Bormio & A Trip Over the Alps and Back
On Wednesday, February 18th, Benson and I drove 3.5 hours NW to Tirano, Italy for our long-awaited Olympic event. We drove past Lake Garda until we got to Brescia, then we turned almost entirely north from there for the remainder of the drive. I drove for the first 2 hours, and then we switched. Benson, as it turned out, got the more technical portion of the drive . . .
But the mountains were sure pretty along the way, and I had the luxury of being in the passenger seat where I could take pictures at this point.
Our room was very spacious with two twin beds . . .
While Benson wanted to lay down and decompress from the stress of driving on those narrow, curvy roads, I was ready for a walkabout. I told him I'd be back in an hour-ish and then off I went.
The River Addo flows south from the Alps that form the border of Italy and Switzerland, and it runs right through the center of Tirano . . .
What drew me inside in the first place was their selection of items relating to the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympic Games. I was especially interested in this game.
Just up the street was a well-organized park that included a tribute to fallen soldiers and alpini from prior wars . . .
I was able to get a good amount of information from a man seated in what I would classify as a large "closet" inside the front left of the train station. His "office" didn't have a single window, and basically all he had was a table that held his laptop and a space heater on the floor to keep him nice and toasty warm.
I would have never found him, except that someone in the large group of fluorescent-vested workers out front spoke just enough English to understand what I needed help with and then walked me over to this guy inside his little closet-office.
The information I received was absolutely GOLDEN, though. I learned that the shuttle begins its run up to Bormio at 7:00 a.m. and every 30 minutes or so after that until 10:00 a.m. He told me how long it takes to get up to Bormio and where to get on the bus, too. He also made sure I knew when the last bus would be coming back down to Tirano each day. Fantastic!
Next, I walked into the train station, down the stairs, under the train platforms, and up the ramps all the way to where the buses would load. I wanted to know EXACTLY what we needed to do early the next morning. The signs were very helpful along the way and throughout the train station, too. I followed the arrows leading me to the "spectators shuttle", or the Novetta Spettatori.
From there, I timed how long it took me to walk all the way back to our hotel so that we could figure out when to leave in the morning. We decided to get some dinner and then go to bed right away, since we would be getting up around 6:15 a.m. (Benson is not a morning person, and never has been, ha ha)
I chose the restaurant for the first night in Tirano, and then Benson would get to choose the second night. I chose a place called Posteria del Rosso because the menu looked so amazing online. We were the first ones to arrive for the evening, and the server escorted us upstairs to a little table for two.
Benson wasn't super hungry, so he just ordered the Tagliatelle with Gorgonzola and Mascarpone Cream and toasted walnuts. I was a lot hungrier, having not eaten anything since breakfast - so I was in need of some serious protein. I ordered the Black Angus Ribeye Steak with Roasted Pumpkin and Jerusalem Artichoke Cream.
The server also talked me into trying their local specialty, which is a fried cheese ball known as Chisciol. (pronounced like kee-shawl) It was so good! They paired it with a bed of shredded cabbage/lettuce that had been lightly tossed with oil and vinegar, salt and pepper. *What I didn't know until writing this post, is that the ingredients for the Chisciol include: buckwheat flour, grappa, beer, plus the star of the show - young Valtellina Cesara cheese. My tummy isn't too fond of anything wheat, including buckwheat, and I usually steer away from things that have alcohol in them, ha ha.
Interestingly, for the past 3 weeks, the forecast never varied from saying that there would be snow on February 19th in Bormio. There was always going to be something on that day, but the amount kept changing and changing, up until that 12 hour advance window. Now, suddenly there was a shocking prediction . . .
Oh boy. Suddenly I didn't feel as confident with the winter gear that we had brought along with us.
Dinner was absolutely smashing, though. Benson's pasta was fantastic, too (he let me try some).
And my ribeye steak was about 3x the amount I was expecting . . . and the funny thing about Italy, and maybe other places in Europe, too, is that they don't emphasize the vegetable side dishes very much. Like, wow. The amount of steak was enough to satisfy 2-3 hungry men, and then there was one little wedge of squash on the side. But it tasted delicious and I was able to get some good protein . . .
Thursday, February 19th: We got ourselves up and out the door just after 7:00 a.m. to catch the 7:30 a.m. shuttle bus. It was raining in Tirano on our way to the station, so I brought an umbrella with me. Benson declined to bring one, playing what I think was the "macho card". This one little umbrella is what helped to save us later . . .
The 40 minute bus ride was toasty warm, and with all the layers that we had dressed ourselves with, it was a bit smothering. Italians love their heat, that's for sure!!
