13 December
Cinque Terre
Topping off our great ferry trip from Olbia to Livorno was our discovery in the port, on arrival, of the mecca of all campervanners. A “dump point”. And free at that! A dump point is a service provided by local councils that probably got sick of the thousands of campervanners who roam Europe who, in the past, have had to dump their grey water and, worse still, toilets, in their streets and by-ways and to back into parks to steal water. And yes, we have been guilty of same. There comes a point where waste must be disposed of and, if there are no or few campgrounds open, one must do what one must do. (A photo from our 1987 trip shows a certain person, with the toilet in hand, disappearing into the forest somewhere in Germany.)
A dump point, officially called 'Camper Services' is simply a large parking bay with a drain pit for waste water, a connection to the sewer for toilet dumping and, if you are lucky, drinking water and a rubbish bin. For Livorno, four out of four! Loaded – and unloaded, we had a very early start on our drive to the last remaining site for us in Italy, the National Park of the Cinque Terre. Not a National Park in the Australian or American sense. More like a preserved urban habitat?
Five beautiful – and very photogenic – villages cling to the cliffs of the Mediterranean before a back- drop of steep, terraced hills, supporting vineyards and olive plantations. We had hoped to walk most of the length of the 9 klms through the hills and around the cliffs, from Riomaggiore to Monterossa, a 5 hour walk on a good day. Sadly, today started out with drizzle and mist, although it improved as we sped down the coast on the train from our overnight park behind the station in the small town of Levanto.
Getting off the train, we ran into an Australian family from Sydney and a little further on, a young couple from Melbourne. It seemed that we were the only 'crazies' walking the wet and slippery paths of the National Park today. It was good to chat away and enjoy the rapidly improving day with fellow countrymen. In fact, as we went from village to village, the streets were full of Aussie accents. Not sure why, but 90% plus of the small number of tourists wandering about were Australians?
Some of the pathways were closed, due to the weather and some collapsing of the pathways, so we couldn't make the full 9klm walk, but what we did manage was spectacular, even on such an average day, weather wise. The National Park villages are spectacular in themselves – narrow, winding lanes, pretty pastel-coloured buildings clinging to the cliffs and amazing marinas. How they get the boats into the water from the middle of town where they are “parked”? - well, we'd love to see it!
From here, we are on a long driving phase through the Italian and French Rivieras and into Spain, heading for Barcelona (always pronounced in Catalan, the northern dialect, with a lisp - 'Bar-th-elona'). We have 'done' the Riviera before and frankly it's not our thing – and they don't like us either. It's definitely not campervan friendly – nowhere to park or stay and, after our last trip, where we took out one or two side mirrors trying to negotiate narrow roads in Nice, lined, on both sides with parked cars, we don't think they'll welcome us back. So it's motorways for 900 klm or so for the next couple of days.
On to Spain.
11 December
Moby .. Moby .. Moby!
Having spent the night in yet another idyllic beach location – and for free - we were a little disappointed with the weather this morning. Overcast but not raining. We had ordered another perfect day for our last day on Sardinia, but never mind.
The last thing we had planned to do before we left the island was visit the birthplace and tomb of Garibaldi, a larger than life character who played a significant role in the unification of Italy in the last half of the 19th Century. With his '1000 men', Garibaldi roamed the peninsula, pulling the various disparate Italian states into line. At the end of the day, Victor Emanuel II had the credibility that Garibaldi seemed to lack and so it was he who was finally able to lead the nation into unity. It's a very long story told here in two lines but you get the drift.
Garibaldi's home island of Caprere is just off the far north coast of Sardinia. A ferry goes from the small town of Palau. But we had another ferry to sort first. On our way, we stopped into the port of Olbia to book our overnight trip back to the mainland at Livorno. We had no trouble finding the port or the office – for a change! - we were a bit disappointed, though, when we found that we couldn't stay in our camper on deck as we did 8 years ago going from Greece to Italy. Back to this later..
Palau is only 40kms north of Olbia so we had plenty of time to get there and catch a ferry. Or so we thought. After our traditional three circuits of the town centre looking for parking, we finally found a friendly tourist information centre where we discovered that it was only possible to visit dear old Garibaldi in the morning. It was now 12:01! The guy at the tourist office had just visited Australia so he was very keen to be helpful and offer alternatives. Armed with his books, we set off to visit the fort built in the 19thC to protect the island from the nasty French from just a few kms over the water in Corsica. Nice view. But closed!
