Into Tuscany

Our eldest daughter, Sarah, and her family had taken a villa in Tuscany for a week and we had gladly accepted their offer of lunch prior to leaving the UK. Thus it was that we left Venice for Tuscany though it is  also  an area that we enjoy having previously spent time in Florence, Lucca, Pisa et al. We initially headed down the coast towards Ravenna and then cut inland to Bologna. Though we would have liked to have visited Bologna, time was pressing so we headed south of the city to Rioveggio where we booked into Riva del Setta. Another site found in Camping Card ACSI. We had long learnt not to arrive at sites prior to 3pm but soon settled in for a quiet evening. The following day we moved on to Montecatini Terme to the site, Belsito. Prior to arriving there, we reconnoitered the route to Castelveggio where Sarah and family were staying. Little did we know that this delightful village was high in the Tuscan hills and could only be reached by a tortuous route on a road often reduced to passing places. We had hoped that there might be an aree di sosta that we could use in the village but sadly this proved to be "dump and fill" only. Having accessed the village we returned to the site full of eager anticipation for a return trip the following day. This was duly achieved and all became worthwhile as we drove into the village square to see our grandchildren Jessica and Jack with their dad, Luke and Sarah waiting for us. Fortunately, we could leave the motorhome in the square outside the church whilst we walked to the villa. The views were splendid

and we thoroughly enjoyed our lunch together

Jan with Jessica and Jack

All too soon we needed to make our way down the valley once more to return to our site where we enjoyed the late evening outside the motorhome, wine in hand soaking up the view of the Tuscan hills

The following morning, we headed for Lucca. After some searching we succeeded in finding the excellent aree di sosta near the centre. It will already be apparent that we prefer to enjoy the security of sites though in this case we wished we had stayed at this gated,  secure and so convenient aire. After the short walk,  we reaquainted ourselves with this lovely town. Unlike the last time we were here we had the time to circumnavigate the walls which surround the city and a wonderful experience it proved to be.

Lucca retains its charm and we delighted in strolling around the streets and squares.

often passing colourful shops

As had been the case elsewhere it was good to enjoy outside the holiday season and we would always recommend May and June as good months to visit.

From Lucca we set sail for Viareggio, to the site of that name. We had promised ourselves a trip to the coast though we were not over excited at the prospect. It lived up to our worst expectations thogh I am sure for many it would be the ideal holiday resort. Gently frying on a beach is not for us and it was just too crowded. And this was in the low season!

Lake Como and Beyond

Following an early breakfast, we hit the road for the journey to our site on Lake Como. Joining the A35 near Mulhouse, we travelled south to turn onto the A2 at Basel. Though we had bought the Swiss vignette prior to leaving UK, it is worth mentioning that we have avoided toll roads all the way to Italy. The A2 proved a most attractive route as it bypassed Luzern and headed up the side of the lake. We had been looking forward to travelling through the St Gotthard tunnel, again free, and we were not disappointed. Seventeen km long, it seemed endless - certainly putting the Dartford tunnel to shame! From Lugano, we headed cross country to the D340 which hugs the Lake Como coastline. All the literature had suggested we avoid this route and travel the long way round to travel up the east coast of the lake. Once we joined the road, we could understand why and it would certainly not be recommended for caravans. The road twists and turns with some extremely narrow sections but scenically it was an absolute delight. Finally, we drove through Dongo to reach our site in Sorico. "La Riva" is set on the side of the lake overlooking snow clad mountains beyond.

Magnificent View

The site was quiet out of season, and the owners provided a warm welcome. There was the bonus of a lakeside pitch and a cycle track adjacent which  led to the village. It provided the first opportunity to off load the bicycles and for a couple of days gently relax.

Pathway in Front of the Site

In many ways reluctant to move on, we nevertheless had a lot of touring in front of us and Verona beckoned. This time we travelled down the east side of the lake. Not the most attractive of routes since much was in tunnels, it was, nevertheless, far quicker and easier driving. We soon found ourselves south of Bergamo on the A4 heading past Brescia to Verona.

Travelling through the centre of Verona was challenging but our site proved worth the effort.Camping Castel San Pietro is a superb site encircled by ancient city walls positioned high above the city. Essentially a camp site, there are spaces for five or so motorhomes and though it is tight the views across the city from a large patio area are quite spectacular.

