Time: 12.50pm
Mileage: 27719
We stopped in Dartford at 2.30pm to see Nan and Grandad F. The journey was not too bad, although there was quite a lot of traffic. The weather was overcast and hot. Stopped to fill up with fuel £16.86.
Arrived in Dover at 5pm and boarded the ferry - the Townsend Thoresen "Free Enterprise VII". At 6pm we ate dinner. Mum had a beef salad while Dad, Suzanne and I had cod fillet and chips. The cost was £8.50.
We arrived in Zeebrugge at 10pm and finally drove into the town after a twenty-minute wait. Getting off the ferry was funny - we had to back off and then drive down some ramps.
We managed to find our way through Zeebrugge, but I must admit it was hard to get used to being on the right again! We found the De Haan holiday village quite easily and were soon unloading the car. The chalet is very basic and I'm glad we're only staying one night!
Thursday 23 August 1984
We were all awake at 6.15am and had a bath. The weather looked good and it was hot.
Time: 8.15am
Mileage: 27890
We stopped for coffee at 10.15am. The price was 1.24 Belgian francs. Stopped for petrol at 11.15am - 960 Belgian francs. The countryside at the moment is beautiful and thickly wooded. It's starting to get very hot now.
Mileage: 28056
We stopped at 12pm for lunch of ham rolls and a drink. The bill came to 320 Belgian francs. We also bought crisps and sweets. The weather is sweltering now and we're close to Luxembourg. The motorway café wasn't up to British standards and there were loads of flies everywhere.
We entered France at 1pm and passed through customs. We stopped at about 2.45pm as it was so hot in the car. and went for a walk. I took a couple of photos and we drank some ice-cold water. We're about ten miles from Strasbourg and soon we'll be in Germany.
Entered Germany at 4pm, and stopped in a beautiful village called Griesheim so Dad could change some money. We started talking to an old German woman and she showed us around the loveliest church I've ever seen. I practised my German on her!
At 5.30pm we stopped for a drink because it was still very hot. Germany is one of the loveliest countries I've seen. The villages are beautiful and the houses are neat and well-kept.
We stopped at 6.30pm to find a place to stay for the night. The village was called Gündlingen and it was beautiful. We eventually found a place called the Gästhaus Löwen and the owner couldn't understand a word I said!
Dad, Suzanne and I went for a walk to find the restaurant, which was about one kilometre away. We decided to eat there and then walked back to the Gästhaus.
The meal at the restaurant was delicious. Suzanne and I had spaghetti Bolognese and salad, while Mum and Dad had pork escalopes, chips and peas, also with salad. The bill, including drinks, came to 58.20DM.
After the meal, we went for a walk in the village and I couldn't get over how beautiful the houses were. Our own houses in Britain seem drab and boring now! All of the houses had masses of flowers falling from the windows and surrounding them in the gardens. We walked back to the small guesthouse and we were in bed by 10pm!
Friday 24 August 1984
We awoke at 7.30am and walked around the village and took some photographs. We had breakfast at 8.15am of boiled eggs, raw, smoked ham and coffee. The bill for the night was 88DM.
Mileage: 28338
Stopped for petrol: 40DM
Went through Swiss customs at 9.45am and Dad changed £20 into Swiss francs. The weather is rainy and miserable.
We stopped at 11.30am for lunch of rolls and coffee. The bill came to 17 Swiss francs. I took some photos. The weather is improving.
After the motorway café, the surrounding countryside became more mountainous. We passed through the St Gotthard tunnel, which was 9.5 miles long! It seemed to go on forever! Before we entered the tunnel the weather was beautiful but as we emerged it was pouring with rain!
As we drove further, the clouds were almost on top of the roads and it was very scary! We continued through Switzerland and into Italy and it still rained!
On the motorway, after Milan, the rain was so bad that we could hardly see, and we had to stop to put one of our cases into the car because the polythene cover wasn't large enough to cover all of the luggage.
We went through a toll (1,650 lire) and stopped for a drink which was 6,300 lire. We also filled up with petrol - 30,000 lire.
We turned off the motorway at Parma and drove through the Ligurian Appennines. If the sun had been out it would have been stunning. We passed through another toll, 15,700 lire and then we arrived in Forte dei Marmi.
