Day 50 – 52. Weds 5th to Friday 7th June 2024.
Finale, Sicily to Genoa and then Lottstetten, Germany.
Didn’t do much on Wednesday other than clean the van out and pack our bags for the 20hr ferry crossing to Genoa.
Meg had a trip down to the beach and loved exploring amongst the big stones. She also rescued a drowned pine cone from a sea pool, such a kind and clever dog 
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So, our time was up and we headed to the port of Palermo.
Skirting the centre we arrived on the access road to the port with nerves already frayed. It was really busy, as you can imagine and the road surface was, in places, diabolical. In the end Gareth just stayed in the best lane, ignoring the frustrations of the locals who couldn’t get past us.
We arrived at the port in good time and finally joined the queue for our GNV ferry. These boats are more like cruise ships! We were looking forward to (from what we had heard) what should be a good sailing.
It didn’t start off well.
The boat was due to sail at 9.30pm but we were still being loaded, sitting on the dock for 3 hours certainly frayed our tempers. When we did finally board, I was nearly run over trying to get out of the van with Meg and our bags, and got shouted at by the loaders. I shouted back in my best (blue) queens English, and then so did Gareth.
We’d been given tickets for our cabin and these were checked up on deck. Not one sign on the arrivals deck indicated where the cabins were. After a lot of up and down, toing and froing, we finally found them. Then realised we needed a door key card! Once again, no communication of this received by the ticket checkers.
This ferry was supposed to have a dog area. Well, it did not. Everywhere is a dog friendly area. I think we are a bit spoilt really. Some of our UK ferries have a fake grass exercise area near the dog kennels. You just pick up and hose down after your dog. Easy peasy. Not so lucky on foreign vessels I’m afraid. Dogs are expected to mess on the outside decks, anywhere they please.
All well and good if you have a dog who can do their business just anywhere. Meg is just a bit picky. She needs grass, other dog smells and a wee bit of privacy. Would she go? No bloody way would she. Our little dog held herself for 18 hours! 
. Gareth finally had success with her on a shaded deck when no one else was there. Then about an hour later she wee’d on the carpet just inside the door – we don’t think hers was the first there 
. I think she wins the prize for camel bladdered dog 
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Anyway, We finally departed from Sicily at 10.30pm. Meg was settled on our bed in our pet friendly cabin so we went up for a spot of dinner. Not that appealing but good enough to send us to sleep on a full tummy.
It was a very calm sea and we had a good kip.
We spent the morning sunbathing on deck and had lunch while Meg was, once again sleeping.
I had hoped to catch a glimpse of dolphins or such-like in the wake of the boat, but sadly, nothing was seen on this occasion.
The boat docked on Genoa and we were off at about 17.30pm, and headed for a Sosta in a small town just to the west of Milan called Area Sosta Camper – Vigevano.
The route took us past what looked very much like rice fields. Checking Google it was indeed rice being grown. We were driving through Arborio rice country 
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The Sosta was a great little place with a very friendly manager. The town looked lovely on the internet, we’ll have to pop back next time as we were on a tight schedule and left there this morning by 10am. The Sosta was €15 including electricity. You could also ring and have bread or pizza delivered 
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Friday 7th June 2024.
Today was a driving day, working our way back to the UK for an appointment.
We drove through Switzerland and have pitched up at an Aire in Lottstetten just over the border in Germany. The Aire or Wohnmobilstellplatz as they are often called in Germany is called: Wohnmobilstellplatz Lottstetten
We didn’t realise how close we were to the border until we popped into the local Lidl, next door to the Aire. The majority of cars in the Lidl car park were Swiss plated!. Who can blame them when everything is so expensive in Switzerland.
Opposite Lidl was a rotisserie chicken van , that was dinner sorted then. We obviously had to have chips too
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