Geo: 43.9055, 10.7882When we arrived at Camping Belsito, we were handed a sheet with general information as well a suggestion for things to see and do for every day of the week.On Sunday David went out solo to explore by bike but was back after an hour since the climbs are very steep - more so than the terrain down in the south of France. For the remainder of the day we relaxed with our books, puzzles and games, just as suggested on the campsite instructions.Monday, Republic Day in Italy, we drove through Monsummano Terme, Montevettolini and Lamporecchio to Vinci - the birthplace of the great Leonardo of that name. The town is surrounded by lush, green countryside planted with olives and vines, and at the foot of Montalbano - a range of hills stretching between ... read more

Geo: 44.17, 8.34517After intending a 6-day stay at St. Clair, we left after 12. Our excuse was to avoid the motorway traffic around the Monaco GP weekend!David continued with his bike rides into the hills with Rien which he enjoyed immensely, particularly the banter from his bike-buddy. Meanwhile, I pottered about back at the 'van, researching the trip, reading and sitting in the sun.Saturday evening, Rien kindly invited us 'next door' for supper prepared and cooked by himself - a concoction of grilled aubergine, ham, mozzarella and tomato, followed by pasta with a meat and ratatouille-type sauce. Another enjoyable evening was had by all.Monday dawned and it was time to think about packing away but David spotted that one of the rear tyres was looking flat. He inflated it using his cycle pump before we set ... read more

Geo: 43.144, 6.38112Our evening meal last night at Le Bontemps, near Vernioz, was not a gastronomic feast but more simple everyday dishes. David chose a burger and I had lasagne, preceded by a shot of pastis (Ricard - the best - according to the brother and sister running the establishment), and a couple of glasses of respectable local red.However, we were joined in the restaurant by three other couples - one Belgian, one German and one British, so we passed an enjoyable couple of hours exchanging camping stories. Fortunate for us, given that the Belgians and British did not speak German, or any of us speak Flemish, it was all in English. We came away with some useful tips of places to visit and things to see.Our departure ran more smoothly this morning so we were ... read more

Geo: 49.7837, 3.21424We left the UK this morning on P&O's Dover-Calais crossing to start this year's trip, though it will be no where near as extensive as 2013. Over the next 8 weeks or so, we plan to take in the south of France (we are in need of warmth and sunshine), Italy, Croatia and Slovenia. Although we have visited Italy on a number of occasions, there are still areas we should like to explore, and Croatia is new to us but comes highly recommended so a 'must see' before it becomes too popular and overcrowded.Last year's five-month odyssey proved to be a life-changing experience leaving us quite unsettled over the winter months to the extent of even talking about becoming snowbirds in Southern Spain at some time. Despite the last UK winter being comparatively mild, ... read more

Geo: 50.8811, -1.20237The final transfer to Benouville was wet and grim, but we made good progress despite travelling on comparatively busy roads. As the campsite closed for lunch between 12 and 2, we had about an hour to kill based on the satnav prediction so with half an hour's travelling time left we pulled in at an 'aire' - not a service area like on UK motorways, but a large, glorified layby with loos and picnic tables - but in this case there was an additional sign for 'frites' which turned out to be a mobile fast food wagon.With the rain lashing down by this time, rather than making up our usual baguette-based lunch in the caravan, we decided to dine trucker-style under the canopy. The friendly proprietor took our order which, when it arrived was ... read more