Tuscany Saturday 29 September 2012

Breakfast is a buffet and perfectly adequate and starts at 07:00.

We are away at 08:00 and instead of driving immediately onto the nearby motorway we are diverted as the slip road we need is closed. The diversion takes us onto the old road and we rejoin our motorway near Colmar. Although the diversion was for a few miles we don’t lose much time as the old road is all dual carriageway and the only time we slow down is for traffic lights.

Our aim today is to be at our hotel in Viareggio by 18:00.

In less than two hours we are at the Swiss border in Basle and soon after have a short comfort stop on the motorway.

From hear we drive towards Lucerne, Gotthard and the Italian border at Chiasso.

I love this stretch of motorway as it is the first one I drove on when I joined Truemans in 1988 and brings back nice memories as well as being extremely scenic. You don’t see quite as much as that first time because a lot more tunnels have been constructed but it is still a pleasure to drive.

We lose a lot of time due to roadworks near Lucerne and end up stopping for lunch at Bellinzona Services, still in Switzerland but not far from the Italian border. I originally wanted to reach Italy before stopping but this proves a good stop.

It is raining hard and there are lots of coaches here all doing the same as us! The restaurant is the normal excellent Swiss buffet and for all of the people here the queues are light. Everything looks busier than it is. Brian and I enjoy a nice lunch.

Luckily we did stop here because as soon as we leave and rejoin the motorway we come across another hold, one that goes on for ages. Nearly all the way to the border and it seems totally down to heavy traffic. This is a real pain and we lose an hour here.

From the Swiss/Italian border we drive towards Milan and 40 minutes from the border are on the busy Milan ring road.

I like this road because it always seems busy but is big enough to cope with most traffic, although the tolls become congested when busy, and it is very well sign posted. This is not a bad thing because there are a lot of junctions and it helps if you know which sign to follow!

As we drive around Milan it is once again raining very hard.

The journey is unusual for this part because we drive through the mighty Alps of Switzerland but as soon as we enter Italy the landscape becomes totally flat and you soon forget the mountains.

South of Milan we head towards Parma before taking the motorway towards the sea, the A15. Once again we are soon in amongst the mountains and the scenery has changed yet again.

This takes us to La Spezia and from here it is a short drive along the coast to our destination Viareggio, one of the largest resorts on this stretch of the Mediterranean, and our home for the next eight nights.

By the time we reach the hotel it is 19:30 which considering the hold ups we encountered is not too bad.

The hotel is situated on the seafront with the main entrance on a side road off the promenade. There are a lot of parked cars in the road we want and also the road I'm turning out of. This makes things a little difficult but after a few shunts back and forth we soon are at the front of the hotel.

All cases and folk are unloaded and Brian and I ask for directions to the coach park.

It seems pretty straight forward to the parking area but it is now dark and has started raining again which makes orienteering a tad difficult!

We can see where we should be parked but have taken the wrong turning off the last roundabout!

Never mind we only drive 4 miles the wrong way before we can turn around! And by now it is absolutely pissing down! Sorry for swearing but it is raining so hard I don't know what else to say!

So we drive 4 miles back and find our space! Now all we need is a taxi as the hotel is a way away. The taxi we ordered as we left the hotel has probably been and gone by now!

After a few telephone calls to the hotel another taxi arrives and transports two tired and damp drivers back to the hotel.

Arriving back at the hotel we have another crisis on our hands!

All of the suitcases have been taken to the rooms but one is missing. Margaret, a lady who has travelled many times with us and somebody I can trust totally, has not received her case and is adamant it was in the foyer after the coach was unloaded. I believe her but I think the hotel staff are sceptical. She is convinced it was there because she saw it to check it was hers as there is another similar looking case.

The hotel have looked everywhere but cannot find the case.

I speak with the owner and he seems to think the case wasn't here in the first place.

I speak again to Margaret and she is adamant still it was here. I feel sorry for her.

The owner takes me in his car back to the coach so I can check underneath to make sure it wasn't left on the bus. It isn't there.

Back at the hotel I say we must call the police but the owner obviously doesn't want to. I can understand his retinance but the simple fact is the case was here but isn't now.

I push the police thing more in the hope of another more thorough search because I know calling the police won't solve much but it may make the hotel a bit more alert.

We decide to look again in the morning and if it still doesn't turn up then it's the Old Bill!

By the time I have dinner I am a bit late!

Dinner was very good with the spaghetti in particular excellent.

The hotel have another look for the case while we have dinner and still it isn't found although they say they have checked every room.

By the time dinner is over I am ready to enjoy a beer with Barry and Jayne in the lovely roof terrace bar.