Kevnjan's big adventure.

Tues. 28th. Feb. After a night of listening to the wind howling around the marina and rattling the van we awoke to another cloudless morning and the prospect of a gentle drive up the coast. The wind, thank goodness had dropped at last and we took a walk along the harbour wall before setting out. Vieste is a pleasant enough town but no show stopper. The beach north of town however is stunning. Must be wonderful in summer. As we left town the road began to climb again and before long we were negotiating another morning of tortuous, winding roads. We put up with it until lunch time which we spent in another perfect spot with the sea on one side and a lake on the other. On the basis that too much of a good thing is not necessarily good for you we made a decision to get on the Autostrada and put in some serious miles. Three hours later we found ourselves back in Martinsicuro at a farm/campeggio where we spent 8 days in October. We were welcomed back by Rita and her husband like long lost family. After the customary cup of tepid, sweet expresso we parked up and were presented with a large plate of home cured proscuitto. Fabulous. We had to make a difficult decision today, either to miss the west coast and Turin and Milan or cancel our return visit to Venice on the way home. I'm afraid Venice got the thumbs down. I know that Jan was looking forward to re-visiting Venice but it really is out of our way. We'll see if we have any time after we've done the rest. It's beginning to look like 8 months isn't going to be long enough. Might have to come back. On the way up the coast this afternoon it was noticeable that the higher mountain ranges still have a considerable covering of snow to quite low levels. Hope that's not a sign of what we can expect going up through Umbria to Tuscany in the next couple of weeks. Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Rewarded myself with a bottle of Scotch today, first in 10 days. Cheers!!

Kevnjan's big adventure.

Mon. 27th. Feb. Another week begins. Still no bus to drive. Can't say as I'm sorry, the Janvan will do for me. We awoke to clear skies and a stiff breeze. It was very cold. Prepared for departure in bright sunshine but the wind was increasing. We left the site with every intention of visiting Monte San' Angelo but as we drove the wind was pushing us all over the road. The prospect of encountering stronger winds up the mountain wasn't one I fancied and we decided to give it a miss. It will still be there next time! We decided to hug the coast and make for Vieste, a beach resort with a pretty old town. We arrived about 2.30 pm and it was empty. The journey through the mountains was spectacular, the scenery sublime and made all the more exciting by gale force winds all the way. We had a break and about 4.30 set out on foot for a little sight seeing. We were blown around the town like bits of litter, took a few pics and retreated to the van where we sit, on a car park, preparing dinner, listening to the wind howl. Spring is here!! What an adventure.

Kevnjan's big adventure.

Sun. 26th. Feb. Sorry, missed Saturday. We spent the morning doing washing and housework. The afternoon was spent sitting in the sun and walking on the beach. No driving, just taking it easy. I think spring may have arrived although it is still very cold at night. Sunday was spent doing much the same - nothing, relaxing in the sun, another walk on the beach, then about 2.30 it rained!! Retired to the van and read. It's been good here, except that our internet connection is rubbish. Haven't been able to Skype, and everything on line is happening in slow motion. Monday, we're off to drive around the Promontorio del Gargano, a spur on the heel of Italy which is supposed to be a bit special, starting off with Monte San Angelo. Watch this space.

Kevnjan's big adventure.

Fri, 24th. Feb. Glorious day, sunshine all the way. Put in some serious mileage and made Lido Salpi campsite by 2.30. Had the table and chairs out and sitting in the sun by 3. A pleasant spot, on the beach, but miles from the town. Looks like a couple of days to chill out and catch up on the washing. We spoke to some German folk who came over from Sicily today, they told us that yesterday it was 22C in Sicily. How annoying!! Still, we're happy just to see a little blue sky. The forecast is good for tomorrow but wet for Sunday, we'll see!! Bought some fish this morning, the stretch between Bari and Giovinazzo is a mine of good fishmongers. Had a shock when I saw the price, it had better be good. No driving tomorrow.

Kevnjan's big adventure.

Thu. 23rd. Feb. Rained all night again. Awoke to another grey morning, took our time over breakfast and set off about 9.30am. Saw that it was possible to drive right into the centre of Bari along the sea front. Had a siesta, outside town and around 3.30 took a chance that the traffic systems weren't going to spoil it, like yesterday in Brindisi. Sailed straight along the seafront to the marina, just outside the old town. Found parking easily and set off to explore. Sun was shining, everything seems better in the sunlight. Well worth a look, a real old fashioned Italian town with narrow streets and alleyways leading to pretty piazzas and a surprise around every corner. The cathedral made a pleasant change, simple Norman style inside, without the over the top paintings, frescos and paraphernalia I normally associate with catholic churches. Visited the castle and spent an hour wandering around but it was disappointing. Only a small portion of it was open to the public and it has been restored to the extent that it looks as good as new!! After our visit to town we set off for a sosta which was shown in our book as free, with hook up and other facilities. Hilton Sud. Forget it if you're in this area, it no longer exists. We set off to find a car park we'd seen on the seafront about 3 Ks outside Bari. Got snarled up in traffic and horribly lost in the city. Didn't realise it was so big! Eventually got settled and have just finished dinner, beef casserole. One of Jan's best. Still no whisky, another coke I suppose.

