Ultimo Giorni di Italia

Been a week of extremes … last Sunday we were perched on the side of Vesuvius in the 28 degree C heat, surveying the Napoli harbour and visiting the still ruins of Pompeii.  This Sunday, we spent driving Via Aurelia through snow showers towards Lavange.  Today it’s sunshine and a temperate 14 degrees… ‘but who’s a complaining.’

Cally is a mountain climbing champion – her only failure, along the marble pebbles tracks of San Guisto camping near Castra.  The last slippery slope proved too much, fellow Swedish campers told us later that the camp owners usually use a jeep to haul caravans etc up the hill.


We've enjoyed deep fried quail carcasses stuffed with spinach and herbs, roast lamb chops, courgette flower fritters, a taste of Tuscany including home-made Sambucca plus the ‘must do’ – pizza Napoli.

Picking up from the last blog, we stopped in the beautiful skiing village of Pecasseroli because SatNav lady decided we needed to see Parco Nationale de Abrezzo.  Jeremy Clarkson would’ve been proud of the girl.  The looks on faces of motor cycle enthusiasts and villagers as Cally shimmied her way around U-bends will keep us laughing for years.  Lloydy reckons it’s the most stunning drives he’s ever done … and he’s been over Arthurs Pass, NZ (the scariest).

"Oh look", says Lloydy "... we're heading for the Torr on top of that hill"

An hour later...

We thought we'd stop and look at some of the road we driven over!

And we contined to climb

  

Believe me ... this is not the top ... note the biker eying us up!

In Pompeii we made friends with two kiwis (Toby from Nuhaka and Anna from Oaamaru) and enjoyed a few bottles of Chianti.  They thought we were over the top with our mapbooks, guides blah.  By the end of the evening … acquired details of potential camping site for themselves.

Kiwis everywhere ... our friend Toby out back....

For the disbelievers who still think we're hid at a secret location in Bristol!

Blown away bu the cart wheel tracks on roads in Pomepii

We drove to Rome initially through Napoli.  Unbelievable as it took two hours to get 38kms.  Every corner held a surprise - narrow street, thousands of glassy-eyed pedestrians, horn-tooting drivers you’d want in the world.  Every third car dented – so many we were tempted to make a photo montage.  Wouldnae get it on a page. 

We arrived at the Happy Camping site dazed having circumnavigated the area as nobody would stay at a place with such a naff name ... but yes ... another memory to add to the map-reading, guide book FUps.

Autumnal shot of Tiber Bridge and Island

Standard pose in every city we've visted

Parking on busy Rome Streets

Rome is stunning sleek and jam-packed with history but every corner has at least 10 Chuggers and Lloydy for the first time in his life was out-bested for the princely sum of €10.

After a short stay we moved on to the Tuscany area – Firenzi (Florence), Pisa and Sienna.  It's as gorgeous as all the books say.  The Tuscans are a proud of their food and wine so it would have been rude not to indule.

Protesting about US Dollars being pumped into Florence for restoration?

PS – Italia blew the budget - again!

Bellvere Bridge - over the river of gold, Florence

Pisa bell ringing practice

It’s a reality check for us … trips past the half-way-mark now heading North … but a day later in the week at the Toulon vs Stade Francais game will ease our pain.

Poland’s saltmines, Auschwitz, Sweden finally Italy

Okay, it’s been over a week since you’ve heard from us.   Blogging blocks happen to the worst people.  i.e. Lloydy has caught up with three days of essential rugby thus hogging the laptop.  Tonight he's hoping to catch a little Heineken Cup too.

Enough of the procrastinating … Monday we hit Italy in Belluno.  So far - secure wild camping to €2.30 and some of the nicest company in a bar for some time. Tuesday was spent sat in the sunshine of Lido di Jeslso, Italy – washing flapping gently in the breeze on Cally’s wing mirror and more importantly sampling the house vino rosso.  

Wednesday, Mrs L gathered dinner from the Cavillino shores after a hectic day in Venice.  You can take the Maori out of Aotearoa but you can’t keep her away from kaimoana straight out of the sea.  Thursday we sat on top of a mountain in the gorgeous ancient village of Montone.  The people (esp. Selena and her mama) rocked plus the food and drink were cheap. And today we’re sat lake-side supping beers at Lido De Touro, waiting for the washing to finish … honest!

Paid Wi-Fi anywhere is expensive and shit.  A real shock after we managed three days of courtesy internet via the Klosterneuberg Park Inn (Hotel next to one of the Austrian campsites).

What can we say about what we've seen so far ...

Mountainous Italy (albeit wet) is sublime.  We were feeling jaded and unimpressed about European cities in general but the azure-marine lakes and rivers best many around the world.  Wooden chalets that could belong in any ‘Sound of Music’ soundtrack … and this is Italy.  Snow is on them hills … sorry folks … winter is inevitable.

