The Italian Job (mercifully short)!

History is all in Trieste, too! Austro-Hungarian glory, a Fascist centre, ethnic cleansing and post-war carve-ups! It is also a favourite of many travellers.
We managed to dodge the rain for the afternoon and evening and spent far too much on small beers in one of the many grand piazze - not even Moretti!(Still, it was Ruth's birthday!)
A feature of the city is the number of very flamboyant coffee houses reminiscent of Vienna. We ate in one such near our hotel (The Greek restaurant in our own hotel being closed!).
.. with prosecco, local red wine, local cold meats and tender tagliata you could almost want to spend longer in Italy, but...

we had a ferry to catch. En route we encountered two major motorway hold-ups (with the newly familiar static queue of HGVs in the slow lane), and road works with diversions in Venice itself. We had little time to kill at the port. Then we struck "ANEK as the Ryanair of the sea".. again!

What a farce! At one point four elderly British women stood in a queue behind Eastern European foot passengers getting an airport-style security check. We were in various states of fury and anxiety having been hauled out of vehicles driven by partners and ordered to go through this procedure and meet them at ship's reception. There were those with no passport, those with both passports, and there was Ruth who had done this sort of thing before and was carrying her half the voyage's necessities:- most worryingly a supply of Croatian wine. She had spotted the disposal point for liquids! Whether the middle-class (and somewhat xenophobic) tirades in English had an effect or not suddenly a member of staff waved us all through and we went back to tell tales! Of course, if we were meaning to transport explosives we might just think to send them in the vehicle!

The ship itself was also a disappointment, but the earliest part of the voyage never is..

 Our previous sailings on this route have been on large ANEK ships with plenty of sitting-out space (and a swimming pool) up top, a gyros bar, a cinema, three or four separate restaurants and working internet. No to all these on the new (improved?) one, so not our best time! We have also of late been getting a cabin with two low beds for the same price as a budget one (as Seniors we think). This ship seemed to cater for HGVs and coaches, and there were many very aged ladies travelling in groups so we think we lost out to them. Two nights aloft in the upper bunk for Bob, then! Still, time passes with some stashed TV films watched, and we met other holders of the grey pound, several of them going sailing!

Patras port has been improved and we were soon out and on the road. We drove to the hotel on the outskirts near the new Rio bridge, had a good breakfast, used the internet and twiddled our thumbs as it was not looking like the sort of day for sunbathing by the pool to kill time. So we set off again towards Athens sticking to the coast at points, and then it started to rain! Just before the real start of the city we stopped for a long lunch at the usual spot. No navigational errors getting to Piraeus, the rain stopped, we raided LIDL, dodged beggars and found ourselves with hours on our hands. We were however let early onto the ship and we did the usual port-watching with wine until sailing, and had an early night! It was a long slow docking, and the lift was available for a change. (In fact Ruth met a lady of 110 in it!)

No through road this year!

We decided not to hang around waiting for shops to open and were soon turning off the national road near Kissamos to use the tunnel route to go South. In time there were notices in Greek warning of diversions. We ignored them, but thought the village of Topolia looked very quiet. Then a sign said "Odos Kleisto" or some such, which left no doubt that the road (and presumably the tunnel) was impassable! When we got back to the main road we thought we saw a look in the eyes of the seated old men we had passed twenty minutes earlier. So Bob drove the standard route down to Paleochora for the first time, and we survived, arriving outside Votsalo to quite a few "Welcomes".

Dalmatian spots (not all black and white!)

Why Croatia, why Zaton?
We knew nothing about the options when we started our research. We would be coming back up again for the Venice ferry - not ready for Serbia and/or Albania yet -  so not too far South, and then it was a matter of choosing a good beach, suitable cycling territory and a comfortable apartment. Generally we were pleased!

