Traffico

So, after a wonderful few days, we started our journey back north.

This kind of traffic is somewhat normal for this area because there is literally only one highway that goes through the Alps.

And of course the views are fantastic.

 Like a postcard.

Then it all came to a halt.

We sat parked on this Swiss bridge for 2 and a half hours - never moving an inch - in "park".  I was grateful I'd only had one cup of coffee :)

We learned later that it was a snowfall from the night before that stopped everything in its tracks.

It's not like it doesn't snow here, but this one to two feet of snow all fell the night before and apparently caught everyone off guard.

Then . . . after sitting parked on the highway for 2 and a half hours, we crept along going less than 10 miles in the following 2 and a half hours!  Yes, that's 5 hours nearly at a standstill.  

Since we were now about to run out of gas, Jim had the foresight to realize that whether or not there was gas coming up, we weren't going to make it there.  He realized our only alternative was to inch along to the next exit (which, mercifully wasn't closed, as many were) and head back toward Italy to find some gas!  And we did.

It was after 10 pm by now so we drove through the first little town off the highway.  After 12 hours we'd traveled only 150 miles toward home.  That normally takes 2 and a half hours!  Jim went into this hotel and turns out there was room at the inn!  More on this gem in my next post :)