Saturday 30th July

Saturday 30^th July – Waterloo

It is never the best of nights when one sleeps in a car park but it was uneventful nevertheless.  Sadly the day was overcast and it drissled on and off throughout.  However it was a great day and we loved it.  The battlefield is in much the same state as it was in 1815 and we could imagine most of the battle as it would have played out.  We waited for our tour guide (Dad!) who was flying in from London and so we headed off to the museum and up the Butte De Lion to have a good look at the battlefield.  The Butte is a huge mound built c.10 yrs after the battle to commemorate the Prince of Orange.  It has 226 steps and had a great view of the battlefield.  We then went into the museum before meeting Dad.

the boys on the Butte de Lion overlooking the battlefield

We set off to the first of four stands and spent a good four hours covering the battlefield.  Dad had gone to great efforts to make it interesting for the boys and they loved it (all but J who layed down and fell asleep on the first stand!).  At least J now knows who Napoleon was!  We even had a run-in with a battlefield tour bus which we met in a small lane.  As we were 4/5ths of the way down the lane I was not inclined to budge – eventually the Belgian driver gave way and reversed but not before descending from his vehicle, gesticulating a fair bit and then shrugging his shoulders!

Coincidentally we bumped in to a squadron leader of the 14/20^th Hussars who had been with me in Gulf War One but was now a four star general working in Mons ( I didn’t know we had any four star generals left!).  He managed to get us into the farmhouse at Hougemont, which was great.

Dad holding forth!

Although the day was great and very interesting (we watched the film Waterloo in the ‘beast’ the night before) it was very sad as well.  The two important buildings of the battle – Le Haye Sainte; was closed to the public and Hougemont is now owned by the Belgium Government and is falling down.  To think that Waterloo was the deciding battle of modern Europe.  It was a battle which incorporated several European Nations – Germans, Dutch, British and Belgians who beat the French.  It has had no money given to it and there have been no new attractions or upkeep of buildings for decades.  It is incredibly depressing walking around Hougemont where even the small chapel has been broken into and the cross which was saved from the flames during the battle – stolen.

the farmhouse at Hougemont

We finished around 3pm and had a quick break back at the carpark before heading to the airport to drop off Dad.  It was quite impressive to have had a tour guide flown in for the day!  We then headed towards Ypres, (which is now called Lepers) where we turned off towards Passendale and visited the Tyne Cot Cemetery, the largest Commonwealth Cemetery in the world.  It was then on into a small village in Flanders where we set up camp in another carpark.

Friday 29th July

Friday 29^th July – Trip to Brussels

The journey to Brussels was not going to be that long so we decided to have a slow start to the day as the boys were shattered after their trip to Eurodisney.  In fact getting them up in some cases was quite a task.  We did a big wash-up and a bid farewell to Paris although we were very glad to leave the campsite, which was without doubt the worst we had stayed in during our road trip.  Even the Italians had better facilities.  What was worse was the constant expense at every turn.

Our trip to Brussels was pretty uneventful and we managed to get there in 4hrs.  We drove into the centre and parked up before looking up some things to do and finding that there was a fun park and mini-Europe to the north of the city.  We headed off there and went into a car park;  well it wasn’t that simple really as it was a tight squeeze into the car park and then the barrier came down on the winne!  We made it in and I found a space for the ‘beast’.  We were just heading in to the park when three security guards appeared and accused us of parking in the wrong place and breaking their barrier.  We managed to persuade them of our innocence but it took a while and then we had to mend the barrier.  All of which took time.  But in the end no damage was done.

We went around the mini-Europe at vaste expense which will no doubt go to shoring up the EU budget deficit and had lots of pictures taken outside the (mini) sites of Europe.  It took  an hour and a half to go round the site which was followed by supper and then off to Waterloo.  It took us half an hour to get to Waterloo where we camped in a car park.

Thursday 28th July

Thursday 28^th July – Eurodisney

I have to confess to being somewhat nervous about Eurodisney as I thought there would be meltdowns and expense in large proportions.  As it turned out it was a great day with everyone having had fun and we returned back to the campsite for 10 o’clock.

