I should state up front that there aren't many photos of the next few days - the time I had the Aprilia was for riding, so photos were only taken when it was convenient. Riding in Italy is a great joy, and the time was not to be squandered!
Having little idea of where we were going, I followed Jon out of the garage and to a petrol station to fill the tank and the tyres. Then it was up the S38 to Lecco (astute readers might remember that was one of the destinations for the train from Milan to Monza!). From there we followed the eastern shore of Lake Lecco, after bypassing much of the traffic in Lecco by riding along the dividing line while car drivers moved out of the way! And, of course, at traffic lights, one rides to the front of the line and pulls in front. How very civilised. And Italian drivers are so aware of their environment and what's happening around them, that doing all of this does not feel especially dangerous.
From Lecco we rode to Mandello del Lario, the home of Moto Guzzi. The factory is not especially impressive from the outside - I didn't bother with a photo - and their museum is not open on a Saturday! So we returned to the road along the lake until around Varenna (near where the ferry to Bellagio docks) where it was time for morning refreshments in the form of coffee.
All fueled up, we headed north again, then Jon remembered a good road, so headed up the mountain for some twisty bits. I'm not exactly sure where we ended up, but the last part was a very narrow road, with some sharp turns, not exactly suited to the bike I had, but we did eventually come back to the main road - in one piece!
We continued north, and although the road is close to the edge of Lake Como, there's little view of the water. Near the northern end the road heads inland, and eventually we wind up at Tirano - the destination of the train from Milan to Monza. (I didn't realise this until later.
It was time for lunch, and we found this restaurant. A light lunch was called for, but if I recall, we ended up having quite a substantial meal - and it was good! This restaurant is on the road leading to Bernina Pass; there's also a tram/trolley that runs up the mountain from the train station - eventually crossing the border into Switzerland.
Looking south from the restaurant's parking lot. Towers are still popular, even though this could not be described as a hill town!
Looking north into Switzerland - still unknown territory to me.
Looking roughly west, with a patient Jon waiting for the photographer to finish with the happy snaps.
Well, it's Italian - it HAS to be red; yes, the bike on the right is the one I hired. Wasn't my first choice, but it was available. I used this as something of a week long test ride; while an enjoyable bike to ride, and quite comfortable given what it is, it is not the bike for me. Too much gear changing, and it's not really happy at slow speeds (due to gearing).
From here we headed up the hill, which shares the road with the tram line in places. Shortly after leaving Tirano we had to cross the border; curiously, there is a border crossing, with a guard checking everybody crossing. Quite strange - I though Europe had abandoned such activities.
After refuelling (our bikes, this time!) we continued up the mountain, but witnessed a bike crash at one of the areas where the tram line travels along the road. A rider coming down the hill was in between the tracks, which meant trying to cross the line at a very slight angle; this is a bad idea on a single track vehicle - it will want to follow the rails when the tyres dip into the gap. And I guess this is what happened. We stopped, did a quick U turn to check out the rider and passenger. Quite a few cars stopped too, and they were looking after the riders; the passenger seemed to be in shock, and possibly have ankle/leg injuries. The rider seemed OK, and the bike had only minor damage. After helping to get the bike upright and off the track, we resumed our journey. And very soon we passed an ambulance racing down the hill towards the scene at a very great rate of knots.
Bernina Pass was the destination - at a height of 2324 metres according to my GPS.
Our bikes, and Jon. I think that's probably Italy in the background, but I wouldn't bet on it. While we were there a couple on an old motor scooter made it to the top of the pass. And it wasn't just the two of them - they were camping, and the scooter was heavily laden with their stuff. They asked Jon to take a photo of them at the sign (above); I didn't think of taking one for myself. They did receive quite a round of applause for making it up the mountain. Hmmm, now that I think of it, and having no idea what the brakes are like on scooters, going down might be even more "interesting".
Where we had come from - that way is Italy!
Looking roughly north, further into Switzerland. Just down there is the town of St. Moritz and "Engadin Airport". For those not familiar with Sydney, one of the southern suburbs is Engadine.
Even though it's late July, there's still snow on the ground at this elevation. It's probably also the north side of the mountain, so receives less sun. And it was cold up here - part of the reason we didn't stay long.
By now it was time to return to Milan. Nothing too exciting about the return trip, but it was more saddle time, and specifically more adapting to Italian riding style (and expectations from drivers). We then had beer and nibblies on the verandah, watching the night descend. A very pleasant end to an excellent day.
Italy In July