Big Fat Greek Trip

03/09/2023

Looks like we may be repeating the Greek trip.....

21/07/2023

21/07/2023

Now we are home after 95 nights in the motorhome on our long awaited trip, missed our boy every step of the way, but, he would have approved, (though he has been to Greece and didn't like it). Now the boring bit, the F&F:
Total nights 95
Total Kms 5046
1 paid camperstop/Aire €5
21 free stopovers
Tolls/tunnels €108
Fuel €650
Ferries (19 crossings from 10 minutes to 23 hours), €1940
Campsites €1474

Now it's back to gruel again!
Although it was our 3rd such trip to Greece it never failed to impress apart from the puncture and the price of mayonnaise!!!

Thanks to all the kindly folk who followed, liked, committed and even came along for the journey - virtually.

PS. No chicken nuggets were consumed or electric bikes ridden in the making of this!

Bye for now G and J

21/07/2023

It's so good to be back.

20/07/2023

The final, final few days of the Big Fat Greek Trip , were spent in Benidorm catching up with all the bargain eating and drinking. Very hot, but we got through it. Tomorrow we reall do go home to empty the Moho, and get ready to put it away for a couple of weeks. A full report on facts n figures will be compiled once back at home.

16/07/2023

The ferry trip from Italy to Barcelona, 20 hours, huge boat, a bit of a long wait to embark. John had to walk on and all his stuff put through a scanner, I drove van on, no checks! Parked on a steep ramp and had to turn off fridge but we had eaten everything thanks to my procurement manager's planning. Standard en suite cabin, functional but comfortable. Set sail at 1am and after a good sleep and shower we went to explore but found empty loungers near the pool, so that was our day sorted. Perfect crossing. Again, had read bad reviews and even heard from someone who had been on it, but it was all good! We are using it again
The disembarkation into Barcelona on a Saturday evening ...nightmare, but we made it. Stopped at a motorway services at 10.30pm, but it was not pleasant so carried on to a free stopover in Amposta which the town has made and has free electricity too. Good night's sleep.
Oh, I had the reverse up the entire ramp in the ship!

14/07/2023

We will soon be boarding for our 19th ferry journey.
For something to do, I counted the motorhomes (45), and motorbikes (50+)

14/07/2023

We left home 3 months ago today, and now we are heading to Rome's port of Civitevechia for tonight's sailing to Barcelona.

13/07/2023

It's raining!!! Wish it was tomorrow for our driving/hanging about day.
Went on short cycle and a riverbank walk (officially it's closed for flood damage repairs). The strength of the river a few months ago did a lot of damage.

12/07/2023

Ok, it's nearly mid July, it's hot, it's a tourist 'hot spot' ( no pun intended). But it's fairly empty still, even the myriad of accomodations are hardly occupied....

12/07/2023

Trying to repost pics,..these may have already been on. Anyhow, in the heat again, cycled to our nearest train station (3km) and got the train to Spello, absolutely beautiful where they have a thing about window boxes/hanging baskets, and even have an yearly competition and festival of the flowers.
Italian trains: cheap, on time and clean!

12/07/2023

Another 'wow' factor. Pretty doesn't cut it. Full report later. Just to say the Lonely Planet guide is right....people just pass it by.

11/07/2023

Another hot one, but undeterred, we set off on the bikes to the train station for the Assisi Connect bus which took us almost to the top of the Assisi hilltop site. Very hot, very busy with damn tourists.....some beautiful buildings, but too many tourism tatt shops and very pricey eateries (Not sure this was St Francis's vision).
We walked back to the bikes, there is a straight road going back to Santa Maria del Angeli, which is inset with red bricks inscribed with presumably all the pilgrim's names. Although a lovely place, it's not really for us.

10/07/2023

After a dip in our pool, a coffe stop at Italian McD's, we set off for day out to Perugia today, by train (after cycling to the station), 35+° and rising. What a stunning place to visit. Umbria Jazz festival is on with some decent names (Mika, Herby Hancock). It was also university graduation ceremonies, so town was buzzing
Bikes to station near us train to Perugia, Minimetro up to the town and escalators to to the main bit. But too hot everywhere, so grabbed a 'slice' then train back.The pizza was made entirely from chickpeas! Super tasty.
Got back to site and car/van/trailor loads of Austrian teenagers are setting up camp (looks like a religious set up).......let's see how it pans out.