Pictures below:

Wednesday 27th July

Wednesday 27^th July – Paris

A day in Paris and a rather cold and wet one at that!  We started off with the Arc de Triumph and then moved on to the Eiffel Tower.  We queued for and hour for a trip up the tower which Claire sat out before going up to the second level.  Unfortunately the top level was closed so we had to make to with the second level.  To be honest another queue would have been too much!  We then moved on to the Hotel des Invalides, which is the French copy of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, although it isn’t quite the same.  It is a museum, church and hospital all in one; as well as being the resting place of Napoleon Bonaparte!

the boys outside the Hotel de les Invalides

Claire went on to the Louvre and bought tickets while we went around the museum so that when we had finished we walked along to the Louvre and went straight in!  After the Mona Lisa and several other corridors the boys were ready for some refuelling so we stopped off at the Café. 

outside the Louvre

It was then on to Notre Dame which was something of a disappointment after all of the Cathedrals in Italy.  Nevertheless it was a magnificent building and the stain glass windows were spectacular.  We then adjourned to a café for an early supper, a glass of wine and some cards.  This avoided the rush-hour before heading back to the campsite.

next to Napoleon’s Tomb

Tuesday 26th July

Tuesday 26^th July – Travelling from St Emilion to Paris

A rather leisurely start which meant we left slightly later than normal.  However that proved to be our undoing.  After we had filled up with water, got lost and turned around the time was around 10:30 before we set off for Paris.  Things didn’t get any better because after about a two hours the engine warning light went on I had to stop to fill up with oil.  Alas that meant that we had to ring Stingray RV and find out how to open the bonnet, ask what oil to put in and then purchase it.  That would have been pretty standard had it not been for the fact that the oil that they recommended wasn’t for sale!!  I had to guess so I live in the prospect of the engine failing at any moment!

The rest of the journey was uneventful until we reached Paris where we got well and truly lost.  Tom Tom was rubbish and we almost found ourselves going around the Arc de Triumph it was that bad.  Almost the same as travelling around Trafalgar Square when we should have been in Wimbledon!!!!  After the purchase of a map, Googlemap and several losses of temper we arrived at a rather grotty campsite at around 8pm.  Roughly in time for bed.

Monday 25th July

Monday 25^th July – Saint Emilion

We had a leisurely start as everyone was tired and it was raining so there seemed little point to being outside.  We were up and out by about 10am where we went off on a wine tour at one of the local vineyards.  The proprietor spoke no English so Chloe from the campsite translated for us.  He was just as you would have imagined a French Vineyard owner to be; big nose, deep voice and an accent that was extremely thick.  Nevertheless he was amusing and informative.  The tour lasted just under two hours and the boys did well to behave themselves, as they were clearly bored.  We sampled some of the local brew and then made a small purchase before heading off into St Emilion. 

Outside the vineyard

By the time we arrived in St Emilion we were quite hungry so we looked around for a reasonably priced restaurant and found one in the heart of the town.  The little cobbled streets were very pretty and if it wasn’t continually raining it would have been quite something.  After lunch W had a meltdown so we headed back to the campsite where we just chilled out for a bit before going for a bicycle ride and some more swimming.

lots of bottles!

Tonight we are going to have a barbeque again and cook (and drink) some of our local purchases.

on the way into Saint Emilion

Sunday 24th July

Sunday 24^th July – Driving to St Emilion

I was hoping to leave at 8:30 but as we woke up at 8:00 that would have been quite an achievement! Nevertheless we were up and away by 08:45 which wasn’t bad.  The boys were great and very helpful.  So we said farewell to Spain and headed off to Bordeaux and St Emilion.

We drove up the coast from Barcelona, past the Costa Brava and up to Perpignon before hanging a left up to Toulouse and Bordeaux.  The Tom Tom said that it would take us 6hrs and with stops and the fact that we were driving a house it took us 8hrs.  The journey up the coast to Perpignon was pretty hairy as it was extremely windy and the beast swayed across the road quite a bit.  Consequently our speed was somewhat limited.

our pitch.

We arrived in Saint Emilion at 5ish and were pleasantly surprised by the campsite.   We had the usual stares from the occupants at the size of the motorhome.  Our pitch was lovely and the facilities some of the best we have encountered.  The boys played tennis and went for a swim and we had a barbeque supper.

