This page documents our road trip from the Peloponnese to England. If you want to read about how we actually got there from England, click HERE.

We relaxed for a whole month in Stoupa in the Peloponnese before our journey home. The only major excursion we made in that time was an amazing and slightly hairy drive over the Taygetos Mountains combined with an overnight stay in Areopoli so we could do some more exploring of the Deep Mani.

I have TONS of pages on the Peloponnese so click here to find out more.

————————————————————————————————————-

Day 47-25th June 2024

From Stoupa to Galaxidi, Greece.

It was about a 5 hour drive from Stoupa, mostly on the motorway to Galaxidi which is over the amazing Rio-Antirrio Bridge on the other side of the Gulf of Corinth. We stayed the night here before the short drive to Delphi the following day. Galaxidi was a lovely small town with a double harbour and we enjoyed our stay here.

I have a whole page dedicated to Galaxidi so click HERE to find out more.

Day 48-26th June

Delphi and on to Meteora [Kalambaka], Greece.

We got up early for the 40 minute drive to Delphi and spent several hours exploring the site and museum. The site was incredible but hard going in the heat.

I have a whole page dedicated to Delphi, so click HERE for more info.

We were exhilarated, knackered and very sweaty when we returned to our car for the journey to Kalambaka which lies in the shadow of the amazing rock pinnacles of Meteora. The journey took just under 4 hours but we were in time to pop into the Natural History and Mushroom Museum before it closed. Our next stop was our accommodation and a well needed shower! We had booked to stay here for two nights leaving a whole day to explore Meteora the following day.

I have more info on Kalambaka in my Meteora page.

Day 49-27th June

Meteora, Greece.

The rock pinnacles of Meteora and the monasteries were phenomenal and we spent much of the day exploring and climbing hundreds of steps! We ended the day by relaxing in Kalambaka in a bar followed by a pleasant meal in the main square.

I have loads more information and photos on my Meteora page.

Day 50-28th June

The Drive to Ioanninna and on to Igoumenitsa, Greece for the ferry to Brindisi, Italy.

We had the whole day ahead of us before our overnight ferry from Igoumenitsa to Brindisi in Italy, so before departing Kalambaka we had time to visit Kalambaka’s 11th century Cathedral which was adorned on the inside with wonderful frescos. [See my Meteora page].

We decided to take the slow, high, scenic road on the Katara Pass through the Pindhos Mountains to Ioannina and it was great to not be on the motorway. We had a pleasant lunch in Ioannina and the whole afternoon to explore before heading off for the ferry after a pretty poor dinner which was a shame, Ioannina is not famed for its cuisine. We arrived in Igoumenitsa in plenty of time for the ferry to Brindisi.

For more info on Ioannina click HERE.

We were travelling on Grimaldi Lines, an Italian company, who gave us no information on where to check in or where to go. It transpired that all [non driving] passengers have to be dropped off at the main terminal building [T1] and the driver then goes through security on their own and can pick up passengers at the back of the terminal building before heading for the ferry.

The ferry was dirty and shabby even at the start of the journey and the toilets were disgusting by the end. The bar was banging out loud music, certainly not a place to relax and our allocated seated area was windowless and really grim. A poor experience especially when compared to the Greek Anek Ferries who we had travelled with on the way down. We were glad to see Brindisi appearing in the distance in the early morning for the next stage of our journey.

Day 51-29th June 2024

A swim at Roca Vecchia and on to Lecce, Italy.

The road to the east of Lecce has a wonderful coastline with bays, secret[ish] lagoons, man made caves and some ancient ruins. We headed from Brindisi through the woods to Roca Vecchia for lunch and a swim. It was a welcome detour on the way to Lecce and we had a good lunch from a cafe/ trailer not far from the main road where we had parked our car.

[Photo above left is of Piazza de Duomo, above centre is the Duomo crypt].

Lecce which was only about half an hour’s drive from Roca Vecchia. Lecce was absolutely stunning with beautiful Baroque architecture, grand Piazzas and many churches. No wonder it has been labelled ‘Florence of the south’.

