Homeward bound - and 2 narrow escapes

The route home

Tues 23rd June

Time to go home. We need to be at Igomounenista for the ferry by midnight, so plenty of time. The motorway to Igomounenista is a lot cheaper than those near  Athens, and motorhomes are more reasonably treated, too. Eventually left the site around 11.30, having walked into town to buy pies and cakes for the ferry. (Prices on the ferry are ridiculous!). And on the way we stopped to buy fruit from a roadside vendor, and 9 litres of bottled water to take on board - that now seems excessive!

When we arrived at the port we found a check in - well hidden away - to be told the ferry was running 4 hours late, Great! However we did our check in stuff, which included having our vehicle documents inspected, and drove off to have a meal in a lay-by overlooking the bay. We wondered whether to spend the night in the layby, and head back to the port at 0330, but in the end we returned to the port, and went through a VERY rigorous security check. A man looked in our toilet compartment, and under the bed. Lorries were being inspected from on top, underneath, and trailers being opened and inspected. From there we were directed to a holding area, behind a line of motorhomes. So we had a shower, set an alarm for 0300, and went to bed.

Wed 24th June

3 am. Awake. No one else about. Could we have had a later alarm? Probably. Around us were many more motorhomes, and a huge number of lorries, all in neat lines.  This is in complete contrast from our last departure from Igomounenista, 7 years ago on our return from Turkey, which was much more fun. Then we drove  into the port, no security. Found out eventually where to check in, then waited. Then there was a rumour that the ferry would arrive at a certain place and everyone, cars, motorhomes, lorries rushed off to this quay, all in a bundle. You have never seen anything like it! Then there was another rumour that it would be a different quay - and the  whole process was repeated. And because of the morass of vehicles around the loading ramp, vehicles coming off couldn't disembark. Brilliant! And then, of course, cars, lorries and motorhomes were all muddled up, and needed to be sorted as they were loaded, to go into their various places on the ship.

Not any more:( It's all well organised. Ferry eventually arrived at about 0430, and started loading. But because it isn't a RO-RO ferry - vehicles embark and disembark from the stern, lorries were reversing into the ship. As each lorry went on to the lorry crew members with torches checked for stowaways hiding between the cab and trailer. And in the lorry deck - which includes us, big artics were doing U-turns and manoeuvring in very tight spaces. We are packed very tightly together, and there's not much space to pass between vehicles. I did find an electric hook up point, so plugged in our electrics - mainly to keep the fridge going.

We sailed at 0600 - so much for a midnight sailing! The good news is that we should arrive at Trieste at a more reasonable hour, so no need to find somewhere to stop for the night, at 2 am. As we sailed dawn was breaking over Igomounenista - very romantic. And so to bed, again.

"High above, the dawn is breaking....."

11 am, awake and time for another cup of tea (it's always time for another cup of tea!). We have brought with us an electric kettle, continental socket adapters, teabags (yes! reduced to teabags - bringing a teapot and loose tea seemed a tad excessive), mugs. The only civilised thing we haven't got is fresh milk - it just goes off so quickly on board. Up on deck for some fresh air and sunshine - and it's raining!

Lunch was the picnic we bought ashore yesterday. The self service cafeteria is a bit of a bun fight, and not cheap. We noticed the restaurant was an awful lot nicer, and not a lot more expensive, so we decided to eat there in the evening. Come the evening, restaurant remained firmly closed. Bummer! So we had to join the bunfight for an OK sort of meal.

At 10 pm, we were just arriving at Ancona. No one seemed to know when it would arrive at Trieste, but a good guess was 6 am.

Thurs 25th June

We set an alarm for 5 am, but very loud announcements at 4.45 left no doubt about being time to get up. To make sure, stewards came rapping at doors, and again some 10 minutes later. We eventually docked in Trieste at 05.30 Greek time, and we were very quickly off the ship - most lorries and motorhomes had departed at Ancona, and straight onto the motorway- A4 and then A23. Only 2 hours later we were at the top of the Plockenpass, the border with Austria, where we stopped for breakfast. In contrast with Greek motorways, the 1 1/2 hours on the Italian motorway cost only €7

The top of the Plockenpass, and the Austrian border

During WW1 this was the frontline between Austrian and Italian armies, and there lots of fortifications and tunnels still visible. In the nearby Austrian town of Mauthen there is a superbly presented museum covering the 1914-18 war in the area, lots of photos, artefacts, maps, drawings - unfortunately all the descriptive text was in German and Italian, so most of the display meant nothing to us at all.

We are heading for Camping Ponderosa, at Glanz, about 10 miles from the border - the nice, friendly, little site we stayed at on the way down. We set up in exactly the same pitch we vacated 2 months ago, and opposite us was the Dutch caravan and elederly couple who were there before, sitting in exactly the same places - and they recognised us. We had only spent 1 night there. Then when we checked in, the owner recognised us too.

Miles 2997  N46.74448 E13.04395 elevation 2050 feet

Fri 26th June

Fairly late leaving the site - for another bite at the Grossglockner. On the way through in early May the Franz Josef glacier was still inaccessible., so that deserves another looking at. And the scenery in May was entirely white - it would be good to see it in green. And as usual it didn't disappoint - well worth the €36 toll. Much busier than in early May. The main problem was "bluebottles" - motor bikers in large gangs, all dressed in black, all buzzing noisily, overtaking on hairpin bends, and generally getting in the way. We kept expecting to see bits of bike and biker scattered about - but never did.

