Paros, Greece - 7th - 21st July, 1986

 Sunday 6 July 1986

A change this year: we're flying! I must admit it feels a bit strange! However, all I can ask is that this year's holiday is as good as the last five.

We left Northampton at 3:15 pm and drove to Dartford to see Grandad who was in Livingstone Hospital. After the visit, we went to see Nan L. It's still so traditional! Nan asked us which ferry we were taking. Are we seasoned ferry-catchers, then?

We followed the signs on the motorway for Gatwick Airport and I tried to ignore the "GB" stickers on the backs of cars. Perhaps next year?

Finding the farmhouse was great fun: we got lost twice but we have to get lost every year, so this is no exception. Anyway, our map was terrible, but in the end, we found it after a delightful tour of the Sussex countryside!

The farmhouse was very rustic and reminded me of the numerous French auberges we'd stayed in. There were loads of horses and dogs, and manure everywhere. Our rooms were clean, comfortable and pretty. Well satisfied, we asked about a good place to eat and we were given another map! The Lamb Inn was recommended!

After travelling through more narrow country lanes we arrived at The Lamb Inn and went to see about some food. It was all very confusing and the menu was placed almost out of sight. I could hardly read it! The woman serving looked like a blonde rat and had the manners to match! We ordered our food and Dad was just about to pay when he changed his mind and we left!

We drove, instead, to a beautiful pub in Horley where we had a delicious meal of curry and lasagne.

Back at the farmhouse, Mum and I had a bath and then it was time for bed. Sleeping is going to be difficult as big airliners fly right over the farmhouse every five minutes! The noise is deafening, but I like it!

Monday 7 July 1986

I had a broken night's sleep, disturbed by the numerous aircraft flying over the farmhouse. I eventually woke up at 3:40 am and stayed awake. We had a delicious cooked breakfast and left at 5:15 am. We travelled to the hotel in style, a Mercedes estate! What a great start to the holiday!

Gatwick Airport is enormous! We found the Dan w Air check-in desk easily and checked in our luggage. It was a lot easier than I thought, but catching the ferry is easier still!

We went to the Departure Lounge and our hand luggage was screened. Mine and Mum's were OK, but Dad's dinged! However, it was only the tape recorder!

The Departure Lounge was enormous as well and had huge windows at the front where we could see the runway. 

We boarded the plane at 6:45 am and both Mum and I were terrified! I wasn't keen on take-off as I'd never been so fast in my life! Anyway, once in the air I began to enjoy myself and the view from the window was amazing! There were enormous mountains of clouds stretching away to the horizon and it was like being in a white fluffy desert! Now and again I caught glimpses of Germany and Yugoslavia below.

We had a lovely breakfast; Dad was expecting bacon and eggs but we were given croissants, orange juice and a delicious sweet cake. He'd already had a cooked breakfast at the farmhouse, anyway!

I was amazed that we were crossing over Germany after forty-five minutes! It takes us two days in the car. The captain informed us that were travelling eight miles in one minute, so about 480mph... that's fast!

Mum behaved quite well after take-off but she still had a terrified look on her face and refused to look out of the window! Dad thoroughly enjoyed making fun of both of us and spent most of the flight drinking coffee and reading the newspaper.

Halfway through the flight, we had heavy turbulence over Yugoslavia. We had to put our seat belts on and both Mum and I were terrified!

We landed at Mykonos airport at 1pm Greek time, and it was very hot. The airport was tiny, and we were taken by bus to the harbour and told we had three hours to wait for the ferry to Paros. As it was so warm we went from one bar to another and sat in the shade. We ate lunch at a taverna and chose veal, rice and courgettes, which were served cold.

The hot afternoon stretched on and we decided we didn't like Mykonos and felt glad that we weren't staying there! We finally boarded the ferry at 5:00 pm but it didn't leave for almost another hour. It was a cool, enjoyable journey which lasted two hours.

From the sea, Paros looked like a big island,  but it did look better than Mykonos. We took a taxi from the harbour to the Hotel Xenia in the town of Parikia, and another couple shared the Mercedes with us. Mum, Dad and the couple were squashed in the back while I travelled in comfort in the front! 

The Hotel Xenia is situated outside of the main town, on a headland overlooking the sea. It was a white and blue building with several terraces. Our bedrooms had balconies and en-suite bathrooms.

We freshened up and went into Parikia town to meet the other people travelling with Sunmed. The front was lined with brightly-lit restaurants and it reminded me a little of Tossa de Mar. We had arranged to meet at the windmill but nobody else had arrived so we started looking for the restaurant.

Parikia has many narrow, winding streets, overhung with flowering shrubs, and the white-washed buildings all have green or grey shutters. These, of course, reminded me of Italy!

We never did manage to find the restaurant, so we dined at a sea-front eaterie and enjoyed pork kebabs, before heading back to the hotel and enjoying the views from the hotel lounge. I was so tired I nearly fell asleep!

Tuesday 8 July 1986

We had our first Greek breakfast this morning and it was pretty good! Our meal included coffee, orange juice, toast and sponge cake, and we enjoyed dining in a room with a beautiful view of the sea. After breakfast, we walked into town and bought postcards and hats. Later, at 10:30 am, we went to the Sunmed office and were taken to a bar where we had a glass of ouzo. One of the staff members gave us some recommendations for places to visit in Paros. It was incredibly hot outside, and Myra, the Sunmed representative, told us that it was 120°F yesterday. Phew!

Lunch was taken at the same restaurant we had visited last night. This time we ate meat and vegetables tucked inside pitta bread. Delicious!

In the afternoon we visited a beach behind the hotel. It was a fifteen-minute walk and we discovered an almost deserted cove. It was quiet and Dad and I went for a swim. The afternoon was spent lazily on the beach as it was so hot. At one point the waves became higher when a ferry pulled into the harbour and they drenched us all! It was hilarious! We sat on the rocks for a while with our feet in the sea and it was lovely and cool.

When we got back to the hotel, we sat on the balcony and talked to one of the men who worked at the hotel. It was very peaceful there because the hotel is quite a distance from the main town of Parikia.

In the evening we went to Black Bart's bar first and enjoyed a Manhattan cocktail of whisky, Vermouth and bitters. The cocktails were lethal! We asked Myra where the Vietnamese restaurant was and decided to eat there.

The food was delicious and the setting was beautiful. Opposite the restaurant was a rug shop, which gave the setting an Oriental air.

We walked around the town for a while and then returned to the hotel for a drink on the balcony. The other British couple staying at the hotel came to talk to us and we stayed with them for the rest of the evening.

Wednesday 9 July 1986

Today we caught the caique to the other side of the bay where there are two beaches. We disembarked at the second beach and found a quiet corner by some rocks. The sea was crystal clear and the beach was sandy, so I was happy! We hired three beds, applied sun tan lotion and lay basking in the heat.

Whenever it became too hot, I went swimming and the breeze cooled us down as well. We stayed on the beach until 3:00 pm and caught the boat back to Parikia. Before returning to the hotel we wandered around the maze of narrow streets, looking at the numerous churches in the blazing heat.

