History – turnrightoutofportsmouth

Heading south in Spain, from the mountains to the coast

The 2nd part of our Spanish travels taking us up to where we headed into Portugal.

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Continuing our journey south from Banos de Fortuna we took the A92 motorway across the mountains towards Granada as we didn’t want to go along the Almeria (plastic) coast. My first mistake was thinking, and telling Calv, that we weren’t going very far – I thought it was about 60 miles, rather than the 160 miles that it actually was…Yes, I was in trouble! (The next step from La Peza to Loja was actually 60 miles).

However it was all worth it as La Peza was delightful. From the dedicated motorhome park-up we could see the castle on the other side of the town, and an Ermita on the other hill. Behind us we could see a mirador up a road that was definitely cyclable.

Walking to the castle in the morning entailed a steep downhill into town followed by, you’ve guessed it, a steep uphill to the castle. Along the way we saw old men sitting together on benches chewing the cud and being greeted by everyone who passed by 🙂 After visiting the castle we headed over to the other hill to visit the Ermita before going back to the van via a quick drink in Fernando’s bar, discovering a fully intact outdoor lavaderia along the way 🙂

After a spot of lunch we jumped on our bikes to cycle up the mountain to the mirador and a little further along a cycle route heading into the mountains. Coming back down the hill was quite hairy (for me anyway – I really don’t like the downhills!!)

We didn’t stay a 2nd night, but only because on our way in we had passed an area to stop beside a reservoir. This was only a few miles away on the road back up to the motorway; so we spent our 2nd night here.

Next up was a stop that I’d found in Loja. Well, the motorhome area itself was fine, being in a newer & slightly nicer part of town, but on walking towards the towers that we could see in the old town and wandering around a little we realised that it wasn’t the nicest and we were very happy to move on in the morning.

Our next destination was La Cala de Mijas. However, along the way we toyed with the idea of stopping in the car park at El Torcal (near Antequera) and doing a walk. Calv looked at the map and decided that he was going to go up THAT road. I was a little dubious, but just agreed and of course when we got to THAT road it was only suitable for a tractor and we would never even consider using it. So instead we went up the next mountain road, which wasn’t much better and joined the ‘main’ road via a very steep junction (luckily when we got there there was nothing coming!!) Unfortunately though we didn’t like the look of the El Torcal car park for staying in and as the weather wasn’t wonderful we moved on. We went via Antequera to get on the motorway on the last bit into La Cala.

We stayed 4 nights here, meeting new people, having nights out and also 1 get together in our van, which resulted in us not being able to move on the next day as originally planned…

Our next stop was just a few miles along the coast at Cabopino where we have stayed several times. This was definitely our last time though and we only stayed 6 nights rather than the 11 that we had originally intended. We did get some washing done though and met up with some friends who were staying nearby. We walked back to La Cala along the boardwalk one day – it’s a really pleasant walk now that the boardwalk fully connects both areas.

This area really isn’t cycle friendly but we did go out on our bikes a couple of times to do bits of shopping. On our first outing I had forgotten about the really steep culvert on our route; bad enough on the way but coming back the very steep upwards after the long drawn out downwards almost defeated me. I had to go back and have another go (with Calv’s encouragement of course….) He reckons that it’s a 1in3.

Next stop was Gibraltar where we stumbled upon a perfect park-up in a marina, with the imposing rock as our backdrop. We managed a run along the promenade in the morning and then a 10 minute walk takes you to the border crossing, where we showed not just our passports, but our parking ticket and proof that we were going home at some point! We had a pleasant wander around seeing many things that we hadn’t seen on our first visit – the Trafalgar cemetery where we found the grave of 1 of the sailors killed at the battle, the courthouse, the cathedral and the gates to the town.

Sitting down for a lunch of fish and chips, with several eateries to choose from I was stunned to realise that I recognised someone who was sat a few tables away from us – it was Justin who I went to school with and his wife Debs who had just arrived for a long weekend. What are the chances of not only being there at the same time but actually choosing the same place to eat at the same time 🙂

We then spent a couple of hours in the Lord Nelson pub tucked into the corner of the Casemates Square where we met another couple who were over for the weekend. We did our best to persuade them to get a motorhome!

Apart from a violent bout of food poisoning that night our visit to Gibraltar couldn’t have been much better!

Next up we discovered another perfect little camper stop nestled between Tarifa and Cadiz, on the Trafalgar coast, a haven for surf enthusiasts from around the world. Los Canos de Meca exuded surfer vibes, the beach was absolutely beautiful, the water warm and the food on offer simple yet satisfying. We reluctantly bid farewell after 3 nights to move on to our last stop in Spain before heading into Portugal.

Our final Spanish stop was in fact Seville, our overnight stop greeting us with views of the city itself. A short bus ride took us to the bus station at the Plaza de Armes from where we walked for about 10 mins to get to the centre. Despite encountering tourist crowds, meaning that we weren’t able to visit the cathedral or the alcazabar, and dining dilemmas (nothing suitable seemed to be open), the majesty of the Plaza de Espana and an impromptu flamenco performance made the visit worthwhile. I loved the Plaza de Espana having missed visiting when I first visited Seville as it was flooded and closed.

This section of our travels, each stop offered a different experience, from scenic vistas to unexpected reunions.

New adventures awaited in Portugal as we prepared to travel up the N2 route through the centre.

Stay tuned for this next chapter of our travels 🙂

Escaping for some Winter Sun

The first few weeks of our 2024 winter roadtrip taking in France, Portugal and Spain 🙂

We left the UK at the beginning of February hoping to find some cheerier weather for a few months.

However, the start of our journey through France was wet all the way. I mean it literally hardly stopped raining! Usually we take our time travelling through France (anything up to a week) but this time we were heading into Spain at the earliest opportunity (into Northern Spain), and had just 4 overnight stops (Dieppe on the evening we arrived, Marboue, Vivonne and Morcenx-le-Nouvelle). We managed a short walk out at 2 of the stops but otherwise ‘rain stopped play’!

As we crossed into Spain however, the clouds parted, revealing blue skies. We had no rain then for about 10 days. Bliss 🙂

Our first stops in Spain were the charming towns of Olite and Teruel, each offering a glimpse into the country’s rich history and culture. From medieval castles to quaint cobblestone streets and medieval architecture to red sandstone gorges just waiting to be explored.

