Across the Roof of Italy

 

In the high Alps of northern Italy a thick coat is essential even in summer. After working out which end was which to this guardian of the entrance to the Rifugio I cautiously edged around him to the front door - and he disdainfully ignored me.

I found many of these Rifugios in the mountains on my over 2000 km ride across Italy on some of the most amazing mountain passes, both paved and gravel. After a long day on Moto Naranja a warm bed, good food and a cold beer sure as heck beat camping in temperatures that could get way below my comfort zone.

The tiring part of the riding was the absolute concentration it took as there was always a possibility of a little old man coming round the corner in his dilapidated Fiat Panda. Although the idea of a guardrail had at one point crossed the mind of a road engineer the reality of building it was another story.

In so many parts of the world gas stations have become a place to get out of as soon as possible. Just what if they were all like this one where the wonderful lady owner not only filled your tank personally but also took pride in her gas pumps?

I have many more mountain and flower photos if anybody would like a personal slide show when I get home. 

Moving further east I entered the Dolomite mountains with equally steep switchback climbs and descents but now with vineyards in the wide valleys.

If all the roads on my travels cannot be gravel then please can they be like this paved woodland masterpiece. I did come across sections of gravel where there was no way my fully laden KTM was going to make it without taking a serious hammering to both bike and body. In these cases I did what most dirt riders would do - I pressed on.

This relatively "new" country which came about from the breakup of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990's  and ensuing Balkan wars is so welcoming to foreigners. The two days I have spent here have been a delight. It is a great help that so many people speak English, the food is good, accommodation cheaper than Italy and the beer plentiful.

The paved and gravel roads are kept in very good shape in Slovenia but good roads are not what I am looking for on my moto odyssey. Following the TET ( Trans European Trail ) has been incredible because it guarantees that I will be staying away from most of the real big cities and tourist areas. Some tracks get just a little too tight for a larger motorcycle and this was the case in here where even to turn my bike around took a tremendous amount of manhandling, sweating and the occasional expletive.

This is the town of Piran on the Adriatic that was recommended to me. Never having heard of the place I was very pleasantly surprised by the charm of this old walled town on a peninsular that is closed to all cars.

I write this blog post from my hotel room with a view of the deep blue Adriatic - I love my life!!