A
Motorhome Journey to Bulgaria and Turkey 2010-11 Travels in
a Fleetwood Fiesta Motorhome
Brenda Wilson with
Adrian September 2011
Brenda and Adrian
travel in a Fleetwood Fiesta motorhome they bought in the USA. They imported it
into the UK after an extensive tour of the States, made it legal for use in
Europe, converted it to LPG and added a number of home improvements. Adrian
built his own A-frame in order to pull an ageing Ford Siesta Estate out to
Bulgaria, where, on a previous visit, they had bought a small property and
some land on a hillside above the town of Harmanli.
Harmanli is the nearest town
to Sakar
Hills Camping, run by the Jeffes family and it
is there that we met the Wilsons for the second time. Their story is a
wonderful mix of intrepid travel, renovating a property in Bulgaria and the
joys, challenges and pitfalls of the life of the traveller
and the expatriate.
Apart
from their extensive travels in Europe and the USA, they have also toured
Australia. What is for sure is that we will not be climbing Ayers Rock (Uluru)
any time soon, at least not when there is an Aboriginal fellah looking
on (and cursing).
For 39 images,
Click: The
Wilsons Demolish and Rebuild their House in Bulgaria
Click: 74
Images of the Wilsons Tour of Turkey
For
other writing and photos by the Wilsons, click:
Motorhoming in the USA from
Florida to San Fransisco and Return 2009
143 Images of the
Motorhomie Tour of the USA
Overland to Greece via Albania
2010
Return to the UK from Greece via Bulgaria
2010
Brenda writes: England – October 2010
On 11th October we set off for
Essex in our motorhome, also towing a Ford Sierra estate (on an A-frame which
Adrian had made) and with extras which included a washing machine, a cement
mixer, a water pump and lots of tools etc. We had brake problems right from the
start, on the motorhome and also on our car at the back, despite there being
no real reason why this should be, and ongoing leisure battery problems too
(despite having bought 2 new ones in America). We decided to unhitch the car,
which I drove (a little way) behind, and parked up for the night near Ipswich
thinking that if we were going to have more of the same the next day we might
have to go back home again! However, in the morning, having put our car back on
tow again, we decided to press on and had no more problems - so we were none
the wiser.
It was put down to the 'Uluru Curse' once again! This has
become a bit of a standing joke but when we were in Australia and climbed Uluru
(Ayers Rock) we were told by an aboriginal that we should NOT have done so. On
asking why, he replied it was a sacred rock and to make of it what we would
but that we would find out!! We thought nothing of it and forgot all about it
until an incident about 10 minutes later, whereby I came very close to
drowning (in a river) and a few weeks later the same happened to Adrian (in
the sea) when he got caught in a rip tide. How strange was that?! So now when
anything happens we laugh and put it all down to the 'curse'!
We spent 4 days in Essex, mainly visiting family including
my Mum, Adrian's Mum and Dad, our son and my sisters. We watched the remarkable
rescue of the 33 Chilean miners who had been trapped underground for 2 months,
but who were so much more fortunate than the New Zealand miners who lost their
lives later on. On 16th October we hitched up again and headed towards Dover.
This was slow going as the M25 between J29 and J30 was closed so we had to find
an alternative route round. The traffic was awful on this particular Saturday
but we got to the QE2 bridge (£1.50) and continued on towards Dover. Our SatNav
sent us to the Euro Train Terminal for some reason and we were unsure how we
were supposed to get out again but with some help we managed it. Apart from
that, and our batteries still not holding their charge, we arrived at Dover sea
front at 4 pm where we stayed overnight, ready for the ferry over to Dunkirk
at 10 am next morning. France, Belgium, Holland and Germany
We arrived in Dunkirk at lunchtime, then drove through
France, Belgium, a small bit of Holland and into Germany, staying on motorway
Service Stations overnight, although these are very, very noisy places at the
best of times! We had planned to drive through the Czech Republic, as someone
had told us that it was only 12 Euros for motorways there (although he probably
meant for a car only), but when we got there a most rude, unhelpful woman
wanted to charge us the maximum amount for a vignette because we did not know
what our emissions were! When told by us that we did not have to know the
number of our emissions in the UK, she wasn't at all interested and insisted
we would have to pay the maximum amount of 130 Euros! So (as we would also
have had to pay for another vignette of an unknown amount to go into
Slovakia) we reluctantly decided to turn around and go through Austria once
again, even though we had vowed never to go through that country again because
of the 'fiasco' of their 'Go Box', which we are forced to buy (for use of
motorways) because we are over 3.5 ton and therefore classed as an HGV.
However, before we could get as far as Austria, we were
flagged down by the German police on the motorway for a different sort of
'fiasco'! Looking back it was all quite farcical but definitely not at the
time. They said the car being towed on the back was illegal! They had never
seen anything like it before and wanted to know how it steered itself and why
there was no driver in the seat! They checked all our papers and we waited all
afternoon while they made phone calls to find out if we were ok or not. They
wouldn't let us take the car off the back either, as they wanted to see if we
had got to pay a fine! Meanwhile loads more police turned up with inspectors,
sergeants and probably the whole station, to look and take loads of photos -
even inside the car and under the bonnet! We felt like criminals at some crime
scene. However eventually, late in the afternoon, much to our surprise they
said we could go, without any fine, as they had found out it was legal in our
country. What a waste of time and resources! The 'curse' had struck again. By
this time it was getting late and we then had to find a suitable place to stay
for the night. We hadn't got very far.
Next morning we hadn't been on the motorway long before
once again we were flagged down by the police wanting to know exactly the same
thing. How does the car steer without someone in the driver's seat? We tried
explaining all that had happened the previous day (not very far away) but they
were not interested and said the other cops didn't really know what they were
talking about but that they did! So, even though it is legal in our country and
should therefore apply to us driving through their country, they were not
going to let us tow! We only had another couple of hours driving to do before
the Austrian border but it made no difference. They even said they had let us
off a 25 Euro fine! Adrian says he would have refused to pay it anyway. So off
the car came and I then had to drive for 2 hours on the motorway behind the
motorhome, which was actually more dangerous than towing as I had never driven
on the right hand side of the road before! Austria
We got to the Austrian border where we re-attached the car
again and enquired about the 'Go Box'. We were informed that
because we were towing a car they wanted 150 Euros. So we decided not to use
Austrian motorways and of course had to contend with the towns, villages and
narrow roads which slow you down considerably. We were beginning to think we
might have been better off if we had just dumped the car somewhere! But at
least from here onwards we had no more bother with the police, though needless
to say we were very jittery every time we saw cops or any of them passed us
by!
Unfortunately we still had to buy a 'Go Box' to go on the
motorway round Wien (Vienna), as there was no easy route at all and we would
have had to go through the city. We didn't pass anywhere to purchase one and
found ourselves on the motorway! We were extremely anxious because if we had
been stopped we would have been fined very heavily. We managed to get off the
motorway again not long after and were surprised that the lady in the garage
said we could buy one from them. So, 80 Euros for the 'Go Box' for the rest of
Austria (in which we saw no LPG).
At the Hungarian border another farce evolved, as you have
to give in your Austrian 'Go Box' before you exit the country and then purchase
a vignette for Hungary. This is extremely unclear and you are left not knowing
what to do or where to go and they just will not speak English! They said we
needed to go over the road but as you are on a motorway you can't. So very
unhelpful. We were going up and down, getting more irate and stressed and in
the end a lady showed Adrian a 'walking track across a field', through a
tunnel and under the motorway! How you were supposed to know, I have no idea!
So we got our 35 Euros back for the 'Go Box' (as we had only used €45 but you
have to pay a minimum of €80 to buy one). Hungary
Then back under the tunnel, across the 'field' to the
Hungarian side, where you can then purchase a vignette for Hungary which for
us, as we needed 2 days, was another 25 Euros! We still had the worst road
conditions and therefore the most time consuming countries still to come,
especially Romania and Bulgaria, and as for their driving ... well, we won't
even go there, as some of them must surely be suicidal! It's rather like
Russian Roulette. What fun! I wonder how many of you reading this now are
thinking they would like to start touring in a campervan! Well of course it's
not always like that ... Romania
After Hungary we then had to purchase another vignette,
also for 2 days, for Romania, although this time only costing 12 Euros. Now the
capital city of Bucharest is something else, also. There is supposed to be
some sort of a ring road round it but to find where to go would require a
miracle. We got to the end of the motorway and were then heading straight into
the very busy city centre, so turned around but it was impossible to find the
road we needed. We asked one bloke who said he didn't have a clue; then two
young men offered to show us the way if we followed behind them. They said not
to take any notice of our maps as they were rubbish! We would NEVER have gone
where they took us. It was a long way, down narrow roads, through crowds of
people at a Sunday market and with hedges and trees far too close. Obviously
they hadn't considered what we were driving and we ended up nearly taking the
sides of the motorhome off in our hurry not to lose sight of them! Without
their help though I don't know what we would have done.
Later on we also somehow got lost trying to find Giurgiu
and then the border at the Friendship Bridge which takes you over the Danube
and into Bulgaria. There were no signposts where we wanted to go and once
again, if it hadn't been for a lorry driver who was also going there and had
said to follow, we would never have found it! Bulgaria
However, it only cost us 6 Euros to cross the Friendship
Bridge from Romania, whereas when we crossed the Danube by ferry from Vidin
earlier in the year it cost us the equivalent of £60! Once into Bulgaria we had
to purchase yet another (the last for now) vignette for 2 days which cost 26
Lev (approx £12). At least now we were on the final leg of our journey on this
occasion.
We continued south and after Gabrovo we had to negotiate a
pass over the mountains, at which point we had planned to unhitch the car and I
would drive it the rest of the way, but we decided we would give it a go. As
it turned out the towing was fine, despite a long, high climb into cloud, but
at least it was picturesque in all the autumn colours and the road conditions
were good. Stara Zagora was a very big place which we went through (as usual)
instead of round!
We eventually got to Biser (our destination for now) by
6.30 pm. It had been dark for some time and we wouldn't normally drive that
late but with nowhere else to stay we kept going. It had been a long day but
we had made it. In fact it had taken us 8 very eventful days to get this far,
which I suppose was not too bad all things considered, having also managed to
just about keep the car behind us! What we didn't realize then, however, was
that events about to occur the next morning would necessitate us flying back
home again!
