The Fifth Week

Sunday 3-4-16

So after the last three days on a campsite, having a mini holiday, we moved on down the coast today.  We’d thought of stopping in Bari, the port we’d sail from on Monday.  When we got there we found out it was the day of Bari Marathon.  Roads closed, sweaty Italian joggers and lots of parked cars.  We did find both of the sostas that we knew of in Bari though.  Both full, we think with sweaty people running the marathon.  So we fled, on down the coast, doing our last big shop before Greece in a handy Lidl.  We also filled our LPG tanks as it seems it can be hard to get LPG in Greece, let’s see. Then looking at two places, one had no access to the beach from the road so nowhere to park up and one, an actual sosta, closed for the season.  That was in a town called Capitolo.  As we drove out of the town we spotted a lot of motorhomes in a gravelled seaside carpark. 

As they say, one attracts another, we pulled in.  What we found were small beaches made from what we think were old quarries for the lava type rock.  Also what we found was something we’d seen before in Italy, people just out for the day in their vans, parked up and all eating outside them.  By six most of them had gone, by seven it was just us and the odd dog.

 We dined on Italian sausage ragout, had our last Sopranos fix in Italy and then retired.  Tomorrow would be a long day.

Beach Carpark at Capitolo, Italy. N40.91476 E017.34380

Monday 4-4-16

Up with the fishermen today.  They all turned up early to get on the boats, I got up with a coffee and watched them leave. 

We pottered about then left at mid-morning to head for Bari, again.  No marathon this time but a lot of confusion.  I’d booked online and the only details I had was the ferry companies name and Bari port.  We found the port but no signs for car ferries.  Drove on out of Bari, nothing, apart from four lanes of traffic that the Italian drivers turned into six lanes.  Drove back in, found an entrance to the port, went in, and got sent back out.  The security man said to go 3km down the road. The same one we’d been down, with all the mad traffic.  Went down it again, no entrance.  Headed inland and back into Bari on a different road. Suddenly signs for car ferry, lots of them.  And they took us to an entrance that we’d passed four times.  No signs on the coast road, just on the road from inland.  About 300m into the port we passed the security hut where they’d turned us back. Anyway, we found the nice ticket lady in the nice ticket office.  She gave us key cards, boarding cards, security passes and things to hang on windscreens.  Of which it turned out only the boarding card was checked.  We parked and waited to board, while we did a huge cruise ship arrived and dumped a load of passengers into buses. 

We presume for a tour of Bari’s traffic hot spots.  We boarded at half five, had a wander around the bars and shops on the ferry, then set sail. The camping on board idea means you sleep in the motorhome, but these Germans had taken the word camping quite literally.

Waved Italy goodbye and retired to the van for slow cooked beef and then bed to the sound of marine engine rumble.

On the ferry between Italy and Greece.

Tuesday 5-4-16

Four o’clock in the morning.  Not one of my favourite hours of the day.  We got up, went on deck for two shockingly expensive coffees and watched the lights of Igoumenitsa harbour appear. We got offloaded not soon after we docked.  I drove in the still dark morning for a few miles south of the port and found a quiet pull in at the side of the coast road.  We got back into our still warm bed. The day started again when it got light.

A cup of tea and a bowl of muesli sorted breakfast out and we drove slowly south on the coast road, loving what we saw in the early morning sun.  Small coves, beaches, little towns and harbours.  In one small town we bought fresh warm bread from the bakers and the smiley lady who served us got a taste of Lizzies three years of Greek lessons.  She replied in English.  We spotted a harbour that we’d marked on our map as allowing parking and dropped down into the town of Plataria.  It was still only half nine. 

Happy with our parking spot we walked around the beach from the harbour into the town and out to the other end which had a marina.  There were boats moored up for the winter from the UK, Germany, Italy and Holland. 

We bought Greek yoghurt for tomorrow’s breakfast, as you do in Greece, then spent the rest of the day sat in the sun. Relaxing. We spoke to the owner of a tourist boat getting launched for the 1^st time this year and later had a very confusing conversation with two ladies who lived there, one Italian and one Greek, they used both languages at the same time.  We all smiled and laughed, so that sorted that out.  

I cooked dinner on the side of the harbour and then we slept.  Four o’clock in the morning was a long time ago.

