Today we got an early start since we had "about" 300km to cover. Ken's version of 300km is in real life about 500. 512km to be exact.

We had our usual breakfast but this time the addition of scrambled eggs that I didn't partake in because they looked like snot from a cow out back. The bread, yogurt and cereal was great though.

We headed out on the same road that we took into Tasch since its a one way in and out of the town. Our goal was to make it Merano, Italy by nightfall via 5 mountain passes.

The first pass was Furkapass that dropped us into Andermatt, Switz. We left and continued onto Oberalpass. After that, we continued onto Leakerheidepass. Then we went to Juliapass that put us in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Then we went south and went over Pasa del Berino which put us into Tirano, Italy where the 2006 winter Olympics were held.

We left there and went to Stelviopass which had 39 hair pin turns on the way up and 44 on the way down with glacial mountain ranges in the background. How they figured that this was a safe thing to allow people to travel on amazed me. It was literally 1000M straight down at one point and no guard rail. Great stuff indeed!

After the pass, we traveled through the apple orchards into Merano, Italy which is where the fun began.

I entered in what I thought was the correct street intersections into the GPS and got a route for Captain Kenny to follow. We put the unit in his tank bag and set off to find the hotel. We routed to where the GPS said to go, and it was a one way street. Ken is not the person to stop and regroup like a normal, sane person so he just keep going, arms flailing in some way to communicate even though I don't know the name, address or what the GPS told him to do. He finally pulls over and we regroup and re-enter the crossroads again and set off.

We stop a few times to reiterate the directions and continue on, to the same road as before. We bolt forward on the "one way" (I really think it was a normal street) and it routes us to the same place, and no hotel in sight. Ken is getting pissed now. He goes down an alley, shuts the bike off and it disgusted. Then a 15 or 16 year old kid arrives on a scooter. It turns out he speaks pretty good english and tells us the proper way to the hotel. We were waaay off.

We go around a roundabout that we had been on before and instead we went right instead of straight. We had passed the hotel twice before. After parking, Ken goes in to check in and I stay outside to guard the bikes because I'm the threatening, tough one of the group.

He comes out of the hotel and says that they gave away our room by accident. Now I'm not sure how you can give away a reserved room by accident, but they must have offered them more than we did. No worries, they made another reservation for us at another hotel. And they gave us a poorly drawn map, and no name but we did have a telephone number. This sounded like a great idea!

We set off, got put down one way streets, hand gestures, two phone calls and a run in with the Policia because we were parked on a bike path (whoops) we found the hotel. And by found the hotel, I mean we saw a guy waving in the street and motioned us into a parking area. Great stuff and a super nice guy. We showered and went down the block and had some authentic Italian, beers and some gelato for dessert. Life is good.

We're staying at the hotel domus mea http://www.domusmea.com if you want to check it out.

Tomorrow were going to hang out in town and do some laundry!

Ciao!