Travelling allsorts

It was the end of a damp August in Britain. We had been working long hours and needed a break before the next onslaught... Our Easter break was a week in France, which was cold and damp, so we decided on Italy - biscotti, pasta, pizza, coffee, wine, zabaglione and more. The Amalfi Coast looked nice so we decided to rent somewhere for a couple of weeks.  Skipping ahead, we arrived yesterday (as I write this bit), following a very early start, on a cramped but otherwise pleasant flight. On leaving the airport building in Napoli, the Italian experience began with a flagrant disregard for adequate signage. We found the courtesy bus stop for car hire customers but, as we waited, the disorderly queue and accompanying luggage reached a size that would not be accommodated by the next mini-bus. With only a small case and a piece of hand-luggage each and, having discovered the whereabouts of the car hire depot just 700 metres around the corner, we decided to walk - a much needed exerci...

We love France and we usually drive there then spend the week recovering before driving back so we wondered about a fly-drive-caravanette holiday. We've not actually done this but the idea of hiring a fully refurbished-like-new retro VW campervan for a short holiday break and going as we please, without having to dash back to base each night, is very appealing for a late Spring break! We're thinking about exploring a little further around the South of France, without having to plan too far ahead or panicking about booking hotels and paying extortionate rates. We're using a couple of itinerary ideas, from a friend who lives in Provence and has already done this. We've been to Cannes and Nice several times over the years plus a couple of trips to Monaco. However, although we've seen photos of the Verdon Gorge - which looks amazing - we've never been there! Our friend also recomends other places, such as Aix-en-Provence , which looks to be worth visiting - we also...

Years ago, we rented a villa in Javea and wanted to buy it or something similar. We still haven't! It was September 1997 and some friends had recently bought a holiday home on a resort in Javea; we met up a couple of times and enjoyed al fresco dining on balmy evenings. Those same friends have upgraded to a villa now and have retired there. We are still living and working in the UK. Opportunity missed? We are planning a lifestyle change in 2017, when our son completes his degree, and we are still looking at properties around the Mediterranean. Prices fall into two camps: those we can afford as a holiday home and those we can afford if we sell our house in the UK.  This presents us with a dilemma as we obviously prefer the nicer properties but we are not ready to move lock, stock and barrel. We have some other friends who have made the decision to move to Denia next year and have contracted to buy a brand new 'designer villa' from a local (Denia) building company. The ...