The countryside was gorgeous so early in the morning, and it didn't take long for the rain to turn to slush and then snow . . .
Video of some of the curious terraced gardens on the mountainside: (7 seconds)
By the time we pulled into Bormio, everything was white outside . . .
The stands were enormous and so exciting to see in person . . .
I purchased a hot apple strudel to go with our water bottles, and it was really yummy.
This was the starting lineup for the first women's heat, with the American athlete (Anna Gibson) on the far right . . .
I recorded the entire first heat to provide the overall perspective as to what we saw from the stands. Sometimes when you watch it on TV, they switch back and forth from this scene to that one, and you don't really get the whole story from start to finish.
So here you go: (3 minutes, 8 seconds)
Announcers would alternate between different languages, to make sure everyone could understand what was going on. And the only time we really couldn't see very well up on the course, was the transition to going up the stairs. That's usually when the big screen TV's came in really handy.
Something we saw repeatedly was how critically important the transitions are. The athlete has to go from hoofing it up the hill on "skinned" skis (with those velcro grippy strips under their skis to help provide traction), to then removing the skis so they could trek (or run) up a long set of stairs. Next, they have to put their "skinned" skis back on to trudge up another uphill slope, and then finally, they peel off those skins, shove them inside their jacket, and then ski as fast as they can back down to the finish.
We saw how some athletes would rip through a transition lightning fast, where suddenly someone who was in 4th or 5th place was now in 1st. It made everything really exciting!!
Me, trying to stay warm and dry in the stands . . .
This was Cameron (or "Cam") Smith, the only male athlete from the U.S. . . .
Video of the Spaniards next to me as they cheered for their countrymen during the heats.
(11 seconds) https://photos.app.goo.gl/THCLGCKm67C7AYrR7
It was so fun to be surrounded by so much positive energy and fans from all over the world. We had Spain to our left, Italy in front of us, Belgium and France to our right, Slovakia behind us, and so many more.
While we waited under the cover of the stands above us, I think two of the USA coaches or staff were standing directly across from us. I picked up on some clues as people would stop to talk to them, congratulate them, etc. I think they were important, but I'm not sure they were actually the coaches. The athletes had their own separate area to prepare and recover, and their coaches would have been closeby. So I'm not sure exactly who these two guys were . . . nevertheless, there we all were. Waiting for the next round to begin.
Benson was shivering for pretty much the entire day, poor guy. He had accidentally left the warm gloves (that Scott loaned him) back at the hotel. He didn't have a waterproof coat on either. What saved him was the sets of hand warmers and foot warmers that we brought with us from Vicenza. He tucked those in all sorts of places to keep warm throughout the long day. And I did my best to shield us with my umbrella.
I had brought two pairs of gloves with me, so I gave him my thinner pair because they would fit his hands best, while I wore the thicker pair. And I'll tell you what, even though that pair of mittens is super cushy, thick, and meant for cold weather, they BARELY kept my fingers from freezing all day! Also, I ended up using the last set of foot warmers inside my boots to help me make it through the last couple of hours. I peeled off the adhesive cover and stuck the little heat squares onto the outside of my thick socks, close to my toes. That felt much better.
The worst part was that I had to take off my mittens in order to untie my boot laces and get those foot warmers positioned properly. It was a race to get the job done and get those mittens back on!!
The alpini were devotedly clearing snow from the stands during the break, too.
(4 seconds) https://photos.app.goo.gl/RVqg1knfkNnbjnpd6
Crews worked feverishly to clear both the finish line and the start line before the semifinals were to begin. During that 2 hour break, the snow just kept coming and coming. Huge wet flakes.
Finish line prep: (5 seconds) https://photos.app.goo.gl/5GJehyyCEd3raFj48
Start line prep: (5 seconds) https://photos.app.goo.gl/XFBUwAXF5QhdoEZY9
And even Tina, the Olympic Mascot showed up to help clear a small area with a shovel: (9 seconds)
I gotta say, the music that they pumped through the speakers all day made such a difference. There were so many fun songs that got everyone up out of their seats, dancing, jumping, singing, etc. I think it helped us all to keep the blood moving somewhat, which probably saved some of our lives that day, too!
I hardly touched my phone for most of the afternoon because it was just.that.cold. I didn't want to pull my mittens off to do anything! We hardly touched our water all day, too, because of the effort that it would have required.
Here are the top 3 finishers for the women: Switzerland, France, and Spain.
