1260: Family, Friends and UK Trips Part 2

Posted on October 1, 2019 by Clunegapyears

1260-1261: Yorkshire with the Margaret and Shirley

Saturday 17th – Sunday 18th August 2019

So good to say goodbye to the Aged P’s knowing we will see them again soon. They headed south and we headed a short distance NE to meet Margaret and Shirley (not forgetting Poppy and Boo. It was touch and go whether we met them … they’d had to be towed out of a muddy long grassed field and could easily have headed to home to clean up … They were not be be persuaded to do Greece and East with us this winter .. it’ll be a while till we see them again.

On the way we stumbled on Nidd Hall hotel, where I had my my honeymoon with (practice) husband No.1. Should’ve known it was doomed, as we arrived and he promptly stuck the F1 on … all about priorities!

They’d found a stunning CL in Lingerfield, near Knaresborough. Dog walking in the fields by the site and Shirley was tickled by Oscar’s ears and caught them in full upward motion!

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Margaret grew up not far way and was our guide on Sunday around Knaresborough.

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Smiling after bacon rolls and amazing brownie for me.

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1262-1264: Heading South

Monday 19th – Wednesday 21st

A CLs and a free night night on our way South towards Hereford.

Clavering CL. Down lots of winding narrow lanes so not for the feint hearted. But so peaceful with the dog walking field at the back, so we stayed two nights and had an admin day.

Then the most amazing wilding spot at Clee Hill Quary. It was a quarry on and off since Bronze age days, had its own railway and industrial buildings are evident. It is an amazing mound in the middle of lower rolling landscape. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/titterstone-clee-hill

Radar station on top.

360 views all the way round, but a little windy … and another funny ear movement.

1265-1269: Hereford Meet

Thursday 22nd – Monday 26th August

Another wildcamping.co.uk meet with some ‘old’ and new friends. We managed to get a riverfront pitch.

We spent some quality time and meals with Pat and Jim, who we’d shared our Orkney adventures with. We went to the Bulmer’s cider factory … they expanded and then over extended and much of where the factory was is now a Sainsburys.

Generous tastings at the end.

We attempted a sculpture bike ride around Hereford, but there were so many twists and turns, we aborted and had lunch in the pub! This statue was erected by someone who survived one of the plagues, don’t know what the benefactor would have made of it being in the middle of a roundabout.

We also watched England thrashing Ireland at Twickenham in a pub … pure magic!!! Says I!!! And I did some knitting and chatting with the ladies. I had an eye check up … contact lens in left eye to avoid reading glasses, working well, so I ordered a year’s supply. And the sun came out … I think my shorts made it out for about an hour before I got chilly.

1270-1273: Back Home and Multi-Medicals

Thursday 22nd – Friday 20th August

En route back home, we dropped the e-bikes into the centre of Bristol for their annual check up (service) … free servicing for life from the store we purchased them. Apparently, they’ve tightened both chains to stop them slipping. We shall see … not been on them since.

J’s oncologist still very happy with the way his prostate treatment is going … seems she is from near Palermo, Sicily and holidays every year in Sardinia, where we’ve just been. So good to go.

With Jez on Clare and Chris’s drive, we emptied him most thoroughly and cleaned all the interiors of cupboards, footwells etc. Stuff stacked up in the Aged P’s garage now, as well as the shed, attic and our bedroom. They were away again, so had no control how much stuff came over! Jez was soon to be dropped at Bristol Caravans for his medical – MOT (first and a little early), both services, electric check and very outstanding warranty work. We packed our bags for what we wanted whilst in our house in N Devon for two weeks.

On Friday we collected the e-bikes and had supper chez Stephen and Kay, our old neighbours … we sold that house last September.

1274-1286: Home in Combe Martin

Saturday 30th August to 13th September

Loading our shopping bags and boxes of stuff (being van dwellers, we don’t have suitcases or holdalls!) in the the car, we left Jez and the long list of works with Bristol Caravans, Tackled the M5 south and across to Combe Martin to the house we bought last September. We have had an amazing first season of holiday lettings …. just as well we’d booked ourselves in for the two weeks, or it would have been back to back house guests.

We managed just a few house guests of our own, Sinead and Shane Lin and Bo, Maddy and Robyn. And a coffee and and wine fuelled evening with locals Debbie, Brian and Annette. Annette is the sculpture talent behind Cornish Creatures … mostly seagulls and puffins with attitude … check them out here …https://www.facebook.com/rockyandcliff but she’s just started branching out into more serious works. I’m lusting after her nose to nose at the finish line racing greyhounds in bronze.

We managed to better our 2nd from last score at the pub quiz, by coming last! Our team name was Brain Fog!

It felt like slipping on a comfy dressing gown being back in the house. Corrie settled right back in under the TV.

The new Cool Garden at RHS Rosemoor … I went twice … with Maddy and then James. Making the most of my membership card for this last year.

I’m fascinated but the rhythm of the glass blowing process at Dartington. And being a resident with an EX postcode, I and a guest get in free.

Lots of beach walks … this is Hebdon Mouth.

And Saunton Sands.

A favorite – Woolacombe.

And our own Newberry’s Beach in Combe Martin which is dog friendly.

And the main beach, which is NOT dog friendly until 1st October.

Sunset over Combe Martin. Sadly the second week saw some torrential rain … our plumber who was supposed to replace the utility room roof, ended up repairing the sky light leaks in his own motorhome! So the roof will have to be done another time.

Exhausted wet, but happy dogs!

Bristol Caravans managed to do the hab and engine services, the MOT and the electrical test, which had thrown up some unusual and dangerous wiring, but failed to complete a single other task. They ran out of time, so these were outstanding:

Fit a fuel cut off switch
Clean the air suspension filters
Warranty work on front blind (Adria had sent the wrong one … again!)
Warranty work on the bubbling decals (Adria had sent some vinyl, but not the back, so they couldn’t complete this)
Warranty work on the hab door … Adria had not sent all the parts, so Bristol Caravans managed to source a breaker’s yard door and cannibalise some of the parts for a temporary fix. HOWEVER, it transpires that the door and frame have warped … and we have a resulting crack in the side wall. All the warranty work has been going on well over a year now … completely rubbish service. Luckily for us, one of the Adria UK staff was nearby and took a look at our hab door damage and the result is that we need a full new door, door frame …. and a side wall!!! Thankfully, after a few emails, Adria has agreed that as it is consequential damage, we will not have to pay. But based on the service so far … it is anyone’s guess as to when and where! Just hope the temporary fix to the door holds for this trip!
Oh, and whilst there we had 4 new tyres fitted.

Slightly irritated that not everything we’d asked to be done was done, we contacted Mulacott Caravans in Ilfracombe. Yes, they could fit us in next week, so we picked up the van early on the middle Saturday and took it straight into them. They are brilliant!

They fitted a battery monitor, so I now have a % charge on our lithiums on my phone (the lithiums don’t work with the on board control panel)
As one of the two UK approved Goldschmidt air suspension installers, they corrected the install we had done in Greece …. moved part of the system so that it was no longer 1mm from a rear tyre … dont’ know how we didn’t have a blow out …! And protected the wiring with conduit.
Cleaned the lpg gas filters
Fitted fridge fans
Moved the sine wave inverter from right next to the lithiums, where its heat would not do them any good, to under the driver’s seat.
Re-attached some battery wiring (a bit loose from Bristol C!) and up graded some to low spec wires.
Installed a fuel cut off switch.

And all in a week … when it hadn’t been booked in.

If anyone fancies renting a holiday home in N Devon, do check us our first! Tythe Barn House, Combe Martin

1287-1299: Limbo in Ash Vale

Saturday 14th – Wednesday 25th September

We had to vacate the house by 10.00 as Clair the housekeeper had to come in and clean up after us for the next set of house guests!

