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.

Day 12 campsite near the Med!! To a very small inland campsite on a hill near the med!!

So were are up not so early, pay for the site and scoot off, we have decided to find a camp on the med and spend a couple of days, somewhere near La Spazia, So we bash onto the Autostrada and shoot towards Genova and Beyond, we stop off for a Motorway coffee and a cake then bash on some more, its all Bridge tunnel bridge tunnel, until we get to Genova, when its Bridge HUGE Curly Bridge and then back to tunnel bridge tunnel. Not very imaginative these Italian Engineers!! But bloody good at tunnels and bridges. I have some Video footage of the bridges and Tunnels and will You-Tube it at some point. We drop off the motorway somewhere near Chiavri, and start to look for Campsites, there are loads on the map, None are near the sea and those we do find are full, we pass some Beautiful seaside towns, its all coves, you drive up the costal mountain and then drop into the township, the place is a drivers dream, unless you have a 4 ton camper then it becomes a little hairy at times. We pass Sestri Levanti and start to look around that area we end up following the SS1 up and around another mountain, we then spy a sign to campsite its pointing to toward the coast so we take a chance, we had covered quite few Km’s by then and decide this will be the site no matter what…. DOH, we drop off the SS1 and I do mean drop, about 500M in under 2 Km and we keep dropping down, to ward the coast, things are looking up, then 5Km from the med the campsite sign swings us off a minor road on something resembling and cart track with some tarmac splattered in the middle, this road drops another 100M and then I’m faced with a concrete slipway that is about a 1:4 climb, I rattle into 2nd gear and give the Van the full Beanies, up we shoot, to what Bee succinctly described as el campio site Vampire heaven, at first site I thought of Deliverance, but I was knackered and starving, we took a chance, parked the van smothered the doors in Garlic and luckily I had some holy water in the fridge so we splattered that about!! TBH the site was OK, we spent the night and left before the reception was open so it was a freebee!

Day 11 Valle-Crossi to a small inland campsite near the Med!!

So we get up early(ish) and get sorted, Bee is a bit grumpy but no surprise as the Sunburn it out in full force, should be calmed down by tomorrow.
We head off on the SS1 and the going is slow in the town, but the road opens up a bit and winds its way up the hills between the villages and towns, we get to San Reno and the traffic just stops, its like Spaghetti junction and the M25 combined after a 139 car pile up, the traffic crawls its way to San Remo centre. We see the turning for the A10 (costal Autostrada) and turn off, thing are on the move again, and its worth the toll of 5.5EUR.
The Motorway is astounding tunnel, bridge, tunnel, bridge that’s all it seems to be, again the scenery around is quite something. We pull off the road at about 12:00 and head for the coast, we then try every single coastal campsite, all we get is NON, NON and only if you book 7 days, things are not looking rosy, Bee is still not a happy bunny and the Med looks so inviting…. Eventually we have to turn off the coastal road and head inland we find the Buena Vista campsite some 5 Klicks inland of the med I park and Bee hit’s the sack, Will take at least one or two piccys and geotag then for the blog. So that’s it with luck I will be able to publish these latest blog today.
I am currently sat outside the Van, its parked at a very odd angle but meh, I have the lappy on my lap and a beer next to my right foot, and yes its cold, the sun is shining there is bar that will open in about 1 hour 40Mins and if I stand and look over the hedge I can see the Med. So even if we are not where we would really like to be, its not really that bad, in fact it could be a lost worse.

