16 November
Best camping location in Europe!
Nothing ever pans out as we expect. Following yesterday's successful detour onto country roads, we headed off into the mountains of Umbria and Tuscany today. Not a total disaster – the scenery was spectacular and again the weather warm and ... well ...Tuscan? What was difficult was the road. Eighty kilometers took us more than two hours. In fact, it took us all day to travel less than 200 kms.
All ended well, as we knew it would, because we were headed for the most spectacular location for a camping ground that you can imagine. Terraced into the hills below the Piazza Michelangelo is – yes – Camping Michelangelo. From the front gate, you get a panorama of all Florence. Last time we were here, we could see the Duomo from our camper window. The olive trees have grown a bit in the last 8 years and we had to stroll a hundred metres or so up to the Piazza just on sunset for the panorama. Makes the hard drive and getting lost in the 'burbs” of Florence all worthwhile! PLUS, as we returned from our showers tonight, we could see the Campanile lit up. How's the serenity?
A short comment on the advance (or not) of European bathroom culture since the Renaissance may be appropriate in this, the birthplace of the Renaissance. Some issues include: pay toilets, having to leave clothes outside the shower, picking up your toilet paper before entering your cubicle and, in some countries, putting used toilet paper in a bin in the cubicle! At least people don't spit in the streets or let their dogs poop on the footpath any more! AND are we the only people who shower or wash their clothes on this continent? Mind you, some changes have occurred in the world of bathroom culture – there are very few squat toilets left!
15 November
Italian weekends
Another sunny day and more laid back than many of our more recent days on the road. Because it is Saturday, there were next to no trucks on the road. As a result, our chosen toll-free lesser roads, passing through village after village, were slow, but far more manageable than week days when we are constantly sucking in our breaths as trucks (huge semis) fly towards us on roads only just wide enough for two small cars!
Rewards of travelling off the motorways can be significant. Today we 'discovered' the incredible walled town of Montagnana. Not a tourist in sight. No souvenir shop to tempt us - although we did fall for the gelateria - just a well-preserved, walled town that is apparently world famous for prosciutto!
We finished the day with 40+ other camper-vanners in a free campgrounds provided by the good citizens of Mantua (Mantova in Italian). Mantova was not a discovery for us this time; it was in the guide book.
Those who remember their Shakespeare would know that this is where Romeo hid out from the Capulets. It was also the birth place of the Roman poet Virgil and its spectacular Romanesque Basilica has the blood-soaked dirt, collected from beneath the cross and bought here by the centurion who pierced Christ's side at the crucifixion. (But we still haven't found St Stephen's left hand? - see previous blogs)
So much history, a nice sunny day - and a beautiful town as well! How's the serenity??
Sunday tomorrow, so we hope to have a peaceful day on the road to Firenze.
13-14 November
A Sunny Day in Venice
As the wind howled around us and the few other crazies camped on the sea front at Fusina, just across from Venice, we were sure Venice would again disappoint. Just metres off shore, Queen Mary sized ships churned past, blocking the sky, and the wind, plus rain, has made it almost impossible to hear inside the van. We have visited Venice twice before, the last visit over 20 years ago! Memories have been disappointing for the male member of the party, who likes his sunshine, but the female member recalls exciting delves into unknown alleys with 3 children in 1987. The last couple of days and nights have again promised, with dark foreboding, another visit to Venice in foul weather.
But it was not to be. This morning, the sun had already burnt off the early morning haze as we boarded the ferry for the 20 min trip to Venice.
Neither rising damp nor global warming is having real impact on Venice. Last time we were here, St Mark's Square was dry. However, with this morning's high tide, water lapped at the doors of shops and houses across the city. No problem! All the good citizens do is drag out knee-high walkways and troll on above the water. 'Real' locals walk about in 'wellies'.
The audio guide we downloaded from the web described the city as in a state of 'gracious decay'. More apt would be 'classic decay'. Venetians have made an art form out of presenting their city and in the bright late autumn light today, around every corner was a photographer's dream.
Just wandering the city streets would have been enough on a beautiful day like today, but devoted tourists that we are, we 'did' a couple more churches, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (housed in her home on the Grand Canal) and the Doges' Palace. So interesting to peek into the lives of people who have influenced the world as we know it today. And the many shops with their masks and costumes remind us of the exuberance and magnificence of life in previous eras – at least for the upper classes! After all, Casanova did his philandering here, AND spent time in a prison cell such as the ones we saw today, as a result!
