Through the Alps to ItalyCez Alpy do Talianska

This trip, taken by all four of us, started in Zurich. Kika and I got there on a great Swiss train from Lugano, while Janči and Katka came by train from Slovakia. In Zurich we took a swim in the local river and later caught a train that took us on to Bern.

Originally we wanted to start cycling from there, but once we thought it through, we realized we didn't actually have enough days for that, and that this would be the most boring stretch of the trip anyway. Between Bern and Lake Geneva the route really was fairly ordinary - meadows, rolling little hills - though there was a really nice campsite by Lac de la Gruyère.

Lake Geneva was very beautiful, and we especially loved the city of Geneva itself. In summer, people float down its river on all sorts of wheels, boats, inflatables, and whatever else they can find at home. The water here is a kitschy shade of blue, and you feel like you've stepped into a fairy tale.

From Geneva we continued into France, through the town of Annecy and along its lake. Beyond it, the mountains were finally waiting for us, and with them the main event of the trip: Col du Petit Saint-Bernard, or in Italian, Colle del Piccolo San Bernardo. In Slovak, "Priesmyk Malého svätého Bernarda."

Since we got hit with really bad weather, we had to take a train for part of the way to even reach the start of the climb in Bourg-Saint-Maurice. During the climb itself, though, the weather was on our side - the sun was shining, and the descent into La Thuile and eventually down into the Aosta Valley was absolutely wonderful.

The Aosta Valley is Italy's smallest province, and we know it well since we go there skiing in winter. After a pleasant descent through the whole valley, we reached the town of Ivrea, and from there it was just a short hop to Ispra, where the trip ended with a relaxed chill session at our place by the lake.