On the 20th October we left the UK for France crossing from Dover to Calais with P&O Ferries. Not the most modern of vessels but with a ticket price of only £30.00 for the bus, two passengers and a morning sailing no complaints. Pre-booking over the Internet was easy, we compared the cost of the sailing with Sea France but P&O was by far the cheapest and had sailings every hour. Booking the ticket at least 24 hours before makes a big saving. Boarding could not be easier as all those of you who have gone this way before will know. Just hand over the passports at the barrier, tickets are issued and you are instructed as to which lane to follow. Loading was quick and efficient, without fuss. If only it was always this easy.
If you need cash, the exchange rate onboard for Euros was better than that offered by the banks and post office at that particular time. Worth considering next time, convenient too. All the truck drivers used the onboard service and for me this is usually a good sign that there is value for money to be had.
Once in France we travelled across Belgium and Germany using the motorway network. Near the German / Czech Republic border we stopped on the German side motorway service area to stretch the legs and have a quick cuppa as you do, and were surprised to be approached by what turned out to be two plain clothes police officers in an un-marked car looking for stolen English vehicles. Apparently stolen cars and vans are driven across Europe and once into Romania simply disappear. They carried a laptop with a direct link into the UK DVLA database and were able to check and verify the documents that we produced. Not that we had a problem, but a reminder of the importance of having your documents in order. And the originals too, not photo copies.
Once into the Czech Republic the roads are poor, full of potholes and ruts, slowing down our progress. The locals don’t seem to worry about the potholes. We continued to use the motorway network crossing Hungary to reach Romania at Oradea. Border crossing was easy, without problem, but you must remember to purchase at the border posts the Vignette for each country. We purchased each for 7 days duration giving for us ample time to transit the country. For Romania DO NOT chance NOT buying the Vignette, as on leaving the country you will be asked to produce the paper receipt as well as the windscreen sticker at the police post who will check the dates and fine you accordingly if you cannot produce them or have under paid.
In Romania we followed the road to Brasov, Bucuresti and onto the Bulgarian border crossing at Ruse. Trucks heavily use the road leading from Bucuresti to Ruse, as you would expect, with the result of the single carriageway having deep tram lines from the seemingly endless convoys. We did this section in the evening so that we could overnight near the border area. This we would not do again and would not recommend others do so either. The ruts are so deep in places it is hard to stay either in them or if you dare, on them and were made worse by rain, which made it very slippery as well as hard to see. The 44 tonners push and bully you all the way and makes for a miserable but ‘interesting’ driving experience. The staff at the border were friendly and the crossing went without event, except for the point when we were on the Bulgarian side and had six customs officers checking out our facilities, surprisingly fascinated with the flush toilet. We became great pals and were permitted to stay over night on the border crossing car park which was easy and made ideal secure parking.
The roads in Bulgaria were quite good and better than those seen in Romania; the people are warm and friendly but mad behind the wheel. When travelling this way always lookout for the truck coming toward you overtaking other slower trucks on blind bends. It makes for yet more exciting driving. The advice is don’t drive at night, if the holes in the road don’t get you then the horse and cart without lights may do, and if the horse and cart doesn’t get you then the trucks will, and should the trucks miss you by only inches, then the mafia won’t. This advice was given to us by a local and was received with the respect with that it was given.
We went west to Varna on the coast and stayed for a few nights on a small campsite just to the north of the town. The site was closed for the winter but the owner allowed us to stay for 3 nights once the cash came out. 10 Euros a night on an exclusive campsite with as much water as you could drink thrown in wasn’t bad. The site was on the cliff top with wonderful views but the facilities weren’t up to much. Not that we needed them but if you came here for a week in the summer with your caravan I think you would be disappointed. Still it gave us the opportunity to catch up with the washing of clothes and chance to check around the vehicle
We found few opportunities to wild camp near the beach in Bulgaria as it supports an established tourism industry and for us was a bit of a disappointment. Just too populated even in November. The weather however was still ok at this time with temperatures over 20c most days, a welcome surprise.
From Varna we travelled south to Burgas and eventually to yet another boarder crossing into Greece at Svilengrad. Again just another formality to cross into Greece and this time no need for a Vignette. We decided at the last minute to make a detour further into Greece than planned to parts that we have visited before when we came this way three years ago on the motorbike and are not disappointed. Out of season wild camping seems to be tolerated here and we find many opportunities to park on deserted beaches without problems from the police. The tourists have gone home but the weather in early November is still warm with some rain at night and the odd belting thunderstorm.
