Category Archives: 2012-06: Crossing Italy

Today’s journey was known… I had once cycled the other way from Bern to Visp (VS) and done the Grimsel-Pass in the past. The questions was more: How fit are my legs today? And the more important one: how much … Read More »

So, today will  be the last day in Italy. I’ve set quite clearly my challenge for today: Pass the Simplon and then go into the direction of Ulrichen (to the Grimsel).When leaving Domodossola, I just took the direction of the … Read More »

After a nice breakfast, the way was quite easy: the same as I had taken some week ago – just the other way round. Since some days I had calculated it more than one time: I needed to be today … Read More »

When leaving Sestri Levante, I had assumed to have the mountains behind me. The wind was not working against me. And soon I understood I should check the map again: there was not one hill to Genova, just many. Always … Read More »

The morning started easily. After yesterdays 155km, my body was slow. But it started nicely: I met again Adim (later his sons) and we had breakfast together. Those are moments when you just don’t think of pedalling…After some long search … Read More »

Todays target was set to arrive at Pisa… But it was more a wish then a target…If I would arrive, it would be late and Saturday evening. I needed a barbier: as long as it is possible (haven’t found a … Read More »

Hard day… The main wind direction was from 9 to 1… Also mostly from the front. Then the qvia Aurelia which is not an Autostrada/Autobahn was more dangerous as cycling on real Autostrada, as the safety line was sometimes missing. … Read More »

Four times… Four times the wrong way! One because I had the map bad in mind. One because a guy told me the road would continue along the beach to the next village. Twice because of Google:-it send me to … Read More »

A little summary, as my first goals are now reached:-reaching Genova in 2 cycling days-sleeping on the deck of the ferry-reaching one of the western points if Sicily/Italy: Marsala-Agrigento-sleeping on the Etna-joining Etna sud and north by bike-reaching Calabria by … Read More »

The crater view from the south:The site of Pompeii is at the end of the long line… So far and so close!Were it starts to be interesting: one of the touristic guy at the top (south part) gave me the … Read More »

Just to say it was a long day. Finally found a hotel after being on the Vesuvio. Yes, after Pompei, it was the next target (quite predictable, wasn’t?). Picts and more later, 120km in Neapel slumps nearly kills one. If … Read More »

Quite short trip with a lot of traffic… Not the ferry to home: A full suspension bike helps: ***By Georgeshttp://tiny.cc/Georges Location:Prima Traversa Dante,Trecase,Italy

Pompeii was a dream as child, as I read about it. And as for Agrigento, I wanted to have my baby with me – just to to prevent it to be stolen. A discussion with the small minded guards started…(mother … Read More »

Salerno… Well, some picts speak more than words:***By Georgeshttp://tiny.cc/Georges Location:Via Fossa della Monaca,Trecase,Italy

Today, the start was one hour earlier…the hotel crystal was quite good. Eboli did not charmed me. Or I did not really search for. Guest on board: New York? 😉 ***By Georgeshttp://tiny.cc/Georges Location:Traversa Santa Lucia,Salerno,Italy

So, here some missing text and pictures from the trip to Eboli. First I forgot to mention: after about 30min of cycling I had a chat with a french guy going the other way: from Avignon to Agrigento where his … Read More »

What I forgot to writecabout the costal region travelled the last 160km is that it seems to be the wedding zone as every few kilometre you’ll find a hotel with special arrangement and a shop for wedding clothes… Either whole … Read More »

Today, I had three targets: >100km-find un barbiere-oil the chainLast one was easy but needed since the chain was running for 1000 km without one drop of oil and sand from Palermo and the lava powder & wind on the … Read More »

The end of the day was longer: one closed hotel followed the other. Todays program (and of the others) is to make some kilometres in order to reach my goal, which is still far over 1000km… Anyway, the 2nd part … Read More »

The rest day was good and needed. Just the restaurant Uguai or so was not needed: expensive, not much and not specialy good. On top of it, the boss was one of those “I-think-to-be-best-but-I-am-a-looser-and-dressed-like-a-I-think-to-be-a-trendsetter” which is generally not my taste. … Read More »

