{"id":2046,"date":"2011-08-25T16:20:50","date_gmt":"2011-08-25T16:20:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/?page_id=2046"},"modified":"2012-07-02T21:25:58","modified_gmt":"2012-07-02T21:25:58","slug":"italy-trip-jan-2008","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/?page_id=2046","title":{"rendered":"Italy Trip Jan 2008"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>We have had our Flair 8000 for just two months, we purchased it at the end of November 2007 and this was our first trip away. \u00a0We hope to travel down the western coast of Italy reaching the Amalfi coast returning via the east coast and then north through Austria.<\/p>\n<p>We left home and traveled down to Brentwood in Essex to visit our friends, reaching Dover in the early evening. \u00a0We crossed to Calais, arriving around 10pm so decided to spend the night on the Seafrance\/P&amp;O carpark. \u00a0We left Calais early on the following morning and traveled to Gurgy, arriving in the afternoon with a hard frost on the ground. \u00a0We did not fill our fresh water tank before we left home and carried only around 100 ltrs.<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Gurgy.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-2069\" title=\"Gurgy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Gurgy-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Gurgy-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Gurgy.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Gurgy<\/h2>\n<p>Gurgy is a quiet village on the banks of a canal with a small marina at one end of the town,\u00a0 There are one or two restaurants however it remains a sleepy town.\u00a0 They have invested in an Aire for the sole use of camping-cars and it is well maintained with individual plots, shrubs and a shower\/toilet &#8211; but cold water only.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We were not too worried when we found the water turned off at Gurgy. \u00a0We took our Border Collie, Chase for a walk along the canal bank and turned in for an early night. \u00a0The following day we traveled down to Nantua just west of Geneve. \u00a0Again the frost was hard and the water turned off.<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Nantua.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-2070\" title=\"Nantua\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Nantua-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Nantua-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Nantua.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Nantua<\/h2>\n<p>Nantua was pretty quiet during the day and practically deserted that night with very few places open in winter.\u00a0 You can walk or cycle around the lake in approx one hour or 20 minutes respectively.\u00a0 There is a Lidl supermarket some 200 mtrs up the road from the Aire however the water is turned off in winter.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0We left Nantua and headed for Chamonix where we intended to stay for a few days. \u00a0Chamonix is a favorite place of ours having stayed there several times over the years.<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Chamonix.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-2071\" title=\"Chamonix\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Chamonix-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Chamonix-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Chamonix.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Chamonix<\/h2>\n<p>We parked in the Aguille du Midi carpark which had been cleared of loose snow however there were several inches of packed ice on the ground. \u00a0It was difficult to gain access to the carpark as the ice was pretty deep at the gate. \u00a0 Chamonix is a great town in winter and is the centre of the skiing region. \u00a0We spent the first day re-discovering the town and checking out the place.<\/p>\n<p>We walked up to the ski slopes and along the valley. \u00a0The snow was over 2 mtrs deep in places. \u00a0That night the temperature dropped to minus 20 c and icicles formed on the outside of the camper but inside the Alde heating system worked well. \u00a0Our only worry was that we were getting very short of fresh water \u00a0and we couldn&#8217;t get any more locally. \u00a0The Tourist Information Office advises that the nearest water service point was over 40 miles back towards Geneve.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Chamonix-tourist.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2101 alignright\" title=\"Chamonix tourist\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Chamonix-tourist-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Chamonix-tourist-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Chamonix-tourist.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>We decided to leave Chamonix after 3 days mainly because of the lack of fresh water but also the temperature wasn&#8217;t getting above minus 10 during the day and the icicles were getting bigger. \u00a0Finally last night we were disturbed by local youths in cars using the carpark as a skid pan well into the small hours so we set off and went through the Mont Blanc Tunnel. \u00a0The journey through the tunnel and down the Aosta valley was quite exceptional. \u00a0Once through the tunnel the temperature rise was very noticeable. \u00a0 We called in a camper van sales garage to try and obtain water but only managed to get 20ltrs. \u00a0Still every little helps. \u00a0We continued to the town of Ivrea and pulled into a great little Sosta just a few hundred mtrs from the centre.<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Ivrea.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-2072\" title=\"Ivrea\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Ivrea-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Ivrea-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Ivrea.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Ivrea<\/h2>\n<p>This great little Sosta with\u00a0room for around 6 campers is based on trust for payment with a little honesty box. \u00a0There was plenty of free water so all was well. \u00a0Ivrea is a nice town with a typical Italian culture. \u00a0There is a canoeing course right by the Sosta and during our visit the locals were still celebrating Christmas.<\/p>\n<p>After a couple of days in Ivrea we moved on to a small coastal village of Bonassola. \u00a0We had now discovered that it was better to use the Italian motorways as they had fewer potholes than the ordinary roads and they were much cheaper than the French Autoroutes.