Friday 3rd May

Contrasting to Rome, we move north. Umbria and Tuscany. Wide open spaces. Very green with fields of wild flowers, mostly poppies and dandelions. The crops giving the landscape a velour texture. Distant hillsides with clusters of stone houses. Plenty of castles. Conifers lined up like sentinels. Not many people. Not many cars. Quiet.

We spend a night in a pretty camp lakeside of Bolsena. Do some chores – laundry, cleaning. Relaxing, walk the lake edge into town. It’s cloudy and the wind is blowing off the water. Good night to have a curry and as we’re eating, Greg comments we haven’t seen any Indian food places in Italy. In fact I think I’ve seen one Chinese and one Mexican, a couple of McDonalds and a few places advertising burgers but on the whole the eating places are all Italian.

4th May

Second night, free camping in the hilltop village of San Gimignano. Unfortunately the weather isn’t playing ball. Raining, chilly but the forecast says it will clear in the evening and it does. We walk into the hilltop walled old town. This place is ‘f’ing fantastic! It is exactly what you’d picture a hilltop medieval town to look like. Before you even enter, you look through the gates and there is stone buildings 3 stories high against the inner walls. The cobbled street climbing and curling out of sight. It has 14 towers which you see for several kilometres away, but up close they loom over the city walls like Medieval skyscrapers. There are shops selling leather ware, wines, salamis, cheeses, cycle tops rather than magnets and t shirts, though there are a couple like that. Lots of Restaurants, bars and Gelato shops. And when you get up high, the views over the Tuscan countryside…. stunning. The sun sets in a blaze of colour and the street lamps add more character to the delightful lanes and squares. Pity the rain is forecast again for tomorrow else we’d be tempted to stay longer.

San Gimignano is also where we discover Italy eft-pos machines don’t accept international bank cards. Bugger. Bloody Italy! They also don’t fill or exchange gas bottles that aren’t Italian. Apparently you can buy an adapter which you can use at the self service gas stations. Unfortunately Italy don’t sell them or even acknowledge they exist. So,we’re already being frugal on gas, now we’ll have to be frugal on cash. We do have a travel MasterCard preloaded with Euro but most places do like cash.

We wake up to a thunderstorm. Lightning flashing through the skylight, immediately followed by huge claps of thunder. Pouring rain. It’s cold.

5th May

Third night we stay in Pisa. We had been thinking of going to Florence first but as the weather is crap and there’s less to see here so we’ll view the tower then go to Florence tomorrow. The drive was through more picturesque Tuscan countryside. The trees hanging heavy with rain, the wet making the green leaves more vibrant. Low cloud or mist softening the hilltop and pushing wisps through the valleys. The walled hilltop towns darker and more foreboding. Potholes filled with water making the roads look better than they actually were.

The leaning tower of Pisa is so much more than I was expecting. It’s obviously a tourist attraction because it’s on a lean but architecturally it is an very impressive structure. Not just because it’s holding together under the strain of the lean but the height and the columns, it’s pleases the eye. Looking at it and the Duomo and the baptistery, it’s like one church deconstructed. The architecture of all three buildings have common elements but instead of being connected, they are all separated by grass. There is some unusual gargoyles too. I wasn’t going too but when I was standing there I just had to do the classic pose.

We were approached (again) by a hawker and thought Greg waved him away, I asked him about himself. He’s from Senegal, has been in Italy for 10 years but goes back home every two years. He ends up giving me an Elephant carving. Probably wants me to shut up so he can carry on selling.

Probably going to book a day tour to the Cinque Terre for Tuesday. They run some from Florence that cover all 5 villages by a mix of bus, train & boat. You get free time in each place and the weather forecast for Tuesday is looking ok. And obviously you can’t drive it.

6th May

Day four and we’re in Florence. Funny how much I remember from last time, 7 years ago and I still knew the way to go to get to the Duomo and the Uffizi gallery. Last time we didn’t go in either and so thought we would this time. Haha, the next available time slot for the Duomo is Wednesday afternoon. Today is Monday. Then even with time slot tickets, you need to queue an hour beforehand at each area. Then when we get to the Uffizi gallery, it’s closed on Mondays. Oh well, whatever will be, will be. We went into a different church. Amazing ornate ceilings. Unusual because the alter is off set since the building started its life as a grain store. Love the association back to the guilds. Climbed up narrow winding stairs and got a great view. We do our usual and meander the streets. This time around it isn’t overwhelming me like last time. We’ve seen better old towns now and Florence is FULL of tourists. Greg didn’t even take many photos because he took lots last time we were here, and that had been with gorgeous evening light. We did have more time and could see a wider area. The heart we had already seen was still the best bit. We had coffee and it was €10.50! Yesterday’s coffee was €2.50 and it was nicer, stronger and hotter. Tourist town ripoff. On the plus side I found an eftpos machine that accepted my MasterCard (bugger about those extra fees) so we now have cash again.

We are free camping at the back of the concert hall, can hear the music. I would have preferred the security of a paid camp for the 2 nights but the nearest was over an hours walk to the bus terminal to do the Cinque Terre tour tomorrow and we have to be there by 6.40am. This place is a lot closer, will only take us about 15 minutes on our bikes. Bonus is there is free wifi so I can finally update the blog.

Cinque Terre tomorrow. I’m excited.

Wednesday 1st May

I’d been thinking we’d take a couple of days to meander back across to the other side of Italy but Liverpool has a big game tonight. Greg’s chances of finding a sports bar showing the game while free camping in the mountains weren’t high so watch out Rome, here we come.

Once more the mountains are spectacular. The valleys, gorgeous and the villages pretty. We could have jumped on the toll road and saved ourselves an hour or two. But that would be boring. And expensive. I worked out it would have cost us about €30. I can think of better things to spend the money on. Anyhow the roads today have been good.

