Monday 29 June

19:00
What a day it's been today! We have now arrived at Icaro Village near Ferrara in North East Italy. It is hot and very still so the compunction to drink 'a couple' of beers before going to our rooms was irresistable. My subsequent siesta was deep and satisfying (!) and we now prepare for going out to eat shortly.

Tomorrow we stay put here for another night. Perhaps we sit around, swim or just chill - or perhaps try and wangle our way into Venice airport. I would love to get some aerial video or photos but the thought of a day of stillness sounds pretty good, too! We'll see ...!

A word of thanks to my brother Peter for uploading the blogs for me and including the pictures taken on my mobile phone. He also put up the SPOT satellite track over the Alps which I first saw while flying between Speziana and Icaro Village on a Blackberry. Isn't modern technology something?!

Passing to the South of Mont Blanc

(The black lines on the right are caused by the propeller)

Climbing consistently from over Lake Annecy

Mont Blanc is the bruiser at the back

First landing at an Altiport.
Interesting conditions and challenging landings at Megeve
Sheila, Kevin, Steve, Karen, Mike, Rick, Tom, Laurie & June

As I said to Laurie at the time:
"No names, no pack drill"

Sadly, Rick's little tree-topping exercise is only on the video. That's the next project!

and more ...

... and more. Mile after glorious mile of it

12:49

Now at Speziana and looking forward to lunch.

11:07

Blogging from 7700ft having passed Mont Blanc at 11000ft. What can I say? Amazing peaks and valleys made the more dramatic by broken cloud above, beside and below. We are now just past the mountains and over the flatter land (overhead Biella). Next stop 70 miles to Speziana (South of Milan).

07:34

Annecy at its best last night. Even the dying embers of a setting sun were warm and walking (ambling more like) along the shoreline of the lake was a pleasurable preamble to a most enjoyable meal under broad umbrellas in the old district of the town. As if the meal and beer weren't enough, the ice creams to follow as we wandered around eating them, were a delightful excess! I slept well last night. I wonder why. I'm outside the hotel in delightful coolness with the promise of reasonable flying conditions in the mountains; although that will be made clearer by the tower at the airport. The plan is to fly East to Megeve and onward to Italy. We'll see ...

Strolling along the lakeshore at Annecy to work up a thirst
(Laurie, Rick, Kevin,Sheila, Steve, Karen, June, Mike & Tom)

Tom and Mike in Annecy
(They only smile like this when less than five strides from a bar)

What does eating ice cream late at night in Annecy have to do with flying?
Everything. Absolutely everything
Laurie, June, Karen & Steve