In convoy we drove back to drop Jez to Clare and Chris’ driveway whist we installed ourselves (again) with the Aged P’s. Stuff from attic, bedroom, shed and garage all scrutinised with regard to whether it deserved a place back in Jez. Once almost fully loaded we took Jez to a weigh bridge … a chalk quarry, so guess what colour the footprints in the van were! An interesting old chap did the weighing … he’d been granted French citizenship … I surprised him by asking if he was Foreign Legion. He claimed to have been ‘attached’ to them, but saw active service in many French ‘empire’ battles, such as Chad. Bet he had some tales. Anyway, Jez came in at 4.2 tons, rear axle not over laden 🙂 Happy bunnies. Really pleased we up plated last year from 4250 to 4850kgs.

CO2 trying to be invisible at the vet sorting out their pet Health Certs, just in case …

We completed so much admin whilst at home … van insurances, breakdown (we now have ADAC but they only cover 4 months trips, Fiat Assist, but they only cover EU, so we also now also have RAC for Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia, and Starling Insurance who will cover Turkey!!!), travel / health insurance. Updated software etc etc. We were hoping that the bumper repair (low loader damage whilst in Corsica) would be done on Friday 27th, so had put our tunnel crossing back to Tuesday 1st October. But on hearing one part is still outstanding (Adria!), we gave up the wait and brought the crossing forward. Had we wanted to pay an additional £94, we could have travelled the same day, but we can do much better good with that kind of money, so we crossed at 0123 hrs on Thursday 26th. And onto our next adventure … Greece and East!

1234-1259: Family, Friends and UK Trips Part 1

Posted on September 27, 2019 by Clunegapyears

1234: Antibes and J’s Family

Monday 22nd July 2019

Harbourside at crack-o-dawn in Bastia, Corsica watching this car transporter be loaded quickly and driven away … by a very petite lady.

On our crossing from Bastia to Nice, we had a cabin. Daytime, and we couldn’t sleep all morning. What was one supposed to do … make use of the shower for a hair dye of course!

We know Nice pretty well, but not this from the sea view of it.

On arrival in Nice we went straight to our usual campsite so we could meet up with three of J’s 4 children for an afternoon in the nearby park.

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And with their kids … full house on grandchildren.

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Baseball was the main game … Corrie confused …

…. Oscar knew exactly what to do with the balls!

And water pistols to play with.

Did I mention, it was still hot!

1235-41: Charente and K’s Family

Tuesday 23rd – Monday 29th July 2019

A driving day with loads, and I mean loads of Deviations and road works. We paid for the motorway to get west along the south coast but not to head up NW to Charente region to see my family at Clare and Chris’ house. We arrived mid afternoon on Wednesday and went straight in the pool! Fab to relax with the Aged P’s (not that it was long since we’d seen them, but with Clare and youngest Zozo, and then Chris, Louis and Abbie arrived. We took one day out to stay on a EUR9/night munipal campsite nearby to spend time with Bev and Mike who have a house let out as a Gite nearby.

Aubeterre. Would that be another lunch out?

Cocktails pool side.

Oops … would that be a red wine incident???

The beach near Sangatte aire. Had to remind myself that these sea defences were German. Coming back from this walk, I got a phone call from a woeful James … He’d dropped my sharp knife vertically onto the knuckle of his foot. Blood everywhere! That was the second of the carpets to head for the bin … Corrie had pooped on the other!

1242-1249: Back to Blighty

Tuesday 30th July – Tuesday 6th August

We crossed back to Folkestone and wended our way to Rustington to meet up with Ian, Mel and little (he’s grown again) Jimmy. Would that have been another big wine night? I have no idea. I don’t remember! Maddy had joined us but left at a sensible hour before it got messy!

Where’s the sun gone. A very windy walk on the Sussex coast.

As ever, Mr Competitive Ian won the Puket tournament.

Then the M25. Why does it always rain and have traffic jams on the way back? I could recycle the same pic.

For most of this part of our stay in the UK, we left Jez on Clare and Chris’ driveway and moved in with Mum and Dad. I seem to remember Dad giving a speech at my first wedding, along the lines of, love her, and love it when she leaves but then she comes back! And I’m still coming back and filling the attic!

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As we’d extended this trip by going to Corsica and Sardinia, we would not have time to do our normal Ireland and Scotland tour. So James flew to Dublin for the weekend to see 3 of his 5 siblings.

