Day: July 7, 2018

After the lazy days in Trasimeno we went back to action. That means changing campings and driving every day. We never made it to Marmore, we tried, but the route was not baby-stroller friendly. We moved on slightly disappointed, but everything happens for a good reason. The same evening we arrived at the most original camping of all times (Lo Schioppo), which felt as if we camp at someone’s big beautiful backyard. In a mountainous protected green area with view to a…waterfall! We were 10 people in total in the whole camping, precious.

The day after we walked to the watefall. First time for Gioia, she walked quite a bit! Amazing route, it was also first time in such a setting with the four of us. The last 5 minutes were without Alex (no access to the stroller), so I waited with him and when Gioia and Martijn came back, I went myself to check it out. I thought of my dad, he would have loved it.

After lunch we started driving to the National Park of Abruzzo. Holy crap! Amazing route, with views and trees all over! A bit of a family crisis when I woke up after a short nap to find out we are heading to the hardcore mountains (already at 1200m) with black sky and grey clouds and forecast for a thunderstorm. All normal for a Dutch, who didn’t think it was reason good enough to wake me up and wonder if we maybe – just maybe – should turn around and save ourselves from falling to the cliffs from lack of visibility. In the end we continued, Sissy again holding her breath, and arriving to an amazing camping in the middle of the park. We did not fall in any cliff.

What-is-this-beauty? Gosh! We had to bring back our winter covers and found both kids with freezing hands in the morning, but no one got sick and it was worth it. No Martijn, I was right (as always), we were just lucky.

While trembling in my bed I decided this was it with the mountains, I am done, and from now on I want uncompromised 30 degrees plus, so we started driving south. We are in Pompeii, tomorrow we plan the grande visit. We also hit the camper for the first time in a tree. It was clearly the tree’s fault, it was too short. Jesus! If it was me driving I would have hit not only the tree but everything around the tiny spot we tried to park and I would have a parking trauma for the rest of my life. Martijn just said ‘shit’ and went on to park. #theserationaldutch

Greetings from Vesuvios. If it explodes and we are covered in lava tomorrow, we love you all!

I have been positively biased about Italy since my very first visit here, when I was 16. Twenty years ago everything was wow. Twenty years later, after many Italian acquaintances, some Italian language knowledge and more maturity, it is f***ing super incredible wow. In many ways it feels like home, but with more elegance, more class, and more protocols. Like Greeks with more procedures and rituals, or like messy and totally relaxed emotional northern Europeans. Not bad at all.

We now pass Napoli on the way to the south. This is the theoretical border of order vs chaos. Let’s see how everything is in the south; what Italians call ‘like Greece’. All we noticed for now is that people drive as if they are drunk (17:00). Hmm.

Update the day after:
It is a miracle we are still alive. Driving conditions here are not as bad as in India (this is a whole different universe), but the closest to India I have seen and definitely the European equivalent. Sometimes it is so scary and funny at the same time, that I cannot react on time and make photos. We have cars literally driving opposite to the rest of the cars, with the driver relaxed on the phone. No one uses an indicator. Cars simply stop in front of you when they feel like it. Like a computer game! God of campers keep us safe!