johnny48
29th October 2011, 02:28 PM
4 days ago Rome was under water; lives were lost in Genoa flooding - when Fulvia/Gamma Bart was there; I was in drizzly Milano...freezing !
Next day AM Bart was dropping of his newly purchased Fulvia on a trailer in my work-town & then was off to Helsinki !
Next day AM I was at the top of the Alps - in the Stevlio Pass !
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stelvio_Pass)
Heading toward Austria...taking a km short-cut back north; adding more time-traveled time than I ever intended; after all it was:
very snowy up high (but not snowing) / a very stupid route to take in lkate Oct / a very slow, butexciting route to take; any time of years
I will never take that route again - except in high-summer - inna sports-car ! No, I wazn inna Gamma nor inna Fulvia !!
Just getting to the Pass after leaving Villonga, Iseo (where my favorite Hotel in the World is located) in & of itself was an adventure. Absolutely Lovely as well !
I (we) had intended to do travel the Stevio Route in Sep, but missed 1 sign in the dark & ended up taking a much safer route; to the relief of my co-pilot ! In fact, we stopped for the night & some wine shortly thereafter. I was happy too ! The Stevio Pass ? at night ? That crazy we were not ! Although I / we had no idea just how dangerous it could have been !
On this solo-Piloti occasion -once I got past lovely Bormio- 1st I saw green-light signs indicating that the Pass was opened; then I saw signs requesting low-speeds due to cow-crossings ahead. I saw no cows in the road!!
Then a warning-sign "go slow due to road in horrible condition" ! It was !
Then multiple-signs indicating the probability of wild-game running across the road (see * below)
Then scary-signs indicating numerous "long blind dark dank wet slippery tunnels carved-from-granite wide-enough for 1 vehicle only ahead" !!!
Thank hvns no other vehicle was coming in the opposite direction while I was in the tunnel!!
Then "Rocks-falling down valley-walls on top of vehicle signs" (I swear) !!!!!!!!
The older-Driver of a slow-moving silver 4door something-or-another car (I was to scared to notice), about 1 mile ahead, attempted to turn-around in the middle of the very narrow steep road - while climbing.; which was not possible ! My heart stopped............what had he heard on the Radio while I was listening to Sally Oldfiled ?
A VW bus (NL plates) coming down the mountain & I both waited (had we any choice?) as the older-driver, looking very confused, of the small car realized that he would have to continue up to the next "Rescue-Area"; which he did. I was afraid he was going to fall off the road; he didn't. Turing around was not possible until he reached the next rescuse station a few hundred meters higher. He did trrn around; I did not.......Stupid Me !!!!
Soon I saw several-signs indicating that horn-honking could cause an Avalanche.
I made my Peace with God & told my Wife & Kids I loved them ! I decided to not question My Sanity !
I was slowly gaining on a blue passenger-bus; I noticed a Lancia Van climbing much faster than I dared; it zoomed past me...its driver wither waving hello or shaking his fist !
I never caught the bus; when I reached the peak it was (I assume) behind a Hotel, Restaurant or another big grey Granite Building.
I will report that I descended in 2 gear; sometimes in 1st; 1x requiring 2 shots at a 179° curve. I decided that...if my time was up...my time was up; as Sally Oldfield sang
"You don't know where or when, theres no Survival, so Join So Join So Join in the Celebration"..
I DID !!! Once I got back down the the tree-line !!
Smart Me; I never read about the Stelio Pass - until tonight !!! Had I known ????????? What would I have done ??????
* Near Meran, on a 3d & 4th gear 2-direction road through hilly-vineyards - with me hustling along to not block the cars lining-up behind my Van - I rounded yet another blind-curve to the left, driving (of course) in my intended direction, only to swevre sewrve swerve - brack brake barke (thank you ABS !!) to avoid a bounding-leaping young-hornless-tailess deer running & springing in the opposite direction....straight toward me !!!
Oh No !!! I realized ..............I am going to kill Bambi !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bambi ran past my door, I looked right into (her/his) eyes & I exhaled !!! Loudly !! Good Move Bambi !!
I saw Bambi in my left mirror.......Oh my God .... Bambi has just turned around - in mid-air ! Did it know the conditions up in the the Pass ? Bambi passed me on the right !!!!!!
Bambi then started sewrving sverwing swerving in front of me as I braked barked bkared (4 way warning blinkers a.flashing) as I barked as I barked to a near standstill; expecting to be smashed in the tail by the Lancia Thema following me !!
The Lancia & cars behind it managed to avoid flying-off the road and did not smash into anything.
I am sure we all were singing "Come On Come On Come On, Join in the Celebration" in Harmony, by this time; regardless of Language it was being sung in !!!
Bambi finally found a hole in the stone wall to dash through - into a Vineyard; I was barely moving, except for my heart-rate !!!
I am shaking right now, recalling this...the most exciting part of the entire trip !!
Did I mention that there was a stone wall to my (our) left & a rock-lined steep-descent to my right (shades of Arlo Guthrie, for those who know Arlo Guthrie)? No, I didn't mention the stone wall nor the rocks indicating the safe-boundry. I hit / We hit neither ! By this time I was singing ... Very Loud !!
I was so excited & full of chrystal-clear mountain air that the rest of the 6 hour journey was home was a Cake-Walk; I didn't even stop for Caffe' !
