Bosporus Walk - Part 2
Switzerland to Slovenia

We are in Switzerland's Dischma Valley heading for the Grialetsch Alpine Pass.

And our climbing properly begins after the isolated farm at Dürboden.

Dürboden farm is below us in this view.

Close to our 8,343ft summit is the Grialetsch climbing hut.

Where we have a room with a view!

This valley is our descent.

Our passage through the Alps involves several passes but this one is the highest.

We end this day of descent in Zernez, altitude 4,826ft. One of the signs points to Vereina.

And we use the Vereina Tunnel and the excellent Rhaetian Railways to return us to Klosters.

Next day is uphill once more.

As we walk the the Spol valley in the Swiss National Park.

A valley that ends abruptly at the dam that also forms the Italian border. Behind the dam is Lake Livigno.

With spectacular scenary and inaccessible peaks over 10,000ft high.

Lake Livigno is paralleled by a well protected road, much used for high altitude cycle training.

Isolated Livigno is an unusual mix of ski resort and tax free shopping.

Two more passes follow. In the foreground here is the Foscagno Pass, with Passo Eira and Trepalle village behind.

A wonderful descent follows though butterfly filled Alpine grasslands.

And can you believe this? Hot springs in the mountains above Bormio.

We leave Bormio on a crisp October morning.

To follow the Adda River downstream. This is Zola.

At Grosio we turn off for the Mortirolo Pass.

Which is cold at the top.

But warm and sunny below. This is Monno near the Oglio River.

And this is important Edolo.

Narrow steets and passageways are common around here as our route heads through the right hand archway.

We liked Edolo.

And we liked the local villages too. This is the approach to Niardo.

With this lovely painted house amongst Niardo's narrow streets.

We skirt Breno as we heading for another pass, the Crocedomini Pass, altitude 6,200 ft.

The Crocedomini summit is a key spot.

And with frost already on the trees we have arrived just in time.

Incredible Bagolino follows.

With its maze of narrow steets Bagolino is unforgettable.

Our walking map now looks like this, the black pins denoting one year's progress during our holiday(s) from work.

We return to Storo the following year, 2012.

And here many of the older builings have attractive balconies.

Our final pass is the Ampola Pass, altitude 2,450ft.

Which leads us to Tiarno di Sopra, a pallet manufacturing town.

Lake Garda next on the Ponale Path, an incredible track to Riva del Garda in lakeside cliffs.

As night falls on Riva del Garda.

We reach Malcesine.

Then Assenza, where we divert though the hillside olive groves for a while.

We are now in Veneto, the Venetian region of Italy.

Lasize Castle and from here we head through the vineyards towards Verona.

Verona from the Lamberti Tower.

Verona's Roman Arena.

And Verona's Castelvecchio.

Verona is hot work!

Moving on we find ourselves below one of the many floodbanks.

As we reach another amazing town, Montagnana.

Our departure gate next morning.

As we head for Este, also very impressive.

The Euganean Hills follow and the village of Aqua Petrarca.

Then Due Carrare with its rambling villa.

Pontelogo on the Bacchiglione River.

And an evening view from Pontelogo as the sun sets on the Euganean Hills.

Correzzola now, on the Bacchiglione River, where a vast monastery complex is decaying away.

But one small section is renovated and this includes a small hotel from which we depart early to help beat the heat of the day.

And so to the Venetian Lagoon, which we enter at Chioggia, its most southerly point.

Chioggia resembles Venice although cars and bikes are allowed.

A short waterbus hop takes us to Pellestrina, a thin island held together here by a long sea wall.

Pellestrina is very much a locals island and is remarkably quiet considering how close we are to Venice.
These boats are sand sifting shellfish harvesters.

We then cross the second Venetian Lagoon inlet to reach The Lido, another long, thin island.

Much of The Lido also seems quiet as Venice nears.

And great to arrive.

San Marco, fantastic to be here.

But with walking boots and backpacks..............maybe not the norm.

Needless to say, we loved our stay.

We were even here at pagent time, the Regatta Storica.

From Venice a waterbus takes us to Punta Sabbioni as we begin following the Adriatic Coastline round towards what was once Yugoslavia.

But inlets often force us inland, sometimes a long way inland. Around Jesolo we follow watercourses.

And these lead us to the fishing port of Caorle, once an island community with a church tower that once doubled as a lighthouse.

Caorle's sea defences are creatively carved.

Misty marshland follows, as we roughly follow the Lemene River still with several lift bridges.

We reach the Tagliamento River at Lastisana, a town with colossal flood defences.

And so to fortified Palmanova, Venetian frontier town extraordinaire.

This is how Palmanova looks on the map. It has nine of nearly everything.

And if it isn't nine it is usually three as we depart early morning from the main square.

To leave through one of the three gateways.

And one final Italian river, another interesting one, the distinctively coloured Isonzo at Gorizia.

Here we leave Italy to enter Slovenia.