Michelle and Craig became van dwellers for 2 nights in the New Forrest with me whilst J away. Oh, and their 2 Springers … so that made 4 mid sized dogs and 3 adults in Jez. It worked fine! And the sun came out!! Good walking … flat!

We spent a few nights at our usual CL Coxbridge Farm, and Caroline and Terry came to supper. Trying to persuade them to visit us in the Caucuses. And we fitted in dentist and doctors etc. We also started the job of emptying Jez.

1250-1254: Uffington White Horse and Abingdon Meet

Wednesday 7th – Sunday 11th August

Wilding isn’t always possible in the UK – after an abortive 3 car parks with height barriers and no overnighting signs, we ended up in a small farm site. Great location as it was right on the Ridgeway and close to Uffington Iron Age Fort and the White Horse.

I did one walk solo with great views of the rolling hills. Amazed to still see ears of corn as all the harvesting had long since been done in Europe.

Oh dear!

We joined a wildcamping.co.uk meet near Abingdon. Caught up with some old (!) friends and made some new. Relaxed and big fires most nights.

We watched this heron shake this huge fish down its narrow neck.

One wet grey and windy day we caught the bus into Oxford with one of the ladies on the motorhome meet. Her great uncle had been a Master at Pembroke College and had some Halls of Residence named after him. He had been largely instrumental in the independence of Persia (I think!). I was tour guide around the main city sights until, cold and hungry we took sanctuary in a pub. Whilst half the menu items were off the menu, we had no choice but to stay as finding somewhere for 3 dogs had been challenging.

1255-1259: Yorkshire with the Aged P’s

Monday 12th to Friday 16th August

We spent 5 nights up in Yorkshire with the Aged P’s. This trip came about as Mum fancied visiting RHS Harlow Carr Gardens, and I’d taken out membership for a year. They were in a small family hotel and we were on their CS (5 pitches site) next door. The family were originally sheep farmers and still kept rare breeds, but had diversified. The vegetarian daughter doubled up as restaurant waitress, front of house and sheep farmer … she had lots of ‘old girls’ as she could bear to part with them.

Our View.

The Aged P’s joined us for drinks and supper in the van. Although we did eat in the hotel restaurant (the only dinners!) twice. An ordinary menu, but superbly cooked.

RHS Harlow Carr on the one day that the forecasters suggested might not rain! On arrival we had coffee and cakes in Betty’s. Yummy.

The next day was forecast to rain. And it did. But we booked the Rover ticket for the Keithly and Worth Valley Steam Railway, so were ‘ moistly’ dry. https://kwvr.co.uk Built by the textile mill owners to get their worsted cloth to the main railway line. A short railway with several stops, including museums, a vintage bus side shoot and The Railway Children film station. An excellent day. Lunch, eventually, was a quirky little cafe about to shut up. I spotted some Lewis Chessmen high on a shelf, to be told no one else had recognised them … the owner’s father was having a late lunch too … he got them off the shelf … he’d carved them from a picture in book. Some talented people.

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Hadn’t realised the UK operated on different time zones until the railways forced a single time zone.

Bronte Parsonage, Haworth https://www.bronte.org.uk Small but fascinating. Quite a lot about the family members who, even individually, were interesting to learn about.

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A teenagers’ bedroom … no brother Branwell’s room. An intellectual and talented portrait painter who could find love or a career and descended into self pity and narcotics.

The Bradford Industrial Museum is housed in an old mill and run by the council, but free. https://www.bradfordmuseums.org/venues/bradford-industrial-museum A hotch patch of collections from cars, to engines, printing, mill worker houses through the ages etc. … but don’t expect a cafe, just a vending machine

We also discovered Skipton, and Mum and I went back one afternoon to do some Christmas shopping! I know mad isn’t it … it’s still supposed to be summer!

1230-1133: Corsica Of Corse!