Found a great campsite. It’s only €24 a night with electricity compared with the €30 to €38 we’ve paid in the last week. No toilets or showers but we do have our own. There is water and dumps so it’s only the water heating we’re covering. Best thing is it’s walking distance to the Colosseum, and then obviously other top places in Rome. It’s a little unusual in that there is no signage suggesting it’s a campsite. You enter through a mechanics/car rental place and end up on a grassy field behind the buildings.

We parked up and chilled for a bit then walked into the centre to a particular Irish Pub that the Rome Liverpool Supporters use. Had dinner and drinks then watched the game. Not a good result unfortunately but a fun atmosphere. Egyptian supporters on one side, English on the other and American in front. Anyhow we walked back home through the darkened streets with Ancient Roman lit up. Pretty cool. Wow, we’re in Rome.

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2nd May

So the sun rose and we walked back into the city centre. Rome has lots of old stuff. And there is some really really old shit too. And it’s everywhere. I don’t think they can dig a hole anywhere without finding something historical. Must make it really challenging as a big city, a capital, to grow and expand with these sorts of issues.

And then there’s all the people – locals, tourists, hawkers, tourists, buskers, tourists…. and the traffic

We were walking behind a couple of Americans and I heard him say, they should get rid of the cars on these inner roads and pedestrianise them. I did a mental eye roll. The tourist ‘top sights’ are not grouped together in a way that could be enclosed and a vehicle ring route put in place. They are spread out. Ancient Rome had a vast reach and its heart reflected that. Money poured in from the places they conquered and was used to create spectacular monuments in their own honour. I do feel though, that they are only showcasing the grandeur of the empire at its peak and if they dug lower they would uncover older, more simpler ruins from before that time. But tourists don’t pay to see that side of things.

I was struck by the clear evidence that this is and had always been a living city. Materials are used and reused. Simply because they are there. I look at a building and the back part is old, the middle bit is really old and the front corner is ancient. I like that.

I read a plaque about some ruin and it said it was renovated in 139AD, then destroyed and rebuilt in 298AD then abandoned. The marble was then taken and used elsewhere in the 1500’s and the remains disappeared from view only to be dug up again in the 1900’s when they wanted to build a road. These places have been being altered for over 2000 years.

Because we’ve been here before and done the Vatican, Colosseum and other tourist hot spots, this visit we were able to just explore and experience – no ‘we must see’. I had thought we could visit the Roman Forum but one look at the 2 hour long queue and we flagged that. So we spent the day meandering, seeing the free stuff, in and out of churches, up and down fancy stairs, around exuberant fountains, people watching (tourists, waiters, buskers), eating and drinking way too much ( and at way too expensive prices!) and generally just enjoying Rome. It was great.

We stayed in there until the sun set, enjoying pizza for dinner while gazing at the Colosseum. The sky changing colour behind it. Then wandered a bit more to appreciate the lit up monuments before finally heading back to base.

And I feel maybe I understand Italians a little better. They just push on through, in all areas of life, because that’s what’s needed to get through Rome. They do it with a laugh and a smile. Or a toot and a hand gesture.

First, some family history…. My maternal Great Grandfather, Norman Randolph Durham, went to war (WW1). Firstly to Gallipoli, with the second landings. He wasn’t there very long before he became sick and spent a year in hospital in England. His records don’t say what the illness was but I suspect it was here he got TB. After that he marched on foot to the Somme, where after 5 weeks of fighting he lost his arm to shrapnel and a field amputation. Another year spent in hospital back in England then they shipped him home. He was granted special permission to marry my Great Grandmother, Catherine Charlotte MacLean, due to his TB. I think they managed to live together for a year to 18 months before he had to go into an Sanatorium. He died when his daughter, my Grandmother Norma Winifred Durham was 2. She had no memories of her father at all. But used to be terrified at the 2 arms kept in the wash house, his good one that looked real but had no function and another with a hook. She grew up an only child with a solo mum.

When she was about 18 she met and fell in love with Ronald Clark, the brother of a work friend. He was called up for the army and they quickly married with a week long honeymoon at Bethels beach – special leave from his army training in Wellington. He then had 2 weeks leave before being shipped out to Egypt. They never lived together. From Egypt, Ronald went to Italy, he was an Engineer with the New Zealand 2nd Division. Early on the morning of 28 November 1943 after a month dug in on the south banks of the Sangro River two platoons crossed under darkness to get a foothold on the north side and the Engineers quickly built a Bailey Bridge to get the rest of troops across. Offical reports report this was achieved with light casualties.

A fellow engineer visited Norma after the war and told her the details. There was a round of bombardment and in the aftermath he saw that Ron had lost both his legs, there was immediately a second round and when he looked again Ron was dead. In his pocket was a letter from Norma telling him about the birth of his daughter, my mother, along with her pink bootie and a lock of her hair. His daughter was 3 months and 2 days old. He never came home and is buried in the Sangro River War Cemetery. He was 25.

Tuesday 30th April

Our day started by driving up to the monastery on Monte Cassino. Climbing up above the clouds into blue sky. You could instantly see how the Germans held their line so well here. It’s very high, very steep and the valley below easily watched. Up there is also a large Polish Cemetery and monument, recognising both the loss and the win. Today it’s peaceful, the only bombardments from the swallows.

We then set course across the peninsula to the Adriatic coast. It’s beautiful! Steep mountains, even now in April there is snow on some. I imagine it would have been not so pleasant for the Allies fighting their way up. Lush green valleys, numerous small rivers. Picturesque townships and historic settlements with castles on hilltops and colourful houses clinging to the hillsides. And the road was good! No potholes, two lanes and virtually no traffic. Haha about 70k in we’re suddenly on an offramp. The highway ending abruptly. Then it’s potholes galore. Not only potholes but full road subsidences. We pick our way slowly down cracked tarseal, across the sunken parts and up the other sides. Gouges showing where cars have bottomed out. In two places the roadway is 2.2 metres wide. Our van is 2! After about 4 or 5 kms we drive up an on-ramp and are back on a two lane road. Weird.

