#ThrowbackThursday: Italy

So as most of you know my dream job for as long as I can remember has been to be an international truck driver. When my Dad started doing it if he was going somewhere interesting I’d often skive off school to go with him! And later on skive off work! I was never too old to go for a spin with my Dad and never will be, I went for a ride with him last only a year ago and had a great day.

Being a weird adult as I am you can probably guess I was a weird child. My childhood car obsession was Italian cars…….nothing weird about that you think…….specifically Fiat Pandas! My Dad had a couple and so yet another parent influenced obsession began. Back in the early nineties they were all over West Wales and I started a business breaking them and selling the parts secondhand in the FreeAds papers! It was quite sucessful! Because of this and because you have to cross a mountain range, I’m obsessed with mountains, Italy was my dream destination. However it was fairly late before I got to go and I had to skive off work to go with Dad when he was given a run to Italy for Nolan Transport

It’s more than lived up to expectations, and then some. I have since then been over the Alps probably literally hundreds of times and the view never gets old, never fails to make me smile. I did a lot of Italy for Virginia International Logistics and seeing the Alps through the different seasons is wonderful. One of my most vivid memories concerns the Alps. I had loaded late Tuesday evening in Rome and on a fresh card (remember them?!) headed north. Hug the coast round to Genoa then up into the mountains then onto flat round Turin. In the day time from here the Alps fill your windscreen with that always breathtaking landscape but it was dark, winter, so still not light. However…..it was a full Moon in a bright clear sky and the Moon illuminated the wintry snow covered Alps the full width of my windscreen, providing on the the most breathtaking views I have ever seen. I can see it now again in my mind even though this was 14 years ago. Scenes like this just randomly popping up during your working day/night are what makes being an international trucker the best job in the world. My mind is filled with all the amazing things I’ve seen but this one is the top. If as they say your life flashes before your eyes when you die this scene will be front and centre and I’ll die smiling!

Let’s hope there are many more yet to come. Hope you enjoyed this #ThrowbackThursday. Picture is from 6 years ago today, Whites Transport Services Ltd Scania, waiting to go through the Mont Blanc tunnel on way home. Fridges and Hazardous goods get sent through separately in groups for safety, one of the safety features that was brought in after the awful fire. Given the choice I always used Frejus Tunnel, slightly longer most of time but no waiting and better roads up and down.