Venice

The weather forecast was wall to wall sunshine for 2 days, so we were to be able to see Venice at its best. We bought 2 day bus and vaporetto passes and headed in at 8.30 Monday. Venice has been described by a million people so I wont copy them all here. There is no place like it on earth and even though it was hot and full of tourists, it was still magical. We went back again today but getting around was harder than yesterday as the vaporetto and bus staff went on a 24 hour strike! We have sore feet and pink noses, so I think Venice was a success!!

We're cooking mushroom risotto tonight and have a bottle of prosecco chilling in the fridge to go with it. I am going to miss prosecco when we move on into Slovenia in 2 days. Tomorow we chill and maybe swim, then clean and pack van ready for the off on Thursday morning.

More Italian Lakes - Lake Garda

I am getting so late posting that I am forgetting what we’ve done! After 4 nights in Cannobio we set off for Lago D’Iseo, between Como and Garda. We found a lovely campsite right on the lake and got a pitch right by the lakeside. Iseo is a much smaller lake than Maggiore, but for us was nicer, with a lovely backdrop of mountains. The town of Iseo, a few minutes walk from the campsite was quite lively, although it is still early in the season. We found a restaurant for dinner and had the special fish from the lake barbeque for 2. Whilst we ate we noticed that the pizzas going by looked lovely – and were enormous! So we returned to the same restaurant the next night to try them!

We stayed at Iseo for 3 nights but had a couple of heavy storms, so had to play awning shuffle, including late at night, to save it being ripped off the side of the van. Despite the weather, we got chance to relax here in long sunny spells.

Next stop was Lago Garda. We decided to take a detour there and go up and over the mountains. When almost there we saw a sign indicating the Crocedomini mountain pass was closed but we were supposed to be turning down before that so we continued on. Unfortunately the turning we wanted was just after the barrier, so we had to turn back after winding our way up there. The view was pretty all the way up though, despite poor weather. As we turned round at the top, a group of motorcyclists were coming the other way and were avoiding the barrier by going across a grass verge to the side of it on the edge of the road. I watched in horror as one of them disappeared over the edge!! I was relieved to see him reappear on foot a few minutes later looking a bit shocked, as his friends all dismounted and went to work out how to retrieve his bike. Hope it worked out okay.

Anyway, after coming all the way back to where we started, we took an alternative route to Garda. We arrived in torrential rain and found a campsite in Limone Sur Garda, at the northern end. We were quite late arriving and it was raining. We went out for a walk and wondered where the village/town was. We couldn’t walk too far because of the rain – we were only overnighting so drying clothes etc would have been a nightmare. We had a beer in a bar and thought it good that we were just overnighting but the next morning we found out what we had missed! Limone is a real treat. Packed with tourists but very pretty. We drove out of the town, parked up and took the coastal footpath back. Most people approached Limone from the other side or by car/coach, so this footpath was deserted, making it all the nicer. Limone gets it’s name from its history of lemon growing and all over the place are huge stilts, constructed years ago to top with wooden frames to protect the lemons from the elements. I am glad we found it as it made a very enjoyable morning.

We then headed for Venice over the mountains. We stopped in Asiago, famous for its cheesemaking, but everything was shut and we only found one shop that was open that sold local cheese! The drive was spectacular and I was amazed at how many people live in the remoteness of the mountains in this part of Italy. It was quite cool up there, so we stopped and I made soup to warm me up! We intended to camp somewhere near Bassa Del Grappa but we couldn’t find a campsite. As it was the old mans birthday the next day, we brought it forward and took a night in the Hotel Asolo, a beautiful converted farmhouse and had a lovely supper at their local trattatoria.

We spoilt ourselves with the hotel breakfast and then departed to spend the morning at the beautiful hilltop village of Asolo. We walked up to the fort at the top and then meandered through the old cobbled streets. After some refreshments, we headed off for Venice, where we were to be staying for 4 nights. We found the campsite only by a miracle! It’s the closest one to Venice itself but the compromise is that it’s in a commercial zone, the entrance inbetween two car dealerships! Once inside however, the site backs onto fields and has the best facilities we have seen so far (although with lot of fridges on wheels!). We cooked supper and settled in for the night.