My favorite thing that whole day was seeing Spain capture the gold medal in the men's finals. They have not won a gold medal in the Winter Olympics since 1972 . . . until THIS DAY!!! What an incredible accomplishment, and WE WERE THERE TO SEE IT!!!
Video as Oriol Cardona (from Spain) starts up the course in the Men's Final (he is 3rd from the left):
(28 seconds) https://photos.app.goo.gl/kdT2t7DsQLpa2u4c7
Video as Oriol Cardona comes across the finish line to claim his gold medal: (23 seconds)
And the subsequent cheers and tears of joy on my left: (11 seconds)
Almost immediately after the Men's Final was over, Benson was ready to leave. He was done with barely surviving. We didn't stay for the medals to be awarded, but instead we made our way back to the warm bus where we slowly began to thaw on the ride back to Tirano.
Because he was so much colder than I was all day, I let him hop in the shower first. I told him "take all the time you need" to get warmed up. Not to worry, I had plenty of hot water when eventually it was my turn.
Here's where radiant heat comes in so handy. We hung all of our wet clothes and gear over the radiators in our hotel room where they dried out in record time. Just like a rotisserie chicken, we would occasionally flip the coats, mittens, socks, etc. from time to time.
I had only eaten a banana for breakfast and the apple strudel - and that was it for the whole day. Benson had eaten a toasty warm plate of pizza during that lunch break under the stadium, which helped to warm him up a little.
We both vowed to never be that cold again for the rest of our lives.
Friday, February 20th: We didn't have time to eat the included breakfast the day before, with our need to hurry to the station to catch the shuttle bus. But on our last morning, we got to slow down and eat a nice meal before hitting the road.
Typical Italian hotel breakfast spread = meats and cheeses, yogurts, fruits, various breads/pastries, and sometimes a muesli-type cereal with your choice of toppings. Sometimes you'll see boiled eggs, and once in a while you might see scrambled eggs if you're lucky.
Tirano is only a few kilometers from the Swiss border. It's so close in fact, that when I was looking at Google Maps the day before, I saw that I could walk from our hotel to the border in about 45 minutes. That meant that we were about 3 km from Switzerland, if you're calculating about 15 minutes per kilometer.
Video of the chain-up area and the Swiss police roadblock: (5 seconds)
Just because chains weren't required didn't mean that the roads were awesome, though. In fact, we hit some pretty scary sections where the snow was blowing and drifting from the fierce winds. There were occasional thick, icy patches on a sharp curve, with the blowing and drifting snow at the same time. And once, the driver in front of us just all of a sudden stopped on a blind curve. We stopped, too, not sure why he had stopped in the first place. He had all-wheel drive in his BMW, but we did not, Trying to get going again was not easy on that slippery ice, but Benson got us going, even though he was clearly rattled about the guy stopping so suddenly.
If you've ever heard of the Bernina Express train, a bright red train that travels through the Swiss Alps 365 days a year with supremely scenic views to die over . . . well, that's the same route we drove, but in a car. We drove past all of the main stops for the Bernina Express, high up in those snowy mountains. The highest point is Ospizio Bernina, where the station sits at 2253 meters, or 7,392 feet in elevation. We passed by that station . . . during a whopper of a snowstorm. In February. Maybe next time we will pick a better time of year, but we didn't really have a choice this time. Well, I guess we could have flown, but there wasn't a good airport near Tirano and we would have lost a lot of time to get to a big enough airport. Plus it would have cost a lot more money to add on 2 tickets plus a rental car from Frankfurt. Anyway . . . we did the best we could with the cards we were dealt.
Something I noticed as we made our way through the worse of it, was that the Swiss people were outside EMBRACING the fresh dumping of snow. Oh - and I learned afterwards that while we sat watching the Skimo event in Bormio the day before, the snow amounted to TEN inches by the time it was all done. Nowhere else did any Olympic event receive that much snow. Not even close, ha ha.
Video of the kite-boarders: (13 seconds)
Video of the horsies: (6 seconds)
Video of the XC skiers: (4 seconds)
They were having so much fun!! I have a pair of XC skis back home in Idaho Falls. In the past, if there was a good bit of snow on the ground, I could step onto my skis in the driveway and ski down the street to the park behind the Vance's house. Parks & Rec maintenance workers would regularly groom some XC trails in Idaho Falls - in some of the larger parks and also on the golf courses. I'd ski around Sunnyside Park a couple of times and then ski back to my driveway where I'd remove the skis and tuck them back inside my garage, then go inside for a hot drink and a cozy blanket. Those were good times.