The next day was spent sorting out and catching up with the
news from Matt and all the Jeffes family at Camping Sakar Hills in Biser, where
we were staying. We also went into the town (Harmanli) and up to our property,
which was understandably very overgrown now. At least the vines still had
plenty of grapes left attached, which we picked - the red ones were lovely and
sweet. We also have almond and walnut trees in our garden, so I collected what
I could to keep for Christmas.
In the evening I found urgent messages on the laptop to
ring home. So I rang my sister on my mobile, only to be told the bad news that
Mum had died that morning, sitting in her chair by the fire, so at least we
didn't think she had suffered in any way. She was 88 and although in good
health mentally she had been suffering lately with her legs and back and had
not been able to get about much. So it was quite difficult for us to
concentrate on anything in Bulgaria at that time. As her funeral wasn't to be
held until 11th November (we booked our flight home for 8th Nov) and there
wasn't much we could do until then, we decided to carry on the best we could.
We had had lovely weather since leaving UK but then we were
in for a short cold snap. On one of those cold and foggy mornings (they seem to
have a lot of fog there) our car wouldn't start. Adrian thought it was the coil
and he cycled all the way into Harmanli to get another but after much tinkering
in the cold, it still didn't go and as Matt wasn't around we ended up going
nowhere! The next day (cold and foggy) we tried to bump-start the car without
luck and Matt suggested he tow us into Harmanli to the breakers to leave the
car to be fixed. So this is what we did, although Adrian didn't really want
to, as he had NEVER had anyone look at his cars! Anyway, later on that day we
collected it again and it was going, which was the main thing, though they
hadn't actually solved the problem, as we were to find out later on another
occasion!
However, the weather there can change very quickly and soon
we were basking in warm sunshine - teeshirts and shorts time! So we made the
most of the weather, trying to do as much as we could on our property before
going off home again. A lot of time is spent shopping for the many things you
need whilst starting this sort of project but we made quite good progress
anyway. There were brambles up to the door of the little chalet in which we
were to live when it had been suitably sorted. We were disappointed when we
realized we would not be able to drive our motorhome down the lane and onto
our property, at that time, but we were going to try after the winter, when
we came back in the spring, as the lane would then be made wider at the top
and less steep. We were also surprised at the size of a building in front of
us (to one side), as this had been much, much smaller when we were last
there!
Our chalet roof was leaking, making a real mess of our
kitchen, as the couple before had not finished tiling the roof. So this had to
be done. The kitchen had to be painted and the sink installed, as well as a new
toilet, since the old one was broken and it also had to be connected to the
sewer. A burst pipe directly underneath the shower cubicle had to be fixed. I
stained all the wood on the outside of the chalet. Doors were made and hung,
cupboards made, shelves put up and stained, curtains hung, a Kamena (log
burning stove) fitted, beds bought along with fridge/freezer, microwave and
cooker, washing machine plumbed in, hot water tank fitted, etc etc. Anyone who
might have seen us with various white goods on the barrow, with me pulling a
rope in front to get up our hill, would no doubt have laughed to themselves.
The Kamena was VERY heavy, even though it's only small, and the cooker had to
go back to the shop again to swap for another, so we were up and down a good
few times! A mouse nest which we had found on the top of our wardrobe had to
be disposed of!
We had no proper access on to our property, so we arranged
for a digger to dig out a small part of a drive at the bottom of the garden and
take down part of a wall. Adrian also fitted a new water pump into our well,
the only source of water here for us. We chopped down several trees along the
back boundary in order to let more light in, as one drawback is the fact that
we face north and we lose the sun very early on in the day. This has helped
though. We both filled in all the trenches around the existing building that
had been dug by the previous owner, as we will not be using these. Finally,
before we went, Adrian took all the tiles off the existing building and passed
them down to me (via a bucket and string) while I stacked them along the back
to use another time. He also took all the timbers off the roof, dismantled
nearly all of the ceiling/floor, which was made of wood and MUD, and also some
of the lower walls. What a mess at that point. It looked like a bomb
site! Return to England (by air) – November 2010
On the morning of 8th November we left before 7 am for
Sofia airport. Matt had offered to take us there in his car but we decided to
take our own motor (if it was going ok, as we had had problems with it earlier)
and leave it at the airport for coming home. We wished we had taken him up on
his offer, as our 'curse' appeared to be with us again! It was thick fog and
dark and we had been led to believe that the new motorway from Harmanli had
been finished and we could use it to get to Plovdiv. Before we knew it, we
were on it and driving in the opposite direction. We couldn't get off
anywhere until we got to Lyubimets about 12 miles later. So then we had to go
all the way back again and the fog slowed and disorientated us considerably.
Back at Harmanli we had to get on the old road, as the
motorway was not done, and it's bumpy and slow going with loads of lorries that
we were unable to overtake as our old car had no power and doesn't like the
hills either! It's 268 km to Sofia and we really didn't think we would make it.
We should have been there by 10 am but arrived at well gone 11 am by the time
we had found the airport and the place in which to leave our car for 2 weeks.
Anyway we made it in time!
Arrived at Gatwick airport at 1.30 pm (UK time), where my
brother picked us up. It was very wet and windy and we were sorry to have left
the sunshine behind, as we learnt it had been really lovely in Bulgaria during
our time away. We went back to my brother's house and he very kindly lent us
his car for a week. We then drove to my Mum's house in Wickford, where we
stayed for the 2 weeks. It was a very strange feeling being there, without her
there. You kept expecting her to walk in at any moment! I'm glad we did
though, as I think it helped somehow, but it was a very sad time. We went to
see her in the Chapel of Rest a few times.
On the day of the funeral we had awful weather, cold with
pouring rain. Our 2 sons arrived and stayed with us the night but our daughter,
who lives in Australia, was obviously unable to be there with us. The church
was packed and the vicar made a brilliant job of the service and included a
tribute I had written in his Eulogy. Mum would have approved, it was just as
she had requested. Mum was laid to rest with my Dad in the churchyard, where
they had been married in 1946. My grandparents were also married there, as
were my 2 sisters, myself and Adrian too.
During the time we stayed after the funeral, apart from
lots of family meetings, Adrian and I cleared out the whole house and loft of
all the rubbish and went through everything thoroughly and labelled things so
the rest of the family could see exactly what was what. I felt I needed to do
something to help, as we were about to go back to Bulgaria again leaving
everything for other family members to deal with - the selling of the house,
probate and the financial side of things etc. I'd like to think we made it
somewhat easier for them, anyhow. Back in Bulgaria
On 21st November we got a taxi back to Gatwick airport.
Flight departed at 4 pm. Arrived about 10 pm (Bulgarian time) and when we
landed at Sofia the passengers all CLAPPED! We have never experienced that
before. We could only think it may have been because it was very windy and
Sofia is the highest city in Europe but we don't really know why! Our car
started first time (we hadn't left the lights on, as thought) and it only cost
us 60 Lev (less than £30) for the 2 weeks parking!
However, it wasn't all plain sailing to get back to Biser
campsite. The only good thing was that, as it was so late, there was very
little traffic on the roads - but also nobody to ask directions! In the dark
and with quite a bit of fog in places we managed to take the wrong road
several times. We ended up going through the big city of Plovdiv, which we
hadn't intended. As usual, the signposts were often non-existent. We
eventually arrived at about 1.45 am. It had been a long day but it was much
warmer here, for now at least.
Back at Camping Sakar Hills in Biser, we noticed that our
friends, Margaret and Barry (who have been travelling full-time for over 16
years) had arrived in their Fleetwood Flair American motorhome. We first met in
Greece in 2006 and we continue to follow their travels on their website (www.magbaztravels.com). We had
been expecting them to arrive even before we had left for the UK.
The next day Martin and Shirley (Matt's parents) and their
neighbour took us to Haskovo (about 25 miles) to have a good look round at the
various wood yards and electrical shops. We also had lunch at a very nice
Italian restaurant (Unopio), which was very inexpensive. For the 5 of us (and
with drinks too) the bill only came to 33 Leva (about £15)!
When we went up to our property we
saw that they had had a lot of rain recently and, because the road had been
widened in places and a digger had dug out some of the earth on the banks, the
rain had washed all the mud straight down the hill. So it was very awash with
water and mud everywhere. How we prevented ourselves from getting stuck, I've
no idea. The 'river' had flowed straight through our neighbour's garden! Each
morning Adrian would load up our car with large stones, which Martin had said
we could have from their garden in Biser if we transported them ourselves.
They certainly weighed our poor old car down, which struggled to get up the
hill to our property each day. It doesn't like hills at the best of times!
Eventually Adrian will use them to make a retaining wall in front of the bank
on the driveway at the bottom of the garden, to prevent any landslides
(hopefully)!
Over the next 2 weeks or so we had
very nice weather, especially for the time of year. I remember thinking how we
would probably pay for it later! So we were able to make some progress at our
property, even though much time is taken up with shopping for whatever we need
and drawing pictures due to the language barrier! We can't help ourselves
laughing when they say da (yes) with a shake of the head and ne
(no) with a nod. This does our head in (lol)! We usually get there in
the end though! As there was nowhere for us to turn around (as yet), we were
having to back all the way out to the road, which was quite a long way uphill
and on rough surface. We only just made it, with a fair bit of wheel spin too.
So the next job was to dig out more driveway and bring most of the broken
bricks/blocks down to the bottom of garden for the hardcore.
One Friday evening Margaret and Barry invited us round for
a drink and a look at their motorhome. Their 'home' is very similar to ours,
better quality but not as spacious, as they have the original layout. In fact
ours is slightly wider than theirs. A bit later on we all (Martin and Shirley
too) went back into Harmanli to a restaurant/bar/cabaret/club style place where
Matt was to sing for the evening. It wasn't a bad evening and certainly made a
change. We got back at 12.30!
On the Sunday just as the weather was changing to a much,
much colder spell, Barry, Margaret, Martin and Shirley all came up to see how
we were getting on with the work. Obviously there wasn't a lot to see - apart
from a pile of rubble where the building had stood - but Barry took some
photos and they came in for a cup of coffee anyway. I think they thought we
had done quite well in the space of time we had been working on it - 4 weeks.
We spent the rest of the day digging out a turn around on the drive and
breaking up more bricks/blocks to take down for the drive. The next evening
Margaret and Barry came round for drinks, cake, a chat and to have a look at
our motorhome.
