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Published: April 3rd 2010
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Off-road Motorhoming
Alan's 51st Birthday present Tuesday 23rd March
(Luscious Lil)
We left Palermo after meeting two British couples new onto Sicily, both had had dreadful experiences driving through the capital. So our expectations of more horrendous driving were not disappointed. For the Italians lining up at traffic lights involves making as many lanes as you can out of two,also seeing how far passed the traffic lights you can get, Indian style (although not nearly as bad as Mumbai), before they change.
We passed the next couple of days working our way back to Messina to transfer back to Italy.
Saturday 27th March
Alan’s Birthday! Look what I got Alan for his birthday. Off road Motorhome driving!
Leaving our overnight ‘camperstop’ we needed to cross a small ford, which now means that we have taken the ‘magic bus’ to another level, off-roading, 4wheel-drive style. This was the entrance to our camper stop and Alan wasn’t willing to risk it until he saw a car come over the ford and judged it safe. We travelled north along the Autostada (a freebie, due to the amount of roadworks and construction taking place.) back to a ‘camperstop’ we had previously stopped at. We had a great bar-b-que
Matera
One of the oldest continously inhabited places on earth. by the beach but unfortunately may have consumed too much vino supremo. But hey-ho he is 51 now.
We visited the town of Matera (Gps N.40,6534820 16,6075870), where we met up with a couple and their children that we last saw in La Tania. So we spent the evening in their company going over each others experiences in Italy.
Friday 2nd April
We arrived at a delightful campsite late last night and managed to get parked up just before it got dark, there were approximately six other campers, a couple of caravans and one tent. We had an idyllic pitch lake side, in the sun. Being so close to Easter we expected some more company in the morning, however not quite what we got. We were woken to the sound of motorhomes on the move, those of you who are familiar with motorhoming, or caravanning will be well aware of the phrase ‘we’ve got incoming’, the majority of vans will arrive on a site late into the afternoon, an early morning arrival usual means that the van in question spent an uncomfortable night somewhere and has moved onto your site for some peace and quite.
Our blissful
lie-in was interrupted by a number of vans moving onto the site. We got dressed in a hurry and watched as up to a couple of dozen vans, all Italian arrived to stake their pitch. Again those of you that are familiar with motorhoming and caravanning will be aware that you have a ‘pitch’ which consists of a given area, room for a van, an awning, table and chairs etc. or a car beside a caravan. Defined by a hedge, trellis, or fencing.
Well, normally you would pitch up on site and a short discussion would ensue as to which way you wanted to face, occasionally your satellite, or awning, or the side you have your habitation door might feature in the discussion, or which direction the sun might track across the sky. These are factors you take into account before you drive onto the pitch, once on the ‘pitch’ any further movement is considered amateurish, ‘footering ‘aboot’. Well we witnessed an Italian farce. Two vans, travelling together, and we were parked in the spot they really wanted, at one point Alan was going to offer our pitch to the highest bidder. Move once, it’s forgivable, move twice and eyebrows
Matera
Inside one of the Caves are raised, move three times and questions are asked as to your ability to be in control of a motorhome. Move more than twelve times and everybody else is pissing themselves.
We made fresh coffee and settled down to watch, joined by a Dutchman who was also finding these early morning manoeuvres entertaining. Clearly the Italians were not going to get the satellite signal they were seeking. At one point they were half way onto a pitch and half way straddled across the access road searching for a signal, which if they had found they would have pitched up there.
Eyeing up our pitch, with our satellite standing erect for all to see as we clearly had the signal they were coveting, they asked when we were leaving. Smiling sweetly we said in very broken Italian, not until Sunday. Bets are now being taken on how long after we leave they will take before they move into our space. However we are not easily intimidated, and so with one of their vans in front, and one behind, as they walk across our pitch between our table and chairs we smile and say Bona Sera. Happy Motorhoming!
Oh yes we
Matera
One of the many churches had a really nice time, in a very attractive part of Umbria, some cycling on good tracks (flattish) and I was able to ride even with a broken finger! Off tomorrow to some medieval Umbrian village, as detailed in the Lonely Planet Bible, and then onto Pisa to see some tower, apparently leaning, although it wont be the first we have seen at a precarious angle. Alan says ‘Hi’.
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