Mutters to Padua - Day 6

 What a day of driving! 

Our Guest house and views from the windows 

Nice breakfast as early as we could make it - 8am. Then headed for the Motorway down through the Brenner Pass. We were on the old road for quite some time, with some lovely views. We had to take a 5 euro toll despite our Austrian motorway pass, which gave us about another 50kms of motorway. Once into Italy we had to pay another 4.10 in order to head for Selva. A lovely morning and Selva was looking beautiful. 

The hotel we stayed in when we skied here

Our apres ski place

We parked, walked and had coffee in the hotel we used to have apres ski drinks in. We then headed off to drive the Sella Ronda, top down, passing our hotel on the way. And what a drive it was. Fantastic views and and great driving for Howard - he was loving it. We stopped once or twice to take photos and watch the masses of bikes and motorbikes doing the full route. 2 sounds would be synonymous of the route - cow bells and motorbike engines. About 12 degs approx.

Our driving route around the Sella Ronda

When we looked at our ski tracker from 2017 we were amazed at how extensively we had skied and how close to our route some of our tracks were. It started to rain as we got close to Canazei but by that time we were happy to drive top up. Stopped beside a mountain reservoir to have our picnic lunch and were horrified as to just how little water was in it. Hopefully todays rain might help a bit. 

We headed on through the mountains towards Venice and Bologna, luckily not having to go back to the Brenner Pass  motorway which was busy and narrow driving. Instead we headed east through the mountains with more spectacular  views of villages and mountains. We stopped at Poipet for a leg stretch and ice cream, where we booked tonight’s stop in Padua. Then onto the motorway and our B and B. Villa Stefanie in Noventa Padovana. A more traditional B and B but we have the place to ourselves - kitchen, bathroom and bedroom and balcony overlooking the vines. Very nice. 

W

No nearby dinner though so a 15 minute walk to a nice trattoria where we got one of the last tables. I had fresh pasta and giroles, and Howard a mixed grill. A nice walk home in the dark and a catch up on diaries etc. A decision for tomorrow - 2 nights in Rimini to give ourselves a rest. A stop in Bologna on the way.

Daily drive 226  miles

Total trip 1334 miles