Italy Bound – Back Where Italy Gets Properly Beautiful
Day 33 to Day 35 – Abruzzo Delivers, Camper Vans Multiply and Dinner Becomes a Religious Experience.
17.06.26 – 19.06.26
Sometimes a riding day starts badly.
Actually, let me rephrase that.
Sometimes a riding day starts so badly that before even turning the key, you’re already considering whether becoming a professional couch potato might be a better life choice.
Imagine this.
You wake up after a terrible night.
The mattress feels like it was designed by medieval torture specialists.
The bloke in the next room snores with the enthusiasm of a Canadian lumberjack cutting down an entire forest.
Every time you finally fall asleep again, he starts another chainsaw concert.
Then breakfast arrives.
The coffee tastes suspiciously like somebody showed a coffee bean a picture of hot water.
The croissant is old.
Not pleasantly old.
Not “artisan bakery” old.
Just old.
You leave slightly grumpy.
The road immediately becomes a traffic jam.
Straight roads.
Endless traffic lights.
Bad tarmac.
No scenery.
No mountains.
No coast.
Rain.
Then lunch arrives.
The panino contains the saddest sausage in Europe.
The shop owner clearly hates customers.
Maybe even humanity itself.
The afternoon gets worse.
More rain.
More bad roads.
No accommodation.
No fun.
No hope.
Now here’s the good news.
Absolutely none of that happened.
Not a single bit.
Because Day 33 turned out to be one of those days that remind you exactly why motorcycle travel is worth every uncomfortable mattress, every questionable breakfast and every unexpected detour.
Day 33 – San Vito Chietino to Castel del Monte
17.06.26
The day started in Abruzzo.
And honestly, that’s already a good start.
Abruzzo is one of those regions many foreign tourists completely ignore.
Big mistake.
Huge mistake.
Most people rush between Rome, Florence and Venice.
Meanwhile Abruzzo quietly sits there with spectacular mountains, beautiful roads, fantastic food and relatively few tourists.
Exactly how I like it.
From the Sea to the Mountains
Leaving the Adriatic coast behind, the road immediately started climbing.
And that’s when the fun began.
The scenery transformed almost kilometre by kilometre.
The sea disappeared behind me.
The air became cooler.
The roads became curvier.
The traffic disappeared.
Civilisation started shrinking.
Perfect.
Exactly what I had been hoping for.
The mighty old RT seemed happy too.
After days of battling heat, coastal traffic and tourist madness, she finally got what she likes best:
Mountain roads.
Long sweepers.
Proper curves.
Fresh air.
And no camper vans trying to set land-speed records.
Why Abruzzo Is Special
One thing I love about Abruzzo is that it feels authentic.
Not polished.
Not overdeveloped.
Not designed for Instagram.
It’s just there.
Wild.
Beautiful.
Honest.
The region contains some of the highest mountains of the Apennines, including peaks approaching 3,000 metres.
Huge national parks cover large areas.
Wolves still live here.
Bears too.
Which is slightly exciting when you stop for photos in the middle of nowhere.
Fortunately I only encountered cows.
Large numbers of cows.
And unlike bears, cows are generally less interested in eating motorcyclists.
A Perfect Riding Day
The ride itself was almost impossible to criticise.
Good roads.
Good weather.
Fantastic views.
Comfortable temperatures.
Very little traffic.
No road closures.
No landslides.
No surprise gravel.
No navigation disasters.
Nothing.
Just riding.
Pure riding.
The kind where you stop thinking about destination and simply enjoy every kilometre.
By now the trip had covered thousands of kilometres.
Yet somehow Abruzzo still managed to feel fresh.
Maybe because after Calabria’s pothole lottery, riding on decent roads felt like a luxury holiday.
Whatever the reason, I enjoyed every minute.
Arrival in Castel del Monte
After around 180 kilometres I arrived in Castel del Monte.
Not the famous castle in Apulia.
The village.
A small mountain village in the province of L’Aquila.
Fresh air.
Stone houses.
Quiet streets.
And absolutely no interest in becoming a mass tourism destination.
Perfect.
