Relaxing in Sanremo and the start of journey home - 26th Oct ‘19

Another hot warm Italian Riviera day - our last in Italia.

And the final day was a relaxing one making the most of the hot sunshine. No doubt the last we’ll experience in 2019?

We needed to get out a wee bit earlier today as we really wanted to see Sanremo centre with everything open. So after a quick breakfast we set out for a walk into town. Gee the sun and the weekend make a big difference in this town... the cycle path was packed and the cycle hire places were opened for the first time. There was even folks in the beachside bars that had remained empty (we assumed closed?) all week.

We managed an hours shopping before things closed up. Up and down the narrow shopping streets and then into a very impressive outside and inside market. We bought stuff from several market stall - including some more local olive oil and Limincelo. Kim also got some stuff from a smashing kitchen shop called Excelsa - very friendly and helpful staff.

We ended up, as always, eating and drinking. Today was in a wee street side bar / cafe where they did a mean mushroom pizza - with frites of course!

A coffee half way home to keep us going in the heat - arriving back to Brunnehilda at about 3pm.
This gave us an hour by the sea - me swimming, Kim relaxing and reading on the rocks. Then the next hour to shower and pack up. It all took a little longer than we planned and we didn’t leave until gone 6.30pm.

We had decided to try and get a hundred miles or so done tonight before finding an Aire to grab some sleep. Readers of this blog won’t be surprised when I report that things don’t quite go to plan!
Firstly, the realised as soon as we left the camp we had forgotten to fill the car up with fuel- so we stopped to get some in a garage in town and then, thanks to some rather strange Italian parking, we had quite some fun getting back onto the road. Once we had got Brunnehilda up the long and winding road to the motorway we set off on the familiar route out of Italy - familiar because we had done it twice already with the airport run.

We started looking for a suitable Aire after 3 hours driving - about 10pm. We finally found one 90 minutes later - the fourth one we tried. The other 3 were so crammed with lorries (and confusing and conflicting signs) that we just ended driving in, driving around and driving straight out again.

We finally found one at Avignon so have put the stays down and gone straight to bed. We both have a rotten cold / cough now so I think it’s going to be a long night - and the clocks go back!
Kim’s cold seems to have gone to her stomach- if you know what I mean!? Far from the soothing sounds of a Sanremo busker?!

PS. Pros and cons of this Italian campsite in tomorrow’s blog.

A sunny day at Villaggi dei Fiori, Sanremo & a nightmare journey to Nice Airport - 25th Oct ‘1

You will remember Jim Bowen on the 70s/80s quiz show Bullseye, when the couple in the final failed to win the star prize, they would pull back the curtains to reveal a brand new Austin Ambassador or a speedboat and Jim would say with utter delight ... “let’s have a look at what you COULD have won”.

Today was our Jim Bowen moment, as on our penultimate day in Italy, normal service was resumed with the Italian Riviera weather and the sun came out!

As it was Bobby’s last day he wanted to get as much time in the sun as possible so we decided to have a lazy day staying local until it was time to take him to the airport. And, it is fair to say, in footballing cliche terms, today was definitely a day of 2 halves!

Pre 5 pm was very relaxed. Bobby and I managed 2 swims in a very calm sea.

We strolled along to get a very nice coffee, cake and slice of Pizza. French food has definitely disappointed, Italian food has been better but some elements disappointed, what has way over performed in our expectations has been the Italian coffee!

Finally we made a gorgeous Vegetable paella on the Cadac. When I say “we” ... Kim did the preparation and detailed instruction, I did the “5 year old in a kitchen” stuff of adding stuff in and stirring stuff around. I have to say we both carried out our individual duties very well! We accompanied this with some bread and the local olive oil and some local balsamic vinegar we purchased at the local supermarket - there’s something else for the list of what the Italians do well.

The non-relaxing 2nd half started soon after 5 as we headed out for Nice airport to get Bobby on his 8pm flight in plenty of time. 3 hours to do 40 miles - what could go wrong???