Kevnjan's big adventure.

Wed.22nd. Feb. Thought we'd take a look at Brindisi today. After a good night in the centre of Lecce, quiet, undisturbed, we set off early, with the intention of seeing the sights before they closed for the afternoon. Spotted and Ipercoop on the way and spent 2 hours shopping. Got to Brindisi around 12 but couldn't get near the seafront because of traffic restrictions. Tried getting around them but without much luck. Drove around the docks and decided to get out of town. Drove to Castello di Villanova, a pretty seaside town with a harbour, found a car park and stopped for the day. It's been raining ever since!! Tomorrow I think we may put some miles in, want to be in Manfredonia for the weekend. Nothing else to report.

Kevnjan's big adventure.

Tues. 21st. Feb. Wow!! I thought the rain was never going to stop. It hammered down all last night, we never get this sort of rain in England, it's torrential. Eventually it stopped about 9.30 this morning and I prised Janet out of bed. We headed for Lecce, about 50 minutes away and found a car park about 50 yards from the old historic centre. I'd read that it was worth a visit but nevertheless it came as a surprise how smart and easy on the eye it is. The buildings are all of sandstone and date back to the 15th and 16th centuries. We have nothing like it in England. It is also noticeable how clean the streets are, no litter, very unusual for Italy. As usual, we arrived just after everything closed for the afternoon so we walked around for a while taking in the sights and decided to come back in the evening when everything comes back to life. The cathedral is spectacular, inside and out, probably the most ornate we've seen. And we've seen a lot!! These towns take on a different appearance at night, they're lit in a very sympathetic way. A real treat, stands comparison with some of our favourite Italian towns. We are staying the night in the car park but all is qu'iet. Jan's watching Touched by Angels on TV. Absolute rubbish!! Think we're going to have to live through Twin Peaks on DVD again. We've exhausted all the others Ian brought over. No wine no whisky. Could be a long night.

Kevnjan's big adventure.

Mon.20th. Feb. Went into town this morning to see the castle and the cathedral. The castle doesn't open on Mondays!! Saw the cathedral, (which wasn't open on Sunday!!), it's fascinating, a mosaic floor, 17th. century frescos on the walls and a magnificent ceiling. In the 11th. century the Turks raided the town and killed thousands of people, the bones of the martyrs are on display in two enormous glass cases in a chapel. Bizarre, and touching. Quite a display, the whole building made a lasting impression. After seeing the catacombs in Palermo it gives you an odd feeling about the Italian attitude to the dead. We had planned to visit Santa Cesarea Terme today and to our annoyance the road was closed. We followed the diversion signs and as usual they petered out leaving us to find our way through the narrow streets of a small town. Gave up and headed north. Very disappointing. We are now parked up for the night on a car park, overlooking the sea at Sta. Andrea, about 20 miles north of Otranto. The rain, which we didn't get yesterday, we've had today with interest. Knew I shouldn't have washed the van. Skyped Pete, Karel and Mum in Australia this morning and Geert and Maria in Holland this evening. Very sociable day. Lecce tomorrow.

Kevnjan's big adventure.

Sunday, 19th. Feb. Spent two hours washing the van this morning. The sun shone but all the time there were big black clouds on the horizon. A sure sign of rain after washing the van. We've spent a lot of time getting cleaned up and tidy again this weekend, in preparation for the big push north. After coffee we walked into Otranto again, it really is a nice place to walk around. Not much to report really, except in the evening we went back, Janet bought a sweater and we walked into the main piazza where there was great activity, people everywhere, children in fancy dress and everyone throwing confetti at everyone else. Great atmosphere, guess who hadn't taken his camera. Good news, it didn't rain on my clean van.

Kevnjan's big adventure.

