September Travels - the Tunnel Rush

Following the Balkan adventure of 2014, we elected to try Minoan Lines, an Italian owned shipping company operating fast ferries down the Adriatic.

Days 1 and 2 - Wiesbaden to Ancona.

I enjoy drivng through the Alps in daylight so the plan was made to overnight half way at Belinzona Switzerland leaving Wiesbaden early afternoon.

mountains and lake - my dream is realised

All going well with eta at Belinzona  21:30 when sign spotted in Italian roughly translated to "St Gotthard Tunnel to close at 21:00" - trouble was overnight stop so thoughtfully planned is the other side...

We make the tunnel entrance 2 minutes before closure and emerge in Ticino to see much stau not going North...

Belinzona - thoughtfully provided public facilities and free to use too

A double room here at the converted Istituto Santa Maria with breakfast cost around €80 - not to bad for Switzerland.

Next day the slog past Milan to Ancona was undertaken with little incident.

Interesting cappuccino ginseng available on many italian autostrada

solar powered car parking shades - now that is a good idea

 However the ship was delayed some hours in arrival at Ancona so after check-in  we ventured into the town of Ancona to find gluten free pizza and some food.

water features everywhere

should be blowing air?

Meanwhile back at the port some late action eventually takes place.

The "Cruise Olympia" skulks into Ancona port 3 hours late

Following the chaotic unloading/loading process...

...we are safely installed.

The delay worked to our advantage as we arrived at Igoumenitsa at a more civilised time of the morning. Oh, and we booked a cabin this time!

on board amenities include bull dancing...

...followed by an expensive μπιφτέκι