Viareggio (Still)
Good afternoon, to All and Sundry,
Weather here is rather hot (well, we wanted sun...), beating down in the daytime and balmy evenings (although the temperature seems to plummet at around 4am, so woe betide any fool who happens to be outside his sleeping bag)
Have had a quiet couple of days, just relaxing, cooling, chilling - haven't spent much time on the beach (due to sun, as mentioned above), apart from an hour on Sunday - we splashed out on the private beach, as we thought it would be a nice change and an escape from the crowds - it wasn't much nicer - think sardines in a can and odd toilets.
Well, the toilets were normal enough, but a strange lady attached to a dirty mop hovered outside, next to a glass bowl with some spare change and a toilet roll. Offered her money, asked how much (paying for a toilet on a private beach - whatever next), she shrugged her shoulders and peered into the glass bowl as money was deposited - looking likely to spring into an attack of some sort if you didn't offer enough to the toilet fund. Seemingly satisfied with the 3 cents we threw in, were then ushered to the nearest free cubicle, and she returned to her hovering state next to the glass bowl.
Think we will use the free beach from now on..
The Paradise campsite is still paradise - although you have to pay for the showers (80 cents each) and 'a shower' (meaning how long the water falls after a token is inserted) lasts around three and a half minutes. Now, three and a half minutes is just about long enough to wash one's hair (obviously depending on length) and shave two armpits and one leg. To shave the other leg, one must insert another token. Which means dripping one's way back to the token machine, inserting another, and making one's way back to the water, without losing precious time for the shaving of one's other leg. It's fun, it really is.
Another plus side to the site is that it hosts a large family of bunny rabbits. Or a family of large bunny rabbits. They're huge and are a great fascination for the children staying here. They're very tame, and at dusk, sit close by the groups of people, washing themselves and digging in the sand.
The surroundings really are picturesque here - the beach has an enormous backdrop of mountains and there are pine woods everywhere, with a protected section, like a nature reserve, inbetween the campsite and the beach. We've been hearing odd sounds throughout Europe (in the trees, not in our heads) which we think we've attributed to cicadas - they sit in the pine trees and make sounds not unlike electricity lines. Which we thought they were until the moment it twigged that there were no electricity lines nearby (did we tell you we're quick?).
The evenings are filled with gourmet feasts from the local supermarket (consisting of insalata, baguettes, prosciutto and cheese, and the odd cheap wine/beer) and card games and Daily Mail reading (you get what you get - no Times or Telegraph here...). Although last night was particularly exciting as all the electricity went out, so the only light for miles around was from our citronella candle. Cue all sorts of insects making a beeline for us! (Makes the citronella candle a little redundant, really) Yes, MumMina, H is using her lantern, as well as the booklight and our torches are very useful. A is getting used to camping, slowly, this being the first time she has ever spent a night on the ground. It is rather hard, the ground, and our coccyx's and hips are rather bruised from the lack of airbeds, but it's all part of the experience (and it's cheap!).
Anyway, enough of our exciting, adventurous news. Hope you're all fine and dandy - looking forward to seeing you Lemprieres in Florence on Thursday! Wishing that the Bruces were there too...
Lots of love
From the Not Quite Brown Enough Ones xxx
Weather here is rather hot (well, we wanted sun...), beating down in the daytime and balmy evenings (although the temperature seems to plummet at around 4am, so woe betide any fool who happens to be outside his sleeping bag)
Have had a quiet couple of days, just relaxing, cooling, chilling - haven't spent much time on the beach (due to sun, as mentioned above), apart from an hour on Sunday - we splashed out on the private beach, as we thought it would be a nice change and an escape from the crowds - it wasn't much nicer - think sardines in a can and odd toilets.
Well, the toilets were normal enough, but a strange lady attached to a dirty mop hovered outside, next to a glass bowl with some spare change and a toilet roll. Offered her money, asked how much (paying for a toilet on a private beach - whatever next), she shrugged her shoulders and peered into the glass bowl as money was deposited - looking likely to spring into an attack of some sort if you didn't offer enough to the toilet fund. Seemingly satisfied with the 3 cents we threw in, were then ushered to the nearest free cubicle, and she returned to her hovering state next to the glass bowl.
Think we will use the free beach from now on..
The Paradise campsite is still paradise - although you have to pay for the showers (80 cents each) and 'a shower' (meaning how long the water falls after a token is inserted) lasts around three and a half minutes. Now, three and a half minutes is just about long enough to wash one's hair (obviously depending on length) and shave two armpits and one leg. To shave the other leg, one must insert another token. Which means dripping one's way back to the token machine, inserting another, and making one's way back to the water, without losing precious time for the shaving of one's other leg. It's fun, it really is.
Another plus side to the site is that it hosts a large family of bunny rabbits. Or a family of large bunny rabbits. They're huge and are a great fascination for the children staying here. They're very tame, and at dusk, sit close by the groups of people, washing themselves and digging in the sand.
The surroundings really are picturesque here - the beach has an enormous backdrop of mountains and there are pine woods everywhere, with a protected section, like a nature reserve, inbetween the campsite and the beach. We've been hearing odd sounds throughout Europe (in the trees, not in our heads) which we think we've attributed to cicadas - they sit in the pine trees and make sounds not unlike electricity lines. Which we thought they were until the moment it twigged that there were no electricity lines nearby (did we tell you we're quick?).
The evenings are filled with gourmet feasts from the local supermarket (consisting of insalata, baguettes, prosciutto and cheese, and the odd cheap wine/beer) and card games and Daily Mail reading (you get what you get - no Times or Telegraph here...). Although last night was particularly exciting as all the electricity went out, so the only light for miles around was from our citronella candle. Cue all sorts of insects making a beeline for us! (Makes the citronella candle a little redundant, really) Yes, MumMina, H is using her lantern, as well as the booklight and our torches are very useful. A is getting used to camping, slowly, this being the first time she has ever spent a night on the ground. It is rather hard, the ground, and our coccyx's and hips are rather bruised from the lack of airbeds, but it's all part of the experience (and it's cheap!).
Anyway, enough of our exciting, adventurous news. Hope you're all fine and dandy - looking forward to seeing you Lemprieres in Florence on Thursday! Wishing that the Bruces were there too...
Lots of love
From the Not Quite Brown Enough Ones xxx
posted by the travellers at 4:48 pm
2 Comments:
Hello girls
Nothing much doing today, weather very changable so no sunbathing for me! Getting paranoid that the tan is fading, although Lydia is round at the moment and she says that it isn't. Sickeningly though she is just as brown as me, maybe a little less orange!! (Due to the fact that she didn't use suncream with carrot in!!!)
Lydia now.
Zegna isnt at all orange.
The boys are playing noisily, but are happy. Havent seen them for yonks. (Leo is now screaming as he has hit his head...)
Have just been looking at the holiday snaps, and the birthday celebrations from SUnday that we missed. Looked like fun!
Anyway, looking forward to see you tomorrow. Big kiss Lydia xxx
Now Zegna.
Really wish that we were coming to Italy to see you, but I will call you on someones phone to speak and catch up.
Will send lots of big kisses to you both with Lydia, so make sure that she gives them!
Love you both
Love Zegna xxx
Hi to you both and thanks for the continuing saga of 'the loos of Europe'! I expect that you have heard about the problems with the UK airports etc. It would be good to know that Lydia et al have made it to Italy.
I hope that you will be able to make it to the South of France by train.
Cheers! and have one for me (a drink)
Uxxxx Mxxxxxx
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