Off to Italy - Lakes Maggiore and Iseo

Well, the Switzerland leg of our tour is over. We did very much our usual there, which is always lovely in itself. My brother and his wife joined us for 5 days and hopefully they enjoyed the sunshine and mountain air (and their ‘boys’ enjoyed the overdose of pizza and freezer food whilst they were away!). We took them to Montreux , Evoline and Sion, enjoying lake, valley and mountains in warm sunshine (with some snow!). The road to the bottom of the dam at Dixence was closed almost until we left but it opened just in time for us to have a look at the lake. The cable car to the  top of the dam is closed until mid June, so we had to hike the steep climb to the top. It was really weird to be confronted with the gigantic concrete wall, to hike up the steep slopes to the top and then to find the enormous lake behind the wall almost empty. There was a lot of snow at the top, in fact we had a few snowy nights whilst there, although the snow only stayed for any time above the tree line. A great time was had in Southern Switzerland, as always, but it was time to close up the chalet and move on.

The level I usually see the lake at is the top of the grey (which is where I am standing for this photograph!).

I can't recall what night this was but it was a really cool moonshot from the chalet.

We were treated to a rainbow on our last day, which was much brighter than in this photo (or I am a cr*p photographer!).















We aimed to get up early and move on but one coffee on the balcony turned into another and we didn’t get away until 11.30am! We eventually went over the Simplon pass at lunchtime. We’ve done this pass before but only in torrential rain and/or fog, so in sunshine it was glorious and the views lovely. We turned off over the other side at Domodossola towards Locarno but turned off to take the mountain road to Cannobio via Finero. The hairpin bends were a little scary, especially when suicidal Italians decided to overtake on blind corners - but that’s what you have to get used to in Italy! We stopped for a picnic in Finero, alongside a local old man who had decided to take a break in his journey and admire the view.

The views down the gorges were lovely despite slow progress along often single lane roads with no passing places.  Eventually we arrived at Cannobio on Lake Maggiore and found a campsite. Camping Riviera is right on the lake shore and has lovely pitches, with beautiful shrubs and trees everywhere. We chose a spot not right on the lake because of the midges, but two rows back. We planned to stay here 4 days so we unpacked and set up Valerie for the duration and went out for a bike ride to explore.

We dined at a pizzeria on the lakeshore and after a carafe of wine, tentatively made our way back. The following morning we awoke to birdsong all around us and a view of the lake from Valerie’s roof bed. We eventually got going and went out on the bikes to explore  Cannobio, a pretty, typically Italian village, with narrow streets and beautiful terraces and villas. We bought a bread baton and then had a glass of what I would call sherry with olives on the lakeshore before returning to Valerie for lunch. A snooze on the beach after lunch was followed by a walk into town to the supermarket to find some beer and decaff coffee. This evening we ‘cooked in’ and had a little wine (hic!) and went to bed early, as we wanted to be up early for the local market in Cannobio, which starts at 8am on Sundays. The heavens opened at 2am and, although not really heavy rain, the pitter patter on the roof made for interrupted sleep.

The Sunday market filled the entire lakeside road and pedestrian area and felt like it was never ending. I have never seen so many handbags and shoes in my life.  A dedicated food market was a spectacle with salami and other cured meat hanging everywhere and colourful displays of vegetables, olives, sun dried tomatoes, dried/candied fruit, cakes etc. We bought some fresh giant ravioli stuffed with ricotta and lemon for supper and some pistachio amaretti biscuits - and nearly fell over at the cost!! Back to Valerie for coffee with the amaretti biscuits and then we cycled for a couple of hours. Lunch was followed by lakeside rain dodging. Our lemon pasta was lovely with a salad and fresh bread but felt a bit like a desert! The wine felt like a bargain! A bottle of Barbera D’Asti and a bottle of Pino Grigio for 5 Euros! If only it was like that at home – although it’s probably better it’s not!

We had enjoyed Connobio. It’s a pretty place with a lovely rustic centre with steep streets that lead down to a beautiful promenade along the lake, lined with restaurants and bars. We took a boat ride on our last full day to Maccagno. Not a place I would return to – I’d go to the next town up the coast, but the boat ride enabled you to admire Cannobio from out on the lake. Connobio was also nice because we weren’t surrounded by fridges on wheels (white motorhomes). Whilst at the campsite we saw at least 7 vans either VW T3/T4/T5, a lovely old Citroen camper that could be as old as I am, a group of 3 camping motorcyclists and another with a Harley Davison with the longest front forks I have ever seen!

