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Italy 2017 (#1)

Part 1: July 5th – 8th

By Watracz Is Traveling

It’s finally time for my long-awaited trip to the Italy, something I’ve been planning for a few months.

Below you can see the map of the whole trip. You can also view it on Google Maps.

Day 1: Ostrava, Brno, Melk, Mattsee

July 5th, 2017

I get up at 4 a.m., have a breakfast of bigos, suit up, and get on my way. I keep putting kilometers behind me, and before 8 a.m. I enter Czechia, where I join a group of other bikers from Poland. A couple dozen kilometers later I take a break for coffee; I buy toll stickers in Austria, too. The thermometer says it’s 34 °C — it’s really hot.

At 6 p.m. I reach a campsite by Lake Matsee in Stein. It’s 12 euros per night. I put up my tent, have a dip in the lake, and hit the hay.

Day 2: KTM factory, the Penser Joch pass, Bolzano

July 6th, 2017

Wake up time’s at 7 a.m., and after a quick breakfast I’m on my way to the KTM motorbike factory in Mattighofen, about 20 kilometers away. In order to be able to take a tour of the factory, you need to get in touch with KTM via their website, some time in advance — I’ve done it a few weeks before the trip.

KTM factory in Mattighofen

The tour is free, but you need to be careful about the cups they try to force on you before you leave: an employee gives you a box with a cup in it saying it’s a gift, then asks you for 10 euros for it. And you can get the very same cup in the gift shop, 15 meters further on, for less than 8 euros! Not cool, KTM!

The factory tour starts at 9 a.m. Before we enter, we’re told that it’s forbidden to take photos or videos. Apart from me and two other bikers, the rest of the tour are several dozen elderly people. The tour guide speaks German, and I get a printed English translation. The tour takes a long time, and the guide explains everything in minute detail. In some spots, it takes us fifteen minutes to listen to the guide’s stories. We visit assembly lines, each of which is assembling different models of bikes. On the first line, Husqvarna bikes are being assembled. At the end of the tour, we’re shown 3 videos, one of which is in English. The most interesting one is the one about engine assembly at a nearby factory (which, sadly, is closed to visitors). After leaving the factory, I set my GPS to the Dolomites, and set off to the south.

On the way I fill up the bike, eat 2 sandwiches, and get some coffee. It’s internally hot, the thermometer says it’s 36 °C in th shade. Early in the afternoon, I hit Italy.

The Penser Joch pass

A very picturesque pass, with its highest point at 2,211 m. a.s.l.

I ran out of gas near Bolzano, so I stop at a gas station, where I try to use the automated pump. All the instructions are in Italian, and it’s tough to make out anything. I put in 50 euros and try to pump gas, but nothing happens. A while later, the machine spits out a slip that says “Thank you for using the automated pump”. I got no change and no gas. So I call the number of the hotline given on the pump to report a malfunction, but the IVR on the other end keeps telling me to press various buttons on the phone’s keyboard and there’s no option to change the language. I try a few times, hoping I’ll be connected to a human being, but the call disconnects each time.

A while later, some couple arrives at the station and begins filling up their car. I tell them the entire story; unfortunately, their English isn’t great, but seeing the slip from the machine, they start to get what I mean. They show me the restaurant, whose owner supposedly knows the phone number to the owner of the gas station. Inside, I talk to the restaurant’s owner; she makes a few phone calls and asks me to wait. Some 20 minutes later an older dude wearing an Agip t-shirt comes around — he’s the owner of the gas station. I show him the slip from the machine, he gives me 50 euros; I thank him and get on my way.

I reach the Seiser Alm campsite. It’s pretty expensive. The lady at the reception desk says it’s 26.5 euros per night. That’s too high for me, so I try to negotiate the price. After a short chat with the manager, I bring the price down to 20 euros.

Day 3: The Dolomites

July 7th, 2017

Looks like it’s going to be a sunny day! I have an apple as my breakfast, pack up the tent, and I’m off — time for an Alpine roller-coaster!

The Gardena Pass

2,136 m. a.s.l.

There’s a ton of bikes on the route, most of them BMWs, but I keep hoping for an Aprilia or two. It’s so hot that my GPS refuses to cooperate, and my iPhone shuts down.

The Pordoi Pass

2,239 m. a.s.l.

The Fedaia Pass

2,057 m. a.s.l.

Alleghe Lake

The Giau Pass

2,236 m. a.s.l.

The Valparola Pass

2,168 m. a.s.l.

In the afternoon, it starts to rain. I stop by a shelter, and order a lasagna (10 euros) and coffee (2.5 euros). The lasagna tastes great, but the coffee — even though I order a large one — looks about as big as a Polish espresso. As soon as it stops raining, I get on the bike and keep going. I find a nice spot where I could set up my tent, but the batteries for my camera need to be charged, so I go to the nearest campsite.

Camping Sass Dlacia

It’s 15 euros per night. The lady at the desk speaks English really well. She shows me where to find the nearest supermarket and checks the opening times for tomorrow. I leave my batteries to charge overnight, take a shower and remove the photos I don’t need. I shot more than 300 already. It’s only my third day on the road, and I already have the following problems: torn gloves, broken belt, and a broken phone charging cable.

Day 4: The Dolomites

July 8th, 2017

I think I managed to pick the only spot at the campsite that’s shaded in the mornings. Because of that, my tent is covered in dew, so I move it out to the sun, to get it to dry a little before I put it in the case. I pick up my charged batteries from the reception desk, pack my stuff, and head to the DeSpar store in San Cassiano. I buy peppers, bread rolls, cheese, water, cookies, bananas, and apples. As I eat my breakfast on the parking lot, I go through my route for the day — there are more great passes in store!

The Valparola Pass

2,168 m. a.s.l.

The Falzarego Pass

2,105 m. a.s.l.

The Andraz Castle

The Giau Pass

2,236 m. a.s.l.

I’m riding much more dynamically today. My foot pegs start to grind against the asphalt, and I brake harder.

Pocol

Dürrensee (Italian: Lago di Landro)

Break for lunch by the lake.

Lago d’Antorno

Lake Misurina

The Ansiei river

Lake Santa Caterina

Lago di Pontesei

The Duran Pass

1,601 m. a.s.l.

Lake Mis (Italian: Lago del Mis)

By the lake shore, I see parked cars and tents, so I think I may be able to do some “freedom camping.” The tourists on the spot say it’s not a problem to pitch a tent or swim in the lake (even though there’s a “no swimming” sign some 50 meters away). They just say I shouldn’t light a fire. Shortly after dusk, it starts to rain, and a moment later the sky lights up with lightning bolts. A storm’s passing nearby, and you can hear the thunder rolling behind the peaks. I get in the cool water and see some fireflies over the surface of the lake, like tiny, barely visible lights. I swim out to the center of the lake, then go back to the tent and go to sleep.