Wild camping at Plataria Harbour, Greece, N39.44419 E020.27137

Wednesday 6-4-16

A new regime. None of the up and at ‘em, on the road and hammer a hundred miles out anymore.  Greece was our destination, France and Italy had been four weeks of transit points.  Nice, enjoyable, scenic but just a means to this end.  We got up and ate breakfast looking at the sea. Liz got her Greek text books out and sat in the sun swotting up.  I ripped a cd of Greek music, her teacher had given her, to the iPod and we listened to it.

  About a hundred children walked around the bay, towards us.  This seemed odd.  They arrived en mass accompanied by four teachers who opened deck chairs, a table, a BBQ and then sat and smoked fags.  The kids, between 5 to 10 years old, ignored us and threw pebbles in the sea and turned rocks over looking for sea cucumbers.  We only guess this as Liz said she heard them shouting the Greek word for cucumbers now and again.  After a while they ran back to where the teachers were sat and then appeared again with souvlaki on pointy wooden sticks. Liz, a teacher herself, commented that Ofsted would throw their toys out of the pram in the UK if this happened, unaccompanied children, next to open water with pointy sticks.  As it happened no children died, were injured or suffered any hardship at all.  We watched them all wander off back to school then we wandered off ourselves.  Not far, to a harbour with a baker selling warm sesame seed covered bread.  We parked the van next to the boats whilst we nosed about.  Next up was where to stop tonight? Napania Beach was marked on the big map of Greece which Liz had spent months working on.  It had places marked that we’d read of other people stopping at.  20km later we found it. Now at this point we were thinking, have we found “the place” or is this just the first of many?  A bay, a beach, a place to park under olive trees and at the end of a dead end road.

  No mobile phone signal and internet as yet a fable only told to the locals by foreigners who were not to be trusted.  Liz made the beach her own for the afternoon reading Great Expectations and I sat under an olive tree and read Laurence of Arabia. 

Can you spot Van Brian hid under the Olive Tree?

When it got dark we watched fireflies and looked up at a stunning star filled sky.  It’s sickening isn’t it?  If it makes you feel any better our dinner was crap.  What I thought was cream, bought in Italy, was a sweet dessert topping.  Not the best thing to make a cream sauce to go with Palma ham stuffed ravioli.

Wild Camping on Napania Beach, Greece. N39.27990 E020.46593

Thursday 7-4-16

We got up and looked at the sea, ate Greek yoghurt with muesli and read.  That’s it for the morning. We lunched on huge tomatoes, olive oil and feta cheese.  I mended the mozi screen on the side door and Liz laid on the beach.  Two people turned up to have a swim then left, then we were back on our own. Liz climbed up an olive tree. 

I got my ukulele out. 

We ate pork and rice, drank wine then went to bed.

So as to fill this not very fact filled day out, and also to give me an idea of what we need to buy the next time we find a shop, I got my Quartermaster’s hat on and did a ships log of our supplies.  It’s copied below, it may be of interest:

The Big Stuff:

·         Approx. 90 litre of fresh water in the tank (washing up and showering)

·         11 litre of bottled water (drinking and cooking)

·         Approx. 17 kg of LPG for cooking and heating shower and sink water

·         9 butane canisters for the little butane stove (hot as hell, boils water in seconds and last ages)

·         A nearly empty toilet (couple of wee’s and one poo, mine)

·         A nearly empty grey waste tank (one nights washing up and one shower)

The Bar:

·         2 bottles of Italian Beer (98 cents a litre, bargain)

·         8 litres of cheap white wine (Madams tipple)

·         1 litre of cheap red wine (My tipple)

·         ½ a bottle of Absinth (to be disposed of carefully and very soon, I’m never drinking it again!)

