To Greece December 2014
At last we are on the road again. We had spent far too much time in Hungary sorting out Ian’s teeth and then far too long in the UK sorting out Ian’s driving licence... now he is 70 and Bessy is over 3.5 ton in weight.
Our trip from the UK started on 13 December in excellent weather after several days of frost and high winds. The crossing from Dover to Calais was surprisingly smooth. Normally we would travel Dover to Dunkirk as they were the cheapest. However this time P&O were wanting £38 one way while DFDS to Dunkirk wanted £78. The tunnel was almost double the Dunkirk route.
The Aire in Calais was 90% full when we arrived about 16-00 local but soon filled up.
CALAIS
It was very cold at night and we were glad to be moving on the Sunday morning. Our planned route was to pass Lille on the motorway, into Belgium all the way to Arlon. But as usual the Belgian motorway was so bumpy we diverted near Mons into France and from France to Arlon. The road was not motorway but much smoother. But the fog arrived and really slowed us down. In Arlon we were lucky to get the last place with a hook-up behind the fire station. A Belgian van arrived and we shared the last electricity.
ARLON
Once again, a very cold night with frost on the windows in the morning. We had a short drive into Luxembourg to take advantage of cheap diesel and cigars. Would you believe that diesel was about £1.30 in the UK and about £0.80 per litre in Luxembourg! How do they do it?
After Luxembourg the weather brightened and we had a long drive to near Nuremberg. On the way we came across several Emergency vehicles on the opposite carriageway. It looked like a microlite aircraft had crashed in the field right next to the autobahn. Only the shattered fibreglass cockpit was recognizable.
JURA SERVICES
In the evening we started looking for a Stellplatz behind the tennis hall at Feucht but the area had been dug up to put new drains in. That meant a 25 mile run to Hilpoltstein to another Stellplatz. This time the place had been taken over by a new industrial area so we headed cross country to the A3 Autobahn and slept in the Jura Motorway Services car park. Once again, very cold and this time very noisy.
In the morning we noticed a small puddle under Bessy in the area of the grey water tank. Is a pipe leaking because of the cold weather or is it just condensation? We will sort it when we get warm weather in Greece.
Tuesday 16 December 2014. Today was a a bit more relaxed and we stopped at LIDL near Regensburg. Then Ian tried to withdraw some Euros from a Raffeisen Bank ATM and was told that his bank had refused the request. He tried another card and that was refused by his own bank. Maybe they don’t like Raffeisen Bank as it worked later at another bank’s ATM.
Just south of Regensburg we spotted an IKEA store. Judit wanted a washing up bowl. Sadly the car park had height barriers so we went to a nearby giant store called “XXXL”. They did not have washing up bowls so we walked back to IKEA to find they don’t have them either. Maybe Germans do not wash up!
On our way south we stopped to look at a Stellplatz in Bogen. This did exist and there was water and electricity for €1.00 for 5 hours. The fee was €10.00 for one night payable at the swimming pool. As it was only midday we used the free grey water dump and drove on to a so-called Stellplatz at Irring but it turned out to be a closed campsite.
Our trip from the UK started on 13 December in excellent weather after several days of frost and high winds. The crossing from Dover to Calais was surprisingly smooth. Normally we would travel Dover to Dunkirk as they were the cheapest. However this time P&O were wanting £38 one way while DFDS to Dunkirk wanted £78. The tunnel was almost double the Dunkirk route.
The Aire in Calais was 90% full when we arrived about 16-00 local but soon filled up.
CALAIS
It was very cold at night and we were glad to be moving on the Sunday morning. Our planned route was to pass Lille on the motorway, into Belgium all the way to Arlon. But as usual the Belgian motorway was so bumpy we diverted near Mons into France and from France to Arlon. The road was not motorway but much smoother. But the fog arrived and really slowed us down. In Arlon we were lucky to get the last place with a hook-up behind the fire station. A Belgian van arrived and we shared the last electricity.
ARLON
Once again, a very cold night with frost on the windows in the morning. We had a short drive into Luxembourg to take advantage of cheap diesel and cigars. Would you believe that diesel was about £1.30 in the UK and about £0.80 per litre in Luxembourg! How do they do it?
After Luxembourg the weather brightened and we had a long drive to near Nuremberg. On the way we came across several Emergency vehicles on the opposite carriageway. It looked like a microlite aircraft had crashed in the field right next to the autobahn. Only the shattered fibreglass cockpit was recognizable.
JURA SERVICES
In the evening we started looking for a Stellplatz behind the tennis hall at Feucht but the area had been dug up to put new drains in. That meant a 25 mile run to Hilpoltstein to another Stellplatz. This time the place had been taken over by a new industrial area so we headed cross country to the A3 Autobahn and slept in the Jura Motorway Services car park. Once again, very cold and this time very noisy.
In the morning we noticed a small puddle under Bessy in the area of the grey water tank. Is a pipe leaking because of the cold weather or is it just condensation? We will sort it when we get warm weather in Greece.
Tuesday 16 December 2014. Today was a a bit more relaxed and we stopped at LIDL near Regensburg. Then Ian tried to withdraw some Euros from a Raffeisen Bank ATM and was told that his bank had refused the request. He tried another card and that was refused by his own bank. Maybe they don’t like Raffeisen Bank as it worked later at another bank’s ATM.
Just south of Regensburg we spotted an IKEA store. Judit wanted a washing up bowl. Sadly the car park had height barriers so we went to a nearby giant store called “XXXL”. They did not have washing up bowls so we walked back to IKEA to find they don’t have them either. Maybe Germans do not wash up!
On our way south we stopped to look at a Stellplatz in Bogen. This did exist and there was water and electricity for €1.00 for 5 hours. The fee was €10.00 for one night payable at the swimming pool. As it was only midday we used the free grey water dump and drove on to a so-called Stellplatz at Irring but it turned out to be a closed campsite.
PASSAU
When we arrived in Passau we saw signs for two Stellplatz so we took the first one on the side of the Danube. It is quite big and could accommodate 20 or 30 motorhomes. We were the only ones there in December. Wednesday morning we looked at the other Stellplatz and found it to be the station car park and very busy. Our plan after that was to go to Hungary at Sopron without using motorways. The Austrians would charge us about €100 for the pleasure of using their motorways! They can stuff it. A truck can pass on the charge. A retired motorhomer cannot. The first part of the route was very pleasant following the Danube and watching the cruise ships passing by. The general route was a bit like crossing the UK from East to West... wiggly. However we passed through many pleasant small villages and over only a few hills. |
BUDAPEST
Although it was a long drive we decided to plod on to Budapest from Sopron, calling at a filling station on the way to buy a Vignette for the motorways. We arrived at Niche Camping on the Buda side of Budapest around 20-00. The barrier was down but a notice said they were open and we should call a certain number, which we did. Within 10 minutes the lovely Erzsebet welcomed us with a drink of palinka while we went through the formalities. Total cost, minus the breakfast, came to Ft 15,400 for two nights (around £38.00). On Thursday the 18th December we had chance to do a bit of Hungarian Christmas shopping in Moszkva Ter. Judit even found a hairdresser able to sort her out in the afternoon. In the evening we went to see Judit’s sister Gyöngyi and her niece Panka where we had a good long chat before going out to a pub we know that serves draught Guinness. Judit ate the stuffed cabbage, Panka ate the Gypsy pork cutlet while Ian and Gyöngy ate leg of veal. All very tasty indeed. After wishing them a Happy Christmas we made our way back to Niche Camping. Even though we were alone in the camp, the staff put the heater on in the washroom and stoked the boiler for a nice hot shower in the morning. |
SERBIA
Friday 19 December, with Serbia in our sights. South on the M5 to Szeged, where we topped up on diesel, then straight into Serbia with just a short pause for a Passport stamp... the first stamp for a long time. Northern Serbia is almost treeless and so flat you could slide it under a door.
There are tolls on the Serbian motorways but we paid only €17.00 for the whole transit. The motorway was fine, with just a few bumpy bits like Italy. There are plenty of service stations with friendly staff. The Belgrade ring road could have been better but we were soon on our way to Nis, driving over more hilly countryside. Later to be quite mountainous.
We planned to stop at a hotel car park we spotted on the internet. However when we got to the right place there was no turning to the opposite side of the road, and we could not see a hotel of any description. It is on Google Earth. Maybe better for going the other way. Because of that we drove on past Nis and found a dirt yard Truck Stop. A man was walking through the yard and directed us to the roadside parking. Then another guy arrived who told us to go to the side away from the road where it was quieter. He pointed at the first man and said, “Balkan”. He also told us to use the toilet in the cafe as it was much cleaner than the truckers’ toilet facilities. We had a peaceful night but it was damned cold again.
Friday 19 December, with Serbia in our sights. South on the M5 to Szeged, where we topped up on diesel, then straight into Serbia with just a short pause for a Passport stamp... the first stamp for a long time. Northern Serbia is almost treeless and so flat you could slide it under a door.
There are tolls on the Serbian motorways but we paid only €17.00 for the whole transit. The motorway was fine, with just a few bumpy bits like Italy. There are plenty of service stations with friendly staff. The Belgrade ring road could have been better but we were soon on our way to Nis, driving over more hilly countryside. Later to be quite mountainous.
We planned to stop at a hotel car park we spotted on the internet. However when we got to the right place there was no turning to the opposite side of the road, and we could not see a hotel of any description. It is on Google Earth. Maybe better for going the other way. Because of that we drove on past Nis and found a dirt yard Truck Stop. A man was walking through the yard and directed us to the roadside parking. Then another guy arrived who told us to go to the side away from the road where it was quieter. He pointed at the first man and said, “Balkan”. He also told us to use the toilet in the cafe as it was much cleaner than the truckers’ toilet facilities. We had a peaceful night but it was damned cold again.
BULGARIA
Saturday 20 December and we were heading for Sofia on the “Road of Death” as we have seen it described on the internet. In reality the road was wide enough and fairly smooth. Fantastic views of the mountains. The Serbia/Bulgaria border was a bit of a pain and it took us over an hour to pass through. In addition the space between the Passport Control huts was very narrow with just a couple of inches gap each side. Time to fold in the wing mirrors. We got another stamp for leaving as well.
The Bulgarians sold us a Vignette for 10 Leva (about £4.00) which is good value for 10 days.
Once we arrived at Sofia we found the ring road to be in much the same state as a couple of year ago. Will they ever finish it or will they use all our pension first?
From Sofia it is motorway for a long distance south. We even found a service station with a MacDonald's, which was handy for lunch. We spent our last 18 Leva on that (about £7.20 for two “menus”).
Once the motorway finished the route became a bit chaotic because they are building the motorway on top of the original road so we had a lot of signposted detours. Often a crew were patching the detour and that also slowed things down a bit.
Saturday 20 December and we were heading for Sofia on the “Road of Death” as we have seen it described on the internet. In reality the road was wide enough and fairly smooth. Fantastic views of the mountains. The Serbia/Bulgaria border was a bit of a pain and it took us over an hour to pass through. In addition the space between the Passport Control huts was very narrow with just a couple of inches gap each side. Time to fold in the wing mirrors. We got another stamp for leaving as well.
The Bulgarians sold us a Vignette for 10 Leva (about £4.00) which is good value for 10 days.
Once we arrived at Sofia we found the ring road to be in much the same state as a couple of year ago. Will they ever finish it or will they use all our pension first?
From Sofia it is motorway for a long distance south. We even found a service station with a MacDonald's, which was handy for lunch. We spent our last 18 Leva on that (about £7.20 for two “menus”).
Once the motorway finished the route became a bit chaotic because they are building the motorway on top of the original road so we had a lot of signposted detours. Often a crew were patching the detour and that also slowed things down a bit.
GREECE
The entry to Greece was painless and just south of Serres we found a filling station with a truck park. We stayed the night there for €3.00. To be honest, it’s OK for sleeping but don’t even think about using the toilets.
Interestingly, as soon as we had crossed the border the hills were really mediterranean and covered in broom and gorse where the Bulgarian hills had been bare.
Sunday 21 December and Christmas is getting closer. After some pretty rough Belgian style roads we hit the motorway near Thessaloniki and it was OK after that, except for toll gates every so often. But we made good time past places we recognized from previous visits such as the Tempi Gorge, Larisa and Thermopylae. Things got fairly busy around Athens, but not too bad, and we were soon at Pachi on the coast south west of Athens.
Once again a quiet night, but this time on smooth tarmac.
The entry to Greece was painless and just south of Serres we found a filling station with a truck park. We stayed the night there for €3.00. To be honest, it’s OK for sleeping but don’t even think about using the toilets.
Interestingly, as soon as we had crossed the border the hills were really mediterranean and covered in broom and gorse where the Bulgarian hills had been bare.
Sunday 21 December and Christmas is getting closer. After some pretty rough Belgian style roads we hit the motorway near Thessaloniki and it was OK after that, except for toll gates every so often. But we made good time past places we recognized from previous visits such as the Tempi Gorge, Larisa and Thermopylae. Things got fairly busy around Athens, but not too bad, and we were soon at Pachi on the coast south west of Athens.
Once again a quiet night, but this time on smooth tarmac.
FINIKUNDA AT LAST
We had an easy run past Corinth with lovely views of the mountain of ancient Acrocorinth. Soon we saw our first pencil pines, palm trees and other “med” plant life. Past Tripoli and Megalopolis. Further south near Skala the whole valley was filled with smoke from factory chimneys... disgusting in these days. But we were at Kalamata in no time and topped up the LPG and shopped at LIDL before heading over the hills... where it was raining. Down the other side to the lovely harbour of Pylos and then past Methoni to Finikunda. At last, and in time for Christmas. Ten days it took. Hurrah.
We had an easy run past Corinth with lovely views of the mountain of ancient Acrocorinth. Soon we saw our first pencil pines, palm trees and other “med” plant life. Past Tripoli and Megalopolis. Further south near Skala the whole valley was filled with smoke from factory chimneys... disgusting in these days. But we were at Kalamata in no time and topped up the LPG and shopped at LIDL before heading over the hills... where it was raining. Down the other side to the lovely harbour of Pylos and then past Methoni to Finikunda. At last, and in time for Christmas. Ten days it took. Hurrah.
Christmas period
Walking along the beach, Ian recognised Rose and Alf’s Lada 4x4 on the beach car park. Lovely to see them again and we arranged to go out with them a few day’s later.
Barry and Margaret, of Magbaz fame, are also in the camp and we enjoyed catching up on stories and swapping a few videos and GPS coordinates.
Our Christmas Eve was quiet with a few friends around for a nibble. Later we opened our presents as it was really the Hungarian Christmas.
We had a night out with Rose and Alf. Rose drove us to Methoni in the Lada and we enjoyed a few beers before walking across the road to the Palia Istoria restaurant where we enjoyed a superb Greek dinner.
Barry and Margaret, of Magbaz fame, are also in the camp and we enjoyed catching up on stories and swapping a few videos and GPS coordinates.
Our Christmas Eve was quiet with a few friends around for a nibble. Later we opened our presents as it was really the Hungarian Christmas.
We had a night out with Rose and Alf. Rose drove us to Methoni in the Lada and we enjoyed a few beers before walking across the road to the Palia Istoria restaurant where we enjoyed a superb Greek dinner.
THE BIG SWIM
On Christmas Day Ian went for a swim; but not for long. The temperature was 2 cm. Later we enjoyed using SKYPE to wish the families greetings of the season.
To be honest the weather has not been good. Those of you who watch the news will have seen the weather on TV and reports of the Greece-to-Italy ferry fire.
One fine day Ian removed the bathroom sink and repaired the crack with fibreglass paste from Halfords in the UK. Quite fiddly as motorhomes tend to be built from the outside not the inside.
On Christmas Day Ian went for a swim; but not for long. The temperature was 2 cm. Later we enjoyed using SKYPE to wish the families greetings of the season.
To be honest the weather has not been good. Those of you who watch the news will have seen the weather on TV and reports of the Greece-to-Italy ferry fire.
One fine day Ian removed the bathroom sink and repaired the crack with fibreglass paste from Halfords in the UK. Quite fiddly as motorhomes tend to be built from the outside not the inside.
TAYGETUS MOUNTAINS
Because the latest efforts to elect a new President in Greece failed there will be a general election on 25 January. Some people are spreading the message that we should get loads of cash, fill up the tanks and head for the exit ports. However we went to the nearest ATM and got some cash out in case there is a run on the banks. Locally nothing seems to be happening panic-wise.
On New Year’s Eve most people congregated in the bar area of the camp and enjoyed a game of darts and a few glasses of bubbly. It’s good to socialise with fellow travellers.
When the weather was nice we would walk; mostly along the beach. One day we walked quite a long way on the road towards Methoni and turned left on a dirt track to a small church. There are lovely views of the local area with the snow covered Taygetus mountain range as a backdrop. The spelling of Greek place names is always an adventure. The mountains are variousley called "Taygetus, Taugetus, or Taygetos". At the small church we were surprised to hear English voices coming up the track. It was two friends of Rose and Alf: Carol, Pat and her lovely dog Lucy.
Because the latest efforts to elect a new President in Greece failed there will be a general election on 25 January. Some people are spreading the message that we should get loads of cash, fill up the tanks and head for the exit ports. However we went to the nearest ATM and got some cash out in case there is a run on the banks. Locally nothing seems to be happening panic-wise.
On New Year’s Eve most people congregated in the bar area of the camp and enjoyed a game of darts and a few glasses of bubbly. It’s good to socialise with fellow travellers.
When the weather was nice we would walk; mostly along the beach. One day we walked quite a long way on the road towards Methoni and turned left on a dirt track to a small church. There are lovely views of the local area with the snow covered Taygetus mountain range as a backdrop. The spelling of Greek place names is always an adventure. The mountains are variousley called "Taygetus, Taugetus, or Taygetos". At the small church we were surprised to hear English voices coming up the track. It was two friends of Rose and Alf: Carol, Pat and her lovely dog Lucy.
Winter in Finikunda... again
We like it here in Camping Finikes because the surroundings are so picturesque, there is a beautiful long beach, we have our own toilet and shower, the price is reasonable, we get electricity and wifi and people are friendly.
It is really a Summer campsite so we have to put up with a few minor inconveniences. For example, there are “windows” in the toilet block because the heat would be unbearable in Summer. Also when there is heavy rain the “roads” flood easily. However the water drains away quite quickly through the gravel.
When the wild flowers appear the place looks really pretty.
There is also a really good atmosphere among the regular winter visitors.
It is really a Summer campsite so we have to put up with a few minor inconveniences. For example, there are “windows” in the toilet block because the heat would be unbearable in Summer. Also when there is heavy rain the “roads” flood easily. However the water drains away quite quickly through the gravel.
When the wild flowers appear the place looks really pretty.
There is also a really good atmosphere among the regular winter visitors.
Politics and money
Everyone in the camp is aware of the political situation so we keep an eye on the internet. But, to be honest we never saw or heard anything special. If there were protests on the street they were generally in Athens and didn’t affect us in any way.
However there are stories of people hiding their money and taking it abroad. There has been a small run on the banks, but nothing to seriously affect us again. One day we went to the ATM in Methoni and could not withdraw cash. The manager in the first bank said that he would have more cash in the afternoon. The other manager had a look in the machine and advised us to withdraw a smaller amount because the machine had run out of €50 notes. Up to €200 we would get the cash in twenties. So no problem.
As the crisis has gone on the Euro has dropped in value which is wonderful for us. The winter rate in the camp is €11 so to start with we were paying £9.20. As the weeks have gone by we are paying £7.85 a day. When you consider that includes electricity, water and wifi, it’s much cheaper than back home. At the same time like the rest of Europe the price of diesel has gone down so Greece is a bargain at the moment.
Everyone in the camp is aware of the political situation so we keep an eye on the internet. But, to be honest we never saw or heard anything special. If there were protests on the street they were generally in Athens and didn’t affect us in any way.
