Its all uphill to Genova

  Genova, Italy
Saturday, December 13, 2008

I set up camp at the services, grateful to still have some croissants left, which are delicious warmed over the camp stove, I was soon joined by a convoy of Spanish doing the same thing and several of the services cats, who did profit from some old ham leftovers.

I decided to leave the toll road and head for the SP1 a seemingly main road running along the coastline, I had all day to get to Genova. Half an hour of that road sent me screaming back to the Toll road, I wasn't prepared for the Italian roads or drivers, it was scarier than the previous days mountain roads. It was tipping down with rain, I couldn't see the road markings, I was being ambushed left right and centre by heavy on the horn Italians.





The toll road was worth every Euro in saving my no claims bonus and excess for another day. I was quite apprehensive having to leave its one way comfort to find the hostel in Genova and rightly so, the roads here are awful, Dan you think the French ones are bad, get over here! My poor little car it's been in and out of potholes and then the hill from hell to get to the hostel, tight turns, very narrow, very steep. I'm not driving again until I have to leave for Modena.

The hostel is right out of the way at the top of a hill, a very steep one, there is no operational laundry, no food prep area, so far no lights in the room, it's freezing, they kept my passport and I need to get some cash, guess it's time to hit the exorbitant cash machine for the first time. Today is the first time I've wanted to go home, but at the moment I'm still determined to get to see Pompeii. I think the last few hours have really dented my confidence and I need to try to get that back. A McDonalds would help, wifi and something familiar. I'm currently sharing a room with a middle aged, glamorous Italian woman. She even has this little shrine set up by her bed and I think she's smoking in the toilets, hope I don't get the blame. Anyway if the worst comes to the worst I can always go back to France where I understand the road signs and enough of the language to get by. I'll head for Modena on Monday where I've got three nights booked and see where I go from there.






This evening out of desperation I go out in the car again, largely in search of warmth and familiarity. Off I go down the hills and up the hills, well here goes for some serious ridicule, it had to happen at some point. I ended up heading the wrong way down a one way street, when I realised I managed to find a space and pull over. OMG what am I going to do? It's only a side street but the traffic keeps appearing around a blind bend ahead of me every 15 seconds or so, I'm thinking I'm going to have to stay here until late night when its quiet. Then I realise the convenient space I've found is the bus stop. What do I do? After an hour of pacing the street, hiding my head and assessing all the possibilities I make the brave move and launch myself out into the road, hazard lights on and reverse some 200 yards back up the road to a wide enough space to turn around and get out. Did I get away unnoticed, did I hell. Have you ever tried reversing 200 yards of not entirely straight but narrow road in 15 seconds? I got an audience of irate Italians following me back up the hill, hooting, gesticulating things I can't even repeat, but I did it. I stopped at the entrance to the road and damned if I could see a no entry sign, I guess some things you are just meant to know. That was it I high tailed it back to the hostel. Where I had a cold shower, and I mean cold, some horrible ravioli from the café, which was also cold and went off to read in my equally cold bed, I ended up sleeping fully dressed for the second night in a row but made it through to the next morning.