<\/p>\n<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-2073\" title=\"Bonassola\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Bonassola-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Bonassola-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Bonassola.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Bonassola<\/h2>\n<p>Bonassola gave us a few worries as when we reached the last 3kms we had to descend a very steep and twisty narrow road where I had to back up to get a better turn to get around one or two of the tight bends &#8211; it was impossible to turn around &#8211; all very scary. \u00a0When we reached the bottom there was a sign half hidden by leaves stating the road was unsuitable for vehicles over 6mtrs long. \u00a0Once in Bonassola the Sosta was on top of the sea wall with excellent views out to sea and the coastline beyond. \u00a0The village was quite compact but had a good variety of shops, restaurants etc.\u00a0\u00a0We enjoyed a nice walk with Chase along the beach and sea wall.<\/p>\n<p>From Bonassola we headed further south to the town of Pisa to see the famous leaning tower.\u00a0 We found a reasonable Sosta just outside the town that also doubled as the bus station and although busy there was plenty of space.\u00a0 There was also a\u00a0little train to to take visitors into town and show them the sights.\u00a0 We walked the 700mtrs into town and started our task of finding out which places were must see&#8217;s.<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Pisa.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-2074\" title=\"Pisa\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Pisa-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Pisa-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Pisa.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 Leaning tower of Pisa<\/h2>\n<p>The tower I can confirm does lean and would make many people wary of climbing the tower.\u00a0 The story says that the tower was built straight but started to lean after the first few feet so they decided to counter this to straighten it up.\u00a0 My own theory is that they just screwed up.\u00a0 Many visitors used a little bit of trick photography when taking photos as they positioned friends a few metres away holding out their hands so on film it looked as though they were propping up the tower.\u00a0 The remaining parts of the city were more general with the river at one end and good walks along.\u00a0 During the\u00a0day the traders filled the area around the church and tower to the extent that it looked like a car boot sale.\u00a0 The church and dome are well worth a visit and the architecture is magnificent.<\/p>\n<p>Marina di Castagneto was our next stopping place, actually the Sosta was some way nearer the coast than the village.\u00a0 The area was totally deserted for most of the day and this made us quite nervous and only when another camper van turned up did we decide to stay.<\/p>\n<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-2075\" title=\"Marina di Castigneto\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Marina-di-Castigneto-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Marina-di-Castigneto-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Marina-di-Castigneto.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Marina di Castagneto<\/h2>\n<p>The area itself is a nature reserve and fishing spot but late January is not the best time to be here.\u00a0 After a restless nights sleep we moved on to the resort of Montalto di Castro, where again we were the only ones present.\u00a0 Clearly this region of Italy is very touristy and the Italians don&#8217;t consider January a holiday period.<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Montalto-Marina.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-2076\" title=\"Montalto Marina\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Montalto-Marina-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Montalto-Marina-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Montalto-Marina.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Montalto di Castro<\/h2>\n<p>It was odd walking down the main promenade and the street behind as there was not a single light lit in the whole town.\u00a0 There was even tumbleweed blowing down the street.\u00a0 The place felt safe enough and it was all open plan in contrast the the previous place that was surrounded closely by trees.\u00a0 With nothing open we again moved on this time we were visiting Rome and the Vatican.<\/p>\n<p>We were fortunate in that a member of one of the motorhome forums is Italian and I had asked him where to stay when visiting Rome and he had suggested a place just outside Rome some 200mtrs from the railway station.\u00a0 Fabulous.\u00a0 The place was really secure with fences and a barriered gate with attendant operation.\u00a0 We arrived there and parked up eager to visit Rome centre so set off to find the Tourist Information Office to get a sense of where to go.\u00a0 I&#8217;m not going to attempt to describe all the places we visited as that would be pointless but I will attempt to explain our rationale.\u00a0 What was apparent throughout our trip to Italy was the suggestion that to be secure you needed to pay somebody but in reality it was just a few entrepreneurs trying to made a quick Euro.\u00a0 We never felt threatened any more than in UK or France.\u00a0 You just needed to be sensible.<\/p>\n<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-2077\" title=\"Rome_012\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Rome_012-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Rome_012-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Rome_012.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\u00a0Coliseum Rome<\/h2>\n<p>First of all we had our dog and we discovered that dogs are allowed on trains or buses but only with a muzzle fitted.\u00a0 Dogs are charged the same fare as humans.\u00a0 In 2008 the trains and buses in to and out of Rome cost \u20ac1 for 75 minutes.\u00a0 That means you buy a \u20ac1 ticket and you can travel anywhere around the city for 75 minutes from the time you punch the ticket in the machine.\u00a0 Dogs are not allowed anywhere in the Vatican city.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Rome_128.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-2096\" title=\"Rome_128\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Rome_128-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Rome_128-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Rome_128.