Mountain Passes to Brentonico

Around 9:30pm last night loud music started in the distance. I initially thought it was a car turning up in the car park with the stereo on but it actually turned out to be live music from a club and it went on until 1am. I was hoping the rain in the roof would drown it out but it didn’t and I didn’t get to sleep until gone 2am. Then at 6:30am a dog started barking right behind us and didn’t stop for half an hour.
By 8am we were up and dressed and I just wanted to leave and after tidying Wanda up and bolting everything down we made a move for it.
Out next official destination is Riva Del Garda but there’s no free places to stay overnight there and we don’t mind paying for parking for the day but we’re not paying extortionate amounts for a campsight or Aire in a tourist area so I found a free park up on route.
Leaving Santorso we got on the main road and I’d already looked at the route and realised we would be going through the mountains and after last nights little escapade I wasn’t looking forward to.
We exited the town and were going exactly the same way we went last night and then we passed the turn off that we had taken last night. Now we were on unknown roads but it was a state road. Then we started climbing and the switchbacks came and the road narrowed. The gradients increased, 10%, 12% and then 15% this was Wandas limit on the switchbacks dnd we knew it. I personally was crapping myself looking at the sat nav knowing that if we didn’t make a turn we would be stuck. There’s no side roads, no lay-bys and the road wasn’t wide enough to do a 3 point turn. Wanda climbed admirably and even though we were revving the nuts out of the engine she pulled us all the way. Then we came to the car park of the 52 tunnels where we were trying to get to last night. My heart wanted to stop and go hiking but my right foot just stayed on the accelerator and we carried on climbing. Up and up we went and even if I could have turned around this was the only way over the mountains and home. Finally we reached the summit and we had just climbed the Cima Carega, and ascended 2250 meters. This is one of the highest mountain passes in the Trentino-Alto Alps. At the summit we stopped so Ellie could get out and get some pictures. The wind was howling outside and the temperature was just 2°c. I stayed in Wanda, my hands were actually shaking through fear of not getting up the pass. Getting back in Ellie said “ Well done, we’re nearly there” and I said “ actually we’ve only done 11 miles there’s another 30 to go”.
Over the top we were going down and we encountered the first snow on the roads and I took most of the 7 mile descent in second gear at 15mph. It was fine in the dry but in shaded areas where it was wet I was worried about picking up too much speed and not being able to stop. The Italians also like to take the racing line even if they can’t see and we had several near misses with them coming around blind bends on our side of the road.
Back at ground level we poodled along at 45mph going with the flow of traffic until we got 5 miles away from our destination. Then we started going up again and continued up for 4 miles on switchbacks and a 12% gradient until we finally came into the village of Brentinico. Here there was a Motorhome park up and I’d already read the reviews and seen the pictures and everyone said follow the signs not your sat nav.
As soon as we came into the village we saw the sign for motorhomes and followed it, even though TomTom was telling me to turn left. After another mile the signs said turn right and it took us into a really tight street that had a lovely little kink in it with overhanging roofs. I squeezed Wanda through and then the park appeared at the edge of the village. I’m so glad we haven’t got anything bigger than Wanda because we wouldn’t be able to get to places like this.
There were 4 other motorhomes here when we arrived. 3 of them are plugged in to the electric which is €1.50 for 12 hours. I reversed in and we have the most amazing views of white capped mountains out of our windows.
Being a Sunday the village is pretty much closed but there are shops here including a bakery, a co-op and various independent shops.
Once we’d had a cup of tea we decided to go exploring and just a couple of hundred meters away is a huge church. It’s left open but even if it’s closed the keys are hanging up outside so you can just let yourself in. Once again we were impressed with all of the artwork on the walls and the paintings of saints with candles in front of them.
From the church we wandered around the village and through the park where we found a tree with square holes cut into the side with glass doors full of books called the little library.
From the park we headed back to Wanda and behind the Motorhome park up is a cemetery so we thought we’d go and investigate that.
European cemeteries always amaze us in the fact that no matter when somebody died, and it might be 30 or 50 years ago and sometimes longer, there’s always fresh flowers from surviving family members on the grave. The other thing we have noticed in Europe is that on most graves is a photo. Some of these were dating back to the late 1800’s. Being Italy a lot of the ones that died in the 1960’s looked like mob bosses.
From the cemetery we headed back to Wanda. It was now 5:30pm and the temperature was dropping fast. It was now just 8°c outside. I think we’re going to in for a chilly night.
At 6:30pm we decided to go to the local restaurant and get a take away pizza. They were €10 each for 2 14 “ pizzas and were handmade and cooked on a wood fired pizza oven right there in front of us in the family restaurant,
Back at Wanda we stuffed ourselves on pizza. I managed to finish mine but Ellie didn’t. The base was unbelievably light and didn’t leave us feeling bloated like an English supermarket pizza.
After dinner I decided to pay €1:50 for 12 hours of electric. That way we could heat the water and have the electric fire on and it wouldn’t waste gas and we could keep the heating on overnight without worrying.
With dinner out of the way Ellie had a shower and managed to actually dry her hair with the hairdryer and then we settled in for the night. The clouds have just started to come back over so we’re hoping for no rain and for the temperature not to drop much below the 5°c it currently is, and a peaceful nights sleep.Read more