Simplon Pass

Wednesday May 27, posted late:  The weather is improving and got better as we traveled south.  We rode west along Lake Thun and south to Kandersteg where we took the car-train tunnel 15 minutes (no road exists here), then rode east to Brig.  Here we decided to try the Simplon Pass instead of a further car-train.  The pass was stunning despite our having to follow several slow trucks.

heading for the Simplon Pass

 

We found an interesting picnic site as we entered Italy and the weather warmed.  It seemed to be an advertisement for stone carving but served us well.  On to Stresa with a booked hotel in a busy side street near the lake.  We finished the day with an hour’s walk along Lake Maggiore.  We had last been here in 1996 and had taken the boat trip to the Borromean Islands then.  This is a major attraction of Stresa but we will miss it this year in exchange for some interesting riding. 

Borromean Island with its famous gardens

We have learned that a major Italian bicycle race may influence our choice of roads for the next two days.  Hopefully we can avoid the other two-wheelers.