Our ride skirted the north of Etna and took us through some lava fields then into wonderful open country, characterised by huge broad valleys. The road was in fair condition and had dozens of stupendous sweepers that made for tremendously enjoyable riding.
Two sights along the way held our attention. The first was a stop at a castle carved into a rock formation in the small town of Sperlinga and the second the town of Gangi which we viewed from a little distance. It presents the most extraordinary sight, being built on a steep sided hill and completely covering the hill, leaving the surrounding countryside and hills more or less bare of habitation. It resembled some fanciful paintings I have seen, a kind of cross between sci-fi and childish whimsy.
We had a great view of Gangi from our lunch stop where we were treated to a fabulous meal. At quite short notice, the restaurant produced a magnificent set of anti pasti dishes that pretty well filled everybody's belly to bursting point although somehow, we also found room for barbecued sausages and the best ice cream of the trip.
Arriving at the coast after dropping down from the inland hills, we were greeted by the spectacle of a a sea of white horses driven by a strong wind that carried salt spray and the scent of seaweed ashore. We followed the coast a few miles before arriving at our very pleasant hotel which fortunately was sheltered from the wind by a small headland, allowing us to enjoy the tranquil setting of a garden right by the sea.
Saturday, 26 October 2013
Friday, 25 October 2013
Mount Etna
We spent two nights in Taormina which allowed for a rest day for those who wanted to explore the town or simply to have time off the bikes. On this occasion however, most people opted to ride to Mount Etna and then to take the cable car and buses to the top where special guides take parties to nearby fumaroles designated as safe to approach.
Mary and I had done this trip the year before but I did elect to ride up the mountain and enjoy the picnic lunch the guides prepared for us in the car park where one catches the cable cars up the mountain. The roads were enjoyable with nice views, dominated by glimpses of the higher slopes of Etna as we got climbed higher. Our route took us first to the northern slopes of Etna for the ride and views, then round to the south to reach the cable car station.
As we climbed the slopes of the mountain, the temperature dropped quite considerably and as usual, atop the mountain, it was darned cold with a strong wind, according to the folk who went up - just like last year!
Mary and I had done this trip the year before but I did elect to ride up the mountain and enjoy the picnic lunch the guides prepared for us in the car park where one catches the cable cars up the mountain. The roads were enjoyable with nice views, dominated by glimpses of the higher slopes of Etna as we got climbed higher. Our route took us first to the northern slopes of Etna for the ride and views, then round to the south to reach the cable car station.
As we climbed the slopes of the mountain, the temperature dropped quite considerably and as usual, atop the mountain, it was darned cold with a strong wind, according to the folk who went up - just like last year!
Thursday, 24 October 2013
Messina to Taormina
After disembarking from the ferry in Messina, we fought the traffic for a while (it could have been and was usually a lot thicker than we encountered on this occasion, according to Domenico, our guide) before heading out along a section of autostrada along the north coast. We then cut inland over the mountains and enjoyed a marvellous stretch of road with both tight twisties and some nice sweepers, accompanied all the time by splendid views over the countryside.
We stopped to have a look at a part of the gorge of Alcantara where a river has cut its way through beds of lava flows. Domenico said this was just a 100 steps down from the road - it was 250. Going down was not too bad, coming back up was a different story as the temperature had risen to around 30 deg. and there was plenty of sun.
Our hotel was not in Taormina itself, but a few kilometres north and we spent a couple of nights there. My shots of Taormina at the end of the video include a couple I took last year when my wife Mary and I stayed in the town for a short holiday.
I am happy to say that the video below does reasonable justice to the route.
We stopped to have a look at a part of the gorge of Alcantara where a river has cut its way through beds of lava flows. Domenico said this was just a 100 steps down from the road - it was 250. Going down was not too bad, coming back up was a different story as the temperature had risen to around 30 deg. and there was plenty of sun.
