As we left Calais I took photos of the fields near our hotel
It is the holiday inn at Coquelles
The village has rolling corn covered fields and a windmill. The hotel has free range roaming chickens and cockerels in its grounds.
I would always recommend staying here as it is so close to the cite Europe shopping mall and to the ferry port. But it is so quiet and has a lovely staff, very comfortable beds and very clean and organised.
We did some shopping at the outlet centre “Cite Europe” and stocked up on wine and whiskey, bought some new mugs and clothes.
We had a choppy crossing but at least it only lasts 90 minutes.
Dover to home was an easy drive but we are very tired.
Freiburg on a Sunday morning and a small taste of the Black Forest in the afternoon
It was a pleasant 18 *c this morning…rising to 22*c by afternoon.
We parked near the old centre of Freiburg town and wandered into the square by the cathedral.
There was scaffolding on one side of the cathedral and they were also constructing a stage in the square for a concert later on.
We sat outside in the square relaxing and drinking coffee. After the journey yesterday we needed a restful day.
Photographs and an ice cream later on we left to drive up to the surrounding hills of the Black Forest.
We shared a pizza outside a hotel in the sunshine and found the man serving was Iranian. He had left to live there in that village 20 years ago. He said “England was kaput “ we told him no American is the crazy one 🤗
Afterwards we wondered if he actually was talking football 🤭
Anyway we were following the sat nav directions to a Black Forest museum.
It eventually led us into an industrial estate, to a factory making plastics! Don’t know what that was all about …..
but anyway we saw the lovely countryside. We saw a few large white cranes in the fields!
Next we saw directions to the world’s largest cuckoo clock.
Do you think we were silly enough to go there? Im afraid to admit we sadly did and yes it was naff! Anyway I had my pic taken by it 😉
The hills were so pretty with little villages surrounded by farms and forests. Lots of hiking and cycling opportunities.
What a chilled out day and just what we needed for our next long journey tomorrow to Calais.
We set off at 7.15am and arrived at 4 pm with a few stops on the way at services. The route took us from Italy over the Brenner pass to Austria then to Switzerland and finally Germany.
Brennerpass into Austria Austria
Switzerland
So now we are at “ribs and
Germany
More” to eat our first red meat since we left .Thornbury. And a lemon cello spritz.
Our last full day and we explored the valleys mostly.
All day we intended to go up the funicular and do the sky walk. It is between Cles and Trento. We must have passed close by it 3 times but the sat nav kept taking us along a very narrow lane and ending in farmland!
So we went to Cles and admired all the roses in peoples gardens as we drove by. They were all different shapes and colours, we could still smell the jasmine as we passed by.
Cles is a modern town with lots of industrial areas as well as the old part.
We travelled from the Italian Italy of Trentino to the German speaking part as we approached the Bolzano area. This area was Austrian that is why all the signs are in German.
We stopped by a lakeside at Kaltan am See and had a Wiener Schnitzel with French fries and a mixed salad. It was so huge we had to take a doggy bag, as neither of us could manage it!
The valleys were green and rich with apple trees vines and other fruits. Every spare land is used for agriculture and there are terraced hillsides each side up to the almost vertical mountains. So beautiful.
Although we did not achieve what we wanted to (the skywalk) we had a good day. The sun shone and everything looked fresh and clear after the rain we had last night.
Tomorrow we leave for Freiburg via innsbruck and the tunnels through the Alps.
It will be sad to leave Italy but the adventure isn’t over yet. 🩷🩷
We travelled along the autostrada to the city of Bolzano (it’s 49 minutes away from Trento)
The roads were busy there, but thanks to our sat nav we found the location. To our good luck we found a car space along the road nearby as someone pulled out and we took that space.
The museum is 4 floors 3 about how the iceman was found and then explanations of all the evidence they have gleaned and about how his body remained preserved from 3500 BC
We could see Otzi through a glass preserving tank. He looked so wonderful, so amazing we are so lucky to see him. He was discovered in 1991 but it wasn’t for 3 days that they realised his significance and and from the copper age. He has remnants of sheep skin trousers. Bearskin hat and a copper headed axe. Spears and a dagger. His shoes are lined with bear skin and made of thatched grasses.
From his teeth they could pin point the area where he was born and lived for his childhood. Then 30 years in another area. He was murdered by a spear in his back through his shoulder.
It is fascinating to see all they have discovered from his body. We bought a book about it.
You were not allowed to take any photos and that’s ok. Here is all I can show you.
