Chris' Rome to Athens - Out of Order! :(

Rome to Athens

Flynn and I were left to get the car fixed and onto Athens to meet the girls in 3 days.

The guys at the garage were super friendly with lots of cheek pinching for Flynn and coffee and cake for dad before driving us to the station so we could kill time in town.

Suddenly everything got twice as hard to work out with just me to do it. Trying to get a train ticket was difficult enough! But we managed to make our way into Rome and back. Flynn was patient enough to suffer the long line to get into St Peters but apart from that we just walked about and ate pizza and gelato.

We got back to the VW garage at 5pm to find a bright and shining Dotty all fixed up and ready to go. Too late to hit the road we went back to our campsite and packed up the annex ready for an early start.

The morning traffic on Rome's ring road was like a F1 race without rules. But once we we'd found our exit it settled into just crazy overtaking at stupid speeds. We had a 6pm ferry to catch in Brindisi so we took advantage on Dotty's new turbo and the autostrada and drove like the locals, making just one stop for lunch. Charlene (our satnav) as usual threw in a curve ball by taking us via so B roads just to make sure we got a little roadside sight seeing in.

The south of Italy is so different from the north. It just feels more.....relaxed? Brindisi was closed for lunch when we got there. I needed an internet cafe to transfer some funds so we cooled out heels at the train station carpark waiting for somewhere to open. Then at 4pm like magic the whole town came to life.

The ferry terminal was packed with trucks and the odd car here and there. After driving around the docks feeling a bit lost we found what looked like our ferry. A very haphazard loading compared to the efficient Scandinavian ferries. The local fuzz took and interest in Dotty and we had our first shakedown with paperwork and passports thoroughly inspected by what I think was a very bored policeman.

After finally getting the nod, we drove into the belly of our home for the next 18 hours. There was nothing glamorous about this boat. It was like a floating truck stop with a 10ft by 10ft casino, a canteen and a bar. Just me and Flynn and 100 hairy Greek truck drivers,

Next day we disembarked just after lunch at Patras, 3 hours drive from Athens. I thought the Italian roads were a challenge. In Greece there seems to be a 3 lane rule on the 2 lane roads. You drive with 2 wheels in the emergency lane. This allows other drivers driving in your direction to pass you at will and at speed as required. The drivers going the other way do the same. Thus you have one way in each direction and one lane in the middle going both directions, making for some hair raising driving. But it seems to work. We arrive in Athens in one piece with new driving skills and somehow I remember my way enough to find the girls and our digs for the next 2 days.

Leaving Istanbul

Istanbul to Goreme

It's dawn as we race across the Anatolian coutryside bathed in golden sunlight. "It looks like a junkyard" says Jane" there are lots of broken houses and high rise buildings in the distance".

It's starting to look more middle eastern and much less European today.

A sleepless night dispelled any remaining romantic notions of overnight train travel, We breakfast in the dining car drinking instant coffee and hoping we can survive the day long bus trip we have today.

I hate bus rides. I think it was instilled in me by long school trip bus rides. Whatever the cause I am dreading the all day affair that will takes us to capodocia in central Turkey. But no. These guys have it sorted. A steward on board brings snacks, chi (tea), coffee and water. It beats easyjet hands down. And we stop for lunch too!

Ok we did cheat. The kids have movies to watch on my old laptop that I resurrected for this trip. But only enough battery for 1 movie.

We arrive at "Goreme" only to find we have to transfer to a smaller bus into town. We've made friends with the only other English speakers on the bus. 2 New Yorkers with a local friend as guide and a Swiss fella. It's good to be able to chat to someone without them trying to sell you a carpet.

Once off the bus we ask at the tourist office where the "Star Cave pension" is (we did allow the travel agent in Istanbul to sell us a hotel, out of good faith for his service!). They call and someone drives down to pick us up. It's 2 min trip to our cave and home for the next 2 nights. Star Pension is like most of the pensions in Goreme. An existing home that was carved into the hillside and then extended for guests. All you needed is a jackhammer for home extensions here. Our room has 2 connecting bedrooms and a bathroom. The only windows are in the room are by the door. The rest is......a cave. With wooden floors, a few wall rugs and tiled bathroom of course.