Lecce also has a well preserved Roman theatre, palaces, museums and a castle. There was way too much to see in one day. We filled our time to visiting the stunning churches of San Matteo, Santa Chiara and the Basilica di Santa Croce as well as the Duomo and the wonderful courtyard of the Palazzo dei Celestini. We still had time for a spritz, a fine al fresco dinner and an ice cream while the Italian national football team lost to Switzerland in the Euros.

Day 52-30th June 2024

Matera and Foggia, Italy.

Our original plan to stay overnight in Matera did not work out on The Way Down but we had this golden opportunity to spend the day there on the way to Foggia. We had planned to visit Ostuni on the way to Foggia but we were so glad that we went to Matera instead. Look at the photos!

The drive from Lecce to Matera was lovely and took us through vineyards in Puglia before we put our foot down on the motorway and we arrived in Matera in the late morning.

The area of Matera known as The Sassi is on the edge of a ravine and is unique with many natural and man made caves, churches and ancient dwellings hewn into the rock. They were inhabited up until the 1950s but now some are open as museums. We parked for free on the edge of The Sassi and walked into the centre stepping back in time. No, we did not attempt the rope bridge over the ravine to explore more caves in the Parco della Murgia!

We visited Casa Grotta, a cave museum that gave a wonderful insight into the harsh conditions of family life in the dwelling with input from the family who used to live there.

The Sassi has several churches and we visited the Rock Church of Sant’ Agostino al Casalnuovo which dates back to 1233 as well as The Duomo [13th century] situated at the top of town. [see photos above]. It was a bit of a graft in the scorching sun, with very little shade and we ran out of water but we hoped to buy some from a supermarket during our wanderings.

As we continued through the Sassi we loved the modern sculptures by Andrea Roggi which were dotted around and the views were stunning. We eventually made our way to Matera Piano – the New Town on the other side of the Sassi which had a completely different vibe. Here we discovered more churches and spacious piazzas and wide streets as well as many cafes and restaurants but it was seemingly devoid of supermarkets to buy any water for our onward journey to Foggia.

We returned to our car in the late afternoon and set off for Foggia, hoping to buy some water from a service station enroute. As it was a sunday every single service station that we passed was closed! [Luckily we did not need any petrol]. We were very dehydrated on reaching Foggia in the early evening. We missed the England match, who amazingly managed to beat Slovakia 2-1, but we did find buy some bottles of water in a Co-op. Our accomodation was fairly central with free parking, not far from the large roundabout and the many pillared Town Hall.

Foggia does not even get a mention in our The Rough Guide to Italy book which was a surprise, it had a city vibe but it wasn’t unpleasant. We only had the evening to mooch around, have a drinky at a bar and a fabulous pizza and pasta dinner at Osteria del Grano Arso before heading for a well deserved sleep.

Day 53-1st July 2024

Ascoli Piceno, Italy.

Leashia took the wheel for most of the journey to Ascoli Piceno leaving me to navigate – not my forte. I managed to not get us lost and we arrived in time for lunch giving us the plenty of time to take in the sights which was very welcome after the exaustifying previous day. Our Rough Guide describes Ascoli Piceno as ‘a hidden gem… well off the tourist trail’ A gem it was indeed, we loved it here.

We were too early to check in at our accommodation, just outside the old town, so we popped into Caffe San Marco a minute’s walk away for a most agreeable lunch [and a wee bevvy]. After checking in we walked over the bridge into the town to explore.

The Duomo [Cattedrale di Sant’ Emidio] in Piazza Arringo dates from the 11th century but the foundations go back as far as the 5th century. The interior of the cathedral and the vaults were stunning. [See above].

Opposite the Duomo is the Palazzo dell’Arengo which was built during the 12th – 14th centuries.

We wandered around to the other side of the town at a leisurely pace to Porta Solestà, the 13th century gate and Ponte Romano, a Roman Bridge which is still in use today.

