4 May 2022
A spectacular day of riding today……marred a little by the rain which really did not stop…until we did!
Our delightful host came go see us off….
….and then we meandered around the Southern end of Lugano…and found ourselves in Switzerland before we knew it!!
A steep climb (little did we know it) took us up to Arogno for our only real Swiss experience. And a welcome coffee…ordered in Italian, paid for in Euros…it was only the Swiss flag which gave it away!
(…and I managed to make a right mess by spilling the well earned Macchiato all over my shirt…and floor! le Patron laughed as much as Martin & I…so no harm done (except to the shirt!).
The climb out of Arogno…simply got steeper! Did it get to 20%? It was only actually signed when we crossed into Italy at 18%. So surely good for the legs…even if electrically assisted (you should feel the weight of these beasts fully laden!!)!
But it did mean…that when we got to the top we had a delightful cruise down…..to Lake Lugano once again. There was a much easier route today…but we decided to follow the road less travelled (& very quiet!).
A cruise up to the Northern end of Lugano (for lunch…during which it briefly stopped raining…typical!!)….and then a short climb over the saddle..before a lovely free-wheel down to Mennagio..a lot of it on an old hill railway, complete with tunnel!
To our arrival on Lake Como. Lovely as ever despite the rain and brooding clouds. Spectacular mansions lining the lakeside….(sadly too wet for photos)….before we pulled into the Ferry stop at Cadenabbia….just in time before they stopped for their siesta!
It was odd hearing American accents…doing their umbrella-shrouded Como tour…and all of a sudden when we arrived in the famous Bellagio we were – for the first time on the trip – surrounded by tourists!!
It is a very pretty place……but…!
Over-priced…!
So I found a “normal” bar…thinking..it would be “normal” price. But alas…with a miserable aperitivo of crisps…the price was just the same as the hotel in the (now) sunshine on the waterfront….offering (still relatively miserable) crisps, olives and nuts! And to make matters worse…when I received 50 cents change..instead of the (correctly anticipated) two Euros…I handed it back…only to receive a big thank you!! No, no…….!!
Alas!
And how is this for a series of signs……! FFS……!
