Soggy Doggy

I will begin again with the weather report.  Wet.  The wettest year in many in this area.  Just wish we could send some of it to California!

A shrine for cyclist atop Passo Gavia

We have been in the Bormio, Italy area for the past 8 days.  We started in a small condo about 5K up the mountain overlooking town and the mountain ranges.  Very cold up there! We are now down in town at a very comfy condo close to the source of some of the delicious dairy products found in this region...

Looking down from our condo into the valley.

This part of Italy is a very Alpine environment, and sometimes you would have to wonder if it is Austria, Germany, Switzerland or Italy where you are currently residing.  The style of houses in all those areas is very similar, the abundance of geraniums cascading out of window boxes has me vowing to try harder to make mine grow next summer in Truckee. 

Great flowers, bad building example.

 Along with this Alpine environment comes a lot of wood chopping for winter fires. (And summer fires, for that matter!) There are many examples of awesome wood stacking, which seems to be a competitive sport here, but we have declared this guy the winner for artistic merit!

Wood stacker extraordinaire!

There are three famous rides out of this area, and the Passo Stelvio is the most famous of them all. The highest, the most switchbacks and by far the most popular.  With everyone.  Sooooooo many people on the road and at the top it is a circus atmosphere. Skiing, biking, hiking, motorcycles, cars, campers, vendors, photographers, restaurants.... All in an area about the size of the parking lot of your local library. 

Just one side of the four corners of action. I will remind you, this is also a 2 way road!

About 1/2 way up the Stelvio

The view from the top!

The Stelvio goes up to over 9,000'.  As you are riding up, at about 7,000' you start to wonder if your brake is rubbing or if you have a flat tire. By 8,500 you are convinced you are the weakest rider in the world, by 9,000', you are watching the tenths of a mile tick off on the odometer, knowing what the final number should be and really hoping you are going to make it there!

 

  We made it!

The photo op below the circus at the very top!