Miscellaneous News from Ticino - Camping Tamaro

New experiences on old roads
SOME JOURNEYS ARE AN END IN THEMSELVES.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE “TREMOLA”
WITH ITS COBBLED TWISTS AND TURNS.
“The Gotthard is the pass to beat all passes”,
says Harley rider Alois Mailinger..
There are two reasons why the old Gotthard Pass on the
Ticino side is called the "Tremola": from above, the longest construction
in Switzerland, with its walled curves looking like a temperature
graph “trembling” (from the Italian tremare = to tremble)
through the mountain. The other reason lies with the bumpy cob-
41
blestones, which are extremely demanding, especially when travelling
by bike over the pass (2108 metres) and you want to force your
way up its 12 % gradient.
A MYSTICAL MOUNTAIN
All this “trembling” can hardly be surpassed in terms of
enjoyment, if you travel through the ancient rocky landscape by
car. Or on a Harley Davidson, like Alois Maillinger from Germany.
“The Gotthard is the pass to beat all passes” he says. “It isn’t the
highest pass, and doesn’t have the most bends, but there is
something mystical about this mountain”. This is already the third
time that Alois has crossed the Tremola, and the third time that he
is so overwhelmed, that he stops to take a couple of photos. “And
that won’t be the last time”, he laughs, rattling off on his Harley.
Meanwhile you can hear the nostalgic stage-coach in the
distance, a stage-coach with five horses, taking tourists from Airolo
to Andermatt, through the heart of this landscape, where no less
than four of the most important rivers in Europe have their source.
Gurgling, swooshing and chirping are all around, the rocks surge
up into the sky and the grinding of the coach wheels recalls times
gone by, as if this form of transport was still fashionable, even
BELLINZONA E
ALTO TICINO