Our hotel was not in Taormina itself, but a few kilometres north and we spent a couple of nights there. My shots of Taormina at the end of the video include a couple I took last year when my wife Mary and I stayed in the town for a short holiday.
I am happy to say that the video below does reasonable justice to the route.
Tuesday, 22 October 2013
Maratea to Sicily
Our route from Maratea to Sicily involved a stopover at Tropea before catching a ferry from Villa San Giovanni to Messina in Sicily. Tropea is a nice old town built on steep cliffs of what appears to be some of the softest sandstone I have seen. There is a church apparently built out of the same stuff atop a squat sea stack - Isola Bella that, judging by its clean lines must have been built fairly recently.
Calabria is a very poor part of Italy and not much frequented by tourists but Tropea must be the most touristy one in the region I think.
The coastal roads from Maratea to Tropea and then on to the ferry port were not very interesting for a biker and generally, the views didn't equal those to be found further north or in the hills. However, just above the town of Maratea is an enormous statue of Christ the Redeemer, similar to the Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro.
The video below covers the journey from Maratea to Sicily and the start of the more interesting roads we found there.
Calabria is a very poor part of Italy and not much frequented by tourists but Tropea must be the most touristy one in the region I think.
The coastal roads from Maratea to Tropea and then on to the ferry port were not very interesting for a biker and generally, the views didn't equal those to be found further north or in the hills. However, just above the town of Maratea is an enormous statue of Christ the Redeemer, similar to the Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro.
The video below covers the journey from Maratea to Sicily and the start of the more interesting roads we found there.
Monday, 21 October 2013
Rome to Maratea
This video covers the part of the trip from Rome to Maratea, via the Amalfi coast. The coastal road was very crowded and it was a delight to get off into the hills behind Maratea for some proper riding.
Lack of money in the region means that the roads are not receiving the maintenance they need and one has to be careful of broken/uneven road surfaces and gravel.
Lack of money in the region means that the roads are not receiving the maintenance they need and one has to be careful of broken/uneven road surfaces and gravel.
Sunday, 20 October 2013
Back Home and now to work!
Having failed miserably to keep up this blog while travelling, I shall try to impose some order on my large numbers of photos and videos to illustrate the essence of the journey in the next week or so.
I had a good time, met some nice people and was especially happy to see my good friends from the USA (Brian and Shira) again.
Riding in Sicily was great fun and the countryside was magnificent - definitely a lot nicer than Calabria was in my opinion and well worth a tour in its own right. One could easily spend ten days exploring Sicily on a bike and I would not be surprised if I returned to do just that at some point.
The view from my window in the hotel on my last morning in Sicily - Etna smoking gently.
I had a good time, met some nice people and was especially happy to see my good friends from the USA (Brian and Shira) again.
Riding in Sicily was great fun and the countryside was magnificent - definitely a lot nicer than Calabria was in my opinion and well worth a tour in its own right. One could easily spend ten days exploring Sicily on a bike and I would not be surprised if I returned to do just that at some point.
The view from my window in the hotel on my last morning in Sicily - Etna smoking gently.
Wednesday, 16 October 2013
Tuesday, 15 October 2013
Finally some truly great roads!
Now in Sicily having ridden down the coats from Tropea to the ferry for a 30 minute crossing to Messina. Fortunately a very calm sea as the bikes weren't strapped down at all on the surprisingly large vessel.
--
Chris
From Messina, we followed the north coast westwards for a while then cut south over the mountains on a spectacular twisty mountain road. With the GS in Dynamic mode, suspension set to hard, it was blast, bootscraping in the turns on really nicely surfaced road - all the more surprising, given the generally appalling state of most of the roads we have seen in the relatively poverty stricken south of Italy.
Blogging is made very hard given lack of internet at speeds capable of sending photos and more particularly lack of time and energy. After a long day's riding, by the time I have showered and changed, and had, dinner there is no time left, unless I am to shun my companions completely which of course isn't the point of touring. It was easier in Spain this year when I fixed my own schedule and most of the places I stayed had good internet.