We decided to follow Percy (the Sat Nav) so we went on the best route up the mountain to the motorway junction. All was going well until I missed a right turn. No worries, Percy quickly and efficiently found an alternative route up the mountain. Unbeknown to us we were now set on a voyager of adventure. The narrow lanes with no passing places, the long stretches of 25% inclines and the sheer drops with no barriers were just the entree for the main meal that was to follow.

As we were approaching the end of our unexpected adventure we came across another mind blowing my steep hill but this one had houses either side rather than walls or Olive growing buildings. There was an old Italian women at the top who, considering the speed I was needing to build up to get up the hill, was worryingly slow in shifting out the way. The she held her hands up in a very dramatic fashion and made it quite clear with hand gestures that there was no way we were going to get through the gap. Kim then noticed a sign saying 1.6m - well the XC60 is over 1.9 m so the laws of physics demand only one next action .... backing down the steep hill, through this narrowing gap in the houses to find a drive to turn around in.

Bobby got out to hand signal and move stuff, that could be moved, out my way. It needed a couple of attempts and by the time I had succeeded we had quite an audience. The old woman was joined by a guy on a scooter and 3 drivers in tiny Italian cars / vans trying to get through. No one seemed very amused or empathetic- just ambivalent and slightly annoyed. And what of Kim ... well as well as the Volvo’ front, rear and side beepers going off constantly, I could hear the occasional whimper coming from the back seat - like a puppy on its way to the vets. Anyway we turned round and the journey down to the main road seemed quite tame!

Given the delay caused by this and the deadline of a plane taking off, the last thing we wanted was motorway queues .... well we got ‘em! Turns out Friday rush hour around in one of the biggest cities in France is quite congested ... who would have thought it?? Then, school boy error, we dropped him off at the wrong terminal and had to pick him back up and take him to the right one! Good news though, he got the flight! Well actually bad news, we going to miss Bobby for the last few days of our Italian adventure ... it’s been great.

The journey home was fairly uneventful save for Kim having to get out the car and helping a little old Italian  gentlemen driving a little old Italian car get through a knackered toll barrier as it clearly wasn’t taking his money and he seemed to have run out of both Euros and ideas!

By the time we got home to Brunnehilda we just wanted an easy life ... so we watched a DVD - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Skin Pie Society. Mrs Pitts, ace film reviewer, summed it up rather well in one word ... “harmless!”. After today’s fun and games, there is nothing wrong with “harmless”!!

Swimming & Walking in the rain at Villaggio dei Fiori, Sanremo - 24th Oct ‘19

Brunnehilda sits about 10 yards, as the crow flies, from the sea. This is pretty special as we constantly have the sound and smell of the crashing waves onto the rocks about 2 yards below us. However, when the storms hit it feels and especially sounds, more like you are at sea than beside it.

The weather forecast looked horrendous for today - no more thunderstorms just constant rain after a grey morning. I have to say it didn’t disappoint! Bobby and I got another pre-breakfast swim in. The wee swimming harbour was a little fierce - most early Autumn days this bay would be like a mill pond. The temperature was fine once you got in so, once again, it was a pleasant way to start the day.

No drizzle this morning so we breakfasted outside overlooking a very grey sea. Why does food taste so much better outside? Just to put it out there though, that’s not to say that Kim’s breakfasts need air to breathe light into them .... well, you know what I mean.

We decided to have a lazy day today. Although Bobby is not as programmed to idleness as his 2 old parents! He decided to hire a bike and cycle into Sanremo while we read, relaxed and abluted. He was back by the time we had finished! He had had a couple of chain emergencies so he was as as oily as he was wet - yep, the afternoon rain had arrived on time!

And it didn’t stop. It was one of those UK type days where the rain just gets stuck. To be fair, as rubbish as the weather has been on this trip this was the first time it had really stopped us in our tracks. We soon got fed up of waiting for it to stop - we tried a walk up to the supermarket, another bike ride, book reading... this beast was here to stay, you either take it on or you give into it.

We thought we’d be very British and just ignore the rain... we put on our macs, got out the brolly and at 6pm headed into town - via the well worn but rather damp ex railway track. We got as wet as a prawns in jacuzzi during the 30 mins!

