{"id":1842,"date":"2015-11-12T21:48:33","date_gmt":"2015-11-12T21:48:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kiwihoods.com\/?p=1842"},"modified":"2015-11-12T21:48:33","modified_gmt":"2015-11-12T21:48:33","slug":"aix-les-bains-and-into-italy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.kiwihoods.com\/?p=1842","title":{"rendered":"AIX LES BAINS AND INTO ITALY"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the morning we decide to check out where the water is coming from, so pull up all the bed and find there is water leaking through the inside of the van and is lying in the inside gutter.\u00a0 Very shitty, not another problem. \u00a0It looked like the water pump was a problem to us as there was some water leaking out of there and every few minutes it would pump for no reason plus the filter housing was broken. We figure there must be a camper repair shop somewhere near and ask the reception lady if she knows one and ask if she could phone since it will be difficult to explain technical stuff in French.\u00a0 I am not that good, I can only speak simple French talk.\u00a0 She phones a place but they don\u2019t want to know us, they are too busy.\u00a0\u00a0 Another\u00a0 French camper had spoken to me earlier in the morning and we had had a great conversation.\u00a0 He thought we were from England and since his 18 year old daughter was there for 3 months thought he would chat to us even though he knew no English.\u00a0 So I went back to ask him if he know of another place nearby.\u00a0 He was a mechanic and had changed his own water pump so he goes with us to a nearby boat place as boats also have the same pumps but they don\u2019t have the right one.\u00a0 He then drives with us to a nearby camper store where they have what we need plus a hardware store that has the fittings required.\u00a0 It is late when we get back and although Scot wanted to go back to the Skiff pub and have his moules et frittes (mussles and fries) but it is too late so we decide we are staying another day so he can have them.<\/p>\n

Friday 6th<\/sup> November<\/p>\n

With the help of the wonderful French man we get our water pump replaced.\u00a0 We are very grateful and can\u2019t thank him enough.\u00a0 I want to take them out to lunch but they decline saying it isn\u2019t necessary but It is a small payment for a huge help he had been.\u00a0 We have a lovely walk along the lake front which is so nice on a day like this one.\u00a0 We are 3 weeks from winter here and there is no snow yet on the surrounding hills when there should be and the day temps are at least 20 if not more (we were sweating\u2026..well I was).\u00a0 Later in the day we buy the French man a few beers and take them over for him and then head out to the pub for a well-deserved dinner out.\u00a0 Beautiful food, but so much of it.\u00a0 I am feeling quite ill still in the morning, perhaps the profiteroles were too rich, but do you think I would have missed them out???\u00a0 Mais Non!<\/p>\n

We pull up the bed again to see if the underneath is dry, but unfortunately not.\u00a0 The pump was not the only problem we have had with water leaking.\u00a0 We now believe the other leak is coming from the hot water system which we rarely use.\u00a0 It has gas and electricity connected so is not something we can do anything about ourselves.\u00a0 The French man and his wife are leaving today and the campsite is closing anyway.\u00a0 Who closes a campsite a week early when there are still 20 people wanting to stay there a night and at 20euro I would have thought it would be worth it, but they obviously don\u2019t.\u00a0 We head off to the camper store we bought the pump at, but they won\u2019t help us with the leaking hws.\u00a0 We go to the next one and thankfully they agree to do a bypass on the hws as they can\u2019t fix it as it is English and they have no parts.\u00a0 We have to wait until Monday afternoon though.\u00a0 Oh well I can think of worse places to stay than here and since the campsite is closed it will be freedom camping on the lakeside with the other thrown out campers.\u00a0 We head back to the parking area and sit in our chairs in the sun and watch people playing petanque, families walking with dogs, people cycling, very busy indeed.\u00a0 We sit and enjoy until about 4pm when the sun goes behind the snowless mountains and you feel the real air temperature which has quite a chill.\u00a0 We are parked with a number of other campers and feel quite safe here.<\/p>\n

Sunday 8 November<\/p>\n

We need groceries before we leave France so we decide to bike and find the Carrefour which is a supermarket we love here in France and also in Belgium.\u00a0 We get a bit lost and then we come across the typical Sunday market.\u00a0 I don\u2019t really like markets and this one is no exception.\u00a0 Nothing worth buying, just lots of stuff that isn\u2019t necessary to own.\u00a0 There is a little bit of food but it is expensive so we pass on that and there is also a second hand area of the market.\u00a0 The market continues for a huge stretch and encompasses all the surrounding streets as well. We end up having a coffee in a lovely wee shop before we head out away from the markets with our baguette for lunch.\u00a0 We missed the supermarket, it closed just as we got there at midday so we will go back tomorrow.\u00a0 Back at the van and we head along the lake front for a lovely walk feeding the ducks and water hens.\u00a0 It is really crowded being a beautiful Sunday when it should be cold but people here are strangely still wearing their winter jackets, boots etc and here are Scot and I in our t-shirts and shorts.\u00a0 We do get some strange looks, but who is the weird one, we are dressed for the sun.<\/p>\n

Monday 9 November<\/p>\n

Our appointment isn\u2019t until 3pm so we decide to bike again to the supermarket and get a few things.\u00a0 We only have our two backpacks and it becomes very obvious that we need to bring the van to buy the rest of the things.\u00a0 We love being back in France, with the crisp baguettes, lovely cheeses, wines, and the food is cheaper than we have had for a couple of weeks.\u00a0 We can even find lamb chops for Scot which is a bonus after months of not finding them.\u00a0 Our staple baguette lunch and we head out for our appointment and another van expense.\u00a0 Thankfully it doesn\u2019t take long to do the pipe bypass on the hws and we are back on our way, firstly back to the Carrefour supermarket and then on to our free camping park by the lake. \u00a0Our last night here before heading into Italy.\u00a0\u00a0 A man started speaking to me in the supermarket about sugar in French obviously and he spoke no English.\u00a0 It was funny but as I started talking to him we had a really great conversation and I revelled in how much my French had come along in such a short time when I had to speak it.\u00a0 The man really enjoyed the conversation as well I think because we were from the other side of the world and don\u2019t have the opportunity to speak French.\u00a0 He was so nice and at the end of the conversation he said how much he had enjoyed the conversation and that I spoke quite well and wished us a great vacation.\u00a0 So nice.\u00a0 I have never found any French people short and rude like so many people say, but I have always put that down to the fact that I try very hard to speak a little to them.<\/p>\n

I am not keen really to go as we have heard many stories from people who have been broken into and robbed in their vans around Italy.\u00a0 It seems to be one of the worst countries for it, Spain is only marginally better.\u00a0 We have been heard from people who have had small valuable items, jewellery, cash etc stolen through to people who had windows smashed and all their clothes etc stolen.\u00a0 What to do.\u00a0 We decide we will continue on, but we will limit the time in Italy and we will not leave the van alone in towns but we will have to stop in camp grounds and pay the price for security.<\/p>\n

Tuesday 10 November<\/p>\n

We stop on our way out of Aix les Bains at an Intermarche super where we find they have salmon for only aud15 a kilo and it\u2019s from Norway.\u00a0 Shame I can\u2019t freeze any but we buy a bit and some steak for Scot and head out of France.\u00a0 There is a huge tunnel between France and Italy and the cost is ridiculous.\u00a0 57euro to go through the tunnel, 18 euro before it and then in Italy several further tolls just to cross the border.\u00a0 The alternative road was over the mountains which we were definitely not doing.\u00a0 We got stopped at the Italian border and asked for our passports and vehicle papers \u2013 the first time we have been asked for both.\u00a0 The police thought I was a bit over excited so told me to calm down.\u00a0 I have no idea what they were talking about as I was just my normal self, maybe a little apprehensive if anything coming into Italy.\u00a0 Anyway they were fine, after taking a look Into our van \u2013 not sure what they expected to see (they couldn\u2019t see Scots beer stash) \u2013 we were off.\u00a0 We headed around Turin which you could see from the immense smog in the distance as we approached it. Probably the smoggiest dirtiest skies we have seen in all of Europe.\u00a0 I decided to get a sim in a small town out of Asti.\u00a0 I hate some of these sim costs.\u00a0 The sim itself was 10euro, but they then made me pay another 10euro for the plan fee, but they tell you initially it is only 10euro.\u00a0 Not able to communicate with them in Italian meant I had to pay the extra fee not mentioned initially and leave.\u00a0 Oh well they are only just another country that has ripped us off on internet data charges.\u00a0 We need the sim here to be able to book ferries across to Greece later on. We then head just out of Asti to a small secure camping place with power and water that is only 8euro for the night and has a fenced compound.\u00a0 Hopefully to be safe for the night before we head out to Venice.<\/p>\n

The first thing about this secure campsite that assaulted us was the smell of cows in a barn next door to the parkup.\u00a0 Then as we were settling down to a pre-dinner drink the mooing started.\u00a0 It was like it was right outside the door and I then realised that it indeed was only about 10ft from the back of the camper.\u00a0 I can only hope that cows actually sleep during the night and we can\u2019t hear them.<\/p>\n