·         ¾ of a bottle of good quality French Pastis (to be taken daily at 5pm with ice and cold water)

·         5 miniature bottles of Gordons Gin (Emergency Rations)

The Fridge:

·         ¼ block of sweaty, mouldy, mature cheddar (has become a kind of pet)

·         A Jar of green olives

·         A shrivelled lemon (not pet status yet but soon will be)

·         ½ litre of milk (blue carton, could be semi-skimmed, not sure)

·         Some sliced ham

·         500g of pork steaks (tonight and tomorrows dinner)

·         Pack of pork lardons

·         Leftover tomato salad (tonight’s dinner)

·         4 eggs

·         Some sweet Italian desert cream (no idea what to do with this)

·         Pot of Greek Yoghurt (tomorrows breakfast)

·         Mayonnaise, brown and red sauce and salad cream

·         Bottle of Sriracha Hot Chilli Sauce (Flying Goose Brand)

Dry Stores:

·         Cheap Italian “English Breakfast” tea (2 bags per cup required)

·         Ground coffee (for the little coffee pot)

·         Instant coffee (for my travel mug)

·         Coffee pods (for my travel espresso maker)

·         Sugar

·         Three bags of various shaped pasta and two packs of spaghetti

·         2 bags of 2 minute microwave rice (heats up quick with a bit of water on the stove, saves on  gas)

·         Big box of plain couscous, various packets of flavoured ones

·         Jars of asparagus, carrots, peas, flageolet beans and green beans

·         Tins of tuna, mackerel, sardines and a tin of anchovy’s (I keep this as I like the picture on the tin)

·         2 tins of sweetcorn (makes emptying the toilet more colourful)

·         ½ bag of muesli

·         ½ bag of Special K

·         2 packs of plain wraps (keep well and great back up for lunch if we can’t find bread)

·         ½ bag of white flour (thickens sauces and helps when making meatballs or patties)

·         ½ jar of Dijon mustard, ¼ jar of Sa-Vo-Ra Mustard relish, tube of Colman’s English mustard

·         Spice box, full of dried herbs, tabasco, Harissa paste, sea salt and pepper, Worcester sauce, dried garlic and a tube of tomato puree

Veggie Box: Needs filling desperately

·         2 red onions

·         1 white onion

·         1 stray shallot onion

·         ½ head of garlic

·         1 large sweaty carrot

·         Carton of mushrooms (growing and reproducing)

Snack Cupboard:

·         ½ bag of huge Italian Cheese Wotsit things

·         ½ bag of pecan nuts

·         4 bags of plain crisps (not Walkers)

·         ½ bag of Dime bars

·         Various chocolate bars (now a bit melted)

Wild Camping on Napania Beach, Greece. N39.27990 E020.46593

Friday 8-4-16

We needed food and drinks, so we had to leave our cove.  We had a slow breakfast and then packed up the van.  The nearest town was 10km back north so that’s where we went.  When we got there it was veggie market day and busy.  The van had to be abandoned on the pavement and we wandered around the town.  We bought fresh veggies off the market, bread off the baker and beer and wine from one of those Greek mini-market shops that sell everything.  Then I spotted a Vodaphone shop, quite out of place in a little town.  The guy spoke good English and we soon had a Greek data sim for the little Myfi unit we have in the van.  Stick the sim in it and it creates a wifi hotspot we can connect laptops and phones to.  All shopped up we left, heading south past our cove.  At this point I realised that the Vodaphone guy hadn’t given me the back the id he needed to register the sim, my driving licence.  Oh joy, back north, abandon van on pavement, find shop, get id and then for the fourth time that day drive past our little cove, heading south.  We drove in and out of a beach town but it didn’t tickle our fancy.  Then at another beach town, called Loutsa Beach, we got our fancies tickled.

  We parked at the far north end with the beach outside our door and the sound of waves coming in through the windows.  Then it rained.  Not in our plan this.  So we played with our new sim and got our emails after two days offline, ate lunch (nice fresh bread) and snoozed.  The sound of the sea and rain on the van roof made me think of British seaside holidays, I felt a longing for a bag of fish and chips.  Not to be sadly. 

Braised pork for dinner tonight.  The rain stopped and we walked down the seafront, with cagoules packed for more rain. No more rain just lots of small hotels and Tarvernas.  All closed but most with people painting and hammering at things, getting them ready for the tourists.  We made a big shopping list and dined still listening to the waves.

