5th to 6 th May 2005 - Liechtenstein to the Poschiavo Valley in Switzerland
With Liechtenstein behind us we headed south into the Swiss Alps bound for the Poschiavo Valley where some of my Plozza ancestors lived before they got the bright idea of moving to Horsham in Victoria, Australia 150 or so years ago. To get to the Poschiavo Valley we had to go over two of the high alpine passes - luckily for us they were open, because it was a damn long drive to get there any other way. We sailed over both Flüelapass (2383m) and then headed for Passo del Bernina (2330m). Here we are up near the top of the Passo del Bernina.
Once again all the tourists had gone home and the ski lifts had been parked up for months because there just wasn't enough snow.
The view was great coming down the other side of the pass into the Poschiavo Valley.
The Poschiavo Valley really is stunning. The scenery is amazing with the near vertical snow capped alps towering up into the clouds on both sides, a crystal clear lake and the old red train rattling along down the centre of the valley taking you from one village to the next if you're not in the mood for the stroll. This valley is famous as a gourmet region and the food it most spectacular. There's a range of different accommodation available, but it all starts at about one bazillion dollars a night - camping ground included. Our camp site at Le Prese cost $43 per night and we had to put coins into the shower every few minutes to get hot water! The place must have been good though, because we stuck around for 3 nights.
The valley is also famous for is its hiking trails. Clearly I needed to get me some Swiss hiking boots!
That day we decided to take a stroll down the trail around the back of the lake to Miralago.
With the practice run complete, poor old Bradley started to get nervous as I sat on the outdoor deck of the Miralago bar, sipping my beer, poring over a map of the local hiking trails and regularly looking straight up at the top of a nearby alp...
