Through the Alps. Again

I am driving through Austria at one of its narrower points. I could take the autobahn and go around Innsbruck, down through the Brenner Pass and west towards Merano. But I've been there, done that (just last year, as a matter of fact). As I am always up for the new alpine experience I am taking secondary roads. This route will traverse three different mountain passes and skirt the Swiss border before entering the South Tyrol (which is in Italy, if you have been paying attention to my blog!). The scenerey is spectacular, jaw-dropping. Most of my pics, taken in breathless rapture, cannot convey the majesty of what I saw, so I will post just a few.
The first two passes, the Fernpass and the Reschenpass are easily negotiated. The third one, the Stilfserjoch is unbelieveable. How did they even build such a road? It climbs steeply with over 42 hairpin curves on the way up (they're numbered) with a relentlessly steep incline. It takes virtuoso driving. My little Polo is really working hard today. I could only use first and second gear the entire time. This pass is much steeper than the Furka Pass I did two summers ago. The photos are taken near the top of the pass, before the descent. Going down is a bit easier. The lake is the Lago di Resia at the top of the Reschenpass.
Entering into the province of Lombardy I am now in the real Italy. The scenery is still magnificent, but the rest is disappointing. Town after town is hideously ugly, a mess of post-war apartments and commercial strips. Apparently there are no zoning laws in Italy. The few buildings of historic interest are mostly castles and monasteries perched high in the hills or the local church. They are forever marooned in this ocean of urban ugliness. I am driving directly west to reach the north end of Lago di Como. That, at least, will be pleasing. But when I finally get there (cursing the Italians for not putting up enough signs) I am again aghast. It is so built up I can barely see the lake; and the traffic! It's bumper to bumper for a while. Then it thins out and it's clear sailing. I am staying in a tiny town of Cadenabbia on the western edge of the lake. Como is shaped like an upside down Y. Cadenabbia is just across from the tip of the peninsula, where all three arms of the lake converge.