08/07/2023

08/07/2023

Our last night in Preci (yesterday), finished with pizza and wine in the beautiful restaurant on the site "Il Collacio". Fuel needed as Bubbles was gasping, so a downhill trundle to the nearest petrol station, which would not accept my cards! Luckily had cash as a standby. Cards fully functioning again in Lidl?? 86km to Assisi which we were nervous about thinking it may be rammed (we reserved), but it's still deserted, so weird. Big site with pool, restaurant and a flat cycle route to everything.
Bubbles has done 4245km to date.

06/07/2023

And another walk, no pics as it was a bit 'same same'. Very warm down in the valley. No walking tomorrow- last full day here, then on to Assisi (Francis of) where we can go by train to Perugia and other places, but it's also flat for cycling about. Sites are filling up now with those little 'creatures', so hoping next week will still be a good experience.

05/07/2023

Another walk in the heat this morning. Across the valley to the hilltop village of Preci, which is so damaged from the earthquake, there are virtually no inhabitants. Even since our first walk past the lower village a damaged house has been demolished (remember the quake was in 2016). It all looks so sad and forlorn, but must have been beautiful in its day.

03/07/2023

Some things come at a price.....to our physical condition! Set off on the signposted walk (trek) around the environs, 'follow the orange signs', which works until 2 workmen were working on some gate posts and we took a wrong turn.....came back and asked for directions to the village of Preci, whereby one of them produced the arrow they had removed to put up new posts...daaah. Strenuous walk, lots of hills. Saw more of the earthquake damaged buildings, temporary housing, before returning to Il Collacio campsite/holiday village

02/07/2023

As places go, this may have to do for the next week.

02/07/2023

Whilst the last bit of our BFGT is actually in Italy, we have decided not to rebrand.

02/07/2023

Today's view somewhere in the middle of Italy.
Bit of a scary way up to here too, passed through an earthquake destroyed village of Visso where residents are still housed in temporary prefab homes after 7 years

01/07/2023

We arrived in Ancona. Bubbles has done 4000km to date
We are in search of pizza!
We found aperitives and pizza in Jesi

30/06/2023

After a four hour delay, we may be off. Pizza land here we come.
Thankyou Greece, we have enjoyed you.
After a tally up this was actually our 18th ferry crossing!

30/06/2023

Utter chaos loading everyone on to ferry....still sat waiting, a bit of a buggars muddle ...
And Harvey's song 'Dont you forget about me' is BBC radio2

30/06/2023

That's it, we are on the edge of Greece awaiting the delayed arrival of ferry to Italy. My little logbook shows that we have done 4000km up to entering the port.
We were detained at immigration for rigorous checks, quizzed about the sleeping arrangements, even had to bring the drop down bed from the roof (unmade), so he asked if we only use the one bed for the 2 of us!
checked docs, wanted to stamp passport but I said no.....we are residents of Spain, to which we had to prove it .....
Checked the garage at back, the shower room and the wardrobe for presumably 'dodgies'
But we are here queued in 34° heat ....a perfect end. ..lol

30/06/2023

After a lovely meal in the site restaurant last night, we check out today to drive to Patras for the 'big ferry' to Italy. About 22 hours later we will arrive in Ancona, find somewhere to overnight then down to next place Sunday. Pizza looks like it's on the cards in the next week, along with gelati, and Aperol spritz, to say the least.
Can't believe our 2 months in Greece is almost up.

28/06/2023

On our penultimate day in Greece, and despite it being nearly the end of June the campsite is only about a third full. We are the only UK folk, it's mostly Germans, Austrians, the odd Dutch, French and even Moldovans, Serbian, Bulgarian and Swiss. It is quieter now than when we were here a month ago. We can cycle to a cute resort village for our Gyros and Greek salad, but tomorrow night it's our last night so a moussaka in the on site restaurant is needed.

24/06/2023

Left the Zakynthos campsite, for a hop, skip and a jump to the ferry port for our 17th ferry crossing so far, just an hour to the mainland at Kyllini, then to this site where we reserved a place for our last 6 nights in Greece , it's actually a lot quieter than a month ago, and very very hot. The beach is gorgeous (and quiet), and WiFi works a treat.
Have our eyes on the site restaurant for our last night (birthday), before heading to Patras on Friday for the 22hour ferry to Italy.