A disappointing day... But wait. There is always a saver! MOBY!
Those who read our 8 December blog will recall the horrors of the 2nd class cabin on the trip from Palermo to Cagliari. Moby, our new favourite ferry company, is another story. While we couldn't camp on deck, the disappointment was more than compensated by the brand new ship, cabins with ensuite and more than enough room to swing several cats. We aren't sure, but we think we might stay indefinitely? We had dinner on the dock in the van before boarding, expecting the same over priced deep- fried cardboard we got on our last long voyage. Wrong again. Reasonably priced quality food in abundance. Live and learn...
10 December
Toilet talk
After several days free-camping, last night just had to be a camping ground. One (in particular) can only go so long without washing (one's) hair, or clothes. No prize for guessing which – one!
With some of the best scenery in Europe, better than average beaches and a climate that would be considered great in mid summer in northern Europe, you would expect that escapees from the northern winter would pack the camping grounds of Sardinia. Well, no. In fact, very few are even open. We had two locked in for last night. Probably the only two open on the whole island. The first took us hours to find and of course it was closed. The second was equally hard to find but, to the relief of 'one', (and therefore the other “one”!) it was open. Hot water, washing machine, power and toilets! - all was well.
Toilets deserve a special mention. The prize for the best amenities block still goes to Camping Flaminia in Rome. Piped classical music, automatic flushing, in-door plants, marble everywhere, water features, magnified make-up mirrors – with stools to sit like a lady while one completes one's “toilette” - and the cleanest camp ground toilets we have ever seen - and believe us, we have seen camp ground toilets.
The wooden spoon is too difficult to call just now. We haven't been to Morocco yet! But any camp with old squat toilets, b-y-o paper and those smelly little bins where the used paper goes – that's right, not down the toilet, in the bin! - is in the running.
Squats have all but disappeared from northern Europe, but tradition dies hard here in the south! Even Asian countries have switched to pedestals, at least in tourist areas and large cities. A French family member once defended the squat to us, on the grounds that they are much more hygienic than the toilet seat of a public pedestal toilet. Not a bad point, but one needs to be quick on one's feet, wearing a stout pair of boots and not encumbered with winter coats for that to remain true!
Most European camping grounds are fairly 'rustic'. The emphasis seems to be on restaurants and bars rather than high quality camping facilities. As a rule, the restaurants and bars are none too flash either. The standards are significantly higher in most Australian caravan parks, where water, power and waste water disposal is fairly uniformly available on each individual site (pitch). Many these days also have TV connections and wireless internet. Where some European parks have the edge is their location. We have stayed in some beautiful spots, both in cities and by the beach.
And then there is the “Aire”, a broad definition used essentially by the French to describe something that is not a camping ground per se, but that may have some of the services provided by camping grounds. These vary from beach side carparks with no services whatever, like the one we are in tonight, to places with electric connections, showers, toilets, and waste disposal. Some charge up to 20 Euros (AUD40) a night. Others are free. Some local authorities actually provide 'Aires' to attract business to their small towns and villages. Not a bad deal all round. Campervanners like us get a free night, probably water to fill our tank and a bin for our rubbish. We usually visit the local shop. We might buy fuel, visit some local attraction or hit the restaurants. Everbody's a winner.
8 December
2nd Class cabins
We aren't sure why, but we seem to spend much of our time on trips like this camped by the beach? Given the large area of Europe that is nowhere near water, this is somewhat of a puzzle. Could be our Australian need to see the sea? Tonight it's a small beach at the town of Torre Grande in Sardinia.
A couple of nights back, we left Sicily via Palermo for the other big Italian Island of Sardinia. Palermo itself was never on our itinerary, but seeing as we had several hours up our sleeve waiting for the ferry, we took a stroll into town. Nowhere have we seen the 'two Italys' so clearly portrayed than in the centre of Palermo.
Close to the harbour is the poorer, older part of the city. Narrow lanes with washing flapping from small balconies four to six floors up, peeling plaster and the grime of centuries all meld together to give the area a real character. Add to the mix a Saturday night street market with everything from pig's innards to plastic toys and every kind of sea creature imaginable and you have a very exciting neighbourhood.