We have shown great restraint in this blog in not commenting too much about the price of things. Mostly, with the exception of Scandinavia, costs have been comparative with home. Venice has been an exception. The 20 min ferry trip from our camp site to the city cost $20 return each. A trip on the local ferry would have cost us A$10 each to go a few kms. Sadly, there was no ticket machine at the stop where we boarded and the attendant on the ferry was more interested in chatting up some chick than in taking our money. We tried! Never mind, our consciences are clear. A couple of cold squares of pizza and a small beer in a very average location cost $20. Guess that evened out the free ferry trip? Entry fees were over $20 each for the Doges' Palace. Ah well, we didn't come all this way to sit in our camper!
12 November
Soy flavoured knickers
It may sound kinky, but, whenever we do a hand wash in the van and then cook dinner, the clothes smell like 'dinner' – spag-bog sox, honey soy knickers... you get the idea? Goulash bras have to be smelt to be believed!
Slovenia continues to surprise. Even the very average weather today couldn't spoil the beauty of the Julian Alps in the north of the country. The small town of Bled, situated on an emerald green (on a good day) lake, was quiet today. In summer, it apparently 'jumps'. We were happy with the autumn version. The spectacular castle, 100 metres above the lake, was a bit of a slippery climb on this damp day. But as usual, we had done it the hard way. There was a car park at the top of the craggy hill that we had scrambled up. Never mind. We had the experience and the exercise of the walk, while the slackers who drove just had the warmth and comfort of their cars! The castle has been the seat of the Bishops of Brixen (South Tyrol) for 800 years and was well worth the climb.
We continued to the Bohinj area, less touristy than Bled. The emerald colour of Lake Bled became more obvious as we neared Bohinj Lake. Every time we crossed the Sava River, we marvelled at the colour, but there was never a place to stop and take a pic!!
We had planned to stop at a “Services” not far over the Slovenian border into Italy. But things don't always go as planned. The “Services” was on the other side of the motorway and the next two that we encountered were chockers and/or impossible to notch ourselves into. Anyhow, here we are, much closer to Venice than we anticipated, but warm, clean and washed. What more could we ask?
11 November
What is a Slovenian?
Entering Slovenia in the dark, we missed our opportunity to buy a motorway vignette to allow us to use Slovenian motorways. All is good now. We bought the vignette as well as euros at the Services we camped at, so we could safely negotiate Slovenian motorways. Just in time too! Not too far up the highway from our stop, the toll booths began for trucks, while we, with our vignette, could sail blithely through.
The strangest thing happened today. A supermarket would not take our money! We dropped into a METRO on the way out of Budapest, aiming to spend our forints on stocking up the van, but, oh no, you cannot shop in this supermarket, sir, unless you have a METRO card. Never mind, a few kilometres down the road, we found another supermarket which had no problem with accepting $400 of our dollars so we could stock up on cheap necessities to last us for, we hope, most of our trip.
Remembrance Day seems to have passed almost unnoticed in Slovenia today. This booming little country of about 2 million people is far too future-focused to get drawn too much into the past. One of the most successful of the old Soviet block countries and definitely a star amongst the states of the former Republic of Yugoslavia, Slovenia seems to be just a 'notch' above its larger neighbour, Hungary in its development. Simple things like good signage, and clean streets and higher prices! - are indicative of the slightly higher standard of living here. Unlike Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and others of the 'new Europe' group, Slovenia has met all the conditions necessary to operate as a Euro currency economy. Thank God! Dividing everything by 135 was a pain in Hungary. With the Euro, it is basically two A$s to one Euro. And from here on, we won't need to exchange currency until we get to Morocco, so Janita misses out on the excitement of spending that last ore or krone or forint and Paul is spared the pain of watching her do just that.