I awoke at dawn the next day to take a few snaps and was surprised to find the dawn sky full of hot air balloons. At €600 we declined a ride fearing Flynn might be too scared anyway. After breakfast we walked over to the open air museum about 3 km away. It's a collection of caves, mostly churches and a nunnery with some beautiful and very old Christian paintings covering the ceilings. The kids loved squeezing through tiny doorway and through tunnels. The dinning hall/cave had a 30 seat table carved out of solid rock. A dusty walk back into town and we stopped at a Pide (Turkish pizza) restaurant for lunch. And after a sunset stroll through the hills it was home for a movie and Dad popped out for pizza (again) and beers.

With the holidays (Eid) fast approaching we'd booked all our buses in Turkey ahead of time so the next day we headed of to town to get a bus to Kayseri where we had a 0730 bus booked to Adana in the south. From there we'd be on our own to get to Aleppo (Haleb). We'd run into an Aussie girl at the Star Pension who worked at a local cafe so we parked up our packs and spent the morning using the WIFI and drinking proper latte's.

Istanbul

Istanbul....

Well....Istanbul...what a place...

Very much a tourist town, well at least where we were staying which was a stones throw from the Blue Mosque.

Many Many touts offering taxis, carpets, good food....

After such a long day we just wanted to eat and get to bed really so we didn't venture far. We did find a typical Turkish Restaurant serving Humus and bread and Tavuk Sis...Chicken Kebab. Many people smoking Shisha with Apple tobacco! And some whirling Dervish for entertainment!

So an early night!

The next day the priority was to find out about transport to the next destination and then see the sights.

We had heard that there was an overnight train to get us where we wanted to go and a nearby travel agent who could assist with booking the tickets.

Of course with the usual flair of any kind of agent we spent ages trying not to buy their up-sales and balloon flights...we had picked the busiest week in Turkey to travel as Eid this year meant a 9 day holiday during which everyone travels to visit family and enjoy their extended holidays. So no train all the way to our destination. We could only get as far as Turkey's capital - Ankara from there we would have to take a Bus all the way to Syria...we decided to break up the journey in Goreme, Cappadocia and then onwards to Aleppo.

But with travel arrangements confirmed we were left to enjoy Istanbul and all it has to offer.

First was the Cistern Basilica, a cavernous reservoir beneath the city which had once provided the water supply for the city. Eerie and cool with roman columns supporting the arched structures of the ceiling. It had been meant to impress and entertain the kids but their limit for sights was running low!

I was pretty impressed though!

Next stop the Grand Bazaar...the most famous market in the world perhaps. It was surprisingly quiet when we entered and not at all what I expected. Just rows and rows of little shops that sold lots of duplicate things all with a slight twist of their own.

We of course got heralded into a carpet shop but with only a vague desire to purchase a carpet it was tricky to decide what to see. I was impressed by the sales spiel of course and we drank some tea...it was a bit of an effort to leave of course but we did at least have some idea of how much a carpet was worth...well a carpet in Istanbul anyway...

We just wandered around for a while picking up gifts here and there and eventually finding somewhere to stop for lunch in a lovely vine covered courtyard.

A couple more try's at carpets and then I was accosted by someone trying to sell me a knock off Mulberry handbag...I was quite tempted but the sales pitch got a little to intense and I knew I had no room in my limited back pack!! So we turned tail and left the bazaar!! and with no carpet!! Phew!

Another early night!!

The next morning was an early morning trip to the Blue Mosque which is pretty by all means...but not that Blue...and Mosques just aren't as opulent as Churches.

Then later that day to the Aya Sofia which had been a church and was turned into a Mosque with the introduction of Islam to the area. It was much more specactular both in shear size and in opulence. The walls displaying 1500 year old mosaics of Christ and Mary with some weird looking Angels...quite something.

A lot more wandering around, down to the port to look at the boats and the hundreds of people fishing in the river off the bridge.

We attempted to go on a trip down the Bosporus, by attempted I mean we paid and got on the boat and sat in the harbour for 30 minutes or so until we got so bored of waiting and got off the boat with a full refund

So we filled 2 days with wandering and shopping...I squeezed in a trip to the Hamman...I will tell you about that one later!!

And off we went on the overnight train...in our own cabin with bunks...my first sleeper train...the kids were excited...

None of us slept very well...and we all had a late night which meant we were all a bit grumpy then next day...but hey...it;s all a part of the adventure!!!!

Athens to Istanbul

After a few days of solid tourism it was time to leave Athens and hop a ferry to Lesvos, the closest jump off to Turkey. The all day ferry was the usual monster with cafe's and duty free etc. Lots of card games and a laptop movies later we disembarked into the night with a pension in mind. The lonely planet maps are good but highly inaccurate and not to scale. So within minutes we were lost in the back streets trying to find somewhere to stay. Eventually we were given directions to what turned out to be a completely different pension but as it was late and we were lost we stayed.