Les Bains De Saillon

Today was wall to wall sunshine so we went to Les Bains De Saillon, a thermal spa not far from Sion. What a great day we had! 4 pools, 3 thermal, 2 of which had bubble loungers. We also used the Sauna, Bio Spa and the steam rooms. Wall to wall sunshine until 4pm and 26 degrees so we had a lovely day.

The view!

The European road trip has begun

I am a bit late posting this as we left home last Saturday and it's now Thursday!

We left Saturday and stopped en route at Northampton to pick up a tailgate bike rack from VW. Very pricey but looks really cool on Valerie, takes the 2 bikes and, as its designed to take 4, we can get the chairs and wheel chocks strapped on there to get them off the floorspace inside.

We then headed for Dover and stopped overnight at our usual campsite. Ferry crossing to Dunkerque at 8am Sunday morning and we were on the road in France by a little after 11am (+ 1hour). We decided to take a different route to Switzerland than our norm and booked Dunkerque so we could travel south via Belgium and Luxembourg. We overnighted at a campsite just outside Luxembourg on the top of a hill amongst woodland, where we enjoyed the evening sunshine and a lay in the following morning. The weather was beautiful when we left home and continued all the way to the Swiss border, where we had a little rain and threatening skies for the remainder of the journey.

We had cloud with some drizzly rain for the first day in Switzerland but we were unpacking and relaxing so didn't mind. We have been rewarded with wall to wall sunshine ever since, although during the first morning we had to wait for the cloud that started below us to make its way up the mountain but the scene was picture perfect first thing.

We went food shopping first thing in Sion and then came back up to enjoy the mountains in the sunshine. We went up to see the nice lady at Les Collons for a beer in the evening before returning to cook supper. In the last couple of days I have made 2 of the 3 curtains for Valerie, so we don't continue to risk exposing ourselves! Ours is the only camper I have seen with fully lined linen union curtains!! Bringing a sewing machine on holiday is a bit weird I know, but it's the only time I have any time to do anything!

Today (Thursday) we went walking at Thyon 2000. The snow was still quite deep in places so we stayed at the tree line and got some exercise. There was not a cloud in the sky, with the colbalt blue interrupted only by the occasional airline vapour trail.

Tomorrow is forecast as very sunny, so we are going to try the thermal baths at Les Bains De Saillon for a bit of R&R.

Last Weekend on Jersey

Well, the other half finishes his consultancy contract today and we both become workless! (well, for a little while anyway). Going out for drinks and dinner tonight with the people he has been working with here over the last 5 months. Then we have half of the Easter weekend here before returning home for a week. The forecast for the weekend continues as glorious as it has been, so will be a lovely finish to the sunny and warm 3 weeks we've had here. No buses tomorrow as Good Friday, so we'll be on foot but will probably return to the North coast on Saturday before returning to the Green Olive for our last supper.

We've had a preliminary look at our route for our 3 month long Europe trip in Valerie. The route will probably be something like: Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein (because its on the way!), Austria, Germany again to meet up with some friends, Slovenia, Croatia, maybe Bosnia, crossing the Adriatic Sea to Italy to do Rome & Pompeii, back up to Switzerland. The other half may have to fly home from Geneva for a contract at the beginning of August but I will stay and have another month away, maybe with my daughter joining me, and come home with Valerie at the end of August. We'd like to spend quite a lot of time, probably the whole of June in Croatia and its islands and, ferry prices permitting, will revisit the island of Hvar where we spent our honeymoon 25+ years ago. The route might look something like this:

although we'll give France a miss on the way down as we've done eastern France to death!

Anyway, we fly home Sunday afternoon. We then spend 2 days with extended family, then some shopping, packing, preping Valerie, getting haircuts and hopefully some time with the children. Then we hope to depart the following Saturday, pick Valerie's new bike rack up from Northampton on the way, have dinner and stay over with friends just before the M25 and then take the ferry Sunday 1st. Best laid plans always go wrong, so maybe I shouldn't be this organised!!!!!!!!!

Jersey by bicycle

We hired bicycles for the weeknd and enjoyed the beautiful weather. Cycling really is the best way to enjoy Jersey. We took the western coast on Saturday and the Eastern on Sunday, seeing just about everything.

Saturday

We cycled clockwise around the island, starting out along the 3 miles of beach of St Aubin's bay and then took the cycle path to Corbiere lighthouse.

