Greg & Michelle's Euro Tour v.2 the 2012 edition

[g®eg]

Originally Posted by travelingman32

Great report. Looks like a very fun holiday.

thanks!! and you're right, it was great

On to Day 05

So after a nice breakfast at the hotel in Ovada we hit the road basically retracing our steps in to town with a slight detour to avoid the SP 166 that was closed due to bridge work, and still make it through Voltaggio. Garmin says "no worries" and off we go. Everything is ticking along fine and the roads are SWEET! (thanks Tage) until we get to Crocefieschi.

The GPS says "turn left"....



hmm OK (realize that there are plenty of pedestrians when we do), and with Michelle slightly in the lead I say "wait a while".. not sure this is right... (Kevin has been there plenty of times...)

Of course Michelle is already committed, a car is coming, there's no room, so I tell her, "well go down & turn around & come back". She disappears for a long time, she's out of range of the comm set, and after a while my phone rings... it's Michelle, at a dead end. So I look at the map & figure well maybe the road comes out the other side... so she gives that a try and climbs to the top of the hill on a goat path overlooking town. maybe she was on the via alla rocca?



above is the route the GPS figured we should go. Obviously we just needed to stick to the via Roma and it worked out fine.. live & learn

that's no good... eventually she gets back to the road she went down & comes back up.. none the worse for wear. My girl is a trooper!

We continue to crack on. It's an absolutely picture-perfect day.



Churning out the miles







A bit of the SP 16 near Cassingheno



and the SP 17 near Fontanigorda (just before the lunch stop)



Eventually the miles lead to hunger. Since we never want to miss our food window, we decide to pop into the next town. We find Trattoria Del Ripa in Fontaigorda is open. Perfecto!

No melon, but they do have pineapple....lovely
I think I need to start keeping my hat on.. I look like an escaped mental patient in the lunch shots



and guess what? motoGP qualifying is on the big screen!



the race is in Misano and the announcers are going mad describing the action.. brilliant.



but it's time to get back on the road... stuffed full (as is usual after an Italian lunch) we saddle back up & head out.

The SP 17, the SP 586, take us towards Borgonovo Ligure where we find the SP 49. the roads have been narrow, and twisting, the lunch was large, the day has been long.... so when we roll down into Varese Ligure I ping Michelle to see how she's feeling. Time to stop (and I am very happy to agree!). I spot the albergo della posta across the square and walk over to see what the room situation is. Room available

While Michelle showers up I decide to chill in the street side bar.





all showered & good to go (not me tho... one more day til I shave)



just one more beer & we'll go explore the town...



typical Italian town, narrow streets, neat shops. lovely





While I was sitting having a beer the local Benz convertible club rolled through. While we went for a walk we saw them all garaged up at a hotel around the corner.



Coke machine? nope..... MILK machine!



Church





almost time to eat



The town cenotaph. it is always sad to see how many names are from the same family. Fathers, sons, all gone now.



We decide just a pizza tonight. So around the corner we find the perfect place.

A pie each, some wine & some water frizannte



dolce?



better not....



The day in maps....



We have only done about 200 km on the day, but it feels further. the roads were fantastic, seemed very technical, and not all that fast. A great day of riding!

[pumpe3]

I think I read in the first post or so that maby you where going to Ducati factory, if you want to the museum you got to book the museum in advance, at least thats was the deal last year.

[g®eg]

Originally Posted by pumpe3

I think I read in the first post or so that maby you where going to Ducati factory, if you want to the museum you got to book the museum in advance, at least thats was the deal last year.

well that is good to know!
as it happens, we didn't end up going to the museum this year (it'll be there next year I'm sure, and now I know to book in advance )

so, on to Day 06

it's Sunday.. it's my birthday.. and I am in Italy with my girl on motorbikes.. what could be better?