Sat. 18th. Feb. A beautiful day, wind dropped, clouds gone, sun shining. I spent a while sealing cracks in the bathroom floor with mastic and tape. While we are wild camping more it will be nice to have an occasional shower. We walked into Otranto to the Post Office and looked for the market we had been directed to. It took us a while to figure out that we'd been directed to a supermarket!! There was no market. We bought fish and groceries, rather more than was sensible as we had to walk back up the hill with heavy bags and it was hot!! We put the chairs outside for the first time in weeks and sat in the sun. Glorious. I emptied out the garage and reorganised everything in an effort to create a bit of space, it was the first opportunity we'd had since the work was done. Felt better for that and we rewarded ourselves with a walk into town and a gelato. The town is very pretty with an enormous castle and picture postcard harbour. Dinner for once was awful, the fish we'd bought was most unpleasant and we didn't enjoy it. Still can't be perfect all the time. Saw a cruise liner sailing across the bay, all lit up, in the dark, looked like it was floating through the sky. Saw that Sunderland had beaten Arsenal in the cup. How could Villa have been so stupid as to let Martin O'Neill get away. Crazy!! Wash the van tomorrow, it's filthy. (that will bring the rain.)

Kevnjan's big adventure.

Fri. 17th. Feb. Can it really be a week since we left Reggio, watertight and invertered?!! Time is slipping away from us. We woke to fairly clear skies, no rain, and no snow. Result. Another pleasant, quiet night by the beach with a sea view to enjoy with breakfast. We headed for Gallipoli, with the intention of finding a site for the night. Closed!! Parked by the old town, near the castle, went in search of cathedral and shops. Found cathedral. It was bitterly cold, the wind was fierce. As shops non existant, had coffee and doughnut and headed back to van. We made a seriously difficult decision to head directly for Otranto. That meant not rounding the bottom of the heel of Italy. It was a decision made mainly due to the prolonged unpleasant weather which we are experiencing. Maybe we'll visit it another time. Arrived in Otranto around 12.30 and located a site which was open. Oasi Park, make a note! Hurrah!! Plug in, showers and toilets and best of all, a washing machine. We're the only people here, you can understand why they all close in the winter. We spent the afternoon washing and cleaning the inside of the van. Somehow these things get overlooked when you're travelling and wild camping. After an hour resting we walked into the town and Jan found a clothes shop where she spent a lot of time and little money. The town seems pleasant but we decided to save our sight seeing for tomorrow. Looking forward to it. Think we'll stay a couple of days, enjoy the facilities. Time for a pre dinner whisky.

Kevnjan's big adventure.

Spent a very quiet night in the country last night, the sky was brilliant with stars. Woke up this morning, clouds were gathering. We were quite high up and it was very cold. Had an early breakfast and hurried to get on the move. As we pulled away the snow started to fall. I suppose that was the price we had to pay for the sunshine yesterday!! As we got closer to the coast the snow turned to rain, much to Janet's relief, she's a nervy passenger at the best of times, but in the snow she's murder. We arrived at a sosta, found in the guide, in Taranto with the intention of spending a couple of days in the town. It is no longer a sosta, no water, no electricity, no discharge point. We went to the harbour, found the fish we'd been seeking for days and intended to visit the cathedral. The weather once again turned nasty and we headed out of town. Having driven another 50 miles or so in search of a site which was open we had to admit defeat and find a suitable place to wild camp again. Our investment last week in the inverter was timely. Southern Italy really is closed for business. It's good to know we are self sufficient. We are on a quiet road by the beach just south of Porto Cesaro, on the way to Galipoli. Watched a wonderful sunset and have just enjoyed a fish dinner of great quality. Don't know how Jan does it. TV and a glass of coke for me.

Wed.15th. Feb. Sunshine!! Woke up this morning, not a cloud in the sky. Sun was shining and the world was a better place, sea was blue, there was frost on the roof. It was freezing!! We set off for Matera, about 70Ks. A really pleasant drive, stopped on the way to buy some fish, fishmonger was waiting for the boats to come in. Cottage pie tonight. Tomorrow we WILL get fish. Matera was fascinating, the old town, on a lower level, built over caves in the rock, it was used for the filming of Mel Gibson's film about Christ. There was snow and slush on all the footways and Jan was very nervous about falling. We had planned to stay the night in the town but the sosta was next to the station and bus station. I didn't fancy the prospect of getting snowed in up there either. We are camped on a deserted road, way out in the country and there is just silence and a sky full of stars. Taranto tomorrow.

Kevnjan's big adventure.