From there we went up St Ouen's bay, had coffee half way right on the beach, before leaving the coast to see a little of the countryside.

We rejoined the coast at the top of the bay and then climbed the steep road to the high north coast.

We meandered along the north coast, stopping at the North Point Bistro for a lovely lunch outside under the pergola. After lunch we continued along the north coast until we reached Devil's Hole. We chained the bikes at The Priory Inn and walked down the steep path.









We then headed for St John's, to pick up the cycle route that goes down the middle of the island and emerges along St Aubin's Bay. We'd come a long way, so we were thankful that from St John's, it was mostly down hill to the south coast. Once there we walked/cycled 50/50 along the bay back to the apartment in the sunshine. We slept well!

Sunday

Today we went anticlockwise, taking the road from St Helier through Five Oaks and on to out first stop at La Hougue Bie Museum.

We then headed off towards St Catherine's via some lovely countryside and the top half of St Catherine's Bay. Once there we has a cup of tea and a cake at the cafe and cycled along the breakwater.

Then we headed up round the coast to Rozel Bay for lunch. This bit was hard work with the gradients so we were starving by the time we got there. We had a long lunch at the Navigator Restaurant and walked on the beach before finding the cycle path back into St Helier through some lovely countryside and hamlets.

What a scorcher!

Similar to the rest of GB, the weather in Jersey has been glorious and very warm. Wednesday I walked the beach of St Aubin's Bay. It was so hot the beach really was the only place to walk! The last time I was in Jersey the weather was horrible, this time it is akin to the Caribbean - literally!

I stopped to admire the nicest house I have yet seen in Jersey:

and this is its view from the front windows:

Thursday the old man worked from the apartment, so I stayed and kept him company - from the balcony anyway. We walked into town when he had finished and had a walk and then a drink in the sunshine overlooking the Royal Square watching the rat race make its way home from work! We then went for dinner at The Green Olive, a lovely place specialising in vegetarian and seafood dishes. The food was so nice, including the basil creme brulee (yes basil!), we booked a table for our last night in Jersey at Easter weekend.

Today has been the hottest day yet and is too hot to walk anywhere so I have been on the balcony reading my Kindle enjoying the view and the sea breeze. The old man just popped back after visiting the fish market and deposited some fresh calamari in the fridge to be cooked with chilli and pasta for dinner tonight.

Tomorrow we hire bikes for the weekend, so will be busy! You can ride the coastal cycle path round the island in about 7 hours but we're going to do it over 2 days. We'll have to set off early though, so we can avoid the heat of the middle of the day in a nice pub for lunch!

St Helier

Today the morning was spent meandering around the shops in St Helier. All the usual British chain stores are here so it feels much like home - but more expensive! For the second time I couldn't find the fish market - in many places in the world, one just follows one's nose (or in the case of Stonetown Zanzibar, the flies!). Never mind,  I have plenty of time to find it. In the shops I spoke to a variety of helpful shop assistants, Portuguese, Polish, Irish, Liverpudlian, Manchunian, but very few locals, I guess they don't want the minimum wage jobs.

This afternoon I walked up to Fort Regent, which has a commanding view over St Helier. It's actually been turned into a sports venue but was still a nice walk in the hazy sunshine round the walls and the gardens. I walked around the coast road and ended up overlooking Greve D'Azette. The bay is typical of the South East of Jersey, not very pretty and very overdeveloped. Squinting through the thin mist one can see France but I personally would give the coast from St Helier up to Gorey Pier a miss. This bit can be done quickly on the bus for £1.70, leaving much prettier bits to see on foot.

I meandered back and found a lovely mural on the end wall of a house.

By the time I got back, him indoors was almost home. A bottle of Chianti and pasta for supper and here endeth another day! It is forecast wall to wall sunshine and almost 70 degrees until Saturday and only a few clouds on Sunday, so we're in for a great few days !!

St Brelade

The old man went off to work at 7.30 this morning. I had a couple more cups of tea in bed watching the news, got ready and was walking along St Aubin's Bay by 9am. The weather was a bit chilly first thing but I was walking briskly, and by 10am had removed the fleece and was down to a long sleeved tshirt. I stopped in St Aubin for a pot of tea outside overlooking the little harbour before setting off again. I walked to St Brelade Bay and looked at some £multimillion houses along the way. The bay was beautiful, deserted with a few spots of rain. I had walked about 5 miles to this point.

