Hey, hey, which way?

From the distant past, (and some would say that, that is a long way away,) I remember a game that we used to play as kids called, 'Hey, hey, which way?' Haven't got the foggiest what it was about. probably a variation on 'Ludo', 'Uckers', 'Sorry' and all those other board games that basically revolved around circling the board faster than anyone else, to get your pieces to home. Come to think of it, that's what most board games are about, but I digress!

Anyway, it seemed an appropriate title to this entry, not least since it must feel to regular readers that I appear to have lost my way, but more importantly, because I have been engrossed in route planning and specifically in giving myself two options.

The second check point atop the Stevio Pass in the eastern Alps is a watershed. There flows from this high point in the race two choices. To head south and down the east coast of Italy..

Or down the Dalmatian Coast and through Croatia...

They are approximately the same distance over the ground, though one is considerably lumpier than the other.

The Italian option has the added bonus of a 9 hour ferry journey across the Adriatic when I could catch up with some well earned sleep, or look out from the quarter deck looking for Great White Sharks and dreaming of days gone by, when the Adriatic was my home aboard HMS Ark Royal back in the early to mid 90s.

Then there is the competitive side of my nature that sits here in the comfort of my sitting room watching all those that go west eating up the miles while I'm languishing in the sun with my Pimms and Lemonade, falling further behind in THE RACE! Don't forget, it's a race!

So, by planning both options in my GPS, I can wait see. By the time I reach the top of the Dello Stelvio Pass, I will have a much better perspective of how my body is holding up. How tired I am and realistically, whether I am to hold onto the ultimately goal, which is to finish the distance. Then and only then will I decide whether to turn left or right.

Watch this space.

I note by the way, that snow is forecast for the Stelvio today! That could be interesting!