Slovenia claims to be one of the most homogeneous populations in Europe with Slovenians making up almost 90% of the population. Given the to and fro of peoples across this part of Europe for thousands of years, it is not clear to us just what it means to be Slovenian? Without lifting the lid on the cesspool that is Balkan nationalism, one still has to wonder how would anybody know what an ethnic Slovenian, Serb or Croat really is! In like manner, what makes a Frenchman (or woman!)? Probably only language these days. It's all an absurdity that Australia has never really had to deal with. If you live there and generally subscribe to the values of the country, go through a naturalization ceremony and you're “in”! Wonder how one becomes Slovenian?
With uncharacteristic ease, we found our camping grounds in Ljubljana and were settled in time for an afternoon in the city. What a surprising place! A relatively small city, Ljubljana has a sophisticated, yet relaxed “class” that we had not expected. The old city is well preserved and full of outdoor cafes (complete with blankets for the cold-blooded). This is a university town and obviously so. Young people flood the streets in the mid-afternoon, filling the riverside cafes and coffee-shops. The city has a good happy feel to it. Perhaps the tourists haven't taken it over yet?
9 -10 November
Van Life
After our disastrous attempts at finding a campsite the night before last, we found our new Budapest campsite relatively easily in daylight and spent two nights there. Water was only “hot” in the mornings, after the fire had been lit but, to compensate, breakfast was “free”. We ate dinner in the “restaurant” last night (chicken breast fillets and chips) while our washing was done (in their personal machine?) at the back of the kitchen - 1000 forints [nearly $8] please. Never mind, the owner was very nice and accommodating. As opposed to her (husband?), 'laughing-boy', who spent his day smoking and scowling at everybody who came his way. How 'Eastern European macho!”
Walking, walking ... most of our second day in Budapest we walked. Who knows how many klms? We guess at least 20. But what sights we saw! And what hills we climbed!
The Buda side of the Danube is dominated by a high ridge that, for obvious reasons, was settled some centuries BC. Who knows what actually remains of old Buda? Some of the medieval town has been restored but, given the Russian assault on the city in 1945, it's a little unclear what is original. But it is all interesting and quite spectacular. Our poor planning left us with only enough bus/tram/metro tickets for two trips, one in, one back. So we walked most of the day and climbed the cliffs above the Danube twice. (Just for kicks!)
Woe betide you if you jump on a Budapest bus/tram/metro without a ticket! Inspectors are everywhere. Yesterday we counted 12 at a Metro station, waiting to pounce on the unsuspecting. It would probably be cheaper to install some sort of electronic system? - What they have now is exactly what was in use when we visited Budapest eight years ago in the shadows of the communist era – a primitive validation system that punches your ticket as you board the bus/tram/metro. The system can be easily subverted, but why would you bother at less than $2 a trip?
Sadly, our last day in Budapest was one of those steel-gray European days. No rain, and not too cold, but very hazy. We broke our long walk with soup at a cafe beside the Danube. Interesting stuff! Liver soup and noodle soup. Don't knock it! Try some. Very nice.
Today, on the other hand, was clear and sunny. We left our suburban Budapest camp and escaped the city traffic relatively easily – apart from getting lost again! With Hungarian cash to spend before heading for Slovenia, we did a mega shop at a large supermarket before hitting the brand new motorway south - a beautiful road with very little traffic. We planned a free night on the motorway again, but new motorways just don't have services areas. So we drove and drove, ducking into Lake Balaton on the way. As it was off season, there wasn't much open along the lake, but we found a couple of nice spots to look over the waters on a pleasant, sunny day. Finally, we found a Services before we got sucked into the vortex of Ljubljana, although things were looking rough for a while! AND we didn't have the vignette (sticker on the windscreen that indicates you have paid the highway tolls.) These are required in Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia. Saves the messing around that we had in Norway, but we are a little concerned tonight as we are suddenly in Slovenia and there is nothing but bare motorway and bare countryside ahead.
Oh yes – van life: This is our third campervan trip to Europe and we have a caravan at home, so much of the mysteries of van life have been exposed to us by now. One never knows though? We've previously described 'the van' as a biosphere. And that's probably not a bad analogy. Water, Gas, Diesel and food goes in. Grey water, rubbish and human waste goes out. And you move forward! So far we are doing much better than we have done in the past in balancing these inputs and outputs. Water is relatively easily acquired at campgrounds, waste water is just dumped beside the road as we drive (shock-horror) LPG gas has been fairly easy to get – so far; diesel is no problem and, as for human waste, you do what you got to do!