Wild Camping at Loutsa Beach, Greece. N39.01439 E020.53292

Saturday 9-4-16

After the now routine yoghurty muesli we packed up and drove out of town.  The last time we’d filled the tank with water had been 7 days ago.  Today’s mission was to find a tap.   You’d think that would be easy but we’d not seen one, a working one that is, in Greece.  All the beach showers had taps but these had all been turned off for the winter.  When back on the main road I had a flash of inspiration and swerved off at a petrol station.  It had a tap next to the tyre pump.  Liz used her Greek on the attendant who came over to see us “Baroome na ehumey nero parakalo?”  It worked, he smiled and said no problem.  So we got our tank filled, 120 litres of it.  We aren’t that bothered about the quality of this water as it only gets used for washing-up and showers.  For drinks, cooking and cleaning teeth we use bottled water.  We were considering actually paying for a campsite so we could get water so this saved us a few euro.  Next up for our Saturday morning chores was a serious “big shop” and research yesterday had unearthed a Lidl in a town 15km south.  They aren’t as easy to find here as in France or Italy.  When we’d found it and done it we’d got drinks and food for a week plus enough toilet paper, mouthwash and ice cube bags to last us till Germany in September.

 We drove through the large town of Preveza, it was busy but not mad like the Italian towns, people seemed to be moving at half speed.  As we came out the town we spotted a beach road running from a marina so dropped down the hill to it. 

It ran for perhaps two miles and we could pull up anywhere along it for the night.  So we did.  Did the customary wander up and down it after lunch then sat down to write these ramblings up.  And that’s where you find us now, very happy with Greece.

Wild Camping at Mitikas Beach, Greece. N39.18874 E020.53292

 

Happy With Greece

Below are the updated facts and figures for 32 days away.

The Fourth Week

Sunday 27-3-16

Saturday night in Stiffe was quiet.  We had the car park to ourselves.  In the morning we had a lay in and then realised the clocks had gone forward, so we left two hours later than normal. Not a problem, we had good roads to the coast.  All the petrol stations were unmanned today and you paid a machine, the first one we stopped at only took cash but the next accepted our card.  No shops were open today so no fresh bread for lunch. We were aiming for a sosta just inland of the coast at Ortona.  But when we got to the coordinates there was nothing apart from a closed down tractor dealership.  So we dropped down to the coast, heading to another sosta at a Marina that was in the Camperstop Europe book.  Just as we hit the coast, our first sight of the Adriatic, we spotted a big car park facing out to sea, with other motorhomes parked up.  So we drove in and parked up, there were signs saying no motorhomes but the Italians just seemed to ignore them, so we did too.

The small town had quite a few restaurants and all were full of locals having Easter Sunday lunch.  A busy place.  We walked around the beach and along a jetty.  It had two wooden huts on stilts with wooden poles on wires built on it.  Some sort of fishing thing?

The parking area eventually emptied of cars and there were only us and five other motorhomes left.  During the night I woke to rain on the roof, then a little later I woke up when a light fitting fell on my head.

Free parking at Marina Di San Vito, Italy. N42.30803 E014.44736

Monday 28-3-16

More light issues in the morning. The little light that lights up when the toilets full lit up.  So first job of the day was to find a place to dump it.  Just 12 km down the road we found a sosta with a service point.  We filled up with water too, but only after clearing up the area of bags of rubbish that some wild animal had pulled out of the bins during the night.  We’ve learnt to take every opportunity to dump and fill.  Next order of the day was food and drink, we spotted a supermarket called Euro Spin, this fitted the bill.  Now we had enough sustenance for three days including some ridiculously cheap Polish lager and a huge 5 litre bottle of Vino Blanco for Madam. 

Thirty km later we happened upon a beach parking area that allowed campervans overnight.  Charges were displayed but the payment hut was closed, presumably as it’s out of season.  We parked at the far end against the beach, two steps from our door and I was on the beach.

 

A decision was made, not a hard one, to stop for two nights.  We lunched then had a sandy walk along the shoreline, the place had a very laid back feel to it.

Back at the van I got on the internet and booked our ferry to Greece for a week’s time.  The departure port of Bari is only 240km away so we can have a very leisurely week getting there.  The evening consisted of pork burgers, green beans, potatoes, a large glass of Jägermeister and some Mob killings.

Free parking at Petacciato Beach, Italy. N42.03670 E014.85050

Tuesday 29-3-16

Lay in till half eight, that Jägermeister works like chloroform on me.  The Easter weekend motorhome mob had gone and we were part of a four vehicle camp now.  Nipped off for fresh bread for lunch and then returned to the beach and bagged a nicer spot than yesterday.