the castle in the middle of town looks pretty impressive in the morning sun



quite old by New World standards too

The Castle of the Fieschi to the north of the oldest part of the historic center of Varese Ligure, in the past was part of a unique defensive system along with the fortress houses of the village round. The monument stands today consists of two staggered towers, joined by a massive buttress on which stands the highest. The latter is known as the Tower of Piccinino, the name of the captain who in 1435 took possession of Italy on behalf of the Duke of Milan.
In the seventeenth century the building gave signs of failure and to prevent its collapse, its base was built so it was a huge spur to connect with the second tower, called the Tower Landi. Manfredo Landi, having married Antonia Maria Fieschi, feudatory of Italy, he settled in the village and between 1472 and 1478 built the tower to expand the living area of ​​the building. The tower cylindrical section and based on slope, recorded in 1541, the collapse of the roof which was later replaced with a pavilion roof.
From 1547, the year of commencement of the Genoese dominion, until the end of the eighteenth century, the castle was the residence of the Podestà. It was later used as a private residence until the restoration of 1964 that gave us the monument in its present form. You can visit the reception hall and the underlying prisons, as well as the walkways of the buttress.

Ready to rock the little GS!





beautiful, cloudless day. Not too hot, not too cold... just right








out into the countryside





Michelle & Greg.. house hunting (within our budget?)




the view speaks for itself














Time to stop for a cappuccino





which way? we have decided that it is maybe time to head north, rather than further into Tuscany. So we set our navigation to Torbole on Lake Garda.









happy? yup





you? yup!





and some freeky fries! (i'll admit they were pretty good, but not as freeky as advertised)







SS 62... in a word BRILLIANT!





level crossing time





Seems they have been quarrying that hill for quite some time!





Heading north-east





Western shores of Lake Garda

















Have I mentioned the seat on the GS is a bit of a plank? Leg stretching time....





We decide to try Hotel Santoni (we stayed there last year, and they have fantastic breakfasts!





sadly... no room at the inn but they call a couple of places & hook us up at Hotel Piccolo Mondo. Four **** wow... lux. We pull in & they are expecting us as the Santoni staff has already called.



We have a room w/ a terrace, and since it is my birthday, then a bottle of the excellent Barolo I have been toting seems to be in order!





Later we walk down to the lake for dinner.





More wine, Amarone of course since we are so close to the region (and Michelle & I love Amarone)





A gelato on the walk back to the hotel seals the day perfectly.


The day in maps:





About 300 km on the day. A perfect day weather-wise, every sort of road, and fantastic vistas. Topped by a great dinner on the side of the lake. A very memorable birthday for sure!

[Mercury264]

You really do suck (not you though Michelle, just Greg)

[g®eg]

Originally Posted by Mercury264

You really do suck (not you though Michelle, just Greg)

yeah yeah..... this coming from the guy who went to the Isle of Man (no ride report or pics I see..... )

onwards & upwards
day 07.... a bit dusty (couldn't be all that wine the night before?)

Michelle snapped this pic in the lobby of our hotel. Her dad loves to collect elephants.. i think he would be very pleased to add a few of these to his collection



good breakfast in us helped a lot, so all packed & ready to rock



After getting gas in Riva we set our sights on Passo Durone, just to the north. Nice sweeping turns & a smooth road. A great wake-up call in the morning! Initially we had a two possibility plan.

Plan A: was to just hit the valley roads north after Durone & head in to Schilpario from the south. A round-about route, but it isn't that far, it avoids the narrow mountains roads we went over in the rain last year, and we have all day.



Plan B: takes the high roads west. This means crossing Croce Domini and then Passo del Vivione (both of which we crossed in a downpour last year)

The Croce Domini Pass (Italian: Passo di Crocedomini) (el. 1892 m.) is a high mountain pass in the Alps in the region of Lombardy in Italy.

It connects the Lago d'Idro in the southeast and the Lago d'Iseo in the southwest.

The pass road has a maximum grade of 12 percent and is paved from Breno to Bagolino. The pass is closed from November to May.

Vivione Pass Passo (Italian Passo del Vivione) is a mountain pass that links Schilpario in Val di Scalve with Paisco Loveno in Val Camonica.

The road was built during World War I to supply troops in the nearby Adamello.

Vivione Pass has an height of 1828 m and is usually closed for snow from December to May, the road is not larger than 2 meters but is paved.

At the bottom of Durone the call was made... high road!

to be continued.....

[enduro0125]

Sweet!!

[g®eg]

Originally Posted by enduro0125

Sweet!!

thanks!
We don't get to go as long as you guys do, but we go a bit more often. The trick would be to combine both (long trips... every year or more)

anyway... more day 07

We get to the bottom of the approaches to Croce Domini & fire up the GoPro. The video is a bit compressed. i think actual climb time is around 30 minutes or so, this is only 9 and change.