However there are stories of people hiding their money and taking it abroad. There has been a small run on the banks, but nothing to seriously affect us again. One day we went to the ATM in Methoni and could not withdraw cash. The manager in the first bank said that he would have more cash in the afternoon. The other manager had a look in the machine and advised us to withdraw a smaller amount because the machine had run out of €50 notes. Up to €200 we would get the cash in twenties. So no problem.
As the crisis has gone on the Euro has dropped in value which is wonderful for us. The winter rate in the camp is €11 so to start with we were paying £9.20. As the weeks have gone by we are paying £7.85 a day. When you consider that includes electricity, water and wifi, it’s much cheaper than back home. At the same time like the rest of Europe the price of diesel has gone down so Greece is a bargain at the moment.
But
A global survey by the Pew Research Center from September 2013 found that 63% of Greeks held favourable views of Russia.
Only 23% of Greeks had a positive view of the EU last autumn, in the latest Eurobarometer survey.
Greece's historical ties to Russia are not just religious and go back to the birth of the modern state.
"It is clear that Germany wants to impoverish our people," says Kostas Iliadis, a supermarket worker in Thessaloniki. "Our response should be to turn to Moscow, even if this means that they kick us out of the EU."
All this makes Europe, and especially Germany, uneasy.
"Who is more dangerous for us? The Greek or the Russian?" pondered mass-circulation German tabloid Bild.
Greek foreign ministry spokesman Constantinos Koutras says there is no need for alarm.
"Pursuing a multi-dimensional foreign policy is not forbidden, and it is neither a crime nor a sin," he told the BBC.
A global survey by the Pew Research Center from September 2013 found that 63% of Greeks held favourable views of Russia.
Only 23% of Greeks had a positive view of the EU last autumn, in the latest Eurobarometer survey.
Greece's historical ties to Russia are not just religious and go back to the birth of the modern state.
"It is clear that Germany wants to impoverish our people," says Kostas Iliadis, a supermarket worker in Thessaloniki. "Our response should be to turn to Moscow, even if this means that they kick us out of the EU."
All this makes Europe, and especially Germany, uneasy.
"Who is more dangerous for us? The Greek or the Russian?" pondered mass-circulation German tabloid Bild.
Greek foreign ministry spokesman Constantinos Koutras says there is no need for alarm.
"Pursuing a multi-dimensional foreign policy is not forbidden, and it is neither a crime nor a sin," he told the BBC.
The ferry disaster
Everyone in Greece was glued to the TV or internet News Channels on 28 December as news came in about the ferry fire in the Adriatic.
It was on a route used by many motorhomers on their way to and from Greece. In fact a week later we met a couple who had been on another ferry where they had a grandstand view of the fire but were unable to do anything.
The blaze broke out on the car deck of the Norman Atlantic while the ferry was travelling from the Greek port of Patras to Ancona in Italy. The Italian military should be congratulated for a remarkable around-the-clock rescue operation in horrendous weather: 40 knot (46 mph) winds, high seas, choking smoke and the dark of the Adriatic night.
Hundreds of passengers, crew members and two dogs were plucked from the rain-soaked ferry decks in helicopter baskets as the fire blazed below.
80 of those rescued weren't on the manifest at all, suggesting that the ferry may have been carrying a number of illegal migrants trying to reach Italy.
Everyone in Greece was glued to the TV or internet News Channels on 28 December as news came in about the ferry fire in the Adriatic.
It was on a route used by many motorhomers on their way to and from Greece. In fact a week later we met a couple who had been on another ferry where they had a grandstand view of the fire but were unable to do anything.
The blaze broke out on the car deck of the Norman Atlantic while the ferry was travelling from the Greek port of Patras to Ancona in Italy. The Italian military should be congratulated for a remarkable around-the-clock rescue operation in horrendous weather: 40 knot (46 mph) winds, high seas, choking smoke and the dark of the Adriatic night.
Hundreds of passengers, crew members and two dogs were plucked from the rain-soaked ferry decks in helicopter baskets as the fire blazed below.
80 of those rescued weren't on the manifest at all, suggesting that the ferry may have been carrying a number of illegal migrants trying to reach Italy.
Minor Disasters
We had our own very minor disasters on Bessy. One day we heard the water pump running a lot longer than it should. On investigation we found that the pump had been leaking and the whole underfloor was sodden. We drove to Pylos where we know of a small chandlers but although he was very helpful he could only supply a pump that was far too powerful. It would have blown the pipes apart.
That meant we had to order a pump from the UK.
Caratech in Lincoln had what we needed on their eBay site.
http://www.caratech.co.uk/
We received it within a week. That included being delivered to a cafe in Finikunda and then brought to us. Excellent service.
Fitting was not too difficult; the main problem being limited access. But once everything was tightened up it worked a treat.
Our other problem was a very sneaky water leak through the roof. After VERY heavy rain we can see one or two drops of water coming through a joint in the roof lining. There is only one joint on the outside roof so it should have been easy to sort out. On a nice dry sunny day Ian went on the roof and cleaned everything. Next day he sealed the joint with Mastic Tape. Very easy to use.
However we could still see the occasional drop after very heavy rain. Our guess was that the real problem lay in the connection of the solar panel to the roof. We await a dry day before trying to locate the place.
We had our own very minor disasters on Bessy. One day we heard the water pump running a lot longer than it should. On investigation we found that the pump had been leaking and the whole underfloor was sodden. We drove to Pylos where we know of a small chandlers but although he was very helpful he could only supply a pump that was far too powerful. It would have blown the pipes apart.
That meant we had to order a pump from the UK.
Caratech in Lincoln had what we needed on their eBay site.
http://www.caratech.co.uk/
We received it within a week. That included being delivered to a cafe in Finikunda and then brought to us. Excellent service.
Fitting was not too difficult; the main problem being limited access. But once everything was tightened up it worked a treat.
Our other problem was a very sneaky water leak through the roof. After VERY heavy rain we can see one or two drops of water coming through a joint in the roof lining. There is only one joint on the outside roof so it should have been easy to sort out. On a nice dry sunny day Ian went on the roof and cleaned everything. Next day he sealed the joint with Mastic Tape. Very easy to use.
However we could still see the occasional drop after very heavy rain. Our guess was that the real problem lay in the connection of the solar panel to the roof. We await a dry day before trying to locate the place.
Respray
A couple of year ago Ian managed to scrape Bessy in an Italian car park. Judit decided it was time to sort out the scratch and spent a morning masking off the area, then spraying with primer and several top coats the following day.
As Judit is a professional graphic designer the result was excellent.
A couple of year ago Ian managed to scrape Bessy in an Italian car park. Judit decided it was time to sort out the scratch and spent a morning masking off the area, then spraying with primer and several top coats the following day.
As Judit is a professional graphic designer the result was excellent.
Friday 13th
Yes, you guessed it. The roof leaked again (very small drop or two) and then the bathroom vanity sink started leaking. To make our day, the joint on one of our locker doors dried out and cracked. We will have to wait until we get to our excellent Hungarian caravan business.
http://www.hollako.hu/
The dry weather came and Ian removed as much old mastic from around one foot of the solar panel and completely surrounded it with mastic tape. After another heavy rain we could not see any more drops, so we should have solved it.
The problem with the vanity sink was a real nuisance because it had cracked. A temporary solution, before buying another sink, was to paste the underside of the sink with a superb product from Halfords in the UK. It is a two component paste that is filled with fibres of glass. The photo shows the sink partly repaired. It’s not pretty but it is out of sight.
We’ll buy a new sink back in the UK. It would have been too expensive to have one sent to Finikunda.
Yes, you guessed it. The roof leaked again (very small drop or two) and then the bathroom vanity sink started leaking. To make our day, the joint on one of our locker doors dried out and cracked. We will have to wait until we get to our excellent Hungarian caravan business.
http://www.hollako.hu/
The dry weather came and Ian removed as much old mastic from around one foot of the solar panel and completely surrounded it with mastic tape. After another heavy rain we could not see any more drops, so we should have solved it.
The problem with the vanity sink was a real nuisance because it had cracked. A temporary solution, before buying another sink, was to paste the underside of the sink with a superb product from Halfords in the UK. It is a two component paste that is filled with fibres of glass. The photo shows the sink partly repaired. It’s not pretty but it is out of sight.
We’ll buy a new sink back in the UK. It would have been too expensive to have one sent to Finikunda.
Weather
This is definitely the wettest winter we have experienced in Greece. If there really is such a thing as Global Warming it is clear that we need to drive around a lot more to increase the greenhouse gases!
Since 1 January we have had:
After one particularly heavy storm tons of wood and bamboo were thrown up onto the beach and made it difficult to walk in some areas. The locals soon arrived and carted off the wood for their fires.
So far there have been no earthquakes in our area.
For those interested there is an excellent website showing daily reports of earthquakes in Greece.
http://www.geophysics.geol.uoa.gr/stations/maps/recent.html#auto24
This is definitely the wettest winter we have experienced in Greece. If there really is such a thing as Global Warming it is clear that we need to drive around a lot more to increase the greenhouse gases!
Since 1 January we have had:
- 30 days of sunshine,
- 20 days of showers,
- 8 days of non-stop rain and
- 11 heavy thunderstorms.
After one particularly heavy storm tons of wood and bamboo were thrown up onto the beach and made it difficult to walk in some areas. The locals soon arrived and carted off the wood for their fires.
So far there have been no earthquakes in our area.
For those interested there is an excellent website showing daily reports of earthquakes in Greece.
http://www.geophysics.geol.uoa.gr/stations/maps/recent.html#auto24
Celebrations
On the 15th of February Finikunda celebrated Carnival. Being a small village there was only one float pulled down the main street behind a tractor. That didn’t stop people enjoying themselves. Folks were dressed in all sorts of costumes and had a jolly time dancing in the street.
We bought our beer from the bar where we were sitting but the Carnival organizers were on the move all afternoon topping up our glasses with local wine. On top of this they gave away free snacks. All told, a good time was had by all who attended.
The 23rd of February was Clean Monday. The name refers to leaving behind sinful attitudes and non-fasting foods. Everybody is very jolly even though this is the start of the fasting period of Lent because in the Bible Matthew told people not to be “hypocrites of sad countenance” that looked like they were fasting.
Whatever “church” you follow you must admit that the Greeks do not appear of “sad countenance”. The day was celebrated in Methoni with another, larger, carnival. Lots of floats, a stage show, free bean soup and free wine, dancing in the streets and free presents thrown from the stage to the children. And the rain stayed away.
Yet another great day out, learning what the Greeks are really like.
On the 15th of February Finikunda celebrated Carnival. Being a small village there was only one float pulled down the main street behind a tractor. That didn’t stop people enjoying themselves. Folks were dressed in all sorts of costumes and had a jolly time dancing in the street.
We bought our beer from the bar where we were sitting but the Carnival organizers were on the move all afternoon topping up our glasses with local wine. On top of this they gave away free snacks. All told, a good time was had by all who attended.
The 23rd of February was Clean Monday. The name refers to leaving behind sinful attitudes and non-fasting foods. Everybody is very jolly even though this is the start of the fasting period of Lent because in the Bible Matthew told people not to be “hypocrites of sad countenance” that looked like they were fasting.
Whatever “church” you follow you must admit that the Greeks do not appear of “sad countenance”. The day was celebrated in Methoni with another, larger, carnival. Lots of floats, a stage show, free bean soup and free wine, dancing in the streets and free presents thrown from the stage to the children. And the rain stayed away.
Yet another great day out, learning what the Greeks are really like.
Eating out
A couple of weeks after the Carnival we joined our friends Rose and Alf for a lovely evening meal in Methoni. The day before we went to Pylos to a fantastic cake shop and ordered a Birthday Cake. Then it was back again next morning to collect it. Ian managed to sneak the cake into the restaurant and after dinner the restaurant owner presented it to Judit and Rose. Judit’s birthday 3 March, Rose on the 4th.
Eating out in Winter is a simple affair as many restaurants are closed or just ticking over. Often the owner will take you into the kitchen so you can see what food is available. Whatever the system the food is good. One evening, Ian ate moussaka, Judit had roast beef, Alf ate souvlaki and Rose enjoyed the octopus. Normally moussaka is available for the tourists, but what the hell, it was delicious and homemade.
Lemon chicken and Stefado are also tasty. Stefado is a rabbit stew with small onions.
Whatever you order, the first thing to arrive at the table is an ashtray. Thankfully the nicotine police are not taking over in Greece.
A couple of weeks after the Carnival we joined our friends Rose and Alf for a lovely evening meal in Methoni. The day before we went to Pylos to a fantastic cake shop and ordered a Birthday Cake. Then it was back again next morning to collect it. Ian managed to sneak the cake into the restaurant and after dinner the restaurant owner presented it to Judit and Rose. Judit’s birthday 3 March, Rose on the 4th.
Eating out in Winter is a simple affair as many restaurants are closed or just ticking over. Often the owner will take you into the kitchen so you can see what food is available. Whatever the system the food is good. One evening, Ian ate moussaka, Judit had roast beef, Alf ate souvlaki and Rose enjoyed the octopus. Normally moussaka is available for the tourists, but what the hell, it was delicious and homemade.
Lemon chicken and Stefado are also tasty. Stefado is a rabbit stew with small onions.
Whatever you order, the first thing to arrive at the table is an ashtray. Thankfully the nicotine police are not taking over in Greece.
Shopping
Locally there are enough shops to supply 99% of our needs. Just down the road is a shop we use for daily shopping such as bread and milk. In Methoni there is a good selection of local shops including a good butchers and bakers. There is also a small Carrefour supermarket.
Superficially supermarkets are the same as in the UK. But then you notice that tinned food is not readily available, except for tinned mushrooms and tinned sweetcorn.
Now and again we have a day out and drive to Messini where there is a LIDL and a larger Carrefour.
LIDL have their own brand of whisky, distilled and bottled in Glasgow. Despite the strange name, Queen Margot, it is a good quality whisky at half the UK price. A quote from a UK Newspaper, METRO.
“Wealthy whisky connoisseurs will happily pay thousands for the best drop. But it seems they might do just as well with a dram of own-brand scotch from Lidl.
The £11.99 Queen Margot is among 14 drinks stocked by the discount supermarket which have won awards in the International Wine and Spirit Competition. Judges gave it a ‘gold outstanding’ medal after being impressed by its ‘striking nose packed with vanilla, coconut and citrus notes’”.
Ian is not sure about the coconut but enjoys the whisky!
Locally there are enough shops to supply 99% of our needs. Just down the road is a shop we use for daily shopping such as bread and milk. In Methoni there is a good selection of local shops including a good butchers and bakers. There is also a small Carrefour supermarket.
Superficially supermarkets are the same as in the UK. But then you notice that tinned food is not readily available, except for tinned mushrooms and tinned sweetcorn.
Now and again we have a day out and drive to Messini where there is a LIDL and a larger Carrefour.
LIDL have their own brand of whisky, distilled and bottled in Glasgow. Despite the strange name, Queen Margot, it is a good quality whisky at half the UK price. A quote from a UK Newspaper, METRO.
“Wealthy whisky connoisseurs will happily pay thousands for the best drop. But it seems they might do just as well with a dram of own-brand scotch from Lidl.
The £11.99 Queen Margot is among 14 drinks stocked by the discount supermarket which have won awards in the International Wine and Spirit Competition. Judges gave it a ‘gold outstanding’ medal after being impressed by its ‘striking nose packed with vanilla, coconut and citrus notes’”.
Ian is not sure about the coconut but enjoys the whisky!
Excursion to Tsapi
On one of our outings we decided to try a road we’ve seen many times before. It's only a few miles from our camp. We never ventured that way because the road looked really narrow. Luckily the narrow part was only the first few hundred yards and then it widened enough for two cars to just pass. This time of year there was a good chance that no other cars would be on the road. We were lucky.
It twists and winds its way from the main Finikunda to Koroni road down to a small bay; a drop of about 1200 feet in about 3 miles with around 50 bends. Fantastic views over Finikunda bay and the islands of Schiza and Sapientza.
Just as we reached the end (the only place to turn around) we were chased by a young Dalmatian cross dog. When Ian got out to preview the entrance to a car park the dog was so pleased to see him, leaping and jumping all over the place. Naturally he had muddy feet. But Ian forgave him as he was so happy.
It twists and winds its way from the main Finikunda to Koroni road down to a small bay; a drop of about 1200 feet in about 3 miles with around 50 bends. Fantastic views over Finikunda bay and the islands of Schiza and Sapientza.
Just as we reached the end (the only place to turn around) we were chased by a young Dalmatian cross dog. When Ian got out to preview the entrance to a car park the dog was so pleased to see him, leaping and jumping all over the place. Naturally he had muddy feet. But Ian forgave him as he was so happy.
The turn into and out of the car park is a small problem as it crosses a stream and then up a hump with a 90° turn through the gate. Luckily no scrapes.
The car park is for a taverna where we were greeted very warmly by Maria and her father Theodor. Naturally we had a coffee and then decided we might as well eat as it was lunchtime. Ian had three sticks of pork souvlaki and chips while Judit enjoyed a very large portion of kalamare. The food was excellent and cost just €12.00.
As we were relaxing Maria was taking food to the family and she gave us one of the fish they were eating. It was tasty but they are very small. Then Theodor gave us a complimentary glass of Tsipouro which is a spirit made from grapes after the wine pressing. Probably like grappa but it was very smooth.
The car park is for a taverna where we were greeted very warmly by Maria and her father Theodor. Naturally we had a coffee and then decided we might as well eat as it was lunchtime. Ian had three sticks of pork souvlaki and chips while Judit enjoyed a very large portion of kalamare. The food was excellent and cost just €12.00.
As we were relaxing Maria was taking food to the family and she gave us one of the fish they were eating. It was tasty but they are very small. Then Theodor gave us a complimentary glass of Tsipouro which is a spirit made from grapes after the wine pressing. Probably like grappa but it was very smooth.
After lunch we had a stroll around the small bay and saw that there are two taverna and only one or two houses. We visited the church... there is always a church in Greece! The place is so lovely and unspoiled. The only thing to spoil the view was a large white modern house on a nearby hill owned by an Austrian.
Our return to the main road was blocked this time by an olive farmer tending his trees. He kindly drove off the road to let us pass.
What a lovely little adventure.
Our return to the main road was blocked this time by an olive farmer tending his trees. He kindly drove off the road to let us pass.
What a lovely little adventure.
Other Campers
Arriving at a campsite can be a gamble. Your neighbour may be a drunken lout that plays his radio all day. Luckily we have never met anyone like that at Camping Finikes.
Our immediate neighbours were Albert and Gabi from Nederland and they could not have been more charming. Other neighbours were Reiner and Ralf and their families from Germany. We enjoyed playing darts with them in the bar every week.
Pierre and Odette from France were also great darts fans and we all got along together very well.
Sadly the couple from one motorhome took it upon themselves to publicly criticize the camp and it’s owner in a very vicious and malicious way.
They said that for the money the camper gets a small muddy parking spot and the use of unheated and unhygienic toilets and showers. “The first shower we were assigned had a resident snail and a pile of its droppings.” They went on to say that door catches were not working, kitchens were dirty, a freezer caught fire, fresh eggs cost €2.40 for 6, the bar is not open for socializing. We could go on... they did.
To misquote Shakespeare, “Methinks they doth protest too much.“
To prove we are also well educated, the real quotation from Hamlet Act 3, scene 2 is:
"The lady doth protest too much, methinks."
Arriving at a campsite can be a gamble. Your neighbour may be a drunken lout that plays his radio all day. Luckily we have never met anyone like that at Camping Finikes.
Our immediate neighbours were Albert and Gabi from Nederland and they could not have been more charming. Other neighbours were Reiner and Ralf and their families from Germany. We enjoyed playing darts with them in the bar every week.
Pierre and Odette from France were also great darts fans and we all got along together very well.
Sadly the couple from one motorhome took it upon themselves to publicly criticize the camp and it’s owner in a very vicious and malicious way.
They said that for the money the camper gets a small muddy parking spot and the use of unheated and unhygienic toilets and showers. “The first shower we were assigned had a resident snail and a pile of its droppings.” They went on to say that door catches were not working, kitchens were dirty, a freezer caught fire, fresh eggs cost €2.40 for 6, the bar is not open for socializing. We could go on... they did.
To misquote Shakespeare, “Methinks they doth protest too much.“
To prove we are also well educated, the real quotation from Hamlet Act 3, scene 2 is:
"The lady doth protest too much, methinks."
We feel compelled to balance those comments from our own experience.
First of all the camp is a Summer campsite. That is why the floors are tiled and there are windows in the showers. It is also why the kitchens have no doors. Yes a freezer did catch fire... just as any other electrical equipment could. Everyone was generously compensated and the following day a new freezer was installed.
In the local shop, free-range eggs are on sale at €0.70 each. That makes them about double the price of the camp eggs! Eggs from Poland, or wherever, are of course cheaper... older but cheaper.
One day there was a rather pretty frog in our toilet. We thought this was funny and something to rejoice about.
In winter people are expected to clean their own toilets and showers. By the way, we have not found another campsite in Europe where you get your own toilet AND shower.
Parts of the camp are muddy when it rains. This is not surprising when you know the amount of rain we have had this winter in Greece. Luckily the gravel roads allow the water to drain and within a day they are dry again.
We have photographic evidence that this campsite has not changed at all since we first came here six year ago.
Why suddenly start criticizing it now. And why the malicious implications about the campsite owner. They cannot have any proof about their accusations.
We will leave it here with a comment that other campers have read their remarks and are disgusted with their attitude.
First of all the camp is a Summer campsite. That is why the floors are tiled and there are windows in the showers. It is also why the kitchens have no doors. Yes a freezer did catch fire... just as any other electrical equipment could. Everyone was generously compensated and the following day a new freezer was installed.
In the local shop, free-range eggs are on sale at €0.70 each. That makes them about double the price of the camp eggs! Eggs from Poland, or wherever, are of course cheaper... older but cheaper.
One day there was a rather pretty frog in our toilet. We thought this was funny and something to rejoice about.
In winter people are expected to clean their own toilets and showers. By the way, we have not found another campsite in Europe where you get your own toilet AND shower.
Parts of the camp are muddy when it rains. This is not surprising when you know the amount of rain we have had this winter in Greece. Luckily the gravel roads allow the water to drain and within a day they are dry again.
We have photographic evidence that this campsite has not changed at all since we first came here six year ago.
Why suddenly start criticizing it now. And why the malicious implications about the campsite owner. They cannot have any proof about their accusations.
We will leave it here with a comment that other campers have read their remarks and are disgusted with their attitude.
Food
As usual we eat rather well. Some would say “Too well.” Camping Finikes has two kitchens which we can use. Not luxurious but clean and tidy. That means we can prepare food in the kitchen that might be smelly inside the motorhome. For example, deep frying anything inside would really make the motorhome stink. The camp also has a few barbecues that we can all use.
If Ian has a hobby it is bread making. He says it is very relaxing bashing the living daylights out of some bread dough. Plain white loaf, muffins and flat breads were excellent. However, despite all chefs saying that crumpets are easy, Ian could never get them right. They were edible, but not lovely to look at.
One of our winners was Dutch Pea Soup, “erwtensoep”. Our neighbours, Albert and Gabi from Holland, said it was spot on. It certainly tasted wonderful. See the recipe.
As usual we eat rather well. Some would say “Too well.” Camping Finikes has two kitchens which we can use. Not luxurious but clean and tidy. That means we can prepare food in the kitchen that might be smelly inside the motorhome. For example, deep frying anything inside would really make the motorhome stink. The camp also has a few barbecues that we can all use.
If Ian has a hobby it is bread making. He says it is very relaxing bashing the living daylights out of some bread dough. Plain white loaf, muffins and flat breads were excellent. However, despite all chefs saying that crumpets are easy, Ian could never get them right. They were edible, but not lovely to look at.
One of our winners was Dutch Pea Soup, “erwtensoep”. Our neighbours, Albert and Gabi from Holland, said it was spot on. It certainly tasted wonderful. See the recipe.
Different routes to Peloponnese
Just to keep himself busy Ian analyzed the cost and timing of different routes to Camping Finikes from Calais.
Driving Time in hours
The first chart shows the different timing based upon driving with or without using toll roads. It includes the official ferry timetables. The driving times are from the RAC website to standardize things. They do not take into account stopping for a night here and there; simply driving time.
Clearly driving to Bari using toll roads is the quickest. Driving overland via Hungary and using non-toll roads is longest.
Driving Time in hours
The first chart shows the different timing based upon driving with or without using toll roads. It includes the official ferry timetables. The driving times are from the RAC website to standardize things. They do not take into account stopping for a night here and there; simply driving time.
Clearly driving to Bari using toll roads is the quickest. Driving overland via Hungary and using non-toll roads is longest.
Cost in Euros
This chart shows the costs which are all in Euros at the January 2015 exchange rates.
Driving via Bari on toll roads is the most expensive. However if you drive on non-toll roads via Hungary you can save yourself €243. The second highest charge via Hungary is because of the high toll road cost in Greece. It’s a long way from the Bulgarian border to Kalamata.
Other people will have their own interpretation of these data.
This chart shows the costs which are all in Euros at the January 2015 exchange rates.
Driving via Bari on toll roads is the most expensive. However if you drive on non-toll roads via Hungary you can save yourself €243. The second highest charge via Hungary is because of the high toll road cost in Greece. It’s a long way from the Bulgarian border to Kalamata.
Other people will have their own interpretation of these data.
Wednesday 9 April 2015
It was quite sad to say goodbye to our fellow campers at Camping Finikes, Erica and Hans, Gabi and Albert, Craig and Sue and of course the now-famous Winter Guardian. But we are on the move again and looking forward to a visit to the Mani and the “Third Finger”. The first stop was in Pylos to pick up some cigars from my friendly and very helpful tobacconist and then on to Messini and Lidl.
On the top road it was raining and it did not look a good day to be travelling. Lidl were selling whole lamb carcass for the Orthodox Easter weekend. Not a normal site in a UK supermarket.
After Lidl we had a top up of diesel in Kalamata before heading over the mountains to the Mani. The road is really magnificent as it winds through villages, mountain passes, gorges and the like... but it was still raining and a few thunderclaps could be heard. We had bought a couple of spinach pies and stopped to eat them at a fantastic viewpoint overlooking Kardamyli. A Greek man stopped to take photos and we had a good long chat with him.
It was downhill all the way to Kardamyli and we found our quiet spot near the football field with no problem.
Just a couple of hundred yards away is a pleasant taverna, GIALOS. It means “seaside”. To be honest the beach is not wonderful because it is composed of large pebbles, some as big as a rugby ball.
On the TV in the taverna we could see that it was snowing again in Crete, Tripoli and Athens. When will Spring really arrive?
It was quite sad to say goodbye to our fellow campers at Camping Finikes, Erica and Hans, Gabi and Albert, Craig and Sue and of course the now-famous Winter Guardian. But we are on the move again and looking forward to a visit to the Mani and the “Third Finger”. The first stop was in Pylos to pick up some cigars from my friendly and very helpful tobacconist and then on to Messini and Lidl.
On the top road it was raining and it did not look a good day to be travelling. Lidl were selling whole lamb carcass for the Orthodox Easter weekend. Not a normal site in a UK supermarket.
After Lidl we had a top up of diesel in Kalamata before heading over the mountains to the Mani. The road is really magnificent as it winds through villages, mountain passes, gorges and the like... but it was still raining and a few thunderclaps could be heard. We had bought a couple of spinach pies and stopped to eat them at a fantastic viewpoint overlooking Kardamyli. A Greek man stopped to take photos and we had a good long chat with him.
It was downhill all the way to Kardamyli and we found our quiet spot near the football field with no problem.
Just a couple of hundred yards away is a pleasant taverna, GIALOS. It means “seaside”. To be honest the beach is not wonderful because it is composed of large pebbles, some as big as a rugby ball.
On the TV in the taverna we could see that it was snowing again in Crete, Tripoli and Athens. When will Spring really arrive?
Thursday 10 April 2015
Today we relaxed. A walk around the village, a coffee in Gialos and use of their internet, and another chat with a lovely lady from Leeds who runs the Bead Shop. Judit also booked us in for the Easter meals. In the evening the priest was doing his thing in the church while kids were letting off fireworks in the square. And alway bangers, some of them very substantial. We later found that a lot of them are home made.
Good Friday 11 April 2015
Another cold morning. It could be because we are directly below the highest peak of the Taygetos range, 2404 meters (7,887 feet) and it is covered in snow.
After another internet session we ambled around the village again. This time on glorious sunshine and enjoyed the perfume from the orange blossom. Ian was attracted by a sign outside a taverna (Tikla) offering chicken and leek pies, so in we went. The setting was perfect and the background music was classical, not the usual Zorba or Rap type found in so many tourist resorts. The pies were served with a “taboule” salad which was delicious.
We had been informed that the procession through the streets started at 19:30. We sat outside the church listening to the priest over the loudspeakers for almost two hours. During our wait it became clear that the congregation do not get involved and many people went into the church for 20 minutes and them came out again. There was a constant stream of such worshippers.
Finally at 21:15 the bells started tolling and the procession came from the church. Four big strong lads were carrying a symbolic coffin covered in flowers. The Epitaphio, the symbolic bier of Christ. Everybody was taking photos so we did not feel to be intruding taking our own shots. The streets were lined with candles and lanterns and the village looked really beautiful, especially in the atmospheric narrow streets of the old town.
After four hours of waiting and walking we retired to Gialos for a beer. We spent some time chatting with nice young woman called Mina who told us that tomorrow’s soup contained everything , “It’s best you do not know”, she said.
Today we relaxed. A walk around the village, a coffee in Gialos and use of their internet, and another chat with a lovely lady from Leeds who runs the Bead Shop. Judit also booked us in for the Easter meals. In the evening the priest was doing his thing in the church while kids were letting off fireworks in the square. And alway bangers, some of them very substantial. We later found that a lot of them are home made.
Good Friday 11 April 2015
Another cold morning. It could be because we are directly below the highest peak of the Taygetos range, 2404 meters (7,887 feet) and it is covered in snow.
After another internet session we ambled around the village again. This time on glorious sunshine and enjoyed the perfume from the orange blossom. Ian was attracted by a sign outside a taverna (Tikla) offering chicken and leek pies, so in we went. The setting was perfect and the background music was classical, not the usual Zorba or Rap type found in so many tourist resorts. The pies were served with a “taboule” salad which was delicious.
We had been informed that the procession through the streets started at 19:30. We sat outside the church listening to the priest over the loudspeakers for almost two hours. During our wait it became clear that the congregation do not get involved and many people went into the church for 20 minutes and them came out again. There was a constant stream of such worshippers.
Finally at 21:15 the bells started tolling and the procession came from the church. Four big strong lads were carrying a symbolic coffin covered in flowers. The Epitaphio, the symbolic bier of Christ. Everybody was taking photos so we did not feel to be intruding taking our own shots. The streets were lined with candles and lanterns and the village looked really beautiful, especially in the atmospheric narrow streets of the old town.
After four hours of waiting and walking we retired to Gialos for a beer. We spent some time chatting with nice young woman called Mina who told us that tomorrow’s soup contained everything , “It’s best you do not know”, she said.
Saturday 12 April 2015
Today our walk took us through the olive groves and we were surprised to see a large patch of Aram Lilies growing wild.
Around 18:00 we made a mistake of eating an evening meal.
Just before midnight we went to the church again. This time hundreds of people were outside the church holding candles. Once again bangers were booming around the whole village. One young man said that the extra large bangers were not allowed by the EU, but no one seemed to mind because it was tradition. Quite right... stop interfering in local matters Mr EU.
On the stroke of midnight the bells starting ringing a more joyous tune and even more fireworks went off as people carried their lit candles home. Once there the smoke from the candle is used to make a cross on the door lintel.
Once again back to the taverna for our soup. Which consists of heart lung, pancreas, liver, kidneys and intestines with various herbs and vegetation. To be honest it was delicious. Back to bed around 01:30.
Today our walk took us through the olive groves and we were surprised to see a large patch of Aram Lilies growing wild.
Around 18:00 we made a mistake of eating an evening meal.
Just before midnight we went to the church again. This time hundreds of people were outside the church holding candles. Once again bangers were booming around the whole village. One young man said that the extra large bangers were not allowed by the EU, but no one seemed to mind because it was tradition. Quite right... stop interfering in local matters Mr EU.
On the stroke of midnight the bells starting ringing a more joyous tune and even more fireworks went off as people carried their lit candles home. Once there the smoke from the candle is used to make a cross on the door lintel.
Once again back to the taverna for our soup. Which consists of heart lung, pancreas, liver, kidneys and intestines with various herbs and vegetation. To be honest it was delicious. Back to bed around 01:30.
Easter Sunday 13 April 2015
After a decent lie-in we did not go to the usual place for coffee and internet because they were busy preparing for the Sunday lunch. At the agreed time we returned to Gialos for our Easter lamb. The man of the house was spit roasting 8 different sheep/lambs and other spits with kokoretsa which is intestines wrapped around kidneys. Half a dozen of the spits were low down around an open fire. What a lovely aroma.
Once we were seated we received a very large plate of lamb and the kokoretsa, plus salad and potatoes. We had to ask for a doggy bag.
Lunch was made more pleasant chatting with Irine and George and their son as they were very interested in buying a motorhome.
After a decent lie-in we did not go to the usual place for coffee and internet because they were busy preparing for the Sunday lunch. At the agreed time we returned to Gialos for our Easter lamb. The man of the house was spit roasting 8 different sheep/lambs and other spits with kokoretsa which is intestines wrapped around kidneys. Half a dozen of the spits were low down around an open fire. What a lovely aroma.
Once we were seated we received a very large plate of lamb and the kokoretsa, plus salad and potatoes. We had to ask for a doggy bag.
Lunch was made more pleasant chatting with Irine and George and their son as they were very interested in buying a motorhome.
Monday 14 April 2015
After a coffee and a recharge of the laptop at a local cafe we headed for Agios Nikolaos. The road was busier than we have even seen with people returning home after the Easter break. Luckily not like the M6. The car park at Ag Nik has been expanded but the major change was that other motorhomers were there, two French and an Austrian. We had a stroll to the beach at Riglia and then returned for a welcome beer from Freda at Greg’s Plateia. Poor Freda, her South African driving licence had expired and she was studying for a Greek licence. Incidentally, today is the hottest day of the year so far. |
Tuesday 15 April 2015
The prawns we bought yesterday started to melt and the fridge really stinks. Poor Judit had to clean it out completely. But still time for a walk.
Wednesday 16 April 2015
After our usual internet and recharge we drove around the area a little and visited the new supermarket at Stoupa.
The prawns we bought yesterday started to melt and the fridge really stinks. Poor Judit had to clean it out completely. But still time for a walk.
Wednesday 16 April 2015
After our usual internet and recharge we drove around the area a little and visited the new supermarket at Stoupa.
Thursday/Friday 17/18 April 2015
Kamares Beach
We left Ag Nik in the morning and had a lovely drive up and down to Areopoli where we enjoyed our regular souvlaki. This time they had chicken as well as pork. The old town is just as lovely.
We had planned on going to the end of the Mani but we changed our minds and went to try a new (to us) night stop south of Gythio. It’s on a lovely beach near the village of Kamares, but the route we took was very narrow. Ian took a wrong turn and had to do a 16-point turn to get back on track.
In the afternoon a German man called Jurgen joined us and we enjoyed a good natter and a glass of ouzo.
Kamares consists of half a dozen buildings and a taverna which was closed.
Next day was spent walking and sunbathing. It really was hot but a very strong wind from the mountains rocked Bessy about a bit.
Kamares Beach
We left Ag Nik in the morning and had a lovely drive up and down to Areopoli where we enjoyed our regular souvlaki. This time they had chicken as well as pork. The old town is just as lovely.
We had planned on going to the end of the Mani but we changed our minds and went to try a new (to us) night stop south of Gythio. It’s on a lovely beach near the village of Kamares, but the route we took was very narrow. Ian took a wrong turn and had to do a 16-point turn to get back on track.
In the afternoon a German man called Jurgen joined us and we enjoyed a good natter and a glass of ouzo.
Kamares consists of half a dozen buildings and a taverna which was closed.
Next day was spent walking and sunbathing. It really was hot but a very strong wind from the mountains rocked Bessy about a bit.
Saturday/Sunday 19/20 April 2015
Gythio Bay
We found a better way out of the bay and drove into Gythio for a bit of shopping and a coffee. The town seems to have been cleaned up. Buildings look cleaner and there are a couple of newly flagged squares.
Then to Gythio Bay campsite. This has changed, especially the new swimming pool next to the beach !!!
Plus a lot of new trees have been planted which limits the places for motorhomes. Sadly the internet has not been improved and is the worst we have had in Greece.
We were very pleased to meet up with Viv and Alan and enjoyed a long chat and coffees.
Ian is going frantic hoping to be able to watch the Bahrain GP but the internet is so intermittent and slow.
It was great to see Alan and Viv again at their favoured campsite. We spent a lot of time discussing the events involving Camping Finikes and came to the conclusion that the negative comments also apply here at Gythio Bay. There are no doors on the kitchen, no glass in the “windows” of the toilets and kitchen, there are no hard standings only lumpy grass, the toilets are splattered with swallow and swift droppings as it’s a good place for their nests, there are only two hot showers, and so on. Plus the internet is awful here and hardly worth bothering with.
It was a pleasant surprise to find another couple from Hertfordshire, John and Barbara from Rickmansworth.
Gythio Bay
We found a better way out of the bay and drove into Gythio for a bit of shopping and a coffee. The town seems to have been cleaned up. Buildings look cleaner and there are a couple of newly flagged squares.
Then to Gythio Bay campsite. This has changed, especially the new swimming pool next to the beach !!!
Plus a lot of new trees have been planted which limits the places for motorhomes. Sadly the internet has not been improved and is the worst we have had in Greece.
We were very pleased to meet up with Viv and Alan and enjoyed a long chat and coffees.
Ian is going frantic hoping to be able to watch the Bahrain GP but the internet is so intermittent and slow.
It was great to see Alan and Viv again at their favoured campsite. We spent a lot of time discussing the events involving Camping Finikes and came to the conclusion that the negative comments also apply here at Gythio Bay. There are no doors on the kitchen, no glass in the “windows” of the toilets and kitchen, there are no hard standings only lumpy grass, the toilets are splattered with swallow and swift droppings as it’s a good place for their nests, there are only two hot showers, and so on. Plus the internet is awful here and hardly worth bothering with.
It was a pleasant surprise to find another couple from Hertfordshire, John and Barbara from Rickmansworth.
Tuesday 21 April 2015
Beautiful Bosas Beach
After checking out we drove into Gythio and posted some cards from the Post Office, plus a coffee in a cafe so that we could use their excellent internet. That was lucky because we already had an email from the camp. Apparently we had lost “something from the roof” as we drove away. So, it was back to the camp to see what had happened. Somehow we must have caught the end cap of the awning and it had sprung off. Luckily it only took a moment to fix it back on.
Back through Gythio again and northwards past the shipwreck that almost everyone knows who have been this way. In Skala we stopped for a quick LIDL before moving on to check out a possible Night Stop. Luckily we found a filling station selling Autogas, so we topped up the gas and the diesel.
Once we were full we pointed towards the coast through Kato Glykovrisi to the beach near Kokkinia. The only good place was taken by a German and a French MH. That left only the very dusty track so we moved on south, following the coast. At Glyfada we saw a sign for a car park, but after a walkabout we decided it must be for a bicycle because we didn’t find a car park anywhere suitable.
