Summer 2015 - Third Post (Croatia)

17th May 2015

Jesolo di Lido

Lazy day at the beach full of Italians enjoying their Sunday.

18th May 2015

Jesolo di Lido to Njivice (Krk Island, Croatia)
Section 145 miles
Total 2606 miles (31.9 mpg)

Kept on the back roads through totally flat countryside with loads of rice fields and I think maize. Every where, including the towns and villages, so clean, hardly a piece of litter in sight. Hills and mountains start again as Trieste is approached which was by-passed by a toll-free dual carriageway. Entered Slovenia, filled up with fuel much cheaper than Italy, and enjoyed a slow drive down the western side of the Istrian peninsula through endless wooded hills to the Croatian border and then onto Krk Island, accessed by two large bridges (46kn toll, Croatia has been in the EU since 2013, does not use the euro, exchange rate £1 = 10.6 croatian kruni)

Stopped at a campsite at Njivice.
Fuel consumption has improved - no mountain passes - from Briancon to Slovenia I got 33.3mpg - most of the distance was cruising along the Autostrada, at about 60mph, or flat main roads.

Njivce -  The town from near the campsite

Njivce - View across to Cres Island at sunset

 

19th May 2015
Njivice

Hot lazy day just basking on the beach - but about a quarter of the campsite is being re-built - resulting in endless construction noise from two JCB's, often with hydraulic peckers and a massive mobile concrete mixer - far too disturbing and reminiscent of  'site work'! So decided to move on south the next day.

20th May 2015

Njivice to Nin (mainland)
Section 154 miles
Total 2760 miles

Another hot day - unfortunately, the weather forecast at the campsite reception showed rain for the rest of the week. A long days drive south down the coast road with the Adriatic and islands to the east while the mainland mountains rise steeply to the east. This cost line is hardly developed at all - amazing, as it is just a days drive from Germany and Austria - the Croatians seem to like well-heeled tourists. In fact, there is nothing much around apart from hills, mountains, sea, trees and limestone - the occasional coastal village - no farming or grazing animals in sight! The mainland becomes drier and the woods sparser going south. While generally the low-lying off-shore islands (Rab and Pag are the closest to the coast road) and the southern end of Krk appear as barren, arid wastes of bare limestone. After shopping at a huge Spar Superstore on the outskirts of Zadar, found a fairly cheap, but basic campsite, just outside Nin. Mosquitoes attacked at sun down! Six dead and one wounded.

 

Njivce to Nin - Developed coast near Novi Vindolski
This is about the most development in around 100km of coastline

Njivce to Nin - Southern end of Krk and northern part of Rab islands

Njivce to Nin - Typical view of coast road and the mainland mountains dropping to the sea
It just goes on for kilometre and kilometre like this

Njivce to Nin - More of the same
The eastern sides of the low off-shore islands look very barren and dry

Njivce to Nin - Barren limestone ridges on Rab or possibly Pag

 

 

21st to 23rd May 2015

Nin

Weather forecast was correct - grey skies and rain most of the time - the mountains on the mainland were barely discernable through the gloom. At least it's relatively warm rain - about 16C most of the day. Although, breaks in the weather in the early evenings allowed, a more or less rain free, walks into Nin. One of many small, picture book, walled coastal towns on small peninsulas linked to the mainland by a bridge that seem to abound along this coastline. Seems to have an endless history - Roman, Capital of Croat Kingdom, Venetian, Turkish, Austrian and French occupations. And of course the /Italian German Occupation in WW2. Old cathedral, roman temple and roman house in the town. Small apartments for rent everywhere - but still 95% empty in May. At least the rain kept the mosquitoes at bay. Bike trip to the next island on the Saturday resulted to returning to the van totally drowned! At least the campsite was cheap about £10 a night. Very few camping sites in Croatia and the only alternative are 'autotops' between the main coast road and the sea - they are typically about 10euro a night. Just a couple of free places in the whole country.

