Today is going to be a full day of driving since we got many kms to eat. I am going to cross many passes while doing a couple of times to and from Italy and France. Passes to be conquered are Colle della Lombarda, Col del la Bonette, Col de Vars, Col d’Izoard and Col de Montgenèvre (Colle del Monginevro).
But, as usual, first things first: this is today’s programme as it turned out to be:
After leaving Borgo San Dalmazzo (BSD is not very nice, sorry), I drove along Valle Stura: what a beautiful place! And as long as you go to the mountains, it gets even better. After Vinadio, I turn left and go towards Colle della Lombarda; not worldwide known, but really beautiful. While on the run, I decided to pay a visit to Santuario di Sant’Anna (St. Ann Sanctuary), right next to the border between Italy and France. I don’t really know why, maybe because of the name (it was a part of my mother’s name). Anyway, it was a real delusion to me; as I arrived and I realised the business-oriented spirit of the place, I filled up by water bottle and drove back.
All this area is worthwhile seeing, believe me, it turns from full green to the rockiest-only one. Beautiful. And the wheather was so fine I thought it was going to last forever.
And what I say is documented in the two video below:
Santuario di Sant’Anna e Colle della Lombarda:
After this, here is France again. What can I say more? A video is worth a thousand words.
After this I made a driving mistake. Instead of turning right, going past Guillestre, I drove right towards Briançon; what a chicken! To my partial excuse, I must say that I was starting to get tired and I did not realise that I was going the wrong way. So, after arrived at Briançon I turned right, heading to Col de l’Izoard. After having conquered it, I turned back my motorbike and made the same road back. So, in this video, you see the road not as indicated in the route above. It does not really matter.
And then it is time to find a place to stop for the night. I found it at Cesana Torinese, a nice motorbike-friendly[1] hotel, I could rest my bones at.
Unfortunately, while checking in, I realised that I had done a terrible, unforgivable mistake: I left my ID card at the Hotel in BSD. I usually insist very much at checking in to have my cards immediately back. I did not last evening and this is the result.
I spend dinner time, after relaxing and settling down, thinking about what to do. I think to call the BSD hotel to have at least a fax of my card but at the hotel where I presently am, the fax machine does not work. Ok, I start to understand what the end of the story is going to be. And, last but not least, I do not feel confortable thinking of crossing the borders without my ID card.
I have to go back to BSD: tomorrow is another day.
Cheers
[1] With motorbike-friendly hotel is meant an hotel that offers discounted prices to bikers and, usually, a free place at the garage for the motorbike. It is true, really, and there are so many! I must say that I appreciate this very much. 
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