A few days later we also went
(with Margaret and Barry) to see English friends of theirs who have lived in
Biser for 5 years - Carol and John. We looked round their house and garden.
They have made the offer for us to leave our car and/or motorhome round theirs
when we go south after Christmas, if we want to. They are a nice chatty couple
who are really into village life and seem to know everyone around. They breed
dogs and have 3 huge bull mastiffs.
Brenda
doesn't mention the good work that Adrian did on our behalf. Our Flair
motorhome needed an oil change and the electric doorstep collapsed while we
were at Sakar Hills Camping. Adrian bought new oil and changed it for the old
which then had a use at their new property). He also drilled and
re-bolted the step into place where the old bolts had sheared. He did all
this in the field on cold and rainy days. We were and are very
grateful.
On 10th December we decided we were just about ready to
move up to our new 'home' on the hill (overlooking the town of Harmanli) and
see how we got on. We had made it quite homely, more than comfortable and very
warm once our Kamena was lit. All seemed to be working well, at that stage
anyway, and the evening was quite quiet - not too many dogs barking! The
twinkling lights of the town below are quite attractive and very different
from anywhere else we have ever lived.
There are many different birds here. Loads of woodpeckers -
green ones and greater and lesser spotted ones - that don't seem at all
bothered by us. I have watched them getting the almonds off our trees and
breaking them open but I am still unable to work out how they do it, as I
can't even crack them without a hammer! Lots of buzzards and hawks and jays
and when we were here in the spring last year we had cuckoos, nightingales
(which sing all night and day) and also shrikes (which we had not seen
before). Reptiles too, lots of lizards and snakes. We have seen 2 snakes
alive and about 3 dead (one of which was big with very distinctive diamond
markings on it - so just as well it was dead!)! We also saw a small praying
mantis, which was very fascinating. It was so camouflaged and looked just
like dried grasses. It also does a swaying back and forth dance motion, which
totally mimics grasses blowing in the wind. Amazing.
We went back to Biser on the Sunday, 12th December, to
collect bits and pieces and to say our goodbyes to Margaret and Barry, who were
off the next day travelling down to Greece and then Turkey. We found our
motorhome battery flat and everything frozen, including the loo!
The next morning we awoke to snow flurries, which got
steadily worse, and we could not get our car out of the lane - it just
slithered back down the slippery hill (and then decided not to start at all).
We decided to walk into the town, although we had to carry our shopping back
up the steep hill (our backpacks were in our motorhome in Biser). By the time
we came back it was a real blizzard, in which I managed to fall over twice
and Adrian once!
By the next day we had had loads more snow but the weather
here can change very quickly and it then started thawing rapidly. Adrian had
been tinkering with the car all morning and didn't think he was going to be
able to fix the problem (again we thought we would have to scrap it). It was
the same problem that we had had earlier on, which the bloke down the road had
supposedly fixed! However, much to Adrian's surprise, he found the problem was
that the wires from the distributor cap had come adrift and so he was then
able to get it going again. We just about made it up the hill and were able
to drive into town to shop, which was just as well, as we were to find out
over the next 8 days.
So, the week ahead was more about existence and survival
than anything else. Lots of wood had to be sawn and chopped for our Kamena,
which we lit daily. The nights were extremely cold and icy. On the Thursday it
snowed all day with a bitter westerly wind. Our water pipes had frozen, leaving
us without hot or cold water (apart from the well if we managed to bucket it
up). So no flushing the loo either! Needless to say, we were well and truly
snowed in this time. Adrian tried to find out where the pipes were frozen but
this was a very difficult, freezing job, under the chalet with no room to
manoeuvre. The pipes had not been adequately lagged for Bulgarian weather and
should have been run through inside the chalet and not underneath outside. We
had lots of icicles hanging from the roof , one of which was 3 or 4 ft long.
The next day, Adrian spent the whole day trying to track
down where all the pipes had frozen, trying to unfreeze them without getting
any burst pipes and making casings for all the pipes before they froze up
again in the evening. It was a big and very cold job - all undertaken in very
cramped conditions. We did eventually, pipe by pipe, regain use of our taps,
which was heaven! We take so much for granted. However, the next night was
even colder and despite all Adrian's efforts previously, we had yet more
frozen pipes plus a frozen front door! No cold water in the kitchen and no
hot in the shower! Once again we trudged into town in the thick snow, taking
our laptop with us, although unfortunately we were unable to get on-line! We
had to carry back a large bottle of water. It was very slippery underfoot. The
next day (Sunday) the hot water pipe to the shower thawed out and did not
actually burst, so we were lucky there but we still could not get the car
out.
So, despite the 'fun' of being snowed in, we nevertheless
were still working as hard as we could and spent weeks busily breaking up the
bricks/blocks into hardcore for our drive which Adrian had been digging out
further and further, so as to be able to turn our car around and also hopefully
to accommodate our motorhome up at the property for when we came back again in
March/April time. Obviously, at first after all the snow this was very
difficult, as all the rubble was buried under the snow. Although the building
was very small it was amazing just how many bricks and blocks came from that
one place. It seemed never ending.
On the Monday we again walked into town for provisions, as
there was no chance of driving out whilst we were still snowed in. One good
thing there has been the Kamena, without which I don't know what we would have
done. We were as hot as toast and we cooked nearly all our dinners on the top.
Any washing that hadn't dried outside, dried very, very quickly beside the log
burner!
On the Tuesday there was still no change. I put up our
Christmas decorations and lights. We had a very slow thaw, which wasn't helped
by days and days of fog and on the Wednesday - 3 days before Xmas - we tried to
get our car out. We must have tried at least a dozen times to take a run at
the hill; each time it got a little further, but not far enough. We just kept
skidding around on the slush so we gave up but I thought I would take a spade
up and try to dig my way out to the top. This I did and then went back to get
Adrian to try again. This time we just about succeeded. Hooray, after 8 days of
being snowed in, we were finally out!
Margaret and Barry texted us from Troy in Turkey and
informed us that the weather was good at a warm 23 C! Great, we knew we should
have departed when they did! After the snow melted we were back to mud
everywhere once again, which made it hard going for Adrian with our (not very
good) Bulgarian barrow, up and down our hill, squelching around in the
quagmire!
We also saw for ourselves (as Adrian had a look round) that
the new building (by us) has a big bar and dance floor and
looks like a bar/nightclub!! We assumed that it may well have been built
illegally. So we were not very amused, as it could well be very noisy at all
hours and there will most probably be even more barking dogs to contend with. A
lot of money has been invested in the place, but why would you, if it is only
to be a 'fun' house as they describe it! There was no dwelling there
originally and as I mentioned earlier it was much, much smaller when we
bought our place in the spring of last year. Well, I guess only time will
tell!
Christmas 2010
Martin and Shirley very kindly invited us over to theirs
for Christmas Day dinner in Kolarovo. So on the Saturday we drove over there at
about 12.30 pm. Matt (their son) was there as well, of course, as were a
couple we had not met before, Ian and Julie from Liverpool, as well as Bob, a
Geordie, and a couple we had met before, Derek and Barbara who had spent a lot
of time in South Africa. It was Derek and Barbara who had made the dinner and
they had gone to a lot of trouble to make it a very special day. Firstly, we
could not believe the weather after all that snow and ice. It changed
completely into a lovely warm, sunny day where we were able to sit outside in
just a short sleeved top! We drank mulled wine which was very nice - sweet and
spicy - and the meal consisted of fish soup, turkey and ham with ALL the
trimmings, a mint chocolate desert, a sort of liqueur milkshake and coffee.
All of which were homemade and very nice too. All in all it was a lovely day.
We left about 7.30 pm. We had our own Christmas dinner on Boxing Day. Martin
and Shirley then flew out to Australia to stay with one of their other sons,
who is in the police force where he lives in Perth. He is getting married in
February, when Matt will also join them for the wedding.
A few weeks ago, much to our
disgust, we were informed by our Insurance Company that they had actually
cancelled our motorhome insurance! We had sent them everything they had asked
for before we left the UK, paid our premium for the policy and they had issued
us with a cover note but it seems they had not received the necessary papers.
They also wanted proof of our NCB, which wouldn't have been difficult for them
to find out for themselves. They said they had written to us and tried to phone
but obviously we were not there. So, although we were not aware of it, we were
not covered for the entire journey down to Bulgaria! Although we were not
currently using the motorhome, we had planned to go to Greece and/or Turkey
before the next lot of cold weather set in and in any case would need insurance
for the return journey home. Adrian gave them a piece of his mind via email,
to which they responded saying they had marked our papers accordingly!
This situation put us in a very
difficult position, as it is a nightmare trying to obtain any insurance for our
motorhome in Bulgaria. They just don't have large motorhomes and have no
concept of such things and we knew we would have been stung at the border if
we had tried to get cover there. Adrian tried ringing around in UK. Some were
still closed for Christmas, some wouldn't insure us for Turkey, most would not
give us comprehensive cover so we would then have the worry of windscreen
breakage etc. Several of them needed details posted out to them, especially
proof of our NCB, which would have been very difficult, and most were far too
expensive, like £700. One quoted us £900 as we didn't have an alarm system
fitted. If we had it was only £500! So we had virtually ruled out going to
Turkey altogether at this stage. However, a few days later we managed to get
cover with Comfort Insurance, for all of Turkey, comprehensive and no proof of
NCB needed, for £560 for the year. We were wondering what the catch was,
although we still needed to wait around for the green card to be posted out to
us. January 2011
New Year's Eve came and went, another year gone. We didn't
do anything special but I watched all the fireworks light up the sky over
Harmanli from our place on the hill, as you get a good bird's eye view from
there. Then we experienced what we thought was the next episode of the 'curse'.
We had gone to Biser to make sure everything was ok with our camper, ready for
when we left for Turkey, only to find that the motorhome would not go at all.
Nothing whatsoever. We had taken our battery off and put it on charge for a few
weeks but everything had been fine before that time. Adrian spent some time
going through all he could think of but really had no idea at all what the
problem might be this time and it was too cold working on the motor for any
length of time. He also went over to Biser the next day too, but without
success. Everywhere was then shut for a long weekend due to the New Year
holidays.
