So - back to civilisation! We had a ferry booked from Venice, and wanted a route that cleared Paris by a long way, and yet kept us out of Switzerland; so we stayed the night in Dunkerque and then drove to Troyes. We got ourselves automatically checked in there just as the crucial World Cup England-Slovenia match started. Next day we drove to Chambery - being the last Premiere Classe before Italy! En route we came off the autoroute for diesel and wine at Nuits St George! In Chambery it was very hot! We were getting psyched up for the next day's drive. We had never before needed to traverse the Alps as we were usually down on the Mediterranean coast. This time the advice was to go through the Frejus tunnel (35 Euros and 13km) - but with claustrophobic and vertigo tendencies this was daunting. In the car park that morning a Welsh couple asked where we were off to, and described their journey the previous day - four and a half hours coming over the mountains. Suddenly the tunnel seemed a very good idea. In fact it was a doddle! It has just one carriageway in each direction - both in the same bore, but there was hardly any traffic, and we emerged into Italy remarkably calm. We had a booking at a bargain hotel (The Old Convent) in the northern suburbs of Milan - close to the autostrada. It was difficult to find without a printed map, but after some enquiries we did, and wondered what we had done. A pretty building but with no obvious entrance, and some passionate sound effects coming from an open bedroom window! Eventually someone appeared and gave us a big if tatty room. We had a strange afternoon and evening there - starting with a walk along the main road in 34 degrees, then time in the hotel's garden with some nice frizzante and a map of Northern Italy. The restaurant owner was Brazilian and there was a World Cup match going on inside. He brought us a plate of free goodies from the buffet he had laid on, so we didn't need more to eat. Back in the room we were reminded of one of the delights of Italy - the strange electric sockets! So no laptop amusement for us - just Berlasconi TV!
Next day was a Saturday - with beautiful weather and the schools just finished. This made the onward drive past Milan and towards Venice very hairy indeed, and we were glad we had decided not to go all the way there for our three days of camping - but to Lake Garda. We spent our third night of marriage camping beside the Lake in 1985, and were rained out then. Fortunately we can't remember where. This time we did our research and decided on Sirmione, and found one of the three campsites we had identified. It turned out to be quite expensive at 32 Euros per night; but is beautifully located with its long boundary on the lakeside promenade, had more space per tent than those we visited last year and an excellent pool - much needed in very hot weather! What we could not find, however, was internet access - other than very occasionally in a local bar/restaurant. We did some cycling in the area - including going into the historic town, with its palace and lemon stalls.
Full of tourists, of course!
We had three delightful suppers in the two restaurants nearest to the campsite, and sank a few frizzantes - including during the World Cup match between England and Germany. (The bar crowd was somewhat partisan for that one - and not pro-England!)
During our last night there was a sudden dramatic thunderstorm, but we had plenty of time the next morning for drying and de-camping. Alain had sent an SMS to say that Greece was on strike, so we thought we should get early to the port in Venice in case of cancellation, so - despite a little navigational flap about Verona - we went straight there, saw the ship was there, and began a very long wait for boarding. The ship was very full, it was very hot, and tempers all around were getting frayed. We had a chat with a Brit and his Dutch wife who were on their final emigrating drive to the Pelopenese - with dog. The last straw for many passengers with cars was being made to comply with the "driver only on the car deck" rule, with others struggling up the escalators with luggage. We forgave ANEK, however, when we saw our cabin - we had been upgraded to a large and comfortable outside one within the WiFi range. Our 38 hour cruise was uneventful, with plenty of sunbathing. Amongst the passengers was a large group of German professional party organisers, who hung their banner. We hoped they were only going to Corfu or Igonoumetsia, but they weren't!
When we arrived in Patras there was utter chaos with getting vehicles off the ship. Two private cars were parked on the raised ramp, and the drivers were nowhere to be seen (One Pole, one aged German). We waited for an age in a stairwell with some cold air, and met a couple who were on their way to our neighbouring town of Kandanos. With all day to get to Piraeus we stopped several times - most significantly in our usual line of seaside tavernas at Aspro Pyrgos - where we had our first Amstel. 
A hot afternoon in Piraeus - including use there of the port's free WiFi, and time in the nearest kafenion. The voyage overnight was on the Elyros - which is new but has a horrible enlosed and smoke-ridden public area, but we had a good cabin again, a good meal and quiet voyage. Next morning we got off emarkably easily and were in Crete! After the killing of time by the sea, and the trips round the three supermarkets, we drove down via the tunnel and arrived in Paleo. (July 2nd)