 Of Croatia as a summer holiday choice we liked:

• Stunning landscapes
• Good infrastructure
• Good food (mostly Italian style, some more local specialities, fish)
• Cheap, good draught wine
• Clean sea (untested, given the weather)
• Well-trained staff

Less to our personal taste was:

• Knowing no Slavic languages at all, so feeling like any other ignorant tourists
• An uncomfortable feeling about recent history:- deserted quality homes that are presumably the legacy of ethnic cleansing

So we left thinking we could well come back for a taste in decent weather. We were very lucky, however, that it did not rain on the northwards journey! We would be using a fair bit of Adriatic coast road - shown on our old road atlas as due to be of motorway standard by 2008! Thus, we could not understand signs suggesting an alternative (and much longer) route to Rijeka. We took a road across to Senj on the coast, and it was a bit intimidating, but when we hit the coast the fun started. Mile after mile of unmade surfaces as part of roadworks and we were in a convoy consisting largely of Dutch caravans! It went on and on, until reaching some vast viaducts and complex junctions.
 Eventually we reached Slovenia and got away without a vignette for the 56km because it was not motorway. it certainly wasn't! Then into Italy and the downwards plunge into Trieste. A journey to remember - and it was Ruth's birthday, too!

 

Schmuddelwetter

Off to the sun? That's a joke!
The plan was 1000 miles over 5 days to get to Croatia.
The first day was pretty straightforward:- good roads, both to the German border and then onto the A3 autobahn which would be using through to Austria. We stopped close to Frankfurt in small town called Obertshausen, in a very good small hotel. We were able to go for a sunny but cold afternoon walk and find a source for the cheap French red wine we failed to get in France! We had a good dinner in the hotel (which has a Turkish slant) but were surprised there was no wine list. Next day we got back onto the autobahn with destination Regensburg. We had picked that location for a two day stay because of distances, but had then seen that it  is considered to be a very fine city! We picked an economy hotel on the outskirts, and again it was an ideal choice in terms of value accommodation, but somewhere along the line it started to rain! In fact it caused us to get out cagoules we have been carrying round unused for nearly six years.

 Clearly the Schmuddelwetter was a pain, but there were good things, apart from major sights! We found two good restaurants that we could run to from the car, and the hotel was associated with a bakery-cafe which did a huge range of breakfasts from cheap to lavish. On the Sunday morning we ate there and amongst other customers was a woman in full Bavarian dress!
Next day we did the tunnels! We were a bit intimidated by the list we had made of all the lengths, but it was raining so much that tunnels were some relief! It was also our first visit to Austria so we had the delight of buying and fitting the vignette that is used instead of motorway tolls. In any case we survived them all, including the 10km one -  Plaubutsch (21st longest in the World) that bypasses the city of Graz. We were no sooner out than we had to do some nifty decision-making lanes-wise, but got to our strange overnight stop relatively painlessly, and it stopped raining! We stayed at Greenrooms, which is ultra-modern, very green, comfortable in general, and close to a shopping centre where we had our first running sushi dinner. (Weird, but this was no time to explore Austrian cuisine!)

Next day we came up against weak anti-smoking law in Austria.(What is their problem?) A very good breakfast representing great value, served with a smile and virtually a fag hanging out of the mouth! Austrian TV had a lot to show about Scmuddelwetter!

Back on the road, armed now with a Slovenian vignette! We had a long adventure as we headed for nations 8 and 9 of the migration (and out of the EU!) Austrian motorways are good, and maintained, so we had a long period of roadworks.  Slovenia has perfectly good motorways, for which the one-off charge seems reasonable, but the last 12 kilometres before the Croatian border are barely more than a donkey track. Then there is the border crossing. It was wet, but quiet so our queue was bearable, but we pondered what this would be like in high summer. Staff were not exactly jolly, but we assume from July 1st they won`t have jobs!

Croatia´s motorways are good, and with normal pay-as you-go tolls. There are some impressive feats of engineering in terms of bridges and tunnels, and we think the views might have been good, too, but they were largely obscured by rain! By the time we reached our destination just North of Zadar the rain had stopped, but everything-  including the punters - was soggy! Thus began our supposed sunny stay!
 

