Tunnel in the fort
Friday, May 29, 2009
Verdun
A two night stop here enabled us to explore the WWI battle sites and museums around Verdun. Verdun was the scene of some very heavy fighting between Germany and France during WWI. Just out of Verdun is a massive monument built to commemorate the soldiers killed during the two years' battle. In the lower part of the large building the bones of 130,000 unknown soldiers (German and French) are piled and these can be viewed through glass windows.
Also there are some very comprehensive museums nearby with continuous running films and much war memorabilia. There are also several forts which can be toured - these are several stories deep and are cold and wet inside.
All the surrounding countryside, even though the trees have grown back, still has the bomb craters and trenches that have not been disturbed since 1918.
One comes away feeling very sad at the enormous loss of life.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Picture of George at Pisa
A picture of George early in the morning at Pisa. Unfortunately the sun was in the wrong spot
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Torino - Switzerland
21 & 22/5/09
Torino to Arona
We arrived at the other end and headed towards Brig where we were to continue our journey to our campsite at Seelisburg. This was also a steep and windy road with huge bridges over the valleys – lots of pictures taken while I was standing on the seat with my head stuck out of the top hatch. When we were going along the freeway all of a sudden it poured with rain for about 20 minutes. Rain was coming in everywhere as we were not prepared for this. We really appreciated it when we were going through the tunnels. We had to stop so that Nigel could put up the windows on the jeep as his mum and dad were getting drenched. We could not believe the extremes we had that day – heat, followed by cold in the train and then heavy rain.
Our campsite was at the top of a hill in a paddock with the use of the hotel's ablutions. This small town in the mountains overlooks a huge lake with aqua coloured water. The lake is surrounded by snow topped mountains. Switzerland is certainly a very beautiful place.
We were fortunate to see it on such a warm and sunny day as this is very unusual for Switzerland.
24/5/09
This morning we were awakened at 5.30am by the sound of rain on the roof so it was a quick scuttle to pull down the roof hatch which we had up during the night. Our start was delayed as Jim stayed to help a couple of the guys work on their vehicles. We finally left with the Wards and O’Sullivans at 10.00am – the last ones to leave. We also had to be jump started as I had charged the camera and phone and flattened the battery while I was waiting!!
We drove down the same hill that we had come up the previous day and enjoyed the sights once more. No big dramas on the way – just had to tow the O’Sullivans to get them going at the Swiss/French border. We drove on the autobahn as the vehicles were getting hot and some of the guys wanted to get to Mulhouse in time to visit the museums. We booked into a caravan park that was located between the canal and the river and a very park like spot. We had lots of space to spread out and it was a good time to catch up on the washing.
Torino to Arona
Unfortunately we had a bad start to the day by taking the wrong turn and having to drive in peak hour traffic through the city of Torino. Just what we needed first thing in the morning! Eventually we ended up on the correct highway headed for Lake Maggiore and arrived at our campsite for a 2 day stop at a lovely location on the edge of the lake. Unfortunately the mozzies enjoyed this campsite also. It was time to catch up on washing, shopping and vehicle maintenance.
23/5/09
We left camp at 7.30am as we had a long day ahead of us and the challenge of crossing the Simplon Pass. We joined the Queenslanders (Ward/O’Sullivan convoy) and followed them all the way to Seelisburg. The drive along the lake from our campsite through to Arona was magnificent with lots of trees along the road and grand buildings and villas. Obviously where the rich and famous hang out.
After a few "extra" turns we met up with Lang at the designated spot with about 2 minutes to spare. The drive up to the Simplon Pass was very steep and windy but absolutely picture perfect. The mountain tops were covered with snow and there were lots of waterfalls and fastflowing streams. The jeep had a few problems with fuel vaporising and we had to be careful that the Blitz's did not overheat - it was slow and hard going for the old vehicles.
At the top of the pass there was thick ice alongside the road and the guys shovelled this onto their radiators to cool them down. We could not get over how warm the day was even though there was ice outside. The old vehicles did not like the climb and got very hot – eyes were on the temp gauge all the time and it was quite hot inside the van – probably the hottest we have felt the whole trip. After a quick bite to eat at the very top of the pass we then proceeded down where there was more beautiful scenery - glaciers, chalets and even churches in the mountains.
