Brussons – Orta San Guilio

Today's route

Today was a funny one.

We woke up at a reasonable time and didn't end up paying for the night (half expected a rude awakening by a traffic warden or something at 6am – didn't happen), so that went some way to easing yesterday's parting with money pains!

We headed straight off after a brew – nothing much to keep us in Brussons.

The hill down was interesting – knowing that we had a bit of an issue with the brakes once they get hot, Jon was mainly taking it very slowly in 2^nd gear and using the engine to keep us slow. It meant that we had quite a few scary Italian overtaking moments, and it was all a bit slow and noisy – but we did get down without dying, which has to be a bonus right?

Our next destination was Lago D'Orta – a smallish lake just past Turin.

I was driving.

It was hot, Italian sign posting and maps are rubbish, it took us about 3 days to travel 40 miles. Senses of humour were missing presumed dead. It wasn't pretty.

Luckily though, we did find the lake in the end and somewhere along the way we had stopped at a Carrefore supermarket and bought a second bicycle for the van. Where else (well, apart from China probably) can you go and get your day's shopping – including a bike – and still only pay €89? Honestly. The bike isn't the greatest – it weighs a bit and the seat post isn't long enough, but it was only €49 so what can you expect??

Anyway, back to the lake.

We were heading for Orta – the main town on the lake, but found a car park and a bit of beach access on the way so we took the opportunity for a quick swim. Quite marvellous.

On reaching Orta we burned towards the town centre – maybe deliberately not understanding the “no access except for residents” signs on the way in. Unfortunately there was a chap in a fluoro jacket ready to stop us – pointing at the sign and making me complete a 27 point turn in the worlds smallest space and with no power steering. Driving the van is lovely but it is a bit of a full body work out!

Unabashed we headed back up the hill to some camping car parking we had spotted, paid our €5 for the night and then took the bikes down into town.

What a nice place. If you get the chance – happen to be passing perhaps – take a look. Interestingly the town centre is traffic free, it's all little streets and pastel painted buildings, with cafes looking out over the lake and the Isla d'Orta (an island village in the middle of the lake). Really very pretty. Having decided that since cocktails were as pricey as the beer at one of these cafes, we opted for cocktails (obviously). I had a strawberry daiquiri and Jon had a Caiprainia. So sophisticated.

After that and the deciding game of cribbage for the heavily contested “King of the mountains” cup (which I won) we had to cycle back up the hill. I can assure you that there is quite a bit of difference between a £30 bike and anything else – especially when you are trying to get it up a hill!! I was worried that the cranks would snap, that the gears were going to break, that the chain would come off.............. actually, it was fine, a bit of clicking and creaking but ultmately fine, and I was really pleased that I managed to cycle all the way up this really steep hill (and I mean like Everest really) withough walking! New thinking is that if I ride this bike around all holiday, by the time I get home and back on my own bike I will be INCREDIBLY fast. That's the theory anyway :)