Today was also the day I would leave the wonderful island. Frankly, I would have prefer to have my day off at the hotel Schuler in Taormina. But as the point with the ferry to Calabria was not really clarified, … Read More »

I finally arrived in Taormina were the big search for an hotel or B&B started. First for cycler: I wouldn’t be to much afraid of cycling up: the road is not that steep. I would even say I was quite … Read More »

To avoid over loading the other post:Baby:Hope not to be below one of those:Some body did a bad cleaning 😉Bike-skiing:Click here to see the draft of the video(sorry: I can’t import now the video from the digicam :o)) And other … Read More »

(I’m getting behind as one post don’t want to be uploaded) Waking up was easy: the sun shine on the biwak was nicely warm…So what would I do? Go down the same way as with Dino? First I went to … Read More »

So after later checkout, I first had to had a breakfast near the university. I heard from two German tourist that the Etna would be closed. But that was one of my targets…Than I lost more than an hour to … Read More »

The talisman is on the way to Schlieren..Beside the inner city center and the cemetery, Catania is definitively nothing for me. To loud, to trashy, not clean at all an suffering from diesel engines…R.I.P.: impressionante!Unfortunately, my next plan will not … Read More »

Long day today…But what a positive day today. May be the reason why I could “not” stop. As long as I had tail wind, I wanted to enjoy it. And then there was no more place to stay: I needed … Read More »

All the way I was thinking of an ice cream in Gela to say Gelati amo like a creative mixture of I like ice cream in Gela. Sorry: no real gelateria open and a near 3rd world city: I ve … Read More »

Crazy how much garlic that stuff has… Dracula, you don’t have any chances! 🙂***By Georgeshttp://tiny.cc/Georges Location:Licata,Italy

I just like those days… And they are so contrary to the last days. I should not pronounce it: it’s really fine! Waking up with enough and good sleep, have a good conversation while breakfast with two Italian coffee (you … Read More »

As the bike was now ready again, the touristic part started: to the valley of the temples. In fact, the temples sit on a hill… But there is a valley between hill and Agrigento. Here some picts:Many people/cars passed here … Read More »

The hands are now washed….***By Georgeshttp://tiny.cc/Georges Location:Via Passeggiata Archeologica,Agrigento,Italy

***By Georgeshttp://tiny.cc/Georges Location:Via Passeggiata Archeologica,Agrigento,Italy

The morning was a bit different to an usual rest day: I had to hurry to find a special shop which solve my issue. And shops closes in the afternoon on Saturdays…The guy from the B&B helped me out finding … Read More »

Before: While: After: 10€ for both! Never have been shaved that good, no burning, no bleeding. That (older) man knows his art!(ok I paid the double as it was soo good!) ***By Georgeshttp://tiny.cc/Georges Location:Salita Giambertoni,Agrigento,Italy

Arriving in Agrigento: the direct way looks to much like a highway (and it is high)So I took the way through Rotary Park:House in rockDiner: @:View from B&B:(double bed for myself… :-)) Bed & Breakfast: L’antica via Location:Via Caruana,Agrigento,Italy

The room, the very good diner and breakfast at a good place: if you pass by, I would consider it(and go there again) ***By Georgeshttp://tiny.cc/Georges Location:Menfi sicily italy

So, after about 25km of one leg cycling and walking, I arrived at Menfi, where I met the cyclist Phillipo. He worked in Lucerne at the time I was born and moved then to Germany. So his help was even … Read More »

We will see…***By Georgeshttp://tiny.cc/Georges Location:Castelvetrano,Italy

Let’s start!Something like the moreWestern point of Sicily: In Mazala I went into an internet coffea to check what was wrong with the gps: worse a the day before thought. I’ve lost all the Wednesday cycling. Will put it manually … Read More »

Unfortunately I did not see that the backlight of the Garmin was on, so that after 7hours, 87km and about 1600 pos. meters the batterie drained. Therefor my guess for today: 130km and about 1800pos meters. The second part of … Read More »

So, today the tour starts by leaving Palermo in direction if Marsala…I’ve tried some country side which was a beautiful (or better lucky) idea: some spot are just great! Ok, some ups and downs to train the body, but the … Read More »

