Last stop before home Campingplatz “Unter dem Jenzig” Jena (Website).

Got there just in time for the sunset.

It was a very foggy start to the day!

Perfect for mushrooms.

Never seen this one before (coprinus picaceus)

Today we drove to Hermann Hesse’s birthplace Calw, in the Black Forest.

Love these symbols for shops.

Fachwerkhäuser!

.

Here’s the man himself, on his favourite bridge – Nikolausbrücke.
“WHENEVER I RETURN TO CALW, I STAY ON THIS BRIDGE FOR A LONG TIME. IT’S MY FAVOURITE PLACE IN THE TOWN”
HERMANN HESSE

The same bridge in 1925.

The river Nagold.

After driving up a hill next to Lugano we walked from the village which Hermann Hesse visited frequently, Carona, through the forest high up over the lakes.

Looks like an advertisement (Litfaßsäule) but it’s a shrine and the start of our leafy walk.

Autumn

.

Nice bit of sun around the corner.

.

Growing on a tree stump.

Great view today

Just the place for a picnic.

A few sculptures to round things off.

.

What a hearty couple.

We were woken by a familiar sound today – a gas burner in a hot-air balloon.

Today we drove to Lugano.

A cool and sunny evening looking over Luganersee.

We popped into the Lugano Art Centre (LAC). The main exhibition.

.

The colours!

Colourful stuff by Richard Paul Lohse.

Giovanni Giacometti – Evening on the Alp

Seating to admire the view over Luganersee.

Fabulous colours!

Hermann Hesse.

This morning we woke up on top of a mountain used as a scenic bike route.

It’s certainly a striking landscape!

On the way we went to the Coop and couldn’t resist buying some cherry jam made by a cooperative on land confiscated from the mafia.

Lake Pusiano from our new campsite.

The band welcomes you to the Fuseum

Someone who likes to sit in the garden.

Cheerful chap!

.

Menco and La Marianna from Perugia

In the zoo.

What a longue tongue.

The pool in the garden.

An owl watching us closely.

A potty person!

She looks pleased to see us.

Very friendly volunteer explaining things to Gerhild.

We parked on top of a hill near Bologna for the night.

We came out here for a quiet Saturday after the campsite in Perugia filled up for the Fiera dei Morti

.

Interesting looking cypress tree.

.

.

Kim trying to look relaxed after an incredibly steep walk from the camp site up into the town.

.

Arches everywhere you look.

One of the many small squares to put your feet up in Perugia.

Don’t fancy being the window cleaner here.

Umbria.

These two live on the wall of our kitchen in Berlin. What are they doing here?

We took a bus back to the campsite and the driver dropped us off right outside. So many Italians are so friendly!

A colourful sky to start the day.

Not as sunny today, so we drive a bit longer, heading north.

.

The sun came out a bit and so did the rain.

Convenient parking space, close to Perugia’s centro storico at Camper Bove Perugia

First we enjoyed a sunny walk along the seafront.

No mistletoe on the beach, so a road sign does the job. Kissing seems to be popular in Italy.

Then we had a fantastic drive up into the mountains through autumn gold forests in the Maiella national park!

When we arrived Pescocostanzo itself was a bit of a letdown.

Foresta Umbra is an ancient forest, very shady and cool, which is much appreciated when the beaches are baking.

It’s hard to get lost.

Lush, mossy growth on stones.

A spectacular growth of mushrooms on a fallen tree!

Autumn is on its way.

Penguin?

Autumn leaves.

What do you see here?

Nice walk by the beach in Torre Mileto. Free parking too!

Colourful sunset at 5 o’clock. That’s what putting the clocks back does to your evening.

After breakfast we strolled from our free parking spot along the coast to visit Polignano.

.

Looks like an apple crumble, but it’s just the crumbly Adriatic coast.

This is a prime Instagram location

Not so many Instagramers here at the end of October.

This is a bishop from 300 years ago who wrote a book of moral tales in Latin. An Italian Aesop? Look at the animals coming out of his robe – pig, lion, mouse, bear … I can’t imagine the fable that goes with this. In any case they are very proud of him to put his statue out in the sun.

.

Someone’s garden, just off the street.

Listen to Polignano’s favourite son.

It got dark before we arrived at Umbra forest, so we stopped for the night in Monte Sant’ Angelo.

