Belladona

Once again the Channel was flat and the crossing smooth under a pale winter sun. But the temperature in France was only 4 degrees and so my first night tested the warmth of my van conversion. Bed very warm and comfortable. Getting up not so easy though!
I just missed the snow which fell over the Massif Centrale and the roads were clear. In Macon I spent the morning in Renault sourcing some panel clips and getting a small stone impact in the windscreen filled. (€122 discounted from €164, presumably on account of my wonderful personality.)
Then onto the Alps with this splendid view of the Belladonna range from above Lake Bourget.
My plan to cross the mountains via one of the colts above Turin was thwarted by the recent snowfalls which resulted in all the passes being closed. I was forced to use the 5 km Frejus tunnel at an exorbitant €44 which was nearly as much as all the motorway tolls from Chambery to Bologna. Forgetting how Italy formed from a thousand independent kingdoms without main roads between them, it was clear that using minor roads to Florence would take all week, so I stayed on the autostrade and cruised along in frequent rain. The van ran quietly and swiftly in comparison to the previous one and I could have listened to the radio if there was the same national broadcast standards as in France, rather than the zillion regional stations with pop music punctuated by lengthy spells of adverts and endless pointless discussion.
Another advantage of this van is that I can park inside Vanessa's garage, 500 metres from the Duomo and that is where, this first part of the trip has ended.Read more