Solo Across the Channel - Part 3

Deep into Italy

Exploring as much of Italy as I can from the mountainous wonders of the Dolomites in the North, to the rolling hills in Tuscany, and the enchanting city of Rome.

My first few days in Italy would include touring the Dolomites. Just a beautiful as the Swiss alps but the roads were a bit shit. And by a bit… I’m really being kind. They were awful. Riddled with potholes and barely maintained. Switzerland, through their high taxes, had pristine roads in comparison to Italy but with an obvious decrease in speed cameras. As soon as you cross the border speed limits seem optional and you get to endure the slightly stressful situations of Italians constantly driving on your ass. Do they pass if there’s room? Nope - just drive way too close for comfort to the back of your bike. At least the views made it completely worth dealing with crazy Italian drivers.

 My first day in Italy I headed straight to the Sella and Gardena Pass. The views were gorgeous with the sun shining, which so far seemed to be a rare encounter on my tour. I spent the day just riding through the mountains enjoying one amazing view after another. Finishing my day off at Lago di Braies. A spot constantly showing up on IG and for good reason. It’s a small lake surrounded by mountains with the cutest row boats. Honestly one of the most picture perfect spots I’ve been to. It was hard to leave and it left me wishing I had stayed there a couple nights rather than just the one. That night I settled into my tent – my first night on the tour to be hitting negatives temperatures.  Snuggled into my thermal liner and sleeping bag hoping I’d be able to find sleep even with the cold.  

The night was chilly but considering almost hitting -10°C I slept more than I expected. Being woken up by the worst need to pee rather than the cold. You know how it is. All cosy in your sleeping bag and waiting in pain until you literally have to burst before venturing out of your tent into the cold. I waited until the sun had come up over the mountains before I packed up the tent. Hoping for a bit more warmth and for the sun to dry off the condensation a bit. Rain clouds were quickly coming in, so I went to straight into my waterproofs before setting off. Having a last moment enjoying the views with my morning coffee and croissant.

 I headed to Plocken Pass – a mountain pass bordering Italy and Austria. Near the summit of the pass I made a wrong turn and ended up on a trail road. Great fun but for a bit sketchy considering the weather and my lack of trail tires. My bike did well considering, and we enjoyed riding through the misty forest exploring before finally sussing out the main road and heading back off the mountain. I continued on, weaving in and out of valleys and mountains in Northern Italy. The views still beautiful but not as impressive as the passes from the previous few days.

I ended the day at a campsite outside Val Di Zoldo that was owned by 6 Italian brothers who all used to play Ice Hockey. Random fact about the family but fitting for a Canadian ending up there. The campsite included a small pub where I was quickly invited to and spoiled by the family with beer and a traditional Italian Alps dinner. We spent hours chatting and drinking - barely able to communicate as I didn’t speak Italian and their English was extremely limited. Sharing photos and them pointing out places on a map of locations I shouldn’t miss.

At this point my chain was looser than I wanted and starting to stress me out. Unfortunately no matter how hard I attempted I couldn’t loosen the axel nut to tension the chain. I needed a breaker bar. Just down the road from the campsite I found the smallest motorcycle garage. As soon as I rode up this elderly man came out and we used hand motions to identify my issue with my chain. Again no English. He had me fixed up in no time at all and sent me on my way with a handshake and a smile. Again, feeling so very grateful for the generosity of people who I was meeting on my tour.

I slowly made my way out of the alps. Warming up and drying out in Lake Como for a night and enjoying the impressive views that this lake is so well known for. Before heading down to Tuscany and spending my first night in Florence with Riccardo, a guy I got in touch with through the Couchsurfing app and who was letting me stay on his sofa. I spent a couple days roaming around Florence on my own while Riccardo worked. Visiting the ever-impressive Piazza Del Duomo and Piazza della Signoria, and of course stopping by to see Michael Angelo’s Statue of David. From there I joined Riccardo in Pisa, his hometown, for dinner with his family. Joined not only by his immediate family but his aunts, uncles and cousins as well. A true lively homemade Italian dinner with a smorgasbord of food, home made wine and finishing the night with homemade grape liquor. No idea what it was called but it was deadly. The next morning, he gave me a personal tour around his hometown. Taking me to see the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa but also some small non touristy spots that were just lovely. Giving me a small peak into the true life of Pisa that most tourist never get to see.

Saying goodbye, I ventured deeper into Tuscany. Staying at a villa with an amazing view of the town of San Gimignano. Touring around the gorgeous countryside with endless amounts of vineyards. Finally able to enjoy some Tuscany sun that I’d long been waiting for after the cold wet riding I endured through the Alps. This part of the tour felt easy in comparison to hard technical roads I experienced in the alps. It was a nice break to just enjoy the winding country roads, sun and amazing food. Pasta, pasta, pasta!

After a few days of exploring Tuscany, I continued further south to Rome. Fully getting thrown into the crazy Italian traffic as I worked my way to my hostel a short walk away from the Coliseum. Scooters zipping all over the roads, squeezing through cars with barely an inch to spare. But oh was it was so worth it. I’d seen photos of Rome but experiencing the Palatine Hill, the Roman Forum, the Colosseum and all the historical architecture actually left me in awe. It was astounding and I couldn’t get enough of it. Though I did find my sweet spot for the city was enjoying it early in the morning before the crowds. Grabbing my cappuccino and croissant and wandering the eerily empty streets of Rome before the rush began. Then spending the afternoon after all my sight seeing people watching with a beer or aperol spritz and excessive amounts of gelato. I’d get back to my hostel and spend my evenings with a couple of guys who were my bunk mates at the Hostel. A Belgium and a fellow Canadian, grabbing dinner at a small restaurant down the street and coming back to the garden at the Hostel with a bottle of wine to share. Comparing our travels and chatting deep into the night. My last morning before leaving this enchanting city I woke up at 3am to take ride through the city without any traffic. Enjoying these spectacular sites lit up against the night one last time from two wheels before I headed on my way.

Part 3 - Deep into Italy in Photos