I think when I go home this summer, I want to grab our snowshoes that have only been used ONCE and bring them back to Italy. It would be nice to have a way to get out into the snow together over here.
Benson was nervous about what to expect, but I regaled him with entertaining stories of when Charmaine and I got across the English Channel twice, using two separate methods back in 2018. First, on Charmaine's day to drive (we alternated days), she had to drive our car on board a tight and narrow train, following the commands of the crew member who told us where to park - all while driving with the steering wheel on the right-hand side of the car. In that case, we just stayed in our seats for the 20 minute ride underneath the sea, on what is also known as the Chunnel. (A combo of the words Channel and Tunnel put together.) She whipped out some flashcards and we practiced some French phrases while we went down, down, down (our ears were filling with pressure) and then eventually we knew we were going up because our ears needed to pop. Charmaine was super proud of herself that day because she navigated the whole thing like a champ.
The second time we crossed over was a couple days later. It was my turn to drive, only this time we had chosen to take the ferry across so that we would arrive closer to our next destination near Weymouth, England (on the Southern Coast). It was a much longer crossing (about 4 hours), so we were allowed to get out and roam around. They had a cafeteria inside, with lounging areas and bathrooms. I remember wanting to go outside on the deck, but it was crazy windy and choppy and therefore not enjoyable, so I mostly stayed inside, read a book, and even closed my eyes for a while.
Video as Benson drove us onto the train at Vereina Tunnel: (10 seconds)
Video of the worker guy motioning for us to pull forward: (5 seconds)
The Vereina Tunnel is 19.1 km long and opened up for use in 1999. It is the world's longest single-track narrow-gauge railway tunnel, allowing for an 18-minute car transport service every 30 minutes. It operates year-round, and bypasses the Fluela Pass in the Swiss Alps. When we were at the front of the line to board the next train, I counted how many cars were disembarking before we could board. I counted 49. There were 3 lanes you could get into while you waited: cars only, cars/small trucks/vans, or RV's and larger vehicles. They would choose a mixture from all the lanes to board each train, so there isn't an exact number of how many cars could fit on one trip.
Video of us entering the tunnel: (21 seconds)
Video as we emerged on the other side, with more snow: (17 seconds)
Video as we drove off the train: (6 seconds)
*Note: Benson and I were at odds about using the windshield wipers, lol. I'm usually the Wiper Police when I'm with Scott. Maybe it's a guy thing, but with several of the males in our family, I hear them say things like, "Why do I need to use the wipers if I can see just fine?" Meanwhile, I want to use the wipers if there are just a couple of drops on the windshield, ha ha. I don't want to have to TRY to see through the rain or snow, when I have a wiper blade that can clear my view in an INSTANT.
Even though we were really behind schedule (from dealing with train crossings in small towns, stopping to put chains on and then take them off, waiting to board the shuttle train, potty stops, etc.), I still wanted to stop in Colmar, France for a little bit. It would give us a chance to get out and stretch our weary legs, and also get a decent dinner.
I truly wished we could spend a day or two in Colmar to properly explore the town, but it will definitely be up near the top of my "Next Time" list. We still had 2+ hours of driving to go before reaching our hotel for the night, and it was already coming on 7:00 p.m. Yuck.
We stopped to fill up the tank north of Strasbourg for the FIRST TIME since we left our house in Vicenza. Wow! We drove from Vicenza to Tirano, across Switzerland, and across a good portion of France before filling up. That was close to 12 hours of driving on one tank of (diesel) fuel.
Also, I think I will be getting a speeding ticket someday soon in the mail . . .
When I was on the freeway between Colmar and Strasbourg, I was going maybe 8-9 km over the speed limit, but so were a lot of other drivers. At one point, there was a super bright and very powerful flash of light just before I went under an overpass. It was a little blinding, which didn't seem safe at all! I gasped, "What was THAT??!!" Benson replied, "It was probably capturing your license plate and you behind the wheel because you were speeding." Oh darn . . . I didn't know that France was a stickler for speeding. I know Germany is, but I thought France was more lax. Lesson learned.
Saturday, February 21st: We slept really well in our hotel in Zweibrucken, Germany. We arrived at 9 p.m. the night before and got ourselves into bed as quickly as possible. This time, our twin beds were pushed up against each other, but we still had our own *sort of* space at least, with individual sheets and blanket covers.
We opted to not pay the additional fees for breakfast, but we just waited for "brunch" with Miss Avery instead. We drove 30 minutes north to get to Ramstein AFB and the food court inside the huge Base Exchange Mall. Benson was really nervous because he hadn't seen Avery in such a long time, close to 2 years. He didn't know if she would remember him or not.
