Exciting climbs and an abrupt end

The crossing went smoothly and so we arrived back on the mainland on Tuesday morning. The cars were hurriedly waved out of the crowded deck and we quickly maneuvered Willie away from the harbor onto the next main road. The areas classified as risky continued to grow, so we didn't think about taking detours anymore, but drove straight towards the ferry booked accommodation north of Bergamo. We picked up whatever was on the way. So just 35 minutes after departure from Livorno, we were already at the leaning tower in Pisa at 8:00. We were rewarded with a sunrise and an almost empty space around the tower and the cathedral. We took a few pictures, sipped a cappuccino, and we were already back on the road heading north in less than 45 minutes. Lotti, the diligent navigator, had already found a breakfast spot by the water where we could enjoy tea and bread with peanut butter and jam, dangling our feet in the morning sun. We soaked up the sun rays, knowing the weather forecast for the South Alps and the Dolomites.

We arrived in Bergamo under low-hanging clouds. After a short walk, we reached the old town, once again seeing impressive cathedrals and domes, tasting the most delicious ice cream, and buying ingredients for a private Aperol Spritz in the accommodation, which was selected so well that we could take a hot shower in the clean and modern apartment.

The hostess gave us plenty of tips for excursions and hikes, and we picked the rest from various apps and research. So for the first day, we chose a medium-difficulty hike to the broken dam of Gleno. The ascent turned out to be steeper and more difficult than expected, but always with a great view and all in bright sunshine with the panorama of the Alps all around. Behind the dam destroyed in 1923, there is still a small mountain lake where we took a short break before following the circular path back to the car, constantly taking pictures of the mountains. After almost 3.5 hours, we were back with our brave Willie, who took us to the accommodation through more hairpin bends, but not without stopping at a pizzeria.

Another hike was planned for the next day. However, as we noticed while having porridge, the starting point was almost 2 hours' drive and more than just one valley away. So we quickly replanned and started directly from the accommodation, following the steep mountain slopes, we climbed one of the surrounding mountains. Once again, it was a challenging, sometimes more than 30% uphill, path to a small chapel on the ridge. Despite the cloudy sky, we had a good view into the valleys and the neighboring partly snow-covered mountains. The way back was a challenge in itself. The originally planned path turned out to be a slippery, steep slope that had nothing to do with a path, so we used Komoot to find an alternative trail and were rewarded with another great view. We diligently collected chestnuts (maroni) both uphill and downhill - a whole bag full. In total, we were on the road for almost 6 hours and reached the accommodation hungry, where Lotti immediately took care of a delicious risotto dinner. Later, we had roasted chestnuts with a much more intense flavor than those from the Christmas market, although it required considerable effort to remove the thin, inner skin.

Now it was time to plan ahead. The weather outlook did not improve, and we decided to continue staying in accommodation, this time in South Tyrol, where we had already looked up some hiking destinations. The future hostess sent us a nice message mentioning almost incidentally that South Tyrol would also be classified as a risk area from the weekend onwards. We discussed once again and after a long back and forth and a lot of research on the very confusing RKI website, we decided that it would be better not to take any risk with entry and quarantine requirements in Germany. This meant an abrupt end to our roof tent tour 2020. Disappointed, we cancelled the accommodation in South Tyrol and planned our spontaneous journey home for the following day. So in the morning, we only had time to pack our (significantly more than) seven things and tidy up the accommodation before we set off towards the border. One last pizza stop in Trento and one last espresso and on October 23, 2020, around 3 pm, we started the longest part of our 9.5-hour journey home.

We finally arrived home with short stops for refueling, both for Willie and for us, at 2 am on October 24, 2020, without any problems. We grabbed the necessary things and immediately fell into bed.

The next day, the big unpacking and sorting started. Now it's time to make good use of the remaining two weeks of vacation.

Despite the abrupt end, we really enjoyed our vacation in Italy, the good weather, and the food. Lotti was able to relax after a busy year, and of course, we are proud of our Willie, who carried us reliably over 4000 km. In the end, only one headlight was broken! =) We hope for the world to recover and with it the freedom to travel in the coming year. With a new vacation system for Karsi and much more to explore, we are excited about 2021. Until then, stay healthy and lively.