Today we left the Colmar campsite to travel to Lake Maggiore in Italy. We had everything packed by 9.30am and made our way through France to Switzerland. It only took 30 mins. The scenery changed to very mountainous snow covered peaks in the distance. The day is a sunny 33°C.
We stopped for morning tea at a roadhouse with the tastiest looking food you could imagine, from cakes to full meals. It is very expensive in Switzerland compared to the other countries we have been through. We decided on coffee and cakes. It cost John and I €16 or $24.50. Normally the same thing at home would be about $18. Oh well we are on holidays! It was very nice though.
We then headed to Basel and intended to take the Gotthard pass to Italy but Tom Tom, in the camper with John and Trevor, got lost and took us on a different route. Instead we headed toward Interlaken but took a turn off the main road. The scenery along this route was spectacular. The others hadn't been this way before so it was something new for all of us. There were paragliders everywhere high on the mountains. No wonder with the beautiful weather we are having. The road then narrowed and the signs indicated we would have to catch a train.
We arrive at a small town called Kandersteg with towering mountains around us. The train we drove onto was just wide and high enough for the camper with the mirrors collapsed in. It was rusty looking and did not look like it would go anywhere. I was desperate to use the toilet and thought I could walk up to the camper 8 motor vehicles ahead. The train left and we were immediately in darkness. No going now. The trip took about 15 mins.
On the other side we were high in the Alps and made our way down a steep winding road to Gampel. There we followed the river to Brig where we turned off to head along the Simplon Pass into the Alps again. The road was long, steep and winding. From the car I could not look directly out of the side window but through my iPad, as I was taking photos, I admired the views. John was able to take photos from the camper as he was in the front seat and ahead of us. We got lots of photos of the Alps but they don't do justice to the sheer height and beauty of the mountains. The snow was melting and the water cascaded over the multiple tunnels we went through. When we reached the summit there was snow all around us. The temperature was 21°C but we didn't notice it had cooled.
We made our way down the Alps to the Italian border. The roads immediately changed. The Swiss roads and tunnels are wide and well maintained but the Italian roads were narrower and very rough. Once out of the Alps the motorway widened and improved. We were surrounded by large mountains in all directions.
The view of our destination Lake Maggiore was beautiful with old villages scattered along the waterline. A cable car could be seen in the distance leading to the summit of one of the mountains. I think Trevor and Paul want to go on it. I will have to think about it. Our campsite, Conca D'Oro, is situated right on the water's edge. Our camper is 50 metres from the water in the shade of a large tree, ideal for the next 10 days. There is a well-deserved thank you to Trevor, Dee, Paul and Pat for giving John and me a holiday we will never forget.
Thank you sooooooo much xxxxxxx