Featured

A life less complicated….

Featured / freedombird / 13 Comments

Having started an epic journey around the coast of Britain in October 2017 – with a four year gap including Covid and caring for my elderly father – Tilly (my Toy Poodle) and I (Clare a 60 something female with a severe case of Wanderlust) are continuing to travel in our Bailey Endeavour B62 campervan, predominantly within eyeshot of the sea around both the Uk and Europe.

Returning from an amazing journey through the heart of Western Europe we rounded off our trip with a sunny (and as it turned out – very warm) tour around the South East Coastline of Kent, West Sussex and little of East Sussex and the Isle of Wight and headed home to Cornwall to re-connect with friends and family for the month of August, now in September it is time to head off again….

We have now visited some 1555 beaches around the coast of Britain and 638 in Europe with still plenty more to see..

If you would like to see our earlier journeys around the UK, they have loosely been grouped together by location and you can find the links below.

NB some of the links below are not yet working properly as it is a work in progress….

Beach Guides:

Freedombird UK Beach Guide

To catch up with our earlier adventures in:

North coast of Cornwall from 5th October 2017 to 11th February 2018 – Freedombird in Cornwall
Back in Cornwall at various times to complete the coastline – Freedombird back in Cornwall
North coast of Devon from 11th February to 19th March 2018 – Freedombird in North Devon
Somerset from 19th March to 29th April 2018 – Freedombird in Somerset
South Wales coast from 29th April to 14th August 2018 – Freedombird in South Wales
West and North Wales coast from 14th August to 21st October 2018 – Freedombird in West and North Wales
North West England from 21st October to 26th November 2018 and 27th January to 4th February 2019 – Freedombird in North West England
Cumbria from 27th January to 5th April 2019 – Freedombird in Cumbria
South Coast of Scotland from 5th April to 25th May 2019 – Freedombird on the South Coast of Scotland
West Coast of Southern Scotland from 26th May to 17th July 2019 – Freedombird on the West Coast of Southern Scotland
Edinburgh and surrounding area from 18th July to 30th July 2019 – Freedombird in Edinburgh and surrounding beaches
East Coast of Southern Scotland from 28th July to 15th September 2019 – Freedombird on the East Coast of Southern Scotland
North East England from 12th September to 20th November 2019 – Freedombird in the North East of England
Yorkshire from 14th January to 22nd February 2020 – Fredombird in Yorkshire
Lincolnshire from 23rd February to 13th March 2020 – Freedombird in Lincolnshire
Norfolk and Suffolk from 15th to 24th March 2020 and 28th June to 18th July 2025 – Freedombird in Norfolk and Suffolk
Inland England on various dates travelling through – Freedombird in inland England
West Coast of Northern Scotland Part 1 from 11th September to 14th October 2024 – Freedombird on the West Coast of Northern Scotland Part 1
North Coast of Scotland and the Orkneys from 15th to 27th October 2024 – Freedombird on the North Coast of Scotland and the Orkneys
East Coast of Northern Scotland Part 1 from 28th October to 15th November 2024 – Freedombird on the East Coast of Northern Scotland Part 1
In the Highlands of Scotland from 15th to 26th November 2024 and 10th to 21st June 2025 – Freedombird in the Highlands
West Coast of Northern Scotland Part 2 from 8th to 17th April and 31st May to 5th June 2025 – Freedombird on the West Coast of Northern Scotland Part 2
Outer Hebrides Part 1 from 22nd April to 12th May 2025 – Freedombird in the Outer Hebrides Part 1
Outer Hebrides Part 2 from 10th May to 30th May 2025 – Freedombird in the Outer Hebrides Part 2
East Coast of Northern Scotland Part 2 from 15th to 18th June 2025 – Freedombird on the East Coast of Northern Scotland Part 2
North and West Coast of France from 11th September to 7th December 2025 – Freedombird on the North and West Coast of France
Travelling down through the heart of Western Europe from 4th March to 27th April – Freedombird in Europe Spring 2026 Part 1
Continuing our journey through Europe from 28th April to 8th June 2026 – Freedombird in Europe Spring 2026 Part 2
South East Coast of England from June 9th to July 8th 2026 – Freedombird in South East England

Thursday 8th October 2026 – another day in Sperlonga….

