Day 7 - Fluelapass and Stelvio Pass...

Trip Start Sep 04, 2008
1
8
Trip End Sep 14, 2008


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Flag of Italy  , Trentino-Alto Adige,
Thursday, September 11, 2008

We set off from Chur northwards on mundane A roads but with a nice mist hanging in the trees, very photogenic but hard to capture on the move. Then we turned right onto the 28 if memory serves and headed for Davos, before long we picked up the Fleulapass - personally my favourite road of the trip. It was fast, snaking, good visibility meaning it was possible to string a set of bends together using all the road, and surrounded by a landscape which was best described as 'lunar'. For the TG fans, this was the Chur-Davos road of which they mentioned. Was every bit as good as I was hoping, might have been even better in a Gallardo Super-Leggera but the Furby performed admirably (and well within my level of talent).

Winding down into Zenden, then heading north again and around to pick up the Stelvio Pass. I was convinced we would be heading DOWN the Stelvio, but no, UP it was. The scale and size of Stelvio surpassed anything we've driven so far, but as a driving experience it was marred by traffic, particularly bikers and idiot italians - the italians may make some of the best cars but they can't drive for toffee. Still, we stopped half-way up for some photos and a cappucino, then headed on up the last stretch. Stopped near the top for another photo and a chap pulled in in a Masarati, blummin gorgeous and he didn't object to me taking some shots of it against the mountain backdrop.

Then down the otherside, somewhat quieter traffic-wise and when we stopped for yet anther photo opportunity three Lambo's went past - simply stunning. I was also accosted by some Swiss chaps for not switching my engine off while snapping, but I explained that I was resting my turbo and they seemed to get it. Besides, what's it to do with them? Pillocks.

So, that would seem to have been it, except that dropping into Italy we then took a side turning and shot off into the countryside, finding yet another pass, this one more twisy and above all deserted than all previous - have no idea what it was called but it clearly hosted some event of other as the road surface was festooned with painted messages and slogans. On one corner of a wall was painted the legend "Ciao Mama" (Hello Mum!) which I thought was great. It was so narrow in places (and we passed a few idiot cyclists struggling uphill) that I will always refer to it as 'the cycle track', but I will try and find oput what it was really called. The way down this pass was even better, in places seeming more like skiing than driving as we launched the cars left, right and left again under heavy braking.

Then onto some 'normal' A roads, and with 50 miles to go we discovered that there is no such thing as a normal A road and the twisty hairpins continued. Some more brilliant driving, but as we'd been on the go for 7 hours at this point the shoulders were beginning to ache a little, so Andrew took pity and took us down to the AutoStrada for a 20 mile, dead straight, 90 mph blast to Bolzano. Where were greeted by the 4 star Sheraton Hotel - reet posh it is. Fantastic grub (Wild boar wrapped in Pancetta, yum!) and really swanky rooms. I shall now end this update and find out what the beds are like. ttfn!
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