Best camping location in Europe!
Nothing ever pans out as we expect. Following yesterday's successful detour onto country roads, we headed off into the mountains of Umbria and Tuscany today. Not a total disaster – the scenery was spectacular and again the weather warm and ... well ...Tuscan? What was difficult was the road. Eighty kilometers took us more than two hours. In fact, it took us all day to travel less than 200 kms.
All ended well, as we knew it would, because we were headed for the most spectacular location for a camping ground that you can imagine. Terraced into the hills below the Piazza Michelangelo is – yes – Camping Michelangelo. From the front gate, you get a panorama of all Florence. Last time we were here, we could see the Duomo from our camper window. The olive trees have grown a bit in the last 8 years and we had to stroll a hundred metres or so up to the Piazza just on sunset for the panorama. Makes the hard drive and getting lost in the 'burbs” of Florence all worthwhile! PLUS, as we returned from our showers tonight, we could see the Campanile lit up. How's the serenity?
A short comment on the advance (or not) of European bathroom culture since the Renaissance may be appropriate in this, the birthplace of the Renaissance. Some issues include: pay toilets, having to leave clothes outside the shower, picking up your toilet paper before entering your cubicle and, in some countries, putting used toilet paper in a bin in the cubicle! At least people don't spit in the streets or let their dogs poop on the footpath any more! AND are we the only people who shower or wash their clothes on this continent? Mind you, some changes have occurred in the world of bathroom culture – there are very few squat toilets left!
15 November
Italian weekends
Another sunny day and more laid back than many of our more recent days on the road. Because it is Saturday, there were next to no trucks on the road. As a result, our chosen toll-free lesser roads, passing through village after village, were slow, but far more manageable than week days when we are constantly sucking in our breaths as trucks (huge semis) fly towards us on roads only just wide enough for two small cars!
Rewards of travelling off the motorways can be significant. Today we 'discovered' the incredible walled town of Montagnana. Not a tourist in sight. No souvenir shop to tempt us - although we did fall for the gelateria - just a well-preserved, walled town that is apparently world famous for prosciutto!
We finished the day with 40+ other camper-vanners in a free campgrounds provided by the good citizens of Mantua (Mantova in Italian). Mantova was not a discovery for us this time; it was in the guide book.
Those who remember their Shakespeare would know that this is where Romeo hid out from the Capulets. It was also the birth place of the Roman poet Virgil and its spectacular Romanesque Basilica has the blood-soaked dirt, collected from beneath the cross and bought here by the centurion who pierced Christ's side at the crucifixion. (But we still haven't found St Stephen's left hand? - see previous blogs)
So much history, a nice sunny day - and a beautiful town as well! How's the serenity??
Sunday tomorrow, so we hope to have a peaceful day on the road to Firenze.
13-14 November
A Sunny Day in Venice
As the wind howled around us and the few other crazies camped on the sea front at Fusina, just across from Venice, we were sure Venice would again disappoint. Just metres off shore, Queen Mary sized ships churned past, blocking the sky, and the wind, plus rain, has made it almost impossible to hear inside the van. We have visited Venice twice before, the last visit over 20 years ago! Memories have been disappointing for the male member of the party, who likes his sunshine, but the female member recalls exciting delves into unknown alleys with 3 children in 1987. The last couple of days and nights have again promised, with dark foreboding, another visit to Venice in foul weather.
But it was not to be. This morning, the sun had already burnt off the early morning haze as we boarded the ferry for the 20 min trip to Venice.
Neither rising damp nor global warming is having real impact on Venice. Last time we were here, St Mark's Square was dry. However, with this morning's high tide, water lapped at the doors of shops and houses across the city. No problem! All the good citizens do is drag out knee-high walkways and troll on above the water. 'Real' locals walk about in 'wellies'.
The audio guide we downloaded from the web described the city as in a state of 'gracious decay'. More apt would be 'classic decay'. Venetians have made an art form out of presenting their city and in the bright late autumn light today, around every corner was a photographer's dream.
Just wandering the city streets would have been enough on a beautiful day like today, but devoted tourists that we are, we 'did' a couple more churches, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (housed in her home on the Grand Canal) and the Doges' Palace. So interesting to peek into the lives of people who have influenced the world as we know it today. And the many shops with their masks and costumes remind us of the exuberance and magnificence of life in previous eras – at least for the upper classes! After all, Casanova did his philandering here, AND spent time in a prison cell such as the ones we saw today, as a result!
