Well here we are back in the UK. Apparently they have been having a bit of a drought so the great weather has been here as well, although not nearly as warm! We left sunny France, and the resort like camping ground we had been staying at just out of Soissons, and headed for Calais and the ferry. We had a good rest there and spent a day just lounging beside the pool which was great. It Makes me ponder the difference between travelling and a holiday. I guess you have to define what these terms mean to you, but to me travelling means exploring new places and experincing new things, and a holiday means kicking back and relaxing and doing as little as possible. The challenge for us has been to combine the two, and ... read more

STILL in Bavaria We are enjoying Germany so much we just can't seem to leave! After staying three nights in the campingplatz in Dinkelsbuhl, seeing yet more walled medieval towns, including Rothenburg ob der Tauber which was pretty amazing. While we were there, we managed, by loitering on the town hall steps while they screened of the town square, to watch a Bavarian folk dancing group do their thing on Easter Sunday. Needless to say we didn't have to pay the euros you were supposed to to get in! The procession into the square, along with the dancers, the bavarian band and a few dignitaries, also included a large sheep draped in greenery. We didn't manage to stay around long enough to see what the significance of that was! Easter is a pretty big celebration and ... read more

Ciao Italia For the last two weeks we have thoroughly enjoyed the warmth, the chaos, the sights, the food and the wine of Italy. Three days in Rome, three days in Venice, two days in Florence and one day and night each in Pisa, Verona and San Remo, has only whetted our appetites for more. Venice is an awesome city and it's nice to be able to wander on foot without the hazards of cars, bites and scooters. The problem with Venice is that you can't help but get lost in its labyrinth of streets, alleyways, bridges and canals. At least you know that when you hit a larger expanse of water that you have reached the other side of that particular area! After hearing nothing but Italian, Dutch and German for the last few weeks, ... read more

Ways to make a living in Europe. During our travels in the last 5 weeks, we have come across four different ways in which the young or old or desperate enough entrepreneur, can make a living, although I am unsure how lucrative these endeavours would be. However, there seem to be a large number of individuals involved in these occupations so there must be some gain. The ways to make a living are as follows: Begging. For this job you need to be a gypsy or have some terrible affliction...if you have both or can fake both you're on to a winner. Most will have a cup which they shake in front of you and a picture of some children. Supposedly if you give them some money it will go to them. Yeah right! We have ... read more

To Rome!!!!!!!! what started yesterday as a cruisy day, with an easy drive to Pisa and heading down the coast became a mission impossible when it comes to finding camping grounds that are actually open! The roads were good, we were finding places exactly where they said they would be and the weather was once again gorgeous, but we just couldnt find a place to park up for the night. Finally after the 4th camping ground turned us away, we bit the bullet and headed the last 160kms to Rome, where at least we knew there would be a camping ground up and operational, but whether we would get there in time to book in a reception or be parked outside the gate for the night was the challenge. Things were going great until the last ... read more