She saw me and came running toward me. It was so sweet. She is such a social girl, so it didn't take much for her to warm right up to Benson. While we stood in line to order her favorite burrito at Taco Bell, I quietly asked her, "Do you remember him? Benson?" She shrugged and said, "I don't know."
It's a sticky subject, so I can only imagine how Benson must have been feeling. Avery is surrounded by Kylie and her new husband, Miles, every single day, so it is only natural for Avery to refer to Miles as "Da-Da". I just hope that Benson will make it a habit to regularly initiate some video calls with Avery, now that she is old enough to remember, so that she WILL remember him.
I made sure to do all that I could to ensure that Benson had every moment to spend with his daughter. I purposely chose seating across from them so that Benson could sit next to her. I went and stood in line to get us some food at the Panda Express so that he could visit with her. Every minute mattered.
Soon, however, she decided to trust him and to be brave. She took a little nibble of the "red thing", and then almost immediately she recognized it as "not spicy" and that yes, it was indeed just a crunchy chip. She laughed and then started eating her burrito again. Lol.
With Benson's phone giving him all kinds of trouble, we stopped by a fixit shop inside the mall near the food court. The fixer guy asked for a little bit of time to do some diagnosing, so while we had some time to kill, we just wandered around the mall and had fun with Avery in the meantime.
We found a florist shop with all kinds of stuffed animals. The lady working at the cash register had oodles of patience because she didn't mind at all that we played with every single stuffie in the store.
I love Avery's dancy, fidgety feet in this short video: (5 seconds)
Video of Avery playing in the helicopter: (10 seconds)
A sweet photo of Benson and Avery . . . XOXO
Although the fixer guy did his best to make Benson's phone functional again, it was now slightly worse than it was before. Thankfully we didn't have to pay for that . . .
Next, we drove all together in Kylie's car over to the indoor trampoline park. Avery and Benson shared the back seat during the 15 minute drive, and Avery was her usual silly self.
One of my favorite videos of Avery, showcasing her true self: (10 seconds)
The trampoline park is one of Avery's favorite places to go. She felt right at home the minute we walked in. I took a few videos - mostly short ones - but here are some samplings of the fun we had. (This is more for the great grandparents than anyone else!)
Video #1: (6 seconds)
Video #2: (2 seconds)
Video #3: (8 seconds)
Video #4: (10 seconds)
Video #5: (2 seconds) With Avery excitedly shouting, "You did it!!"
Video #6: (5 seconds)
For a long while, Avery and I played in this same area. We jumped together, sometimes holding hands, sometimes not. And then I laid down on my back while she ran in circles around me. I tried to grab her as she ran past, which sent her into orbit as far as giggles go. It was so fun.
All too soon, it was time to wrap things up. We didn't want to overstimulate Avery for too many hours, and we didn't want things to get awkward by overstaying and taking up Kylie's whole day. After about 3.5 hours, it felt like the right time to part ways, even though it was hard.
Avery always has a hard time saying goodbye and separating from the people she loves. She still struggles with bedtime and being separated from her family in order to go to sleep. It was wrenching at Benson's heartstrings in a big way when Avery kept asking over and over, "Pwease, I come with you?" "Pwease?" "Pwease?"
We made promises to come see her again soon, but she just kept asking, "Pwease, I come with you?"
Dang it all. Life is hard. It doesn't always have to be, but so many times it just is.
When we got back to our hotel, I knew that Benson needed some time to process everything, and that the best way for him to do that was to give him some alone time and quiet space. I told him I wanted to go for a walk, and I invited him to come with me. But he politely declined, which I knew he would. I told him which direction I would go and that I'd be back in approximately one hour. (It was important for us to communicate clearly because I was the only one with a working phone. If I got lost or didn't return on time for whatever reason, he would need to know what direction I went so he could come to my rescue, since we couldn't call or text each other at all.)
After I got back to the hotel room with some snacks for our drive home the next day, I told Benson I wasn't done exploring yet. I set off for another hour in a different direction, with plans to meet up with him for dinner after that.
Our hotel in Zweibrucken (Hotel Rosengarten), sat at the end of a long tree-lined lane with a large canal that runs parallel to it. I walked westward for my second walk, following the canal for a long ways.
Above and below: The sign at the edge of this plaza describes how this is the oldest building in Zweibrucken that somehow survived through WWII. It dates back to 1770. If you click on the photo above, you can read a little more in the middle section that's printed in English.
