September, 2022

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
4 September	5 Flights to Italy	6 Lecco, Italy	7 Lecco, Italy	8 Vinadio, Italy	9 Digne-Les-Bains, France	10
11	12 Arros, Spain	13 Bielle, France	14 Moliets-et-Maa, France	15 Royan, France	16 Dinan, France	17 Dinan, France
18 Deauville, France	19 Valenciennes, France	20 Niederbronn-les-Bains, France	21 La Cluse-et-Mijoux, France	22 Bourg-Saint-Maurice, France	23 Mandello del Lario, Italy	24 Milano, Italy
25 Flights to Kansas	26	27	28	29	30	1 October

It has been awhile. My last two European motorcycle rides were three years ago (2019) when I (on the first trip) rode through the Carpathian Mountains and then (on the second trip) England. For 2020, I had also made plans for two trips: the first was to be to Ireland and the second would have been to the Portuguese island of Madeira. Tickets were purchased and plans were made.

None of it would happen.

Covid happened, instead.

Europe Motorcycle Trip #23

For my return to Italy and beyond, I didn't make many plans--at least not more than would be required to know which maps I should have with me.

While I've ridden across France many times, I'd never actually made that country the main focus. But, for this trip, I decided to just ride around France for a couple of weeks. I didn't initially intend to literally "ride around France", but that's pretty much what I did.

This will be a trip around France.

Illinois

There are a few options for getting to Milan, but this has to be the best. Chicago O'Hare has a nonstop flight to Italy on a Boeing 787.

I've always liked this United Airlines tunnel between terminals. The colors change, but the ethereal music playing softly is always George Gershwin.

I'm waiting in the lounge. My plane was parked just outside the window, so there was no need to be early to the gate.

This was my first time on a 787. I like it. The higher pressurization (effectively a lower altitude) is an advantage.

Italy

Malpensa Airport has made plenty of changes over the years. The baggage area is now much better.

Milano Porta Garibaldi now has more frequent trains to Lecco, so it makes sense to take the train from Malpensa to this station instead of Milano Central as I used to do.

Lecco, Italy. I'll be staying two nights--to acclimate myself--before starting the ride.

Lecco cannot really be considered a tourist town, but that's only because there are more attractive towns that cater to tourists not far from here. But, it's a gentle place and perfect for what I need.

I'll be taking the ferry to Bellagio. Depending on the day of the week, you don't need to wait more than a couple of hours for the next ferry.

Bellagio. There's no question but that Bellagio is a town that does cater to tourists.

I'm looking at Varenna across the lake. Varenna has to be on the list of most attractive towns on Lake Como.

Lunch at Ristorante La Punta. I got here at the right time. Soon after, people were being turned away if they did not have a reservation.

Bellagio. Today is my day for relaxing. I'm just walking around.

Lots and lots of steps.

The shoreline of Lake Como is dotted with villas such as this one. This remains a private house even though the grounds are open (if you buy a ticket).

The ferry that will take me back to Lecco. You'd best make sure of the time of the last departure. The Lecco-side leg of Lake Como does not have nearly the ferry traffic as the Como-side leg of the lake.

I've returned to Lecco and have done my laundry before having a light meal and buying my ticket to Mandello del Lario for tomorrow's short, morning train to Mandello.

Mandello del Lario and the Moto Guzzi dealership. I've been here many times. I've not changed my packing: everything I need is in the yellow duffle bag. While available, I do not mount the saddlebags nor the top trunk. I mount the GPS on the bars (there are no wires to connect--it uses its own batteries). I'll be riding a Moto Guzzi 850TT, just as I did in 2019.

Stopping for a break along the Torrente Maira, near Savigliano.

I'm crossing into France across the France/Italy Alps with the idea of heading more-or-less to the Pyrenees Mountains.

Vinadio, Italy. The hotel reception is in the gas station across the road.

Campeggio dei Forti

This is an impressively large fortress that dates back to the Kingdom of Sardinia (and likely well before). You might think the island of Sardinia is not really nearby; the history of this region is complex.

France

I'll be turning south off this relatively important two-lane highway onto roads that are often not wide enough for two cars to pass.

The view of Mont Pelat in the Maritime Alps. This is a stunning area that does not seem to be visited much.

The pass near La Foux d'Allos. This would have been the pass taken when foot traffic was the only thing, but today's paved road takes a different route just north of here.

