Day 20

So the morning came and with so spectacular views, Bee was out early and rushed back to grab the camera, we cleaned sorted the van and pushed on toward our next stop. We stopped for a breakfast coffee on Archenkirck and then headed on, The weather beautiful as we motored along we stopped off next to a small lake for lunch and make camp-fall at about 13:30 nice place and another lake, and another Weingarten, its going to be a two day stop and we will do a bit of sightseeing tomorrow. We sorted a few mundane things went for a beer, then a walk, then a swim in the lake, this time as we are not surrounded my mountains the lake temperature was above freezing and even I have a swim, Bee without question was in the lake like a shot. Then more pork product for dinner, oddly whist I was cooking a young lady of 5 or 6 came up and chatted to me in German, the gist of the conversations was entirely lost on me, but some it was about wasps, the colour of the van , and who knows what else, and that’s about it for today.

Day 18 Tefnes to Archensee Via Innsbruck

So we started off fairly early and as the trip to Archensee was only short we would have a chance to look about Innsbruck and do a bit of stocking up, hair conditioner was high on the must have list. We took the A road route to Innsbruck the scenery once again was spectacular as were the winding road, we actually have so Video footage. It will be posted once we get back to Qatar and I have given it the once over with a video editor. So all was going swimmingly until we got to just outside the city, I noticed a signpost for a Paintball centre call heart-Attack, this tickled both Bee an I greatly so we went to grab the camera, this is when I noticed an oil slick from the cooking oil bottle I have used to cook egg & Bacon for breakfast… Mmmmm Egg and bacon!! So an on-route spill clean-up was attempted as we crawled into Innsbruck, luckily the traffic jam helped us out. Once in the city limit’s the next issue was finding a parking space, for some reason the clever Austrians seem to like the parking lots to be covered this is no good when the height limit is 2.2M and the Van is 2.5M. A long and interesting period of discussion about the relative merits of parking and my skills at getting the Van parked ensued for 30Mins then we found a place. We managed to park near a Spar shop, so we darted in and got to it… Disaster no conditioner!! We brought the rest of the unimportant goods, wine, lemonade, food, oil slick cleaning products etc etc. The a quick wander around the city. Coffee was next, and I somewhat naively ask when the zentrum was in this bar/Café I got bombarded with Austrian Germanic replies, I did my best to sort the directions and headed out, in less than 10mins we had the all important conditioner and a couple of other similar products and headed back to the van. Less than and hour later we were pulling into a lovely campsite on the shores of lake archsee the owner was a top chap, the vista around the site was truly wonderful, we swam in the lake, well Bee swam, I got in proclaimed that the water was actually ice that was about to freeze dunked my head under and headed for the Beirgarten, several beers and sausage and chips later we wandered off the van, where I was soundly beaten at cards.
So its off toward Munich tomorrow leaving the alps behind, a pity as the view is always amazing but we are off to another lake, about 90 minutes driving so not to bad.
Some pictures of course and I hope to geotag them as I get the chance.

Day 17 Padenghe to a Campsite near Innsbruck (Tefnes)

A long days travelling but an amazing one, we braved Two mountain passes in the dolomites one of which the mendola pass at 1800+M was incredible the road up the pass was fairly easy with only about 6 hairpins, the way down was way more interesting 15 Hairpins and at one point the road carved into the mountain was bear wide enough for the Van, with small passing places, the old single pole handrail type crash barriers were still in place at some bends with 500M drops!!! No Video and only a few pictures were taken as I was concentrating quite a bit on driving. After the windy roads we decided the best way into Austria was via the motorway, so we jumped on this and climbed our way into the alps proper. Interestingly as the scenery changes so does the housing type, long before we got to the border at the Brenner pass the housing looked very Germanic. As soon as we go to past Brenner the scenery was outstanding and we started to drop into the Valley where Innsbruck is situated. Bee had found a campsite in the huge campers book we got from the hire place, and we located it on the map, turn right off the motorway junction 10 and head for the Stubai valley, the campsite was located between Fulpmes and Tefes the Views outrageous, the shower block brand new, but nothing was open around us, no Gasthaus, no bar! We set up and made some nosh, all the locals were Elderly Austrian’s and at around 18:00 they all departed for the backdoor of the shower block and started drinking beer, schnapps and Ouzo, go figure!
I think it would be very cool to come back here in a car and get up some of the very High Passes.