"The Zweibrucker Lion", by Barbara Gernot Rumipe. A Gift from the Lions Club to the Citizens of the City for the 650th Anniversary, 2002.
Above and below: Hallplatz was once a livestock market (Sauplacke). To commemorate this, Volksbank Zweibrucken presents this bronze sculpture to the citizens of Zweibrucken on the occasion of its 125th anniversary. ~ Zweibrucken, March 25, 1990.
Design and model: Kurt Grabert, Auendorf. Casting: E. Strassacker KG, Sussen.
I popped into a little shop next to the these sculptures and the big plaza, where I found a cute ballcap with dainty pink flowers on it, plus a dress for Abby's upcoming birthday. I didn't go in there intending to find something for her, but as soon as I saw this dress, it OOZED Abby so hard. She is gonna love it!!
Heading back to the hotel, I zig-zagged over to see what this big sign was near the horse stables. Turns out that this stud farm known as "Horse Whispers" dates back to 1755.
The sign also says in the English translation found in the center: "There is talk of Fayoum, the thoroughbred Arab horse Napoleon rode in the battle of Austerlitz, and includes whispered information about the animal's qualities as a breeding stallion. The Zweibrucken stock was held in high esteem by the cavalry and couriers, but regional agriculture also benefited from the breeding qualities of the stud farm. The stud farm today rides into the future with fresh equestrian enthusiasm and by breeding horses for leisure pursuits."
The artwork at the top of the sign illustrates Napoleon on his horse Fayoum, during the battle of Austerlitz.
As I walked past the stables one last time, I saw a young lady sitting atop her well-groomed horse. As they came out and trotted past me, I took a couple of videos.
Video #1: (6 seconds)
Video #2: (6 seconds)
Just outside the hotel, across the parking lot, was an unusual hunk of metal and a sign. I trudged over to see what it was, because why not?
You can click on the photo below for the full story and translation (*Dad*). The nutshell version is that a man named Wilhelm Bauer invented the first submarine and it was named "Brandtaucher". The hunk of metal was a mini version of that first submarine.
To eliminate the need to drive somewhere or research extensively for where to get some dinner, earlier I had made a reservation for the restaurant next door as I went on my second walk. The food was really delicious and I'm glad we chose to eat there.
From the menu above, I chose the soup of the day, which was a beef broth with (I think she said) bone marrow dumplings. It was SO GOOD. I shared my sourdough bread with Benson.
For my main dish, I ordered the Corn-fed Spring Chicken, with peas "2 ways" (snow peas + mushy peas). It was amazing and I ate the whole thing.
Our day consisted of driving from Zweibrucken down into France again (just 11 km south), past Strasbourg, and past Colmar, but this time we took a slightly different route across Switzerland. And thankfully there were no snow storms to deal with anymore!!
The mountains were still magnificent, both majestic and monstrous in sheer size . . .
We took a slightly more southern route, which led us to Lake Lucerne - a large and gorgeous lake. Apparently this is considered to be the birthplace of Switzerland, and features a large sprawling lake with four arms. It is the 4th largest lake in Switzerland and has two very tall mountains that frame it: Mount Pilatus (2128 m / 6982 ft) and Mount Rigi (1798 m / 5899 ft).
Video of one of the lengthy "arms" of Lake Lucerne: (11 seconds)
Remember that story that I shared in the last post, about the photos that Benson was trying to take of the young man on the motorcycle? This is where it all happened. The sun was shining, but I had to walk back to the car to get my jacket because it was just a little too cold to be comfortable without it. And just in case you were wondering about the specifics, we walked along the road on the southern edge of the lake called, "Lopperstrasse".
We drove into the nearby town of Stans to get some lunch at a place called Farah Cafe & Restaurant. They offer Persian food, which is made up of native dishes from Iran. I know, that's a sore subject right now. But the family that owned this restaurant is not connected to any regime. They were so friendly and lovely and I'm so glad we had a chance to support their local business.
From the menu above, we chose the first item in the appetizer section, Kashke Bademjan. It was surprisingly good! Even Benson was impressed, ha ha. He was apprehensive about something that had eggplant as its main ingredient, but it was sort of like a chunky salsa that you could smear on a section of the flatbread called sangak, which is a lot like naan bread. The bread was warm and delightful.
We opted to share the main dish, since we didn't know it would be so pricy in this trendy little town. We ordered the Shishlik, which came with some little baby lamb chops, saffron rice, pickled onions, and a few roasted vegetables (tomato, hot pepper, etc.). I don't usually order lamb because I love those sweet little lambies, but Benson loves the tenderness of the meat, so I went along with his preference this time.
