A bientôt EU

[Velma's Dad]

Far from being "further afield" than Europe, Andorra is in Europe's heartland, squished between Spain and France, with the French president as joint head of state.

Quite a 'geography nerd' argument, but I can relate to that, and if it did the trick on this occasion...

But I note that the "Vodafone Global Roaming" scheme actually applies to only 110 countries - ie less than 60% of the 193 member states of the United Nations. So it surely can't fairly be described as "Global"?

(And if you make a call back to UK from the Falkland Islands - a British Overseas Territory - VF will charge you £2.00 a minute for the privilege.)

 

[Amarillo]

Day 143 - Imperia to Monte di Fo

We left the worst (and most expensive off-peak) campsite yet, with fond memories of the most delicious pizza yet, and were soon on the autostrada. Very bendy, lots of tunnels and lots of viaducts; narrow lanes, no hard shoulder and slow lorries. It was not a pleasant driving experience.

We came off the motorway at Genoa to go to the factory which makes the boat cover support prop that we use to support our tailgate. Our prop was destroyed in an earlier mishap I have previously been to embarrassed about to mention. We wanted a replacement. We arrived at the factory gates at 12:03, they shut for lunch at 12... So we went off for lunch too returning at 1pm. Yes, they made the prop; yes, they had dozens in stock; no, they would not sell us one. We had to go to one of their retailers. The local one in Genoa closed at 1pm for lunch and would not open until 3.30pm.

We drove instead to a retailer in La Spezia on a somewhat straighter and flatter road. Yes, they had one, and the retailer came back with the sort of prop a plasterer uses to hold plasterboard onto the ceiling. I bought it, and we were on our way again.

The campsite is at 800m in the hills to the north of Florence. The boys were excited by the thick piles of snow lying about. Clare looked at them with dread.

Once the bikes were unloaded the first thing I did was check the charge of our leisure battery - it was at 3 bars (50-70% charge). After such a long drive it should have been nearly full. Something was wrong, but what.


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[Amarillo]

Day 144 & 145 - Monte di Fo

In the morning our leisure battery was showing just 2 bars, (30-50%) charge - maximum is 5 bars (90-100% charge). The sky was thickly overcast, and likely to remain that way, so no chance of a good solar recharge. I started the engine, and immediately the voltage shot up: the battery was charging. It soon stopped charging, with the battery showing 3 bars. Something was preventing the battery from reaching full charge.

Walking Meg around the campsite, we were delighted to stumble across a Lamborghini in snow chains.

We drove into Florence, but got no further than Ikea on its outskirts. We had a cheap meatball lunch, bought a replacement duvet cover and some Christmas presents for the boys. Having planned to just buy the duvet cover, we came out with over 100 Euros of shopping. We never made it to the city centre.

On our return to the campsite, battery charge was still only 3 bars. We borrowed a lead, and hooked up to the mains supply. We had spent over 140 nights off grid, and our experiment to spend a full year off grid had ended with failure. I still couldn't work out what was wrong with the charging. I thought that perhaps the small charge from the solar panels were somehow tricking the alternator into believing that the battery was full, and to stop sending charge to the leisure battery.

In the morning I checked the battery immediately after unplugging the mains leaf. The battery was showing 4 bars (70-90% charge). After a full night on hookup it certainly should have been 100%.

We went to Florence again, parking in the suburbs, and took the bus into the centre. The cathedral is quite magnificent.

On our return to the campsite the battery was back down to 3 bars, and came to the conclusion that, at only 9 months old, we have destroyed our leisure battery. The constant charge and discharge cycle, using 50kWh of electricity over 143 consecutive nights off grid has irreparably damaged a battery that should last for three to five years.

In reaching this conclusion I have been aided immeasurably by the collective wisdom of the VW California Club, always ready to offer online help and support to members on the road. Thank you.


