Our route was a modification on that of 2007:- less Italy, no France, a pause on the Costa Brava and two flights needed at the final stage.It all worked out well. Some highlights:
- Monday - Chania to Piraeus overnight. We stopped off to pick up a small spare part at the Fiat dealer. Unfortunately the 100 m stretch of road outside it was closed to traffic and being dug up. Bob waded through ankle-deep mud to get the little but vital part and we fitted it in the car park at the port. On board we were hailed by two elederly couples -in Greek - "You come from Paleochora and have bicycles on your blue car!" With some French (!) we established that they live in Athens but spend every summer as we do. We had been saying kali spera to them each evening as we passed their home. In a fit of economy/meanness we had not booked a cabin. We found some so-called reclining seats but had a very bad night owing to a Bulgarian/Albanian coach party with no sense of personal space. In the morning we had a tedious wait to get off with the car - but not as silly as last year.
- Tuesday - to Patras and the Bari ferry. We clearly need more training on "How to get out of Piraeus and onto the Corinth road in under one hour". We took a long break and after Corinth took the "non-national" road -slower and with odd conichey bits. Patras still has all the Asian illegals lurking and being chased, but we had a mellow time inside the port area in great sunshine and were boarded early. We had a very good value inclusive ticket, and were shown to a luxury cabin with pseudo-Japanese decor and a TV. A nice voyage!
We landed in Bari at 10 am Italian time. There were very few private vehicles to disembark, but it still took some time! We went to the back of the upper car deck and saw this! It smelt pretty good too!
3. Wednesday - across Italy. Bari port had gross roadworks causing huge delays for HGVs - much but not all of which we could pass. Then solid - not too hairy autostrada over the Appenines etc. Bob wanted to stop at Monte Casino which we had seen from the road last year. We made a detour and then realised that driving up to a hilltop fortress was going to be a challenge to
those with vertigo, so we visited only the 1944 military cemetry. Very moving!As evening came - and the threat of rain - we decided not to push on to Anzio, but to return to the Rose hotel in Latina (a most unprepossesing town- but well located!)
We got a warm welcome and a good returners' room price. We ate some good Italian stuff in the same (only?) nearby ristorante and had a leisurely start next day.
4. Thursday - Civitavecchia to Barcelona ferry. We took the coast road via Anzio (a bit run down - but interesting historically) and Ostia, then a fairly easy route round Rome (Don't mention the 10 km detour for diesel - how can a brand new shopping mall have no fuel?!) to arrive in C with lots of time to kill. We started a quiet late lunch outside the ferry terminal then the coach pary from Hell arrived. 50 Russian middle-aged women! (Again - no sense of personal space!)
Read on!