Everywhere was open but there wasn’t that lovely atmosphere that you get with alfresco Mediterranean dining - it had been literally washed away! We found a nice place called Trattoria del Porto .http://www.ristorantedanicosanremo.it/ The food (pasta!) was great and they were very obliging when the menu, as normal, was very un veggie friendly. There were lots of nice little touches with the service as well - including limoncello and shortbread after coffee. Service was included on the bill but we gave them a good cash tip as well. They were delighted and the waiters shook our hands and wished us all the best on our way out. I thought at one stage one of them was going to kiss us!

The rain had finally stopped and it was a fairly pleasant walk home - albeit with slightly damp clothes! The Italians were now out in force in the centre and the place was starting to liven up again.

More red wine and canasta when we got back to Brunnehilda. Bobby is feeling a little crook - I suspect the cheap supermarket vino is hitting back!?

Are you all sitting down? The weather forecast says no rain tomorrow and we might even see the sun!! Now that calls for another red wine... or perhaps not!?

3 Gorgeous Mountain Villages (Castellar / Badalucco / Montalto) - 23rd Oct ‘19

The biggest disappointment of our current trip has not been the “changeable weather” - that was to be expected I guess - but the realisation that the French and the Italians don’t really breakfast! You can’t really buy anything nice in the supermarkets and they certainly don’t seem to eat out for breakfast. The more regular readers of this blog will know that eating is quite an important part of any Pitts’ road trip - especially breakfast!

Anyway back to the weather .... floods and deaths in Northern Italy / Southern France all over the news and by jiminy we can see why. To be honest we’ve never seen weather like this outside Florida in the rainy season!! It was very hot and humid last night with rain / drizzle most of the morning and afternoon and then .... another mind blowing thunderstorm started at about 7pm tonight and is still raging now - at midnight! Sure, it sounds much worse in Brunnehilda but the wind and rain are staggering!

Considering the awful weather we’ve really had a nice day!? The rain did stop between 1 and 4 and that’s when we were out in it. Afternoon is good for us as we don’t get out until lunchtime but it’s not good in Italy ... everywhere shuts down between 2 and 5pm so it’s hard to find shops / restaurants open at this time.

After a very late “wake up” this morning, Kim made breakfast while Bobby and I went for a swim in the drizzle. A refreshing way to wake up to a new day.

After breakfast and ablutions it was pushing 1pm when we left the camp. Frustratingly we had to breakfast in Brunnehilda as a lack of awning / canopy drove us in from the rain.

We thought we might escape some of the weather by going inland. I found 3 interesting mountain villages to visit - all within a 25 mile round trip. Actually it wasn’t a round trip more up and down and up and down and then up and down again!

First Village: Castellaro 

We zig zagged up a 3 mile road from the coast with some gorgeous scenery but terrifyingly scary drops. It was certainly worth it. A maze of tiny streets (well paths to be fair) with ancient medieval houses all crowded round. As always with a very impressive church on top - although this one was locked.

We managed to find a coffee shop open so had a really enjoyable Italian coffee. Kim took a fancy to the teaspoon and asked the lady if she could buy it. She was a bit taken aback by the request but when she realised what Kim was after she just let her take it. So much more civilised than slipping it sneakily into your handbag!

Second Village: Badalucco

To get to this one we had to drive down from the other one then we followed a very impressive river up into the mountains about 7 or 8 miles. This road wasn’t as hairy as the other one as we seemed to be going up at the same rate as the river was tumbling down. The town was a weird little place. The drizzle had started again, everywhere was shut apart from a number of dodgy looking bars with a lot of “mountain men” hanging around! We found a gorgeous square with an old church open for visitors. There was a cafe  / restaurant there which would have been superb but of course ... it was shut!

Kim found one place open. A little old lady seemed to have just opened her kitchen and front room as a shop. She was selling home made soap and olive oil she had made / pressed herself. Needless to say we bought some stuff.

