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.
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| 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...
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| Belinzona - thoughtfully provided public facilities and free to use too |
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| 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.
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| Interesting cappuccino ginseng available on many italian autostrada |
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| 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.
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| water features everywhere |
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| should be blowing air? |
Meanwhile back at the port some late action eventually takes place.
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| The "Cruise Olympia" skulks into Ancona port 3 hours late |
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| Following the chaotic unloading/loading process... |
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| ...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!
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| on board amenities include bull dancing... |
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| ...followed by an expensive μπιφτέκι |
