France - The French Riviera (2)

We left Nice on a rainy day at midday after a cooked breakfast in the 'van - yes it does rain on the Cote d'Azur - and made a leisurely drive for St Tropez further west down the coast. Following the coast road can be slow going even in the low season having to navigate your way through the highly built up area, towns and villages. The motorway on the cliffs above the coast is an option if time necessitates it. We arrived in St Maxime during the French lunch hour on the Sunday and readied ourselves to wait for the Warden until he appeared. Miraculously there was no wait and we spent the afternoon reading and blogging after the two out-and-about days in Nice.
Next morning it was off to St Tropez, sadly the weather forecast remained gloomy and we decided to start our journey back to England after the one night stay near Port Grimaud. We did do a short walk around though and came across these lovely objets d'art displayed by a local art gallery, all made from old engine parts.

'Robocop'

'Save the Rhino'

Walking through the marina one cannot miss the 'Miniature Venice' theme with moorings and pedestrian bridges, restaurants, bars and cafes and some beautiful yachts all over the place. Modern apartments abut the marina and unless you are into the boating scene you will feel out here. You can look the part though ....

The marina at Port Grimaud

We have been to that lovely old town of St Tropez before, walked its streets and the large yacht marina giving St Tropez its glitzy glamour feel of money and decadence and that French style of joie de vivre. We did not visit it this time round but there will be another time. The Cote d'Azur is not a destination to do in a rush, if you are going there take time to just sit in the sun at a pavement cafe or bar with a glass of something and watch the people - just as you will be watched.

And remember to have fun .... !

France - The French Riviera

The entry into France from Italy is noticeable after only a few miles. The first is the cleanliness of the surroundings and the environment and the quality of the roads. Maybe not surprisingly, it is the most visited and probably the most moneyed part in real estate value, on the whole European continent.
It has superlatives of many kinds - grandness and opulence, mostly good sunny weather, good hotels and good restaurants, large yacht clubs and marinas with large and very expensive yachts and boats. The list goes on, but you get my meaning.
It has shopping areas, Mall's and arcades where, big stores small shops or simply little alleyways where you can walk and window shop for hours. Boredom and nothing to do does not exist here. Most important of all is - bring your wallet or purse, make sure you have cash and that your credit cards have been paid up to date. You can if you want max them out in a very short time ....
It caters very well for motorhome owners with camperstops and campsites all over the place - some were free for an overnight stop and some will charge you upwards of 60 Euros per day in the high season (June, July, August). This time round we were only passing through really and will visit for longer spells again in future.

The Cote d'Azur (French Riviera) in southeast France

We made use of a free camperstop outside Nice simply for the purpose to secure an Internet connection from SFR the French version of Vodafone. The following three nights was at an ACSI campsite with all facilities, to use as a base for exploring Nice.
There is no better place to start than the Promenade des Anglais on the Nice waterfront. It is beautiful, it has life and it is of the best people watching promenades to be found anywhere in the world.

Parc des Maurettes near Nice.

Promenade des Anglais in Nice

Cascade of water from the Bellanda Tower - view point in Nice.

Nice yacht basin (Port of Nice)

Commemorating the end of the war

" A Victory for Freedom and for People over Servitude and Dictators" 

About to land at Nice airport

Hobie Cat sailing, a wonderful inexpensive and very thrilling way of pitting your skills against the wind. The height of the mast and spread of sail will determine your skills level and speed. Yourself only if you so choose but an extra crew member will help with the workload, speed and leaning whereby one of the hulls are lifted out of the water giving a unique sailing experience. The Comores Islands in 1996 .... ! Probably a bit rusty now, but nothing that can't be remedied .... ! And like motorcycles, you are only proficient once you have come unstuck a few times.
The shopping mall near Nice airport provided an ideal opportunity for plane spotting and a good few hours were spent doing some aviation photography.

My Portfolio:-
http://www.airplane-pictures.net/member-profile.php?p=6981

Hobie Cat near Nice airport

We spent two full days 'doing the rounds' in Nice and Cagnes-sur-Mer near our campsite. The days were warm and sunny although the nights were quite chilly with temp dropping to single figures. We will be back!

Italy and the Italians

If there is one nation on this planet that can speak of tunnels and the ability to build them it must be the Italians. It also came to our notice that the nearer you are to Italy's northern neighbours the better the roads generally. The opposite applies the further south you go, with places in southern Italy and Sicily just plain bad and bumpy.