We'd booked to go to Naoussa in the evening for a fish night. We all met at Black Bart's bar and had a cocktail to start the evening. This time, I had a Screwdriver which was vodka and orange juice.

John and Valerie arrived and we sat talking to them before walking to the windmill to catch the coach to Naoussa. The countryside we travelled through was beautiful and very Grecian. Naoussa is a small fishing village about fifteen miles from Parikia. There's a tiny harbour crammed full of boats and the streets are cobbled and winding. It was pretty and picturesque.

We had about an hour to walk around the town before having a drink in the Barberossa bar where we watched the sun go down.

The evening's meal wasn't to my liking as I'm not a fan of fish! We ate octopus (horrible!), squid (fried and delicious), cod, and lots of other unidentifiable items that weren't pleasant!

After eating, we went back to the bar and had to drink a glass of "Suma" or firewater. It was disgusting! The rest of the evening was spent chatting, and we returned to Parikia at about 1:00 am.

Thursday 10 July 1986

We decided to visit Aliki today by way of the local bus, and the journey took about twenty minutes. The ride was bumpy but worth it for the views across the island to Antiparos. Aliki is small but the beach was lovely and sandy and the sea was clear. We stayed on the beach all day and frequently went into the sea as it was so hot.

Once back in Parikia, we walked around the town, ate delicious ice cream at "Il Gelato" and returned to the hotel for a nap. This heat seems to make all of us extremely tired.

In the evening we went to a restaurant in the main square. We tried the kebabs and the meal was just moderate.

We hadn't yet explored the town which was on the other side of the harbour, so we walked over there and found ourselves pleasantly surprised. It was quieter than the main town but the restaurants had little lights in the trees and seemed more friendly. I treated Mum and Dad to a cocktail and I enjoyed a Pina Colada... delicious!

Before going back to the hotel we had a crepe at "La Creperie". It took us ages to find it but the food was worth it! There was French music playing inside and Parisian posters on the walls. I enjoyed a crepe with vanilla ice cream and chocolate while Mum and Dad had chocolate and brandy. Very delicious!

Friday 11 July 1986

It hasn't been a very successful day, I'm afraid! We decided to stay out of the sun and visit Antiparos and its caves. We caught the boat easily, but we had forgotten that the Sundmed cruise had been cancelled because of rough seas.

The journey over to Antiparos was horrible and I felt ill. The boatmen told us to "stay put" for the caves, and so we did. When we arrived, we had a drink and lunch before starting the long, dusty climb up to the caves. Luckily, there was a breeze so it wasn't too hot but it was dusty and I still felt nauseous from the boat ride.

When we eventually arrived at the caves, we were covered in dust and felt exhausted. Going down into the caves was horrific as the steps were steep. There wasn't much air down there and I felt even worse. Mum went back up to the top, and Dad and I soon followed.

We started the long walk back down to the boat, and I remarked, "What if the last boat has gone when we get back?"

Dad said he'd get someone to take us back and he sounded very confident! Imagine our horror, then, when we arrived back and found that the last boat had indeed departed!

There were about ten of us altogether and we decided to walk the seven kilometres to Antiparos Town. We trooped off in the heat, which had lessened a bit by the breeze, thank goodness! Mum, Dad and I walked with another couple and a little French girl called Dominique. We were angry about the situation and felt for the little children who had to walk the long distance to the town in the heat.

Luckily, someone stopped in a van and picked the children up. However, Dominique was left with us as the van driver wouldn't stop again. We trudged on and on, but I didn't mind. The views across to paros were stunning and it wasn't that hot.

We arrived in Antiparos Town at 5:00 pm, had something to eat and caught the 6:00 pm boat back to Paros. The journey was terrible as the sea was so rough. One minute the boat was perched on the top of a huge wave, and the next it had plunged downwards. Of course, I felt terribly ill so I went to stand on the deck. It certainly wasn't an enjoyable crossing!

In the evening we went to the other side of Parikia for a meal. We picked a restaurant that looked welcoming but what a mistake we made!  Half of the menu wasn't available so I didn't get to eat what I wanted!

The soup, when it finally arrived, was lukewarm and disgusting. We had to wait over an hour for the main course and my meal was a small amount of veal with a few chips. The veal was tough and full of bones! We will never go back there!

We enjoyed ice creams at "Il Gelato" and thankfully returned to the hotel. What a day!

Saturday 12 July 1986

We caught the caique to the other side of the bay again today because the beach there is lovely. It seems to be getting hotter every day and if we sunbathed all day, every day, we'd be mahogany!

We left early and walked around the town. The heat was so intense, that it was unbelievable, and the sun's glare was made worse by the white buildings.

In the evening, we found a lovely restaurant called "Parostia". We walked in and found John and Valerie who told us that the restaurant and food were excellent. Success at last! We had a lovely meal, the best so far. I had moussaka to start, which was delicious. For my main course, I chose wiener schnitzel, followed by chocolate mousse for dessert. The meal was served well and we weren't hurried. We ate in a little garden at the back of the restaurant and there was a lovely, romantic atmosphere.

Before turning in for bed tonight, we chatted to John and Valerie on the verandah.

Sunday 13 July 1986

Dad told us that he was going to take out a moped tomorrow. We tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn't listen. 

We went to Martselo Beach by Caique again. Today, it was very crowded, probably because the local people had had the same idea. It was baking hot again, but I swam frequently, which cooled me down. Afterwards, we returned to the villa for a siesta, something we all approve of!

In the evening we'd booked to go to a Bazouki evening in the hills. We went to Black  Bart's for a cocktail and met Myra and Steve. One of the men who works in Black Bart's has taken a liking to us and whenever we go in, he compares the tans on our arms!

Tonight, he told me he had something for me so I followed him into the bar. He gave me a drink and told me to swallow it all at once! It was very potent! Later, Myra told me it was a B52!

We started out for the restaurant at 9.30pm. It wasn't far away and when we arrived the place was completely empty! The restaurant was outside and quite large so the absence of people was very noticeable! We took our seats and we were served a starter of Greek salad, something I'm heartily sick of now!

There were some men with instruments on stage and they played a few terrible songs as we ate. The next course was disgusting! We had whitebait (horrible little fish), octopus, two dips and a cheese pie. I didn't touch the octopus, the whitebait tasted bitter and the cheese pie was worse than anything I've ever tasted.

The dancing started and thankfully we had a group from Thessaloniki next to us and several of the women could dance well. They made it look so easy! I was dragged up to dance by a creep who worked in the restaurant. I felt such an idiot!

We waited for the main meal until 12.30pm and when it did arrive it was stone cold! I had beef in lemon sauce with chips, and I didn't enjoy it at all. Dad had ordered swordfish but he didn't receive his meal until we'd all finished our meals! At least it was hot!

The dancing was good but that was provided by the women from Thessaloniki! We eventually left at 1.30am and it was great to get into bed!

Monday 14 July 1986

We had a day out of the sun and walked around the town in the morning before visiting the museum. Unfortunately, we couldn't understand Greek so we didn't know what the exhibits were. It's been another hot day with no breeze.

