Oh my word! What a time we've had.
Italy! Goodbye for now.
Ruth was a bit sad to be leaving.
We drove from Bologna, to Verona, and the plan was to have a look round Verona.
Sadly this didn't happen, and so we kept moving.
At one point I realised that I had followed SatNav onto an autoroute, peage, toll motorway, call it what you will, and found that it was ONLY for Telepass customers. That is, it was only for those that had the equivalent of a DartPass (on the Dartford Crossing).
As I didn't have a Telepass, that meant that the barrier wouldn't automatically raise itself as I approached. I was therefore, STUCK.
I quickly instructed my co-driver to don a Hi-Vis yellow jacket, and take a bright torch, so that I could reverse out of the mess I'd gotten into.
She obliged.
And I reversed as quickly as I could the 50 or so metres that made up the entry to the toll motorway.
A very helpful Italian at the roundabout that I was coming backwards towards, in the wrong direction, assessed the situation well. He put on his hazard warning lights and STOPPED in the roundabout.
Despite the honking of other annoyed Italians, and their mad career round the obstacle course in front of them, he held his nerve as we backed up onto the roundabout, and disappeared into the distance!
Phew! I hope I'm not on CCTV anywhere. It would be very embarrassing.
At one point I realised that I had followed SatNav onto an autoroute, peage, toll motorway, call it what you will, and found that it was ONLY for Telepass customers. That is, it was only for those that had the equivalent of a DartPass (on the Dartford Crossing).
As I didn't have a Telepass, that meant that the barrier wouldn't automatically raise itself as I approached. I was therefore, STUCK.
I quickly instructed my co-driver to don a Hi-Vis yellow jacket, and take a bright torch, so that I could reverse out of the mess I'd gotten into.
She obliged.
And I reversed as quickly as I could the 50 or so metres that made up the entry to the toll motorway.
A very helpful Italian at the roundabout that I was coming backwards towards, in the wrong direction, assessed the situation well. He put on his hazard warning lights and STOPPED in the roundabout.
Despite the honking of other annoyed Italians, and their mad career round the obstacle course in front of them, he held his nerve as we backed up onto the roundabout, and disappeared into the distance!
Phew! I hope I'm not on CCTV anywhere. It would be very embarrassing.
In the end we were within striking distance of Austria, and so we drove on until we had gone through the Brenner Pass and we safely in Austria.
 |
| service area just in Austria |
We headed straight for the campsite we stayed on exactly 2 weeks ago, in Imst.
A quick shop in Aldi (Hofer, as they call it here). Sunday, the Hofer will be shut all day. No point leaving it till the morning, therefore.
300 plus miles done today, - plus looking for a 12 volt cooler box lead in Decathlon, Bologna without success!
Exhausted!
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