Somewhat refreshed we form master plan. Head back to
Sabaudia and the lovely beach (that we’re allowed on!), have a day in the sea
and then sun and then head north in the cool of the evening. Reaching Sabaudia
is not as simple as it would appear, Onzo has a temper tantrum and has to be
removed from the motorway, understandable after yesterdays activities, but it
means hours extra onto the journey to the beach. Finally we make it and spend a
lovely afternoon splashing about in the sea and generally recharging. 7.30pm
sees us setting off for France. Zoom!
There’s really not much to be said. It’s uphill all
the way, in every sense, it takes hours and hours and hours, if Onzo’s fan
hadn’t been fixed we would have blown the van’s engine up several times over.
Even by yesterday’s standards this is a monumental effort. May all the people who
designed the Italian road sign system and who laid their autostrada be doomed
to a life of driving 3.5 tonne vans uphill forever, like Atlas only with
unsigned spaghetti junctions and a van instead of a rock. Curses on them all. The only upside is that from
Naples to Ventimiglia it only cost us €59 or so.
We’re nearly there! Literally light at the end of the
tunnel!
Hello France!! (Part 2)
We weren't welcome here either. Still, can't blame them!
We’ve picked out an Aire in St. Laurent du Var, but
it’s on a slope, there’s a little clique on the go and we can’t be arsed, too
tired, need somewhere nice, nearest campsite please. We fall into the Le Val
Fleuri campsite, where we are welcomed with the epitome of French hospitality
and grace and for the princely sum of €19 we are given a pitch, electricity, a
pool, showers, loos and washing machines. We could kiss her feet. We nearly
did. A quick zoom down the road sees us stocked up with all manner of local
yumminess (excellent and charming local grocery man, so love France) and we
retire back to the site to swim, laze about, eat like kings and fall into bed
at 9pm. Vive la France! Loved Italy, but oh how we have missed you France.