I walked back the same way and by the time I was halfway along St Aubin's Bay the sun came out and by the time I reached the apartment it was wall to wall sunshine and nearing 60 degrees. Satisfied with 10 miles walking today, I took my Kindle out on the balcony to enjoy the sunshine until the old man got home. When he arrived at 4.30pm, we walked the harbour walls for an hour or so, enjoying the views of Elizabeth Castle in the late afternoon sun.

Some lovely boats in the harbour, would I trade Valerie for one? hmmm.........maybe this one!

Home for supper with fresh crab bought from the fish market (with a second mortgage) and BBC2's programme about the Rift Valley. The weather is improving here still further towards the weekend, so I/we should be able to get out and do lots. More tomorrow......

Gap Year Begins

I left work on 31st of March for a year. It seemed a little strange but I have never looked forward to something as much as this. Friday 1st April I went with Richie to pick Valerie (T5 Camper) up, after she'd been fitted with a nice awning and a few extra doors to make storage easier. The end cap was damaged but the replacement will be posted and snapped on whilst we are home for a few days at Easter.

On Saturday 2nd I cleaned Valerie and prepared her for our European tour, to save time in the brief period we're home after Easter before departing. A few domestic chores and packing for the next day and another day was over.

Sunday 3rd April Richie took me to the airport and I flew to Jersey to join the old man for 3 weeks or so before heading off to Europe. Uneventful flight and grey skies on arrival, but by the time we got to the apartment, the sun was shining and we had a couple of hours catching up on the balcony overlooking the harbour. Our balcony is facing the boats in the building at the back of this picture on the left, the picture taken as we walked out the the harbour walls.

Jersey

Well, it's been a while! Time got the better of me. Christmas came and went and so did our trip to Jersey. We had a lovely time, albeit that the weather was..... CRAP! Its now February and I am busy winding down to a year off work from 1st April!! I have all sorts of plans or my 'Gap Year', but later for them..... The two youngest children are both still home - fluid job plans due to the current economic climate but if they are here to look after the house in 2011 this is one less worry for us!

From Jersey

Home & Away

Well, we have two children back at home for a while and one parent has left! The old man left last week to go to work in Jersey for a while, dipping his toe in the self employed Consultant water after his recent retirement. He'll be home twice a month, is home for two weeks at Christmas and we'll both be over there for a week from New Years day, so it's not exactly separation on a big scale. If he thought he was escaping the snow he thought wrong though, as he only just got there before the airport closed due to snow! Will post pictures when I get back. Until then....

HAPPY CHRISTMAS !!

Switzerland to Italy

Monday 4th

From Sion, we went to Brig and over the Simplon Pass. The weather was not kind but, despite the rain, the pass was still dramatic. We marvelled at how the Swiss roads, despite all the weather and altitude extremes that they have to encounter, are much better than those in Gloucestershire!

Once over the pass we came down the Italian side and our first stop was Stresa on Lake Maggiore. Due to the weather, we were denied the sneak previews one gets of the lakes when coming down, but Maggiore eventually appeared.



Stresa seemed full of OAPs from all over the place. We had coffee at somewhere that resembled the Ritz with lots of ladies with very big hair! I wondered if some of the guests would all of a sudden break out into a waltz or something! The little islands on the lake were visible but very misty, so we had to content ourselves with looking at all the invariably very pricey lakeside houses, some with the most beautiful facades and gardens but most hidden from view – understandably!

Given the horrible weather we decided to head South. We aimed for Pisa with a stop to admire the walled city of Lucca. We made good progress, but didn’t get to Lucca until the light was beginning to fade. We walked around the cobbled streets and then found a Ristorante to have supper in. The city (you can hardly call it that really) was very quiet due to the weather but was pretty with the walls all lit up. Not ideal for photography but captured in the mind.

From Lucca

We left Lucca and within maybe 40 minutes we found our campsite at Pisa, somewhat later than we had planned but they were still open! We hooked up the electric and set up for the night. We aimed to be up early the next morning for the Pisa tourist extravaganza!!

Tuesday 5^th

We had chosen our campsite not for its facilities but for its proximity to the city centre. We were up early as planned and walked in to see the sights. We couldn’t quite believe how busy it was in October! There were people everywhere and lord only knows how many people would be there in July and August! We walked and walked and saw just about everything (and everybody!).

