The other sites in the Peloponnese (area of land to the south-west of
Greece) were a long way off and we couldn't justify traveling 600 km to
see things that we really weren't that bothered in seeing so we decided
to head towards the beach and find a campsite for an afternoon of fun.
It wasn't long before we found Paradise Camping which at 3000 DR was good
value. Our pitch next to the sea was great and after a brief swim in the
Med - very cold compared to the Red Sea - we had lunch and ensconced ourselves
in the hammocks with a few beers and a large bunch of grapes. Sheer indulgence.
By morning we were ready to move on and within an hour had reached Patras.
The ferry ticket cost 27,300 DR (about £50) for two people and a car
to Brindisi and by 1pm we were on the flagship 'Blue Star 1' en route to
Italy. The journey took 9 hours and was fabulous. What excellent value -
a complete contrast to the Poseidon Line from Israel. The boat was new and
had every facility you could wish for - swimming pool, two cinemas, shops,
restaurants, beautiful food and loads of comfortable seating. The time went
so fast. We caught up with two films, had a delicious meal in the restaurant,
sunbathed on the deck, bought some duty free chocolates and watched a bit
of the Olympics on the satellite TV. Brindisi arrived too quickly!
Italy
| Entry |
25th September 2000 |
| Tripometer |
72,022 kms |
| Currency |
Lire (3100L = £1) |
| Language |
Italian |
| Time |
GMT + 1 |
As soon as we were off the boat we were plunged into relative darkness
and had to drive around looking for somewhere to camp. It had already gone
10pm and most places were closed so we were unable to ask directions to
a campsite. We couldn't find a site so pulled over into an olive grove and
had the most blissful nights sleep in ages.
In the morning other car tracks around us indicated that we had been seen
and investigated. Neither of us had woken up to the sound of the car! As
we weren't sure if this was private land we sneaked off quickly in the morning
and headed onto Lucce. What a beautiful place, full of alleyways and incredible
architecture. We had cappuccino in a stand-up cafe with the locals, bought
speciality Lucce bread and amused the locals with our dreadful Italian.
The remainder of the day was spent driving north through the beautiful
mountains. Progress was not fast as we chose to avoid the tolls on the autoroutes
and take back roads instead. A combination of roadworks and valleys slowed
us down but the scenery was worthy of such a slow viewing. There was a conveniently
placed picnic spot where we decided to camp. The ranger came over to see
us but I pretended not to understand what he was on about (not a place for
camping) but we bombarded him with our Africa trip in pigeon Italian and
that soon sent him on his way.
Gosh it was cold overnight. We were up in the mountains and were shivering
in the 11ºC temperature. We listened to the radio over breakfast which is
something we rarely did because of usual poor signal quality. News of a
Greek ferry disaster was coming through. Thankfully we had mobile phone
signal and were able to phone home and pacify the relatives.
The day was spent driving, again making very little progress along winding
roads through central Italy. The mountains, valleys and olive groves are
so beautiful. After such a lovely day we ended up camping in a lay-by
After a warm up shower we put on our posh togs for once and went out for
dinner at a most delightful restaurant (La Cantina) in the town. Fabulous
pizzas and a rather large carafe of Chianti went down a treat. Oh to be
in Italy again!
Siena wasn't as appealing as expected but that was probably because we
dashed around having parked illegally as the car was too tall to get into
the parking garages. San Gimignano, on the other hand was beautiful. It
is an old city famous for its bell towers and is located in the middle of
the Tuscany countryside. Artists were positioned at the best locations for
painting landscapes, people played instruments as tourists wandered through
the narrow streets looking at the fabulous displays in the delicatessens
and wine shops.
After a pizza and wine lunch we visited the Museum of Torture and almost
threw the lot back up. The museum displays various items used to torture
people, shows photos and drawings of various acts and gives vivid descriptions
of torture techniques. I have never been so horrified in my life and we
both left the place almost trembling and feeling physically sick at what
we had seen.
While we were in the museum it started to rain - the first rain since Ethiopia
which was months ago. Oh no, that's the start of it, we thought. That's
the end of the trip.
The rain was to continue for days and our visit to Florence involved dashing
between the National Gallery (exhibits of 'David' by Michaelangelo and Donatello),
the Museum of the History of Science and the Ponte Vecchio with our giant
Land Rover umbrella (a gift from my chums). This was our second visit to
Florence - the first time it was covered in a layer of ice! We can highly
recommend the pizzas at Le Colannine on Via dei Bena (near Santa Croce).
They must be the best in Italy. That night we heard about fighting between
the Israelis and Palestinians in Jerusalem. It seems recently that we depart
from somewhere just before the troubles start.
The continuous rain and the cool temperatures tempered any enthusiasm to
camp or see any more of expensive Europe so we decided to make a dash for
home. Also our broken spring was holding on strong but we were not sure
how long the luck would last. Within a few hours we were up in the Alps
having traveled along the autoroutes and paid for the privilege. Tolls from
Florence to the Frejus Tunnel amounted to huge amounts of money and then
followed by charge of £15 for the tunnel. So we entered the tunnel
in Italy and exited in France.
France
| Entry |
1st October 2000 |
| Tripometer |
73,700 kms |
| Currency |
Franc (FF9.5 = £1) |
| Language |
French |
| Time |
GMT + 1 |
Surprise - more tolls, but at least the diesel here is cheaper than in
Britain. Not a lot that was exciting happened in France as we just traveled
north following autoroutes. Our last night of the trip was spent camping
behind a service station. After such an adventure the end was not very fitting.
In Calais Punda was loaded up further - with French fuel in the jerry cans
and with beers and wines in the back of the car. We had a lovely dinner
at a bistrot in town before joining our SeaFrance ferry to take us back
to Blighty (cheaper if you book over the telephone - no. 0990 711711 or
travel after 8.30pm).
Britain
2nd October 2000
Straight through customs - with no MOT and no road tax (We had booked a
temporary MOT beforehand so that if we were stopped we could say that we
were on our way to have the car tested). Just a brief look in the passport
by security and we were off, driving on the other side of the road in the
dark and thankfully too late for the traffic jams on the M25.
Within a couple of hours we were back home where we were greeted by friends
who had stayed up late to welcome us back with a bottle of bubbly.
Strange feeling! A mixture of relief because of the comforts now available
to us but also great sadness - the trip had finally reached its end.
It has been a fabulous adventure through Africa: The people; the landscapes;
the cuisine; the cultures; the religions; the ideals; the hopes; the wildlife;
the friends; the good times and the excellent times. But also the struggles;
the lack of what we consider to be basic facilities and services; the poverty;
the frustrations; tribal divisions; corruption, extreme weather conditions
and the desperation...etc. It's a complex mix and that's why it is so fascinating.
We are very privileged to have been.
Despite 18 months and 74,664 km on the road in Punda, the familiarity of
home made it feel as if we had never been away.
Next "???? - We'll have to wait and see"
