In the early summer of 2001, we (Henry Jonker and Marcel Jonker) made a trip through Italy. From wednesday 30 may till thursday 14 june, we followed the about 7000 km long route given on the map.

In the early summer of 2001, we made a trip through Italy. We decided to go already early this year, to be there before it gets too hot in the south. The trip started on wednesday 30 may at 6 in the morning when we leave Epe. From Venlo we leave the Netherlands and take the German highway. We arrive already fast in Switserland. Unfortunately the Gothardpass is closed so we go through the tunnel. By Locarno we arrive in warm Italy. It's already quite crowded on the roads along the Maggiore lake. In a month that must become really a hectic place. Despite we left early in the year, it's already quite hot here; at least 35 degrees. According to the local people, that's also not comon for this time of the year. In the heat we put up our tent at a campingsite near the Monate lake.

We drive in between the cities of Turin and Milan further to the south. Just beneath Novarra, we see a lot of rice fields. Then we drive further to the mountain area just north of Genova. It is very nice to drive here through the mountains and along the Riviera di Levante coastline. At the Village of Deive Marina, we camp at La Sfinge. Friday we continue the route by the road north of the Alpi Apaune Park. During a break we start a conversation with some friendly looking passing by walkers. Afterwards they turn out to be some illegals who try to sell us all kind of goods. We descent to Toscany. There we go throught the beautifull fortress city Lucca and go on to Pisa where we take a look at the famous slant tower. The cables that had to avoid further sinking are already removed. The year before I (Henry) have already been on a free afternoon in Pisa, when I was for a congres in Florence. Because I have already seen Florence and Venice at previous holidays, we decided to skip these highlights in the current trip through Italy.

After the visit to Pisa we drive further through Toscany to the hights (Balze) of Volterra. There we find a camping with an excellent view over Toscany. Especially at sunset, the light effect over the hilly landscape is very special. The next day we go on to Siena, where we park the car in the center near the stadium. We see the Cathedral and the magnificent Piazza del Campo where the Torre del Mangia is located. We drive on to the south along the wintersport area of Amiata. Not far from there we find a campingplace at Monticello.

Sunday we drive to the Island of Orbitello, that is connected by two roads to the main land. The western coastline of this Island is very beautifull, but the driving on the extremely bad road at that side is not a pleasure. We continue in the direction of Rome. At the Lago di Bracciano we camp at the Parco di Lago nearby Anguillara. From there it's very easy to go by train or bus to Rome.

Monday the 4th of june we go for a trip through Rome. In the morning we take the bus to the station of Anguillara from weher we go by train to Rome. A dayly ticket for all the public transport in the region is only 8500 Lire. The Vatican is very impressive; both the S. Pietro place as well as the church. Also the rest of Rome has a lot to offer. We see almost all the highlights among others the Colloseum. After a firm day of walking we take the region bus back to the camping.

We take the ring road around Rome on go on our way to the Vesuvius volcano. When we arrive at the highway near Napels, we notice that we arrived in a totally different part of Italy now. Everywhere is chaos. Along the road one finds all kind of mess like refrigerators, tires and engines and there are hookers waiting next to the highway. To get to the Vesuvius, we leave the highway and drive through the mess in the suburbs of Napels. Kids are even walking with their noses squeezed along the garbage heaps next to the roads. With difficulty we find the right way to the Vesuvius. We walk to the crater and for the last few meters, one has to pay. From the 1277 meters high Volcano one has a good view over the dense populated surrounding and the Gulf of Napels. We descent the Vesuvius and drive to Pompeï. In Pompeï, we put up our tent at Camping Zeus. In the evening we walk around at Pompeï and discover that everything has changed enormously. What is a touristic place during the day, with snack and souvenir shops, has changed into an area with street gangs and prostitution. We decide not to stay there too long, and after almost being hit by a drunk car driver and followed by street dogs, we come back at the campingsite.

Wednesday we have a look at Pompeï. It's nice too see how the people must have lived here so long ago. It is only a pitty that everything is renovated with modern building materials. The Amphitheater is really beautifull. We leave the area around Napels by the highway to the south. We visit the beautifull Neptune Temple at Peastum; a remainder of the Greek time, and drive on to the south. On the way, we see how a car drives frontal into a van from opposite direction. The driver faints on the street and his passenger gets out of the car with his face full of blood. Somewhat disconcerted, we drive further to Palmi, where we find a camping on a 60 meters high cape. At night one has a nice view over the Gulf of Gioia.

