I AM NOT LOST. I’M TOURING

It is overcast in Piacenza, Italy as I write this post. And I am a bit down. Rick and I left Collieure, France (which is a great place) and went to Toulouse for the Easter weekend and to get Rick closer to the ferry. 

In Collieure we stayed at the Hotel Fregate. It is a very nice place and I recommend it. It is not expensive. If you click on the map, it comes up right next to our marker. 

We stayed at the Hotel D’Orsay, 8 boulevard bonrepos, Toulouse, France Tel: +33 (0)5 61 62 71 61. It is very well located and has super secure parking. It is located right across from the train station. So it is easy to get to. But the streets behind the hotel are a bit seedy. Having said that, the hotel was full of Spanish families visiting for the Easter weekend. It is a 5 minute walk to the happening part of the city. 

But let me tell you about the ride to Toulouse. The winds were horrendous. They were so bad that we had to leave the 4 lane toll road and get on a 2 lane. This was not a rare occurance. There were permanent signs warning truckers and camper trailers of violent winds. Rick and I were both freaked out. The problem was, I had to return on the same route 2 days later. This time the winds had subsided, and I made good time. 

So I had to visit the Riviera. There were no topless women on the beach at Cannes this morning. It was a bit cool and windy for that. Lots of runners and people enjoying Easter Monday holiday were out and about. I had set my gps to drive the coast road. After an hour of stop and go I had it and went to the toll road. It made a lot of sense. I would still be crawling along the coast otherwise.

I wanted to take a route that did not use the Italian toll roads. So I set my gps and promptly got lost in downtown Genoa. I saw a lot, but never could get to the road because the gps kept sending me to a parking garage. My maps on gps are 6 years old. That may explain it. 

Anyway, I am in Italy. Rick takes the ferry to Ireland tomorrow.  I have decided to ride the Italian Alps for a couple days, even if the weather is crap. I do not expect to come this way again.

 

Oh yeah. I am working on my Turkmenistan Transit Visa. The agent that seems most helpful and knowledgeable is Real Russia Ltd, in London. http://www.realrussia.co.uk/  They are arranging visas for the Mongol Rally and seem to be very reasonable on charges. They are one of the few outfits I encountered that have contacts with Turkmenistan Consulate.