Camping - done it -arrived in Italy!

07/26/2012 - 14:47

We arrived at our place in Lunigiana after a slow drive through France and three nights camping. Despite the slow journey we arrived zonked and we haven't been out of our garden since arriving three days ago. Our first night in a tent was at a site a few miles from Calais. It was fine; spotless and no Brits anywhere. Just French, Dutch and German. Two other nights were spent in Alsace, at a clean, grassy, well organised municipal campt site. VALUE. We paid 10 euros per night for ourselves, the car and our tent. We had a large private space with a view of trees and flowers, and a neat gravel track for the car. The showers were in small unobtrusive blocks a minute away and I had no problem using them as there seemed to be an understanding that each person left facilities as they'd like to find them. One thing, in a municipal site, you need to take toilet paper and soap when making a loo call, although this did not apply in the private site we stayed in at Calais, Calais was our first night camping and we got the tent up before the rain poured down - quite romantic in a Basil Fawlty kind of way!Our next stop was in the Alsace - what a lovely area. Pretty villages full of beamed houses dripping flowers. We used the Colmar tunnel instead of going over the pass and when we came out into daylight, the sun was shining and the temperature had soared. And there was our campsite waiting for us.Tomorrow is market day here in Italy, so we will venture out from our sunny garden cocoon to go and buy some salad and veg and have a coffee amongst the crowds. We haven't entirely lived on the freezer since arrival; neightbours dropped off some of their produce from the ortos. Wonderful ...........

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Lovely to hear of your journey, I do find camping a romantic experience (is that the right thing to say), looking at the stars at night, enjoying the outdoors, mucking in, Glad the forum members telling you the horror stories with camping didnt put you off, and that you just had a really good experience, it's not just camping you have to take your own loo supplies, when in Rome - I learnt the hard way, and you are in the city. Now I always carry a pack of handy andies and if I know it's gonna be hot, I take some wet ones, but I buy Boots baby wipes (or equivalent value) and repack them in Bank Coin bags as they are pocket sized and easily sealed (and free!). Friday is market day indeed, did you know - I have met the Mayor of VF, my sister managed to get a meeting with him, he was a blond guy (not what you'd expect for an Italian, maybe the mayor has changed now). But yes I was sitting with him and my sister in the town hall discussing stuff!!!!!!    

Sounds like you had a great trip, bravi ! Where in Alsace did you stay, my sister has talked about visiting us via the camping route and sadly I was not able to help at all ! I know when we just drive down and stay at overnight hotel(s) we end up completely zonked for days, Good luck with the recovery programme ! piano piano.............. S