We had visited Olite before en-route through Spain, but we didn’t stay and we couldn’t visit the Royal Palace as it was closed on that occasion. We did this time though and it was well worth it 🙂 Olite is a lovely old town with lots of narrow streets to explore.

Teruel was getting ready for an annual festival celebrating the doomed lovers that the city is famed for. This means that we were treated to drum practice for the whole evening! The town itself was adorned with flags and there were people everywhere, meaning that the cafes and restaurants were full to bursting. We did walk down to the town (which then entailed a steep uphill slog back to the van) and have a wander around. We had already walked around the red gorges that border the main road into the city.

Of course, this meant leaving the path and finding our own way down to other pathways and then having to try to find a suitable way back up 🙂 Again an uphill walk back to the van…

Teruel and Olite

We were now ready for some sun and relaxation so we headed to Alannia Costa Blanca for an 11-night retreat – we’ve been here before so knew what to expect.

On the way though we spotted a castle on a hill in the distance. We decided to go to investigate… As we got nearer it was clear that it was situated in a tiny little village and the way up was via a series of switchbacks. Imagine my surprise when Calv commenced driving up said switchbacks! This entailed some manoeuvring to get round each corner (and me with my head in my hands at times). We didn’t quite make it to the top but managed to park up safely and walk up to explore. Only there wasn’t a lot to explore as the castle was very much a ruin and the town had take over the majority of it. Good adventure though! (We had to reverse back down to the first switchback…)

Switchbacks up to Castillo de Moya

Once settled in Alannia we made it our mission to fully relax 🙂 We took advantage of the facilities on site; playing pool, using the bar, table tennis, tennis, sitting by the pool, playing their impossible pitch & putt course and using the site as a running track (managing several 5k runs).

However we did also get out on our bikes most days, mainly to go shopping in Catral, but also cycling along the country lanes behind the site. We found Abanilla and a very strange park, but not what we were looking for (as someone had told us about it), the site of the Abanilla concentration camp from the Spanish Civil War. However, we did some more research and were successful on another outing. There is nothing left of the camp but there is a sign up, and it was a somber reminder of the country’s tumultuous past, and we took a moment to reflect on its significance.

Site of the Abanilla Concentration Camp (Spanish Civil War)

This was just the start of our Spanish sejour and our next stop was another site that we have visited several times at Los Banos de Fortuna. The draw here are the spa pools and the quirky little town. There are also ruins of a roman bath, but these are currently hidden behind a large wall (we did go through a gap and have another look around though – ssh…)

We were the only British van on site but we had an evening out at Tina’s bar, where we chatted with Tina and Nicky and ate some fresh broad beans brought in by a Spanish regular, Mundo, the goat herder 🙂

We also tried to cycle across the desert to a nearby town, but had to abort as the winds were so high, with some really, really strong gusts. They didn’t bother Calv of course, but I was hating every second, so we turned around and explored the 3 abandoned houses that offered a little shelter on the way back 🙂

Abandoned house of Los Banos and the ruins of the Roman Baths

On leaving Los Banos we made our way down to the coast, but we stayed up in the mountains heading via Granada. We loved doing this and I will tell you about it in my next post 🙂

Until then, you keep safe and we’ll keep travelling 🙂

How to head home to the UK from Italy

Heading home from Venice we decided to head through Austria, so were able to visit Lake Garda and Verona on our way home 🙂

After 4 nights we reluctantly bid farewell to Venice. Our next destination: picturesque Lake Garda. On our way though we decided to stop in the historic city of Verona, a place steeped in romantic lore.

Our first glimpse of Verona was a pleasant surprise. We parked the van at a dedicated area near the rather impressive Porta Palio before heading off to walk into the city in the relentless heat of the day. Under normal circumstances we would have waited, but as we had only 1 night here we thought we should push on.

We first encountered the castle walls and another gateway randomly facing the river, and then made our way through a labyrinth of narrow streets and alleyways, each one revealing a piece of Verona’s rich history. The city’s architecture was a delightful blend of medieval and Renaissance styles, with charming towers, arches and frescoed facades around every corner.

One of the highlights of our Verona adventure was discovering Juliet’s house, or at least the 15th-century residence attributed to her. It was a lovely building with its iconic balcony, but whilst there were many people who seemed to be stroking the left breast of Juliet’s statue in the hope of finding true love, we were struck more by the sheer commercialism of the house, beautiful as it was.

Just a stone’s throw away, we also found ‘Romeo’s house’. While the authenticity of these sites may be debatable, there’s no denying the lure they have on tourists (more so Juliet’s house).

Verona also revealed itself as a treasure trove of historical and artistic wonders. We stumbled upon ancient mausoleums that spoke of a bygone era, a rather disturbing set of stocks with a metal neck ring in the centre of a piazza, their solemnity contrasting with the romantic legends that surround the city.

As the day turned to dusk, we sat outside the van with a neighbour, a young Israeli lady travelling on her own towards Norway with her dog Lady. She had the much better idea of wandering into the city in the evening when the heat had abated somewhat!

After a memorable night in Verona, our adventure continued as we made our way to Peschiera, a charming town nestled on the shores of Lake Garda.

We decided on Camping Butterfly, although we quickly realized that it was a rather regimented place with its specific schedules, including designated times for taking out the rubbish.

On our day in Peschiera we cycled along the scenic shores of Lake Garda, heading towards the town of Garda itself. The path proved to be challenging at times, especially the beach section, but the breathtaking views of the lake made it all worthwhile. We paused for a leisurely lunch and a stroll in the lovely town of Lazise, where we discovered a hidden gem of a bar called Nautica. It turned out to be one of the best dining experiences of our trip, with delicious food and a warm atmosphere.

On our way back, we couldn’t resist the temptation to cool off with a refreshing swim in the lake. Thankfully, we had remembered to bring our water shoes, which proved essential for navigating the stony lakebed.

Our second evening in Peschiera took us to a bustling bar, Mida’s Strube, where we found ourselves in the company of Italian triathletes on a training run/swim/ride – we think they may have been international competitors 🙂

As much as we enjoyed Peschiera, we decided to move on to Garda, where we found a dedicated parking spot just a short walk from the lake. This location was perfect for us, and we once again took a dip in the lake, even though it was a bit rockier and less convenient than our previous swim – still a welcome respite from the heat.