Venice is stunning, a crazy maze of canals and dead-end streets.  Our feet are swollen as we managed to avoid the majority of tourists but ventured into areas no sane tourist should go.

This blog will be backwards, so if you don’t want to read on… 

Last week, Team Lloydy camped on a stunning Austrian lakeside, the water surprisingly warm tho Lloydy is a sook and won’t get in. 

I found Capt. Colon ... Pratchett fans will understand

Death in Venice ... note for lads who have been on tour, not lloydy for once.

The staff at the Brunner am Zee helped us find great garage as Cally’s exhaust had finally gave up the ghost … the toll from travelling Polish roads.

Day Shit =

 It should be noted … if you’re potentially looking for a used campervan that resembles Cally in 2013, she has recovered fully.

We visited Wien (Vienna) on the recommendation of some young German travelers (Annette and Daniel) we’d bumped into both in Poland and Prague.  We struggled with Vienna - it is beautiful but we felt the Austrian parliament has been euronated upon by too much money from Eurocrats - Four Brandenberg Tors is over the top!

 

On the plus side - St. Peter Chapel is untouched and humble, despite the high volume of tourists and pilgrims.  Delightful markets dotted around the city but were too scared to sample the local ‘plastic bottle hooch’ available in both Austria and Chech Republic.  

Lloydy tells me that the Bristolian lot won’t believe this but … we are getting braver, maybe tomorrow.

We thought the lake had been contaminated but this is a Chech fisherman draining the lake

Before Wien, we spent five days in the Chech Republic.  We’d changed €200 at the border and got a 40zl exchange rate BUT Lloydy thought he’d got 4zl.  After an hour into the country Mrs L noticed the fuel prices were around the 40-50zl range and voiced the opinion that perhaps Lloydy had been ripped off.  No bites and close to our destination we coughed up 2000zl+ for fuel.  

Only at this point we checked our wallet.  Amazingly Lloyd did the best … cannot be repeated deal!  It was so good we celebrated by staying an extra night in Prague.

Exit Poland.  We spent the night in Biella Bieko after a long day at Wieslik Saltmines (see some of our photos) and Auschwitz.

Auschwitz

Ka tangi aku roimata ki te maumautanga o tenei wahi.  Ka pa hau ki te auetanga, ki te ngoikore o nga tangata huri noa Europi.

He mihi aroha tenei ki a ratou, nga wehewehetanga.  Aroha ki nga whanau, hapu, iwi hoki.  

Poland

We're sat in the dragons lair (Smok) drinking Polish beer and looking forward to a dinner of two types of pierogi (dumplings)  Mrs L's latest favorite after an exhausted day wandering through old Krakow particularly the eerie streets of the Jewish sector.

Cally has been sat here for the past two day and struggling to stay together because ... let's be clear about this, Polish roads are an experience.  Big Iv. warned us and he was right, corrugations upon waves of corrugations... The trip down to Taukau bay is a doddle compared to Polish roads (and Mrs L is not the driver).  What Ivor failed to pass on was commentary on the quality(?) of the driving.

On the maintenance front Lloydy's been wondering around spanner in hand tapping and rattling fixtures.  Attempt no. two of the heating worked for about 10 minutes. Hoped for longer as we have 7kg of wet washing plus another day of shite weather predicted.









Our hearts have been lost to the mysterious land that is Poland ... so much so, we've travelled to HEL and back!!!  The bonus was camping in Hel.

Mrs L is struggling with her notoriety as ... we're not sure.  We thought that the attention she received was strange on the ferry but now ... it's an entire country.  One would think an almost 6ft Maori could pass herself off as something local anywhere in the world.  Apparently not!

We've met amazing people - a Scotsman in Wrony that recommended Zander and perch; two bar ladies  in Wok, Warsaw (Lloydy flirted with them all night) and some kiwi kiddies here in Smok.

Grass Vodka - Prost!

Tourist event wise - If you have time visit Hitler's base Wolfs Lair (Wolfschanze) and pay the 60 zl for a guided tour in English.  Best £12 we've spent in a long time.

The lines are what the camp nets were attached to  creating the perfect disguise overhead!

Hitlers Bunker ... massive even when compared to a modern home ... over 600 sqm

Warsaw is a raw reminder of how the old can be decimated by acts of extreme violence.  A modern city thriving amongst the remnants of a previous old.

Tomorrow we're off to the Wieliczka saltmines in the morning and our afternoon will be taken up by Auschwitz Concentration Camps, Więźniów Oświęcimia ... it may be traumatic for us both so we've planned a light travelling day.


Cost wise - Poland is a bonus as the majority of things are good value.

Language wise - English is sparse but it's been brilliant for us adapting what we know to get by.

Other random things noted about Poland - Forest girls!!!

Finally ... If you intend travelling to Poland please test your SavNat because we have been without for the last week because Polska doesn't exist on ours.  We have used ... intuitive navigation (hey we landed 200m from one of our sites before we had to ask for directions) and Mrs L has mastered saving Google maps to PDF!