Nin - View across the lagoon from the campsite
You can just make out the mainland mountain chain running north-south in the distance

Nin - From near the campsite
Salt lagoons are behind the bridge

Nin - Bridge, outer town gate and cathedral tower

Nin - 9th century church and possibly roman houses

Nin - Main Street

Nin - Walking back to the campsite
A huge cloud bank masks he top of the main coastal mountain chain

 

24th May 2015
Nin to Novalja (Pag Island)
Section 57 miles
Total 2817 miles (32.19mpg)

The parking spot at Nin was soft, saturated mud and  I was concerned that the van would 'bog-down' due to all the rain when I tried to pull off onto the stone track. Luckily, it stayed dry over night and I managed to move with the help of a spoon and some mats!

Slow drive to Pag island, accessed by a toll-free bridge. So many speed restrictions here 50kph, 60kph and 70kph makes to going very slow. Ended up near the northern end of Pag at Camping Strasko, another ASCI listed site. I only saw about another four sites while driving up here all morning. Its a massive camp site! There must be about 1000 places (including static caravans and bungalows)! Restaurants, bars, shops everywhere! Reasonably priced and very clean, have booked for a week. The only draw-back is that it is Deutschland-sur- Mer!

Weather forecast for next week is variable - it's been sunny off and on to day and only a splatter of rain. Relatively warm, 20C at 19:30.



Novalja - Sun beginning to drop behind some of the outer islands

Novalja - Beach at Camping Strasko with German dog-walkers

Summer 2015 - Second Post (Italy)



 



8th and 9th May 2015

Digne-les-Bains to Moustiers-Ste-Marie

Section 31 miles

Total 1907 miles

 

More blue skies. Headed south towards via Riez and on to Camping St Clair, just south of the hillside village of Moustiers-Ste-Maries, close to where the Verdon exits the Gorge de Verdon and enters the Lac de St Croix. I was going to stay at an Aire at Riez; but, the free Aire has shut down and a new fee paying Aire has opened up. The campsite was only 14 euro a night, I think the Aire was about 6 euro a night. Reckoned the pension could stretch the extra 8 euros for a couple of nights. Also wanted an internet connection and electric hook-up, to cut my hair, so opted for the campsite. Good, basic, very shady campsite with really pleasant staff on reception. Stayed a couple of nights, on the second day I followed part of the GR4 (GR=Grande Randonee - French long distance footpath, all of which are numbered and clearly blazoned in red and white). Involved climbing up a very step path up through the limestone cliffs, for about about 500m or 600m, that block the end of the Gorge de Verdon. Great views over the Lac de St Croix and across to the west.

 

Moustiers-Ste-Marie - GR4 Walk - Exit of the Verdon Gorge into Lac St Croix

Moustiers-Ste-Marie - GR4 Walk - Lac St Croix

Moustiers-Ste-Marie - GR4 Walk
Wooded cliffs that the path managed to find a way through

10th May 2015

Moustiers-Ste-Marie to Trigance

Section 32 miles

Total 1939 miles

 

Blue skies and hot in the afternoon, about 26C. I have driven both the north and south coniches around the Gorge de Verdon on a couple of previous visits to the area. So, I just did the first section of the northern route this time. Whilst stopping to take some photographs of the gorge and river below, I saw a small group of about six Ibex at the base of the cliffs, just above the road. I had never seen these large wild goat like things before. Unfortunately, I didn't have the telephoto lens with me, so I guess they don't show up too well on the photographs. The 'stag' (or whatever you call the head male honcho ibex) had massive ridged horns. Then headed towards Rougon (where the road goes along the side of an off-shoot from the main Verdon gorge) and down to the hill top village of Trigance for an overnight stop at the Aire (5 euro charge - but includes un-metered electricity). Great views over the valley from the Aire. The castle above the town has been restored and turned into a hotel - so no entry - but enjoyed a pleasant wander round the village. A day of twisty roads and steep drops! I don't think I went above 40mph all day.

 

Gorge de Verdon - lowest part the specs in the river are rafts

 

 

 Gorge de Verdon - Ibex

 

 

Rougon - Ravin de Baou from the D952 

Trigance - Great panorama from the Aire

 

Trigance - Chateaux (restored as a hotel)

 

Trigance- Street Scene

 

Trigance - Another village street

 

Wrought iron Bell Tower - Trignance

11th May 2015

Trigance to Annot

Section 37 miles

Total 1976 miles

 