In Garda, we made a big mistake by choosing an empty lakeside eatery. Initially presented with an a la carte menu that didn’t quite appeal to us, we were surprised by the waitress’s lack of grace when clearing our table. After a while, we decided to ask another waiter for a different menu – which they did have. We enjoyed our meal and drinks but were taken aback by a hefty bill, including a cover charge of 4E each, reminding us of the importance of choosing wisely when dining in touristy areas. We were really annoyed with ourselves as we are fully aware of these potential issues…

A stroll around Garda led us to a brass band playing, a delightful déjà vu from a previous visit to the town. We had hoped to find the market to replace a cherished tablecloth from years ago, but alas, the market day was the next day, and we missed it as we drove away.

Our final stop in Italy took us to South Tyrol, just south of the Austrian border, where we explored the stunning scenery, admired mountain views, and stumbled upon a mysterious circle of standing stones. As we crossed into Austria and headed towards Germany, we reflected on all the memories that made our 2023 trip through Italy an unforgettable journey, at the same time we looked forward to our meander home through Germany, France, Luxembourg and Belgium, which turned out to be a rather wonderful few weeks 🙂

We stayed: Porta Palio, Verona

Camping Butterfly, Peschiera

Garda Parking, Garda

Should you visit Venice? Here’s our view

We nearly missed Venice as I had an idea I wasn’t going to like it… How wrong I was! We both absolutely loved it 🙂

A Whirlwind Romance with Venice: Three Unforgettable Days

Venice, a city born from the sea, a place where every corner holds a piece of history and every canal whispers tales of its past. Our journey through this enchanting city began as we disembarked the bus at Piazzale Roma Station. From here we set out to discover the heart of Venice.

Day 1: The Grand Unveiling

Our first day was a whirlwind of awe and wonder. The moment we stepped onto the narrow streets, Venice cast its spell on us.

Calv was instantly smitten with the skill of the boatmen, marvelling at how they all avoided each other in the busy waterways. If it had been up to him we would never have made it past the 1^st bridge! As it was we aimed to cross as many bridges as possible, an aim which was helped as we took a few wrong turns along the way (I know – it’s a surprise…!)

The Rialto Bridge was the first main bridge we found; a magnificent architectural feat, greeted us with a bustling crowd of tourists. It was impressive, indeed, but oh, the crowds!

We moved on to St. Mark’s Square and its stunning basilica. The beauty was worth the wait in the queue, although the conflicting signs about entry fees left us a bit puzzled. Just to be clear you do have to pay to visit the basilica, and extra to visit the Pala D’or (the golden altar) inside. We didn’t pay the extra, but did catch glimpses of this wonderful altarpiece.

Whilst standing in the queue we were able to appreciate the outside of the basilica and the Doges Palace, the bell tower and the unusual clock that overlooks the square.

As we stepped inside the basilica, the wonderful mosaic-adorned ceilings and exquisite floors captured our attention. Read more about the basilica here.

We next stumbled upon the Bridge of Sighs (just a short hop from the square), with its romantic yet dark history. Legend has it that condemned prisoners sighed as they crossed from the inquisitor’s office to the prison, although this tale may be more fiction than fact (well it is actually – read about it here).

Whilst Calv loved watching the boat ballet (and I do agree the boatmen and the gondoliers were extremely skillful) my favourite thing to look at as we walked around the city were the shop windows showing off authentic Venetian masks, and the costumiers with historical costumes on display. They were truly amazing (and there were a lot of them). Sadly my budget extended only to a purchase from a stall (which was pricey enough!!)

Day 3: Exploring the Unplanned

Unfortunately, illness confined me to quarters on the second day. However, on the third day, we were back on our feet.

On our third day, we chose to forgo the pricey gondola ride (80E for 40 mins), opting instead for a 25E each day boat ticket. We used this to ferry us to the islands of Murano, famous for its glass, and Burano, renowned for its colourful houses and lace. The cruise along the Grand Canal at the end of the day was a highlight, revealing Venice’s intricate beauty from the water; and of course seeing many buildings that aren’t visible except from the water.

Despite taking a few unintended detours at the beginning of the day (we had been aiming to walk to a particular pontoon via the Ghetto) but under the scorching sun, we eventually cut this plan short and boarded a waterbus at an earlier pontoon to head out first to Murano, passing the intriguing cemetery island on the way.

Murano was a treasure trove of glass creations, with workshops and shops scattered across the island. Its ageing buildings added to its rustic charm. Burano, our next stop, offered a burst of colour with its picturesque houses and intricate lace shops. There was also another leaning tower here – they appear to be quite abundant throughout Italy (although none as impressive as the iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa). Both islands were beautiful. A little quieter than the main island (although that’s not really saying much) and therefore with a different vibe. There are plenty of canals and bridges still to explore. Definitely worth a visit.

The journey back to Venice was a crowded one, and also a long one, which meant we regretted our decision not to take a seat when we had the opportunity. Back at the main island we disembarked at San Marco, headed down a couple of pontoons to hop on Line 1, which took us all the way along the iconic Grand Canal, revealing one architectural marvel after another. It was genuinely a highlight and I would say is not to be missed 🙂

Venice, a city I had been unsure about, turned out to be an absolute delight. Its magic lies not just in its famous landmarks but in its labyrinthine streets, vibrant canals, and the sheer joy of getting lost and finding narrow dead end streets (meaning you come to a canal with no bridge to cross). If you ever have the chance, Venice is a must-visit, a city that will steal your heart and leave you yearning for more.

