Mickey awoke after 5 mins sleep, due in part to the stentorian snoring of Jerry and Chris, feeling well rested. Other Crumballers camping next to us were up at about 05.30 talking loudly about their tappets.
Showered (except Chris who did something with wet wipes (don't ask!) then got into costumes - Chris as cowboy with leather chaps with no bottom, Jerry as LAPD sergeant, Mickey as Construction worker - all resplendent in stick on Moustaches.
Chris as you can see was totally prepared for this expedition - replete with wind up lamp, camping stove, swiss army cutlery set, wet wipes tea coffee and chaps. We collected our croissant from reception in our garb much to the amusement of Frau Brigette, who seems to like men in uniform?
Off to Churwalden for the days start. A small car park full of Crumball chariots in a quiet Swiss hamlet was transformed with Village people in bottomless jeans, a 6'5 inch Heidi with a beard, Batman and Robin in the batmobile, A bride, a Gorilla and lots of Police, Cowboys and Indians.
Bewildered Swiss locals watched on in pity at the general mayhem.
Finally the Swiss did something useful by giving us a clear blue sky and hot sun, but the satnav took on a Swiss mentality and refused to recognise St Moritz or any other Swiss town so we had to blag a map off an old Swiss garage owner - He gave it willingly to Jerry dressed as a police sergeant!
Then the best day followed as we went up into the alps through the Julier pass, the Bernina Pass and the Stelvio Pass.
The day's challenge was a photo matching affair where we failed miserably apart from Chris who occasionally woke to shout "there it is", at least got us a few points.
Up and down the passes we interacted with other Crumballers - lots of hooting, waving, donuts, and laughter as the batmobile let off a rocket from his rocket launcher, and one team took hammers to the girls pink Volvo to fine tune it for the Stelvio. Sadly after many donuts and handbrake turns the Trewern Wacky Racers broke their radiator and dropped out and the Black Golf died along with one or two others.
Then to the Stelvio - amazing - chock a block with bikers like ants racing up and down the hairpins - a bonnet lunch near the summit with a glacier to our right and sheer drops to our left.
Now Canardly took the ascent in her stride but quacked a bit on the way down the northern side when the brakes began to fade - not good coming down from 9050 ft!
Still - used low gear and a longer and longer braking pedal and managed not to go over the edge. All teams reported the same problem.
Team "Sacarafice (sic) two guys in orange boiler suits, and a third member who also wore an orange boiler suit but who had to be inflated ( Ahem!) were having great fun by trying to knock the bikers and cyclists off the mountain using the third member out of the passenger window.
Then a long drive on good but winding and slow roads through Austria to Fussen in Bavaria for the evening check- in. Found the Camping Brunnen, on a lake overlooked by Neuschwanstein castle - pitched, and straight into a Taxi to Beim Olivebauer for the check in. After a few beers we ate there.
- Our £30 donation from Dave was spent on fried eggs, omlettes, poached and boiled eggs, washed down by europiss and 3 glasses of Pear Schnapps ( At least Dave would have enjoyed that!)
Chris finally turned off the drivel that kept coming in on his mobile from someone in Beckenham which pleased us all.
Taxi back with a Crazy Czech driver who talked to Jerry by looking him in the eye at 70 mph while going the wrong way and bouncing off the kerbs. Back at the tents we walked down to the lake beach and had a final round of beers and wine before hitting the lilo's.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Showered (except Chris who did something with wet wipes (don't ask!) then got into costumes - Chris as cowboy with leather chaps with no bottom, Jerry as LAPD sergeant, Mickey as Construction worker - all resplendent in stick on Moustaches.
Off to Churwalden for the days start. A small car park full of Crumball chariots in a quiet Swiss hamlet was transformed with Village people in bottomless jeans, a 6'5 inch Heidi with a beard, Batman and Robin in the batmobile, A bride, a Gorilla and lots of Police, Cowboys and Indians.
Finally the Swiss did something useful by giving us a clear blue sky and hot sun, but the satnav took on a Swiss mentality and refused to recognise St Moritz or any other Swiss town so we had to blag a map off an old Swiss garage owner - He gave it willingly to Jerry dressed as a police sergeant!
The day's challenge was a photo matching affair where we failed miserably apart from Chris who occasionally woke to shout "there it is", at least got us a few points.
Up and down the passes we interacted with other Crumballers - lots of hooting, waving, donuts, and laughter as the batmobile let off a rocket from his rocket launcher, and one team took hammers to the girls pink Volvo to fine tune it for the Stelvio. Sadly after many donuts and handbrake turns the Trewern Wacky Racers broke their radiator and dropped out and the Black Golf died along with one or two others.
Now Canardly took the ascent in her stride but quacked a bit on the way down the northern side when the brakes began to fade - not good coming down from 9050 ft!
Still - used low gear and a longer and longer braking pedal and managed not to go over the edge. All teams reported the same problem.
Then a long drive on good but winding and slow roads through Austria to Fussen in Bavaria for the evening check- in. Found the Camping Brunnen, on a lake overlooked by Neuschwanstein castle - pitched, and straight into a Taxi to Beim Olivebauer for the check in. After a few beers we ate there.
Chris finally turned off the drivel that kept coming in on his mobile from someone in Beckenham which pleased us all.
Taxi back with a Crazy Czech driver who talked to Jerry by looking him in the eye at 70 mph while going the wrong way and bouncing off the kerbs. Back at the tents we walked down to the lake beach and had a final round of beers and wine before hitting the lilo's.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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