Day 5 Aosta to Stresa

The 4 Horseman of the Apocolypse!

Everything looked so promising as we awoke to glorious sunshine and a nice 26 degree's, even Jan got up early to polish the car before we looked to head off. 10am saw the 3 intrepid Mini's head down the Aosta valley through town that had more speed cameras than people in! Roof down, wind through our hair and feeling good.

"it's Spitting, everyone stop to put the roof on!"

Well it was a good job we did, as the small amount of rain drops suddenly turned into a deluge of water that filled the road, I for one was glad we had new tyres before we left.

Aqua-planning was the initial order of the day as Jan struggled to keep Leroy in a straight line.

Then suddenly while Tracy was talking on the walkie-talkies, bang! I looked at her, she looked at me "we've hit something!", then another bank, followed by another "Hailstones!" well I will call them hailstones, but about the size of golf balls, threatening to come through the windscreen. This went on for what seemed like minutes as we tried to hide behind a lorry for shelter, then as suddenly as it started ....clear skies and dry roads! Welcome tyo Italian weather everyione.

After the shock of that we decided to stop at a local service station for a coffee and re-group, we are now sure that they do not make coffe (if you can call it that) with boiling water, as they are always luke warm (not nuclear like McDonalds!). My double Espresso, made all the hair on my neck stand up, i thought I had drunk the engine oil for the car!

Short drop up the A4 and we turned down towards Arona and Lago Maggiore, where we joined the lake road and started to drive up towards Stresa. Past the original hotewl I had booked, looked like it had closed down, before we rounded a corner and I started to get a little emotional! Isla Bella in full view as we entered the main strip at Stresa.

Turning off the main road into our hotel for the evening Hotel Royal at around noon. Checked in and a few well deserved beers, we enetered our rooms (all adjoining with large patios) and had an afternoon natter before heading iout at 4pm for an early dinner as by this point we were all "hank marvin".

The walk down into Stresa (for those reading..Nabbs's) starting at the cable car station, down to the centre is around 15-20 minutes of the most beautiful scenery. After a short normal bimble around, we chjose a restuarant off the main square, were we had a lovely meal, washed down with a Bottle of Gavi for those on White and Barbera D'alba for those on red. Short stroll around town for a pit-stop, Tracy forgot her glasses and went off in search of these as if it were a new quest for our own Indiana jones.

Back at the hotel for a night cap and chat before we all decided that 9:30 seems to be our limit for the journey so far.