Day 00 Introduction

This is the blog of my trip to Europe in April 2007. It is probably the most complex self-drive trip I have planned and executed to-date (there were about 10 drafts for the itinerary!). Within 12 days we visited 5 countries and 27 cities, towns, villages, places of interest as follows:

1) Germany - Wurzburg, Rothenburg, Ulm, Augsburg, Schwangau, Freiburg, Black Forest and Stuttgart;
2) Austria - Fern Pass and Innsbruck;
3) Italy - Dolomites, Venice, Sirimione, Verona and Milan;
4) Switzerland - Bellinzona, Furka Pass, Kandersteg, Zermatt, Sion, Martigny, Montreux (Chateau De Chillion), Gruyeres, Biel and Basel;
5) France - Chamonix and Paris.

The total distance drove was around 2,500km (excluding between Stuttgart and Paris which we travelled by train).

We also covered 7 UNESCO World Heritage sites as follows:
1) Germany - Wurzburg Residence;
2) Italy - Venice and its Lagoon; City of Verona; Santa Maria della Grazie;
3) Switzerland - Three Castles, Defensive Wall and Ramparts of the Market Town of Bellinzone;
4) France - Cathedral of Notre-Dame; Banks of the Seine.

While the places I have visited during this trip are all great, Zermatt (Matterhorn) definitely comes up as the top spot. The other four places which I would rate in the top five are:
2) Rothenburg
3) Dolomites
4) Furka Pass
5) Schwangau
(Venice would have been in the top five if it was not marred by the theft of my wife's camera).

Enjoy travelling!


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Well, the reason why I did what seems a circuitous loop is because it is cheaper to pick-up and return a rental car in Germany and the cheapest train ticket to get to Paris was from Stuttgart.

Day 12 France-Paris

This is my fourth visit to Paris. The main reason I go to Paris this round is to join my friends to take the flight back to Singapore (For Singapore Airlines flight it is cheaper for four person to fly together). Nevertheless, Paris is such a beautiful city that one never gets tire of visiting. I spent only a day there and took a leisure stroll around the city. Here are some of the photos photos I took. Since Paris is such a well known city, the sights need no explanation.

1 to 3. Sacre coeur.

4. View of Paris from Sacre Coeur.

5 & 6. Arc De Triomphe

7. Notre Dame.

8. Eiffel Tower at night.

Day 03b Italy-Dolomites 1

After Innsbruck is about 1.5hr (120km) drive to Bolzano of Italy to see the Dolomites.

The Dolomites is a group of 30 or so self-contained massifs in a wide arc from Lake Garda to the Austrian border. Set apart from the rest of the Alps by their geology, they are ancient coral reefs that have been compressed, uplifted and weathered. This largely explains the incredible crags and rock pinnacles that are their hallmark, and the peculiar, pinkish-orange limestone that forms most of the massifs.

The La Granda Strada della Dolomiti (the Great Dolomites road) was opened in 1909 to link Bolzano with Cortina d'Ampezzo and runs from 105km through some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in Europe. From Bolzano the road enters Val d'Ega (SS241), a corridor of gorges and beautiful waterfalls. The road then enters SS48 and continues over high passes, skirting thick forest and wild countryside, and constantly unfolding yet more breathtaking vistas as it twists and turns around hairpin-bends towards Canazei. Just after Canazei is Passo Pordoi, the highest pass with paved road in the Domomites. After Passo Pordoi are the highest mountains in the Dolomites. From Passo Pordoi to Pasoo di Falzarego the road passes by the Marmolada (3343m) and Civetta (3220m), before reaching Cortina d'Ampezzo, which is set a the foot of Cristallo (3221m). Also in the Eastern Dolomites are Antelao(3263m) and Monte Pelmo (3168m), which I believe are the most spectacular of the Dolomites.

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1. Scenery just after entering SS241 from Bolzano

2. Gruppo del Costalunga along SS241

3. Along SS48 around Fassa

4. Along SS48 around Fassa

5. Marmolada from Canazei

6 & 7. Around Canazei

Day 03c Italy-Dolomites 2

Passo Pordoi, at 2,239 meters, is the highest surfaced road traversing a pass in the Dolomites. The road crossing the pass connects Arabba (Livinallongo del Col di Lana) with Canazei (Val di Fassa).

1. After we 'climb' up the road towards Passo Pordoi, Gruppo del Sassolungo (left) and Gruppo del Sella (right) were there to greet us.

2 to 4. The scenery just before reach the highest point of Passo Pordoi

5. My rented car at Passo Pordoi

6. At Passo Pordoi

7. View from Pordoi Pass in an eastward direction

8 & 9. Gruppa di Sella and Passo Pordoi

10. A lone hut at Passo Pordoi

Day 03d Italy-Dolomites 3

The third leg of our Dolomites trip was from Passo Pordoi to Passo di Falzarego. Enroute, we saw three mountain ranges, probably some of the best in the Dolomites. They are the:
1) Marmolada, the highest in the Dolomites. It consists of a ridge running west to east. On the north side is the the only large glacier in the Dolomites. The ridge consists of several summits, decreasing in altitude from west to east: Punta Penia (3,343 m), Punta Rocca (3,309 m), Punta Ombretta (3,230 m), Monte Serauta (3,069 m), and Pizzo Serauta (3,035 m).
2) Civetta. The north-western side of the mountain, which we saw from the road, has a steep cliff more than 1,000 m high.
3) the Averau-Nuvolau group, among the most unique in the Dolomites.