Chez Frost, Maigret, Poirot, and Van der Valk

England delivered an exit of epic proportions! Rain was forecast but it held off until we were halfway to Dover. Then it started. Plans for useful stops were abandoned, and all we could do was enjoy a last real ale and hope that we would be allowed onto the earlier ferry, which we were; but sitting the car watching the staff work in hurricane uniform led to little regret at getting out!

France was wet, but less so! We scooted over from the Dunkerque hotel to Poivre Rouge and had the last French meal for ages. It was still raining slightly the next day, but was bitterly cold! Our oracle said that diesel was cheaper in French supermarkets than in Belgium so we made a small detour to fill up only to then decide we couldn't face getting out of the car, so we entered Belgium knowing we would have to stop somewhere. It was all going well - except of course for the road surface conditions - now legendary! There was rain, of course, but only heavy, and we had loads of time for the 200 miles or so, and then we came to a halt. Major roadworks that had started that morning! The slow lane was at a complete standstill with HGVs of every EU nation, running for probably 5 km. We glided past to meet our own hold-up, and sat for half an hour, watching the rain.

We got going again and in due course hit Antwerp. Thank you Via Michelin! Antwerp is a major port. It has a river mouth and a lot of through traffic. It has two tunnels. The westerly one has a toll, the easterly is free. The powers that be do not call these (in any language) West and East or anything sensible. They label them R1 and R2, and our printed directions indicated the one where the rest of the world was not going! At first this was a great relief as the queue before the Kennedy Tunnel was enormous and stationary, so after a summit conference we went with that advised and were zooming round on "the other side". Six euros, twenty excess miles, twenty minutes and two peak anxiety moments later we were back where the directions picked up. We will never know how long we would have taken if we had followed the herd. Once out of Belgium decent road directions and surface resume, and we only had the traditional "Why didn't you print a bigger street plan?" period before we were at the hotel (in the rain!) nearly two hours later than expected.

We chose well for accommodation. With a walk of 15 minutes you reach Overamstel Metro station which is fast into Centraal Station or earlier central stops. Chloe had to work a fair bit during our stay, but she recommended a small cheaper bar near Dam and we met her there. She had worked hard on plans for our time together and found very good restaurants for one dinner and two lunches.

• Moes near the station and part of the Appel gallery (organic, expensive but good!)
• Van der Kerkwijk in the Red Light District (quirky menu, slow service)
• Bazar within the Albert Cuypstraat market (North African, great value)

It was bitterly cold throughout and the rain came and went! On the second day we cycled into the city centre, which was - of course - easy, and took us past some great sights. After lunch Chloe went to work and we jumped (!) on and off of trams with our magnetic cards to take us all over the place in relative warmth, before going to the cinema (see below). We left the bikes near Chloe's work and went back to the hotel.

Next day we met her for a trip down Albert Cuypstraat market. They were selling a lot of umbrellas and sweaters! We had to get the bikes back to the hotel and were very lucky to avoid the rain, but less so later on in getting back in via the Metro! Although we didn't want to eat we went for the first time over the IJ to Noord Amsterdam to a restaurant and bar set in the disused shipyard. We had great trouble finding it, but it was worthwhile as there was a female singer/guitarist in the style of Tracy Chapman, who was good, and we had a chat with her afterwards. All good fun, but we had misread the ferry timetable for return and had a long cold wait, so killed time in another bar also in an old industrial building and showing video of more glorious times. We sent C off on her bike and that was it!

 

Red Herrings, White Cliffs, Bluebells! England in May Part 1

Hope springs eternal! We don`t have a lot of choice about our annual trip to UK:- it has to be April May or June. We have sometimes had shocking weather. Last year was almost a  wash-out! We gritted our teeth and planned 18 days across 5 locations (not venturing too far North or into Central London!)