Third Village: Montalto Ligure

More zig zag hairpin bends climbing dramatically up the mountain - about 3 miles deeper into the interior than Badalucco. This one was the most amazing of the 3. Even more of a labyrinth of ancient lanes than the first but virtually no one around and nothing open.

The highlight was finding an absolutely disgusting toilet (we were desperate!) and a lovely restaurant - the toilet was open but of course the restaurant was shut!

We got down the mountain and were back on the coast by 5pm. A quick visit to a big supermarket / centre (it reminded us all of Weston Favell Shopping Centre, so not good!) and then back to Brunnehilda as it was getting dark.

We went up to the campsite restaurant for tea. We all had pasta as pizza wasn’t available - not a problem though as it was very very good. Kim squeezed in some washing and drying during the meal!

On the way walking back to the van the storm kicked in big time.

When we got back Bobby had a bottle of red wine I had a bottle of Belgian beer and Kim hit the aqua! We tried to teach Bobby canasta but to be honest it would have been easier teaching a chimp to crochet! Not sure if it was the red wine or our explanation? After the experience Bobby did express some empathy for Rachel though - she’s been very patient over the years as we’ve taught her all sorts of odd card games.

Let’s finish the blog on a high weather wise... although the storm rages on at the moment it was a glorious sunny week last week and it’s due to be another glorious sunny week next week so that’s a bit of luck eh?

Picking up Bobby from Nice Airport, then a day and night in Sanremo- 22nd Oct ‘19

French and Italian sites seem much more laid back about how you use your allocated pitch space. Every UK club site (not CL site) has put forward a preferred set up. Some (Weymouth) being very specific, so much so that we had to put her in facing a hedge. Some (Cromer) have had neighbours that were clearly not pleased with the way we were set up. Contrast that to F and I where none of the 3 sites have even offered a set up suggestion, people do their own thing and it just seems to work. My theory still remains - it’s not just the UKs love of rules, it’s an ‘ism about things that are different. #bolloxtobrexit

No such problem this week ... on 2 of the 3 sites the nearest vans have been fellow Knaus vehicles and 8 out of 10 vehicles are Italian or German - no discrimination against English vans though - funny that eh? Rant over.

Woke up to a sunny but windy day. Set off to pick up Bobby from Nice airport at 11am. So we breakfasted early.

We planned to go via a camping shop in Nice. Problem was what the Sat Nav didn’t tell us that it was in the middle of a shopping centre in the middle of the City. So we drove in and out of Central Nice without stopping arriving at the airport about 5 mins before Bobby’s flight landed. French drivers, like Italians seem a lot more relaxed than UK city drivers - with the exception of French bus drivers who must pass a test in being obnoxiously rude and unhelpful.

By 1.30pm we had picked Bobby up and we’re heading home . The fabulous views were a little more enjoyable now we haven’t got Brunnehilda in tow and we’ve got over the surprise of the sheer drops!

We called in at another Carrefour to stock up and then on to Brunnehilda. After a bit of a snack Bobby and I went for a swim. We were trying to work out the last time I swam in the Med? We guessed it to be about 40 years ago! Whenever the last time was, this time was bloody gorgeous! Not too cold, certainly not warm ... just right.

The nice warm day had turned into a nice warm evening so we headed out for the 30 minute walk along the old railway line into the centre of Sanremo. We ended up at the port side at a restaurant called Clapsy! http://www.clapsy.it/ Considering it sounds like an STD it wasn’t a bad bit of grub. A bit overpriced and not a great lot of choice for Veggie / Vegan but it was a very pleasant evening / meal. Including another nice Italian coffee and a refreshing gelato ice cream walking home.

The walk home through town was very atmospheric and then very long as we all started to flag after a  long day. We made it back at about 10pm to crash out in front of iPhones!

A day in Sanremo - 21st Oct '19

Gee, what a thunderstorm. The only time we’ve ever been in a storm like that was in Florida - the difference being we weren’t in a tin can when it was going on - no offence intended Brunnehilda!

