29 April

28 April

Shopping!!  I got Larry to go clothes shopping with me today and he enjoyed it.  We had to buy some warm cloths and we managed to find some really great end of season bargains, and then to the grocery store for some supper, which eventually consisted of a grilled chicken, some rolls and fresh fruit!! Plus our lunchtime meals of salami and cheese.  Once we got back to camp we agreed to share our chicken with Frank and Mariane and they cooked us some really great veggies to go with it. 

During the afternoon we got onto the water bus and set off for Venice.  It was all we had heard and expected, beautiful old buildings with the wonderful churches and the tourists weren’t even that bad.  We had a wonderful time wondering around and eventually got back to the camp tired but ready to tackle the laundry, a big, working washing machine and tumbledrier!!  Caught up on all of that, and I think we probably look and smell better!!!

29 April

We packed and got ready to head out of Venice toward Verona.  We had emailed the Italian, Georgio that we had met on the border of Malawi going into Tanzania but had heard nothing back from him. Once we got into the town we headed straight for the BMW Motorad shop to get Larry some decent rain gear.  We had also been told that we need to get European 3^rd party insurance and this could be done at the local ACI (AA) and so navigating on the GPS we set off and just as we got there, there was a man standing in full bike gear waving frantically at us, Georgio!!  He lives about 20km from the centre of Verona and came into the ACI to drop off his carnet, one in a million chance of this happening!!  He seldom goes to Verona, so what are the chances!!!!  We were greeted like long lost friends and taken back to his home where his wife cooked us a wonderful pasta lunch.  We each had a half glass of white wine and I had a babalas by 3pm!!  Plus Larry had to have red wine, and 'fuego ' - grappa!!  We then set off to meet a a friend of Georgio’s, who owns a bmw garage.  We discussed servicing on the bikes, as well as all the needed repairs to Ringting, and sorted out prices etc.  Unfortunately spares are not available immediately, so we asked Marco to look for second hand parts and to let us know.  We are considering riding the 400 odd km back there, to sort out all the work, but need to be in Austria on the 1 st May, for our booking at the ski resort Pitztal, near St Leonard.

Georgio then took us to a friend, where we booked into a hut on the edge of lake Di Garda.  Fantastic place, would be great to spend a while here!!!  Magnificent views of mountains and lakes all around.  An early night was appreciated!

30 April.

We left at 9.15, to meet with Georgio, who would ride with us for a while, and share some local with us.  He took us on really great ride, along the side of Lago Di Gardo, and was really great. After about an hour, we parted, with a local map, and directions of all the small roads heading north, into the Alps.  The riding was the best we have had, with continuous mountain passes, snow, ski resorts – some still operating – villages -, green, fantastic.  Words cannot describe the differences of where we have been, and where we are!!  Fortunately the temperatures were not too bad, probably down to about 7 or 8 degrees on top of the passes, and we had put the inners into our riding gear.  That, with some extra clothing underneath, kept us warm enough.

It turns out that Georgio is an accomplished rider!!  He has ridden to China and back – 2 months,  I think about 30 000 km, in about 2 months, then South America, 23 000 km, in about 2 months, now Africa, 34 000 km, in 82 days!!!  All on the same old Bmw K75, now with 273 000 km on the clock.  He has written and published books on his previous trips, and is busy with the African book now!  We will make an interesting sideline for him, after meeting in Tanz, and bumping into him again in Italy!!!      George also had problems on the Marsabit road, and ended up loading his bike onto a truck.  When he arrived at the Ethiopia border, further problems awaited!!  He had been told that he could get a visa at the border – wrong!!!  So, back down the Marsabit road, this time on a truck – must have been hell – all the way to Nairobi.  Only to be told there – like all of the current overland travelers, that he couldn’t get a visa there either!!!  So, onto a plane, to Addis, where he did manage to get the visa, then by bus all the way down to the Moyale border.  Cost him 10 days to sort this out!!!!

The only problem was that the route we chose, went over a mountain pass that was closed due to snow!!, so, we had to backtrack nearly 50 km, which cost us about 2 hours, and we eventually at 6.30 pm, randomly chose a Pension – B&B, which turned out to be really good, and for almost the same 30 Euro price that we have been paying for camping!!! One of the villages that we passed cost us another hour, due to a cycle festival, and a race in progress, with huge traffic delays!

Italy – certainly the North – has been a really pleasant surprise, and must be home to some of the most beautiful scenery in the world!!  We have been really impressed with the cleanthliness, state of the roads, friendliness of the people etc, and can certainly see ourselves back here for another, longer visit.

Tom – Austria!!