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>There are guided tours around the city with many starting from the railway station or tourist info and you can choose your mode of transport.\u00a0 Open bus, horse drawn carriage, the tourist rain, taxi or on foot.\u00a0 Whatever time you allow I can promise you it will not be enough.\u00a0 We have never experienced a city with so much culture and history.\u00a0 We spent two full days (read over 12 hours) walking around from one place to the next just to get an idea of Rome.\u00a0 Then we spent a third day of 8 hrs visiting the Vatican.<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Vatican_008.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-2079\" title=\"Vatican_008\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Vatican_008-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Vatican_008-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Vatican_008.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Vatican<\/h2>\n<p>Visiting the Vatican was difficult as we had to leave Chase back in the camper &#8211; the longest we had ever left him.\u00a0 Thankfully all was well on our return and he was given a good walk in the evening.\u00a0\u00a0 The\u00a0Vatican was a fabulous place to visit and St Pauls Basilica was just out of this world.\u00a0 The value of the contents today would be incalculable.\u00a0 We went down into the catacombs and saw the papal tombs, including the most recent Pope.\u00a0 \u00a0Our problem was that after 3 very full and exhausting days we were &#8220;cultured up&#8221; and had seen enough for the time being.\u00a0 We then moved down to Pompei, having to sadly bi-pass Naples.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Vatican_043.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-2097\" title=\"Vatican_043\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Vatican_043-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Vatican_043-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Vatican_043.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>The problem was that in the winter of 2008 the local refuse collection service had been on strike for over 12 weeks. \u00a0 \u00a0The whole area was unhygienic and even extended onto the motorway so we continued down to Pompei.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Pompei.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-2080\" title=\"Pompei\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Pompei-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Pompei-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Pompei.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Pompei<\/h2>\n<p>We stayed at the Orange grove camping some 200 mtrs from the entrance to the Pompei ruins.\u00a0 We could reach out of the camper window and pluck oranges from the trees.\u00a0 They were the nicest oranges we have ever tasted.\u00a0 Pompei was very interesting and we spent the whole day touring around the ruins taking dozens of pictures.\u00a0 With the experience of Rome and now Pompei it was amazing how clever and resourcful the Romans were and they sure could teach todays architects a few things.\u00a0 We decided to visit Vesuvius and Herculanium however they were closed due to a local strike that had lasted several weeks &#8211; can you imagine that &#8211; a whole mountain on strike?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Pompeii_082.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-2098\" title=\"Pompeii_082\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Pompeii_082-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Pompeii_082-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Pompeii_082.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>That wasn&#8217;t all the bad news.\u00a0 We were told by the police that camper vans were not allowed around the Amalphi coast as there were road works.\u00a0 We later discovered that camper vans have been banned for ever.\u00a0 We now had to take stock of the situation and made the decision to set off back up the road to visit other areas.<\/p>\n<p>Our next stop was in a Motorhome friendly car park in the town of Anguillara on lake Bracciano.\u00a0 Not the most ideal stop but given all the camp sites were closed it was the best of a bad job.<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Anguillara08_010.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-2081\" title=\"Anguillara08_010\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Anguillara08_010-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Anguillara08_010-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Anguillara08_010.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Anguillara<\/h2>\n<p>The lake itself was good with a small local market each morning on the quayside.\u00a0 We bought greens and fresh oranges.\u00a0 We then walked up around the peninsula giving Chase a good morning walk before heading off towards Assisi.<\/p>\n<p>The drive to Assisi didn&#8217;t take long but finding somewhere to stay was a tad harder.\u00a0 Our Sosta book gave the co-ordinates of a place that turned out to be a Hospital carpark and there was nothing around to suggest otherwise.<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Assisi08_029.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-2082\" title=\"Assisi08_029\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Assisi08_029-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Assisi08_029-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Assisi08_029.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\u00a0 Assisi<\/h2>\n<p>There was a carpark in Assisi centre but that was full of buses all parked in the space allocated for camper vans.\u00a0 We asked one or two locals and eventually a woman offered to show us the way to a Sosta in the nearby village of Santa Maria degli Angeli.\u00a0 It was fun trying to keep up with her Alfa Romeo with our 8.5mtr tank.\u00a0 She eventually slowed down and pointed feverishly to the left then roared off into the distance.\u00a0 We trundled down the lane and came to a compound that looked a little like a prison compound. \u00a0There were electric gates, 3 mtrs high barbed wire fencing, security cameras every 20yds and a big sign in Italian and English saying Camper Van parking Place.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Assisi08_0111.