Lunch was taken in a restaurant in the square where Mum had a sudden craving for scrambled eggs. I enjoyed ham and eggs while Dad chose an omelette. We returned to the hotel afterwards and read on the verandah. I also had an hour's nap in my room.

Later in the afternoon, we walked into town and had drinks and cakes at our favourite café. I felt so guilty after eating a huge chocolate éclair!

We returned to Parostia in the evening and enjoyed another delicious meal. This time I had mushrooms in Provencal sauce, followed by veal. My dessert was a chocolate mousse. John and Valerie were eating in the restaurant again and we chatted to them.

After the meal, we returned to the hotel and carried on chatting with John and Valerie.

Tuesday 15 July 1986

It's been a great day as we decided to hire a Suzuki Jeep and explore the island. Sitting in the Jeep was windy but lots of fun! We drove along the front back to the hotel to pick up my bikini, which I had forgotten.

From Parikia, we drove to Lefkes which is the highest village on the island. We stopped for a drink and took several photographs. The mountains in the distance were partially obscured by mist and they looked strange and romantic.

After our drink, we drove up a rough and dusty track that kept climbing higher and higher. The views across the island were stunning and we had to stop to take photographs, but also because our hats kept blowing off!

We reached the highest point on the island and found two churches, one of which was being whitewashed by five nuns. Seeing them doing this at such a remote spot was bizarre! They wouldn't let us go into the church and they weren't happy about being photographed. The views were stunning; we could see the whole of Anti-Paros and most of Paros. The sky was a gorgeous shade of blue and it was peaceful and quiet.

Driving back down was hairy and we never saw another car. We drove onto Piso Livadi, a resort similar to Aliki which is on the other side of the island. We parked the Jeep by the sea and had lunch at a little taverna overlooking the beach. We all chose moussaka accompanied by cold drinks. The bill only came to 440 drachmas... unbelievable!

I took photos of Mum and Dad posing by the Jeep and we left. On the road, we saw a sign for Golden Beach and decided to have a swim. The beach didn't seem real to me; the sky was a forget-me-not blue and the sea was a gorgeous aquamarine colour. The sand was golden and opposite was a huge, green island.

Swimming was lovely, but the only problem was the wind. We didn't stay for very long and drove onto Naoussa where we found another Caribbean-like beach in a huge bay. The water was warm and gorgeous - perfect for swimming! We stayed there for about an hour and just lazed on the beach. I swam a lot because the water was so lovely.

We drove to Santa Maria but there were no more roads after that, so we turned around and headed back to Parikia. We had an ice cream at "Il Gelato" and returned to the hotel.

Whilst having a drink in the evening, we met John and Valerie and told them about our lovely day. We decided to eat in Naoussa at the Minoa restaurant which was supposed to be the best on the island. Unfortunately, we didn't agree! The meal was OK, but nothing special. There were no vegetables, just the inevitable chips. We decided to go back to Parikia for dessert, but before we left we talked to another English couple from Newcastle.

The drive back to Parikia was lovely. The mountains looked mysterious and the stars were shining in the night sky. We enjoyed cakes at our favourite café and returned to the hotel for drinks.

Wednesday 16 July 1986

It was Mum and Dad's wedding anniversary today and they opened their cards at breakfast. Dad had bought Mum and sweet Greek card. We took the Jeep back and I was sad to see it go. We were back to walking everywhere!

We had a drink, bought some rolls and caught the caique to Martselo Beach. It was as hot as ever and I left the beach after lunch and returned to the hotel. The cleaners at the hotel had arranged Mum's flowers in a vase in her room and they looked beautiful.

We had a drink at the hotel bar and chatted to the manager. Dad told him that I felt ill (probably due to last night's meatballs) and so he poured me a glass of Fernet Branca. It was absolutely disgusting! He made me drink all of it and I felt worse!

We went to Parostia again in the evening and afterwards, walked around the town. The days here are a long succession of doing nothing!

Thursday 17 July 1986

Dad decided to walk around the town and visit the churches and museums. It was too hot for Mum and I to walk around so we caught the boat to Martselo Beach. We had a lovely cool day and we spent a lot of time in the sea. 

Back at the hotel, we found Dad in the lounge and he told us that he'd booked for us to go on a trip to Butterfly Valley and the Monastery. We hurriedly got ready and walked down to the harbour to meet the coach.

There was a lot of confusion over the coaches but we eventually found the right one and set off for Aliki...again!

We stayed in Aliki for about half an hour. We sat in a café on the seafront and enjoyed beautiful views of Anti-Paros. We ate some yoghurt and I had a bottle of milk. From Aliki, we were taken to Butterfly Valley. We descended a flight of steps to a hollowed-out area full of trees. Looking closely, we could see several thousand dingy-looking butterflies sitting on the leaves. However, when our guide started to hit the branches with a stick, the butterflies flew off, revealing their undersides of brilliant red! It was a gorgeous spectacle and I've never seen so many butterflies in my life! The visit was well worth the horrors of heaving butterflies bumping into us! I felt sorry for them constantly being banged about!

From Butterfly Valley, we went to the monastery and the guide gave us a short talk on the history. Once, there were fifty nuns in residence, but now there were only seven.

We were back at Parikia by 7.30pm, and after a short visit to the hotel, we ate at Parostia again. Honestly, there's no better place to have a meal in Parikia!

Friday 18 July 1986

On the beach again! And more swimming to keep cool! I think that the beach is the only place to go and keep cool - there's the sea to swim in and the sea breezes as well.

Siesta, for me anyway, is compulsory here. The locals all indulge in a cat-nap and Parikia at about 3pm is very quiet. It starts to cool down at 8pm when the sun goes down and it's very beautiful.

Need I say where we went to eat? Anyway, it paid off as the head waiter brought us three Brandies!

Saturday 19 July 1986

We hired three mopeds today from Acropolis. A man took us to pick them up and I was scared to get on! Once I knew where the brake was, I was fine!

We set off along the road to get some petrol, only to find that the petrol station hadn't any fuel! Brilliant! We flew back to the hire place and filled up there.

First of all, we went to the marble quarries on the way to Lefkes. Dad found two bits while Mum and I sat in the shade of a ruined building.

From the quarries, we motored up to Lefkes along some pretty hairy bends! We had drinks at the Paradise café and rolled around with laughter at Mum wearing her hat!

We visited the church, and I lit a candle. Mum bought a little silver card for Grandad and hung it up at the altar. It made her feel better and hope is eternal.

From Lefkes, we drove to Kostos but there wasn't much to see there as it was only a small village, so we returned to Parikia for lunch. We had a beer in "Il Gelato" and moussaka next door.

In the afternoon we drove along the road to Aliki. We looked at one beach and then continued onto Punta which is directly opposite the town of Antiparos. It was very small, quiet and peaceful but we didn't stay for long.

We returned to Parikia and took the mopeds back. There were two sweet puppies there and the man who took us back to town brought them with him!

