SPT26032 Southern Italy Deluxe
Everything is ready for the journey to start. Like all Edelweiss tours, this one also starts with a welcome briefing. The terrace, with its view of Rome’s suburbs, provides the perfect setting for it. Of course, also the motorcycles are already prepared accordingly and sitting downstairs in the garage to be received by their riders. Ray & Cindy, Todd & Lori, Chuck and George are arriving any minute.
Our first day of riding takes us out of bustling Rome in beautiful sunshine to Lake Albano, where we stop for our first photo break. The opposite shore offers a view of the Pope’s former summer residence. However, since Pope Francis decided he didn’t want to spend his vacations there, the building has been used solely as a museum. But it’s a great view either way. After riding out of Rome on the highway, we continue on our motorcycles up the winding roads of the Monti Lepini to the Santuario della Madonna della Cività. What a feast for the eyes this view is, stretching all the way to the sea! In the afternoon, we circumnavigate the city of Naples, catch a glimpse of Mount Vesuvius, and then arrive at the famous city of Pompeii.
Our plan to start the day early was delayed a bit by dark rain clouds in the sky. But we’re flexible with our small group. Later in the morning, the weather forecast promised that the sun would peek out from behind the clouds again. And that’s exactly what happened. So we enjoyed our ride to the Amalfi Coast a little later than planned, but in perfect weather. Hey, we’re in Italy! Of course, ice cream is a must here! Along the southern part of our route, we came across a restaurant built into the rocks, where we were able to relax on the terrace and enjoy the unique view of the Amalfi Coast. At the end of or ride, Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius in the background greeted us with a stunning sunset.
The weather promised plenty of sunshine today. So we hopped back on our motorcycles and continued from Pompeii on to our next destination. A short stretch of highway took us away from the traffic, and a little while later we reached Paestum, the 2,600-year-old archaeological site with its very well-preserved Greek and Roman temples. Relatively close to the temples are several farms with water buffalo. That’s where the famous buffalo mozzarella is made. Imposing animals that, in true southern style, seemed to be taking their siesta. Today, May 1st, there’s a lot going on everywhere. Every Italian, it seems, is out and about. So we retreated to the solitude of the mountains again for our lunch. The grill was fired up right away at our restaurant, and after the delicious antipasti, we were treated to more tasty grilled dishes. Our route took us further along the breathtaking coastline of the Tyrrhenian Sea to Maratea. And from our lovely hotel, we could already catch a glimpse of the highlight that awaits us at the start of tomorrow’s ride.
This morning, no one in our group really wanted to leave the hotel. It was just too beautiful there. And yet, the view from the breakfast terrace of the massive statue of Cristo Redentore held a magical allure for us. In the end, we were drawn back out to the motorcycles, and we wound our way up the winding road to the summit. The incredible view was our reward. We then rode along the coast through the small town of Diamante, which is known for the many works of art adorning its building facades. We stopped for an espresso and gelato in town, and then continued on to Tropea. In the evening, a shuttle bus took us to the old town of Tropea for dinner.
It’s time to start the engines and to get going! Today we’re leaving the mainland and heading from the Italian “boot” over to the island of Sicily. Just in time for a coffee break, we check in on the ferry. Just past the city of Messina, we head up a winding road into the mountains, where we share a huge sandwich at Don Minico’s. We continue on along dizzyingly winding roads through the Sicilian mountains. We hardly encounter any cars, so we can admire the scenery in complete relaxation. This is especially true when we catch sight of the awe-inspiring Mount Etna.
Der Vulkan Ätna hat uns schon besonders beeindruckt. Selbstverständlich werden wir an unserem Rasttag in Taormina nicht bequem die Füße ausstrecken. Wir wollen sie heute alle wagen - die Fahrt hinauf zum Ätna! Oben angekommen, fahren wir mit der Gondel noch etwas weiter hinauf um die Aussicht mit einem Foto festzuhalten. Nachmittags besuchen wir die Stadt Taormina hoch oben auf dem Felsen und den Abend lassen wir mit einem gemütlichen Abendessen ausklingen.
As long as we remain in the vicinity of Sicily’s southeast coast, the sight of Mount Etna accompanies us. It seems to change its appearance with every bend in the road. We manage to snap a photo just as it’s still wearing its “hat.” We then ride through the Nebrodi and Madonie nature parks toward Cefalù on Sicily’s north coast. The day turns out to be a pure pleasure ride with breathtaking views of villages nestled against the cliffs and rolling hills currently blanketed in blooming flowers. Fantastic winding roads accompany us all day long.
Today, Caccamo Castle, Corleone and the Valley of the Temples are on the itinerary. And in between, we’ll enjoy the tree-lined roads of the Bosco della Ficuzza. At lunchtime, we’ll stop at “Mama’s.” We’ll have to be careful not to eat too much, because one small plate after another keeps arriving at the table, and without a doubt, everything tastes so temptingly delicious. In the evening, we relax on the terrace by the pool at our cozy hotel.