The Alps Snow Storm 28 November 2012

I left Cortina d'Ampezzo this morning about 9 AM and headed up the Alps SS49 (secondary mountain road) the shortest route over the Dolomiti Mountains but it started snowing heavy and the hair pin turns and steep up hill battle only allowed to get about 13 km from Cortina and I had to head back to Cortina for a try at another way. Actually going down the mountain beck to Cortina was more dangerous and testy. This was supposed to be a 2.5 hours trip from Cortina to Werfen Austria, but I got to Werfen at 4:30 PM. When I got to the hotel (so I thought is was from the advert) it tuned out to be a dud. Firstly it was a farm house converted into a so called hotel and run by some Austrian anal retentive bloke that told me there was no internet in the rooms and no plugs, he didn;'t want guest to use his electricity. WTF! I thought, so he said I could use the internet in his kitchen, whilst he stood over me. Then he tells me that I couldn't use the internet because he, his wife, and two kids were going to Salzburg to see a Xmas show and that they would be back tomorrow. So I said; "Am I the only guest here?" He said yes to that. I said; "What about some food or where do I eat?" He said if I waited till they got back I could have some breakfast. Then he just left with me alone in the bloody house. If I were a thief I could have loaded up. So I quickly got on the internet as he was still there and booked a hotel in Salzburg 30 km away and here I am. When I got to the hotel, the room that gave me was nice but it smelled of urine and then they changed my room and put me in the back in a bungalow of sorts. And here I am, tired and hungry still but too tired to go out. I have 2 apples, some biscotti left over from Cortina, and good Swiss chocolate to munch on. I wish I had some eggs and waffles at the good old Holbrook Diner back in Holbrook, NY YEA Holbrook Diner Staff! I love 'em all. ;) I miss my my sons David and Michael, Einstein, and my bike.

HERE ARE THE ALPS SNOW STORM PHOTOS:

 Crossing the Italian/Austrian border

 Austria from here onward

 A 10 mile tunnel going down the Alps

From Italy to Austria.

Steep hill all the way down.

 There is the next challenge, the Austrian Alps

form Salzburg to Vienna

 Werfen Austria

 Heading for Salzburg ASAP

 The first room at the hotel (the urine one)

 The bungalow digs, it smells nice. :)

 I'm pooped tonight.

All totaled, I only made three wrong turns that cost me about 2 hours

of driving time, but two of them were due to the snow storm.

Gute Nacht aus Österreich (Good night from Austria)

David