Looking Across Verona from the Terrace

After a steep walk down the hill you arrive at the river and walk  across the bridge into the city

Having not visited Verona before, it certainly lived up to the glowing descriptions in the guide books. Again we had allowed a few days to see the sights and we thoroughly enjoyed strolling around the city and soaking up the atmosphere under clear blue skys. 

With time passing too swiftly, we soon found ourselves back on the road to Venice. This is a city we have visited several times. It has an ambience all of its own and we never tire of returning.
Camping Miramare is at Punta Sabioni from where you can catch the ferry across to Venice and to the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello within a five minute walk from the site. For the first time since entering Italy we were able to take advantage of a wireless connection at the site and catch up on the emails.

We had allowed five nights here and knew that this would not prove long enough. The day after arrival we soon we found ouselves approaching St Mark's Square and anjoying the view down The Grand canal

No matter how many times you visit, there always seems to be new areas to explore. For the first time we found the Ghetto area of the city providing a very different experience to the crowded atmosphere of St Mark's.  Travelling back up the canal in one of the ubiquitous vaporetto, we once more enjoyed the view of The Rialto Bridge

The following day we travelled out to the islands of Murano and Burano. Both favourites of ours, we love the brightness of the colours and the slightly less frenetic atmosphere.

The Cathedral of Santa Maria and San Donato in Murano is a must for any visitor. Dating back to the 7th Century, inside of the church, the most important church on the island, is a beautiful
floor made by mosaics (1140) and some splendid paintings.

It has an atmosphere all of its own and is always worth a few quiet moments. In the square is a small cafe where we delight in some local cuisine.

The days at Camping Miramare sped by and, with a promise to return in the not too distant future, we hit the road again towards Bologna and Tuscany.

Italy Here We Come

Taking our new home abroad for the first time proved an exciting experience. In the past, when towing a caravan we had always felt the need to plan ahead. All sites were carefully choreographed and safely recorded. Now we were determined to play to the obvious strengths of a motorhome and refuse to pre book. Well, almost! We booked a site on Lake Como, one in Verona and one in Venice - the rest we left to chance. May proved a good month to travel and there was a real sense of excitement as we drove down to our favourite CL outside Dover, Lenacre Court Farm, for an overnight prior to catching an early Sea France ferry. Sea France have grown on us in recent years. The food is good and the boat is clean and comfortable whilst we can usually also get the best deal.

Arriving in Calais at about 10am, we hit the road for our first overnight somewhere near Luxembourg. Having taken advice form other travellers, we took the autoroute to Dunkirk and headed down the A25 towards Lille. From Lille we joined the A23 to Valenciennes and turned east on the A2 to join the A7 traveling north of Charleroi. The A15 then took us north of Namur to join the A4 and once more head south towards Luxembourg. We really wanted to avoid toll charges whilst still maintaining a good average speed and this route proved excellent.
Our first site was Bon Accueil, near Hesperange south of Luxembourg. Excellent for an overnight stop, it was also well placed for us to rejoin the autoroute towards Mulhouse. Throughout our holiday we used Camping Card ACSI extensively and were never disappointed either with the excellent value or the consistent quality of the sites.
The following morning we were back on the road, keen to arrive at our second site near Mulhouse by mid afternoon. South of Luxembourge we joined the A31 south to Nancy. Here, we left the autoroute  and travelled down the N57. This proved a lovely run down the side of the Moselle past Epinal. North of Remiremont, we joined the N66 taking us to our next site at Cernay. Again, found in our Camping Card ACSI book, this municipal site, Municipal Les Acacias, was all we could have asked for. Very quiet out of season it is a large, spacious site within walking distance of the town centre. We soon learnt that Cernay is famous for its storks which were abundant nesting all around the site usually on high poles provided for their convenience.

The following morning we felt refreshed ready for the journey to our first booked site on the banks of Lake Como.

Starting Out

In September 2009, we finally collected our passport to an exciting retirement. The Autotrail Cheyenne proved to be all we had anticipated and we immediately felt comfortable. Though we had caravanned for many years, this was very much a new experience since we hoped it would provide a greater sense of freedom. There were, of course, teething problems as we found our way around. Following our first night on site, it was with some embarrassment that I realised we had left the grey water drain in the open position. The subsequent pool of water was difficult to disguise but we survived and now find it difficult to imagine we could make such a basic error.

Our first year of ownership included travels to France, Switzerland, Italy and Belgium though we enjoyed as much home touring to Cornwall, Hereford and Derbyshire.