Conquering the pass was not the only challenge of the day as we still had many high hills to climb and these really put the vehicles to the test. At one stage the jeep stopped in the middle of the road as it had fuel vaporisation and caused a bank up of traffic in both directions. Jim had to tow it around a very sharp corner and up a steep hill – we were hoping our vehicle did not boil as this would have caused problems. Nigel got the jeep going and we continued on to catch the car train at the Furka Pass. You just drive your vehicle onto a partially enclosed rail wagon and stay inside your vehicle. There is a small carriage for people to sit in if they want to. At one stage our GPS showed the train doing 55kmh but then we lost satellite coverage as it went further into the bowels of the earth. It was quite cold in the vehicle because of the wind and inside the tunnel it was dark with just an occasional light. This was George’s first train trip.
We left camp at 7.30am as we had a long day ahead of us and the challenge of crossing the Simplon Pass. We joined the Queenslanders (Ward/O’Sullivan convoy) and followed them all the way to Seelisburg. The drive along the lake from our campsite through to Arona was magnificent with lots of trees along the road and grand buildings and villas. Obviously where the rich and famous hang out.
After a few "extra" turns we met up with Lang at the designated spot with about 2 minutes to spare. The drive up to the Simplon Pass was very steep and windy but absolutely picture perfect. The mountain tops were covered with snow and there were lots of waterfalls and fastflowing streams. The jeep had a few problems with fuel vaporising and we had to be careful that the Blitz's did not overheat - it was slow and hard going for the old vehicles.
At the top of the pass there was thick ice alongside the road and the guys shovelled this onto their radiators to cool them down. We could not get over how warm the day was even though there was ice outside. The old vehicles did not like the climb and got very hot – eyes were on the temp gauge all the time and it was quite hot inside the van – probably the hottest we have felt the whole trip. After a quick bite to eat at the very top of the pass we then proceeded down where there was more beautiful scenery - glaciers, chalets and even churches in the mountains.
Conquering the pass was not the only challenge of the day as we still had many high hills to climb and these really put the vehicles to the test. At one stage the jeep stopped in the middle of the road as it had fuel vaporisation and caused a bank up of traffic in both directions. Jim had to tow it around a very sharp corner and up a steep hill – we were hoping our vehicle did not boil as this would have caused problems. Nigel got the jeep going and we continued on to catch the car train at the Furka Pass. You just drive your vehicle onto a partially enclosed rail wagon and stay inside your vehicle. There is a small carriage for people to sit in if they want to. At one stage our GPS showed the train doing 55kmh but then we lost satellite coverage as it went further into the bowels of the earth. It was quite cold in the vehicle because of the wind and inside the tunnel it was dark with just an occasional light. This was George’s first train trip.
We arrived at the other end and headed towards Brig where we were to continue our journey to our campsite at Seelisburg. This was also a steep and windy road with huge bridges over the valleys – lots of pictures taken while I was standing on the seat with my head stuck out of the top hatch. When we were going along the freeway all of a sudden it poured with rain for about 20 minutes. Rain was coming in everywhere as we were not prepared for this. We really appreciated it when we were going through the tunnels. We had to stop so that Nigel could put up the windows on the jeep as his mum and dad were getting drenched. We could not believe the extremes we had that day – heat, followed by cold in the train and then heavy rain.
Our campsite was at the top of a hill in a paddock with the use of the hotel's ablutions. This small town in the mountains overlooks a huge lake with aqua coloured water. The lake is surrounded by snow topped mountains. Switzerland is certainly a very beautiful place.
We were fortunate to see it on such a warm and sunny day as this is very unusual for Switzerland.
24/5/09
This morning we were awakened at 5.30am by the sound of rain on the roof so it was a quick scuttle to pull down the roof hatch which we had up during the night. Our start was delayed as Jim stayed to help a couple of the guys work on their vehicles. We finally left with the Wards and O’Sullivans at 10.00am – the last ones to leave. We also had to be jump started as I had charged the camera and phone and flattened the battery while I was waiting!!