We follow the Sangro River down from the Castle at its head, almost to the mouth. We turn off and cross about where I approximated the Allies crossed. Just in the reverse direction. The river is calm, water levels low. We then wind up the foothills to the Cemetery. Again I’m struck my the peacefulness around me. We have lunch in the car park looking down over the river valley then enter the cemetery proper and locate area 16, row B, line 35. The graves are in a gentle arc in flower beds with grass between the rows. It’s very well maintained. There are 3 gardeners working over the other end. Ron’s headstone has a Rose bush on one side, violets and a sage type plant in front then purple flowers I don’t recognise on the other side. There is a tree casting a shadow over one corner. I place some poppies I had picked and dried. I’m fairly certain I’m only the second family visitor he’s ever had. And likely the last. But that’s ok as the plaque reads ‘Their names live for evermore’.

Greg gives me a hug but I’m not at all emotional. Our past is what makes us who we are and I’m comfortable in my own skin as is my mother and as was my grandmother. Ron’s absence from their lives shaped them as much as any other life experiences. I just feel sad that he missed out on life and slightly angry that powers-to-be play such games with human lives.

Sunday 28th April

This will probably be a short blog because normally I have words in my head when I start typing but right now I’m blank. Just a sense of awe and wonder. Anyhow I’ll start from the morning and see how I go.

I did a little reading over breakfast warning me about entry queues taking an hour and a half. Since you could order tickets online and skip the queue, I did exactly that. Murphy’s law, there wasn’t any queues. Didn’t bother buying the audio guides as when we’ve had them before we found we didn’t use them much. I downloaded the app – useless and we picked up a map – lots of places on it were fenced off. So it may be we missed something but I’m not sure, we spent nearly 7 hours there. Of the top picks in Lonely Planet the only one we didn’t see was the theatre which was blocked off on every side we tried.

Over the years more and more is being closed off as the elements and exposure render them unsafe. Less than a third of what you could see in the 1960’s is now viewable. Apparently it’s on the verge of UNESCO putting it on the List of World Heritage in Danger. Tourism finishing the job Vesuvius started.

We entered and started walking up the road. Unlike Ostia, outside Rome, this is large stones and they are grooved from cart wheels. Seriously wow. There are raised footpaths on either side and stepping stones for crossing the street. The Main Street are 2 chariot wide, the side lanes only one. Did they have a ‘one way system’?

This town is large too, I walked past a guide saying (in English) that the main road was 3.8km long. The map shows it is about half that in width. Inside that there is a LOT of streets and lanes and every inch is full of buildings and courtyards. About a third is still unexcavated but even so there is a lot to see.

We sidetracked off into buildings. Initially it was hard to make sense of what you were walking through but after a while we learned the basic layout for a villa and could then understand when we passed through an opening that wasn’t original. There were so many shops, cafes and ‘fast food’ places. Often these were built on the street side walls of the flash villas. So there would be a couple of small shops then a grand tall door, then a few more shops. In the process of the excavation ‘doorways’ have been opened between shops and villas or villas and neighbouring villas as they have common walls.

Originally you would enter a villa through a grand doorway into a courtyard around a pool. Partly roofed but open above the pool. There were rooms off this courtyard and an archway through to a inner courtyard which was generally a garden. More rooms were off the inner courtyards. Some fancy places then had promenades overlooking the sea behind that. There were dining rooms or areas with three sides consisting of built up marble beds for lying on. Water would then flow down the back wall, under the beds and emerge as fountains into the central area. I imagine fat men lying there being hand feed grapes while drinking wine out of silver goblets.

There were things like downpipes, guttering, underfloor heating that are very modern but on the other hand most houses didn’t have toilets. Some places were three stories high. Generally only the ground floor remains.

We checked out the bathhouse – indulgent , laundry – industrial scale, toilets – communal, brothel with erotic frescoes. As well as the temples, forum, basilica and the Amphitheatre. There was a photography exhibition there from Pink Floyd recording ‘Live at Pompei’ in 1972. Never even heard of that but I guess I was only 8 and it’s not really been properly released at all.

Anyhow I’m still just skirting around this blog. It’s mind blowing on different levels. Firstly to see how these people lived all that time ago (Side fact – the first settlement dates to 8th century BC. But mostly it dates from 6th century BC). The similarities – foods, jewellery, commerce, justice, roading, plumbing, rich and poor. Equally mind blowing are the mosaics and frescoes – they lived such colourful lives. And they are all preserved so well. And then the fact that all these tourists are walking on them and touching them. I feel like they should be protected but am also aware that it wouldn’t be the same to see them in that way. Viewing it like this is ‘real’ and that’s the most unbelievable thing. Totally caught there, we really shouldn’t be doing this……

I wish there had been more information boards about what you’re looking at but that may have just been too much to take in. As it is, my brain feels slightly fried.

I had to know why people actually died, surely the eruption couldn’t have been that out of the blue. Especially as in one villa, which you entered from the back, the front door had been barricaded shut with a couple of wooden logs. Google told me there had been plenty of warning signs, lots of people had left, particularly the rich, for whom this was their vacation houses. The death toll was the poor, the working class, the servants and slaves. Plus officials like the mayor. And people like we still see on the news – ‘I’ve lived here all my life and I’m not leaving now’

A picture tells a thousand words so I’m sure Greg will better convey the sense of the place.

We had been planning on going to Herculaneum tomorrow morning but am now thinking it could be overload so might skip it. Plus the whole moral dilemma about preservation. Tourism dollar should be saving these sites but I suspect it’s going into other pockets. I guess we privileged to have seen it but sad that our grandchildren won’t.

