RTS1702 Sicily - Rome

we made it. We arrived safe and sound in our hotel in Rome. Thanks a lot for a good time.This was a group nothing can go wrong.  Hope we will see each other again.  All the best your tourguides Ursula and Marko 10. Day: Pompei-Rome   We have to say good bye to fascinating Pompei and the Amalfi Coast. Rome - the Eternal City is our destination for today. You can't see Rome in one day. When you walk around, you feel like you are in a gigantic museum - a living collage of squares, piazzas, markets and incredible historic sights.  Throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain, admire the Colosseum and the Pantheon. Sip a cappuccino to get ready for your afternoon shopping tour on the  Campo de’Fiori or in Via Veneto.  Around the Spanish Steps you can find all the famous Italian designers. The best time to visit St. Peters Basilica is in the late afternoon, when the lines become shorter. You will be amazed by the size of this church - and by Michelangelos Pieta. Climb up the cupola and enjoy the sunset over the roofs of this fascinating city! This picture was taken for Charly. We left Campania. The mountains of Latium in the background. It is our last coffee stop on this tour and everybody is a bit sad Beautiful curves up to Itri and a great view to Sperlonga Parked the bikes directly at the sea and.... ... had lunch with a gorgeous view we said goodbye to Sperlonga and headed into the mountains.... and into a big thunderstorm with heavy rain and hale. So - sorry no pics anymore. There were some awards. This one from Graham is for the tourguides. But we tourguides had also some:  1. the best female rider 2. the heaviest suitcase on tour, haha 9. Day: Pompei-Amalfi Coast-Pompei the famous lemons of the Amalfi Coast Cheer - it a "Granite" John and Gail Tom - Positano in the background The Italian gang at the ceramic shop the Dome of Amalfi - San Andrea - however hard you try you can`t take a picture without anybody running in to it the church is in arabic style and amazing inside very tight switchbacks on the way up to Ravello. But you can`t shock these guys anymore. 8. Day: Acquafreda - Pompei After a quiet night on the Mediterranean sea we were ready for another exciting day on our motorcycle tour through southern Italy. The day was split into two parts: more mountain riding in the morning, sightseeing in the afternoon: the Greek temples in Paestum and the ancient city of Pompei! Picnic at Caseificio Barlotti - one of the most famous Mozzarella producers in Campania milk transport But we are not on holiday! After a long riding day and some exitements we ended in Pompei. We had a guided tour in the ruins. we met Antonella. She is a guide in Pompei for 23 years and still very passionated we started with a special exhibition. You can see people trying to hide away from the eruption of the Vesuvio the colosseum Pompei`s Rodeo Drive the Venus - not from Botticelli the first sign in history - be aware of dogs maybe the Ducati dealer ship - no it was the sauna - the caldarium this sign leads to the "redlight district" secret entrance to the "luparium" and here you can chose the menu  I mean people were illiterate and came from all over the ocean with different languages the forum - the city center and the Vesuv in the back ground the Canadian gang a peppercorn tree Thank you Antonella - you were awesome 7. Day: Tropea - Acquafreda We continue our journey through the Italian mainland. Today we crossed the region from south to north, looking for the twistiest road possible. And we found it!!!! Great riding, mixed with the best gelato and and excellent lunch - oh, yeah: plus amazing views of the Mediterranean Sea every once in a while... This tour could go on forever! And that`s what the Vandriver(esse) scouted and what you guys missed :-) Fiumefreddo Bruzio - the lunch stop on the short route. But for good drivers only. some in our group speak Italian - so you should understand this Costa dei Cedri View to our hotel in Acquafreda Beautiful Villa Cheta  this are Nespoli - delicious 6. Day: Taormina - Tropea Good group, good riders - we decided to do an extra loop through the mountains of Sicily. No traffic, last views to Mount Etna, awesome riding! We catched the ferry to the Italian main land and had a french fries and salat :-) lunch at Scilla before we reached Tropea. we had to leave this gorgeous place... We have to say good-bye to Mount Etna Juhuuu Novarra di Sicilia belongs to the "Borghi piu belli d`Italia" - the most beautiful villages in Italy On the Messina Strait Tropea is famous for the red onions. But... the guys were worn out, nobody went downtown :-) 5. Day: Mount Etna Everybody is a bit exited - Mount Etna is on the plan. The mountain of the mountain, an active vulcano, 11.000 ft high, at the bottom the mediterranean sea. The weather is on our  side, so lets go. but first we had to enjoy breakfast at the terrace of our beautiful hotel after a short stop at Michele, Rifugio Bruneck, we reach the Mareneve - the lava fields quite impressing scenery the whole group went up with the funicular and then with Mercedes 4WD to the top. It was quite a bit a climb to the edge, but it was worth it We arrived in time. So the group has enough time to explore Taormina. The "Theatro Grecco" is consideres the most beautiful one in the world - according to Mr. Goethe. Mount Etna in the background - what a scenery. 