We drove down the same hill that we had come up the previous day and enjoyed the sights once more. No big dramas on the way – just had to tow the O’Sullivans to get them going at the Swiss/French border. We drove on the autobahn as the vehicles were getting hot and some of the guys wanted to get to Mulhouse in time to visit the museums. We booked into a caravan park that was located between the canal and the river and a very park like spot. We had lots of space to spread out and it was a good time to catch up on the washing.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Garlenda - Torino
18/5/09
Today we headed for Pisa. It was a bad start to the day when "Norma" kept sending us round and round in circles and we went past the same garage 3 times. There is no easy way to get off the freeways once you are on them! We decided it was time to ask for help so I went into the local deli that sold lovely bread and salamis and asked for directions. It was quite awhile before I finally managed to get a lady who could speak English and point us in the right directions. We were keen to get going as we had wasted a fair bit of time but when we went to start the van the battery was flat as Jim had left the lights on. A nice young man jump started us and we finally got on the track.
We were paranoid about taking the wrong road on the freeway and ending up in Florence but with the lady's directions and "Norma" finally getting her act together we ended up right at the front gate of the caravan park. The park was within walking distance of the leaning Tower of Pisa so we went with the NZ's to explore the sites. It is certainly a magical site and fortunately we were there before all the tourists.
19/5/09
We left the caravan park at 7.30am for a photo shoot at the tower before the crowd built up. You are not supposed to drive and park where we did but the local police turned a blind eye and told us to be quick and move on. Not sure whether the pictures will turn out as the sun was in the wrong position.
It was a lovely drive to Garlenda via Genoa along the cliffs overlooking the ocean. We went through lots and lots of tunnels and we lost GPS coverage many times. We ended up in Genoa because Norma died on us and we did not know which turn off to take. A little sidetrack through the busy streets of Genoa and then we were back on the Autostrade headed for Garlenda. Garlenda is a very small town with a population of 1000 people nestled in a valley. It is the headquarters of the Fiat 500 club and is very well supported throughout Italy and the World. Each year they hold a rally for the Fiats and people come from everywhere. Bev and Lang had been there in 2006 on their trip around the World in a Fiat hence the friendship they have formed with Sandro and his wife.
Sandro had arranged for us to camp on the sporting ground and use its facilities. (Cold showers, brrrr). That night we followed behind the local band in a few of the vehicles and went up the main street to the Fiat Museum. It was quite a procession and a lot of the townspeople came out to see us go past. We had a tour of the Fiat Museum and then went over the tennis club for drinks and dinner.
The local women had made lots of delicious pizzas and finger food for us to have with our drinks. We then went into the clubhouse where they served us with lots of wine, cold meats, pesta and desert. They had speech after speech and kept interrupting each other (just like in the comedy movies) and we couldn't stop laughing. They spoilt us with lots of gifts and made our night very special. True Italian hospitality.
We got to bed after 11.00pm with a tummy full of food.
20/5/09
Today we headed for the beautiful city of Torino. Part of our drive was over the road that we had travelled the previous day but it was so pretty and we saw things that we had not seen the day before. Most of the journey was on the Autostrade so it was easy and enjoyable. We saw snow on the mountains in the distance and lots of churches and old buildings in little villages and everything was lush and green. We obviously went through the agricultural district as there were lots of cereal crops growing.
We caught a taxi into the central square of Torino with the McKinneys to look at the magnificent buildings - driving is certainly not recommended as you have to contend with trams as well as the vehicles. The drive to the caravan park was an experience in itself as it was at the top of a hill via a windy road. The shops around the main square were all too expensive for us as they were all designer labels - we couldn't even get the guys to look in the windows. There did not appear to be many people in the shops looking or buying.
Sandro had arranged for us to camp on the sporting ground and use its facilities. (Cold showers, brrrr). That night we followed behind the local band in a few of the vehicles and went up the main street to the Fiat Museum. It was quite a procession and a lot of the townspeople came out to see us go past. We had a tour of the Fiat Museum and then went over the tennis club for drinks and dinner.