Tues. 14th. Feb. Happy Valentines to all my readers. No cards for us today, thought we'd buy each other a fish for dinner instead. Amazingly, although we drove over 50miles we failed to find a fishmongers open. So it's salad for us tonight. We planned to overnight on a site at Sibari today but when we arrived, just after 1pm it was shut until 4pm. They wouldn't let the van through the gate so we parked outside and had lunch. We walked in through the pedestrian gate, used the showers and took off. We are now parked on the seafront at Villapiano, enjoying the view and the fact that we are not paying for a site. It has rained all day, again, we didn't get the van repaired a minute too soon, we've certainly put the repairs to the test since. Hoping for better weather tomorrow.

Kevnjan's big adventure.

Mon. 13th. Feb. Sunshine this morning, makes you feel good. Decided to put some miles in today, sceneryv delightful, even better in the sunlight. Got to Ciro Marina with the idea of spending the night. It was thoroughly unpleasant and Janet made it clear she had no intention of staying. We drove another 5 miles or so and dropped onto a small car park by the beach at Casa Cappileri. The railway runs alongside the road between us and the beach, we see miles of golden beaches which we can't reach because the bridges are too low. Haven't seen or heard a soul since we arrived. Nice views, quiet and wet. (Sun didn't last long!) Tomorrow we will stay on a site at Sibari. Don't know if we will catch up with Gunter and Anita, they were there a couple of days ago. Nothing else of note to report.

Kevnjan's big adventure.

Sun. 12th. Feb. After yet another night of torrential rain we awoke on the seafront and looked for signs of wet, inside the van. Dry as a bone!! Big sigh of relief and put the kettle on. We're beginning to relax a bit more now things have been fixed. Around 10am. we took a walk up to the town, had some coffee and phoned Arnie. The shops didn't open until 11am so we hit the road. This is a pretty piece of coastline with the sea on one side and the rolling hills and countryside on the other, a little like the south coast of Sicily. It would be nice to see it in the sunshine! The road, SS106 is fun and easy to drive with very little traffic. I suspect that changes in the summer. We stopped around 1pm for some lunch at Soverato, on the seafront, thought we might stay the night. We did a little housework and Jan wandered onto the beach where she was confronted by the leader of a pack of dogs which seemed to think it was their beach. We spent an hour watching these creatures intimidating every passer by and decided to move on. I'm glad we did because we found a spot on the beach, only 5 or 6 miles on in Lido di Camina. Peace and quiet reigned and then there was the sound of excited voices outside. 8 or 9 men of Asian origins were playing cricket. I never expected to see that in Italy. Spent about 3 hours Skyping with Julie and family and Paul and Barb then found a film on TV. The further north we go the more channels we're finding. Oh the simple life!!

Kevnjan's big adventure.

Sat. 11th. Feb. The big adventure is back on track. We're gradually making our way up the sole of the boot and are currently parked on the seafront at Siderno. Last night we had gale force winds but the Janvan stood up well. Today we had to find gas, we 've been using a lot lately. Not as easy as you might think, however, Siderno has been the answer to all our problems. We managed to get gas and find a laundrette where we spent over 2 hours. We now have clean everything. Jan is just cooking dinner, steak, which is making the mouths of passers - by water. The inverter is doing it's job and we have all the comforts. Tomorrow we need to find somewhere to empty the toilet. (Thought I'd share that with you.) A glass of wine is in order I think.

Kevnjan's big adventure.

Fri. 10th. Feb. OK I know that I missed another day yesterday and I apologise. We went back to the yard yesterday morning and although much of the work had been done to rainproof the van I wanted more. Once more the rain made it impossible to work on it during the afternoon and we spent the night parked in the yard. I discussed the possibilities of buying a generator with Alberto and he was clearly very genned up on such things. The long and short of it is that I spent the night debating whether to take his advice and install an inverter which he believed would give us the power we need without the aggravation of having to lug around a generator and petrol, not to mention the noise. Cheaper too, always gets my attention. This morning after much discussion we gave him the go-ahead and we are now the proud owners of said inverter. After spending a horrendous amount of cash we finally broke the invisible bonds that seem to have kept us around Sicily and Reggio and are camped on a windy remote spot about 40 Ks east of Reggio. The new toy is working well and we are dry and warm. We can move on with the adventure now with renewed confidence in our home/transport. We need to find a laundrette tomorrow. With all the other stuff our washing has been negelcted. What an adventure!! Another glass of wine I think.

Kevnjan's big adventure.