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[leightonjthomas]

Hi Tom
It sounds as if your battery, boat prop, weather etc are conspiring to make this one of the most challenging parts of your odyssey! No doubt there is also an element of fatigue after all these months on the road.
Your determination in adversity and your honesty in admitting when you've made mistakes are an example to us all and will, I'm sure, help you and your family through the rest of your experience of a lifetime.
Keep going, Tom, - we follow your blog with admiration and fascination in equal measure and we're right behind you.
Leighton

 

[Amarillo]

Hi Tom
It sounds as if your battery, boat prop, weather etc are conspiring to make this one of the most challenging parts of your odyssey! No doubt there is also an element of fatigue after all these months on the road.
Your determination in adversity and your honesty in admitting when you've made mistakes are an example to us all and will, I'm sure, help you and your family through the rest of your experience of a lifetime.
Keep going, Tom, - we follow your blog with admiration and fascination in equal measure and we're right behind you.
Leighton

Leighton, If it wasn't for things like broken tailgate props or flattened batteries, our trip around Europe would be very dull.

We are finding this leg of our journey much more enjoyable than the Scandinavian leg - perhaps because the boys are a little more independent, perhaps because we have one fewer dogs, perhaps because we have our pitching and striking camp sorted, or perhaps because of a bit of each of the above. We are so lucky to have this opportunity with our boys at this stage in our lives. Moving back to our semi detached house in a southeastern suburb of London will be the difficult bit.


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[Amarillo]

Day 146 - Monte di Fo

We had a quiet day on the campsite. We are the only people here, apart from the family who run it. We spoke to the owner about how his business works. Most of the site is taken up with caravans which have had wooden structures built around them, in some cases wholly enshrouding the caravan (I expect there are property tax advantages in Italy building a cabin this way). The owners rent the plots on the basis that they will have access all year round. As he needs to be there all year, it is no hardship for them to remain open for passing campervans like Amarillo.

We ate in the restaurant last night, the owner's wife being the chef and waitress. Ben and Jack shared a portion of spaghetti bolognese and Clare and I had roasted pork with chips. The spaghetti appeared greasy with a little bolognese tossed in, but tasted delicious - the spaghetti cooked perfectly, with just a subtle bite to it. The roast pork was a chop. The chips tasted just as my mum's chips tasted on the rare occasions that she cooked them.

Towards the end of our meal the family came in and ate together in the restaurant dining room. Mum, dad and their four boys looking a remarkably similar age, late teens to early twenties. Starting with dad, they each helped themselves to spaghetti from a large dish heated from below with a candle. There were no mobile phones at the table and the boys cleared away afterwards. I had the sense of a strong family bond.

So far the bread we've eaten in Italy has been horrible, only slightly better (and much less sweet) than Chinese bread, but no salt.


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[Amarillo]

Day 147 - Monte di Fo to Serravalle

It was misty when we packed up, so the tent and roof topper were a bit damp, but we were on our way soon enough, and as soon as we had descended 100m we popped out of the cloud. We've had five consecutive days of murk.

The motorway to Bologna was new and fast with several very long tunnels, and then we turned right onto flatish land, racing past the Imola Grand Prix cuircuit. Then, as soon as we hit the Adriatic coast we took another sharp turn to the right, and entered the twenty-first country of our trip, San Marino.

And yes, San Marino is a country - apparently the world's oldest, created 1716 years ago. It also boasts the world's oldest constitution still in use, written in the late 16th century. San Marino is the only country in the world where the number of cars is greater than its population. Its fourth great boast is having the world's worst National football team, securing a single 1-0 victory in International matches, against Lichtenstein. However, in 1993 they took just 8.3 seconds to score a goal against England in the final round of the World Cup qualifiers. Thanks Google!

We've yet to see much of the country, but the main town looks magnificent, perched on a mountain. The campsite is great, with plenty of space, several children's play areas and its own zoo.

Rain is forecast all day tomorrow, and then the temperature is set to plummet, from 17 degrees to minus four. Thank heavens for our wonderful diesel heater.


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[Amarillo]

Day 148 - Serravalle

"There was no possibility of taking a walk that day..." The weather today was just as described by Bronte in her book Jane Eyre. Of course, we did take a walk - at least Ben, Meg and I did, we had to. But apart from that one walk, it was a pyjama day. We stayed huddled in the van playing board games and we watched two films, Cinderella and The Wizard of Oz.