Friday 26th April

Talking with our daughter the other day, she said we absolutely, no question, HAVE to go to Sorrento. Others have also recommended it. We had been thinking of just a day visit but after the phone call, and with her sending us Google Map locations of sites, we decided we would stay a night, even though the campground prices are double what we’ve been paying.

It’s only 69kms on from last nights site but it took 3 and a half hours! Without stopping. Qualify that, without pulling over and parking, stopping was a regular occurrence. It took an hour to go the last 9km.

Geez, this better live up to the hype.

Thought I must say the tunnel on the way there is pretty amazing. We appreciated it more on the way out when we were actually in a higher gear than 1st or 2nd. It’s over 5kms, 5035 metres to be exact. It has uphill parts and downhill parts and corners. One corner was clearly too sharp for the boring machine and and there is a 100 metre (or so) run off. Best single tunnel we’ve experienced so far. Tara Valley still leads for multiple tunnel experience.

The campground is the sort of inclusive affair we’re coming to expect here. It has a pool complex, beach, football field, volleyball courts, restaurant, bar, market, all only accepting the ‘camp preloaded cards’. We declined getting those. As we did with the opportunity to have a panoramic view for an extra €10. We parked up, ate a quick lunch then walked down into the town.

There is clearly a large market or event happening, yellow and blue banners and ribbons everywhere. It may be the reason for all the traffic congestion. The unique souvenirs we’d seen in Amalfi are repeated here. Not so unique then but I guess we are still on the Amalfi coast. Regardless, Sorrento is great. There is a vibrant energy. It’s busy, lots of people, but it’s not too crowded. Our first set destination was the Vallone dei Mulini di Sorrento. This is an old mill house viewed from above. It’s down a steep narrow valley and the Mill house ruins are covered with different ferns. It’s picturesque, viewable but unreachable. We then spent a few hours wandering through all the narrow lanes, enjoying the atmosphere, drinking the coffee and sampling some local foods. I even bought some more clothes.

After a while we set course for the marina. Finally genuine old school wooden boats mostly painted blue. We watch two old men untangle and coil fishing nets from a wooden trolley onto their boat deck. It’s a slow manual process. The nets are very long.

We leave them to it and meander along the length of the marina, Greg taking photos, then back again. The men are still at it. We buy a wine and beer in a small bar and sit outside relaxing, people watching. When we finish and climb back out of the marina the old men are still going. There are a lot of nets in a small boat. Walking back up to the town we chat with a couple from Perth. That Aussie accent unmistakable.

This morning I’d commented we’ve been in Italy for a week and a half and haven’t had pizza yet so we found a pizzeria with a citrus courtyard and dined on Pizza & Chianti. Greg is now determined to make our own bases when we get back home.

The campground runs hourly shuttles for €1pp so we hop a ride back up the hill. It is a long way up a narrow winding road without a footpath. Ok going down in daylight, different story going up in the dark.

As we arrive back at camp, Mt Vesuvius appears out of the mist. There is this odd mist, sea mist, fog, low cloud, haze, dust, smog? that we’ve noticed quite a bit in the last few days. It wasn’t around yesterday but is back today. You can’t see the horizon at all and the surrounding hills become a soft grey, blurred on the tops.

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27th April

In the morning before checking out we walked up the road to I bagna della Regina Giovanna. This is the remains of a Roman Villa built around a small enclosed bay, with the sea entering through a small arch. The names dates back to the late 1300’s when Queen of Naples, who used to entertain her lovers here in the waters of the beautiful natural swimming pool.

Naturally Greg went for a swim, I just waded. Other tourists just watched or dipped their toes. You could see sightseeing boats pausing just outside the arch with tourists taking photos.

From on top the villa remains we looked down on a steady stream of ferries and sightseeing boats. Presumably to or from Sorrento to Amalfi or Capri. Certainly not what the Romans would’ve viewed. Mt Vesuvius very dominant on the horizon.

We decamp and move on to Pompei. Just over an hour to drive 36km. There are 3 campgrounds opposite the entrance to Pompei. The first we went in was full. The second one fitted us in. I’m hoping with school holidays ending this weekend that things settle back down a bit. A bonus, it had working wifi. Hooray. We’re planning on staying for 2 nights so we can spend all tomorrow exploring Pompei.

We go for an evening walk, pausing often to watch the Italian traffic. The overriding rule seems to be do not stop unless you absolutely have to. Or you hit something.

We’ve been seeing fresh strawberries for sale a lot lately and we pass a small produce shop with lots of punnets outside. We decide to buy some for supper. Once inside I remember our supplies are getting low so we buy strawberries, tomatoes, red onions, eggplant, zucchini and asparagus. Comes to the grand total of €3.61. Can’t complain.

Thursday 25th April

Getting on the ferry this morning I had a moment of uncertainty. So many people had said ‘ you HAVE to go to Amalfi, you’ll love it’ that I was nervous. Would it live up to the hype? Were my expectations higher? Would the fact it’s a public holiday mean nothing would be open, or would it mean that it would be totally packed…….

We’d got up early, thinking to beat the crowds. At 7am church bells adjacent the campsite chimed out the Liberation Song. Amazing and a lot more complex than the normal clanging. 25 April 1945 Italy announced it had ended Nazi occupation and threw off the fascist regime.

A half hour cycle along the waterfront road brought us to the ferry terminal. We bought tickets and joined the mass of people waiting for the 8.40 ferry to begin boarding. I looked at the crowd and at the size of the boat and thought, they’re dreaming. Just then a second boat arrived and started disembarking. We fluked them opening the gate for the second boat just in front of us so were able to get our choice of seats. Upstairs, outside , on the landward side.