Once we get to the top... coffee!



The sun feels great





snapped this for my Guzzi buddies



Looks a lot nicer than last year (when it was pissing down & freezing...)





Pic to send back to the chaps at work....



Popular bike spot on a sunny day



Just sit for five more minutes.....





and then we set off down towards Breno....

[tagesk]

Originally Posted by g®eg

A gelato on the walk back to the hotel seals the day perfectly.

A day that can't salvaged by a proper gelato is a very bad one indeed.

[TaSK]

[g®eg]

day 07 finishes. for a short day, it seems to have taken a while to write up

We head down Croce Domini (I have a video, but not uploaded... suffice to say it is a little more civilized on the descent)



We get into Breno & the GPS seems to know the way.. who am I to argue?



Of course after all that, I turned the wrong way.... oh well

We head north towards Forno Allione and the bottom of Passo del Vivione. I have a video of the climb of Vivione, but it isn't processed yet. To me it is cool to watch... to you? probably like watching someone else's home movies {edit} here's the climb, compressed to a tolerable 11 minutes



Here's a snip of the descent though. It gets interesting because you now ride on the cliff side.



We roll in to Schilpario.



And head over to Albergo Edelweiss. This is the hotel we found last year in the downpour. They have rooms (I think we are their only guest again)



our view



so we drop the gear & go for a walk.





beautiful little town







the heritage of the region (before skiing) was lumber & mining





I imagine myself having a coffee by the stream...



or a coffee in the piazza

Originally Posted by tagesk

A day that can't salvaged by a proper gelato is a very bad one indeed.

[TaSK]

very true!



and of course (pardon our cups...)



time to plan the next day... Alps! and altitude.

[tagesk]

Originally Posted by g®eg

I once learned that Amarone is simply too much. It is so powerful, in all dimensions, that there is only one situation where it can be enjoyed to it's full potential.

Assume that you arrange lunch on the terrace for your extended family; parents, a couple of aunts and uncles, children, grandchildren, some neighbors and a few good old friends. You sit under the pergola and have antipasti, primi, secondo and dolce. Noise, laughter, children blooming from being at ease with adults, good wines and too much food and 30 C in the shadow. You know, that dense and calming heat, full of Tuscan scents.

As things calm down, the elders move inside to take a nap, the children run down the streets to play with friends, then you sit down in the shade under a tree in the garden with a good friend. In a good chairs. You know, the hour which starts with OK, how are things really going?. That moment, which in Italian is called Il conversazione dopo pranzo is the only time where an Amarone really get to show what it can do.

I recommend it.

And now back to our regular program!

[TaSK]

[g®eg]

Tage,

i have concluded you do not need a camera... your words capture much better pictures bravo!

.. our plan now is to have Amarone in its proper setting. I see this will require Tuscany, as it seems to be part of the magic.

[g®eg]

Day 08... back into the Alps!

we decide to leave Schilpario via the valley road south, rather than up and over Vivione first thing in the morning. Funny enough even though it adds about 50 km to our distance, it is actually quicker.

We are headed past Lago di Poschiavo on a beautiful morning. Even stopping for roadworks isn't a drama.





We climb the Bernina Pass back into Switzerland & stop for some snapshots



our local fish-wrapper has a section called "we're read all over" so we do a shot for them as well.



time for a coffee



and dolce!



down off Bernina and heading west





through the region of Silvaplana (much nicer w/o the snow we had last year)



the mountains never seem to get closer



I could live there



up the Splugen.. the girl is still in my wake



nearing the top



the cause of all the poop in the road....



view back



the local scene





you think this guy parked his Guzzi there on purpose?



looks like a happening area for all sorts of sports.. skiing, mountain bikes, hiking, etc



Almost time to roll out



Just 5 more minutes in the sun



down the other side... it's a cornering dreamland



with some straights



and fast sweepers too... all as smooth as a billiard table for the most part.



cows watch on.. they seemed nonplussed by my mad skillz...



on to San Bernadino!



the top!



happy girl



bet that's cold!



loads of these around



looking back to bikes



hikers paradise... 13 HOURS hike? bloody hell! it does show a martini glass though...



one more for the local paper....



now at this point its gotten cloudier, and noticeably colder... we roll down into the valley and near Bellizona Nord we swing north towards the ST Gotthard Pass. By the time we reach Biasca its time to call it quits. We stop at Hotel Della Posta and grab a room for the night. We are back in Switzerland of course, so what was €60 - €70 in Italy & France is now back to CHF 145. *sigh*

the day in maps:



we have covered about 330 km for the day with four really good Alps passes under our belt. Time for a good night's sleep!

