Day 12 Monday 30 September Venezia/ Burano

Day 12 Monday 30 Sept Venezia

•  A restless but quiet night in the van , very humid , totally geared up with anti-insect repellent now. If this is typical of a medium sized crowds day in Venice , we don't want to experience high crowds at the weekends. We cycled 10 mins to the water taxi from our Agriturismo campsite on flat cycle paths and then caught  a 45 minute boat ride on a Vaporetti to San Marco square. Made a very hasty exist from the main tourist spots and thanks to a tip off from a shop worker, found our way, via a quick tour of a Lutheran church (only 80 attendees in Venice) using water taxis (£15 card for 24 hours) to the quiet and beautiful district of Carnareggio , it felt like the real Venice. Visited the church of the Madonna d'el Orto where Tintoretto paintings abounded and which housed his burial spot.  We stumbled upon one of the villas rented to exhibit art from all round the world as part of the ' May you live in interesting times' ' Venice Biannale contemporary art exhibition 2019. Amazing exhibits and free entry. We took a water taxi trip along the Grand Canal but too crowded on the Vaporetti to appreciate the views.Visited Burano , a more enjoyable experience , probably the most colourful of the three islands near Venice , 30 mins from Venice by water taxi , famous for its painted fisherman cottages and houses and lace making ( like Tobermory said our Scottish campervanner friends ) Like Portmeirion. Very tourist focussed . Grateful to cycle home after boat trip back to Punta de Sabionne even if it was in the dark.

Day 11 Sunday 29 Sept Venezia

Day 11 Sunday 29 Sept

 Feeling better today , more energy.  Washed clothes in the morning , beach and swim in the afternoon 24 C and sunny bike ride around the grids , we bought 2 day tickets for vaporettis tomorrow at Punte Sabbione ,  I  hope  to introduce Andy to the  Grand canal and the backstreets of Venezia tomorrow, hopefully the weekend crowds will have diminished.   Friendly couple and their dog Beppo from Stuttgart, and the first English speaking couple we have encountered in Italy, hailing  from Scotland, hardy hikers,  on their way back from Corsica; both couples  staying on our camp site.  We really like it here , the owner Stefania from S Tyrol  speaks English , is v helpful ,runs the farm and does breakfasts she  is delightful , what a tour de force ! Need more repellent tonight and a mozzie plug , we lit the citronella candle and a mozzie coil ,no stopping at small stations in our effort to avoid bites,   but a slight breeze gives us hope.  

Day 10 Saturday 28 September Venezia D'il Lido

Day 10 Saturday 28 September

rove to Venezia d'l Lido , a long  journey through flat countryside for  2.5 hours ; felt unwell . Andy found a small campsite ,an  Agriturismo with a small but immaculately clean shower block.  We saw lots of white egrets poking their long necks out of irrigation channels on one side of the road.
A flat walk to the sandy beach,Andy went in the sea. Walked through the 5 star huge campsite to buy produce from their supermarket , and buy some Deet from the Pharmacia with great reluctance and applied it liberally everywhere.. .Andy moved onto the wine (€1.50 per bottle ) from beer as mosquitoes love the smell of beer Google informs us.     Rested in the van from quite  early on.  

Day 9 Friday 27 September Mantova

Day 9 Friday 27 September

 We drove from Torbole to just outside Mantova.( Mantua ) Stayed at a basic camperstop with a 15 min walk/ bike ride into this handsome mediaeval city, surrounded by man made lakes from the 12 century.  Home of the Garzanga family, they built a huge  castle and Palazzo between 15 and 18 Century, Palazzo had  200 rooms, only 50 open.  ( fabulously wealthy family , secular ,interestingly enough, and as powerful as the Medicis in Florence

Wandered around Frederick 11 mistress '  Palazzo de Te on the outskirts ; the architect/ painter  was Guilio Romano , Fall of the Giants , totally OTT , one of  many rooms with floor to ceiling wall frescoes  and we wandered around the castle, admiring the wall  frescoes in the Camera del S'igny and the Palazzo , one can only shake ones head in disbelief at  the wealth contained in  several hundred rooms (with ornate ceilings and frescoes) and closed off  to the public.   Astrology big with the Garzanga family , Frederick  being a Gemini , strong emphasis on Greek mythology too.  Still humid and a  mozzie filled night.

Day 8 Thursday 26 September Lake Garda, Torbole

Day 8 Thursday 26 Sept

•  We moved  to a quiet campsite and decided to stay 2 nights. Andy went for a run, I followed the path around the coast and down the river a little. Andy braved the cold water and swam in the cordoned off area, too steep , cold, rocky and slippy for me .The  windsurfers  catching  wind much further down the lake.  We walked into Torbole and around the harbour as far as we could walk out of town until a tunnel cut us off. A drink at the harbour bar , watching the sunset behind the mountains and the speedboats bringing the windsurfers back into shore.   ( women's championship racing today )

Day 7 Wed 25 Sept Torbole Lake Garda (N)

Day 7 Wed 25 Sept

 Walk into and around the walled city of Glurns Vineyards , allotments, giant sunflowers , challenging hiking paths in the surrounding the valley Set off at 12 from Gloria Vallis and made our way to Torbole on the northern tip of Lake Garda , tiring 3 hour journey , rusty crash barriers Found Camperstop Torbole and stayed in the overnight area as we weren't sure how long we were staying. Camp shop extremely clean toilets hit showers . Walked through the camp site itself ( all 23 euros ) to beach and witnessed expert windsurfers near the shire, charging along .World windsurfing championships , competing for a place in Tokyo Olympics next year

