Thursday 16th April
Savona and Genoa (for the ferry to Sicily.)
After a quick run out for Meg, we packed up and headed out of Turin towards Genoa.
We have a ferry booked this evening to take us to Palermno in Sicily, but as boarding doesn’t start until 9pm we thought we’d go to a beach for the afternoon.
Today was a day for missing turnings!
It started as soon as we came out of the campsite, taking the wrong slip road for the motorway. Once back on the autoroute, things sailed along nicely.
Leaving Piedmont and entering Liguria, the horizon changed dramatically to snow capped hills – checking google it was the Alpes Maritime. Well, we didn’t expect that as we were heading towards the sea.
As we approached Savona the roads – myriad of tunnels and viaducts – started to get very twisty, not helped by a multitude of roadworks. Our satnav couldn’t keep up with all the changes. Luckily we didn’t have a choice but to follow the ‘open’ road.
Arriving in Savona, we had chosen a large motorhome parking area (called a ‘Sosta” in Italy), right opposite the beach.
It wasn’t a beach to write home about, the view was of Savona dockyard and the noise above the lapping waves was container movers going back and forth like ants. But it was good enough for a few hours.
The parking area was €9 for half a day inc all services. On street parking in this area is just as expensive and this place was secure.
A few hours on the beach was glorious. Meg was loving rolling in the sand while we soaked up some of the sunshine.
We had a late lunch and then set off to the ferry port, about 40 mins drive away.
Well, if the road to Savona was twisty I’m not sure how to describe the road to Genoa!!
My goodness, viaducts wound their way around the coast, high up above towns and villages. Now because our van is left hand drive, I had the pleasure of being cliffside so to speak.
Honestly, after about 30 mins I had to inform Parker that I felt as if I was heading for a panic attack. Bless him, he wasn’t speeding but slowed a little so that my heart could calm down and my grip on the door handle could relax.
The port eventually came into view, flanked by buildings and the sea. Our job now was finding the bloody entrance. This should have been easy, but mix Italian rush hour with roadworks at every corner and it’s a visitor’s worst nightmare.
Coming around a tight bend, the road immediately split but we were committed to go right while we needed to go left!
Would you believe it took another 15 mins to get back to the passenger terminal, assisted by some helpful traffic policemen, a few illegal u-turns and a ride in a bus lane, not bad for us 
.
Finally we were in a queue for a ferry, and until we spoke to the attendant we weren’t 100% sure it was even the right one 
.
Panic over, our manic journey had proved worth it. Right queue for the right ferry to Palermo in Sicily!
Parked up on the dock while the ferry was being unloaded, we popped to the snackbar for a well earned drink and snackaroo.
Meg had that look of impending doom on her face. She knows only too well that queues of parked vehicles and noisy freight means only one thing, a nerve racking ride in a tin box with no grass in sight for her to do her business. Little does she know that we have brought a square of fake grass to trick her. Let’s see how successful that is eh?
Boarding was underway and we were on and in our cabin by 9.30pm with departure scheduled for 11pm. After familiarising ourselves with the pet cabin and deck – just outside the cabin 
– we left Meg and went for dinner.
This ship, The GNV Orion, is new and so has a lot of mod cons onboard. One of which is a McDonalds style ordering panel in the restaurant. We sort of worked it out, ending up with 2 huge salads, spaghetti bolognese and a bottle of red wine 
.
I have to say that little sleep was had last night. If you followed our Asia trip a couple of years ago you may remember me liking a hard bed to sleeping on a dining table – well, the mattresses in our cabin were bordering on that! Even Meg kept tossing and turning
A few attempts have been made this morning to encourage our dog – who protests at that label – to do her business. No way José she says. Not on deck, after sniffing every other dogs smells, not on the fake grass on deck and not on the fake grass in the shower! No, no, no she says. So we gave up and stopped nagging.
Popping Meg back into the cabin, we went for breakfast/brunch and arrived just after the kitchen had closed! so had to console ourselves with a croissant and pain au chocolate with tea instead.
After brunch a bit of whale and dolphin spotting was attempted, nothing to see here apart from a 
just out of the wake. That was a nice little reward.
Another siesta on the dining table masquerading as a mattress! And then we sat in the sun waiting to dock. It all went very smoothly, meaning we were away and parked up just on the outskirts of Palermo by 8pm.
Alerting the media, Meg has had 2 wees. Phew! The fake grass idea is heading for the bin though!
Maybe the walk into the historic centre tomorrow morning will set her off for the other one
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