Week 17th to 23rd April 2017
2nd chance- everyone, thing, place deserves one?? Thursday 20th April we gave Italy that 2nd chance to redeem itself in our eyes and world after leaving the country one month earlier with the Italy Lonely Planet guide bouncing off the custom officers head to cries of “ and don’t think we’ll be back here again”
Real reason… after entering Slovenia a country we had high hopes for and a lovely Easter Monday in their seaside town of Piran with lunch outside and temperatures at about 27 degrees we awoke on the Tuesday to heavy rain and when we finally parked up at one of their World Heritage sites the Skocjan caves the temperature was 2 degrees and bloody cold. The caves were amazing and right out of Jules Verne’s –A Journey to the Centre of the Earth. It’s a guided experience of about 2 hours with stalagmite & stalactite formations, 60m walkways
over the underground rivers. I know none of this personally only from David’s description, as following an in depth interrogation with the guide at the caves we both decided perhaps it wasn’t a place for me and my claustrophobia and after having done the caves David felt we had made the right choice, but no worries what’s a dark rocky hole anyway. No photos are allowed in the caves for health and safety reasons so neither me or any of you are going to be any the wiser as to how wonderful they are pictorially, but David was in awe and amazement when he came out and they are one of Slovenia’s most visited sites.
With snow and sleet that evening we pushed on to the capital Ljubljana arriving at a ‘free’ aire in a restaurant carpark just a walk from the centre. The principle behind the parking was that they have the space and in return you eat in the restaurant at least one of the nights of your stay- a fair exchange we thought. Our day in the capital was with weak sunshine still not reaching double figures at all but we both fell in love with this small buzzy capital. We visited it’s hilltop castle, wandered over the small and much celebrated Triple Bridge (Tromostovje) designed by their own prolific architect Jose Plecnik whose masterpiece is the National &University Library in the capital completed in 1941.
Plecnik is likened in Slovenian architecture world to Gaudi in Spain and you can do Plecnik tours of the capital. But for us no amount of hot chocolate or cold red wine was going to warm us up and with the forecast of snow downfalls ahead of us in Austria we decided to take full advantage of motorhome life and change direction completely. Northern Italy was warmer and due to stay that way for a bit longer although a splurge of rain is due all over Europe shortly, but the cold front and winds from Russian weren’t reaching there and so with sad and wimpy hearts we left Slovenia and the unseen Lake Bled the last of the top sites of this country.
As we made the journey that Thursday the weather improved more and more as the further west we went, but we were both in slight doubts as to how we would feel about Italy after our last visit there. Of course being back in Italy we have to up the ante on the clothes front and so with many of David’s shorts and trousers in disrepair we did a handbrake turn when we saw a MacArthur Glen outlet shopping centre just short of Venice our next stopover. The shining sun helped loosen David’s wallet and his wardrobe was restocked. Just some 30 mins later early evening we were parked up at Venezia Camping Village sitting outside the bar in our flip flops Aperol Spritz and beer in hand in the warm evening sun. The site had been recommended to us by our friends met earlier in Sicily who have in their journey continued their adventures in Italy and we caught up with them for a pre-dinner drink in the bar. Great to catch up, swap stories and experiences and in fact the swapping of countries as the next day they headed for Slovenia while we headed into Venice.
Venice, what to say about it. Not one of my must see destinations at all and from Croatia we could have hopped over for the day on a ferry, but we never bothered. Fate, kismet call it what you will but from the moment the both of us got of the bus and caught our first glimpse of the Grand Canal, bridges and buildings we were spell bound. Our first public boat trip meandered through the heart of Venice on the Grand Canal giving us a stunning introduction to the city and providing photo opportunities not possible from the land. We spent 2 days taking in Venice and we could have taken more time there but it’s not a cheap date whichever way you wrap it up and in a quiet moment on the Saturday I totalled up our outlay for the day and it was in 3 figures with the first number being dangerously close to 2. It is completely touristy, very busy probably at all times of the year, but it is unique and no amount of photo’s, James Bond movies or even George’s wedding will ever do it justice- seeing and experiencing it is a must- push it to the top of your list after all it is sinking!
A footnote here on taking in places a bit cheaper, consider camp sites. Most if not all have cabins or bungalows on site for rent and the sites are usually placed near the tourist destination, this one being 15 mins by bus that stopped outside the camp straight to one of the main vaporetto (boat ferries) stop . The cost of a cabin was €45 for 2 for the night and although I haven’t checked I do not believe that you could get a decent room for that price in Venice. There was a Hilton across the way from us on the main road and our site was far more engaging then that with a small pool, decent restaurant and green space to boot. Plus you never know you might bump into 2 greygappers to boot. The price of our pitch per night was €19 but of course you’d have to add in the cost of a motorhome as well, and why not indeed a great way to travel, changing your mind and route as and when you and the weather chooses. Our own personal choice would be an Elddis of course!
Will the ‘love’ continue and will David’s new clothes pass Italian muster, all to be found out in the next week.
Our Route This Week
Ju says
Glad you are giving Italy a second chance. We have a love/hate relationship with the country. There is always something happening and the people are so passionate (you just have to see them talking, arms in the air, voices raised and they are discussing what to have for tea), but the roads can be dire and places covered in graffiti. It is worth it though for the wonderful food and magnificent architecture. Enjoy x
David says
Ju you are right the country is like a coin two sides. We seem to be throwing heads here so are loving it. The roads up north also seem to have been built by people who know something about the process. Loving it.
Chris and Peter says
Venice, what to say about it. Not one of my must see destinations at all – oh, how I was shocked when I read this… Sure, I thought, they must change their minds once they’re there! And yes! How beautiful a city can be, but yes, too many tourists! Having visited a couple of times, we do know how and where to get away from them though! And then it is lovely! Enjoy the rest of your travels. I love reading your posts!