We still don’t know whether we are going to stay at Camping Iria Beach for five nights, but we are acting as if we are. We have slowed right down, kicked off our shoes and relaxed. Having said that, Sarah can’t actually kick off her shoes since Mabel chewed her crocs to bits. She tried a pair of old flip flops she had brought along but that has resulted in nasty looking wounds between her big and second toes on both feet, so she’s resorted to sandles. Which can’t kick off. Sorry to be so long winded about it.

This site has a different character to any we have been on to date. It has a large number of long term residents. These are mostly Germans, but there are a handful of Dutch, Swiss and Austrian. You may wonder how we know these people are staying long term. Well the clue is in their pitch. If there pitch has a garden, pot plants and a fence I think I’m safe in assuming they are not just staying overnight.

The result from a site feel point of view is that it is very cliquey. They have all obviously known each other for weeks if not months and maybe return year after year, so they are no very open to interacting with newcomers.

On the other sites where we have stayed most people are staying just a few nights and moving on and so there is much more interaction. Asking where each other have been or are going etc.

We have had a totally relaxing day. Sarah, as usual has been more active than me, with her morning dog walk. For the rest of the day I’ve been reading and Sarah has sewn us a temporary replacement for the door blind destroyed by Mabel yesterday and has also been reading.

We have just returned from a walk along the beach to look at the nearest Taverna. It is a bank holiday here today and the Taverna had hired a band, which was playing the accompaniment to much Greek style singing and dancing. It was too early for us to eat, but we may go back tomorrow to renew our acquaintance with Greek food following the pizza debacle two days ago.

Since this is a short blog I have a little matter I want to get off my chest about the way us Brits are treated, by our British companies, and others, when we decide to step off our emerald isle. On this occasion the issue is vehicle insurance. One of the most convenient routes to Greece is through Croatia and then Albania. I would have liked to take that route, but before leaving Britain I hunted high and low for insurance which would cover Basil in Albania. The long and the short of it is I couldn’t find any. I assumed this was because Albania was very high risk and therefore planned routes to avoid Albania.

However, having now been travelling for more than two months I have discussed this matter with Germans, Dutch and even a Norwegian camper. None of them have any restrictions on their insurance policies regarding Albania or anywhere else in Europe. A couple have even said they prefer travelling through Albania than some EU countries.

So why do we Britains get singled out for special treatment. In all probability the German insurance policy is underwritten at Lloyds just as mine is, so why the difference. I can only assume it’s ignorance on the part of the insurance companies. Albania is now in the application phase for the EU. A few years ago however it was a hotbed of organised crime and maybe it is a memory of this which affects British insurance companies’ thinking, whereas their continental cousins are much more knowledgeable and up to date.

It’s one of many examples where however European an individual wants to feel, as a Briton, you are always made to feel a little different.

A personal concern flowing on from this is what will happen post Brexit. I’m sure all the inter-government issues will get sorted out one way or another, but in the case of private companies what will their obligations be. I presume that legislation currently requires car insurance policies to cover all EU countries, which they seem to. But post Brexit will the insurance companies be able to pick and choose. Will countries such as Bulgaria and Romania be added to the likes of Albania, as being no go areas for adventurous Brits. I don’t have the answer, but my experience with Albania makes me concerned.