Forte dei Marmi is very crowded and there were loads of cars and people. The people look very chic and tanned and I don't like them! Mum and Dad went to find the Citalia Head Office and Suzanne and I stayed in the car. Our villa is on Via Piave and it's beautiful.
Our total mileage: 1033 miles.
After unpacking we went into the town to look around. The shops are very expensive and we saw a pair of jeans selling for £60! Most of the people in the town are young and Suzanne and I called them "Les poseurs" because they walk along posing! We walked along the pier while overhead, loads of bats chased moths!
We found a pizzeria and had dinner. We got lost but managed to find our way back eventually!
The big problem here is the mosquitos. Mum and Dad have both been bitten but as yet, Suzanne and I haven't!
Saturday 25 August 1984
We got up and had a fried breakfast. The water wasn't hot so we had very quick showers! I washed my hair and by then, the sun had come out.
At 11am, two women came to clean the villa. The old woman was lovely and she babbled away in Italian even though we couldn't understand what she was saying! I told her, in Italian, that the water wasn't hot and she understood what I said! As soon as the two women were in the villa, everything was moved and they took charge!
At 11.30am we went to find the Citalia Head Office and paid for entry to the beach. We are at the Remo Beach Club and it cost 50,000 lire for the four of us, for one week.
We then walked to the beach and our spot is very near the sea. We had a drink at the bar and walked back to the villa. Suzanne bought a beach mat and Mum and I bought clips for our hair. We also bought some huge tomatoes, lettuce, onions, fruit and bread rolls at the market. We ate these for lunch.
At 3pm we changed and left to go to the beach. There were a lot of English people around us, probably because it was owned by Citalia.
The waves were really strong and one part of the sea was dangerous because of the strong currents. Suzanne and I went into the sea and saw a big jellyfish, which made us get back out pretty quickly! We left at 5.30pm and had a drink before going to buy potatoes and sausages for dinner. Suzanne and I walked back on our own but when we arrived at the villa we found we were locked out! The old woman came along and Suzanne had to climb through the living room window to let us in!
After dinner, we all went into the town. It was just as crowded as last night and we decided to have a drink at a market café. When the bill came it was 15,000 lire. About £6 for four drinks! We are rapidly learning where not to go! We walked around the town and at 11pm had a hamburger at "Forte Forte". They were very unpleasant and Dad gave them a score of -2 out of 10!
We walked back to the villa, and Suzanne and I found two flies in our room which I chased around with a broom!
Sunday 26 August 1984
After breakfast, we drove to the beach and sunbathed. Suzanne and I went in for a swim.
There was an argument on the beach between two English men (one of whom looked like Harry Secombe) over the beach chairs. There was almost a fight, and it was very funny!
For lunch, we ate rolls and drank coffee. By now, it was swelteringly hot. Suzanne and I attempted another swim, but we saw the jellyfish and came back out! Afterwards, Suzanne didn't feel well so we both returned to the villa.
Mum and Dad returned but went back to buy steak for dinner at the supermarket. It was closed so we had tinned pork instead. At 8pm we went into town and found a bar. We had a drink and Suzanne and I looked around the town on our own. Sue bought earrings and we both chose some postcards. On the way back to the villa we treated ourselves to a huge slab of chocolate!
Monday 27 August 1984
We were awake early and had bread and jam for breakfast before going to the beach. It was very hot, and we walked along the beach before coming back and having a drink and lunch. We're all getting tanned now!
At 3pm we decided to go to Pisa but someone had blocked our car in the car park! We managed to get it out and returned to the villa to change. We left at about 5.30pm and drove to Pisa on the motorway.
Even though it was my second visit, the Tower still looked fascinating! Suzanne and I went up to the top and it was terrifying as it tilted so much! We then went into the big cathedral to look around. It was getting late so we found a restaurant on a side street and had spaghetti Bolognese. Dad also ordered a bottle of wine. The meal was delicious and came to 25,000 lire.
We had another walk around after the meal and returned to Forte dei Marmi. It didn't take us long and we parked the car by the market so we could go into the town and find a post office. Suzanne bought some monkey nuts and I bought a chocolate-nutty confection that was sweet and sickly!
There must have been some sort of celebration in the town because there was a huge bonfire in the centre and lots of fireworks. We walked back to the car and on the way back we saw a parade pass us.
Back at the villa we read and went to bed.
