Italy, Jim; but not as we know it!

[Robinhood]

Italy, Jim, but not as we know it!

 

Having spent the earlier of our two main excursions of the year in The Outer Hebrides, though we had experienced better weather than most visitors to Scotland this year we decided the second should be to the South in search of the sun.

 

Such searches have not always ended in success for us, but this time we were very, very lucky. Though we saw temperatures as diverse as +39C and -4C, overall (and with a bit of cunning planning), we've just returned from one of the best runs of weather we've had for some time.

 

We always have outline targets for our travels, but we just as often end up somewhere totally random, driven by the vagaries of the weather, or how our mood takes us. We last visited the Sud-Tirol (Alto Adige) and its environs some 16 years ago on the way back from Venice, and having been impressed by the scenery, had resolved to return some day (indeed, for at least two earlier excursions it has been a "pencilled-in" target that was never achieved).

 

So, with the Dolomites firmly in mind we set off for three weeks or so of touring, which would make 50+ nights' use of the new van in the four months of ownership to date.

 

Having grown rather bored of the same route South via Dover, and being wary of any potential disruptions, we decided to try the Hull-Rotterdam service for the first time. Hull is a much easier drive for us than Dover; the route South from Rotterdam is different and largely new until the E42 we habitually use to head South near Liege (a road we like). The overnight crossing also makes for a more-relaxed journey to the Alps with one stop-over on the way.

 

This crossing is, of course, expensive, though reduced mileage, the 10% discount by booking via the C&CC, and the more-relaxed run all help defray some of the cost. There's not much to say about the crossing per se; big boat, relatively efficient loading and unloading, and it gets you there. Entry and exit at both Hull and Rotterdam are easy (though the Hull reporting time means you get caught up in the City's late rush hour traffic - much like the return arrival time means you hit the morning rush hour!).

 

So, after a calm overnight crossing on 25th August, we disembarked at Europort (Rotterdam) marvelling at the miles and miles of docks, refineries, railways etc. and headed South via the Mosel as an overnight stopover. We've found ourselves diverted from our plans here by good weather a few times, but, though the day was good, the forecast for the morrow was not, so with steely determination we headed for our favoured Stellplatz at Wintrich, for one night only.

 

The nature of the E42 may change once the much-opposed Moselbrücke is completed, providing a fast route to the far South, but for now, it provides an excellent run as far as the Mosel, with a decent surface, light traffic, and good views. Buy you Riesling now, though, as the locals reckon it will never be the same again after the bridge is finished! Dropping off the bottom of the E42, the route to Wintrich takes you into the Mosel Valley at Piesport (with a magnificent view as you drop), with its conveniently situated supermarket and Getränkemarkt (both take CC) which are ideal for supplies before the short drive down the valley to Wintrich.

 

Horror of Horrors!, the nightly fee has gone up to €9 (including wifi and electric, and a nicely-spaced hardstanding if you are early enough). After settling in we set off up the road for a Schwinesteak and a bottle of the best Riesling at the Winzer, Matthiashof (as I've posted before, a veritable bargain). A beautiful, balmy evening to eat on the terrace before a final walk through the vineyards and back to the 'van for the remainder of the evening.

 

The next day was cloudy, with rain threatening, so our resolve didn't fail, and we set off South reasonably early.The forecast for the Northern Alps was very good, and the weather was improving, so we had a discussion on where to head for, and decided on Oberammergau.

 

Now, we have been here a few times before; the town is a little touristy and twee, but improves in the evening; the campsite ( http://www.campingpark-oberammergau.de/en.html )is pretty good and convenient for the town, and the surroundings are very pleasant. Unfortunately, though we have in the past invariably arrived in decent weather, just as invariably, the rain has arrived with us (and we have moved on after a short stay). This time, it would seem we might get the chance to explore the environs in better weather (and satisfy an urge dating from our first visit many years ago).

 

Oberammergau is a good full day's journey from the Mosel, especially when you allow for refuelling, bread shopping and a lunch break. The Autobahn network also did its best to delay us (though this time I can't blame the usual roadworks, except obliquely, as we had two lengthy delays from accidents (though both in roadworks ;-)). Accordingly we arrived at the campsite at 18:00 (they officially open until 19:00, but book in well beyond this time on request).

 

Two things had changed since our (brief) visit last year - the WiFi is now free, and they have a "Camperstop" area (a Stellplatz) without access to the (excellent) facilities, at a cheaper price of €10 for two people. Temperatures were in the lower 30s, and we ate at the 'van, and then went for a stroll round town.

 

The following morning was bright and clear, so time to satisfy that "urge". Dominating the town, and even more the campsite, is a peak named "Kofel", with an obligatory cross on top. It isn't particularly high, but it is quite impressive, and I've wanted to climb it since I first saw it. The definitive route is to take a Sesselbahn from outside town to halfway up the hillside, and then contour round to its base. This we did, to be met by a sign on the path saying "nur für Geübte" (only for the experienced). Red rag to a bull! I've climbed the biggest mountains in England Scotland and Wales by various routes, Ben Nevis in winter (twice), and failed to get to the top of Djebel Toubkal (the highest point in the Atlas) by only feet. Geübte, that's me! ;-).

 

To be honest, it was easy apart from a few polished places; it was cabled (i.e a Klettersteig) but still easy. Of course, when we got to the top it was full of Geübte labradors, and Geübte 2 year old kids! Still a good day though.

 

When we got back to the Sesselbahn to go down (my knees no longer do down) it became obvious that the very long Rodelbahn parallel to the lift was owned by the same organisation, and we could have bought "up on the lift, down on the Rodelbahn" tickets for the same price; so I asked if we could swap, and we did! It was pretty good, and would have been excellent if the guy about 5 in front hadn't insisted on stopping every few hundred yards, causing panic in the following crowd (much frantic braking), and a lot of accompanying German swearing (a few more words for my German vocabulary - to add to those I learnt at school when someone took Herr Von Brevern (our German "assistant") out with a violent tackle playing football ;-) ) Back to the 'van, and then out for an evening meal and drink at a Gasthof in town 5 minutes walk away.

 

After a morning walk to the supermarket for provisions, the next day was a biking day, in increasingly hot weather. Up the valley to Ettal to look at the Abbey, and then along another valley to one of mad King Ludwig's Palaces at Linderhof. Rather too commercialised to pay to visit, but a good bike ride, and a diversion back to the Ettal area for a beer on the way back. Dinner back at the 'van again in excellent weather.