Around the corner and a block further away from the harbour, the shopping streets are tree-lined and oh, oh so chic! $1000 leather boots, all the latest from Milan and Paris, displayed in the usual “Louis Vuitton, Max Mara, Pierre 'Cardigan' world”.
We came back to reality later in the evening, when we were finally flagged on to the cargo deck of the ferry - with the trucks, as usual! Upstairs, our cabins for the 15 hour over-nighter to Cagliari in Sardinia awaited us. Cheap, as usual, we had gone for the second class cabins. Our rationale was that we were living in a campervan. How small can a ferry cabin be?
Answer. As small as our double bed in the van. Not the cabin bed. The whole cabin! It was nearly impossible for both of us to stand beside the bunks at the same time. Lucky there was next to nobody on the ship. We were practically able to take over the hallway as part of our room.
Almost two full days into Sardinia we are again amazed! We know very little about Sardinia, except that people here are very long-lived. This could have something to do with the air? Clear as a bell.
Cagliari, our port of disembarkation, is a smallish city of about 200,000 souls. It was Sunday and a long weekend so they all must have left town. We had the place to ourselves. Having spotted an oldish part of the city high on a ridge - we have a thing about climbing things - we set off. To our surprise, the city fathers had installed two lifts to drag sorry souls like us to the heights of the old city. How thoughtful – and they were free!
We know all these medieval old cities will merge into a blur in a few months, but this was yet another beauty! The weather didn't hurt either. Blue, blue sky and an extremely mild 20ish afternoon.
Today we went looking for Nuraghe. Never heard of them? Neither had we, but there are more than 7000 of them on Sardinia. Having had the full tour - in Italian - today, we are much better informed? Seems the original inhabitants of Sardinia built these structures in the Bronze Age as forts for protection and to control territory. The one we visited in the small village of Barumini was quite a sophisticated structure with multiple towers and a small village around its base.
The scenery in Sardinia has a bit of a familiar feel. Gum trees line the roads and some of the colours of the sweeping valleys have that brownish Australian tinge to them. Much less crowded than either the mainland or Sicily, the countryside, and the roads, are far easier to negotiate. Two days in, we like Sardinia.
6 December
SPECIAL EDITION
Understanding Italian Driving Rules
Last time, we promise! Italian driving...
Let us be very clear. Italians are excellent drivers. They have to be to stay alive on the by-ways of their great country. What we visitors all miss is the fact that these are Italian roads and Italian drivers can make their own rules.
Many years ago, they had a local rule regarding traffic lights. Red lights were just a discretionary warning that traffic might be coming the other way; zebra crossings were just an area where one's chances of being killed were marginally less than elsewhere and there was some chance that your estate could sue the driver who ended your life!
To be fair, these rules have changed. Now, almost all traffic stops at red lights and, even more astounding, nobody beeps two nano-seconds after the light changes. Pedestrians are relatively safe on zebra crossings as long as they are assertive and keep a close eye on anything that moves near them.
What one has to understand is that the rules relating to line markings on Italian roads are totally different to those that exist elsewhere. Roads in Italy have the following markings: solid white lines delineate the left and right margins of the traffic way; the centre of the road is marked by one of the following: a solid white line, a broken white line, a double solid white line or a solid white line and a broken white line. Not too different so far, is it?
Now here are the rules that 'officially' apply (must be 'cause everybody – including the Giardiniari - does it!) in Italy.
Solid white lines on the external margins of roads: - drivers are not to go anywhere near these, unless parking, in which case the passenger's side wheel may come within 1 metre of the inside of the line, or, if the driver is in a hurry, just the front wheels. (Nose in!) Then turn on the hazard lights!
Broken centre lines. These are to allow drivers to centre their vehicles on the road. Those with Mercedes vehicles are especially catered for because their bonnet ornament is specially designed to align with these markers.
Single solid lines are for non-Mercedes drivers. They may align either their driver's or passenger's side front wheel with these lines.
Double solid lines warn drivers that they are approaching a blind corner and that they should look for small monuments and bunches of flowers dedicated to all those who also thought this was an optimal time to pass.
Single solid line with a broken line – all drivers may pass. Only those on the solid line side need to look for small monuments and bunches of flowers. The others are probably Mercedes drivers who own the road!