We stayed: Camping Serenissima

Our next stop: Verona (staying at a cheap sosta within walking distance)

Fulfilling a Childhood Dream: Exploring Pompeii, Herculaneum & Vesuvius

A summary of our time in Pompeii visiting the famous ruins, Vesuvius and Herculaneum

Introduction: Visiting Pompeii has been a long-held childhood dream of mine, and finally, the time came to visit & explore the ancient city. We stayed on the outskirts of the city which meant a rather uninspiring and not particularly enjoyable walk of just over 1-1.5 miles into Pompeii; note, we had to endure this walk 6 times (3 x there and back), but it was worth it for what we saw. Pompeii exceeded all expectations and proved to be a place where time seemed to stand still. Ever since our visit Calv has commented with ‘It’s not 2,000 years old though is it?’ to every new sight that we’ve seen…. We didn’t limit ourselves to visiting Pompeii though – we also ‘conquered’ Vesuvius and explored Herculaneum 😊

Pompeii: A couple of people advised us that we needed to allow about 2 hours to exploring the ruins…I know, right?? 2 hours?? Were they mad? We could have spent 2 days nosing around and probably still not seen everything. We spent about 5 hours exploring and barely scratched the surface. Our feet were screaming at us by then in the heat; we did intend to go back a 2^nd day but by the time we got back from Herculaneum (and knowing we still had another 1.5 miles to walk) we simply couldn’t face it (I’ll just have to return another time)

Wandering through the ancient streets, we marvelled at the remarkably well preserved ruins, the wheel ruts along the streets, the high pavements and stepping stones across the streets, the numerous ‘fast-food’ outlets with the amorphae still in place, the mosaics, the friezes, the fountains – the list is endless. The ampitheatre was amazingly well preserved. We were aware of many archaeologists working around the site uncovering more of it all the time (I think that only 2/3 of the site has been uncovered so far) – you can see the depth to which it was buried where excavations have yet to begin.

Finally we wandered through the ancient burial area before viewing the preserved skeletons – they’re actually reproductions that you see, but very poignant nonetheless.

It was a simply amazing visit and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Note: If you enter near the Ampitheatre entrance there is likely to be less of a queue (we didn’t even have a queue – we thought we did but, we got into the queue only to realise that it was actually for the audio guides!) We just needed to go to the ticket machine and buy our tickets and go on through 😊

‘Conquering’ Vesuvius: We wanted to go up Vesuvius and, preferably, look over the crater but we were being offered ‘tours’ for 45E each, that consisted of, in effect, a taxi ride to Herculaneum and then up to Vesuvius (not including tickets), so we decided to make our own way to both sites. However, our plans hit a roadblock when we discovered that tickets to see the crater were sold out for the next two weeks. No doubt due to the opportunistic operators buying up all the tickets so that tourists have little choice if they want to see the crater. Determined to explore on our terms, we managed our own transportation (we used the local bus and were lucky to get a fairly sane bus driver) and saved a significant sum of money (about 50E), AND saw just as much as we would have done if we’d fallen for it.

On finding the ticket office closed and therefore a short hike up to the crater closed to us, we took an alternate route up the mountain, which afforded us much the same views as we would have seen the other way (but without the crowds). We could now easily see that Vesuvius is actually a volcano within a volcano as we could see the outline of the older Somma clearly.

Calv genuinely believed that we would fool ‘the authorities’ and make it up to the crater on this alternative route…. He was proved wrong when we were stopped by a ranger and asked if we had a ticket (it costs 12E each to look in the crater… assuming you can get a ticket that is…)

We loved the hike that we were able to undertake but, in all honesty, I find the hike up and the views from Snowdon to be very much more stunning. Everyone’s different and I’m sure there will be those who disagree with me on this (not many though!!).

Herculaneum: Pompeii’s Lesser-Known Gem

While Pompeii often steals the limelight, its smaller counterpart, Herculaneum, offers an equally interesting view of the calamitous events of 24^th August 79BC.

After our adventures in Pompeii and conquering Mount Vesuvius, we hopped on a commuter train from the same location that we had taken the bus, ready to explore the lesser-known ruins of Herculaneum. we needed to use was the commuter train and couldn’t help but notice the need for modernization throughout the whole train system (something that has been clear to us on most of our train journeys in Italy). However, amidst the worn-out stations and dated trains, we did notice one station that had either been recently upgraded or was completely new—hopefully, for the Italians who have to use this infrastructure daily, a sign of things to come? The short ride to Herculaneum was a true reflection of the local daily commute, adding an authentic touch to our overall experience and what awaited us at Herculaneum made the journey worthwhile.

On arriving in Herculaneum (Ercolano as it is known nowadays) a brief walk from the train station brought us to the entrance to the ruins. As we crossed the bridge, we were able to look over the entire site – it is vastly different in size to the Pompeii ruins. We could see whole buildings along whole streets, some with 2 stories still intact. Due to the nature of the explosion and the fact that Herculaneum was much closer than Pompeii it was buried in a different way, from the bottom up, which meant that buildings were less likely to collapse and therefore the site seems to be more complete.

The ruins of Herculaneum, while smaller than Pompeii, were no less impressive. Our eyes were immediately drawn to the remarkable 9-meter-long wooden boat, a fascinating artifact that showcased the advanced maritime technology of the time. Additionally, the abundance of gold jewellery on display transported was amazing for the fact that you could imagine many of the pieces being on display in any jewellers today.

While some areas, such as the “urban baths,” were closed during our visit, we made it a point to explore all accessible sections. Learning from our previous experience in Pompeii (aka a ‘scatter gun approach’), we became more circumspect, ensuring that we didn’t miss any hidden corners or intricate details. Herculaneum, with its well-preserved structures and intimate atmosphere, allowed us to immerse ourselves in the daily life of its ancient inhabitants.

Once satisfied that we had seen everything, we treated ourselves to a light lunch at VIP Burger, a nearby eatery. The friendly staff seemed delighted to have customers and provided exceptional service (sadly not always evident during our trip). We even encouraged fellow travellers to take a seat and order here – it was a simple lunch but very tasty 😊

With our feet tired from hours of walking and my long-held dream finally fulfilled, it was time to bid farewell to Pompeii, Vesuvius and Herculaneum and embark on the next leg of our journey—heading towards the East Coast.

Conclusion: Visiting Pompeii fulfilled a cherished childhood dream, immersing us in the rich history and awe-inspiring ruins of this ancient city. The experience taught us that two hours are simply not enough to explore the vastness and intricacies of Pompeii’s archaeological marvels. Having said that, 2 hours is almost enough time to explore Herculaneum- we would perhaps suggest that you go to Herculaneum first, and then Pompeii on a different day. Additionally, our conquest of Mount Vesuvius, despite the unexpected challenges, rewarded us with remarkable views and a sense of accomplishment. As with any journey, it’s not just the destination that matters, but also the lessons learned and the memories created along the way.