 

As the temperatures were in the mid 30s, and the weather looked set for some days, we decided to do a short jump to Mittenwald, and Camping Isarhorn, which we have used before in similar circumstances to Oberammergau, i.e. bringing the rain with us and thus moving on. We were looking to fulfil another ambition, to take the Cable Car to the top of the Karwendel range.

 

.....to be continued......

 

=====================

[Robinhood]

Camping Isarhorn ( http://www.camping-isarhorn.de/english/mittenwald.html) is a site with very non-regimented pitches spread in woodland alongside the Isar river, and a couple of miles (and the rest) from the attractive town of Mittenwald, which is reachable by an off-road cycle/footpath route. We arrived well-before midday, and on reporting in we were given a key to the electric cabinets, and a form on which to record the opening meter-reading. We were invited to find our own pitch, but advised that the choice might be limited as throwing-off time was mid-day (it was Sunday) and it might still be busy. Nonetheless we found a decent pitch (and there is some road-noise here, so care in one's choice is need to minimise it), and, as the office was now closed, had lunch and then cycled into Mittenwald for the afternoon (and a beer). We returned to finalise the booking in at 4pm, and, since it was a nice evening (the 'van was showing 39C), decided to walk back into Mittenwald for dinner.

 

Incidentally, though there was Wifi when we were last at this site, it was chargeable; it is now free (despite what it says on the website). The facilities block has also been upgraded to a very good standard.

 

Of course, being such good weather the world and his wife had decided to do the same as us, and we rapidly annexed the one remaining outside table we could find, at a slightly down-market looking Restaurant, which in fact delivered very good food. I couldn't help smiling when the waitress insisted on responding to every item anyone ordered with "Alles Klar!" in exactly the same intonation as Herr Lipp in The League of Gentlemen.

 

The walk back to the campsite in the dusk (and dark - thankfully relieved by the judicious use of head-torches) felt all of its reckoned two miles or so (and the rest!).

 

The next day (Monday) was to be the assault on the Karwendel.The range itself exceeds 8000ft, and the Karwendelbahn cable car from Mittenwald provides easy access to the higher area, with not a lot of scope for further onward easy walking, other than a short walk round the "bowl" with stunning panoramic views. There is a relatively easy but very long descent (and my military knees (army knees ;-) ) all but debar that now. There is also a rather more difficult and frightening descent, and then some very exposed (but patently rather satisfying) Klettersteig routes over the ridges, which I might have delighted in in my youth, (when fully equipped) but nowadays, discretion is the better part of valour.

 

Given that the "bowl" that the cable car delivers you to is devoid of other easy access, one feature is a 430m long rough-hewn tunnel which delivers you to the jumping-off point for most of the skiing, and for the easier descent. We walked out and back through here, marvelling in both the workmanship and the views.

 

So, what remained was the Westliche Karwendelspitze, (the LH high point in the Karwendel1 photo) which had a "kreuz" and an easier Klettersteig route. In reality, the climb was simpler than the "Kofel" at Oberammergau, but longer and certainly more exposed. It was completed with joy (and accompanied by magnificent views), and despite also being described as "nur fur Geubte" didn't have any labradors or two-year-olds at the top ;-) . It does look an impressive point to have climbed to in all the pictures. The Austrian/German border runs along the top ridge; Angela may have some difficulty closing it here :-).

 

After our excursions, back to the valley by Cable Car, and into Mittenwald for dinner (slightly earlier than the previous day, so, though equally hot we had a better choice of Restaurants with outdoor tables. Then, a walk back to the 'van after a good day out.

 

Next day dawned hot again, but with thunder threatened for the evening and the following day, we decided to make the best of the weather with a bike ride before moving on, but as I got my bike ready one of the threads in the alloy stem riser "stripped". (An occupational hazard of repeatedly loosening an tightening to turn the handlebars sideways whilst transporting them). I didn't fancy doing much distance with only the single remaining bolt holding things together, but luckily we had passed a bike repair shop on the edge of Mittenwald on our first day, so we elected to call in there. The stem riser on my bike is not a common type, and they only had one compatible part that was a very different geometry, and the elderly (well, about my age actually, isn't it awful when the reality hits ;-( ) owner was reluctant to fit it. We jointly decided after discussion on a longer bolt passing through the stripped portion with a nut on the end, and he disappeared into the bowels of his workshop and came back with just that - slightly long, but good and secure enough to see me through the holiday. I was charged the princely sum of €1, and gave him a very enthusiastic handshake indeed (after all, kissing cheeks is reserved for the French, isn't it?)

 

So, with bike fettled it was up the valley and into Austria (for a beer and cake stop at a very pleasant Gasthof up a side valley), then back to the campsite for a short break before a further ride down the valley (and then back when it started to spit with rain). Dinner was taken at the 'van, accompanied by conversations with our neighbour (from Munich) who was packing up ready to go home early the following morning. His view was that the several months of outstanding weather they had had was about to be followed by a week of heavy rain (and the weather forecast supported his view :-( )

 

So, much studying of internet weather forecasts later, and in heavy rain, we decided that it just might be the right time to head for the Sud-Tirol, it being, as the saying goes, the best of a bad job.

 

......to be continued......

 

=================

[Will86]

How nice it is to be sitting quietly at home reading others journeys, something we might have enjoyed doing 40 years ago.

 

Will

[Robinhood]

So, off South to Austria from rainy Mittenwald, and into the Inn Valley. Carefully avoiding the motorway as we hadn't bought a vignette (intending to cross Austria without stopping (other than to replenish supplies, and fill up with diesel which is very much cheaper than it is in Italy)), we headed for Landeck and up into the Reschen Pass.

 

This is a well-publicised route for crossing Austria to Italy without using motorways (and thus avoiding the need for a vignette, or more importantly if over 3.5T, a Go Box), but not one we have used before. Other than having to pass through the rather "tight" centre of Landeck, there is nothing on this route to worry drivers of even the largest motorhomes, and, in mixed weather, we headed up over the pass to Italy.

