Day 22 lucca

Today I got my first real taste of Italian drivers, they are an animated bunch. This was one time when my "stay off the main road" theory failed. I was stuck in traffic for about 2 hours along Italy's version of main beach in Florida (there are worse places to be stuck in traffic on second thought)

I get to the walled city of lucca, hire a bike and have a little look round. Its a very pretty city with loads of places to check out, also it's not very busy which is a nice change)

I find a campsite with a pool ( thank god as it's 34degs ) and for dinner I have my first Italian pizza. It sure beats dominos.

Tip. Don't park under a street light, makes sleeping a bit harder.

Song. Uptown top ranking. ( great for beach street crawling)

Day 21 5 terra again

I hook up with an American couple and head off to hike the 5 terra path. 5 terra is 5 small villages that hang to the side of the cliffs overlooking the med. The walk takes about 5 hours, we had to go a different route for as there had been a landslide.

It's very beautiful around here, but very hot walking in the midday sun.

For dinner I go to a little restaurant not far from the campsite, its run by a grumpy old lady who is more interested in her dog than worrying about customers( the sign above fido says " no touch my dog") all is forgiven as the food is amazing.

Tip. If you sleep with the windows open, make sure you have insect repellant.

Song. No music today.

Day 20 5 terra Italy

So I dropped tess off at the airport last night, and drove to find a place to park for the night. Driving I came across a fun fair/festival, I parked and went to check it out. It had a load tents that contained bars and a bunch of food stands. Great. So I went and got a beer, the guy handed over a half pint and didn't ask for any money, strange, no one was paying for the drinks. Over at the food tent I got a north African dish ( Marselle has a big north African influence) again totally free. I must of missed the place where you paid for the entrance. I sat down at one of the long tables with the 300 odd people to watch the live entertainment. The band came on, said something in French, everybody stood up and watched as the bride and groom had the first dance.

So I've just crashed a French wedding, a massive French wedding. Suddenly it seems so obvious, everybody was dressed nicely(not suits but smart) and I'm in flip flops and shorts. Quickly I finished dinner and got the hell out of there.

Today was spent driving from Marseille to del marina just north of the 5 terra national park. It still amazes me that you can drive from one country to another in a few hours.

Tip. No such thing as a free beer

Song. The Foals. ( good driving music)

Days17,18,19 Provence

A very joyous reunite with tess on friday,And we head down to Marseille. I've booked a hotel room, not sure if tess is ready for sandshoe style sleep. So it's a posh hotel and a fancy meal ( not baked beans).
After a very welcome sleep in a real bed we head to avignon for the day, it's very pretty here. We see the sights, and miss lunch time, then head off to Bonnoux( this is where Ridley Scott filmed a good year). It's is a truly beautiful part of the world. What a perfect place for a perfect weekend.

Tip. Go to Bonnoux, amazing!!!

Song. Bad Madonna medley sung by a French gipsy band.

Days 12 - 16 West coast of France

I know it's a little lazy putting a whole group of days together, but hey it is a holiday after all.
Plus it must be said the last week has defiantly changed me, I'm in full holiday mode.

The summary of the last week has been a lot if surfing, drinking and pimping noodles( that's not a typo).

I convoyed up from San Sab, with my new kiwi mates, to just north of bayonne in France. Found a site and got some boards.

All in all a very good week. Tomorrow I'm doing the big drive to marseille to pick up tess from the airport. Can't wait.

Tip. Baguette and tin spaghetti is the bomb!!!

Song of the week. Anything by the eels I'm reading his bio at the mo.

Day 11 San Sebastian

Awoken to the sounds of children laughing right outside the van, I go and investigate the source of amusement. Sure enough it's sandshoe, the multi colored paint job has a group kids snapping away photos and generally being intrigued. One particularly brazent kid fires off what I assume is Italian, and pointing to the van's rear. He wants to see the kitchen, Europeans are a strange bunch.