Where we stayed: La Terraza di Hermes

How to get from Rome to Pompeii when on a Motorhome Roadtrip

Our journey from Rome to Pompeii – seeing more of Italy. Includes links for reviews of where we stopped overnight 🙂

Introduction: Travelling through Italy offers an incredible array of historical and cultural treasures to explore. As we bid farewell to Rome, we headed to the captivating Villa Adriana (on the recommendation of a friend), the surprise that was Anagni, the beautiful Montecassino Abbey arriving eventually in Pompeii to visit the ruins. This was to be my main stop of the trip (i.e. the one that if I could only go to 1 place then this was it) being a long held dream of mine to visit. Find out in my next post if it lived up to expectations!

Villa Adriana: offered a small glimpse into Ancient Roman Luxury. Leaving Rome, we headed towards the Villa Adriana (Hadrian’s, rather lavish, present to himself), located just outside Tivoli. The drive was interesting at the end, as the main road in (itself narrow and through a residential area) was closed so we had to negotiate the very narrow streets and the school run!!

This is a UNESCO World Heritage site which was once the opulent retreat of Emperor Hadrian. As we strolled through the sprawling complex, we were stunned by the sheer size and grandeur of the imperial palace, stunning gardens and intricate architecture. My favourite bit was the island inside a moat inside a theatre where, apparently, Hadrian really did retreat. From the villa. That he built for himself….

Anagni: Moving on, we found a stopover up in the hills next to a town called Anagni (Citta dei Papi) Quite a drive up and around the bottom of the old town to find our spot, but what a view we had!

In the morning we decided to go for an early walk around the town to see what it was like. Well it was a real surprise! Narrow streets led straight to a cathedral and bell tower (closed at this time on a Saturday morning, although the bells still rang!) Beautiful narrow, quaint streets leading to equally charming houses brimming with flowers and shutters, we were capitvated by the charming atmosphere. Even the usual Italian traffic racing through the (supposedly pedestrian) streets couldn’t spoil our initial impressions.

Anagni turned out to be much larger than we had anticipated, revealing hidden gems, tight links to a number of Popes (hence Citta dei Papi) and wonderful views at every turn. It was a most pleasant and unexpected detour that we were really pleased to have discovered.

Montecassino Abbey: Our next destination for an overnight stop was the historic Montecassino Abbey, known as the birthplace of the Benedictine Order.

I’d spotted this as I’d been plotting out possible routes to Pompeii from Rome. The only thing putting me off was the clear switchbacks on the map, but Calv gave me one of his looks when I mentioned this, so up we went!!

Perched atop a hill, the abbey offers breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. However, reaching it proved to be quite an adventure. The narrow road leading up to the abbey featured six treacherous switchbacks, and our encounter with a coach made for an exhilarating and nerve-wracking ascent. (There’s a video of this event on my Instagram feed if you’re interested 😊-https://www.instagram.com/reel/CtT6GqtIKxd/) Nevertheless, the stunning beauty of the abbey and its rich historical significance made it all worthwhile.

I didn’t realise that this was actually the site of a huge WWII battle, and it made sense that the abbey looked so ‘new’ when I discovered that it has been rebuilt twice, the last time being after the war. The abbey is well worth a visit, particularly the crypt of the cathedral – I’ve never seen anything like it before!

Pompeii: I assumed that it was best to follow the SatNav on arriving in Pompeii and heading for our stopover – when will I learn?!. Instead she (yes, it’s definitely a she I’m afraid) lead us through the congested centre of town before I managed to takeover and direct us in a more sensible manner. At least we now knew exactly how to get back to the ruins on foot when we were ready to visit the following day! We also had wonderful views of Vesuvius (an ever changing view as the clouds scudded across the sky and the thunder storms came and went).

I will deal with our visits to the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum and our jaunt up Vesuvius on the local bus in a separate post 😊

Conclusion: All of the sites mentioned here are definitely worth visiting. If you only have time for 1? Not counting Pompeii (not dealt with that yet) it would be MonteCassino 😊

Where we stopped:-

Anagni –

Montecassino

Pompeii – la Terraz di Hermes

What is it really like Exploring Rome? The Reality

3 days spent exploring Rome and still not sure we saw it all! However, we saw everything that we wanted to 🙂

Introduction: Rome, the eternal city, is a treasure trove of history, art, and culture. Staying in a hotel in the heart of the city on a traditional city break can be exhilarating, but the way in which we travel offers a vastly different experience as we experience Rome proper, rather than just the edited highlights.

In this blog post, I will share our experience of staying in Flaminio on the outskirts of the city, taking the train in with ordinary residents and commuters from Due Ponti, and exploring the iconic landmarks of Rome in a span of four days (including 1, very necessary, day off!).

Day 1: A Journey through Ancient Rome: Our adventure began with a train ride from Due Ponti, a serviceable ‘updated’ station (1 day the turnstiles weren’t working; another day it was the ticket machine), sitting alongside the no longer used old station; although this is likely due to laziness I did love seeing the old station with the blocked off underpass 😊

Arriving in Rome, we dived headfirst into its ancient history and it’s most iconic sights, ‘The Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill’ which still stand as monumental reminders of the city’s glorious past. Immersing ourselves in the awe-inspiring ruins, we (Calv in particular) marvelled at the ingenuity of the ancient Romans; the Colosseum delivered everything promised, the Roman Forum was never ending – with sight after sight and the Constantine Arch stood guard over everything.

However, we were constantly harangued by those trying to sell overpriced tour tickets – telling us the official queue (which wasn’t well managed) was 4 hours… (it was about 1 hour – quite long enough!) The ticket gets you entrance to all 3 attractions – we would have spent the extra 6Euros to visit ‘the underground’ of the Colosseum, but unfortunately it was sold out for the day ☹

Throughout Rome, whatever faults there may be, there is an abundance of water fountains available to fill your bottles.

From the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill we could see a huge monument which we didn’t discover until our 3^rd day of exploring – it was well worth it 😊

These 3 attractions are in a very compact area, and we were therefore able to use the same metro to head home as we arrived at (there are not a huge number of stations to choose from unfortunately..)

Day 2: The Vatican City: On the second day, we set our sights on Vatican City, a city state within Rome. Once again, not well signposted from the minimal metro network, but we managed to find our way in the end.