 

Whilst Trentino-Alto Adige is technically Italian, it has a long chequered history, being part of the Austro-Hungarian empire until the First World War, after which it was annexed by Italy. It is now a largely autonomous (and prosperous) region of Italy, and retains much of its original Austrian roots, with German being the predominant language in large parts of the region (though much is also bi-lingual with Italian). Accordingly, it is much like little-Austria, rather than Italy for real. (Actually, given the language and nationality of many of the tourists. it's more like little-Deutschland........ but isn't much of Europe now ;-) )

 

Having stopped for a late lunch just on the Italian side, beyond Reschia, in improving weather we were looking for somewhare to stay in the valley, preferably not too far down, and also preferably away from the main road. We'd dropped down the valley as far as Goldrain when we decided it was getting a bit more light-industrial, and we preferred the look of things further up, so we retraced our steps to look at a site between Sluderno and Glorenza that we had seen from the main road as we passed through earlier.

 

The site (Gloria Vallis - http://www.gloriavallis.it/ ) turned out to be very, very pleasant, but boy was it also expensive! However, we decided we would stay for the time being, and as it happened, certain things defrayed the headline cost anyway.

 

The Venosta Valley in which we now were, and which drops from the Reschen Pass to Merano, must be the one of the world's largest apple-growing areas. Think of the biggest number of apples you can, then multiply by ten, and then double it. You still won't be any where near! I have never seen so many apples in my life (it makes you seriously wonder where there is a market for so many) - and all of them get sprayed with water at intervals during the day, creating a fine mist across and down the valley that looks quite odd from a distance. They were also obviously getting ready for picking, with literally thousands and thousands of plastic boxes being distributed to the ends of the rows of trees. In the midst of these orchards sat Gloria Vallis, with beautifully terraced and manicured pitches, and facilities which would put many a 5* Hotel to shame (including the bar and Restaurant), and all very friendly as they booked me in at the seasonal price of €43.80 a night. 8-)

 

However....within the price was included a "Vinschgau" Card, the most important part of which was a 7-day pass on all (regional) public transport in the Sud-Tirol (including trains to Trento. This is a big area, and incidentally, would have cost €28 each to purchase separately). Now this is only of value if you can/want to use it, but we did. Finding a site with easy public transport really suits us, so the value out of the pass made the site fees seem much more reasonable. Not only that, but the use of the site washing machines and tumble drier were also free, and being halfway through the holiday these were also utilised to advantage.

 

This high up the valley you are surrounded by mountains, but also by attractive little villages with many Romanesque towers, castles, churches, etc. Having done mountains for a bit, (and with more to come), we decided to diversify a bit. Accordingly, late afternoon we walked into the nearby attractively-walled village (technically a city!) of Glorenza. And very nice it was too - with attractive buildings set-off to advantage by the walls, and after a leisurely stroll round we repaired to a local restaurant for dinner, and then back to the 'van for the remainder of the evening.

 

Next morning was an early start to snaffle one of the washing machines, and then, partially because the weather forecast was mixed, an excursion down the valley by train to Merano, a trip of somewhat over an hour, from the station at Sluderno around 10 minutes walk away. Of course, we were using our Vinschgau card for free travel. The train journey was quite enjoyable for its sightseeing, and Merano (other than the less prepossessing outskirts) was attractive, and a very pleasant place to walk round. It shows all the signs of being an old spa town, and has promenades and gardens, as well as some interesting architecture. The weather wasn't as bad as expected, though we had a sharp shower just as we sat down outside for a drink before returning to the station.

 

We decided to head back to the end of the line at Malles, one station above our morning departure point, as it had looked interesting from the road, seemed like it might have possibilities for dinner, and there was a bus back from there to close to the campsite. As it turned out, the town was devoid of reasonable (and open) eating places, so we caught the bus back to Glorenza (free again), where we knew there were a couple of good restaurants. We gained some amusement from our visit, however. The road into town from the station is steep, with traffic lights half-way up. Coming to an abrupt halt at the lights, a hatchback managed to deposit the whole of the rear contents of the car (which looked like bundles of timber) all over the bonnet of the following car. Despite this being largely a German-speaking area, what appeared to be a typically-Italian conversation then took place - we moved on!

 

Sitting in the restaurant at Glorenza, the heavens opened, with rain bouncing back 6 feet (should that be 2 metres?) from the pavement. By the time we had finished our meal, however, it was all over, and we made our way back to the 'van for the evening in dry weather.

 

The forecast for the following day was good, so we resolved to do some more local sightseeing, albeit walking a bit more this time.

 

......to be continued......

 

=================

[Robinhood]

The next day dawned with reasonable weather, so our plans for a walk would come to fruition.

 

As we'd dropped down from the Reschen Pass, the scenery in the higher valley had looked very attractive, so we had settled on catching the bus that passed close to the campsite to the highest point in the valley that it served, in this case Burgusio (or in deference to the bi-linguality, Burgeis). ...and there is an interesting point; which of the two versions of the names does one use, German or Italian? For us, there was only one option - as an example, faced with a choice of "Glorenza" or "Glurns", which would you choose? Italian for us all the way.

 

We'd assessed various routes the previous evening (good, free wifi), and discovered that many of the villages were linked by a cycle/walking route from the top of the Reschen Pass all the way to Merano, a distance of some 80km. For all you cyclists it is worth noting that this route is all off main roads, the great majority is hard-surfaced, and it has an overall descent of 1200m, and ascent of 120m. Real cycling for softies (as long as you do it downhill, of course, and in the course of the day we passed some mad sods who weren't!). By an organised combination of train and bus, or dedicated bike transport, you can get your bike to the top, and then tootle all the way down to Merano (tootle might be an exaggeration, as parts of the valley had quite steep drops). From our experience of walking part of the route, this would make a stunning day out. A limited number of bikes were transportable on the half-hourly train service (at a cost), but the trains were quite busy throughout the day.

 

Arriving at Burgusio, we had a quick look round the village, and then climbed by path to look at the impressively located Convent Monte Maria, and then back down to the village via the local castle. We then had a very pleasant walk back to Glorenza through the various villages down the valley, stopped for coffee and cakes, and then back to the campsite for an early dinner.

 

A hint now for those who would like to visit the area, but can't swallow the cost of a stay at Gloria Vallis. There is a municipal at Glorenza (Camping in the Park) which is well situated and looks like it could be OK. It is certainly MUCH cheaper than Gloria Vallis. We hadn't checked it out before our first evening walk out to the village (sorry, City!), and at the point, it was very busy, with large parties of German mountain bikers giving it very much a "rowdy weekend" feel, even though it wasn't weekend. As, now two days later, we walked past on journey down from Burgusio, however, it was very much quieter and less busy, and in this state we would strongly have considered it.

