Hamiltons Abroad

We are a family of four who have decided to take a year out of our regular life and travel, in our VW camper van and backpacking. Europe and SE Asia/Oz.

[Hamiltons Abroad @HamsAbroad]

After a few days travelling back through France we’re back in the U.K. After catching up with people we put bricks and mortar around us in a semi permanent fashion for the first time in 13 months. I think ceilings will bother me the most.

[Hamiltons Abroad @HamsAbroad]

Surreal.

[Hamiltons Abroad @HamsAbroad]

Switzerland is an interesting, if slightly surreal, place to wake up on occasion.

[Hamiltons Abroad @HamsAbroad]

From Italy we spent a few days in Switzerland, coming over St Gotthards Pass in the alps. We were cold for the first time in months! The mountains and lakes of Switzerland are similarly on the list of places to revisit, stunning scenery. #Switzerland

[Hamiltons Abroad @HamsAbroad]

Catch up time-after Siena we travelled up through Tuscany via Chianti, Florence, Pisa, Parma and Lake Garda. Definitely on our list of places to return to. #Tuscany #Italy

[Hamiltons Abroad @HamsAbroad]

@markeson Hello! Sorry for late reply-north was the answer, we’re leaving Lake Garda today after a couple of nights here. Shame to have missed you.

[Hamiltons Abroad @HamsAbroad]

We have visited a lot of old, spectacular towns, and perhaps weren’t expecting too much of Siena but wow, what a place. The best piazza in Italy? Maybe! #Italy #Siena #Tuscany

[Hamiltons Abroad @HamsAbroad]

@FollowChadwick We didn’t get there, from Siena we came up to Florence then across to Pisa. I’ll add it to the list though, we’re coming back here, Tuscany has been amazing.

[Hamiltons Abroad @HamsAbroad]

@VW_Flora Lots of photos-this is a good site for info https://t.co/61eOQz9qta

[Hamiltons Abroad @HamsAbroad]

We have left mozzarella behind and come to the land of pecorino and truffles, Umbria, the green heart of Italy. Not all lunches are created equal. #Italy #Umbria

[Hamiltons Abroad @HamsAbroad]

Today is the 12 month anniversary of us leaving the U.K. in order to have a bit of a mooch about. So far we have visited 30 (thirty!) countries! We’ll get 1 or possibly 2 new ones in before returning in 3 weeks. Not a bad haul. #travel

[Hamiltons Abroad @HamsAbroad]

@Daniela25Poli We won’t get that far this time, too long a drive, but it’s on the list for the next trip!

[Hamiltons Abroad @HamsAbroad]

We were advised not to drive the Amalfi coast, and that was good advice, we caught the bus from Salerno to Amalfi today and it was a pretty hair raising drive, but the views are amazing. #Italy #Amalfi

[Hamiltons Abroad @HamsAbroad]

From Bari we travelled through Matera, a ancient city seemingly carved out of the rock apparently inhabited since the 10th millennium BC (!) then straight over to the west coast, home of buffalo mozzarella. #Italy

[Hamiltons Abroad @HamsAbroad]

@BBCSport Currently in Greece, and while obviously it’s better than not being able to watch the game I have mixed feelings about only having German commentary with @sportschau .5 live not quite synched with TV here. #bbcworldcup #ENGPAN

[Hamiltons Abroad @HamsAbroad]

This is as far south as we get on this last leg of the trip, an hour or so south of Patras, Greece. Next week we get the ferry to Bari and come through Italy, Switzerland, France and then home. See you in a month or so UK!

[Hamiltons Abroad @HamsAbroad]

Just leaving Lefkada Island and someone has parked my bridge at the side of the river to let these silly boats through! #pontoon #floatingbridge #greece

[Hamiltons Abroad @HamsAbroad]

@Catweasel70 Aniseedy. My twitter account, my words.

[Hamiltons Abroad @HamsAbroad]

Btw, we made it to Greece on Monday. We’re just south of Igoumenitsa, a stones throw, or more traditionally a short ferry, from Corfu.

[Hamiltons Abroad @HamsAbroad]

Driving through Albania you see these bunkers everywhere. So you @Google it, and thanks to @Wikipedia you find out that there is an av of 5.7 bunkers per sq km, built during the communist government of Enver Hoxha from the 1960s to the 1980s; by 1983 more than 173k of them. Wow.