Stelvio Pass

We set off and first drive through the tunnel along the eastern shore of Lake Como. With a stopover in Maranello for refueling. Moto Guzzi is all the rage here. There is a Moto Guzzi rowing club, a pizzeria of the same name, a guesthouse... and of course motorcycles 🏍️

After the tunnel, we drive through a wide valley until we reach Bormio. There, the Stelvio Pass begins, Italy's highest paved mountain pass at about 2,800 meters. From this side, there are only 14 hairpin turns, but they are very narrow, no wonder the pass was built in a time when vehicles were not as large as they are today! Approximately halfway up the ascent, we take a short lunch break at a serviced hut. It is quite busy here, as the Stelvio Pass is frequented by car drivers, motorcyclists, cyclists, and campers.

At the top of the mountain, it is so crowded that it is hard to find a parking space!

Then comes the descent, with 46 narrow and blind hairpin turns. It is exhausting to maneuver a heavy Harley safely through them, and more than once, I have to stop in a hairpin turn because oncoming traffic (cars and campers) is coming. I am relieved when we reach the bottom and my shoulder hurts.

After a coffee break, we continue towards Merano to Riffian, where we have booked a small guesthouse. But before that, we have to tackle another 20 km of traffic jam in 30 degrees Celsius. Since the engines are running hot and we don't feel like waiting in line, we take the Italian alternative and maneuver around the traffic jam. The cause of the jam was a truck that hadn't properly secured its loaded apple crates and the load piled up in the curve...

In the evening, we walk down to the village for dinner. Since only one of the many available restaurants is open, the choice is easy. But the food is delicious and the people are nice 😊