From Stans, we headed eastward once again, passing by some extraordinary mountain peaks . . .
Here's where I have an interesting, um, kind of a whopper story to share.
Let's set the stage.
Google's directions to our hotel in Como (Albergo Firenze Hotel) mentioned the possibility of having to drive through a ZTL - which is basically a pedestrian-only zone. At certain times of the day, the ZTL's will be closed to cars, except for those authorized vehicles with a special permit (delivery of goods, residents who live inside the ZTL, etc.). When it's closed to most cars, there will be a red light, similar to a small stoplight, to let you know before you enter that zone. Other times, there isn't any red light on, which was what I was hoping and praying for.
I saw the sign signifying a ZTL zone ahead, but I didn't see any red light, so I cautiously went forward. All too soon, things got a little squishy. And by squishy, I mean claustrophobic, ha ha. There I was, inching forward in these tiny little alleys, surrounded by crowds of people on all sides of me. Most of them were completely unaware that I was even there. They were just walking along, most of them were on their phones and looking down. They were window shopping, walking their little doggy or pushing a baby stroller, etc. It took a long time to work my way down each narrow street when most people weren't paying attention to the fact that there was a CAR trying to get through . . .
The whole time I was just thinking how nuts this was, and that I hoped I wouldn't get ticketed and fined for driving through the ZTL. Time will tell . . .
Several minutes later, I got to within 100 meters of our hotel, but Google had led me to a dead-end street. I was relieved to see that there were 2 other cars parked on this street, because that meant I wasn't the only one. I pulled over to breathe and get my anxiety in check (I was actually doing pretty well, all things considered). Benson offered to hop out and run ahead and peek around the corner to see what our options were. He came back to report that yes, it was a dead end, and there didn't appear to be any parking up there.
I called the hotel to ask what I should do, and that's when they told me that I am supposed to park in such-and-such parking garage. That would have been nice to know in advance!! So now, I'm sitting on a dead-end street, wondering how to get myself out of this mess. Benson offered to hop out again and look at some options back behind us, which he quickly did.
He came back to let me know that there was a nice big plaza behind me on the right and that he could help guide me to back up so I could turn around in that spot. So . . . that's what I did. I had to inch backwards once again, because of all the passersby and shoppers that filled the street. Thankfully I didn't run over any doggies, and I didn't kill any babies. I did get a lot of strange looks, and I'm sure several Italians were thinking, "Yup, another tourist."
I backed into the plaza, Benson hopped in, and then we made our way out to a bigger and more public street - outside the ZTL. We had one last obstacle to deal with, where Google led us to one of two openings to the underground parking garage, only this one was blocked off. Yay.
I kept driving, mostly on instinct at this point. I felt like I should make a right turn at one of the intersections, and thankfully we saw the entrance up ahead to the parking garage. Once we parked and breathed out a big exhale, Benson commended me on keeping my cool the entire time. He was visibly proud of me, and that felt really good.
We grabbed minimal belongings to haul with us back to the hotel (a 7-minute walk), got checked in . . . only to realize that I had left my Visa card back in the car. When I'm driving on the toll roads in Italy, I like to keep it in the little open compartment next to the gear shifter for easy access. And I have never left it in the car before! But I think I was a little out of sorts because of what I just went through, so I didn't even think about grabbing it as we gathered up our luggage.
Benson was a champ, though. He offered to trot back to the garage and grab it for me, even though he didn't have a working phone and wouldn't have access to any maps or to be able to message me if he got lost. But he did it! He went off pure instinct and made it back in good time, where I could finish the check-in process.
By the time we got upstairs to our room, all I felt like doing was laying on the bed for the next hour. Our roles had completely reversed. This time, HE wanted to go on an explore and I just wanted to rest and collect my "cool" again.
I called Scott to tell him all about what had happened. He was such a good sport and after reassuring me, he simply said, "Well, we'll just have to wait and see if we get something in the mail at some point, and then we'll deal with it."
Benson came back all jazzed about the photos he had taken, showing me everywhere he had just been. There was a lot to see within 1/2 a kilometer in any direction, including the shores of Lake Como. He was so happy, so I was happy for him.
I decided I was finally ready to go on a little explore, including getting us some food. He wasn't super hungry, and I didn't want anything too harsh (greasy, fried, weird) on account of the stress of the recent drive. There was a Poke bowl restaurant nearby, but before I went there to pick up some dinner, I wandered around the area near our hotel first.
It was so magical, and I was finally able to appreciate the beauty of Como after all that stress. It was dark outside, and lights were on everywhere.
