Day 61: Lake Maggiore to Täsch

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Leaving the shores of Maggiore to head up towards Simplon Pass, a minor road up into Switzerland that avoids the main Autostrade we came across some of the most stunning scenery we have yet seen on this trip, my words can not convey just how magnificent this part of Italy and Switzerland really is. Mountain vistas and green valleys are right out of travel brochures with little stone huts set amongst green fields with bright yellow flowers covering them, Mountain Rivers tumbling down granite cliff faces and roads that wind along the edge of cliffs, truly outstanding, please look at some of Pam’s pics to get some idea what is up here. We left Italy for the first time today but not the last, the shape of Switzerland puts a long narrow section down into Italy so after entering Switzerland we left it again some 30kms down the road. Finally leaving Italy for the last time we all shouted Arrivederci and headed down into the main part of Switzerland. Oh by the way, do your grocery shopping before leaving Italy as Switzerland is very very very expensive for food, what would normally cost us about 50e cost 100e so around double the price. Arriving at the top of the pass at around 2500m we came across snow again so like big kids Bree and I started a snow ball fight, Bree won as I got cold hands and snow down my shirt, by this stage Pam had taken about a zillion pics and it was time to head down the other side of the mountain. With the Swiss army on some sort of manoeuvres just across the road they had great entertainment watching a couple of Kiwi’s clowning around. They were for real with tanks, big guns, machine gun carriers and the whole 9 yards We had pulled into a small gravel area which was part road and part track and heading down the nearest exit we got to the bottom of a small slope only to find a concrete culvert some 10 inches across and not possible to pass with the camper. No worries I thought we just turn around and drive back up the hill, wrong!!!!, no traction at all and we were stuck, by this time the army guys were really looking our way and I think having a laugh at the dumb tourists. Well long story short after about half an hour we got ourselves out after packing the culvert full of rocks and driving over it, no scrapes or dents just a little wounded pride at the dumb mistake I made. You know though, about 50 cars must have gone past and not a single one stopped despite there being plenty of room, there you go, if that had been NZ half the cars would have stopped to check if they could help. We wondered how long it would have taken for the army guys to come over and see what was up. Off again it was down the hill over some amazingly built roads into the town of Brig, Switzerland then the road works started, some half an hour later we were on the road to Täsch, our destination for the night as you cant drive into Zermatt itself only catch the train or bus. The only time you are allowed cars into Zermatt is for 2 months from May 1 until June 30 for building purposes or emergency vehicles. We arrived in Täsch around 5pm and called into the local tourist office for some information only to find a guy with Kiwi connections, mother and cousins in NZ and he had just returned from a holiday there, he was so helpful in pointing us in the right direction for the next day’s activities, he even gave us some great posters and caps and special badges usually reserved for the high rollers in town. We plan a trip to the top of Mount Breithorn, directly opposite the Matterhorn with some outstanding views, some 4000 meters high, Mount Cook summit is only 3500 and near impossible to get to, we go up this mountain range in a cable car to a restaurant and glacier cave at the top. Heading to the camp ground there were a couple of tents and around 5-6 campervans so we parked away from the main bunch as usual and near to a small tent. The owners returned around 6.00, a young Dutch couple with a 5 year old we found out a little later. We kicked back for a while and Pam did some work on hers photos, Bree and I had, snacks and as usual I consumed a beer. After a while the Dutch fella proceeded to build and light a bonfire under an over hanging rock and called over some people he knew, soon there were a few there and I heard an Aussie twang in the conversation. Being a neighbourly chap I wandered over to say hi to a fellow traveler, him and his young family were in Europe for 5 months and had bought a camper in Germany and were in Zermatt to snow ski for a week. The Dutch fella it turns out spent 4 years working in Rotorua and touring NZ, small world. I love travel!!! Well it is now 11pm and it’s been a long day, it is around -2 outside and another clear fine day predicted for tomorrow so its time to wrap up warm and hit the sack.

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