The plan the next morning was to drive to a campsite on the other side of the island and spend a night or two there before getting the ferry to Turkey in time for the Friday market. Once again we ventured off with LP map in hand and......got lost. But like always the best things are sometimes seen whilst lost. We drove down smaller and smaller roads through village squares with old men drinking tea until the road ended. Well it turned into a narrow steep dirt track with huge tire ruts and massive rocks on the road. Time to back track, with waves to the villagers, tea drinking OAPs and school kids again on the way back.

Once on the correct road again we followed the coast up hills and past cliff tops towards Mythimna, a small coastal town with a campsite and hot springs. All being a bit tired after the white knuckle roads we went straight to the beach and had lunch while the kids paddled. After lunch it was time for a bit of hot tubbing Greek style. The hot springs must have once been right on the beach, but are now covered by a whitewashed dome covered pool. 4€ each gets us into the unisex change room with a screen in one corner. "First get in the cold sea outside" we are told "and then get into the 47 degree hot pool, then repeat". We are bit worried about the kids but they love it. As do we. The pool is dark under the dome with just pinpricks of sunlight shining through small holes in the roof. It seems it is just us and one couple using the spring until a few locals show up. Still it is not crowded and everyone enjoys the radium rich waters and the calm darkness of the pool and the clear Aegean sea.

Feeling very refreshed we drive off to find the campsite.............that is closed! It's such a pretty little town that we venture further down tiny cobbled streets till we find a deserted car-park next to some Greek ruins overlooking the bay. Perfect for sneaky free camping. So we park up one corner and head to the sea-front for dinner and a little walk. Dinner is great in a tiny Dutch run place overlooking the fishing boats. Cats cats cats and more cats follow us on our walk and then the restaurant cats watch us eat. when we get back to Dotty we realise our sneaky campsite is lit up like a football pitch! Too late to move we close up all the curtains and turn in for the night.

The next day we ventured into town again to find some supplies before heading off to the main port town again to catch the early ferry to Turkey the next day. With a good mind to amble around the other side of the island we found some good local cheese and fresh bread and hit the road.

Another stop along the way we found freshly grown tomatoes and cucumber, courgettes and aubergines and a friendly Greek smile from the growers themselves.

The picnic spot we craved proved a bit more elusive as all of the roadside stops were full of beehives, that famous Greek honey has to come from somewhere!

Eventually we found a nice little spot under the shade of a pine forest. The local cheese was delicious-!!

on return to Mitilini we were left with the quandary of were to sleep again?! With budget in mind we were reluctant to pay for another Pension.

There was however, a massive car-park near the harbour with some decent camouflaging trees and we found a good park!

The ferry the next morning was our first international ferry with customs and our first time leaving the EU. We had to present Dotty with her papers and our passports and then board the small ferry to Turkey. There were about 4 cars and a bunch of locals making their way to the Turkish Village for market day.

A history lesson for everyone. The Island of Lesvos had once been home to Turkish Muslims as well as Greek Orthodox families as was the coast of Turkey that lays across the Aegean.

After the war the Muslims were herded to Turkey and the Christians to Greece and there are monuments to the families in both towns. So there are close ties between Lesvos and this town Ayvalik.

The customs experience in Turkey was something else. Our ferry arrived closely followed by another ferry that had about 20 motorbikes on board. Importing a vehicle into Turkey requires paperwork and stamps in your passport so that you cannot leave Turkey without the vehicle. We were prepared for this and the fact that we had to purchase a Visa at the border.

I waited with our passports in the cue with the children and Chris was in a separate line with the car stuff...there is it seems no such thing as personal space or privacy when crossing borders in the "Middle East".... We were pressed firmly against the desk with people reaching on behind us to deliver their own passports to the officer who appeared unfazed.

I pictured standing in the line at Heathrow or JFK waiting to be admitted into the country...firmly behind the yellow line with a good 6 feet between line and desk...it made me smile.

The market turned out to be Ridley Road on steroids. We were greeted by locals with weary smiles and the occasional hello in English. One of the shopkeepers proclaiming..."It's nice to see tourists!" After a traditional Turkish lunch which included a parade with brass marching band for Turkish independence day we set off in search of local produce.

Fresh fruit and Veg in abundance and Dotty restocked for the next few days we set off towards Asso which LP reports to be a lovely coastal town where the Turks spend their long weekends. Also a place where Plato set up a philosophy school back in the day!