It rained all night but the mega thunderstorm woke us up at about 3.30am. The rain had stopped by the morning and by lunchtime there was some blue sky and sun. Being as we didn’t set foot outside the van until midday the grim side of the weather didn’t really bother of us too much.

This site is really nice. There are loads of toilet /shower blocks with one of them being particularly new and lush - that’s the one we used to shower and ablute. And, having a sea view is really nice when the rain stops.

After a day in the car we decided to leave it at home today and headed off to Sanremo town centre on foot. There is an old railway track that has been turned into a cycle way / foot path so it was a very pleasant walk. We ended up at the wee port which is right in the middle of town.

Sanremo is very Italian. A bit grubby and run down but very interesting and characterful. By the time we had walked the 2 miles it was time for our first Italian coffee - and it didn’t disappoint.

Sanremo has a very old medieval centre with lots of little lanes full of shops and restaurants. We enjoyed a stroll around as everything was re-opening after the Italian 3 hour lunch shutdown!

We walked back along the main road getting back to Brunnehilda to recharge our batteries for a bit before walking to the supermarket just over the road and buying tea. We ate it outside Brunnehilda watching a cruise boat in the dark creeping across the dark sea - overnight crossing to Barcelona? Kim is having caravan accessory envy. A lot of the German motorhomes have some wonderful canopies and outside living setups. The jealousy is made even more acute as we can’t put up Isabella!

So a really quiet day but it was a smashing way to introduce ourselves to Sanremo.

The drive from Lyon to Sanremo (Italy) - 20th Oct ‘19

Another day, another country and another evening sitting in Brunnehilda with the rain lashing and the wind howling. The difference is, the heating isn’t on as it’s not cold just wet and windy.

We arrived in Sanremo at about 5 pm. We left Lyon at 6.30am squeezing in 3 stops at Aires along the way. It was about 330 miles but due to high winds for 100 or so miles of it, we had to take it easier than normal. Also the last 30 miles, from just the other side of Nice to our destination was a little hairy! It’s just wall to wall tunnels and very high and exposed bridges. Beautiful sea views but as the driver I didn’t have the opportunity to enjoy them. Nor did Kim as its hard to see much when you’ve got your hands over your eyes and occasionally groaning on terror as you see the vista dropping away outside your near side front window! She did manage to keep reminding me though to keep my hands on the steering wheel, so that was something?!

Anyway we made it safe and sound. It turns out that lorries are “grounded” between Saturday and Sunday evening so the Aires are full of them just kicking their heels and taking up lots of the available parking spaces. That said, the first Aire we stopped at was so huge it could have catered for the complete Eddie Stobart lorry fleet and still have room for little old Brunnehilda. The sun was out enough at one of them to enjoy reading our books outside. Food and drink continues to be beyond belief awful - how the French have the nerve to criticise UK food I know not! The cheese and bread is poo and the only think you can get for breakfast are sugar based products. And believe me you can have too many pan au chocolats!!

A couple of dramas worth mentioning:
1) I did it again! I put in the name of the city in sat nav when we started off and didn’t change for the more accurate street address when we got closer. The upshot was driving through the middle of a very busy town trying to find a way of turning around!
2) Not only did the ad blue light come on but the bloody emissions warning light came on as well. Luckily this happened to my previous car and it’s nothing to worry about. Although I did have to buy some more ad blue and we’ve also now got to put up with the bloody warning light being on for the next 1000 miles!
3) I overshot the entrance to the site and I had to back up which made an old French couple in their motor home very cross. This is a real shame as the French have been first class this week, all very friendly - maybe it’s motorhomers??

The site seems great. https://www.villaggiodeifiori.it By the time we set up (in the drizzle!) and had a cup of tea we decided to have a quick walk around before settling down. We’re right on the sea front, there is beach access, a pool and a nice restaurant - where we purchased a take away pizza and eat in our chairs outside in the dark looking out to sea. The pizza was fab!

One bad thing though, apart from the howling gale, we ain’t going to be able to set up Isabella - not much room and no where to peg her into!

An episode of The Wire on DVD and an early night. The caravan is certainly “a rocking” tonight! If you know what I mean?!