Our adventures in a mobile home
Christine
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Posts by Christine
Fantasy Chocolates and Ceramics
Sep 11th
Perugia, a hill top town in Umbria, Italy was our destination for the day. Much to my dismay I was unable to organise a tour of the local chocolate factory. Such factories should be open 24 hours per day by law! I had to console myself with a delicious organic lunch of freshly made pasta and wild boar sauce. We made an effort to work off our indulgent lunch by marching up and down the many Perugian staircases, some of which ultimately lead to nowhere. The town has many pretty sights and plenty of photographic opportunities.
After our feet could take no more traipsing around we made a quick detour to Deruta, also in Umbria. This little town is famous for its handmade ceramics. The main street is riddled with shops selling their wares. Many allow you to observe the artists as they create their beautiful ceramics, but photography is strictly forbidden so the only shots Dave came away with was of tiles laid into the pavement.
Fabulous Firenze
Sep 8th
Firenze's cityscape is beautiful
Firenze, the beautiful heart of Tuscany. A city steeped in art, culture and beauty. And tourists. Hoards of tourists, fresh off cruise ships, even in low season.
My forward planning had been somewhat sketchy (some exhibits need to be booked weeks in advance) and with the added complication of Odie, who often barks if left alone for more than a few minutes, our gallery and museum options were limited. However, there is much to see on foot; the architecture and stunning squares with their replica sculptures are truly impressive.
The main cathedral is covered in gorgeous detail
In typical adventurous spirit David decided that the best way to avoid the throng of people was to cycle next to the river. A steep muddy path led us down the river bank, and was followed with much bumping and cursing (on my part) as we muddled our way along a narrow concrete walkway. It wasn’t long before I was rather too skeptical about our route to continue, and sent David scouting ahead to check that we might actually reach our destination without needing to swim. He returned shortly, with shoes and wheels caked in mud, to report that most of the river had flooded and in any case we didn’t have enough climbing rope to scale the massive wall at the end of the path.
A highlight for us was the hilltop view point overlooking Florence as it gave us a chance to appreciate the stunning architecture from above. The Duomo is particularly beautiful; every inch of it covered in stone inlays and carvings. What a magnificent sight.
Dolomites
Sep 5th
Our stay in the Dolomites started at the Dolmiti camping village. They have a camperstop option of €19.50/night if you stay for 3 nights. A bit of eyelash fluttering got us the special price for only two nights. Alternatively, there is an area di sosta just next door for about the same price. In the end, we forgo rafting (the river did not look very wild) and opted instead for a mouton bike route. It turned out to be quite a climb up some very steep Dolomite slopes, but our hard work was rewarded with a fantastic downhill stretch. Near the top is a fantastic waterfall crashing to the rocks far below. David was keen to get a picture but after climbing over the barrier fence it soon became clear that he’d have to do some rather perilous climbing among the pine trees jutting out over the sheer drop. A stern look, followed by several agitated shouts and promises of pizza forced him back to the safety of land. No photos for our trip, but an intact husband, phew.
The Iceman
Sep 4th
Today we stopped at Bolzano to see its most famous archeological discovery – the Iceman or, as he is locally known, “Otzi”. He was mummified 5300 years ago and is now kept in a freezer and visible through a small window. The find in 1991 has given archeologists a clearer idea of how man lived in those times. They have Otzi’s clothes on show; it is incredible how much has survived, and quite amazing to see how advanced man was, even back then. There are some English translations on the displays but if you want to get the most out of the museum your best bet is to rent an audio guide for €2.
After leaving Bolzano we had a very scenic drive to the Val di Non – apple country! We had timed it perfectly as the apple season has just started and huge bags of delicious fresh apples were available for bargain basement prices. Many food items had to vacate the fridge so that a massive carton of apple juice could be shoved unceremoniously into its depths 
Exit Austria
Sep 2nd
Last night we experienced the coldest night of our trip so far in a campsite which is home to humans and a variety of forest dwelling gnomes. The temperature in Austria plummeted to zero, and, in a bitter example of irony, our gas (and therefore central heating) spluttered and gave up the ghost right in the middle of cooking dinner. Chopped garlic and onions had to be hastily stashed in the fridge, followed by frantic scratching around for spare blankets and jerseys. Brrr!
Grossglockner Road
Sep 1st
The highlight of Austria (for us at any rate) was the High Alpine Road of Grossglockner. This toll road is expensive by toll road standards at €28 for the day, but as it kept us gasping in awe for hours it was well worth the price. At one point there are 30 mountains over 3000m in view; perfect scenes for postcards and chocolate boxes.