From Pisa

Once back at the campsite we packed up and headed further South. We took the coast road down to Porto Stefano and found a great motorhome campsite where we were to stay for 2 nights. The owner was determined to be helpful despite not speaking a word of English!

Wednesday 6^th

From Porto Stefano we explored the Island of Monte Argentario, a relatively undiscovered but beautiful gem. Not an island any more as it’s joined to the mainland by 2 roads across sand dunes but is still an island in my book. One half of the ‘Island’ is covered with very expensive looking villas but the Southern half was more natural. The pretty port of Porto Ercole was practically deserted when we arrived but, after a walk up to the fort, lunchtime neared and people came out of nowhere to fill up the few restaurants that were open. We had lunch on looking out onto the port, admiring the boats.  After walking off our lunch we went to Orbetello to have a look round, grab some food and wine for supper and headed back to camp. We'd had lovely weather whilst on the coast, which had been most welcome.

From Porto Stefano

Thursday 7^th

We headed for Orveito in Umbria, stopping along the way for an hour in the sunshine and a dip in the sulphur spa, a view of the truscan acropolis at Savona and the walled city of Pitigliano. We couldn’t find a campsite near Orveito, so we stayed overnight at a hotel -Oasi dei Discepoli and enjoyed a king sized bed! The hotel was the ugliest building on the exterior that I have seen in a long time and not what I expected to see overlooking the beautiful ancient city of Orveito. However, despite the 60’s concrete façade, the hotel was lined with marble and had lovely views over the landscape. We had picked up some wine before arriving at the hotel, lovely Orvieto wine at under 2 Euros a bottle! We climbed onto the huge bed (huge compared to Valerie) and sipped wine whilst making use of the internet connection to catch up with the outside world.

From Orveito

Friday 8^th

We spent the majority of today in Orvieto, a magnificent walled mediaval city and stopped for lunch of bread and cheese in a park just inside the walls with a lovely view. The hilltop cities and villages of Italy can get a bit 'same-o' after a while, as they are everywhere, but the bigger ones have the most magnificent public buildings and cathedrals. We marvelled at the cathedral in Orvieto, the gold work, the carvings, the metalwork, no-one could recreate the same today.  From Orvieto we headed over the hills towards Siena. We saw many Umbrian/Tuscan towns along the way but stopped en route at Ficulle to admire the spectacular views across Umbria towards Tuscany. We ended up at Montepuilciano, another beautiful walled medaeval city. We had supper in the city in a traditional Trattoria, where I had Tuscan soup, a recipe I will try to emulate at home. We found a campsite on a farm just outside the city which was a little basic but had everything that we needed just for one night.

From Orveito 2

Saturday 9^th

We headed for Siena and the Chianti region. We had picked a campsite about 10 miles outside, whose website gave no indication that it had closed for the season!!  We drove on in the hope that we’d find somewhere and stumbled upon Monteriggioni, a beautiful little hilltop settlement. We found the tourist information lady there very helpful and after a quick telephone call we had secured accommodation not far away just outside San Gimignano, which was on our list of places to visit anyway.  We arrived at the site too early to book in (siesta) so we went for a walk in the sunshine and admired the views across the vineyards and olive groves , interspersed in true Tuscan fashion by tall columnar cypress trees. When we returned to check in, we couldn’t quite believe that a couple from the Netherlands that had been parked next to us at the campsite in Pisa were also waiting to check in here – small world eh?!  Once checked in we did a bit of housekeeping (washing) and went for a beer and a pizza in the ristorante on site

From San Gimignano

Sunday 10^th

We had breakfast earlyish (for a Sunday) and walked into San Gimignano. The 40 minute stroll obviated the need to worry about taking Valerie along the narrow and entry restricted streets or parking her. The place was busy for October (we thought). As we wandered, a White Excelsior open top classic pulled up and out stepped a bride-to-be in a stunning dress that you would only see at an Italian wedding. The city had endless streets and pathways to wander down and around. We mooched in the art galleries and ceramic shops before taking a well earned lunch. The weather was cool today so I had the traditional Tuscan soup made with vegetables and bread to warm me up and it was lovely. I will make this when I get home but I am unsure just how you are supposed to cook it authentically, as no two restaurants will serve it the same. In some it is liquid with bread on the top toasted with cheese (like traditional French onion) in some, all the liquid is absorbed by bread, so you could eat the whole thing with a fork and leave nothing. A meander back to the campsite after a final stroll around the city allowed an hour in the sun as the weather cheered up. After coffee and a tidy up, it was time to open another bottle of wine – well, considering the region, it would be rude not to!