So, finally after some reading, sightseeing and other stuff on the ferry I arrived at Palermo and could have a secret heaven (and haven) to stay for the evening and night. Many thanks Dino! Four year has passed like hours … Read More »

The disadvantage of a Digicam: no direct posting. So I imported some picts to the iPad… Brig: Traffic light – cannot be in Switzerland 😉 The mediterranean sea and Genova: The path/trail down… Sorry, no time for experiments. Being late, … Read More »

Nothing spectacular for most readers but my 2nd personal highlight: after the ride to Genova in two days, now I reached my 2nd target: sleeping outside under a star sky… MEGA *smile* Well, sleep is an elastic word: I think … Read More »

118km3940kcal1101m up1215m down8hours @14.5km/hMax speed: 60km/h ***By Georgeshttp://tiny.cc/Georges

Novi Ligure… Direction of Gavi: lots of small hill up and downs The fortress of Gavi: Direction of the pass: I took the pass: beautiful, quite and a little steeper in the end but feasible, even with 85km in the … Read More »

…the shopping people?…the salt-living one?…the french speaking guy on the bike who needs a showert?…Mr. Aldi (sorry, insiders only)? :o) ***By Georgeshttp://tiny.cc/Georges

*lol* ***By Georgeshttp://tiny.cc/Georges

Mixe of sunshine and clouds… It was time to wear suncream! ***By Georgeshttp://tiny.cc/Georges Location:Pieve del Cairo,Italy

No, I already had one… And a warm one! 🙂 ***By Georgeshttp://tiny.cc/Georges Location:Via Belluschi,Mortara,Italy

Good bed (just loud neighbours) and first Cafè 🙂 Now lets start: Genoa is waiting… ***By Georgeshttp://tiny.cc/Georges Location:Via Belluschi,Mortara,Italy

The region of Novara is very agricultural… Rice production beside the road, some corn. Because of the humidity, I decided not to use the biwak bag: even it has a mosquito net, I rather pass that one.. Back in Switzerland? … Read More »

Sooo schöne Farbe gewesen… 🙂DDlG ***By Georgeshttp://tiny.cc/Georges

🙂 ***By Georgeshttp://tiny.cc/Georges Location:Momo / Italy

Ganz speziell für Brigitte, Renate, Harald, Chris, Volker und Achim… 🙂 Leider leicht verregnet, doch immer noch da! 🙂 ***By Georgeshttp://tiny.cc/Georges Location:Lago de Orta

Halb nass, halb trocken… ***By Georgeshttp://tiny.cc/Georges Location:Via Quarantadue Martiri,Verbania,Italy

Not really sure…🙁 But I have a sim card and network! Lets put the rain jacket and trousers… ***By Georgeshttp://tiny.cc/Georges Location:Via Quarantadue Martiri,Verbania,Italy

And the dear Lonza is still there: greetings to all customers! 😉 ***By Georgeshttp://tiny.cc/Georges Location:Gliserallee,Brig,Switzerland

Lötschberg tunel… Next stop in Brig and change to Domodossola. Hopefully the weather is better south of the alps! 🙂 ***By Georgeshttp://tiny.cc/Georges Location:Gewerbestrasse,Reichenbach im Kandertal,Switzerland

It has begun….Just between some rain shower I could cycle dry to the station. That was a quite short-sleep-night! ***By Georgeshttp://tiny.cc/Georges Location:Moosbühlstrasse,Moosseedorf,Switzerland

Everything is finally set up… The bike is packed! One night to sleep and ready to go! ***By Georgeshttp://tiny.cc/Georges

… Before starting on Sunday morning. Since that time there is no need for a flight to be bought, 800 CHF will go to the Swiss Red Cross. Additionally, I’ll spend 10 cents per kilometre… Who is on board? The … Read More »

The easiest way would to do it from west to east or so…… My choice is from south to north. The idea: taking the ferry in Genova to Palermo and then cycling home… Possible? No idea… Let’s try it!http://crossing-italy.blogspot.ch/And as … Read More »