At Asopos we turned towards the sea and found a delightful place to stay. It seems to be named after the taverna called Bosas. When we arrived the taverna was closed but it opened the next day preparing for St George’s Day.
The dirt car park had lots of shade and we were right on the beach. The beach is about 200 meters long with cliffs both ends. Very quiet and very beautiful.
There was a German guy in a motorhome parked well away from anybody. We found out later that he spends six months of the year here, but never speaks to anyone. In two years he had only been to the taverna once. However when he walked past us he did grunt... once.
Beautiful Bosas Beach
After checking out we drove into Gythio and posted some cards from the Post Office, plus a coffee in a cafe so that we could use their excellent internet. That was lucky because we already had an email from the camp. Apparently we had lost “something from the roof” as we drove away. So, it was back to the camp to see what had happened. Somehow we must have caught the end cap of the awning and it had sprung off. Luckily it only took a moment to fix it back on.
Back through Gythio again and northwards past the shipwreck that almost everyone knows who have been this way. In Skala we stopped for a quick LIDL before moving on to check out a possible Night Stop. Luckily we found a filling station selling Autogas, so we topped up the gas and the diesel.
Once we were full we pointed towards the coast through Kato Glykovrisi to the beach near Kokkinia. The only good place was taken by a German and a French MH. That left only the very dusty track so we moved on south, following the coast. At Glyfada we saw a sign for a car park, but after a walkabout we decided it must be for a bicycle because we didn’t find a car park anywhere suitable.
At Asopos we turned towards the sea and found a delightful place to stay. It seems to be named after the taverna called Bosas. When we arrived the taverna was closed but it opened the next day preparing for St George’s Day.
The dirt car park had lots of shade and we were right on the beach. The beach is about 200 meters long with cliffs both ends. Very quiet and very beautiful.
There was a German guy in a motorhome parked well away from anybody. We found out later that he spends six months of the year here, but never speaks to anyone. In two years he had only been to the taverna once. However when he walked past us he did grunt... once.
Wednesday 22 April 2015
The morning was overcast but it soon brightened up and became quite breezy. Later in the day Ian experimented by charging the computer from the 12 volt socket meant for the TV. It seems it runs from the leisure batteries, not the motor battery. With the strong sunlight it charged the laptop without lowering the charge in the batteries. He admits that he should have known this four year ago!
When the taverna opened we went in and chatted with the young owner Ioannis. We drank a beer and a wine plus a taster of Tsipouro and a miniature of Tsipouro. Ioannis would not allow us to pay. People are so generous.
In the distance we could see storms over Gythio area but we only had a small shower.
The morning was overcast but it soon brightened up and became quite breezy. Later in the day Ian experimented by charging the computer from the 12 volt socket meant for the TV. It seems it runs from the leisure batteries, not the motor battery. With the strong sunlight it charged the laptop without lowering the charge in the batteries. He admits that he should have known this four year ago!
When the taverna opened we went in and chatted with the young owner Ioannis. We drank a beer and a wine plus a taster of Tsipouro and a miniature of Tsipouro. Ioannis would not allow us to pay. People are so generous.
In the distance we could see storms over Gythio area but we only had a small shower.
Thursday 23 April 2015
St George’s Day.
We took a walk around the area and found a deserted house on the southern cliff top. The owner had died and never got to live in the house of his dreams. The setting is really beautiful.
During the day we played with the taverna’s gorgeous Golden Retriever. We should say that the dog played with us because she wanted us to throw sticks but abandoned them once she had caught them. Her name was Chyra which we are told means “white”.
Later in the bar we chatted with a Greek/Canadian who was here visiting family.
After an excellent lunch of cod with garlic and potato sauce, and giant prawns and chips we left this beautiful beach and headed south again. We had heard there is a good beach near Vigklafia near the ferry port for the island of Elafanissos. When we arrived it was clear that we could not use the beach for two reasons. First of all there were large rocks blocking vehicles and secondly the sand was only a crust on top of grey slimy mud. However we managed to walk around and spot some birds on the swampland. We did park for the night on a dry patch.
St George’s Day.
We took a walk around the area and found a deserted house on the southern cliff top. The owner had died and never got to live in the house of his dreams. The setting is really beautiful.
During the day we played with the taverna’s gorgeous Golden Retriever. We should say that the dog played with us because she wanted us to throw sticks but abandoned them once she had caught them. Her name was Chyra which we are told means “white”.
Later in the bar we chatted with a Greek/Canadian who was here visiting family.
After an excellent lunch of cod with garlic and potato sauce, and giant prawns and chips we left this beautiful beach and headed south again. We had heard there is a good beach near Vigklafia near the ferry port for the island of Elafanissos. When we arrived it was clear that we could not use the beach for two reasons. First of all there were large rocks blocking vehicles and secondly the sand was only a crust on top of grey slimy mud. However we managed to walk around and spot some birds on the swampland. We did park for the night on a dry patch.
Friday 24 April 2015
All alone
After a very quiet night we drove further south to Neapoli. It’s the biggest town in the area and also a port for ferries to the Greek islands. The coffee was good, but the internet was slow again, so we went for a stroll around the town and found a birthday card for Jo. It’s the first birthday card we’ve seen in a shop.
There are three possible routes over the mountains to Monemvasia. We chickened out and took the northern road which turned out to be very picturesque.
Once in the town we took a small bus out to the peninsula to visit the old town of Monemvasia. Unlike our previous visit the town was very quiet; no doubt waiting for the tourist hordes to arrive. Judit climbed the steps to the ruins at the top but her way was blocked by a locked door. But she had some good views of the area from the top.
After a little local shopping we went south as far as the road will take you to a small village at Agios Fokas. This was our Night Stop in the cemetery car park. It is very exposed and we were really bounced around in the night by the high winds. The setting is once again beautiful and worth visiting.
All alone
After a very quiet night we drove further south to Neapoli. It’s the biggest town in the area and also a port for ferries to the Greek islands. The coffee was good, but the internet was slow again, so we went for a stroll around the town and found a birthday card for Jo. It’s the first birthday card we’ve seen in a shop.
There are three possible routes over the mountains to Monemvasia. We chickened out and took the northern road which turned out to be very picturesque.
Once in the town we took a small bus out to the peninsula to visit the old town of Monemvasia. Unlike our previous visit the town was very quiet; no doubt waiting for the tourist hordes to arrive. Judit climbed the steps to the ruins at the top but her way was blocked by a locked door. But she had some good views of the area from the top.
After a little local shopping we went south as far as the road will take you to a small village at Agios Fokas. This was our Night Stop in the cemetery car park. It is very exposed and we were really bounced around in the night by the high winds. The setting is once again beautiful and worth visiting.
Saturday 25 April 2015
Although it was windy, last night was the warmest this year. In the morning we took a few photos of the mountainous backdrop.
Once back in Monemvasia Judit sought out a hairdresser while Ian retired to a cafe with internet. The young lady in the cafe had studied mechanical engineering at Manchester University and it was sad to think that the only job she could get was serving coffees. When Judit returned with her new hair we found a cafe serving gyros; our first since Pylos.
Now our adventure really began as we followed the coast of the Myrtoo Sea through the mountains clothed in yellow flowers looking very much like large gorse. Just past Palea Monemvasia we stopped to photograph an ancient wall. Not all Greek ruins are like Delphi!
We drove past a road to the beach at Ariana. When the road climbed a few hundred feet we could see that it would be another beautiful place to spend some time. Next time.
We motored on and we saw what looked like an inland lake, but it soon became clear it was the fjord of Limani Geraka. On the approach to the village is a medium size car park so we stopped and did a recce on foot. The road narrows between the houses and the sea but we were able to drive through and park on the harbour area.
Not long after that we were enjoying a cool Fix beer outside the Zikos taverna. The owner is Ioannis (Greek for John or Ian) and he and his wife Christi made us very welcome. Forgive the spellings.
In the evening we were disturbed by a large splashing as a shoal of fish decided they preferred flying. After that excitement Judit cooked souvlaki with the remains of yesterday’s curry. It worked well.
Although it was windy, last night was the warmest this year. In the morning we took a few photos of the mountainous backdrop.
Once back in Monemvasia Judit sought out a hairdresser while Ian retired to a cafe with internet. The young lady in the cafe had studied mechanical engineering at Manchester University and it was sad to think that the only job she could get was serving coffees. When Judit returned with her new hair we found a cafe serving gyros; our first since Pylos.
Now our adventure really began as we followed the coast of the Myrtoo Sea through the mountains clothed in yellow flowers looking very much like large gorse. Just past Palea Monemvasia we stopped to photograph an ancient wall. Not all Greek ruins are like Delphi!
We drove past a road to the beach at Ariana. When the road climbed a few hundred feet we could see that it would be another beautiful place to spend some time. Next time.
We motored on and we saw what looked like an inland lake, but it soon became clear it was the fjord of Limani Geraka. On the approach to the village is a medium size car park so we stopped and did a recce on foot. The road narrows between the houses and the sea but we were able to drive through and park on the harbour area.
Not long after that we were enjoying a cool Fix beer outside the Zikos taverna. The owner is Ioannis (Greek for John or Ian) and he and his wife Christi made us very welcome. Forgive the spellings.
In the evening we were disturbed by a large splashing as a shoal of fish decided they preferred flying. After that excitement Judit cooked souvlaki with the remains of yesterday’s curry. It worked well.
Sunday 26 April 2015
The Russians are Coming
After a morning coffee and wifi in Zikos we walked in the hills to find the ruins of the Acropolis of Zarax. There was not much left standing but nevertheless it was a lovely walk which took us back down to the shallow end of the fjord.
In the afternoon a beautifully modified Defender 130 arrived with Peter and Caroline from Munich. The coincidence was that they were also a graphic design team and drove Land Rovers as we did in Budapest. We hit it off straight away and enjoyed their company for the next few days.
The village is really very pretty and very peaceful. Then the image was shattered as 20 yachts crewed by Russians arrived. It was chaos as the all attempted to moor in the small harbour. Very entertaining.
In the evening we ate out with Peter and Caroline in Sikos taverna. Judit tried the grilled octopus.
The Russians are Coming
After a morning coffee and wifi in Zikos we walked in the hills to find the ruins of the Acropolis of Zarax. There was not much left standing but nevertheless it was a lovely walk which took us back down to the shallow end of the fjord.
In the afternoon a beautifully modified Defender 130 arrived with Peter and Caroline from Munich. The coincidence was that they were also a graphic design team and drove Land Rovers as we did in Budapest. We hit it off straight away and enjoyed their company for the next few days.
The village is really very pretty and very peaceful. Then the image was shattered as 20 yachts crewed by Russians arrived. It was chaos as the all attempted to moor in the small harbour. Very entertaining.
In the evening we ate out with Peter and Caroline in Sikos taverna. Judit tried the grilled octopus.
Monday 27 April 2015
The Russians left early and peace descended once again. In the evening while Peter and Caroline were in the taverna Judit spotted their awning pretending to be a spinnaker. We dashed out and managed to rescue it before it caused any serious damage. Naturally we went to the taverna to give them the news and have a beer.
Christi and Ioannis gave us some free drinks and also some “homegrown” eggs. What wonderful people. We will return.
The Russians left early and peace descended once again. In the evening while Peter and Caroline were in the taverna Judit spotted their awning pretending to be a spinnaker. We dashed out and managed to rescue it before it caused any serious damage. Naturally we went to the taverna to give them the news and have a beer.
Christi and Ioannis gave us some free drinks and also some “homegrown” eggs. What wonderful people. We will return.
Tuesday 28 April 2015
Robinson Crusoe
After a leisurely breakfast we went to the taverna to say our farewells. The Land Rover went first, heading for Kosmas and we continued up the coast road. The scenery is very much like the Mani. At Reichea we stopped for a stroll around the village. There is a museum here but it was closed today.
Then we crossed our fingers and headed down the narrow, steep winding road to the beach. The surface was good and there were fantastic views into gorges along with about 7 hairpin bends to the beach. Luckily the only hazard we found was a herd of goats who took ages to get the message that we wanted to pass. By the way the hairpin bends were tight and we would not recommend going that way with anything longer than 7.5 meters.
The beach is in the most fantastic setting. 200 meters of white pebbles, sea bluer than on a postcard and surrounded by steep mountains. Absolutely wonderful. And we were alone. Robinson Crusoe would have been at home here. There is a deserted bar and no facilities at all.
However around 18:00 two Austrian MHs arrived but they were quiet and friendly. We also had the best spot on a patch of tarmac.
That evening Ian made lamb shank in a mint and rosemary sauce with the last of the potatoes. Delicious.
Robinson Crusoe
After a leisurely breakfast we went to the taverna to say our farewells. The Land Rover went first, heading for Kosmas and we continued up the coast road. The scenery is very much like the Mani. At Reichea we stopped for a stroll around the village. There is a museum here but it was closed today.
Then we crossed our fingers and headed down the narrow, steep winding road to the beach. The surface was good and there were fantastic views into gorges along with about 7 hairpin bends to the beach. Luckily the only hazard we found was a herd of goats who took ages to get the message that we wanted to pass. By the way the hairpin bends were tight and we would not recommend going that way with anything longer than 7.5 meters.
The beach is in the most fantastic setting. 200 meters of white pebbles, sea bluer than on a postcard and surrounded by steep mountains. Absolutely wonderful. And we were alone. Robinson Crusoe would have been at home here. There is a deserted bar and no facilities at all.
However around 18:00 two Austrian MHs arrived but they were quiet and friendly. We also had the best spot on a patch of tarmac.
That evening Ian made lamb shank in a mint and rosemary sauce with the last of the potatoes. Delicious.
Wednesday 29 April 2015
Once again a warm night but very gusty winds rocked us around quite a bit. Today was another lazy day with a stroll up the road to take photos of the bay. The excitement was that two cars arrived, one man got out of his car and they drove away leaving one car. No idea.
Another discovery today. We can hand the shower head out through the bathroom window and have an outside shower.
Ian is making a Dal Makhani this evening with our remaining lentils and some peas... it’s diet day.
Once again a warm night but very gusty winds rocked us around quite a bit. Today was another lazy day with a stroll up the road to take photos of the bay. The excitement was that two cars arrived, one man got out of his car and they drove away leaving one car. No idea.
Another discovery today. We can hand the shower head out through the bathroom window and have an outside shower.
Ian is making a Dal Makhani this evening with our remaining lentils and some peas... it’s diet day.
Thursday 30 April 2015
Sparti
We woke to find a car parked on the beach and the Austrians had left. Not much later a diver appeared complete with half a dozen fish sized fish. Our man was a great guy from Crete and we chatted about diving. Night diving is banned and if caught all the gear AND the vehicle will be taken. The previous evening we had seen a small flashing light off the headland and assumed it was a night diver.
Soon we were heading up the narrow road and this time we met a pickup. Luckily it was the goatherd and he knew where to pull off to let us pass. Good man. We were heading for Sparti and the route was excellent. Lots of height, lots of bends and lots of views.
In Sparti we had a walkabout searching for some cigars for Ian and then later for a gyros. Nice place but it is the biggest town we have been in since leaving Budapest; what a shock to the system. And Sparti is not really very large.
Once more to LIDL and then a meander through the back streets to Mistras area. The road sign was not there at the new roundabout.
However we were soon at Camping Paleologio and were welcomed by Peter who used to live in Canada and speaks good English.
There are some strange people in this world. We were the only MH on the camp so we put our table and chairs in the next pitch. Then two French MHs arrived and headed for the next pitch. Judit, being a polite maiden moved the table and the French parked alongside us. The did not wave, say hello or anything. Weird or what.
Sparti
We woke to find a car parked on the beach and the Austrians had left. Not much later a diver appeared complete with half a dozen fish sized fish. Our man was a great guy from Crete and we chatted about diving. Night diving is banned and if caught all the gear AND the vehicle will be taken. The previous evening we had seen a small flashing light off the headland and assumed it was a night diver.
Soon we were heading up the narrow road and this time we met a pickup. Luckily it was the goatherd and he knew where to pull off to let us pass. Good man. We were heading for Sparti and the route was excellent. Lots of height, lots of bends and lots of views.
In Sparti we had a walkabout searching for some cigars for Ian and then later for a gyros. Nice place but it is the biggest town we have been in since leaving Budapest; what a shock to the system. And Sparti is not really very large.
Once more to LIDL and then a meander through the back streets to Mistras area. The road sign was not there at the new roundabout.
However we were soon at Camping Paleologio and were welcomed by Peter who used to live in Canada and speaks good English.
There are some strange people in this world. We were the only MH on the camp so we put our table and chairs in the next pitch. Then two French MHs arrived and headed for the next pitch. Judit, being a polite maiden moved the table and the French parked alongside us. The did not wave, say hello or anything. Weird or what.
1/2 May 2015
Things we do for you
Because Mystras is closed on a Bank Holiday we spent a lot of time working on the website and doing a large clothes wash.
Finally finished the website update after a long seven hour session.
Things we do for you
Because Mystras is closed on a Bank Holiday we spent a lot of time working on the website and doing a large clothes wash.
Finally finished the website update after a long seven hour session.
Sunday 3 May 2015
Mystras
Usually the first Sunday in the month it is free to enter ancient sites. Not today; maybe we’ve got it wrong. Anyway we hired a taxi to take us to the top of the Mystras site. It really is an amazing place being built on the steep side of a mountain. Walking up and then down again did not appeal so we forked out €10.
Judit had carefully made notes of the places to visit in the correct order which made things easy. The site is not that ancient because it was built in the 14th century and includes several churches and a convent, which is still in use. So no Doric columns and other such things but a very pleasant three hours were spent tottering down the steep steps and very rough pathways.
Strangely there are no toilets or even a coffee shop on the site despite being on a major tourist bus itinerary.
At the bottom we headed for a local taverna and enjoyed a delicious local version of kleftiko. It contained artichokes.
To prove our fitness we walked all the way back to camp. Later Ian got a sudden bout of cramp in his magnificent quadriceps. They are magnificent because his physiotherapist in England said so... so there.
Mystras
Usually the first Sunday in the month it is free to enter ancient sites. Not today; maybe we’ve got it wrong. Anyway we hired a taxi to take us to the top of the Mystras site. It really is an amazing place being built on the steep side of a mountain. Walking up and then down again did not appeal so we forked out €10.
Judit had carefully made notes of the places to visit in the correct order which made things easy. The site is not that ancient because it was built in the 14th century and includes several churches and a convent, which is still in use. So no Doric columns and other such things but a very pleasant three hours were spent tottering down the steep steps and very rough pathways.
Strangely there are no toilets or even a coffee shop on the site despite being on a major tourist bus itinerary.
At the bottom we headed for a local taverna and enjoyed a delicious local version of kleftiko. It contained artichokes.
To prove our fitness we walked all the way back to camp. Later Ian got a sudden bout of cramp in his magnificent quadriceps. They are magnificent because his physiotherapist in England said so... so there.
Monday 4 May 2015
twists and narrow turns
We waved goodbye to Peter at the camp and set of in the direction of Megalopolis after a call at a very good local shop for stores again. We spend a lot of time at local shops because our fridge refuses to work on gas so we eat fresh food.
Then we found a bakers for spinach and feta pies for lunch. Lovely grub.
Just a kilometer further along a road a lovely looking lady pointed at us and did a revolving index finger signal. In Hungary this means that a radar trap is ahead so we made sure we were doing less than the speed limit. After 20 Km we had seen nothing. It clearly means something else.
The road started to climb and soon we were passing through some interesting rural villages with very narrow and twisting main streets. Maybe the lady meant we should turn around and not go this way, but we were well into it by now and returning would be as bad as going on. Longasta, Soustianoi, Pappadinka, Kastoreio, Georgitsio, Agoriani, Logkanikos, Kyparissi and several other villages had to be negotiated. Imagine a Cornish country lane with 90° bends and you will get the message. No wonder the villagers stared with a look of disbelieve as we crept past.
twists and narrow turns
We waved goodbye to Peter at the camp and set of in the direction of Megalopolis after a call at a very good local shop for stores again. We spend a lot of time at local shops because our fridge refuses to work on gas so we eat fresh food.