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-2107\" title=\"Assisi08_011\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Assisi08_0111-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Assisi08_0111-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Assisi08_0111.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>We gingerly drove up to the gate and out came the guard\/attendant who asked for \u20ac10 for 24hrs so in we went.\u00a0 Well we thought &#8211; we will be safe and secure tonight if nothing else.\u00a0 There was a bus stop outside the railway station some 200mtrs further down the road with regular buses into Assisi and Perugia.\u00a0 We spent a very interesting day touring round Assisi and walking up the hill for spectacular views of the whole region.\u00a0 The next morning there was a marvellous view of Assisi from the parking place with an atmospheric cloud base that cut through the middle of Assisi with just the tower rising above.<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Perugia.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-2086\" title=\"Perugia\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Perugia-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Perugia-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Perugia.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 Perugia<\/h2>\n<p>We took the bus into Perugia and spent another exhausting day doing the touristy bit.\u00a0 One more note on the compound.\u00a0 At 5pm sharp the warden opened the gate, jumped on his scooter and roared off into the distance leaving everything open all night.\u00a0 At 5.05pm a dozen Italian camper vans came around the corner, stayed the night and dissappeared 5 minutes before the warden came back to work.<\/p>\n<h2>\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Passignano.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-2084\" title=\"Passignano\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Passignano-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Passignano-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Passignano.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\u00a0 Passignano<\/h2>\n<p>We left Assisi and headed off towards another really good Sosta at Passignano on lake Trasimeno.\u00a0 We were fortunate here as there are over 40 camping car spaces there is a charge of \u20ac2 per hour during the day from 9am till 5pm &#8211; \u20ac16 per 24hrs however there are also 4 camping car spaces that are free all day and night.\u00a0 There is a service point, fresh water and good clean toilets that were cleaned every day by the local council.\u00a0 We managed to occupy one of the free places.\u00a0 Passignano was a very relaxing spot with marina, nice village centre and a park right on the water front.\u00a0 There were early morning ferry boats to the nearby islands and across the lake.\u00a0 The timetable showed an increase in schedule during the summer months and a skeleton service in winter.<\/p>\n<p>After a three day break we set off towards Siena and and we parked in the coach park near the city centre.<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Sienna.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-2085\" title=\"Sienna\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Sienna-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Sienna-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Sienna.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\u00a0Siena<\/h2>\n<p>Siena is a beautiful city with lots of history and culture,\u00a0 The centre square is extraordinary and there is an annual horse race around its edges each year.\u00a0 The remainder of the year it&#8217;s a sun trap.\u00a0 We found a park near by just below the indoor market area and if you want a change of scenery without leaving the city then we can recommend it.\u00a0 It was really relaxing to sit in the square eating lunch and people watching.\u00a0 Our only disappointment was the usual moan that all the nice places had scaffolding around them in winter.<\/p>\n<p>From here we headed north west to the town of Lucca.\u00a0 Lucca is a walled town with the walls taking some 150 years to build and so the history says they built the wall to ward off attacks from their enemies. \u00a0 However they were never attacked and the impressive walls remain today albeit some of the buildings on and inside the wall have been left to nature and are in a sorry state.<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Lucca.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-2087\" title=\"Lucca\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Lucca-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Lucca-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Lucca.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\u00a0 Lucca<\/h2>\n<p>We found a campsite just outside the town which again was fenced in with electric gates.\u00a0 It hadn&#8217;t been open for very long &#8211; less than 3 months and the owners were keen to please and let us have Wifi for free.\u00a0 The service point was a little tricky as it was behind the toilet block and a tight turn to round without hitting the wall. \u00a0 We cycled for miles down the nearby canal and Chase loved being free to roam.\u00a0 We stayed here for three days before setting off again this time back to the coast and Diano Marina.<\/p>\n<p>At Diano Marina we followed the numerous signs to Oasi Park, a motorhome dedicated camp site just a few hundred mtrs back from the beach.\u00a0 We were surprised how busy it was for a February and we got one of the last spaces out of over 700.<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Diano-Marina.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2088 alignright\" title=\"Diano Marina\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Diano-Marina-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Diano-Marina-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Diano-Marina.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\u00a0 Diano Marina<\/h2>\n<p>Diano Marina is a bustling resort that reminded us of Cannes in France with ladies in fur coats towing poodles behind them &#8211; all very friendly though.\u00a0 Gorgeous beach and marina and a very pleasant place to stroll along the promenade during the day and evening. \u00a0This certainly is a place that attracts Italian tourists in January.<\/p>\n<p>We had decided to have a leisurely journey back home but wanted to stop off for a day or two at Antibes and a chance to visit the Nice Festival.<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Nice-carnival.