A nice and popular mountain group, the Averau-Nuvolau, consists of a handful of lower, but typically dolomitic mountains. They have good accessibility, nice look and provides great panoramas.

Averau is the highest mountain in the group. Especially from the south-east it looks like a giant bunch of towers, with almost vertical east and south walls. The northern side is a bit less steep, but a vertical step in the middle also causes that also the normal approach needs some 50 meters of a medium hard ferrata. The Nuvolau is a ridge summit with the hut on top.

The most interesting mountain here is Cinque Torri It means "Five Towers" but there are actually more than 5 towers.

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1. A glimpse of Civetta (3,220m)

2. Monte Civetta (left) and Marmolada Massif (right)

3 & 4. Monte Civetta

5. The glacier on the summit ridge of Marmolada

6. At Passo di Falzarego (2,117m)

7. From left to right, Civetta Massif, Cinque Tori (2,361m), Averau (2,648m) and Nuvolau (2,574m)

8. Averau

9. Sasso di Stria ("witches rock" 2,477m) at Passo di Falzarego

10. Averau (left) and Nuvolau (right)

11. A look at the individual towers of Cinque Torri

12. Sasso di Stria

13. Cinque Torri (left), Averau (middle) and Nuvolau (right)

14. Another look at the individual towers of Cinque Torri

Day 03e Italy-Dolomites 4

After Passo di Falzarego, the fourth leg of our Dolomite trip was to our last destination, Monte Pelmo. I was actually attracted to visit the Dolomites after seeing some photos of this mountain on the web. There is a small side road just before Cortina d'Ampezzo which leads to Mont Pelmo. Unfortunately I missed the road and went on to SS51. So I have to go a big circle to Monte Pelmo through Zoldo Alto. It took much longer than expected as there is another pass, Passo Cibiana (1,530m) to climb. Nevertheless it was worth it, enroute we saw Antelao and finally Monte Pelmo, which was truly magnificant.

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1 & 2. The Croda de lago (2,701m), photo taken on SR48 between Passo Falzarego and Cortina D'Ampezzo.

3. Cortina D'Ampezzo at the foot of the Cristallo (3,221m), a long, indented ridge with four summits higher than 3,000 metres.

4. Antelao (3,263m), highest mountain in the eastern Dolomites. Also known as the King of the Dolomites. Photo taken along S51 between Cortina D'Ampezzo and Vodo Cadore

5. Monte Cibiana (2,413m) from Passo Cibiana (1,530 m)

6. Monte Pelmo(3,168m), the east face. Monte Pelmo is the most monolithic of Dolomites: it rises lonely and far from the other groups, and contrary to other mounts which show a set of steeples and towers this mount shows only immense walls. Majestic in its sovereign isolation, splendid in the harmony of its singular dolomitic architectures, the Pelmo "throne of God", dominates the surrounding. The colossal structure is only interrupted from a deep crack with N-s course named "la Fissura" which divides the main peak from Pelmetto, which is still 2,990 m. high.

7. Monte Pelmo, south Face

8. The best view of Monte Pelmo from the North Face, at Forcella Staulanza.

9. The main peak (left) and Pelmetto (right)

Day 03a Austria-Innsbruck

I will always remember my first visit to Innsbruck in 1992. Unable to find accomodation in Florence, Italy then, we decided to take a overnight train to Innsbruck. However, as the final destination of the train was Munich, I was unable to sleep and kept alert all night just in case we miss the Innsbruck stop. We arrived at Innsbruck still dark, hungry and cold. When the sun arrived and I stepped out of the train station, the moment was truly unforgettable. Here I was, in a beautiful city surronded by beautiful mountains.

Now here I am again back in Innsbruck, and of course arriving much more comfortably.

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1. We started our stroll of the city from the train station where we parked the car. After a short walk and a turn, here is the beautiful scene in front of our eyes, the Trumphpforte with mountains in the background.

2. The Triumphpforte was built in 1765 to commorate the betrothal of Leopold II to Maria Ludovica. But his father, Francis I died during the celebrations. Hence one side of the arch symbolises the joyful aspect of the event, the other the sadness.

3. Buildings along the Maria Theresien Strasse. The building on the left houses a chinese restaurent, where we had our dinner.

4. The Spitalkirche near the end of the Maria Theresien Strasse. The small street between the buildings on the right of the photo leads to the Goldenes Dachl.

5. The Goldenes Dachl is the most famous landmark of Innsbruck. It was built in 1420 as the residence of the Tyrolean sovereigns. A loggia was subsequently added over an oriel window and covered with 2657 fire-gilt copper tiles. The work was completed in 1550.

6. The Helbinghaus, on the left of the Goldenes Dachl, is originally a Gothic town house dated from the 15th century. In 1730, the facade was decorated with late-baroque stuccoes.

7. Close up view of the Goldenes Dachl. One can see the Frescoes on the oriel and in the loggia, as well as coat-of arms and reliefts.

8. Built in 1440, the tower of the Stadtturm has a 16th century bulbous cupola.

9. The Dom St Jakob, with beautiful ceiling and stucco works.

10 & 11. Basilika Wilten. The exterior looks ordinary. But inside are impressive ceiling paintings and stucco works.