Cinque Terre
Topping off our great ferry trip from Olbia to Livorno was our discovery in the port, on arrival, of the mecca of all campervanners. A “dump point”. And free at that! A dump point is a service provided by local councils that probably got sick of the thousands of campervanners who roam Europe who, in the past, have had to dump their grey water and, worse still, toilets, in their streets and by-ways and to back into parks to steal water. And yes, we have been guilty of same. There comes a point where waste must be disposed of and, if there are no or few campgrounds open, one must do what one must do. (A photo from our 1987 trip shows a certain person, with the toilet in hand, disappearing into the forest somewhere in Germany.)
A dump point, officially called 'Camper Services' is simply a large parking bay with a drain pit for waste water, a connection to the sewer for toilet dumping and, if you are lucky, drinking water and a rubbish bin. For Livorno, four out of four! Loaded – and unloaded, we had a very early start on our drive to the last remaining site for us in Italy, the National Park of the Cinque Terre. Not a National Park in the Australian or American sense. More like a preserved urban habitat?
Five beautiful – and very photogenic – villages cling to the cliffs of the Mediterranean before a back- drop of steep, terraced hills, supporting vineyards and olive plantations. We had hoped to walk most of the length of the 9 klms through the hills and around the cliffs, from Riomaggiore to Monterossa, a 5 hour walk on a good day. Sadly, today started out with drizzle and mist, although it improved as we sped down the coast on the train from our overnight park behind the station in the small town of Levanto.
Getting off the train, we ran into an Australian family from Sydney and a little further on, a young couple from Melbourne. It seemed that we were the only 'crazies' walking the wet and slippery paths of the National Park today. It was good to chat away and enjoy the rapidly improving day with fellow countrymen. In fact, as we went from village to village, the streets were full of Aussie accents. Not sure why, but 90% plus of the small number of tourists wandering about were Australians?
Some of the pathways were closed, due to the weather and some collapsing of the pathways, so we couldn't make the full 9klm walk, but what we did manage was spectacular, even on such an average day, weather wise. The National Park villages are spectacular in themselves – narrow, winding lanes, pretty pastel-coloured buildings clinging to the cliffs and amazing marinas. How they get the boats into the water from the middle of town where they are “parked”? - well, we'd love to see it!
From here, we are on a long driving phase through the Italian and French Rivieras and into Spain, heading for Barcelona (always pronounced in Catalan, the northern dialect, with a lisp - 'Bar-th-elona'). We have 'done' the Riviera before and frankly it's not our thing – and they don't like us either. It's definitely not campervan friendly – nowhere to park or stay and, after our last trip, where we took out one or two side mirrors trying to negotiate narrow roads in Nice, lined, on both sides with parked cars, we don't think they'll welcome us back. So it's motorways for 900 klm or so for the next couple of days.
On to Spain.
11 December
Moby .. Moby .. Moby!
Having spent the night in yet another idyllic beach location – and for free - we were a little disappointed with the weather this morning. Overcast but not raining. We had ordered another perfect day for our last day on Sardinia, but never mind.
The last thing we had planned to do before we left the island was visit the birthplace and tomb of Garibaldi, a larger than life character who played a significant role in the unification of Italy in the last half of the 19th Century. With his '1000 men', Garibaldi roamed the peninsula, pulling the various disparate Italian states into line. At the end of the day, Victor Emanuel II had the credibility that Garibaldi seemed to lack and so it was he who was finally able to lead the nation into unity. It's a very long story told here in two lines but you get the drift.
Garibaldi's home island of Caprere is just off the far north coast of Sardinia. A ferry goes from the small town of Palau. But we had another ferry to sort first. On our way, we stopped into the port of Olbia to book our overnight trip back to the mainland at Livorno. We had no trouble finding the port or the office – for a change! - we were a bit disappointed, though, when we found that we couldn't stay in our camper on deck as we did 8 years ago going from Greece to Italy. Back to this later..
Palau is only 40kms north of Olbia so we had plenty of time to get there and catch a ferry. Or so we thought. After our traditional three circuits of the town centre looking for parking, we finally found a friendly tourist information centre where we discovered that it was only possible to visit dear old Garibaldi in the morning. It was now 12:01! The guy at the tourist office had just visited Australia so he was very keen to be helpful and offer alternatives. Armed with his books, we set off to visit the fort built in the 19thC to protect the island from the nasty French from just a few kms over the water in Corsica. Nice view. But closed!