 

 

We had an easy drive from Dover up to Oulton Broad in Suffolk and the sun shone, although there was a very cold wind. We had time to visit Halfords to try for a new chain guard (unsuccessful!) and Currys to buy a new laptop. We were staying with Rick – a sort of cousin of Bob – who, for the last few years, has been away offshore when we visited. This time we spent time together, and he showed us the highlights of O Broad and Lowestoft. On the first full day there was an unusual event. We went to Great Yarmouth and it didn´t rain! Just as well:- the purpose was to have Yvette serviced and gain an MOT certificate, so we would be cast adrift on our bicycles for a good few hours. It was cold, of course (this is Norfolk!) but there was bright sunshine, and we were able to tour the town´s sights like the Nelson Monument, the Jewish burial ground, and the location of the old ferries across to Gorleston, during the heyday of fishing.

 

Next day Bob and Rick went for a long bike ride whilst Ruth wrestled with Windows 8 on the new acquisition (not convinced by it as yet!). They went round nature trails and some of the old parts of Oulton Broad. Still no rain! Nor on the Sunday, even though it was a Bank Holiday weekend! After re-packing Yvette again we drove to Kessingland  (a little south of Lowestoft on the coast) and met up with Rick who had cycled. We strolled along the coastal path in what could be called “bracing” weather despite the sunshine, and then went to visit his paternal grandmother (genealogically linked somehow by marriage to Bob) for the first time for some more insights into that part of the family. She is about 90 years old and a delightful lady:- still in possession of almost all her marbles!

Then we set off for Northampton. “Why?” is a good question, and the answer is that it looked like a good spot for some cycling alongside the Grand Union canal. We had booked into one of the town´s three Travelodges and had some reasonable verbal instructions revolving around proximity to the football stadium, but the name thereof had not been recorded. (It is in fact Sixfields should you ever need to know!). En route we were caught in a Sunday afternoon traffic accident jam for half an hour, and then got completely lost at the ring road. We went backwards and forwards, at one point seeing a Travelodge in the distance and deciding it was wrong. We asked at a petrol station and got what we later realized were perfect directions if we had been pointing in the opposite direction, headed way out into the country and had to turn round in a pub car park. We then had another go at the ring road and went back to the previously spotted hotel. It had a good pub attached and a smell of roast dinner. We heaved great sighs of relief and went in. No sign of our reservation! “Is this Upton?” “No, but many people make the same mistake:- here are printed instructions for getting to Upton!” We were clearly not the first victims of road-signing à la mode de Northampton! Once there all was forgiven and we remain refusniks on the SatNav front! It was indeed immediately opposite the stadium and its associated enormous “Leisure Park”.  On the skyline is what has become known as the Northampton Lighthouse. Read more here! We are in no position to comment on the gastronomy of the town! Over four nights we sampled the fare of some of the numerous chain restaurants conveniently located across the road. Best food was at Bella Italia, most interesting was at the World Buffet (where we had a bit of a to-do about the timings for pensioners´ special rates), and we also ate at a TGI Fridays, and a Frankie and Benny!

We had got away from the East Coast wind, and the sun still shone so on Bank Holiday Monday we rode down the Northampton Arm of the G.U. to Gayton Junction and (quite dramatically uphill) into the village (and of course, back!) Just the job, with almost all the towpath well maintained for cyclists and only a few great post-deluge puddles! The town itself has an impressive network of cycle paths, and you can get almost everywhere on them except into the town centre! As this was where we wanted to go we ended up the next day going our separate ways after Ruth refused to cycle on pavements over hazardous bridges etc and only Bob made it to Primark!

We did, however, have a great day out by car visiting the National Waterways Museum at Stoke Bruerne:- neatly chassising round two coach-loads of Brummie primary schoolchildren, and viewing one end of the famous Blisworth tunnel. On the way back our joy was unbounded when we found a Halfords that fitted a chain guard on the spot and had a saddle cover, and a huge Boots that could supply a year´s worth of toiletries (with Advantage points!)