Posted on July 26, 2019 by Clunegapyears

1230-1231: Porto Vecchio

Thursday 18th – Friday 19th July 2019

If of a squeamish nature … skip this paragraph! The plan had been to buy some LPG and some Sardinian goodies before our mid day crossing to Corsica. But a certain person who shall remain nameless had toilet trouble. Mum, James and I have all had on / off diarrhoea … and a dose of Imodiam 3 days ago had left J completely blocked up and uncomfortable. Senakott the previous night had brought on tummy palpitations … no more detail required. But note to self is that only take Imodiam if absolutely necessary and only in less than the recommended quantities! Don’t think our issues have been anything to do with all our medicines being long past their use by date! Second note to self … restock medicine bags before next long trip in September.

We made it onto the boat for the 1 hour crossing and back in to Corsica. We headed about an hour down the road to a campsite walking distance from the town centre of Porto Vecchio. Fairly basic but shade and a pool … and a toilet! Two loads of washing that evening followed by 3 more the following day. Normally I would have deployed the twin tub, but I had towels and bedding from Maddy’s stay, beach towels etc … I even washed our mattress and pillow protectors … not because of the above paragraph I hasten to add, but as I didn’t want to turn up at my sister’s house in France in 5 days time or the Aged P’s house at the end of the month with several sackfuls of laundry which would have smelt like a land refuse site!

We walked into Porto Vecchio late the second afternoon … a leave it place. Much hyped as being a yachty harbour, old town with quality restaurants and a stunning night life. The only thing that was stunning for us (eyewateringly so) was the two scoops of ice cream at EUR5.5 each. Back with French high prices and even more so in Corsica. This was borne out again when we paid EUR1.10 /ltr for LPG – almost double what we would expect to pay!!!

Porto Vecchio.

1232-1233: Beach and Mountain Pass

Saturday 20th-Sunday 21st July 2019

We did a mountain route to start our northward journey … through another area marked by the lady in the Tourist Information centre from when we arrived in Corsica. Being the weekend, most of the Corsicans had had the same idea, but it was easy to see why. Stunning mountains, marked paths, lakes, rivers … we have marked this a a spend a week exploring for when we come back to Corsica. We had a yen to spend our last night by the coast and I’d found a camperstop just south of Solanzara … at a mere EUR11.44, and the .44 was Tourist Tax. This was amazingly good value given all the pukka campsites would have charged about EUR50. 16amp EHU, marked pitches and a rocky beach either side. 35 pitches with an electronic entry barrier. And ONLY US plus one permant chappie who obviously lived in his 5th wheeler and worked locally. Sunset, sunrise, stars and peace. We sat and watched the leisure boats in and out of Solenzara. We stayed till our 24hrs ticket was almost up and then drove the final leg northward along the eastern coast … flat and campsite after campsite … not the best Corsica has to offer.

Our ferry leaves at 8.00 a.m. Monday and we are supposed to be at the port 2 hours before. A campsite would not have the barrier open this early, so we had no option to wild camp … Park4Night had a few spots up the mountains from Bastia … we found ourselves in a car park at the top of a mountain pass, but only 16 km from the port. Not much sleep. A farmer in his pickup was up and down the road and dirt tracks by us looking for his cattle who’d escaped. The carpark was by a hairpin, so numerous cars ripped their horns as they approached, despite oncoming head lights that would have alerted them. Oh, and the idiot who likes to wheel spin in gravel car parks. Silence eventually prevailed at 2.00 a.m. and alarms went off at 5.00! Ho hum, we’ve booked a cabin for our morning crossing.

We had a coffee stop by this reservoir … the tree stumps had not quite disintegrated.

One of the rocky beaches at our camperstop.

So our spontaneous (an Easter Sunday conversation about where to go after Germany) Corsican and Sardinian adventure ends. 62 days spilt evenly between the two islands. My phone has travelled 6,273 kilometres … van and by foot. When we win the big Premium Bonds prize, we’ll come back to Corsica …. the scenery is always what wins it for us.

1222-1229: Oh For Air Con!

Posted on July 17, 2019 by Clunegapyears

1222-1223: An Our Next Visitor Arrives!

Wednesday 10th – Thursday 11th July 2019

We are getting to know Olbia airport rather well, and the nearby Auchan supermarket. We’ve collected and returned the Aged P’s and a hire car. Today, it was collecting my daughter, Maddy Munchkin. We slid by the supermarket to stop up on things she likes to eat … but no ice cream given the freezer is struggling and my recent unpleasant experience, necessitating not moving far from the facilities!

