Italian Lakes - Day 8 - Vairano to Muhouse

Left a few minutes late this morning, but what a lovely view looking over the lake at breakfast.

Today is going to be another "Driving" day with 3 mountain passes to negotiate.

Down the zig zag road from the hotel to the shore of the lake, then back along the lake through the villages.  The look on peoples faces as 12 cars drive past them in convoy is a picture.  It was then out on to the Swiss motorway, but their motorways have great views, and

stopping at the last services for fuel before turning off to ascend the San Gotthard Pass. This was the new pass, the old pass is still usable, but a lot of it is cobbles.

Yes you guessed a spirited drive but on much wider roads and as you would imagine in the Swiss Alps - fantastic scenery.

Had some good fun following John & Diane in the Porsche GT3 .

Over the top of the pass and continued down and then up the Furka Pass. This pass was made famous by the James Bond film "Goldfinger".  Over the top of this pass, and stopped in the car park next to the Belvedere Hotel - also in the film - for a coffee break and photos. You can walk up to the Rhone Glacier from here, but we did not have time.

 
Watching the clouds rolling down the mountain, it looked like some of the next part of the journey was going to be in cloud.  More fun driving, toned down a bit when we were in the cloud as the roads were damp, and then continued up the Grimsel Pass.

Over the top of this pass was in cloud and when we arrived at our lunch stop at the Grimsel Hospiz it was very cloudy.  This place is just above a dam, and as we were all parking the clouds began to clear, and continued clearing while we were having lunch, but is was more windy and very cold and some wished they had not worn shorts today.

Going down the pass and into  the valley there are series of dams and lakes.

Once at the bottom of the pass the scenery changes to lush green valley pastures with villages of typical Swiss chalet style houses, and now touring style driving .










We the rejoined the motorway near Lucerne, and continued round Basle before crossing the boarder into France and to our hotel for the evening in the centre of Mulhouse.

Tonight a group of us together with Mark & Alison had dinner in a little french restaurant that Mark & Alison knew.  Great local food.

215 miles driven today
1533 total to date.