We phoned our son Greg to ask if he would go to our house
and find certain information on our PC about the wiring diagram. We also spoke
to Motorhome Medics (in UK) but with no success there either. The day our son
went over to our house, he turned our water on, only to find that we had a
burst pipe and the first he knew of it was when the kitchen started flooding
with water coming down from the loft! That was nice to come back to when we
got home! (The curse strikes again). Anyhow he sent us the information (for
the motorhome) although it didn't actually help, so the next day Kamen, a
Bulgarian friend, found us a local mechanic who came out to look at our
motorhome (with Kamen translating) and he spent about an hour going through
everything again. He was just about to give up and go home when he noticed
that the battery leads had been put on the wrong way round! So for this
senior malfunction on our part we were charged 50 Leva, but at least we then
knew it was not something major wrong with the motorhome!
Then we had more snow and I was so glad that I got Adrian
to leave our car at the top of our lane, as there was no way we would have been
able to get out of there. It takes a long time for any snow to melt from our
garden, as we realise that facing north was not the most sensible of choices we
have ever made (there's always some downside), as we don't get much sun. So
it's a very slow thaw! When we went into Harmanli town or to Biser and found
they had NO snow it was quite annoying.
However, we did not allow the cold or snow to prevent us
from doing any of the work we had wanted to do and we spent weeks still
breaking up all the blocks and bricks of the old property. I still can't quite
believe just how much came out of such a small dwelling. We never thought we
would see the floor again. Adrian had managed to clean up and keep quite a few
whole ones, which he will re-use at some point to build a wall and piers,
possibly. The rest of the hardcore we eventually barrowed down to the bottom
for our drive, of which the majority has now been completed and hopefully will
accommodate our motorhome when it's drier. Adrian then made us a path (using
the old blocks) down to our drive, through the middle of our grapevines (over
100), which hopefully we can train into an archway to walk through, a sort of
pergola. I spent the last couple of weeks having bonfires, burning rubbish the
previous owners left behind, burning trees we cut down and generally raking
and tidying our garden. At least we could then see what we had got - a blank
canvas on which to start afresh on another brand new dwelling project, when
we come back in the Spring.
We then received our green card for Turkey and we also just
about managed to get our car down the lane again, after 5 days at the top. Then
we acquired yet another problem with the motorhome (when Adrian was at the
campsite), as the cab heater and fan were not working. However, after more
scratching of the head it turned out to only be a fuse that had blown but
whilst tending this latest episode, a cat had got into our car (Adrian had
left a window open) and eaten all our Moussaka, which he had just bought to
bring home for our dinner! Oh, we do have fun at times ...
We had never known a place to get
so much fog as around Harmanli - but still, at least it was not snow and ice!
We were then ready to go off somewhere warmer for a couple of months, knowing
that when we got back, as it should be spring, it wouldn't hopefully look
quite so bleak. We didn't somehow think we should chance the weather much
longer, as we knew it could change just like that and we were certain that
their winter was NOT over yet, so it was best to be off while the going was
good! So, hoping all went to plan, we expected to be going on Sunday (23rd
January) into Greece (briefly) and then on into Turkey for our first visit.
Let's see what this new venture held for us!
Greece
and Turkey – January/February/March 2011
On 23rd January we were all ready
to leave Biser, near Harmanli, when we found we had another leak in the
motorhome, which was difficult to locate at first. It was traced to the shower
room and found to be in the step (heating duct) under the loo itself, which was
not easy to access. We needed to get a pipe out, which did not want to come,
but when it did we could see the hole, which had not burst but had chafed
away. Adrian said it had been badly designed. After using Matt's tools for
repairs we then had to put the pipe back again - also a difficult task. The
water had seeped along from there, under the couch in the kitchen area and
down to the driver's seat. Everything was soaked, so it wasn't a good start
and we didn't manage to get away until after lunch!
So we didn't get very far that day, only down as far as
Orestiada in Greece where we had hoped to stock up at Lidl but, as it was
closed, we decided to stay on their empty car park overnight to enable us to
use the shop in the morning, which we did. We also purchased a new battery,
although we later found it had different terminals - so another job for
Adrian! We nearly got stuck in the town, which was bigger than we thought
(they will insist on double parking), when we found our outside step had not
slid away, as it usually does. As we were unable to sort this problem (it
appeared to be jammed) Adrian had to get underneath the motorhome in order to
tie it in and we then had to remember not to fall out of the door when
stepping out!
When we arrived at the Turkish border we had to purchase a
Visa, which was approximately £15 each. We had previously taken out some Lira,
which is the currency in Turkey, but they would NOT take it. We had to change
it to Euros for them and then they gave us the change back in LIRAS. What was
all that about then? Madness! Nobody wanted to look inside anyway, so we were
now in Turkey and heading south, with no stopping as it was so cold.
Arrived at Eceabat where we parked up for the night. From
here we took the ferry across to eastern Turkey in the morning. Adrian did
manage to sort out our step and also do a temporary job on our new battery
terminals, at which point it decided to start sleeting and we had a bitterly
cold wind! We crossed the Dardanelles on the ferry without any hitches. It took
about 20 minutes, costing 35 Lira and then we arrived at Canakkale.
We headed south, steadily climbing into worse weather
conditions as we did so. Very quickly it turned into a complete 'white out'
snow blizzard, with huge flakes. We really were beginning to wonder if our
tried and tested snow chains were about to become very useful once again, for
the second time around (first time in America). We did, eventually come away
from the snow before we got to the coast but it either rained or sleeted all
day and evening (more or less) and the roads were very rough and bumpy.
However, there were some good supermarkets around the area including Carrefour
and Kipa, which I liked, but maps were very hard to come by and decent ones
were non-existent. Our next night we spent at a little port/marina called
Aliaga, which was just one of many, many lovely places where we free camped
right beside the water.
Marmaris was a bigger and busier place than we had
realised. We couldn't find anywhere to park, so only saw the town as we drove
through. We drove down the shorter of the two peninsulas to a small bay called
Selimiye where we were bought drinks of Cey (pronounced chy, meaning tea) by an
English-speaking Turk, who then took us to look at his place which was being
built (in lovely stone) on the water front. He insisted we were to stay the
night right there. First we drove nearly to the end of the peninsula to
Bozburun, where we saw lots of beautifully polished wooden yachts being built.
Back at Selimiye we were asked round in the evening for cey
and coffee. You must take your shoes off at the door and they all seemed to
have rows of slippers, flip-flops etc for you to put on once inside. It was
all a bit strange, as he had asked a male friend of his round just to make
the tea and coffee. They drink it all day long there. So we had Turkish
coffee and green tea, which I thought was disgusting. They never put milk in
their tea. He then stuck the TV on and proceeded to watch, even though we
couldn't understand a word. So we couldn't really have much conversation.
Still it was a different experience anyway.
It rained all night and was extremely windy. The next day
we acquired a leaky roof although Adrian couldn't find out where it was coming
from. We could only conclude that the driving wind had forced the rain under
the sky light and across the ceiling, although thankfully we didn't have a
repeat episode of this, but at 2.30 in the morning we were rudely awoken by
our carbon monoxide alarm going off. There was no reason for this and
basically we realised it was broken. So a good night was had by all! In the
morning we moved on.
Next stop was at Koycegiz (pronounced cogees) Lake. We
loved this small, non-touristy town and even looked at some properties here. We
met an Englishman and his wife, who had had a place built there and had lived
there for the past 6 years. They invited us round. Their home was huge but only
a very small garden. It wouldn't have been our choice, nor the location, but
obviously it suited them. We found properties to be rather expensive,
especially the ones with a lake view, of course! It is a very beautiful lake
that changes daily according to the weather but when it's still and calm it is
stunning. It's like glass, no ripples and lovely reflections and you just
can't tear your eyes away from it. They do lots of canoe racing here and it
was so serene watching them silently gliding by as we camped right on the
water's edge. We saw many kingfishers here, fishing along the banks. We were
shown the trees where they get liquid amber from, at a certain time of the
year, in a wood nearby. Apparently they have a preservation order on them and
if you should try to take anything, however small, it is likely you would be
hauled off to the police cells!
We drove further round the lake to the mud bath and the hot
thermal baths, which were lovely. It was the first time we had been in a hot
mud bath and it was right on the edge of the lake, so we had stunning scenery
as well. What more could you ask for? When you got too hot you could just dip
in the lake which was freezing! We stayed here overnight too and watched a
diver catch and eat a huge meal. We think it must have been an eel but it was
certainly having difficulty with it. The bird didn't move far after that!
It was around this time that we first encountered the
wailing from the minarets at the mosques and here we were, standing outside an
estate agents talking, when they started wailing and as it is very close by, we
could hardly hear each other speak. I had thought that it was just a recording
that was played but we saw a man 'singing' into a microphone. There was
another one at the other end of the town, which sounded like an echo. So there
was no way that you were unable to hear the call to prayer, especially as they
have loud speakers along the roads attached to the telegraph poles! This is
repeated up to 5 times a day, but although we got used to it and even found it
quite amusing, when you are often woken up at 5 am it's beyond a joke and then
becomes very annoying! The larger the town, the more mosques there were. We
did not see anyone stop what they were doing to answer the call to prayer,
not once!
The food prices in Turkey are expensive (and you can't buy
ham or pork etc). Also the fuel is ridiculously high (although as we were using
LPG, it wasn't QUITE so bad) but some of the stories we were told,
fortunately, were not quite as bad as people made out. Having been told that
Turks didn't drink, that you have to keep yourself covered up and that there
were no supermarkets as we know them, we were pleasantly surprised to find
that this was not the case (at least not in the areas which we visited). In
fact we couldn't find fault with what we saw of the country (apart from the
costs). Almost everyone speaks English and they are just so happy and helpful.
We found it to be a very enjoyable experience indeed. Wild camping was no
problem at all, with many places to stay, and in fact I don't think they even
notice you are there at all and you feel very safe and secure. No-one bothers
you. During our 10-week stay we did not use a single campsite and were camped
beside water of one sort or another every single night except for 2 or 3!
We drove to Kaunos to the ruins and rock tombs - well we
just about made it, as the road wasn't really suitable for us and they never
sign post things properly! The tombs are quite impressive and there are several
of them but we didn't climb the path up the hill as a notice said no entrance
and falling rocks. At the end of the road is a river where you can get a rowing
boat to take you over to Dalyan. Back at Koycegiz the next morning, the pipe
under the loo decided to burst apart again (the clip hadn't been the right size
one and the heat from the heater had made it pop off). So once again all was
soaked, just as we had managed to get things dried out again. With a night and
day of rain and nowhere to dry anything, we weren't having a very good day! I'm
so glad we don't have carpet throughout our van!
