"Are we there yet? - Migrating south in June

Departure day was blighted only by some thunderstorms on the M25 and an absence of pubs near Dover for time-killing. We have noticed this latter lack before and should know better, but we found an interesting farm shop instead and had the bonus of a look round their museum dedicated to the Land Army.

Back on "The Continent" it was five modest  hops to the ferry from Ancona:

Saint Quentin, Nancy, Luzern and Bologna

OK- this is Austria - but hey!

The first was a re-visit to a hotel used on the way "up" so uneventful. In Nancy we had great difficulty finding the place and then got lost again on the outskirts afer getting stuck in a hypermarket in a torrential downpour. This disorientation was as bad as any in UK and involved going in the wrong direction on the autoroute in the rush hour. We eventually hunkered down in the Campanile and ate one of their dinners for the second night running, which was never the intention. We had allowed plenty of time for the route into Switzerland and so diverted in Mulhouse (a place where we had stayed before) in order to collect Euros in cash in the run-up to the UK Referendum. More navigational errors!

Crossing at Basel, coughing up the 40 euros for the vignette and finding the Ibis were all simple. The nice manager sorted out parking that could handle the bike rack, the room was good and the WiFi strong. We set off in search of a drink and a place for dinner in the absence of Swiss francs. Oh dear! A McDonalds, a kebab house that was cash-only and a posh club/restaurant whose prices brought tears to the eyes!! The Kandonites, who also use the hotel en route,  now tell us we were warned! We ate from the very short microwave menu at the Ibis and sought out Del Shannon's "Swiss Maid" which had become an ear-worm! Greyrocks set off early next morning with much less impressive views than on the last such trip because of low cloud. and mist. We were through the St Gothard Tunnel with a wait of less than twenty minutes, entered Italy and made it unscathed round the racetrack that is Milan! Our one night on the outskirts of Bologna must be one of the best value deals yet! Pretty easy to find huge, new and almost deserted on a Saturday night! We had a huge luxury room and wallowed in it taking dinner in the restaurant and were off next morning after a great buffet breakfast for a simple journey to the ferry in Ancona! We made good time and had to kill time at a very tatty autostrada stop before check-in, The sky was darkening! We were told the ship might be a little late but we must queue at the appointed hour so we hung around the terminal and it began to pour with rain! We found a spot almost in the shelter of a bar parasol and waited! We then had to drive to the queue in spite of the weather. We waited and waited and waited! We eventually left about two and a half hours late and in poor weather and sea conditions. This was going to scupper our plans for an afternoon drive to the Chania ferry from Piraeus.

One aspect of the Greek stereotype is the refusal to give true but unpopular facts involving some loss of "face"! Well done, ANEK:- true to form the staff kept insisting the drive could be done in an hour and a half and all would be well! Greyrocks reflected for half the voyage and then emailed the nice person in the office in Venice and re-booked for the following night's ferry. We booked into a hotel we knew of old in Patras, told Lefteris in Rethymnon that we wouldn't arrive until the Tuesday morning and cancelled a scheduled coffee stop in Kalives with Judy and Barry. Then we relaxed and watched a film!

So we stayed overnight in a hotel we have used before, but it has been taken over by a group and is now all-inclusive and the few guests there were Russian,  The catering was very good for a one-night stand and the room and balcony very comfortable. Next day on the leisurely drive we saw the state of the National Road works and knew we could not have done it the evening before, so a wise move!


In Rethymnon for now just two nights we realised how foul the weather had been on the way down as we had to completely change our wardrobes! And we were soon in the sea! Two good meals - including at the excellent Noodle Bar - cheap sunbeds and a bit of a walk. It was good to be back and Lefteris helped us get the washing done!