Tuesday 28 August 1984
After a fried breakfast we went to the bank to change money. Unfortunately, Dad and Sue didn't have their passports with them but I managed to change £5. Dad went back to the villa while Sue, Mum and I walked around the market. Sue and I bought a leather bracelet each - they cost 3,000 lire.
The market was huge and sold almost everything. We met Dad by the travel agents and he and Suzanne
changed their money. We had a drink and continued walking around the market. Suzanne bought a pair of black espadrilles which only cost 3,000 lire.
On the way back to the villa, Mum and Dad bought food for dinner while Sue and I walked on ahead.
We had lunch of ham rolls and salad and then we got ready to go to the Cave di Marmo. The marble quarries are in the Cararra mountains, which can be seen from the beach. The drive up to the quarries was winding and steep. Along the roads were several souvenir shops and I bought a beautiful marble horse for 12,000 lire. Suzanne bought her parents a marble vase for 30,000 lire. We carried on up the mountain and stopped at some more shops. It began to rain and Dad took lots of photos.
After seeing the quarries we stopped at the town of Carrara, but it was boring so we drove on. We stopped along the coast road and had ice cream. Looking at the beaches here, they weren't as nice as ours! We returned to the villa but as the market was on, it was utter chaos!
When we arrived back at the villa we heard thunder but it didn't rain. The rest of the evening was spent indoors listening to fireworks.
Wednesday 29 August 1984
We were up early as usual and had a fried breakfast. We went to the beach mid-morning and sunbathed. It was hot again. Lunch was sandwiches and then Suzanne and I paddled in the sea.
At 4.30pm we went into town and Suzanne bought a stamp for her letter. She phoned her parents, and to do this we had to go to a bar and call from there! We felt right idiots standing there talking! The phone call cost her 10,550 lire! I couldn't believe it!
We walked back to the villa, had a shower and went into town to find a restaurant. We found a "spaghetteria" along a side street and enjoyed spaghetti with smoked ham and onion, wine and crusty bread. It was delicious!
We were seated outside and suddenly "Harry Secombe" came along in his car and shouted out an order to the waiter before driving off! We all thought he was a bit big-headed! The bill for the meal was 41,000 lire. In Italy, you have to pay a "table service charge" and ours was 2,000 lire each! It was a good meal, though!
We carried on walking around the town and then returned to the villa.
Thursday 30 August 1984
We went to the beach at the usual time and the weather was beautiful and hot. Suzanne and I went for a swim and the water was so clear. We sunbathed for the rest of the morning and had rolls and coffee for lunch.
The afternoon was spent sunbathing and at 3pm Mum, Dad and I hired a pedalo for an hour. It was great fun and we saw loads of large jellyfish that Dad took photos of. We went out quite far and while Mum and Dad did all the hard work, I sunbathed!
We pedalled back to the beach and went into town. Suzanne changed some travellers' cheques and we returned to the villa. Mum, Dad and I had a "Who is the brownest?" competition and Dad won!
In the evening we tried to find the railway station but it was dark and foggy so we had to turn back. We walked around Forte dei Marmi and had a drink at a café before going back to the villa.
Friday 31 August 1984
It's Suzanne's birthday today and we went to Florence. We had to be up early for the drive over to the city, which was lovely. However, once in Florence itself, it was chaos! We found a car park but we had to leave it to an attendant to actually park the car!
We had a drink first in a café and then walked around the town. Florence is very old with lots of narrow streets. We arrived at a square called the Piazza del Duomo and the baptistery of San Giovanni. We also came across the Piazza della Signoria and there were lots of statues. In the Palazzo Vecchio, there was an exhibition of "The Horses of Leonardo" which were beautiful.
We came out of the Palazzo Vecchio and walked down to the Golden Bridge. On the way, we saw loads of artists painting portraits of people. We walked down to the bridge and looked at all the jewellery shops.
Because it was so hot, we decided to turn back and returned to the car. It cost 8000 lire for four hours, which was great as it had been parked off the street where somebody could have broken into it.
On the way back, on the motorway, we stopped for a drink. Italian service stations are strange; there is only one long room and you can't sit down! Back on the journey, Dad took the wrong exit on the motorway which was very funny!
We arrived back at the villa and went to find where the station was. It was located in the old town of Forte Deim Marmi. Mum and Dad shopped at the supermarket for food for dinner, and we went home.
