After spending the last few years traveling almost all of Italy with a tent, we wanted to go to Greece this year. Either island hopping or to the Peloponnese. Since the ferry is ridiculously expensive and our car is quite old by now, we wanted to fly, rent a car, and stay in hotels.
I’m using the subjunctive tense on purpose. First, it took until May of this year for us to even decide on the dates for our vacation. Then came the idea of Greece, but what exactly? Pondering, skimming through travel guides, asking relatives, and so on. Days turned into weeks, and suddenly it was mid-June. The vacation starts in mid-July. Getting a flight and a car at acceptable prices at this time of year is tough. But hotels are even tougher. Last-minute deals have died out in recent years, and the early-bird discount has taken over. I wouldn’t exactly call us early birds, though.
So here we are, with a vacation just around the corner. And still no destination. We know a few beautiful spots and campsites in Italy by now. We’re particularly fond of Puglia, which is why it’s currently the most likely option. If it weren’t for our car. Our car now has 400,000 km on the odometer, and to make matters worse, the check engine light is currently on. According to the mechanic, the exhaust gas recirculation valve (EGR valve) is probably stuck. The car still drives and the loss of power is minimal, but in the worst-case scenario, the diesel particulate filter gets clogged and the car breaks down. A 100-euro problem can quickly turn into over 500 euros and more. Unfortunately, the garage doesn’t have an open appointment until the beginning of August. Until then, the car shouldn’t be put under heavy strain.
A really bad situation for us. The high temperatures in Italy aren’t helping. We have little desire to break down with the car in Italy. I’m not a mechanic either. The replacement doesn’t look very complicated, but the hassle will be huge if we break down because I did something wrong. If I can’t find a garage at short notice, the camping trip to Italy will be difficult too.
An unsatisfying situation. I could also imagine chilling at home for three weeks and gaming a lot. My girlfriend wouldn’t be too happy about that. She has firmly reserved her annual leave (and all other vacation days) for things to do together. But where and how? I just find 4,000 euros and up for two weeks to be too much, at least for a road trip without any comfort. It’ll be interesting to see where we end up. I’d also be up for a two-week all-inclusive vacation. It would at least be cheaper than Greece.