Now I have fixed a sort-of internet connection (last-ditch solution of tethering to the husband’s phone seems to work) i can begin to catch you up on our Grand Italy Road Trip, which we set off on last Friday. If you’re interested in keeping up, do follow us on Instagram (@littlestuffstuff and @courtenayphoto is the husband who has the phone which actually allows data connection).
So. Day 1. Up at 5.30 for the uneventful crossing to Cherbourg -we all slept on the way across, thanks to the fabulous fits-6 cabins on the Barfleur.
Loooong drive across France, and didn’t arrive at the campsite near Auxerre until almost 9 in the evening French time. Thankfully we called ahead, and the site gave us the barrier code and pitch number so we weren’t stuck on the road for the night. Even so performing our first set up by torchlight was interesting.
Our first day included:
~ Realising we didn’t know how to lock the fuel cap back on; it was already off, and the motorhome full to the brim with fuel. And we have a ferry to catch. And cars are waiting (im)patiently for fiuel behind.
~ Daughter investigating how hard she could suck her lips into a glass orange juice bottle. And giving herself a properly purple moustache, love-bite style.
~ Discovering that some turnings off the motorway are height restricted. But the sat nav doesn’t actually know how tall our vehicle is.
~ Subsequent route floundering may well take you deeper and deeper into a Paris suburb.
~ Driving a large motorhome in a Paris suburb is NOT fun under any circumstances. Add in a tired driver on his first journey in said motorhome, plus no idea where the satnav is now taking us and it becomes downright stressful.
~ Gleeful Sightings of the Eiffel Tower during said detour will do little to diffuse the tension.
~ Setting up the motorhome for the first time is a minefield of half-remembered instructions. Doing it in the dark is… ‘interesting‘.
~ If the gas will not switch on, despite numerous pressings of the required reset buttons on the gas pipes, you might want to check the bottle is actually set to the ON position.
~ If you hit an unexpected bump, a warning light may come on asking you to go to your nearest dealer to get the power steering checked. Before panic sets in, try pulling over, switching off and switching back on again. After 10 minutes in stressed-worry-driving mode, we presumed a genuine issue would still be lit if we tried turning-it-off-and-on-again. It didn’t come back on, so we’ve decided to pretend we never saw it.
~ Oldest son WILL develop earache and temperatures on the first day of the holiday. Obviously.
~ Trust in your packing. Default position of i-must-have-forgotten-it will only result in skanky teeth with no toothpaste, when a cupboard search would have revealed everything was packed efficiently after all.
~ Paris traffic, even on the outskirts, is horrideous. Remember to avoid at all costs on return leg.
~ Stopping for lunch and having a kitchen at your disposal is awesome.
~ Realising that this is all part of The Adventure, and it’s all an experience we’ve wanted for a long time will continue to bring a smile to your face, even in the dark when you drop the torch, can’t find it again and you haven’t got the lights plugged in yet.
Keep up with us on instagram or twitter with #ItalyRoadTrip. The fabulous Margot is an Approach Autograph 765, and was provided by Bailey of Bristol for the trip.
All campsites on our road trip were arranged by the magnificent AlanRogers.com.
