Last night of the trip – Zurich skyline from Hotel Otter in the old city

We’re about to board a flight home – Zurich to Heathrow to Sydney, home by Thursday night…thankyou to the loyal readers who have followed the blog. I might try and recap all the headers I’ve used over the journey just for the exercise as well as a few conclusions from our experience…Best wishes, Rob

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Liz and Kate on Skype chat

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Inviting bread rolls for brekky – photo especially for our little friends up the hill

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And more about Hotel Pragser Wildsee

“The Hotel Pragser Wildsee looks back on over a century of hospitality. It was …opened on July 10, 1899.

Guests were not long in coming to the grand hotel — including the highest echelons of the Austrohungarian aristocracy. The heir apparent to the throne, Grand Duke Franz Ferdinand, stayed at the Pragser Wildsee with his family and entourage. Only a short time later, on June 28, 1914, his assassination in Sarajevo marked the beginning of World War I.

The hotel is also connected with the widely known history of the hostages from the Dachau concentration camp who were transported to the South Tryol by the SS at the end of World War II. The 139 prisoners from 17 European countries, who included prominent citizens as well as relatives of enemies of the Nazi regime, were liberated from the German Army in nearby Niederdorf on April 30, 1945. The hôtelière Emma Heiss-Hellenstainer received the prisoners at the Pragser Wildsee the same day, as a first step in their return to freedom and their peacetime lives.”

See their website: http://www.lagodibraies.com/en/history-hotel-prags-pragser-wildsee.asp

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A loose end…a visit to see the Iceman in Bolzano

We visited the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology (yes, even me) in Bolzano where the mummified body of Oetzi “The Iceman” discovered in 1991 in the nearby alps is on display along with remains of his clothing and other gear found with him…truly spectacular conservation and interpretation, see: http://www.iceman.it/

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Our last night on the road, the view from our hotel in Klosters, Switzerland

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A good spot to remember!

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High mountain refuge

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And more but that’s all, I promise!

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Another pass, more motorcycles

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Another summer sport not usually associated with Switzerland – a big cricket fest

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Plenty of kite surfers as well (is that what it’s called?)

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Summer’s almost here

Under the snowy peaks...

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Lake near St Moritz only just open for summer activities with plenty of snow still on the mountains

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Quadding it over the pass, street legal in Italy

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Just a chat

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With all the gear!

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What a sight – a replica (?) of a WWII BMW bike and sidecar

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Bellagio – Lago Como

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Wow, there it is again!

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Ferry on Lake Como

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Morgan awaiting ferry – you should have heard the exhaust note!

PS I have a recording just ask me!

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Keeping up the daily dose of gelati in Italy, Lake Como

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Deep snow and it’s summer!

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This bike passed us with screeching tyres and the sidecar rider was very busy weight shifting in full racing mode!

A rare sight these days…

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Passo Stolvio

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Local school in Mello

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Mello – ancestral home of the della Torre’s (family story)

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Seriously downhill!

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The long road down has its own wonderful views

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The Italian ski team train here as it is year round snow – they are in residence now as their tracks attest!

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Road up to the pass Stolvio highest pass in the eastern alps

And awarded the best road in the world for petrol heads! And highly acclaimed by cyclists as the toughest there is. We’ve been amazed at what cyclists do here…the highest and steepest routes all over the alps!

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Top of the mountain pass Stelvio

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Wurst time

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Strolling the streets of Bolzano

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Piazza Bolzano

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Market in Bolzano

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Group of 12 bikers

They had transported their bikes on trailers from Germany and about to depart from our hotel on their 20th annual ride together through the magnificent highways of the Dolomites

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Next morning early

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Closer to Alpe di Siusi

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View of Alpe di Siuisi from our hotel

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More Lago de Braies

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Chapel Lago de Braies

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Hotel Pragser Wildesee – Lago de Braies

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Hotel Pragser

Lovely old historic hotel

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Lago de Braies

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Hello again!

After an absence of free access to the Internet, here we are in Klosters, Switzerland where Prince William and Harry play. But the streets are deserted tonight.

Since the last blog post we have journeyed through more of the Dolomites, ducked in an out of Switzerland and Austria and back into Italy on our way to return the rental buzz box in Austria before heading for Zürich tomorrow evening and thence to London the day after tomorrow and home by Thursday.

This is our last night on the road but my camera has been busy these past days, so here we go to catch up….

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Now for a snack – The Tiroler: Italio-Austria speise

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Whew, back home at our hotel in Misurina, exhausted!

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Reminds me of my first iceberg – couldn’t take enough photos

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Someone stop me

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See what I mean?

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Dolomites peeping through every turn of the road

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Biker heaven

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More Dolomite

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How could we resist a coffee and strudel on top of the mountain, 360 degree views

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Bikers haven

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Hut nut paradise!

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Classic Dolomite

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Mountain hut

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More hideaways over there

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Ski runs on every mountain it seemed

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Hideaways in the Dolomites

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Just point and shoot – all day long!

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More Dolomites

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