Before returning to the hotel, we had a long, cool drink at a seafront café. All of us were aching (but I won't say where!).

In the evening, we didn't go to Parostia! Instead, we went to May Tey, the Vietnamese restaurant. The food was delicious and Mum and I had a lovely salad to start, followed by beef and rice. I even managed to eat with chopsticks! 

After the meal, we went to Black Bart's and had lots more drinks. Theo brought us B52s and invited me to the disco. He's so sweet! On the way back to the hotel we were accosted by Socrates from the Xenia and he invited us to sit down and have a drink with him and his friends. We drank Ouzo and ate some Greek specialities, which were disgusting! We had a good time talking to them all as they were friendly. We all felt slightly tipsy walking back to the hotel, but we weren't as bad as one girl we saw!

Sunday 20 July 1986

It was our last day, and very sad I am too...

We visited the church of a Hundred Doors today. It was beautiful inside with lots of candles burning (we lit one each) and little silver cards for ill people. It was quite busy as the service had just finished and there were lots of little old women dressed in black everywhere.

We had a drink at our favourite café and a yoghurt. We then bought last-minute presents and I bought a card for Theo, whom we saw, but he must have still been asleep as he didn't see us. Mum bought a pair of sandals and a natural sponge for Mr Don.

We had a beer at "Il Gelato" and decided to have lunch at Parikia's equivalent of McDonald's. We all came to the conclusion that McDonald's doesn't have anything to worry about! The food was horrible and the hamburger certainly wasn't made of beef!

We returned to the hotel and changed into swimwear to go to the beach behind the hotel. It wasn't a good beach, however, so I didn't stay for long. Dad borrowed the manager's snorkel and face mask which provided some good entertainment for Mum and me! We were also amused by the naked man next to us but I won't go into details!

I returned to the hotel and sat in the lounge. Socrates bought me a drink and we chatted about travel and Japan.

In the evening we went to Parostia for the last time. It was so sad. After eating we had a drink at Black Bart's and we received Theo's utmost attention. I gave him the card and he went all bashful... he told me he'd open it at 3pm and rushed off!

He kept bringing us B52s and sat and chatted with us. He had obviously opened his card and looked chuffed! We left at 11.30pm and returned to the hotel. I was very sad.

Monday 21 July 1986

We ate ham and eggs for breakfast in town this morning before meeting in the harbour at 9am. There was utter confusion with people and luggage everywhere.

We said goodbye to Steve on the way up the gangplank and he made sure he received a kiss from every female. The sea was quite rough so I lay down for most of the journey. A few people were sick.

We arrived in Mykonos and were told that there was a three-hour delay with our flight. We couldn't believe it! I hate Mykonos! We had a terrible lunch at a taverna courtesy of Dan Air which was virtually inedible.

Mum and Dad bought perfume and then we sat on the beach and went to a bar before meeting at the harbour for the trip to the airport. Utter chaos reigned with people and luggage everywhere, and the heat was stifling. We went to watch the Manchester flight take off after checking in and also spotted our plane landing. I was glad to see the pilot seemed capable!

We boarded at 6.30pm and take-off was not pleasant. The whole plane shook as we rose into the sky and then we banked sharply. I was alarmed when it sounded as if the engine had stopped but Dad assured me it was because the pilot had started his descent into Athens where we were going to re-fuel. The landing was horrible, especially when the engines went into reverse to slow us down. 

However, the flight back to London was much better, despite some turbulence. We flew over Corfu, Italy, the Alps and most of France. Seeing the mountains was lovely. I made sure I had a double whisky, so I felt fine! We had a good meal and before we knew it, we were back at Gatwick.

England was cold, rainy and dark. We retrieved our cases and passed easily through Customs. We called Waterhall Farm and we were picked up in a white Mercedes.

The journey home was not pleasant - we had torrential rain through London. What a welcome! We stopped for coffee and sandwiches on the M1 and all felt a bit silly walking in wearing skimpy shorts! It wasn't until 1am that we finally arrived home, only four hours late!

“Forever in my dreams

My heart will be

Hanging onto this sweet memory…

 

Take me back to the place

That I know…

On the beach.”

Chris Rea On The Beach

Tossa de Mar, Spain - July 27th - August 8th 1985

Saturday July 27th, 1985

Time: 4:03pm
Mileage: 44,480
Weather: Sunny, hot, a few clouds, windy.

At 4pm we spotted drops of rain on the window... how strange! It's usually so rare in this country! Arrived in Dartford at 5.57pm.

Because we're catching the 6am ferry tomorrow, we're staying the night with the paps.

Sunday July 28th,   1985

As I've already discovered by getting up early, I couldn't sleep very well. Whether it was more from excitement than the early hour, I don't know. Anyway, we were all awake at 3.30am which gave us plenty of time to be ready to leave nice and early.

Time: 4.15am

Rainy and dark, then dismal and cloudy.

Arrived in Dover at 5.25am. Workers at Dover have started a new sales drive selling accessories to drivers. Looking around, most of them needed headlamp converters and goodness knows what else!

We boarded The Herald of Free Enterprise (later to go down in the channel) at 5.45am. We ate a delicious breakfast (£6.00) and bought Martini, cigarettes and chocolate in the duty-free shop.

We arrived in Calais at 8.15am French time. Dad is worried that the clutch doesn't feel right, however, after a stop, everything is OK.

Roads taken so far: the N43 and the A26.

Weather: Cloudy and chilly. Onto the A1 towards Paris.

Scenery: Open farmland on both sides. Occasional woods and villages. 

After a heavy downpour, the weather improves. Stopped for our first French coffee (when we eventually get it!) and Dad nearly had a fight with an old French woman! It was hilarious!

The coffee was delicious, but it started raining again! The scenery is beautiful and very wooded. There are quite a few villages with typical French buildings and we're near the Chantilly Chateau and the Halatte Forest. The next turn-off is signposted Senlis.

The rain continued and reminded me of Milan. We arrived in Paris at 11.40am. The city was dealt with effortlessly and once through, we drove onto the A6 or the "Autoroute du Soleil". We passed the village of Fontainebleu.

At Nemours, we turned off onto the N7 and stopped for lunch at Le Relais des Lacs in the village of Souppes-sur-Loing. We ate salad, a kind of ham called Sombrero and a sausage-meat thing with rice and mushrooms, white wine followed by ice cream. Dad had brie and bread. We set off at 2.45pm. The weather was sunny with clouds and hot. We are travelling the same route that we took five years ago when we drove to Spain, and three years ago on the way to Fréjus in the south of France.

Near the town of Cosne-sur-Loire the scenery was beautiful and I'd forgotten how lovely it is. There are forests everywhere and we've seen one or two gorgeous chateaux. All the streets in the towns are tree-lined - so typical of France. The weather was now gorgeous and perfect!

At Cosne-sur-Loire we are directly opposite La Chapelle d'Angillon, Alain Fournier country. Looking across from the N7 it looks absolutely beautiful. It's very wooded and hilly. I hope it's as mysterious as the book portrays! The views from the tops of the hills are breathtaking.

