Why and how we will clarify in the course of the report of day 2 of our rally arrival, but let’s start with the morning saying:
“The croissant is dry!” O-tones of Faja, as she consumes a – from her selected – empty croissant at breakfast.
By the way, the breakfast takes place in a large hall on the ground floor of the hotel and we sit furthest away from the buffet.
Which does not prevent us of course, see Faja’s example to let serve us nevertheless plentifully (the direct own consumption is forbidden by Covid restrictions apparently).
When we have strengthened ourselves sufficiently for the coming strains everything is packed again, loaded up and moved, so that we have a good start into the day peppered with particularly small roads.
First it continues into the valley, before we swing to the south.
About 25km before Lago d’Iseo we turn west again and follow very small paths steeply uphill. If a car comes towards us here it will be difficult to avoid. Even other motorcycles with suitcases are a challenge. Also, because of the curves and the dense vegetation on the roadside, a foresight is rarely possible.
So we fight our way up the road to Passo del Vivione and are glad to have arrived safely at the top.
After a short stop, we now go a bit over the plateau before the road leads back down.
Here at least a little wider, although not wide enough to easily avoid the occasional cars.
When we are finally down, we head towards Bergamo, where we turn back into the mountains about 20km before the city and climb the impressive Passo di Zambla.
At the top of the pass there is a lot of motorcycle traffic and so we switch to an off-the-beaten-path restaurant. There we are offered only a small corner seat, while the inviting garden seat remains reserved for a (not yet arrived) company.
We therefore leave soon and continue over the Passo Culmine St. Pietro, in the direction of Lake Como.
The area is beautiful and by the height in which we move also bearable regarding heat.
So we reach Lake Como, at Bellano, directly from the mountains.
But here we encounter heat and tourists, masses of tourists!
The mistake our guide makes: Not to choose the ferry across the lake, but to circumnavigate the lake to the north. This means: walking pace, heat, queues of cars…. fatigue.
Only on the western shore the traffic gets a little smoother and we are glad when we can turn off at Menaggio in the direction of Lugano.
Not all of us have Swiss vignettes yet and from Lugano we want to cover the valley to the Gotthard Pass (or Acquarossa, our stop today) by highway to make up for lost time.
So we stop at the first gas station at the border crossing, but unfortunately vignettes are out.
So we drive into Lugano, always looking for a gas station.
And here it happens. At an intersection the group breaks apart and due to the following one-way street we don’t manage to reconnect.
So we wait a bit, in the faint hope to be reunited with our group, but unfortunately the wish is not fulfilled. So we put another message in the general channel and leave via the highway to the north. But in Acquarossa there are only Iulia and Berti, who have chosen a faster route today, so Versya turns around once more to go back.
Halfway out of the valley, however, Faja meets her as the new guide of the accompanying scattered group. Her words: “The guide loses the people” can unfortunately not be disputed.
After today’s exertions (despite the wonderful impressions) a somewhat sobering conclusion. So we move into our rooms, can take showers and then enjoy the very last rays of sunshine in the valley.
Thank God, the quarters has a house own pizzeria and the dimension, as well as the taste of the pizzas, is wonderful!
Thus the day finds a conciliatory end after all.