Weather remains great, just some high thin cloud. Followed a 'white' road on my map to get to Castellane. The signs that said maximum length 8m and no caravans should have given some hint of what was to come. The last six or eight kilometres down into Castellane were pretty hairy - over-hanging rocks, sheer drops and very tight hairpin bends - along what was mainly a single track road. I couldn't stop to take any photographs in case some one came whizzing round a bend - no pull-ins either. Castellane is a cool place with a church on top of a massive lump of rock on one side of the town. First stayed there in about 1994 when I was doing a cycling tour of the pre-Alpes.  Carried on past the impressive Lac de Castillon (with a large hydro plant) towards Annot via the Col de Toutes Aures and the impressive Clue de Rouaine (scary drops down the down to the river on the RHS of the road - especially as there was no barrier at all as it was being rebuilt). I just love this part of France. Ended up at a free Aire in some pine woods just on the outskirts of Annot. Annot's a large village in the bottom of the valley with twisting, narrow streets and shady arcades in the old part of the town. The Chemin de Fer de Provence has a station here (opened in 1908), some how the line manages to work its way from Nice through the mountains to Digne-les-Bains with tunnels and viaducts going up to around 1500m. Oddly, this line never became part of SNCF and is a separate railway company from the state owned lines. The south facing valley seems to trap the heat, really hot this afternoon.

Trigance - View Departing

 

RN202 coming down the Clue de Rouaine towards Annot

Annot - Les Gres de Annot

 

 

Annot - From near the Aire

Annot - Coffe Time near the Main Square

Annot - Aire

12th May 2015

Annot to Colmars-les-Alpes

Section 23 miles

Total 1999 miles

 

The east side of the valley, above Annot, is topped by limestone escarpments and littered with bizarrely shaped, house sized plus lumps of limestone - referred to as Les Gres de Annot. In the morning climbed up about 400m along a path through the wooded slopes, past les gres and on to the top of the escarpment, where there were good views down to the village of Braux in the adjacent valley to the east. The three or four hundred metre sheer drop is not for the vertiguos - which includes me - I had to keep back from the edge. Got back to the van after about four hours walking. After lunch, moved on towards Colmars-les-Alpes via the Col St Michel (1500m). The road drops steeply 500m along the east side of the Verdon valley, north of the Lac de Castillon, to re-join the main road in the valley bottom. Arrived about 16:00 and had some time to look around this walled village, with a castle to the north and some sort of blockhouse to the south. In the evening wandered up to the Cascade da la Lance. Even the French seem to have taken to Health and Safety with a warning notice about not stopping on the path because of the risk of falling rocks!

 

 

Annot - Bizarre rock formations above Annot

Annot - Braux from the top of the escarpment

D8908 going down from Col Ste Michel back to the Verdon Valley
 



Colmars - Path up to the Casacade



Colmars - Chateaux



Colmars - Church Towers
A number of villages in the area have these tiles steeples

Colmars - Aire and valley up to the Cascade

 Colmars - Health and Safety meets French Footpath
(Danger - Falling Rocks - Do not stop)

Colmars -Town walls

 



13th May 2015

Colmars-les-Alpes to Vars-les-Claux

Section 51 miles

Total 2050 miles

 

Northwards to Allos and then the Col d'Allos (2247m) to get from thr Verdon valley across to the l'Ubaye valley (last encountered at La Beole on the 5th/6th May) at Briancon. Turning a bend at what I though was nearly the bottom of the col, I looked down and saw the road hugging the side of a totally unstable looking slope for about another 500m! Oh well, take a deep breath and carry on. No wonder there were signs in Allos showing a 3.5t weight limit and 7m length restriction for the pass. Got to the Aire in Briancon - but it was very hot and oppressive in the valley bottom - decided to head on north to Vars-les-Claux (1900m) via the Col de Vars (2111m). Unfortunately, the Col de la Bonnete (2809m), which is the highest road pass in Europe, was not open (presumably still blocked by snow) other wise I would have detoured south through the Mercantor NP for a couple of days. Vars-les-Claux turned out to be a skiing resort, including the typical eight or ten storey apartment/hotel blocks and all the paraphernalia of ski lifts and the eroded scars of pistes. These places probably look great in winter; but, are complete ghost towns in the summer - no one around and nearly every thing shut down. Good mountain views from the Aire until it clouded over in the late afternoon.

