Day 1 – Tuesday 6th October 2009 (Throwley Forstal, Kent – Troyes, France)
After a 5am start, we boarded the ferry at Dover and waved goodbye to a very wet and dreary England … and said hello to a very wet and dreary France. Still, not to be put off by the weather, we headed straight to our first port of call … the Champagne region of course!
Miles travelled: 325 miles (total: 325 miles!) Highlight of the day: Des Avenue
de Champagne, Epernay
Comment of the day: James to the security guard at Dover ferry terminal
who was threatening on unloading and searching 11 months worth of kit – Security guard “where are you
heading?”
James “Dover” SG deadpan “Err, you’re in Dover”
Tune of the day: Don’t stop me now, Queen
Day 2- Wednesday 7th October 2009 (Troyes – Etang sur-Arroux, France)
First night on the roof top tent was a good one (obviously not helped at all by the champagne, burgundy and Irish coffee we quaffed the night before!). We woke up late to a beautiful morning in a campsite just outside Troyes and, after the vehicle checks which will become part of our daily routine for the next 11 months, we headed off to our second port of call … the burgundy wine region of course!
Miles travelled: 203 miles (total 528 miles) … we got a bit side
tracked by the vineyards! Highlight of the day: wine tasting in Gevry-Chambertin
Comment of the day: from the mad French lady who came into the
campsite toilets with a very embarrassed looking puppy and said “Excuse moi …. [some French babble] …
peepee” and took the puppy into the toilet cubicle Tune of the day: Mr Brightside, the Killers
Day 3 – Thursday 8th October 2009 (Etang sur Arroux – Bourg d’Oisans, France)
After a bit of a late start (again), we headed south through the Beaujolais region – are you spotting a theme here?? However, the torrential rain started shortly after we left and then the cab started to steam … little did we know that it wasn’t purely the physics of different temperatures and we cranked up the heating … in hindsight, a bad idea
Miles travelled: 226 miles (total 754 miles)
Highlight of the day: Jasper (a daschound/jack russell cross 3 month old puppy that welcomed us to the campsite)
Day 4 – Friday 9th
October 2009 (Bourg d’Oisans, France –
Turin, Italy)
Well, what a day! Our daily morning vehicle check revealed that William had managed to use almost all his coolant in one day – we sensed something might be amiss – however, not spying any obvious issues or leaks we decided to press on through the Alps into Italy. The steam in the cab continued but we were a bit distracted with the magnificent views so we soldiered on until, just past the Italian border, the temperature gauge began to rise. We stopped and topped up with water but something was clearly wrong. We drove to a VW dealership just outside Turin. They concluded the leak was coming from the heater unit and directed us to another dealership a few miles away. It wasn’t a Land Rover garage and the man there literally spoke no English. He showed us a Range Rover with its radiator being fitted and gestured to our vehicle with lots of “Radatiori” plus gestures to the heater. Very confusing but he did direct us to Turin’s Land Rover dealership called Cozzo Mario near the Airport. By this time it was 5pm on a Friday night - not good timing. We topped up with more water and floored it to Cozzo Mario’s. We finally found the dealership and were greeted with lots of handshakes but no English (again). Even though it was nearly 6pm the guys started examining the engine and the heater unit. Finally barriers were broken by use of Yahoo!’s translator and the common language word of “BYPASS”! Said bypass was made as the mechanics disconnected the two coolant pipes into the heater unit and connected them together rendering the heater unit utterley obsolete. Let’s hope it doesn’t get too cold in Africa….
A storm broke again at nightfall. Amid torrential rain we binned camping
and headed to downtown Turin – the first night in a cheap hotel.
Miles travelled
: 151 miles (total 905 miles)
– mostly searching for a garage!
Highlight of the day: The drive over the Alps
Comment of the day: “BYPASS” (universally recognised mechanical term
… apparently) Tune of the day: Tuneless day – too busy listening to the
engine…
Days 5–9, 10th-14th October 2009 (Turin – Pisa – Sienna – Baia Domizia – Amalfi Coast - Amantea, Italy)
After the traumas of the bypass incident, we had a lie in, in the salubrious Hotel Presidente in downtown Turin before setting off for the delights of Tuscany … and then it rained and bar one day and a couple of hours here and there, it hasn’t stopped since. Being rather fair weather campers, this has meant a couple of nights in ever more salubrious hotels – we are now looking forward to getting to Africa more than ever!