Day 16 Padenghe the ferry and Sirmione

We dragged ourselves up bright and early today then meandered down top the ferry stop, lucky there was a café so latte macchiato and cappuccino to get us started. We jumped on the 09:35 ferry and as it was picking up along the lake before Sirmione we got to see a few other ferry docks! How interesting. We pulled into Sirmione and hopped off the ferry a proper tourist trap but very nice. We took a quick look about and them had a coffee. Then a longer walk around the cobbled streets. I quickly decided that it maybe were the rich like to stay, as I saw 3 Panoramas, 2x Carrera 4S and umpteen Big Mercs. The place it really pretty if you like that sort of thing, we wandered to the public beach and climbed up the hill just behind it and sat taking in the scenery, reading and dozing, very Italian of us, well it was after 12:00. After another wander about the island and passed the natural springs we though food was in order, so we found a nice Pizzeria/Tratoria near one of the plethora of piazza and settled in for a long lunch, Inslata to start the a Massive bowl of Moule Molinere, with wine and water, followed by gelato and latte, spot on, the only issue was my credit card getting declined, so on the phone to Qatar and this was sorted in a flash, well nearly a flash. Then a call to Mum to wish her happy Birthday as we sat waiting for the ferry to take us back.
Ah and as I forgot to get the chicken out of the freezer last evening we will be mainly eating in the pizzeria tonight.. Yum yum.
We are off to town tomorrow, Salo I think for a few essentials, and then we climb the alps to Austria and back toward the Fatherland, and its the sizzling piggy.

NOTE FROM BEE: He can make the most romantic place sound like a take away from Al Banush!!

Day 15 Padenghe

Sausage and chips were good last night, and today was a Lazy day for sure, Bee’s foot was still playing up so we were busy doing nothing, we went say by the pool then have Latte macchiato’s and gelato, then sat on the lake edge reading, for most of the day, then more latte/cappuccino some Panini, then some lazing about, were saw a ferry dock, so we dragged ourselves to find out where it went, some place called Sirmione so we thought we make wander off there in the morning. We knocked up some pasta for tea, and then played cards drunk some Vino and that was about it, there maybe a few pictures from today, but it was just sun and relaxamundo.

Day 14 Salsomaggiore To Lake Garda

We are not up early, some crazy Italians were having a party close by last night, all Squeeze box and dodgy singing! The Van is Boxed up and we head into town, and find a 48Hr campervan Park that’s free, got toilets and water, I grump about a bit, but more pressing is Bee’s foot it’s a bit swollen, again, an understatement, it actually looks like a tree trunk!! and needs anti-hista-whatisname, we walk the wrong way and find the farmacia 20Mins later that we should of, Medical goods purchased, we grab a marvellous Pancetta and Pomadora Panini (ham & tomato) and head to the Autostrada, then blast up to Lake Garda stopping only for a very evil coffee and a nice muffin as well as some Gazoil. We get to a campsite right on the Lake, Villa Garuti, lovely setting, private beach, a pizzeria, Trattoria, Bar, free internet, we decide the place looks really nice so were here for 3 days, relax a bit and then its up to the Alps and Austria. Oh and Sausage and chips for tea!!

Day13 Sestri Laventri to Salsomaggiore

After we bugged out of the hill side Vampire site at early o’clock we head back to Sestri Laventri, as I was sure I saw a Camper van Parking place, we get into the town and do the obligatory twice round tour and we suddenly see the sign for the parkeggio, we scoot in. It pay and display, as the Italians don’t really like explaining anything a Nice German tells me its 7 Euro 9-19:00 after which its free….. Yes free max stay 36HRS, so we missed this place right on the med at least twice in the preceding days, and we have all we need in the van to stay in this parking place right next to the med with free bus transport. ok semi-rant over. I check the change we have 2 Euros and shrapnel, so off to COOP its about ½ a Klick away, Both Bee and I split up with a ten Euro note each, I get a 70 cent bottle of water 4Euro in change, Bee get a Bar of Chocolate!!!! Between us we have the change for the Parkeggio, so we park up and get the bus into town. it’s a great place we swim in the med, eat food, eat gelato, drink Cappuccino, and take a few piccys. Now I must point out that when I was fiddling with the camera I left it on B&W, so Bee check the Pictures taken and is not pleased (Note a fair amount of Understatement). I place Bee at an amazing café overlooking a bay, and then run about town and retake the pictures.
We then hit the Autostrada again and head North, in the direction of lake Garda, the only Campsite on our way is at a place called Salsomaggiore , we find the town and its very nice, and follow the campsite signs, it’s a LONG way out of town, and we settle in, have a swim in the pool, sort some domestic stuff and have a nice meal. The Mossie’s however have eaten at Bee’s Ankle and its started to swell, Off to the Farmacia tomorrow me thinks.
Most of the piccys will be geo-Tagged by the time we get them uploaded.