On to Fethiye, which is a big tourist attraction with, we
believe, about 15,000 Brits living there. We stayed the night just outside in
Calis, which was on the water front, by a bird reserve. We saw loads of
kingfishers here and also a bird we hadn't seen before - some sort of warbler
we think. The promenade was full of cafes and restaurants, including Chinese
and Indian, but as it was winter there was nothing open.
So on a little further, down a very steep hill, to
Oludeniz, which was a very strange place as it was almost completely deserted
(apart from workmen building). This ghost town must be absolutely heaving in
the summer months. We spent over a week there and I loved it. We were right on
the beach, the weather was glorious the whole time and we swam (in February
and the water was clear and turquoise) and sunbathed and walked and watched
the sky divers, some of them tandem, who were gliding off the high mountain
and landing virtually beside us every day. We often didn't know how they
missed landing on the people sat outside at the cafe! One of them was doing
all sorts of acrobatics in the air and was obviously very skilled but only
just missed the water on one occasion. Apparently they now hold international
competitions here in the autumn and people come from all over the world.
We had everything here we wanted (free) including water and
even internet. What more can you want? However, the water pipe that Adrian
thought he had fixed came apart yet again and so we had another flood! It was a
good job we had drying weather. After this latest episode Adrian decided to
reduce the water pressure in the van and we had no more trouble. We saw some
glorious sunsets there and at that time of year the sun goes down behind the
Greek island of Rhodes but that was the only time we got to see the island at
all, in silhouette form. We did, however, have a really good laugh at the
chemists' huge signs, out on the pavements, advertising ASPIRIN and VIAGRA!
Also, just there is the very picturesque blue lagoon and
natural park. You have to pay to go in and we thought we would have a look but,
although it was a lovely spot and we swam and snorkelled in the lagoon, it was
one big rip off! They charged 4 Lira each and wanted another 50 Lira to bring
our camper in! So we walked in. At the gate they tell you the price includes a
cabin, shower and nature reserve and that there is a cafeteria. When you get
there, as it was wintertime, all you get is a cold changing hut, cold showers
and closed cafe! It was a good job we had carried a drink and snack in with us
for the day. There was hardly anybody in there at all but they don't seem to
understand winter prices ... We saw no wildlife either, unless you include
ducks and geese. In fact we felt it should have been free and we should have
asked for our money back, but when you can't speak the language ...
Before leaving Oludeniz we took our washing in and found
they gave an excellent service of 10 Lira per wash and dry. They were even
meticulously folded. Whilst waiting for our laundry we went to visit the ruined
village of Kayakoy (16th and 17th century). It is all situated on a hillside,
where once about 2,500 people lived. We didn't pay to go in, as we thought it a
bit steep, but you could walk round some of it anyway. There was a church with
(once) colourful small paintings of Jesus on the cross, and a bone cellar
(with bones) where they had dug up old graves, washed the bones with wine and
put them in the cellar.
At Kalkan we found another lovely spot to camp beside the
water, where some steps led down to a very small, secluded bay which was lovely
and sheltered. We were all alone and eating our lunch, when we noticed
something black bobbing about on the water. The next we knew, up popped a head
and this skin diver, with a harpoon, came up and ashore. He didn't have
anything, though, as he said the fish (or whatever he was catching) were too
small. This place was better than it appeared on first sight. There was an old
part to the town, which was very narrow with huge balconies on either side of
the alleyways almost touching, although much of it was very unsafe even though
it's often still lived in! Attractive and quaint.
At Kas (pronounced cash) we settled on the harbour/marina.
This place was also very pleasant. We walked up to see the old, reconstructed
amphitheatre, which as usual had stunning views over the sea and in this case
views over to the Greek island of Meis Adasi (Kastellorizo).
Near Demre we looked at several bits of ruins and the ruins
of an old 'granary' built by Hadrian. This had been a huge place down by the
river, which was now silted up. We found loads of bits of pottery just lying
around everywhere, which anybody could have helped themselves to! If ruins are
your 'thing' then Turkey is the place to come to. There was so much everywhere
but the Turks tend not to care and simply let it all disintegrate. The wild
flowers round there were just coming out and very beautiful. In places there
was a carpet of vivid crimson wild anemones along with other flowers and
grasses. We parked up for the night on the beach again (Demre) and watched as
two men trawled through the stones and filled bucket after bucket after bucket
with them, which they then put into their cars and drove away! Try that one at
home!
The road to Finike followed the coast and was very twisty
but there were some lovely bays and the water so clear and turquoise. However,
after this it was lots of greenhouses, poly-tunnels and citrus orchards along
the way to Kumluca. We turned off looking for Cirali beach on the second of 3
right hand turns towards Olympos. It should have been the third turning! We
drove down a steep, rocky, narrow hill, ending up at Olympos where we saw the
strange looking 'tree houses' that are such popular pension places with the
youngsters. We then had to DRIVE across a river, which I was very dubious about
at first, only to find that the road did not go any further and we would have
to pay to see the ruins of Olympos, in order to get to the beach! Then we were
told that we needed to go all the way back up to the main road again and take
the third turning for the beach.
So we drove back (across the river again), up the hill and
another 7 km back down again. It was difficult to find and very narrow but in
the end it was worth the hassle and we parked up on the beach for 4 lovely
nights, but boy did it rain in the night and early morning. At 7 am we were
woken by torrential rain, cyclone-like winds and a raging sea with huge waves.
We also had thunder. It was all a bit scary as we were virtually on the beach.
When the storm had passed, the sun came out and it was quite warm. What a
difference a few hours made!
The next day we found that Olympos
was just around the corner, if you waded across the river first. So we did and
then walked along the beach. We nearly turned back as we did not think we could
get round the cliffs, as the waves were coming in too far, but we made a dash
for it and then through a hole in the rocks and were amazed to find we were at
the mouth of a silted up river by an old harbour with Mycenean, Byzantine and
Roman ruins which had once been a big city. We didn't see all of it as we had
sneaked in the back way and not paid but we did see an old church, part of an
old temple and castle and several tombs. Interesting.
Next we drove a few miles along to see the Chimaera flames,
which are a natural phenomenon where gas seeps from the ground and ignites. We
were told it was best to see them at night but didn't bargain for the weather
and didn't realise there would be no lights whatsoever to help us on our way. I
was glad it wasn't too dark to start with or we would never have found our
way. It's about an hour's long, steep climb and after we had paid and started
on our way, it started to rain. Anyway we made it to the top and it was
certainly a strange place but it got dark and poured with rain and although we
had raincoats and umbrellas, we got absolutely soaked! It was very eerie up
there on our own and even though we each had a torch it was very difficult, as
by this time we had a 'river' pouring down the mountainside path with us which
also made it very slippery. I don't know how we managed to get back, it seemed
to take forever, but we were very, very glad to see our camper again and get a
lovely hot shower!
We had lots more rain, thunder and lightning overnight but
the sun shone the next day and, mad as it sounds, we decided to go back up to
the 'fires' again, take our lunch with us and maybe go further as it's on the
Lycian Way path. So this we did and this time we were able to see the wild
flowers, some waterfalls, the beautiful views over the sea and also some ruins
of a church, we presumed. That day the locals were taking bags of food up with
them and doing their 'cooking' over the fires!
Moving on east we bypassed Antalya and Alanya, which are
big cities. It's just too risky with our motorhome unless you know exactly
where you are going or are using a SatNav system - and ours does not work in
Greece or Turkey! We were not impressed by our surroundings going east from
Antalya. The towns were too busy and touristy and packed with hotels,
apartments and complexes. There were too many greenhouses and poly-tunnels
spoiling the countryside, with some sections of the road VERY twisty and hilly
and therefore taking much, much longer, but worse were the road works. Huge
sections where they had been blasting the hillside, making new roads and
tunnels, with detours over VERY rough, muddy roads. The roads are not good at
the best of times and it was all painfully slow! However, we did stop and
purchase plenty of fruit, as there was so much of it being sold at the side of
the road. Sacks of oranges, which were really sweet and juicy and very cheap
too. Lemons, pomegranates, strawberries and later on loads of bananas at the
banana plantation areas, of which there were many. Also lots of beehives about
and plenty of honey to purchase. We sampled a few and made our choice and very
nice too.
Driving away from Gazipasa we had a very close shave, when
we were suddenly aware of a huge pine tree falling our way. It looked as if it
was about to fall right on top of us, so Adrian swerved over to the other side
of the road. Luckily nothing was coming our way or I dread to think what would
have happened! We pulled up on the side. I thought it had fallen by itself but
when we got out we saw they were felling trees! We both fully expected to see
it across the road. It wasn't but it could barely have missed us. We walked
back, very angry with the workmen, but they couldn't speak English and, as
there was no damage done, they more or less shrugged saying there had been
warning signs on the road! We tried to ring the police but couldn't seem to
get through (doubt they would have done anything anyway) but we felt there
should have at least been traffic lights or cones or they should have stopped
the traffic themselves. What a scare that was. It really shook us up.
Tasucu (near Silifke) we rather liked and stayed several
nights. A harbour with ferries, fishing boats and yachts. It's where the
ferries leave for Cyprus. We did enquire about the cost and didn't think it
was too bad but we didn't make the trip this time anyway.
The furthest east we went was to Korykos Castle and
Maiden's Castle in Kizkalesi. This would have looked very picturesque in
sunshine, but not on that day. They say you can swim across to Maiden's Castle
but you would need to be a very good swimmer. Some lovely little bays along
here.
We then went inland a short distance (we stayed on the
coast mostly, as it was just too cold up in the hills) to visit the Cennet
Caves. One you view from above - Hell - and for the other you go down 452 steps
to Heaven. An old Byzantine church stands in the huge chasm, at the mouth of
the cave. It was very slippery at the bottom. We didn't take a torch but could
hear water nearby. We chatted (or tried to) to 6 young Turkish lads, who were
very noisy and excitable but who were also very polite and helpful and they
insisted on taking my arm to help me out of the slippery slopes. They were
very charming, I have to say.
Back at Tasucu that evening we had a massive, violent
thunderstorm. We sheltered in a shop for ages while the rain came down in
'sheets' and flooded the roads, so we ended up wading through, almost a river,
to get back to our dry 'home'. It had been quite spectacular to see! We found
we could receive English radio stations from Cyprus here. We also visited the
Goksu Delta wetlands where we watched a beautiful bird, which we couldn't name
but it may have been a shrike. It was the type and size of a cuckoo or
roadrunner and seemed to like staying on the ground but wasn't bothered by our
presence at all. We had hoped to be able to see Cyprus from the bird lookout
tower but we were unable to. There were also lots of kite-surfers here.
