31-Jul-2001 -- Finally I get time to post some confluence points, which has been shot by us at the end of July 2001 during our holidays in Italy. First of all I will declare, that we're not choosing the countries where we want to spend later our holiday depending on the availability of unvisited confluence points ;-). But nevertheless it's getting more and more difficult in Central-Europe to get an untouched CP, but in Italy you will still find some of them.

Our first target was E12N46, close to Feltre, an Italian city The way to get it was unpredictable. In order to understand the circumstances you have to remember that the summer in Germany was ultra hot. And the summer in Italy was still hotter and we travelled by motorbike and were fully dressed in leather (All german bikers do this).

The first road, which seemed to lead in the direction pointed by the GPS-receiver, was more a path than a road, climbed up a steep hill and ended at the other side of the valley, where the CP lay. On photo 1 you can see my difficulties to turn back the bike on this small and steep way. But on photo 2 you have a fine view to the point on the other side in a distance of about 1 km.

At this time we still didn't know, that this would be our best view to the point. So we asked a farmer for a way to reach the other side, which seemed41 to be possible, because we could see someone there walking. Only in geometry the shortest distance between two point is a line. In reality this can be much more.

So we crept to the forest, because the road was sandy with a lot of potholes and our bike is not an enduro.

500 meters away we had to stop, because the road consisted of stones and the risk of an accident would finish our holidays at their beginning.

Don't forget, that we are still in leather and the sun is burning down. OK, but nevertheless it's not my job to give up, so close to the point. So I walked on, leaving back Carolin for watching the bike and to rescue me, if something goes wrong ;-);

If it's hot and you are in leather, then you will sweat. And this is the signal for all of these useless insects, which want only one thing - your blood. Due to my leather clothing I had the advantage only to defend my head and because they thought to get me easier by attacking my legs and my arms, I could reduce their successul twinges and on the contrary I killed them like in DOOM when the berserker-mode is established, while they tried in vain to suck me off.

Still 200 m distance, but I had to give up. At this time it was clear, that the point is within a forest where I would have to fight against the rest of the vampire-armada and that only to take a picture of some trees around me. I think one aim - to get an impression of the environment of this point - is reached by photo 2.

to be continued