Most of the campsites are now closed but the essential water is freely available if you look for it. Most villages have a well or tap in the village centre, another source is the fishing ports were there is normally water of some kind and if used discreetly no one appears to mind. Garages will also let you fill up if spending money on diesel. We had no problems with the quality of water but having said that we do use an ultra fine filter that is designed to take out any bacteria present for the drinking water line.
By mid November we are heading back toward Turkey and the border crossing at Ipsala, a stones throw from Alexandroupoli. The formalities here are easy, the Visa that is valid for one month is purchased from inside the main customs building before customs control at a cost of approximately £30.00 for both of us. If you arrive at lunchtime or at night be prepared to wait until the office is open. We found the old lad behind the counter to be abrupt and un-welcoming, but efficient. Once the visa is in the passport it needs to be stamped by the Police as you travel through the controls in the normal way. Formalities for us took around 45 minutes, better than we expected but the trucks were having a much longer wait with loads being inspected, spread out all over the road. Vignette is not required but a green card is. In my passport was entered our motor home registration number, this is to ensure that when we leave Turkey the vehicle goes with us, otherwise we would need to pay the import duty. It is worth considering having an insurance policy that will pay the said duty should you need to leave the vehicle in Turkey due to an emergency or an accident that leaves it un-drivable. A Carnet is not required.
The best map of Turkey we could find prior to travelling is printed by Freytag & Berndt (www.freytagberndt.com), and has a scale of 1:800,000 It shows the terrain, most roads and was adequate for our needs
If you can before crossing into Turkey fill up with diesel, in November 2009 it was the equivalent of 25 Euro cents more expensive per litre than that in Europe which was a surprise, we had expected it to be less. The fuel cost all across Turkey appears to be the same, but proprietors will reward your custom with free gifts, bottles of Fanta, dusters, food and free car washing
The main road from Ipsala takes you to Kesar, an easy drive of 20 km along a new road but already pitted with potholes and littered with the carcases of dogs killed indiscriminately by both cars and trucks alike. How very sad and what a terrible shame. A sight we will see again and again all the time we are in Turkey.
At the main junction at Kesar crosses the E87 running north to south, here is a large Kippa supermarket offering all kinds of essential supplies at good prices (N40O 52.389” E26O 38.418”). We learned later that the Kippa brand is part of the ever-growing Tesco Empire and like them or not, offer great value to both the locals and traveller alike. A good place to stock up for the coming weeks or months and is one of only a few European type supermarkets we find without the need to travel into the cities, which we hate and avoid if at all possible.
From Kesar we follow the E87 south to the port at Gelibolu to cross the short stretch of water that will allow us on our journey. The ferry is old, full to capacity and snakes its way across the short stretch of water around large vessel moving slowly north to Istanbul and the sea beyond. The cost for the 20-minute sailing was 60 TL (approximately £27.00) and we are offered tea at no charge as we are tourists, so typical of the hospitality we will continue to see all the way through this lovely country.
Our planned route is to follow the coast down to Izmir using the main roads, then to Aydin turning east to Denizi. The roads are busy but good and we make good progress. Overnight we stayed at a large service area next to the motorway. No charge for parking, plenty of room and quite. Locals are helpful and we have no problems. The scenery is fabulous, mountain ranges and vast open spaces.
After Denizi we go south over the mountains to Sogut and onto the coast at Manavgat near Alanya. We found the mountain roads slow and busy, the views are beautiful and never boring, everywhere we stopped we were made welcome and as we travelled many many trucks and cars pip and wave at us as we go. We stopped at small villages to buy food and found the cost cheaper compared to that in the towns, imported fruit quality was poor but if you buy local produce is was cheap, plentiful and tasted great. The language barrier was not a problem. Many people sell their goods at the roadside, including oranges, lemons, nuts and bananas.
On the coast the ugly face of tourism returns and sprawls back from the sea like an oil slick, destroying the local character as it laps ashore. The coast road from Alanya to Silife and the ferry to Cyprus is narrow, twisty and climbs up and down the hills as the road hugs the sea. Progress is slow and is used by heavy trucks carrying wood, wool, fruit and other local produce. The views once away from the towns dotted along the coast are wonderful, but places to wild camp overnight are limited. Campsites are closed but you can find beaches with access if you look hard. All the time we were in Turkey both going down to Cyprus and on our return in March, we never felt threatened, quite the opposite. Everywhere we stopped people would come over and talk, take tea and ask questions as to where we were from and going to.