So rotten was the weather that we chose not to cook, but went to the campsite's restaurant for pizza, which is every bit as good in San Marino as it is in Italy. Similarly, the bread in San Marino is every bit as bad in San Marino as we have experienced in Italy. We've now travelled in Amarillo through 21 countries (if we count Gibraltar) and have bought and eaten bread in most if not all. The worst three bakeries have been the three bakeries we have bought bread from in Italy and San Marino. An almost inedible croissant in Imperia that left a cloying fatty taste coating my mouth, saltless dry loaves in Monte di Fo, and now baguettes that have been baked like breadsticks in San Marino. Perhaps someone can advise on what we should be looking for in Italian and Sanmarinese bread - I'm sure it cannot all be bad.


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[Loz]

Tom, I think the bread is turning you into Brian Blessed

 

[bigmac77]

Tom, I think the bread is turning you into Brian Blessed

The bread or the beard?

 

[Amarillo]

Day 149 - Serravalle

What a contrast: yesterday wet and miserable, today bright and beautiful. Still, we woke late, at 10.30, possibly the latest we've ever got up on this trip, and I cycled with Ben to the supermarket for bread, not wanting to risk the gigantic bread sticks on offer from the campsite delivery.

Cycling wasn't easy with Ben on the crossbar saddle. We are partway up a mountain, and the road is very steep. Half way and I ran out of puff, we got off and walked. In the supermarket I found "premium baguette" at 99 cents for 250 grams, equivalent to £2.80 for an 800g loaf.

The bread wasn't bad - but not good either. But I think I've solved the mystery of Italian bread, or Tuscan bread as it may turn out to be. It is baked to be eaten with salty antipasto olive oil drizzled on top, with saucy Italian foods or in soups. Tuscans eat pastries with their coffee in the morning. Not bread and jam (or in my case, bread and Marmite). Salt is not added to traditional Tuscan bread.

Once breakfast was over, we decided to go to the citadel of San Marino, the fortress on the mountain. A bus left the campsite at 1.55, and we were on it, having walked Meg and allowed the boys to let off steam in the playground.

For just 1 Euro each - the boys travelled free - we were transported to the gates of the city. It was magnificent, steeply pathed roads zig zagging through towers between shops hawking high class tat. Buttresses providing a vista to snow capped hills to the west or the Adriatic Sea to the east. And empty, except for a few Chinese tourists, us and Christmas trees decorated in the Norwegian style with colourful woolen threads running from crown to trunk.

The city reminds me of Minas Tirith as described by Tolkien in Lord of the Rings.

Tomorrow we will return.

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[T6 CFO]

Excellent blog Tom I'm sure it will be used for research for years to come and a great archive for you and your boys.

Mike


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Jabberwocky]

Wow more great weather, I know Tom you said it was wet and miserable yesterday but what temperatures are you enjoying. I see the boys have their coats on.
I can imagine you all getting these photos and stories out in a few years time and reliving your great adventure.
Are you planning some special treats for Christmas? You will be in Sicily I think?

 

[Amarillo]

Wow more great weather, I know Tom you said it was wet and miserable yesterday but what temperatures are you enjoying. I see the boys have their coats on.
I can imagine you all getting these photos and stories out in a few years time and reliving your great adventure.
Are you planning some special treats for Christmas? You will be in Sicily I think?

In the rain it was fairly warm, perhaps low teens. The last two days it has been bitter - low single digits daytime and below freezing nighttime. The hills below Monte Titano, on which the citadels sit, are covered in snow. The citadels are mostly snow free, I guess because they are further east and therefore closer to the Adriatic. Buildings in the city below will also have some heating effect on the mountain.

I have a vague idea about editing my blog into something more coherent about our journey around Europe. Sometimes it is a chore to write, and other times I take great pleasure in weaving the words into a picture for the reader. Primarily, however, it is a record in words and photos for Ben and Jack who will remember little of their journey with us.

We are in a villa outside Palermo for Christmas 17 December to 4 January. My parents are flying out on 19 December, on 20 it is Ben's birthday, then mine on 21. We'll celebrate Christmas together then on 28 my parents, Clare and Ben fly to the UK so that Clare and Ben can spend some time with Clare's dad. They fly back to Palermo on 3 January.

We expect temperatures to average mid teens over Christmas and the new year.


