Once again, thanks for all the helpful comments and encouragement.

We are headed into the Julian Alps.

We just had to visit them didn't we?

I suspect they simply close it at the end of the season rather than when conditions dictate.

Either way we headed a bit further west through Log.

This was a lunch stop.

On reflection, even though the pass was closed, we perhaps should have taken a detour through Trente in the national park and gone for a walk.

Another of those "we can't do everything" conversations. And we are ever watchful of the weather which surely must turn bad some time soon.

There must be some incredibly silly rafters to even think about it.

Its been a slow transition, but a stark contrast, from the obstacle course of piles of building materials, rubbish, animals, motorbikes, etc., on the roads of Asia to the kerbs, neatness and order of Europe.  

This fort was built by the Austrians in 1808 but burned by Napoleon's army the following year.

There is a memorial to the dead Austrian troops.

My school history was Europe between 1789 and 1870, of which I can recall very little of the detail. Enough though of the Hapsburgs and the Austro-Hungarian Empire which obviously must have extended this far.

We saw small hints of dolomite in the limestone of China.

Here the whole mountain has been metamorphosed. A sort of stone forest on steroids.

We wondered what the gorges between the spikes must be like but didn't really have the time or any clue as to whether they were at all accessible. 

One of those "isn't nature wonderful" moments!

Appearing out of a tunnel on one side of the valley and disappearing into one on the other side. With a bridge in between!

The toll charges are somewhat higher than China for shorter distances. A day on Slovenian motorways cost us A$60 through 5 toll gates. Italy is similar. Austria would have been even higher.

Finally realised it was a cycle track. A rail line sealed and converted for cycling.

What a great idea.

The view from "just" another roadside stop.

We tended to miss photographing the low overhanging balconies as they were associated with moments of quiet panic until the answer to "are we going to hit it" became clearer.

We began to realise that Italy really was closed.

For some silly reason it reminded me of a children's rhyme .... "one tornante, two tornante, three tornante, more ..................".

Not far to Cortina d'Ampezzo.

Just a hint of sun to make the mountain stand out.

We forgot about the long Italian lunches and found Cortina closed.

Too cold to hang about.

The water supply in the camping ground was limited to the ablutions and there surprisingly wasn't a water connection near the dump point.

Just as well we have our bucket system to fill up the tanks.