GRAND(ISH) TOUR OF EUROPE - 1968
Days 3 to 5 - Kent to Tende (France)
Or More Correctly: Kent to Dover to France (Bolougne) to Belgium to Luxemburg to Germany to France to Switzerland to Italy to France!
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Click on a picture for a bigger image.
Day 3
Uneventful Channel crossing on a fairly murky day. We wondered what we had let ourselves into in north France and Belgium - cobbles (on major roads), tramlines and sectional concrete roads. This went on for mile after mile, until we reached Namur when things improved radically. 300 miles of driving got us to Luxembourg, where we camped for the night.
Day 4
This was a real border-hopping day: Luxembourg - Germany - France - Germany - Switzerland. 400 miles (better roads, you see). Even had time for a quick look round in Basil, and stopped to camp overnight in Bern.
Day 5
Switzerland was so clean! And the mountains so impressive. After a long run down through Switzerland we crossed into Italy through the Grand St Bernard Tunnel. Once the Italian Customs fathomed that we were Scottish, all they wanted to talk about was football. Not a long conversation there then.
As we drove south from the tunnel, an Innocenti Mini tried to pick a race with us. Well it was Italy! It passed us and disappeared at a rate that seemed a bit excessive for the road. We passed it about 5 miles later: it was in a ditch at the side of the road.
My only memory of Turin is that we found ourself heading the wrong way down a one-way 4-lane-wide street in the evening rush-hour.
From Italy we crossed into France through the Tunnel de Tende at 4,000ft. We stayed for the night in the home of friends of friends, Jean-George and Arianne Klein. J-G had given up teaching in Strasbourg and moved with his wife and 2 kids to Tende to paint. The house was primitive to say the least - but so was the whole of Tende.
Click on a picture for a bigger image.
Day 3
Uneventful Channel crossing on a fairly murky day. We wondered what we had let ourselves into in north France and Belgium - cobbles (on major roads), tramlines and sectional concrete roads. This went on for mile after mile, until we reached Namur when things improved radically. 300 miles of driving got us to Luxembourg, where we camped for the night.
Day 4
This was a real border-hopping day: Luxembourg - Germany - France - Germany - Switzerland. 400 miles (better roads, you see). Even had time for a quick look round in Basil, and stopped to camp overnight in Bern.
Day 5
Switzerland was so clean! And the mountains so impressive. After a long run down through Switzerland we crossed into Italy through the Grand St Bernard Tunnel. Once the Italian Customs fathomed that we were Scottish, all they wanted to talk about was football. Not a long conversation there then.
As we drove south from the tunnel, an Innocenti Mini tried to pick a race with us. Well it was Italy! It passed us and disappeared at a rate that seemed a bit excessive for the road. We passed it about 5 miles later: it was in a ditch at the side of the road.
My only memory of Turin is that we found ourself heading the wrong way down a one-way 4-lane-wide street in the evening rush-hour.
From Italy we crossed into France through the Tunnel de Tende at 4,000ft. We stayed for the night in the home of friends of friends, Jean-George and Arianne Klein. J-G had given up teaching in Strasbourg and moved with his wife and 2 kids to Tende to paint. The house was primitive to say the least - but so was the whole of Tende.
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