So with our first real experience of Turkish roads and more importantly Turkish driving...whoh...we arrived at what did turn out to be a sleepy little seaside town....all of it CLOSED FOR THE SEASON! We bumbled down a little dirt track looking for a campsite that was sign-posted...as we rounded another corner with a sheer drop into the ocean, the road was blocked by a landslide and Chris managed to somehow turn Dotty with her lack of powerstearing!

There was a guy working on his fence and having a bit of a giggle at us and so I asked him if there was camping and he said no..then moments later was on his phone and announced "Follow me..." so we dutifully followed him through an old rusty gate and into a tiny patio which must during the season serve as a lively meeting point for travellers. Dotty filled the space but we were welcomed to the 'family camping ground' and the very dusty and rundown facilities pointed out. On the plus side there was spectacular ocean views-!!

The kids wanted to go to the beach which was just down some stairs but turned out to be not much of a beach but it seems Flynn is happy getting wet and is not at all fussy!

Somewhere along the way they managed to pick up a local dog who followed them home....as we had arrived reasonably early in the day we had plenty of time to waste and Chris got stuck into the dishes and tidying up. Down the stairs of the site descended the Postman, who looked a bit defensively at the kids adopted dog and then noticed us...how could you not notice Dotty filling the tiny space between buildings! He smiled and then proceeded to converse in very broken English about his family and our van and his age. Most of this time was spent trying to find out why Chris was doing the dishes while I sat inside and played cards with Jane. He was so sweet but he overstayed which made for awkward moments of silence between the convoluted conversation. I was doing my best not to laugh and wondering how exactly Chris was going to continue when he could not understand a word the man was saying...then as quickly as he had arrived he departed off through the rusty gate and away. We all had a bit of a giggle and smile. How amazing it is that so many people all over the world want so much to converse in English and how ignorant we are at speaking other languages.

We had just about recovered from our visit when we turned to see that Postman had returned!! He wasn't done with us yet...he wanted to tell us more about his family and his country, bless him...I think he was just trying to fill in the last half hour before knock off time! He very sweetly gifted Flynn a Walnut that he had found somewhere. And then off he went home to his family! We hunkered down to keep warm and safe!!

Another day, another drive. We found our way to the Gallipoli peninsula. A place that as children we all learned about in school. And I certainly dutifully attended ANZAC day ceremonies in honour of our fallen during WW1. It was not a place that I had ever thought of visiting but as we were so close it seemed disrespectful not to. And a chance to teach the kids about Australian history that they will soon adopt as their own. We first located a campsite that was open...and it was a campsite with caravans and everything........but we were the only people staying there. There was also a hotel in the same complex with a buffet restaurant and we elected to have dinner rather than cooking! For the entire afternoon the guilt of an entire buffet just for us gnawed at Chris, he had in mind that they were putting on the whole buffet just for us. Someone joked that it would be funny if a tour bus arrived with people for dinner...and then it did...a huge bus full of Turkish tourists who were all eating at the buffet...then when we arrived they all promptly got up and left...I don't think it was because we smelled! We had all showered that day!!

The next day we up and off to ANZAC cove. Both Chris and I were strangely touched by the eeriness of the area. The Turkish government has done well to preserve the battlefields and the monuments are well kept and poignant. We stopped to read the message from the General who had been in charge of the battle on April 25th and who later became the Ataturk and fought for Turkey's independence. It reads something like, don't worry, the men and boys who fell here are now considered our sons... It brought a tear to my eye and reminded me of the strong national pride that was instilled in us as kids.

After the drive around the rest of the peninsula we set of North again towards the Bulgarian border. We knew we wouldn't make it in one day so we pinned a spot on the map to stay for the night. Edirne, the largest Turkish city on the European continent. As we drove into town dusk was falling and the silhouette of the mosque filled our eyeline. It was quite spectacular with the red dust rising from the desert turning the sky red. Beautiful.

The rest of Erdine was quite a surprise as well. We found a cheap hotel which was nice and close to the centre of town and wondered around first the bazaar and then the market streets. We bought some great fresh fruit and yummy baklava and fresh halva. Although we clearly stuck out like sore thumbs (we did hear one American on the street) we were welcomed into shops without the touting sales pitch. The kids were showered with affection and gifts, cake, extra helpings of dinner and lots of head patting and cheek squeezing!

So another town and back on the road. Just out of town we picked up our first hitch-hiker, a young Dutch guy who was on his way to Istanbul, we were not...so we dropped him on a junction on the motorway where he could easily get a ride...and off we went to Bulgaria....