Knowing Maddy would not be acclimatised (and we are still not), I’d booked a campsite on the east coast with a pool and adjacent to a beach. We did manage to walk to the local hamlet of Santa Lucia for a coffee, and then that evening, for a fish supper. Sadly dinner was the worst meal we have had in Sardinia … poor service, badly filleted fish, watery sauce, chewy calamari and poor service … and this was supposedly the best in town! None had good reviews on TripAdvisor, which I do only use as a loose guide, but the website is good to be able to pass on our own experience / get revenge!!!

Maddy and I basked and swam by turns, mostly leaving J with the dogs, his book and some peace and quiet.

The trip across Sardinia to the airport … hay harvested and hills.

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In search of caffeine … and the beach.

Santa Lucia really was not much more than a few restaurants and a tower, but every coastal Sardinian town has one of those.

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We’d bought hand held fans … this is the hands free version.

how much wine should we drink before they take our food order?

My over cooked fish being mascerated; never before have I been served it with full skin, bones and a few fins for good measure!

1224-1225: Air Con Calling

Friday 12th – Saturday 13th July

We drove south, coffee stop at Orosei, which had nothing to remark on, despite its entry in the guide book! But we accomplished coffee, and ATM and pharmacy for moszzie cream and after sun lotion. The main reason for driving south was to travel the scenic Orientale Sarda road – hewn out by Piedmontese coal merchants in the mid 1800s. Obviously it has been much improved since then, but both my passengers did not enjoy the scenery … the twists and turns had them both groaning despite my low speeds.

Our two night stay was a beachside parking at a Camper Stop in Santa Maria Navarrese, with full facilities for only EUR18 per night. Despite being in the lap of luxury (!), the heat and the road bends had got to Maddy … she booked air con! Well a nearby hotel room with air con for the next two nights. She appeared later that night and the next morning as fresh as a daisy!

Similar formula to the last stop, beach and swimming, whilst J read with CO2. We all had an amazing pizza … thinnest base ever … at the restaurant next door and J had a big Gaelic Football win for Dublin. Up the Dubs!

Orsei church … just to prove we were there.

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The Gorroppu Ravine … one of the deepest in S Europe, in places the side are 200m. You could walk down 5km and get a lift back up, but my poorly passengers weren’t up for it.

The beach was this close.

And we had shade :).

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Shared seafood salad … is that bit octopus, cuttlefish etc? Who cares, tasted good.

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Know what this is!

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Should have brought the fan with you … the thin crisp of bread kept snapping.

1226: Airport Run

Sunday 14th July

We dropped Maddy back at Olbia airport, via another stop at the Auchan shopping mall. 4 nights but over so quickly … but will see her in only a few weeks. J and I drove onto the North Coast (Porto Pozzi – a harbour and small beach) with the intension of hunkering down due to the heat. But it was a cooler evening and the forecast for the next few days was a mere 29/30C. A decision made to resume Sightseeing … yay!

1227: Back to Sightseeing – Alghero

Monday 15th July

We parked up about a 15 min walk along the front form the historic centre. We both really like Alghero … enough buildings of interest and nooky streets. It was busy, but we forced down ice creams.

Looking along to one of the many towers and the Bastione.

The building that looks like a London theatre is the cathedral.

The main piazza.

Local coral everywhere. With so much of it on sale, one would think the prices would be low! Try EUR70 for ear rings!

Our sunset view.

1228: Ancient Site Sightseeing & Stintino

Tuesday 16th July

To max the sightseeing, we drove to Fertilia, another Fascist created town on reclaimed land, not to stop but to see the Roman bridge that is now only used by fishermen. Then onto the Necropolis Anghelu Ruju. I went in … J is a bit ancient sited out and it is a rest opportunity. It is the largest pre-nuraghic burial place in Sardinia. The tombs are called Domus de Janus … Fairy Houses, which they could well be as they have steps, door lintels and carvings. Only discovered in1903 and some damaged by quarrying, but a magic place, where the dead were revered from 3300BC.