Saturday 23rd July

Saturday 23^rd July – Barcelona

We had a leisurely lie-in and the boys slept until past 8am, which was a first and proved just how tired they were.  We eventually left for Barcelona at 10ish and arrived about 45 mins later.  The journey was pretty straightforward and was by bus.  There is not a massive amount to see in Barcelona and given the sights of Rome anything there was to see was rather overshadowed.

In order to start the day on a cultural high we went off to see Camp Nou, which is the home ground of Barcelona football club.  It is a large stadium (it can seat 120,000 – twice the size of the Emirates) but I for one found the tour pretty disappointing.  The Spanish were under the impression that the stadium would speak for itself but I couldn’t hear anything!  However the boys loved it which was the only reason we were there.

lunch

The rest of the day was spent seeing the one or two sights, doing a bit of shopping and having lunch.  Given the sights of Rome anything Barcelona had to offer wasn’t really going to compare and we were not going to drag the boys around the Picasso Gallery!

After lunch we headed back to the campsite for a well earned swim and then supper.  We have a long drive ahead tomorrow towards St Emillion and so an early night is in order…..

the boys off for a swim with C in the background

Friday 22nd July

Friday 22^nd July – Ferry to Barcelona

I had hoped that we would spend a very relaxing day on the ferry just watching the world go by and catch up with sleep etc.  Somehow it just didn’t feel that relaxing.  There were constant announcements over the loudspeakers which made for an interrupted nights sleep, the corridors outside our cabin were constantly in use and noisy and it was blowing a force 6 outside which meant relaxing by the pool was unlikely as one had to be aware of either one’s own kit blowing away or, more importantly, someone else’s kit blowing into you!!!

The journey was spent wearing out a pack of cards!

We were late leaving so it was hardly surprising we were a couple of hours late arriving and I was somewhat concerned that we were going to have problems getting off the ferry as ‘the beast’ was so long and I was convinced that we would ground the back coming off.  I was right!  After lots of Italians rushing around and more ramps being put in place and the number plate scraping down the ship and everyone putting their hands on their heads in horror etc….. we eventually managed to disembark!

the boys with Spain on the horizon

the ferry terminal with Barcelona in the background

The journey to the campsite was quite short but owing to traffic, an accident and a blocked tunnel it was a good hour before we arrived.  The man in charge took one look at us and shook his head – ‘too big’ he said.  I used all of my charm; (which was required not just to persuade him to find a slot but also because I had not washed for 24 hrs and getting off the ferry had resulted in some profuse perspiration so I had to charm from a distance!) and he kindly found us somewhere.

We do seem to get looked at a lot when coming into campsites and I am sure that the general consensus is not a kind one.  I was asked when filling up on the way to Civitaveccia how much our ‘beast’ cost.  I responded that we had hired it but gave an estimate anyway.  I could see him thinking that he could buy a house for the same money!

On arrival we had a quick supper, dashed to the sea to dip our toes, had a quick shower and then bed.

Thursday 21st July

Thursday 21^st July – Rome and the ferry to Barcelona

We were up at 6am and got a taxi (the buses didn’t start running until 8am) to the train station.  The taxi arrived with Euros 20 already on the clock so we had a 5 minute conversation about how I didn’t appreciate being ripped off by some greasy wop with a fat stomach and bad breathe!!! Unfortunately time was not on our side and so I had to settle on 10 but I was tempted to send him packing.  He claimed to have started the meter running once he received the call ‘in Rome’!!!

a model of the Vatican

Anyway today was our tour of the Vatican and we were due to start at 08:15 to avoid the crowds; hence the early start.  We used the same tour guide as yesterday and they were very good.  Alas they were also very expensive but with only two days to see Rome and having not queued for a single spectacle I figured it was worth it.  The Vatican, St Peter’s Basilica, and St Peter’s square were all phenomenal.  Even the boys (less Jonty, who was a little young but did jolly well) were awe struck by the whole thing.  It took three hours and was actually nearer four by the time we left St Peter’s Square.  All I can say is that it lived up to expectations and more.  I could have spent two days going through everything but the boys would have objected!