Crossing the Turkish boarder was easy...then we found the Bulgarian border...the guards were grumpy and overweight...in comparison to Turkey where we were welcomed, we felt interrogated and had to check ourselves that we were actually re-entering the EU!

Eventually we waded through the red tape and hit the Bulgarian roads...mmmm some roads they are...there are more Potholes than actual road and poor Dotty got a bit of a shake up...

After weighing up our options of what to do with Dotty we decided the best thing would be to return her to London now and try to sell her in the spring. We arrived at our friends summer house in Sozopol...fabulous to have a little luxury for a few days....and we cleaned Dotty up on the inside and removed all of the things we had collected along the way....

Our friends are going to be finding things we have hidden in their cupboards for years to come!!

Chris high tailed it back to London while the kids and I spent the week amusing ourselves in Soz....

We went to the beach and made a lot of sand castles...spent a lot of time trying to find food that we could cook...made cookies, because we had an oven, watched a lot of movies...

After a lovely week of relaxing in style...and doing lots of laundry! We packed up our rucksacks and officially became backpackers for the next 6 weeks. Our first bus ride and we are off to Istanbul....back over the dodgy Bulgarian roads and through the same border...again...easier to enter Turkey than leave Bulgaria!!

The bus was 5 hours...not too bad and a lovely surprise that there is a steward who serves tea and coffee and water and some cake which the kids loved...

We managed to survive and arrived at the Istanbul Ottogar (bus station) which was something to behold. At first it looked like a large bus parking lot and then we entered what looked like an oversized multi-story car park for buses. It was filled with parking spots with shops, barbers, restaurants, all sorts of things and it went on and on and on...we were blown away. And wondered how we might ever find our way out again! We did...and we found our way to the hotel on the public transport system which proved to be very usable!

Athens - Beth

Athens.....

Jane and I arrived in Athens while the boys drove down the length of Italy to catch a ferry...

It was much warmer in Greece...warm enough for sandals and a sundress!

We had been to Athens 4 years ago in the aftermath of the Olympics and so it felt quite familiar to me.

We were staying in a friendly Aussie run backpackers near the Acropolis which turned out to be completely central and very accessible.

So after dumping our bags and claiming our bunks we headed into the Plaka for a bit of shopping and something to eat.

It all came flooding back to me, the street vendors, the restaurant sprooks and the mass of souvenirs available at every shop! But "all handmade - here in Greece- My father's design"!!

We found a little noodle house claiming to be a Thai, Chinese, Indian restaurant and ate some Chinese food cooked by a Pakistani guy with a phillipino waitress...

To Jane's great delight she sampled her first taste of Fried Ice Cream....I have never seen a look of such joy on her face..."this is the best thing I have ever tasted" and she begged for the next 3 days to return for more...

Another wander around the Plaka as we made our way back to the hostel and some banter with the locals who are always is seems interested to know where you are from and what you are doing in Athens...it is a very friendly and easy city.

On return to the hostel we ascended the 5 floors to take in the view of the Acropolis beautifully lit against the night sky. Quite amazing really to think it has been there for so many centuries had had so many incarnations.

With some hope of retiring for at least some sleep we headed back to meet our room mates and settle in.....not much hope of that as it turned out...there were 4 other young ladies in our room and being a Thursday night...or just a night in Athens there was much activity hair fruffing for a night on the town...and it was only 8pm....So off we went to the sister establishment where both Jane and I were welcome to participate in the Karaoke spectacular....Jane was desperate to have a go and after much deliberation we decided to sing Dancing Queen...Abbatastic!!

There were only a handful of other punters and they all got a giggle out of our rendition! The evening lasted for a couple of hours and a few more Abba songs...and then it was no longer appropriate to have Jane is a predominantly Aussie establishment...and so we returned to our bunks and a reasonably quiet room....

Remarkably we managed to sleep through breakfast and so we ventured out to find a western style brekkie...we did to my amazement find bacon and eggs...and coffee!

Next we took in the recently opened Acropolis museum which according to the guidebook is a must see...The must see part is the building itself...concrete and glass with amazing angles and textures. (must remember to find out who the architect was.) During excavation for the build they unearthed the foundations of an ancient Athenian neighbourhood and were obliged to preserve them and so they are encased in glass under the new building with archaeologists still digging in full view.

The contents of the museum are all artefacts taken from the Acropolis and the Parthenon and are essentially housed here to preserve and protect them. Od course there is such a huge extent of history enclosed in the building and it is all a bit thrilling and interesting...it is the building itself that captured my interest completely.