The drivers in Italy - best to ask Joan! If they're not on the mobile phone gabbing away, they're wannabee racing drivers. Whether in a Fiat with no wing mirrors or the odd something more upmarket, they're right behind you and the hand very near the hooter. Truck drivers are much the same, except that they also use the fear factor of knowing their vehicle is bigger than yours. If you don't religiously do 95km/h on the motorway you will be notified by the blast of those twin train style trumpets on the roof, and soon after they will try and overtake you. In a motorhome the most relaxing speed is 100km/h, which can drift to 90km/h as you are on holiday looking around at things. Yes, the 'van is equipped with cruise control but .... well you know ....
The remedy against truck drivers is to just stay ahead and wait for the first uphill, then gradually slow down as he cannot overtake you on an uphill because he hasn't the power. The slower you go means he has to keep changing down on the gears until he is doing a nice 50km/h or so. As you near the top of the uphill gradient speed up again and do 110km/h for the next 10 km or so and you will not see him again.
Then you have the scooter riders .... death wish on two wheels they are. Best to ask Joan - again! Nothing beats the scooter riders of Sorrento though - nothing! Helmetless, no gloves, pair of shorts and trainers / sneakers / sandals weaving in and out of the traffic like a yo-yo. We even saw a guy in Sorrento with a 11kg gas bottle between his legs going like the clappers, making us think the scooter is gas powered.
Remember, you are in Italy and they do not do what is boring, so chill out, go for a coffee or a glass of wine once you're parked and be like an Italian. Put your RayBans on and shop around for a nice leather jacket or a leather shoulder type bag which hangs down to your waist. Many men have them. Even if you're not rich make an effort and at least look like you are - you're in Italy, the Italians don't do overt poverty! The economy may be in tatters but their clothes aren't.
Hair styles and hairdressers, this is big money in Italy. The latest fashion for the under 30's is to have a US Marine style cut with a bit of two inch long black gelled hair on the top of the scalp. I saw many walk into the barber, with the barber not even being told what is wanted - he just knew! Whilst on Sicily Joan had the opportunity to have her hair done in a laundry. The campsite offered a service whereby the hairdresser visited the campsite every Monday where by appointment you could have your done in the laundry. That explained why you could not do any laundry on Mondays, it took us two Mondays to figure out why the laundry book was marked as FULL, but with no bookings for the washing machine. And Mondays are traditionally a laundry day .... well there it was a hairdressing day.

My first visit to Italy was way back in 1981, mainly Venice and Rome with a day trip to the island of Capri, passing through Naples. I made the decision then and 30 years later still stuck to it .... forget it! Naples is mainly a garbage dump. It was indescribably dirty with discarded fridges and TVs thrown in streams and waterways. Many fellow motorhome travellers I spoke to this time round said it's still the same and worse. We went to Pompeii instead, which is less polluted and has the attractions of Vesuvius and the ruins of 'old' Pompeii. You can train to Naples if you have to.
The old saying of 'the rich north and the poor south' still applies and is very visible the further south you go. A modern motorway system is only now being completed to improve transport links in Calabria and Campania provinces. The topography is hilly and mountainous and many tunnels are being built to facilitate this. In some ways we had the impression that the southern provinces of Italy were neglected over many decades.

The people of Italy, the real Italians and the Sicilians, we found to be generous and forthcoming in so many ways. They do enjoy life (La Dolce Vita) and they have an easy going manner, we found them easy to talk to and not averse to striking up a conversation. Staff in supermarkets were always willing to show us where certain products were and most of the younger generation spoke some English - many had been to London on sightseeing tours and short breaks.
Staying on three different campsites also meant that we got to know many fellow British motorhomers - what a bonus! To all of them we say thank you for your company! We had some great laughs and the 'Sundowners' at Camping Scarabeo will be long remembered. So too our Christmas and New Years Eve celebrations at Camper Lagani - Cheers all you Guys and Gals!

Ciao Italia!

Italy - Castiglione South African Cemetery

The journey going up the spine of Italy towards Bologna had only one purpose, that being to visit the very tucked away Castiglione South African Cemetery 1939-1945. During the winter of 1944/45 the South African 6th Armoured Division was designated to this area, in helping the Allied offensive push the retreating Germans ever further north. Some 502 men are buried here on the hillside location in the Appenine Mountains between Bologna and Florence.
The journey was one of almost epic proportions, travelling through driving rain, sleet and even hail at some stage, only to find the roads in the Castiglione area recently cleared of snow! The roads were only just passable by a 3.5t motorhome. However, these are fellow countrymen who died serving the Allied cause of WW2 and I wanted to make the visit.

From the entrance gate

From the road leading into Castiglione

As is the case with all cemeteries falling under the auspices and care of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, this one too is immaculately cared for. It is small and far off the beaten track, but it is named the  Castiglione South African Cemetery and also carries the Afrikaans equivalent Castiglione Suid Afrikaanse Kerkhof. It honours and remembers a time when South Africa stood proud amongst the countries of the world ....

Wreath from the British Embassy in Rome. 

There was none from the 'new' South Africa ....

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning

We Will Remember Them

Back to mainland Italy

We spent 14 weeks on the island of Sicily. Not that it strikes you as an island, probably because of its size, it being the largest in the Mediterranean. It was both winter hideaway and an insight into how the Italians / Sicilians live their lives, which to them is just a cooler and wetter season. The first and in some ways abiding memory is that most of Italy south of Naples and most of Sicily needs a thorough cleanup. Not just a few thousand black bags, but a few hundreds of thousands of black bags! Maybe a few million .... it is as if there is a no care attitude towards the environment.
However, they are friendly and forthcoming and we found them ready to help, in my case with pharmacist and dentist in Catanzaro, Calabria. Our hosts in three campsites where we spent in excess of one month, Salvatore, Salvino and Angela - bless them all - were fine people and we wish them well!

