Two Go To Sicily (1 Viewer)

[DBK]

Our delayed trip to Sicily is only a few days away now. We board the ferry to Roscoff on Tuesday evening and the following morning we will commence the 1600 miles, or thereabouts, trek to Sicily. The plan is to take 10 to 14 days to get there, we won't be rushing but we won't be doing a lot of exploring on the way down. Just gentle driving with weekend halts.

Once in Sicily we will probably spend 4 to 5 weeks there then start the return journey. On the way back we will do a bit of exploring, particularly the toe and ankle of Italy, Calabria and Basilicata respectively, which are less well known, certainly to us but which have some very interesting places to visit.

High temperatures, forest fires and water shortages are amongst the natural hazards we may have to face. I have also loaded an app onto my phone called "Volcanoes and Earthquakes" which will alert me to any seismic or volcanic activity near us. What me, worried? Not at all! We are looking forward to seeing Mount Etna which I understand after being quiet for the last few months has started rumbling again. It must be getting as excited as we are at meeting each other.

Compared to previous trips the Murvi is now loaded with luxuries - a hairdryer for Mrs DBK and a small espresso machine for me. Knowing my luck the cheapo inverter powering these will pack up depriving us of their joys but we can at least set out in hope.

Charlie the heat-hating terrier has been shorn to within an inch of his hide. I have bought a cooling coat for him - a sort of waistcoat made out of thick J cloth which is soaked before use. I have also bought him a folding dog paddling pool - which he may find me sharing with him if it is very hot. Finally, we have dispensed with the folding metal dog cage used on all our previous trips in favour of a dog harness which will be attached to one of two anchor points I've fitted. The forward anchor point allows him to lie between the front seats so he can share some of the cab air conditioning with us.

I will as on previous trips post updates on here and again as before recommendations and suggestions on places we might otherwise miss will be most welcome.

Being cheapskates there may not be many restaurant food shots but I am sure we will manage a few lunches along the way. Of course, food shots are popular, a picture I took at a French restaurant in June of this year and which I added to Google maps has now been viewed over fifty thousand times! It is reproduced below as a taster, hopefully, of meals to come. (Stuffed artichoke with clams, mussels and scallops - about €15 from memory)

 

[Robert Clark]

Very much looking forward to enjoying sharing your travels with you.
Have a safe journey

 

[Lenny HB]

Bon voyage, have a good trip. Sort of trip I'd like to do but reduced to short trips. First grandchild due in September off Monday hope to fit 4 weeks in before having to dash back to UK, not got a clue where we are going apart from Belgium to get an awning fitted.

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[Anthea M]

Safe trip and happy travels look forward to hearing your stories and looking at photos!

 

[Hellski]

Most excellent, another travel blog to follow and dream about doing one day.

Have a great trip

 

[vwalan]

hi. have a good one .
mind i,m sure you wake up every day of your trips just looking for adventure .
used to be a ferry to tunisia from there as well. but that might not be for you . cheers .

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[Figaro]

Sounds like a great trip, safe travels and I'll be interested to hear what the scenery and landscape is like between the great cities, ie Florence to Rome, Rome to Naples and south.
Looking forward to the photos

 

[moulin 87]

Looking forward to reading of your adventures, we'll be making a similar trip in late Spring/early Summer 2018.

 

[Dartagnan]

Sounds like a fantastic trip. Looking forward to hearing of your travels.

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[DBK]

hi. have a good one .
mind i,m sure you wake up every day of your trips just looking for adventure .
used to be a ferry to tunisia from there as well. but that might not be for you . cheers .

I don't think I need to visit Tunisia on this trip - as we drive south we will probably meet many nationalities from North Africa walking in the opposite direction. Why travel there when they are happier coming to visit us.

 

[vwalan]

I don't think I need to visit Tunisia on this trip - as we drive south we will probably meet many nationalities from North Africa walking in the opposite direction.

strangely most are from further down in africa . or across to the east.
but have a good one ,remember when you get to venice best park outside the city, hee hee .

 

[DBK]

Many thanks, Matera is on the list, Alberobello we visited last year.

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[Taran_Las]

Safe and enjoyable travels.

I'll look forward to your progress updates.​

 

[davidbaldam]

Have a great trip, Sicily is no our bucket list, one day.......

 

[davanne]

Safe and happy travels......(hope the inverter holds out or Mrs DBK may not be too happy)

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[DBK]

We arrived at Roscoff yesterday morning, somewhat sleepily as the ferry wasn't scheduled to arrive, going by our ticket, until 07:00 but an announcement on the ferry the previous evening said they would be landing at 06:00! Sneakily, they didn't make this announcement until after we had left Plymouth, when it was too late to get off! Normally you wouldn't complain about a ferry arriving early but when it means setting the alarm clock at 05:00 I think these are reasonable grounds.

Not much to report so far, we overnighted next to a cemetery last night. CamperContact (CC) 19710 at Beignon. This is a small village with a couple of bars and a restaurant which was closed for the owner's summer holidays. Charlie enjoyed people watching (but secretly I think he prefers other dogs) while we drank some wine at one of the bars by the church.

