Day 6 STELVIO

One thing Italy does better than dear old blighty is rain – it started yesterday afternoon about 5 (just as we were exiting the supermarket unprotected with provisions and wine) and kept up solidly for some 7 hours.  When I say rain, believe me it was torrential throughout, at one time cutting our electric supply and nearly draining our batteries.  

Checking the forecast for Wednesday (day 6) and the Stelvio climb there was considerable debate about the wisdom of doing the ride or rearranging the itinerary.   Andy proposed we drive to Bormio anyway and then suss out the weather and if a problem – well we had no real alternative with my suggestion of the Bernina Railway to St Moritz failing to stir the souls of Vince or Andy.

Anyway leaving our site at 8 this morning we set out for Bormio – a drive which we anticipated might take 2 hours actually taking 3 – this might be explained by the roads we traversed over two mountain passes and multiple hairpin bends.  Some evidence below but on my Michelin map these looked major roads and is so how wide are the tracks -

Day 5 Bike ride

 Here are a few pictures from they're ride around the lake -

Vince has first puncture of the tour

and the sneaky devils confessed they'd indulged in Smith's delight - coffee in little cups 

BUT never mentioned the carafe of wine only exposed by photographic evidence!!

Day 5 Iseo

For me a blissfully quiet day as the cyclists have theoretically disappeared for a day cycle around Lake Iseo – 

apparently they may be thwarted as there is a tunnel closed somewhere up north.  Anyway they’ve gone giving me the chance to stroll leisurely around the old town and then return to the campsite and have restful relax by the lake. Have to make the most of opportunity as before you know it the squabbling children – sorry cyclists - will be back full of their adventures!

A few pictures of the old town and other important features are below –

Oldofredi Castle is one of the best preserved examples of lower medieval military architecture in the province of Brescia.  The origins of this fortified complex were at the end of the X1 Century.

Around the church square are the parish church of S. Andrea, together with the smaller churches of S. Giovanni and S. Silvestro.  S.Andrea was founded in the second half of the V1 Century.

In the picture labelled campsite you can make out a caravan just to the right of the centre – that’s the campsite.

Iseo station possibly needs no further comment but the railway line passes right beside the campsite – brings back fond memories of Dingwall on the Lands End adventure!

And as I finish they have returned – peace is shattered!  Oh well maybe the mountain climb of Stelvio planned for tomorrow will tire them out!

Day 4 Rivotella to Torbole

At long last they’ve done a minor bike ride – a trifling 40 odd miles which was not only flat on my map but actually dead flat – cyclists are currently throwing hissy fits as they think ride was arduous.  Cobblers I say.

For me the first part of the drive from campsite to Garda was boring although it did improve when north of Garda and away from the maddening crowds.  Parking spots for the van were impossible to find due to volume of traffic and height barriers on parking areas until I reached the town of Brenzone halfway up the Eastern bank of the lake.  Whilst waiting there, Vincenzo phoned to say they were some 20 minutes away giving me time to set up the video camera to record their arrival. 

On entering the town and some 400 yards away Vincenzo must have spotted the van guessed I might have the video camera and started a sprint finish, a trick spotted by Smith who then caught him on the line.  This was all witnessed by Geoff following a few yards behind with a sad shake of his head at the pettiness of it all.  I’ll try to post the video some time when home.

 It seems 5 minutes before this they thought they had seen me, started a sprint only to find they were waving and shouting at a complete stranger!

  

After a break for cake and coffee they then set off for the final 15 miles of the day through a few tunnels to the town of Torbole at the north end of Garda Lake.  After lunch we drove down the West side of the lake – a narrower twisty road of many tunnels which would have been very dangerous and unpleasant to cycle.  Some 20 miles before our campsite for the night at Iseo the heavens opened with unbelievably heavy rain, thunder and lightning.  Fortunately this stopped just as we arrived at the site – small and on the edge of the lake with stunning views.  They’re planning to cycle around the lake tomorrow but I’m going to grab an easy chair, walk 50 yards to the beach and sit there in the sun with a bottle of wine – now which one of us is smart!!

