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MGTC to Malta

June - July 2023
The plan is to drive to the south of France then ferries to Corsica Sardinia and Sicily then finally Malta arriving early July. Read more
  • 15footprints
  • 4countries
  • 17days
  • 193photos
  • 10videos
  • 2.2kmiles
  • 165miles
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  • Peter SprotMGTC to Malta
    1
    Day 17

    Malta

    July 5, 2023 in Malta ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    After two days at the lovely Tenuta Bellaprima hotel with it's amazing swimming pool we were up at 4am for the two hour drive to Pozzallo. I don't like driving in the dark and to be driving over the Sicilian mountains which often don't have safety barrier and do have sheer drops was disconcerting. However eventually the sun came up enough to see the pot holes coming. We had our jackets on as the mountains where cold.
    We arrived at the port at 6.15 and waited in a queue of cars. Nobody was in the mood to chat so early in the morning.
    The ferry to Malta is a very fast ship taking only one hour and forty five minutes for the 60 mile or 97 km crossing.
    We both shouted 'We did it' as we drove off the boat.

    I've been given the use of a garage which even has electricity very close to my house so Bluebelle is resting inside.

    I photographed the speedo before we started and again today. We have driven 1760 miles or 2830km we used 60 UK gallons or 273 litres of petrol. I used one litre of 20/50 oil. The cheapest petrol by far is here in Malta.
    I had one phone charging device explode spectacularly and two unimportant fuses blow.
    We overtook three trucks, many hundreds over us. All drivers where respectful. Quite literally hundreds of cars and trucks beeped a friendly hello or took photos of Bluebelle as they passed.
    We stayed in nine hotels and one hostel. We used exactly one tube of toothpaste. Mandy painted most days. We were given special gifts from two places we stayed.
    We have thoroughly enjoyed the adventure, even the thunder storms in France.
    Now it is time to wind down, relax and enjoy this beautiful island so this will be the last posting for this trip. We hope you enjoyed following our adventure.    Read more

  • Peter SprotMGTC to Malta
    Day 15

    Traveling without booking

    July 3, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Breakfast at San Leone was lovely as was the accommodate. It was tranquil and relaxed while we chatted with the owner until there was a loud bang as a lemon dropped from the tree above our head and bounced off the full table without hitting anything. We were given the lemon as a souvenir.

    About a two hour drive in very mixed roads brought us half way to where we get the ferry to Malta on Wednesday evening. In several places we saw fields just off the road on fire. I also spotted an MG garage which sold everything except MGs. We stopped a couple of times to cool in a café on the road.

    The good thing about traveling without booking in advance is that it gives you the flexibility to choose when to stop, we usually decide at lunch time, book and head for wherever it is.
    The down side is when you want to book a ferry. The ferry from Sardinia to Sicily had no cabins left but we did find a great place to sleep. The ferry from southern Sicily to Malta was fully booked for Tuesday evening our preferred time and when I looked on the operators web site last night while we ate our evening meal it said fully booked until Friday so I swapped to Direct Ferries app and tried exactly the same dates. It gave us similar prices and an option to travel on Wednesday evening so I've booked what is by far the most expensive ferry so far for the three hour crossing.
    Until then we will just have to rough it here in Riserva Naturale Orientata Bosco di Santo Pietro.
    See photos.    Read more

  • Peter SprotMGTC to Malta
    Day 14

    Agrigento and Nuovo Gibellina

    July 2, 2023 in Italy ⋅ 🌬 27 °C

    Our ferry from Sardinia docked at 05.15 which meant they woke us up at 04.30 it took an hour to disembark by which time we could drive in daylight.
    I put Agrigento in Google maps and said we should stop about half way and look to breakfast. So for no other reason we went to a café which was open early on a Sunday in Nuovo Gibellina. The cafe manager said the town is famous for its sculptures and gave us a map of where to find over 50 works of art and it is Italy's biggest open air museum. We left the car and went for a walk. It was really nice. The story of the town is that in 1968 there was a huge earthquake which flattened the whole town so it was rebuilt 11km away using quake proof designs and started adding sculptures. I'll add photos of a few. It was an unexpected treat.
    After that we headed closer to Agrigento stopping at a beach side bar for a cool drink and a look at the map to decide where to stop for the evening.
    Thanks to follower Albert for suggesting we stay at San Leone which is lovely.
    Eventually we reach the valley of the temples in Agrigento after Google annoyingly sent us in and out of the main town. The photos speak for themselves. It was built by the Greeks around 5th century BC.    Read more

  • Peter SprotMGTC to Malta
    Day 13

    Ferry to Sicily

    July 1, 2023 in Italy ⋅ 🌬 27 °C

    Last night we went back to the food fest, it was really good take a look at the amazing food on offer. Spot the spelling mistake on the blue boat

    This morning after another filling breakfast we left MuMa hostel the lady gave us a discount and a wooden key ring. One of only 24 made a couple of years ago for 'special guests'. They all liked the car and I took them for a short ride. Nice place nice people.

    I was a little concerned that we have been parking on the very clean pathway near the restaurant and after 3 nights there was no oil under the car. Mandy asked if I have put any in and so far less than a litre has kept it to the full mark.
    On closer inspection there where two drops so that's ok.

