Through detours to Italy

Off to Italy!

That is the motto on Friday morning. We want to enjoy the sun one last time before finishing the trip. The bags are quickly packed and we set off in Markdorf around 10 o'clock.

The route.

We continue through Austria via Bregenz and Feldkirch, then through Liechtenstein and Switzerland. 280km to Lugano and a little over 300km to Lake Maggiore.

The first 200km go smoothly. We stop for a quick refuel in Austria (Tip: it's always cheapest here). We hope to catch a glimpse of the Alpine panorama in Switzerland with a little luck. Unfortunately, the clouds hang low and the weather remains very cold and foggy. However, we still want to drive off the highway, so we cross the Beverin Gorge near Thusis.

Huge rock walls tower on the left and right, and the road is just wide enough for two cars to pass each other.

Just before the highway entrance, what was to be expected happens. An extended Mercedes bus is coming towards us and not even 5 seconds later there is a loud bang of crashing plastic followed by screeching tires.

Where the side mirror was just now, only a part of the mirror mechanism remains.

We escape with a fright, but now we have to interrupt our march to Italy. Without a side mirror, we can't continue our journey without problems, so we have to come up with something. Beppo is a vintage car and unfortunately spare parts are not easy to find.

After a few phone calls with car workshops and spare parts dealers, we end up back in Chur, 30km to the north.

At Autoteile Wolf, we don't find the right mirror, but a very helpful family. The owner tells us that he still has an old mirror in stock. He also provides us with a glass cutter. Done and done. We quickly cut a piece out of the old mirror and fix it to the remnants of the old mirror mechanism.

It is now dark and in general, we have lost the desire to continue driving. We find a parking lot near Chur. We will stay here for the night.

What a day!

It is Saturday, October 10th. Despite the scare yesterday, we have not lost sight of our goal. We set off early again and now drive (only on the highway) to Italy. The weather is still gloomy and cold, but after passing the San Bernardino Tunnel, the sun finally shines upon us again.

We exit the highway near Lugano and cross the border on the country road. The distance to Genoa is still a bit too far for the day, so we first head towards Lake Maggiore. Through more stopovers, we end up in Angera. A small lakeside town in the southern area of Lake Maggiore. We climb the Rocca di Angera (an old castle) and at sunset, we enjoy Aperol and beer at the harbor.

We are glad to have come closer to our destination. The Italian driving style is as always a bit unusual, especially with the narrow road conditions. But since we already miss our side mirror, we have nothing to lose here haha.

Just kidding. Until then!