Then we found a bakers for spinach and feta pies for lunch. Lovely grub.
Just a kilometer further along a road a lovely looking lady pointed at us and did a revolving index finger signal. In Hungary this means that a radar trap is ahead so we made sure we were doing less than the speed limit. After 20 Km we had seen nothing. It clearly means something else.
The road started to climb and soon we were passing through some interesting rural villages with very narrow and twisting main streets. Maybe the lady meant we should turn around and not go this way, but we were well into it by now and returning would be as bad as going on. Longasta, Soustianoi, Pappadinka, Kastoreio, Georgitsio, Agoriani, Logkanikos, Kyparissi and several other villages had to be negotiated. Imagine a Cornish country lane with 90° bends and you will get the message. No wonder the villagers stared with a look of disbelieve as we crept past.
Megalopoli is not a tourist hotspot. It is a hard working honest town with two power stations and an opencast brown coal site for neighbours.
Only 20 minutes further on and we were in the lovely little village of Karytaina. We parked at the top of the hill in the centre thanking the locals for having the good sense to make the streets wider! Our view was excellent as we were overlooked by the castle and could see down to the plains around Megalopoli.
In the evening we had a meander and got half way up to the castle but could go no further as the EU is spending 4 million Euros on renovating the ruins. Shouldn’t ruins be, well, ruins. On returning to the square we found a police van parked next to us and enjoyed a good long natter with these nice guys.
The Night Stop is reasonably level and paved, good lighting, a tap across the road, tavernas just 50 meters down the road and free wifi. A good spot.
Only 20 minutes further on and we were in the lovely little village of Karytaina. We parked at the top of the hill in the centre thanking the locals for having the good sense to make the streets wider! Our view was excellent as we were overlooked by the castle and could see down to the plains around Megalopoli.
In the evening we had a meander and got half way up to the castle but could go no further as the EU is spending 4 million Euros on renovating the ruins. Shouldn’t ruins be, well, ruins. On returning to the square we found a police van parked next to us and enjoyed a good long natter with these nice guys.
The Night Stop is reasonably level and paved, good lighting, a tap across the road, tavernas just 50 meters down the road and free wifi. A good spot.
Tuesday 5 May 2015
A bridge too many
We went down the road for a catchup on the BBC iPlayer before heading for Dimitsana. But first stop was to view the Byzantine bridge which used to feature on the 5,000 Drachma note. After such a an honour it was sad to see it in disrepair with a dead dog lying in the middle of it. On top of that, literally, the powers that be had built a concrete bridge above it. But it’s things like that that make Greece so interesting.
Once again we had to negotiate a couple of narrow villages: Elliniko and Trikolonoi. The plan was to visit the water power museum at Dimitsana. That involved doing a 16-point turn in the narrow road to get down the correct road. When we parked up we found that the place was closed every Tuesday. But generally open all year. So the rest of the day was a lazy day, writing a few notes and reading. The car park is reasonably level and well lit by the street lamps. There is also a water tap. It’s really in a firehose cabinet but fitted with a garden hosepipe.
A bridge too many
We went down the road for a catchup on the BBC iPlayer before heading for Dimitsana. But first stop was to view the Byzantine bridge which used to feature on the 5,000 Drachma note. After such a an honour it was sad to see it in disrepair with a dead dog lying in the middle of it. On top of that, literally, the powers that be had built a concrete bridge above it. But it’s things like that that make Greece so interesting.
Once again we had to negotiate a couple of narrow villages: Elliniko and Trikolonoi. The plan was to visit the water power museum at Dimitsana. That involved doing a 16-point turn in the narrow road to get down the correct road. When we parked up we found that the place was closed every Tuesday. But generally open all year. So the rest of the day was a lazy day, writing a few notes and reading. The car park is reasonably level and well lit by the street lamps. There is also a water tap. It’s really in a firehose cabinet but fitted with a garden hosepipe.
Wednesday 6 May 2015
Over the hills
Back to the museum. Big surprise, it’s free for old folks... yippee.
Although small the museum is perfectly formed. Water comes from a spring next to the church above. It thunders down various wooden pipes and stone channels before operating a fulling mill, a tannery, a flour mill, a gunpowder mill and a cafe. The whole lot is in a beautiful setting and well worth an hour or two of your time.
We then drove up to the village and parked before the narrow bit. It’s strange but when we entered the car park and went down a steep ramp we did not scrape anything. When we went up the ramp the tow-ball got a real hammering.
As we expected, the village is very pleasant if a little touristy, so we took lots of pictures.
Luckily our journey through the village was clean and we met no buses or trucks. We passed through Karkalou and Kaloneri before encountering Lagkadia. Someone on the internet had marked this as a Night Stop. Forget it. There is a CAR park and it is next to the main road. The village was the longest and narrowest we had encountered so far. The worst part was attempting to pass a parked delivery van on a bend. Luckily nobody came the other way.
Just a kilometer past the village we stopped for a lunch and enjoyed the view. Then we started our journey to Katakolo. This was much easier as we descended into the valleys and onto the plains. The scenery was also very pleasant.
At Katakolo we did as our friend Geoff had said and drove straight to the yacht harbour where we could plug into the yacht mooring powerpoint. All told that night there were eight motorhomes on the harbour side and nobody collected money. Apparently the previous money collector had been pocketing the takings and had been removed from office.
After such a long drive we were in need of refreshments so we had a walk past the building works in the old car park to the town. The old car park is now a major building site as a crane moved giant rocks from one pile to another and various trucks jockeyed for position delivering more rocks. They are working on an EU project to enlarge the harbour. At the moment there was a large cruise ship in port. We were told that every day a cruise ship moors and the passengers are whisked off by buses to Olympia. In the afternoon they return to Katakolo to do a bit of souvenir shopping before embarking for the next leg of their cruise.
We found the only “supermarket” in town and to be honest it was the worst shop we have found in Greece. Particularly off putting was the sight of about 50 chicken portions, unwrapped, and just chucked into an ice cream fridge. The vegetables were definitely green!
That evening we had a mix of things from our own stock of goodies.
Over the hills
Back to the museum. Big surprise, it’s free for old folks... yippee.
Although small the museum is perfectly formed. Water comes from a spring next to the church above. It thunders down various wooden pipes and stone channels before operating a fulling mill, a tannery, a flour mill, a gunpowder mill and a cafe. The whole lot is in a beautiful setting and well worth an hour or two of your time.
We then drove up to the village and parked before the narrow bit. It’s strange but when we entered the car park and went down a steep ramp we did not scrape anything. When we went up the ramp the tow-ball got a real hammering.
As we expected, the village is very pleasant if a little touristy, so we took lots of pictures.
Luckily our journey through the village was clean and we met no buses or trucks. We passed through Karkalou and Kaloneri before encountering Lagkadia. Someone on the internet had marked this as a Night Stop. Forget it. There is a CAR park and it is next to the main road. The village was the longest and narrowest we had encountered so far. The worst part was attempting to pass a parked delivery van on a bend. Luckily nobody came the other way.
Just a kilometer past the village we stopped for a lunch and enjoyed the view. Then we started our journey to Katakolo. This was much easier as we descended into the valleys and onto the plains. The scenery was also very pleasant.
At Katakolo we did as our friend Geoff had said and drove straight to the yacht harbour where we could plug into the yacht mooring powerpoint. All told that night there were eight motorhomes on the harbour side and nobody collected money. Apparently the previous money collector had been pocketing the takings and had been removed from office.
After such a long drive we were in need of refreshments so we had a walk past the building works in the old car park to the town. The old car park is now a major building site as a crane moved giant rocks from one pile to another and various trucks jockeyed for position delivering more rocks. They are working on an EU project to enlarge the harbour. At the moment there was a large cruise ship in port. We were told that every day a cruise ship moors and the passengers are whisked off by buses to Olympia. In the afternoon they return to Katakolo to do a bit of souvenir shopping before embarking for the next leg of their cruise.
We found the only “supermarket” in town and to be honest it was the worst shop we have found in Greece. Particularly off putting was the sight of about 50 chicken portions, unwrapped, and just chucked into an ice cream fridge. The vegetables were definitely green!
That evening we had a mix of things from our own stock of goodies.
Thursday 7 May 2015
Go to Jimmy’s
Today is voting day in the UK and we are curious about the outcome. While having breakfast we watched as another giant cruise ship moored in the harbour. There certainly seems to be enough room. However we walked into town and found Jimmy’s Bar and Grill. It’s next to the church and is a real delight. Dad was stoking the grill with charcoal while mum was up to her armpits making the days food. We had heard that this was where the locals eat and we could see why. Apart from the warm and friendly atmosphere it was much cheaper than the glass and chrome gin palaces on the water front.
Next time we are here we will certainly eat here.
We took the road back towards Pyrgos and turned left for Skourochori, Myrtea and Dounaiika before hitting the main North/South road. Some time later we turned off for Gastouni where we did a bit of market shopping before going west towards the port of Kastro-Kyllini.
We did not really find it very attractive. It seemed to consist of a very confusing car park for the port with old and new buildings littered around the place. But there was a bit of shade so we had lunch.
Then we retraced our steps before joining a brand new road east to the main North/South road again. Ian enjoyed being able to look around while driving. The road through the mountains was beautiful but demanding.
Not much later we turned off the main road and pointed towards Lapas and Kalogria. Between the road and the sea is a protected marsh area with lots of pines and wetlands. We saw a few birds but could only identify an egret. Maybe we were too late for the main migrations.
Our first choice was a small car park along a dirt road. It was close to the beach but was full of flies. This was probably because of the cows. We’d never seen a herd of cows lounging around on a sandy beach before. We moved just a few hundred meters further north to a large car park next to a taverna on the beach.
The taverna and beach was called La Mer. After parking we enjoyed a cool beer and a frappe. There were two other motorhomes parked and they had their awnings and chairs out. It was 34°C after all. However, before we could copy them a police car came along. The policeman said we could park here but not camp. The others quickly put their awnings and chairs away.
Go to Jimmy’s
Today is voting day in the UK and we are curious about the outcome. While having breakfast we watched as another giant cruise ship moored in the harbour. There certainly seems to be enough room. However we walked into town and found Jimmy’s Bar and Grill. It’s next to the church and is a real delight. Dad was stoking the grill with charcoal while mum was up to her armpits making the days food. We had heard that this was where the locals eat and we could see why. Apart from the warm and friendly atmosphere it was much cheaper than the glass and chrome gin palaces on the water front.
Next time we are here we will certainly eat here.
We took the road back towards Pyrgos and turned left for Skourochori, Myrtea and Dounaiika before hitting the main North/South road. Some time later we turned off for Gastouni where we did a bit of market shopping before going west towards the port of Kastro-Kyllini.
We did not really find it very attractive. It seemed to consist of a very confusing car park for the port with old and new buildings littered around the place. But there was a bit of shade so we had lunch.
Then we retraced our steps before joining a brand new road east to the main North/South road again. Ian enjoyed being able to look around while driving. The road through the mountains was beautiful but demanding.
Not much later we turned off the main road and pointed towards Lapas and Kalogria. Between the road and the sea is a protected marsh area with lots of pines and wetlands. We saw a few birds but could only identify an egret. Maybe we were too late for the main migrations.
Our first choice was a small car park along a dirt road. It was close to the beach but was full of flies. This was probably because of the cows. We’d never seen a herd of cows lounging around on a sandy beach before. We moved just a few hundred meters further north to a large car park next to a taverna on the beach.
The taverna and beach was called La Mer. After parking we enjoyed a cool beer and a frappe. There were two other motorhomes parked and they had their awnings and chairs out. It was 34°C after all. However, before we could copy them a police car came along. The policeman said we could park here but not camp. The others quickly put their awnings and chairs away.
Friday 8 May 2015
The election is over
While in the taverna for a coffee we met a German guy who has just moved into the area. He was quite a character and was keen to tell us that Cameron had won “with an earthquake”. He probably meant “landslide” but what the hell. He said that he wished the Germans could have a referendum because they do not like the EU and absolutely hate Merkel. This is not the first time we heard this.
The temperature is soaring again so before the real heat we went for a walk around the area. It is mainly holiday homes and resorts, but there is a campsite.
Once back at Bessy we changed into beachwear and went to sit under the sunshades on the beach. Judit was roasting for several hours.
The election is over
While in the taverna for a coffee we met a German guy who has just moved into the area. He was quite a character and was keen to tell us that Cameron had won “with an earthquake”. He probably meant “landslide” but what the hell. He said that he wished the Germans could have a referendum because they do not like the EU and absolutely hate Merkel. This is not the first time we heard this.
The temperature is soaring again so before the real heat we went for a walk around the area. It is mainly holiday homes and resorts, but there is a campsite.
Once back at Bessy we changed into beachwear and went to sit under the sunshades on the beach. Judit was roasting for several hours.
Saturday 9 May 2015
Day of the jackal
Another day of bright sunshine and golden sands. But we should mention that we are in the largest wetland region of the Peloponnese The area is the National Park of Kotyhi and Strofilia Wetlands. The park covers 2,200 hectares and apart from the brackish water and lagoons it has one of the largest Umbrella Pine forests in Europe. The wetlands are on the migratory corridor of Western Greece but we seem to be here when the migration has passed.
The park is home to some interesting wildlife apart from beautiful plants we cannot name. The most surprising is the jackal (Canis aureus). We must look this one up when we get some internet to see how it compares to the African jackals.
We are curious about the nature of one of the stray dogs around the taverna. It has a narrow fox-like head and an arched back. The majority of the hair is black but the rear half of its back is covered in longer brown hair. Maybe mum was friendly with a local jackal. It’s a sociable beast but very scruffy.
Back to the park. Several species lay their eggs here including the Kentish Plover (long way from Kent!) and the Loggerhead sea turtle.
The park is a pleasant place to meander and worth a visit, but beware of the mosquitoes in the evening. The wetlands are a breeding ground and thank goodness they do not carry malaria.
Day of the jackal
Another day of bright sunshine and golden sands. But we should mention that we are in the largest wetland region of the Peloponnese The area is the National Park of Kotyhi and Strofilia Wetlands. The park covers 2,200 hectares and apart from the brackish water and lagoons it has one of the largest Umbrella Pine forests in Europe. The wetlands are on the migratory corridor of Western Greece but we seem to be here when the migration has passed.
The park is home to some interesting wildlife apart from beautiful plants we cannot name. The most surprising is the jackal (Canis aureus). We must look this one up when we get some internet to see how it compares to the African jackals.
We are curious about the nature of one of the stray dogs around the taverna. It has a narrow fox-like head and an arched back. The majority of the hair is black but the rear half of its back is covered in longer brown hair. Maybe mum was friendly with a local jackal. It’s a sociable beast but very scruffy.
Back to the park. Several species lay their eggs here including the Kentish Plover (long way from Kent!) and the Loggerhead sea turtle.
The park is a pleasant place to meander and worth a visit, but beware of the mosquitoes in the evening. The wetlands are a breeding ground and thank goodness they do not carry malaria.
Sunday 10 May 2015
A right Grand Prix
During our morning coffee break while chatting to Herbert the peace was broken as one of his dogs and the “jackal” dog had a scrap. It seems they both think the terrace of the taverna is their own. Luckily no harm was done.
After that we moved on with a plan to take the mountain railway from Diakofto on the south shore of the Gulf of Corinth. The road past Patras is motorway but toll free, so worth taking. We did have a detour into Patras to LIDL but it was closed. In fact all the shops seemed to be closed. OK it’s Sunday, but we’ve never passed so many closed shops.
As we approached the area of bridge joining the Peloponnese and the mainland we dipped off the motorway because of tolls and took the free parallel road. Now we know where some of Greece’s money is going because the whole of this coast is one giant building site. They are building the motorway and a railway at the same time. This means the old road is neglected. It also means that the area looks very rough and untidy. We passed a Camp Tsolis. Ian had a look in but no one seemed interested so we drove on. Plus the camp was next to the main road.
About 6 km before Diakofto we drove down a narrow road to the sea front at Rizomilos. There we found even more road works but we were able to park on the finished asphalt. By now it was well past lunchtime so we crossed the street to the taverna and ate squid and chips. Plus the Spanish GP had just started and we (Ian) were able to watch it on a big screen.
A right Grand Prix
During our morning coffee break while chatting to Herbert the peace was broken as one of his dogs and the “jackal” dog had a scrap. It seems they both think the terrace of the taverna is their own. Luckily no harm was done.
After that we moved on with a plan to take the mountain railway from Diakofto on the south shore of the Gulf of Corinth. The road past Patras is motorway but toll free, so worth taking. We did have a detour into Patras to LIDL but it was closed. In fact all the shops seemed to be closed. OK it’s Sunday, but we’ve never passed so many closed shops.
As we approached the area of bridge joining the Peloponnese and the mainland we dipped off the motorway because of tolls and took the free parallel road. Now we know where some of Greece’s money is going because the whole of this coast is one giant building site. They are building the motorway and a railway at the same time. This means the old road is neglected. It also means that the area looks very rough and untidy. We passed a Camp Tsolis. Ian had a look in but no one seemed interested so we drove on. Plus the camp was next to the main road.
About 6 km before Diakofto we drove down a narrow road to the sea front at Rizomilos. There we found even more road works but we were able to park on the finished asphalt. By now it was well past lunchtime so we crossed the street to the taverna and ate squid and chips. Plus the Spanish GP had just started and we (Ian) were able to watch it on a big screen.
Monday 11 May 2015
Akrata
The street was nice and quiet overnight. After the usual coffee in the taverna and a catch-up on the internet we drove to the station at Diakopto to check on train times and then went immediately to Akrata Beach Camping. It was a delight to get away from the roadworks and drive one kilometer down the narrow road to the camp. The camp itself is a mix of static caravans and 6 or 8 motorhomes. We were soon sorted out and had a good natter with the boss Emmanuel (?).
We’ve had some scorching days recently but after lunch the wind picked up and the clouds came over. It was also quite cool at 21°C.
Akrata
The street was nice and quiet overnight. After the usual coffee in the taverna and a catch-up on the internet we drove to the station at Diakopto to check on train times and then went immediately to Akrata Beach Camping. It was a delight to get away from the roadworks and drive one kilometer down the narrow road to the camp. The camp itself is a mix of static caravans and 6 or 8 motorhomes. We were soon sorted out and had a good natter with the boss Emmanuel (?).
We’ve had some scorching days recently but after lunch the wind picked up and the clouds came over. It was also quite cool at 21°C.
Tuesday 12 May 2015
Slaughter
The Australian wife of the owner kindly took us to Diakopto station. Buying the tickets for the return trip to Kalavvrita was interesting. First a bit of clattering on a keyboard and then printing out 6 sheets of paper (remember... 2 people return tickets!). Two of the sheets of paper were then shoved into another electronic box which must have dome something. Then they were stapled together. Now came the confusion. Once the train arrived all 100 passengers took a place on the three carriages. Unknown to everyone the tickets had actually reserved us a seat so the poor guard had to rearrange everyone. That meant we departed 15 minutes late. Why?
The journey through the gorge to Kalavvrita was wonderful, with high cliffs each side and waterfalls tumbling around below us. The incline is around 17° so part of the route uses rack and pinion.
Kalavvrita is a very quiet little village. Sadly it’s claim to fame is that on 13 December 1943 the occupying German forces took reprisals against the villagers because of the activities of the partisans. All the males over 13 years of age were taken outside the village and shot; some 200 of them.
The wives and mothers were herded into the school and the school was set ablaze. Most were able to escape only to find their dead sons and husbands.
There is one street with tavernas and shops selling souvenirs. Other than that the town is not very interesting and lots of passengers could be seen meandering aimlessly until the train arrived.
