Odd Job Italiano: The Stelvio Pass

Saturday 20th Sep This morning left Tirano for a Sunday (well Saturday) drive to the Stevlio Pass, about 60k. Road winds up with 5 million hairpins, narrow, (but at least there are guard rails...minus the ones missing/bent which the reckless have hit) Well every man and his dog were doing the Stelvio - pushbikes, motorbikes, car clubs etc. We stopped for a photo at a lookout and chatted to 4 guys in their 50s from Sydney, none overweight, who had hired their bikes in the town down the hill, Bormio (and their matching lycra) and were riding up ... and down the other side - another 48 hairpins - and then back again. Well for crying out loud... what a way to enjoy a holiday! Up the top at the Pass, it was like Bourke St, chockas with cars and people and stalls trying to flog stuff. One side is meant to be better scenery but both pretty amazing vistas, not least being the road itself from vantage points along. Coming down things a bit fraught due to approaches to blind corners, mostly 1 car width, so you have to try to peer around the corner, crikey! Bottom line I don't think it could be the Top Gear rubberlaying experience unless the road was closed to other traffic. After driving up /down (not sure) the valley passing Bolzano (Iceman)and Trento finally arrived our Caltrano destination to find our chosen hotel closed for 3 days. So up the hill to Tresche Conca on the alto piano and found ok accomodation at Albergo Col Del Sole (bit inconguous as this is a sking areas, quite unlike the Costa del Sol, plus decor heavily influenced by hunting lodge, ie taxidermied foxes and stag antlers) Lucky break for us that we settled on Tresche Conca ilo our usual hotel in Cesuna further up, as we learnt later that the other hotel in town has been booked out by the government for 30 refugees. We did wonder why there were 3 very dark dudes loitering in the grass opposite the hotel when we passed there the next day. Anyway settled in and back down the hill 10 tornante to meet friend John at the piazza and up to one of his haunts for a very welcome, welcome drink. John also visiting from SA and appears to really relish the Italian lifestyle - La Dolce Vita.