1st DAY

First meeting with Marino at Padivarma and then with Gianluigi at the roundabout in Chiavari, breakfast and on the motorway until Cagnes sur Mer, on the frontier little adventure with the loss of the ignition key of Gianluigi’s bike, fortunately rediscovered! From Cagnes we took the Route Napoleon and stopped at St. Vallier-de-Thiey to eat, of course at the “Bonaparte” restaurant. Cross the Gorges du Verdon and stop for ice cream in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie and away, accompanied by lavender plantations, not yet in bloom, but always beautiful.

Once in Manosque, guided perfectly by the BMW navigator and secured the motorbikes, we took a walk in the city center to have a very frugal dinner in a brasserie and then in bed to regain energy.

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2nd DAY

After a light breakfast in Manosque we took the road towards Auvergne. In the stop just before Simiane-la-Rotonde, we admired large birds circling in the sky in search of food, arrived in the nearby town filled with gasoline and then began to climb towards the 1909 mslm of Mont Ventoux, fantastic panorama thanks to a clear air that allowed us to see the distant arch of the Alps.

In the parking lot near the summit we got to know a group of photographers / journalists who were doing a service on behalf of the French importer of the Royal Enfield Himalayan and Benelli TRK 502. Down from the pleasant mountain stop at Vaison-la-Romaine in a nice plein-air space to eat camembert and charcuterie purchased at a Lidl of a previous country along the way.

Another stop in Suze-la-Rousse to admire the beautiful castle, then back on the road along the majestic Gorges de l’Ardèche and the spectacular rock arch at Vallon-Pont-d’Arc. We arrived in Chambon-sur-Lignon late in the evening, tired but satisfied, once we found the B & B La Vigne, we came back to the town to have a nice dinner at the Epicurien; the return to the deserved rest was prolonged by a failure to identify the right intersection so that with a pleasant night jog, where we could appreciate the light of our super craved spotlights, we finally arrived at La Vigne. Good night!

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3rd DAY

Great breakfast in the company of Laurence, the very kind owner of B & B then back on the road, and what a road! Perfect temperature and breathtaking views. Descent from 1200 m asl with castles, lakes, green meadows and blue skies up to Pradelles where we made a rest stop.

Arrived near the big cities, the traffic became challenging and given the long transfer stage we decided to take the highway, we left the parts of Le Castellet, the country of the automobile circuit, to finally reach Solliès-Pont, the country of my childhood vacations. Hôtel almost to forget and good dinner in Solliès-Toucas.
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4th DAY

Breakfast at the hotel and off to Italy, still motorway to Menton, stop in an open bar in Sospel and then inside, towards Colle di Tenda with a cultural stop in La Brigue to admire, unfortunately only from the outside, the Sanctuaire NotreDame des Fontaines, we will be back!

At the start a light rain began that fortunately left us shortly after passing the Italian border. Stop eating Robilant in the excellent restaurant “Magia delle Fate” food very good and very nice and kind staff. Sliding roads with little traffic, highway for Mondovì, stop at the roundabout of Montezemolo for a last break and at Altare we took the highway again. In Chiavari we say goodbye to Gianluigi and then Marino and I continue with a high pace towards home. Greetings and see you soon !!!

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Bikers: GianLuigi DeAndrade, Marino Ricciardone and Leandro Bellani.

Stop in Sesta Godano for lunch and then meet on the Passo del Bracco with friends of Ponente, Gianluigi and Gian !!! What a pleasure to see Gian again, it was almost five months! Handshakes and hugs, ice cream and coffee and then everyone at home!

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Biker: Leandro Bellani

Bikers: Gian Ruello, GianLuigi DeAndrade and Leandro Bellani.

Bikers: Gianluigi DeAndrade, Marino Ricciardone, Franco Cozzani e Leandro Bellani.

Bikers: Gianluigi DeAndrade, Gianni Valle e Leandro Bellani.

Today we did a beautiful path I did not know, first on the coast to the Shrine of Soviore and then inland, coming to Bardellone right on the ridge that divides the hills from the sea. From here you can admire a spectacular view, on the sea you can see in the distance Levanto and inside all the green and wild hills. After a piece of Bracco and lunch at Mattarana we went to other unknown roads, thanks to her former off-road franchises. Franco knows the area very well and when we arrived at Torpiana we took a road that brought us Suvery, still unhappy , in Rocchetta Vara we took a very steep road that brought us with endless bends, climbed and descended first to Stadomelli and then to Oltre Vara. From there we are tortured to the reality of the highway, then at home.

Absolutely to repeat !!!

bikers: Franco Cozzani and Leandro Bellani

The usual photo of rite and then lunch at Santo Stefano d’Aveto. On the way back to the Passo della Scoglina and then descended to Chiavari then to “fast pace” on the Passo del Bracco. After greetings and handshakes, free them all!

bikers: Mirko Ricciardone, Elisabetta Nardini, Marino Ricciardone, is wife, Davide Pitorra Bellè, Alessia Ricciardone, Alessandro Botti, is wife, Maria Teresa Del Duca, Daniele Ippolito, Marcello Liuzzi, Dayla Villani, Gian Ruello, Gianluigi De Andrade e Leandro Bellani.

A great turn in France,

After spending the night at Cervo, at Franco’s house, in the morning we met at the nearby highway service station with Gianni and Gianluigi and from there we went to the French border. Thanks to the accurate knowledge of the area by GianLuigi we have made beautiful roads that brought us first to Sospel, then through the Col du Turini in the amazing Gorges du Daluis and on the Col de Rousset. Night at Digne-le-bains and the next day on magnificent roads we arrived in the lush Vercors where we dined and slept at Hotel Jorjane in Choranche. On the third day, we greeted with Gianluigi and Gianni that they were due to come back; Stayed Franco and I, we went back to Grenoble and further to Albertville, continuing to grind to the Grand Route des Alpes or at least a fair bit of it: Col de l’Iseran, Col du Galibier, breathtaking views and distant horizons, climb and downs, bends and short straight, the dream of every biker.

After spending the night at La Terrasse, a small little town on a hill, not far from Briançon, in a hostel in front of the spectacular Galibier glacier, the morning of the last day in Briançon the light sign warned us of the closure of the Col Izoard caused bike racing, so we modified the itinerary and started the gentle return with the Col de Vars and the Col de La Bonnette. We returned to Italy from Nice across the whole of Liguria. Returning home: “Tired but satisfied”

Bikers: Franco Montinaro, GianLuigi DeAndrade, Gianni Valle and Leandro Bellani