After eating, we got ready to go out to the Caravella disco. It was a Hawaiian night and at first, only a few people turned up. After a while, though, it became crowded. Suzanne met an Italian man and at 1.30am, we left with him.
Saturday 1 September 1984
Today, we went onto the beach again. Most of the English people had left although Roger! was still there! (No idea who he was!) As usual, it was very hot on the beach and Sue and I went swimming.
We left at about 4pm and I went to change some money with Dad, and buy some things for dinner. At 7pm I went with Sue to meet her Italian friend. I then went home and went to Viareggio with Mum and Dad.
Viareggio was beautiful and had a port with lots of gorgeous boats. We had a drink and looked at the lovely shops. We also enjoyed an enormous pizza before driving back to Forte Dei Marmi.
Sunday 2 September 1984
Today was spent on the beach again. The weather was hot and we had acquired lovely tans! It's wonderful to have a dip in the sea when it's so hot. The only snag is the number of jellyfish!
Sue and I left at 4pm and on the way home we tried to buy some ingredients for dinner but the shops were closed.
At 6pm I went with Sue to meet John, and although we walked along the pier, he never showed up. We returned to the villa and had dinner.
We went to Caravella at 10pm and Sue met John. I had a drink with Ma and Pa and went home.
Monday 3 September 1984
It was the beach again today! It was sweltering and very quiet as I think most people have returned home.
After going to the beach, Mum and Dad visited the supermarket while Sue and I stayed at the villa and showered. For dinner, we had cottage pie; the food here is so expensive! A handful of mince cost £3!
At about 9pm Mum, Dad and I went to the railway station to find out the prices for the train to Rome. A return ticket cost 30,000 lire each! We decided not to go as the journey was about three and a half hours, which meant we would have hardly any time to see the sights.
We drove into Forte Dei Marmi, bought some chocolate and came home.
Tuesday 4 September 1984
It was a dull, overcast start to the day. We went into Forte Dei Marmi because we were hoping there'd be a market taking place, but there wasn't! Instead, we decided to hire bikes for an hour! It was very enjoyable and we cycled along the coast road and the outskirts of the town. We stopped for a drink and had a look at the free beach, which wasn't very nice! Despite the cloud, it was still hot today!
We cycled back and after returning the bikes, we walked along the pier. It was even cloudier and the sea was rough. We met an English man who told us he was staying in two villas with fifteen other people!
Lunch was taken at Forte, Forte and we ate cheeseburgers and chips. The burgers here aren't as nice as they are back home!
We spent the afternoon in Lerici, a little fishing village along the coast. To get to the village we had to drive over a mountain and the view was beautiful. We could see the castle, the bay and the whole town spread out beneath us.
We parked the car and walked down to the harbour. It was hot so we bought ice-creams and sat in the shade of a wall, overlooking the harbour. From there we walked over to some rocks and took lots of photographs. The castle looked very interesting, so we climbed hundreds of steps to a bar right next to it. The climb was worthwhile, though, as we could see the sea and beautiful islands in the distance. I'm sure one of them was "Bird Island" from the television series.
The castle was lovely and had great views from the ramparts. After visiting, we walked down to the harbour because Dad wanted to see the fish being brought in from the boats. They were horrible! There were fish, octopi, prawn-like things and unmentionable gories! One old woman took a handful of raw, slimy fish and ate them! The smell was disgusting, too, and I was glad when we walked back to the town.
We bought some vegetables and walked back to the car. I realised that today was the return to school date and I would have been going into sixth form. I was glad I was a thousand miles away!
We returned on the autostrada and it was a lot quicker, but the toll set us back 2000 lire. We bought ham for dinner in Forte Dei Marmi, and Sue and I prepared the meal. After eating, we just lazed around and at 9pm we walked into town where Sue called her parents. We wandered about for a bit longer and went back to the villa.
Wednesday 5 September 1984
The weather was still cloudy but we still went to the beach. There was hardly anyone about. The sea was rough again, and we were all disappointed with the cloudy sky. However, as the day wore on, it improved.
We had lunch at the beach restaurant - meatballs, beans and chips - and the meal was delicious. For dessert, we enjoyed ice cream.
