We left off in one of the most romantic cities in the world – Venice. We’ll be heading down into Italy proper in this portion of the trip, and it’s my favourite country in the world – for its food, its history, its scenery and the roads.
From Venice it’s onto Bologna – the home to one of the world’s most famous motorcycle manufacturers – Ducati. It is absolutely worth visiting the Ducati museum and factory. Ducatis from decades ago all the way up to the present litter the museum, each with a story to tell.
My favourite part was the factory though; the level of care that goes into each bike is magical, you’re able to see all stages of the production line and can even see some of the bikes started and tested for the first time. Bologna itself is a lovely city too, full of medieval terracotta coloured buildings – it’s also the origin of the ragu sauce, often mistakenly named bolognese sauce which is in fact a different sauce entirely. Tagliatelle al ragu is where the spaghetti bolognese we know comes from and is the dish you should ask for – but it won’t be quite the same as what you’re used to!
Onto Imola now, home to the infamous San Marino Grand Prix and where Ayrton Senna unfortunately lost his life in 1994. While it may not have much motorcycle heritage, it’s a must visit for any petrolhead. Mugello to the south west is the next stop on the tour – a circuit which currently hosts the MotoGP every year.
You’re now well into the region of Tuscany, one of my favourite places in the world. Its food, its wine, its scenery and its roads all combine to create a touring experience like no other. It has had to deal with the onward march of tourism somewhat, but it’s still easy to get away from it all. Florence, or Firenze, is the most famous of its cities, and rightly so. From its spectacular Duomo, to the postcard friendly Ponte Vecchio, it’s a city that is synonymous with the Tuscan ideal.
It can be rather busy with it being packed with tourists during the summer at times, but it remains a must-visit. The surrounding countryside is easy to get lost and luxuriate in, with vineyards and delightful medieval towns absolutely everywhere. Even taking the sights in on the classic Vespa is good fun, a more relaxed pace is just as rewarding as a swift one.
Carrying on south towards the Italian capital now, with a stop off in Siena – home to the world-famous Palio horse race which takes place on its cobbled streets - also seen in the film Quantum of Solace.
Rome also needs no introduction – home to the ancient Roman Empire and the modern Italian capital. It may not have the grandeur it used to have, with some areas of the city lacking the veneer you see elsewhere, it remains a city that must be visited, and its sights appreciated.
From the ancient Coliseum to the Vatican City and the Trevi Fountain, there is a huge amount to see and do in the capital. Prices can be steep for what you get hotel-wise, but it is to be expected considering where you are. A restaurant I can thoroughly recommend is Ai Marmi south west of the centre – it’s a little away from all the tourists, but it’s always busy which is the best indicator possible. The pizza is exactly what you’d expect – super thin and crispy, utterly delicious, and very reasonably priced. Don’t expect much English to be spoken, but a little patience with the menu is more than worth it. There’s also a Ducati Caffe in the centre which is worth a look if you forgot to get a souvenir in the museum and factory!
Moving on from Rome, you’ll continue southwards towards Naples, or Napoli, home of the famous type of pizza – the Neapolitan, or more commonly known as the margarita and its predecessor, the marinara. The marinara so named because it used to be the traditional food given to fisherman coming home from hard work at sea, with only dough, tomato, olive oil and basil. You may not even consider a pizza without cheese, but it’s surprisingly nice and a much lighter meal as a result. Naples is in view of the infamous volcano of Vesuvius – the volcano that wrought the destruction of the ancient city of Pompeii. It’s a spectacular sight despite it now being dormant (thankfully!), and the ruins of the city are breathtaking, if a little busy with tourists at times.
Continue south and you’ll reach an area that is often seen in movies – the Amalfi Coast. It’s famed for its tiny towns and villages hugging the rugged coastline, and the narrow winding road that follows it. The road is quite treacherous with low walls being the only thing stopping you from reaching a watery or rocky grave – but the views and experience is worth the risk, and it’s a risk minimised by taking your time and giving the locals room to do their mad driving.
This is as far as you’ll go into Italy, despite Sicily being well worth visiting, especially with the spectacular sight of Mt. Etna, Europe’s second highest active volcano at over 3300m high, however it requires a ferry ride would take valuable riding time away.
Heading back north it’ll be worth making another stop in Rome if you missed anything, it really has a lot to offer. Taking guided tours of any of the landmarks is highly recommended to get a sense of the history of the place, however I wouldn’t recommend the open-top bus tours – they’re expensive for what they are, and most of the places are within walking distance anyway.
Continuing north, make a stop in Pisa for the famous Leaning Tower. There isn’t a whole lot here other than the tower, and it gets mobbed by tourists, so get your photo and continue on your way. The Mediterranean coastline has a motorway running along it, and it’s one of the few motorways it’s possible to enjoy. With great scenery, rapid changes in elevation, and it hugging the rocky hillsides it creates a great sense of speed and progress – just be wary of the suicidal Italian drivers, but hopefully you’ll have grown accustomed to their ways by now! Take your pick of the towns on the coast, chances are you’ll get a beach and fewer tourists than most of the stops so far.
From here we’ll be heading westwards, taking in the sights of Monaco and the Cote d’Azur – look out for the next post.