Then today we drove to just south of Angers to Brissac Quincé. The aire here (CC3971) is supposed to cost €4 but no sign of anyone coming around to collect it yet. If all the French leave early next morning it may be sign someone is expected later!

It's set beside a very disused canal.

The Château Brissac looks interesting.

But we didn't visit it as there is a balloon festival going on here this week and it is open to the public this evening - so we will wander down to take a look.

There are signs saying the aire is supposed to be closed this week due to the balloon festival, so I asked someone about this and they told me to ignore the notices. Don't you just love the French attitude? No wonder they invented the guillotine to deal with the old authorities.

 

[davanne]

Enjoying your posts so far looking forward to hearing your updates of your Scillian adventure

 

[jumartoo]

I always like to read about your trips so will be following when we have a decent signal.

Have a great time.

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[Zains Pops]

Looking forward to viewing your posts, always an interesting read.

 

[DBK]

Quick update - the balloon festival was really interesting. I'll post pictures tomorrow but the video I shot may have to wait a day or two longer.

 

[DBK]

But here's a preview. (if this slow connection works)

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[Mr Ed]

Looking forward to following your trip on this thread and strangely once again we will be following you in about 2 weeks.I hope that you don't take your normal weather with you but then again they do need some rain.( Sue refers to you as Mr Rain man).Maybe meet you one day.

Happy and safe travels.

 

[Wildbill]

I see another book coming on DBK
BILL

 

[houdini]

Good photograpic start. Sounds a great trip, have fun and safe travels and look forward to hearing all about it.

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[DBK]

The balloon festival was quite spectacular. It was held in the grounds of Château Brissac. Entrance was €5 which was reasonable, so was the wine tasting at €2 a glass which is where we headed for first.

Before the ballooning began a weird procession appeared led by members of the local post office with a horse and cart who were followed by some folk in traditional costume. Behind these were a dozen figures in red cloaks who I think were probably the local council including the mayor. These all stopped in front of us and the traditionally dressed folk began to do some traditional dances though I think the one in this video may be a more modern interpretation. Wait to the end and watch the red cloaked mayor - or whoever he is.



About a dozen balloons began to be inflated a little while later. Three started from in front of the château, the rest from further away behind us in the grounds.

These two were the stars I suppose, one carrying the town name and the other a sort of replica of an original Montgolfière with a wide skirt at the bottom.

I managed to video these taking off. There is some very questionable focusing in the second section but hopefully this gives an impression of what we saw.



When all the balloons were launched we suddenly realised there were a lot more in the sky than had left from the château - many more balloons had ascended from other sites further upwind which joined those rising from the château. This created the effect of several dozen simultaneously in the air above us. Someone had calculated distance and wind speed very accurately to bring them together at the same time.

Later in the evening a few balloons came over the aire very low, just skimming the roofs. I think these were trying to land in the château.

This morning, over breakfast yet more balloons went overhead.

 

[houdini]

Isn't it satisfying when a plan comes together, except it's one of those things on a trip that you hadn't planned, you just happened across it.

The concept of balloon flying intrigues me, I can almost hear American comedian Bob Newhart saying "You're going to do what Phileas, (laughing), you're going to sit in a little basket (laughing), then you're going to light some gas (laughing), and shoot a flame up in to a silk tent and take off in the sky...!!!!! "

Thanks for posting.

 

[DBK]

Isn't it satisfying when a plan comes together, except it's one of those things on a trip that you hadn't planned, you just happened across it.

The concept of balloon flying intrigues me, I can almost hear American comedian Bob Newhart saying "You're going to do what Phileas, (laughing), you're going to sit in a little basket (laughing), then you're going to light some gas (laughing), and shoot a flame up in to a silk tent and take off in the sky...!!!!! "

Thanks for posting.

Last year we stumbled across a cheese festival, which was tastier than the balloons but not as striking to watch.

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[DBK]

Tonight we are staying at a very good free aire (CC15257) at Lathus St Rémy, a little north of Limoges. We are now where the grey blob is, usually Google maps has us as a blue blob. No idea why it has changed.

The aire itself is superb, probably the best for facilities we have experienced. It appears to be a former campsite, a municipal I think, but all that is left are 8 bays separated by hedges.*

That's Charlie in front of our van.

Opposite the bays is a small car park and beyond that the service point. Which dispenses the essential requirements of MH owners for free. This includes a single electric point, which a local used this afternoon to charge his electric car! I suspect this facility will be removed very quickly if he makes a habit of this.

When he returned and drove his car away a Frenchman from the MH next to us shot out and connected a long extension lead from a drum and ran it back to his vehicle.

Sadly, the town is very depressed. It is neat and clean but a lot of houses up for sale and the only bar we could find was closed and up for sale as well.

But they are trying very hard, lots of flowers everywhere and the octagonal church tower is 12th Century apparently.

*Hornbeam according to Mrs DBK - and I agree. **

**Always a wise position to take.

 

[vwalan]

there used to be several aires with free leccy in france . we used to know quite a few french that lived on the aires and worked close by.
drive safe .
keep up the travel story its great.