October holiday, 21 October

I never cease to be amazed how cheap travel is here. It only costs €3.00 to go from here to Pompeii by bus and train. So of course we did.

First, though, it was a day for housekeeping, doing a little washing (we solemnly counted our pants, socks and t-shirts to see whether we needed to wash any or whether we had enough to do us until we got home) and so on.

Then we bought transport tickets from Reception and headed to the bus stop at the entrance to the site, although we made a nonsense and got off at the wrong stop for the station, but it wasn't a very long walk. Then we caught a train to Pompeii, and so to the ruins.

We had been told it was worth while spending money to have a guided tour, and it certainly was, as our guide was knowledgeable and friendly. He showed us most of what there was to see, and at the end of the tour pointed out the main sights (including the brothels!) that we hadn't seen, and offered to take the party on after a break. However, I had had enough by then and so we sadly said our farewells and then went out via the visitor centre that showed a good film of the various sites and when they were excavated.

A late lunch and then we discovered that we had missed the final bus of the day up Vesuvius, so we came back to Sorrento and the camp site. After a rest, the SW went for a walk, saying he hadn't had enough exercise, which I took leave to doubt, and when he came in, we went to the on-site restaurant, which, sadly, was mediocre and we'd have had a better meal had I cooked. And the SW wonders why I don't care to eat out much! 

October holiday, 20 October

We have changed our plans very slightly as we got a discount for various camp sites in a chain and one of them was for Sorrento, so we are going to spend up to 3 nights in this campsite here. We may or may not go into Naples, but probably not; much more likely to go to Pompeii and then have an extra day. As long as it's Sunday again when we cross the Brenner Pass!

First thing today was shopping and diesel. Unlike France and Germany, Italian shops are open on Sundays. The little supermarket was in a residential area, and rather nice, we thought.

In many ways, Italy reminds me of France nearly 50 years ago - the traffic, the petrol pumps on the pavements, human beings in the motorway toll kiosks, and I would have said the lack of out-of-town supermarkets, but we did see a couple on our drive south.

We stopped to have lunch where we could see Monte Cassino,

and then headed down the motorway and then through tunnels and round hairpin bends and goodness knows what all else until we got to this campsite, which has a lovely view over the Bay and City of Naples.

I thought at first it also had rabbits, but turns out they are olives! 

October holiday, 19 October

You can't really do justice to Rome in a day, but we had a go. The trouble was, as the Swan Whisperer said, round every corner was something worth photographing.

But first of all, it was Saturday, so if course the SW had to find a parkrun. There was one fairly near, so he had a very early breakfast, to allow time to digest it, and then headed off while I got up more slowly and had my own meal. By the time he got back and had showered, changed and had coffee, it was about 11 when we set off.

We decided to go on the bus to Vatican City, but we had to change buses and I don't know what they thought they were playing at, but there were two on the stand and they simply wouldn't get going and everybody kept changing from one to the other in case that one set off, etc.

Finally one of them did and dropped us very near St Peter's Square, which was fabulous.

We didn't really want to go into the Cathedral, so we walked all round the square and admired the Cathedral. When we got back into Italy, walking down a long avenue towards the river,

there was a tout for a restaurant so we took his advice and very good it was, too. I had cacio e pepe, which was delicious, and the SW had pasta arrabiata, which he liked. Also beer for us both.

Then we thought we could walk to the Trevi Fountain. Big mistake - it took far longer than it said it would, and then when we did eventually get there, it was more crowded than a Northern Line train in the rush hour, and you could barely see it, far less throw coins in it. 

In spite of a gelato stop, I was flagging badly by then so treated us to a city tour which was cheaper as it was after 15:00. It was good to join the dots, but Roman traffic is dreadful, like Paris was 50 years ago.  And I couldn't listen to the commentary as it was on earbud headphones and you can't use them with hearing aids. 

When the bus got to its terminus we tried to catch a train back to Ostiense, the quartier where we are parked, but just missed it and ended up taking the metro. Quite a long walk back the other end, so I have gone to bed and the SW has gone to see if he can buy some sausages. 

October holiday, 18 October

Rome, Italy

We got up really early this morning and were away just before 09:00,thankful to discover that although you had to have paid for the campsite by 11:00 am, you didn't have to actually leave until 14:00, which took a great deal of pressure off.