4. Day: Cefalu - Taormina Back on the road with big smiles on our faces, we start to explore the Nebrodi and Madonie mountain ranges in the north-eastern part of Sicily. This is the perfect playground for our motorcycles. There is very little traffic, perfect natural vistas and a bike – can you imagine? Mount Etna is almost always in front of you. Gangi - unbelievable how this village is clinching to the hill. In the afternoon we ride through the lava fields of Mount Etna. One interesting thing: If the locals want to get from Cefalu to Taormina, they always take the motorway along the coast because of the extremely curvy roads! We can`t stop our engines before we haven`t been riding up the spectacular twisties to Forza d`Agro, high above the sea and filmset for "Godfather". 3. Day Agrigento-Cefalu Have you ever heard of the Mafia? Little villages like Prizzi and Corleone are on today’s program. Perhaps you've heard these names before – in a movie or somewhere in the news? We will try to find out why these families got so famous. Crossing the whole island from the south to the north is quite an experience. From the pretty, but crowded coast of Agrigento we are riding right into the middle of nowhere. It's seemingly unbelievable, but just one hour from Agrigento the area is sparsely peopled; nearly nobody is out there! Some older people are sitting in front of their houses, talking to each other or playing cards. Stop somewhere, have a coffee with them and enjoy! Corleone, the famous Mafia village, is one remarkable point on our way north.  In the afternoon we approach the little, romantic town of Cefalu. Sicily just makes you happy They are mutating! a local rated the left one (Graham) as a true Sicilian, he supposed John is coming from Turkey and Thomas from northern Itlay Prizzi home of the Corleonesi Clan the castle of Caccamo We had an awesome ride so far and some more curves are coming, in addition to the view: Palermo on the left, Cefalu on the right that`s passion, eyhh we are not on holiday. Arrived at the hotel, shuttle downtown was already booked, a quick shower and we went for a guided city tour to Cefalu the Norman Cathedral in the evening sun Fiat Cinquecento - a real one 2. Day: Catania - Agrigento This day, you get a good impression of the Sicilian countryside, Canicatti, Mazzarino and Caltagirone are on the agenda for this morning. Villa Romana - with 3000 sqm of awesome mosaics showing you scenes of ancient living. We will get in touch with Italian food and at the end of the day you will know what it is about the "Trinakria", a Scilian icon. But the highlight of the day is definitely the "Valle dei templi", the Valley of the temples in Agrigento. Blue sky, Mount Etna without any clouds - picturetime!   Michelle and Andrew from Canada - when he is fully retired they plan to live somewhere in Italy for 3 month a year! What a great plan! Graham and Gail were coming over the long way from Australia`s sunshine coast They can`t wait to go. This Roman villa from the 4th century AD, was owned by a Bill Gates from the ancient times. It is famous for its 3,500 square meters of floor-mosaics. Several mosaic-pictures show us scenes from ancient living and hunting.  Among the beautiful artwork is the very special picture of 10 young Roman girls in bikinis. It was quite idiculous in the old days to show women like this. The bikini at its 50th anniversarry 2006, so you can see how far ahead of time the Romans were. Today Agrigento has about 50,000 inhabitants, in earlier times the Greeks called it Akagras, the Romans Agrigentum, and there were about 800,000 people living there! The Valle dei Templi was founded about 2,600 years ago, and about 100 years later the Greeks started to build everything what we can still see today. our construction pro is amazed 1. Day: Arrival in Catania We are waiting for quite an international group - Australians, Canadians and Americans. 2 German tourguides are also in Catania and have prepared pretty much everthing. Welcome briefing is at 5 pm, so stay tuned... Mount Etna - always fuming, but very active at the moment Villa Paradiso dell`Etna the bikes are clean so is the van - everything ready to start