Following on from the Vatican we had a cursory glance at the Castel St Angelo and then stopped for a Pizza.  By the end of which the boys were refreshed so we wandered back to the train station via some shops and were back at the campsite by 4pm.  We were packed up, managed a ‘drop’ (emptying the sewage and waste water tanks) and on the road by 5pm. 

St Peter’s Square

We arrived at Civitaveccia by 6:30pm which is a vast ferry terminal with container and passenger ferries coming in and out the whole time.  It was a real spectacle and the boys got very excited.  We were an hour late boarding and the children and Claire had to go on separately.  I brought the ‘beast’ onto the ferry solo and managed the first ramp ok before being asked to go up to the next level.  I took one look at the ramp and said to the loadmaster and said ‘no chance’ – the back end would ground.  ‘No no no you must go up!’ – ‘ you will be fine’ was the response; well you can guess what happened.  After the back end grounded (not badly) I reversed up and parked with the lorries.  All very stressful and I am slightly concerned about coming off – oh well a problem for tomorrow.

We have a cosy cabin which we all slept in.  The boys can’t contain their excitement and have spent most of the evening running around the ship.  It has a lot of facilities (swimming pool, gym, shops etc).  We left at midnight which was about an hour and three quarters later than scheduled and after watching us head off into the Mediterranean went off to bed and crashed!

our ferry

our cabin!

Wednesday 20th July

Wednesday 20^th July –  Rome

It is funny in life the things one remembers.  I remember watching the wonderful film Roman Holiday with Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn many years ago and at the end of the press conference towards the end of the film the Princess (Audrey Hepburn) is asked what was the favourite bit of her European Tour and she answers “Rome, by all means Rome”.  I may have the quotation wrong and clearly the advances of Gregory Peck may have influenced her decision but those lines were with me throughout our two days in Rome.

the Colloseum

Rome is a catalogue of historical monuments and mind blowing architectural achievements.  In fact it is almost too much to take in.  I was so proud of the boys as only J lost the plot and we were two eight hour days of pure sightseeing.  We managed the top ten sights of Rome and a couple of Pizza stops as well!

the Monumento A Vittorio Emanuele II

On Wednesday morning we were up at 7am and on the bus from the campsite to the train station at 8am.  Alas the train station was closed so we had to get another bus to the nearest train station.  We then got on a train Rome, which took 15 minutes and a few metro stops followed by a change of line and we were at the Colloseum.  The journey took 1hr 15mins and would have been just under the hour if the trains had been working properly.

the boys at the Fontana di Trevi

On arriving at the Colloseum at just after 9am we were face with a 1hr and 30 min queue and were just about to join it when we were joined by a small man offering us a guided tour which included the Palatine and the Floro Romana as well as going straight in and not having to queue.  I was reluctant at first but was soon convinced and with trepidation handed over some money.  It proved a wise decision as we managed to fit in the Colloseum, the Palatine and the Floro Romana before 1pm; after which we then went and had some lunch.

the boys on top of the Monumento with the Colloseum in the background

The afternoon was a whistle stop tour of the Monumento A Vittorio Emanuele II (where we took a glass lift up to the top for some spectacular views of Rome),  the Pantheon, the Circus Maximus, the Fontana Di Trevi, the Piazza Navona and the Spanish Steps.  We met up with H-D’s at the fountain.  Claire even managed some handbag shopping with Becca!  By the end of it the boys were shattered (as was I!) but they had done brilliantly.  We were back at the campsite by 7:15 where the boys had a well earned pizza.  By the time we managed to get to bed it was 10pm and we were up again on Thursday for an early start…..

Tuesday 19th Jul

Tuesday 19^th July – Pisa and Travelling to Rome

We had a particularly restful night as we were plugged in to electricity with showers and loos just 10 yards away.   C even managed to do a couple of loads of washing and there was wi-fi so that I could update the blog after several days of being unable to.  After a leisurely start we headed off to the tower (only a 10 minute walk from the campsite!) and did our usual ‘propping up the tower’ photos (see below).

J propping up the tower reluctantly (hence the face!)

