Escape from the snow to Lake Garda

Been here nearly 2 weeks and so chilled out that not much to report – just sun, lake and ferry trips.  Bit of strolling, bit of swimming in lake each evening (Graham), lots of lakeside coffees, gelateria visits, village backstreet wandering, reading and compulsory visits to local MacDonalds – for free wifi, of course!

Camping in the olive grove – dry and warm with view over the Lake, waterside bar/restaurant and a few minutes from ferry port.  The site is set in the gardens of the old olive mill with the wheel below still turning – Camping Ideal Molino, San Felice near Salo if anyone is checking it out.  South West corner of Lake Garda

 

Taken the ferry to several attractive villages – although obviously overrun with tourists in summer, not too busy now and much quieter this west side than east side that we ferried over to and met up with Brian and Sue  (own Yew Tree Cottage next door but one to Raven Hill) for a lovely few hours in Bardolino.  We knew they would be there so arranged to meet – caught up with Grange gossip that Butterfingers cafe  (a favourite of B&S and ourselves) owners retiring – but continuing with daughter for time being.

Decided to stick here rather than move again to Lake Maggiore – next time perhaps.  Weather is so ideal and area suits us perfectly so just stay until Sunday then leave, as campsite closes, and back via 2 nights at Memmingem and on to Rotterdam – arrive back Wednesday 5th. 

So probably last blog, unless we have more exciting tales to tell – but think the winter conditions and flooded tent (see below) will remain as the high (and low) points of this particular trip and both on the same day.  Time for a new waterproof tent for next year!  This one has had it’s day – fantastic tent and design but once the rain/snow starts getting in .......................

Well done for getting this far in reading the blog!!

2 holidays for the price of 1

There we were enjoying the hiking in the meadows every day on the Alpi de Suisi plateau, with our cable car pass, with occasional stops for coffee and strudel at immaculate mountain huts

– and thinking what a great place it would be for a winter snow holiday.  And look what happened – same hut 3 days later!!

 

Had done some great walks on the plateau for 2 days in the sunshine with superb views of the meadows and surrounding mountains

and then we had a severe thunderstorm one night, rain all day (another blog on visit to Otzi – the Iceman in Bolzano) and what we thought was rain all night (another blog to see the joys of camping in the not so good weather) – until we got up and found snow on the tent and car!!  We then took our cable car up to the plateau in a snow storm and spent a wonderful morning walking around , in our wet and thermal gear, in the ever deepening snow, before the roads got cleared and the trees lost their covering.

The next day we returned to blue skies and found out what spectacular place it is for winter sports and views – compare and contrast to earlier piccies!

So, feeling we had had pretty good value for our money – a winter and summer holiday combined – we decided tenting in the mountains had passed its sell by date and moved on to the warmer climes of Lake Garda – about 15 degrees to be exact.

Leaving some great memories of a brilliant area – in any weather!

Otzi–the Iceman–lived around 3100 BC

On our first rainy day in 2 weeks, we took the opportunity to have a day out at Bolzano and go to the museum there that houses the remains of the 5000 year old mummy that was found on a nearby glacier in 1991.  We had seen various documentaries on him over the years, so knew quite a bit, but as they are still studying the body and his belongings, information is constantly changing as ever more sophisticated analysis reveals more of the truth.

The museum houses the mummy in a tightly controlled environment that mimics the conditions in which he was found, and also displays most of the artefacts found with him – wolfskin cap (originally thought to be a bear skin), amazing leggings and other clothes neatly stitched with sinews and arrows, dagger and fungus tinder that had all been preserved in the ice. 

There was a brilliant piece of technology that was a full size screen showing the body and as you moved a rectangle by touch screen, it magnified that part of the body – but you could choose whether to see skin, bone, muscle, etc at any particular point and magnify any piece even more – stunning and presumably can be used by the medical profession to look at live bodies in that way too.  It has, of course, given the scientists a fantastic view into the life of man at that time, surprisingly with very similar diseases and problems to today.

One major find, after  few years, was that he was actually murdered, with the arrow tip still in his shoulder – why and what his original purpose was still remains a mystery, but with many conjectures.  Several scientific teams around the world are still working to find the answers.

There was also one floor given over to the media treatment over the years and showing the worldwide interest and souvenir industry grown up around Otzi – there are various museums dealing with aspects of the find and tours of the mountain area where he was found.  The website of the museum and further info is www.iceman.it

 

Well worth a visit if you are in Northern Italy.

Many mountains and how to get around them

Dolomites are full of them! 

And seems like lots of other people like them too – hundreds of motorcyclists, mountain bikers and mad road cyclists are out there “doing” the mountain passes and tracks.  It is amazingly busy with all these guys and huge numbers of cars as well – all German and Italian – although did spot our first GB stickers yesterday – on 3 bikes.  Must be a nightmare in mid-summer – although perhaps the cooler weather in September is better for walking and biking. 

