Pisa, the Hotel California and hospitals.

One of biggest problems we’ve had so far is trying to find a mechanic who can service Springy. It seems that all viable options occur on the weekends. Yesterday evening, we thought we had found one so we packed up everything this morning. We thought we were a bit early, so we did the daily shop to find the business still closed. After trying to interpret the various notices, we realised the mechanics were closed for the holidays.......

With only a sigh, we drove to Pisa and did the touristy thing around the most famous architectural failures in recent history. You don't want it lean to far as it might fall over and no-one will visit the town. You don't want to straighten it as it just becomes the ex-Leaning Tower of Pisa which also doesn't draw the crowds.

Before we get too carried away with the trip, I realised we hadn't planned to see Assisi the home St Francis and where we bought Dee's wedding ring. looking at the map, we realised we had missed it already as we were travelling north to the left off Perugia and Assisi is on the right. To turn back would be a 2 day trip from where we were. We weren't too happy about that. Where we pulled over was the drive of the Hotel California. We hoped it wasn't an omen...............

Currently, Pisa must be the easiest Italian city to enter and look at the sights and get out again. Even the road side sellers were incredibly helpful. They pointed out the car park that was just about to open up and helped me reverse park Springy in. It was worth buying 2 hand woven bracelets of him for 5 Euro. I also considered them our unofficial security for Springy as they seem to have selling rights there. If any of the cars were broken into, they would be the first to be fingered, so they keep a watchful eye out.

The Tower looked much better than we last saw it in 99. The surrounding religious buildings also had scaffolding taken away. The main attraction was all the tourist taking photos of them and the Tower, pushing it up or over, kicking it or pretending it's their genitalia.

Suitably impressed and with a picnic lunch under our belts we travelled on. The GPS had a camping ground called 'Piccolo Paradiso' near our finish point for the day, just before Bologna. Things are going well, we get off the highway and are looking to be there is 15 minutes. Excellent! 

Dee sees another camping sign. Is that a comment or a request to depart from the planned end? We go on and soon see a sign for 'Piccolo Paradiso' that is not along the GPS route which isn't a bad thing as we've been led along a longer path following the GPS on several occasions before.

Following the road with 2-3 signs so far is good. Then the signs stop. The road loops around and we're back to the start again. Puzzled, we follow the GPS again.

We've found camping sites in the weirdest of places during our travels. So, when we start going uphill a bit, I'm not too concerned. When it becomes a narrow road and then gravel, I'm concerned and start looking for a place to conduct a 3 (or 15) point turn.

We turned around and looked at the GPS again. There are 2 listings for the site. I scribble the addresses down and choose the one I didn't pick originally. Surely this is the right one!

We figured we must have missed something with the signs as the GPS was pointing in the same direction, so we went back, stopping at a petrol station to confirm directions and tried the signed path again This time I noticed above the sign was another sign of a different font with 'Piscene' on it. At an intersection, there was only one sign, this one with Piscene on it. Trying my luck, I followed that sign to Picadillo Paradiso. 

It didn't look right. I couldn't see any campers. I got out and found the main serving area to see a pool, play equipment and a basketball court. Whatever it was now, it isn't a camping spot any longer. The lady behind the snack bar then confirms this saying it hasn't been one for years. I try to point out that not only is it in my GPS as a camping spot, there is 2 listings, one being at the top of a nearby empty mountain. The breakdown of the language barrier strikes again.

We go back to the sign Dee saw originally and followed that. Surely it can't be too far. So we drive. And drive. I can't recall missing any signs and we spot a camping sign, so we continue on. And on. 

We finally arrive and it doesn't look like any campsite we've ever seen. It has a high locked wooden gate with an intercom. I ring and the gentlemen says he'll be down in a minute. I look at the sign and the name of the camping site. I think about how far it is from everything else. Another car drives up and is very happy to see us, just as the manager shows up. Both are from the Netherlands and perhaps partners. I ask and my suspicions are confirmed. It's a nudist camp....

Now, I do't have any problem with nudity but I was fairly sure that Dee did with Gene with us. Thanking them for their time, we drove off heading towards Bologna to see if the camping site there was something more than a fantasy.

As it was about 6pm by this stage and we had been on the road for about 10 hours, I suggested we stop at the next open restaurant and have something for dinner and bugger the expense. It was around that point we drove past the petrol station I asked direction from and hour or so previously. We had completed a massive winding loop......

All the restaurants were closed. It was then I proposed the hypothesis we actually died somewhere along the road (like Hotel California) but instead were doomed to travel the roads looking for camping sites that didn't exist and look for dining that was closed.

For at the last week, the weather has been uncomfortably hot with the only respites when it rains making it cooler but humid.With this long day of just bizarre situations, it became too much for Dee.

About half an hour outside of Bologna, Dee asked to be taken to a hospital. Previously, Dee has had chest pains and they have never been deemed heart attacks after the lengthy testing that was conducted. I thought this is the same but I wasn't taking any chances. Gene loaded the GPS for the nearest hospital and we were off. I didn't fully know where we were and I didn't feel confident the operator, if we called, would be able to send an ambulance.

We made it to the hospital and Dee was admitted. It was then we found out it was a orthopedic hospital....

After confirming that things look OK, they organised to have her moved by ambulance to the General hospital for better care.

The Bolgona Medical services are great. What surprised me was the separate buildings for the different specialisations (orthopedic, cardiac, pediatric, etc). It also makes it a bugger trying to find the right hospital to find Dee.

We finally found the General Hospital and had enough coinage to dine on 2 packets of chips and biscuits. Dee stayed at the General Hospital that night and was moved to the Cardiac hospital the following morning. Gene and I slept in Springy on the road near the medical precinct as it was 10pm by then and tried to park closer in the morning.

The doctors are keeping her in hospital until they can perform  a  stress test on her on Monday, Gene and I spent most of this morning walking and driving around trying to find closer parking spots for a camper, seeing the Twin Towers of Bologna and finding the camping site for the night.

Tomorrow should be a relaxing day...............