We got up at the crack of dawn and enjoyed a quiet road to start with. The northern ascent (from Salzburg) was dramatic with impressive peaks at every turn. The road quickly racks up many metres above sea level via some very sharp hairpin bends. We stopped frequently for photo opportunities (or sniff-and-pee breaks in Odie’s opinion)
The day was clear and bright (a welcome change after weeks of annoying rain), and consequently the road started to get very busy. By the time we reached the peak there was a constant stream of traffic behind us. We had a very quick look at the glacier at the top, but decided to pass on the visitor centre and surrounding tourist hubub, dragging an frantic Odie away from the marmots he was eager to devour. A quick descent down the other side of the mountain range led us to a beautiful stop for lunch at a restaurant featuring an alpine waterfall as a backdrop. Next stop, Italy!
Wolfgangsee
Aug 30th
Austria (on purpose this time) was our destination on a day when the rain had finally let up, or for a couple of hours at any rate. We drifted through Salzburg intending to stop and see the sites. However, we saw signs saying that camping was ‘verboten’ so our idea of free parking went up in smoke. Unfortunately we did not find a suitable campsite so we continued on to one of Austria’s alpine lakes, Wolfgangsee. At least we got to see something related to Mozart!
The campsite itself was lovely, full of apple trees (to David’s scrumping delight) and situated right next to the lake shore. You could literally dive from your van into the water, if you felt crazy enough to brave the icy temperatures. Howling winds and beating rain kept us inside – what a shame 
Feasting Festivals
Aug 22nd
And step, and step, and scowl at partner ...
Our festival luck is improving! Hungry for lunch we were on the look out for somewhere to stop for a bite and noticed a sign advertising a ‘Sommerfest’. The local village square was closed to traffic as benches had been laid out for hearty lunches accompanied by the sound of Bavarian folk music. The band members were fully kitted out in Leiderhosen and many villagers had also donned traditional dress. The best bit was when the children from the village did a traditional bavarian folk dance with much leaping and twirling and pouting and picking of noses.
Away with the Faeries
Aug 21st
Fussen is most famous for its castles but there is a lot more to it than fairytale architecture. The town is full of quaint shops and has much to offer the visiting tourist. There is a beautiful alpine blue river running through the town, with its own beach if you dare brave the freezing water! A fabulous cycle network leads you to Lake Forgensee where there are various watersports on offer. You can also cycle to both Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein castles.
We decided to scout out the parking situation for the castles. Arriving at 12pm we discovered hordes of tourists milling around and realised we needed to arrive as close to the opening time (8am) as possible, to avoid queuing for hours for a ticket. There is a beautiful lake near the castles which is virtually tourist free. Swimming is permitted at a designated spot where you can hire deck chairs and make the most of the crystal clear lake waters. Having no swimming costumes with us we opted to cycle up the mountain. What started off as a reasonable road soon turned into a perilous path with near vertical drops and numerous rockfalls. Our ride very quickly became a bicycle-carrying hike to the Mariebrucke. This bridge gives a great view of the fairytale Neuschwanstein Castle.
The following day we booked ourselves on the castle tour. There are tours in German and English, or audio tours for the rest. We managed to get onto the first English tour which thankfully had substantially less than the standard 50 people per group. The tour lasts only 30 minutes and felt rather rushed but is nevertheless well worth taking. King Ludwig II was clearly away with the faeries. The castle is built more for artistic value than architectural sense, but is in some ways all the better for it.
Up to now we have missed out on many of the local festivals as we seem to leave the towns a few days before they take place. When we found out that there was a reggae festival happening in Fussen we jumped at the chance to attend, especially when we read that they were a South African band and we could get a little taste of home. However we are not convinced that they are actually from South Africa as the mike was passed to David at one point and he sung ‘Ishe Komborera Africa’ to a very puzzled looking lead singer.
Accidental Austrian Strudel
Aug 18th
Rain, rain, rain! We had hoped to make the most of Lake Constanz but the only constant has been a steady downpour. Luckily, while drifting through Friedrichshafen, we spotted signs for the Zepplin Museum and decided to check it out on a whim. As it was early, we were fortunate enough to find a parking space easily but they were few and far between when we returned to the van. Get there early if you don’t want parking headaches. The museum itself was fascinating. I can’t believe how huge the Zepplins were, especially considering how few passengers they could carry. What we did find rather odd was that the top floor was home to an art exhibition. The rather tenuous reason (or should that be excuse?) for its existence was a little sign with the words “Science is art and art is science”.
We found a Stellplatz adjoining a campsite near Lindau. At last a chance to do some washing! A brief break in the steady downpour allowed us to go for a cycle to explore the area. We stopped at a cafe for a warming cup of tea and a very delicious apple strudel. On the cycle home we noticed a sign showing the way to Deutscheland and realised that we had accidentally strayed across the border into Austria for our strudel!
Lindau bay lit up at night
When evening fell we cycled, away from Austria this time, into Lindau town. The bay is lit up at night and is very pretty, apart from a rather odd neon sign at the top of a statue which changes every few minutes from a smiley face to a sad face. The restaurants on the water front are very expensive but a short walk to the end of the row will take you to a funky little cafe which serves cake and beer, a combination I have come to love 
We suspect that although it has a lovely riviera feel at night it would be very different in the day, heaving with tourists.