The local women had made lots of delicious pizzas and finger food for us to have with our drinks. We then went into the clubhouse where they served us with lots of wine, cold meats, pesta and desert. They had speech after speech and kept interrupting each other (just like in the comedy movies) and we couldn't stop laughing. They spoilt us with lots of gifts and made our night very special. True Italian hospitality.
We got to bed after 11.00pm with a tummy full of food.
20/5/09
Today we headed for the beautiful city of Torino. Part of our drive was over the road that we had travelled the previous day but it was so pretty and we saw things that we had not seen the day before. Most of the journey was on the Autostrade so it was easy and enjoyable. We saw snow on the mountains in the distance and lots of churches and old buildings in little villages and everything was lush and green. We obviously went through the agricultural district as there were lots of cereal crops growing.
We caught a taxi into the central square of Torino with the McKinneys to look at the magnificent buildings - driving is certainly not recommended as you have to contend with trams as well as the vehicles. The drive to the caravan park was an experience in itself as it was at the top of a hill via a windy road. The shops around the main square were all too expensive for us as they were all designer labels - we couldn't even get the guys to look in the windows. There did not appear to be many people in the shops looking or buying.
Torino is a very beautiful place and one could spend a month just looking at all the old buildings. Unfortunately we did not have that sort of time to spare.
Four of us are sitting on a bench in the dark in the park and getting eating by mosquitoes just to keep in touch with the outside world.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Crete, Greece & Italy update
This is a quick entry as battery is low on the computer
12/5/09
We followed the coast road towards Iraklion to catch the ferry to Piraeus. Every bend or turn exposed a different but magnificent view. One minute you were overlooking the ocean and the next a valley.
We followed the coast road towards Iraklion to catch the ferry to Piraeus. Every bend or turn exposed a different but magnificent view. One minute you were overlooking the ocean and the next a valley.
When we came down the hill towards Spili there were an unbelievable amount of hot houses where they grow the vegetables. Obviously fruit and vegetables are a big export market for Crete. The drive continued through the agricultural area and driving through these towns was an experience as there were tractors going down the street, cars double parked on either side of the road and vehicles going the wrong way. Fortunately we navigated through this mayhem unscathed.
That night was another night sleeping with waterfront views and going to sleep listening to Sam playing his saxophone and another guy at the restaurant playing the bagpipes.
13/5/09
Today was our last day in Crete. We were all at the ferry terminal well before the designated time as we had all been lost so many times that we were scared we would miss the ferry.
One of the guys had his bonnet up and was working on the engine in the ferry carpark. This vehicle did not make it up the ramp of the ferry and had to be towed on and off the ferry. Another had a busted spring which he hoped to get fixed when he arrived at Athens.
This ferry was nowhere near as nice as the ferry we came over to Crete on and we ended up lying on our blankets on the floor trying to sleep.
14/5/09
Jim and I left the yard and let the GPS do all the work. She behaved beautifully and guided us out of Athens without a hitch. Apparently some of the others had trouble getting on to the freeway and got horribly lost. We drove from Athens to Korinthos and stopped and saw the Corinth Canal. Unfortunately there were no boats in the canal.
The drive down to our campsite was another picturesque drive along the edge of a hill overlooking the ocean. You can see why the tourists like to come to Greece for the water and sunshine although the pollution is dreadful.
We found our campsite without too many hassles and felt quite relieved when we arrived.
There was a magnificent bridge close to our caravan park which links the two mainlands together. We also walked around the ruins of the Rion Fortress which was surrounded by a moat.
15/5/09
Piraeus to Ancona
Our last ferry ride of the trip. This was a huge port area and we had to be careful as there were a few gypsies wandering around.
Waiting to board the ferry turned out to be quite exciting.
We were standing by our vehicles when we saw a bus driver yelling at a stowaway that had got under his truck. The driver said that there are a lot of illegal immigrants from Iraq and Iran who try to get into and under the vehicles to leave Greece. We saw quite a few small and dirty guys looking under trucks to see if there was anywhere they could hide. We sat in a position where we could see our vehicles to make sure that no one tried to hide in them.
