Day 344 – EU – Switzerland/Italy [Brig to Fondotoce]

14/03/21

35.5km

  From Brig (Switzerland) to Fondotoce (Italy)

Europe

Across the border onboard a train through the Simplon Pass Tunnel and a beautiful run down to Lake Maggiore

Leaving the snowy Alps summits behind me

Today is the third time in the whole journey so far that I am not able to run a segment of my route. First time it happened was this summer over the Albania/Greece border (Greece had closed all but 1 of its terrestrial borders). Second time was a 10km stretch of road to the Greece/Bulgaria border which was forbidden to pedestrians (yet the only border left open!). And today, as the Pass was closed to cross over the Alps into Italy, I had to use the tunnel through the mountains – which also happen to be forbidden to pedestrians and cyclists alike. In all three cases I sought (and obtained) the approval of the WRA, to make sure I remain within the rules of this world run, as much as can be in the extraordinary circumstances we are living.

Statue in honor of Jorge “Geo” Chavez in Domodossola

It was freezing and lightly snowing as I left Brig. But on the other side of the tunnel, Domodossola on the Italian side, it was warm and sunny. The Alps were on my back through the run, I missed seeing the tall snowy summits. I ran past a statue in honor of Jorge Chavez, the first aviator who flew across the Alps (his plane broke down and crashed on his return and he died a few later, that was in 1910).

Lake Mergozzo

I am entering a region of lakes. Today I passed by Lake Mergozzo, which was beautiful and finished on the shores of Lake Maggiore. I will get to run along Lake Lugano and Lake Como in the next few days too and I am looking forward to it. Tomorrow I am re-entering Switzerland, the region of Swiss-Italy, along Lake Maggiore. It is a day I am very much looking forward to: I will end the run in Ascona, the town where my Grand-Ma grew up, it will be my first time visiting the place I have heard so much about.

Check my daily run GPS data on or

Here is the map of today’s run: