Wednesday 5 September 2007

THE WAY BACK




Hiya. So, at the start of the journey, it took two hours down to Dover. Didn't have to wait long for the ferry. No interrigations regarding the dog, but still had to pay for him to stay in the car. On the ferry, I got a lovely neck massage for a fiver! Country B roads through France. I didn't know at the time, the capabilities of TomTom. One can tap in ones destination and it'll take you to the door of a hotel. That would have been handy the day I was 'taken for a ride'. Luckily, that evening, I saw a big sign from the road for a cheap and cheerful establishment around the time I wanted to stop.



Day two I've told you about. A very plastic hotel called Etap, in Remoremont, which the kindly man in the cafe took me to after I'd thrown a wobbly at the Frenchman who didn't know his way around any more than I did. The loo was in a plastic moulded room, as was the shower. In fact, looking around, the only non plastic things were the taps! But, it did have free internet!



Day three I had the most fab lunch in Densburen. Soup and main course plus two glasses of excellent wine for €16. During the afternoon, it started to bucket down and as the road was clinging to the side of a mountain, with a shere drop on one side, I decided to stop at 'the next hotel' which was at a place called Sisikon, Swizerland. It was only four o'clock, peeing down with rain and no internet. So I did the only thing one can do, and retired to the restaurant. Couldn't eat much though, as I was still full from lunch. The beer was good though. In the morning, I took the photos with low clouds above and soon afterwards entered the St Gossard tunnel with trepedation. It wasn't so bad.



Then for lunch I stopped by another lake and ate my sarnies (right).

As I'd told TomTom not to take me along motorways, it took me at my word, and took me through city centres even! That included Zurich and Milan! Don't ask me what they were like. I was too busy watching the screen. It was no sweat. I just did what I was told and it worked! HOWEVER, shortly after leaving Milan center, TomTom screwed up big time and I was stranded, hot, tired and very bothered. It kept telling me to take the second exit off the roundabout. But, no roundabout. I tried every road in the area but it kept wanting to take me down a little lane in an iffy area with large dogs in a cage at the end of it! After asking the way in a transport office, I got eventually onto the dreaded motorway and just kept going. TomTom took me to a Holiday Inn Express in Italy. Comfortable but no internet.... well yes it did, but you had to pay.

The next day I started early, got on the autobahn and kept going. Even when the heavens opened and drivers were pulling over onto the hard shoulder, I kept going... all the way to Ancona and hotel Della Vittoria. It even had parking. Very old and decrepid place. My room was in the loft with a small window 6 foot up. I was very worried that the weather would be bad for the crossing but the next day turned out to be sunny and calm. The boat left at 1pm and was better than the one I'd travelled out on. This one was Superfast. Had to pay for Yorgi and his quarters were better than before but he still wouldn't use it. I'd got a bunk in a dorm of six this time and as there was nobody else in the dorm, he slept with me. In fact, all across Europe, he slept with me, leaving his hairs on every bed he and I slept on!

The boat arrived in Iggomenitsa at 5am but it took until 11.30 to get to Patras, where we got off. It was a short drive to Rio, where I took another ferry (couldn't stomach the bridge). After that, it was a white nuckle, mountain road through to Volos. We arrived at 6pm. That evening, I got a bit of cash out the hole in the wall on Visa and tucked into my first tchipero and meze in two months.

In the morning, I went to book by ticket. They didn't take credit cards. No sweat I thought, I'd got my bank book, my cash card having been cancelled because I hadn't used it in a year (that was a shock, having found out in Germany on the way over). When I got in the bank, there must have been 50 people waiting. I took the next number (just as you do at Sainsbury's cheese counter) but lost my cool when I saw I had number 63 and the number was at 102! I threw the chitty away (big mistake) and went back to the hole in the wall. However, cos I'd got cash out within 12 hours, I guess, it wouldn't give me any money. SO, back to the bank. Another chitty and a wait of nearly an hour. I was doing my crust thinking I'd miss the boat.

But I didn't, and we got the ferry, getting off in Glossa. All the while, the pungent, festering smell of my favour English cheese filled the air. I think it had gone off somewhere in Switzerland.



Monday 3 September 2007

RIGHT BACK WHERE I STARTED FROM.....

Yes, I made it. Arrived this afternoon back on the island. Will tell all when I get my act together.
Thanks to everyone who has written to me. It was very much appreciated. Have a look here in a couple of days. I should have unpacked and sorted myself out by then. xxxx

Tuesday 28 August 2007

ZZZZZZZ

Hi and thanks to those who have written. I am SO tired. Things went swimmingly through to Epinal. Travelled along the roads less travelled; hardly another motorist in site along the stretches of l o n g, s t r a i g h t country roads. The previous night I'd picked up a directory of a certain hotel chain and made for their Epinal one. Close to my destination, I stopped in a car park to collect my thoughts and book the room when I guy asked if he could help. I told him the hotel and he said for me to follow him as he knew exactly where it was. Half an hour later, along a vast stretch of dual carriageway, darkness settling in together with rain he pulled over at a cafe and announced he was lost!! Satnav had taken me within what must have been half a km of the hotel so I was absolutely furious with him. In fact I told him to ... off! In the cafe, I calmed down and asked where the hell I was and did anyone know of a nearby hotel. A guy said he knew of one and if I would follow him he'd take me there!!!!!! My brain was numb. I said OK. Bingo. And here I am in.. um... Remiremont, south of Epinal, having put in ten hours of driving. Not to be recommended. Night all!

Monday 27 August 2007

GONE...

Hi guys! Here I am, sitting in the reception area of a hotel near Arras in France. I really did NOT want to leave UK. It was a terrible wrench to do something I didn't want to do. Dad had left early to attend a samba band gig and when I couldn't find anything else to pack, eventually left at 11am. News... I bought a Sat Nav. It is the most wonderful thing ever. Got here without a hitch AND I now have the confidence to drive faster - 100kph, no problem! So, I may even tell the satnav to take me via motorways rather than the B roads - as nice as they are, so far. Just want to get the journey over and done with. As far as I know, Skopelos has not burnt down.

Monday 20 August 2007

ONE WEEK TO GO.... OH DEAR!


Another weekend by the coast, this time at Herne Bay. Dad had a gig there on Saturday and it just so happens I have a cousin who lives there so we made a long weekend of it. I was able to take Yorgi for a lovely walk along Pegwell Bay. Bit blowy but the rain held off at least.
Have been looking at the various options open to me regarding the route back to Greece. Have an invitation to stay with friends in Vienna but that would mean dropping down through the old Yugoslavia to Soloniki and I haven't heard one person say that would be a good idea. So ... I think it's going to be France, Switzerland and Italy. Sad not to revisit the Bremmer Pass, my favourite bit on the way to UK but looking forward to finding something equally as good on the way back. Any suggestions would be gratefully received!

Wednesday 15 August 2007

BROADSTAIRS

Hi guys! Here's a lovely photo taken of the walking group I belong to. One of the ladies has a holiday home in Ramsgate and she invited us there. So last Monday we drove down and had a lovely, coastly walk from Ramsgate to Broadstairs. It was the festival week, so the place was busy with street entertainers, a fair and various stalls. After a mooch round and a quick drink, we headed back to Ramsgate where Margaret set out a lovely lunch for us. All too soon the day was over and even though I had a navigator, we somehow managed to get slightly lost - driving through Maidstone at 5pm! Could have been worse!

Saturday 11 August 2007

MORE OF ENGLAND







Hi guys! Hope you're all fine. Here in UK the weather is just perfect and I'm having a really, lovely time.


Last weekend I drove to Reigate to meet up with my friend Darren. He's got a house on Skopelos but tends to rent it rather than stay in it. The pub where we met sold excellent beer but didn't sell food, so after D had set off back up to Leeds, I walked into town and got an M&S sandwich which I took back to the pub to eat. Didn't know Yorgi liked salmon and cucumber!


During the week I drove to Camberley (got lost), to meet up with my oldest (time-wise!) friend, Jackie (we met when we both worked for British Airways or BEA as it was then). Together with hubby, Rob, we drove together up to Wimbledon to attend the Springfield Road Windsor flatmate and friends reunion. This reunion used to take place annually until I, then Liz and Alf moved, coincidentally, to Greece (they live in Tolo). The venue was in Anne and Geoff's newly aquired, three story, Victorian house. The evening passed all too quickly.


Yesterday, together with Dad, we drove down to Hastings. This time to spent the day with Mel. Mel used to live in the famous Railton Road in Brixton and was a black cab taxi driver. He now spends a lot of his time playing chess. Apart from the time he was obliged to cat sit. The animal escaped and he found himself wondering the streets one evening, calling its name - Pussy!