Onwards then and up the hill to the Acropolis itself,...past Dionysis Theatre and up up up to the marble palace on the hill. My first impression was just how vast it was. Huge beyond my comprehension and 2000 years old...it amazes me to think how all of the skill and knowledge of the ancient Greeks was lost during the dark ages and how long it took to gain it back. I wonder, are we really any better off in our modern world than our ancestors were 2000 and more years ago?

After all that history and philosophy it was time to hit the shops!! We headed into town and wandered down the main shopping street in Syntagma, all the usual suspects including Accessorise...mmm the English empire still exists on some level!!

Eventually we could walk no more and ended with dinner in the Plaka and a reasonably early night...

\

The boys arrived the next afternoon and we moved into an apartment, run by the same group but a bit more privacy and a TV!!

We spent the morning at The Temple of Zeus were Jane recited some of the Greek Myths verbatim...I swear she has a photographic memory.

Then more wandering through the Plaka....it is now Jane's favourite place....and then back to the apartment for some r&r...read TV viewing....and waiting for the boys!

Ok...waiting some more...then realised we would have to book our ferry tickets for Monday because nothing would be open over the weekend....quick rush to a travel agent and all sorted!! and then off to the supermarket...always interesting to go to the supermarket in another country where you don't speak any of the language and there is a strong possibility that the staff will not speak English....

Anyways...supplies sorted...and the boys eventually arrived looking slightly dishevelled from their ferry experience....

We froofed up and headed out for dinner. Jane and I had been to a traditional taverna for lunch the day before and they had promised Greek dancing and music so we made our way up the hill and after a couple of wrong turns we eventually found our way. It was only just warm enough to sit outside but it was so beautiful under the autumn vines with fairy lights and the gentle sound of a tour bus crowd dining inside! Only just duller than the traditional Greek music!!

Austria to Italy....

Now that we had crossed the Alps we could head south and hopefully find some sunshine....

There were still a couple more mountains to cross....we wound our way across the foot hills and across a very large glacial valley and then back up across the Dolomites...some seriously scary hairpin turns inside tunnels with amazing views....and then some just ordinary hairpin turns....and lots of them...we took a picture of the satnav to show just how many!!

As we came to the border, or what used to house a border crossing we passed back into the autumnal colours and downwards into Italy and potentially some warmer weather!

We made our way to Padova where there was a guaranteed campsite punched into Charlene who led us into the old town of Padova (Padua) and down some lovely little cobbled stone streets, nice looking cafes, groovy little neighbourhood-!! Only to arrive at our "destination" to find no campsite in view....mmm another satnavtasitc moment....so a little investigation and a new address...and on our way....out of the nice looking neighbourhood and over the river to the otherside of town!

The campsite was...mmm Italian! The whole polyester tracksuit thing was very evident!!

On the plus side there was a swimming pool...yay...! but you had to pay! €7.50 each....woh...we managed to negotiate down to half price because it was so late in the day!!...There is a chance that the water in the swimming pool was thermal....it was warm and tasted very minerally...Chris was determined that it was thermal and not just filthy!!

There was a large hot tub/jacuzzi which in theory sounds great, especially as it was quite chilly....in reality it was full of wrinkly (read old) german's and italian's in dodgy swimmers!!

Then the rain started....and it rained all night...good solid heavy rain....Dotty doesn't leak!!

Another day....another drive away from the most expensive night yet....almost as much as the pension room....

South.....south....where the sun is shining!

How far south can we go....mmm Tuscany sounds good!

Quick night stop in a Tuscan Olive grove!! Surprise campsite with a good restaurant...More pizza....and really good pasta!

Next day....Rome.....definately sunshine there....down the Autostrada and into Rome....well just outside Rome....

Happy Camping...!! Really...it's called Happy Camping!

We actually arrived quite early in the day but discovered there was quite a journey into town, a shuttle bus from the campsite and then a train into the city. So we decided to take it easy and catch up on laundry...there seems to be a mountain of laundry...it's the bain of my life!

There is also the slight problem of the fact that Dotty has blown her Turbo....so we have to locate a turbo: no longer in manufacture, a mechanic who speaks English, then fit it all into our time in Rome....a few phone calls later and a 20 minute drive into unknown suburbs we have ticked all the boxes and pending the part arriving from London we can have the turbo fitted and be back on the road by Friday!

We get back to the campsite...lunch etc and then take the afternoon shuttle bus to the train station...it is a 15 minute drive, or maybe it should be described as a race track. Poor Chris had to sit in the front!

