The final stages of our trip. Today we said goodbye to Germany and hello again to Italy. Leaving Friedrichshafen we headed for Lake Maggiore, via Leichtenstein. The trip was breathtaking, and foolhardy. Probably bordering on dangerous.

The drive to Leichtenstein was ok. A pleasant drive along the valley on the
freeway. After that though, things got a bit hairy. Turning off the
main highway to traverse the alps, it soon became apparent that this was
going to be a very interesting drive indeed. Snow was piled up high on
the side of the road. The surface was slushy and icy. Luckily there were
cars in front of us to pave the way (remembering that our vehicle was
not equipped for this type of driving). As we climbed out of the valley
and into the mountains, things deteriorated rapidly. Speed slowed to a
crawl. The road disappeared under snow and ice. All we could do was
follow the trackes of the car in front of us. They had proper snow tyres
and chains on, and even then they were traveling at only 20kph. Luckily
the car had traction control, which when engaged made the handling feel
safer. Even then there was quite a bit of sliding and tyre spinning.

We peaked at a height of 1650m, snow was falling quite heavily, and we
were getting worried. If it got any worse we could have been in trouble.
Once we went through a tunnel of about 6km however, conditions
improved. We started descending down the other side of the range,
visibility was good, and there seemed to be far less snow falling.

After 5 hours of driving (which should have taken 3 hours), we finally made it to Verbania on the shores of Lake Maggiore, where we will spend the next two or three days.

Glorious day today. Bright sunshine and clear blue skies. Perfect day for a ferry ride around the lake.

We left the dock at Pallanza, then on to Bevano, then to the islands of
Superiore and Bella, before docking on the other side of the lake at Stresa . Delightful village with a labyrinth of winding streets a block away from the shoreline.

Found a terrific small trattoria for a bit of lunch. It had a real homey
feeling. Tables were covered with red damask cloths. To the left of us
was a table at which four elderly gents were sitting, supping a red wine
or two, conversing animatedly, perhaps the weather, or perhaps the
state of the Eurozone. Whatever it was, you got the impression it was
something they did together on a regular basis. We ordered a coffee and
pizza for lunch. Quite simply, scrumptuous. Eagle boys and Pizza Hut
could learn a thing or two.

A couple of hours spent exploring the back streets, and then it was time to catch the ferry back
to where we started. While waiting for the ferry, we sat on a park
bench overlooking the lake. Breathtaking and peaceful. The blue skies
above were crisscrossed with vapor trails from jets flying to all points
of the globe. Norther Italy seems to be the crossroads of the air.

What can one say about the natural beauty of this area? Nothing. Words don't
do it justice. Even the photos don't adequately capture it. You'll just
have to come and see it for yourself.