The sea was calm, the sky blue. The hills rugged, the villages picturesque. The boat was full, all Italians so I concluded Amalfi was going to be open for business. And from the water it looked perfect. Even the grid lined umbrellas and loungers on the shore didn’t distract from the historical air of the place. We disembarked, crossed the road and headed up the first ‘road’ we saw. It started with a few stairs, then a very narrow lane between tall buildings then more stairs then became arched over. This was something different to what we’ve been seeing in all the old towns. Amalfi is full of them. Narrow cobblestoned lanes often stairs with whitewashed walls and vaulted ceilings or archways going overhead. There is a couple of restaurants on a section of ‘road’ passing directly under the steps and front entrance to the cathedral. It’s mind boggling how they’ve built up and over everything.

The Main Street, which is wide enough for small cars, appears to have been built over the original river. There are still some mill buildings and you can hear the rushing water though the grills and manhole covers. We continued up the valley until the houses ran out. The map says you can continue up to a waterfall but to allow 5 hours. Nah. We then headed back via a different way. This place is tourist but not touristy. The souvenirs are local products. There is expensive stuff but not international Brands. I loved it.

We stopped for coffee and croissants. Sat and people watched.

Moving on down we spotted the Cathedral so checked it out. The actual Cathedral is same same but the Cloister and the Basilica were interesting and the crypt was amazing. So ornate. It contains the remains of St Andrew, the first disciple. Actually the back of his skull is in a chapel to the side of the main Cathedral so it can be ‘venerated by the faithful’. I find it odd that Catholics with their ‘one god’ pray to so many different entities. Different saints for different purposes. Can they not see the similarities to Hindu and pagan beliefs?

Coming out of the church we reach the waterfront again. There are hordes of people arriving. Cars are queuing as far as you can see in both directions. It’s hot and manic. Greg and I are instantly both very happy we came by sea.

We explore up the coast until we can see the next village but decide not to go on and turn back to find somewhere to have lunch. Ideally somewhere off the main drag. We meander up the side we haven’t yet explored and find a taverna in a pretty courtyard. Faded frescos on one wall. There are only Italians there and they are chatting familiarly with the waiter. All promising signs so we take a table. The wines were lovely, the food average, the waiter ho-hum but the ambience made up for it and we enjoyed a leisurely lunch. Skipped desert as I felt like having gelato later, so just local limoncello. So good, we then sourced and bought a bottle.

Greg wanted a swim so we headed down to a beach, pausing to buy gelato on the way. It’s a stony beach but the water is crystal clear and Greg spent a long time in the sea. I’ve noticed over the last few days the Italians will sunbath then go into the water up to their ankles and splash themselves then get back out. Today there were a few who dived under but they then promptly got out again. Odd, it was officially 27 degrees today so it wasn’t the cold stopping them.

Because of the sheer number of people and the fact the ferry’s were running a limited timetable we decided to buy tickets for the 4.30 ferry early. Was told ‘no 4.30, 4.15’. Ok got tickets for that one. When we turned up at 4 they were already boarding and once again there were a lot of people pushing in front. And again a second boat arrived. Greg and I both slowed a bit, letting other push in front of us and yes, they opened a second gate for the new boat just in front of us. Again we got good seats. There were people standing, though that may have been by choice. Looking back as the boat pulled out the queue was as long as it had been at 4. And the timetable said the next boat was 5.45.

Salerno is packed. There are police directing traffic at all the intersections. We jump on our bikes and peddle home. Both feeling quite tired. Sun, sea air, exercise and alcohol. I think we’ll be very un-Italian and have an early night. Greg took a lot of photos today which he’s sorting now.

Monday 22nd April

This morning we headed off for the toe of Italy. We ended up on an actual motorway. Good condition surfaces, well mostly. Anyway it’s like driving from Auckland to Hamilton, as in it’s boring. The landscape is green which is a change but also adds to the feeling of being Hamilton bound. There aren’t any villages to tempt us off, rather it’s towns with high rise apartment blocks we can see in the distance. Easter Monday so everything is shut too. Adding to that it’s overcast, very windy and occasional showers. Eventually we decide we have to get off and so plan a detour across the mountain range and then come up to Reggio Calabria from the south. The mountain road is definitely not like New Zealand. It’s high long viaducts and tunnels, no switchbacks, no up and over passes. We reach the coast and the sea is pounding, the waves breaking on the sand well over my head. Good spot for lunch and clear the head.

The afternoon drive wasn’t much of an improvement. Yes, there was the sea on our left. Just behind the seedy apartment blocks. And the rubbish everywhere……. Yes, the roads weren’t as potholed as previous days but the speed limit is slow and it’s such a slow monotonous journey. Finally parked up looking out at Sicily over almost charcoal coloured water. The mountain tops disappearing into the cloud. Tomorrow’s weather forecast is looking much better, thank god.

I’ve just discovered it’s illegal for motorhomes to drive the Amalfi Coast so will have to investigate other options. Likely parking up and PT. Sitting here forward planning the next few days. Wouldn’t recommend coming to the toe to anyone. We’ve decided not to go over to Sicily at all. Unless you want to visit a volcano, I think it’s more of the same thing we’ve been experiencing for the last couple of days. I think the underside of this boot is pretty well worn down.