 

 

Next we were bound for Oxford, but the weather forecast was not too good! We went via Bicester where we had found on the internet the address of a Kwik-Fit Tyre Centre, and a “beautiful launderette” (Yes it had a star rating from a happy customer!). We did the business at both and then killed some time beside the Oxford Canal in a pub at Thrupp. It was getting very cold and gloomy! Our four days in Oxford were doomed! We stayed as before out at the Travelodge on what we used to call the Northern By-pass. It is very handy, and there is a neighbouring Park and Ride that is perfect for visiting the city, so on the first full day we did, getting on with vital UK shopping, such as Bravissimo and Waterstones, and then finding it so cold that we hastened back, just beating the rain! That was the good bit of weather. Next day we went to Aylesbury for lunch with Ruth´s sister Lois and her partner. We got lost trying to avoid the town centre, but had a good meal in a pub accessible with her mobility scooter, visited her home and then were directed to a huge Tesco where we could continue provisioning. It was pouring with rain as we arrived there. When we came out it started to hail and driving was almost impossible. Once again we parked up at the hotel in appalling weather, and next day was little better. What to do on a cold wet Sunday? Get lost on the ring road! This time in search of the multi-screen cinema allegedly next to Oxford United´s ground. (The latter has unsurprisingly moved since Ruth lived in the city 37 years previously!) By the time we had found it, got very wet, and discovered there was nowhere pleasant nearby  in which to kill time till the film we had lost the will to shell out the price demanded and took Sunday papers to a pub, which was a much better idea! Later The Plough at Wolvercote once again delivered a delicious supper (and an inexplicable number of single Dutch men!).. and that was Oxford in May: bikes never removed from rack, feet never out of socks, camera untroubled by use!

 

As we left Oxford the rain stopped, and we drove down to the south coast. First we met up with Ruth´s  parents  long  lunch at The Ship at Langstone Harbour near Hayling Island. It was bitterly cold and the sea was rough, but it wasn´t raining, but by the time we got to our next staging post - Worthing - it was obvious our meteorological luck was not going to change. We were staying on the seafront and it was blowing a gale. Even taking bikes off the car before parking was  foul experience and then it started to rain. The next day we shopped in the rain, sat in a pub, lurked in the hotel room, ate on site and watched programmes from our stash. This was not what we had planned!

It was a bit brighter next day for our trip "up town". We had bought rail tickets for an amazingly good price on pre-determined trains, and had a tight itinerary to get us to our new tenants in each of the two rental properties,  and meet up with ex-neighbour  Pete. It all worked and we largely missed the showers, got in a nostalgic meal at Nando´s in Balham, froze on several station platforms and were back in Worthing on a late train. The following day was as if nothing had happened! The sun shone, the sea was blue, and the wind had dropped. We used the bikes for some odd essential tasks around town and felt a whole lot better!

"This weekend I have mostly been gardening"

 

The final bit was with friends in Rotherfield (East Sussex). This is another place where we have visited several times during migrations and been washed out (or kept in) by English weather. This time the rain came only at night or early mornings, so we were able to sit (or in Bob´s case - help) in their garden and go for bike rides on two successive days.

 

Each was a section of the Cuckoo Trail: - disused railway track, and although it was definitely cold and the ground was soggy there was glorious sunshine, and the scenery  wild flowers were beautiful. As part of the return journey we ventured into Kent and visited The Middle House- a very old pub in Mayfield, so that our final meal of the GB tour was delicious roast local beef with all the trimmings.

 

We set off next morning.  The tally:- 18 days in May, of which  9 were sunny but cold, 1 was sunny and quite warm, 2 were just windy and unpleasant, and 6 were disgusting.

 

We

Sad News

Whilst we were travelling in UK we received a message about our friend Stephen from Paleohora. Some readers will know him as the partner of Olga. Unfortunately he did not survive an emergency operation in Chania General Hospital, and died there a couple of days later.

 

 

 

As is the way in Greece the funeral took place very quickly and we were not able to be there, but his father and brother atended. He has been buried in the village of Voutas above Paleo with Vangelis from Zygos helping to secure a plot. We have some photos of the service and grave, along with a copy of the wonderful eulogy given by Mick McT. Olga has received a lot of support, and is coping as well as can be expected.



Ruth has spent many an afternoon playing Scrabble and whist with Stephen, and we will both miss him, his anecdotes and even his arguments about politics.