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[Jabberwocky]

In the rain it was fairly warm, perhaps low teens. The last two days it has been bitter - low single digits daytime and below freezing nighttime. The hills below Monte Titano, on which the citadels sit, are covered in snow. The citadels are mostly snow free, I guess because they are further east and therefore closer to the Adriatic. Buildings in the city below will also have some heating effect on the mountain.

I have a vague idea about editing my blog into something more coherent about our journey around Europe. Sometimes it is a chore to write, and other times I take great pleasure in weaving the words into a picture for the reader. Primarily, however, it is a record in words and photos for Ben and Jack who will remember little of their journey with us.

We are in a villa outside Palermo for Christmas 17 December to 4 January. My parents are flying out on 19 December, on 20 it is Ben's birthday, then mine on 21. We'll celebrate Christmas together then on 28 my parents, Clare and Ben fly to the UK so that Clare and Ben can spend some time with Clare's dad. They fly back to Palermo on 3 January.

We expect temperatures to average mid teens over Christmas and the new year.


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Tom, thanks for reply. Busy Christmas! Gosh the Villa in Palermo will be a relaxing break for all of you I guess. Two Birthdays too! We have one over Christmas as well - mine on 27th!
I wonder if Ben and/or Jack will ever seek to retrace any of these steps? Maybe they will take you back to some of these places.
I have found myself going back to places I went to with my parents. It's a kind of haunting experience for me as they have both passed on now. Families and shared experiences - strange things.

 

[Verity]

I have a vague idea about editing my blog into something more coherent about our journey around Europe. Sometimes it is a chore to write, and other times I take great pleasure in weaving the words into a picture for the reader. Primarily, however, it is a record in words and photos for Ben and Jack who will remember little of their journey with us.

My husband used to keep a blog of his business travels (he has a great wit, sadly missing now he only tweets - I hate twitter! He sent it off somewhere and had it turned into a bound book. It's lovely, and I wish he still blogged so we could have had a record of his amazing 10 years working for himself in the hort/agri/development world. He has had many interesting stories to tell.

 

[Verity]

Sorry Tom - I meant to quote a bit of your post but I think my finger slipped and I seem to have claimed your words!

 

[Amarillo]

Day 150 - Serravalle

We spent a second day exploring the mountain top citadel in slightly warmer temperatures, but with a bitter wind blowing. The mountain top has a ridge perhaps half a mile long with three towers linked by a precipitous walkway with bridges spanning vast chasms below. It was easy to understand how, with such fortification, San Marino has stood as an independent country for over 1,700 years.

late November is clearly a good time to visit. There are no crowds, and quite clearly the city is quite used to handling large numbers of rich tourists.

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[Amarillo]

Day 151 - Serravalle to Rome

We had packed the day before, so were ready to leave early. It was just as well we had, it was raining when we woke and the tent awning would have been unpleasant to pack.

Our sat nav is set up to give us three route options: fastest, cheapest (least fuel) and shortest. Nearly always two of the options are the same, or nearly the same, route, with the orange route (shortest) being different. Not on this occasion: the three routes were all very different, with just a few minutes time difference between red (fastest) and blue (cheapest). We chose the cheapest route.

The sat nav took us back into Italy and past a VW garage. We stopped and they confirmed that our battery wasn't fully charging. However, to replace under warranty, yes, that's right, to replace under warranty, they would need the van with the battery in-situ for about 24 hours. Apparently they need to follow a certain protocol which involves leaving the battery charging for 8 hours, and then running certain diagnostic tests to understand why the battery is not fully charging. We were not prepared to leave the van with them for 24 hours, so we went on our way.

To start with we were on good free autostrada, this soon became a mountain pass, and as we climbed and the rain continued I began to regret not asking for snow chains in the VW showroom, but the rain persisted and the snow held off as the temperature fell.

The road to Rome was long, over 4 hours according to the Sat Nav, delayed by 90 minutes at the VW garage and a further 45 at a supermarket. It was 6.30pm when we finally arrived at our campsite, raining heavily and cold. We were tired. I went to reception and was told by the receptionist that they were closed. I didn't have the wit to find out what 'closed' meant, it could have meant a variety of things, but I suspect it meant "I'm off home in 30 minutes and I just cannot be bothered to get out into the cold and wet to show you to your pitch." Why would a receptionist be there if the site was closed for the season.