……

23rd April

Last night we parked beside a line of other campers and a couple more parked up after dinner. A whole lot of people piled out and went to the other vans so we realised they were together. In the morning we chatted. Yes they were a group of Italians traveling around the toe together. They were very interested in our solar panel and were asking questions about our tank capacity. They were very impressed we were traveling for so long. Bravo, impressionante, rispetto, something like that…

Today was a much nicer driving day. We started off on the super motorway going through tunnel after tunnel. Long ones too. Greg felt it was quite futuristic, spacy with the led lights. Then we got off that and wound our way up the coast. It was more civilised. Better roads, less rubbish. The sun was shining, the temperature warm, the sea on our left, the hills on our right. The towns and villages in between much nicer. We find a campground right on the seaside €10 for normal pitch, extra €2 to be on the beachfront. We can justify that. Wifi and electricity so we can update our blogs, pages and plans. Refill and empty appropriate tanks. Greg has now swum in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

We’re loosely working on 2 nights off grid then 1 on, knowing we can go 3 nights off, if need be. When we’re planning on free camping we try to spend the day doing and seeing things so we arrive at the planned place just before evening. If we’re planning on a paid camp with services we want to arrive earlier. Get a good spot and get our moneys worth. Also gives us some time to find somewhere else if the camp is closed. Haha. This happens a lot. Sometimes, like tonight, we find another paid camp that is open. Other times we’ve ended up finding a spot to free camp. Italy has laws against free camping other than in stated locations. I’m now using another app called Search4sites as well which has more certified places, park4night lists more places but a lot are working under the radar (read illegal) by people in vans that don’t look like campers. It provides more info though so I switch between them both. Google maps also provides reviews on some places.

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24th April

Slept in this morning. The soothing drone of the waves. We did eventually rouse ourselves. Coin operated showers meant we were very efficient. Could have just used our own but more room to splash around in theirs. Got a phone call from our daughter. Exceptional timing as we were still on the free wifi. If we’d been our normal morning routine we would have left camp. Anyhow it’s so nice being able to chat with her. Half a world away but feels like you’re so close. She has been here in Italy and can picture where we are and we can picture where she is. After nearly an hour, we say we really must go. And finally hit the road.

First part of the day is along the coast, hugging steep cliffs. The sea a beautiful shade of green/blue below us.

At one point we pass through a rough cut narrow tunnel and exiting the other side there is a old ruin on the opposite headland. Total photo opportunity but absolutely nowhere to stop so just have to feast your eyes. The same can be said for a lot of the morning. After stopping for coffee in one picturesque town, a cafe patio overhanging the stony beach we then headed inland. Also very beautiful. Green valleys with fruit trees and olive groves. Small settlements on distant hillsides. The road smoothed by high high viaducts and long tunnels. Only the popping of our ears betrayed the height we were climbing to. That and the warning signs about snow.

Then we come back onto the coast again and it’s grotty. Unkempt apartment blocks, potholes on the roads. It’s so weird. Anyway, we find a place to stop so Greg can have a swim. It’s hot today, 25, 26 degrees. The beach is actual sand. But it drops of very steeply and the waves pound onto the beach so it’s not a long relaxing swim. Just enough to refresh him then we carry on to tonight’s camp. This is a really basic job. No faculties other than electricity, water and 24 hour security. But it’s a good base from which to see the Amalfi Coast. There are a lot of campers here. Talking to an Austrian couple in the same type of van, we discover tomorrow is a public holiday so buses will be on a limited timetable. Looking online it means only one going where we want and it’s at midday with the only option coming back 15 minutes later. Haha. We’d been thinking we would bus one way and ferry the other but it looks like we’ll have to ferry both ways. From what I gather the ferry timetable doesn’t change. Won’t know that for definite until we front up at the terminal tomorrow morning.

So far Italy has been a real mixed bag. In scenery, roads, service, weather…..

Pointy end of our data so I’ll add photos later.

Friday 19th April

Waking in the morning to another beautiful blue sky visible through the skylight. After breakfast we explored where we were. Specchiolla. There is a story here I think because it looks half abandoned. There’s a massive camping complex all padlocked up and a couple of resort like places with private beaches. Everything is overgrown and the beaches are littered. Is it just because it’s out of season? Was it an unsuccessful venture?

Single use plastic, wet wipes, plastic water bottles… I think I’ll do an entire blog entry on how disgusting it is. I was thinking Croatia and Bosnia were bad and they had excuses….Italy? What’s their excuse? And it’s not just come in from overseas on the coast, it’s in the lay-bys, dead end roads, drainage ditches. Anyhow, rant over, for now.

We then whipped down the coast to Brindisi, about a 1/2 hour drive on the motorway, and explored the town. It was really beautiful. It’s Good Friday so I don’t know if it was quieter or if that’s just normal. There was plenty of cars but not many walkers.

When we parked, a Camper pulled in beside us with Italian plates so Greg asked about the warning sign. He was very helpful and gave us the address for a camping place in Brindisi that sold them so after drinking coffee below a massive Roman Column while gazing out at an medieval island castle, we drove to the address which was in the middle of a industrial wasteland. Once again, where have all the businesses gone? Anyhow the camping place was so helpful, even made us coffee. They had the sign, Italian only but only €5 and gave us some cable ties to attach it with. We also bought some camping chairs since the weathers warmed up it means we can sit outside comfortably.

From there we are actually driving on a local coastal road, not the motorway. Exercising the suspension with the potholes haha. We drove through acres and acres of Artichoke fields. Found a dead end road to the waters edge to eat lunch. The two blues, sea and sky meeting in an unbroken line. Continued on past more enclaves of houses and resorts all overgrown and dirty.

Haha different country, same issue. Campground, selected because they had a washing machine isn’t open until the season, June in this case, so free camping again. Again by a mostly shut up looking places. There is a resort we can see has about 5 truck loads of sand piled up at one end. Is it ready to be spread for summer? Do they scrape it all up at the end of summer, to keep it from being washed out to sea or windswept inland?Really do need to do some washing! I’ve found a place for tomorrow that says it’s open all year. Unfortunately not on the coast but whatever. It has a washing machine so needs overrule the view.

There is a bar right opposite tonight’s spot so we spend the 1/3 of the campsite budget on a couple of beers and wines. Through gestures I understand they are very busy in Summer so I assume then that all these shut up places get cleaned up for a few months every year.