By Ferryboat we go from Villa to Messina on Sicily. We drive southwards along the beach boulevards. It is a hectic road and there are many obstructions. When two busses from opposite direction jamm each other, the people around make the way clear by pushing away parked cars. Little further we pass a fire engine that has just passed us some time ago. Now they were busy extinguishing the fire of itself. Strangely enough the backside of the car had catched fire. In the afternoon we arrive at the south side of the Etna Volcano. A special kind of volcanic area where one can see many craters. Regrettably one also sees a lot of garbage next to the roads and spreaded over the lava fields. Little back on the road we find a camping at Milo.

Friday the 8th of june is the turning point. Now we are going back to the north. The northside of the Etna is not so impressive, so we go back to Messina, where we take the ferryboat to Villa; which is not so easy to find. We take the highway north and experience that people drive here quite fast. Trucks are even passing by inside tunnels and we even see a gasoline truck-driver with a sigarette behind the wheel. Clearly they don't take the rules that serious over here. Some further we see the result. A truck lies on its side on the other side of the road. After this highway adventure, we drive inside the Sila mountain area. At Nicastro, it is difficult to find the S109 further, but after some detours we end up in about the right direction. Finally driving is quite relaxing over here. Very different than along the coastline. At the beatifull Arvo lake, we find a campingplace near Lorica with a nice view over the lake.

We leave Sila and after a little bit of highway we drive into Pollino. A very nice nature reserve. We drive to Pisticci through a special hilly and dry grain landscape. In the middle of the broad river bed we can see little water. It is extremely warm today. Surely above 35 degrees celcius. We planned to go to Antonio, and old colleague, in Potenza but due to personal circumstances this was at the last moment not possible. WIth Thomas, another old colleague, who should also come, we agreed to meet each other in the Dolomites. We drive along Potenza to Mont Vulture, where we find a place on Camping Europa at the Monticchio lake.

By Foggia and the highway along the adriatic coast we go fastly to the north. Escaping the heat in the south. At Rimini we leave the highway to the Republic San Marino. We drive around and through the fortress on top of the mountain. The surrounding of San Marino is nice to see. At Perticara we find a campingplace. When we arrive it even turns out to be a real dutch camping. Monday the 11th of june we go through the plain Po area to the Dolomites. In the morning we already get stuck into a traffic jam; again an accident has happened with a truck. After ample an hour we can drive further. Then we enter the mountains of the Dolomites.

We drive through some mountain passes along Asiago and the Dolomiti Bellunesi national park. At Tonadico we find a camping high in the mountains. At night, the temperature even drops till 2 degrees celcius; something we were not used to anymore the last days. Tuesday we drive further through the beautifull Dolomites. It is very relaxed driving over here in comparison with the south-coast. Most villages have good main roads again and the road signs are also better. We drive through the Sella pass and enjoy the beautifull view.

By the Grödnertal we drive to Brixen. Halfway the afternoon we arrive at Thomas' place in St. Andrä. Together with him, we go to the Plose Bühel and in the evening we take a terrace in Brixen. Wednesday 13 june Thomas shows us around through the Dolomites. We make a hiking tour through the snow to the Drei Zinnen. It is a tough walk, but very special. A lot of mountains at the Dolomites even reach till over 3 kilometers in height and are in this time of the year still coverd with the everlasting snow.

We drive through the most beautifull passes and see the snow covered mountains like Cristallo, Le Tofane, Pelmo, Civetta and Märmolada. By the Pordoi pass and the Grödner Joch we drive again around the Sella group. Then the weather becomes rainy and we go back by the Erbe pass to St. Andrä. There the weather is still unchanged beautifull. In the evening we go to Brixen again.

The next day we go to the wine area at Bolzano. First we visit the special Erdpyramiden near Ritten. The rain spools away the sand in a special way such that pointy pillars remain when a stone is on top. Later on we drive through the wine area. On top of the Pènegal mountain one has a nice view over the wine area. We take a terrace and enjoy a capuccino and appelcake. By Meran we drive through the Jaufenpass, where we see a lot of German motor drivers.

In the evening we have a wonderfull diner at the home of the Stockner family and we drink lovely Italian wine and the Hertog Jan beer we brought with us ourselves; knowing that Thomas likes it very much too. The next day we say goodbye and go back to the Netherlands through the Brennerpass. Finally it was a perfect ending of a varied holiday.