Something new every now and then – although we had our accommodation on the Passo Tonale right next to a church, we weren’t woken up by bells, but by construction work again. The apartment building was brand new, but there was still work going on in many places – today on our windows of all places. So we turn off the alarm clock, scurry through the bathroom, pack our bags and saddle up the Vitaralino. Let’s go: down the Tonale, no petrol station, and straight back up the Passo Gavia – all without coffee! 😱

This pass was pleasantly empty so early in the morning – which was a good thing. Some sections are extremely narrow, but wonderful to ride. Curve after curve, it winds its way uphill to a whopping 2,640 meters above sea level. At the summit, we finally got the cappuccino we had been waiting for (4/5 cups) and two chocolate cannelloni. They looked fantastic in the display – but turned out to be a bitter disappointment: dry, bland, simply not a pleasure. On the scale, unfortunately, only 1 out of 5 points.

A little later, we reached the access road to the Stelvio – and made our way up together with many others. We came from the less spectacular side, but it was packed at the top: a large gathering of bikers and sports cars. Far too much hustle and bustle for us. After a quick stop for souvenirs, we waited for the right moment – and started the descent at 12 noon sharp in perfect weather. The perfect time: the road was amazingly clear and we had the famous hairpin bends almost to ourselves. An unforgettable moment – the bends, the scenery, the Stelvio glacier shining majestically in the sunlight. We couldn’t have wished for anything more beautiful.

Unfortunately, the curve photographer (Kanyarfoto, known from TikTok & Co.) didn’t catch us in time – so there’s no photo of us today. But no matter: the memory is firmly etched in our minds.

With euphoric smiles, we stopped in Prad for our lunch break: pizza, baguette, lemon soda and iced coffee – all very tasty and just the thing after this experience.

From there we continued towards Austria. We rolled past endless apple orchards – rows upon rows in shades of red, green and almost purple. In between, hedges with hop cones and trees with prickly fruit that resembled chestnuts.

The closer we got to the Dolomites, the longer the day dragged on. Traffic jams and roadworks got on our nerves and tiredness set in. A roadside coffee (2/5) at least saved us from the afternoon slump.

We came across a sign for the Three Peaks, but couldn’t make them out in the foothills. Nevertheless, it was impressive to see how different the Dolomites are from the rest of the Alps: more pointed, more rugged, almost dramatic in appearance.

We finally reached our forest hotel near Lienz in the evening – exhausted but happy. It promised to be a quiet night. And we can’t wait to see what wakes us up tomorrow…

Conclusion: A day of giants: Gavia, Stelvio, Dolomites – each a monument of the Alps in its own right. Sometimes lonely, sometimes crowded, but always impressive. And in the end, the realization remains: not every pastry is a hit, but the mountains were all along the line today.