We then had our Piza (a must for the boys – Piza in Pisa!) before doing a bit of souvenir shopping and then back.  We did try to go up the tower but at Euros 15 each and J too young it seemed too much.  Alas J had another meltdown which was sad as can be seen from the photo below (where he didn’t want to be in it!).

Back to the campsite, a quick swim before taking ‘the beast’ out on to the open road and Rome.  It was not a bad journey (4.5hrs) and the campsite is fine.  A lot of Mosquitos but otherwise very spacious and we have been planning our trip into Rome tomorrow.  

Monday 18th July

Monday 17^th July – Siena

Not a great night for either me or Claire as I was apprehensive about us camping, yet again, in the middle of nowhere.  We were up and ready to head off at 9am and set off into Siena.  More fuel (LGP) was required and we found a carpark that took coaches on the outskirts of the town.  After a ten minute walk we found ourselves in the Piazza Di Campo, one of the most beautiful Piazzas in Italy.  It lived up to expectations but not as much as the Cathedral (Duoma) which had to be the most beautifully Cathedral/Church/Religious building I have ever been in to.  It was stunning. 

entrance to the Duomo

I was only sad that just prior to entering the building our youngest son had had a meltdown (not surprising given two late nights) and proclaimed that he wished our family only had five members, declaired UDI and dashed off into the back streets of Siena.  Fortunately Bertie is quick and managed, along with Claire, to keep him under control whilst I bought the tickets and then came to the rescue issuing threats that I hoped deeply that I would not have to carry out (such as a sound thrashing etc…..)

inside the Duomo

I could have spent all morning in the Cathedral as it just oozed the perfect cocktail of beauty, intrigue and sheer ‘bling’!  To think that it was designed to be the largest Church in Christendom but owing to a plague in 1346 when half of Siena died the plans were ditched. 

the Duomo

We went up a viewing platform which was the eastern end of the planned nave that was never completed and had a beautiful view of Siena and the Tuscany countryside.  We then stopped for a Pizza and headed back to ‘the beast’.  We had originally planned to head back to the H-D’s and have a relaxing afternoon but the boys had expressed a strong desire to eat Pizza in Pisa and see the leaning tower so we reset the Satnav and headed off to Pisa. 

J (after meltdown) T and Hermione H-D

After a couple of hours we arrived and found a very crowded but well functioning campsite where we dropped anchor, did some washing and then went for a well earned swim.  Supper was somewhat lower key than we had experienced on the previous two nights and considerably less expensive!  That said I found myself missing the delicious food from Tuscany.

Sunday 17th July

Sunday 16^th July – Firenze (Florence)

After and unremarkable night we were up and ready for the arrival of J H-D at 07:45.  We then set off for the bus stop and off into Florence.  I have to say it was beautiful.  The weather, the lack of people and the wonderful architecture, paintings and sculptures surpassed all expectations.  The place was breathtaking.   A day was nowhere near enough to do Florence but the boys did jolly well to last through six hours of culture including Michaelangelo’s David, several Piazzas, the Cathedral (and a walk of 414 steps up to the top of the tower), the Palazzo Veccio and the Ponte Veccio. 

The Cathedral

Florence was beautiful and I just loved it.  It was a gorgeous day and we even fell for the ultimate tourist gimic which was having cartoons drawn of the boys.  Even though we managed to barter them down to 25% of the original cost it was  still expensive but what the hell……

the boys having their cartoon sketch done

We returned from Florence by bus and went for a swim at the H-D’s B&B before heading out to dinner.  Our plans for dinner in a vinyard half an hour away were scuppered when the taxi driver was going to charge us £70 each way!   Not that it mattered as we had a lovely evening in Impruneta and racked up the bill with several bottles of wine justifiying it to ourselves by saying that it was the taxi fare!

Will sampling the local red……..

A late night, the second on the trot and the boys were beginning to show signs of cracking…..

Saturday 16th July

Saturday 16^th  July – Heading to Florence and the Hunt-Davis’s

We were up in reasonable time and managed to get ready to go on schedule.  Then the highlight of the morning – the drop!!  Clearly the waste tanks on the RV need to be emptied at some stage and this was the morning.  In reality the whole thing went pretty smoothly and despite the rather nasty aroma and some pretend vomiting by the children we were done and dusted in about 15 minutes. 