There was a long queue for the Vatican museums (buying a ticket is the only way to see the Sistine Chapel unfortunately – as I wasn’t overly bothered about the museums we decided to give this a miss (which doesn’t stop the ticket sellers from haranguing you every step you walk))

Instead we headed straight for St Peter’s Square (again minimal signage to help you to negotiate the city and find the main sights). But once there we loved the grandeur of St. Peter’s Square, where the faithful gather in the shadow of the magnificent St. Peter’s Basilica. On this day they were preparing for a large gathering to be held in a couple of days.

The square itself is beautiful including a wonderful fountain (which provided a very welcome shower of spray) and a statue honouring all refugees over time. There is also a post office, which, had I realised or thought about it, I would have gone into to post a couple of postcards and perhaps had my passport stamped. But I didn’t ☹

Returning to visit the basilica later in the day, the opulent interior almost left us speechless. Note: the queues look longer than they actually are and are mainly to get through the airport type security that you will experience throughout Rome. Entrance to the Basilica is free and I would absolutely recommend it.

After lunch we headed to the Castel Sant’Angelo which stood as a testament to Rome’s layered history. Well worth the 12Euros entry fee, there is far more to this castle than you might first think. We arrived at a quiet point and didn’t have much of a queue. It was a lovely surprise wandering around discovering the delights of this attraction. There is a café/restaurant on a terrace near the top level which might be worth a visit for lunch.

Having returned to visit St Peter’s Basilica we were delighted to spot a couple of Swiss Guard in their iconic uniforms (never too happy to have their photos taken of course!)

We then, accidentally, exited the square and headed in the wrong direction (we turned right…) which resulted in us walking the entire circumference of the Vatican City’s towering walls in the course of the day, which is really not a particularly pleasant way to complete your visit!! And it was, of course, my fault….

Day 3: A Day of Rest: After two days of intense exploration, we decided to take a well-deserved break. It was a day of relaxation, basically doing a spot of washing and heading to the swimming pool to cool off 😊

Day 4: The Heart of Rome: On our final day, we ventured into the historic heart of Rome, to visit the last few sights on our list – the Spanish Steps, The Trevi Fountain and The Pantheon.

I had hoped to also visit the Piazza Navona, but a wrong turn early in the day (☹) and lots of walking around the busy streets meant that we didn’t make it. We did however discover some other sights that weren’t on our list – the Vittorio Emanuelle II monument (including the tomb of the unknown warrior) and the Teatro Marcello.

First stop was the Spanish Steps, accessed from the Spagna Metro station. The fountain at the bottom of the steps was quite impressive (and you could refill your water bottle here), but the steps themselves were largely obscured by the hordes of people on them. We did, of course, walk up, and down and then headed through the shopping district (where I did buy a new bikini…) in search of the Trevi Fountain.

Having initially walked the wrong way and unintentionally visited Piazzale Flaminio, we eventually found the Trevi fountain. Again a very impressive sight, but heaving with tourists. It is huge! I chose not to throw any coins in….

Last up was the Pantheon, but on the way we found the Vittorio Emanuelle monument, which was very impressive, and from which you can look over the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. From there we spotted what looked like a mini colosseum, but was in fact the Teatro Marcello, an ancient open-air theatre that was completed in 13BC – very impressive 😊

When we eventually found the Pantheon there was a short queue to visit. It was much smaller than I expected, but no less impressive for that. Definitely worth the long walk to find it!

Conclusion: Staying on the outskirts of Rome and commuting in from Due Ponti allowed us to experience a different view of Rome than most who visit will see. This means that we don’t see the ‘fully sanitised’ version of the city, but rather the full reality, including walking through the less salubrious districts and ‘enjoying’ the real experience of commuting into the city (the trains and stations are very dated).

We very much enjoyed our time in Rome and saw all the sights that we wanted to. We’re glad that we went but we wouldn’t return (hence why I didn’t throw any coins into the fountain!)

How we got from Florence to Orbetello on the coast, (via Monteriggioni and Siena)

After leaving Pisa we headed inland to Florence before making our way back to the coast at Orbetello via Monteriggioni and Siena. Next stop – Rome 🙂

Visiting Florence (or Firenze as it’s known in Italy), the cultural capital of Tuscany, is a dream come true for many. We felt that we should visit and see the main sights, but there wasn’t anything we particularly wanted to see. In this post, I’ll take you on a whirlwind tour of Florence and the places we discovered after leaving there, and before making our way to Rome.

Florence: The Duomo and Beyond:

We stayed outside the city centre in a fairly uninspiring, but handy, camper stop in Scandicci. It was convenient as we had just a 10 minute walk to the tram which then took us into the centre within about 15 minutes. If you’re ever here, do make sure that you’re holding on when the tram starts up – the driving of trams, and trains, as with any vehicle in Italy is very aggressive, leading to people nearly falling over left, right and centre….

Arriving in the city centre, we picked up a map from the information centre and then made our way to the historic centre, where we were met with a view of the spectacular Duomo and Baptistery, both of which are truly breathtaking. It really is a sight to behold and as a result, after much umming and ahhing, we decided to join one of the long queues to go inside the iconic Duomo. Our queue snaked its way past the campanile (bell tower). Of course, there were no queues there as it is ticketed only!

Once inside the cathedral, we soon discovered that the real marvel lay in its exterior beauty rather than the interior. We looked at the dome from below, which was definitely worth seeing, and tried heading down the steps towards the crypt (the crowds were inhibiting) only to find another area that needed to be paid for and, of course, the gift shop….

With many warnings in mind we chose to sit outside a bar at the dome end of the Duomo for a drink – I enjoyed a limoncello spritz 😊 It wasn’t overly expensive and we were able to appreciate the exterior of the cathedral more – noticing that we were sitting at the point where they had yet to clean!!

We spent the rest of the day simply exploring the city’s other architectural gems, such as the Ponte Vecchio, populated entirely by high end jewellers shops, and various palaces (Pitti Palace), statues and fountains. We saw the Uffizi gallery from outside, but the queues were huge (and you really do have to book ahead if you want to go inside).

We enjoyed a nice lunch at Il Bargello (me, ravioi; Calv, meatballs) overlooking the magnificent building that the National Museum di Bargello is housed within. We also enjoyed our 2^nd gelato of the trip (the first having been in Lucca – it was more expensive in Florence!!)