From blogs

Day 9 & 10 - Torre Pellice to the Rivera and Vella crosse

Day 9

The start off was fairly early, have tea and the usual ablutions then hit the road, and not that stupid hill either, the trip to Cuneo is uneventful and quite pleasant then its up the hill, (mountain to the pass at (errm can’t remember) to get into France, we have to wait for 16 minutes as the tunnel is only one way!! Once in France the gorge at St. something or other is stunning, but what a road, winding and very I mean winding, the porkers and Audi’s all get the raving when they are stuck behind the camper, with me driving like a div so I get a look at the scenery. We stop off and have a Picnic in the middle of the gorge (see geo-tags), Honest if you are in the southern eastern part of Froggy land you have see this place. I have to snigger as I see a load of EDF Hydro plants, I mean what are the French doing with something that green, unless its really a nuke in disguise! So we shoot off south some more and I’m thinking am I ever going to drop down from the mountains, we are like 4K from the coast and I’m am still way up in the hills, then the sparkling sight of the Med and the road drops like a stone winding its way to that beautiful sea. We drive along the SS1 for a bit and find a campsite with a space, and don’t realise how lucky we are. We book in for two nights its pricy for a campsite but it is the Italian Riviera.

Day 10

We sight see, the market was cool, try to get some cash out and this was epic! but we manage in the end, have a bloomin lovely lunch, Focco bread the size of a large pizza with rocket and salad leaves, dotted with Buffalo Mozzarella and then covered in Pancetta, incredabli!! We then go lie on the beach, the wind is ripping then med into a raging maelstrom of spewm and spray, its bloody marvellous, at this point I should say that while we were on the beach Bee had a little Nap, it turns out that the nap was a touch too long, as she now has a sun Burnt belly, so off to the chemists in the early evening for some after sun and stuff, we are moving on down the coast tomorrow.

Day 8, Aosta to somewhere in the Italy, (Torre Pellice)

This day was supposed to be short hop to get us halfway to the Italian Riviera, as it turns out I drove for over 3.5 hrs and halfway up a mountain on the most horrendous road I have ever been on. Go to Google, if you are so inclined, type in Rora Italy, then select satellite view and zoom out a bit, then find the road to Luserna St. Giovanni, it looks a bit zig-zag, I can assure you it is, what you can’t see is exactly how steep the bloody road is or how narrow it was, If I had not been so f’ng terrified I would have Videoed the descent after we decided that we just could not get any further along the road, I kid you not the tree’s on either side of the van were touching and we were still climbing!! So we dropped down off this road and followed the main road into Torre Pellice, the place looked very nice, but it was a hell of a job to find this site we eventually stayed in, it had a rolling gate and was someone’s back (all be it a large one) garden.

From blogs

We got sorted and went for a walk, It was what you imagine what an Italian Village would look like, small Piazza’s and café/Gelati shops all over the place, then we fell across an English pub, I had to laugh, and we decided to come back in a couple of hours after it opened. About 19:00 we bimbled back to the Pub only to find it was run by an Italian and only sold Tennents, English pub my arse, I still had a beer though!, then we stopped off at very Italian Restaurant and had dinner, some very tasty red wine, and Gelati to finish. A stroll back to that Van for the trip to the Rivera, Piccys (some of them) are Geo-tagged as usual.

Day 7 Interlaken to Aosta

Ok I made an error and bottled it I took the St Bernard tunnel and should or risked the high Pass, at the next Alpine crossing the high Pass will be braved.

So we left Interlaken after doing the preverbal runner and turned south, the route was scenic to say the very least, there is little I could write that would do justice to the roads, or Vista that we saw, however a few things do jump out,
1. The Swiss are very friendly but enjoy ripping off persons with Euros
2. Baguette and Liver Wurst on an alpine pass is wonderful
3. Italian coffee beats the pants out of the Swiss Rubbish we have been forced to endure.
4. Italians really do make spectacular pizza

Ok so we make the Border at St Bernard, the col de St Bernard I did not pass and should have, enough said. We travel into Italy and stop at the first (Motorway) café, the Cappuccinos was spot on, we then travelled a few K to Aosta and pulled into a campsite, the Reception was shut so we moved on, we found a second the price was good but the accommodation did not look quite all it could be, we moved on again, we then found Aosta Camping the site looks nice and the price is good, even more interesting was the comment for the reception that the Pizza place opens at seven and the Pizza is very very good. We stayed and at seven went for Pizza, it was “Outstanding” and the local beer was fresh clean and wonderful.
We took a few pictures on the way here and I will do my best to Geotag them.
If I walk out of the camper door I can see no less than 4 high mountains surrounding the place, that along with the lilting Italian jabbering around me, it quite wonderful.
We start the trek down to the Rivera tomorrow. More good Coffee and food awaits I’m sure.

