In Search of the Stelvio Pass

Waking up early on Sunday morning in Bormio, making sure we hadn't left anything in our hotel room, we took off for the Stelvio Pass.  This road links Bormio with Merano, and 2 weeks ago when we rented the Alfa we'd thought we'd be driving it but the weather wasn't cooperative.  This time we are in the rented Audi A-4, with seat belts! 
We drove out of Bormio, and began the climb to 9,000+ feet.  As we climbed I realized that I'd driven half of this side of the pass, and pulled over for Dr. C. to take over, after all this was his bucket list we were checking off. 

We pulled off for some photos and then Dr. C. took off to the top.  At each hairpin (and there are more than 60) there is a marker telling you which one you've passed. 

As we climbed the mountain, it began to snow, and the higher we got the snowier it was.  Although we grew up in snowy conditions, we hadn't been in them in a long time. 

This is the end of the Bormio to summit side, then we had to go down the other side to reach Merano.

The road has been described as lengths of spaghetti.  We saw bicyclists, motorcycle riders, and some antique cars while on the road.

Reaching the top, we made a pit stop, I looked for non-existent souvenirs (it was too early for anyone to be open) and then we got back in the car, hoping the snow would stop the farther down the mountain we went. 

I thought this was the last turn on the way down, but we had several more, before the road evened out.

This road cuts through some of the most majestic scenery, we felt blessed to be here. 

This is just a sample of the drive, and this was 1/2 way down the mountain.  We think that at this point we were in Switzerland, as you do pass into it and then out again to Italy.  So Dr. C. got to check this one off his list, and if truth be told when we mistakenly drove the Gavia Pass, it was worse, the Stelvio at least is a 2-lane road, with side barriers for most of the drive, the Gavia is a straight shot off the cliff, never to be heard from again.  I also got to cross off another UNESCO World Heritage sight with our ride on the Bernina Express.  It was a great weekend.  We are now back home in Spello enjoying gorgeous fall weather.  Ciao for now. 

Check This One Off the Bucket List

 

Our son Ryan graduated from Indiana University in 2006, and lived in Bloomington, IN for 9 years.  In all the time I visited him at his condo there, I never got to a game at Assembly Hall.  It was on my bucket list, since I'm a college basketball fanatic, and have followed Indiana, the Bob Knight saga, and then the ugly years after he left.  I've watched the movie Hoosiers any number of times, and have read the great book Season on the Brink.  Now ranked in the top 5 this year, Ryan said this was the year to go--this team and their coaches are special.  Of course he doesn't live there anymore, so getting tickets, and hotel rooms was a bit of a flail, but worth every minute!

We began our pilgrimage at Nick's English Hut, a place where Ryan lived for most of his years in Bloomington.  We could tell the waitresses missed him--treating him like he was family!

The only time I'd been into Assembly Hall was to watch Ryan graduate, from the nose-bleed section.  This time we had pretty good seats, but the tour was pretty special too.  Basketball in Indiana is like an alternative universe--these people live and breathe it from the cradle.

When Ryan toured IU in 2002 they were going to the Final Four.  This was after Bob Knight was fired.

He's still here, even in some people's hearts 

We got to our seats, and I was like a kid on the edge of my seat; I know these kids' as if they were my own, follow Tom Crean on Twitter, and am generally obsessed.  I love college basketball because the games matter, the kids play hard, and the coaches (for the most part) mold these young men into better young men.  Not everyone will play in the NBA, and places like Indiana put a premium on graduating their players.

As Ryan said, those banners are looking lonely!

Oh, I forgot to say they were playing Iowa who had won 4 of their last 5 and IU had just lost a terrible game to Wisconsin.  Fortunately I was teaching and didn't have to watch that one!

IU won this game, but it wasn't pretty; but a win is a win!  I'll not complain!

John Mellencamp is a fixture at the games, this time without Meg Ryan

Dr. C. and Ryan celebrating a win!

I'll leave you with this video which is called the best time out (under 8) in college basketball.  This was a great trip, I loved being there, and sharing it with Dr. C and Ryan.  Dr. C. had been to a game when Ryan was the basketball columnist for the Indiana Daily Student at IU.  Read this to find out what happened.