In 1975 (2 years after first meeting) we went to Knebworth festival to see the Allman Brothers and various other bands. We then went straight to Dover for the ferry and a 1 month trip to Italy – taking with us, in an old mini, all our gear for the trip/festival + our friend Trev, who needed a lift across to France, then hitching, for a long sojourn in Berlin, with all his stuff too. Expandable cars those minis! He returned with first wife and now visits us with 2nd wife and 3 kids.
We have been reminiscing on those times, as much as our senior minds can manage anyway, and thought a comparison of our 2 trips, 37 years apart, might provide some mild entertainment, after all the holiday photos.
1975 | 2012 |
1 month in clapped out Mini – stopping over brow of numerous passes to cool overheated radiator
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1 month in Mondeo + roofbox + aircon – stop at top of passes to admire views and eat sarnies.
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Pisa, Paris, Venice, Florence, Dolomites, Cinque Terre – no idea what order or how we found campsites
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Dolomites, Lake Garda, Venice + Germany B&B stops. Campsites identified/booked in advance – best routes Googled. Others use satnav.
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2 man tent – loose groundsheet, no mats. Bugs galore and very hard.
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Fully sealed 5 man tent with nets + extension – 2 mats each. Beds in Venice and Germany. Luxury.
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No cooking equipment. Only ate in restaurants 3 times due to limited finances. No idea what we ate – bread, cheese and beer most likely.
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Fully equipped for self catering – eat out whenever we feel like it. Cappuccinos and cake a daily ritual.
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Tramp across fields to loo at night – or not.
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Portapotti now essential part of camping and useful in the cabin too.
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August – boiling hot and full of kids. Probably burnt and dehydrated. much of time.
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September – mid’70’s, carry water bottles and sun tan lotion at all times. Crowds gone (apart from Venice)
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Skimpy clothing, no spray – bitten to death by mossies
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Long sleeves, trousers, socks, mossie spray and coils – still bitten to death by mossies
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Caribineiri – stopped and booked for speeding
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Local Polizia – parking fine. Still all out to get you.
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Constant changing of currencies as move across Europe. Dealing in zillions of lira in Italy. Travellers cheques and cash.
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Credit cards waved everywhere and cash machines churn out the Euros. Will the Euro still be here in another 37 years????? Or will we be back to 1975.
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Communicate by postcards – possibly 2 in total to parents, if they were lucky.
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We are online every day – kids we see are tracked by parents and friends every second of the day. And seem to want it! Why????
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Venice camping site – Fusina – 2-3 days. Friends also travelling around Europe hitching or camping
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Same campsite – most friends wouldn’t dream of living in a tent for night, never mind a month.
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Fusina - Contiki buses full of drunken Aussies
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Ditto – grandchildren of original lot, looking and sounding the same. (Sorry, Niki – Tim will be there soon!!)
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Fusina – massive pizzas size of table
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Pizzas shrunk in size due to recession – met chef who started in 1975 – has no memory of that time! Same owner also still there,
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Fusina – double decker buses with kids pretending to be on Cliff Richards “Summer Holiday”
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2 buses still there – now cyber centres.
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Fusina – full of tents, similar clapped out minis and ancient VW campervans covered in flower power graffiti
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2 cyclists tents, rest in massed ranks of upscale campervans with satellite dishes. Travelling kids and us roughing it in camping cabins.
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Fusina – bar plays loud 1960s music
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Ditto!!
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St Marks Basilica Venice – G missed due to Aussie induced hangover
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SMB – half a day looking at everything and feeling superior to herded cruise ship passengers in there for 6 minutes..
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St Marks Square Venice – gobsmacked at prices to sit out in Plaza for coffee – declined.
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Ditto – 9 euros for cappuccino
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Gondolas – as above
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Ditto – 80 to 120 euros for ride around canals. Honeybone cheapskates got ride on one for 2 euros for 2 minutes across canal
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Never wanted to see another Madonna and Child.
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Ditto
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Was it a memorable holiday? Well, we remembered some of it for 37 years - and the deprivations experienced stand us in good stead for the deprivations of old age, with reducing pension pots and collapsing share prices.
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Was it a memorable holiday? Yes. indeedy.
And the tent will stand us in good stead for those coming deprivations, when we have to rent out Raven Hill permanently. and not just loaned to Jean and Ross. (Don’t smirk – you may be glad of our extension one day! Reasonable rates negotiated)
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CONGRATULATIONS ON REACHING THE END OF THIS YEARS BLOG
HAPPY TRAVELLING TO EVERYONE – NO MATTER HOW YOU DO IT OR WHERE YOU GO
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