Day 5 & 6 Tittiesee to Interlakken and a day Off!

After a good evening at lake Tittisee campsite we drove into the town, wandered about, got told off for taking my soon to be face book profile picky, took a lovely boat trip around the lake have some rather expensive but quite nice black forest Gateaux, then took off for what we decided was a two hour drive then find a campsite, so we headed for the Swiss boarder, and the alps, we passed the border and got ripped off by a lovely border guard for 40 Euros’ for the motorway ticket. Why ripped off? because its Switzerland and they still have the silly franc, so I gave him 40 Euro for a 40 Franc ticket, Ok so the franc and the Euro are close, 1.06 Francs to the Euro, but that’s still a rip off. Back to the trip, by the time I passed the border we have been travelling for 1.76321Hrs, and Bee spotted some campsites at the map near a place called Thun, Now the actual campsites were actually close to Interlaken, so we got to thin and had to drive around the lake, the road is Carved from the mountain, not especially wide, with impressive drops to the lake, the gasps and so forth were many and loud. We got to a very nice campsite called manor farm, after about 4.5 hours and 200kM, right on the edge of the Lake, the place was busy and full of Brits??, the nice lady said get a pitch and check in tomorrow. So we had a walk about and decided to stay 2 nights.
On the second day took a short stroll, this lasted the best part of 4 hours and took in Interlaken and the surrounding 12kM (well that’s what it felt like) the scenery is spectacular, mountains all over the place and a wonderful lake, which Bee insisted we swim in, I was talked into this particularly brave act. The lake is fed by alpine streams, this can only mean Glacier water, which as we all know is F******g freezing, so I waded in and screamed like a little girl as all my appendages disappeared. The water was so cold it had stratified into differing layers of coldness, from merely bitterly cold, through icy cold to the oh I can’t feel my legs cold!! TBH is was actually quite refreshing, and Bee actually swam in it!!

From blogs

We then ate like campers (straight from the pot the food was cooked in) in the morning we left. For the high alps, Italy and good Coffee, oh and forgot to pay, well the Swiss had ripped me off!
Please enjoy the piccys most of which have been GeoTagged for your Google map enjoyment.

Day 4, Durlach to Tittisee (don’t snigger at the back)

Ok I will start at the end, as I type this the campervan is 15m from the lakeside and, the sun is just setting and I have a rather nice glass of red wine in my hand. The campsite is packed, but it’s not loud, there are spruces and silver birch trees everywhere and you set-up around them, it has a bar, a restaurant, a shop, and the obligatory shower block. In a word this Campsite is a vast improvement on last nights! I have now downgraded yesterdays to a 4 and this is a 7, if you are ever near Tittisee, I would recommend this campsite. Naturcamping Wieherhof am Tittisee. Geotag photos to follow as some point.

From blogs

From blogs

So the journey? We left the campsite at 08:00 and went to Lidl, yes I know it’s cheap but it was open. All stocked up with Goodies (beer and wine first, followed by pork product, then other so called essentials), we got back on the road, then, follow the plan, turn left at Baden-Baden, .. no chance! we got lost in Baden-Baden, not entirely out fault, as the road we wanted was closed, I have decided the German are very poor at diversion signs, as luck would have it Bee spotted a sign to Freudenstat and the “500” which is the swartzwaldstrasase (black forest route) so we turn left and head up, and up and up, ears popping.... then what a view....1000M climb in the trees then a clearing, this was then followed by a coffee,