We have shown great restraint in this blog in not commenting too much about the price of things. Mostly, with the exception of Scandinavia, costs have been comparative with home. Venice has been an exception. The 20 min ferry trip from our camp site to the city cost $20 return each. A trip on the local ferry would have cost us A$10 each to go a few kms. Sadly, there was no ticket machine at the stop where we boarded and the attendant on the ferry was more interested in chatting up some chick than in taking our money. We tried! Never mind, our consciences are clear. A couple of cold squares of pizza and a small beer in a very average location cost $20. Guess that evened out the free ferry trip? Entry fees were over $20 each for the Doges' Palace. Ah well, we didn't come all this way to sit in our camper!
12 November
Soy flavoured knickers
It may sound kinky, but, whenever we do a hand wash in the van and then cook dinner, the clothes smell like 'dinner' – spag-bog sox, honey soy knickers... you get the idea? Goulash bras have to be smelt to be believed!
Slovenia continues to surprise. Even the very average weather today couldn't spoil the beauty of the Julian Alps in the north of the country. The small town of Bled, situated on an emerald green (on a good day) lake, was quiet today. In summer, it apparently 'jumps'. We were happy with the autumn version. The spectacular castle, 100 metres above the lake, was a bit of a slippery climb on this damp day. But as usual, we had done it the hard way. There was a car park at the top of the craggy hill that we had scrambled up. Never mind. We had the experience and the exercise of the walk, while the slackers who drove just had the warmth and comfort of their cars! The castle has been the seat of the Bishops of Brixen (South Tyrol) for 800 years and was well worth the climb.
We continued to the Bohinj area, less touristy than Bled. The emerald colour of Lake Bled became more obvious as we neared Bohinj Lake. Every time we crossed the Sava River, we marvelled at the colour, but there was never a place to stop and take a pic!!
We had planned to stop at a “Services” not far over the Slovenian border into Italy. But things don't always go as planned. The “Services” was on the other side of the motorway and the next two that we encountered were chockers and/or impossible to notch ourselves into. Anyhow, here we are, much closer to Venice than we anticipated, but warm, clean and washed. What more could we ask?
11 November
What is a Slovenian?
Entering Slovenia in the dark, we missed our opportunity to buy a motorway vignette to allow us to use Slovenian motorways. All is good now. We bought the vignette as well as euros at the Services we camped at, so we could safely negotiate Slovenian motorways. Just in time too! Not too far up the highway from our stop, the toll booths began for trucks, while we, with our vignette, could sail blithely through.
The strangest thing happened today. A supermarket would not take our money! We dropped into a METRO on the way out of Budapest, aiming to spend our forints on stocking up the van, but, oh no, you cannot shop in this supermarket, sir, unless you have a METRO card. Never mind, a few kilometres down the road, we found another supermarket which had no problem with accepting $400 of our dollars so we could stock up on cheap necessities to last us for, we hope, most of our trip.
Remembrance Day seems to have passed almost unnoticed in Slovenia today. This booming little country of about 2 million people is far too future-focused to get drawn too much into the past. One of the most successful of the old Soviet block countries and definitely a star amongst the states of the former Republic of Yugoslavia, Slovenia seems to be just a 'notch' above its larger neighbour, Hungary in its development. Simple things like good signage, and clean streets and higher prices! - are indicative of the slightly higher standard of living here. Unlike Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and others of the 'new Europe' group, Slovenia has met all the conditions necessary to operate as a Euro currency economy. Thank God! Dividing everything by 135 was a pain in Hungary. With the Euro, it is basically two A$s to one Euro. And from here on, we won't need to exchange currency until we get to Morocco, so Janita misses out on the excitement of spending that last ore or krone or forint and Paul is spared the pain of watching her do just that.
Slovenia claims to be one of the most homogeneous populations in Europe with Slovenians making up almost 90% of the population. Given the to and fro of peoples across this part of Europe for thousands of years, it is not clear to us just what it means to be Slovenian? Without lifting the lid on the cesspool that is Balkan nationalism, one still has to wonder how would anybody know what an ethnic Slovenian, Serb or Croat really is! In like manner, what makes a Frenchman (or woman!)? Probably only language these days. It's all an absurdity that Australia has never really had to deal with. If you live there and generally subscribe to the values of the country, go through a naturalization ceremony and you're “in”! Wonder how one becomes Slovenian?