A disappointing day... But wait. There is always a saver! MOBY!
Those who read our 8 December blog will recall the horrors of the 2nd class cabin on the trip from Palermo to Cagliari. Moby, our new favourite ferry company, is another story. While we couldn't camp on deck, the disappointment was more than compensated by the brand new ship, cabins with ensuite and more than enough room to swing several cats. We aren't sure, but we think we might stay indefinitely? We had dinner on the dock in the van before boarding, expecting the same over priced deep- fried cardboard we got on our last long voyage. Wrong again. Reasonably priced quality food in abundance. Live and learn...
10 December
Toilet talk
After several days free-camping, last night just had to be a camping ground. One (in particular) can only go so long without washing (one's) hair, or clothes. No prize for guessing which – one!
With some of the best scenery in Europe, better than average beaches and a climate that would be considered great in mid summer in northern Europe, you would expect that escapees from the northern winter would pack the camping grounds of Sardinia. Well, no. In fact, very few are even open. We had two locked in for last night. Probably the only two open on the whole island. The first took us hours to find and of course it was closed. The second was equally hard to find but, to the relief of 'one', (and therefore the other “one”!) it was open. Hot water, washing machine, power and toilets! - all was well.
Toilets deserve a special mention. The prize for the best amenities block still goes to Camping Flaminia in Rome. Piped classical music, automatic flushing, in-door plants, marble everywhere, water features, magnified make-up mirrors – with stools to sit like a lady while one completes one's “toilette” - and the cleanest camp ground toilets we have ever seen - and believe us, we have seen camp ground toilets.
The wooden spoon is too difficult to call just now. We haven't been to Morocco yet! But any camp with old squat toilets, b-y-o paper and those smelly little bins where the used paper goes – that's right, not down the toilet, in the bin! - is in the running.
Squats have all but disappeared from northern Europe, but tradition dies hard here in the south! Even Asian countries have switched to pedestals, at least in tourist areas and large cities. A French family member once defended the squat to us, on the grounds that they are much more hygienic than the toilet seat of a public pedestal toilet. Not a bad point, but one needs to be quick on one's feet, wearing a stout pair of boots and not encumbered with winter coats for that to remain true!
Most European camping grounds are fairly 'rustic'. The emphasis seems to be on restaurants and bars rather than high quality camping facilities. As a rule, the restaurants and bars are none too flash either. The standards are significantly higher in most Australian caravan parks, where water, power and waste water disposal is fairly uniformly available on each individual site (pitch). Many these days also have TV connections and wireless internet. Where some European parks have the edge is their location. We have stayed in some beautiful spots, both in cities and by the beach.
And then there is the “Aire”, a broad definition used essentially by the French to describe something that is not a camping ground per se, but that may have some of the services provided by camping grounds. These vary from beach side carparks with no services whatever, like the one we are in tonight, to places with electric connections, showers, toilets, and waste disposal. Some charge up to 20 Euros (AUD40) a night. Others are free. Some local authorities actually provide 'Aires' to attract business to their small towns and villages. Not a bad deal all round. Campervanners like us get a free night, probably water to fill our tank and a bin for our rubbish. We usually visit the local shop. We might buy fuel, visit some local attraction or hit the restaurants. Everbody's a winner.
8 December
2nd Class cabins
We aren't sure why, but we seem to spend much of our time on trips like this camped by the beach? Given the large area of Europe that is nowhere near water, this is somewhat of a puzzle. Could be our Australian need to see the sea? Tonight it's a small beach at the town of Torre Grande in Sardinia.
A couple of nights back, we left Sicily via Palermo for the other big Italian Island of Sardinia. Palermo itself was never on our itinerary, but seeing as we had several hours up our sleeve waiting for the ferry, we took a stroll into town. Nowhere have we seen the 'two Italys' so clearly portrayed than in the centre of Palermo.
Close to the harbour is the poorer, older part of the city. Narrow lanes with washing flapping from small balconies four to six floors up, peeling plaster and the grime of centuries all meld together to give the area a real character. Add to the mix a Saturday night street market with everything from pig's innards to plastic toys and every kind of sea creature imaginable and you have a very exciting neighbourhood.