The journey to Florence went pretty smoothly and we are getting used to the Italian traffic which runs well for two hours out of three and the third is car-park land!!!  What was supposed to take us 3hrs took 5hrs and we arrived at 1pm at Impruneta.  We had to park ‘the beast’ in a car-park which took up about six spaces but not too much  of a problem.  We met up with the H-D’s and had a lovely lunch before heading back to their B&B.  Alas that was when the problems began as I clipped a lamp post just coming out of the car park, their drive was too narrow and we couldn’t find anywhere to park the winne and lastly I managed to lose the cap to the water inlet somewhere between Lake Garda and Impruneta.

view of Florence from the H-D’s B&B

Anyway we parked the winne and had a swim with the H-D’s before finding a suitable place to park-up, which was a municipal car park just outside Impruneta.  Once parked we changed for supper and had a lovely dinner in Impruneta.  Justin kindly drove us home.

our campsite for the evening

Friday 15th July

Friday 15^th – Verona

Our first problem!  The aircon in the vehicle does not seem to be working and the electricity we have been provided with is not enough to power ‘the beast’.  I have been running the generator but it doesn’t seem to be having any effect.  We have opened all of the windows and kept the door open and that seems to be keeping the Winny cool enough.  There is a lovely breeze coming off the lake anyway so that seems to do the trick.

The boys with their mates outside the Amphitheatre in Verona!

Today was Verona and we went to get a bus at 10:37 only to get our first introduction to the Italian bus system.  Three things one needs to be aware of: 1. The timetable is clearly advisable only. 2: When a bus driver says he is going somewhere do not assume that he will actually go there. 3.  Despite the routes all being numbered with a reasonably clear route of stops, there are no numbers on the buses and more importantly the when asked the bus drivers have no idea that there is a numbered route system!  So when our bus was 40 mins late into Verona I suppose we should have thought that normal.

Juliets balcony…

Verona was lovely and we did ‘speed tourism’ as we were an hour late arriving and we wanted to catch a bus back two and a half hours later.  Consequently the slow pace of Italian life with regular stops in Café’s was not to be.  We managed several sites including several Piazzas, the Castelveccio, the amphitheatre and Juliet’s balcony.  We also managed to have some time in a café watching the world go by.

Verona.

We stopped off (unintentionally as the bus driver took a different route home) at Lazise which had a lovely terrace overlooking the lake.  Then it was back to ‘the beast’ and most importantly a swim in the lake which was hugely refreshing.  The highlight of the day was definitely Verona but poor J came off his bike and grazed his knee badly which meant that he hobbled a lot but he was very brave and is bicycling around the campsite again as I write. 

B jumping off the pedalo…

Thursday 14th July

Thursday 14^{th –} Travelling and Lake Garda, Italy

A travelling day.  Despite the forecast of a lovely day we awoke to yet more rain and had to pack up the beast in the pouring rain.  Not much fun!  The windscreen was leaking and as my briefcase was under the drivers console I awoke to find it soaking wet.  Anyway we were away by 9:30 and off to Lake Garda and Italy.  The journey was due to take 4 hours and we went through some wonderful scenery as we crossed through the alps (the tunnel was 23km long!).

Needless to say once in Italy the traffic deteriorated and with half an hour to go we got stuck in traffic for an hour.  We arrived at the campsite just outside Lazise at 4pm and were pretty slick in our set-up drills.  We have a pitch from where you can see the lake and the campsite is small and better than I had expected. 

Lake Garda

about to go for a swim

the pedalo

We soon set off to the lake and had great fun swimming and I hired a pedalo with a water slide.  The temperature was 34 degrees and we couldn’t help but notice the contrast from this morning  where it was wet and cold.  Everything we removed from the vehicle such as bikes, chairs etc was soaking wet and dried off pretty quickly.

‘the beast’

We had a barb-e-que for supper and the boys played table tennis.  We then set off for another swim at about 9:30 and came back from the lake at 11ish.  Bed…..