Lunatics and lunacy!
It was like stepping into a Star Trek portal – everything changed.
We’d actually noticed the Italian’s living up the ‘worst drivers in the world’ accolade since crossing the border. But between Milan and Bologna, on the autostrada – this was a whole new, terrifying, ball game.
By now we were on the main route to Abruzzo wanting to reach our accommodation.
Here, the four lane highway felt too small and was packed with thundering trucks and bad drivers.
Cars and trucks wandered from one lane to another with no rhyme or reason, as if the white lines where there to clean their tyres – and the Italians like cleanliness!
Speed limit signs were merely an inconvenient picture to break up the view and were treated with complete disregard.
We’d actually noticed the Italian’s living up the ‘worst drivers in the world’ accolade since crossing the border. But between Milan and Bologna, on the autostrada – this was a whole new, terrifying, ball game.
By now we were on the main route to Abruzzo wanting to reach our accommodation.
Here, the four lane highway felt too small and was packed with thundering trucks and bad drivers.
Cars and trucks wandered from one lane to another with no rhyme or reason, as if the white lines where there to clean their tyres – and the Italians like cleanliness!
Speed limit signs were merely an inconvenient picture to break up the view and were treated with complete disregard.
Image courtesy of saphatthachat at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Highway workmen, usually offered the respect of a bit more care from divers were studiously ignored. One poor guy, holding an 80 km sign had to throw himself from the highway’s hard shoulder to avoid being squished by a meandering car!
The disrespect for the working men was embarrassing – but it wouldn’t be reaching the disgust I felt when witnessing a far worse disregard to fellow humans in Florence much later on.
Meanwhile, we had our own problems.
Drivers hurtled right up to our back wheel, skimmed alongside, sharing our lane, not bothering to move out to the fast lane. Then took an unnecessary cut right towards our front wheel.
Noel’s finger became well acquainted with the horn.
We stopped every hour to gather our wits. At times we turned off the highway to have a break on the back roads.
It made our first day into Italy regretful; we wondered if we were doing the right thing. Would we survive?
It would be close call.
The evening truck stop experience would make up for it all.
Next: Eaterly!
And lots more pictures to follow!
The disrespect for the working men was embarrassing – but it wouldn’t be reaching the disgust I felt when witnessing a far worse disregard to fellow humans in Florence much later on.
Meanwhile, we had our own problems.
Drivers hurtled right up to our back wheel, skimmed alongside, sharing our lane, not bothering to move out to the fast lane. Then took an unnecessary cut right towards our front wheel.
Noel’s finger became well acquainted with the horn.
We stopped every hour to gather our wits. At times we turned off the highway to have a break on the back roads.
It made our first day into Italy regretful; we wondered if we were doing the right thing. Would we survive?
It would be close call.
The evening truck stop experience would make up for it all.
Next: Eaterly!
And lots more pictures to follow!
To prove it just got better and better!
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