The Mottrams turned up and said that they had an illegal immigrant jump in the back of their truck when they were outside the Port. Apparently they were set up as a group of them wandered across the road in front of Dave and when he slowed down one jumped in the back. As they drove along people kept pointing to their truck and they thought there must have been something wrong so they stopped the truck. A guy came to their window and told them that someone had jumped into the back of their truck. Dave and Maggie jumped out and ran down each side of the truck and got the guy out. He was on the floor between the bed and the cupboards.
Dave then took off and saw another guy running after him to jump on board. Dave could not speed up as there was traffic in front so he put his foot on the brake and the immigrant slammed into the back of his truck hurting his nose. All along the port there is a high fence with barbed wire on the top and the illegal immigrants peer through the fence trying to get a ride. Security scares them away every so often but they soon reappear.
Mike O’Sullivan got out his tripod and camera and was interviewing Dave about his little adventure when the Port security came over and asked Mike whether he had permission to film in the Port. He did not speak English very well and called up another security officer. The first guy wanted to take Mike away for questioning but the second one spoke to Mike for awhile and then said he was able to go. We thought that we would have to leave Mike in Piraeus for awhile!!
Then it was time to load the vehicles on the ferry. As they were going on the ferry security officers were checking the back of the vehicles for stowaways. When Lang drove up the security officer checked the back of Lang’s vehicle and saw a foot poking out from under the blankets so he prodded around and out came a stowaway. Apparently the look on Lang’s face was one of shock horror. Lang had been telling everyone all afternoon to watch their vehicles in case anyone jumed in!! Leisa has it on film so it will be interesting to see at a later date.
Fortunately we were able to get deck camping so we slept in our van on the deck specially allocated for deck camping. It is mostly open so there is a nice fresh breeze blowing through to take away all the fumes. We could lie in our beds and see the ocean through our side windows.
Well we arrived in Ancona at around 12.30pm the next day. We were joined by Herman Pfauter who then attempted to guide us out of Ancona in convoy. Well the convoy went to pieces in a matter of minutes and so began our usual nightmare of navigating and getting lost. We must have all been strung out around northern Italy except for those who managed to follow Herman. The caravan park that we had hoped to stay in that night was not open so we were told to go to Urbino to that caravan park.
Well that was another adventure and soon we found that we were lost again. We stopped and asked people a few times but they did not speak very good English so with a lot of gesturing headed in the general direction. We wound our way through the most beautiful countryside through hills and fields. Everything was lovely and green and the flowers so colourful. The houses are so old that it is like stepping back in time. Italy has a lovely feel to it and I can see why people come and live here.
We finally arrived at the beautiful walled city of Urbino where there was some important event happening as there were police, people in uniform and a lot of other people gathered around.
Today our destination was Scarfaria so we left the campsite around 8.00am along a very mountainous and picturesque road.
There were lots of restaurants and little villages along the way. As it was Sunday the shops were closed but the restaurants were busy. There were so many motorbikes and they went flying past us. Also what was quite amazing was that there were also a lot of bicycles
Members of the local Military Club met us at Scarfaria and arranged for us to park in the main street which is normally closed on Sunday. A lot of picture taking and then Military Club escorted us in convoy to our caravan park and joined us later for drinks.
We finally arrived at the beautiful walled city of Urbino where there was some important event happening as there were police, people in uniform and a lot of other people gathered around.
Today our destination was Scarfaria so we left the campsite around 8.00am along a very mountainous and picturesque road.
There were lots of restaurants and little villages along the way. As it was Sunday the shops were closed but the restaurants were busy. There were so many motorbikes and they went flying past us. Also what was quite amazing was that there were also a lot of bicycles
Members of the local Military Club met us at Scarfaria and arranged for us to park in the main street which is normally closed on Sunday. A lot of picture taking and then Military Club escorted us in convoy to our caravan park and joined us later for drinks.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Crete
We left on the ferry from Athens at approx 8.00pm on 8/5/09 and arrived in Iraklion/Heraklion (spelt many different ways), Crete around 6.00am on 9/5/09 after having very little or no sleep on the airline seats.