After lunch, the weather had improved and I went for a swim. Suzanne had been stung on the foot by a spike-fish on Monday so I wore sandals in the sea. The waves were strong which made swimming difficult!
We returned to the villa at 4.30pm and a little later, Dad, Suzanne and I went into town to try and buy some polythene to cover the suitcases on the way home. Even though we bought two metres, the woman still measured it to find the price!
We walked around the town in the evening. It was only 9pm but the place was deserted! We had a drink and walked along the pier. The waves were enormous! They reached up to the pier itself and I found them very scary!
We walked back through the town which had become busier again. We stopped to have some toast at a café and Dad, Sue and I ordered an espresso each. Sue wasn't keen!
Thursday 6 September 1984
Our last day in Forte Dei Marmi... sob!
When we woke this morning the wind was very strong and there were lots of clouds in the sky. We decided to go to the beach despite the weather and on the way, Dad changed some money at the bank. When we arrived at the beach we couldn't believe our eyes! The sea was at its roughest and the waves were high and forceful. The sea had come up so far onto the beach that all the deckchairs, loungers and umbrellas had been stacked up to keep them safe. We sat with our backs to the wind but it was cold!
At 12pm, Sue and I hired two bikes and cycled around the back streets. I took lots of photos. We went back to the beach and had lunch,
We swam in the afternoon and once we got used to the cold water it was lovely. We left at 3pm and bought some flowers for Maria, our maid. She is so sweet! We all showered, and Maria came around so we gave her the flowers and took loads of photographs.
In the evening we walked into town and bought presents. Our meal for this evening was at a lovely restaurant where we sat under a roof of leaves. We had veal for dinner. Mum and Dad had theirs with a sauce, while Sue and I had ours breadcrumbed - wiener schnitzel! The meals came with chips, beans in a tomato soup and white wine. It was a lovely meal.
The bill came to 61,000 lire and we returned home for an early night.
Friday 7 September 1984
We were awake at 4.30am this morning and by 5.15am we were ready to leave.
Mileage: 29,107
We stopped for coffee and toast at 7am. We bought three bottles of wine and a Cherry Liqueur.
We drove through Swiss customs and the weather was sunny and warm. Our lunch stop was for ham rolls and drinks, and Suzanne chose a peppermint tea by mistake!
We drove into Germany at 1.30pm and stopped for coffee and apple pie. It was shortly after this that we realised we had missed the exit off the motorway for Strasbourg. By now, it was pouring with rain and we saw two accidents within a mile of each other. We decided to turn off at Karlsruhe and drive across country to Saarbrücken. We stopped again for petrol.
We arrived in Saarbrücken and drove onto the Paris-Metz motorway. Just inside the border, Dad stopped to change £100 into French francs. When he came back, the car wouldn't start because the battery was flat. It was now 7.30pm and we had no German money!
Eventually, an AIT man came out and towed the car to a Renault garage in Saarbrücken. Meanwhile, we stayed at a Novotel, about 500 yards away. It was very expensive! For two rooms it was 234 Deutsche marks! Breakfast and dinner were extra!
The rooms were lovely, though, and for our evening meal, we had an omelette and chips. After that, it was a bath and then bed!
Saturday 8 September 1984
The weather this morning was dull and wet. We had a gorgeous breakfast, and I enjoyed hazelnut yoghurt and rolls with ham. There was also lots of coffee.
At 10am we took a taxi to the Renault dealer in Saarbrücken. Dad was able to pay the bill, just over 211 Deutsche Marks, with AA vouchers. We got lost returning to the hotel, but found our way in the end! The hotel bill came to 338 DM which Dad put on his card.
We left the hotel at 11am and managed not to get lost again! In Luxembourg, we stopped for petrol and lunch.
We arrived in Zeebrugge at 5pm, and although we were a day early, managed to get onto the 7pm ferry. The ferry was called "The Pride of Free Enterprise VIII" and was full of day-trippers! It was crowded and noisy!
Mum and Dad both bought duty-free items and I bought a bottle of "Jolie Madame". We had dinner on board, which was delicious.
We arrived in Dover at 10.30pm and went through customs easily. Sue rang her parents to tell them she was on her way home. We arrived back in Northampton at 1.30am and took Suzanne home.
Total mileage: 2073.
Verdict: One of the best holidays, but Forte dei Marmi was too expensive!
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