So we finally left the harbour of Tasucu, returning west
once more. We were not keen to take the same route back but after some thought
decided it was the most sensible way at this time of year. So on to the
Anamurium ruins, which were interesting. It had been a huge city and and had a
cemetery with churches, tombs, bath houses, aqueducts, shops and dwellings.
Also a theatre and stadium. Some still had wall decorations and mosaic
flooring. There was too much to see it all, as it continued up and over the
hill and down to the sea, but it was a lovely spot and the wild flowers, which
were just blooming, would I imagine be very striking a little later on in the
springtime. Whilst there we came across a kid (goat) which had just that
second been born. We watched for sometime as mum cleaned and tended her young
and he/she struggled to stand and find mum's milk. Ahh!
We did go inland at one point, travelling 40 km to the
Koprulu Kanyon, which for us was definitely a highlight of our trip. I had
thought it might be cold there but you are down at the river (when eventually
you get to the canyon) and we had beautiful weather. A very pretty route, quite
green in places, with snow capped mountains and the river a stunning shade of
blue/green turquoise colour. They do canoeing and rafting on this river in the
summer months. It was very picturesque and reminded me of New Zealand. We saw
the Roman bridge but there was no chance of us being able to drive over, as
it's very narrow. We were being pestered here to pay for a 'guide' to show us
around the area and then they would try to sell you anything they could - and
believe me the Turks can be extremely persuasive! We found a place to camp by
the canyon for the night and met up with an English guy (Richard) who tours
around in his Hymer motorhome on his own.
The next day we walked along a track beside the canyon to a
cave and I saw what I believe to be an otter sliding off the rocks into the
water. We found another good place to camp that night too, where we dipped our
feet in the river, although it was very cold here from the ice melt off the
mountains. Adrian greased the dry, creaking joints on our camper while I
collected wood, lit a fire and cooked our 'spuds' for tea. It turned out to be
a lovely evening and we sat outside watching the sun go down. It had been a
really good few days all round. We can't wait to come back here again and
explore a little further!
Travelling back towards Antalya we turned off to the Karain
Caves. These were quite difficult to find, so we ended up staying the night
there so we could look around the next day. (This was one of only 3 nights
spent away from the water's edge)! It was quite a hike up to the cave in the
morning, which was huge and eerie as we were totally on our own. They had been
excavating but no-one was working that day. It was supposed to have been
continuously occupied for 25,000 years. There were 3 large chambers and some
drawings and writings on the walls too. There was also a small museum with
bones, teeth, pottery and various artifacts taken from the cave. We found this
to be an interesting cave.
We paid another visit to the Cirali beach, as we had liked
it so much, even though we had another stormy, thundery day, but the evening
was lovely and so we had eats and drinks round the campfire again! From here
we visited Ucagiz, which is a very small, very isolated village and when we
arrived we just could not believe how many coaches were there! There was
nowhere for us to park so we had to pay that night to stay on the car park,
although once the coaches had all gone we actually had a very quiet night! The
coach tourists are taken (on a boat) over to Kekova Island to see the 'sunken
city'.
We decided to walk to Kalekoy along a dirt track and it was
quite a long way. A dog followed us the entire way and then decided to latch on
to some other people for the walk home! Kalekoy was another strange place.
Deserted, no-one about and nothing open at that time of year. It is the closest
you can get to the sunken city without taking a boat trip. We saw the sunken
Lycian Tomb in the tiny harbour. There were also many, many sarcophagi around
the village.
We drove back to Kas and climbed
the hill to look at the rock tombs, then parked up by the amphitheatre for the
night, with wonderful views over the Greek island of Meis Adasi. We liked the
idea in Turkey of the 'adults playground', usually next to the children's
playground, where you can exercise at anytime free! Why don't we have something
similar in the UK, rather than very expensive gyms?
We drove to the Saklikent Gorge
but were very disappointed there. It was not a very nice area, although there
were some intriguing tree houses overlooking the gorge but some didn't look at
all safe! We were charged 4 lira each to walk a VERY short distance along a
boardwalk over the canyon. Workmen were laying new paths and you could not go
into the gorge proper, presumably because it was winter and the levels of water
were too high, but normally you can wade through holding onto a rope! It
should have been free. It was a rip- off!
Back once more at Oludeniz for the
weekend, Adrian changed the oil on the motorhome and tried again to find the
reason for the 'clonking' (on my side), which was proving very difficult to
track down! We saw a beautiful sunset after 6 or 7 paragliders swooped in. The
following day we climbed the hillside nearby to a half-demolished restaurant. A
very weird place where there were no access roads and everything must have
been sent up by cable car, including all building materials! It was derelict
and abandoned and yet it wasn't even very old. What a waste. It had been built
with some lovely stone and had fantastic views over the bay. No idea what had
happened there!
Gocek, we found to be a very
pleasant (small) place. There was nowhere to park up by the water, however, and
we had to make do with a large car park behind the market place. Lovely
marinas there with hundreds of yachts but they were all private and a bit more
upmarket. In the evening we watched hundreds of tiny bats catching insects. We
had never seen so many, apart from the fruit bats in Australia.
The next day, just as we were about to leave, we had a
surprise visit from Richard (who we had met in the Koprulu Kanyon). He was with
a Turkish guy (Engin) and his son, who live in Gocek. We had a long chat, said
our goodbyes and then continued on our way. We stayed in Dalyan (on the other
side of the river from Kaunos, where we saw the rock tombs), although we were
not overly impressed. They do boat trips along the river here in the summer. A
group of youngsters decided to have a drinking session right behind our van
late that evening. They got very drunk and noisy and I heard them throwing and
breaking their glass bottles onto the ground all around. They do seem to do a
lot of that in Turkey. I expect in the morning, it must have looked as if we
had had a whale of a time that night!
We drove down to Iztuzu beach, a long strip of sandy beach
with a river that runs parallel. It appeared to be gated, so we didn't think we
would be able to stay overnight (unless we paid a fee) but to our surprise a
lady came bounding over and said we could not only stay the night but that it
would also be free! After March you do have to pay, as it's the breeding season
for the turtles. When they all come in from the sea, certain areas are 'no
go'. After we had just finished our lunch, who should we see driving down the
hill - only Richard again. So we all chatted for some time until Adrian and I
went for quite a long walk along the beach, dipping our feet as we went. We
photographed a fisherman with his catch of octopus! The wind dropped and it
turned into a lovely evening and we had an extremely quiet night.
We decided to leave the next day as the weather was windy
and chilly but before we departed I had a drive round the car park, so that
Adrian could listen for the 'clonks' we had acquired but which we had been
unable to track down the source of. As I had a nose bleed just at the wrong
time (one of very many I had been experiencing over the last 2 - 3 months), we
asked Richard if he fancied having a drive, which he was happy to do. Adrian
really thought then that he had nailed the problem but alas this was not yet
to be. Anyway, we said our goodbyes and set off back to Koycegiz for another
short but sweet visit. It was a lovely evening with no wind and I collected a
little wood for a fire. Later on some very nice young Turkish men saw I
hadn't got much to burn and brought me armfuls of wood. They were very
charming. So we listened to the gentle lapping of the waves and the frogs
croaking round the campfire.
The following day the lake was stunningly beautiful, serene
and calm and without a wisp of wind, it appeared like glass. We sat watching
the rowers whilst filling up with water and were joined by a Turkish man on
crutches, who worked for the Jandarma (national police force). We couldn't stop
him talking but he was so obliging and helpful. He gave us his phone number
and insisted that if we ever needed anything at all, we were to ring him!
However, we decided to make tracks again, not far but to Gekova where the
river meets the sea. This was another good spot by a small harbour also with a
lovely sandy beach with palm trees and plenty of mountains, all nestled in a
valley. We spent the afternoon on the beach.
We left there the next day, slowly climbing out of the
village and over the Sakar pass, the roads being steep and very rough that day
with lots of road works, but Adrian was pleased that at last he seemed to have
cured the long standing 'clonks', which turned out to be loose bolts on the
chassis! I think our camper is trying to tell us something about the state of
the roads, which are definitely not the same as in the USA!
We didn't go to Bodrum, expecting it to be far too
touristy, but we did go to Bafa Lake, passing huge rocks and boulders
everywhere, rather like the Devil's Marbles in Australia. When we got to the
Herakleia ruins we found we needed to pay to park (even though in our Rough
Guide book it says, only in the summer. This was March.) Then we were inundated
by the locals wanting to sell us their hand-made wares. It was the worst we've
ever known for constantly being pestered. They just would not leave us alone,
getting everything out and, as I've said previously, they are very skilled when
it comes to persuasion. We ended up buying some more honey ... We watched the
sun setting over the lake and met the 'Imam' - a young divorcee living in a
ramshackle house. We soon got to hear his 'singing' from the nearby mosque,
although thankfully we were not disturbed at 5am as he told us himself that he
overslept that morning!
The next day we were still being pestered. We started
walking through the village and got collared by an elderly lady, who insisted
we were to go with her to see her home and photos and join them for 'cay'. So
this we did and she first showed us the photos and letters from people all
over the world who had visited them and then out came all the things she had
made. It was a very subtle way of enticing us in to buy something. We
definitely were not going to get out of there without buying something. So in
the end we bought a small hand-made scarf and after yet more 'cay' we managed
to make a hasty get away! After we got back we sat outside the Imam's house
and had Turkish coffee (not nice either) with him. He gave us a DVD of the
place. We watched 2 Scops Owls 'kissing' on his chimney, very close by and in
broad daylight! They were fascinating and quite strange but apparently they
were nesting in the roof. In fact we saw them 2 days in a row and also saw an
eagle.
We moved our motorhome to a sort of campsite, as we wanted
to stay longer and there was nowhere else to stay. An idyllic spot right beside
the lake. We walked to one of the castles and came across lots of rock tombs.