Colmars-les-Alpes. Every pass is fortified.

I'm following part of the Route de Napoleon.

Torrent La Vaire

A bother. The main zipper (the one that extends from the bottom of my leg to my collar) of my Aerostich riding suit has failed. I spent time trying to deal with it, but gave up. I'll need to either repair it (doubtful) or otherwise figure out how to continue the trip without a riding suit or a riding jacket.

Digne-Les-Bains, France. None of the older hotels in the center of town seemed to be operating, but I found this chain-hotel on the outskirts. Yes; I did give the cat a little bit of my dinner.

Needing a riding suit, I looked for the nearest full-service BMW dealer, knowing that they'd have something. The nearest to me is in Aix-en-Provence, on the coast, so that's where I am heading.

The old suit is strapped to the back, and I'm wearing what would have been under the protection of the suit--it's cold, but this isn't too bad.

I was very lucky. The web site said they were open, but I had not known that they were only open for two hours on Saturday. I arrived at the shop with just 15 minutes before they closed.

Most luckily, however, was that the only suit they had in stock (amongst the hundreds of other "angry-biker-wear") actually fit me, and should work fine. The color was unimportant to me. They had one suit, it fits, I'll take it.

I'll be figuring out the zippers and pockets and just how this thing actually works, along the way.

BMW Bayern Aix-en-Provence. Thanks for staying open for me.

Filling up in Port-de-Bouc. I think I only encountered three stations in France that would not accept my credit card (or any US credit cards). Even so, being low on fuel and not being able to buy gasoline is annoying.

Alès, France. Aim for the center of town; look around for something that will work. This is fine.

I am very early to even think about finding a place that will serve anything but drinks, but in an hour or so, this street will be full of people.

Valflaunes. I'm heading back to the Mediterranean coastline.

Bouzigues on the Thau Basin. This is an inlet off the Mediterranean Sea.

Millas. Let's stop for a bite to eat and a break from riding.

My first entry into the Pyrenees Mountains. I love this area.

A farming community tucked away in the mountains.

Spain

Llívia, Spain is entirely surrounded by France. You'll find several examples across Europe of borders that are actually bubbles within another country. No matter which road you take out of this Spanish town, you'll need to cross into France.

The hotel in Llívia is unexpectedly nice.

The next morning, I found a post office and mailed the Aerostich riding suit that I'd been carrying. I'll be in Spain--mostly--but touching France now and again. My plan is to stay within these mountains all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.

Narrow roads without traffic and small villages with character, I love riding here.

Stopping for fuel and Schweppes. I am impressed by the benches. Nobody will be sleeping on them.

Following rivers across Spain and the Pyrenees Mountains.

Horses seem free to go where they want, and this one wanted to go for a walk on the road. I parked and moved him to the grassy area where it might be a bit safer for him (and me).

These are very rugged mountains.

What a great road for a motorcycle.

I am riding along the Garonne River, which I'll be following off-and-on until it reaches the ocean.

Arròs, Spain. I did pretty well finding good hotels along the way

Relaxing on the hotel grounds with a Spritz.

France

I'm well off the well-travelled highway. It's easy to stop at this waterfall without any concern that another car will come along.

A little rain is fine. Sometimes a lot of rain fell, but that did not last long enough to make me consider stopping.

Vast views across southern France that feels (and tastes) as much Spanish as it does French.

Stopping for coffee.

When the roads become so narrow that two vehicles cannot safely pass, no centerline stripe will be used. This is probably safer as it forces drivers to think before charging into a blind curve. For motorcycles, it doesn't matter, too much, although I had plenty of cars try to take over my space on the road. You learn to expect it and to just deal with it before it's a problem.

Steep and narrow roads, but almost no traffic. I am making very slow progress, so I'm continually adjusting what options I have for the trip. The most important thing is that I must arrive back in Italy on the correct date without too much rushing the days before.

Will I have time to cross the channel and ride in southern England? I think "Yes" at this point, but this slow pace makes me wonder. Eventually, the answer will be "No."

The pass was incredibly windy. It seemed dangerous to just sit motionless on the motorcycle and walking was just about impossible. When I walked out here to take the photograph, my thoughts were always back at the motorcycle with a worry that it'd soon be tumbling across the meadow.