Thankfully the train arrived quickly...it seemed that we had landed in ghetto of some kind and we were quite glad to get out of there...quick study of the timetable to make sure we can get a train that coincides with the shuttle bus so as not to wait in the dark...: (

The train took us into the outskirts of the centre of town and we elected to walk straight down the guts to take in the sites.

Rome is full of old world charm, somehow blended with modern day hustle and bustle. As we ambled down the street my paranoia of being in a strange city slipped away and we passed gorgeous shops, winding cobbled stone streets and little squares hidden away off the main road. Down one side street and we find the Pantheon, a dome built by Hadrian to honour the classical gods. It's perfect semi-spherical dome is according to the Lonely Planet "considered the Roman's most important architechtual achievements"

It really is awe inspiring! Breathtaking! It is now used as a Christian Church....

As we have been doing lots of sight-seeing and not much kid friendly stuff we decided to do a recommended treat for the kids...it's called the Time Elevator...it promised to be a trip through the history of Rome and all in 3D!

Somehow I got upsold to the 5D preview film as well! The history of the world since the big bang.....and 5D it is...3D glasses, water, wind, hydraulic moving seats...not so great if you get motion sick....the kids loved it though!

Next, the history of Rome....well a scanty history of Rome...with more spine shaking hydraulics!

We left there with the kids begging to see more...and Chris and I thinking about beer!

Of course no trip to Rome is complete without the Colosseum! It is quite late now and to late to go inside! So we wandered past as the sun set and the moon rose...quite picturesque...of course the promise to return tomorrow and go inside!

Dinner was pizza slices Roman style...very tasty! and then rushed to the train station to be sure to make the last shuttle bus..

Early the next day and back to Rome with a list of must see's....

At the Vatican we wandered into the main square to see the Basilica...who is that sitting up there...the man himself...The Pope that is! Quite impressive even for the atheist in me....

His prescence however made it difficult to get into the Basilica...he was in the way!

We quickly discovered that the lines to the Sistine Chapel are HUGE unless you are on the pre booked tour. There are touts lining the streets from the train station offering tours and no lines into the museums but we were cautious as we had heard that it's a rip off....probably worth it though if you don't want to wait in the line....so we decide to skip it in favour of gellati....!

More walking.... through the streets and a quick ice cream/coffee stop. Just wandering around Rome is amazing, at each turn there is another familiar sight or amazing building. The kids were quite bored though and the walking was doing them in. We wandered down some little side streets and found a place to eat that was not full of tourists, it was however more Pizza!

We eventually found our way back to the Pantheon for another look...

Found a groovy old barbers shop to have Flynn's haircut...! Chris then worked out that he was missing his iPhone.....we emptied out all of our bags and pockets but no sign of it anywhere...oops...probably fell or was taken from his pocket while he was distracted taking pictures in the Pantheon.

Next : The Trevy Fountain...amazing....so many people...but totally worth it! We all threw in a coin in the hope of returning one day to Rome!

Then we stumbled upon the Changing of the guards ceremony which proved to be highly entertaining...the kids were glued to it...all the fancy marching and military stomping!!

Eventually we made our way to the Colosseum and being later in the day the cues were less....we wandered into the afternoon light and again we were all mesmerised...it must have been an amazing place...you can almost here the chariots rumble and the lions roar...

2 tired kids at the end of the day...and lots of misbehavior so we decided to get an earlier train and eat back at the campsite...

We made the train but missed the shuttle bus and so we found a little trattoria near the train station....it was safer than waiting...no not really...it turned out to be a nice meal and they served us quickly so we didn't miss the last shuttle!

Due to the homicidal tendencies of the children of late we decided that Jane and I would fly ahead while the boys stayed in Rome to take Dotty to the Doctor....So early the next morning Jane and I got up and rushed to the airport and Chris and Flynn delivered Dotty to the Doctor....

Ahh the sweet sight of Easy Jet!

From Salzburg we decided to take the scenic route marked on our map...they are highlighted with green lines...there are many to choose from in Austria.

On the Sound of Music tour we had gone through a very pretty village where there is a Cog Train going up the side of a mountain (it's in the movie...when they are singing Doh Rae Me...) There is a hotel at the top of the mountain and it seems to be an impossible feet. The kids also want to go on the train...so we stop at a Tourist information and discover that the train only runs sporadically in the "off season" and it costs a small fortune.....mmmm so we decide to skip it in favour of the nice drive and a potential hotel stay for the night!!