We saw a gendarme in action, which scared us but it was the car in front he pulled over!

We stopped for petrol and neared Moulins and it wasn't long before we reached the Auberge de L'Etang, after passing through the delightful village of St Pourcain at exactly 6pm, the time we'd told them we'd arrive!

We were greeted warmly by both mother and daughter, which was lovely. Dad was shattered; he'd driven over 400 miles today, half of which was in torrential rain, and half in blazing sunshine! We had a lovely cool drink on the terrace and talked to the owner. She spoke French to me and I answered her quite well.

The weather continues to be hot and it hasn't rained at all here, so I only hope it continues to be the same. Maybe we've left the bad weather behind?

After an apéritif on the terrace, we ate dinner. Mum and Dad had smoked ham and bread while I chose the paté, which was delicious. We chose veal escalope for our main courses, served with salad and pommes frites. The dessert was a delicious cake. We drank a 1984 Saint-Pourcain, a very good local wine.

After dinner, we went for a walk along the nearby country roads, and we were greeted by the howling and barking of the local dogs who really do know how to guard their properties!

Monday July 29th, 1985

After a breakfast of bread, jam and coffee we drove to the village of Saint-Pourcain. Although the weather was cloudy and quite chilly, there was some blue sky above. The village is lovely with old buildings. The wines from the region are very good and there were banners advertising them. We know how good they are!

We went to the supermarket and bought bread, ham and tomatoes along with some wine for lunch. We also had to buy some plastic cups and cutlery so we could eat the food!

After leaving Saint-Pourcain we travelled on the D36 and then the M145 to Montluçon. From Montluçon we went onto the N144 which led us to Bourges. We stopped at 12.15pm for lunch which was delicious but windy! We've seen only a few British cars, one of which waved to us. Obviously, this route is not well known to the Brits!

We arrived in Bourges and lost our way! Anyway, we headed for La Charité on the N159 and then onto Les Aix d'Angillon on the D955. From there it was through Henrichmont on the D12 and then straight to La Chapelle d'Angillon.

Dad took a photo of me standing by the signpost, and he spotted a beautiful chateau standing next to a reed-fringed lake. It looked very similar to the book!

We parked the car and had a look at the church and the graveyard. I'm sure I saw the grave of Alain Fournier's grandparents.

We decided to have a look at the chateau, so we walked around the lake. From the front, it looked beautiful with turrets at each corner. Then I saw an American flag... strange! In the heart of the French countryside? I took lots of photos of the front of the chateau as it was so beautiful.

We walked around the side of the chateau and it was like being in a bizarre dream! Along one side was a Western street, complete with horses, men in cowboy suits and country and Western music blaring out! It was horrible! To see such a  beautiful chateau turned into a tasteless joke was awful. There were even Bison enclosed in a field!

However, I soon noticed a beautiful grey dovecote rising above fir trees, and I felt convinced that this was what inspired Alain Fournier's chateau in Le Grand Meaulnes.

We were so disgusted that we left and walked around the village, and had a cup of coffee and some ice cream.

We left La Chapelle d'Angillon and drove towards Cosne by way of the D26 and the D13, followed by the N7.

Dinner tonight was ham followed by lamb for Mum and Dad and I had veal again. The meal was accompanied by a bottle of St Pourçain wine and we ate cherry pie for dessert. We chatted with a friendly American couple who were also staying at the Auberge.

On the road - clockwise from top: L'Auberge de l'Etang, Lanau, Spanish border, somewhere in the Massif central, Saint Pourcain, comfort break

Tuesday July 30th, 1985

We awoke to a beautiful sunny morning! After breakfast, we loaded the car and Dad paid the bill which was 1050f. We left at 8.50am.

We did about 250 miles yesterday - "It's just up the road, Dad!".

Weather: hot and sunny. We drove into hilly country and stopped at 10.30am for a coffee in one of my favourite villages, Lanau. The village hadn't changed at all.

The weather became cloudy and quite chilly. Mum said it was freezing! The weather got worse as we drove further into the Massif Central. We stopped for lunch on top of a mountain overlooking a lake and the real beauty of the scenery was lost because of the weather.

Shortly after lunch it began to rain heavily and was miserable. I was glad we'd seen these mountains in sunny weather because in the rain they looked horrible!

In the afternoon we stopped at the French equivalent of a transport café and had some yukky coffee. The weather was still rainy and cold. We reached Millau where we had originally planned to stop and drove on.

On seeing a sign for  "Frites" we stopped and enjoyed some - they were delicious and worth waiting five years for!

Once through the Massif Central, we turned onto the A9, the motorway that runs to Spain. As it was getting late we decided to try and find somewhere to stop for the night and drove into Narbonne, a town near the coast.

The town was crowded and jammed full of cars. Mum and Dad went to look at a hotel while I stayed in the car. Mum and Dad liked the hotel which was called Hotel de France and was situated on a back street.

It was lovely to have a shower (I had my own) and put on clean clothes because we'd been driving non-stop since 9am. The hotel didn't have a restaurant so we walked into Narbonne to find a place to eat. We eventually came across a place called "Le France" - I don't know why it was masculine as France is feminine!

We all chose crudités to start and we had no idea how enormous the salad was going to be! It filled the plate and was served with paté, salami and eggs! For the next course, Mum and Dad had chicken and chips while I chose an omelette. We also enjoyed delicious tomatoes served with garlic and parsley. The bill came to 190f.

We walked around the town and then headed back to the hotel for bed.

Wednesday July 31st, 1985

We had a disappointing breakfast, loaded the car, paid the owner of the hotel and left. The weather was much better.

We drove onto the A9 and at 10am we reached the Spanish border and changed some money. We stopped at the first café and had coffee. It was crowded and the poor waiters were becoming harrassed. It was also very hot!

We decided to drive to L'Escala and see what it was like there. I wished we hadn't. L'Escala was horrible, lacking in character and was big and sprawling. We looked for an apartment and the only one was in a horrible building overlooking the sea. We said we'd bring the car to the office but we never went back!

As creatures of habit, we eventually decided to go back to my beloved Tossa de Mar. We all hoped there would be a place for us to stay there. Once off the autostrada, we were on a hazardous mountain road leading to Tossa. We'd all forgotten how long it was, and how dangerous! There were steep drops but no barriers to stop a car from going over the edge.

We drove into the town and parked the car. I immediately felt like I belonged there. In L'Escala I felt like we weren't wanted. We tried one villa agency but they had no houses or apartments to rent. As it was lunchtime we walked to the Don Paulino apartments but there was nobody there we could talk to about renting somewhere. Everyone was sitting by the pool as it was so hot!

We left and went to a little travel shop and asked in there. To our surprise, there were two apartments available: one overlooking the sea and self-catering, and one joined to a hotel for meals. We had a look at the hotel first but it was very small and so, without even looking at it, we decided on the apartment overlooking the sea.

When we did have a look we were very glad we'd chosen the apartment as the view was spectacular, like an enormous postcard stuck on the wall! From the balcony, we could see the sea and the beach, the castle and most of the town. We were so pleased!