The journey down was better because our allotted seats were near the front with a view through the driver’s cab. Unfortunately it was chaotic and difficult to take nice photos. The carriages were new and they really should have invested in ones with observation roofs. Once back in Diakopto we had to take a €20 taxi back to camp.
That evening we ate in the camp. Very good too. Judit ate a large fish (large is not common in Greece) and Ian had the chicken in a tomato sauce.
Slaughter
The Australian wife of the owner kindly took us to Diakopto station. Buying the tickets for the return trip to Kalavvrita was interesting. First a bit of clattering on a keyboard and then printing out 6 sheets of paper (remember... 2 people return tickets!). Two of the sheets of paper were then shoved into another electronic box which must have dome something. Then they were stapled together. Now came the confusion. Once the train arrived all 100 passengers took a place on the three carriages. Unknown to everyone the tickets had actually reserved us a seat so the poor guard had to rearrange everyone. That meant we departed 15 minutes late. Why?
The journey through the gorge to Kalavvrita was wonderful, with high cliffs each side and waterfalls tumbling around below us. The incline is around 17° so part of the route uses rack and pinion.
Kalavvrita is a very quiet little village. Sadly it’s claim to fame is that on 13 December 1943 the occupying German forces took reprisals against the villagers because of the activities of the partisans. All the males over 13 years of age were taken outside the village and shot; some 200 of them.
The wives and mothers were herded into the school and the school was set ablaze. Most were able to escape only to find their dead sons and husbands.
There is one street with tavernas and shops selling souvenirs. Other than that the town is not very interesting and lots of passengers could be seen meandering aimlessly until the train arrived.
The journey down was better because our allotted seats were near the front with a view through the driver’s cab. Unfortunately it was chaotic and difficult to take nice photos. The carriages were new and they really should have invested in ones with observation roofs. Once back in Diakopto we had to take a €20 taxi back to camp.
That evening we ate in the camp. Very good too. Judit ate a large fish (large is not common in Greece) and Ian had the chicken in a tomato sauce.
Wednesday 13 May 2015
Civilization ?
We paid our fees and left camp Akrata, retracing our steps towards the Rio Bridge. On the way we found a LIDL for a restocking. If you are not driving on the toll road the entrance to the bridge is a disaster. Signs pointed us downhill to the ferry harbour and then back up. All the time making a guess as to the correct road. It then cost us €13.20 to cross one way.
The road north was in lovely countryside but the surface was a bit battered. On arrival in Ioannina we went to a recommended Night Stop. It was a disaster as the car park was full with cars and the road was also full. We managed to park but later the road became so busy we decided it would be best to stay. The situation is lovely next to the large lake. However everyman and his dog were walking next to us. That includes power walkers, joggers, cyclists, natterers and so on. The teenage boys were looking cool with jelled hair and gussets down by their knees. Meanwhile the girls were in their best jogging outfits carrying giant handbags good enough for a weeks shopping. Some were carrying coffees in their hands; an affliction of the worst sort in the south of England. We had not seen signs of this type of “civilization” for 5 months and it was a shock. People in the Peloponnese are non-posing types.
In the UK everyone pushes the concept that the mediterranean diet is good for you. Be assured that in women it all goes to the backside. There really was a lot of overweight back ends wobbling along the lakeside.
Civilization ?
We paid our fees and left camp Akrata, retracing our steps towards the Rio Bridge. On the way we found a LIDL for a restocking. If you are not driving on the toll road the entrance to the bridge is a disaster. Signs pointed us downhill to the ferry harbour and then back up. All the time making a guess as to the correct road. It then cost us €13.20 to cross one way.
The road north was in lovely countryside but the surface was a bit battered. On arrival in Ioannina we went to a recommended Night Stop. It was a disaster as the car park was full with cars and the road was also full. We managed to park but later the road became so busy we decided it would be best to stay. The situation is lovely next to the large lake. However everyman and his dog were walking next to us. That includes power walkers, joggers, cyclists, natterers and so on. The teenage boys were looking cool with jelled hair and gussets down by their knees. Meanwhile the girls were in their best jogging outfits carrying giant handbags good enough for a weeks shopping. Some were carrying coffees in their hands; an affliction of the worst sort in the south of England. We had not seen signs of this type of “civilization” for 5 months and it was a shock. People in the Peloponnese are non-posing types.
In the UK everyone pushes the concept that the mediterranean diet is good for you. Be assured that in women it all goes to the backside. There really was a lot of overweight back ends wobbling along the lakeside.
Thursday 14 May 2015
Motorway
We were awake several times in the night thanks to a not too distant disco blaring out “drumming” noises. It finally stopped at 07:00. So after an early morning we walked around the town and had a coffee in Kalari Hotel; a very high quality hotel with great coffee and free wifi. The owner was absolutely charming and gave us plenty of tips for the local area.
www.heritage-hotels.gr
It was then a ride on the newly built motorway in the direction of Thessaloniki. It’s a very dramatic road with high bridges, long tunnels and excellent views. Near Metsovo we left the motorway as it became a toll road from that point. Then we had even more dramatic views on the old road. We’ve done it before in the Land Rover, but it was foggy. Now we could see everything. The road is collapsing in many places but the route is fantastic, taking us to nearly 7,000 feet above sea level.
Then it was downhill all the way to Kalambaka, known for the Meteora monasteries on rocky cliff tops.
We went to a place recommended on the internet (hopefully better than last night). It’s Arsenis Guesthouse and you can stay two nights for the price of a simple meal in the restaurant. We were told that mama made the sausages which are on tonight's menu.
After a rest and a walk about we went for our dinner. For the use of the car park for 2 nights and a meal for two we were charged 32 Euro. We ate sausage and chips with Greek salad (of course) and tsatsiki. Judit had a half liter of red wine and Ian a large bottle of Mythos beer. Not too bad.
Motorway
We were awake several times in the night thanks to a not too distant disco blaring out “drumming” noises. It finally stopped at 07:00. So after an early morning we walked around the town and had a coffee in Kalari Hotel; a very high quality hotel with great coffee and free wifi. The owner was absolutely charming and gave us plenty of tips for the local area.
www.heritage-hotels.gr
It was then a ride on the newly built motorway in the direction of Thessaloniki. It’s a very dramatic road with high bridges, long tunnels and excellent views. Near Metsovo we left the motorway as it became a toll road from that point. Then we had even more dramatic views on the old road. We’ve done it before in the Land Rover, but it was foggy. Now we could see everything. The road is collapsing in many places but the route is fantastic, taking us to nearly 7,000 feet above sea level.
Then it was downhill all the way to Kalambaka, known for the Meteora monasteries on rocky cliff tops.
We went to a place recommended on the internet (hopefully better than last night). It’s Arsenis Guesthouse and you can stay two nights for the price of a simple meal in the restaurant. We were told that mama made the sausages which are on tonight's menu.
After a rest and a walk about we went for our dinner. For the use of the car park for 2 nights and a meal for two we were charged 32 Euro. We ate sausage and chips with Greek salad (of course) and tsatsiki. Judit had a half liter of red wine and Ian a large bottle of Mythos beer. Not too bad.
Friday 15 May 2015
Holy
We’ve been to Meteora some years ago and did not manage to visit all the monasteries. It was time to remedy that. Luckily Arsenis is quite near to the two we missed so it was head up hill and first on the left. The roads are good and parking is not too bad. Our first stop was Agia Triada. This involved a walk down a cobbled road to the base of the rocky mountain and then up stone steps inside, and outside, the cliff to get to the top. Once there we had to pay of course. The monastery is quite pleasant but photographing certain areas is not permitted. Photography was not allowed even in the souvenir shop (yes, souvenirs in a holy place). The views from these monasteries are wonderful as we hope you can tell from the photos we took.
After a climb back up to Bessy we continued up the road to Agios Stephanos. Thankfully this is a level walk in. Once again, paying and not being allowed to photograph most of it. We had hoped for a view over to Arsenis where we had stayed the night but the nuns had kept that part for themselves. Luckily there was a public toilet but it was a low type... God Bless the French for such an invention!
Now we were free to meander and photograph outside. The bigger monasteries such as Grand Meteora and Varlaam are much more interesting with a lot more to see. You could tell this by the number of coaches parked outside.
Once down in the town of Kalambaka we were surprised how busy the place was. At a small local coffee and souvlaki place the owner told us that the people come down from the surrounding villages to do their shopping on a Friday.
So we also went to LIDL. What a great view from a supermarket car park.
With evening approaching we returned to Arsenis and Judit made a sort of paprika potatoes a la Hungary and anything left in the fridge.
Holy
We’ve been to Meteora some years ago and did not manage to visit all the monasteries. It was time to remedy that. Luckily Arsenis is quite near to the two we missed so it was head up hill and first on the left. The roads are good and parking is not too bad. Our first stop was Agia Triada. This involved a walk down a cobbled road to the base of the rocky mountain and then up stone steps inside, and outside, the cliff to get to the top. Once there we had to pay of course. The monastery is quite pleasant but photographing certain areas is not permitted. Photography was not allowed even in the souvenir shop (yes, souvenirs in a holy place). The views from these monasteries are wonderful as we hope you can tell from the photos we took.
After a climb back up to Bessy we continued up the road to Agios Stephanos. Thankfully this is a level walk in. Once again, paying and not being allowed to photograph most of it. We had hoped for a view over to Arsenis where we had stayed the night but the nuns had kept that part for themselves. Luckily there was a public toilet but it was a low type... God Bless the French for such an invention!
Now we were free to meander and photograph outside. The bigger monasteries such as Grand Meteora and Varlaam are much more interesting with a lot more to see. You could tell this by the number of coaches parked outside.
Once down in the town of Kalambaka we were surprised how busy the place was. At a small local coffee and souvlaki place the owner told us that the people come down from the surrounding villages to do their shopping on a Friday.
So we also went to LIDL. What a great view from a supermarket car park.
With evening approaching we returned to Arsenis and Judit made a sort of paprika potatoes a la Hungary and anything left in the fridge.
Saturday 16 May 2015
If you go down in the woods...
It’s her birthday so we sent an e-card to Gyöngyi. It’s difficult to find birthday cards in Greece so we try to send e-cards as they are much quicker. Mind you, we sent one in early March for Charlotte’s Birthday. When we found internet today we got the message that Charlotte had opened it .... YESTERDAY!
Our journey today was excellent. We started on a quiet country road going North from Kalambaka, past Agiofylo towards Grevena. Lovely countryside with lush crops and plenty of newly planted trees. Plus signs warning drivers to beware of bears.
At Grevena we took the non-toll part of the motorway east in the direction of Thessaloniki. After around 60 Km of easy driving we saw the notice that the tolls were starting again so we turned off and headed for the hills. The road was wide enough and the surface was pretty good. The views were outstanding as we climbed steeply to around 4,600 feet. The descent was also pretty with fewer hairpin bends to content with. However Ian was doing his best to eke out the diesel as it was getting very low on the clock. Our descent took us past Veria. We did not drive into the town but the outskirts are quite untidy. Eventually with the red light flashing we found a petrol station. We wanted to fill up but the pretty young lass must have been overawed and only half filled the tank. Never mind as were we at our destination, Vergina.
Our favoured spot is really a car park, where for 7 Euros a night you can have electricity, water and wifi. Pretty good if you want to write notes about your travels.
If you go down in the woods...
It’s her birthday so we sent an e-card to Gyöngyi. It’s difficult to find birthday cards in Greece so we try to send e-cards as they are much quicker. Mind you, we sent one in early March for Charlotte’s Birthday. When we found internet today we got the message that Charlotte had opened it .... YESTERDAY!
Our journey today was excellent. We started on a quiet country road going North from Kalambaka, past Agiofylo towards Grevena. Lovely countryside with lush crops and plenty of newly planted trees. Plus signs warning drivers to beware of bears.
At Grevena we took the non-toll part of the motorway east in the direction of Thessaloniki. After around 60 Km of easy driving we saw the notice that the tolls were starting again so we turned off and headed for the hills. The road was wide enough and the surface was pretty good. The views were outstanding as we climbed steeply to around 4,600 feet. The descent was also pretty with fewer hairpin bends to content with. However Ian was doing his best to eke out the diesel as it was getting very low on the clock. Our descent took us past Veria. We did not drive into the town but the outskirts are quite untidy. Eventually with the red light flashing we found a petrol station. We wanted to fill up but the pretty young lass must have been overawed and only half filled the tank. Never mind as were we at our destination, Vergina.
Our favoured spot is really a car park, where for 7 Euros a night you can have electricity, water and wifi. Pretty good if you want to write notes about your travels.
Sunday 17 May 2015
Phillip II
Just a short walk to the museum. It is inside a burial mound. It’s easier to paraphrase the guide book.
“To the south of River Haliacmon, in the “land of Macedon”, lays Aigai, the first city of Macedon, the land with many goats (“Aigai” in ancient Greek means “goats”).
The royal burials unearthed in the necropolis of Aigai attest to the city’s prosperity. During the reign of Alexander I (498-454 BC), Aigai became the centre of the most significant Greek state in the north.
In the first half of the 4th century BC, all kinds of political and military developments force the king of Macedon and his family to stay more in Pella, the port to the north of the Thermaic Gulf. However, Aigai continue to be the traditional centre, the land where kings choose to build their palaces and bury their dead.
In the summer of 336 BC, Philip II, the commander of all the Greeks, decided to celebrate in Aigai his omnipotence by organizing an unprecedented feast. The moment he entered the theatre following the sacred procession the assassin’s dagger stuck him and killed him in front of the gathered crowd. Alexander was proclaimed king after burying his father in the royal necropolis of Aigai At the beginning of the spring of 334 BC, the young king will set forth from Aigai on his great campaign that will turn him into the ruler of the world. Alexander will bequeath to the Hellenistic world the new trends that arose in the environment of Philip II and will set the foundations of a new world.
The history of the world was changed, but the old seat of royalty was left to the margin. The city of Aigai was destroyed after the defeat by the Romans in 168 BC and fell into decline and was gradually forgotten. Until, in 1977, Manolis Andronikos excavated the site, gave it back its name and the history of Macedonia began to be rewritten.”
Phillip II
Just a short walk to the museum. It is inside a burial mound. It’s easier to paraphrase the guide book.
“To the south of River Haliacmon, in the “land of Macedon”, lays Aigai, the first city of Macedon, the land with many goats (“Aigai” in ancient Greek means “goats”).
The royal burials unearthed in the necropolis of Aigai attest to the city’s prosperity. During the reign of Alexander I (498-454 BC), Aigai became the centre of the most significant Greek state in the north.
In the first half of the 4th century BC, all kinds of political and military developments force the king of Macedon and his family to stay more in Pella, the port to the north of the Thermaic Gulf. However, Aigai continue to be the traditional centre, the land where kings choose to build their palaces and bury their dead.
In the summer of 336 BC, Philip II, the commander of all the Greeks, decided to celebrate in Aigai his omnipotence by organizing an unprecedented feast. The moment he entered the theatre following the sacred procession the assassin’s dagger stuck him and killed him in front of the gathered crowd. Alexander was proclaimed king after burying his father in the royal necropolis of Aigai At the beginning of the spring of 334 BC, the young king will set forth from Aigai on his great campaign that will turn him into the ruler of the world. Alexander will bequeath to the Hellenistic world the new trends that arose in the environment of Philip II and will set the foundations of a new world.
The history of the world was changed, but the old seat of royalty was left to the margin. The city of Aigai was destroyed after the defeat by the Romans in 168 BC and fell into decline and was gradually forgotten. Until, in 1977, Manolis Andronikos excavated the site, gave it back its name and the history of Macedonia began to be rewritten.”
There are many artifacts in the museum, including some beautiful gold wreaths. Unfortunately the boss of the site has forbidden people to take photographs. This is rather sad because if you saw the photos you would probably want to visit the site.
However we were lucky that we arrived before the coaches of tourists arrived and had a peaceful nose around. The video was particularly helpful.
We returned to Bessy and made our farewells to the nice family who own the parking. Our GPS took us on an interesting road through the local farmland; full of orchards of various fruits. Then we joined the non-toll part of the motorway for a few kilometers and then we took the road to Alexandrea. Here we found a filling station selling Diesel at €1.18 per litre. (about 86p a litre). This is the cheapest we’ve found for several weeks. Still on very flat ground we drove to Chalkidona where we stopped for a very substantial gyros before driving on to Pella. This is the birthplace of Alexander the Great. It has a large ancient archeological site with some mosaics but generally is 2-dimensional. Nearby is museum which was completed in 2009. You can take photos here.
The mosaics are very beautiful and most are made from tiny pebbles rather than cut stone.
After a lengthy walk around it was time to find a place to stop for the night. We knew that the caravan service centre the other side of Thessaloniki has a place for weary travellers. So, after a lengthy drive on busy motorways around the city we found it... closed.
OK, we headed for the coast and found a good NS at Paralia Epanomi. However Judit was in need of a campsite for washing clothes so we drove on. We found the campsite at Kallikrati. This area is full of weekend houses and reminds us of the Balaton area. The owner said he was closing that evening when all the Thessalonians had gone home but he told us of another camp only 7 Km away. On we went along the coast road. BEWARE. The danger is that in several places the road suddenly dips about 6 feet to allow a stream to run across the road. The road suddenly disappears and you drop into it. The road signs show a “bumpy road”. They are not bumps and the gouged ruts in the bottom are testimony to the many people who were caught out. Luckily Bessy’s brakes saved us.
We found the camp after driving 30 kilometers. I bit more than the 7 stated.
So here we are at Camp Ouzouni Beach. The owner is Dimitri and his English is excellent, as his his wit.
However we were lucky that we arrived before the coaches of tourists arrived and had a peaceful nose around. The video was particularly helpful.
We returned to Bessy and made our farewells to the nice family who own the parking. Our GPS took us on an interesting road through the local farmland; full of orchards of various fruits. Then we joined the non-toll part of the motorway for a few kilometers and then we took the road to Alexandrea. Here we found a filling station selling Diesel at €1.18 per litre. (about 86p a litre). This is the cheapest we’ve found for several weeks. Still on very flat ground we drove to Chalkidona where we stopped for a very substantial gyros before driving on to Pella. This is the birthplace of Alexander the Great. It has a large ancient archeological site with some mosaics but generally is 2-dimensional. Nearby is museum which was completed in 2009. You can take photos here.
The mosaics are very beautiful and most are made from tiny pebbles rather than cut stone.
After a lengthy walk around it was time to find a place to stop for the night. We knew that the caravan service centre the other side of Thessaloniki has a place for weary travellers. So, after a lengthy drive on busy motorways around the city we found it... closed.
OK, we headed for the coast and found a good NS at Paralia Epanomi. However Judit was in need of a campsite for washing clothes so we drove on. We found the campsite at Kallikrati. This area is full of weekend houses and reminds us of the Balaton area. The owner said he was closing that evening when all the Thessalonians had gone home but he told us of another camp only 7 Km away. On we went along the coast road. BEWARE. The danger is that in several places the road suddenly dips about 6 feet to allow a stream to run across the road. The road suddenly disappears and you drop into it. The road signs show a “bumpy road”. They are not bumps and the gouged ruts in the bottom are testimony to the many people who were caught out. Luckily Bessy’s brakes saved us.
We found the camp after driving 30 kilometers. I bit more than the 7 stated.
So here we are at Camp Ouzouni Beach. The owner is Dimitri and his English is excellent, as his his wit.
18-20 May 2015
Ouzouni Beach Camp
Ouzouni Beach is neatly laid out and it is clear that Dimitrios is a perfectionist. He made the most beautiful Chemical Toilet Dump you will ever see. His prototype was nearly right but sometime splashed back. He made another one and this works perfectly.
He was also kind enough to give Ian a lift into the nearest town of Nea Moudania to do a bit of shopping. The downside of Ouzounis Camp is that there are no shops for several kilometers each side. The good thing is the beach is clean and tidy and the sun shines. It was 33°C today.