A final sunrise at Camper Lagani in Giardini-Naxos, Sicily

A last visit to the beach showing lava rocks, prickly pear type succulent and the Med.

"We bless you and your city" - entrance to the port of Messina.

Mainland Italy after the ferry crossing

First night with snow capped - snow! -  mountains south of Salerno

We travelled north up the spine of Italy after disembarking hoping to make Salerno, but roadworks put paid to that and we spent the night in Sala Consilina. The town is close to the autostrada and showed a camperstop on the satnav. There was none and we duly asked at the local hotel whether we could overnight in the car park. Yes, said the receptionist and we parked out of view at the entrance to the Pizzeria - big mistake! The youngsters started arriving soon after dark and various comings and goings and cars and noise and loud talking, you name it, had to be endured until about midnight. Silence then descended on the place and we had a reasonable rest. The morning revealed the properly designated area for overnight motorhomers which we missed coming in, a good distance away from the Pizzeria entrance. Yes, yes ....

Onwards and forwards to Rome for our next one night stay.

Sicily - Mt Etna spewing bits of Lava

We were woken by what sounded like hailstones on the roof of the motorhome. It was just before 01:00 ECT (local time Sicily) and we took no notice of it. The clatter on the roof was followed by a low rumbling sound which I took to be distant thunder. It was only when some minutes later I heard animated voices talking outside that I decided to get out of bed and investigate.

Outside I found various other fellow motorhomers gathering around looking towards Mount Etna, not that you could see anything of it in the dark and obscured by heavy cloud. However, you still look as if something would be seen soon! What did bring the message home was that all around you bits of rock and solidified lava was falling, clattering on the roofs of the parked motorhomes. Quite an eerie feeling in the dead of night under a dark menacing sky!

Morning revealed a patchy carpet of bits of rock and solidified lava strewn all over as far as the eye could see. One has to be philosophical and put it down to another of life's experiences, another box ticked and ponder on the marvels and forces of Nature at work.

Oh yes, we soon learnt to NOT even attempt entering the 'van with shoes because all of the tiny bits cling to the soles and soon the inside carpet would feel like you're walking bare foot on a sandy beach!

Crunchy under foot when walked over

The size varied from salt crystals to sugar cubes

Now who would have thought that such beauty can emit such an unwelcome contents from deep within its unknown depths ....

Taken two days before on a glorious sunny day

Sicily - Syracuse

The camperstop and the city of Syracuse both came as unexpected pleasant surprises. The journey from Avola to Syracuse is less than 40km and the only reason we decided to stay a few days is because someone recommended the city as good value.

The camperstop came about because it was 4km outside town which is how we like it, presumably possible to cycle. Well it was not possible to cycle due to the busy road with no hard shoulder making it unsafe for cyclists, but the camperstop turned out to be a find! We had to negotiate for a realistic tariff and we also did a walk around before I booked in. It was rustic with no other 'vans on site - it was empty! It had acceptable ablutions and amenities but above all it had Almond trees in full bloom and the first of the Spring wild flowers coming out. It had a citrus orchard which the lady said we could take from as we please - and - it had total silence, peace and quiet! These attributes put together are not to be ignored when motorhoming. The campsite goes under the name of CAMPING RINAURO and is known as a agri-tourism campsite. It basically means it is more agricultural in ambiance and has a rural setting. It is not suitable for kids and if you don't like rustic back of beyond camping, don't go. We thought it 5 star!

Lunch on day 1

'Motorhoming' in a garden

Almond blossom

The scene for a thriller or an Agatha 'who dunnit'

Red hot Poker bush

Red hot Pokers in flower

Transport into Syracuse from the campsite is possible by bus, for which you need to walk 1km along a road that has no pavement. We did that and arrived at the bus stop 20 minutes later next to a petrol station. To make sure we had it right we asked at the adjacent 'Tabachi' and they confirmed the next bus was due soon. I noticed a couple looking and listening to what I was asking from the proprietor, thought nothing of it and went to tell Joan outside that all was fine re the bus into town. Minutes later the woman, from the couple inside, came to us and promptly offered us a lift to town saying they are going there as well.

Once again the kindness of strangers ....

She was German and he was Italian (Sicilian) both living in Germany but visiting his family in Sicily. We were dropped off right outside the Vodafone shop where Marius bought more time for his mobile broadband - 20 Euros for 5GB lasting 30 days. Reliable, affordable and works everywhere.
We walked around the inner old town for some two hours, had an ice cream on the Piazza Duomo in lovely sunshine and then took a taxi back, costing 20 Euros.

Bank of Sicily with a police car in front

Along the promenade in Syracuse - Ortigia

Near the public aquarium

BBQ aprons ....

'Jonathan Livingstone Seagull'

We were here for three nights and should have stayed longer, only problem was the lack of a nearby supermarket or even a convenience store for basics e.g. bread, milk, fruit and vegetables. Yes, in hindsight we could have taken the 'van and properly stocked up on all and stayed a week.