The Duomo of Como was unexpectedly large . . . I had a couple of twists and turns to navigate first in order to get to the front side.
In typical European fashion, restaurants had set up some charming eating areas outside, with several bright red heaters placed among the tables to warm up the diners while they ate.
The Duomo was so pretty, and the moon was shining up above, too . . .
Construction began on the Duomo in 1396 on the same site as an earlier ancient Romanesque church. It took almost 400 years to complete the structure, with all of its intricate additions over the centuries. Finally, in 1770, it was declared finished. In Italian, we would say, "finito". (fee-NEE-toh) But be sure you use your hands like the Italians do when you say it, ha ha.
I enjoyed the fresh air and the short walk. I picked up our Poke bowls and went back to the hotel where we wolfed down our food and went to sleep.
Video of Swannie #1: (9 seconds) https://photos.app.goo.gl/gzQBndceUhPVvJWK8
Video of Swannie #2: (12 seconds) https://photos.app.goo.gl/vWtHzhLoEYPTMkTa6
Unfortunately, the sun was rising behind the hill (the one with the funicular), so we didn't get the photos that we hoped for. But we still enjoyed the quietness of the early morning and the gentle lighting behind the city of Como from the pier.
This beautiful sculpture was made by the artist Daniel Libeskind. He created it to honor Alessandro Volta, the inventor of the electrochemical battery and a native of Como, Italy. Volta was a pioneering chemist and physicist. He lived from 1745-1827. In 1799 he helped to revolutionize the study of electricity by producing the first source of electric current, later named the Voltaic Pile.
An early morning ferry boat came plowing by with gusto: (19 seconds)
And Swannie brought his girlfriend, Swannita, over to meet me: (13 seconds)
The clerk at the front desk had advised us to wait until at least 9:00 a.m. to try to leave Como, due to the morning traffic. By the time we returned to our car, it was something like 9:30 or 9:45. Benson was more than happy to let me drive, probably because I don't get easily rattled in gnarly traffic. (I might crumple afterwards, like I did the day before - but only if it was especially bad.)
Our last big hoorah was to drive to Monza to see the F1 track. Benson is a huge fan of Formula 1 racing, and he knew tons of fun facts about this place. He knew every inch of the track already, too, even though he had never seen it in person before.
The city of Monza is located NNE of Milan, with a population of 123,000. We both took an immediate liking to the city, especially due to the ginormous park system that they have built. For example, Parco di Monza, which sits adjacent to the F1 Track, is one of the largest historic parks in all of Europe! It boasts roughly 720 hectares, which is equivalent to 1,780 acres, or 7.2 square km.
There are walking trails, bicycling trails, forests, playgrounds, and picnic areas with bbq pits all throughout this massive park.
We parked on the edge of the park and walked down the long lane to the entrance of the Monza Track.
We parked on the edge of the park and walked down the long lane to the entrance of the Monza Track.
Video of the track heading into the famous Parabolica Curve: (8 seconds) *Nevermind the weird buzzing sounds, it's just the electrical utility box close to where we stood in the stands.
Parabolica Curve . . .
Periodically, we saw a van with tourists/fans zoom past us on the track. However, when we waited patiently for the next one to eventually come around the corner, he was a more laid-back driver, so it wasn't very exciting, ha ha.
Video of the van coming around Ascari's curve: (24 seconds)
We traipsed all over the Monza Circuit for about 2+ hours before arriving at a little shop where we could get some water and a souvenir. I had been steadily taking photos of everything so I could share this experience with my nephew, Caleb (my sister Melanie's son), who is also a mega-fan of Formula 1 racing. I also picked up a couple of surprises for him in the gift shop, which I'm sure he will be very happy to receive. :)
We only had 2.5 hours of driving left to get home. And we made it without any exciting incidents to speak of.
Tuesday, February 24th: As much as I was still raring to go and ready to play hostess again, Benson preferred a lazy day at home where he could do some laundry and just sit on the couch and watch the Olympics. Sounded great to me, too! So we stayed home the entire day, Benson's last full day in Italy. It was nice to slow down for sure.
At the end of the day, we went for a walk with Benson, up the hill where we could see Del Din and parts of Vicenza behind us.
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Wednesday, February 25th: I drove Benson to the Venice Airport first thing in the morning to get him there by 9:00 a.m.
I love this kid of mine so much. He is a wonderful man and I'm so incredibly grateful for all the adventures we had together for two whole weeks. I'm already looking forward to seeing him again in June when we come back to Idaho Falls to work on the house. XOXO
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