Road Tripping

Road tripping


30th July to 5th August - Brindisi to Rotterdam on wheels

Wheels really are a wonderful thing, as is a very powerful engine that takes you on average about 60knots up a long straight piece of tarmac, up and down hills and around surprisingly tight corners that appear frequently on Italian motorways.  You can go anywhere you like.  You can get out and walk for hours if you want, you can fill it full of stuff (and fuel helps) and only worry about checking that the tyre pressure is right, you can put anything inside it and you can even sit back and relax whilst on the ‘wheel’ engaging cruise control, all the while being able to choose your desired temperature, listen to music AND talk to your fellow passenger ALL AT THE SAME TIME!

fi and our new wheels

In our wonder-mobile we rocked up late to a cheesy caravan park / camping-site close to the motorway and on the East coast of southern Italy.  A bit of a bleary-eyed young man showed us to a shabby little bungalow that night, in amongst the olive trees and kindly showed us how to put up the bed - a REAL bed!!  Something that didn’t have a wooden box above it (40cm) that you bashed your head on almost every morning, especially when waking up to do a night-shift. 

JG at the bungalow

The walls didn’t move, there was no creaking, clanking or winches turning above you, neither a roaring engine a mere meter away.  It was quiet.  Peaceful and still.  The night was clear and crisp, the moon was still out and despite the funny (hence i say cheesy) party in the nearby bar (reminded me of happy old times in Scoutscroft!) our only concern was the two mosquitos that found our room to be theirs too.

With an almost drunk-feeling the following morning, due to the lack of swaying, roll motion, we also awoke to the silence.  Before long however, it was back to the LOUD Italian radio and on the road again.  At lunch time, the stop in Ancona gave us the opportunity for our last swim in the Med with JG’s friends Francesca, Alessandro and baby Fillipo.  A beautiful little crowded beach with paraglyders enjoying the thermals above. 

JG on the mountain top with the paraglyders behind - awesome little bay near Ancona

Foot down and off on the long drive all the way up North to France / Saint Jeannet to stay with my Uncle Chris and Aunt Frances. 

One slight problem to tackle before taking the tight bend however, was off-loading.  Our grand Qashqui had her load squished into a twingo and thankfully its cute trailer! Who would have thought a twingo could pull all our gear?

And then, WOW – what a feeling to be around family and be in a familiar home – complete bliss – especially when washed down with a champagne, delicious red wine and good conversation.

 Fi playing chase around the pool with Solo

beautiful lillies on the pond

Brambles pup - all grown up and as naughty as his mother - SOOOOLOOOOO!

Feeling completely spoilt, a morning swim was of course necessary followed by delicious pain au chocolat..... mmmmmm, (I do love the French style).  Car swapping and collections followed by taking a trip to Nice and back to Italy.  With more stories to tell and listen to it was another enjoyable evening at the bottom of the Baou on our return – next time we’ll take out the climbing gear.

This time however it was re-packing a clio that gave us a challenge and even without that desired new roof-rack it was SUCCESS! (Even if the suspension was being a little tested).  :0)

packing up the poor clio

Who is that next to a white box......

now who is on the run... (Chris and Frances leaving us to St.J alone!)

Back to Italy and up up up – last taste (mmmm to Buffalo mozzarella) of Italy beside the lovely lake Como and then into the most magical landscapes we’ve come across, Switzerland!  Mountain peaks, lush green valleys with sparkling blue lakes, bushy trees dotting the picture postcard perfection decorated with the sweetest little and big wooden houses all succeeded in entertaining us before the storm.  And then it began...... the thunder and lightening struck with pounding rain and a wind whipping through the valleys, it hammered and made it near impossible to see, it roared around us and blew like crazy........ no real bother though – we’re in a CAR! ;0)

Mountain storm - whoop to real rain!

'boof to you' (we where in the que for the tunnel so i wasn't driving that badly)

passing time in the queue for the massssive tunnel - JG practicing his punch

That'll be the way to sort it! UK v FR

Loving the activity we didn’t even get too disturbed by the 1 ½ hr wait to get through the hugest tunnel – amazing! And many many more of them followed and so we wished we had more than one Amy Winehouse CD (yes, she was terrific, but after the 10^th time hearing her it was time for something more positive, poor girl, RIP) to get us through them.  With ropey gps system and no paper map (arrrgh) we finally made our last-minute stop in Strasbourg to meet Pauline and Guillaume. 

 

 Cathedral in Strasbourg

Lovely quaint old town Strasbourg

(picture tool doesn't let me rotate anymore)- Fi by the cathedral

Mr Swan - getting narky he was!

Again, fabulous architecture in Strasbourg

 JG and the flowers

With no evening left to enjoy together, (some people have to work after all ;0) ), we decided to stay   the next day also and so where able to enjoy the beauty of this mixed-up pretty city – seriously cute architecture and thanks to P & G we even got to experience the very best of Alsancan Cuisine – Tarte Flambee with local wine in a highly recommended restaurant in a tiny little village, (still can't remember the name, but i highly recommend it! ;0) ).  Even better when topped-off with fresh-fruit ice-cream in front of a Cathedral light-show – impressive little Strasbourg i have to say!

 Pauline in the lovely restaurant

 A small reunion - JG, Pauline & Guillaume

 SUPER YUMMY Tarte Flambee in the wonderful restaurant - Guillaume & fi

 In front of Louis Vuitton - Fi umbrella AND Mr. Cloony's reflection - get in!

An early start got us back on the road that became increasingly familiar...... soon we saw signs for Venlo (Oceanco parties), Eindhoven, (cheap flights), s’Hertogensbosch, (my ex-colleague John is from there!), Breda, (business trips for JG),

 Somewhere close to home?? (take a look that sky!)

 Dordrecht, (friends live there too, and a cold cold November day with Lucille), passing Oceanco, (HELLO OLD COLLEAGUES!!) and finally, ROTTERDAM!!! 

Never mind the unpacking that followed, the sorting, the washing and the list of things we’ve got to do....... 

 Fi loving the old-faithful - CLIIIIIO!

JG after climbing all those lovely narrow Dutch stairs with not even all of our things! (no he didn't do it all himself!)

I've never been happier to be in the Netherlands, Rotterdam or home.

 HOME

And that's it.

This is fifi typing on her old faithful computer (it lasted the whole trip i just now i nearly spilt my big cup of earl-grey on it!) in a very familiar room, on a comfy seat enjoying the chilled music playing in the background.

Over-and-out.
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A BIG thanks to a lot of people - for your support, help, advice, encouragement (especially the texts and emails along the way), crewing, wanting-to-crew and putting up with us during the preparation, duration and now, the aftermath! 


(Especially our nearest and dearest :0) ) 
All the best, 


Fi & JG

xox

(kiss, hug, kiss )