Even the cows hunt in packs

Why aren’t these people working?  Maybe something to do with a longer season that the Pyrenees and Picos de Europa, where we have had to leave mid September in previous years, as the weather broke.  Still sunny and warm here – especially the valleys, which are positive sun traps.  Although, really cold at night at the first campsite as we were so high up.  Second one is much warmer at night.

So, we take lots of cable cars to the tops and either walk around the area there or walk down to the bottom, taking in the scenery.  haven’t attempted any Via Ferrata yet, but perhaps some easy ones if we find some with a guide for the first time.

Brilliant area – will be back for sure either by car and tent or cheapo flight to northern Italy and hire car and find a room a one of the zillion of gasthofs in every immaculate alpine village.  Or use train/bus from airport.

At the recent campsite though we have discovered the magic of “swiss” style organised transport.  Pay for 7 day (or 3 or whatever) pass and get unlimited trips up local cable cars, buses etc.  So making good use by getting on local bus (bus stop with electronic sign to say when next one is!!) outside campsite to cable car (5 mins) and up on to plateau where there are load of walks to keep us occupied for next week at least.  Back down to village, pick up supplies and bus every half hour back to campsite. Will use pass on Sunday to visit Bolzano and Ice Man museum rather than car.

Now we know how the camper van crowd operate – leave the vans on site and use local transport.  Can’t see it working in the Lakes – or blocking tourist hotspots to traffic at busy times and using shuttle buses – why not? we ask.

Camping routine

For the non-campers – here is the typical camping day – just different to normal living and part of the attraction of a change in routine – plus the added bonus of fresh air living, eating outside and vivid dreams!  Have had every meal outside for 2 weeks, including restaurants and cafes.

7.30 ish  Emerge out of sleeping bag (slowly in cold, but 2nd campsite now warm enough not to complain about not having heater in tent!)

7.30-8.30 – Wash etc in lovely warm buildings and individual wash rooms – standards are getting higher and higher

and posher and posher – current washing facilities including fountain in central foyer!!!  Not as you remember camping!

     Go to shop and buy fresh croissants or rolls  + cheese/pate etc for lunch -put kettle on and make tea/coffee.  Rolls/jam/honey breakfast

8.30 –9.30 – wash up and get ready to walk for day – make up packed lunch

9.30 to 3 or 4ish – out for day – at least one coffee stop at mountain hut with brilliant views and sunshine.  Lunch at another similar spot.

On way back – forage for evening meal and alcohol at local village.  Campsite shops more expensive but good for emergencies.

Mid afternoon – siesta/read/internet/prepare evening meal.  Full set of kitchen equipment except the sink – campsite provides those!

5pm onwards – beat Germans to the showers!  Not so important at campsites here, as great warm and dry facilities – and usually in other years not so many people camping in Spain and France at this time of year.

6 pm bar opens cold beers + bottle of local wine

7 pm latest for meal as goes dark just after 8

As darkness approaches – wash up in warmth and great facilities

Last visit to washrooms

Bed - as we don’t have electric light – good camping lights and head torches, if want to read – occasionally, but usually tired and full of fresh air so snuggle into sleeping bags (well padded on 2 self inflating air mattresses) and out like a light.  Any overnight requirements satisfied by portapotti in separated room in tent – no dashing across fields in the dark for us!

Start all over again next day – a very tough life as you can see.

On changeover days – 2 hrs or so to de-camp and put up, so either B&B somewhere on the way and use the day to do something/walk, as this time, or drive to next site.  Always eat at campsite or local restaurant on changeover day as a reward for the hard work!

Rest Days – need a break from all the enjoyment sometimes, so have a washing day around every 5 or 6 days – washers and driers and often drying rooms or put up washing line at site.  Read, internet, walk campsite and gawk at £100K motorhomes (and wonder if we should be considering the smaller £40-£60K ones), people watch, local walk, laze by pool, drink at bar.

More WW1

Went across the valley the next day and up yet another cable car to a magnificent rocky outcrop – see it with us looking up to it in the first photo

which the Austrians tunnelled into (2nd photo) with lookouts and then proceeded to bombard the Italians across the way – where we were yesterday (3rd photo).  Really nice conditions to fight in – minus 25 degrees in winter and minute rations – apparently the morale of the Austrian men was not good!  They also built storage huts and caves.

We could have walked down via a 1 hr tunnel, but as it was  nice day (as every day has been up to now) we meandered down with these views – much more pleasant, if not as exciting.

First World War–Dolomites

Thanks to recommendations from 2 sets of Witherslack friends, we took some time out and went to the top of 2 mountains (via cable car) where  there are open air museums of how the Italians faced the Austrians across the valleys and passes to gain/regain possession of the Dolomite border areas in 1915.  This is the type of territory they were fighting in

It was fascinating and these were just some of the bunkers and buildings up there that they used

Then we walked around these “training” climbing walls with more spectacular views – there are just so many here but they are all different

 

As you can see, I have not had time to rearrange the blog and its layout yet – maybe if we ever get a rainy day – but at least some of the pictures may be of interest.