We are now in Taormina and today will visit Mount Etna. I think I have been getting some decent video and i n due course will be able to post this when I am home and have edited it.
--
Chris
Sunday, 13 October 2013
Guide's blog
One of our tour guides is posting a blog of the tour with many more pictures than I am managing. It is here www.worldtourer.com (Rome to Sicily RTS 1303)
Saturday, 12 October 2013
In Maratea
We are staying in a very nice hotel, overlooking the sea and this morning we had a gorgeous view from a rooftop terrace.
Around 10am we left on a ride with our guide, Domenico, just 5 bikes in total but a perfect number for our ride through the mountains behind the coast. The roads were very twisty and often badly broken so it was a challenging ride but great fun as long as you avoided the bumps, fallen chestnuts and gravel. One of our number fell victim to the gravel but fortunately it was only his pride that was hurt - plus a few scratches on the bike of course.
The scenery was magnificent for the most part and I hope to show some when I sort out the video I took. The wifi here is just too slow to do much with it.
Around 10am we left on a ride with our guide, Domenico, just 5 bikes in total but a perfect number for our ride through the mountains behind the coast. The roads were very twisty and often badly broken so it was a challenging ride but great fun as long as you avoided the bumps, fallen chestnuts and gravel. One of our number fell victim to the gravel but fortunately it was only his pride that was hurt - plus a few scratches on the bike of course.
The scenery was magnificent for the most part and I hope to show some when I sort out the video I took. The wifi here is just too slow to do much with it.
Pompei to Maratea
Leaving Pompei, we passed through a couple of small towns on our way to the Amalfi coast road. These were bursting at the seams with crazy Italian drivers who seem to invent their own rules of the road as it suits them. Signs and white paint there are aplenty but treated at best as mere suggestions. They don't even mark the field of play for it turns out that the sidewalk is a fine place to drive/ride and park too. The wrong side of the road - what's a wrong side? Everything is fine as long as you don't blink, he who hesitates is lost in this state of automotive anarchy. Mad Max would do just fine.
The Amalfi coast is indeed utterly spectacular but of course the traffic, nose to tail in both directions makes it hard to enjoy it properly.
More later...
The Amalfi coast is indeed utterly spectacular but of course the traffic, nose to tail in both directions makes it hard to enjoy it properly.
More later...
Friday, 11 October 2013
Rome to Pompei
Leaving Rome on a motorcycle was an experience that one should suffer as few times as possible. The traffic was horrendous and it seemed that the only way to survive and make progress was to ride like a Roman, after all, ¨When in Rome...¨ and all that.
Riding the latest water cooled BMW GS 1200 makes that relatively easy. The engine is marvellous with great acceleration, easy to wheelie off the throttle in first as I discovered when I gave it the sort of handful that I would normally give my GSA for a brisk take off.
We stopped for a while in Castel Gandolfo, summer home of the Pope and where the recently retired pope is staying I think. However, neither came to shake our hands so after a coffee and a brief look at the pretty lake, we headed off once again. The weather was a mix of heavy showers and sunshine, mainly rain at first but brighter in the afternoon.
Another coffee stop at Roca Massima to shelter from the rain, then on to an excellent lunch at Sperlunga, where the rain cleared and we stayed mostly dry until we arrived in Pompei.
The roads we have ridden so far have been somewhat disappointing with quite a lot of traffic and rain often obscuring the scenic stuff in the hills. There was also a very slow rider in my group who held us up a lot. I shall try to avoid him today!
I only brought my ipad on this trip so video may be a problem and given the weather only a couple of photos were taken on this leg. I will post them when I figure out how to do it!
2 }
Riding the latest water cooled BMW GS 1200 makes that relatively easy. The engine is marvellous with great acceleration, easy to wheelie off the throttle in first as I discovered when I gave it the sort of handful that I would normally give my GSA for a brisk take off.