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Construction was a main entrance and chambers off, although the actual layout varied. Several people were usually buried in each chamber.

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A column in this chamber.

From here we drove onto Stintino, which is up the NW finger. A bit unattractive as you drive past petrochemical industries and solar and wind farms, and the coast has more recently been discovered by hotel chains. Stintino itself was only established about 100 years ago – built between two natural harbours for people moved off an island that was to house a prison. An attractive place for a drink and an ice cream … or a boat ride to the prison island.

Odd bits of modern sculpture about.

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Melon and pistacchio.

Our overnight was a further 7km up to the Capo Falcone … a moonscape over cliffs.

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We were joined overnight by two small campers, but they kept their distance.

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Quite a few came for the sunset, but left soon after.

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A group of hippies with their instruments, not a broomstick poking up, they left in a Fait.

And the moon rose 180 degrees behind us.

1229: Porto Torres

Wednesday 17th July

Back across the top of Sardinia in the direction of our ferry tomorrow. A coffee and wander stop at Porto Torres Now Porto Torres is a major port with boats to Marseilles and Toulon. It had the standard tower and a beautiful church, but little else. It was once a Roman colony, but the extensive site was closed …. a number of French bods off a cruise ship were trying to find their way in.

San Gavino Basilica – Pisan style from 1111.

The Crypt with a lower crypt to 3 martyrs. Early Christian burial sites C4th have also been excavated here.

The Roman bridge … what’s left of it and not worth walking to.

Our overnight is close to our ferry from Santa Teresa at Baia Santa Reparata … a lovely rocky coastal path, but a TUI flag on the small beach … say no more.

We leave Sardinia tomorrow and back to Corsica for 4 nights. Our initial thoughts of Sardinia have not altered. Not as stunning as Corsica, with less wild flowers … Oleanders line most roads. We do like the Italians and their relaxed attitude. Cheaper than Corsica and eating out (other than one experience) has been good quality and leisurely. We like the wine, especially the Vermentino … flavoursome. Of course gelato! Great beaches and ancient sites from 3000BC. Wild camping is fine all year around, although less places by beaches in the high season. We’ve only used campsites this trip due to the temperature. Sassari and Alghero are definitely worth an explore, as are some fo the smaller towns. But would we come back? Probably not, I think we’ve seen the best of it … despite the heat…

1213-1221: Enforced Lunching!

Posted on July 15, 2019 by Clunegapyears

1213 – No Sneezing in S’Archittu

Monday 1st July 2019

No Sneezing in S’Archittu, but lunch … again! We continued our lunching with the Aged P’s as it was just too hot to do anything else! This was a pick recommended by the Oristano chap in the Tourist Information. He described it as a good place to walk the promenade and have lunch. We opted out of the former due to the temperature and went for the second activity in a restaurant on the small cliff over the beach, with a breeze. Mum and I are trying all the variations of fish in Vernacchia sauce – very scientific, of course!

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Dad comparing a fried seafood platter.

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Evening sunset in our Agritourism garden.

1214 – Lunch and Train in Bosa

Tuesday 2nd July

We pushed the boat, or train, out in Bosa. Lunch and a little Dotty tourist train. Nice place to wander.

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Having driven down the main shopping street, avoiding the tourists, we parked the other side of the bridge.

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Part of the theory behind the long lunches was the cool air con interiors … we managed to elect to sit inside a restaurant without air con! I am ever the dutiful daughter!

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Not our best lunch, great presentation, just a little bland.

Waiting for the tourist train … Oscar who is petrified of Grumps, actually let him stroke him. There must be something in becoming desensitised.

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Some church outside the town to make the train worth its fee. Didn’t take us all the way up the castle above the town though!

Let sleeping dogs lie! We had them on the back seat with us so they could benefit from the air con. The Fiesta really wasn’t big enough! Fun removing the hairs before returning the car!

1215 – Arborea or was that Mussolinia?

Wednesday 3rd July

En route we stopped at a church, which was the wrong one in Santa Justa … my impeccable research and navigation skills! But we found the correct one.

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Arab and Lomard elements in design, the cathedral was built early in the C12.