We stayed:- Scandicci

Monteriggioni: Leaving Florence behind, we had found a camper stop with all services (including toilets, showers and electric – for 16Euros per night) at the enchanting walled town of Monteriggioni, a true hidden gem. Although we were heading for Siena (having seen it recommended by another tourer) we decided to stop here first and then just have a short 10-15 miles to Siena the next day. We ended up staying 2 nights as it was just perfect, with the most wonderful views over the Tuscan countryside 😊

Heading about half mile up the steep hill on the Via Fracigena (an ancient walk from Canterbury to Constantinople) we town itself. It is a tiny town that captures the essence of medieval Italy. The atmosphere was vibrant on a Sunday, as locals, cyclists, bikers, and tourists alike filled the narrow, windy cobblestone streets. We soaked up the town’s rich history, strolled around it’s few streets, and partook of a quick drink and ice cream sundae. The church was tiny but beautiful, and we enjoyed listening to the bells ringing.

(Campers note – there is a car park just below the city walls where you can park for a lower day rate. If you don’t fancy a bracing walk up the hill!!)

We stayed:- Monteriggioni

Siena: Moving on on Monday we continued just a few miles up the road to Siena, where we parked in an authorised stop which is used by coaches. Again, not overly inspiring – being in the middle of a roundabout – but perfect for our purposes (cost 20Euros).

We could see Siena as we approached, perched high above the main road. Walking up a road (which is normal it would appear..) we found the elevators to take us up to the historical centre. This is a city renowned for its medieval architecture and famous Palio horse race. Once we knew this all the mini ceramic helmets on sale in the tourist shops made more sense! There is a lot more to it, including, of course, a duomo, a magnificent piazza dominated by a tower (which you can go up – we couldn’t face it!!) We’re convinced that this square is where public executions were held (Piazza del Campo). For lunch we enjoyed a giant slice of pizza (which I worked out how to eat – after I’d finished and having made a bit of a mess!!) We later returned to sit on a narrow, perhaps you could say rickety, balcony overlooking the piazza, enjoying a drink and indulging in a bit of people watching 😊

The narrow streets were a labyrinth, with mopeds zipping by at every turn, defying the conventional rules of the road (as seems to be the norm in Italy ☹). Amidst the confusion, we stumbled upon a delightful surprise: the enchanting strains of a piano practice accompanied by a soaring opera soprano, drifting from a window high above us. It was one of those moments that will stay with us forever – and made the fact that we were lost, again, very worthwhile 😊

We also walked a fair way to find the fort shown on the map, then walked the whole way around the fort to find the entrance (we should have turned right… we always should (except when leaving St Peter’s Square in Rome, but that’s another story…)) and watching a fairground HGV going through one of the entrance arches with just cms to spare!!

Once again, we managed to get back to the van within a minute of so of the heavens opening and yet another thunderstorm ensuing – luck seems to have been with us so far on this trip; long may it continue….

We stayed: Siena

Orbetello: Finally after the hustle and bustle of the previous week or so we decided to head to the coast before making our way to Rome. Plus we had just discovered that Friday was Republic Day, a public holiday, so we thought it prudent to get ourselves onto a site to sit it out.

We identified our destination as being Orbetello, a coastal town on a narrow spit leading to an island. We spent the first couple of days indulging in beach and pool time, interrupted on the last couple of days by bike rides. The first of these was not successful – we couldn’t find the cycle path we’d been told about, and ended up heading the wrong way when we got onto the island. With fast moving Italian traffic (mopeds overtaking the cars that were overtaking bikes – not great when they’re coming towards you on a narrow windy road) this wasn’t enjoyable, so we headed back early having only covered 9 miles.

We then did a bit of research and found the cycle path, so set off again the next day. Much more successful (managed a full 14 miles this time)! First stop on reaching Orbetello was lunch in the delightful Café Gagu. We then locked up the bikes and went for a wander, stumbling upon another hidden gem when we discovered the town’s history as a seaplane base, adding a unique twist to its charm. Orbetello town turned out to be a delightful surprise, and we were so glad that we went out that 2^nd day as it would have been so easy to head back to the beach and veg out!!

We stayed:- Camping Orbetello

Conclusion: So we went to Florence, Monteriggioni, Siena and Orbetello over the course of just over a week. Our favourite? For me it had to be Monteriggioni, followed by the day we cycled to Orbetello and discovered it’s hidden history.

What we are finding throughout Italy is that there is a lack of information available. Often there will be information boards, but they tend to go into so much technical detail (architecture etc.) that even I, a voracious reader, get bored and give up!!

The moral of the story however is to head off the beaten track and discover those places that are not written about and photographed everywhere – these new discoveries were very much more pleasant to visit.

See the following links for photos:-

Florence:- https://www.instagram.com/p/CsuHQYuoRw4/

Monteriggioni:- https://www.instagram.com/p/CsvhOvlorhU/

Siena:- https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs1MLeZIJAx/

Orbetello:- https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs_qJZXIR2M/ https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs4VFmZI2OH/

Tavistock – Ancient Stannary Town and Birthplace of Sir Francis Drake. Absolutely charming!

What’s a stannary town? Read on to find out! Tavistock is absolutely charming and has the added benefit of being on the route of the N27 cycling route

We have moved on from Cornwall; not far though, just as far as Tavistock on the western edge of Dartmoor.

There’s an awful lot to say about Tavistock. First of all, it’s absolutely charming with many of the Abbey ruins dotted around the town. The 10th century Benedictine Abbey must have been huge as the ruins are so well spaced out – some in the grounds of the church, and then the Still Tower (where medicines were made) still standing alongside the river, as well as the gates. The museum is housed in one of these gates, but was unfortunately closed during our visit.

The town was granted it’s market charter in 1105 and a market has been held there continuously since then. Nowadays this is mostly held in the purpose build (1860) Pannier Market with many regular stalls. We were drawn in by 2 of these stalls and bought a few gifts (a couple of which were for us!) Around the outside of the market building there are many cafes serving local produce (including, of course, pasties and cream teas).

Speaking of cream teas, Tavistock is apparently the home of the Devon cream tea (cream with jam on top – of course!) The story goes that a group of workers making repairs after a Viking attack in 997AD were rewarded with bread, clotted cream and strawberry preserves – the rest, as they say, is history 🙂

Devon Cream Tea (at Badgers Rest, Dartmeet)

Tavistock’s most famous son is Sir Francis Drake, and there are many nods to this around the town – from street names, shop names and statues to the cycle path winding through the town.