We understand you can take a ferry to Cyprus from both Alanya and Silifke; we opted for the latter as the sailing time was shorter. Tickets are purchased from one of two ticket offices located in the town centre near the foot ferry terminal.
We used Akfer Maritime, Tasimaciligi Ltd, Musafa Cagatay Cad. 6/2c, Girne. Tel: +90 (392) 815 23 44, Fax: +90 (392) 815 38 66.
The cost appears to be the same from either retailer and was more that we had expected at 370 TL (approximately £169.00) for a one-way ticket. A point to remember for all who travel this way is that if you enter the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) from Turkey, you must leave the island the same way. To leave from the south of the island is not allowed, full stop. Our ferry leaves from the main dock area which is located about 1.5 Km from the town centre (N36O 18.875” E33O 54.147”). To enter the port we also had to pay a port tax of 60 TL (£27.00). Services are daily, sailing to TRNC at 12 midnight and departing from TRNC at 12 noon. It sails 5 days per week, not Fridays or Saturdays.
The formalities on leaving Turkey at the port are for the want of a better description confusing. There is a main office block housing small offices all with a window hatch looking out onto the harbour. The system works something like this, first you visit the office further most on the right, who will take the passport and enter the details onto the computer system. Then you go inside the main building to the police house. After this you then come back out to the second window with the vehicle document, then onto the third window with the passport, back to the second window with the vehicle document and now the insurance papers. Then to the fourth window, the customs window. Then they need to see the vehicle so you bring it from the car park and they look inside. Take it back to the car park and go back to the first window with a handful of paperwork hopefully all stamped correctly. This goes on for about an hour and all the time you are jostling for position with the Turks, Cypriots and other nationalities. There are no signs or indications as to where to go next or what to do. You need to watch the locals and just go with the flow. Most importantly you must ensure the passport does get stamped on exit to show you have taken the vehicle out with you. The expressionless faces of the office staff seem to come and go as they please, taking tea and whispering to each other as only they can.
The ferry docks at 11pm and empties in a hurry, the many foot passengers flee like rats, tripping over each other, pushing and shoving, carrying bags so large they can hardly be dragged up the dock to the awaiting customs men. The window hopping starts again and to be able to sit back and watch this time as the pantomime unfold is comical. Oh how we looked forward to our return in the New Year.
At twelve we are due to sail but there is no activity until 12.30 when the first of the trucks is loaded into the bowls of the ferry. By 3.00 am we are loaded last, reversed on and squeezed into the small gap with a shoehorn. The car deck is full, very full, and the ferry sits low in the water. We decided to try and sleep in the motor home and take ourselves to bed. After an hours sleep we are both awake and it takes us all our time not to be seasick. The sea is rough and we are at the back of the ferry bouncing around, it was awful. We spent the night on deck looking for relief from this awful motion sickness. The boat is old and moves along at very slow speed belching out black smoke into an even blacker night.
By six o’clock it is coming light and we get our first glimpse of Cyprus. There is something about approaching a country from sea; the slow steady movement of the boat and the land seeming to get bigger as the minutes go by, emerging from the water.
After the charade of leaving Turkey we are not to be disappointed with the port officials of the TRNC. Kyrenia is a small port on the northern coast of the island and to here most of the imports arrive. The TRNC is a country recognised only by Turkey, the rest of the world condemned the invasion of the island in the 1970’s, but all the international names are here; the banks are lined up for business as are the international car hire companies, McDonalds and others to. Looks like the oil slick has come ashore here too.
Once of the ferry we park on the dock near the exit barrier. Purchasing vehicle insurance is the first thing to organise. There is, next to the barrier two tables with two people sat at each, dressed not in uniform but are obviously officials. The first table sells vehicle insurance, there is not a second option and insurance is sold to a captive market. Third party cover for 30 days costs 130 TL (approximately £59.00). We have no other options as we tried to get cover in the UK before we left but it was not possible. Next to the main customs building and police inspect the passports, then the customs check our passports. That’s it; we are through and into the street. We go back to the vehicle and approach the barrier, but the officials are not happy. Apparently inside the new and modern customs building with its glass walls and air conditioning is a small timber potting shed with another window. Here we have to purchase the visa and the vehicle is entered into the passport. Back into the street and around back to the barrier. Now we have to go to yet another building away from the port area, across the port barrier to a two storey building with all our paper work to have the vehicle inspected by the customs. We find the office and wait for an official to come outside and do the inspection. Then we are taken to another office where an official signs our paper work. That’s it, no inspection needed, its time for tea.
Eventually we do leave the port, it takes over an hour of going back and forth to different desks and windows but it all part of the journey and not worth getting frustrated over. That’s the way it is and likely will be for some time to come I guess.
Northern Cyprus is very developed, more so than we had read about. We expected it to be not unlike Spain was 20-30- years ago but we see villas perched on every available piece of land and surrounded by mini markets on street corners. The grey issue of property ownership doesn’t appear to hold back the Europeans eager to own a piece of this warm all year round island. We spend a month in the TRNC exploring the coastline and the hills. Public beaches near the towns are busy with little access for vehicles and are littered with plastic bottles and other waste, but if you get away from the tourist villas the island is quite beautiful. A rocky coast line for the main, but there are also many fabulous sandy beaches on which we stayed for most of our time there. The cost of living was slightly more than the Turkish mainland as you would expect and inline with what we had seen in the rest of Europe. Much to our surprise diesel was cheaper that the rest of Europe at the equivalent of £0.85 per litre.
The Turkish invaders we found to be very friendly just as we had done on the main land, we were made to feel very welcome and never felt threatened wild camping. The few campsites that there are were closed during the winter months but again water is freely available if you look for it. Roaming dogs seem to be everywhere, there does not seem to be any official policy to round them up with the exception of a few charity’s run by locals who try to look after them the best they can, most dogs are just left to there own devices, begging, scavenging and as a result of a poor diet are terribly thin, coats are matted and full of flea’s. The roadside is littered with dogs knocked down by cars and left to suffer whilst waiting for death. It is heart breaking to see as dog lovers, and we do what we can, putting out food and water wherever we stop. All they want is human companionship, a master to follow, would it really be so difficult to stop the suffering of these lovely creatures. After all it was us that tamed them from the wild and domesticated them.
Maps. Before we left the UK we looked around on the Internet for a map of the Island and to be honest there isn’t a lot to choose from. For the South of the Island the Cyprus Tourist Information Centre in London hold and supply free of charge a series of maps that are worth requesting. They cover all the main points of interest and we found them to be very useful. For the TRNC there is an island map available but only on the island from the tourist information centres. It is not detailed but does show all major towns and villages, most importantly identified by the new names given to them after the Turkish invasion. A map we did buy before we left the UK was the ‘Road & Tourist Map of Cyprus’ published by Selas Ltd. It covers the entire island, is detailed enough for exploring showing points of interest at a scale of 1:250,000. We ordered it direct from their web site, cost was about £10.00 with postage and arrived within 5 days (www.selas.co.cy) An essential map and was the best I could find at reasonable cost.
Places we camped and would recommend include:
The beach at Agia Eirini, follow signs for the beach bar
( N35O 17.255’ E32O 56.745’ )
The beach at Orga,
( N35O 22.110’ E32O 59.783’ )
The beach near Korovela, very private and remote
( N35O 27.962’ E34O 14.004’ )
Also worth a visit is the donkey sanctuary at the North East corner of the Island. This is a government run park, a little remote but worth the journey. The scenery is unspoilt and fabulous, again with long sandy beaches. No charge for entry.
Crossing of the border from the TRNC to the South we did at the UN post near Famagusta. At the TRNC check point we had to surrender the Visa issued on entry to the island and a sheet of paper, passport sized, headed ‘Visa of TRNC’ was stamped and dated, then inserted into each of our passports. At the Cyprus side UN customs officers checked our vehicle with dogs for drugs. Entry into Cyprus was otherwise uneventful except for the two English soldiers that took an interest in the motor home conversion and held us there while they checked it out.
A point worth noting is that due to cross border smuggling in the past, limits on imported cigarettes and booze into Cyprus have been reduced. When we came in we where advised that we could only bring 40 cigarettes (not packets) and that there are fines for those who do not comply with this rule, as you would expect.
We explored most of Cyprus during the 3 months we were there, but the North West corner became our favourite place. In truth this was about the only part of Cyprus, with the exception of the Troodos Mountains, that had not been developed. The last time we came here was 9 years ago by plane for a two-week hotel holiday. There has been so much development since then that we really did find it difficult at times to recognise the favourite places we remembered. We talked to many Cypriots and expats during our stay and came away a little despondent with stories of a corrupt government and planning departments, huge over spending and massive inflation due in part to the change over to the Euro currency. We got the definite impression that they had killed the goose that laid the golden egg and it would only be a matter of time before they experience the same financial problems that Greece are currently experiencing in early 2010.