Back to our van and cook dinner. Just about to eat and 6 cars whiz in to the car park. A guy in a green unitard asks if we can move for a few minutes while they film a video. We obliged and moved along a bit then watch and laugh as the girls in scantily clad outfits with stilettos do this dance routine lip syncing to music. Then they jump in the cars and drive off. We finish our dinner then move back to our original posssie. There is a French couple parked up where we’d temporarily moved too. No English but google translate tells us they’ve been traveling for 2 months and in another week will head to Greece. They disappear back inside their massive camper to sit in their lounge and watch TV.

Finally finished dinner, sitting here relaxing. Greg says ‘don’t you do the dishes but I’m just going to look at the sunset. A few seconds later, he’s back saying ‘Barb, grab your jacket and come here’. I do exactly that. Then I standing under the lighthouse with the setting sun on my left casting amazing oranges and pinks and on my right the huge full moon rising out of the ocean, also deep orange coloured. Pinch me, is this for real. Greg’s like ‘F I need my other lens’. So I run back to the van, grab his camera bag, then run back down to the beach. Haha, that’s my exercise for the day. Greg comments if he shares the photos online, people will say he’s enhanced them but truely the colours are amazing. Just wish the wind would drop. Now that the suns setting, it’s getting a bit chilly.

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20th April

The wind blew all night. Guess that explains the banks of sand against buildings and gutters. But it’s another clear blue sky day. Hopefully we’ll be out of this wind when we reach the tip of the heel today.

A short drive brought us to Lecce, described in the Lonely Planet as the Florence of the south. Don’t get that but it is certainly a lovely ornate Baroque town. Saturday morning and there are markets everywhere. We buy some bread that is heavier than it looks. Thick crusted and light, moist and dense inside. We have coffee in a square. I know a true Italian would drink standing up inside, we did yesterday, but it’s nice to sit in the sun and people watch.

Another hours drive and we’re at the actual heel, Santa Maria Di Leica. We park on the promenade and use the bread to make fresh sandwiches. There are 3 old men having a very animated conversation a few feet away. Greg drools over a Ferrari F40, the first supercar he’s seen in Italy. Considering the potholed road getting here, we’re both surprised to see it.

We then promenaded along the promenade. Greg went for a swim, his first in the Ionian Sea since Greece. We then enjoyed Gelato on a headland beneath an ancient round tower looking out at the endless blue/green sea.

Now in a Italian Camping ground. The one with a washing machine. It’s like a mini resort but being off season the pool complex is closed as is the restaurant and the fun rides The bar is open though. There are game facilitators playing games with the children on the sports courts in the afternoon, then running a disco at night. There is about 20 campers here, mostly Italian families in groups.

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21st April

Next day after disappointing tepid showers we break camp. There is a town called Gallipoli nearby so, of course, we have to check it out. The old town was probably on an island at one stage, now is connected by road. It is very pretty, slightly run down but better for that. It’s Easter Sunday so the ornate cathedral is full of incense and worshippers. The mellifluous Latin incarnations a contrast to the Italian venders outside. At 12 noon there are fireworks set off, loud booms reverberating down the narrow lanes. Children squealing excitedly.

We leave town and head west through pretty countryside. Gnarled old Olive trees grid patterned between rock walls with wildflowers underneath. The roads so potholed 4 wheel drives would struggle to get up to the speed limit. The GPS sent us through the city of Taranto, rather than the bypass. It was very pretty, balcony after balcony on ornate and coloured buildings but the one way system meant weaving a very un-straight route on terrible condition roads. Sometimes you’re not sure if you’re on a actual road or driving through a parking lot. I think a lot are both. We crossed over a skinny drawbridge and finally got onto a reasonable condition motorway/highway.

We’re now parked up on the coast in the very arch of the boot. This area is a free campsite from September to May then it’s six or more private beaches places. They consist of 2 permanent canopies with bar/restaurant, showers, toilets, play equipment. Some have started grooming the sand in front up to posts defining their areas, ready for the beach loungers and umbrellas. Unfortunately it’s cloudy and windy so not so warm, otherwise Greg would go for a swim in the Gulf of Taranto. Likely his only opportunity.

We go for a walk along the beach. Greg wants to find a river that comes out west of where we are. The sand is soft, even where it is wet and it’s quite hard going. The wind blowing strong off the sea whips up the waves. It’s almost like New Zealand

I draw a line in the sand and we both take 10 regular steps. I then need to take an extra 5 to get up to Greg. I theorise I walk 50% more than him. He responds that doesn’t mean 50% more exercise. Working on the rationale that he is moving more than 50% extra weight with every step. We’re probably both correct and there is likely some complicated formula out there.

As for the river, we walked 5.5km and google maps said we should have been right by it but we couldn’t see any sign so we gave up and turned back. An couple of hours doing 11km and I feel like I’ve done a fairly decent stair workout. Working off those Easter Eggs.

Wifi been pretty non existent, even in the pricy camp last night and we’re getting to the pointy end of our data so I’m going to post this without photos. Will add some later.

Wednesday 17th April

This morning I cleaned the van, did all my housework. Didn’t take long, even with hand mopping the floor. We then emptied/filled the appropriate tanks and departed camp. Went to a supermarket to stock up, things are cheaper here than in Italy and it’s Easter in a couple of days so I’m half expecting Italy to shut down.

We then moved on the the amazing beach in front of the abandoned bombed hotels. Lazed on the beach, swam or rather Greg did, I waded. Totally chilled.

About 4ish we drove down to the port to check out what needed to be done to get on the ferry. Not a lot of information but we did get our boarding passes and the understanding to be back before 8pm. So we explored up the coast a bit. Was looking to get a ice cream but had to settle for a wine and beer. Haha. Then went back to the port and lined up. I had forward planned and pre-cooked a lentil dahl this morning so turned on the gas and reheated it for dinner. When we parked we were second behind an interesting home built camper on a Merc truck chassis, a couple with a dog from England. They went off shopping and we ate. By the time we’d finished there were another couple of campers behind us so a bit of socialising started.