Got to a very pimp campsite on top of a hill ( it looks more like wales than spain) overlooking the bay of biscay, and luckily getting a site. I then meet up with some kiwi teachers, here on a surfing( drinking) trip.

We all hit the town and had a large one, very funny night.

Tip11 get to campsites early in the summer they go fast.

Song of the day. In the jungle. ( a crowd of about 30 people drunkenly singing it a 3am in the town square)

Day 08 ( for real this time) The Med

Today was spent watching the slow rolling wave's of the med. The 8 hour journey really made me appreciate air travel, yet at the same time I desperately wanted to go sailing again.

Getting of the ferry I was glad to find that sandshoe was where I left her, after a reluctant start, I was back on the road. The road however I was on seemed very strange, loads of unnecessary bends and turns. It turns out the I had accidentally ended up on the Valencia grand prix track.
All the shops where shut so I chanced dinner at a little shack type restaurant. The local special was rabbit paella, and it was amazing!!!

Tip08 don't judge a book by it's 70's style decor.

Song of the day. We are Sailing. Rod stuart

Day 09 Cuenca

The Chinese say that the journey is the reward, and today I was on that buzz.

It was a fairly early start from the campsite near Valencia, then a quick stop for supplies at a truly incredible building that houses the Valencia science museum.

Not long, then I was going over a mountain range and into the Spanish heartland. There were miles and miles of sun flowers in full bloom, then olive and grape groves. Stopped in a little town and finished off the rest of last nights paella( I've maxed out on paella, good but I'm done)

Then after 4 hours driving ( I'm taking my time) I got to Cuenca. It is a smallish town with a pretty old town that hangs of a cliff ( the rest of the city is a bit crap)

Tip 09. don't travel 50 mph on a motorway looking at the view. Truck drivers don't like it.

Song of the Day. Place in the sun. Stevie Wonder

Day 10 Pamplona

Had a very pleasant night in a campsite by Rio Uni, there where some crazy Dutch guys and a few rouge cows, both made for entertaining neighbors.

In the morning I headed off to pamplona. It was another amazing drive, keeping off the motorways you see the most amazing little villages and truly spectacular views.

It was a long drive and so very tired I set up camp for the night. Pamplona center would have to wait till tomorrow.

Tip10. Go easy on the sangra, it packs a bit of a punch the next day.

Song of the day. On the road again. ( I just could not get it of of my head)

Day 08 Palma outta here

A late start, and a late lunch, then show Chris off to the airport. It's been a good couple of days getting to hangout with Chris. but it's the last day of the holiday within a holiday tomorrow it's back to the mainland and (hopefully) the van.

Also the last night in hostel pinar and my Italian neighbours have an impromptu party( No biggie I'm sure I can sleep on the 8 hour ferry tomorrow)

Tip08 loads of restuants are closed on Monday in Palma. No popping out for a quick bit.

Song of the day. More Italian tapes.

Day 07 Palma Still

Finding a good coffee in Spain is hard, fortunately there is a cafe not far from the hostel that's not bad. Coffee and half a passive cigarette ( not sure if this place got the EU smoking ban memo) I hit up some more tourist sights, the Castle on top of the mountain has an amazing view if the city of Palma.

A bit of paella for lunch ( tasty tasty) and off to the beach.

I meet up with Christain, had some tapas (good meat balls) and we took off the see the 8th wonder of the world... Shagaluf. This was truly an eye opener 1000's of totally wasted teenagers, it makes schoolies week on the gold coast look like a quite game of lawn bowls. Crazy crazy place.

Tip07 If you are older than 13 don't go to magaluf.

Song of the day. On the edge of 17. Stevie Nicks. ( Chris and I are feeling old )

Day 05 More Palma

A late start and a somewhat fuzzy head. I manage to get out and see the sights. Palma is a very pretty city, lots of little side streets and great architecture. A massive harbour dominates the city, and this a great place to watch the world go by.

