Day 13 Monday 12th April.
We were going to have a day off and relax, but as usual dawn got the better of us, as we were up so early we decided to break camp and head for our next destination. Venice.
Our friend Bernie (who lives in La Villa) recommended the Passo Campolongo at 1875m as the best pass out of the mountains.
She didn’t say it would be the first of three high passes on roads twistier than an arthritic snake. It took us three hours to travel 30 miles. Its fantastically awe inspiring for the first hour, “Ok, enough already”, for the second hour and “not another snow bound, sheer bloody drop” for the third.
When we did hit the plains of Venito everything went unnaturally flat. Not a bump in sight and mile upon mile of cultivated vines, much softer, warmer air and lovely sunshine
Somehow contrived to make a dramatic entrance to the campsite. Tried to get in by the back gates, which were firmly locked so had to reverse the wang around a sharp right-angled bend onto a single-track road.
As they say in Italiano, “IMPOSSIBILE.” Everything goes opposite to how you think it should so we eventually unhitched. Moved the wang by hand and hitched it up again for the last 20 meters.
The mistake was letting Andy drive for the fist time that day. On entering the site he managed to prang the wang and demolish a prettily planted flowerbed at the entrance.
The sound was stomach churning; imagine Titanic being ripped apart by an iceberg.
We both hid our faces in our hands and looked up to find a crowd of shocked campers with their mouths covered and all pointing at US. We crawled, red faced from the car exclaiming,” Buon giorno, Mi dispiace, sono inglesie”. “Hello, I’m sorry were English” They all seemed to understand and immediately lost interest. Swarms of camp workers had the wall back in no time and they still let us on the site.
We were going to have a day off and relax, but as usual dawn got the better of us, as we were up so early we decided to break camp and head for our next destination. Venice.
Our friend Bernie (who lives in La Villa) recommended the Passo Campolongo at 1875m as the best pass out of the mountains.
She didn’t say it would be the first of three high passes on roads twistier than an arthritic snake. It took us three hours to travel 30 miles. Its fantastically awe inspiring for the first hour, “Ok, enough already”, for the second hour and “not another snow bound, sheer bloody drop” for the third.
When we did hit the plains of Venito everything went unnaturally flat. Not a bump in sight and mile upon mile of cultivated vines, much softer, warmer air and lovely sunshine
Somehow contrived to make a dramatic entrance to the campsite. Tried to get in by the back gates, which were firmly locked so had to reverse the wang around a sharp right-angled bend onto a single-track road.
As they say in Italiano, “IMPOSSIBILE.” Everything goes opposite to how you think it should so we eventually unhitched. Moved the wang by hand and hitched it up again for the last 20 meters.
The mistake was letting Andy drive for the fist time that day. On entering the site he managed to prang the wang and demolish a prettily planted flowerbed at the entrance.
The sound was stomach churning; imagine Titanic being ripped apart by an iceberg.
We both hid our faces in our hands and looked up to find a crowd of shocked campers with their mouths covered and all pointing at US. We crawled, red faced from the car exclaiming,” Buon giorno, Mi dispiace, sono inglesie”. “Hello, I’m sorry were English” They all seemed to understand and immediately lost interest. Swarms of camp workers had the wall back in no time and they still let us on the site.
There I was, relieved to read that you had left the unmittigated dangers of the alps, concerned as I was that the next accident was going to hospitalise someone, to read that on the gentle venetian planes you can still get into trouble!
ReplyDeleteI bet your fellow campers were saying 'Bloody English - shouldn't be allowed to tow anything bigger than a tonka toy!'
How is my gal?
Lots of love
Hilary xxxxxxxxxxxx
ps we are all grounded here in Blighty. Volcanic ash from iceland has put paid to all flights from Britain. Bring on the Venetian Express! (actually didn't the oriental express go to Venice?)
Remind me not to suggest anything otherwise if its goes wrong it will be posted for all eternity on the net as being my fault!! Love Fi
ReplyDeletex