After the vehicles were unloaded from the ferry we drove straight out to the hill that the 6th Div 2/4th Bat defended in 1941 – Twin Charlies. It was a beautiful view over Iraklion.
The drive from Iraklion to Rethimnon on the old road was very hilly with deep ravines. It would have been a difficult road in 1941. We went through small villages where people lived off the land by growing fruit, vegetables, olives and raising goats.
10/5/09
We had camped overnight at the Chania Camping ground and the next morning some of the trucks had problems getting out of the park because of the olive tree branches touching the canvas.
It was to be a very busy day so we took off towards the Maleme German War Graves where 4464 Germans were buried on Hill 107 overlooking the airfield. We also went to the Commonwealth Cemetery at Souda Bay where there were mostly English and NZ’s and a few Australians from the 2/11 Bat.
The cemeteries are a credit to the organisations that have created and maintained them, both are in peaceful and beautiful surroundings.
We then drove towards Sfakia/Sfakion on a very hilly but good highway. It was a very hilly road with some flat valleys for farming olives, cereals, sheep and goats. We were surprised to see so many restaurants on the way – tourism brings in about 20% of Crete’s income. The scenery was beautiful with pink and purple flowers and lots of red poppies alongside the road. They also have a yellow flowering shrub which looks very much like our wattle.
From the top of the mountain we began a massive descent in 3rd gear and sometimes 2nd down to the plateau and Sfakia Port where the allies evacuated from Crete to North Africa. We had hoped to camp on the beach but there was no beach camping so the local hotelier offered hotel rooms for 13Eu (AUD26) per head per night which we accepted. It is a small room with a very small bathroom on the 2nd floor of the hotel but with a balcony with a million dollar view overlooking the village and the ocean.
11/5/09
This morning some of the vehicles lined up in front of the evacuation memorial for flag raising and photos. Jim talked to a local gent (82 years old) about the evacuation that took place when he was 13 years old and he pointed to the rocks where the evacuation took place.
Today has been a day of rest and doing any maintenance required on the vehicles .
Our hotel is situated on the waterfront and there are alfresco restaurants all along the port. It has been hard to handle this type of lifestyle but we have managed to adapt.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Group members blogspots
You may be interested in reading the blogspots of some of our members.
http://next-horizon.org/ (Lang & Bev Kidby)
http://www.sydney-normandy-2009.blogspot.com/ (Hans Spranger)
http://hedgesnormandy.blogspot.com/ (John & Fiona Hedges)
http://www.anzacconvoy.blogspot.com/ (Karen & Dale Barnard)
Kato Gatzea to Athens
Well we were all up with the sparrows today to get on the road to tackle the trip to Athens. We packed up and were out on the road by 7.20am and we were by no means the first!
The drive was absolutely beautiful driving through mountains and valleys and alongside the ocean. The sky was the clearest it has been since we have been here.
Yesterday we drove past the Aliakmon Line which was where the 6th Div and the 2nd New Zealand div first met the Germans in Greece and this morning we passed through the Olympus Line and the Thermopylae Line which was the last line of defence before Athens and the embarkation for Crete and North Africa. It is looking at the line of steep mountains one can see how these formed formidable barriers for an advancing army. We came on a freeway - one can imagine 60 odd years ago the roads would have been entirely different and hard going for loaded trucks.
"George" was introduced to a few tunnels today and some of them were quite long.
We met up with members of the group along the way at the petrol stop. Normally we don't see anyone but there are very few petrol stations along the Greek freeways. Unlike Turkey where they seem to be every few kilometres or so.
There are massive road works being done on the freeways and in places the traffic is reduced from 4 lanes to 2. A toot here and a toot there and they pass you travelling at a rate of knots we being the slowest vehicle on the road averaging 60kms per hour. It appears that some of them are doing well over double that speed.