Yes, that's the road that has been cut across the bare granite sides of the mountains. There are plenty of tunnels that are dark and also curved.

I've crossed the last major pass and am taking a break. I looked around for a hotel, but didn't see anything that looked interesting.

Following the Gave d'Ossau (river)

Bielle, France. My room is in the attic.

What a beautiful place for a morning ride.

A smooth road with no traffic. Gorgeous.

I've sorted out that having taken several days to run the length of the Pyrenees Mountains, any side trip to England or anyplace else isn't really possible. As I've been following the border of France, I think I'll just keep doing that the whole way 'round.

Looking at the map, drinking my Schweppes and wondering where the nearest bridge might be to get me across this river.

Moliets-et-Maa, France along the Bay of Biscay.

Surfing in France? But, of course!

This is level ground, which has likely been modified considerably from what was here hundreds of years ago. The sandy soil now supports miles of forests, but these are clearly forests that have been planted for their wood or their pulp.

This was a constant problem today and the next. Fires. Big fires. I often had to take grand detours to get around them. Many roads were closed, so I'll turn one way or the other, hoping to be able to continue riding north (mostly).

I'm back to the coast of the Bay of Biscay. The tumbled concrete gun boxes are part of Germany's Atlantic Wall. Time and erosion has brought them down to the beach, where they are now only the target of graffiti artists.

Crossing La Gironde River by ferry.

I didn't wait too long, and took the time to find a hotel that I'd stay in, across the river at Royan.

Royan, France. My hotel isn't too far behind me while I take this shot. The building that has unaccountably been built on the beach is the Casino.

That's my hotel on the left (below). Everything I carry on a trip is in that yellow bag.

This is (or was) a popular place for a summer house of the rich (but not ultra rich).

Choices...

Sunset over the Atlantic Ocean.

I've added tarts (available, fresh, at any small village) to my standard coffee-break. These school children are participating in some sort of class-against-class competition to see who could pick up the most trash. Pretty clever.

Dinan, France. I've been nearby, but had never stopped for any length of time. It's a remarkable place, and would make an excellent headquarters for an extended visit.

That's my hotel (below), which is on the border of the old town and perfectly located for me. There's parking under it for the motorcycle.

I'll spend tonight and all of the next day in Dinan. It's time to relax a bit from the day-by-day riding that I'd been doing. I won't be riding tomorrow. For one day, I'll just walk.

We're in the heart of Brittany, where things can feel like England, but sound like France.

River Rance is where you'll find the lower part of Denan. It's a good walk down there, and even more so coming back up.

I am sitting along the river and enjoying my crepe while I watch the progress of that artist with his brushes.

Near Lillemer, France. I find myself riding through some out-of-the-way places where you're more likely to meet a tractor on the road than a car.

This is the site of the command headquarters of General Bradley, after the 1944, June 6 D-day invasion. It's only a few miles inland from the invasion-beaches.

Pointe du Hoc. It's now (and was) an easy landmark from the sea.

The view north (towards Omaha Beach)...

...and the view south (towards Utah Beach).

U.S. Army Rangers climbed these cliffs to take out the large guns that had the potential to disrupt the invasion force. Information that all the guns were not yet installed had reached the Rangers beforehand, but the plan went forward, in order to eliminate the threat from this location, entirely.

Thousands of bombs were dropped on this site before the invasion. It's all still clear.

Looking for a place that would take my card sometimes required several miles of detour. This Carrefour self-service station worked.

Riding across fairly flat terrain of Normandy.

Amblie, France is marked by the steeple.

I've stopped at the Canada cemetery, just inland from Juno Beach.

Hermanville-sur-Mer and another view of the BMW suit, which I've become used to. I wish the suit had a front map pocket, and I wish it had some other good features of my Aerostich suit, but it's working fine. The jacket has a rigid back-protector within, which hasn't turned out to be noticeable when seated on the motorcycle even if it makes the jacket feel heavy when lifting it.

Deauville, France looks like a good place to stop for the night. That's my hotel (below); my balcony is the first one up.

Walking through the town. Deauville has quite a nice harbor, protected from the English Channel.

Some of the houses of Deauville.

Having my dinner at a sidewalk cafe.

The Tancarville Bridge across the Seine River. I'm still (mostly) riding north, following the coast.

