Living in San Giorgio di Pesaro and Kingston

A week after struggling through snow and Eurotunnel delays it was time to drive back to Italy. Having found France rather expensive in terms of motorway tolls we decided to ask the Tom Tom to work out a route through France without tolls. The route we then followed went through France into Belgium, into Luxembourg and back into France. The majority of the roads were motorways or dual carriageway and the total time taken was about 7 1/2 hours – 1 hour longer than the faster i.e. more costly route. An added advantage is that petrol is much cheaper in Luxembourg and so we saved money when filling up. 

We left Calais about 10.00 and arrived in Mulhouse (on the Swiss border) about 6.30. The only unexpected cost was a tunnel near Mulhouse which cost 7.00 euros. The only problem was the horrible weather in France as it rained all day but it did stop while we wandered round the centre of Mulhouse looking for a restaurant. 

Booked to fly to London for Christmas with British Airways a few months ago. When we discovered that there would be a strike we decided to drive. Soon after we had changed our bookings the strike was settled.

So on Sunday before Christmas at 5.00 am we set out for England. Leaving the icy streets of San Giorgio we were pleasantly surprised to discover that the motorways were clear. We made good progress through Italy and Switzerland and arrived in France about 1.00p.m. The snow also arrived and the motorway, although being kept clear by snow ploughs, became very slow going particularly as our windscreen wash nozzles became frozen and seeing the road was a mattar of peering through the smeers. By 6.00p.m. we had had enough and found a hotel in Verdun. The hotel had a restaurant but the food looked very tired and so we went out to eat. The only thing opened near the hotel was a Pizza and Pasta Bar or “Buffalo Bills” a burger bar. We opted for burger and chips – whatever happened to French cuisine.

Next morning we left at 7.30. Our train on Eurotunnel was at 4.00. We arrived at 11.30 and were offered the next train at 12.20. Our  lucky day. We drove to the loading area and waited, in our cars, for over three hours before the next train left. No information given about why we were waiting. But we believe we were on the last train to leave for the day.  A drive through rain and snow at rush hour meant we finally reached our destination at 6.30 p.m. Phil, our host, made us sausage and mash as a homecoming meal.

Snow has fallen on San Giorgio (see photo) for two days. Fortunately it hasn’t settled and we have been able to get about. However, this morning driving into the hills it was quite scarey going round some of the bends. We slid three times on the way up and in fact, we didn’t quite make it to our destination as on the final curve the car couldn’t grip.

To resolve these problems we are now the pround owners of some snow chains and tomorrow we will be getting a set of winter tyres which, apparently, make driving on icey, snowey and wet roads much safer. The garage will keep our normal tyres in their warehouse and then will keep the winter tyres in storage when we change back to our normal tyres.

Almost overnight a new rotatoria or roundabout has appeared in San Giorgio. It is at the crossroads with Via Garibaldi and the main road from Piagge to Orciano.  It is still waiting the finishing touches but it will help people coming from spicello to San Giorgio as currently it is a blind exit and difficult to get out of. The rumour is that there will also be a second roundabout near the cemetery. In Italy all villages have to have a name e.g. Monte Porzio is the “Village of Parks”, Cartoceto is the “Village of Olilve Oil”. Could San Giorgio become the “Village of Roundabouts”?