Smoggy says, “Meh!”

Our view this morning

It was a shock to the system, blattering along at what felt like Mach 3 with our pants on fire. Given the average speed was about 25 on the mountain passes; hoofing along at 80 was a surprise to both Smoggy and I. (Correct English? Don’t know, and don’t care right now!)

We got off the autobahn onto what we would consider to be a pretty good motorway, with a series of tunnels. I was riding at about 45mph in 4th and felt that Smoggy was having a wee struggle. It was just a feel, not a hear. WTF? My reserve fuel light had come on, and it’s really the only thing that seems to make any sort of sense. Down into third, off we went on our jolly way.

Next tunnel, same thing. How odd.

35 miles left in the tank. Given, I have managed quite recently, to run the tank down to only 5 miles left, as I drew into TGWS, it didn’t seem to be an issue then. It sure seemed to be an issue now.

We were within about 40 clicks of the Stelvio, and Smoggy said “meh”. No power. Dropped a gear, only a wee bit of ‘enthusiasm’. Along a bit, “meh” hazards on, pulled in. Fuck. No even a wee splutter to talk about. Killed the engine, waited a bit, started up fine. By this time, Ed had noticed I had disappeared from view, by the time I had continued, I saw him coming back the other way and pulled over so he could turn again. We could see a petrol station from where we were, so, off we went. “Mehhhh.” I spoke to Smoggy, very gently. Come on son, you can do it. Made it to the filling station. No issues thereafter. Thank someone. He wasn’t even overheating, nothing other than, ‘meh’. Maybe he’s as knackered as I am.

Good Smoggy. Carried on regardless, chuffing up to the top of the Stelvio Pass. (Yes, I did have the sweaty moment at the filling station, wondering if I was going to have to get recovered from the pass.) Bloody hell, I have to say, it was better riding down in the pissing rain, with zero visibility than having to go uphill, not knowing what the hell was coming down. Oh, to be an owl. My neck doesn’t turn that far. My clutch had a bloody good workout, that’s for sure. Only one corner where there were 3 cars and two bikes, did I have to put my foot down. Sometimes, it’s a good thing to give way. I would have needed more than full lock for that.

Scary ride up!

Fi & Smoggy

No picking ‘bug shit’ out my nose today, too much altitude I think.

Spot the sticker!

Ed had a plan and we followed it. I was hoping for a short day today after the last two day’s adventures. Not to be. I know now that when Ed says, “Fanny says we have 30 minutes to go.” It’s lies, damn lies. Add another hour for good measure.

All we wanted was a real, authentic Italian pizza for Ed. And a gin, before our bottle of Chianti.

Happy days

We passed through a village / hamlet. Ed stopped, his face screwed up, “don’t know what it is about this place”. In the mountains, characterless, just plain odd. I got it a few clicks further on. I said to Ed, it was a bitty ‘Scooby Doo’, you expected Velma and the gang to come around the corner, to solve a mystery. He agreed. The kind of place, if there were locals, their eyes would be too close together. Get the picture?

So, here we are in Livigno. Totally knackered. Even Ed’s admitting to being slightly broken, BUT, stuffed with pizza and a rather fine Chianti. The best pizza that my Ed has had in 32 years. That’s saying something, coming from a pizza man. I took my gluten free pasta with me and had a rather tasty bolognaise, with lashings of Parmesan. Sorted. We have, yet again, pushed that little bit too far. Tomorrow will be a quieter day – aye, right. Determined to put a foot down in Lichtenstein. Because we can. Ed says right now…. “it’s only 345km of mountain passes” – oh dear bloody god, I might have to request a day off after all. Excuse me whilst I go and punch my husband.

Ed fighting with Fanny

Tuesday morning. I was too tired to post last night. Thunder, lightning and lashing rain as we went out to dinner. Amazed that we have wakened to sunshine today, we’re glad we changed direction yesterday! Well, we’ll see….