Valliquerville, France: the community well, the war memorial and the church.

Neufchâtel, France is rather proud of their cheese.

These semi-exposed urinals seem a throwback to a much different age.

Bambou, France is little more than a gas station and cafe. I had a generally acceptable meal here.

Valenciennes, France. I was hoping for a more historic looking city, but evidently Valenciennes saw a great deal of damage during the war.

I asked for something simple--some bread and cheese. Certainly; of course.

Near Beaumont, France

Belgium

The idea was to ride around the border, so sometimes I was riding on the other side of the border. Near Daussois, Belgium.

France

Chapelle de Walcourt, built 1602 and rebuilt in 1781. Restoration was completed in 2007. At one time, it was even used as a chapel by the occupying Russian army. This place has seen a lot of invaders over the centuries.

Givet, France.

Belgium

Neufchâteau, Belgium.

Luxembourg

Schengen, Luxembourg on the Moselle River. You've likely heard of Schengen in regards to the ability to cross European borders (such as I've been doing) without any limits (as one might cross from Kansas to Nebraska). The treaty that allows this was signed here in Schengen.

Germany

I did a lot of riding on the Autobahn, but took no photographs.

France

I am back in France, and grateful to be well off the main highways,.

Niederbronn-les-Bains, France in the Alsace region. I'm not expecting such a hotel in this small town.

Nearby is Fortress Four-a-Chaux, on the Maginot Line. I was hoping to tour this extensive defensive position, but tours are limited and are only available by guide. I'm sorry to have missed this opportunity. The underground installation is massive.

Les Errues, France. I've heard of these, but never have had one: Religieuse (pâtisserie), just 2.60 €. Do you see the likeness of a nun in this pastry?

Le Doubs River.

La Tuilerie, France.

Le Gelot, France as I ride deeper into the foothills that eventually lead to the Alps. How do I remember the names of these small places? The easy way is to just take a photograph of the GPS screen.

Pays-de-Clerval on Le Doubs River.

Near Cotebrune, France. The southeast of France is one of my favorite places to ride.

La Cluse-et-Mijoux, France. As always, the routes is protected by a fortress.

My favorite sort of place: a good restaurant with several rooms upstairs.

It's early morning, just before sunrise. It looks to be a beautiful day for riding.

Au fil de la Valserine (near Alpages). This narrow road follows the full length of this gorgeous valley. I'm pretty certain that the road sees more bicycles than cars.

Into the Jura Mountains.

I'm taking a crumble-and-coffee break near La Tuilière.

Lac d'Annecy. The western end of this large lake is highly developed with lots of resorts, but this other end remains natural.

I've entered the French Alps.

Bourg-Saint-Maurice, France. My hotel (below) is within easy walking of the town.

There's a funicular that will take you to that hotel and access to the higher ski centers.

Walking through the center of Bourg-Saint-Maurice.

Crossing Little Saint Bernard Pass and looking back to the town I started from this morning.

When Hannibal crossed the Alps with his elephants, he might have come across this pass. There are other possibilities, but I like to image dozens of war-elephants looking for grass to eat while the troops rested here.

The Maginot Line was here, too.

Italy

Mont Blanc. There's a tunnel that runs under it, but I've come across the Alps the old-fashioned way.

On the Autostrada, following the signs to Milano.

Incidentally, I am carrying the hard-to-find oil based on the fact that the last time I rode a Guzzi TT, the engine consumed a fair amount of oil and ran hot. But, this bike ran beautifully and used no oil. Based on the performance and power of this current motorcycle, I'm now convinced that the last bike I rode was not at all what it should have been.

And, I'm back at Mandello del Lario. Is this the most beautiful lake in the world? Some say it is.

Always, after walking to the lake after turning my ride in, I stop at the best gelato store in Italy. It always feels good to walk along the lake after a long and successful ride.

My room is up there in the corner.

Walking through Mandello.

The next morning, I catch the train to Lecco, and then continue on that same train to Milano.

Arriving in Milano, Italy. It's a wet afternoon.

The reception area of my hotel. I often give a quick look around when I don't see my yellow bag. Not to worry, it's in the luggage. Actually, that luggage is not at all full, since I've left my BMW riding suit in the Guzzi shop in Mandello for my next trip. That's one less thing I'll need to carry from now on. Helmet, boots, and now riding suit are now there for me.