Suddenly engines started and we all rushed off to go through the passport control and board the ferry. The couple in front of us had booked a cabin so they were met at the stairs and escorted to their cabin. At about €250 I hadn’t even considered that option as all you got was a bunk bed in a tiny room with shared bathroom facilities with everyone else. The English couple 2 vans back had spent €160 to get reserved reclining seats. They came through later to say it was a total waste of money and they were on the hunt for somewhere else. I’d been doing some online research and so we were quick to grab a couch alcove. There are only about 8 apparently that are more than 2 seats wide. They’re very skinny but we’ll make do. There is a lovely German lady, Irmela, traveling in her homemade, by herself, camper with her two little dogs. She has ended up beside us. Sharing red wine, hopefully will help us sleep. We are joined by the English couple, Caroline and Peter, and we chat and watch the football, unfortunately the Man City v Spurs game in full then the Liverpool highlights but whatever. For me it’s the company and the conversation. I learned about a cool app called Polarsteps, in which you can track your travel on a map with uploaded photos and descriptions. We’re already struggling to remember what place was what and when. The total highlights stick and the the scary bits too but the rest start to blur a bit. What will we be like after 9 months? Anyhow this app will help with that.

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Now after 11, lights will be on all night but we’re going to try to sleep.

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18th April

Morning. First time I’ve ever slept under tables on the floor in a bar with lights, music and the TV on. Actually slept better than on a plane. Plenty of room to stretch out, just a harder surface. We had our sleeping bags as mattresses and puffer jackets for pillows. Greg was on the couch beside me with his legs propped up a a couple of chairs.

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Disembarked and straight into Italian commuter traffic. Intense! And the roads aren’t in any better condition than Croatia. Figured we’d meander down the coast and park up somewhere close for breakfast. Nope, it’s a motorway so in 30 minutes we were at the free campsite we’d sort of picked for the night. When I say campsite I mean a car park where overnight stays are allowed. One night only and nothing put outside the vehicle. This will be the norm throughout Italy so we plan to intersperse a couple of free sites with paid ones. Anyway we’ll have breakfast, chill out a bit, take a walk around then see if we’re going to stay here or move on to the next one.

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Decide to wander around and grab a coffee. I’d noted there was a bike shop close by so we headed in that direction first. Asked if they had any used bikes for sale and yes they did and for the first time, they had more than one. We looked, contemplated, went off and had coffee, walked around the old town and the Castello, debated some more. No one will steal them as they are old. They certainly don’t shout tourist. And they’re cheap so we’ll have no problem just leaving them behind when we leave Europe or when it gets too cold to cycle anymore. So we went back and haggled a bit for the accessories, pump, tubes, lock & tools. €150 all up. Mine has a basket and a carrier but no gears. Greg’s has a carrier and 5 gears. Pretty basic but that means less to go wrong. We need to buy a warning sign for the bike carrier on the van. Required by law. We need to go to a Auto Accessory shop for that. But we’re in Italy and it’s 1pm so everything shuts for 2 and a half hours. So we’ll have a leisurely lunch then go and buy one. Then we’ll probably drive on to the next free camping location.

Google tells us it’s the law both in Italy and in Spain and we should have one even without bikes loaded. Lol, we’ve already driven 60 odd k’s without one. In Italy it has to be 4 red and white diagonal stripes. In Spain it has to be 5 and they will cost about €30. Apparently you can get some two sided ones. Anyhow the Auto shop that the bike shop said had them doesn’t open till 3.30, but we found another one that opens at 3 so we go there. They don’t have any but tell us the petrol stations have them. We go to a nearby petrol station who doesn’t have any but says a nearby variety shop does. It’s called Hong Kong Market. Unfortunately it doesn’t open till 4pm! By this stage it’s 3.3 so we go to the Auto shop the bike shop recommended. No, none there. He sends us down the road to a supermarket. No, none there. So we find a park by the Hong Kong Market and wait until 4 pm. At 4.15 they turn up and no, they don’t have any either. By now, we are both totally over this. The overnight ferry is catching up so we just get back on the motorway and head south to the next camping spot. We pull in to every petrol station we pass but nothing. Google tells us there is a motor home/camping supply shop in Lecce so we’re now planning to stay there tomorrow night so we can go to the shop on Saturday. Fingers crossed they are open as it’s Easter weekend and we are in a very Christian country.

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We are now parked up right on the waters edge. Chianti and then I’m going to cook up genuine Italian gnocchi for dinner. It’s going to be an early night for us. Maybe tomorrow we will get onto the Italian timetable.

Got pulled up by our son on my use, overuse, of the word touristy. I wasn’t writing it with a negative connotation but rather as a description. But I guess it can be read as a negative.

This lead to a conversation over breakfast between Greg and I about the good and bad of tourism. The industry has made it so easy and convenient. Large buses or ships whisk people in, escort them around and whisk them off to the next place. They don’t take the time to absorb the essence of the place, understand its roots and history. I appreciate that statement doesn’t apply to everyone. But we watch large groups of people talking amongst themselves and not looking outwards. Taking selfies in front of whatever the guide is telling them about through their headsets. Presumably they are also buying the mass produced fridge magnets, tee shirts and tote bags. On the positive side, the money from the industry means their ancient treasures are valued and preserved. And certainly for Croatia it is their primary income. And of course we are also tourists, viewing how others live or have lived from our remote perspective. And we have done the large tour group thing. It does have its advantages. Although every time it’s left us hungering to stay and see more, experience more. To see beyond.

So please, when you read ‘touristy’ in my blogs, just picture a place geared to that market not the local scene.