Day 4 Saturday 21September Emmerich Germany

Day 4 Saturday 21 September.
  Sleep disturbed night due to the influx of mosquitoes in the van, some traffic noise from nearby bridge over the Rhine. Luke warm shower (takes 50c pieces) the stellenplatz  machine ate our card , so a  struggle to get out without help.  Chatted to Jiltske ( her name means power of the people ) a yoga teacher and naturopathic practitioner , from a town South of Amsterdam.  Attempted to go to the nearest swimming lake , website insists it was  open, all gates closed. Found gate open, no swimming as lifeguard not employed out of high season. Frustrating.

Day 6 Tuesday 24 September Glurns / Glazorna N Italy

Day 6 Tuesday  24 September
 Two hours to drive into Austria lunch just across border at a peaceful. Stellplatz where we bought an Austrian toll pass for 9.70 Euros at a nearby garage 3 k south Decided to push on as weather turned cool and cloudy; and drove 230 miles through Alpine scenery ,tiny wooden huts dotted the hillside , hay ? grain stores ? Tunnels of impressive length through mountains e.g .3.4 km and ski villages We arrived wearily in N Italy stell platz at Glurns, (Glazorna) just beyond a fantastically long mountain lake/ reservoir with a dam and a submerged church , only steeple tower visible. Drink in fancy four star Gloria Vallis reception campsite area, veggie sausages and ratatouille for tea in the van , phone chat to Joel , off to bed.

Day 6 Monday 23 September S Tyrol/ Austria

 Day 6 Monday 23 Sept Two hours to drive into Austria lunch just across border at a peaceful Stellplatz where we bought an Austrian toll pass for 9.70 Euros at a nearby garage 3 k south. Decided to push on as weather had  turned cool and cloudy; and we  drove 230 miles through Alpine scenery ,wooden huts dotted the hillside , hay ? grain stores ? Tunnels of impressive length through mountains e.g 3.4 km, and ski villages.   We arrived wearily in N. Italy at a stellplatz at Glurns, (Glazorna) just beyond a fantastically long mountain lake/ reservoir with a dam and a submerged church , only steeple tower visible. Drink in fancy four star Gloria Vallis reception campsite area, veggie sausages and ratatouille for tea in the van , phone chat to Joel , off to bed.

Day 5 Sunday 22 September 2019 Koblenz

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Day 5 Sunday 22 September

 Walk/ run on cycle path in front of campsite to Neudorf village and back. On the road for 4 hours , traffic jams, stayed overnight at a Stellplatz 5€ plus 1€ electricity , 2€ for water , a sports centre half mile from Nuringten .Walked along a  lit cycle path to town centre, filled with spectacles shops (?)  and the attractive River Neckar. Had  beer and soft drink,in a converted slaughter house , not impressed by it.  Bitten by mosquitoes in the night

Trip to Italy Sept/ October 2019 Day 1 Thursday 19 Sept Harwich- Trip to Italy starts here

Day 1 Thursday 19 September Drive to Harwich from Shrewsbury ,6 hours, wandered around the port area, went for a delicious veggie Turkish mezze meal in the town centre and parked for free at the ferry car park from 10.30 pm. A tiring day.

Day 3 Friday 20 September 2019 Gouda ,The Netherlands

Day 3 Friday 20 September

Quiet night in car park ( Klein America) , today we wandered around the largest church in the Netherlands , noted Phillip of Spain commissioned one of the largest windows which depicts him being introduced to Christ by one of the apostles , called St John's Church , huge collection of intricate stained glass windows , organist was giving it so much welly when we visited , it was hard to hear the audio guide (7.50 € each) , the price included a free violin concert at 4 pm which we decided not to hang around for Visit to the large Saturday market to buy veg, followed by a coffee and Gouda cheese soup in a cool cafe, a wander around the pretty canals and the harbour marina . Everyone speaks totally perfect English, bicycles whizzing by everywhere , interesting discussion with a lefty shop worker on the perils of PR in small town politics , but emphasised that she loved living in Gouda, it was moderate and laid back enough for her . On the road to Cologne by 2.30 pm, we spent two stationary hours in traffic jams on the A12 due to roadworks , one lane traffic... Turned off to spend the night at a stellenplatz just across the border in Germany (Yatchafen Emmerich) by a marina, next to the Rhine , a delightful friendly Dutch couple in next van . No where to walk , restaurant at bottom of walkway to yachts in deep shade An early night

Day 2 Thursday 20 Sept 2019 Hoek of Holland to Gouda, Netherlands

Day 2  Thursday 20 Sept 2019
 First Earth Strike day all over the world. Boarded ferry at 8 am, sailed at 9 (10 am European time ) Booked cabin with shower for crossing   22€ , comfy , very clean Fantastically smooth crossing to the Hoek of Holland (which took 7 hours ) Sunny picnic on the deck Drove to Gouda 60 K North East of H of H and parked up in a campervan- friendly car park ,8€ per night with basic facilities( we chose not to have EHU) Wandered the streets of Gouda in the evening, had a couple of drinks in a bustling outside cafe with heaters and blankets in the main market square , I could have stayed there all night Quiet night