The accommodation was exactly what a motorcyclist wants.
Restaurant.
Bar.
Garage for the bike.
Friendly atmosphere.
No unnecessary luxury.
Just practical comfort.
The kind of place where you instantly know you’ll sleep well.
Well…
At least that was the theory.
More about that later.
For now I was simply happy.
The horror scenario from the morning fantasy remained exactly that.
A fantasy.
Reality had delivered one of the nicest riding days of the trip.
Day 34 – Castel del Monte to Cerreto di Spoleto
18.06.26
The night wasn’t terrible.
But it wasn’t great either.
Apparently the Canadian lumberjack from yesterday’s imagination had relatives in Italy.
The bloke in the neighbouring room snored with remarkable dedication.
At times I genuinely wondered whether he was trying to cut down forests in his sleep.
Still.
The mountains outside were worth it.
Breakfast was acceptable.
Nothing special.
Nothing offensive.
Coffee happened.
Engine started.
Adventure continued.
Mountains Immediately
One of the great advantages of staying in mountain villages is simple.
You don’t need to travel anywhere before the fun begins.
The moment I left Castel del Monte, the road started delivering.
Curves.
Twists.
Views.
More curves.
Repeat.
No warm-up necessary.
No boring transit section.
Just immediate enjoyment.
The road gradually climbed higher and higher.
Soon enormous peaks appeared on the horizon.
Some over 2,500 metres high.
Standing below them reminds you of something important.
You are tiny.
Very tiny.
The mountains don’t care about your plans.
They don’t care about your motorcycle.
They don’t care about your Instagram followers.
They’ve been standing there for millions of years.
And they look magnificent.
The Valley of Endless Photos
One particular side road led into a dead-end valley surrounded by giant peaks.
What a place.
Honestly.
Every few hundred metres I stopped again.
Photo.
Ride.
Photo.
Ride.
Photo.
Repeat.
The first fifty kilometres took nearly ninety minutes.
Not because the road was slow.
Because the scenery was ridiculous.
Every corner revealed something new.
Wide grass-covered valleys.
Dramatic mountain walls.
Fresh alpine air.
Streams.
Flowers.
Snow patches still visible on distant peaks.
At one point I realised I was spending more time standing next to the bike than actually riding it.
A good sign.
Tourist Central
Of course beautiful places attract people.
Even on a weekday.
Camper vans.
Photographers.
Selfie enthusiasts.
Hikers.
People preparing breakfast outside motorhomes.
People preparing lunch.
People preparing dinner.
Apparently some camper van owners simply live permanently in preparation mode.
Fortunately it never became overwhelming.
Noticeable.
But not annoying.
The scenery was simply too good.
And honestly, everyone seemed happy.
Hard not to be happy in a place like that.
Lake Campotosto
Eventually I reached the beautiful Lago di Campotosto.
This huge artificial lake sits high in the mountains and is one of the largest reservoirs in Italy.
Last year I rode through this area slightly later in summer.
At that time every available lakeside parking spot had been occupied by camper vans.
This year was completely different.
Quiet.
Peaceful.
Almost empty.
Which meant something very important.
New photo opportunities.
Motorcycle travel is often just an excuse to stop and take photographs.
At least that’s my excuse.
The Earthquake That Changed Everything
The area around Campotosto and L’Aquila still carries scars from one of Italy’s most devastating recent natural disasters.
In April 2009, a powerful earthquake measuring 6.3 struck the region.
More than 300 people lost their lives.
Thousands were injured.
Entire villages were heavily damaged.
The city of L’Aquila suffered enormous destruction.
But many smaller mountain communities were hit just as hard.
Travelling through the area today, you can still see evidence.
Renovations.
Reconstruction.
Scaffolding.
Restored buildings standing beside structures still waiting for repair.
Compared with last year’s visit, the progress is remarkable.
Slowly but steadily these communities are rebuilding.
And seeing that progress somehow makes the landscape even more impressive.
The Road to Norcia
The route continued towards Norcia.
Not directly into the town itself.
Instead I headed towards one of the high valleys nearby.