October 11, 2026 / freedombird / Leave a comment

Well that was a night that was. Most of the evening we could see flashes of lightening and rumbles of thunder out to sea, nothing too dramatic until we had been in bed for a while and then around midnight the storm had rumbled in from the sea and was now immediately overhead and very loud. Poor Tilly was beside herself and there really was very little I could do to pacify her accept cuddle her in tight. The heavens also opened and the noise was such that neither of us could settle, so I did what any English person in this situation would do, put the light and kettle on sat it out – I think it was gone 3 by the time the thunder and lightening had moved off into the mountains and the rain eased enough for us to both get some sleep. Having originally planned to move on this morning. On waking it was still raining, not heavily but enough, so I made the executive decision to stay put and get another hour or so sleep before joining the day – which indeed we did.

By around lunchtime the weather did start to clear and so we set off for a walk, this time heading along the cycle path away from Sperlonga towards Lake Lungo….

How beautiful with the mountains in the background. At this point we joined the beach just capturing a sight of Spiaggia Di Capratica on the other side of the river…..

And distant views ahead as we turned back towards Sperlonga…..

Enjoying our walk along a fairly deserted beach, still damp from last nights deluge, we continued past the sight and into Sperlonga….

This time heading around the hill top village to wander along Spiaggia Di Levante for a while….

On our way back, once beyond the village, Tilly got some well deserved off lead time doing what she loves, chasing chunks of driftwood….

We also ventured back down to the beach a little later to see if the sun and clouds were going to give us a decent sunset – not really but still very beautiful….

More thunder and lightening tonight but overhead earlier so by bedtime it had passed on through – ah sleep 💤

Today’s stats:

Miles driven – 0
Miles walked – 6
Beaches – 3
O/N – £25.00

Wednesday 7th October 2026 – an unexpected gem in Sperlonga….

October 10, 2026October 10, 2026 / freedombird / Leave a comment

A few spots of rain during the night but bearing in mind rain was forecast for most of the day yesterday and again through the day today, we carry on being lucky! We are away by 10 and the journey was uneventful, travelling around the ring road of Rome was much better than I expected, less traffic and less mental!

As we head back towards the coast we are surrounded by olive groves and increasingly polytunnels (tomatoes) but as always it is good to get our first sight of the sea and by lunch time we are settled on our site for the night – Camper de Sperlonga on the edge of the coastal hilltop village of Sperlonga.

On site the olive harvest is very much underway and we watch fascinated for a while as they agitate the branches to shake the olives down onto the awaiting nets before heading across the road and onto the beach….

Spiaggia Di Sperlonga, what a beautiful long sweeping sandy beach, the waves are a little frisky and the mountains hold some fairly heavy clouds, but for us the sun is shining and the gentle breeze keeping the temperature just right for walking as we set off along the sand to Sperlonga…..

There are days where photos don’t seem to cut it but today the ‘money shots’ just kept coming as we climbed up to Torre Tuglia, looking back along the beach and up to the Old Town perched above and out to sea….

From Torre Tuglia, originally a 16thC coastal watchtower (though it has been destroyed on various invasions with the current version having been rebuilt in 2009) perched on the limestone headland we wandered up the many steps to the old village, pausing to capture more images (and catch our breath)…..

Looking down on the small marina and Spiaggia Grotta Di Tiberio stretched out to the north of the village….

The village itself – well just enchanting – I’m not sure what else to say….

Pretty murals, brightly hand painted tiles, impossibly narrow archways leading to yet more steps, bars and shops tucked away in little alleyways and incredible views – oh my what a delight….

Reluctantly making our way down we happen upon the little Chapel of San Rocco….

Finally down on the promenade we enjoy this spectacular view of the sea and sky….

I will say whilst I appreciate the wonders and historical value of yesterday’s outing in Rome – this was way more interesting, enjoyable and beautiful – in my opinion of course! Oh yes and no crowds, in fact not many people at all.

I have only planned to spend the one night here as the weather looks pretty shocking for tomorrow but if they keep getting it wrong?

Today’s stats:

Miles driven – 86
Miles walked – 5
Beaches – 2
Wow factor – 10/10
O/N – £25.93

Tuesday 6th October 2026 – a day in Rome….

October 9, 2026 / freedombird / Leave a comment

Wow what a day! We are out in good time today and by 9.30 we are heading for the nearby station Due Ponti. Just 5 stops (which is just as well as the train was full and Tilly insisted on being picked up) and we arrive at our stop Flaminio and exit the station right onto Piazza del Popolo where amongst the construction works it looks as though they are preparing for a large event…..

From here we make our way up to Terrazza Del Pincio to enjoy breathtaking views across the city….

Continuing through the gardens with busts at every corner and some seemingly forgotten old buildings alongside others still cherished….

We make our way to Villa Borghese which I spend a while going around in circles looking for until I realise it is the name of the parkland rather than an actual building and there we happen upon the Temple of Aesculapius, a young woman is singing and playing the harp as a beautiful accompaniment to the boats floating by the Temple….

All the way are elevated views of the city carrying on its normal day….

We are grateful for this relatively peaceful hour of so wandering around the parks as we join the madness of the city below and approach the Spanish Steps….

Next up and equally as congested, without a chance of getting close is Trevi Fountain – in both cases Tilly has needed carrying through the crowds to prevent her getting squashed and from completely freaking out…

For a bit of a break from the crowds we walked to the nearest Hop on Hop off Big Bus stop (having purchased a 24hr ticket – which actually was a bit of a waste as we only did one small trip, choosing to walk the rest) and managed to secure the last seat upstairs in time to get an almost birds eye view of the amazing Colosseum….

Palatine Hill and Circus Maximus….

Before we alighted at the next stop to get a closer view of the remains of the Theatre de Marcellus and from there we walked up to Piazza del Campidoglio to look down on the reclamation site of the Roman Forum….

Passing by the Altare Della Patria, we started our walk through a series of cobbled alleyways winding our way through the city as a few minutes of light rain added a shine to the cobbles….

Arriving at the Pont Sant Angelo crossing the Tiber to Castel Sant Angelo….

And ultimately into the incredibly busy St Peter’s Square in the Vatican City…..

Crowds of people hoping for a Papal Address were queuing to get into the paid area, cheapskate that I am I took some photos and we left the crowds to it, enough business for us for one day, as we crossed the Tiber and made our way back to station and home….

An amazing day and experience and luckily the wet weather forecast stayed away. One tired pup put herself straight to bed when we got back!!!…

Today’s stats:

Miles walked – 10
Train – £2.98
Bus Tour – £24.67
O/N – £25.00

Monday 5th October 2026 – moving on southwards to Rome….

October 8, 2026 / freedombird / Leave a comment

A little cloudy this morning which is good as it means the drive south wasn’t as hot as I feared it might be. The drive itself wasn’t particularly engaging but we did pass through some interesting looking old towns that seemed to be clinging onto the rock side by a wing and a prayer. Capranica (where we actually stopped to do some grocery shopping) and Sutri in particular also had many little of caves carved into the hillside – Etruscan necropolis or burial grounds, according to google. It is a shame that we didn’t stop to explore and take photos, but I was on a mission to get to the site in case it got booked up, as booking through ACSI isn’t an option.

Otherwise the route took us through olive oil country and rolling countryside then suddenly around a corner and we were in Rome – traffic everywhere!!

Fortunately the site was easy to find being just off the main road and having checked in we squeezed into our allocated pitch – outside of the casual parking on many of the aires, easily the smallest pitch we have had – but hey we are only here a couple of nights.

We tried to get out for a walk but the castle I had earmarked would have entailed dicing with death along the side of a main road for half a mile or so, instead we set of in search of the nearest railway station for our trip into the city tomorrow. Not a nice walk involving crossing main intersections (with traffic lights) and making our way through an industrial estate but only taking 10 minutes so that is ok.

We even saw some Roman Ruins and more caves on the way 🤣🤣🤣…..

We returned to the peace and safety of the site which is pretty big stretching a significant distance back off the main road meaning that there is no road noise in the camping area, for the rest of our walk.

Just as it was getting dark and I thought I had got away with not having any immediate neighbours an Italian van after numerous attempts and several ominous sounding scratches from the little demarcation hedges, wedged itself in next to me. Initially he reversed in, as was I, then he realised that his door pretty much opened opposite mine with less than a metre between and so he reluctantly drove out and after much fuss, reversed in. At one point I did go out to see if I could help and I think he was trying to tell me that it was my fault and that I should have driven in so my door was on the opposite side! I chose to ignore him, feign not understanding and just smiled and left him to it. I am not moving – vans are parked any which way and as the pitches are so narrow most people are sat out the back of their vans…

Today’s stats:

Miles driven – 72
Miles walked- 5
Groceries – £34.34
O/N – £25.97

Sunday 4th October 2026 – a lovely afternoon stroll along the lake….

October 7, 2026October 5, 2026 / freedombird / Leave a comment

Another beautiful day and in the morning we followed the footpath along the lakeside, away from Bolsena, only to discover it didn’t really lead anywhere, just a few private cabins and a large (closed) campsite.

After lunch we headed out towards Bolsena and instead of going into the town we continued along the promenade as far as it went. Passing the busy central hub where many were enjoying walking, eating, drinking or just passing a sunny Sunday afternoon in a very European way….