My Plug-in Baby

When we arrive at a campsite, after checking the van is level, the first thing we do is plug in to the electric so that we can put the kettle on: Within 10 minutes we will have the table and chairs out, the teapot full and be sitting in the sun writing up the days journal or reading about the local area.

We have made full use of electric on all the campsites and have therefore managed to make the 2.7 kg camping gaz bottle last over six weeks and still counting. Every four days we have to fill up the water tank and empty the loo.

After eating we spend our evenings either in the campsite bar, playing games or reading; if we’re particularly weary we will select a DVD; Garth Merenghi’s Dark Place, MASH and Max and Paddy are current favourites. We had a lovely evening in the bar at the campsite in Torino Di Sangro chatting to an Italian motorcyclist, who told stories of his travels in Scotland and Namibia and helped answer many of our burning questions about Italy.

Internet access has been variable; none existent on many sites, free or very cheap wi-fi available over the whole campsite on a few and typically around 5 Euro for an hour using the laptop in the bar.