Next after a pasta and salad lunch we explored a huge high pass through the mountains to Cles and then onto Trento It has scary sheer drops and nowhere to stop to take pics
Bolzano shops in centre
So pleased vince was driving
It was well worth the experience to really get a feel of the high Dolomites.
This is our view from our holiday house which is ideal but as I said before very stressful to reach through a narrow tunnel and road! Only got to do this 3 more times now 🤪
Today is a much clearer day. We can see the tops of the mountains and the sun is shining although there is a cold wind in the mountains.
We travelled through high mountain roads with eye watering sheer cliff sides down down down to steep valleys. They had hairpin bends but all the way was crash barriers and good two way roads. We went through a few tunnels too.
We finally found the sheer peaks of rocks we wanted to photograph!
It was interesting to see that as we climbed the roads, there were vines growing on terraces but after a certain height no vines and instead masses of wild flower meadows. It must be too cold over a certain height to grow vines.
At the highest parts there are the ski villages and one with a ski lift still working to take walkers up to the summit.
We passed bikers and hikers.
There are many marked walks and cycle tracks to follow but at our age the car and the road sufficed 🤣🤣
We returned the same way as there was no circular routes for this journey.
Today I’ve had apple strudel at our coffee break
Spaghetti carbonara for lunch more coffee
ice cream with berries as a stop off with Diet Coke on return journey.
Woke up to rain today and mist on top of the mountains and along the cliffs. The rain stopped and started in different locations so we journeyed on to view the lakes regardless.
As we left, the neighbours were working on their allotment gardens. You should see their veg gardens!
Leaving Trento we headed up the mountains.
So they make Grappa wines here which is a process in wine making increasing the alcohol level.
We followed the reverse way we travelled from yesterday but because of the clouds and rain it seemed so different and it was hard to realise how the mountains were. There are many tunnels through the mountains but the roads seem very wide and safe to drive
We stopped for a walk at the lake until the rain started really pouring and then made our way slowly back.
Really we had to give up then at 2pm ish as we could see so little and when we got out of the car it was too wet to enjoy properly.
Managed the tunnel back to the house it’s aging us 10 years each time!
So now we are spending time looking through our photos and sorting them out.
Well I am in love with Tuscany and now I’m in love with the Dolomites too 🤗
Our holiday house has everything we need only drawback is a very narrow tunnel to get the car through to reach it… but we managed it again twice out and in 🤪
We have a few lakes around here and today our first full day, we planned to visit Lago di Molveno.
The roads were safe although we climbed up the mountains with hairpin bends. We only drive slowly and so as soon as we get to a passing place we pull over and let the cars and Lorries pass us!
The views were as you can imagine spectacular.
Half way up the mountain we found a hotel the Bike Hotel. We had a coffee and sat outside looking at the view and breathing the fresh air.
We reached the top and began to descend to the lake.
In the town there were the usual tourist shops hotels cafes etc. We couldn’t find a free parking space so travelled around the lake a little and luckily a car pulled out so we had a great spot above the lake.
It was raining by now but we could see the sun shining on the jagged peaks. The sunshine gradually moved over the lake to our side and the rain gradually stopped.
There was a steep set of steps down to the lake and a foot path all around the lake towards the town. We stayed there for ages firstly in the gentle rain then in the sunshine. There were some large rocks we could sit on.
We took loads of photos. The mountains and reflections in the water were so pretty. It
Was so peaceful there away from the people in the town.
We followed the road further through the mountains and found that we didn’t need to retrack as the road eventually led back to Trento!
We again stopped along the way at viewing points. The gigantic mountains with vertical sides and jagged peaks remind me so much of Norway. The rocks are pinkish and orangey in parts.
Very hard igneous rocks.
We stopped at a mineral museum at miravalle bar
And sat outside admiring the view eating apple strudel and drinking coffee. Overlooking another much smaller lake
When we got back the temperature is 30*c but in the high mountains it was 21*c.
We made two service stations stops and they were both chaotic as people use the same autostrada to reach Venice and Bologna and Switzerland.
So we had a break at the southern tip of lake Garda .
It is soooo hot 33*c. We sat in the shade and watched the people on the pedal boats and paddle boards falling in the cold water.
We are outside of Trento half way up a mountain in a lovely spot with a view of mountains and people’s gardens.
We have our own private garden and only one problem …..to reach the road to our house we have to squeeze the car through a tunnel only 2 and a half metres wide in one part! Even with the wing mirrors in, it is a close shave.
So we are both tired and thankful to be here. We will stress how to get in and out the tunnel tomorrow!
Retirement Here I Come 