The site at Epinal, Parc du Chateau, proved disappointing if only because there was a sparsity of water taps and toilet disposal was provided at the dump outside the site. This said, the pitches were a reasonable size and the location above the town very pleasant. We managed the fairly long stroll down to the town through the old castle grounds and, though the way was quite steep, we enjoyed the centre.
Switzerland beckoned the following morning and we set off for Luzern. The drive was a delight. The morning was clear which ensured we could appreciate the wonderful alpine scenery to the full. We had decided to splash out on the Camping International Lido since from this well appointed and spacious site we could walk along the lakeside to the town. Though 95 Swiss francs for two nights, far more than we would normally pay, the investment proved well worth it.
Luzern is a beautiful city positioned at the end of the lake and overseen by majestic snow covered mountain peaks.
We thoroughly enjoyed a day strolling around admiring the bridges and buildings whilst even managing the climb up to the city walls from where, again, we could admire the lake and beyond. Perhaps the greatest surprise was finding highland cattle and llamas quietly grazing in fields adjacent to the wall.
We thoroughly enjoyed a day strolling around admiring the bridges and buildings whilst even managing the climb up to the city walls from where, again, we could admire the lake and beyond. Perhaps the greatest surprise was finding highland cattle and llamas quietly grazing in fields adjacent to the wall.
After two relaxing days, we travelled further south to our next site on the southern tip of Lake Lugano. For a major motorway, the A2 is an attractive route through the mountains with the amazing St Gotthard tunnel along the way. We left the motorway on a slight detour to Locarno where we eventually found an excellent aire just off the lakeside opposite the pool and lido.
With the sun continuing to shine the stroll into Locarno proved very pleasant as was the lunch.
Following our sojourn here, we took the far more attractive lakeside route down the side of Lake Maggiore prior to crossing over the hills to Ponte Tresa situated on the border between Switzerland and Italy. International Camping at Lavena Ponte Tresa is a beautifully located and quiet site with its own pass controlled access to the lakeside. A downside was that a two amp supply of electricity struggles to run anything except the fridge. Our two night stay here allowed us the time to take a cycle ride alongside the lake and into the town.
On a bustling Saturday morning, we were greeted with a large Market which seemed to sell everything from deliciously fresh oranges to clothing and assorted bric a brac.
With the sun continuing to shine the stroll into Locarno proved very pleasant as was the lunch.
Following our sojourn here, we took the far more attractive lakeside route down the side of Lake Maggiore prior to crossing over the hills to Ponte Tresa situated on the border between Switzerland and Italy. International Camping at Lavena Ponte Tresa is a beautifully located and quiet site with its own pass controlled access to the lakeside. A downside was that a two amp supply of electricity struggles to run anything except the fridge. Our two night stay here allowed us the time to take a cycle ride alongside the lake and into the town.
On a bustling Saturday morning, we were greeted with a large Market which seemed to sell everything from deliciously fresh oranges to clothing and assorted bric a brac.
Sunday beckoned with a long motorway haul to our next site situated in the south Tuscan hills. Tolls are not cheap in Italy though they are difficult to avoid if you wish to move at a reasonable pace north to south. La Futa located in the Futa Pass is an excellent site with quite stunning panoramic views. The owners are particularly friendly and out of season we had the choice of some wonderful pitches.
Again booked in for two nights, we had the opportunity to visit the German war cemetery close to the site. Irrespective of which nationality, these huge cemeteries, tended with such care, can never fail to remind us of the utter futility of war.
Again booked in for two nights, we had the opportunity to visit the German war cemetery close to the site. Irrespective of which nationality, these huge cemeteries, tended with such care, can never fail to remind us of the utter futility of war.
Feeling fully refreshed after our short stay, again in brilliant sunshine, we left to make our way to Assisi.
Initial concerns on our arrival at Camping Fontemaggio in Assisi were soon dispelled.Our SatNav had not behaved at her best on our approach which had subsequently proved narrow, twisting and distinctly uphill and the site appeared unkempt. Concerns over the site were, in fact, completely unfounded. It was very quiet and our pitch was delightfully placed in the shade of olive trees.
Furthermore, for once, it was level. We had chosen the site because it suggested that it was in walking distance of Assisi and so it proved. After settling in we found the walk was probably slightly in excess of a kilometre and was an absolute delight with views stretching far over the plains below.
Assisi was everything you could possibly hope for and should not be missed by anyone travelling to Italy and particularly Umbria. Though very steep each turn provides a new vista to delight the eye. Returning to the camp site after a couple of hours we were both excited over the prospect of a more detailed inspection the following day.
