My phone this week has been coming up with some great photo collages from the trip, so while we rest for the last three weeks before it all finishes on the 16th of October we take look back in wonder at the past in photos. If you have any questions about the trip or the photos drop us a line.
January 2020
We picked up ‘Buster’ in Tyne Valley Motorhomes, Rachel and Emma from Elddis there to wave us goodbye. A quick run down to London to load all our stuff and off we go visiting friends before heading across to France meet Karen’s family in Champagne. We bought some to go with the caviar we would get in Baku, Azerbaijan when we got there in April! Then is was a run down to Geneva to meet David’s cousin. The route is be
The Route to UK Greece Jan – Feb 2020
Here is the route to Greece via Italy, more pictures below
February 2020
In February we travelled through Italy, Greece, touring the Peloponnese and the islands, finishing at our favourite Poros. We met up with Mark on his flat hunting expedition in Florence. Dropped him off to Rome and headed south. Though Covid was raging in Lombardy we did not notice and were able to head to Greece and spend most of February exploring the Peloponnese.
A Selfie outside the Duomo Florence With Mark Mark comes for training session as a future First officer in Buster. We say goodbye to Mark in Rome An Aperitivo on the coast The beautiful Harbour at Gallipoli Italy Fresh sea urchins at Gallipoli Our last Apertivo in Italy Dinner in Buster Parked up on the Beach in Greece Visiting the islands of the Peloponnese Some of the great views driving around the Peloponnese The roads were so narrow and bendy! A romantic selfie on Speteses Our stop for the night on Poros
March 2020
March was enthralling and exciting in the planning, we worked out a way of getting a ferry to Turkey from the beautiful island of Chios, we did not have the right insurance so were stuck in Cesme port for three days while we sorted that out. Then visiting friends in Bodrum and Marmaris as we headed to Belek for David to play golf with some friends coming down from the UK. Then it happened…….. A call from London they can’t come Covid 5 days later we had to leave the hotel and go into lockdown at Sundance Campsite. How long? No idea…
Chios buildings So intricate the designs Our first meal out in Turkey nearly one of our last too but we did not know The Greek architecture is everywhere on the Turkish coast A selfie overlooking Marmaris Bay Karen and Val Alkoy an abandoned Greek town from the 1923 ethic cleansing of Greece and Turkey Belek town, empty is there sometihng up? As close as I ever got to Baku my golf partner the day before lockdown was the Croatian ambassador to Azerbaijan and had the shirt! Covid had arrived. The Sundance Kids, as we called ourselves on day one of Lockdown for us. No idea how long it would be. Karen on the beach of the Campsite.
Route from Greece to Turkey and Lockdown Feb – Mar 2020
April 2020
Well we are not moving now Covid has put paid to that but we are part of a new community at Sundance campsite near Kemer in Turkey. We were joined by friends Katherine and James who we knew and were doing a similar trip to ourselves. We had agreed that if there were any problems we would join up and work together. Covid to be fair was not on our list. in the end 11 motorhomes from all over Europe stayed at Sundance for lockdown
Anyone for nibbles? Our calendar when we had no idea of when this would end. Herbert and his Pizza oven. As time wnet by a community developed. We were all in it together. BTW his pizzas were the best. The Sundance Kids around the fire. Watching Andrea Bocelli ‘Music For Hope’ live in ‘Buster’ with James and Katherine. It brought tears to our eyes. The stars at night @Sundance miles from anywhare you really had a fantastic night sky ‘Buster’ parked up for Lockdown in Turkey but for how long?
May 2020
May seemed to drag by as lockdown continued, there was a feeling that we could be there for years we even had a sweep on the date we might eventually be allowed move again. The furthest date was the end of October, by James, but we had no idea and just got on with life. The site turned into a little community with all of us helping each other out and enjoying it as best we could.
Us standing by our ‘home’ Katherine organised many events to keep us busy this was ‘Eurovision’ and Karen’s entry won as Montenegro Another of Katherine’s ‘Events’ VE day this was only for a certain sub group of the campsite! VE day again fun afternoon. Keeping yourself occupied was important so I did couch to 5K oncerfew days we had to stay within the perimeter of the campsite this gives you an idea of the space. The Price of Fuel in Turkish lira @17TL to the pound at least the fuel was cheap even if you could not go anywahere! The end of May and Lisa’s birthday breakfast. We revealed the bacon we had in our freezer since Bosham Then in the evening dinner. we had been told Lockdown ended on the 29th Most of the site got together for a final party to celebrate then end of lockdown in Turkey We slipped across to an ancient Roman town across the bay from the campsite. Less than 2 km away and never visited until that week. Local Turkish friends invited us over for lunch of home prepared gozleme James, Katherine and the Camp staff on our last night @ Sundance It was their anniversary and the campsite put on a lovely meal. 76 days of lockdown at Sundance campsite, ours in hindsight was not a bad lock down new friends and old made the best of a bad situation and no one caught Covid
June 2020
Freedom!! we were back on the road but still were not allowed into the EU so we toured around Turkey and Serbia waiting for the EU to say we could enter. So we had to just wander around until we could enter Greece again! Our route is below and the pictures under that.
The new ‘normal’ mask wearin everywhere. But we were on the road again. We stuck with Katherine and James while we made our way back to the EU this was our first restaurant meal in months. Buster and Jez parked up at Kas Turkey Sultaniye Kaplicalari mud baths wonderful Travertines of Pamukkale nobody here wonderful The castle at Bodrum Roadside Golezeme very tasty. Allied Graves at Gallipoli my great uncle was wounded here in 1915, again at the Somme in 1916 and again at Passchendaele in 1917. Sadly he died in 1921 of Spanish flu. How the world turns Buster parked up for our last night in Turkey outside The mosque at Edirne. The rain in Serbia fall mainly on the roads and makes them rivers! Tara national park on the border of Bosnia and Serbia truly breath taking. Six of the the Sundance kids before we split up to find our own direction to the EU. Katherine and James to Hungary, Lisa and Danny to Croatia and we headed back to Greece. The Greek Border will we b allowed in? We had our first ever PCR test and we made it, and the sun was shining.
So until next time safe travels.
Katherine Clune says
What amazing memories … reminded me we lost a wheel arch in that Serbian flood … I trudged (waded) back 2km to retrieve it …. had to replace ALL my clothes when I got back to the van. Had it fixed in Bulagria.
I do wonder if our Prison in Paradise day tick off is still there. We should go back to check!
David says
Well Turkey is open again! Crete has been rocked by an earthquake. Why not!