Wed. 8th. Feb. Can't believe I just typed 2 days blog and lost it. I didn't post anything on Tues. was too fed up with situation. We booked into an hotel on the seafront at Reggio in the end as it wasn't a good idea to be locked in the yard where the van was being repaired. Alfredo, the owner of the business had his father drive us to the hotel. These people are very kind, nothing is too much trouble. We dined on pizza and slept under a proper roof for the first time in over 5 months. Rather be in the van. On Wednesday we set out to do some sightseeng, the museum was closed, the castle - closed, and another museum, you guessed it. The shops were open though and Jan looked in every one!! We originally had intended to give Reggio a miss, having spent 2 days here, I think it was probably the right decision. Lovely views across the Strait of Messina though to Sicily. Last night we tried twice to get out for an hour, both times beaten back by torrential rain. Gave up and spent €6 on a film which was rubbish. Alberto phoned to say the van should be OK for us to take away on Thursday night. Not a minute too soon.

Kevnjan's big adventure.

Mon 6th. Feb.
Really cheesed off.  Left Sicily today, wild camping about 50Ks. east of Reggio in the pouring rain and the van is leaking again.  Need to get this fixed permanently.  Time for a whisky.

Kevnjan's big adventure.

Sun. 5th. Feb.
Back to Taormina on the bus with Gunter and Anita.  It poured down, we saw everything we've seen before - but in the rain.  Had two coffees, waited for the bus back and spent the rest of the day moaning about the weather.  It wasn't all bad news, Jan got a picture of some shoes and a handbag to post on Facebook.  We swapped a few pictures with Gunter and Anita and then watched some rubbish on TV.  More rain forecast for tomorrow.  Think we'll head for the mainland.

Kevnjan's big adventure.

Sat. 5th. Feb.
This life is very relaxing for 99% of the time.  We do pretty much as we like, when we like.  If we want to be lazy we can, and often do.  This morning Jan did a little hand washing while I took care of the hoovering.  Suddenly we lost our electricity.  I re-set the circuit breaker on the box outside and nothing happened.  Ominous!!  Then we realised that we'd knocked out the whole line.  After panicking, I checked the fuses and discovered the one for the plugs in the van had blown.  I think the electric kettle had knocked it out, we've had trouble with it.  Anyway, problem solved, need new kettle now.  Jan meanwhile, did more washing and messed up her back.  Couldn't fix that with a new fuse, she had to take some pills and lay down for the afternoon.  She recovered by around 4.30pm after I suggested a walk into town and a gelato.  Evening spent eating delicious pork chops and watching House of Flying Daggers.  2nd day without booze.  Am drying out fast.

Kevnjan's big adventure.

Fri.3rd. Feb.
Up early this morning.  Set off for Giarre, home of the Peugeot dealer, to get the exhaust fixed.  Sat in their canteen, a glass box on the second floor and gazed at their perfect view of Etna on a cloudless morning.  Job done, bill paid, set off down the coast road back to GN.  The sun disappeared and there was a thunderstorm this afternoon.  We just battened down the hatches and caught up on lost sleep.  It's been a worry, having a sick van but now we feel in charge again.  Think we'll head back to the mainland over the weekend.

Kevnjan's big adventure.

Thurs. 2nd. Feb.
At last we made it up Etna.  That is to say, we got as far as the snow would allow.  We probably had some miles left but the conditions were impossible, the road was covered in snow and ice and dangerous.  Still, it was sunny, clear and warm, surprisingly.  We took pictures and Janet threw a snowball at me, (no surprise there).  Amazingly, while we were parked, in almost total isolation, a camper van drove past us and we recognised it as belonging to Gunther and his wife, who had been next to us at Cefalu.  He screeched to a halt and we had a brief reunion, during which he made the sensible decision to terminate his ascent of the mountain because of the conditions.  Small island!!  Having tried to take another route around the mountain to Randazzo, and failed because of the conditions, we gave up and began our descent.  On the way back to GN we explored the charming town of Linguaglossa, and shopped at Lidls.  Today we bought dolces for Silvino and his family as he would accept no money for his petrol and time spent helping us on Monday.  He was very grateful.  Tomorrow we need to get the van fixed.  Another adventure in store,  a 50K drive with broken exhaust.  Watch this space.

Kevnjan's big adventure.

Tues. 1st. Feb.
Well that's January gone for another year.   Won't be missed.  It stopped raining this morning.  We did a little housework and Jan washed a few bits out.  We took off for Mazzaro, just along the coast and checked out the beaches and the small isthmus'.  It's difficult to access much of the coastline as it's privately owned and fenced off.  We decided to head to Castelmola again to check out the castle that Jan missed last time.  Couldn't get to it as the access road is closed.  Admired it from below.  Re-visited Taormina but found it impossible to park, glad we didn't take the van.  Heaven knows how people get on in the season.  Had a good day, interesting drive and the weather was kind.  Walked around GN looking for a gift tonight.  Surprisingly few good shops in the town.  Perhaps they're all closed for the winter.  Etna tomorrow.