We stopped for a while in Castel Gandolfo, summer home of the Pope and where the recently retired pope is staying I think. However, neither came to shake our hands so after a coffee and a brief look at the pretty lake, we headed off once again. The weather was a mix of heavy showers and sunshine, mainly rain at first but brighter in the afternoon.
Another coffee stop at Roca Massima to shelter from the rain, then on to an excellent lunch at Sperlunga, where the rain cleared and we stayed mostly dry until we arrived in Pompei.
The roads we have ridden so far have been somewhat disappointing with quite a lot of traffic and rain often obscuring the scenic stuff in the hills. There was also a very slow rider in my group who held us up a lot. I shall try to avoid him today!
I only brought my ipad on this trip so video may be a problem and given the weather only a couple of photos were taken on this leg. I will post them when I figure out how to do it!
2 }
Tuesday, 8 October 2013
One night - three hotels
After a smooth flight to Rome, the fun started with a hair raising taxi ride to the centre. The Fiat taxi resembled a bread van but the driver who probably had a few years on me(!) plainly thought it was a Ferrari and proceeded to demonstrate that his best friends were all policemen. How else can you get away with doing 160 kph in a zone marked at 80kph?
He dropped me at the hotel where doormen took my bags to reception and then, upon presenting my pre-paid hotel voucher, I was informed that it was for a different hotel. Fortunately it was only a couple of hundred yards up the street, my bags were very heavy and even though they have wheels, I don't relish moving them very far. The correct hotel had no doormen but lots of stairs up from the street, so puffing and panting after hauling my bags up the stairs, I again presented my hotel voucher.
"Ah" says the receptionist, "we are putting you in another hotel". At this, I felt slighly faint but it was explained that some people had fallen ill and weren't able to leave their hotel room, so the hotel ws having to relocate people checking in. Another taxi ride and I finially checked into the hotel "Principessa Isabella" which had nothing going for it apart, fortunately, from my room which was very nice.
I found dinner at an excellent restaurant called "Cesarina" , just around the corner and then slept like a log until daylight woke me this morning. I took a walk from thge hotel to the Via Veneto where I planned to get a coffee but was thwarted by a thunderstorm that soaked me to the skin in about 30 seconds. I stopped to buy an umbrella from one of the itinerant africans selling them at the rain-inflated price of €5. PLainly he had been standing with them too long in the rain because in a very short time, the rusty stem broke and I was left with a heap of spokes.
Back at the hotel, I managed to dry out somewhat before grabbing a taxi and moving hotels to the one where the tour is due to start - the ESH hotel which the sign on the door translates as "Executive Style Hotel" - who knew?
He dropped me at the hotel where doormen took my bags to reception and then, upon presenting my pre-paid hotel voucher, I was informed that it was for a different hotel. Fortunately it was only a couple of hundred yards up the street, my bags were very heavy and even though they have wheels, I don't relish moving them very far. The correct hotel had no doormen but lots of stairs up from the street, so puffing and panting after hauling my bags up the stairs, I again presented my hotel voucher.
"Ah" says the receptionist, "we are putting you in another hotel". At this, I felt slighly faint but it was explained that some people had fallen ill and weren't able to leave their hotel room, so the hotel ws having to relocate people checking in. Another taxi ride and I finially checked into the hotel "Principessa Isabella" which had nothing going for it apart, fortunately, from my room which was very nice.
I found dinner at an excellent restaurant called "Cesarina" , just around the corner and then slept like a log until daylight woke me this morning. I took a walk from thge hotel to the Via Veneto where I planned to get a coffee but was thwarted by a thunderstorm that soaked me to the skin in about 30 seconds. I stopped to buy an umbrella from one of the itinerant africans selling them at the rain-inflated price of €5. PLainly he had been standing with them too long in the rain because in a very short time, the rusty stem broke and I was left with a heap of spokes.
Back at the hotel, I managed to dry out somewhat before grabbing a taxi and moving hotels to the one where the tour is due to start - the ESH hotel which the sign on the door translates as "Executive Style Hotel" - who knew?