Sounds like a fantastic trip Pete. Urbino is one of my favourite places (I must have been there on 5 of my 13 or so Italian holidays). Slovenia was the highlight of my 2016 WDW trip (write up on the UKMOC forum http://www.ukmonster.co.uk/monster/showthread.php?t=54098&page=2 - see days 11-12 for Slovenia. The pizza place in Bled referred to by I'mclosing in is Gostilna Pri Planincu Meanwhile my WDW 2018 plan involves a detour to Sicily in search of Inspector Montalbano locations, before surviving the crazy Neapolitan traffic (worst driving I'd seen until I went to India ...) first thing one morning and heading north for WDW itself.
PS - hoping that if Pete1950 has received his WDW ticket & bands already, mine will arrive shortly ...
I hear that the real town of Porto Empedocle added the fictional "Vigata" to its name officially for a while. Can you imagine an English town renaming itself "Midsomer"?
My Eurotunnel crossing is now booked for Tuesday 10 July on the 9.20 train. With luck I'll be in Eastern France by Tuesday evening, and spending Weds and Thurs in the Swiss Alps - not worked out an exact route yet. Arriving Milan Friday afternoon. Multistrada is serviced, new chain and tyres (Road 5), ready to go. Can't wait.
Day 1 to Epinal, uneventful ride. Excellent hotel with and absolutely superb restaurant. I can't eat like that every day! Still, it would be a pity to visit France and not consume some really, really good food. Day 2: Across the Ballons d'Alsace, empty twisty roads. Into Switz, over the Jura to Berne, and via the lakes of Thun and Brienz into the Bernese Oberland. Looking forward to some high Alpine passes tomorrow Grimsel, Furka, Simplon maybe.
Is the Hof & Post hotel at Innertkirchen? I seem to remember the Ride magazine journos put together a figure of 8 loop round some of the best Swiss passes based out of Innertkirchen. I'd planned to stay there on my 2014 WDW trip until alternator failure in Mulhouse put paid to that, and ended up crossing Switzerland on the motorways instead. Switzerland is looking as scenic as ever from your pics - keep them coming.
The col du Simplon is stunning, particularly in a late November evening blizzard without winter tyres.
Watching this with interest as I'm going to drive south after doing Spa next week. The plan is to go into Italy via the San Bernadino pass to see Vales Dad in Como and then come back via Gotthard, Furkha, Grimsell and Susten Passes on Sunday. If anyone has any advice let me know since I just pulled the route straight off of the internet!
Well it's a plan. If you have never ridden any high Alpine passes before, it is a bit ambitious to do several in one day. Here are a few suggestions: * Don't start on the passes when you are already tired after a long day's ride. * Fill up with petrol before you start. There aren't any petrol pumps at the top. * If the weather is crap, don't do it. It can snow in July up top. Stay down below and take the Gotthard Tunnel. * Make sure you have good tyres, chain, oil, etc. * Allow twice as long for the mileage as you think.