 

In the evening, we walked in the opposite direction from Glorenza, into Sluderno (I won't use Sclhuderns ;-) ) and wandered round the town, and up to the castle, before retiring to the 'van for the evening to plan our much postponed and anticipated return to the Dolomites in the Val Di Fassa.

 

......to be continued......

 

=================

[Geeco]

Robin please go back to Sherwood forest and stop posting great stories and even greater images. After holidaying most years in Europe we decided this year to buy a motorhome and travel around this end of the world. We have been since January, enjoying the countryside and been perfectly happy until I read your thread. Now you have made me question the length of time I can stay away from Europe. I love the different cultures, food and the Alpine areas excite me no end. Problem is the A$ has fallen further south than Tasmania so it seems I will be visiting through your camera lense. Keep it up I can take it!

Cheers Gary.

[Geeco]

Robin please go back to Sherwood forest and stop posting great stories and even greater images. After holidaying most years in Europe we decided this year to buy a motorhome and travel around this end of the world. We have been since January, enjoying the countryside and been perfectly happy until I read your thread. Now you have made me question the length of time I can stay away from Europe. I love the different cultures, food and the Alpine areas excite me no end. Problem is the A$ has fallen further south than Tasmania so it seems I will be visiting through your camera lense. Keep it up I can take it!

Cheers Gary.

[Robinhood]

 

...so, on a less than welcoming day, with low cloud and occasional drizzle, we set off for the centre of the Dolomite area that had threatened to draw us back from the day we first visited 16 years ago.

 

Canazei, which was our potential destination, has an "interesting" set of options for approach, most of them via extremely high passes, including the most direct from our current location, via Merano, Bolzano, the lower part of the Brenner, Val Gardena and up over the Sella Pass. The weather wasn't the best for sightseeing, but we decided we would take the latter route (as we hadn't used the Sella before).

 

As we weren't in any hurry, we'd resolved to avoid the Autostrada tolls, and this caused us a bit of an issue when we found ourselves (from the road signs) heading towards an Autostrada just short of Merano. To the current Mrs H's consternation, it didn't show up on our mildly-outdated (paper) map, and we rapidly changed direction to exit and find the ordinary road. I stopped, and changed the route options on the SatNav to "no tolls", and it promptly decided to take us back to where we had exited. It transpired that the Merano - Bolzano road had been upgraded to Autostrada status, but was still toll-free. Sometimes you do have to blindly follow the SatNav (but unfortunately, it isn't easy to know just when ;-) ).

 

We threaded our way round Bolzano and to the bottom of the Brenner Pass (old road), very glad that we'd chosen to avoid the parallel motorway, as it was at a standstill in both directions, and then on to the bottom of Val Gardena. From here, the road rises inexorably to the Sellajoch, at just under 7400ft high! The weather had dried somewhat, but was still very misty, so unfortunately, no pictures were taken that day. What views we did get during breaks in the cloud indicated that it would be a stunning drive in good weather. Incidentally, it felt much nicer doing the run in a (albeit large) PVC than in a coachbuilt.

 

...and this is where we hit our first instance of one of the common features of the high pases round here. Italy is, of course, a cycling country, and a large number of the cyclists are drawn to this area to do the passes (and I do mean in the plural!). Indeed, one of the challenges is the Sella Ronda, a circuit of four passes, and one which has the roads closed to other vehicles for two days to allow the cyclists to have it to themselves. Luckily, it wasn't one of those days, but the roads are still busy with cyclists on other days, either in small groups, or in larger, semi-organised events. This makes climbing a pass quite difficult, as there are few straight sections for overtaking, the road isn't wide enough to take a chance, and you may have a line of 20 cyclists at a time (all working hard and going very slow) to get past.

 

I must admit, I couldn't do one of the passes (let alone all four) if I had both an e-bike and all the legs of a centipede. Part way up the Sella, however, and in the middle of an organised group (complete with "sweeping" van at the back), we passed a guy on a road bike doing the climb with one leg!! 8-). I've never seen anyone with one leg riding a bike before - it can't be easy. He certainly had cleated pedals (sorry, pedal ;-) ), and what looked like a special saddle, but he was doing as well as the other riders. Respect!

 

In addition to the cyclists, the passes are also popular with motor-cyclists, but more of the hazards they create later.

 

We dropped down the far side of the Sella and into Canazei. The camping here (Camping Marmolada) had been pretty run-down 16 years ago, and it seemed to have gone downhill since then. You could forgive it a lot for its convenient location, and we might have used it if it hadn't been for the Gran Festa da d'Ista, celebrating the end of summer. As we dropped down we could see a ginormous marquee erected right against the campsite boundary. We checked, and it promised non-stop drinking and Oompah bands all weekend (this was Saturday) until late. ......well, I can take the former (well, at least I could once upon a time, but not really nowadays), but the latter was really too much, so we decided to look elsewhere.

 

As it happens, the Gran Festa did us a favour, as we went and checked out the campsite at the next village a short distance down the valley (Campitello di Fassa), and this (though on its lunchtime siesta) looked fine - well off the road and not over-busy. We headed out for a little drive round, and returned after the lunchtime break to book in at Camping Miravalle ( http://www.campingmiravalle.it/en/ ). The bottom field is pretty flat, beautifully situated, and next to the river. In peak summer, you might want to take care on pitch selection to maximise the sun, as the valley is very steep sided, but later in the year, you're only going to get sun for a limited amount of the day anyway, and we were planning on being out, so it didn't matter. The facilities here weren't quite up to the standard of Gloria Vallis, but not far off, with a vast building amply capable of catering for 20 times as many people who were currently there. So vast, in fact, it was a route march to the toilet even when you were inside the building (one of the reasons why non-stop drinking might be off the agenda ;-) ).

 

We spent the rest of the afternoon walking into Canazei on the riverside path to check out the Gran Festa, and the cable car arrangements for the morrow (in fact, the main lift goes from Campitello, so even better), before dinner in a restaurant just round from the campsite.

