This posting is Part 1 of 4 and takes me back to a road trip completed in 1977. It's a long posting. Readers may prefer to 'stay at home', or just skim through the pictures (click on one for a slideshow), seeing whether they recognise any of the places.
The opportunity to take all my four weeks' holiday at one go arose after I was appointed audit manager of Ferranti, at that time Thornton Baker's largest client. This was a full time occupation, apart from October, when I'm sure the client was pleased to have a rest from the auditors (though I did bump into one of their cost accountants during the trip!).
The diaries that are now up to Volume 105 had not been started in 1977, but I did make notes about the contents of the slides, as well as making a few rudimentary notes that I expanded upon up to Day 4, before life moved on. So those notes will supplement the scanned slides, and I'll include some of the indelible memories not recorded at the time.
I kept copious records of costs, but I'm not inclined to analyse them here. They would mainly relate to fuel, food and cheap accommodation in an assortment of currencies, some long gone, and Travellers Cheques were used to get cash.
I also sent a few postcards, but they don't add anything to the narrative.
Friday 30 September 1977 (Day 0)
Start: Blackley
Finish: Totteridge, North London
Mileage: 200
Cumulative Mileage: 200
Weather: Wet and windy
I set off from 40 Russet Road, Blackley, my first 'owned' home, at 7pm and drove in dreadful weather to London in my Ford Capri 1.6GT, armed with an AA map of Europe, reaching Totteridge after 200 miles. An old flatmate, Jacqui, was there to meet me at her parents' house. She had just returned from South Africa, and hadn't seen her parents, who were at the time living in Munich, for several years.
Saturday 1 October 1977 (Day 1)
Start: Totteridge
Finish: Bar-le-Duc
Mileage: 317
Cumulative Mileage: 517
Weather: Bright but windy
8.45 start. Eventually got 1.30pm car ferry - Dover-Calais, because too rough for hovercraft.
Car Ferry at Dover
The White Cliffs of Dover
Pleasant drive - Arras > Rheims (dark by now) > Nettancourt. Camped near Bar-le-Duc.
Near Arras
Sunday 2 October 1977 (Day 2)
Start: Bar-le-Duc
Finish: Munich
Mileage: 458
Cumulative Mileage: 975
Weather: Fair, with rain later
7.30 start in fair weather. Breakfast by a river near Toul.
Breakfast near Toul
Continued through Nancy > St Dié > Colmar, to Freiburg.
A typical village near St Dié
Fraise, from Col du Bonhomme
Reached the German border (after 175 miles) at Breisach - 1pm. Decided to go to Munich over the Bavarian Alps. Proceeded through Black Forest -Titisee, Bonndorf, Singen and alongside Lake Constance to Lindau.
A Black Forest view near Titisee
A Black Forest view near Singen, looking east
A Black Forest view near Singen, looking north, with a typical house
Beautiful colours with sun shining on light coloured autumn foliage. Heavy traffic and unable to stop. Solid jam in other direction. Beautiful sunset (about 2 minutes of glorious colour). Start climbing after Lindau - light for some time and Alps in sight.
First view of the Alps, from above Lindau
Rain after Oberstaufen all the way to Munich. Nice towns, and beautifully lit Royal Castles near Fussen. (Konigsschlosser, Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein - neo-feudal castles late C19.) Left Alpine road at Steingaden and went to Munich (10pm) via Peiting and the motorway. Good reception from Mr and Mrs Welch after considerable difficulty in finding the Hotel Arabella.
It was Jacqui's return to see her parents after 3 years in Cape Town, via Africa. Quite a reunion. Dark Side of the Moon, and Mike Harding in the rain got us to Munich. Jacqui's father was a motor manufacture executive, working for a period in Munich. [I don't think her parents were very pleased that we'd taken the long route through the Black Forest and had arrived late!]
Monday 3 October 1977 (Day 3)
Start: Munich
Finish: Munich
Mileage: 0
Cumulative Mileage: 975
Weather: Fair
10am start, to 3pm - sightseeing in Munich including soup and coffee for the equivalent of £1 each - to Jacqui's horror. Guided by Mrs W. Very efficient public transport. A nice city. Tall, slim, beautiful girls. Nice meal and good film show in the evening. An early night.
View from Arabella Haus to central Munich (east). Alps would be visible if it was clearer.
Note the twin towers of the Frauenkirche (Church of our Lady)
The New Town Hall was built 1867 to 1908 (Gothic Style). Its outline and carillon (Glockenspiel) is the largest in Germany, and is celebrated for its enamelled copper figures. Action ~ twice a day. Frauenkirche in background. Picture taken from the Marienplatz, an important pedestrian square. The Frauenkirche was built 1468-1488 in Flamboyent Gothic style but was badly damaged by 1944 air raids and is now rebuilt. The onion domes (325 ft high) on the western façade are great landmarks and the symbol of MunichFountain on the Marienplatz
The National Theatre (Opera) - built 1811, formerly one of the great music centres of the world. Destroyed in 1943 but now rebuilt to original plan. Auditorium holds 2000. Square is Max-Joseph-Platz
Church of the Theatines. Built 1663-1688, its façade being added a century later.