Today we drove north for a couple of hours to visit Locorotondo

A man who could charm tigers!

One of the narrow streets.

.

I wonder if the stars shine so that everyone can one day find their own.

Pigeon making himself at home.

Popular artist!

For the night, we stopped at a free space next to the Adriatic Sea just outside of Polignano a Mare.

More waves today

Still good to paddle in.

Foam

Stoney expression

Time for a sit-down.

Bye, bye beach.

Today we drove for a good half-hour to visit Lecce and then returned to Gallipoli late afternoon.

They call this Lecce baroque.

Soft stone produces quick results.

Papier-mâché produces quick results too – a Lecce speciality.

Not a paper tiger, it’s a paper elephant.

No, they’re not his ears, it used to be a fashionable hair-do!

Nice green roof!

The Basilica di Santa Croce. The stone masons had their fun here.

Today we celebrated our advancing years by taking a day off.

This way to the beach.

Needs a sit-down already…

The birthday girl is full of energy.

Looks comfy.

This way to the shuttle bus.

Brioche with bergamot marmalade for breakfast? It must be my birthday, 72 years on the planet.

No sign of Maradonna in Gallipoli, just a modest shrine to the donna.

Smart hotel entrance

Interesting shop window. I’m not sure what they are selling though.

“There are those that live it and those that eat it” make of that what you will.

Seafront church

The entrance to Gallipoli’s public library, yes with books in it!

Another posh hotel entrance.

It’s getting dark so it’s time to head for the shuttle home.

In the evening we ate in the campsite’s restaurant. Once a particularly loud dog had been removed, we all relaxed.

The waitress’s parting gift was then a slice of “chocolate salami”.

Today we washed everything, bed linen, dirty socks, the lot. Things dry quicker too, when the sun shines.

Aren’t the baby pears cute? Hard but sweet & juicy. Gerhild bought them from a farmer at a market in a small village yesterday.

Today we moved to a pleasant campsite along the coast from Gallipoli (in Italy, not in Turkey). There was a special offer for a week’s stay, the weather looks good so, of course, we took it.

The sea is just over the road.

The cacti love it here.

No beach, just this porous rock.

Warm to sit on.

The great thing about these piccolos is that they fit in a camper’s comparatively small fridge. AND our birthdays are fast approaching. Funny looks abounded in the supermarket!

Today we came to Alberobello, home of the famous trullis.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

We stayed at a campsite which promised a washing machine, but which turned out to have no drier. We will move on tomorrow with two bulging bags of smelly socks, looking for somewhere with a drier too.

Once the rain had stopped, we took the shuttle into Matera for a stroll around the Sassi di Matera.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Italians love their bacci.

Today we strolled through an olive grove to go shopping at the Coop.

Kim only has eyes for GG.

Some rain to top up the reservoir.

Alone in the landscape.

A nerdy start to the day. On the left is an anthill with a small hole where the ants disappear. It’s next to Diga di Monte Cotugno, an almost empty reservoir where we passed a very peaceful night.

On the right is Anish Kapoor’s entrance to a metro station in Naples with a small hole, fed by an escalator, where the people disappear.

Today we drove to Matera to a campsite 2 km out of town – with a shuttle-bus four times a day.

In the evening we looked at the photos from the wildlife photographer of the year competition https://www.nhm.ac.uk/wpy/gallery

As the sun comes up you can see the neighbours.

.

.

Great walk in Bosco Margano next to the river through a forest of ancient beech & oak

.

.

Look what can happen if you don’t wash your hair often enough.

First we drove along the coast to Diamente and its murals.

.

.

.

.

.

.

A bit of a mixed bag but they make the place more interesting to explore.

Then we headed east, up into the mountains.

.

.

.

.

We found a Park4night spot with a view.

The sun rises on an empty beach.

Gerhild thinks it’s an Italian plane tree. Nice colours, whatever it is.

A lithe little lizard.

A kind lamppost trying to shade Gerhild from the October sun.

Tree knees

1907 km to Berlin from Scalea.

For lunch we ate some fish – „rombo“ (turbot) with a very tasty potato coating for me, swordfish for Gerhild. For pudding, we went to a gelateria where bergamot flavour was the big hit.

Time to put our feet up for the evening.

Breakfast

Ready to go.

Today Gerhild lay on a free sunlounger on the beach. Kim did the washing-up.

