Motorhome News from Europe 26 Sweden 5th July 2005 Across the Arctic Circle - twice; and into Finland If I asked you to paint me a picture of Lapland, it would of course have to include reindeer, wouldn’t it? It would also probably show Lapps in reindeer-skin coats, hood covered heads down, pulling a sleigh in a snow and wind-lashed landscape. Things have changed a bit. These days Sami, the indigenous people of Saapmi go about their business un-noticed and herding on foot is almost a thing of the past. The reindeer live freely in the forest and they are now only gathered together for separating and marking of new calves. Many Sami herd their beasts by snowmobile, 4 X 4 or helicopter nowadays and their traditional costume is generally reserved for special festive occasions. About ... read more

Motorhome News from Europe 24. Sweden June 2005 Goteborg (taking the time to smell the roses), to Stockholm and beyond Gothenborg, as we know it, is one of those places you pass through when you arrive in Sweden by ferry; but we had been led to believe there is more to this western port. The city was just a fifteen minute tram ride from our camp and with the promise of a bright sunny day, we set forth to find out more. In Swedish, Goteborg is pronounced; ‘Yut-te-boy’ apparently, so you might guess that we are going to struggle just a wee bit with the language. That’s only a minor problem for seasoned travellers like us of course, particularly, as in Norway, the younger locals all speak good English! There are not a lot of ‘sights’ ... read more

Motorhome News from Europe 22 Norway June 2005 From Norfolk to the outskirts of Oslo in a week. Yesterday, the last day of May, we ‘cast a final clout’, looked forward to a June, ‘bursting out all over’ and planned our departure from Norfolk for phase three of our motorhome tour of places that previous European holidays have failed to reach. Our unplanned return home in April offered us the chance to review our immediate options for our travels and, with just seven months before our departure for North America, our hearts and compass were finally set on Scandinavia. Fine English drizzle accompanied us for a leisurely 200 mile drive to get a quick glance at the puffins at Bempton Cliffs in East Yorkshire before leaving for far away places. A few puffins sheltered from the ... read more

Motorhome News from Europe 20. Italy March 2005 Umbria, Marche and northwards to Venice and the Dolomites Gubbio, Urbino, San Marino, Rimini, Ravenna, Venice, The Dolomites, Cortina d'Ampezzo and Camazai It’s been another busy week for the grey haired nomads. After leaving Perugia, we continued our tour of historic towns with visits to the delightful towns of Gubbio and Urbino. Gubbio is, like Assisi and Perugia, an Umbrian hill town with grand piazzas, palazzos, fountains and churches. Despite it being a Sunday, the town was almost empty of tourists, the only sign of locals in any number seemed to be at the local football match. We found an excellent “sosta” (dedicated parking and overnighting area for motorhomes, often with water and waste facilities and usually free) in Gubbio, but the day was still young and we ... read more

Motorhome News from Europe 18. Italy. March 2005 Sicily & Southern Italy. Pompei, Herculaneum and Naples (Napoli) Our first day camped near Palermo was a rest day, catching up with the laundry and shopping. We were to stay there for the next four nights. The next day it rained heavily non-stop and we were able to get to know the neighbours. One couple from London had already been there for several days, camping in an old Ford panel-van with no insulation. The cold nights were the least of their problems. Breathing alone was causing condensation to run down the walls, soaking their matress and blankets. That’s the sort of story that makes us fully appreciate the luxury of our Autotrail motorhome! Then came the day to visit Palermo. Suffice to say that we spent about eight ... read more