While Mum unpacked, Dad and I went to the supermarket to buy essentials such as milk and bread.

We went out in the evening for dinner and picked a restaurant on the seafront. We had soup to start, followed by spaghetti Bolognese. Mum and I had steak while Dad enjoyed different fish. Our dessert was ice cream.  The bill was 3,850 pesetas.

We walked around the town after dinner and we were pleased to see that nothing much had changed!

Thursday August 1st, 1985

The whole morning and part of the afternoon were spent on the beach. We were wise enough to get down there early because it could get very crowded.

We were lucky enough to have a dishwasher in the apartment and so, while Mum loaded it (an arduous task), Dad and I went to secure a space on the beach, which was rapidly filling up. As expected, it was very hot but we hired an umbrella to keep us cool and stayed until about 2pm. It was then back to the apartment and a nap.

As evening drew nearer we got ready to go out and decided to eat in the town again. We were quite disappointed with the food in Tossa de Mar and the menus all seemed the same no matter where we chose. They were usually paella, spaghetti Bolognese, chicken or steak, all served with chips. What's wrong with good old potatoes!

We eventually found a restaurant which was underneath our apartment block. They were serving paella for two persons which Dad and I shared, while Mum had a spaghetti starter. We all had salad, which I was heartily sick of by now!

The paella, for me anyway, was disgustingly horrible. Dad found it delicious but he does enjoy fish more than I do! Anyway, I ignored all the mussel shells and miniature crabs, and just ate the rice and meat!

After the meal, we walked around the castle and gazed at the beautiful sight of Tossa lit up. We had a drink at the bar "Vila Vella" at the top. It was very pretty there and overhead, on a trellis were vines, with little lights hidden inside. It was gorgeous.

After our drink, we went down to the "Vila Romana", or the old town with its stone-walled buildings and cobbled streets. The whole of "Vila Romana" is inside the castle walls and there were a number of little bars and restaurants.

Back at the apartment, Dad took a photo of the full moon on the sea, and the lights of the town.

Friday August 2nd, 1985

We spent the morning on the beach and were lucky to get there early. Well, it was only over the road! I hired three loungers every morning and an umbrella and we were better off than most as they only had mats to lie on.

By about 10am the beach was getting crowded and going into the sea was difficult. However, it was worth it! After the blazing heat of the sun, the water was cold and clear. This surprised me but every morning it was the same. It was lovely to swim in but it did shelve deeply and if you weren't careful it was easy to go under!

As usual, we had ham rolls for lunch, Dad's speciality. After another hour of sunbathing, we returned to the apartment as it became too hot.

In the evening we looked around the town and searched for presents to take home. Our meal tonight was at a little restaurant that specialised in kebabs. They were delicious! Dad and I had ours with rice while Mum had a salad. They were very filling and accompanied by a bottle of Rosé wine.

After our meal, we walked around Tossa and had a drink at a restaurant bar.

Saturday August 3rd, 1985

Need I say where the morning was spent? As usual, it was hot and lovely.

In the afternoon we decided to go for a walk up to the castle as Dad and I wanted to take some photographs. On the way up we had a drink (Dad) and an ice cream (Mum and I) at a bar. The waiter came back with two enormous dishes full of strawberries and topped with whipped cream. We couldn't believe how large they were! After our shock we certainly enjoyed them!

We both took some great photos from the castle. The day was perfect with not a cloud in the sky and the sea was different hues of turquoise and aquamarine. The views were spectacular. Whoever said that this part of the Costa Brava is the prettiest, was right!

On both sides of Tossa de Mar, the coastline is rugged but there are lots of little coves to swim in, and the water is so clear!

We walked right up to the top of the headland and we could see the lighthouse clearly. I bought some beautiful postcards from a shop. We went down to the old town and had a look at an art shop. Most of the paintings were of the surrounding coastline and Tossa itself. The style of the paintings didn't appeal to me, though.

In the evening we ate out again. I have to say that this lifestyle suits Mum very well! She hasn't got to cook or wash up! Tonight, we found our favourite restaurant "Chez Igor". The menu was totally different from other restaurants in Tossa de Mar and was very interesting and varied. For example, there were hamburgers, veal à la Viennese, veal escalope, loin of ham stuffed with cheese, lots of different steaks, spaghetti, pilaf Orient and joints of pork. As well as the ever-present chips, there were plain boiled potatoes, fried and baked potatoes, a large choice of vegetables and salad. The addition of vegetables surprised us as most restaurants didn't have them on the menu.

That night, Dad had a Hungarian Goulash soup which was more like a thick minced beef stew, and I had veal consommé with egg. Mum had breaded pork chops with potatoes and vegetables. For our main courses, Dad and I had veal escalopes with rice. It was a delicious meal and we decided we'd definitely be back!

Sunday August 4th, 1985

Things were slightly different today in the morning as the weather was cloudy. We walked around the town instead of going to the beach. We had a cup of coffee and read the paper and, afterwards, visited a pottery shop where Mum bought a beautiful plate.

Although it was cloudy, it was still hot, so we went back to the apartment to have a cool glass of Sangria and some lunch.

The sun came out at about 1pm so we went down to the beach. I intended to do a lot of swimming and the beach was lovely and quiet with only a few people. I swam a lot and sunbathed and managed to get swimsuit lines where I tanned!

Dad and Mum cooked sausages, tomatoes and potatoes in the evening and we drank a white Rioja with the meal. After we'd eaten, we had a drink at a bar by the castle and then Mum and I were really naughty... we had gigantic ice cream at a sea-front bar! Dad enjoyed a treble whisky with ice cream in it and the bill came to 2000 pesetas! We saw another man ordering the same ice cream and there were six in his family! The poor man couldn't believe his eyes when he received his bill!

We played crazy golf for the third time in a row. Previously, Mum and I had won, and Dad felt he had to win at all costs... he did!

Monday August 5th, 1985

The weather was back to normal today, so we were back on the beach! Walking around Tossa in the afternoon was far too hot for me so I returned to the apartment and sat overlooking the beach and the castle with a nice cold drink in my hand!

We returned to "Chez Igor" again and Dad had pork fillet, Mum had veal escalopes and I had breaded loin of pork stuffed with ham and cheese. Again, it was delicious!

I've begun to notice more people in Tossa and most of them are German. In fact, we keep being mistaken for Germans! Although it's the French national holiday, we've seen very few French people.

Tuesday August 6th, 1985

Our last full day... sob!

This morning was spent on the beach which is getting more crowded every day. We're lucky in that we're always guaranteed a place as we're staying so close.

In the afternoon, the first of the big black clouds arrived and soon after, it started to rain and there was a mass exodus! Most people were wet anyway due to the sea being rough earlier and soaking several sunbathers and their belongings! The tide was coming in and inched closer and every now and again we would hear people screaming as they got drenched!

With the rain, the beach emptied, except for a few hardy devotees like me! However, I then heard thunder and it rained harder so I got up and ran back to the apartment!

The storm that followed was the best I'd ever seen and went on for about an hour. At one point the lightning was around four feet away from where I was standing on the balcony! The sea was very rough as shrouded in a grey mist. The boats that were anchored out at sea looked like ghost boats as they bobbed about frantically on the waves!

Halfway through the storm, the two pleasure boats came in and collected more passengers. By the look of the sea, there was no way I would have got on the boat!

The torrential rain continued for a long time and created a ford from the car park to the road. After about an hour the sky cleared and the sun came out, making everything scorchingly hot again!

We went to "Chez Igor" again and Mum and Dad had steak while I enjoyed veal à la Viennese. We took a last walk around the castle and went back to the apartment.

Wednesday August 7th, 1985

Our last morning was spent on the beach and today it was extremely crowded. There was hardly a place to put your feet!

I went for a lovely swim and the water was still quite rough, but clear and cold!

Leaving the beach was sad. I wanted to stay but that was impossible. We'd booked the apartment until Wednesday and by now it would probably be impossible to rent anywhere as the town was so busy with holidaymakers.

After showering and doing last-minute packing, we had lunch at a café near the apartment. Dad had chicken and salad while Mum and I had a hamburger. We loaded the car, said goodbye to the lovely caretaker and set off for home.

Mileage: 45,752

Time: 2.25pm

The hazardous mountain road was negotiated and we were soon back on the motorway. We reached the French border at 4.15pm and changed our money back into francs. The weather was extremely hot with not a cloud in the sky.

Our route was the A7 and then the A9 into France.

After the town of Nimes, we turned off to Remoulins, a town about 3km from the motorway junction. Dad and I found a hotel on the main road and had a look at the room which wasn't that special. However, we decide to take the room and went back to the car. There wasn't a parking space so we had to drive on and turned down a country road. It was then that we saw "L'Auberge des Escaravats". From the outside, it looked beautiful and part of it was an old castle. Alongside the name of the auberge was the word "Gastronomique".

We went in and the owner showed us the room. To get to it we had to climb up a long, spiral, stone staircase. The room was lovely with an antique wardrobe and table and chairs. The beds were large and comfortable.

The bathroom was sheer luxury with a deep-pile carpet and the bath and sink looked like they were made of marble. It was gorgeous! We decided to stay here instead and the price was 180f for the room plus 3f per person tax.

After freshening up we went down for dinner and decided on the 65.50f menu. Mum and I had starters of paté de campagnard while Dad had fish soup. The paté was the best I'd ever tasted and was homemade. We were given four little dishes to go with the paté - tomatoes, carrots, dills, and red cabbage. We also had slices of toast.

Dad's fish soup had a little crab in it and he said it was delicious. The woman left the whole bowl of soup on the table for Dad to help himself. We drank a 1984 Cotes du Rhone Rosé with the meal, which was delicious!

Our main meal arrived about half an hour after the starters, which was very good. We enjoyed veal steaks in a rich mushroom sauce as well as fluffy potato in a fried batter casing, as well as tomatoes fried with garlic and sprinkled with parsley. The whole meal, served in a relaxed manner was perfect.

Dessert was mousse au chocolat topped with fresh cream. It was out of this world! Dad treated himself to a glass of Calvados, which came in a huge, long-necked bottle. He also had a coffee.

Full to the brim after our meal, we walked around the village and chatted to two gendarmes!

Thursday August 8th, 1985

We loaded the car, took some photographs and had breakfast. We enjoyed fresh-baked bread (we saw the oener carrying it from the boulangerie), delicious home-made apricot jam, loads of coffee and fruit.

The bill came to:

298.50f for the meal - 189f for the room - 54f for breakfast.

We left the auberge a 8.45am and carried on up the autoroute to Lyon. From there, we headed towards Parison the A6. The weather was hot and sunny and at 11.30am we  stopped for coffee and rolls.

We stopped for cold drinks and cakes at a café near Auxerre.

Just outside Paris we stopped in a bad traffic jam which held us up for half an hour. We eventually arrived in Paris to find roadworks on Paris-Est, the road we needed to take. However, it wasn't too bad and we were through by 6.30pm.

Just outside Paris, we stopped for dinner. Mum and Dad had beef and potatoes while I chose steak and chips. We think the beef was horsemeat and it was horrible.

Mum drove for a while which gave Dad a break as he'd been driving for over 500 miles!

We arrived in Calais at 9.25pm and boarded the ferry at 10pm.

We bought duty-free and presents and arrived in England at 11pm. It was cold and rainy and generally horrible!

We had a nice welcome when Dad raced an IPEC van all the way from the Dartford Tunnel to halfway up the M1!

We arrived back in Northampton at 2.45am. 

Sum-up: We were very, very lucky (with accommodation in Tossa de Mar) and had great weather in Spain. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!

  

Forte Dei Marmi, Italy 22 August - 9 September 1984

Wednesday 22 August 1984

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!

Diary of a holiday - South of France 1-12 August 1982

Sunday 1 August 1982

Mileage: 52911

Time: 5.15pm

16 miles from Dover the water hose split. The time was 11.15pm. We called out the AA and the mechanic didn't have the part so Dad went with him to a local garage. We were charged £8 and Dad gave him a £1 tip.

Monday 2 August 1982

Boarded the ferry (the ill-fated Townsend Thoresen) at 2am. Found a nice bar upstairs and a seat by the window.

Arrived in Calais at 5am. We stopped and had a nap.

Arrived in Paris at 10am and became stuck in a traffic jam. Weather: very hot and sunny after a foggy start to the day.

Stopped for lunch of paté, bread and wine. We met two lovely dogs. The restaurant (hotel) was the Relais des Lacs in Souppes-sur-Loing.

At 6.30pm we stopped for the night at the hotel (Auberge de L'Etang) we stayed in two years ago. The female owner remembered us and we were given the same room. We had a bath and dressed for dinner.

For dinner, Dad and I had snails (escargots) in garlic butter. Mum had smoked ham. This was followed by steak, lettuce and potatoes cooked with cheese. We then enjoyed cheeses - Dad had one from the mountains while I had goat's cheese, which I wasn't keen on! For dessert, Mum and I had chocolate ice cream, and Dad had coffee.

Tuesday 3 August 1982

We loaded the car and ate breakfast of bread, jam and coffee. We took some photos.

Mileage: 53451

Time: 8.40am

Bill for accommodation and dinner: 469.50f

Weather: Very hot and sunny.

Stopped for coffee at 11.15am and passed through the village of Le Puy - very beautiful.

Stopped again in a terrible town at the "Hotel Pages". We ordered sandwiches which were horrible and there were loads of flies about. The bill came to 47f.

Stopped at 3.45pm for a drink in the mountains. We are on the D901.

Arrived at our destination at 9.45pm. We found our caravan (rented from a man my Dad worked with) and unpacked. We ate dinner and Dad and I went to explore. I can't say I like it very much. It's far too big!

Mileage:53826

Total mileage: 915

Wednesday 4 August 1982

We woke up quite late and Dad and I walked up to the supermarket to buy bread and milk. We also shopped for butter, wine and beer. We ate breakfast outside and it was very hot, even in the morning.