Around the corner and a block further away from the harbour, the shopping streets are tree-lined and oh, oh so chic! $1000 leather boots, all the latest from Milan and Paris, displayed in the usual “Louis Vuitton, Max Mara, Pierre 'Cardigan' world”.
We came back to reality later in the evening, when we were finally flagged on to the cargo deck of the ferry - with the trucks, as usual! Upstairs, our cabins for the 15 hour over-nighter to Cagliari in Sardinia awaited us. Cheap, as usual, we had gone for the second class cabins. Our rationale was that we were living in a campervan. How small can a ferry cabin be?
Answer. As small as our double bed in the van. Not the cabin bed. The whole cabin! It was nearly impossible for both of us to stand beside the bunks at the same time. Lucky there was next to nobody on the ship. We were practically able to take over the hallway as part of our room.
Almost two full days into Sardinia we are again amazed! We know very little about Sardinia, except that people here are very long-lived. This could have something to do with the air? Clear as a bell.
Cagliari, our port of disembarkation, is a smallish city of about 200,000 souls. It was Sunday and a long weekend so they all must have left town. We had the place to ourselves. Having spotted an oldish part of the city high on a ridge - we have a thing about climbing things - we set off. To our surprise, the city fathers had installed two lifts to drag sorry souls like us to the heights of the old city. How thoughtful – and they were free!
We know all these medieval old cities will merge into a blur in a few months, but this was yet another beauty! The weather didn't hurt either. Blue, blue sky and an extremely mild 20ish afternoon.
Today we went looking for Nuraghe. Never heard of them? Neither had we, but there are more than 7000 of them on Sardinia. Having had the full tour - in Italian - today, we are much better informed? Seems the original inhabitants of Sardinia built these structures in the Bronze Age as forts for protection and to control territory. The one we visited in the small village of Barumini was quite a sophisticated structure with multiple towers and a small village around its base.
The scenery in Sardinia has a bit of a familiar feel. Gum trees line the roads and some of the colours of the sweeping valleys have that brownish Australian tinge to them. Much less crowded than either the mainland or Sicily, the countryside, and the roads, are far easier to negotiate. Two days in, we like Sardinia.
6 December
SPECIAL EDITION
Understanding Italian Driving Rules
Last time, we promise! Italian driving...
Let us be very clear. Italians are excellent drivers. They have to be to stay alive on the by-ways of their great country. What we visitors all miss is the fact that these are Italian roads and Italian drivers can make their own rules.
Many years ago, they had a local rule regarding traffic lights. Red lights were just a discretionary warning that traffic might be coming the other way; zebra crossings were just an area where one's chances of being killed were marginally less than elsewhere and there was some chance that your estate could sue the driver who ended your life!
To be fair, these rules have changed. Now, almost all traffic stops at red lights and, even more astounding, nobody beeps two nano-seconds after the light changes. Pedestrians are relatively safe on zebra crossings as long as they are assertive and keep a close eye on anything that moves near them.
What one has to understand is that the rules relating to line markings on Italian roads are totally different to those that exist elsewhere. Roads in Italy have the following markings: solid white lines delineate the left and right margins of the traffic way; the centre of the road is marked by one of the following: a solid white line, a broken white line, a double solid white line or a solid white line and a broken white line. Not too different so far, is it?
Now here are the rules that 'officially' apply (must be 'cause everybody – including the Giardiniari - does it!) in Italy.
Solid white lines on the external margins of roads: - drivers are not to go anywhere near these, unless parking, in which case the passenger's side wheel may come within 1 metre of the inside of the line, or, if the driver is in a hurry, just the front wheels. (Nose in!) Then turn on the hazard lights!
Broken centre lines. These are to allow drivers to centre their vehicles on the road. Those with Mercedes vehicles are especially catered for because their bonnet ornament is specially designed to align with these markers.
Single solid lines are for non-Mercedes drivers. They may align either their driver's or passenger's side front wheel with these lines.
Double solid lines warn drivers that they are approaching a blind corner and that they should look for small monuments and bunches of flowers dedicated to all those who also thought this was an optimal time to pass.
Single solid line with a broken line – all drivers may pass. Only those on the solid line side need to look for small monuments and bunches of flowers. The others are probably Mercedes drivers who own the road!
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