Mixture of Renaissance and Baroque styles
War Memorial. Not maintained and in a state of ruin
Hofgarten, with the Residence and Church of the Theatines in background
View from Maximiliansbridge towards some civil service buildings
Tuesday 4 October 1977 (Day 4)
Start: Munich
Finish: Five miles beyond the Italian border
Mileage: 205
Cumulative Mileage: 1180
Weather: Sunny
9am start. Motorway to Kufstein. Gradually better views of the Alps.
First view of the Alps - foothills from the motorway
Cattle shed - near Kufstein
Northern foothills from near St Johann in Tirol
Over Thurn Pass, then Gross Glockner (had lunch on top). Few tourists.
View south from Thurn Pass, 4180 ft, beyond Kitzbuhel
View north from Bruch - the start of the GrosGlockner Pass
View south east from Bruch
Fuscherkarkopf and Sonnenwelleck from the Barenschlucht Gorge
The Kafertal Amphitheatre, with Fuscherkarkopf and Sonnenwelleck
The view east from Edelweisse-Spitze, 8451 ft, with Goldberg Group on the right > Fuschertal gap opens up a view of the Zell Lake, chalky massifs of the Loferer and Leoganger Steinberge, and still further to the right, the Steinernes Meer
View south east from Edelweisse-Spitze
Excellent Glacier. A spectacular road. The snow ploughs had been out.
View south from Edelweisse-Spitze
The Pasterze Glacier, and the 6¼ mile distant GrosGlockner summit.
The view is from Franz-Josefs-Hohe 7772ft, up to 12457ft, highest point of the Austrian Alps
A view on descent near Schoneck
Superb descent through beautiful Autumn colours to Lienz.
On to Sillian, where I couldn't find the youth hostel, so I decided to camp.
Dusk on the Sillian road
I'd got 5 miles beyond the Italian border when the lights on the car failed. No lights!
Stopped at 6:30. Slept in the car in a gateway.It had been a beautiful day but a bit lonely. The following day I daubed all electrical contacts with vaseline - the lights then worked and I had no further issues with the car for the entire trip.
Wednesday 5 October 1977 (Day 5)
Start: Five miles beyond the Italian border
Finish: Venice campsite
Mileage: 130
Cumulative Mileage: 1310
Weather: Beautiful sunshine in Cortina, overcast in Venice
6:30 start. Drive through Dobbiaco then over Monte Croce de Comelico Pass.
Above and below: The Dolomites from the Mont Croce Pass
The northern outskirts of Cortina d'Ampezzo
Cortina at dawn, with the Tofane massif
Pieve di Cadore - view east
Pieve di Cadore - typical street
Pieve di Cadore - another view
A view towards Venice - leaving the Alps near Ponti Nelle Alpi
Reach Venice at 12:30 and stay until 5pm. My first visit.
The causeway to Venice - looking back
St Mary's Church - Gothic, Franciscan
Canal near Academy of Art
St Mark's Square, with St Mark's Basilica
The Doges' Palace, with St Mark's Basilica
The Doges' Palace - note the Death Sentence Columns
The Campanile, and the Old Library
View from Campanile - Guidecca Island
View from Campanile - St Mark's Square
View from Campanile - Church of St Mary of Salvation
Piazzetta St Mark, with the Lion of St Mark, and the statue of St Theodore
 |
| Rialto Bridge |
Go to Venice campsite and finish my meal by 8pm.
Thursday 6 October 1977 (Day 6)
Start: Venice campsite
Finish: Just beyond Rijeka, Bakarac Campsite
Mileage: 191
Cumulative Mileage: 1501
Weather: Dull
Depart Venice campsite at 7:45, after a good shower.
Tree lined road approaching Portogruaro
Portogruaro - typical street
Portogruaro - central square
Pause at Miramare, looking towards Trieste, after 94 miles.
The view towards Trieste from Miramare
Trieste (above and below)
Visited the Caves of Postojna.
Postojnska Jama - entrance to the caves
Lots of bus loads of children arrived from Belgrade. A crush at the entrance developed. Then a train ride took us deep into the caves, with children yelling the words to 'Yellow Submarine'. Fabulous caves.
We were separated into groups according to language. I was with 8 English and one American. The children were far away in this multi level complex of caves. We were shown sightless fish that exist in the dark of the caves. Also 'human fish' with legs.
Visited Castle of Predjama, dating from C16. It was along the road to this place that I managed to drive for several miles on the left hand side of the road, forgetting the local rules!
Castle of Predjama (C16)
Camped at Bakarac just beyond Rijecka, arriving 7:30pm. Food featured spaghetti sauce.
Friday 7 October 1977 (Day 7)
Start: Just beyond Rijeka, Bakarac Campsite
Finish: Split campsite
Mileage: 224
Cumulative Mileage: 1725
Weather: Another dull day
Church by the campsite at Bakarac
Leave Bakarac 7:30.
Stop at Novi Vinodolski and get 650Dinar from £20 Travellers Cheque. Lots of photos today.
Get behind a UK van (a rarity) - 'Come back Dad, Gran's gone home' scrawled in the dirt.
View of Velebit Mountains, near Karlobag
Sibenik - a typical square
Sibenik Old Town, from the sea front
The Adriatic, from the sea front at Sibenik
A view towards Split from the coast road, with the Kozjak Mountains and the Mosor Mountains
Above and below: The sea front at Split, with cathedral
Split - the bell tower of the Cathedral of St Domnius - dating from C13 to C17, restored in 1908
Sunset over the Adriatic, from Marjan Hill
Spend time with New Zealanders and adjourn at 11pm. A late night.
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