I have been saying that though I love Italy, the Italians, the country, the language, there are a few things I really dislike about Italy and that is there complete disregard of other drivers on the road and the other thing is the state of the afore mentioned roads…..
I do not want to be rude, but I think one of their “former colonies”: Albania will soon easily surpass them if we compare their roadworthiness and the Italians should be utterly ashamed of that.
Okay with the possible exception of the Autostrada… which you and I pay for, but anywhere else is a hazard for any decent car.
My father taught me to never drive on the “safe lane” we Dutch have along our motorways (that is the most right hand lane for all those that have never been to The Netherlands) because in the “olden days” there were bits of tyres and other things left behind, because it was only used to stop because you could not go further or if you or your child had to pee.
These days they are part of the road system at times when traffic is at its most intens. So we have to use it and thus any possible debris is normally cleared within the next hour.
Here in Italy you can recognise the obvious signs of corruption combined with poverty, in the state of their roads and I offer the town of Pisa as a brilliant example.
Pisa has this silly tower hanging over, I had never seen it and it was on my way, so we stopped there to have a look at it. Next to that silly tower they have a brilliant basilique, which looks utterly gorgeous next to this tower from the in- and the outside.
Most people only see the tower, the gorgeous building next to it is almost ignored, an utter shame in my eyes.
The town of Pisa is utterly lethal to walk because it is made up of big blocks of basalt who are each balanced on a nail or something equally small or so it seems or if it is a tarred road it has been broken open by tree roots, which means that if you try to bike your way around, you will need big soft fat tyres, in order to manage this town !
If not, you will have an awful bumpy ride, especially if you get stuck in one of the many semi repairs, who look like former rail tracks and are just as lethal.
I tried it on my electric scooter(step/trottinette), but it was awful and quite frankly: dangerous!
And it does not stop there, to get into the city of Pisa, you have to pass underneath a former water viaduct, which means that anything higher than 3.20 is off limits and actually that is getting in.
getting out you have a make a big round, because otherwise you will be forever gotten stuck in this city..
So now you are in and you want to access the parking place for campers, getting in is not too bad, the roots give you a bumpy entrance but then it is smooth including the parking place behind the central parking place.
But going out is a absolute new low, especially if it has been raining, because of the holes between the trees, next to the uprooted pieces, your whole (camping-)car will shudder and you just hope that the hole is not that deep that you get stuck.
It is as awkward as getting back from the city to the camping place on your bike, sure, along the viaduct they have made a sort of a biking path, which than seems to stop nowhere and from there on you have to almost carry your bike to the other side of the viaduct in order to cross a busy road with no official crossing, so cars have no inclination to stop, unless you put that arrogant hand up, look them in the eye, tell them “to dare” while you friends scamper to the other side.
I have a lot to thank my past travels, for picking up this Maroccan hand, dismissing everything in sight, while Monaco has taught me to challenge with a poker face with arrogant eyes.
Or perhaps people just see this pathetic old woman trying to get across and take pity on me…… What ever it was, it got me across safely…
You would think that in the off season, they would repair this shambles, realising that this cannot go on forever, but very much like the Genovese bridge, I think first some people have to die, before somebody will be forced to free some money for this project.
I drive a camper, 2:35 wide, so I really do need the whole width of a lane, i do drive no faster than 80 km, because I am a camper with my co-pilot and my dogs on board and I do not need to prove that I am tough, because I have proven that already in more important things than driving downhill at a high speed.
I leave that to first time drivers, experienced rally- and race drivers and all these obnoxious Italians.
My goal is to get from A to B in a safe manner, but every so often I am forced to do the craziest manoeuvres in order to keep it safe for me and mine!
It never ceases to amaze me seeing to which lengths people will go in order to prove that they are faster than you are, I think I have seen my share of near misses on mountain roads, while I wonder what they were thinking!
I am happy to have somehow gotten out of Pisa in one piece,
I am in the outskirts of Firenze, near a football facility and near a lavomat, so I could finally wash my stuff!
I was assisted, helped and promply fell in love with them once more.
They really are the loveliest of people if they are not behind a wheel!
I am going to walk my dogs in the woods next to me. They will meet up with loads of other dogs of all sizes and no doubt love it and than I think I will take a bus to the centre, leaving my camper protected by my dogs!
Did you know that in Firenze there is a whole street with only bags… in the most gorgeous colours?
Yep, I need new shoes and a new bag, so I have got to run,,
Have a great saturday you all!
outskirts of Firenze
November 19th 2022
Colette Pastoor