 

To date, most of the weather had been at least temperate (much of it hot), even overnight, though we had seen some new snow at higher levels. Campitello is at some 4,700ft, and that night it was bl**dy cold (around -5C). The 'van sailed through its first "winter" conditions, however, us being very snug.

 

It also snowed higher up, and the result was a magical next day on the hills, surrounded by magnificent scenery - but more of that in the next instalment. As there were no pictures taken on the day we travelled, just one taster of the view from the campsite early the next morning.

 

......to be continued......

 

=================

[Robinhood]

Up bright and early next morning, to catch the cable car to Col Rodella. The ground station is in Campitello but a short walk from the campsite (which is itself an even shorter walk to the village centre), and the early queues were light, so we had little time to wait.

 

At the top, though beautifully bright and sunny, it was still extremely cold, so additional clothing came out of the rucksack, was gratefully donned, and was worn for most of the morning.

 

There are a number of pictures attached, but you really can't do justice to the panorama from here (unless, of course, you use a panorama shot, which would be unpostable here anyway). The views are simply magnificent, and at over 8000ft, extensive. Everything was enhanced by the overnight sprinkling of snow, the level being somewhat below the top station.

 

We did a similar ascent on our last visit 16 years ago, and there is a spectacular, though relatively easy, traverse which gives you the best of the views. It's a medium day to the shortest desirable descent, but can be extended by doing more high walking. On our previous visit, we had the kids with us (neither of them that old) , and were enjoying ourselves so much we did do an extension - a much longer one than intended as we couldn't find the intended way down, and had to carry on with a very late evening arrival back in Canazei! We jointly resolved we weren't going to make the same mistake this time, and also contemplated how well the kids used to indulge us in our pursuits, and also on the restorative effects of a large ice-cream when spirits began to flag!

 

So we set out with the intention of reaching the third Refuge from the cable-car, where we would stop for refreshment, and then drop all the way back down to Campitello on a descending path. When we reached the refuge, it was, once again, beer-o-clock, and we scraped the snow off an outside set of chairs and table to enjoy a refreshing and cold (in more ways than one), beer. (and, as it was, we walked a little beyond the Refuge to take in the views in the opposite direction, before reverting to plan).

 

On the way down, we spent some time watching Marmots playing, not particularly spooked by close proximity to people, and had an enjoyable descent through ever-warmer conditions.

 

Back in Campitello, we decided to eat dinner at the 'van (since it was warm and in the sun), so we nipped up the road to the local Co-op to shop, and then had a relaxing evening.

 

If conditions remained OK the following day, we intended to go "up" again, but for different views, and something a little less-strenuous.

 

......to be continued......

 

=================

[Robinhood]

After another cold night (low 20s with the sun during the day, -4/-5 without overnight), we arose with a refreshed resolve to do a slightly easier walk. The lift from Canazei provided a jumping-off point for a walk over to the top of the Pordoi Pass, not in itself an exciting destination, but the route would provide different views, including down the other side of the valley.

 

We'd talked to a young English couple (in a hired Swiss Smart Car - which initially "threw" me somewhat) the previous day who were off to do a high route, so I paused to get some vicarious enjoyment from their account of doing the top peak of the Gran Marmolada (Punta Penia) via the glacier and vie ferrata. Then, quickly off up the path to Canazei (where they were slowly disassembling the oompah-tent) and up on the Pecol lift for a pleasant (if unexceptional apart from the views) walk to the top of the Pordoi Pass. We paused to watch the Marmots again, this lot being even less spooked by human presence.

 

The path stays relatively close to the road for much of its length, and there was ample evidence of one of the other hazards (other than pedal cyclists) of traversing the mountain passes round here. The routes are also very popular with motorcyclists. Now, of course, passing these is not the problem (in fact it is much the other way round), but avoiding them as they pass someone coming the other way, or take the hairpin bends wide, on the wrong side, without looking, becomes a bit of a challenge. I've nothing much against motorcyclists per se, but the area does seem to attract much more than its fair share of those whose bikes have more cylinders than they themselves have brain cells (including those riding Harleys ;-) ). Most of them appear to be middle-aged Germans determined to test out their Schutzengel, and I had a couple of close-shaves as a bike materialised coming towards me on my side of the road, and I witnessed a good few more.

 

So, when we reached the top of the pass, and looked down the other side to see the traffic well below stopped in both directions, it wasn't any surprise to learn that there had been a motorbike accident on one of the tight corners, which took some time to clear. I'm told it's a near-daily occurrence.

 

We retraced our steps leisurely to the top of the lift, disappointed to find that an attractively-located and seemingly active "beer-shop" we had noted on the way up was active only in packing up for the end of the season. We were duly informed that it would re-open for the winter season, but we decided not to wait ;-). (...and luckily, the one at the top of the lift wasopen, so no harm done).

 

On another warm and fine early evening, we ate outside at the 'van again, before a short stroll up into Campitello to investigate Grappa. There was a well-stocked Enoteca in the centre, with an affable and knowledgeable owner, and more varieties of Grappa than you could shake a stick at. After a few tastings, and a long conversation in "Italglish", we came away with a couple of recommended bottles, one for ourselves, and one for my daughter, who'll drink anything alcoholic (I think she gets it from her mother ;-) ). Surprisingly, ours managed to arrive home unopened!

 

Back to the 'van for the rest of the evening, and plans to move on for a bit of variety and different activity.

 

......to be continued......

 

=================

[Guest pelmetman]

Dam.....I knew I should've turned left *-) ...........

 

Currently in dull and damp St Ives paying 6 squid for a bottle of Shiraz 8-) ........

 

 

[Robinhood]

 

So, given our tour was to be three weeks (and a bit), time to think about turning North again, but still no real rush to return.

 

Whilst we'd been in the Vinschgau (down from the Reschen Pass, remember), our perusal of the cycle track and use of the railway with our free tickets had brought us up against references to a similar combination of railways and cycling in the Pustertal (or Val Pusteria - though that sounds slightly rude, or like an early presenter of Blauer Peter :-) ). Web research showed that the valley was somewhat flatter and less steep-sided than where we currently were in the Val di Fassa, and that there were indeed, decent chances of both cycling and (somewhat flatter) walking. We also had a couple of days' validity remaining on our rail ticket (Val Pusteria still being in the Sud-Tirol), so a bit of travelling was also a prospect.