On arrival back at the site, we were impressed with the menu on display for their restaurant and so determined to enjoy the local fare later that evening. This proved a good decision. The restaurant proved busy but not overcrowded and was clearly popular with locals - always a good sign. Meat was cooked over a large open grill and our meals were both well received, as was the Umbrian wine. This was clearly an experience to be repeated the following evening, not least because it represented extraordinary good value.
The following day we enjoyed a leisurely and extended exploration of Assisi. The Basilica di San Francesco, containing the tomb of St Francis is, of course, a must but the whole town is full of atmosphere and is perhaps best viewed quietly meandering around the narrow, and steep, roads and pathways.
We particularly enjoyed having lunch in the Piazza del Commune looking towards the temple of Minerva with its 1st Century façade constituting a row of six fluted columns with Corinthian capitals. In the afternoon, we struggled on the steep climb to the Rocca Maggiore with its splendid views over Assisi and the plain below the city.
The following morning saw us travelling to Camping Del Rosa on the coast at Gatteo Mare. This was not so much an inspired choice but more a convenient one if we were to use an ACSI site and travel north avoiding the autoroute. It was though an opportunity to dip a tow in the Adriatic. The area was everything we expected but at least it was out of season and relatively quiet. Serried ranks of loungers along a beach is simply not our scene. The site was slightly better than we had anticipated though the lack of camper van facilities was irritating and necessitated use of bucket and watering can. Though wifi was free, it was not possible to make a connection on the iPad so of little use. A bonus has to be the continuing dry and how weather.
From Gatteo Mare, we headed across country to Ferrara where we found the airee di sosta in the centre of the town. The journey proved very pleasant but the condition of the road gave us some anxiety - it has to be said, not for the first time. Ferrara proved well worth the visit with a substantial and impressive castle in the middle of the town surrounded by equally impressive government buildings.
There was also a street market where we indulged ourselves with a tart and biscuits made by the lady on the stall.
We travelled on through Mantova which also looked inviting though we did not take the detour into the centre. We arrived at our next site, Parco al Po, at Cremona, near the bank of the Po. This was probably our most disappointing site so far. Unusually, it failed to match the description provided in both the ACSI book and Caravan Club directory. The reception was far from welcoming and the pitches beset with mosquitoes, one of which clawed its way into my flesh on arrival. The following morning we set off on a walk to the centre of Cremona encouraged both by the description of the town and the suggestion that it was but one and a half kilometres away. About three kilometres later we found ourselves in a rather nondescript centre entangled with a Sunday bicycle rally. Rather disheartened, we walked back to the site which was some distance from the River Po though the site description suggest that it is on the bank.
We were not sorry to leave the following morning though, even then, we had an argument with the receptionist who tried to insist that we should not pay ACSI rates for our stay! It has to be said it is the first time in two years that there has ever been a dispute over ACSI rates which hitherto, has proved a superb deal.
The drive to Viverone for our next site on our travels north proved largely uninspiring though the extent of the rice fields was certainly impressive. We have not found it easy to find supermarkets in Italy during our travels and it was with some relief that we managed to replenish our stocks at a very welcoming supermarket in a small town en route. We arrived at our site on Lake Viverone rather early but what a pleasure it was. We were directed to our pitch by a character reminiscent of a young Steptoe and though we were rather shoehorned in, it was level with electricity to hand. The real bonus though was when we walked out of the site on to the bank of Lake Viverone.
Across the road from the site, the footpath stretched away in both directions with views across the lake to the mountains beyond. Though a little cloudy, this only served to provide a greater degree of atmosphere and we enjoyed a very pleasant evening walking along the side of the water, often accompanied by ducks and their new families.
On Tuesday 21st May, we left Lake Viverone at about 9.00 am on our drive through the Aosta valley to our next pitch at Sarre. Sadly, the cloud was down and the mountain tops were therefore largely hidden from view. This, though, did not detract too much from some spectacular scenery. On the way, we stopped at the Airee di Sosta in Aosta and had a look around the town where we found some spectacular Roman remains.
After lunch at the Airee, we travelled on the short distance to the site, Monte Bianco, arriving in rain. In the afternoon, we crossed the busy main road and climbed up to the town of Sarre. The evening was spent watching a film to the accompaniment of rain drumming on the roof.