A couple of points to note about Italy:
1. THE ITALIANS ARE THE WORST DRIVERS EVER – according to the Italians, it is OK to do any of the following, preferably at the same time, depending on the level of “macho” in the driver:
- when approaching two lanes of traffic waiting at a red light, do not apply brakes, just drive in between the two lanes of traffic and straight through the red light (red lights do not apply to Fiat Panda’s in Italy apparently)
- if driving through the red light is not an option, by pass the queue of traffic waiting patiently and insert yourself at the front
- when driving on the motorway, avoid the use of brakes at all costs – just drive as close as possible to the car in front, hoot your horn and gesticulate wildly until the offending vehicle moves and then move onto the next vehicle in front – preferable maintaining a speed of over 100mph
- if you can’t decide which lane you should be in, drive in the middle of the motorway – particularly if you’re driving a Fiat Panda
- you can do any manoeuvre whilst talking on your mobile phone … preferable maintaining a speed of over 100mph
- overtaking is always an option – either the oncoming traffic will move out of your way or the offending line of traffic in front of you will move to the hard shoulder
- and always remember … the faster you drive, the more macho you are …
2. If you’re in road construction, move your business to Italy – the whole country seems to be one large set of continuous roadworks (much to the aggravation of Italian drivers who still insist on trying to drive 100mph but, despite serious attempts, they just can’t squeeze past a single line of traffic already driving on the hard shoulder)
3. Many people seem to make a living in Italy by waving various colour flags at passing vehicles, for no particular reason
4. There does not seem to be a Italian word for “Camber” and therefore no warning signs – not very helpful when you’re in a heavily laden, slightly top heavy Land Rover
5. It is OK to drive a Tuk Tuk to carry your olives around the Amalfi Coast if you are registered blind
6. Italian hotels lie about their star rating … general rule, always deduct at least one star, usually two!
compared to this, Africa should be a walk in the park!
Miles travelled: Day 5 - 218
miles (total 1,123 miles), Day 6 –
110 miles (total 1,233), Day 7 – 280 miles (total 1,513), Day 8 – 70 miles of
hairpin bends (total 1,583), Day 9 – 210 miles (total 1,793)
Highlights: drinking a 1999 bottle of Dom Perignon in a
campsite outside Sienna… oh and the team surviving the Italian roads physically
unscathed Quote of the days: James
“We are never moving to Italy … ever”
Tune of the days: Here comes the sun, Nina Simone … we live in hope
Day 10 – 15th October 2009 (Amantea, Italy – Acireale, Sicily)
A second ferry trip for the team, from Villa San Giovanni on mainland Italy to Messina, Sicily – all very easy although the locals just stare at William – I don’t think the Sicilians are very used to seeing overland vehicles! A stop off in the mountain Sicilian village of Toarmina, although very picturesque, nearly broke us mentally and is not recommended for any larger vehicle than a Fiat Panda! However, after more crazy Italian driving, we soon landed on our feet again and found a campsite overlooking the Mediterranean and a local pizzeria!
Miles travelled: 159 miles (total 1,952 miles) Highlight of the day: escaping Southern Italy!
Comment of the day:[Guess who]
“If you hoot at me one more time I will punch your ****ing lights out...” Tune of the day: Stuck in the middle with you (in lieu of any
Godfather soundtrack)
Day 11 – 16th October 2009 (Acireale, Sicily – Palermo, Sicily)
Having woken up in the tent with a uninterupted seaview (literally, the tent was virtually hanging over a cliff!), we headed through the center of Sicily. Interior and north of Sicily is definitely easier on the eye than the east coast. Some sun as well for once although raining later (again)! No campsites in Palermo so we decided to spend the last night in Europe in luxury – in the Villa Igiea Hilton…very nice! Although we did go local for dinner – a good decision it turned out! Tomorrow we sail for Africa!
Miles travelled: 170 miles (total 2,122)
Highlight of the day: The Villa Igiea Hilton, Palermo! Tune of the day: Hot n’Cold, Katy Perry