The last tour of the season - and we were hoping that the weather would cooperate. The end of September isn't a dependable time of year for touring. Like the little girl with a little curl: When it's good, it's very very good , but when it's bad, it's horrid. We had our fingers crossed.

The plan is as simple as it is elegant. We take the train from Munich to Landeck in Austria, a four-and-a-half hour ride. From there it is a short bus ride to Nauders near the top of the Reschen Pass. That saves riding in traffic on narrow roads, not to mention a hefty climb. And from Reschen it's downhill - almost - all the way. South Tyrol, here we come!