Italy Dolomites, Mon Sep 12, 2022
Mon 2022/09/12 Dolomites day 1 to Lichtenstein and Malonno Italy
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| Chris is very excited to be heading out on a big adventure |
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| Leaving Zug behind. I think that is Morgartenberg |
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| Gas, food, bathroom break at a COOP gas-station/grocery store |
Border crossing into Liechtenstein
I crossed the border here where Steigstrasse goes north through a door in a stone wall in Festung St. Luzisteig.
So what is this weird place? A google local guide says, "Historical very important fortress with an attached still active training center and military museum." So that explains all the military vehicles and guys in camo that scared me from stopping to take pictures. But I guess I shouldn't have been so inhibited. Here's a funny story about when Switzerland accidentally invaded Liechtenstein. I could easily see how this could happen even here at this training facility. What I still don't understand is this weird wall. It has lots of arrowslits (narrow vertical apertures in a fortification through which an archer can launch arrows or a crossbowman can launch bolts) but these face towards Switzerland even though the border is 3 km behind the wall.
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| Just across the border into Liechtenstein. |
No issues with the border crossing between Switzerland and Liechtenstein other than the fact that the crossing is a one-lane road through an ancient stone wall inside a military base. I did not stop to take pictures inside the base.
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| Heading up the mountain side to Malbun, a ski resort area. |
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| Davosee taking a lunch break at a bus stop |
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| This is the fameous Davos international conference center |
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| St. Moritz, another Grand Tour Of Switzerland Foto Spot |
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| Getting into The Alps were we see the endangered glaciers |
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| Grand Tour of Switzerland Foto Spot Bernina-Gletscher map |
Entering Italy at this border crossing was a non event. But the motorcyclists around me instantly sped up and started driving like they'd been freed of a watchful big brother.
Entering Italy was interesting. No passport check. Not even anyone to wave you through and 10 seconds after getting across the border. All the motorcyclists went crazy. Suddenly they were aggressively passing and driving about 15 over the speed limit through towns and a lot faster between towns. Basically all the guys I was hanging with in Switzerland disappeared minutes after entering Italy. Most of them had Italian license plates by the way.
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| We are in Italy! map |
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| Mountains all around. My host told me the names of 6 famous passes used for the Tour of Italy all into this valley. |
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| This is my awesome AirBnB in Malonno. Bike stored in a garage downstairs. I've got half of the 2nd floor, a 2 bedroom apartment with everything for €35. It's incredible. I left an extra €10 because I couldn't stand it. The deal was too good. And within 100 m there's a gas station, supermarket, bakery cafe, pizzeria, and a craft beer brewery. It's only available for this one night this month. I totally lucked out. |
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| Malonno is a pretty reasonable drive from Venice |
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| Pretty cool marble sink and stylish vanity in the bathroom. |
Gas here in Malonno is €1.74/liter vs CHF2.08 in Switzerland, or about $6.60/gallon. I'm getting 50 mpg (4.65 l/100km) with my calm riding. Lots of 50 kph towns and rarely over 70 kph on these narrow, twisty roads.
Today was 393 km. I found a promising place in the center of the dolmites for the next 3 nights.
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