And once again the scenery exploded.
Massive open landscapes.
Fresh mountain air.
Rolling grasslands.
Tiny villages.
And roads that seemed designed specifically for motorcycles.
The SP477 deserves special mention.
If you’re travelling in this area, ride it.
Seriously.
Just do it.
You’ll thank me later.
Holiday Advice
One recommendation though.
Avoid weekends.
Avoid school holidays.
Avoid peak tourist season.
Because even now there were noticeable numbers of visitors.
I can only imagine the chaos during August.
And chaos is exactly what we’re trying to avoid.
Rasiglia… Almost
The original plan included visiting Rasiglia.
Often called the “Little Venice of Umbria.”
A beautiful village famous for its streams, waterfalls and water channels running directly through the settlement.
One of those places that looks almost unreal in photographs.
Unfortunately I never made it.
Not because I got lost.
Not because roads were closed.
Not because navigation failed.
I was simply tired.
Mountain riding all day.
Photo stops every ten minutes.
Heat increasing as altitude decreased.
Eventually the body politely informed me that enough was enough.
The Perfect Agriturismo
And that’s when I found it.
Agriturismo Casale la Palombara.
Near Cerreto di Spoleto.
Exactly the kind of place I love.
For anyone unfamiliar with agriturismo accommodation:
Imagine a farm.
Add comfortable rooms.
Add homemade food.
Add friendly owners.
Mix everything together.
Result:
Perfection.
The room was modern.
The owners were welcoming.
The motorcycle got a garage.
And dinner was included.
For eighty-five Euro.
Absolutely fair.
Breaking My Own Rules
Here’s the dangerous part.
I immediately decided to stay three nights.
Yes.
Three.
Once again breaking my own famous rule.
The one about never staying longer than two nights.
At this point the rule exists mainly for entertainment purposes.
Because every time I find somewhere really nice, I completely ignore it.
And honestly?
Why rush?
I’m on holiday.
Not a military operation.
The room wasn’t available longer anyway.
So fate had already made the decision.
Three nights.
Relax.
Edit photos.
Eat.
Sleep.
Maybe ride a little.
Maybe not.
One of the Best Days of the Trip
Total distance:
260 kilometres.
Total enjoyment:
Extremely high.
Without exaggeration, one of the highlights of the entire trip.
Not because of one specific road.
Not because of one specific village.
Because everything simply worked.
Those are often the best riding days.
Day 35 – Cerreto di Spoleto
19.06.26
Today I did absolutely nothing.
And I mean nothing.
No riding.
No walking.
No sightseeing.
Nothing.
Professional-level relaxation.
The Dinner That Broke Me
The reason was simple.
The dinner from the previous evening.
Mate.
What a meal.
I think it was the latest dinner I’ve had in Italy.
Finished around ten o’clock.
And every minute was worth it.
The owner prepared almost everything himself.
Different sausages.
Salami.
Fresh pasta.
Desserts.
Local specialities.
The lot.
And you could taste something in every dish.
Passion.
That sounds cheesy.
But it’s true.
When somebody genuinely loves what they’re doing, the result is different.
Better.
You notice it immediately.
A Day of Recovery
So today became a recovery day.
Coffee.
Photos.
Blog writing.
More coffee.
More sitting.
More doing absolutely nothing.
Outside temperatures climbed towards forty degrees.
Summer had officially arrived.
The kind of heat where even walking becomes a strategic operation.
Move from shade to shade.
Like crossing a battlefield.
Only with less shooting and more sweating.
Why Days Like This Matter
People often imagine motorcycle travel as constant action.
Every day riding.
Every day exploring.
Every day adventure.
Reality is different.
Days like today are important.
Your body recovers.
Your mind recovers.
You process everything you’ve seen.
And after more than a month on the road, that’s necessary.
Very necessary.
Because tomorrow there will be more roads.
More mountains.
More villages.
More surprises.
Italy always has another surprise waiting.
But for today?
Good food.
Cold drinks.
A comfortable chair.
And absolutely no ambition whatsoever.
Honestly, that sounds pretty perfect.
#dustysocks
