Good videos. Have to ask why, in the first video, towards the last when you came upon the trailer parked at the right side of the lane and the small car off to the left with what looked to be skid marks, you turned around and went back the way you came?

Second, shorter video, kept me reaching for my glasses to clean the finger smudge off them!!..

The road was blocked due to a land slide, but typical Italians they don't let you know at the start of the road.
Yes the dirty lens is an pain, i will go back and re record it.

Well, that explains the turn around! Kinda like California hillsides during rainy season, always on the verge of breaking loose, sliding down and burying whatever's below - roads, cars, houses, neighborhoods, shopping centers, you name it..

Really enjoyed your ride along videos Ben. Thanks for sharing them with the group, smudged lens and all on your last one!..

On the return journey, my satnav wanted me to go onto the coastal motorway, i decided to try a more interesting route, so headed towards barga, when the satnav got over its hissy fit I rode some really great backroads, unfortunatly ending up at the aformentioned closed road.
I retraced my steps and rerouted only to find myself on a road with snow gates, which were open and I carried on for a while until the surface petered out and I chickened out and turned around yet again, should have had a serow.
I rerouted again and had a great run up the Sercio valley.
I then got on the E80 motorway up past Geova and headed to the Alps.

I went through the Alps using the Frejus tunnel and headed to Chambery where I stayed at the Brit hotel, although not as hot as the trip down, the a/c in the room was welcomed.

Next day I travelled up through france to stay at the same hotel in St Quentin as I did on the way down.

Next morning I got to the Eurotunnel in good time and got on a train an hour earlier than booked, and headed north

I arrived home an hour before Lyn after her car, train, bus, easyjet, car, plus shopping trip.

route down
day 1 Home to Dover 350 miles.Calais to St Quentin 110miles
Day 2 St Quentin to Chamonix 450 miles
Day 3 Chamonix to cottage 320 miles

Return
Day 1 Cottage to Chambery 350 miles
Day 2 Chambery to St Quentin 450 miles
Day 3 St Quentin to Home 460 miles

Average fuel consumption 55mpg

Already booked for next year

Next time I will take less stuff, leave the DSLR behind, sort out a system for the change for the payage, came back with 14 euros in loose coins, carry and drink more water and most of all will not use the tunnels through the Alps. I think I missed out a lot in not going over the high passes.

Sounds like a great trip.