פֿאַרעפֿנטלעכט: 02.03.2022
Cold night at Lake Como, minus 5 degrees Celsius. At 4 am, I had to turn up the heating. 10 degrees were not enough, it had to be 14. In the morning, sunshine again and the campers left one by one.
First, have a cozy breakfast, enjoy the sun, and leave at around 10:30 am. Today, I want to go to France and see the Mediterranean. Highway via Milan and off we go. I'm not the only one going in that direction. Only after Milan on the way to Genoa it gets more peaceful. Po valley and flat landscape.
That changes as we get closer to Genoa. From now on, Bob the Builder is involved. Lots of tunnels through the mountain landscape alternate with construction sites and single lane traffic. The trucks and I have a good interaction. We understand each other. That can't be said of some cars (Clio, Fiat 500, Peugeot unidentified ....). They can't handle it and slow down.
Then finally the first intermediate goal of today - Mediterranean in sight and sniffing distance. The switch to A 10 towards France is nearby. But the density of tunnels is still increasing. There is hardly a section without a structure. Bob - the Builder - ... did I mention him?
Still 170 km to the border. I will take advantage of the Italian highway. But in France, I want to drive along the coast and enjoy Menton, Monaco, and Nice. I am making a plan - leave the highway in Italy just before the border (San Remo?) and then drive the last kilometers along the sea towards France. According to my research, there are hardly any parking spaces listed around Monaco and Menton. Maybe I'll stay for a night in Italy?
Exit Bodighera/Ventimiglia about 15 km before France. What a mess!
I neither see the sea nor make progress. In the afternoon, everyone is on the road in Ventimiglia with their cars, scooters, or on foot.
At the outskirts, I see a sign pointing to a campground 2 km away. Let's see ...
That's it ...
Turn left and drive up. After the rush hour in Ventimiglia, it is peaceful and quiet here, just 5 km outside. The place is well laid out, offers electricity, water, and proximity to the sea for €15 - I'll stay in Italy.
Align the car, fill up with water, connect to the electricity, and explore the area. I am still within the daily limit until 4:30 pm, the place must be found.
There are many motorhomes from France, Switzerland, and Germany on the campground. It must be good then.
I am thinking about staying for 2 days and maybe cycling across the border. Let's see what my thoughts bring overnight.
Anyway, I am at the Mediterranean and I will probably stay here for the next 4 weeks with changing locations.
Oh, and in this little town, there is a supermarket CONAD, which looks inconspicuous from the outside and is a dream from the inside. Original Italian products, homemade pasta, meat and cheese counter, wine and spirits - it's hard for me to tear myself away.