 

The trip out took our daily mileage to 19 miles. As we were having a day off traveling we decided it was jobs day.  I got the co-pilot up on the roof cleaning the muck and dust off the solar panel.  It was doing a fine job today powering the slow cooker for our dinner so deserved some TLC.  She then moved onto to the skylights.

Our reversing camera is and always has been pants, black and white and like looking through a misted up window on a foggy day.  I’d bought a new one back in the UK so decided to fit it today.  The elderly Italian chap in next doors van came to supervise me.  He gave me a few encouraging words of Italian every couple of minutes while stood behind me at all times, I understood nothing.  But we got the job done and he seemed pleased with his efforts.  We can know see what’s about to run into us or what I’m about to reverse into, in full glorious colour.  Liz moved on from roof duties to a full decontamination of the ablutions and catering facilities.  We lunched then had a walk around the nature reserve next to the beach, it had bird watching hides and raised wooden walkways over the salt marshes.  Very pleasant.  By the time we sat down for our French beef stew there was only us and one other van in the parking.

Free parking at Petacciato Beach, Italy. N42.03670 E014.85050

Wednesday 30-3-16

We broke camp after two relaxing days at Petacciato Beach.   At a small town called Lesina we looked at a sosta, but the rest of the town put us off, had a kind of Wild West feel to it.  We bought fresh bread and headed on.  The sat-nav took us down some seriously narrow roads to a waypoint for another sosta but when we got there we couldn’t find it, so more winding roads back onto the main road.  At a seaside town called Peschici we hit sosta jackpot, every bod with an olive grove was advertising motorhome parking.  We picked one next to the beach, which turned out to be an actual campsite.  The first of the trip and at 15 euro a night not badly priced.  The lady in reception had a German accent, the site brochure she gave us was in Italian and German and all the other campers on the site were German.  Lizzie’s huge wine bottle had leaked on the duvet while we’d been driving so that got hung out while we went for a walk around.

We found a nice beach and lots of restaurants and hotels.  The town’s buildings were painted in white and blue, lending it a bit of a Greek air.

Three firsts of the trip happened today, stopped overnight on a campsite, I wore my shorts and flip flops and finally I got bitten by a mozzie.  They do like my tasty blood.  Had a lovely dinner of some beef parcels wrapped in bacon with a tomato sauce then had a bit more mobster viewing.

 Campsite at Peschici Beach, Italy.  N41.94544 E016.00648

Thursday 31-3-16

Nearly stopped another night but decided to move on.  We’d looked and there was a sosta 25km away and if that was no good then an ACSI campsite 40km further.  We’d bought the 2016 ACSI site book and membership as it gives good discounts out of season so I’m determined to at least use it once.  The sosta didn’t look great so we carried onto the campsite.  And when we got there it didn’t take long to decide to stop for two nights.  A very quiet site set on the beach amongst trees.

A brand new shower block, free wifi and most importantly something for Lizzie to play with, washing machines.  All for 13 euro a night.  We found ourselves a pitch after ordering our bread for the next day off the nice site man.  Liz got to grips with the laundry and filled both the brand new machines, and the nice site man worked out how many euros to put in the timer and that was that.  Lizzie went back two hours later to find the timer finished but the machines still full of water.  The nice site man was consulted, not enough euros, so he put two euros of his in and she left then came back half an hour later.  Both machines still thrashing about, in fact so much one had worked its way to the end of its water pipe tether and was now in the middle of the laundry room.  Such fun. We strung out lines across two pitches and then wandered down the beach.

That night we nearly succumbed to a meal in the Pizzeria on the site, the smell from it was great.  But we had pork steaks that would turn against us if they sat for one more day in the fridge so they got cooked with some mushroom cream sauce and served with some pasta.  We had a late night with Tony S as we weren’t driving the next day.

Campsite at Manfredonia, Italy. N41.55500 E015.89587

Friday 1-4-16

Up late and then off for a long walk down the beach which seems to run the 60 miles to the port of Bari.  Obviously we didn’t make it that far.

A storm this winter had left a lot of flotsam on the beach, notably was a brand new yellow welly and a dining chair.