We walked into Pisa - it wasn't far, only through a rather nasty tunnel under the railway lines, and then you turned more or less straight into a little street full of souvenir sellers

and at the end there was an entrance to the great Cathedral plaza with the infamous Tower.

We walked all round

and found an exit at the opposite corner, enjoying a replica of the famous Roman statue on the way.

Had I known we were only on the very edge of the town and there was a historical town centre, its have demanded a coffee and a sit-down, and then visited it, but perhaps as well not to overdo it. As it was, we walked back along the walls (not on them, but below them), noticing one of the towers was also a bit crooked. 

Then it was time to head on to Rome, which was a more interesting drive than some as it was not all motorway, although mostly dual carriageway. Interesting to learn the various shibboleths of Italian driving! And of course, urban driving in Rome itself, which wasn't  as scary as the SW had feared.

We are parked up in a typical urban motor home park, not far from public transport. The SW has been exploring and tomorrow we will see the sights. 

October holiday, 17 October

Pisa, Italy.

We hadn't been going to, but neither of us could quite bear to be so close and not at least have a quick look at Milan. Plus Citymapper told us there was a bus from the airport (fortunately closed for 3 months for runway repairs) straight to the Duomo, so it would have been rude not to, really.

So off we went. It's always difficult to tell what a city is like from a bus, if you don't know it at all, especially when said bus goes up one very long street (it felt like) lined with shops and apartments. And up the tram lines. 

But we got to the terminus eventually, about 5 minutes walk from the Duomo itself

and from the iconic plaza Vittore Emanuele II.

We didn't go into the Duomo as you had to pay, but we did walk through the plaza,

and then out and round and so back to the bus stop.

A quick cup of coffee when we got back to the van, and we were away at last 5 minutes earlier than we had been the previous day!

We had been going to spend the night on the outskirts of Florence, but decided we would see more, more enjoyably, if we went to Pisa instead. So we did, driving on the motorway (€27 today) stopping at a services for lunch, and getting rained on as we crossed the mountains. 

We have found a camp site about 20 minutes' walk from the Tower (which we saw in the distance as we drove in) and the SW has gone for a run so we can be out betimes for an explore tomorrow morning. 

October holiday, 16 October

Linate Airport, Milan, Italy

I had, I discovered, made a total nonsense of route planning this trip and we were aimed straight at the Mont Blanc tunnel, which is eye-wateringly expensive! 

We wondered whether to go the cheap way, maybe only as far as Torino, but it would have taken forever and hairpin bends... Or maybe abandon our plans altogether and join our friends at Lake Bled? But eventually the SW said that we had never been through the Mont Blanc tunnel, and it would be An Experience. So we kept to Plan A.

The rain was away overnight and it was a lovely morning, if cold. We were glad of our hot-water bottles and the central heating this morning. The SW went for a run, so we didn't get away very early, especially once I had done the shopping.

But we were off at last and it was actually a lovely drive, full of snow-capped mountains

and a spectacular waterfall.

The tunnel was horrible, but there was no queue so we were able to go straight through and then on and on through miles and miles of smaller tunnels and it was about 2 before we stopped for lunch in an aire where there was also a big Carrefour, so I wandered round that and looked at prices (similar to France and would probably be cheaper if VAT wasn't higher) but didn't buy anything. They had some fabulous displays of cheeses and fresh pastas, though!

And then a long, long drive down the motorway - I slept for a lot of it - and ten round the Milan ring road, which was slow, but we finally got to the long-term car park where we are spending the night. 

October holiday, 15 October

Annecy, France

It is raining. It has been raining. It will have been raining. We had a very wet drive today and decided to go on the motorway as it was so very dreary.

First off all, though, we went to an Intermarché so I could shop and take some exercise (!) and I was delighted to acquire a turkey leg for all of €2 - would have been rude not  to, really, at that price.

So long wet drive on the motorway. Stopped in an air that might almost have been as nice as the Baie de la Somme on the A16 had it not been raining, and the autumn colours would have been lovely in the sunshine. 

When we arrived in Annecy, we were disappointed to find that the aire where we had planned to spend the night was full, but plan B, a car park up by the Basilica

, has a lovely view over the lake and the city

(the mountains are hidden today), and there was even a rainbow! 

And we have wine, and my turkey leg is braising on the stove.... Italy tomorrow!