The N27 cycle path goes through Tavistock on it’s way from Ilfracombe to Plymouth. The section from Tavistock to Plymouth is known as ‘Drake’s Trail’. We used it to cycle from our campsite in Peter Tavy (Harford Bridge) and were really impressed (this was 1 of 2, mainly off road, cycle routes into town – and the easiest of the 2 we used). There is ample cycle parking near the town hall (opposite the Abbey Church).

On arriving in town Calv continued cycling along the N27 with me desperately trying to rein him in – ‘You’re on your way to Plymouth’ finally worked! The park alongside the river (which contains tennis courts, a BMX track and, of course, a bowling green) is rather lovely and brings you back, if you walk along by the river, to the wharf and the start of the canal, some of which is underground.

We ate lunch in the EastGate Bistro, again alongside the river, enjoying local produce, including beer and wine 🙂 Very nice too!

We returned the next day to make our purchases in the Pannier Market (we wouldn’t have been able to carry them home on our bikes). We parked up on the top road near the road up to the hospital (and the town steps) where it was free. On the way back we took the long route – completely unintentionally, especially considering we didn’t just have our purchases to carry, but those of fellow campers who were on their bikes! This resulting in a steep climb up the town steps and a steep descent down them back to the car – Calv wasn’t impressed with me…

By the way, I promised an explanation of what Stannary Town meant. Stannary means this was where mined metal (tin and later copper) was weighed, stamped and assessed for duty. Click here for more detailed information.

All in all I would definitely recommend a visit, or 2, to Tavistock. We will very likely return 🙂

Walking in Exmoor – Lynmouth, Lynton, West Lyn

A ride on the Lynmouth/Lynton cliff railway has been on my bucket list since way before I knew what a bucket list was! Recent appearances on travel programmes re-ignited my interest, plus a walk on Julia Bradbury’s Great British Walks ignited Calv’s interest too – so was the 1st stop on our UK mini road trip decided 🙂

After a slightly stressful run-in to Lynmouth (don’t take the A39 – read why here), we settled down for a few days of walking.

We arrived the day after a big storm and the weather was still a bit dull, but the following day was much better, and we set off, pretty early for us, at about 9.30am. The main reason for this is we were looking for somewhere to treat Calv to a big English Breakfast on his birthday 🙂

We found the footpath out of the site and set off down the lanes and across the fields to head down the hill. Some wonderful views greeted us even at this early part of the walk.

Once we hit the path we weren’t sure which way to go, so we headed left as this seemed the most logical direction. We were wrong as this took us back up the hill and around a gorge back downhill, before heading back up to meet the road skirting Lynton – meaning a walk along the road (some of it on the road) steeply downhill into Lynmouth. It wasn’t a problem, at least we saw more of the countryside!!

Arriving in Lynmouth we headed down towards the main area where there is a good selection of tourist shops, bars, cafes and pubs 🙂 We were here at the end of July so everything was open with social distancing protocols and masks in use.

At the far end of parade of shops we found The Ancient Mariner, just the right degree of quirkiness and a simply wonderful breakfast. We liked it so much we returned a couple more times during our trip 🙂

Revived by our breakfast we set off in search of the cliff railway that I had spent so many years wanting to visit. We first found the seafront and the Rhenish Tower (originally built in 1860 to store salt water for indoor baths, it had to be rebuilt after being destroyed in the disastrous flood of 1952). The historic cliff railway cannot be missed (both literally and figuratively), carving it’s way at a seemingly impossible gradient up the hill as it does! And it is still completely water powered.

At £3 each way for an adult (£2 per child, £1 per dog) it was well worth the total cost of £12 (we came back down later on in the day). A childhood dream finally realised!! I can’t wait to go back and do it again. And again. And again 🙂

Looking up the Lynmouth and Lynton cliff railway

At the top we took a walk around Lynton which is a bigger town than Lynmouth with more choice of shops and eateries. Perhaps not quite as charming though.

Completely by chance we looked at a info board in front of the town hall (and cinema. Apparently Lynton is the smallest town in England to have it’s own cinema) and decided to follow the walk up Hollerday Hill to find the old Hollerday House. There really was no evidence left of the house when you got there, the most complete area left was where the tennis court had been, although there is a really good information board.

Once you have walked up (and I mean up) as far as the house it is definitely worth walking the extra 5/10 minutes to the summit of the hill and the site of the old Iron Age Fort. It was VERY windy on the summit, but what a wonderful view we had – to the east the bay in front of Lynmouth, to the west ‘Valley of the Rocks’ and to the North the Welsh coast. We really wanted to visit The Valley of the Rocks, but simply ran out of time. Yet another reason to return 🙂

Once back down in Lynmouth we popped in for a drink in the Ancient Mariner before visiting the Glen Lyn Gorge . This perhaps feels a little expensive at £6 per adult, but it is privately owned and they have provided plenty of pathways up to the waterfalls, together with the loan of a mobility scooter that can get the less abled up to see these. The little museum is brilliant. Once the families left we had the place to ourselves (in these Covid times we waited for them to leave) and we were in there a fair while!

You learn a fair bit about the flood of 1952, which devastated the town, here. The other place is the Flood Memorial Hall which is near The Ancient Mariner. It’s free to visit but was unfortunately closed when we were in town (due to Covid no doubt).

So now we had to get back to the campsite. We knew we had to go uphill, but asked the guy in the Gorge what was the best way. The answer is to go to the right on leaving the gorge, and very soon there is a pathway up through the houses (we missed it at first, but I really don’t know how!!) You start off following the Two Moors Way (Devon’s coast to coast walk).

It is very steep, right from the start. And it doesn’t really get any better for a good long way…. Once off of the tarmacked path and into the trees you zig zag for what seems like miles (and not helped by people coming the other way telling you you’ve still got a long way to go!) before hitting the flattish path near the top. Here to get back to the campsite (Lynmouth and Lynton Holiday Retreat), you need to turn right. Then you will find the gate into the field waymarked for West Lyn. Good luck 🙂

This was a really long day and I’m sure you can imagine our legs were really tired, having walked over 11 miles – half of it up really steep hills. So we didn’t do much more that evening (not even a quick drink in The Beggars Roost...)

With tired legs the next day was spent visiting Ilfracombe. It’s so memorable that I forgot I’d been before….