We sat in the sun and ate our lunch then mucked out what seemed to be a beach load of sand out of Brian.  Had a quick count and I was up to 5 mozzie bites, time to bring out the jungle strength repellent?  The huge German motorhome next to us moved on today, he’d had to reinforce the step with axle stands and a bit of 4x2.  They were a hefty pair.  

We looked at maps, Camperstop books, ACSI Camping guides.  We then realised the next place to stop, before we get the ferry on Monday, was actually Bari itself, unless we wanted to pay more than here or drive past it on the coast only to come back the same way the next day.  See how our daily trip plans are a bit pants? So decision made, stay here another night tomorrow.  Fine by me, there’s enough beer and wine under the bed to keep us entertained.  We might be eating things we find growing in the bottom of the fridge tomorrow though, but hey ho.

Campsite at Manfredonia, Italy. N41.55500 E015.89587

Saturday 2-4-16

We feel like we’ve taken root, three nights in one place is a first for us.  But off to Bari Port tomorrow for the ferry to Greece on Monday.  Last night all the lights went out.  We’d been running on batteries for two and a half days and the vans parked under trees in the shade, the solar panel didn’t really have a chance.  So out came the lecky lead and we plugged into the sites electric. Not wanting to waste all this new found power, the water heater went straight on and we turned the gas off.  Every light in the van went on and everything that needed charging got plugged in.  It’s 2 euro more to have electric, can’t just throw money away.  It was gone nine this morning when we surfaced.  To make up for our laziness we went on a route march after breakfast, 8km up the beach.

At the point where we turned back there were some houses and a strange hotel/Spa, all a bit run down.  Some thoughts on Italy before we leave.  We’ve been before but only ever in the North, Dolomites and the lakes.  We’ve both been impressed with the southerly areas we’ve seen this trip.  The people all seem happy and friendly.  The roads can be lovely and smooth or alternatively absolutely appalling, shaking us and the poor old van to bits.  The scooter riders and the odd car driver are nuts.  Food prices are cheaper than France, fuel is more, but still cheaper than the UK.  We’ve noticed lots of litter, on the beaches, sides of the roads and in the towns. Italians don’t like being told what to do, if the sign says no campervans they park there (us too), if there’s a solid white line down the middle of the road they’ll overtake, if a cars parked where they want to park they just double park next to it.  It’s all very easy going really. 

About sums up Italians attitude to being told what to do....

We’ll probably come back another year, we still want to go to Sardinia which we had to drop from the agenda this year due to not being organised with ferry booking. So that’s the end of week four, next week’s update will be about Greece.  Cheers Kev & Liz.

Campsite at Manfredonia, Italy. N41.55500 E015.89587

Below are the updated facts and figures for 25 days away.

The Third Week

Sunday 20-3-16

Last night we feasted on tortellini in the remains of the sauce we had with the crepinettes, waste not want not.  We watched England beat the French in the Six Nations via the free Wi-Fi and a naughty VPN connection. And we didn’t hear a peep out of our loser French neighbours?

In the morning we did the water/waste service thing then headed off in search of a boulangerie and a supermarket, we’d drank Van Brian dry over the weekend.  This we accomplished even though it was Sunday, then headed inland in search of an overnight stop, the coast around St Tropez is a bit scarce of aires.  We ended up driving up the Gorge de Loup.  Wonderful scenery but hard on the MPG, third gear for 20 km.  We could see snow on the mountains above us, which felt odd after being at the seaside an hour or so ago.  It then got even odder, we ended up driving with snow at the side of the road.  We eventually ended up in a fully-fledged ski resort, Greolieres Des Neiges.  Not at all what we expected. 

But they had a large parking area solely for Camping Cars and tour buses.  So we were happy.  We walked around and I got to wear my posh Italian snow boots, so it wasn’t a damn silly idea to bring them was it?  By six o’clock the resort was empty and we were the only ones parked up.  

I did a fine chicken and asparagus stir fry with noodles for dinner. Tonight’s entertainment was Get Him to the Greek, lot funnier than I thought it would be, 3 out of 5.