[CBejbl]

[dryden_rider_54]

A trip I want to do one day with my wife. Like how you are adjusting and going with the flow. Our way to travel also.

In for the duration

[g®eg]

Originally Posted by dryden_rider_54

A trip I want to do one day with my wife. Like how you are adjusting and going with the flow. Our way to travel also.

In for the duration

yup gotta be freestyle
thanks for coming along

on to day 09 (Wednesday September 19th)

The weather report for the day called for showers but as we looked outside it seemed the road was merely damp, there was no rain falling & it even seemed to be clearing.... cool

our idea is to head up the St. Gotthard Pass and then down into Andermatt. Since that isn't very far we can do a loop over the Furka, and either the Grimsel and Susten, or the other way over the Nufenen.

We gas up & head up the valley from Biasca towards Airolo. We take the old pass (the one w/ the cobblestones)... very different. I think we are both happy it isn't raining, but it really isn't that bad.

Looking back down on Airolo



Michelle after the "tremolo"



I told her the old joke about two women on bicycles riding through Rome....

woman 1: I've never come this way before.
woman 2: it's the cobblestones...

she laughed anyway.. not sure why she puts up with me.

The climb is pretty "all inclusive". In other words you have a lot to pay attention to, and the wind was whipping up, so I appologize for the lack of snaps going up. When we got to the top we were in the clouds. It was a lot to see my hand in front of my face, and of course the rain was back. Bugger! Well, no traffic so we tip-toed down the other side and into Andermatt.

By now it is only maybe 11:00 or so. We decide to stop at Andermatt, maybe get a room, and see what the rest of the day holds. The Aurora seems like the right place. We have stayed here before.



Nice rooms / checking the maps and deciding what do do after lunch



WE decide that it seems to be clearing & we came to ride so.... off we go up the Furka. On the way up solid fog / cloud & chilly. On the other side we are greeted by:



sunshine!

all that rain from earlier on its way to the sea



down the other side



and into the valley. the Grimsel pass climbs the mountain on the far right.



bike drying time



last time we were here we didn't stop, we kept on to Andermatt. This time we have loads of time, so we get touristy. for CHF 17 each we can go out & look at the glacier.. sounds good.

the "free" view



it is amazing to think that 125 years ago the glacier looked more like this:



the view back to the car park



the paid view



the source of the Rhone River



path building technique mirrors the roads in the mountains.



getting nearer



more of the crazy little rock piles we have seen. I used to think they were something from native American culture like totems to ancestors, but I guess they are a global thing.



heading down



we couldn't quite figure out the "tent" at a distance, but upon reaching the glacier we realize it's a tunnel. the Swiss are BIG on tunnels!



fluorescent light



strike a pose



heading back up. the rocks are all rubbed as smooth as glass.



searching for a piece of Switzerland to bring home



taking in the view



so, what do you think? keep riding?





OK, but lets get some water for the road



Down the valley we turn south and head for the Nufenen Pass. It is chilly, but the sun is out, and life is grand.

Top of the Nufenen





Back side of Nufenen



It seems they decided to try a "slab" approach to paving on the back side of the Nufenen. I have to say I wasn't a fan. the expansion cracks are regularly right where I placed my front wheel in corners... I modified my lines, and all was fine.





Getting ready to keep cracking on



we end up back in Airolo and take the "other" bit of the St Gotthard avoiding the cobbles this time. the wind is really whipping up now, so it is full concentration. I figure that's OK though, the wind will have driven the cloud off. Wrong.. this is why I am not a weatherman.... Same zero visibility descent into Andermatt. *sigh*

That's OK though. We put the bikes away, get cleaned up, and head over to Restaurant Hotel / Drei Könige und Post.
it's hunting season so hunters specials are on the menu

what a great day.

the day in maps

part one, the trip to Andermatt



part two, up to see the glacier



part three, the loop over the Nufenen and back over the St Gotthard




tomorrow is our last day

thanks for reading