                                                                     Torbole

Campsite views

                                                                             
                                                                            Iseo 

Evening Pizza

Day 3 Masevaux to Lake Garda

Another day with a lengthy drive as we travel across Switzerland, then south into Italy and finishing with our lakeside pitch along the shores of Lake Garda and pleasant evening sunshine. The northern stretch through Switzerland was cursed with low cloud which was a tad disappointing although it was pretty industrial. Then we went through the 9km Seelisberg tunnel south of Luzern emerging into bright sunshine and splendid mountain scenery. After stopping for lunch and coffee (plus cake of course) Geoff took over for the next stretch through the 16km Gottardtunnel crossing into Italy and dropping down to Lake Como where we checked out our campsite for next Friday and Saturday. 

 This is the only site we need to have definitely booked so we can watch the cycle race on Saturday -and we can safely drink with no worries of driving! Smith had been concerned as they had not replied to his many e-mail requests but not sure he was totally reassured by the casual “no problemo” response – but to quote his favourite phrase – “it will be what it will be!” 

 Anyway at least tonight’s stop “camping village San Francesco” has a supermarket so we can top up our depleted wine supplies! And at least the lazy buggers might get the bikes off the back of the van and their legs over tomorrow – it’s just been one long holiday for them so far!!

Day 2 Dover to Masevaux

An early start (well for the Kearney boys certainly) leaving the car park just after 6 for the short drive to the port and the ferry.  All loaded on the lowest deck (with all the Lorries) and away by 6:40. A full breakfast for all and before you knew it we were ready to disembark shortly after 9 French time.  Geoff had warned us that we could expect delays with all the security checks supposedly now in place but straight off boat and out on the motorway in ten minutes.

We did manage a slice of our first cake of the tour for a morning snack with coffee – cherry cake courtesy of Anne-Marie and the WI.  At this moment though we still have in reserve the two fruit cakes from Geoff and Vince’s Mum plus one from Mandy Stone.

Then in truth it was just a pretty boring day, driving some 400 miles to get to our overnight stop point not too far from the Swiss border.  The last 15 miles were over a mountain on a narrow road with many hairpin bends – it was steep both sides and when we arrived at the campsite the smell from the brakes or clutch (worryingly maybe both) was extremely pungent - our new overnight neighbours could sniff the air and tell we had arrived – mind maybe that will cover the fact none of us had showered for 36 hours!

All credit for young Smith who had driven the last shift of some 100 plus miles where as Geoff and I had mainly beautifully surfaced motorway.

Day 1 Taunton to Dover

Having picked up the van the day before, we had a head start in preparations for the epic journey. Smith and I were dispatched early Friday morning on a foraging mission to Asda whilst Vincenzo at long last started making holiday* arrangements by getting his Euros sorted.  Anyway when all sorted, van loaded and touching farewells done we set off for the first stage to pick up Geoff from Portishead. 

The M5 was slow from the Weston junction but fortunately we were only going as far as J20, then back roads from Clevedon to Geoff’s – and what a little alleyway that was to get to his – a really tight squeeze for the unit!  After further family farewells for the Kearney tribe (and making sure no young stowaways were aboard) we were off for the 4 and half hour drive to Dover. 

Vince had proudly done some background internet research announcing that as we had several hours to wait at Dover with the ferry not until 6:40 in morning, we could park up at “Marine Parade” around corner from ferry port. We had visions of a wide boulevard with sea views only to find we upset Tom Tom by ignoring this little road it tried to send us down causing us to retrace our steps.  When arriving in the correct road we found it was narrow with room for parking on one only side.  The road was flanked on one side by houses with on the other the parking lane, a fence and then the dual carriageway going directly into the port.  We parked, sat and ate our salads for dinner with the roar every 30 seconds of a heavy lorry whizzing past.  To exacerbate matters there was a loose manhole cover which every lorry hit with a mighty kerplang.  Decision made we couldn’t stay here for the night so we drove back 500 yards to a large car park where a couple of motorhomes were already parked.  Having set up for the night we adjourned to a local hostelry for a beverage, although mainly to use the loos as basic rule of our trip can’t be breached – he who uses toilet in van has to empty it!

The pub produced the weird concept of two Irish lads drinking shite from Cornwall (DoomBar does live up to first part of name) whilst the English lads were drinking Irelands finest!   There also seemed to be serious discussion about the workings of gas fridges between Geoff and Smith which left me befuddled – or possibly it was more the dreadful level of sound of the pub disco and the dress sense of the “young” lady customers which left me stupefied!

Anyway after a couple of beers we retired to van for our first sleep in the van – interrupted by some for visits outside to kill some of the car park weeds.

·         - oops apologies to the wives I forgot this is not a holiday but a cycling venture!