    We are on board Grimaldi lines ferry to Sicily and have our name on a list for a cabin. None where available when we booked on Thursday.
    It's a huge ferry which leaves at 5pm and will arrive in Palermo at 5am Sunday.
    This morning we chose to come the more scenic route through the hills as we had plenty time.    Read more

  • Peter SprotMGTC to Malta
    Day 12

    Time in Sant Antioco

    June 30, 2023 in Italy ⋅ 🌬 27 °C

    Last night in the main square was the first night of a three night food fest with a theme of Spanish speaking countries. Food from Spain, Argentina, Brazil to name but a few. I tried a mixed grill which I had photographed earlier in the day as they set up a huge grill. Take a look at the photo. Mandy had different types of pork. Then we had a fruit salad in a cup. Tonight we both want Paella from a stall from Spain which had two pans of about 1.5 meter diameter. See the photo.
    Today we were sight seeing, I was swimming and chatting with holiday makers while Mandy did a painting from high above the beach then we both when to a sandy beach for more swimming.
    MuMa our accommodate said they are expecting 11 motorcycles this evening. That will be interesting.
    Tomorrow afternoon we move on and get the ferry to Sicily. There will be no signal so the next post will probably be Sunday evening.    Read more

  • Peter SprotMGTC to Malta
    Day 11

    Island of Sant Antioco

    June 29, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    This lovely little island off the south west coast of Sardinia is connected by a land bridge. The accommodation called MuMa is an up market hostel and also a museum, if you merged a four star hotel and a hostel this is it. They took one look at this elderly couple with the elderly car and gave us disabled people room which is bigger than most and very comfortable. The facilities are good the breakfast was perfection and there are so many places to eat close by. We are staying until Saturday.
    When we arrived yesterday afternoon the hostel was closed so we went across the island to a beach for a couple of hours. Take a look at the photos. I really like Sant Antioco.

    I've added a couple of photos showing just how much people love either taking photos or sitting in the car or being taken for a short ride. I'm lucky to have such a car in Italy people say Bella Machina beautiful car.    Read more

  • Peter SprotMGTC to Malta
    Day 9

    Ula Tirso. Sardinia

    June 27, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Very little driving today.
    We went to explore the disused old dam about 8km out of town. It was closed to walkers but we can't read Italian so we walked across. The water was high on both side so there must be a new dam further down which we found in Google maps the but it was hydro electric and we couldn't get anywhere near it. The old dam has a cafe dedicated to it on the road which has a drawing of what it looked like. You'll see it in the photos.

    Then we went to the town which is 5 minutes down hill (or ten minutes in second gear going up) which was unspoilt and very pretty. We had cold drinks and I left Mandy near the church and came back to the Agritourisma hotel to check where to go tomorrow At agreed time I returned and parked under a tree while she worked on her painting.

    Back at the hotel Mandy started another painting and I washed the car for the first time since UK then went for a walk around the farm and found two abandoned cars, one of them is a Porsche.
    I've booked tomorrow's hotel which wasn't easy as the one I wanted showed full so I phoned them and they said ok. More about that in tomorrow's post.
    Now we are waiting to go for the evening meal. We have starved since breakfast as yesterday was 3 antipasta then home made pasta then a main course if what we think was veal then home made desert all accompanied with lovely red wine then home made liqueur. I haven't a clue how much it cost. We'll find out in the morning.    Read more

  • Peter SprotMGTC to Malta
    Day 8

    Central Sardinia

    June 26, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    After a night at Club Esse Galura we were looking forward to getting on the road. I will never again stay in a place with the word Club in the title.
    It was easy to set some kind of destination as South was really the obvious way to go. The roads and the scenery are really beautiful. Mandy was photographer and navigator. I'll include a few photos taken in the move when things got in the way of a good photo. 😊
    We are in an Agritourisma house in the middle of Sardinia. To get here we needed to climb and climb in 30+c temperature. We managed because I didn't push Bluebelle. I noticed this morning she is damaged after the shenanigans on the unmade road. The rear plate holding the number plate and light assemble is bent upwards. I'll fix it properly when I get to Malta.
    Speaking of that, I realised there is no ferry to Sicily until Saturday so I'll just have to continue enjoying this lovely island a few more days.    Read more

  • Peter SprotMGTC to Malta
    Day 7

    Off road in Corsica then Sardinia.

    June 25, 2023 in France ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We thought the ferry would leave the beautiful port of Bonifacio at 5pm so Mandy suggested an excursion around the lake which powers the hydro electric. We now know the word malvaise means poor as it said as much in the sign at the start of the road which was really a service track running around the lake then up to the dam. It was so steep in both directions I needed first gear and a run at some hills but Bluebelle just took it in her stride and after a good half hour of bouncing around we reached a paved road. Watch the video which doesn't really show how steep it is.
    After that we headed for the ferry which was it turned out left at three thirty and we were in time but we had not booked accommodation.
    Note to self don't book accommodation in a hurry as we ended up at a village which English people would recognise if I said Butlins. I knew it was not going well when they put wrist bands on us.
    However the food is good and the room is comfortable so for one night we can put up with hundreds of noisy kids.    Read more

  • Peter SprotMGTC to Malta
    Day 6

    Corsica MG = Mountain Goat

    June 24, 2023 in France ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    The ferry was a comfortable 11 hour overnight crossing, the sea was calm.
    Off by 07.10 and in cafe having petit dejeuner by 07.30 then we were off into the mountains and to the centre of Corsica for a morning of spectacular views and tight twisty roads. This is motorcycle heaven and there are quite a few enjoying themselves.
    By mid day it was hot but our little car didn't mind. She got hot climbing the mountains in second gear then cooled very quickly on the way down.
    At 1pm we found a hotel, checked in and jumped in the swimming pool which was the beginning of a well earned lazy afternoon. As you would guess Mandy made a painting which I'll attach. I checked the car which was fine.
    Tomorrow we head south towards Bonifacio which is where we may or may not get a ferry to Sardinia.    Read more

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