 

Accordingly, we made a reasonably early start, up over the Pordoi Pass (scattering cyclists and motor-cyclists in our wake), and then North over the Campolongo Pass towards Val Pusteria. We'd researched a couple of campsites, one at St Lorenzen, where we would finally drop into the valley, and one slightly along the valley near San Sigismondo. The latter looked like it might be quieter, but was slightly more isolated (and we intended to look at that first).

 

After an exhilarating drive over the passes in good weather with excellent views, we finally hit Val Pusteria and, though it was sandwiched between the main road and the railway, the village of St Lorenzen looked (at least from the outskirts) pretty attractive. We were, however, committed to the rather busy (and slightly odd, with a central "slip-lane" for joining across the traffic) junction. So we set off up the road to look at the other site.

 

Camping Gisser was indeed somewhat isolated, and near to the main road (though the main camping areas seemed to be set back somewhat). In addition, it was heavily forested, so somewhat gloomy - we decided to return and check out the site at St Lorenzen (Camping Wildberg - http://www.campingwildberg.com/en/campinginfos/camping-map/ ).

 

This had some clear advantages, since it was in the village, next to the railway station, and reasonably attractively laid out, partly round an old farmhouse. We decided to stay, and though it was lunchtime, a ring on the bell at reception invoked someone to book us in. There were two separate areas, and we were invited to find our own pitch. After looking at the pitches further from the railway, we decided they weren't the best of the available ones, so we ended up on a flat corner pitch next to the original buildings, and close to the railway (no 78 on the map, actually, but research had been done, and we knew the trains didn't run overnight).

 

Having got ourselves sorted, we had quite a bit of the afternoon left, so we headed off to look at the village, a short walk away, and to catch the train into Brunico (one stop) for a bit of sight-seeing. St Lorenzen was as attractive as it had seemed; small (but perfectly formed ;-) ) with all the basic facilities you could need. The Restaurant/Pizzeria in the centre looked an attractive prospect for an evening meal, so we mentally pencilled it in for our return, and headed off to the station with our free tickets. Trains were every 30 minutes in either direction, so easy to explore the valley. We also discovered on our brief journey to Brunico that they were much less busy than the Vinschgau, and had considerable bike-carrying capability - and thus the beginnings of an idea for the morrow were born.

 

Brunico proved to be a pleasant, if somewhat unexceptional town to wander around. The main tourist attraction appeared to be the (Reinhold) Messner mountaineering museum in the castle; it was Ruhetag, but I didn't want to visit anyway. (But - picture - some people were obviously desperate to get in :-) )

 

The obligatory coffee and cakes were taken during our stroll, and we eventually returned to the station to catch (along with the whole student population of the valley) the train back. An outside table at the Pizzeria in the central piazza (until that point, this thread hadn't had its allotted number of "z"s) proved an excellent location to watch the world go by. Just after 6, a waiter who couldn't look more Italian wafted up on his Vespa, and proceeded to take orders from the now well-populated tables. It was the first pizza of the holiday, and I was tempted to order a Pizza Mafioso but, though the ingredients didn't list it, I thought it might come with a horse's head in the middle, so I made another choice instead :-).

 

Then, back to the 'van for a quiet evening in preparation for some real exercise in the morning.

 

......to be continued......

 

=================

[Robinhood]

So, the next morning dawned bright and sunny. With the railway station only a minute away, and a day's validity still left on our Vinschgau passes, the continued decent weather persuaded us that a bike ride

 

from the top of the Valley would be in order. Whilst bikes are easily transportable on the trains, they are not free. A day ticket for a bike costs €7 (which is not a lot, but is extortionate compared with the passenger fares, and also surprising, since it is possible to buy the equivalent of the 7-day passenger ticket we had been given free as a 7-day bike and passenger ticket for the same €7 extra). Try as we

would, we could find no mention of a single-journey bike ticket, either in the detailed literature we had, or on the ticket machine, which conveniently gave info in multiple languages including English.

 

We accordingly bought two bike day tickets, and set off for the top of the valley, one station short of the Austrian border. (The half-hourly train we caught terminated there, the alternate ones run through to Austria, but our ticket would have been valid only the one extra stop, a short distance on). We were joined by a German couple from the caravan opposite who were doing a similar thing, and another German couple

 

who suddenly realised that bikes might be chargeable. When I confirmed that they were, they spent the rest of the journey looking nervously over their shoulder for the ticket suspector (though one never did

appear). Why they couldn't understand all the information when it was written in their own language defeats me!

 

So we lighted at Innichen (or San Candido as I prefer to call it, since our German neighbours were using Innichen. Anything to wind them up! ....What?). We'd decided that a ride down to and across the Austrian border, and then return to the campsite, would make a good day out at roughly 35 miles. (in hindsight, though the out and back to Austria from San Candido was fine, it would probably have been more scenic to visit Sexten from San Candido instead, about the same distance). This part of the route was very busy with cyclists (presumably heading towards Lienz), but when we headed off back down the valley toward our campsite, things were very much quieter. Much like the Vinschgau, the great majority of the route was off (main) road and well surfaced, and though we didn't have a detailed map of the area, the Pustertal cycle route was well signposted. It was overall downhill, but had a good amount of up on it as well, and we enjoyed a day cycling through decent scenery and little villages (with a picnic lunch bought at San Candido on the way).

 

We returned to the 'van for a rest, and took dinner back there, with a short stroll round in the country behind the campsite taking care of the rest of the evening.

 

To be honest, from its website description Camping Wildberg isn't the kind of site we would naturally gravitate to (which is why we were heading for the alternative first). It had, however, begun to grow on us. Nothing you could put your finger on, but it had a really good ambience/atmosphere. Chickens and guinea fowl wandering around freely, horses, goats, a llama, and all the fellow campers were really friendly. As the weather for the next day was also forecast as good, we decided to stay on, and this time walk the valley in the other direction.

 

......to be continued......

 

=================

[Robinhood]

As promised, the next day was a good one. We had already decided to walk down the valley until we had had enough, and then catch the train back. (though our travel passes had now run out, it wasn't going to cost us more than €3 each to return from even the furthest station we might manage, and with half-hourly trains we weren't going to have to hang about long for one).

