A lovely natural campsite beside Lake Balaton was our home for a few days.

 The lakeside cycle path was easy to ride but the temperature was climbing!

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What a spectacle it was with thousands of people lining the river banks. The course was set up in front of the magnificent Hungarian Parliament building!

 Dot had great difficulty in getting any good photos-the planes were just to fast for her camera!

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After doing a big shop at Tesco in Vzerhen Dot had to visit the hospital with a serious knee problem. Now she has to rest, no more cycling!

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We could not understand the commentary but could watch all the action on the big TV screen.

Jim was astonished to see how short the course was and how close to the bridges!

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As we crossed the river Danube in Budapest we saw the pylons for the Red Bull Air Race.

After finding the campsite we were soon in a taxi heading to the river again.

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 The Red Bull Display team were impressive as was the display by the helicopter!

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What an experience that was and we would not have missed it!

Next day we drove up the hill to see the view of the city.

At Cserkeszolo the Thermal baths complex has a great campsite.

Here we spent several hot days where Dot could go swimming as often as she wanted while Jim slept in the shade!

Then off to Ercolano, a compact city that has many buildings still in tact.

This site was much more interesting than the bigger one at Pompeii and we enjoyed our visit.

Many of the courtyard gardens have been replanted and add a touch of green to the town.

Being senior citizens had its advantages as we could go to all these sites for free-but the car parking was expensive!

Overlooked by Vesuvius we speculated on what would happen if the volcano erupted again!

At the local shopping mall Dot bought a celebration chocolate cake for Jim.

              WWII battle sites of Monte Cassino and Anzio.

 One evening we parked on the motor home stop at Cassino right under the famous monastery.

Here we swapped stories with with a couple from Bavaria who had taken their RV to the USA.

  We drove up the mountain road to visit the famous monastery that was the site of a long bitter battle in WWII.

 The building was rebuilt by the Italian government in the fifties using the original plans.

From the top there was a fantastic view and we began to realise why the place had such strategic significance.

A Canadian Royal Mounted Police Pipe Band were on a visit and they looked magnificent in their highland dress..

Along the coast at Geata we stopped for lunch near a huge American warship Mount Whitney.

Another famous WWII place is Anzio where we stopped on our drive along the coast.

After lunch by the sea in a rainstorm we headed inland.

The ring road GRA around Rome was jammed with traffic and we took over 3 hours to travel 30 kilometres.

  Jim was relieved when we finally pulled into the camper stop on the old airfield.

                 Ancient Roman ruins and the Vatican City.

Off we went by bus into the city and onto the hop off/on city tour bus.

 First stop was St. Peters Square and the Basilica.

  We joined the long queue through the strict security checks before we could go inside this impressive building.

A couple were getting married and had to share their special day with the thousands of visitors as they posed for photographs with the famous Swiss guards.

After a picnic lunch we visited  the Vatican Museum and followed the long route through the fantastic rooms decorated by famous artists.

This beautiful ceiling in the Gallery of Maps was like a picture board and told many stories.

The frescos and artefacts on display in the Museum were priceless-

not too sure about this foot! 

Next day we returned to the city and spotted this shop near the Vatican.

Is this where the Pope gets his moped?

    But we had lots of places to visit-this is part of the Forum.

Once again we had to wait in the long queue of tourists from all over the world at the Coliseum. 

We were impressed by the skill of the architects that designed this purpose built sports centre in AD70.

 Rome is famous for all the fountains around the city.

  This one is in the Piazza de Republica.

Another one by the Temple of Hercules.

   Strolling through the narrow streets we found the Trevi fountain-

 surrounded by tourists all throwing coins into the water.

After all the walking around the city streets we came across these bikes for hire

-wish we had seen them sooner.

Just north of the city is Lake Bracciano where we stayed overnight and visited a new Military Air Museum.

Located at a seaplane base which is still operational it now houses some excellent aeroplanes.

This huge crane was used to lift the seaplanes out of the water.

 A display of bright red Schneider Trophy planes was most interesting.

 Jim was impressed with a 24cylinder engine that developed 1000horsepower.

But the very complex cooling system of laminate oil coolers did not work properly so the plane did not take part in the last race allowing Gt. Britain to win the Trophy outright.

 There is a fantastic display of route maps, memorabilia and models of seaplanes that did long transatlantic flights in the 1930's.

This is just one showcase depicting a formation of hundreds of planes.

                 More motorbike races in Piediluco near Terni.

A small lakeside village up in the mountains played host to the Italian round of the World Enduro Championship. We were soon on the lovely grassy campsite with riders from all the world.

  Long sunny days but very cold nights and early morning starts to get out to the service check.

We only had Si Wakely to look after so were not too busy and had time to look around the lovely hilltop village of Miranda.

Here Si tries out the new electric bike-who knows we may soon be using these.

Our mountain bikes were used to get out to the tests and the Extreme one proved very challenging.