A very attractive and also interesting place. The next day, which was nice and
sunny, we made a packed lunch and went for a walk along to the end of the lane
which was just a dirt track. We passed lots of locals with their cows and
donkeys and once again 2 dogs (from the campsite) followed us the whole way and
one of them was pretty old. When we had our lunch we decided to climb up some
high rocks for some peace (or so we thought) from pleading, drooling dogs but
to our amazement found they had somehow also managed to climb up after us! We
couldn't believe it. So that didn't work ... Anyhow, at the end of the track we
found lots of deserted old cottages and some tombs/sarcophagi too, plus an old
church that we were unable to get to as it was too swampy. The dogs walked all
the way back with us and were completely shattered. We also had a little walk
in the other direction and saw even more tombs. So many, in fact, that it must
have been the Necropolis. There had once been thousands of people living there
and the lake had been a part of the sea. In the morning the dogs could hardly
move, especially the older one! Well, we had to leave that magical place
behind - maybe we will come again, although we weren't very keen on all the
begging!
Next stop was Pamucak, beside the sea, or so we thought! It
was a very quiet place with no-one about but for some reason the Jandarma
decided (at 11 pm) that we could not stay there. We still don't know the reason
why. Adrian had been fast asleep and we didn't have a clue where we were going
but we were chased out. It becomes very difficult in the dark to find an ok
spot to stay for the night. Anyway, we came across a cemetery with level
hard-standing beside the road and decided it would have to do. It was quite
noisy with traffic but we didn't get disturbed, so we had a reasonable night
once we had settled down again.
We drove north round Izmir and on to Foca, which we thought
well worth a visit. I know I have repeated myself over and over again about all
the lovely places but you have to see for yourself, as there are just so many.
Foca was definitely a delightful spot: another port/harbour/marina on the
coast. It became very lively in the evenings and we would walk round the
harbour and see all the fishermen sitting in their boats eating their catch of
the day! It was all lit up and very attractive, with many cafes and
restaurants lining the harbour front. The following day we again sunbathed on
the beach and Adrian went in for a dip. As we drove away from Foca we could
see the area around was quite beautiful and I would maybe like to explore in
more detail sometime. There were lots of sandy bays with blue/green clear
water and harbours, ports and marinas.
So on to Ayvalik, which was also quite nice and as usual we
free-camped beside the water. There was a causeway over to Alibey Island and
you could also get a boat over to the Greek island of Lesvos. From here we
continued north again. We did make a detour to Assos but were not impressed,
so continued on to Canakkale, on very rough roads, from where we got a late
ferry across to Eceabat on a lovely evening, so we had very calm water.
Back into Bulgaria – March 2011
The next day we drove along the Gallipoli peninsula to
Kesan, through Customs, out of Turkey and into Greece (briefly). Through
Customs again, out of Greece and into Bulgaria. By this time all the lovely
weather was behind us and we were greeted with rain on reaching Sakar Hills
Camping at Biser once more, where Matt welcomed us back after his recent trip
over to Perth in Australia. Our car, which had been left with Matt for the two
months, started first time so we drove into Harmanli and then up to our
property, which thankfully was just as we had left it!
After another particularly bad nose bleed, we decided I
should go and see a Doctor (I was getting 2 or 3 per day). So with Kamen's help
translating for us, we went to a clinic where (without any wait) I had my
blood pressure taken twice, a blood test, an ECG (with ALL results) and a
consultation for 26.50 Leva (about £12). I wish it was that quick at home! The
Doctors said (through Kamen) that the nose bleeds were caused by my very high
blood pressure and they were very concerned. I was put onto 2 different types
of tablets. We weren't convinced that was the cause and, although I did have a
high reading, we did not really think it was as urgent as they seemed to be
telling us. However, I decided to continue with the medication until I got
home again - just in case. In Bulgaria - April 2011
Meantime we decided we would try to get our motorhome up to
our place above Harmanli, so we left the campsite (on April Fool's Day) and I
drove the car behind. There weren't too many obstacles but Adrian did have to
climb on top of the car in order to cut back overhanging branches down the
lane. All went well until we got to our drive, where we had to cut back more
branches and also dig out more of the bank on our drive. It took us a while to
make the motorhome level too but with the help of our jacks we made it. So we
were very pleased about that!
We found everyone very busy pruning and tying up their
grapevines and ploughing between with a donkey! So over the next few days we
did the same to ours. We also removed and replaced the old wires and moved
some of the posts. I spent many days digging between our grapevines - no
donkey for us! The ground was very hard. I don't think it had been touched
for years!
Each time Adrian went off to pick up more sand, it would
then have to be taken up the hill to where we were building and that's where I
came in (the donkey), by pulling on a rope tied to the barrow. It became a bit
of a standing joke, as whenever he needed me he would just make the 'eee-orr'
noises! So Adrian made a start, mixing (by hand) and building some of the piers
(a total of 9 in all) which will support our home, as it is to be elevated,
for the views and also for as much sun as possible, bearing in mind that we
face north. We found that local sand, cement and wood were all very cheap, so
it all helps.
We had a day out one Sunday and drove somewhere different
for a change, as we hadn't really seen much of the area. We went to Madzarovo
but it was a good job we didn't attempt it in our motorhome as the roads were
atrocious and full of potholes. Quite a nice day out, although there was not
really much there. We didn't see any of the vultures that frequent the place
but it was quite rugged and pretty with a nice river where you can swim and
with a 'sandy beach' area! We ate our picnic lunch there, had a short walk and
spent the rest of the afternoon sunbathing until it was time to go back.
Then it was back to building, digging and whatever was
needing to be done. Our Spanish neighbour seemed to think (in her broken
English) that my digging between the grapevines had been done all wrong! It
looked the same as theirs to me! Oh well, I tried! Adrian bricked the rest of
his piers with the blocks, which we had dismantled from the old building, and
then started on the woodwork - the floor joists which are to support the ground
floor, as we will be building a wooden structure. One of my jobs was to dig
out holes in the corners of our old concrete floor for strong reinforcement
rods (to be concreted in and tightened at a later date) attached to the floor
joists, so that our place will be very securely tied down. The holes I had dug
down to the old footings were more like archaeological excavations but I
didn't find anything unusual, valuable or even very interesting. No treasure
trove here! What a pity.
We are very fortunate where our place is situated, as we
have lots of different species of birds to spot and listen to. The nightingales
had just arrived again (we heard them last year too). They are very difficult
to catch sight of but you can certainly hear them and can't really mistake
their song. It is very surreal listening to birds that whistle and sing
throughout the night (and day). It's like a dawn chorus in the middle of the
night and just doesn't seem natural but it's quite amazing, especially when
they compete with the 'pipping' of the scops owl, which also makes a noise all
night long! I say 'noise' as it can be quite annoying. It has a very loud call
and seems to be able to 'throw' its voice from quite a distance. Adrian
describes it as sounding more like a 'rusty hinge'. There are lots of them and
they start just as soon as it gets dark. I have watched them flying from post
to post calling to each other. I presume they are mating calls but it can be
quite a cacophony. I only heard the cuckoo once this year, which was a shame
as I had heard it lots more on our property last year, but we also have many,
many buzzards, some shrikes, kites, warblers, storks and very small bats, as
well as a bird which we haven't, as yet, been able to identify. Also loads of
woodpeckers (making nests in our garden trees) including the green, the
greater spotted and the lesser spotted varieties. So many jays I have lost
count, which are actually very beautiful birds when you are able to get up
close. We also have a huge resident hare, which hops back and forth through
our grapevines at times.
We were informed by our Advocat (lawyer) that the people
building close to us were being taken to court, as not only was the property
illegally built but also the funds for all the work, had been illegally
obtained monies! What exactly that means though, I've no idea. Will it be a
case of a slap on the wrist and/or a fine and then they carry on as before?
Who knows. When we told her that it would appear they will be erecting gates
across the roadway at some point, she very quickly said, if that was the case
and she lived there, she would call the police! So it's wait and see but it
will be interesting to see what happens with the place in the future - and
indeed what we can expect to come back to in September next!
Meanwhile there was work to be done, so we mixed up some
sand and cement, packed the holes I had dug out on the old concrete base with
large stones and shovelled the concrete in around the reinforcement rods. Then
Adrian managed to get the rest of the floor joists fixed into place. I dug out
some more of our drive, so that we would hopefully be able to turn our
motorhome around when it was time to leave, which was approaching fast. Next
Adrian managed to lay all of his floor boarding and completely cover it in
plastic sheeting, so hopefully it will be totally waterproof whilst away! We
also, just, turned our motorhome around after digging out yet more edging but
we were then ready to depart, hoping it wouldn't be too difficult driving out
of the lane. We had acquired a very friendly cat but wonder if it will still
be around when we get back in September. Our neighbours (temporary
caretakers), who had said they owned the cat, had just gone off back to Spain
and deserted it!
Adrian was quite concerned about driving out of the top of
our lane, as we thought we might do some damage to our exhaust or - worse -
meet with someone coming round the corner, as we thought we couldn't stop near
the top and get going again (as is the case with our car). In the end he
needn't have worried, as thankfully our reliable motorhome caused us no bother
at all and all went smoothly. So we were on the road again. Going home after 7
months away, the longest we have spent away in Europe at one
time. Return to England – May 2011
Greece
We had decided our route for travelling home would be
through Greece this time, in order to avoid vignettes and 'Go Boxes' etc. We
had also pondered driving over the Rhodopi mountains into Greece but we were
unsure whether the border crossing would be open. Then we realised just how
mountainous it would be, so we drove south-east to Svilengrad, crossed the
border into Greece (where we had the motorhome inspected this time) and got on
the Egnatia Odos motorway past Alexandroupolis. We turned off down to Agria
beach and causeway between a lake, where it was lovely to be back by the water
for the night once more. At that time we were just into May but it didn't
really seem like it, as the weather was a bit grim. Lagos port (nearby), which
we saw on our way out in the morning, may well be a stopping off place next
time. It was full of French campervans. We saw a sign which read 'natural hot
spring baths' but we couldn't find them, despite asking, so we gave up.
We drove west to Kavala, where we stopped for lunch
overlooking the big town, port and castle. On filling up with fuel we started
chatting to a Kiwi couple, who had bought their camper in the UK and were about
to travel down into Turkey and wanted some information. They asked us in for a
drink and it turned out that they lived very, very near (same road) to my
cousin in Cambridge, Hamilton, NZ. A very nice couple, who had also
coincidentally been in contact with Margaret and Barry. What a small
world!