We spent three days here relaxing after our exertions of the last couple of weeks.
Ouzouni Beach Camp
Ouzouni Beach is neatly laid out and it is clear that Dimitrios is a perfectionist. He made the most beautiful Chemical Toilet Dump you will ever see. His prototype was nearly right but sometime splashed back. He made another one and this works perfectly.
He was also kind enough to give Ian a lift into the nearest town of Nea Moudania to do a bit of shopping. The downside of Ouzounis Camp is that there are no shops for several kilometers each side. The good thing is the beach is clean and tidy and the sun shines. It was 33°C today.
We spent three days here relaxing after our exertions of the last couple of weeks.
21-23 May 2015,
Leak and lake
First job this morning was to head back to Thessaloniki to the motorhome/caravan dealers, Zampetas Camper Stop & Service.
N 40° 30.142', E 22° 58.236'. Motorhomes for sale, a workshop and a well stocked shop. It’s also possible to stay her for a few nights as there is a dump, water and electric and it is free. The owners are also motorhomers and appreciate our problems. For a couple of years now we’ve had a small leak around the kitchen window. We suspected it was because the aluminium frame has been made upside down !
Yep, the join in the aluminium frame is at the top, so water runs in. If it was at the bottom water would run out. We’ve tried a few solutions, including the wonderfully named “Creeping Crack Cure” but to no avail.
Today the mechanic put a small piece of mastic tape over the join and covered it with aluminium tape. We spent 10 minutes squirting water at the offending window and it passed the test. The nice Albanian mechanic gave us some of both types of tape for future use.
To thank the owners we bought a “party pack” of Loo Bloo and went on our way.
Knowing that there are no banks in Kerkini we diverted to Serres. The town is chaotic and not for the faint hearted driver. Traffic and parking was as chaotic as anywhere we have found in Greece. Finally we parked, got some cash from an ATM, a bit of grocery shopping and some spinach pies for lunch. We’ve said it before, but Greek spinach pies are very tasty and well filled. Hungarian bakers of “filled” pastries should take note.
We weaved our way back through the town and backtracked to take the road up the west side of Lake Kerkini to Elodia Taverna where we have stopped before. Amazingly we were remembered by the owners and their family: Aristidis, Xrisa and their daughters Maroula and Evaggelia.
That evening we enjoyed a delicious meal of water buffalo stew in the taverna.
Leak and lake
First job this morning was to head back to Thessaloniki to the motorhome/caravan dealers, Zampetas Camper Stop & Service.
N 40° 30.142', E 22° 58.236'. Motorhomes for sale, a workshop and a well stocked shop. It’s also possible to stay her for a few nights as there is a dump, water and electric and it is free. The owners are also motorhomers and appreciate our problems. For a couple of years now we’ve had a small leak around the kitchen window. We suspected it was because the aluminium frame has been made upside down !
Yep, the join in the aluminium frame is at the top, so water runs in. If it was at the bottom water would run out. We’ve tried a few solutions, including the wonderfully named “Creeping Crack Cure” but to no avail.
Today the mechanic put a small piece of mastic tape over the join and covered it with aluminium tape. We spent 10 minutes squirting water at the offending window and it passed the test. The nice Albanian mechanic gave us some of both types of tape for future use.
To thank the owners we bought a “party pack” of Loo Bloo and went on our way.
Knowing that there are no banks in Kerkini we diverted to Serres. The town is chaotic and not for the faint hearted driver. Traffic and parking was as chaotic as anywhere we have found in Greece. Finally we parked, got some cash from an ATM, a bit of grocery shopping and some spinach pies for lunch. We’ve said it before, but Greek spinach pies are very tasty and well filled. Hungarian bakers of “filled” pastries should take note.
We weaved our way back through the town and backtracked to take the road up the west side of Lake Kerkini to Elodia Taverna where we have stopped before. Amazingly we were remembered by the owners and their family: Aristidis, Xrisa and their daughters Maroula and Evaggelia.
That evening we enjoyed a delicious meal of water buffalo stew in the taverna.
The following morning was a little overcast and no wind. We took a boat ride from the small harbour to view the birdlife on the lake estuary. Although we are not bird watchers we found the experience delightful and quickly added to the list of birds we’ve seen in Greece: pelican, spoonbill, heron (or various types) grebe and cormorant. Most were nesting.
Later in the day we meandered along the shore and found a herd of cows followed by a straggle of water buffalo. They looked like they had been wallowing recently as they were shiny with wet mud.
Saturday in the taverna was fun as a film crew arrived to make a video about the food and the taverna. The latest craze seems to involve videoing from a drone. Ian would like one for Christmas if anyone is reading. Hopefully the video will appear on YouTube soon.
Later in the day we meandered along the shore and found a herd of cows followed by a straggle of water buffalo. They looked like they had been wallowing recently as they were shiny with wet mud.
Saturday in the taverna was fun as a film crew arrived to make a video about the food and the taverna. The latest craze seems to involve videoing from a drone. Ian would like one for Christmas if anyone is reading. Hopefully the video will appear on YouTube soon.
24 May 2015 Bulgaria
Bor Camping
We made our goodbyes to the family and the delightful Maria before setting off to Bulgaria. It’s not far from Kerkini. Elodia Taverna makes an ideal start and finish of a trip to Greece. In fact the Dutch organised tour people use the Taverna as a Night Stop.
At the border the officials made a quick search of Bessy and let us enter Bulgaria. The motorway is still not finished and judging by the number of people working on it the finish date is some way away. So we had to do the same detour as on the way out before eventually coming to the road heading north.
The weather was good and we were soon at Bor Camp near Rilska Monastery. On various maps the Monastery is called Rila, Rilla and Rilska. Anyway, the plan was to drive a few hundred meters past the monastery and visit Bor Camping. We’ve been before with our Land Rover and a tent and found the people very kind and helpful. However we have a feeling that the site is not really fully open and is guarded by grandad. He let is find our own spot on the grass... there are not many level areas. The feature of the camp is the very wild mountain river running past the camp. It feeds the showers, toilets and washroom.
Later a German motorhome arrived with Heinz and Gita. We ate dinner while they went off to the monastery. They may have been caught out because the heavens opened and we had thunderstorms and heavy rain overnight.
Bor Camping
We made our goodbyes to the family and the delightful Maria before setting off to Bulgaria. It’s not far from Kerkini. Elodia Taverna makes an ideal start and finish of a trip to Greece. In fact the Dutch organised tour people use the Taverna as a Night Stop.
At the border the officials made a quick search of Bessy and let us enter Bulgaria. The motorway is still not finished and judging by the number of people working on it the finish date is some way away. So we had to do the same detour as on the way out before eventually coming to the road heading north.
The weather was good and we were soon at Bor Camp near Rilska Monastery. On various maps the Monastery is called Rila, Rilla and Rilska. Anyway, the plan was to drive a few hundred meters past the monastery and visit Bor Camping. We’ve been before with our Land Rover and a tent and found the people very kind and helpful. However we have a feeling that the site is not really fully open and is guarded by grandad. He let is find our own spot on the grass... there are not many level areas. The feature of the camp is the very wild mountain river running past the camp. It feeds the showers, toilets and washroom.
Later a German motorhome arrived with Heinz and Gita. We ate dinner while they went off to the monastery. They may have been caught out because the heavens opened and we had thunderstorms and heavy rain overnight.
25 May 2015
Heave ho!
Sure enough, Heinz and Gita (their motorhome to be precise) were stuck in the mud. Ian offered his services with his old Land Rover tow-strap while Judit reminded him that Bessy was not a Land Rover. However after a few minutes we were all out of the mud and on our way.
We had a quick stop at the monastery. It is rather elaborately painted and quite grand and also a bit spooky with the low cloud and drizzle falling on us. Today is the first day with a jacket for several months.
The road north is in quite good condition and becomes motorway standard near Sofia. But the ring road looks like it will take several more years to finish.
Heave ho!
Sure enough, Heinz and Gita (their motorhome to be precise) were stuck in the mud. Ian offered his services with his old Land Rover tow-strap while Judit reminded him that Bessy was not a Land Rover. However after a few minutes we were all out of the mud and on our way.
We had a quick stop at the monastery. It is rather elaborately painted and quite grand and also a bit spooky with the low cloud and drizzle falling on us. Today is the first day with a jacket for several months.
The road north is in quite good condition and becomes motorway standard near Sofia. But the ring road looks like it will take several more years to finish.
Bordering on the ridiculous
We decided that the Serbian route would be best again because we did not want the aggro of crossing the Danube at Vidin-Calafat. The crossing cost us €78 a couple of year ago. There is a chance that the new bridge is open, but maybe not the connecting roads. That was yet another EU cock-up. First of all the bridge had to be knocked down after five years of work because the concrete was rubbish. Then the idiots did not connect it to any roads. The EU’s website said that they “will maximize the potential of the Vidin-Calafat Bridge” in 2015. That probably means connecting it to the road network. Just think about it, we pay millions of pounds a day to these “organizers”.
We filled up with diesel on the Bulgarian side of the border and paid in Euros. At the border there was a complication caused by a customs man not knowing his own regulations. The man insisted that we show a Green Card. We tried to tell him that his country was now signatory to EU insurance regulations and a Green Card was not needed... just look on the back. He got the huff and we had to sit at the crossing for 30 minutes, blocking all other people wishing to enter the country. Finally he returned and allowed us to go on our way.
We decided that the Serbian route would be best again because we did not want the aggro of crossing the Danube at Vidin-Calafat. The crossing cost us €78 a couple of year ago. There is a chance that the new bridge is open, but maybe not the connecting roads. That was yet another EU cock-up. First of all the bridge had to be knocked down after five years of work because the concrete was rubbish. Then the idiots did not connect it to any roads. The EU’s website said that they “will maximize the potential of the Vidin-Calafat Bridge” in 2015. That probably means connecting it to the road network. Just think about it, we pay millions of pounds a day to these “organizers”.
We filled up with diesel on the Bulgarian side of the border and paid in Euros. At the border there was a complication caused by a customs man not knowing his own regulations. The man insisted that we show a Green Card. We tried to tell him that his country was now signatory to EU insurance regulations and a Green Card was not needed... just look on the back. He got the huff and we had to sit at the crossing for 30 minutes, blocking all other people wishing to enter the country. Finally he returned and allowed us to go on our way.
Poppies
All the way from Rila we have had low cloud and now it became low cloud, fog and drizzle almost the whole way through Serbia. On our way we checked out a possible night stop for the future. It is a Turkish restaurant catering for truckers. In fact it is very good and they have a great selection of Turkish dishes. The flavours of our snack lunch brought back good memories of Turkey. Next to the restaurant is a small campsite. The restaurant is called Vatan and is about 10 miles north of the Bulgarian border. They are on the original road and must surely suffer when the new motorway is built... but that could take some time!
On our way out we had bypassed Belgrade but we did what the GPS said and went through the middle. It was much easier because the motorway goes through the middle. Belgrade looks to be a modern wealthy city from that road.
Onwards through mizzle and heavy rain until we came to the turn off the motorway for Feketic where we found Pipacs camping on the original road from Hungary. By the way Pipacs means Poppies in Hungarian. Ignoring the gloom of the wet evening the camp is quite pleasant even though the pitches are very narrow. This area was originally part of Hungary so language was not a problem. We decided not to cook and ate in the Pipacs restaurant across the road where Ian ate beef pörkölt (stew with pasta) and Judit had the csirke zuza pörkölt (chicken gizzard stew). The boss man gave us a leaflet and we could recognise immediately the Hungarian influence. We noted that we could “get acquainted with breeding of famous Feketics cherry”, and in winter time we could participate “in pig slaughter”. The meal was memorable for the hiccoughs from Ian after eating one of the hottest paprikas he has even had.
All the way from Rila we have had low cloud and now it became low cloud, fog and drizzle almost the whole way through Serbia. On our way we checked out a possible night stop for the future. It is a Turkish restaurant catering for truckers. In fact it is very good and they have a great selection of Turkish dishes. The flavours of our snack lunch brought back good memories of Turkey. Next to the restaurant is a small campsite. The restaurant is called Vatan and is about 10 miles north of the Bulgarian border. They are on the original road and must surely suffer when the new motorway is built... but that could take some time!
On our way out we had bypassed Belgrade but we did what the GPS said and went through the middle. It was much easier because the motorway goes through the middle. Belgrade looks to be a modern wealthy city from that road.
Onwards through mizzle and heavy rain until we came to the turn off the motorway for Feketic where we found Pipacs camping on the original road from Hungary. By the way Pipacs means Poppies in Hungarian. Ignoring the gloom of the wet evening the camp is quite pleasant even though the pitches are very narrow. This area was originally part of Hungary so language was not a problem. We decided not to cook and ate in the Pipacs restaurant across the road where Ian ate beef pörkölt (stew with pasta) and Judit had the csirke zuza pörkölt (chicken gizzard stew). The boss man gave us a leaflet and we could recognise immediately the Hungarian influence. We noted that we could “get acquainted with breeding of famous Feketics cherry”, and in winter time we could participate “in pig slaughter”. The meal was memorable for the hiccoughs from Ian after eating one of the hottest paprikas he has even had.
26 May 2015
Bored borders
Once again the weather was against us with low cloud, drizzle and then high winds. But it cleared when we arrived at the Hungarian border. We had decided to take the old road into Hungary via Bácsalmás.
The crossing is very small and not very busy. So after a very quick passport check from a nice young lass the Customs directed us under a large car port and wanted us to open everything. The man was very pleasant and we guessed he just wanted to have a guided tour of Bessy. However his female colleague was a real suspicious misery and she had a good poke around in all the lockers.
Thirty minutes later we were on our way and not long after we came to Baja where we found an ALDI where we bought some grub for the evening. Not far from Baja we stopped at Pörbölyi Ökoturisztikai Központ. Roughly translated as the Pörbölyi Ecotourism Centre. This is where a narrow gauge forest railway starts and passes through the national park wetlands. It’s supposed to be really good but with wet and wind we decided we’ll give it a visit some time later.
From there it was straight through Szekszárd where a lot of excellent wine is grown and on via Nagydorog, Cece, Simontornya and Enying around the north end of Lake Balaton to Balatonalmadi. We are going to be based here for a while visiting Judit’s family.
27 May 2015
Salesmanship
Still wet and windy. First job was to reload our Telenor dongle so that we could update the website. We were sold a new package for the Summer Season... what could be better for 15,000 HUF.
In fact it could be a lot better because by 15:00 the money ran out.
28 May 2015
Customer Service
Back to Telenor where Móna, the miserable assistant, basically did not want anything to do with us and told us we had to ring the engineers. She was not allowed to do this she said. After advising here on several matters we drove to the Telenor office in Fured. There, the young lady, Zsuzsanna, recognized Ian from last year. She rang the engineers and found out we had been sold a poor package. She then spent some time explaining a better package to us.
So far it seems to be working.
This was fortunate because we spent some time on the internet trying to sort out a new passport for Judit. We will let you know.
Bored borders
Once again the weather was against us with low cloud, drizzle and then high winds. But it cleared when we arrived at the Hungarian border. We had decided to take the old road into Hungary via Bácsalmás.
The crossing is very small and not very busy. So after a very quick passport check from a nice young lass the Customs directed us under a large car port and wanted us to open everything. The man was very pleasant and we guessed he just wanted to have a guided tour of Bessy. However his female colleague was a real suspicious misery and she had a good poke around in all the lockers.
Thirty minutes later we were on our way and not long after we came to Baja where we found an ALDI where we bought some grub for the evening. Not far from Baja we stopped at Pörbölyi Ökoturisztikai Központ. Roughly translated as the Pörbölyi Ecotourism Centre. This is where a narrow gauge forest railway starts and passes through the national park wetlands. It’s supposed to be really good but with wet and wind we decided we’ll give it a visit some time later.
From there it was straight through Szekszárd where a lot of excellent wine is grown and on via Nagydorog, Cece, Simontornya and Enying around the north end of Lake Balaton to Balatonalmadi. We are going to be based here for a while visiting Judit’s family.
27 May 2015
Salesmanship
Still wet and windy. First job was to reload our Telenor dongle so that we could update the website. We were sold a new package for the Summer Season... what could be better for 15,000 HUF.
In fact it could be a lot better because by 15:00 the money ran out.
28 May 2015
Customer Service
Back to Telenor where Móna, the miserable assistant, basically did not want anything to do with us and told us we had to ring the engineers. She was not allowed to do this she said. After advising here on several matters we drove to the Telenor office in Fured. There, the young lady, Zsuzsanna, recognized Ian from last year. She rang the engineers and found out we had been sold a poor package. She then spent some time explaining a better package to us.
So far it seems to be working.
This was fortunate because we spent some time on the internet trying to sort out a new passport for Judit. We will let you know.
Tuesday 8 September 201
Leaving Hungary
If you want to see photos of Hungary have a look in the gallery.
Left Almadi after a lazy breakfast and drove down the north side of Lake Balaton and eventually to a favourite stopover at Letenye. The camp name is Non-Stop Camping. We soon discovered it does stop... on the 1st of September!
However there is a small car park under some good shade trees just outside, so we stopped there for the night. Shame really because we could have had a good soak in the thermal pools and a hair wash and shower. We plan to go through Slovenia, Italy and Switzerland to avoid the refugee/immigrant problems at borders further north. The Hungarian/Austrian border had 20 kilometer queues yesterday.
Leaving Hungary
If you want to see photos of Hungary have a look in the gallery.
Left Almadi after a lazy breakfast and drove down the north side of Lake Balaton and eventually to a favourite stopover at Letenye. The camp name is Non-Stop Camping. We soon discovered it does stop... on the 1st of September!
However there is a small car park under some good shade trees just outside, so we stopped there for the night. Shame really because we could have had a good soak in the thermal pools and a hair wash and shower. We plan to go through Slovenia, Italy and Switzerland to avoid the refugee/immigrant problems at borders further north. The Hungarian/Austrian border had 20 kilometer queues yesterday.
Wednesday 9 September 2015
Slovenia
A reasonably early start today (09:00). The plan was to bypass Croatia and go direct to Slovenia where we have heard of a Camp/Aire in the southwest. The GPS was set for Fastest time and avoid toll roads. Without noticing Ian followed Jane’s commands and found we had entered Croatia. That meant a fair bit of document inspection. The guy was OK but he wanted everything. Then we drove just a few kilometers to Slovenia where we had no paperwork to fill in, just a quick look inside to see if we had any immigrants.
To be honest Jane seems to have forgotten how to do things because we spent a long time in little villages and on narrow country roads. After guidance from Judit, with the paper map, we were soon on brown roads and had a lovely drive. The country is so much like a very clean Austria... it is bewildering. We stopped at a LIDL and bought a bit of salad and ate it in the car park. One of the boxed salads turned out not to be salad but some greasy substance littered with bacon and other goodies. Do not ask the name. Slovenian spelling is like Croatian. They seem to have lost all the vowels and most words look like an abbreviation.
Slovenia
A reasonably early start today (09:00). The plan was to bypass Croatia and go direct to Slovenia where we have heard of a Camp/Aire in the southwest. The GPS was set for Fastest time and avoid toll roads. Without noticing Ian followed Jane’s commands and found we had entered Croatia. That meant a fair bit of document inspection. The guy was OK but he wanted everything. Then we drove just a few kilometers to Slovenia where we had no paperwork to fill in, just a quick look inside to see if we had any immigrants.
To be honest Jane seems to have forgotten how to do things because we spent a long time in little villages and on narrow country roads. After guidance from Judit, with the paper map, we were soon on brown roads and had a lovely drive. The country is so much like a very clean Austria... it is bewildering. We stopped at a LIDL and bought a bit of salad and ate it in the car park. One of the boxed salads turned out not to be salad but some greasy substance littered with bacon and other goodies. Do not ask the name. Slovenian spelling is like Croatian. They seem to have lost all the vowels and most words look like an abbreviation.