 

Hazy view of Briancon from Col d'Allos





Just when I thought I was near the bottom of the Col d'Allos - Turned a hairpin and saw the 500m down



Fort de Tounaux - near the bottom of the Col de Vars - to keep the Italians out







Col de Vars - Coffee Break



Col de Vars - Mamot - there were about half a dozen running around

 

 

14th/15th May 2015

Var-les-Claux to Lisanza, Italy

Section 182 miles

Total 2232 miles (31.6 mpg)

 

Var-les-Alpes - From the Aire - a ghost town of  a ski resort in May

I could easily spend all summer in France; but, the intention on leaving Edinburgh had been to head towards the Dalmatian coast of Croatia for a few weeks 'on the beach'. Looking at the map this morning it looks miles away, about 500miles according to Autoroute 2013, and the Cote d'Azur is a lot closer...anyway, decided to bite the bullet and head off towards Croatia. Planning on taking a side trip to a few places in Northern Italy on the way. I have only been through on the train and visited places like Verona, Venice and Bologna in the  past.

A long days drive via Briancon, the Col de Montgenevre (1850m) into Italy, down to Oulx to join the Autostarda (to get some miles on and avoid the roads around Turin) to the southern end of Lago Maggiore. It was thirty euros well spent on tolls as the driving on the autostrada around Turin was hairy and congested at times. Not being sure of Aires in Italy. I headed for a campsite on the shore of the Lake at Lasanza ( Camping Lido OK - sounds a bit naff; but actually immaculately clean, trimmed hedges and flowers abound - even the garbage disposal area is under cover with lino - which the staff wash!).

In the mounatins the autostrada was on a constant downhill grade of between about 1% and 2.5% for what seemed like about 200km and littered with so many long tunnels I lost count - many were between four and about eight kilometres long. All well lit - possibly so that fashion conscious Italians don't have to take off their designer sunglasses enroute.

Once settled in, the evening became over cast and oppressive. Rumbles of thunder and odd lightning flashes during the night resolved themselves the next morning into more or less continuous heavy thundery rain - although the really pleasant owner insisted it was only for Friday and sunshine was promised again for Saturday. The temperature dropped to a chilly 11C in the afternoon; fan heater in the van sorted that out. Got drowned going to get bread for a late breakfast. Oh well, plenty of practice camping in the UK in that sort of weather and at least a chance to get the blog updated. 

She was correct, blue sky and warm sunshine on the Saturday morning and a chance to actually see across the lake to snow capped mountains on the horizon.

Note on Fuel: The mountain passes have been hard on diesel! When I filled up yesterday, at Briancon and checked, the average mpg for the trip has fallen to 31.6 mpg and since last filling at Sisteron, on the 5th May, where most of the passes started, it was down to 26.4mpg. Italian diesel is bloody expensive typically1.49 euro/litre -  at around 1.08 £/litre nearly the same as the UK.  

Driving towards Briancon - a very murky looking Massif de Ecrins
I walked around it, 120km, on the GR54 in about 1997

 

16th May 2015

Lisanza to Jesolo di Lido

Section 225 miles

Total 2457 miles (31.6 mpg)

 

Initially planned to head to near Venice stopping overnight at Lake Garda and near Trent in the Dolomites; but, driving down the autostrada towards Verona the weather to the north in the mountains looked really stormy with heavy dark clouds. So decided to cut the trip into the mountains, to avoid even more thunderstorms, and decided to drive onto Jesolo just to the north of Venice.

A long days drive of 225 miles; but, easy on the very flat autostrada over the Lombardy Plain - a pleasant change after all those cols in France! And, surprisingly cheap tolls (especially compared to France - a total of about 21.5 euros for around 210 miles).

The camping (Camping Park dei Dogi) still has an ASCI Card rate of twelve euros a night even though it is some sort of Italian holiday week - I noticed at reception that the rack rates are higher than normal for this week. No wonder the autostarda was so busy with italian cars and motorhomes on the way from Lake Maggiore. The campsite pretty busy too - with lots of Italian families - its just across the main road from the beach. Again really clean and looked after and pleasant receptionist with excellent english.

Lake Maggiore - From the Camping  Lido OK just before leaving on Saturday
Improvement over Friday's thunderstorms

Lake Maggiore - Camping Lido OK
I keep tripping out the electricity - blew four connections!