A little dinner and off to bed an early night is in order.

Tip05 cheap hostels are not the place to have hangovers

Song of the day. No music today it was all about the italian language tapes. ( no really sure how much sunk in)

Day 04 Palma

Awoken from a lovely sleep in my cabin on the ferry from Valencia to Palma. I spent a few hours tracking down a place to stay for a couple days, no van, no beds, no good.

Then caught up with Chris from work. He was out here on a job. I was kindly taken for dinner and got to meet Christophe the very interesting( crazy) director. A few drinks and then off to bed(drinking heavily till late o'clock)

Tip04 don't drink with mad german directors

Song of the day. Title unknown. Artist sung by the two Chris's (I think it was some type of octoberfest drinking song)

Day 03 e15 motorway

Sadly today was mostly a travel day, after an early morning swim, I hit the road. Travelling from Barcelona to Valencia. Got into Valencia after a long drive watching the greens of the surroundings turn more brown the further south the van travelled. I wasn't long in town for I'm going to meet Chris in Palma, and that needs a ferry. I'm going to leave sandshoe on the mainland hoping that she's safe and sound.

Things are a lot more pricey than I figured they would be, I'm hoping that it will get cheaper when I leave the tourist path.

Tip03. this is a 2 for 1 offer. Some beaches in Barcelona get vacuum cleaned in the night (good for chilling during on a clean beach during the day, bad if you are sleeping next to a massive hover pulled by a tractor) & STAY OFF TOLL ROADS. To much cash.

Song of the day. Fatboy slim, right here right now. (the only song I knew on the euro trash radio)

Just waiting for the ferry now.

Laters.

Day 02 Barcelona

In a vain attempt to get a phone for use in europe, I tentatively left the van and must of walked the length and breath of Barcelona. This was just a well because I passed the food market and went a little nuts. Tasty morsels for weeks. Did a little shopping, mainly sheets and pillows to further pimp the sand shoe.
On returning back to the beach I discovered that a group of fellow travellers had found my secret parking site.

Got to work on dinner, had a drink with my new neighbours

Tip 02. French hippies have very little banter.

Song of the day. Elegantly wasted, INSX. ( the bar across the park must of played it 25 times in the night.)

Day 01. Meeting sandshoe

So it begins After a sad goodbye to Tess, I flew to Barcelona to start this little trip. The flight uneventful, except a 5 year old girl screaming with her brother that she wanted the window seat. To save the other passengers ear drums I gave the little brat my window seat, (Even Chavs fly BA).

In Barcelona a bus, a tube, a train, another bus, and a very long hot sweaty walk, I was united with sandshoe, home for the next few weeks ( not the sexy old school vw I was thinking, but hey I'm on a budget)

Tip01 for camper travel. Local knowledge rules above all. Met a fellow camper who suggested a site on the beach( free and right on the beach)

Song of the day: unknown title, unknown artist. ( they were this 3 piece band, guitar, drums, and flute. Busting out a spanish song on a commuter train)

Catch you later.

The first part done. (not exactly europe)

After an uneventful flight to Kota Kinabalu in borneo, Tess and I have no luggage. So our first introduction to one of world's richest natural environments...An air-conditioned shopping centre.

After seeing the sights of KK for a few days(manly the hotel room). Tess and I started the climb of Mt. Kinabalu. I think its fair to say the it was one of the hardest things I've ever done not helped by being totally unprepared for the 4100 meter climb. It took 2 days to reach the summit, and we both felt every second of it.

After a couple more days in borneo, seeing the orang-utan's and trying to walk again, we flew to Bali.
A very fine week in Bali enjoying the tropical sun, came and went far to quickly.

And so tomorrow I fly to Barcelona to pick you the "Wicked" camper. This to start my little trip around
Europe. The hardest part is going to be leaving Tess(I'm not looking forward to this good bye) but she will come and meet me in a couple of weeks.

Take it easy and pop back in from time to time.

xx