There are three ACSI registered campsites around Rome open year round and offering the Camping Card off season discount. We drove to the second on our list, closer to town, but lower consumer reviews. We asked for a chalet for four plus dog, and they had one 54 Euros plus 10 for the dog. We were beyond caring over the price, and took it. A single large room with four beds and a bathroom. No fridge or even a kettle. We had to eat in the campsite restaurant - another 40 Euros. But we all slept well.


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[Amarillo]

Day 152 - Rome

It turns out that this Sports' Centre with chalets and campervan facilities is rather good for us. It's just a 10 minute walk to the railway station, which is just one stop to the Holy See. The train goes on to central Rome. We booked a second night into our room for 54 Euros, they seemed to forget Meg and we weren't going to mention her.

The other great thing about this campsite is that past the campervan area, at the very bottom, is a large open secure field, perfect for playing frisbee with Meg.

The downside is no kitchen, and especially no kettle. We had breakfast in the sports centre (6 Euros each - 1 child free). When we are trying to keep to under 100 Euros per day, 64 + 40 + 18 for accommodation and two meals only is unsustainable, especially so when that 100 Euros is supposed to cover all living and travel expenses except vehicle depreciation.

Travel into Rome was cheap, 1.50 Euros for a all mode travel pass lasting 100 minutes from first validation. We went one stop, left the EU for the first time since yesterday (San Marino is also outside the EU), and entered Vatican City. They were decorating the Christmas tree using cherry pickers.

Possibly the only thing that Ben and Jack like more than a Christmas tree is watching workmen on a cherry picker. They were in heaven. And to add to this ecclesiastical ecstasy St Peter's Square was full of people eating food - where there are people eating food there are crumbs - where there are crumbs there are pigeons - and when Ben and Jack see pigeons they run at them to watch them fly away. The entertainment in the square was perfect.

Eventually we dragged the boys out of St Peter's square and walked down to the river were we saw buskers. Ben was given some money to put into her guitar case. Not wanting to be outdone, Jack too demanded cash, and after being given a careful instruction to put it into her guitar case went up to her as she was singing and dropped it into her guitar just as she was in the middle of some jolly Italian ditty.

A cheap cafe lunch, then basic provisions for a bread and cheese dinner, and we returned to the sports centre.


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[Amarillo]

Day 153 - Rome

We want to stay longer, 3 nights more, but our room is no longer available. We've been moved to a chalet - with a kitchen - for one night, then we must move back to our room. However, we have been loaned a kettle.

Clare's dad had promised the boys some new shoes for Christmas, so we drove off in Amarillo to a shopping centre on the outskirts of Rome. Timberland shoes costing more than I like to say and some new trousers. MacDonslds for lunch and then a motor tour of the city.

What else could we have for dinner but spaghetti bolognese.


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[Amarillo]

Day 154 - Rome

We are getting quite used to sleeping in proper beds in proper bedrooms.

After breakfast and walking Meg we went to the railway station, met a Sister Gloria from Singapore, on pilgrimage to the Vatican and waited for our train. We were off to the colosseum to see on the inside what we had viewed from the outside yesterday. We were not as impressed as perhaps we should have been. And we were never sure where original began and where restored ended. Restoration or repair we were unsure, and it was difficult to imagine how it might have looked or felt in use. Still, I'm pleased we went. I'd have regretted it if we hadn't gone.


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[Hotel California]

Seems a ketlle is the red wire in the story the last few weeks.
You could buy one for christmas

Only went to Italy (Milan region ) two times and never liked the country , seems your story only confirms my view .

 

[Amarillo]

Seems a ketlle is the red wire in the story the last few weeks.
You could buy one for christmas

Only went to Italy (Milan region ) two times and never liked the country , seems your story only confirms my view .

Our best time in Italy has been outside Italy - San Marino and Vatican City. Like Spain, it is a bit of a chaotic country with flexible rules, but the people are friendly enough.


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[Amarillo]

He sent it off somewhere and had it turned into a bound book. It's lovely, and I wish he still blogged so we could have had a record of his amazing 10 years working for himself in the hort/agri/development world. He has had many interesting stories to tell.

What a great idea, and something we may well do once I have the time to read through my own ramblings and edit it into something coherent. I can't believe that we are not yet halfway through our journey.



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