From San Gimignano

From Tuscan Landscape

Monday 11^th

We tried to leave early but seemed to take forever to get going. Once we did get away we headed for Castellina in Chianti. We got to Poggibonsi and it said 11 km to Castellina, all good we thought.  We then followed the signs and about 10 minutes later one said 12.5 km to Castellina. I then took a wrong turning and we ended up back in the same place at the 11km point! Anyways, we got on the right road and went to Castellina. The weather was changeable but remained dry whilst we were there and we meandered around the art shops. We then proceeded towards Radda in Chianti and stopped at a Classico producer along the way for tasting. We bought some Sauvignon and Prosecca (grown by them but made at wineries elsewhere) but we were saving buying any Chianti until we’d tasted a few. Chianti Classico has a premium which, I feel, is less to do with the quality of the wine and is more about the ‘label’. We have already sampled some nice Chianti grown just outside the magic Classico region, which is half the price of the ‘real thing’, so it is hard to work out just what is ‘good’ Chianti Claissico. Anyways, when we reached Radda the heavens opened. We scurried into a restaurant for cover and lunch. A rather pretentious affair to be honest - the Tuscan soup wasn’t very rustic and the staff very ‘distant’.

After Radda we found Baddia A Coltibuono, and toured the Abbey that is now a wine estate. The tour of the cellar was interesting and Simon would have killed for the wine collection there, which dated back to 1926. The cellar tour and the formal gardens of the abbey were just lovely but,  given the welcome we’d had at the Abbey itself, we were surprised at the frosty reception at the shop where wine could be tasted and bought (wine at £20 a bottle needs to be sold to me I’m afraid). On the way back to camp we found a fairly new organic minimalistic chianti producer well off the beaten track, La Porta di Vertine. We stopped for a tasting and a chat with the owners. They had only been producing for 3 years and even their 2008 was a little ‘young’. I certainly think this is one to return to in the future. The owner helpfully gave us some recommendations for other producers and good restaurants.

From Chianti

Tuesday 12^th

Today we decided to walk to fully appreciate the scenery. We woke to lovely sunshine and even though it was a little cold first thing we were soon stripped of our fleeces. We walked about 10 miles all around San Gimignaro, surrounded by vines and olive groves with some of the most beautiful villas overlooking the beautiful Tuscan countryside. We finished up in the city where we had a late lunch after a well deserved beer. Before walking the 2.5 km back to camp we stopped at the Co-Op to get some Tuscan sausages to grill for Simon’s supper and some cheese. By the time we had walked back we were able to snooze in chairs in the sunshine before I cooked some soup for supper whilst Simon played with the outdoor cooker for his sausages. After such a long walk today, we were both ready for bed by 9pm after some local wine - and antihistamines! The mosquitos have been the only bad thing on this holiday and we are both nursing legfuls of itchy bites, despite sprays, creams and tablets. Valerie is going to get a zapper for her Christmas present! It was lovely to get away from Valerie today. We’ll be back to touring in the morning but it’s important to get out, otherwise it’s all a bit claustrophobic.

From San Gimignano

Wednesday 13^th

We headed out to Siena first thing. We got there but the weather was not good and parking was impossible. Siena wasn’t on our list of burning desires so we gave it a miss. It was on the way to the start of our day tour anyway. We went on to Bossi, with a large vinery where we stopped for tasting and bought a couple of bottles. Next stop  was Villa a Sesta, a tiny pretty little place that was deserted. Just a church, maybe a dozen houses and a tiny café which was shut for the winter. There is a big wine estate here but sadly that too was deserted.  Just along from Villa a Sesta was San Gusme, similarly pretty, albeit a little larger but equally deserted. Next up was Castello De Brolio, which appeared to have nothing apart from a winery and a restaurant. We went into the winery but the staff were too busy attending to a group of obviously high spending Americans to be bothered with us so we promptly left. There have been a couple of disappointing stops like this on our tour – for wine starting at over £20 a bottle, I want to know what makes it special (and to feel just a smidgeon valued as a customer!). On to Gaiole in Chianti where we stopped for lunch at a family run Trattoria. Gaiole isn’t that pretty, although it would have been prettier in the sunshine. We made our way back to San Gimignano for a last night, stopping at some more wineries on the way and loading up Valerie with our purchases. The bumpy Italian roads make for a noisy ride with bottles clanging around in the back.