 

The only map we had was a schematic one from reception, and it didn't quite go as far as we thought we might walk, but the footpaths were all very well marked, and we set off, complete with picnic lunch, initially along the cycle route adjoining the railway, but soon walking rather more scenic paths, crossing and re-crossing the railway to go in and out of the villages. It was to be a day of trains, villages and castles - with the odd-unfinished bypass to put us off the route. Passing the alternative campsite we had rejected a few day before simply reinforced that our choice had been the correct one.

 

It was hot, and we eventually covered around 15 miles on a circuitous route - extended by the above-mentioned bypass which had "trampled" some of the footpaths. In fact, the scale of infrastructure investment in the valley as a whole was impressive - most of the villages had been or were being by-passed and "beautified", the railway had obviously been refurbished to a high standard (new stations being built between existing ones), and on the whole, everything looked in good nick. Without joking, one of the "basket-cases" of the European economy seems to be doing better than the UK - makes you think!

 

We managed to walk as far as Untervintel (Vandoies di Sotto sounds so...oo... much better), which we had earmarked as the point which the valley would turn less attractive, stopped for a much-needed

bier/birra, and made our way to the station. The journey back reinforced our opinion that we had walked a decent distance.

 

The evening meal was taken at the same Pizzeria/Restaurant as the day before last, though not a pizza this time, and we retired wearily to the 'van, knowing we should really move on further North tomorrow. If the weather continued its decent spell, we were bound for Ehrwald, just the Austrian side of the border with Germany, and another place we had had a short stay at before, and resolved to return.

 

......to be continued......

 

=================

[alan k]

Your blog just reinforces why we've spent so much time in the Northern Dolomites and the border region with Austria. Its a fascinating area and the change in geology quite stunning.

 

We made friends with a couple from Naples in their 60's and walked up to the Austrian Border with them and he fulfilled a boyhood wish to see the Austrian Border on an old drove road. His geography teacher described it and he always wanted to see the border point with barracks either side of the border, both now in ruins amongst the rounded hills. So different from the scenery across the main valley in the Dolomites with their sharp pointy peaks.

 

Some of the access points to these border hills only allow a certain number of vehicles in each day before closing the roads so the areas dont become overcrowded.

 

Its surprising now how the main valley east-west has changed now that all the towns have been bypassed, and half the mystery seems to have gone, as have many of the traffic jams.

 

cheers alan

 

cheers alan

 

 

[Robinhood]

...and so, very much starting the return leg of our holiday, we headed West and the North over the Brenner old road (studiously avoiding tolls) with a further view to crossing the Inn valley without touching the motorways, thus once again avoiding the need for a vignette (since we had time, and the Brenner motorway can be a bind with heavy traffic, this was a no-brainer). The decision did come back to bite us slightly, however.

 

At the top of the Brenner, just about on the border at the "Outlet Center", we spotted a GB (personal-) plated Exsis-I parked up. The penny rapidly dropped that this was the van of an inveterate poster on here (and Lenny, my wife can't even get me in the McArthur Glen down the road, never mind an Outlet Centre as far away as Italy :-) ). The b*st*rd didn't even wave :-( . We continued on down the Austria side of the pass, and fairly quickly hit a standing line of traffic. It was very apparent that there was nothing coming the other way, and shortly a couple of ambulances, a police car, and then a helicopter arrived. Time to stretch the legs, and walking to the next curve it became obvious that the emergency services were scraping a (probably German and middle-aged) motorcyclist off the rear of a timber lorry and trailer. (those motorcyclists again!) It didn't look good, and (forgive my sentiment) it cost us about an hour. (though I had a long and interesting conversation with a German Ferrari driver (who couldn't have looked less like a Ferrari driver if he had tried) who was also stuck in the queue).

 

The remainder of the journey was uneventful; there is nothing much to worry toll-avoiding motorhome drivers crossing the Brenner old road (except for suicidal motorcyclists). The road is easy, (though there are repeated stretches of speed limits) but route-finding through Innsbruck can be interesting (satnav is usually spot-on).

 

So, we stopped in Telfs to shop at the supermarket we had used on the way down (which is reasonable for parking) and then up over the Fern Pass to Ehrwald (or, if being pedantic, to Biberwir). We had had a couple of nights in Ehrwald some years ago (at Camping Dr Lauth, which was quite acceptable, but not inspiring enough to immediately attract us back). This whole area is one great big bowl in the middle of high mountains, most attractive for low-level walking, cycling, or indeed, high-level walking. Though in Austria, it is in the shadow of the Zugspitze, Germany's, but strangely not Austria's, highest mountain.

 

We had two campsites to check out, one in Biberwir, and one in Lermoos. As they weren't far apart, we inspected both, in that order, and decided the one at Biberwir ( http://www.biberhof.at/camping/camping.html ) suited us best. It had a lot of (empty) seasonal units on site, and first impressions were that there weren't too many viable pitches, but in fact, we got a very good one, and could have had several others. (the neighbouring elderly German-speaking only couple were also very friendly). Reception was closed, but there was an invitation to pitch and book in later, which we did. Despite the website information, electricity was charged at €3 "pro tag", and the facilities were pretty good.

 

We went for a good wander round (Biberwir was easily accessible by path over the fields, and had a small but well-stocked supermarket, and a number of eating/drinking places). We returned later to the village to eat (with a little rain and a spectacular rainbow). The weather forecast for the morning was good, and it being our penultimate non-travelling day, we decided on a medium level walk all around the "bowl".

 

Again, using a schematic map obtained from reception ,and ably assisted by the excellent waymarking, we had a long circular walk. Coffee and cakes in Ehrwald, where the waitress, after repeating the order back to me perfectly, brought me exactly the wrong cake, and exactly the wrong coffee (cappuccino.....spit!). To be fair, she put the cake down, looked at it, and then said "that's wrong!" without me even saying anything, and went away and brought the correct one. Then, spotting the untouched cappuccino, also before I could say anything, said "that's wrong as well!", and went away and brought my pot of black coffee. Well, I suppose everyone is allowed an off-day. :-) (The bill was correct, though). Then onto Lermoos to suss out the lift we might use the next day, and returning through the village, there was a "do" on, (it was Saturday) with lots of animals displayed, everyone in their local dress, and a bl**dy oompah band :-(. There were also a few very unseasonal lambs in amongst the animals. We returned to the 'van for dinner, hoping for a last, high active day in the morning.

 

......to be continued......