Afterwards, we went for a walk and had a drink at the camp bar. We then bought tomatoes, more bread, crisps, lettuce and yoghurt.

In the afternoon we sunbathed until lunchtime and we had pea and ham soup, bread, paste, tomatoes and yoghurt. We drank some wine with the meal. I played cards with Mum and then we had a swim, followed by more sunbathing.

In the evening we showered and went to the campsite bar for dinner. We had a sort of paté with lettuce followed by veal escalopes with a delicious sauce. Our dessert was a peach. The bill was 195.50f.

After the meal, we walked around and saw some beautiful caravans.

Thursday 5 August 1982

First thing, Dad and I went to the shop to buy milk and bread. We had breakfast of eggs, bread and coffee.

After breakfast, we drove to a cove. To get there we had to go over the mountains. When we arrived it was crowded, so we had a drink and decided to return to the campsite. It has been very hot. We visited the town of  Roquebrune-sur-Argens where we bought some cream for our insect bites, cakes, postcards and a melon.

Lunch was soup, bread and cakes and after we'd eaten we went to the pool and sunbathed.

Dinner this evening was steak and salad with wine. Our dessert was Angel Delight, jelly and cream (!).

I took some photographs and we sat outside the caravan on the patio. The rest of the evening was spent reading and comparing tans!

A lovely tan already!

Friday 6 August 1982

Breakfast today was eggs and toast. It was a bit windy but it looks like it's going to be hot again. After breakfast, we walked to the cafe, had a drink and wrote our postcards. Before going back to the caravan we shopped for bread, milk and lettuce.

Lunch today was salad, corned beef, bread and chocolate yoghurt.

We spent the afternoon sunbathing on the patio and then got ready to go out in the evening. We first went to Le Muy where we had a drink, but there was no pizzeria so we drove to Fréjus. There, we found a lovely pizza restaurant and enjoyed one with meat, which was enormous. The bill came to 92f, which I thought was very good! Included in the bill was a jug of red wine.

We paid the bill and watched the chef cooking the pizzas in a stone oven heated by a log fire. Afterwards, we walked around Fréjus and found a lovely restaurant which had a Myna bird. We noticed that there were loads of English tourists in the town.

Saturday 7 August 1982

Today we went into Roquebrune-sur-Argens and discovered a restaurant and lots of little shops along the side streets. We also saw a dog swimming in a fountain! For lunch, we bought some huge salad and fish bread rolls. After buying an English newspaper, we drove home.

We had lunch on the patio and then sunbathed. It became very hot so we decided to sit by the pool and Dad and I went in for a swim.

Later, large rain clouds appeared from the south, so we decided to head back to the caravan. We then had a thunderstorm and torrential rain.

Dinner tonight was chops, potatoes and peas. Our dessert was  "saucy" sponge! The rain continued all evening so we stayed in the caravan and read.

Sunday 8 August 1982

Dad and I went to the shop this morning and bought biscuits, paté, bread, eggs, cheese and water. For breakfast, we ate eggs, tomatoes and fried bread. Afterwards, we tidied the caravan and sat on the patio all morning.

Lunch was paté, bread and yoghurt. The sky was becoming very cloudy again and there was a strong wind blowing. We had rain for a while in the afternoon but we managed to sunbathe.

Dinner this evening was cottage pie, salad, jelly and Angel Delight. After dinner, we changed and went to the bar. There weren't many people there, but there were a lot of flies, so we had two drinks and left. On the way back to the caravan we saw a bat and Mum and I started to scream! It was funny because a lot of people were about to hear us!

Back at the caravan we had a cup of coffee and a sandwich and played cards. In between, we killed a lot of flies!

Monday 9 August 1982

We got up very early and had breakfast of beans and eggs. After getting dressed and tidying the caravan, we drove to St Tropez and parked the car near a marina full of lovely yachts. We had a drink and took some photos.

We saw yachts from Panama, the Isle of Man and Portugal. We took more photographs and Mum saw a lovely dress. Dad bought us some baguettes and we strolled around the back streets. I thought St Tropez was beautiful.

We ate our baguettes for lunch and drove to a little place called Pointe des Sardineaux where we took lots of photos and walked down the steps to the sea. We carried on along the coast past Sainte-Maxime, Saint-Raphael, Saint-Aygulf and Fréjus.

We stopped near Frejus for a drink, which was expensive! After this, we headed toward Cannes and stopped to take more photos. Dad decided we wouldn't go into the centre of Cannes so we took the N7 to Fréjus. We drove over the mountains and a large part of the forest had been burned in a fire.

We arrived back at the caravan at about 5.15pm and Mum and I had a nap while Dad read his book.

In the evening we got ready to go to Roquebrune-sur-Argens for a meal. We looked at three restaurants but decided to eat at "La Gaspacho". We had drinks and Mum and I had paté with lettuce. Dad had a smelly fish soup. For our main courses, Mum and I had quiche Lorraine while Dad had egg cochotte. Our third course was steak and "frites". I had ice cream for dessert and Mum and Dad had coffee.

Earlier, an English family had come into the restaurant but the flies put them off and they left. Next to  us was a big French family, and opposite, two German boys.

We paid the bill and went back to the caravan. I slept in the lounge.

Tuesday 10 August 1982

We woke up quite early and had a cup of tea. Dad went to the shops to buy milk, bread, wine, beer, drinks for me and ham. We had breakfast of croissants with jam and coffee. I then washed up. For the rest of the morning, we sat in the garden of the caravan.

Lunch was a French-style onion soup with croûtons, followed by tomatoes and ham. The pudding was chocolate with cream.

We sunbathed until about 3.30pm and got ready to go to Géant Casino (a big supermarket) in Fréjus. We bought six bottles of wine and a bottle of Campari. I bought some presents as well.

We had dinner - an Entrecôte steak with pommes frites followed by a chocolate dessert.

When we returned to Domaine des Beaux we bought some soft drinks for the journey home tomorrow. Mum started to pack while I washed the car and then showered.

Wednesday 11 August 1982

It was Dad's birthday today so he opened his cards and then we loaded up the car ready for the journey home. We left at exactly 8.25am.

Mileage: 54023

Stopped for petrol and coffee. It was very hot.

Another petrol stop and lunch of sandwiches and an orange.

We stopped in Beaune and bought some presents and coffee.

At around 6.30pm we stopped for petrol and it was still very hot. Made it to Paris at 7pm.

Arrived in Calais at 11.45pm after getting a bit worried as there were no cars on the autoroute at all. 

Whilst waiting in the queue for the ferry we nicknamed the two men in front of us "Doc and Doris" as they were behaving like wallies over their cars.

We ate dinner on the boat and bought perfume, whisky and cigarettes.

Thursday 12 August 1982

It was a very speedy crossing and we arrived in Dover at 2am. We stayed the night in Dartford and left at around 9am, getting home by 11.30am.

Mileage: 54893

Total mileage: 1875 (approx)

"A very good holiday but it doesn't beat Tossa de Mar or Baia Toscana!"

Some pics: