I am currently in my second swiss campsite following my friend in her campervan, where the above quote is pinned up. Yesterday I arrived at the first campsite at Davos Rinerhof at 1500m after 3 hours of driving through pouring rain, following a night of pouring rain, and feeling the same ridiculous ‘height fear’ as I followed the (very good swiss) roads, higher and higher. Ruminating on the whole ‘why am I not driving to the sunshine’ self-imposed pressure and catastrophising :)!!, by the time I arrived, I had already done enough speaking sternly to myself to change my mindset to precisely the sentiments I read, as I drank my friend-provided welcome cup of tea! Later on the rain stopped and we caught a bus and walked back along the valley through Davos, where I had stayed in Hotel Bunda with some of the family for our very first skiing holiday way back when. I also enjoyed a week’s skiing a second time in this place, when I went with another family several years later. Good times.
Today I awoke to the predicted snow, but put my trust in the forecast that southern Switzerland near Lugano would reach the heady heights of 20 deg. Gritted ones teeth to follow the satnav slightly higher before descending to get on the main road which then climbed to the San Bernadino tunnel.
I am genuinely in awe of the swiss road system, (railways also), and the same in France, as they forge their way in tunnels through around and up mountains. I don’t think we have anything remotely similar in the UK. Having popped out of the other end of the San Bernadino tunnel from a world of falling snow and 1.5deg into light, distant blue sky and sunshine, the amazing road descent in the most beautiful setting did deliver a new climate of the hoped-for 20 degrees.
Still in Switzerland just, we are now on Camping Tresiana between Lakes Lugano and Maggiore. Having a glass of wine to celebrate my success – glad I’ve not wasted £500 – having just received my diploma certificate, with my old, now ‘midult’ friend Carole, a mere 43 years after we went on our first youth-hostelling holiday together. We don’t look a day older!
My plan as of a few days ago which is still the intention, is to drive to northern Croatia this week and hopefully meet up with some other motorhoming friends, but there is potentially a spanner in the works, which may cause this to change.