Our Wild Journey Travel diary

Italy

....in one ride we crossed Switzerland and went to Italy through the „Gotthardt“ tunnel, from where on we continued towards Milano. But tiredness took its toll and so we had to spend the night behind a fuel station along the highway, quite a dirty place! We stayed on a truck parking right next to the rubbish bins! What a nice first night!!! Sleeping wasnt too bad, just the sounds of coming and going trucks kept us on our guards! :o)

...In the morning we crept out of our roof tent and enjoyed a nice but small Italian espresso on the fuel station and went on towards Milano and Genova and really – after some time through crazy Italian traffic we reached this morbidly run down but nice harbour town. :o)

After a little stroll through town and a „tourist menu“ for lunch we found our way through the confusing port (we came to corners which didn’t resemble a port anymore) to the pier for Tunis. We went with Grandi Navi Veloci towards the black continent on 22nd October at 6 pm.

At our pier there were already quite a few „overlanders“, expeditionists, campers and returning Tunisians with heavily loaded cars. In this line we met a Czech group with 5 Hummers going to Tunisia for a week, Petr was their guide. They still gave us a few good hints (unbelievable – from some „upper class Hummerists“!) There were Italians in Landrovers, French in Landcruisers and even some Polish going to the desert by quad...we got a bit of inspiration how to arrange our stuff. We also met Marian, a Slowakian guy who came to Tunisia with his motorbike. (and this only, because Andrea had her tabloid with her so he read that we are Czech...)

Finally we made our way into the ferry after some typical Italian organizational problems...:o)

The ferry was quite nice inside, the cabins, well...normal, small, without windows (we are the cheap skates!) but we were thankful we had the cabin and not just a seat! Food and drink we really expensive, they know how to rip off their customers! :o) Finally, on the day of arrival after already 12 hrs at sea we finally had some emergency manoeuvers which ended in a total confusion and no one knew more than before! Typically Italian (and mixed with Tunisian even worse!!!) Whenever we had a question just no one knew and no one understood! We had to smile! :o)

.... Finally we sail!!! Yahoo!!.... 24 hrs on one boat...we hope we survive! ..... ;o)