Thursday 14^th

We left San Gimignano today and headed for Firenze (Florence). Our campsite was right under the Piazzale Michelangelo, so the location couldn't have been better. We found a flat spot (not easy with a site on a hill!) and set up before setting off into the city. It was just a 10-15 minute walk down the hill to the Ponte Vecchio bridge. The place, like Pisa, was packed - I would hate to visit these places in high summer! We saw just about everything today and included in our itinerary the 463 steps up to the top of the Cathedral dome to capture the view outside and to get a close up of the painted ceiling inside. After a leisurely supper and another walk, we climbed the steps up to the campsite, with a few more minutes to take in the view from the Piazzale Michelangelo on the way. We checked the weather on the laptop and for weekend forecast was a bit grim where we had intended to go. We decided to sleep on it and decide what to do in the morning.

From Firenze

From Firenze

Friday 15th
We chose today to return to Switzerland for a few days. We had packed a lot in and a few days to relax was in order. Apart from our few days at the coast, the weather hadn't been kind really, and the van gets a bit cramped if you can't get outside. Also, we suffered a bit with mosquito bites, so dared not sit out in the evening, even when it was relatively warm and dry. Anyways, off we set, largely the same route as the way we had come. Unlike the way down, we were treated to Lake Maggiore in late afternoon sunshine and said we'd like to return for a holiday in Northern Italy to take in the lakes and the Dolomites, but earlier in the season for better weather. The mountain pass was very foggy and cloudy, so we didn't improve on the view we'd had on the way down.

From Maggiore

Once we arrived, some Skype conversations with the UK revealed the strikes in France, which kind of scuppers any ideas of visiting Paris for example on the way home!

UK to Switzerland

Wednesday 29th
We left home in Valerie to have a bit of fun in Europe before Simon starts his contract in Jersey. We started with a trip to London to drop off essentials for daughter and to pick up bits that needed transportation to Switzerland. We already had the bear on board, which looked more than a bit dodgy - like a dead body blanketed and tied up in the back!

Thursday 30th
We had headed for Dover and stayed overnight at Keat Farm  It rained heavily all night, which made sleep quite difficult. We were tired in the morning but were treated to cloudless skies, which made things better. Across on the ferry and we started to plod through France. The weather soon turned and was very wet, so we decided to go straight to the chalet rather than stay over in torrential rain. We did half the journey on the Peage and then turned off for a prettier route, but the weather didn't get any better. We stopped at Le Lion D'or, a lovely little Pizzeria that we've been to before, at La Cluse et Mijoux,just before the Swiss Border.

The border check was non existant, which was probably just as well, seeing that we had the bear and lots of other stuff for the chalet in the back - and we didn't want to pay customs duty on what was probably £2k worth of stuff (or have to explain the apparent lifeless and mummified dead body that was the bear in the back!).

Friday 1st
After a long lie in, the first morning at the chalet didn't look that promising weather wise so we went down the mountain into Sion for some provisions and to get some better pillows, as the camping ones I had brought were useless. By lunchtime the sun was shining and it was pleasantly warm. Once back at chalet we walked up to the next ski stage and had a couple of beers at the little bar we always go to, before walking back to cook a fondue - lovely!

Saturday 2nd
Today we went walking in the Mountains and the weather was just beautiful. We tried to get to Mont Rouge (at 3000 metres) from Thyon, but we had to turn back when we were almost there. The combination of the altitude, tiredness and the fact I hadn't done this for a while got the better of me but it was lovely.

From Europe in Valerie

We walked most of the day, so in the evening we did supper and TV. Tomorow we'll re pack Valerie and sort the water leak we seem to have under the sink. If the weather is nice we'll walk and set up a picnic to try out our outdoor cooker. The weather forecast for Italy is not good for Monday/Tuesday, so we'll check it nearer the time to determine where we are going.

We weren't sleeping in Valerie here, but if we were then we'd wake up looking straight to the Matterhorn.

Pick up and go!

Well we picked up the van today, very pleased with the result. The guys at VW Interiors did a great job.

We are off first thing in the morning to France heading for Switzerland to drop this guy off at the chalet:

Then we'll head for the Italian Lakes at the weekend.