Today we moved to Scalea to meet up with Sabine.

Welcome to the beach.

In Scalea

.

.

.

.

Yet another sunset

Antipasti in centro storrico

Pals

The street for kisses

Disco on the steps?

After breakfast, we decided that we had had enough big-city excitement and that it was time to head for the beach.

Next to the beach at Camping Lido di Salerno.

Nice to take your shoes off.

.

Sunset over Capris.

We‘re in the metro again.

This is the Garibaldi metro station.

Maradonna is really BIG in Naples!

This restaurant gives a whole new meaning to fish lips. Delicious food at STAZIONE DEL MARE.

.

.

This is the Universitá metro.

Outside the Palazzo della Borsa (the old stock exchange)

.

Intriguing street lights.

A t-rusty horse.

That‘s Vesuvius over there!

No, this is not an art gallery, it‘s a metro station – San Pasquale

.

.

This is a different metro station Chiaia

.

.

.

.

.

Deep down in Chiaia station.

This is yet another metro station – Toledo.

Looks like Milan, but this is in Naples. Galleria Umberto I

Kim had a haircut today!

Pigeons like their pizza too, unfortunately.

Look at that facade! Wikipedia article.

Every god should have their pet sphinx. Wikipedia article.

Great stickup

When you pop into one of the entrances from the narrow, bustling streets in the old town, you may find something like this.

Real Neapolitan pizza in a square plastered with pictures of Sophia Loren cooking.

I reckon there are more pictures of Maradonna in Naples than there are shrines to Mary. He took the local football team to win the league so, of course, he should be officially deified.

One of the many shrines to Mary.

One of Naple‘s quieter streets.

Kim asked for just one coffee and this is what arrived.

Neapolitan pizza bakers at work.

It was a bit rainy today so we drove to Naples, following the GPS instructions seemingly round and round in circles, through tunnels, up hill and down dale until we could nestle down in the Sosta Camper Napoli campsite. Very basic, but the bus stops outside the gate to take us down to the city.

A park4night tip on the way to Naples.

It’s next to an old, no longer active, church

The frescoes are well known.

In the tiny village.

Next to the road on the way to the church.

Spontaneous vegetation next to the rows of grape vines.

Cheers!

The sun sets quietly in the west.

Bright, sunny day for a stroll to the town.

Newly built home for some lucky person.

Steep walk up into the old town.

.

.

One view from the top.

Another view from the top in the other direction.

Very nice cafe Antico Caffe Trani up in the square

Shady place to sit if you don‘t mind being blessed.

Today we moved to a small campsite near Sperlonga. So small that it was full, so we parked in the annex around the corner.

Just call me Madame Bougainvillea.

Sperlonga from the beach.

Getting late.

I see no ships.

It was a fine, sunny day, but then this dramatic cloud came along and said look at me!

On our way home

Today we moved further south to Lago di Vico, a lake created by Hercules, who defied the local inhabitants by wielding his club. When he did this, a stream sprang up and formed the lake.

The GPS system sent us down a sandy road, which got bumpier and bumpier, the bushes leaning into our path and tree branches hanging down to give our solar panels a quick sweep.

When we arrived, the parking space was next to a proper, tarred road! We stopped gnashing our teeth as a large herd of sheep arrived, looked after by four sheepdogs and a shepherd. Three of the dogs were the same colour as the sheep.

Nice job when the sun shines.

Pretty but poisonous.

Guess what the farmers grow around here.

Our campsite closed for the winter today, so we had to move on. We ended up in the forest above Lago Bolsena, north of Rome.

Cyclamen is absolutely everywhere in the forest.

A place for the pilgrims to rest on their way to Rome.

This pilgrim is a bit prickly.

This pilgrim is having fun with an oak apple.

A Roman road takes us back with a view over lake Bolsena.

This is the crossing over the stream to get home…

Even though we are „on holiday“ there are still chores to be done, so today we got up really early and dashed to the washing machines to load them up with my smelly socks. Gerhild then fought like a lioness to get some space on the washing lines under the very pleasant Tuscan sunshine. The sunshine stuck around all day so we enjoyed the shade from our oak trees to eat a leisurely lunch and to read/listen to a bit of literature. I was reading Ian Fleming‘s „The man with the golden gun“, Gerhild is listening to „The Four Winds“ by Kristin Hannah which we borrowed online from our library in Berlin.