RIP

The length of France: from last page to first page in 18 days



Yes -that`s snow on the Pyrenees

The rest of the month of April was our annual dose of France. First we spent a week once again at Le Brasilia in Canet en Roussillon in one of the cheap (cheep?) units:-  old but perfectly serviceable bungalows named after birds. This time we were allocated Chardonneret (Finch). The site had opened just the day before we arrived, so everything was fresh, clean and - in many cases - new. The weather was kind :- bright sunshine and clear skies, but the wind was fierce, which shortened some of the cycling! Nonetheless we did some trips in each direction. Towards the end of the week there was a severe deterioration in the weather and we took the bicycles for servicing during a gale! The area near the campsite has been being seriously developed over the years of our visits, and there is now a large functioning boatyard with numerous shrink-wrapped vessels. Overall there is vibrancy about the town, and no shortage of tourists. (Small curiosities were a family with identical triplet boys of about a year old:- quite a handful at mealtimes, and a new Dutch animateur who engaged us in conversation and said his own name of Bob was incomprehensible in most of Europe but he had been named after Charlton and Kennedy!)

We left on the Sunday and had an easy drive up to Bergerac for a one-night stop. We had chosen a very comfortable and well-located hotel (l´Europ) and enjoyed a sunny evening stroll round and a duck menu in the open air. We liked the place a lot and will return. Here are some shots:

Then we drove through some beautiful countryside for two nights visiting George and Gregory near Limoges. Like last year we stayed in Availles at Le Chatellenie with its lavish decoration and noisy floorboards, and spent time chez George. This included a Thai meal with their ex-pat friends which was cooked by Gee who is lodging there, and a lunch out in a favourite small restaurant in Les Éterps. The sun shone for much of these days, and we set off for the Atlantic coast in hope!

We stayed in the Vendée at Le Littoral - a campsite in the same Yelloh group as wonderful Brasilia and with the same 5 stars. It didn´t quite measure up to this, though - the mobile homes being rather packed, there being a poor traiteur (take-away) service and the WiFi playing up periodically, but it made a change and we did a ride to Veillon beach on a glorious day. (It was very busy:- we had hit Parisian school holidays!) Unfortunately although the weather remained good for a couple of days we were hors de combat as Bob had badly sprained his ankle - probably as he mounted a pavement on the good ride - and was confined to barracks (with dodgy WiFi) for several days by which time we were back to disgusting climatic conditions. This meant Ruth had to do a bit of driving. This is a very rare occurrence and breath was baited as we did short trips, but we did manage a Sunday lunch at nearby (and pleasant) Port Bourgenay. The sun shone brightly but the wind was bitter and we ate in a half-sheltered terrace retaining our jackets as did the other diners. Lovely food from the "almost cheapest" menu:

After that we had to make the best of bad weather. We had already decided to leave a day early as our plan for getting to the ferry at Dunkerque was looking too demanding and the Vendée not looking worth it, but we did a day trip to Sables d´Olonne (as in round the world sailing). Once again some awful winds, together with ankles and knees meant a meagre tour, but we sat and ate our lunch outside the glass-fronted pool and watched hardier souls on the beach!
On the Tuesday we took our time to pack up - dodging the rain - and drove to Alencon. It was a stressful wet drive, but at least we knew how to do the last few kilometres:- unlike last year! When it came to eating the only real option was the Buffalo Grill, which has delivered the goods before. Oh dear! Ruth has made a formal complaint about the Charolais steak (and its replacement). Watch this space for their response! It was a disgrace! Never mind, we had the prospect of a Campanile meal the next night (our penultimate of the season). The drive North was mostly very easy as it was a Bank Holiday and HGVs were banned. We flew up to Rouen, sometimes having no other vehicle in sight. We were determined to get round Norwich´s twin city calmly but a bridge is closed so panic again... We coped, enjoyed some sun in a place near Dunkerque and later discovered that Campanile has reduced quality considerably since our early enthusiastic encounters. (We would have gone to neighbouring Poivre Rouge - but it chose to close for the evening... Grrrr!?)
Up early and on the 8am ferry to Blighty!