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-2093\" title=\"Nice carnival\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Nice-carnival-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Nice-carnival-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Nice-carnival.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\u00a0 Nice Carnival<\/h2>\n<p>We arrived at the Vielle Ferme campsite at Villeneuve Loubet, settled in and then took Chase to the local park, then on to the Nice Carnival.\u00a0 The Carnival is a must and is held over 2 weeks. \u00a0 \u00a0There is also a flower show\u00a0that alternates with the main Carnival.\u00a0 Remember the Flower Show is a chargeable event whereas the others are free.\u00a0 It is held on the main Boulevarde des Anglais and a seating area is erected a week or so before to house the local cycling event.\u00a0 All in all February is a good month in Nice and people didn&#8217;t seem to care what the weather was like.\u00a0 After the carnival we returned to our camper to find a note stuck on the camper door.<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Antibes.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-2089\" title=\"Antibes\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Antibes-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Antibes-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Antibes.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\u00a0 Antibes<\/h2>\n<p>We were surprised to learn that our friends from Cooksbridge had also booked into the same site.\u00a0 We\u00a0spent three days catching up and BBQ&#8217;ing and shopping in Antibes.\u00a0 We were now cutting it fine for getting back to Calais so set off and travelled up to Avignon with our friends following in convoy.<\/p>\n<p>We stayed in Camping Bardelesse for two nights, taking trips into Avignon using the free ferry across the river and landing at the famous Pont d&#8217;Avignon.<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Avignon.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-2090\" title=\"Avignon\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Avignon-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Avignon-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Avignon.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0Avignon<\/h2>\n<p>Avignon is a great place all year round with plenty to see and do, including the Popes palace, the indoor market with its wall of outdoor flowers and plants and walking around the famous walls.\u00a0 You can walk on to the old Pont d&#8217;Avignon and it is interesting to note that the original bridge was washed away by floods in the 12th century &#8211; nothing to do with Global Warming.<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Avignon-market.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-2099\" title=\"Avignon market\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Avignon-market-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Avignon-market-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Avignon-market.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a>\u00a0Avignon Indoor Market<\/h2>\n<p>On the opposite side of the river there is the town of Villenerve les Avignon, a great little town\u00a0that boasts a great castle that can be seen from the Papal Palace.\u00a0\u00a0 The town square is very sheltered and being surrounded by walls retains heat in the evenings making it a favourite with the locals for sitting\u00a0outside the cafe&#8217;s or simply taking the evening air.\u00a0 From the castle ramparts you get a marvellous view of Avignon and the plains beyond.\u00a0 We had our last BBQ with our friends and emptied a couple of bottles of wine and then sadly our time had come and we set off for home, making\u00a0 an overnight stop at Seurre.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Seurre2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-2252\" title=\"Seurre\" src=\"http:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Seurre2-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Seurre2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Seurre2.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Seurre<\/h2>\n<p>A nice new site adjacent to a marina on the banks of the Saone river.\u00a0 We took Chase for his constitutional and there looked plenty to do but not in winter.\u00a0 We had returned to frosty nights, having been spared frost or bad weather the whole time since we came out of the Mont Blanc Tunnel.\u00a0 We were left with getting Chase to the vet for his passport to be signed and then plain sailing.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Trip Statistics:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Days away: \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a042 days\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Distance Travelled: \u00a0 \u00a03320 miles<\/p>\n<p>Ferry Cost: \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a3128\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Cost of Fuel:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a3739<\/p>\n<p>Cost of LPG: \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a353\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cost of tolls:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a3293<\/p>\n<p>Cost of Campsites: \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a3283\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Vet Fees:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a340<\/p>\n<p>Exchange rate: \u00a0\u00a31 =\u20ac1.32<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We have had our Flair 8000 for just two months, we purchased it at the end of November 2007 and this was our first trip away. \u00a0We hope to travel down the western coast of Italy reaching the Amalfi coast &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/?page_id=2046\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":2043,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2046","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2046","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2046"}],"version-history":[{"count":36,"href":"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2046\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2130,"href":"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2046\/revisions\/2130"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2043"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vennwood.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2046"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}