The traffic in Athens is absolutely horrendous where traffic merges from 5 lanes to 2 and then back to 4 and nobody follows the white lines. We missed our turn off as it was not very well signposted and put our fate in the hands of "Norma" our GPS. She behaved beautifully and got us right to our campsite gate. The campsite is like having a driveway off Adelaide Terrace, only worse (right in the middle of a city). The campsite has very good facilities and is very clean. Tomorrow we will catch a bus into Athens as it goes right past our gate - a much better and braver option than driving.
Plaka Litchorou - Volos - Katia Gazea
We were all very proud of ourselves as all members of the group made it to the Sikia Camp Site at a reasonable time.
Throughout the whole trip we have been free to leave in the morning at whatever time we want (unless we are catching ferries) and make our own way to the next campsite. This gives the group members the opportunity to explore and see what they want along the way. Travelling in convoy would not be an option due to the traffic conditions.
Jim and I seem to be getting better with the navigating as we go along and have managed to find every campsite at a reasonable hour (except for Gallipoli where we were last in at midnight - with the Kiwis of course!).
Sikia Camp Site was another beautiful setting right beside the ocean and amongst 400 year old olive trees. The trees look so old and withered you wouldn't think that they would produce any olives at all.
In the afternoon some of the group braved the water and went for a swim as the weather had warmed up - after having a few spits of rain in the morning.
It was Ken Bathurst's sister Pottsy's 60 birthday last night so the troops gathered around and surprised her with a delicious chocolate birthday cake. She tried to keep it a secret but secrets are pretty hard to keep amongst us lot.
Everybody went to bed early as they knew that the next day they had to tackle the Athens traffic to get to the campsite. We were not feeling too confident about that I can tell you!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Gallipoli to Alexandropoulos
Friday 1 May
At the Turkey/Greek border we had to show our passports about 3 times on the Turkish side and once on the Greek side before we were on Greek soil.
It rained very heavily on the trip and by the time we got to the caravan park many members had their gear quite wet. About 5 vehicles spent the night at the caravan park which was right on the beach and the rest of the group stayed at motels. The next morning it was a beautiful sunny day as we drove to Keramoti to catch the car ferry to the mountainous island of Thassos. We spent 2 enjoyable days camped right beside the beach at the foot of the mountains. To catch the car ferry to Kavala we had to drive to the other side of the island and passed some marble quarries on the way - the marble is almost white.
From Kavala we drove along a very scenic ocean road to our campsite at Plaka Litchorou south of Thessaloniki. Again a lovely campsite beside the beach with Mt Olympus in the background with the top covered in snow. That night many of the group had a delicious pizza at a restaurant on the edge of the beach.
Wherever we go the vehicles are the centre of attention with lots of photos being taken. Lang has had a message typed in Greek which we put on our windscreen when we are not in the vehicle so that people know what we are doing. It has also been advantageous when asking directions after you have got lost and this is a daily occurrence!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Istanbul to Gallipoli
Well the trip from Istanbul to Gallipoli was very challenging indeed. Fortunately Jim had learnt some road skills from the Turkish taxi driver! Looking at the map it was just a matter of following the coast road from Istanbul to get us out of the city and so much more interesting than going on the freeway - so we thought. After many wrong turns and going in the wrong direction twice, with the help of the locals we finally were sent in the right direction.
Lots of rain on the way and a bit of splash through the front window added to the excitement. Fortunately the rain cleared as we headed further west and we were able to enjoy the scenery of fields of canola and grain crops - everything was very lush and green.
Poor old “George” is being tested on a daily basis with rain, mountains and freeways but is going well.
Poor old “George” is being tested on a daily basis with rain, mountains and freeways but is going well.
We had the day to explore the sites around Gallipoli which have been very well maintained by the Turks. It is hard to imagine that such a beautiful place was the site of so much sorrow. We visited Lone Pine Cemetery and saw, along with many others, the wreath layed by the Collie School in Western Australia.
The next morning we packed up camp and had a photo shoot with all the vehicles at Anzac Cove before leaving for Greece. We have enjoyed our stay in Turkey and found the people to be very friendly and helpful.
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