Peloponnese to Wed. 27th May

A bit difficult to get internet access so blog not updated as often as I would like.

Great place this with some great scenery..Landed in Patras about 11.00 A.M. Friday 22nd May. Driving very handy and alot easier to pull in to the side of the road for photos etc.

Our first stop was at Camping Kato Alissos, about 30 km from Patras. Lovely site among trees, beside a shingle beach, small restaurant with lovely food. Just a nice meal ,a few drinks, met an English couple Mary and Mike from Derbyshire. All other campers German.

Had swim and left about 12.00 headed for Pirgos and did somym Ole shopping and got anew battery for my watch supplied and fitted €2.00.

Traveled on to Olympia ( well got to fit in some culture on the trip) visited the ancient site Misty not allowed in, had to wait outside where she nearly as big an attraction as the ancient site itself.

Found a lovely site Camping Alphios very well laid out and a beautiful swimming pool .Enjoyed a swim and eat at the site taverna where I could pick up Wifi and managed to tune into RTE radio 1 for Heiniken Cup Final. Well done Leinster.

Left Olympia on Sunday and drove to Pylos and Camping Erodios.Nice journey about 3 hours partly through mounttains and sleepy villages with narrow streets (Not really built for campervans but got through them have some photos to put up later) Site very big but lovely beach stayed here for a 2nd night so we had a day of rest.

Tues 26th headed for Methoni ,Finikounta ,Koroni and Kalamata . Over some very high mountain fab scenery but some very dicey roads. Came to a beautiful town Kardamli beautiful stone houses, stopped for coffee but nowhere to camp. (Just a note here that Ruth is being a meaney she has just bought herself an Ice Cream ------ A Chocolate Ice Cream so she wont have to share with Misty!!!!! how mean can one get ) Back to the blog----Drove on to Stoupa another beautiful town situated on a small Bay. Loads of little tavernas by the sea shore and the camp site on the very edge of town in a grove really nice here. So far the trip is fantastic but there is so much to see we will have to do it again in greater detail.g

Just a few Photos

Brindisi to Patras

Arrived at Brindisi after travelling on the smell of an oil rag for about 50 km . All petrl stations closed or on automatic machines that would not take our credit card .
Had a great crossing , meeting lovely people on Board . Dieter from Germany travelling with his partner Lady ( A German Shepard) He is a Police officer with the Drug Squad and Lady has a very good nose for sniffing out all kinds of things (Pablo and Alison please note)

Lago Trasimeno Umbria

Travelled to Lago Trasimeno in central Italy Camping Kursaal. Beautiful Place and Camp Site.
Stayed 14th 15th and 16th. Swam in Lake and pool. Left on the sunday and travelled to Assisi.
OK ??? Commercial. Then travelled on to Pompei through Napoli ( Very dirty and run down. only stayed one night and headed for Lido Metaponto Beautiful long sandy beach but completly deserted at this time of year and its 30 deg.
Went to Matera and went to see the Sassi. ( Homes built into caves) Amazing Hope to fill all this out in more detail at a later stage but its difficult to get a good WiFI .
Could not find a Camp site near Matera so we headed for Galipoli ( In the heel of the boot of Italy.
Got lost stopped by Lady Cop Campers not allowed in the centre of town, showed her the map of where we were looking for, she smiled sweetly and moved us on. ( No speaka de inglishh)
Got parking at the port and phoned the camp site ,who came out to get us. "Pleasa follow mea!!!
" Two Italians in a golf driving at speed through the streets of Galipoli Indicators?????? whata is thata???
And a seven metre CamperVan in hot pursuit. Well we got there in one piece.
Beautiful site fab pool nice wine heat what more could one want???

Luzern and Bologna

Left Staufen 10.00 Am Monday 10th May and drove to Luzern, Switzerland.Pleasant drive took wrong turn in the city of Luzern and ended up on a tour of the back streets and laneways but TomTom got us out in one peace. Campsite nice and very convient for walking into city all around the Lake. Very beautiful but expensive. Camping Lido 39.00 Euro per night as against 13 euro in Maubeuge.?

Left Luzern on Tue Morn and headed for Bologna 475 km. Some fab scenery and very long tunnels 5km 10 km and 17km, passed into Italy via San Gottardo Tunnel and then------- !!!! The Milano By pass.!!!!!! Need a By Pass after that. 4 lanes all traveling at 120 per hour zig zag Italian drivers and Trucks?????? WoW. but reached Bologna safe. Lovely Site very clean and well run.

Maubeuge ,Dahn and Staufen

Travelled from Dover to Maubeuge on the French /Belgian border . Lovely campsite and good company in a local watering hole. Then on through Belgium ( lovely countryside) and Luxenbourg

to Buttlewoog, Dahn in Germany ,another very good campsite and lovely walks. The owners of the campsite are Greek and had a Greek influence on the menu at their restaurant.(Very good food and very reasonable. Stayed 2 nights here and on Saturday travelled here to Staufen in the Blackforest. Great scenery plenty of cycle paths and walks. Misty having a ball in the river. Meeting nice people all the time .Lingo a bit hard but beer is nice. Weather good but having some thunder storms.

Visiting Alison in Billericay then on to Dover

Spent our first night with Alison and Harry in Billericay.

Start of Trip to Greece 5th May 09

Leaving Marlfield , Cabinteely at 6.00 A.M.

Heading for Dublin Port on the way to Holyhead

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY MEGAN 3rd May 2009

Happy First Birthday to Megan on Sunday 3rd May 2009.Also Happy Birthday to Auntie Sarah on the 4th May 2009