The rest of the week was to be some rides out up into the alps, more about them later, and a bit of social beer drinking was also on the cards.
Before we went out for a ride we decided to set up my suspension as it was renewed before I had left home and needed setting up. As it was it took a while longer than we thought. Mick and Dave came to the camp-site to help out, while i made the tea. At one point we needed a wrench which meant Mick was sent shopping for one. The job done i took them both across the road for lunch at the cafe, we all agreed it was tops. After lunch we done a bit of window shopping and some food shopping. We then made up our minds to have the day out with a pic-nic the next day.
Early the next morning with the sun starting to warm us we set off to the supermarket for our pic-nic. Bikes loaded with some tasty snacks we set off in search for a spot to eat.
Crag had told us about a derlict hotel on the way up to a good alpine pass which was to be our goal. We pulled into a spot near a raging river to take a few snaps and look around the old hotel. First the photos taken while we were sat on large rocks in the stream no problems! Mick the waterboy miss timed his jump and landed in the stream leaving him with very wet socks boots and trouser bottoms, which meant he had to remove his socks and hope the sun would dry them out before we reached the snowline. Foot wear sorted we strolled down to the hotel for a nose about. The place was in disrepair but you can still see what's left of the swimming pool. Back on the bikes we rode onto the start of the mountain where we found a pic-nic area with benches and tables ideal for our lunch. We ate like lords while we watched the traffic coming done the mountain and as it was on a tight bend it was interesting when bikes came past scraping bits on the tarmac. Our food and drink eaten and drunk, it was time to start our ride. We were to ride to top of the pass have a top hot toddy in Italy, which had been promised to us by Mick! as he had been to the bar before, myself and Dave were really looking forward to this drink as Mick had been going on about it for days. Mick still had wet feet.