We stumbled upon a small town called Bad Aussee..."we have to stop there"...too funny....we also had a bunch of things that we have collected and wanted to post home so we couldn't resist the post mark with such a name!

Bad Aussee turned out to be a nice little Austrian town with a ski resort kind of feel.

Dotty got some pretty suspicious looks! There was a playground across the very clear and fresh river and Flynn was desperate to have a run around so we strolled across the Mercedes shaped bridge so that he could have a play. A glance down into the water revealed a school of trout swimming against the current...what a shame we couldn't get a rod out there...they were so keen that they fought over the small rolled up pieces of paper that Jane took delight in throwing into the stream.

Back on the road...and what a road, just beautiful scenery and winding roads through the Autumn colours. We were all a bit fearful of the cold in the mountains and it was suggested that we spend the night in a pension rather than camping in more sub zero temps! So a quick bit of research courtesy of the Lonely Planet and we found a little pension that was highly rated....It turned out to be not very glamorous, but it is warm and....a real bed is a nice treat!! Most of the restaurants in town were closed...the choices were the highly rated Michelin Star affair up the street or the Pizzeria across the road.....Pizza of course won out!!

An early start in the morning after breakfast with our fellow Germanic guests....Jane was undecided about cheese and meat for breakfast....the pension is owned by the same people that own the butcher's and on arrival the previous afternoon, negotiations over the room rate had occurred in the butcher shop where the lady had proudly told us that all of their processed meats and salami's were made on the premises...mmm a meaty breakfast of local produce!!

As we hit the road again to the word of C.S Lewis....can't remember which book of Narnia we were up to....they all sound the same after a while! (It does have the amazing effect of reducing the homicidal behaviour from the back seat though!) So we head away from Salzburg at last and towards what is described by the Lonely Planet as "the most beautiful drive in Europe".....

Chris and I had a discussion on the way about how Lonely Planet authors seem to be people with a vast amount of local knowledge and a potentially biased view....

The Grossglockner road crosses a mountain pass through the Austrian Alps with views of Austria's highest peak - the Grossglockner! We pay the €28 to enter the National Park and for the privilege of using the road....as we meandered up a few hairpin bends and read the leaflet we had been given there was a slight disappointment because of the heavy cloud cover and therefore, lack of view. The leaflet showed the official stopping points the first of which was a 'themed playground' knowing as we do that Flynn has an immense amount of energy we decided to stop for a while and let him burn of some steam...there was a very cool playground with a well catching the water from a hillside spring, it allowed the kids to catch the water in a dam and then release it causing a rush of water down the hill and into a water wheel, simulating hydro electricity...the air temperature was low...there were icicles hanging from the trees so despite Flynn enthusiasm for the waterfall we pulled him away to return to the warmth of Dotty...

As we turned to cross the road the clouds parted...for a brief moment the sun shone and framed perfectly above the remaining cloud were the Alps......the snow-capped and splendid mountains just like Toblerone!! It is a moment I will not forget, there may have even been a choir singing...it was just amazing....so after catching our breath again we did retreat to Dotty and climbed higher until we were actually above the cloud and in the Valley below a sea of mist rolled while the ever splendid Alps surrounded us. Of course another scheduled stop with Photo tastic opportunities....Chris joked...we have probably stopped at the first place like all the tourists...I bet there is a better view a bit further on.....and views there were although none quiet lived up to that first glimpse....

As we travelled on we climbed higher and at each hairpin turn we secretly prayed that Dotty would make it up the next hill....and thanked the Mechanics in London for talking us into new suspension....and brakes!!

At the highest point accessible by car - some 2900 feet we managed to wind our way around to the very top.....we all got out and stretched our legs....climbing to the top of a lookout we all noticed the change in the air, the altitude making a difference to our breathing. Having reached the top the only way now was down.....and down and around and down some more and more and hairpin bends....until we were forced to take a break...both for lunch and to give those new brakes a rest....!

From here the scenery changed as we dropped below the tree line again and back into the greenery....but we weren't quiet done yet and to make the most of our €28 we continued up the other side of the valley to the original Franz Josef Glacier....I have to admit it was slightly disappointing, just a dirty looking valley really, perhaps because we had only a few weeks ago been next to the largest glacier in mainland Europe.....

So a bit of a stroll around and then back down....with a quick stop for Strudel!!

Of course now we can see why they call this the best drive i n Europe...stunning quite life changing!

Next...find a campsite that's open!! Hurray!! There is one nearby and it's open all year!!!

So another night....in the cold!!!

Next stop Italy!!