05 October 2018 The camperstops we use during our travels are not campsites. They are sites developed by local communities or private organisations for motorhomes or campervans to stay overnight. They are sometimes dedicated areas and on other occasions sections of carparks. Facilities to empty waste water, take on fresh water and dispose of rubbish are usually, but not always, provided. They are often free, but sometimes a charge is made. They are listed in dedicated guide books, an excellent one we use is Camperstop Europe, in English, but published by a Dutch organisation. For us they have one big bonus, they take us to places we might not have visited which turn out to be far more attractive than we had anticipated. Such was the case today, we chose to stay at the free Massa ... read more

03 October 2018 For our last full day on the island we explored the two peninsulas in the east of Elba. The winding coastal and mountain driving was always challenging, particularly when we found ourselves on a gravel road. But the stunning views from high above the sea made it worthwhile. A swim in the bay below our campsite was an excellent end to the day.... read more

01 October 2018 October has arrived! Elba is 28k long and 19k wide but has a wildly indented coastline 147k long. Today we took a ride up the ancient basket cable way to the summit of the highest point, Monte Capanne (1081). We scrambled up to the summit and then Wendy rode down while I walked. We then drove along the exciting road around the wild western coast which looked its best in the late afternoon sun.... read more

29 September 2018 We toured Sardinia and Corsica in 2011 ( blog link ) and passed by the island of Elba where Napoleon was exiled. On this trip we decided to visit Elba. We drove the 120k southwards to the port of Piombino where we caught the ferry for the hour long crossing to Portoferraio on the island. For our stay on Elba we have chosen the terraced campsite in the small village of Scaglieri on the north coast.... read more

27 September 2018 We woke up to find single digit temperatures so for the fist time put on the heating in the van! After some early morning shopping in several of Torriglier’s very friendly and helpful establishments, we set off on the 185k journey to the walled town of Lucca. The drive was not without its difficulties! Coming out of Torrigler, I missed a turning and the satnav led me along a narrow and tortuous 30k mountain road which took well over an hour to complete. On this trip we are trying to use motorways as little as possible, but today the last 70k was almost entirely in built up areas which we crawled through whilst watching the traffic speed by on the nearby autostrada. The only saving grace was seeing the huge blocks of marble ... read more