 

=================

[Robinhood]

The weather forecast for our final free day was slightly worse than we would have liked, with cloud and possibly a little rain forecast to build through the day. As it was the last opportunity, however, we

decided to stick to the plan to go high, but avoid getting ourselves into too compromised a position in case we had to rapidly retreat. As it happened though it did cloud up somewhat, we could have done

more or less anything, as it remained clear and dry on the tops - but we had a good day anyway.

 

We walked across the fields to Lermoos, and then up on the two-part Grubigstein lift to around 2000m, with a view to contouring round for some time, dropping into the Fern Pass, and then walking back to the campsite at a lower level. I was prepared to risk my knees with what looked like some sustained and rough downhill, as the only challenge to them over the next few days would be operating the clutch.

 

In common with many of the lifts around, mountain bikers were joyfully hooking their bikes on the outside of the cars, heading to the top, and then equally joyfully descending the most unlikely routes (including the one we had some difficulties in scrambling down!). Conversely (I think that should be perversely) some very unlikely-looking mountain-bikers were choosing to make the 3000ft ascent on their bikes (albeit on slightly easier routes).

 

We spent some time in the immediate vicinity of the lift taking in the views, and then walked over to an exposed high-point overlooking the vast expanse of the Fern Pass. A reasonable number of people were congregating here (complete with table, food, musical instruments, etc.) to celebrate mass (it being Sunday). It then dawned on us that we'd made a serious error in route-planning, in that there would be no beer-shop on our intended path until very near the end, down in the valley, so we repaired to the refuge at the top of the lift before we set off (though it was early enough to limit ourselves to coffee, rather than beer :-( )

 

The day was a good one; the descent was indeed rough and hard, (and bicycle-strewn ;-) ), but the views were excellent, and it was late afternoon before we arrived back at the campsite, took a much-needed shower, and headed off to dine in Biberwir again.

 

Given the habitual delays we suffer on the German Autobahns, I'd resolved to pay that evening and get away fairly early in the morning (the Mosel being 350 miles away). Via the web, we learnt that Germany had at 5pm just "closed" its border with Austria (the one we were 15 miles the wrong side of), and issues were expected. The resolve to leave early was thus redoubled. As it was, we managed to depart at 8am, filled up with diesel on the way out (we'd not bought any since we crossed Austria on the way out) and there was absolutely no police presence at the border (which is, in fact, in a tunnel) other than one Austrian policeman half-asleep in a VW transporter near the Southern tunnel portal. We headed North and had the most uneventful trip, with only minor delays, and arrived at the Mosel surprisingly fresh after such a long drive. We were only looking for an overnight stop, and though it had been the wine-festival at Wintrich over the previous two days, we decided to look in as we went past to see if there was space.

 

With one hard-standing remainig, how could we refuse - so we overnighted here, ate out at Matthiashof again, and I bought some of the excellent Riesling "Hochgewächs" that accompanied our meal, for the princely sum of €4.80 a bottle. (And I got a long and interesting conversation with the proprietor in the bargain).

 

With a sailing from Rotterdam at 9pm, we weren't in a hurry to get away the following morning, and we revisited the supermarket in Piesport to buy provisions for the day, and add a little to the stock of

returning bottles. We then dawdled our way to the Netherlands. Looking for somewhere to stop for a leisurely lunch, we exited the motorway North of Malmedy, and proceeded across country looking for

somewhere quiet to park up. As we have experienced before, much of Belgium (and the Netherlands) appears to be mile after mile of ribbon development, with little opportunity to pull over (I'm sure if one

went deeper off the main roads one would be successful), and it took us ages to find a reasonable stop (and that was on a minor side-road). During the process, it being quite windy, we were being perpetually "bombed" by acorns being blown off the road-side oaks. Bad enough when they hit the roof, but an awful crack when they hit the windscreen.

 

We still arrived at Rotterdam reasonably early, but, as the boats only do overnight crossings, they have all day to prepare for the return, and loading starts early, so we were on board by 18:00. We could then amuse ourselves by marvelling at how many artics you could get on board. We swore they must be loading them at the stern, and driving them off at the bows - surely they couldn't get any more on? But they kept arriving and being loaded. (In fact, it was impossible to drive them "through" as the boats are stern-loading only - no bow doors. Hence loading consists of a mixture of driving on and round inside the boat, or reversing on, and since they have no idea of the order of arrival, it was interesting to watch how things varied in the next hour or so).

 

...and there was one more diversion; the boat need the assistance of a tug to get off-berth. It arrives bow-first into a rectangular dock,and the berth is slightly angled to allow for stern unloading. It looked very much like it would have to reverse out into the main stream before turning, but no, they turn it in the dock. Now, there isn't much clearance (especially if Stena are using the berth opposite - which they were) so they tether the rear corner of the (55,000 tonne) boat, thrust the bow out, and use a tug to help swivel it around the tether. It takes a bit of time, and there is very little clearance - impressive!

 

So, after an initially choppy, but improving crossing, we arrived back in Hull at 07:00, and were offloaded straight into the rush-hour traffic. Still, not a long distance from home, and we were back shortly after 9.

 

So, 22 nights away; a holiday which, for once, panned out much as we planned; some long pursued targets achieved, and probably the best mix of weather and travelling we've had for a long time. Very much enjoyed, and I heartily recommend the Sud-Tirol to anyone who wants something just a bit different.

 

Congratulations (commiserations) to those who have made it to the end. That's it folks!

[laimeduck]

Thanks Robinhood - I've been through most of the places you've mentioned but never stopped. I'll now have to amend that! Sounds right up our street.

Jeremy

[laimeduck]

laimeduck - 2015-09-24 10:52 PM

 

Thanks Robinhood - I've been through most of the places you've mentioned but never stopped. I'll now have to amend that! Sounds right up our street.

Jeremy

 

Doh! Too many halbe's have affected my memory!

 

We actually stayed in Camping Biberwier earlier this year. Unfortunately it was bucketing it down all the time so it wasn't at it's best and Zugspitz was about 5000' above cloud base!

 

 

[Robinhood]

....aye, there's a theme here. As per the start of the thread, we'd been rained off a few of the locations in past trips, but this time we got the best from them. There's no escaping the fact that good weather very much colours one's experiences and impressions of a place.

 

(...and it is Biberwier, not Biberwir, but my sub-editor missed the spelling the first time round, and I simply decided to remain consistent ;-) )

[Will86]

Great Thanks.