From blogs

then a drive down, and down a very winding down, not fun when the rear of the camper is wider than the front, Bee’s normal comment was a gasp followed by “Very close here”, I nearly took the offside wing mirror (in fact it’s more like a full length mirror, I suspect the builder of the van thought you might need to dress by them) off more than once. We hit the bottom of this valley, I have seen a few picturesque villages in the UK, but if you tried to image the idyllic Germanic town setting this was it, tall steeple houses, beer gardens and restaurants, and the odd cow in the pasture, all that was missing was the pretty German lass in twin ponytails and a red leather dress..... Steady boys!!.
This valley then led us to wolfmittestadzhousenuntgutrankenwieshund (ok ok I can’t remember the name, when I get the chance I will geotag) where we had to turn left/right to get to Triberg and the Falls, so we turned left and could not see the right!!!, we turned round and still could not find the turning, so we went back the other way again, and out of the corner of my eye I saw a HUGE road running over us... DOH.. So we found our way onto this and heading on to Triberg and the falls. These we spectacular, many pictures to bore you with and we climbed to the top, Bee even walked across a very very well built German wooden bridge. We found a Gift for our Nephew, (I don’t think you will appreciate it John). Then back in the Van and off further south to Tittisee, The road out to Triburg was steep and littered with Hairpins bends and we climbed then dropped. As we arrived in Tittisee we drove the wrong way and had to do a full loop of the Tittisee bypass, with its attendant Arctic lorries, petrol tankers and tree-trunk movers, (these tree-trunk movers are BIG) we caught the correct turning and found the campsite, and as I mentioned at the top of this blog, its “OUTSTANDING”.
Right time to top the wine glass up, and wander round the lake.

Day three, Frankfurt to Durlach

So as I write the first part of day 3’s blog I have no idea when we will get to publish it, but I am sure there will be a free wireless connection at some point.
Surprise surprise the day started with a wander into Frankfurt, no S bahn travel this time, well not on the way there, but by the time we had wandered about in the sun and have coffee, tea and croissants the time was sort of running away. We ended up in a starbucks in a street lined with restaurants and cafes, as soon as we get the photos loaded I will geo tag the coffee shop, for those geeky enough to care.
So at 11:45 we hopped onto the S Bahn for the final time this visit and jumped off at the now familiar Messe station.
We then went to collect the Bags form the room where we had a late checkout arranged, but the buggers had disabled the trendy swipe key and the door would not open. Off down to reception and got that sorted, so checked out without issue, then a Cab to the Camper Van hire place. Once there I parted with a fair few beer tokens as deposit and was then given the dummies guide to camper Vans, we did this with another couple who were also picking up a van, they had most likely left most of their intelligence on the trip to the hire office as even the process to switching on the main electric circuit to the Van needed at least ten repeats with at least 5 visual aids, I whistled and let it pass, they were eastern Europeans, nuff said. So we loaded up the van and set off..... For the nearest petrol station, this was an epic as we went the wrong way, not for the last time today, so I locate the Garage and fill the beast with diesel.... OUCH, 80 yes Eighty Euros, well it is a holiday. We then set off in search of a camp site somewhere near Karlsruhe, the first job was locating the A5, and to be Honest I was well lucky, just as I was about to flap that we were going the wrong way, I hung a right and we were on the A5 southbound. I thing now would be a good time to point something out, as the fuel tank was low when we picked the van up we decided (very foolishly as it happens) to fill the tank before getting some nosebag from the supermarket. Now we stopped off at a motor way stop and thought there will be a shop, there was but it sold sweets and nothing else, so we thing there must be a shop at the campsite near a place called Durlach just outside Karlsruhe, What a game to find the campsite, nearly went the wrong way down the high street and out of sheer luck spotted a camping Platz sign and followed it for ten minutes. Just outside the campsite was a Lidl, perfect we thought, park the van and wander to the shop. So that’s what we did, it was 20:05 when we go to the shop.... Guess what, yes shop shut at eight, so now we had no food, half a litre of water and a spot to sleep for the night, well we are sure to improve on the 33% success rate tomorrow. As for the camp site its clean has no beer garden (boohoo the bar tender is ill), no restaurant and no shop, but as this is the first site I will mark the shower and wash block 5/10 this may change as we see others. I will take a picture and geotag it so the geeks can find out where we stayed.