Free car park at Greolieres Des Neiges, N43.83134 E006.96853

Monday 21-3-16

Van Brian’s made it to Italy! Back down the mountain this morning after taking more photos of the snowy scenes around us, had a diversion due to a closed road but it didn’t delay us.  We hit the coast then turned left for Nice, Monaco, Monte Carlo and then the Italian border.  All three places were a pain to drive through, I refused to take Van Brian around the Monaco GP course much to my GP mad co-pilots disgust.  Immediately over the border into Italy we were attacked by swarms of Vespa’s.  Everyone’s got one and they all want to be in front of me.  I found the best policy was to ignore them and let them get on with their madness.  In San Remo we found a large Sosta (the Italian name for Aires) facing the sea. 

Liz sat and read her book in the sun then we wandered about.  Not a lot to see apart from the sea itself, not that I’m complaining.  I prepped a beef bourguignon to cook while we drive tomorrow. I then did a pork sausage meat ragout with pasta for tonight’s meal, seeing as we were in the land of pasta.  Also as a tribute to Italy our nightly viewing was the Sopranos.  The only thing on my hard drive that was remotely Italian.  So Episode 1 & 2 of Series 1 watched.  Third time of viewing for me but first for Liz.  I love it so no hardship, just hope Liz gets into it.

Paid Sosta in San Remo, N43.80233 E007.74752

Tuesday 22-3-16

Sunshine on the sea when we woke up.  On the road for 9am after paying 15 euro for our nights parking, it can be expensive in Italy, the campsites are even worse.  We hit rush hour traffic in San Remo and further along the coast.  Scooter mayhem.  We turned up into the hills and found a Lidl.  I like consistency and always feel at home in a Lidl.  Food and water bought, onwards and upwards we went.  By lunch we’d found another Sosta in a rather industrial area of a city. But it had been enhanced with graffiti, a tired old sofa and a broken washing machine.  Satnav consulted there was another 20 km East of where we were.  What a contrast, a small rural town, a free of charge grassed area just for campers with waste and water points and free Wi-Fi from the town hall just across the road.  Van Brian heaven.

While walking around the town we spotted one small general store and one bar restaurant.  That was the total retail offering, or so we thought.  Outside the town hall we found a machine.  It sold local milk, cheese and jam and what looked like cheese pies? 

Back at base camp we attacked the beef bourguignon that had been simmering away all day.  Outside the only sounds were two owls hooting at each other under the full moon.  I was a bit low on the beer front, two little bottles of Leffe and my last two bottles of Lidl IPA.  So tonight’s two episodes of the Sopranos were accompanied with a rather large brandy.  Always good to have an emergency backup plan.

Free Sosta in Giusvalla, Italy N44.44892 E008.39304

Wednesday 23-3-16

Today we broke a golden rule.  We used a toll motorway.  It had to be done, the coast road is one continual stop start traffic queue.  As it happened it worked out cheaper than expected, we did 20 km to Genoa, dropped off it to dive in a Lidl for restocking of beer and the toll cost was 2.40 euro.  Back on it, around Genoa and then off it again 30 km later we got a pleasant surprise.  Liz put the ticket in the machine and before she could put the card in to pay the barrier came up.  Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth I made a dash for it.  At the top of a hill looking down on a bay we found a parking area with four other motorhomes in it.  We joined them. 

A Welsh couple were parked up in their motorhome, we’d already bumped into them a couple of nights earlier.  They’d stayed here last night and it was free, although cars had to pay.  Result.  A quick snooze then a walk into the very pretty town clinging to the steep hillside with stunning views out to sea filled the rest of the afternoon. 

There were electric bikes to hire for the day that could be dropped off at other charging points in the area. 

We actually passed an open bar and I didn’t go in, I’m a changed man. Back at the van the parking emptied of cars but ended up with 16 other motorhomes in it.  A fair few Germans along with the Italians.  We sorted out our route for the next day and had a fry up for dinner, sausage, fried potatoes, fried eggs and beans.  The eggs and beans made for a pungent atmosphere that night and the next morning. Tony Soprano entertained us till bedtime. 

