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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Sep 21, 2014 04:00 PM By rail, by bus, by plane...
Lovely weather in La Spezia. No more railway strike!
But it is time to go home... I boarded again intercity train in La Spezia. It was full, so it is better to book your seat in advance via trenitalia.com. I passed again the tunnels of Cinque Terre.
There were nice views of the Mediteranean Coast around Rapallo.
In sunny Milan there were 24 deg. Celsius. I bought for just 5 euro bus ticket to Bergamo airport. It took me about an hour to get there.
My low cost flight was on time. When two hours later I landed in my Gdansk it was only 13 deg Celsius. Welcome home after short but interesting voyage! And get ready for the next flight - soon!
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Sep 20, 2014 04:00 PM Cinque Terre
Five beautiful villages of Cinque Terre are connected by the railway line passing many longs tunnels. So the best access is by rail. When I arrived to the station in the morning 8.02 train was on display so I bought the ticket and run to the platform 6. A group of people was there. Then the train dissappeared from display. They said: rail is on strike till 9 pm!
What should I do? I found two nice people from China to share the cost of the taxi to the second village -Manarola (40 euro). I did not go to the first village - Riomaggiore because Italians closed the trail between R and Manarola.
Manarola is nice, but once there I recognized the the Italians closed also coastal trail between second and third village. To get to the third - Corniglia I was forced to climb through the vineyards to the upper trail.
Views were nice but a lot of sweat. Then I climbed up to the cliff to get to the fourth village - Vernazza. And Vernazza will be the highlight of the day. The fifth village is just a beach resort.
This was the day of the great landscapes. But because the false information, the strike and closing trail without information I will boycott maccaroni and pizza for next 2 months, dear Italians! :)
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Sep 19, 2014 04:00 PM Milan - after 40 years...
No more car driving. In 7 days I did more then 1500 kms (very good score on the mountain roads) with the fuel consumption slightly less then 5 l per 100 kms. Well done!
Morning in Milan was hazy. I took the walk to the well- known places. 40 years left since my first visit. Am I so old? City did not changed much. It is still grey and chaotic. Famous cathedral is ornate outside but dark inside. La Scala building never impressed me. And if you want to see famous Vinci's fresco The last supper you pay 8 euro (tickets were sold for 5 days ahead).
In the afternoon I took intercity train to La Spezia on the Ligurian Coast. It cost only 9 euro for 3-hours journey if you buy in advance via internet. Train was full. La Spezia is just a port with few hunderd meters long, palm fringed see promenade. I came here to see famous Cinque Terre. Bad news: railway people plan to strike tomorrow so there will be no easy access to CT tomorrow. Italia: it is much better to organize strike on Sunday and to stay home with a family than to work :)
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Sep 18, 2014 04:00 PM One day - four passes!
It is hard to believe but today is the last day of driving through the picturesque Dolomites. Before 4 pm I must return the car in Bergamo airport. It is quite long way from Pieve to Bergamo but I still wanted to see new, interesting landscapes on the way. I started early climbing the secondary road to Cibiana Pass. Then descent to Zoldo and climb to Passo Duran. Againn descent to Agordo and Falcade and coimb to Passo Valles - 2045 m. The last one and the best one was Passo Rolle with the great view of the peaks towering over San Martino township.
San Martino will be for sure no. 3 on my Dolomites hit parade.
How many switchbacks today? Who knows? Smoking breaks... When I found myself down in Trento it was late and I decided to use the motorway to be on time in Bergamo. It cost me 13,40 euro of fees :(
Heavy rainstorm came when I was returning the car.
Then 5-euro bus took me to Milano Centrale.
Heavy day, but I managed to see all places... UNESCO declared The Dolomites World Heritage Place. I agree that they are exceptional!
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Sep 17, 2014 04:00 PM Cortina d'Ampezzo and more...
It is only 35 km from Pieve de Cadore where I stay to the famous ski resort of Cortina d'A. Driving there you will pas many little townships and finnaly on the right you will see huge rocky pyramide of Mt Antelao - it is more then 3200 m high!
Cortina is elegant resort with the center closed fot moto traffic. Just near the nice basilica you will find the tourist office distributing good maps.
It is definitely worth to continue from Cortina in the direction of Toblach for the views and turn right to the Lake Misurina locared at the bottom of high peaks.
You are now close to the icons of the Dolomites: 3 Cime of Lavaredo - 3 rock pillars are on the postcards and posters. If by car - it costs 24 euro for the last 6 kms to the car park. Then you need about 3,5 hours to walk around the pillars. I did not - there were thick fogg - they have a webcam to check the current situation.
Once back in Pieve I climbed Monte Ricco - little peak overlooking the valley. From the fort on the top there is nice view of the dam and the artificial lake.
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Sep 16, 2014 04:00 PM Dolomites. But where is the sun?
I started early from Bolzano to Val Pusteria. Sorry, cloudy sky today. All summits are covered. Val Pusteria is today not so attractive because timber industry. The panoramas are nicer once you reach Toblach. There is a nice group of Dolomites Sesto, but I saw only the bottom part. Then climb to Passo Montecroce where I fou d myself in the new prowince - Belluno. No maps! That's something very bad in Italy: every provincial tourist info office has maps and brochures only about own prowince. They cannot exchange them in the interest of the tourists... Once on the province border you have nothing to study. OK - I drove down to Auronzo asking people in the villages - tourism in Belluno is not well maintained... Finally I arrived to little town Pieve di Cadore on the level 880 m above the sea. I got the room with a great mountain view. Let's hope that tomorrow sky will be clear!
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Sep 15, 2014 04:00 PM On the level of the clouds
Morning in Bolzano. If you stay in tge hostel just one night they apply extra fee (!) So it is worth to stay min 2 nights. I made a loop from Bolzano - first to Siusi Valley (you know what does it mean in Polish?) To enjoy the high peaks. Then to the famous Val Gardena. Then I started climb to Sella Pass. The view from Sella Passo is now no.2 on my Dolomite hit list. But it was little cloudy today so I decided to wait on the level over 2000 for good photo opportunity. It was cold there! Next pass was Passo Pordoi with cable cars rides for 16 euro RT. Thank you - too much clouds today!
Again drive down to Canazei - bright mountain resort and up again to the Fedaia Pass. And this was the best place to see Marmolada. Not jam - just marmolada! :) They say that all year snowy Marmolada is the highest peak in Dolomites it is3342 m high. I was going down in the clouds...
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Sep 14, 2014 04:00 PM Up to Giovo Pass
There is easy and good road from Merano to Bolzano -an hour drive. But I took first the road to Passiria Valley enjoying the pasture panoramas in the sun. After crossing big and picturesque village of San Leonardo I started to climb to Giovo Pass. The road was not as challenging as yyesterday. Giovo Pass has "only" 2 kilometers and there is only one cottage on the pass. After pictures I started to go down to the main Bolzano - Brenner road. Once on the main road I made a stopoverer in the lovely town of Bressanone. Cathedral in Bressanone is nicer that the silmilar churches in Merano or Bolzano.
I reached Bolzano after 5 hours of driving.
Youth hostel is located jus 100 from the station. They charge 23 euro forvthe bed in the 4-bed room with bath. I took the walk around the old town. In the distance the peaks of the Dolomites were visible - but that's for tomorrow!
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Sep 13, 2014 04:00 PM Face to face with Mt Ortler
Sunny morning! Buffet beakfast in YH Merano is better then in Riva. I took the walk along the river to the elegant center of the city. It is surrounded by high mountans. In Tourist Office no maps of the region.
Italy! It was 11 am when I started to drive up Venosta Valley. Upps, traffic jam - 20 minutes. In Prad I turned left to the Stelvio Pass road. They say it is one of the hardest mountain roads. It is all paved but very steep and narrow. Can you imagine 49 switchbacks, 180 deg each?
Yes, I did it! From Stelvio Pass 2757 m there is a great view of .Mt Ortler -3905m - the highest peak in this part of the Alps. Breaks were smoking when I was driving back down.
Before sunset I managed to reach the end of Venosta Valley to see romantic church in the waters of Resia Lake. Only thevtover is above the water. Anothervtraffic jam in the tunnel on the way back to Merano. But what a day!
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Sep 12, 2014 04:00 PM To Madonna de Campiglio and onward
Lovely sun in the morning. Included breakfast in the hostel was very basic (coffees, rolls, juice, butter, jams) but you cac take from the buffet as much as you can eat! Obligatory check-out is at 9 so I left my suff in the car and went forvthe city walk. They promised that the lady-cleaner will be there till 12 to open the courtyard so I can drive out. OK. Riva is compact and nice to walk around, to take picures in the narrow streets and garden promenade along the lake. Regular ships are a nice option to travel almost to e other end. But when I returned to the hostel the gate was closed. They will open at 3 pm, no door bells... Police was too busy to come and help... One hour later only by excident somebody came and open the gate for me. Very bad Italian experience!
Then I was driving narrow and windy mountain roads to get to Madonna. The first imposing group of the Brenta Dolomites impressed me! Then I drove over the Lake Sta Giustina through the apple country.
Finally after 6,5 hours of driving in the great landscapes I reached Merano. It is already Upper Adige and most of the people speak German on the streets. Wow - for 25 euro I got in the YH single room with private bath and breakfast! Recommended!
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