After Ljubljana (How do you pronounce this?) we drove over some very large hills on narrow roads. Very spectacular. Around 17:00 we arrived at the camp in Sakside. The approach from the main road is a bit tight and thankfully there was no opposing traffic. Do not attempt the other road to the camp. From the main road two streets are marked with a campsite sign. ONLY take the road nearest to Italy. The other road has a vicious kink in it.
The camp is quite pleasant with all the facilities including free wifi. It is surrounded by vineyards and costs €10 per person per night. They said they would include a free wine tasting but nothing happened.
The camp is quite pleasant with all the facilities including free wifi. It is surrounded by vineyards and costs €10 per person per night. They said they would include a free wine tasting but nothing happened.
Thursday 10 September 2015
Today was a long day. We left the camp at 09:30 with the intention of finding a sosta in the Verona area. All was well with the world, the sun was shining, birds were tweeting, we were on a non-toll section of motorway, etc, etc. Then we heard a tremendous thundering bang and very loud deep banging from the back. Immediate reaction was that the back axle had fallen off it was that loud. Steering was OK and I guessed we did not have a puncture. I looked in the mirror and saw something flying off behind us. It looked about a yard long and bent. Then the noise stopped. All the above took a millisecond to appreciate.
We gently eased our way to the hard shoulder and luckily there was one of those “extra” emergency areas to park in. We donned our hi-vis waistcoats and went to investigate.
We gently eased our way to the hard shoulder and luckily there was one of those “extra” emergency areas to park in. We donned our hi-vis waistcoats and went to investigate.
Yep, no puncture and the back axle was still where it should be. But the rear right tyre had lost all its tread and during its flapping around time it had managed to destroy the grey water outlet pipe and tap. Joy of joys.
Luckily the tyre was still inflated so we drove gently along the hard shoulder on the steel casing of the tyre. After asking, in our best Italian, about a tyre repair place we found one in RONCADE. He did not have the correct tyre for us but being a gentleman he replaced the bad one with the spare... good man.
The nice guy said that another place down the road would have our type of tyre but it is lunchtime and he would not be back before 14:00, so we went to LIDL and bought some lunch.
On returning at 14:00 it was clear that the place was on holiday. We drove onwards towards Verona on the non-motorway roads and stopped at two more tyre places but they could not help. The reason is that we need a large tyre that is mud and snow rated. We arrived at the sosta in Verona at 17:45 and the place was full. Not being in the best of moods we started to reverse back to the main road until we noticed a Motorhome just about the leave the sosta. The nice guy was leaving and had left a nice easy pitch for us. The sosta is peaceful but very crowded. We’ve never been to a place quite like this before.
There was one other GB motorhome and the nice lady said it was an easy walk into town. So here we are with a LIDL lasagne for dinner... exhausted or should we say tyred (get it?).
Luckily the tyre was still inflated so we drove gently along the hard shoulder on the steel casing of the tyre. After asking, in our best Italian, about a tyre repair place we found one in RONCADE. He did not have the correct tyre for us but being a gentleman he replaced the bad one with the spare... good man.
The nice guy said that another place down the road would have our type of tyre but it is lunchtime and he would not be back before 14:00, so we went to LIDL and bought some lunch.
On returning at 14:00 it was clear that the place was on holiday. We drove onwards towards Verona on the non-motorway roads and stopped at two more tyre places but they could not help. The reason is that we need a large tyre that is mud and snow rated. We arrived at the sosta in Verona at 17:45 and the place was full. Not being in the best of moods we started to reverse back to the main road until we noticed a Motorhome just about the leave the sosta. The nice guy was leaving and had left a nice easy pitch for us. The sosta is peaceful but very crowded. We’ve never been to a place quite like this before.
There was one other GB motorhome and the nice lady said it was an easy walk into town. So here we are with a LIDL lasagne for dinner... exhausted or should we say tyred (get it?).
Friday 11 September 2015
Romeo, Romeo...
We gave the tyre hunting a rest for today. The damage to the grey water pipe meant we had to place a bucket under the open pipe and empty it down a drain when full. Luckily there was a drain just by the motorhome.
The walk into town was very pleasant and the old town was lovely but had the usual touristy traps and high prices. The Roman amphitheatre in the middle of Verona is very impressive from the outside so we queued to pay to get inside. It was disappointing because all the ancient seating had been covered with modern plastic seating and even had a stage set up for a pop concert.
Romeo, Romeo...
We gave the tyre hunting a rest for today. The damage to the grey water pipe meant we had to place a bucket under the open pipe and empty it down a drain when full. Luckily there was a drain just by the motorhome.
The walk into town was very pleasant and the old town was lovely but had the usual touristy traps and high prices. The Roman amphitheatre in the middle of Verona is very impressive from the outside so we queued to pay to get inside. It was disappointing because all the ancient seating had been covered with modern plastic seating and even had a stage set up for a pop concert.
During our meanders we found the famous Romeo and Juliet balcony. It is through a large gate into a yard. The place was throbbing with tourists all taking photos of the balcony that has absolutely nothing at all to do with Shakespeare’s fictitious characters. We asked a waiter in a cafe if he knew of a tyre place. He directed us to a motorhome shop not too far away, saying that they would know where to go. We walked the length of the road but found nothing. On our way back to the sosta we bought a couple of pasties that looked very much like a good Cornish pasty. They were not Cornish pasties but tasty nevertheless. We also stopped at a small cafe not far from the sosta and enjoyed a couple of cool drinks at reasonable prices.
Saturday 12 September 2015
On the road to Bergamo we finally bought two tyres (Pirelli Four Seasons) at a sort of Halfords store and workshop. We found the Area Camping site in Bergamo with no problems but were once again lucky to get in to take the last available space. The place was very pleasant and clean, even though it was crowded. More of a sosta with nice facilities, even a cafe and a bar with internet. The staff were very kind and helpful regarding buses, tickets and town guides.
On the road to Bergamo we finally bought two tyres (Pirelli Four Seasons) at a sort of Halfords store and workshop. We found the Area Camping site in Bergamo with no problems but were once again lucky to get in to take the last available space. The place was very pleasant and clean, even though it was crowded. More of a sosta with nice facilities, even a cafe and a bar with internet. The staff were very kind and helpful regarding buses, tickets and town guides.
Sunday 13 December 2015
Just outside the camp is a bus stop from where we took the 5C to the town centre. It was threatening rain for the evening but was OK for now. We had a 10 minute walk towards the old town where there is a funicular railway that took us up to the old town.
Bergamo is very attractive but a bit crowded. There was some sort of charity walk going on and they seemed to be coming our way whenever we went down a narrow street... there’s lots of them. There are touristy shops but they are quite discrete. Nobody was selling scented candles!
Just outside the camp is a bus stop from where we took the 5C to the town centre. It was threatening rain for the evening but was OK for now. We had a 10 minute walk towards the old town where there is a funicular railway that took us up to the old town.
Bergamo is very attractive but a bit crowded. There was some sort of charity walk going on and they seemed to be coming our way whenever we went down a narrow street... there’s lots of them. There are touristy shops but they are quite discrete. Nobody was selling scented candles!
Around noon it started to rain very heavily so we dived into a cafe for a sit down; maybe the rain would stop. The camp, town centre and old town form a triangle. After a welcome coffee, Judit decided to walk the short side of the triangle to a the Carrara museum and on to the camp. Ian took the two long sides; he’d seen more than enough Madonna’s to last a lifetime. He walked down the hill to the town centre. The bus stop at the funicular was not covered and it was raining so why not walk. Once in the town centre he waited, along with another couple from the camp, at the 5C bus stop. After one hour waiting we decided to walk back to camp which was 5 km away. No buses passed. Clearly the Sunday Service is not good in Bergamo.
Monday 14 September 2015
Poor site, wonderful duomo
It rained heavily all night and it was a miserable drive to Milan. We went straight to Camping Milano, which is just outside Milan.
Quote: “The new Motorhome overnight stopover, in front of the camping site, is on asphalt and has space for 60 vehicles.The area is provided with: Electric for 30 vehicles Water and toilet disposal (if you walk into the campsite) Use of camping facilities (toilets, showers, sauna, private toilet, laundry, mini-market, bar-restaurant- pizzeria, playground for children, basket-, foot- and volleyball courts, etc.)”
The area is really a large asphalt car park and the price is quite unreasonable at €32 per night. Goodness knows what they charge for stopping on the actual campsite.
Reception was very slow as they explain EVERYTHING to EVERYONE and it took 45 minutes for us to check in and we were third in the queue.
Luckily the rain had stopped and we decided to go to the city at 15:00. We bought a ticket at the campsite each for €1.50 and walked a few hundred yards to the bus stop. This was excellent value as the bus ride took around 25 minutes and then onto the metro at De Angelo station for several stops, all with the same ticket. The bus stop is on an island in the road with steps down to the station. However the entrance was closed and the only way to enter was to cross the road/tram lines, walk through a flower bed and then down another set of steps. Who worked that one out?
Poor site, wonderful duomo
It rained heavily all night and it was a miserable drive to Milan. We went straight to Camping Milano, which is just outside Milan.
Quote: “The new Motorhome overnight stopover, in front of the camping site, is on asphalt and has space for 60 vehicles.The area is provided with: Electric for 30 vehicles Water and toilet disposal (if you walk into the campsite) Use of camping facilities (toilets, showers, sauna, private toilet, laundry, mini-market, bar-restaurant- pizzeria, playground for children, basket-, foot- and volleyball courts, etc.)”
The area is really a large asphalt car park and the price is quite unreasonable at €32 per night. Goodness knows what they charge for stopping on the actual campsite.
Reception was very slow as they explain EVERYTHING to EVERYONE and it took 45 minutes for us to check in and we were third in the queue.
Luckily the rain had stopped and we decided to go to the city at 15:00. We bought a ticket at the campsite each for €1.50 and walked a few hundred yards to the bus stop. This was excellent value as the bus ride took around 25 minutes and then onto the metro at De Angelo station for several stops, all with the same ticket. The bus stop is on an island in the road with steps down to the station. However the entrance was closed and the only way to enter was to cross the road/tram lines, walk through a flower bed and then down another set of steps. Who worked that one out?
The metro took us to Duomo and then up the steps to Duomo Piazza. The Duomo (Cathedral) is a wonderful building with around 3,200 statues and 135 spires, all in white marble. We had a meander inside where there is a nail that pierced Christ’s right hand. How do they know?
The most interesting was a lift ride to the roof where we could see the amazing buttresses and statues up close. Crowning the whole building is, surprise, a golden madonna. She is the city’s protector.
We spent a considerable amount of time looking for the tour bus company with the intention of taking the tour the next day with the possibility to view Leonardo’s Last Supper. The tour is said to get you straight in. If not you have to book by telephone two months ahead. You must arrive 30 minutes before your allotted slot or they sell your place to someone else. We could not find the bus company and nobody could help us.
Another good reason not to visit the Last Supper was the price. €50 per person. Sorry!
After an expensive stop for a drink we took the metro and bus back to the camp and had a restful evening in the “car park”.
The most interesting was a lift ride to the roof where we could see the amazing buttresses and statues up close. Crowning the whole building is, surprise, a golden madonna. She is the city’s protector.
We spent a considerable amount of time looking for the tour bus company with the intention of taking the tour the next day with the possibility to view Leonardo’s Last Supper. The tour is said to get you straight in. If not you have to book by telephone two months ahead. You must arrive 30 minutes before your allotted slot or they sell your place to someone else. We could not find the bus company and nobody could help us.
Another good reason not to visit the Last Supper was the price. €50 per person. Sorry!
After an expensive stop for a drink we took the metro and bus back to the camp and had a restful evening in the “car park”.
Tuesday 15 September 2015
Raining again
Today we took the toll roads and headed for Switzerland. It rained all the way. Because Bessy is over 3.5 tons we had to buy a ticket which entitles us to drive in Switzerland on any 10 days in the year from buying the tickets. The young man in the office was very helpful.
The motorway route was quite spectacular but it was pouring down so we did not stop in Switzerland. Instead we drove on, into France and stopped at a nice aire in Ferrette. It had been built with the aid of EU Rural Development funds. However the aire was about a mile from the village, down a very steep hill so I doubt if anyone went shopping in the village. It’s not really going to help rural development.
Raining again
Today we took the toll roads and headed for Switzerland. It rained all the way. Because Bessy is over 3.5 tons we had to buy a ticket which entitles us to drive in Switzerland on any 10 days in the year from buying the tickets. The young man in the office was very helpful.
The motorway route was quite spectacular but it was pouring down so we did not stop in Switzerland. Instead we drove on, into France and stopped at a nice aire in Ferrette. It had been built with the aid of EU Rural Development funds. However the aire was about a mile from the village, down a very steep hill so I doubt if anyone went shopping in the village. It’s not really going to help rural development.
Wednesday 16 September 2015
Wine route
Raining again but cleared up later. Today we went back to non-toll roads with the intention of looking at half-timbered houses in Riuquewhir. All the parking places were taken. We have never seen so many motorhomes roaming around. The situation was the same at the next picturesque village which was also on the same Vine Route and it was grape picking time. We finally found a slot at Chatenois; a very pretty village that was strangely quiet... maybe it’s half day closing.
On our route we stopped at a branch of E. Leclerc supermarket in Altkirch. This has to be the most well stocked, pleasant, high quality, reasonably priced supermarket we have ever seen.
Wine route
Raining again but cleared up later. Today we went back to non-toll roads with the intention of looking at half-timbered houses in Riuquewhir. All the parking places were taken. We have never seen so many motorhomes roaming around. The situation was the same at the next picturesque village which was also on the same Vine Route and it was grape picking time. We finally found a slot at Chatenois; a very pretty village that was strangely quiet... maybe it’s half day closing.
On our route we stopped at a branch of E. Leclerc supermarket in Altkirch. This has to be the most well stocked, pleasant, high quality, reasonably priced supermarket we have ever seen.
Thursday 17 September 2015
Next halt was Luxembourg to pick up cheap diesel... £0.72 per liter. Then direct to Arlon, just inside Belgium. We have stayed here before; it’s free. However all the slots were taken. Luckily a very nice Dutchman helped us to sneak into a corner and he even used his extension socket to provide us with electricity, as all the main sockets were taken. The Frenchman in the other corner was not helpful. In fact the Dutchman and a Belgian made comments that France is lovely but there are too many Frenchmen in the country!
It rained and we developed a leak from the large roof light. Great!
Next halt was Luxembourg to pick up cheap diesel... £0.72 per liter. Then direct to Arlon, just inside Belgium. We have stayed here before; it’s free. However all the slots were taken. Luckily a very nice Dutchman helped us to sneak into a corner and he even used his extension socket to provide us with electricity, as all the main sockets were taken. The Frenchman in the other corner was not helpful. In fact the Dutchman and a Belgian made comments that France is lovely but there are too many Frenchmen in the country!
It rained and we developed a leak from the large roof light. Great!
Friday 18 September 2015
Frites
It rained almost the whole day and we even had thunderstorms when we arrived at Cambrai.
We left Arlon around 09:30 and the road was wide and fast. But our dear Jane decided that the fastest route was over a small mountain range on single track roads. It took us quite a while to escape from that area and back to the big boy’s road.
The ALDI in a place called WARCQ was quite good. Not on a par with Leclerc but good nevertheless. We bought some entrecote steaks in sealed envelopes. They feel quite thin but worth a try.
At Hirson we spotted a Frites Tent on an industrial estate so treated ourselves to frikandel (a type of Belgian sausage) and Belgian chips.
Cambrai appeared to be a nice town as we drove to the campsite. We found a reference to the Three Cloches Campsite and it was described as “rustic”. Well, it must have been tarted up since that was written. It is very clean and tidy and has water, electric, dump, showers, toilets. But the pitches are on grass and are a bit soggy. There is no internet. We found internet at a “Buffalo Grill” restaurant across the road. But because we had to buy two drinks that cost us €14 it was a very expensive internet session.
We booked a DFDS crossing from Dunkirk and paid for the Dartford crossing... a most stupid set up that must be costing a fortune to administer.
Frites
It rained almost the whole day and we even had thunderstorms when we arrived at Cambrai.
We left Arlon around 09:30 and the road was wide and fast. But our dear Jane decided that the fastest route was over a small mountain range on single track roads. It took us quite a while to escape from that area and back to the big boy’s road.
The ALDI in a place called WARCQ was quite good. Not on a par with Leclerc but good nevertheless. We bought some entrecote steaks in sealed envelopes. They feel quite thin but worth a try.
At Hirson we spotted a Frites Tent on an industrial estate so treated ourselves to frikandel (a type of Belgian sausage) and Belgian chips.
Cambrai appeared to be a nice town as we drove to the campsite. We found a reference to the Three Cloches Campsite and it was described as “rustic”. Well, it must have been tarted up since that was written. It is very clean and tidy and has water, electric, dump, showers, toilets. But the pitches are on grass and are a bit soggy. There is no internet. We found internet at a “Buffalo Grill” restaurant across the road. But because we had to buy two drinks that cost us €14 it was a very expensive internet session.
We booked a DFDS crossing from Dunkirk and paid for the Dartford crossing... a most stupid set up that must be costing a fortune to administer.
Weekend 19/20 September 2015
No immigrants!
Our timings were out and when we arrived at Dunkirk we asked if we could sail that day. They wanted another £97 for the pleasure. They were advised where to put the offer. The ferry companies are all the same and have no respect for travelling customers.
Rather than sit around in the car park we filled up at the nearby Auchan and then drove to the aire in Calais where there was enough space. For the first time (for us) a guy came round and asked for €8 per night.
The weather was sunny and warm. On the Sunday we walked around and took photos of England from the beach. A ten minute walk took us to Hotel La Plage where, for a reasonably priced coffee, we were able to use their internet.
No immigrants!
Our timings were out and when we arrived at Dunkirk we asked if we could sail that day. They wanted another £97 for the pleasure. They were advised where to put the offer. The ferry companies are all the same and have no respect for travelling customers.
Rather than sit around in the car park we filled up at the nearby Auchan and then drove to the aire in Calais where there was enough space. For the first time (for us) a guy came round and asked for €8 per night.
The weather was sunny and warm. On the Sunday we walked around and took photos of England from the beach. A ten minute walk took us to Hotel La Plage where, for a reasonably priced coffee, we were able to use their internet.
Monday 21 September, onwards 2015
Back in the UK after a pleasant crossing. Now we start with insurance, Self Assessment, MOT, servicing, visits to doctors, flu jabs, shingles jabs and much paperwork. Best of all a chance to meet the family again... lovely.
We found a new fridge as the other one has expired on the gas mode. O’Leary near Hull was able to supply at a decent price. He also had the kit to repair the grey water pipe. The weekend near Hull was very pleasant. The sun shone and it was warm and everything went smoothly... but it was in Yorkshire of course.
We even fitted in a visit to The Deep. A most wonderful aquarium experience. Well done Hull.
The campsite we chose was at Burton Constable. Set in the grounds of the old hall next to the lake. Very clean and tidy, but mainly filled with permanent mobile homes and caravans. Despite that it was tastefully designed and even had its own pub.
Back in the UK after a pleasant crossing. Now we start with insurance, Self Assessment, MOT, servicing, visits to doctors, flu jabs, shingles jabs and much paperwork. Best of all a chance to meet the family again... lovely.
We found a new fridge as the other one has expired on the gas mode. O’Leary near Hull was able to supply at a decent price. He also had the kit to repair the grey water pipe. The weekend near Hull was very pleasant. The sun shone and it was warm and everything went smoothly... but it was in Yorkshire of course.
We even fitted in a visit to The Deep. A most wonderful aquarium experience. Well done Hull.
The campsite we chose was at Burton Constable. Set in the grounds of the old hall next to the lake. Very clean and tidy, but mainly filled with permanent mobile homes and caravans. Despite that it was tastefully designed and even had its own pub.