With uncharacteristic ease, we found our camping grounds in Ljubljana and were settled in time for an afternoon in the city. What a surprising place! A relatively small city, Ljubljana has a sophisticated, yet relaxed “class” that we had not expected. The old city is well preserved and full of outdoor cafes (complete with blankets for the cold-blooded). This is a university town and obviously so. Young people flood the streets in the mid-afternoon, filling the riverside cafes and coffee-shops. The city has a good happy feel to it. Perhaps the tourists haven't taken it over yet?
9 -10 November
Van Life
After our disastrous attempts at finding a campsite the night before last, we found our new Budapest campsite relatively easily in daylight and spent two nights there. Water was only “hot” in the mornings, after the fire had been lit but, to compensate, breakfast was “free”. We ate dinner in the “restaurant” last night (chicken breast fillets and chips) while our washing was done (in their personal machine?) at the back of the kitchen - 1000 forints [nearly $8] please. Never mind, the owner was very nice and accommodating. As opposed to her (husband?), 'laughing-boy', who spent his day smoking and scowling at everybody who came his way. How 'Eastern European macho!”
Walking, walking ... most of our second day in Budapest we walked. Who knows how many klms? We guess at least 20. But what sights we saw! And what hills we climbed!
The Buda side of the Danube is dominated by a high ridge that, for obvious reasons, was settled some centuries BC. Who knows what actually remains of old Buda? Some of the medieval town has been restored but, given the Russian assault on the city in 1945, it's a little unclear what is original. But it is all interesting and quite spectacular. Our poor planning left us with only enough bus/tram/metro tickets for two trips, one in, one back. So we walked most of the day and climbed the cliffs above the Danube twice. (Just for kicks!)
Woe betide you if you jump on a Budapest bus/tram/metro without a ticket! Inspectors are everywhere. Yesterday we counted 12 at a Metro station, waiting to pounce on the unsuspecting. It would probably be cheaper to install some sort of electronic system? - What they have now is exactly what was in use when we visited Budapest eight years ago in the shadows of the communist era – a primitive validation system that punches your ticket as you board the bus/tram/metro. The system can be easily subverted, but why would you bother at less than $2 a trip?
Sadly, our last day in Budapest was one of those steel-gray European days. No rain, and not too cold, but very hazy. We broke our long walk with soup at a cafe beside the Danube. Interesting stuff! Liver soup and noodle soup. Don't knock it! Try some. Very nice.
Today, on the other hand, was clear and sunny. We left our suburban Budapest camp and escaped the city traffic relatively easily – apart from getting lost again! With Hungarian cash to spend before heading for Slovenia, we did a mega shop at a large supermarket before hitting the brand new motorway south - a beautiful road with very little traffic. We planned a free night on the motorway again, but new motorways just don't have services areas. So we drove and drove, ducking into Lake Balaton on the way. As it was off season, there wasn't much open along the lake, but we found a couple of nice spots to look over the waters on a pleasant, sunny day. Finally, we found a Services before we got sucked into the vortex of Ljubljana, although things were looking rough for a while! AND we didn't have the vignette (sticker on the windscreen that indicates you have paid the highway tolls.) These are required in Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia. Saves the messing around that we had in Norway, but we are a little concerned tonight as we are suddenly in Slovenia and there is nothing but bare motorway and bare countryside ahead.
Oh yes – van life: This is our third campervan trip to Europe and we have a caravan at home, so much of the mysteries of van life have been exposed to us by now. One never knows though? We've previously described 'the van' as a biosphere. And that's probably not a bad analogy. Water, Gas, Diesel and food goes in. Grey water, rubbish and human waste goes out. And you move forward! So far we are doing much better than we have done in the past in balancing these inputs and outputs. Water is relatively easily acquired at campgrounds, waste water is just dumped beside the road as we drive (shock-horror) LPG gas has been fairly easy to get – so far; diesel is no problem and, as for human waste, you do what you got to do!
No comments:
Post a Comment