Yes, it was just another Day at the Office ! Tomorrow ? Cliff Jumping ? Land Speed Record ? Or staying home & napping ... Time Will Tell !!!
Next day AM Bart was dropping of his newly purchased Fulvia on a trailer in my work-town & then was off to Helsinki !
Next day AM I was at the top of the Alps - in the Stevlio Pass !
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stelvio_Pass)
Heading toward Austria...taking a km short-cut back north; adding more time-traveled time than I ever intended; after all it was:
very snowy up high (but not snowing) / a very stupid route to take in lkate Oct / a very slow, butexciting route to take; any time of years
I will never take that route again - except in high-summer - inna sports-car ! No, I wazn inna Gamma nor inna Fulvia !!
Just getting to the Pass after leaving Villonga, Iseo (where my favorite Hotel in the World is located) in & of itself was an adventure. Absolutely Lovely as well !
I (we) had intended to do travel the Stevio Route in Sep, but missed 1 sign in the dark & ended up taking a much safer route; to the relief of my co-pilot ! In fact, we stopped for the night & some wine shortly thereafter. I was happy too ! The Stevio Pass ? at night ? That crazy we were not ! Although I / we had no idea just how dangerous it could have been !
On this solo-Piloti occasion -once I got past lovely Bormio- 1st I saw green-light signs indicating that the Pass was opened; then I saw signs requesting low-speeds due to cow-crossings ahead. I saw no cows in the road!!
Then a warning-sign "go slow due to road in horrible condition" ! It was !
Then multiple-signs indicating the probability of wild-game running across the road (see * below)
Then scary-signs indicating numerous "long blind dark dank wet slippery tunnels carved-from-granite wide-enough for 1 vehicle only ahead" !!!
Thank hvns no other vehicle was coming in the opposite direction while I was in the tunnel!!
Then "Rocks-falling down valley-walls on top of vehicle signs" (I swear) !!!!!!!!
The older-Driver of a slow-moving silver 4door something-or-another car (I was to scared to notice), about 1 mile ahead, attempted to turn-around in the middle of the very narrow steep road - while climbing.; which was not possible ! My heart stopped............what had he heard on the Radio while I was listening to Sally Oldfiled ?
A VW bus (NL plates) coming down the mountain & I both waited (had we any choice?) as the older-driver, looking very confused, of the small car realized that he would have to continue up to the next "Rescue-Area"; which he did. I was afraid he was going to fall off the road; he didn't. Turing around was not possible until he reached the next rescuse station a few hundred meters higher. He did trrn around; I did not.......Stupid Me !!!!
Soon I saw several-signs indicating that horn-honking could cause an Avalanche.
I made my Peace with God & told my Wife & Kids I loved them ! I decided to not question My Sanity !
I was slowly gaining on a blue passenger-bus; I noticed a Lancia Van climbing much faster than I dared; it zoomed past me...its driver wither waving hello or shaking his fist !
I never caught the bus; when I reached the peak it was (I assume) behind a Hotel, Restaurant or another big grey Granite Building.
I will report that I descended in 2 gear; sometimes in 1st; 1x requiring 2 shots at a 179° curve. I decided that...if my time was up...my time was up; as Sally Oldfield sang
"You don't know where or when, theres no Survival, so Join So Join So Join in the Celebration"..
I DID !!! Once I got back down the the tree-line !!
Smart Me; I never read about the Stelio Pass - until tonight !!! Had I known ????????? What would I have done ??????
* Near Meran, on a 3d & 4th gear 2-direction road through hilly-vineyards - with me hustling along to not block the cars lining-up behind my Van - I rounded yet another blind-curve to the left, driving (of course) in my intended direction, only to swevre sewrve swerve - brack brake barke (thank you ABS !!) to avoid a bounding-leaping young-hornless-tailess deer running & springing in the opposite direction....straight toward me !!!
Oh No !!! I realized ..............I am going to kill Bambi !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bambi ran past my door, I looked right into (her/his) eyes & I exhaled !!! Loudly !! Good Move Bambi !!
I saw Bambi in my left mirror.......Oh my God .... Bambi has just turned around - in mid-air ! Did it know the conditions up in the the Pass ? Bambi passed me on the right !!!!!!
Bambi then started sewrving sverwing swerving in front of me as I braked barked bkared (4 way warning blinkers a.flashing) as I barked as I barked to a near standstill; expecting to be smashed in the tail by the Lancia Thema following me !!
The Lancia & cars behind it managed to avoid flying-off the road and did not smash into anything.
I am sure we all were singing "Come On Come On Come On, Join in the Celebration" in Harmony, by this time; regardless of Language it was being sung in !!!
Bambi finally found a hole in the stone wall to dash through - into a Vineyard; I was barely moving, except for my heart-rate !!!
I am shaking right now, recalling this...the most exciting part of the entire trip !!
Did I mention that there was a stone wall to my (our) left & a rock-lined steep-descent to my right (shades of Arlo Guthrie, for those who know Arlo Guthrie)? No, I didn't mention the stone wall nor the rocks indicating the safe-boundry. I hit / We hit neither ! By this time I was singing ... Very Loud !!
I was so excited & full of chrystal-clear mountain air that the rest of the 6 hour journey was home was a Cake-Walk; I didn't even stop for Caffe' !
Yes, it was just another Day at the Office ! Tomorrow ? Cliff Jumping ? Land Speed Record ? Or staying home & napping ... Time Will Tell !!!