Day 14 & 15

I first visited Tuscany by car about ten years ago. It was a crappy car, with poor handling and awful acceleration, and the sweeping curves of the Tuscan roads taunted me. They knew I wanted to carve them as quickly as possible, while admiring the breathtaking valleys and surrounding vineyards. At point one, three super-sport motorcycles flashed past, their riders leaning hard into each turn. I couldn’t contain my frustration, and promised myself I would return one day by motorcycle.

Fast forward to today, and there I was, touring the exact same roads by motorcycle. Promised kept!

Weronika and I stayed at a splendid villa only a few kilometers from the place I stayed during my last visit, and a rush of memories flooded my mind. There was mama’s restaurant, where I tasted the best pasta of my life. Over there was the exact spot I made the promise to myself all those years ago. All around were the heart-stirring views of endless vineyards. (Tuscany is one of those magical places that you almost cannot believe is real) And over there was San Gimignano, famous for its medieval architecture and dozen towers.

While my stomach had calmed down, Weronika’s started misbehaving, and we had to relax in a garden for a few hours before entering the town. When she mustered enough strength to stand, we slowly made our way into the main square, to have lunch and of course, gelato.

It was here that I first sampled porchetta, a pork sandwich that was so tasty it didn’t need any condiments (In fact, when I had asked for mustard, the merchant yelled, “NO MUSTARD!” He was right, it was perfect without it) Obviously I tasted it again, and it was even more delectable than I remembered.

Day 16

I was never really inspired to visit Pisa, since the leaning tower was a tourist destination for a really dumb reason: poor engineering. For those that don’t know, the tilt is caused by inadequate foundation, as it was erected on grounds that were too soft on one side.

However, since we were passing right by it, we decided to stop over for a few pictures. No, we didn’t take the the corny, “Look! I’m holding up the tower” type of pictures. However it was interesting to take pictures of people taking those kinds of pictures.

Day 17

Many celebrities have summer homes around Lake Como in northern Italy, and it was easy to see why; a spectacular dark blue lake surrounded by deep green mountains. (side comment: I need to find new words for “stunning” and “breath-taking”, since Italy is pushing the limits of my thesaurus).

Our chosen route meandered right next to the lake, and we just had to stop several times to admire the views and deeply breath the crisp clean air. Does anyone have a spare million euros lying around, so I can buy a home here?

Day 18

The most exciting and dangerous portion of the entire trip was traversing the Italian mountains into Switzerland. At one time, the Stelvio Pass was awarded as the “greatest driving road in the world” by Top Gear, a famous British television series about cars. The pass was actually one of three we conquered over two days, and was mostly composed of 180 degree turns. Some turns were actually more than 180 degrees, and the sharp inclines and declines made it difficult to see oncoming traffic.

Adding to the fact I was holding a GoPro in one hand and the motorcycle’s massive weight didn’t inspire confidence, and it was a hair raising experience. Weronika and I had to take many breaks to catch our breath and to high five each other, exclaiming, “We’re still alive!”

It was definitely the craziest road I’ve ever been on, and although I’m very happy to have visited, I must admit I don’t have any desire to return.

Day 19

Once in Switzerland, the differences from Italy were obvious:

  • The roads were much better paved
  • The mountains were more spectacular, the villages more rustic and the houses more refined
  • The temperature dropped noticeably
  • The prices for our targeted hotels more than doubled

Despite the raw natural beauty, we didn’t linger in the country.

Day 20

Lichtenstein was another new country for me. It’s the 6th smallest country in the world, squished between Switzerland and a bunch of mountains.

Our stop was for a quick lunch to sample he local cuisine, and to visit one of my clients. He was happy to show us around and give us a brief history lesson. Although a sleepy country, it’s the 3rd largest GDP per person in the world, with one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world. Thus the quality of life is extremely high, if you like mountains and snow, of course.

Since it was a very cloudy day, and the visit was short, I didn’t take any pictures.

Day 21

On the way back to Poland, we passed through Germany. There is not much to say since the 1.75 days were spent mostly on the highway, with a short stopover to rest our weary heads. Germany’s autobahn are famous because they are wonderfully paved and occasionally have no speed limits. There were quite a few Porsches, BMWs and Ferraris blow past me while cruising at 140km/h.

Again, no pictures.

Day 22

Poland is considered to have depressing weather, with dark clouds concealing the sun most of the year. So it was humourous to see the change from open skies to dark clouds within a 1 km of the Polish border. How do the clouds know where to gather?!

Since the road quality was significantly reduced and the randomness of driver’s increased, we were not able to travel as fast.

Final thoughts

Overall, the trip was incredible.

Weronika was the perfect travel companion, as we never argued, and even supported each other while sick.

While the motorcycle was heavy, it was well suited for this type of long distance trip. There were certain moments I wished for my own motorcycle, especially during the curvier parts, but it would have been too stressful while off-roading.

Except for one day of hard rain, and two half-days of light drizzle, the weather was perfect. Sunshine and warm weather has a positive impact to your state of well-being.

I love motorcycle riding, and am very happy to have experienced this. It will encourage me to take even longer trips in the future, something I didn’t think interested me.

Here was our exact route: