Hi readers,
Apologies for no post yesterday. The ISP at my hotel was just sooooooooooooooooo slow, I overheated waiting for the damned thing to load. Anyway.......
Monza was a bit of a let-down. The roads are the worst I have travelled on, some potholes almost came up to UK standards (dustbin-lid sized!!!!!!!!). I'm on super low-profile wheels and they just aren't designed for crappy road surfaces. One crater was across the motorway (Autostrada my tailgate).
ANYWAY....
What a marvellous drive from Milan to Stelvio and on to Lindau.
Once out of Milan I was in my element. The Autostrada to Lecco was at first quiet, then as the miles went by, more and more Italians were out for a Sunday blast. Bikes and cars all ignoring the speed limit, so I had to join in. The crash barrier is three sections high and judging from the damage the Italians don't mind giving it a bash once in a while. After Lecco I drove 20 km through just ONE tunnel alongside Lake Como. After that, more tunnels but the occasional sights of the Lake and some of the villages on the opposite shore were unbelievable. Make no wonder those Italian guys are skint. They must have spent zillions on concrete for bridges and dynamite for blasting the tunnels. One minute in relative darkness, the next in brilliant sunshine high above a valley. Dual carriageway ALL THE WAY. Mind you they make up for it with their Diesel and Petrol charges, PLUS the toll cost (it must all be higher than France and Germany by 10%). But you have to keep an eye on the rear view mirror, some of those Italians are crackers. They must have got their driving licences from a newsagent cos they can't drive.
After Colico the road to Stelvio is all single carriageway through towns built alongside the road. They even have a Skoda dealership in Talamona (just after Morbegno).
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| One of my Skoda nieces, a Citigo at Talamona |
Well they built houses up the hills too, but about 65 miles to Bormio is 30/40/50 limits, everything revolves around the main road. Including the churches, this one something to do with Madonna in Bormio...
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| Madonna church Bormio |
The Italians ignore the speed limits, the bikers don't seem bothered either. Every town has a Pizzeria cafe that is open, even though it is Sunday. Some supermarkets open just in the morning. On the South facing side of the valley are vineyards, most with the name of the brand in four foot high letters, clearly showing for passing traffic. I'm just whizzing along at 50mpg, BRILLIANT.
Then from Bormio it starts........
Climbing out of town around a few blind curves, then you realise you're going up. A deep gorge stretches away to the left, you round a corner and don't see it anymore. The valley drops away steeply on the left, you blink and water is cascading down the gorge, the road straightens, you see vehicles zig zagging up the valley high up in front of you...
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| WOW!!!!!! |
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| I TOTALLY AGREE - WOWWWWWWW!!!!!!! |
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| AWESOME |
then onto a series of covered sections where two vehicles cannot pass each other, there is a corner in the middle and someone HAS to reverse. I GOT THROUGH. Now the real test, short stretches of tarmac with reverse-turn BLIND corners, lunatic bikers blasting up behind and trying to pass. OH NO YOU DON'T, I got round first, then let them by. Stopped at corner 22 and had a breather looking back down the pass. DID I JUST DRIVE UP THERE, YES I DID. You can see that this is no ordinary mountain pass with just the occasional mountain goat for company. Bikers, Cars, Cyclists, LUNATICS and even CAMPER VANS. I did a vid but it's not playing so,
Then on again, corner after corner, past the church with loads of Italians in traditional dress (not interested), and on finally to the top of the pass. Well turn one first......
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| I can't be in every picture |
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| MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! |
But as we all know, what goes up, must come down even by an alternative route.
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| The other side - woweeee |
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| It takes ALL sorts.......... |
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| Yes, they DO pedal up from the bottom - CORONARY |
Couldn't get a shot down from the top, but managed this half way down.
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| Still Snow on the top in AUGUST |
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| I was up there - those three white dots are CAMPERS - I'm OFF before them |
Some dick stacked his bike part way down on a blind right hander (under a Skoda coincidentally), but all was under control with no injuries as I blasted past.
Then more miles, through Nauders to Landeck then west towards AUSTRIA the border,
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| Austrian border, going to Lindau. |
via Bludenz and Feldkirch.
So far, all in generally glorious sunshine, and then it started to rain. BUT HAMMER DOWN.
I might get the vid on tomorrow, but got to Lindau anyway.
BYEEEEEEEEEEE