Free Car Park in San Rocco, Italy N44.33248 E009.16540

Thursday 24-3-16

We waved goodbye to the Mediterranean today, the next time we see the sea it’ll be the Adriatic.  After breakfast I prepped the slow cooker with chicken in a mushroom cream sauce for tonight’s dinner. After yesterday’s success with the toll roads we dropped onto one again today to get us around Pisa.  Neither of us had any desire to see the leaning tower or to take photos of us holding it up.  After Pisa we went back to normal roads and did a quick bread shop in a very busy local supermarket, filled up with diesel, the first time in Italy and we’re paying a bit more for it here.  The destination we’d chosen today was a city on our route south, we’d chosen it for no other reason than its name, Poggibonsi.  As it turned out we’d made a good choice, a free Sosta just outside the town with water, we were running low.  And a ten minute walk found us in an old pedestrianised city centre. 

Lots of little streets and fancy shops. We looked about and sat in a square with loads of old Italian men waving their arms around and debating god knows what, the price of olive oil for all we know. 

Back at Van Brian we did some maintenance and tidying, plotted tomorrow’s route then dined on the creamy mushroomy chicken with rice.  A couple of Sopranos added few more words to our sparse grasp of the language.  Not sure watching American mafia shows is the best way to learn Italian but it’s all we’ve got. 

Free Sosta in Poggibonsi, Italy N43.46174 E011.14596

Friday 25-3-16

Our plan today was to get close to a town called Saturna which has hot springs you can lounge around in, then visit it the next day.  Our plans don’t normally work out the way we’d expect, and today's was no different.  We drove through beautiful countryside, on appallingly surfaced roads.  Found a small supermarket for beer and food then found a lovely free Sosta in a small town.  We got set up, needing the ramps under the wheels to get level.  At that point I looked at how far the town with the springs was, it was only 20km away and we’d read it also had a free parking area.  So ramps back in and off we went.  We followed Darth Garmin, who took us up and down some impressive gravel tracks with hairpins for 10 km.  After 20 km we found the free parking at the springs, it had a height barrier, not good.  The Sosta in the town for motorhomes was full.  But, we found yet another, a ten minute walk to the springs. 

This was more like a campsite.  It had, I’d guess, about two hundred motorhomes on it. It had toilets, showers, a small café and laundry facilities.  For this we had to pay 14 euro.  We lunched, snoozed then had a walk down to the springs to check them out for tomorrow. 

They were packed, it was at this point we realised it was Easter weekend and everyone was on holiday.  The water was warm, smelly and had the colour of bath water just before you pull the plug.  Neither of us felt inclined to wallow around in this the next day. 

So we walked back to the van and had a beer/wine while we sat outside watching the sun go down over the other motorhomes roofs.   I did a chicken satay stir fry for dinner to the sound of yet more motorhomes arriving.  We finished the day off watching the last episode of season one of our Italian lessons.  Only six more seasons to go, we’ll be fluent in a month.  But we’ll be in Greece in a month, perhaps we ought to be watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding?

Paid Sosta at Saturna, Italy. N42.65451 E011.50352

Saturday 26-3-16

I got up in the night to dispose of some unwanted beer and heard another camper arriving, it was half three in the morning.  The next day we were packed and away for eight, minus 14 Euro for our nights camping.  Back to freebies today.  By nine we’d done a beer/wine/food shop and by ten had found a petrol station selling LPG for our tanks, yesterday we’d been refused as it was for cooking and heating not for the motor, different tax rates it seems.  The guy in this station, which overlooked a beautiful lake called Lago Di Bolsena, didn’t care and pumped us full of gas.  We looked at two sostas in big towns, Rieti and L’Aquila, but they looked grotty, we had loads of time so drove on East. Got to a third one in a nice small town only to find they were building apartments on the parking area.  Onwards then, and it worked out well.  At a village called Stiffe, cue childish giggling from the Van Brian crew, we found a free car park that allowed campers overnight. 

It was next to the tourist office for the Grotte Di Stiffe.  Some caves with waterfalls.  We made do with a walk up a hill out of the village to see some waterfalls not in a cave, also not 10 Euro to look at.  

Spag Bol for dinner, a homage to our hosts.  Tomorrow would be the Adriatic.  We were thinking of having a holiday when we get there, a couple of days on a campsite.  Let’s see what turns up eh?

Free Carpark at Stiffe, Italy. N42.25561 E013.54886

Below are the updated facts and figures, I’ve added a few more calculations to the spreadsheet, hope they’re of interest.