The weather during December to March was very pleasant, warm enough for sea swimming until February and wearing of shorts most days. We found many places to free camp both near the towns as well as the more remote places. There are only half a dozen campsites in Cyprus but all are closed during the winter season. Finding fresh water for drinking again was not difficult, one disappointment was the amount of litter found not only on beaches but also at almost every place you stopped. Plastic bottles being the main polluter, what a pity.
The cost of living here is expensive and if we came again we would definitely bring with us the more expensive foods. The cost of all food both grown locally and imported was 2-3 times that of the UK equivalents, we shopped all over Cyprus and prices were the same, best described as extortionate.
We met only one other motor home during our 3 months and heard of one other German couple in a converted truck. Perhaps the long journey and high cost of travelling keeps people away. We definitely enjoyed our time here, the winter sun was fabulous and we would certainly recommend it, but bear in mind the costs if you come this way.
We camped at many different locations, on the many beaches, in the woods at picnic sites, even at dams high in the hills but we where never bothered at any time except for on Christmas eve when three wise men came knocking bearing gifts. We had parked at a reservoir near Polis when 3 young Russian men slightly worse for drink, arrived by car at 10 o’clock in the evening with the intension of going fishing until the early hours. They were armed with fishing rods and bottles of Vodka to keep out the cold. We don’t think they caught much that night, infact we would have been amazed if they had with all the noise and laughter, but they most definitely enjoyed their night. Merry Christmas comrades.
In Cyprus there is plenty of free Wifi available located at many of the ports as well as near the larger hotels. Internet cafes are available too but most ordinary cafes have free Wifi for the price of a beer or Coke. Phone cards are available for cheap telephone calls from public phone boxes. We used a Mobile phone with a Go-Sim sim card, which was not too expensive to use to be contactable by family back at home. Text messages to the UK cost the equivalent of £0.10, telephone calls to both landlines and UK mobiles £0.30 per minute and free incoming calls and texts. Cyta is a local mobile network operator using the Vodafone network and is the cheapest there is on the island. Sim card cost around 30 Euro but calls are very cheap to other mobiles as well as abroad, infact we understand most of the islanders use their sim cards instead of landlines. Something worth considering if you use the phone a lot or are staying awhile.
We left Cyprus by the border crossing at Nicosia. On the Cyprus side they did check to see how long we had been there. The law allows a UK citizen to stay for only 3 months without applying for residency, fines are issued for over-stayers. We heard of another couple that did stay longer than they should by about a month and we understand they had a lot of hassle leaving Cyprus as well as a large fine.
On the TRNC side we again had to purchase the vehicle insurance, one-month third party cover for 55 Euro. The Visa was free but we did have to ask for it, it was not just issued. Crossing this border was a lot simpler and easier than when we arrived from Turkey by ferry.
Leaving the TRNC by ferry to Silife was much easier also than coming in, but there is only one lane for traffic entering the port and customs. Do not arrive for the ferry late hoping you will just have enough time for the formalities. All the vehicles are checked in the normal no rush way and as trucks take a lot of checking you may find yourself in a position where you miss the sailing, having said that it was two hours late departing when we sailed. I guess when you have a monopoly of the ferry service you can please yourself when to sail.
We arrived at Silife late in the evening; now that we had an idea on how the system here worked the formalities we managed to do in about an hour without too much confusion. The required Visa was purchased from inside the main customs house from an office accessible only after you have passed the police post. Once you have the Visa in the passport you have to go back to the police post to have it stamped. Also port taxes are paid for here to but in a separate office, not at the gate leaving the port. Interestingly the port taxes were 20TL, 3 months earlier coming in the tax was 60TL. This variation was the same for the ferry service, Visa and the vehicle insurance. We got the feeling that they made it up as they went along and charged whatever they thought they could get away with on the day. Just outside the port is a large area suitable for overnight parking, it is next to the port security office and makes for a reasonably secure over night stop when arriving late at night. Trucks also park here arriving during the early hours waiting for the morning boats, so park to the backside of the park if you’re a light sleeper.
Our route through Turkey to Greece would be different from when we came down. We travelled north from Silife on the D715 to Mut, Karama and Konya. Here turned west to Beyseni and then north again following the Beysehir Lake to Sarki Karaagac. The scenery along this section of road was fantastic ranging from wide rivers in green valleys, to high mountains roads and wide-open plains. Everywhere we stopped the people again were lovely, very welcoming, only too willing to talk and interested in our journey, genuine interest and not off course forgetting the tea.
