I had to park the coach a 10 minute walk away from the hotel and decide to pick it up before having my breakfast.
This hotel is small and very French and not at all like the chain hotels we usually use for our overnight stops. The breakfast is a small buffet but worth it for the bread alone. The French bread is so fresh, crusty and tasty that I eat too much!
We are away by 08:15 and soon back on the motorway south. I am taking the route through the Mont Blanc tunnel which is a spectaculer drive especially today with a clear blue sky. There is no traffic either and once again it is like driving on Christmas Day. As we pass big industrial units there is no sign of activity and all the lorries that you would expect to see on the road are parked up. Must be a public holiday which makes my job a lot easier.
We turn off the lyon motorway at Macon and join the White Motorway, taking its name from the mighty mountain at the end of this road. The drive is great up and down mountains on roads on stilts and driving along great valleys with mountains either side. And no traffic!
Before you drive through the Mont Blanc Tunnel all coaches and lorries have to go through a check point to make sure they are the correct size and have the appropriate engine. This is all due to the very tragic fire a few years ago.
We collect our ticket from the regulation area and continue to the tunnel. We are under Mont Blanc but the only piece of cloud we have seen all day is covering the peak! It is still a stunning sight.
We travel through he tunnel after paying the toll of £120 and stop soon after coming into Italy on the other side of the mountain.
We stop for lunch in the ski-ing town of Courmayer which has convenient parking and a good choice of restaurants and cafes.
I decide to go in the little cafe by the coach park (which is the bus station) and have a plate of lasagne. I wanted a pizza but am not hungry enough due to the nice bread and console myself that I will probably have another chance for a pizza this week!!
I am soon joined by te dirty dozen and we all eat together. This is a good sign as the group are all mixing together. Or they just saw me go in and thought that I have been here many times and must know the best places. I have eaten here once before! It is very good though and after paying the owner returns me 10 euro for bringing the group in!
We leave here at 14:00 and continue towards Turin and then the Riviera.
South of Turin we ahve a stop for fuel and then rejoin the motorway for a wonderful drive through the hills and mountains that seperate this flat area from the sea.
The road is a winding two carriage motorway with the northbound carriageway away in the distance and then close to us and then it wheels away again. Watching the road and traffic going the other way is like watching a giant toy car set and how they have built the motorway into and through the mountains is just awe inspiring.
We reach Savona and the sea, turn right and can now smell Diano Marina.
We arrive in the town by 18:30 and it is very busy with people, more so than normal for this time of year.
We cannot drive the coach to the hotel as the roads are too narrow but drop off the people and luggage by the railway station where it is a very short walk to the hotel and a man in a little van collects the luggage.
We learn that it is a public holiday today and tomorrow which explains why it is so busy.
I have to park the coach a 10 minute walk away and ma very pleased and relieved to be here. I can now relax as I have a day off tomorrow.
Since I was last here in 2007 the hotel has undergone a major refurbishment and has now upgraded to a 4 star hotel from a 3 star. The changes are very impressive.
I am pleasntly surprised to find I have a room with a large balcony which is something I always like to have.
Dinner was as good as usual and after a short walk I call it a day.
Ciao!
This hotel is small and very French and not at all like the chain hotels we usually use for our overnight stops. The breakfast is a small buffet but worth it for the bread alone. The French bread is so fresh, crusty and tasty that I eat too much!
We are away by 08:15 and soon back on the motorway south. I am taking the route through the Mont Blanc tunnel which is a spectaculer drive especially today with a clear blue sky. There is no traffic either and once again it is like driving on Christmas Day. As we pass big industrial units there is no sign of activity and all the lorries that you would expect to see on the road are parked up. Must be a public holiday which makes my job a lot easier.
We turn off the lyon motorway at Macon and join the White Motorway, taking its name from the mighty mountain at the end of this road. The drive is great up and down mountains on roads on stilts and driving along great valleys with mountains either side. And no traffic!
Before you drive through the Mont Blanc Tunnel all coaches and lorries have to go through a check point to make sure they are the correct size and have the appropriate engine. This is all due to the very tragic fire a few years ago.
We collect our ticket from the regulation area and continue to the tunnel. We are under Mont Blanc but the only piece of cloud we have seen all day is covering the peak! It is still a stunning sight.
We travel through he tunnel after paying the toll of £120 and stop soon after coming into Italy on the other side of the mountain.
We stop for lunch in the ski-ing town of Courmayer which has convenient parking and a good choice of restaurants and cafes.
I decide to go in the little cafe by the coach park (which is the bus station) and have a plate of lasagne. I wanted a pizza but am not hungry enough due to the nice bread and console myself that I will probably have another chance for a pizza this week!!
I am soon joined by te dirty dozen and we all eat together. This is a good sign as the group are all mixing together. Or they just saw me go in and thought that I have been here many times and must know the best places. I have eaten here once before! It is very good though and after paying the owner returns me 10 euro for bringing the group in!
We leave here at 14:00 and continue towards Turin and then the Riviera.
South of Turin we ahve a stop for fuel and then rejoin the motorway for a wonderful drive through the hills and mountains that seperate this flat area from the sea.
The road is a winding two carriage motorway with the northbound carriageway away in the distance and then close to us and then it wheels away again. Watching the road and traffic going the other way is like watching a giant toy car set and how they have built the motorway into and through the mountains is just awe inspiring.
We reach Savona and the sea, turn right and can now smell Diano Marina.
We arrive in the town by 18:30 and it is very busy with people, more so than normal for this time of year.
We cannot drive the coach to the hotel as the roads are too narrow but drop off the people and luggage by the railway station where it is a very short walk to the hotel and a man in a little van collects the luggage.
We learn that it is a public holiday today and tomorrow which explains why it is so busy.
I have to park the coach a 10 minute walk away and ma very pleased and relieved to be here. I can now relax as I have a day off tomorrow.
Since I was last here in 2007 the hotel has undergone a major refurbishment and has now upgraded to a 4 star hotel from a 3 star. The changes are very impressive.
I am pleasntly surprised to find I have a room with a large balcony which is something I always like to have.
Dinner was as good as usual and after a short walk I call it a day.
Ciao!
No comments:
Post a Comment