We ended up in the grand Piazza dei Popolo which is flanked by imposing buildings and inviting cafes. To the north is Chiesa di San Francesco which dates from the 13th century. The Palazzo dei Capitani on the west side of the square is a 12th Century palace which was free to enter and had a thought provoking exhibition of portraits by artist Federico De Bellis. He was most friendly and we chatted to him about his work before heading back into the piazza for a well earned spritz.

While we were relaxing [drinking] we heard the distant sounds of fanfare and on investigating, we discovered that our visit coincided with the Quintana celebration which has its origins in medeival times. We witnessed the parade which consisted of some impressive flag throwing, marching and music.

We ended our evening with a wonderful meal at Trattoria Antico Bonelli where we our starter was the local dish – Olive all’ascolana; tasty deep fried breadcrumbed olives stuffed with veal.

Day 54-2nd July 2024

Grotta di Frassasi and Urbino

We decided to take to the hills, avoiding the toll road to Grotta do Frassasi and this took us through some lovely countryside and we arrived at the main car park for the cave before midday.

We did not expect the car park to be so huge or to see the tacky array of merchants stalls and eateries on hand. The cave was more popular than we had realised and the next available English speaking tour was in a couple of hours. With hindsight we should have booked our tickets in advance over the internet! Oh well, at least there were picnic benches and we had our own food with us for lunch. We hoped the wait would be worth it……………………………….

……………………………………………………….It was !

The shuttle bus arrived on time to take us up the hill to the cave. The tour lasted over an hour and the caves were amazing and absolutely huuuge! We were taken through about 1 km of caverns although there’s another 18 km not open to the general public. The guide was knowledgeable and informative and we thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Some of the rock formations were beautiful and the size and scale of the caves was incredible. The formations have been given names and so have the caves. The Cave of the Great Wind is over 780 feet high – over twice the height of Big Ben, tall enough to fit in Milan Cathedral! [Thanks Google!] It was late afternoon by the time we left the car park, later than we had hoped but we had no regrets.

We finally arrived in Urbino at around 7pm so we only had a couple of hours to explore before dusk [and dinner]. Our accomodation was just outside of the old town with free parking so it did not take long to reach the old town on foot.

Urbino is a walled town on a steep hill with a mixture of Rennaissance and medieval buildings and has wonderful views over the countyside. The town is dominated by the massive Palace Ducale. We arrived too late to visit the palace or the Neoclassical Duomo but we enjoyed walking the steep cobbled streets marvelling at the architecture and the views.

Urbino was the birthplace of the painter Raphael [1483-1520] and there is a monument to him at the top of the hill just outside of the town wall.

By now we were a bit knackered and very hungry and enjoyed a lovely meal at Taverna degli Artisti which we discovered by chance, before heading back to our accommodation.

Day 55-3rd July 2024

Salò, Lake Garda, Italy.

It was a long drive to Salò on the west bank of Lake Garda. The lake is huge – over 50km long and up to 17km wide. The approach to Salò was uninspiring with large warehouses, supermarkets and tacky tourist shops lining the road, but once we entered Salò they thankfully fizzled out. We had booked Hotel Eden Salò for 3 nights which was centrally located with free parking nearby. The hotel was pleasant, albeit a bit tired in places but it was ideal as a base from which to explore the lake. Leashia and I both thought the breakfast was excellent with a large range of savoury food on offer [for me] and cakeys [for Leashia]. Accommodation and dining comes at a premium in the Lake Garda area but we were prepared for this and not surprised.

We located the ticket office which was on the promenade and picked up information leaflets and timetables to study so we were on the ball for the following day. We popped into the Duomo [Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata] which dates from 1453 before heading along the handsome promenade for well deserved Hugo and Aperol spritzes rounding off the evening with pizza at Pappillon.

Day 56-4th July 2024

Sirmione and Salò, Lake Garda, Italy.

As was the case in Lake Como we studied the boat timetables to try and work out what we could see in the time we had. We had decided to focus the day on visiting Sirmione which was over a 2 hour trip away by the slow boat and just over an hour by the fast boat. We chose the fast option. The views of the lake from the boat were lovely, the weather was sublime.

We knew Sirmione would be a popular destination but we were still surprised by the sheer size of the crowds and there was a formidable queue for the 13th century castle. This, coupled with the large number of American tourists did make me feel that I was at Disney’s Epcot. I do not think I have seen so many ice cream parlours – even in Epcot! Sirmione attracts more than 1 million visitors a year, that’s alot of ice cream! Sirmione is clearly a victim of its own beauty.

We left the crowds behind and took a pleasant stroll through an attractive park which had interesting sculptures on display by the Belgian artist Johan Friso who resides in Italy. We headed to the remains of a Roman Villa called Grotte di Catullo which was a serene and pleasant experience. The villa is a large site and dates from around the 1st century and afforded us wonderful views over the lake.

We had an overpriced but acceptable lunch near Lido delle Bionde where I had a welcome swim amongst ducks, swans and some humans in the lake before returning back to the jetty in time for our boat [and an ice cream] to Salò. We took a slow boat this time which stopped off at several places including Bardolino but we stayed on board and arrived back in Salò in the early evening. A wonderful pasta dinner was had at Dadone [but the wine was pricey] before we returned to the promenade for a drinky and take in the live music and fireworks that had been laid on to celebrate the Salò in Musica festival.

Day 57-5th July 2024

Gargnano, Malcesine and Salò, Lake Garda, Italy.

This was our last full day in Lake Garda. We opted to take the fast boat to Garganano which is 15km north of Salò and took just over half an hour to get there. Gargagno felt very tranquil and low key in stark contrast to Sirmione. We enjoyed wandering around the quiet streets and the 13th century church of San Francesco but we did not stay long and got the next slow boat to Malcesine which was to the north on the other side of the lake which took around 50 minutes. We sat on the top deck on the way there embracing the views and the sun.

Malcesine was very attractive and although it was bustling with tourists, seemed to cope better than Sirmione. It’s best known for its 13th century castle [Castello Scaligero] and the cable car up Monte Baldo. The cost of the cable car was pretty impressive so we ducked out of that in favour of exploring at ground level – we enjoyed our couple of hours here and had a pleasant salady lunch in a cafe.

We took the slow boat back to Salò, again sitting in the open air on the top deck and relaxed taking in the views admiring the colourful spectacle of sporty types parasailing and the old pillared lemon houses on the western shore. [see photos below].

It was early evening by the time we stepped back on to dry land and we had time to visit MuSa, the museum of Salò which is well laid out with displays of modern and contemporary art. The museum also documents the history of the town over the ages which includes its link to Mussolini who was based in Salò during the last years of the Second World War.

Our final dinner in Salò was also appropriately the best, we had a superb risotto at Osteria Cantinone which is situated in the centre of town only a few minutes walk from the promenade. The next morning also meant it was our last breakfast in Hotel Eden Salò, I think Leashia found it hard to say goodbye to all the cakeys!

Day 58-6th July 2024

Bolzano, Italy.

On the way to Bolzano we took a detour into the mountains on the western edge of Lake Garda hoping to take in some views. Leashia did some research and we chose to take the wiggly drive through Vesio and Pieve which did reward us with the wonderful views that we had hoped.

We continued our journey to Bolzano which is also known by its German name of Bolzen. Indeed the signs were in German as well as Italian and many buildings had a distinct Germanic look about them. We were staying in an air bnb outside of the historic centre but there were excellent bus links into the city. Bolzano is probably best known for the Prehistoric Ice Man [named Ötzi] who was discovered frozen and mummified in the nearby Alps in 1991. He now resides in the Museo Archeologico in the centre of the town.

We were delighted that our host gave us each a free Museumobil card which gave us unlimited free use of the public transport and free entry to the museum also. We hopped onto a [free] bus into the centre of the city and headed for the Museo Archeologico which had artifacts that belonged to Ötzi on display and gave speculative background on his prehistoric life. You can view his body residing in a temperature controlled room through a small peephole. We then headed over the River Talvera to the Piazza della Vittoria and the infamous Monument to Victory.

Mussolini commissioned his faviourite architect Marcello Piacentini to create the Monument to Victory in 1928. There is an excellent free display in the large crypt below the monument which details the story of the arch as well as the history of the city through the 20 turbulent years of Fascist regime and dictatorship. We then walked back into the city centre and visited the 14th century Chiesa e Convento dei Domenicani with the Cappella di San Giovanni adorned with frescoes.

Not far from the Chiesa was Piazza Walther and the Duomo di Santa Maria. This 14th century church was converted into a cathedral in 1964.

I particularly loved the patterned ceramic tiled roof of the Cathedral, and it was lovely on the inside too.

As early evening was approaching we just had enough time to jump on to a [free again] bus and head for the Funivia del Renon to take the cable car ride up the mountainside to Soprabolzano [Oberozen]. We were chuffed that this was also included in our Museumobil card ! The ride was extraordinary and the views were breathtaking. We had a wander around at the top but it was getting a bit chilly [and we were getting peckish] so we did not take a ride on the narrow gauge railway.

Back in the town centre we had a beverage [or two] in Piazza Walther and witnessed England beating Switzerland in the Euros which wasn’t a popular result with the majority of people around us. This was our last evening in Italy before heading towards Germany on the following day and we hoped we would find a nice place for dinner. We were rewarded with two superb pasta dishes at the justly popular Filo d’ Olio Trattoria.

Day 59-7th July 2024

A long drive through Austria to Schloss Neuschwanstein in Germany and on to Konstanz, Germany.

We really wanted to see Neuschwanstein Castle which was sort of, [but not really] on the way to our next destination of Konstanz on the German-Swiss border. So we set off very early in order to cram everything in. We had worked out that we would be driving for over six hours without any stops and we hoped to have a picnic near the castle.

We took a short break at Brenner Pass service station on the Italian – Austrian border to purchase a Vignette which we needed to drive on the Austrian motorways. The Vignette machine offered us several options based on what route or tunnels we wanted to go through so it took us some time to work this out. The service station was unusual as it was also home to the Plessi Museum with installations and works of art by the Italian artist Fabrizio Plessi. Although the morning sky had started off nice and clear it soon turned a bit horrid and it rained for most of the day so we did not get to see the Alps or much of Austria at all as we were in a cloud the whole time!

We pulled into the car park for Neuschwanstein in the mid morning so we had done really well despite the appalling weather and a hold up caused by a motorbike accident. We had no intention [or the time] to pay to go into the castle itself, the ticket would have allowed us to visit Schloss Hohenschwangau as well. We just wanted to see the castle that Chitty Chitty Bang Bang flew over! We caught glimpses of Schloss Hohenschwangau as we approached the car park so our hopes were high. There is a fee for the car park and also for the short shuttlebus ride to Marienbrücke (Mary’s Bridge) which is the place to go for the best views of Neuschwanstein. The bus broke down, so that delayed our journey but we made it finally to the bridge which spanned a precipitous ravine and was a bit hairy as some of the floorboards were loose! It was still raining and we feared the worst and indeed our first view of the castle was a bit disappointing. The view from the viewing platform, higher up, on the other side of the bridge at the end of a steep muddy path was no better.

We hung around dripping wet hoping that the clouds would lift and after nearly half an hour we were finally rewarded and we managed to see the fairy tale castle – phew! All the affort had been worth it. YAY!

We headed back to the car bedraggled but in good spirits for the 3 hour drive to Konstanz. Clearly an al fresco picnic was out of the question so we ate our lunch in the car. We took the small car ferry from Meersburg to Konstanz which was such fun that I forgotted to take any photos. We arrived in the town about 5pm and checked into our airbnb which was just outside of the city centre which was run by an eccentric older lady who had no sense of personal space making us feel most uncomfortable.

It was about a half an hour walk into the town centre and the Niederburg district which was really pretty with cobbled streets, historic buildings and of course it’s on the bank of Lake Constance which is nearly 40 miles long and borders three countries – Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

We had just one evening to enjoy Konstanz which meant we only had a couple of hours to take in the sights and get a feel of the place so we inevitably gravitated towards the Cathederal in Münsterplatz which is over 1000 years old and dominates the old town.

The Cathedral [Münster]

There were a few people milling around but it was hardly bustling, perhaps because it was sunday? We looked for a restaurant for dinner and as German cuisine was not at the top of our bestest list, we opted to have an Indian Curry which we thought would be a change. However, although the restaurant was pleasant to behold and the staff were friendly, the food was poor and the price of bottled water extortionate. They did not allow us to have tap water which I believe is typical in this part of Germany. I can create a much better curry at home- see my recipes here!

We walked to the waterfront after our meal and found ourselves in the Stadtgarten, a green leafy park where absolutely loved Imperia, a 30 ft high statue that rotates in a full circle every 4 minutes. It’s been in situ since 1993 and was created by Peter Lenk, so now you know! We found it mesmerising. The park is also where you can find the Zeppelin monument as well as some cafes.

We wandered away from the park to get a bus back to our accommodation and stumbled across another Peter Lenk creation called Triumphbogen, the Triumphal Arch of Konstanz. It’s a series of obscene characters poking fun at the traffic situation. We thought it was brilliant! You can find it on Untere Laube, a main road through the city.

Day 60-8th July 2024

The Black Forest and Freiburg, Germany

We had two days to take in as much of The Black Forest as we could so we had chosen to stay one night in Freiburg in the south of the forest and head to Baden Baden on the following day which was in the north.

We stopped off at Titisee-Neustadt [I’m not going to lower the tone!], which was pretty, albeit touristitty [bugger I couldn’t help myself!] town on the edge of a lake ringed by the forest. The lakeside was pleasant and had a safe beach, toilets, a cafe and play area so it’s ideal if you have kiddies. It wasn’t for us though [although the toilet was handy] as we wanted to see the real Black Forest, so we soon headed back on the road. We saw signs for the Fahler Waterfall which we had not heard about and it was not in our guide book so we stopped to take a look. We are glad that we did, we had a picnic and then a lovely walk in the forest following the path next to the tumbling falls.

We made our way to the famous Todtnauer Wasserfall on our way to Freiburg. You need to purchase a ticket to visit the falls and can get a combined ticket with the Black Forest Line which is high above. You also have to pay to park and tickets for this can be bought at the main ticket office by the bridge. We were more than content to watch the fools walking across the bridge from a discreet distance before heading back to our car in order to park closer to the entrance to the path that leads to the waterfall. The falls do attract a lot of visitors but it’s a pleasant walk with lovely views over the forest and the falls are spectacular.

We arrived in Freiburg in the late afternoon, checked into our accommodation and got a tram into the old town [Altstadt]. It was a beautiful day and the town was buzzing. Freiburg is a really attractive medieval university town with cobbled streets and the river Dreisam running through it in the south.

We loved the mosaics outside the shops on the cobbled streets that depicted what each shop had to offer. Many streets have open gutters [known as Bächle] fed with gurgling water from the Dreisam running through the middle. This is a legacy of the past when the water was used in the event of a fire. If you accidently step into one, local superstition is that you have to marry a Freiburger!

The Cathedral – Freiburg Münster, dominates Münsterplatz, the main sqaure and dates from the 11th century. The Munster has intricate carvings on the outside and is a feast for the eyes. Inside, the stained glass windows are spectacular and a rainbow of colours.

There was a wine festival in full swing in the square and there was a party atmosphere which we embraced. We soaked up the atmosphere and joined in with a drinky, well it would have been rude not to!

We then had a pleasant walk over the river to The Goldener Anker, a traditional German restaurant which is popular with locals. We were lucky and managed to get a table but reservations are normally required. The food was wholesome, schnitzelly and very filling but I don’t think I need Spätzle again in the foreseeable future.

Day 61-9th July 2024

Triberg and Baden Baden, Germany.

The Triberger Wasserfälle is the highest and the most visited waterfall in Germany and is situated in the centre of Triberg, the alleged birthplace of the legendary Black Forest Gateau and it’s also the place to go if you want to buy a cuckoo clock. It was another glorious day and we parked in a multi-storey car park in the town and walked to the park entrance to buy a ticket for the waterfall. You can also buy food for the squirrels who are known to be very friendly when there is food on offer. There are various trails to follow and it’s undeniably attractive and the waterfalls [yes, there’s a few] are splendid. It’s not a serene experience though due to to its popularity but it is well worth the visit. Don’t bother with buying any feed for the squirrels if its a hot day as they stay in bed late and can’t be arsed to get up for lunch. We didn’t see one squirrel so fed the birds instead.

We spent a couple of hours here and then popped into a supermarket to buy food for a picnic. We thought it would be easypeasy to find a place for a picnic in the Black Forest on the way to Baden Baden but we did not see one single picnic bench or even a grassy knoll where we could stop for lunch! We ate our lunch in the car which was a shame. We arrived in Baden Baden in the early evening, checked in to our air bnb and hopped onto a bus into town.

Baden Baden was very laid back, so different from buzzing Frieburg the night before. It’s a well known attractive spa town spread over a few hills with the river Oos running through the middle. We had time to do our usual wandering and have an al fresco drinky near the river.

There are the remains of Roman Baths to see as well as the still functioning 19th century Friedrichsbad spa which looks like a palace from the outside. Our wanderings took us past these but we had no time to stop and partake of their delights.

We didn’t fancy schnitzel or spätzle tonight so we opted to go Italian and had dinner al fresco at Rivazza. [note – they only accept cash].

Day 62-10th July 2024

Reims, France

We got up early for the long drive to Reims and grabbed some food for the journey from a supermarket before we left Baden Baden. We had our picnic lunch in a rest area of a service station which is more than we managed in the Black Forest! The journey was uneventful and we arrived in Reims in the mid afternoon. We did not need to purchase a Crit’Air sticker for our car as we were not driving into the town centre. Our hotel was fine but it transpired it was a little farther away from the city centre than we realised and the last bus back from the town centre was at 8.40pm! Oh well, we will worry about that later. We hopped onto a bus into Reims to explore.

We visited the Gothic Notre-Dame de Reims which was a bonus. The cathedral in this form has stood here since 1211 and was where many French monarchs had their coronation. We then meandered through the streets vaguely aiming for the Roman ruins. I love a good Roman ruin!

The Roman arches called Porte Mars did not disappoint and made us very thirsty so a snack and a glass of Champagne was in order. We wandered through the pretty tiled Rue de Tambour and found a friendly looking bar called Le Balto in nearby Rue de Mars. The atmosphere only slightly ruined by a local in the bar loudly telling an American couple how much he detests the English! Luckily we love the French so we brushed it off with a chuckle, [not really].

The final evening of our road trip ended with a very pleasing dinner at Bœuf ou Salade under the watchful eye of the winged victory monument called Subé fountain which was erected in 1906, stolen by the Germans in 1941 and replaced in 1989.

We missed our last bus back to our hotel, we were at the bus stop on time but it failed to stop! So we got another bus which dropped us off a half an hour walk away from our hotel in a distinctly dodgy part of town. We made it back to our room and caught the second half of England v Netherlands on our telly which we amazingly won 2-1!

Day 63- 11th July 2024

The ferry from Calais to Dover, England. Home.

After a satisfying brekky at our hotel we had plenty of time to get to Calais for our ferry to Dover so we stopped off on the outskirts of Calais to visit an amazing supermarket where we bought lots of cheese. We also visited the duty free shop at the ferry terminal. We had originally planned to get the ferry from Dunkirk but the times of the departures from Calais were more suitable. The boat left on time, we settled down with a colourful cakey and a cuppa and reflected on a wonderful road trip. Nine weeks [63 days] had just flashed by, where had all the time gone? It had taken a lot of planning but it had been an unforgettable experience.

We were soon back in England in the early evening to face the rush hour and traffic jams home.

As we opened our front door we wondered what our lawn looked like?

Quick links:

Road trip to the Peloponnese Homepage

Planning and Practicalities

The Way Down [From England to Greece- a diary]