Day 246 Mon 18 Jun 2007 Capo di Ponte, Italy to Lenzerheide, Switzerland

After 23 days we finally leave Italy, travelling north through Bormio and the Italian alps, over Passo di Gavia (2652m) and Passo di Stelvio (2499m) both pretty scary roads made all the more so by hundreds of motorbikes hurtling down at grand prix speeds, all in multicoloured leathers. Seems the Alps is a race track with far more bikes than cars. The Passo di Gavia is actually a well-established bike and motorbike race circuit but we just wish they hadn’t all chosen today to practice. The scenery is stunning, every bit as spectacular as the Himalayas with similar numbers of hairpins and precipitous drops. There’s snow at the top of Passo di Gravia but nothing like the 7m in the photo in the auberge, and glaciers all around.
On the way down we stop for two marmots sitting in the middle of the road.

By early afternoon we’re in Switzerland, although the only way of telling is the colour of the bus stops and price of petrol as border formalities are non-existent, where we reach Mustair, with its world heritage Benedictine nunnery. The Nunnery was founded in Carolingian times (we’re assuming you are fully conversant with ecclesiastical history) with frescos dating back to 800AD and an interesting nunnery. Then its on to St Moritz (this was the Conde Naste trip wasn’t it?). St Moritz is beautiful with a lovely lake and soaring snow topped mountains direct from central casting or a chocolate box. However Kenny says its too far from Zurich where I2 is due to arrive the following morning so foregoing the Carlton we move on over yet another pass to Lenzerheide, a ski resort with more chocolate box scenery where there’s a lovely little hotel with an very good restaurant – menu all in German but somehow we manage. It also has intermittent internet which is why you’re reading this.