:27:00.001+01:00

The ferry is booked and hopefully we’re off on Tuesday from Dover to Dunkirk. Unfortunately TransEuropa Ferries from Ramsgate appear to have lost the plot.

The pricing page for the TransEuropa website clearly shows a very simple pricing stucture which for us (Motorhome and Trailer) shows £86 each way. Try to book it and the price immediately goes up to £115 and if you dig around the website there is a £35 surcharge if you carry anything on the trailer!

Norfolk line, Dover to Dunkirk have a similar price structure quoting £82 each way, they charge a £1 fee for using plastic and impose a 1p fuel surcharge! So Dover to Dunkirk it is.

Whilst bleating about prices, AA 5 Star annual continental breakdown cover from the Dover Port Office is around £150. From the AA website it’s just £78 for exactly the same thing. The only catch is you don’t get £10 of a road atlas when purchasing on line.