Snap, our first outing in an eriba was to Italy. We visited Tuscany in the killer summer of 2003 via a week stop over near Bourge en Bresse.
As regards the tar, give the van a good wash as you would the car with a car shampoo. When dry remove the tar with white spirit. It should dissolve easily. When happy give the effected areas a polish with your usual car wax. I usually do this after my long trip through France in the summer, and make a habit of giving the front end and roof a polish at the start of the season. This keeps the roof in good order and allows the dead flies to be removed easily from the front end.
Colin