Beysehir lake is about 50 Km long and is flanked on the west by the snow capped Kuyucak mountains, when viewed from the east side they are spectacular in the morning sun. We spent several days camped beside the lake; the nights were cold but the days sunny but still chilly. We watched the locals cleaning and sorting their nets waiting for the fishing season to begin. Some boats did go out but came from further down the lake to fish. The local villagers were poor but once again very friendly; the housing was not what we expected to see. Very old timber constructed frames filled in with clay and straw bricks. Roofs made mostly from local clay slates, some had timber roofs covered in turf. We got the impression that life here would be hard, all the younger people had left and gone to the towns for a more prosperous living but had left something special behind that could not be bought. Interestingly as poor as the locals looked almost every home was fitted with the latest satellite dish, which seemed a little ironic.
We continued on the D675 north to Bolvadin, Eskisehir, Inegol, Nilufer, and Bandirma to arrive at the Lapseki ferry crossing to Gelibolu. The roads were still full of potholes, the scenery changed all time; mountain roads were as high as 2000 metres but what a fantastic country. In the fields ladies worked in lines on the land without machinery planting out new crops. The horse and cart was used everywhere to carry goods, some taking supplies from the back of trucks on the roadside to villages high in the hills.
Once again we snaked across the Darda channel back to the so-called European side of Turkey and made our way to Ipsala and the Greece border crossing. Formalities were easy for a returning European; we noticed that unusually after the Turkish customs point trucks were filling with diesel. They were lined up filling huge tanks, some taking on as much as 2,000 litres into their empty aluminium bellies. Diesel here was very cheap at the equivalent price of 0.45 Euros, sold without tax but only available to trucks.
As we had toured Greece before we decide to head for Italy before stopping for a week or two, our route was the well-used E90, which runs all the way from Ipsala to Thessaloniki, Grevena and Ioannina arriving at the port of Igoumenitsa. It is the main trunk road across Greece, mainly all dual carriage way and without tolls. It is quite boring to ride this road but if all you want to do is transit the country it is ideal.
After previous experiences of ferry crossings from Greece to Italy we decided to use the service provided by Superfast Ferries, they operate a modern fleet of ferries and cover many different routes. Our service left Igoumenitsa at mid-night and arrived at the port of Bari in Italy after a 6-hour sailing. The vessel was very comfortable and was able to carry a huge amount of vehicles. The cost we though was very reasonable at 150 Euros, during the summer months you are allowed to sleep in the motor home on the open deck and we understand that electric hook up is also made available
Now we were on the last leg of our 6-month trip to Cyprus and we took the west coast route up through Italy to Torino entering France through the Tunnel de Frejus. We had avoided most of the toll roads on our way north as we love to travel the ‘B’ roads and explore as we go, unfortunately once into the north of Italy is better to use the main roads and pay the tolls. The Tunnel de Frejus enters France to the South West of the Vanoise national park and Massif de la Vanoise and is our route in. The snow is gone from the valley bottoms but it still glistens in the sunshine on the mountain tops. The towering slopes of the Alps are wonderful at this time of year and reminded us of the time we had spent here 3 years ago exploring these hills on our motorbike. There is something about travelling on two wheels; you seem to experience the delights so much more off your surroundings.
Albertville is a medium sized town nestling between high peaks capped with snow and has in the past hosted the winter Olympics. We stayed here for a week or so, exploring once again the town, the surrounding villages and enjoyed the town’s shops and the walking in the cold air. The people are warm and motor homes are welcome here. Parking areas are made available not too far from the town, as is a water supply. Indeed across France we see most towns encouraging motor homes to visit by providing such facilities and obviously understand that there are economical advantages in reaching out this hand of friendship.
Our route from Albertville takes us to Annecy and as we turn west to Macon leaving the mountains behind we have a heavy heart, this area holds so many good memories for us and is always a delight to visit, we will return but we do not know when. From here the road turns to dual carriage way again and the slow trudge north to Calais following the trucks loaded with goods to feed our ever-increasing thirst. Where does it all go and do we really need it?
As we approach Calais it is mid April, we have been away for six months, our next leg is to the Americas and will take us up to three years to complete, yet we already know it will be hard if indeed possible to slip back into our old life’s. One where the majority of the community around us is consumed with greed and selfishness. Always to willing to cast a disapproving eye on anyone who would dare to be different, alas how much they could learn from the people of Turkey living out their simple lives.
It looks like we will continue to be known as the odd couple that live next door.