While we were here Valentino Rossi won the MotoGP Championship again!

Well done to 'The Doctor'

           Along the Chianti wine route to Florence and Pisa.

Lovely warm sunshine as we travelled the back roads of Umbria through the vineyards and past hilltop villages.

Sadly we could not dwell in Sienna as there was no where to park.

Into Tuscany  the red grapes were still hanging on the vines ripening the the sunshine.

 It was late afternoon when we arrived in Florence and unable to find the free campsite we pulled in amongst the fairground trailers.

 We caught the local bus and enjoyed revisiting the city where we had spent so much time at the Moto Gori factory thirty years ago.

 This is the Baptistry by the Duomo.

  Florence has a much nicer atmosphere than Rome and we wandered along the banks of the River Arno and across the Ponte Vecchio.

Next morning we went to Vinci where Leonardo was born.

We enjoyed a visit to the museum to see models of some of his ideas and inventions.

Pisa was a delight, this is the front of the Duomo.

We joined all the other tourists at the famous leaning tower.

       The Italian Riviera, San Remo and a beautiful garden.

 The drive along the coastal road north past the industrial port of  La Spezia and on to Albissamo was just a scenic as the Amalfi Coast.

Going through the big seaport of Genoa was interesting as all the ferries seemed to be in port.

Our youngest son Beady had been here a week ago to leave the race vehicles for shipment to Egypt and the Pharaons Rally.

Bit cloudy and some rain but we were soon back in the warm sunshine.

We camped amongst all the other motor homes by the beach at San Remo and cycled along the sea front to visited the famous Casino.

After a few days rest we drove a short distance to visit the Giardini Botanici Hanbury.

This piece of land in a cleft on the cliffs was purchased in the nineteenth century by an Englishman who created  a fantastic garden full of exotic plants.

Now looked after by the University of Genoa the collection of plants was impressive.

 Dot decided that she could happily live in the hillside villa.

 Into France once again and time to enjoy lunch beside the Med at Menton.

The locals were out cycling-there had been altogether too much lycra all along this coastal route.

Dots eyeballs were worn out!

                     The French Riveria and Provence.

After driving through Monaco and spotting lots of cruise ships anchored in the bays we turned inland at Nice.

Along the lovely narrow hillside roads through Grasse to Aix en Provence.

 Here we enjoyed a stroll through a craft market in the warm sunshine.

The city tour buses are electric and a most unusual shape.

This car was covered in fridge magnets!

The next night found us parked beside the Rhone at Avignon. 

What a view from a free campsite but we did not dance on the famous Pont Saint Benezet.

Next morning we walked across the river, not on the famous bridge as that is incomplete, to visit the Popes palace.

Another example of expansive religious buildings and impressive city walls built much later to protect the city.

Now it was time to drive up up through the mountains to Mende- a fantastic drive

                     The final round of the 2008 WEC in Mende.

It was twenty years ago that we last visited the lovely old town of Mende for the ISDE.

The final round of the WEC was based here and the main paddock was located in the town centre and the start in front of the cathedral!

Three World Championships would be decided at this last round. The event was well organised and the tests were close to the town.

With no out check for service we could just enjoy the event from our camping place in the B paddock beside the river Lot.

Fin Mika Ahola won E1 for HM Honda, Frenchman Johnny Aubert won E2 for Yamaha and Samuli Aro won E3 for KTM. Here he is getting soaked in champagne by the team.

So much celebrating!

Stephan Merriman is taking time out to return to Australia to establish his family down under.

 His unique riding style and skill will be missed and he finished with a win on Sunday on the Aprillia.

These French spectators were very enthusiastic.

 It was time to say goodbye to everyone and start the long drive north.

Passing through Le Puy we tried to get a photo of the unique hilltop church and Madonna.

there is a great free overnight stop along the wine route near Macon. From there we had a great view of the vineyards and surrounding countryside.

As we drove through France the leaves were turning and the autumn colours were spectacular.

Along the road towards Verdun we took a moment to reflect on the men who had walked this route in the WW1.

             The final round of the European Championship.

We crossed the River Rhine near Nijmegen and arrived in the small town of Hengelo Gld in Holland.

The race circuit was the start for the final of the European Enduro Championship and twelve British riders were taking part.

The press office was in a windmill! 

      Our riders did well with Greg Evans getting second place in the Juniors and Si Wakely third in the Seniors.

Young Ollie Moyce got the Bronze Medal in the European Championship and his dad Dave and mechanic Kurt were well chuffed.

 Team GB were third in the team event.

Everyone enjoyed the party afterwards.

After a short drive across Belgium we were soon on the ferry from Calais to Dover.

A visit to see Bob and Wendy and a trip to the RHS gardens at Wisley where the autumn colour was spectacular.

  Back to Betchton where is was good to see the family again and reflect on our 5000mile round trip and some of the new countries that we had enjoyed.