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The interior pillars were all different, having been ‘recycled’ from various Roman sites, such as Tharros.

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No crypt is complete without the original body parts of the saint.

Arborea was very different to any of the other towns we’ve seen here (Carbonaria might have been similar had we had time to go into the town), as it was only built in the 1930, duding the Fascist era. It was originally named Mussolinia and built on a grid system of tree lined wide avenues. Neo Gothic villas with large gardens. All the civic buildings such as Town Hall, School and church were on the main square. The townsfolk were shipped in (another Mussolini relocation scheme) from the mainland to work the reclaimed agricultural land. Some of the streets were named after where they came from such as via Lazio, via Veneto and via Marche. We had planned to return to the restaurant that we visited in Oristano, just for the amazing Tiramsu, but a local restaurant here was offering tuna encrusted in pistachio … no brainer so in we went. Well, Mum and I led the way … the menfolk would surely find something they liked on the menu! Slightly over cooked for us (we wondered if they had cooked it well for the foreigners!), but it was still delicious.

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The Church.

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Tuna encrusted with pistachio and caponata side.

1216 – Airport Run and Another Lunch

Thursday 4th July

We left the Agritourism and drove up NE across to the airport. James was in Jez, and the rest of us in the Fiesta, but we still managed to arrive at the same service station for coffee at the same time. Onto Olbia, where we left Jez in a car park and we headed up the coast for lunch. We stopped short of Porto Rotondo, as we were concerned about how long lunch would take. Mum and I shared a large fish in Vernacchia … yummy. Then as we had time, we drove up to Porto Rotondo and then out again! It looked like a very up market holiday resort … the Costa Smeralda is not really for the likes fo us!

Aged P’s deposited at the airport … they only had a few days at home before they were off again – France this time! Forgot to mention we managed to hands of Cribb, mum slaughtered me, but then I won the second with a small but significant margin. Decider match to be held in Charente in a few weeks time. One for his Knob!

James and I headed up the coast … we’d planned to stop along the Costa Smeralda, but No Parking signs, street alterations etc meant we kept going to Palau. Semi shade with other motorhomes behind a public building. CO2 and I wandered into the town which largely owes its popularity to boat trips to the nearby islands, but no dogs on beaches and full of sun worshipers … no reason to linger.

1217 – 1221: Sick in Sorso, Lunch in Sassari

Friday 5th – Tuesday 9th July

With the weather showing no sign of easing up we continued with the line of last defence … sightseeing has to go on hold. Too hot for us and too hot for the dogs. We all need shade. We checked into a campsite along the sandy northern coast near Sorso. Camping Li Nibari was relatively inexpensive … EUR26 + 3 for EHU. The camper pitches were under pine trees, it had a pool and across the road was the beach for walking CO2 when it was cooler. The negatives were that the pine trees constantly dropped needles and being a sandy sub soil … ants! But I for one was very thankful to be there with full facilities when I copped a dose of acute diarrhoea … say no more! …. Except to say it has been reoccurring and J has had a mild dose too. Immodium is our friend!

Despite not being able to move far and feeling quite weak, we managed a van clean and two lots of laundry.

And we had a fabulous last day out to Sassari. We nearly didn’t go, but were really pleased we did. A lovely town to wander around with some impressive buildings and squares. Lots of narrow streets. And, guess what, another good lunch! And the best bit … we went on the bus, and no issues with CO2.

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Castelsardo is a major coach and cruise ship destination; all we did was park up, admire and drive onto the campsite. In the heat, neither of us fancied the several KM walk in and up to the castle.

Our pitch under the trees and we could see the van from the pool.

Sassari and St Francis of Assisi, but I reckon the birds may prefer me … Francis looks a bit glum!

Built in the Fascist era – the Tribune.

Think it’s a plume on King Carlos’ head as against a pigeon.

The pic doesn’t do the stonework of the Duomo justice.

These pillars are carried through the city on certain dates by specific trades. Fairly heavy, but …

… not as heavy as this. We’ve seen Madonnas carried before, where the men take 10 slow paces, lower and are replaced by an alternate crew. I wonder how far this gets carried before a break is needed.