The following morning saw us on the road again, towards the Mont Blanc tunnel. Approaching the tunnel, a detour saw us exploring the mountains in greater detail than we had expected. You could only admire the skill of the lorry drivers who negotiated the hairpins with consummate ease. It was certainly a drive to remember. The tunnel cost an amazing 48 euros though we felt this was a worthwhile investment. Exiting the tunnel on the French side and driving into Chamonix we stopped to take some pictures of the snow storm – the temperature having dropped to 1 degree.
Only a few days before we had enjoyed temperatures of 36 degrees in Assisi! It was an extremely picturesque route down through the French Alps with the villages looking remarkably Swiss.
We finally arrived at Camping Europa, just past the centre of St Jorioz on the shores of Lake Annecy at about 2 pm. Again we enjoyed a lakeside walk looking across the water to snow clad mountains beyond. It was still cool, the temperature having risen to a respectable 8 degrees.
We left the site fairly early on a leg across country to our next stop at Pont de Vaux. Travelling on our usual D and N roads, the roads were even quieter than normal as 2nd June is a Public Holiday. The terrain was initially hilly particularly through the Gorge de L’Ain which was both steep and very attractive. We subsequently reached flatter country and stopped at a quiet car park in St Trivier de Courtes for lunch prior to moving on to the site.
Aux Rives du Soleil provided large pitches and was attractively presented. The only slight problem was an insistence on only emptying toilet waste if organic fluid had been used. This was the first, and thankfully the only, time we met such a restriction.
Aux Rives du Soleil provided large pitches and was attractively presented. The only slight problem was an insistence on only emptying toilet waste if organic fluid had been used. This was the first, and thankfully the only, time we met such a restriction.
Again a fairly early start as we had decided on quite a lengthy journey to Loche for our next stop where we thought we would stay two nights to provide an opportunity to look at the town. The journey was excellent and we managed to stock up on fuel and groceries in a large hypermarket en route. After a couple of short stops, we arrived at La Citadelle on the outskirts of the town. The site is attractive though surprisingly busy and for the first time predominantly with English campers though we had noticed an increase in English as we moved up through France.
We took the short walk along the river into Loche the following morning. What we found was a beautiful contained medieval city.
The Keep and Royal Lodge is well worth a visit and we didn’t hesitate to purchase the combined ticket to explore both these areas. Following two or three hours enjoying the sites, we bought bread and brie at the huge street market and ate it in the adjacent park.
After more quiet rambling around the streets in the afternoon, we returned to the motorhome prior to walking back to the park in the early evening. Loche should be on everyone’s itinerary.
On Sunday we left the site and headed further north. For the first time, our SatNav failed to provide the route we wanted so we resorted to the map. Again, we took advantage of “D” roads and travelled through several very attractive villages on our way to Durtal, near La Fleche. The site, Les Portes de l’Anjou, proved excellent and is situated on the bank of Le Loir. Our pitch overlooked the river and, after settling in and waiting for a thunderstorm to subside, we walked into Durtal which proved very attractive with an imposing chateau in the centre.
The beginning of our final week saw us heading for Ambrieres les Vallee. Again using “D” roads but, this time, ably assisted by our SatNav, we arrived in the early afternoon at Camping Le Parc de Vaux on the bank of La Varenne. This proved a beautiful site which forms part of a large sports complex and adjacent to an equestrian centre. Given the generally parlous state of our languages, we constantly admire the linguistic ability of many of those we meet on the continent. The site owner was multilingual, easily switching from French to German to English apparently quite seamlessly. Almost all of the sites we have stayed on are in the Camping Card ACSI book and this was no exception. 11 euros a night all inclusive is certainly an extremely good deal for such an attractive and well appointed site. After settling in, we walked along the way marked footpath to Ambrieres les Vallees where we found an interesting orchard complex planted with community owned trees.
The following day we travelled to Neuchatel en Bray to our penultimate site of the holiday at Sainte Claire. This site is immaculately clean with well spaced pitches. The walk to the town is along the Avenue Verte which is a cycle/footpath along a disused railway track from Forges-les-Eaux to Dieppe. Neuchatel is quite a large provincial town and worth a visit. In the morning, we traveled along a picturesque route to Liques for our final stop at Pommiers des Trois Pays. We had made the error of booking an afternoon ferry the following day which actually left us too much time on our hands, particularly as Liques is not the most attractive of small towns. The ferry proved quiet and smooth and we arrived back at Dover in good time to clean down the ‘van on our usual CL prior to travelling home on the Friday morning.
It had proved a varied and very pleasant holiday over 26 days. The motorhome had behaved impeccably except for the inside handle on the habitation door failing to operate. A task which I will tackle, hopefully under warranty, now we are home.