So we continued on to Thessaloniki (once the capital of
Greece) using all motorway, travelling west via Veria and Kozani. Lots of slow
crawling today, as we go through the snow-capped Pindos mountains. We had never
experienced so many tunnels in our lives and they all had signs to say slow
down as it's a bear habitat area! We can only assume that the bears take
shelter in the tunnels overnight sometimes! They were just starting to charge
tolls for the 'Egnatia Odos' motorway (which runs right across northern
Greece). We had not used that particular section before but we weren't
expecting to pay. So if we need to use it again, I imagine we will have to pay
for the entire length. They were just installing the first petrol stations too
but they should have been built years ago! There were none 5 years ago when we
came. It was so ridiculous. Perhaps that's what the tolls are going to pay
for!
Drove past Metsovo and down to Ioanina (we had been before)
and found a Carrefour, where we shopped, but unfortunately the 'curse' was upon
us that day too as Adrian left his debit card in a cash machine! So I tried to
use mine but it was rejected, as unbeknown to me my card had expired in March
(a new one was awaiting me on the mat at home). So we were completely stuck
with no money! We were told (when able to find someone who could speak
English) that our card would be taken to the bank in the morning, where we
would be able to collect it (if it was left in the machine and not stolen by
anyone!) So we stayed the night on their car park but in the morning it turned
out that you only get the card back if it's one of their bank cards and any
others would be automatically cancelled. So that was us. Great!
We were supposed to be boarding a ferry from Igoumenitsa
the next day. I knew my sister and her hubby would be flying into Preveza that
weekend, for the summer aboard their yacht, so we wondered if they might be
able to bring some cash over for us. Anyway we decided, as we had enough fuel,
that we would drive down to Igy, so this we did, through so many tunnels again
I lost count, and hilly too. We had been told about the Western Union, who
could tell us how to get money over to Greece quickly. When we arrived at 2.35
pm, the banks had already just closed! The cash for our ferry tickets had not
been taken from our account, so therefore we were not actually booked to
depart at midnight, and without cash to pay for these, we wouldn't actually
be going anywhere ...
We drove to the port, which had all changed since we were
there last. Five years ago we had stayed on the port overnight with no worries
but now it was a building site with large new properties. We drove into the
port car park where we saw about 6 cars (including English) and a lorry, which
had been completely wrecked, smashed and stripped - and then we saw all the
illegal immigrants milling around! We had JUST stopped and I said to Adrian
that I thought it sounded like someone was tampering with our bikes on the
back! He went outside and the lads ran off but stayed nearby. Adrian
threatened them with a baseball bat but they just didn't care and kept
annoying us. The cops were everywhere but didn't care either! We drove out of
the car park, along the road and Adrian went into the ferry terminal while I
stayed with the motorhome but they came along again, messing about with our
bikes and the van in general, so I continuously sounded the horn and they
went - but not very far. When Adrian got back and we were discussing where to
go for the night, they were eyeing us up the whole time. So we drove along to
Drepano beach, which actually turned out to be a lovely quiet spot on the
beach where campers park and where you can watch the ferries arriving and
departing.
We spent the whole of the next day trying to sort out money
and tickets. There was nowhere to park near town so we had a long walk to the
bank first, who then sent us to the Western Union to sort out the money which
we needed sent over. We had to ask someone in the UK to go to a post office to
deal with it. They then pay the money in and get a code number for us and we
go to the nominated bank and receive the cash. So, after managing to buy a
phone card (we couldn't find any phones that worked and ended up in a
hospital), we decided to ring my brother (who also has a yacht in Preveza)
but who wasn't in at that time. So we went back to the motorhome for some
lunch; then when we rang again he said he would try. Later on he said the PO
no longer dealt with the Western Union but they told him how to go about it,
so we walked back into town again to look for the bank. We gave them some
details and the code for our 'moneygram' and we got our money. It's worth
knowing (even though you pay a fee of course), as it's certainly quick.
We walked back to the motorhome and drove down to the port
again to get our tickets (even though we knew we would be hassled, but what
else could we do?) I decided to go in with Adrian on this occasion because of
the trouble the previous day. The immigrants had been quite frightening. So we
went in and I was watching out of the window and saw them all congregate
around the motorhome, trying to open any lockers/doors that they could and it
looked as if they were letting our tyres down. We went out and they ran off.
We complained and were told to call the cops out, at the back of the
building. It was just ridiculous, as when we eventually found someone, they
said they were not the right ones to deal with the situation! It was
farcical. Then I saw them crawling underneath our van, presumably trying to
find somewhere to hide. Luckily some cops came by, so we asked them to stay
while we bought our tickets, which they did. They told us they didn't know
what to do with them or where to send them! So a word of warning for all those
people arriving at the port of Igoumenitsa - be very, very careful. Don't
leave your vehicle unattended and be very wary and suspicious of anyone
around.
Anyway we booked our ferry to Venice, which was to be in a
couple of days. We thought we would first have a nice relaxing day for our last
day in Greece, so we went back to Drepano beach where we collected wood for
our last fire. We found an even better spot for our night's camping and after
some lunch we sunbathed and swam during the afternoon. The water was clear,
clean and very shallow. We watched a continuous stream of ferries back and
forth and after our tea in the evening I had a fire on the beach. It had been
a very good place and I could easily have stayed longer! The following
morning (early) Adrian spotted a pelican feeding on the lake. We had only
ever seen them in the US and in Australia.
Well, it was time to go, so we drove back to the port once
more, where you have to check in before you board. It only took a couple of
minutes but even then (at 7.30 am) we were surrounded by the immigrants again
but we soon got through and into the safety zone! Something needs to be done
about the situation. They could easily fence the car park off and keep them
out. It's not good for all the ferry customers and we will think twice about
coming back to Igy again.
I have to say I was also disappointed with the Minoan Lines
ferry, although it was a good price and I suppose you can't have everything. We
WERE able to camp on deck with water and electricity (unlike the last time we
travelled across, when we had to leave our motorhome below, as the sea was too
rough, and we were up all night with no bed to sleep in) but they say that you
can't use your gas, so we were unable to cook our tea. We were not by a window
so it was already very dark and dismal. We were unable to get wi-fi (even
though they say you can) but even if you could, you would have to pay for it
and use it downstairs and not in your vehicle. There was no water in the pool,
no food shop and the food and drinks in the restaurant too costly. What's
more, we were surrounded by dogs, several of which kept barking. The couple
beside us had 4 dogs and the 2 large ones slept with their owners in their
CAR all night! However, it was a very calm night and you could hardly tell you
were on the water at all.
Italy
The next day was lovely again and Adrian saw the sunrise
and also saw dolphins. Then we all went up on top to watch as we came through
and into Venice. Although we had visited before, we hadn't seen it from the
water perspective and the previous time we had encountered bad weather too. The
day was stunningly beautiful, so we now have loads more pictures. There were
some big passenger cruise liners there too.
So after leaving the ferry at Venice, we drove round Milan
and on further almost to Aosta (before the border between Italy and France),
where we stopped for the night. We had the snow-capped Alps beside us with a
small lake and golf course too. From here onwards we made the mistake of
staying continuously on motorway, rather than having to go through every town
and village which takes so much time, but we had no way of knowing how much
this would cost, as we were issued with a ticket and there was nobody anywhere
we could find to ask! We didn't realise just how much we would eventually be
stung, which was a pity as we had decided that for future trips this seemed to
be the best route of all (so far)! France
France had loads of very nice Aires though, which were very
clean and tidy with picnic areas, nice toilets, mostly away from the motorway
and some with lovely wooded, park areas too, but obviously that's where all
your money goes!! It seemed like hundreds more tunnels again and we drove via
the Des Bossons glacier at Mont Blanc, as we also did 5 years ago, where there
are lots of skiing areas. The very long Mont Blanc Tunnel, which takes you
through the Alps from Italy into France, cost 48.70 Euros! We had lots of road
works too, which I hate as they just don't give you enough room, especially
for us as we are extra wide! The concrete crash barriers are just too close
for comfort.
North of Dijon we settled on a very nice Aire, which we had
almost to ourselves, with no noisy lorries - great. We sat outside until almost
9 pm as it was a lovely warm evening. The motorways DID cost us an arm and a
leg, so doubt we will be taking that same route next time! Try anything once
though. Back into England and Home
The following evening we arrived in Dunkirk and bought our
DFS (as they are now called – Norfolk Line as was) tickets to Dover. Another
lovely evening and we watched the sun setting as we crossed to the UK, which
takes 2 hours but, as you have to put your clocks back an hour, we get into
Dover at 9 pm (British Summer Time). We parked up on the sea front again for
the night. At least it wasn't cold but it did seem very strange being back in
the UK after 7 months away, which is the longest time away (in one go) so
far!
A very big cruise liner and a smaller one were in the
harbour in the morning. We left Dover, trying to remember to drive on the left
once again! We got to Essex in time for lunch and shopping and then went to put
flowers on Mum's grave. Her house had been sold whilst we were away and it
looked like the builders had moved in. It just didn't seem right somehow, as we
usually came home and told Mum all about what we had been doing whilst away
and also showed her our photos and heard all the family's latest news. So it
was all very sad, not to be able to share any of our experiences ever
again.
Arriving back home, it was a nice surprise to find our son
and daughter-in-law mowing our lawn!
September 2011
Conclusion and Future Plans
We had hoped to enjoy our summer weather here in England, but alas that was
not to be. It was the worse summer I can remember. Far too cold and rainy for
my liking. Thank goodness we have an escape route away from our dismal
winters! It gave us a chance to catch up with all the family again though and
attend to all the maintenance jobs awaiting us on our home, garden, car and
especially our motorhome, which included the building and erecting of solar
panels, made by Adrian, which should be a help if we want to stay put for any
length of time without electricity. They will hopefully keep our batteries
charged.
Well, it had been a very good 7 months away, despite all
that had happened to us and all the difficulties etc. We were pleased with all
that we had managed to accomplish in Bulgaria, as the actual time spent
building etc on our property had only been 14 weeks in total. The rest of our
time, of course, had been spent travelling back and forth, flying home to
Essex and touring Turkey, a country we really enjoyed. We will just have to
wait and see!!
The plan is to go back over to Bulgaria in September for
the next stage of building and in time for the harvesting of our grapes, for
our wine making, but will we repeat everything the same next time around? We
are currently discussing all the options open to us over the next 2 years,
trying to minimise our expenses as much as possible.
So now we can finally get organizing and packing ...
Bulgaria and Turkey, here we come!
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