Best of Italy BOI2403
Our first ride. We leave Rome and relatively quickly get to know the chaotic, but functioning Italian traffic. What fun! Right at the beginning we meander through small streets through the hinterland of Rome and have our first coffee in the small, really sweet, beautiful village of Narni. As well as other roads. We are all alone on our way to Monte Falco. This beautiful place is located on a hill and is known for the wrinkles. Hunting in the Middle Ages. A little walk to the town square and there we have our today's lunch before we move on and see our today's destination Assisi already on the horizon.
We leave the city of St. Francis under a light drizzle, but on the horizon the sky is clear and only the heavy morning traffic of Perugia separates us from the many curves of today's stage. we exit the freeway at Lake Trasimeno, parade pleasantly along its shore and begin to climb into the hills. A coffee at the picturesque bar “Lo Scoiattolo” is also ideal for a spectacular photo of Lake Trasimeno from above. The “serious” turns begin and we arrive in Tuscany, to visit one of its gems: Cortona, a picturesque hill town known for its rich Etruscan history, stunning panoramic views, and well-preserved medieval architecture. after a lunch break in the middle of the Apennines we arrive in the Marche region for a visit to the city of Urbino, home of Italy's oldest university. certainly no shortage of curves today, even the last part of our journey is an exciting ride to the top of Mount Titan, where the Republic of San Marino lies.
We're going back to Italy. Pass the beautiful village of San Leo. And now there are nothing but curves before us. In La Verna, next to the monastery of the Helligen Franziiskus, a nice surprise awaits. Alberto has prepared a delicious picnic for us. Now don't get tired it's waiting for a treat on motorcycle track- Passo della Consumo!! What a pleasure. Slowly we feel the traffic of Florence before we arrive at our current accommodation of a romantic villa from the 1600s. We're staying here for two nights. Come back tomorrow to find out what else we are experiencing Alberto and Michaela
Italian Sunday, rest and celebrations, some of us decide to spend a nice Sunday touring the hills and Apennines around Florence. Magnificent roads first give us a view of Florence from above, then in an endless sequence of curves take us to the famous Mugello circuit. We are lucky, there is free practice going on, we get in and watch for a while the track day from one of the iconic spots, the curves of Casanova Savelli. After Mugello we need a nice coffee, which we take sitting under the arcades of the lively town of Firenzuola. we are now charged up to enjoy riding one of the most iconic Italian mountain passes for motorcyclists, “the Muraglione Pass”, a real Mecca for local motocyclists and also a great bar to enjoy a typical piadina or focaccia. We quickly descend to Florence, our dinner in the center awaits us.
we quickly leave Florence and head west toward the hills of the Pisan province. We break up the morning with a stop in San Giminiano, a UNESCO World Heritage site, famed for its cobblestone streets, medieval walls, and the Piazza della Cisterna, as well as excellent coffee and ice cream. We arrive in Volterra for Lunchtime and just a few minutes before the rain became annoying. the afternoon is rainy and so the group opts for a half day of rest and city sightseeing. In the evening we celebrate Larry's birthday with sparkling wine and cake, happy birthday rider!
Leaving Volterra the “capital” of the ancient Etruscan civilization, today we will cross the Tuscan valleys famous throughout the world for the production of fine wines, the Chianti region. Winding roads stretch for miles among rows of vines and luxurious farmhouses. It is a must to stop in some of the quaint towns in this area, such as Radda in Chianti or Greve in Chianti, to savor local delicacies, sweet and savory. These are those days as a biker that you wish would never end so beautiful and engaging are the roads. Before arriving at the Hotel there is time for a visit to Siena, the historical antagonist of Florence, and then we reach our overnight stay at the beautiful Certosa di Pontignano, a former convent converted into a Hotel.
Today we travel to southern Tuscany, this beautiful region cradle of Italic culture offers us a variety of landscapes , in this case we head to the part called the “Crete Senesi”. The name comes from the clay, or creta, present in the soil, which gives the landscape its characteristic gray-blue color and an appearance often described as lunar. The landscape is characterized by barren, gently rolling hills, lonely oaks and cypresses, the isolated farms at the top of the heights, stretches of forest in the depressions. One of the most interesting buildings in this area is the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore, founded at the initiative of St. Bernard Tolomei in the 14th century, a mystical place for our morning coffee stop. the day has a surprise in store for us, an excellent picnic prepared by Michaela in Bagno a Vignoni, a village famous for its steaming hot spring water that comes out of the underground aquifer of volcanic origin. the Bagno Vignoni hot springs have been frequented since the time of the Etruscans and then the Romans. after lunch, a heavy, localized rainstorm begins, causing most to retreat immediately to the hotel in Pienza, but Alberto and Evan still feel like riding and in the afternoon they ride around Mount Amiata and then visit Montalcino, the production town of the famous “Brunello di Montalcino” wine.
Like all good things, our tour is also coming to an end. Today the utlima stage will take us back to Rome. We leave Tuscany and atraverse the countryside of Lazio, in scenery reminiscent of the movie “The Gladiator.” However, curves and fun are not over, visiting the city of Orvieto and its Duomo with its golden facade. Arriving in Rome we celebrate the end of the tour with some cold beers and soft drinks, saying goodbye for the last time to our beloved motorcycles. A dinner all together is a fitting conclusion to this Italian adventure.