The lift when it was built 50 years ago

At the glacier we did something we've not done before in previous visits - caught the  lift down to the glacier. Well, when installed in 1963 it did take you to the glacier. Now the glacier  has retreated so much it only takes you a small way there - there is now a steep, long and rugged walk from when you get off the lift to reach the glacier. And there are marmots everywhere - in previous visits we've only seen a few, but this time there were lots, and I stopped taking photos of them. Rosemary's Fitbit says we climbed 99 staircases. No wonder I'm knackered!

Just see how far the glacier has retreated in 5 years!

...and the man himself! Emperor Franz-Josef ...a Good Egg

Grossglockner, early May

what a difference 6 weeks makes

Eventually we cautiously made or way down the northern slope of the Grossglockner. This time we found we were not much slower than the cars - previously they have roared away. And, new, are lots of signs about using a low gear and testing your brakes. I wonder if there has been a brake failure incident in the last 7 weeks?

We have returned to the private motorhome stop at Maria Alp, where we stopped on the way out.

Miles 3089    N47.39859 E 12.90246 elevation 2660 feet (ie 5500 feet lower than the top of the Grossglockner)


Sat 27th June

Another long stretch - out of Austria and half way across Germany, and not an easy journey either. Roadworks, accidents, and almost stationary queues. Eventually we got off the motorway, and cut across under Munich. We were heading for the nice wohnmobilstellplatz by the Rhine at Karlsruhe, where we stopped on the way out. Very convenient - about 400 yards directly off the motorway, and right beside the Rhine. We always enjoy watching the barges battling hard against the current, and the empty ones coming down at some speed.


Miles 3395,  N49.03761 E8.30525,  elevation 334 feet

Sun 28th June

Our plan today is to get to a site close to Lille, so we can do a final shop up at the huge Auchan there. We settled on an aire just across the border in Belgium, at Tournai, Quite a large aire, with all the usual bunkering services, and only 5 minutes from the centre. When we walked into the centre, we were amazed to discover we had been there only 2 years ago - but we had forgotten. A lovely town, with a nice feel to it, Today's journey was a lot easier, although some of the Belgian motorway road surfaces were on par with some of the worst Greek roads.

Miles 3741 N50.60404 E3.38079, elevation 183 feet

Mon 29th June

A short hop to the Auchan hypermarche on the outskirts of Lille, It is VAST! Car parks right round, all protected by height barriers. With a high vehicle you have to stop at the barrierm press a button and speak to a man located somewhere invisible, who will open the barrier for you - and the same when you come out, We spent lots of money, buying lots of wine then headed for Calais, and the ferry home. Almost there, we thought!

We arrived at the port rather early, and we were booked onto an earlier ferry. This was fortunates, as we shall see. We joined our queue, and were second from the front of our queue, a grandstand view of events. The preceding ferry cast off and left. Our ferry started embarking lorries and motorbikes, Only a few loaded, when a small car drove onto the ramp and parked across it. Groups of scruffy individuals wandered over, and we wondered what was going on. Boarding stopped. Passengers milled around, and then it became clear that these scruffs were strikers from a different ferry company - Myferryline - who were do what the French always do if there's a dispute - have a tantrum, throw their toys out of the pram, and look for other people to hurt - ideally, Brits. They were going to stop ships entering or leaving Calais.

Loading ramp blocked 

passengers begin to mill about wondering what is happening

Toys out of the pram time

A P&O ferry arrived from Dover, but was not allowed to dock and had to sail again. The National Police arrived - the gendarmes - all looking very butch in black uniforms, jackboots, guns, swagger, shaved heads - and proceeded to help the secondary pickets, by placing themselves between us and the scruffs, facing us - the paying passengers, and threatening us if we got too close. At one point they actually stood in a line across the loading ramp, doing the pickets job for them.

French national police - butch and useless, and protecting the pickets from passengers

National police are now blocking the loading ramp themselves

Several hours went by, nothing happened, except for Brits working their way through their stashes of wine. Patience gave out, tempers began to fray, and angry confrontations began, with eual numbers of women joining in. There were some REALLY angry Dutch women! Surprising, both strikers and police retreated slightly, alyhough the altercations were only verbal. Then it was announced that the strikers had kindly allowed our ferry only to embark and sail. My view is that the police advised the strikers that as the evening wore on things could turn quite nasty, and their best bet was to get us away quickly. Just my hunch.

So we sailed about 6 hours late, disembarking in Dover at 11 pm French time, 10 pm UK time. By then we were too tired to do much driving, so went straight to Dover seafront, and bedded down for the night.


Tues 30th June

We wanted an early start, so set the alarm for 0400 - and a beautiful dawn was breaking. We marvelled again how lucky we were to get out of France. If we had delayed and gone for the ferry we had originally booked we would still be there.

As we drove up the A20 and M20, we passed at least 20 miles of lorries stacked up, and more arriving all the time. Britain has been at war with France for most of the last 1000 years - and it isn't hard to see why. I'm glad I bought Rioja now, and not French stuff.

Home by 11 am. Phew, that was a journey! In future we will be booking ferries to Dunkerque, in Belgium, to bypass France altogether. Apart from their regular tantrums, their motorways are ridiculously expensive.

...and our second narrow escape? We left Greece just 4 days before the euro crisis there blew up - queues at ATMs, queues at petrol stations. But at least it wasn't as bad as our first Bulgaria visit, 10 years ago...
http://pippins.me.uk/2005/2005_bulgaria.htm