Sun 31st Macerata 2 Day 8

Sferistero  - The Opera Arena from the outside (this morning)

Today has been a lazy day where we haven't been travelling on the bike nor doing anything in particular. We thought we'd just stay in Macerata and have a look at what this pretty town has. In the morning we had a meagre breakfast of tea/coffee and not much else and then went out to see what was what. We found out that a lot ofthe churches etc were open, to look at that is, in the morning but unavailable later. We visited the Duomo (cathedral) which was quite amazing but there was a body wrapped in wax in a glass casket - t'was some Saint or other but we couldn't find out which. We also learnt the patron Saint of Macerata is San Guiliano (in the 15th century-ish) who found a two people in his bed and he assumed it was his wife ...so he killed them both...er....of course.....he subsequently discovered it was his parents (lame excuse,I say) and chopped off his arm in penance. They made him a Saint AND ....get this...IF you give the Duomo a day's notice you can get to view IT....yes...the arm! Makes Rigoletto paying for an assassin to murder his daughter seem quite ordinary (and I know it was a mistake...)

We also visited a super building called the Palazzo Ricci. restored in the 1750's it housed a modern art collection of Macerata (and environs) painters. We were allowed in for free BUT had to have a guide. She only spoke Italian but we managed well and understood most of what she said. The tour lasted about an hour and a quarter and as we reached the entrance a very posh English couple had arrived - our Italian speaking guide invited us to sign the guest book and while we were doing so went to meet the new arrivals. The English woman seemed miffed that she have to have a guide and said, and I quote, "....but you do do it in ENGLISH, of course".... to which was rather a lot of frowning and shrugging of shoulders and then someone else said "I think it's only in Italian" and there was much huffing and puffing...at this point we said 'Molto grazie e arrivederci.....que buono il expositione....ciao!' etc etc and left with embarrassment - our guide did seem to quite amused tho'.

We then went back to our hostel for lunch and one of the soloists from 'Cosi fan tutte', that Joanne is in the middle of right now, was warming up in the breakfast room of our hostel - here he is - hope this little video works! The singer was very good and I went in and asked him if he'd like a =n accompanist so he could stand and warm-up , rather than sit at the piano. He seemed keen till I asked him if he had any music  when he said he hadn't and I realised he had played all of his 'Cosi' arias from memory as he was rehearsing....I went and finished my lunch and took this little video - click the play button to make it go...

We then had our first proper siesta before going to the Macerata Museo of carriages. Fascinating history of the horse and carriage with lots of detail and beautiful, exquisite examples perfectly restored. We even went for a simulated carriage ride. The last part was a beautiful room reminiscent of the Vatican - I took this pic (below) and then asked if we were allowed to ....the answer was NO!

Amazing room above the Carriage museum

Here's the pic I should not have taken...sorry!

Tonight we met up with Joanne before her last Opera (Cosi) and met quite a few of her fellow Opera tourers. They were a delightful lot and we rather took over a small wine bar and made loads of locals wait while we drank our wine and talked about concerts and motorbiking!  Then Deb and I went and ate ourselves silly at one of Macerata's best restaurants. Several courses and too much wine and now really ready for bed. Back on the bike tomorrow going North up the coast visiting some ancient coatal towns and having another kind of relaxing day before the great trek South to Naples (with Vesuvius and Pompeii) and then further on to Acquapesa to see Nikki.

Sat 30th Macerata 1 DAY 7

Had a lovely, quite stay at Montecatini Terne and left quickly in the morning with a mission to get to Macerata as efficiently as possible. We decided to motorway as much as we could and that meant being back in either competitive mode or keeping-out-the-way mode. Which one was adopted depended on conditions but we have arrived in one piece and Rob only swore at about 3 or 4 others over the 202 miles we did today.

Lower square looking at the church - St Francis buried there

On the way we visited Assisi – of Saint Francis fame – which was one of the most well-kept places we’ve ever been to. Even the back streets were immaculate with perfect buildings and absolutely clean, almost polished streets. Very cool in the shade but blistering in the sun and we parked just out side the city gates and walked in our boots and heavy trousers from there. The actual church or basilica was on TWO levels with the large cathedral sized one above and then just downstairs Saint Francis’s Tomb in another crypt-like, but nonetheless medium-sized cathedral-esque, vaulted, painted and gold-guilded splendrous space.

Narrow, but cool street in Assisi - we DID make it to the top, of course

We left suitably impressed and went back to the bike which was now in full sun and untouchable. Debbie retreated to the shade to put on her bike gear leaving Rob to get burnt bum and very hot. We were thankful to get on the motorway in the cool air at 60mph – which is about our most comfortable cruising speed.

The last stages of getting into Macerata SatNav got a bit confused so we resorted to asking and found very helpful people who pointed us in the right direction.

Our Hostel is really lovely with a jolly hostel-keeper who will do anything….we’re giving him a load of washing tomorrow! The Hostel sells wine at 3 euros a litre – so we’ll probably try quite a lot of that!

We went up to Joanne’s Hotel (in the posh end of town) but she was not there so we left our number with Signor 'Camp' (at reception) and hope she (I mean Joanne) will phone us. The Opera arena is right out side our bedroom window so we hardly needed to buy tickets, in fact. We think we heard a baritone rehearsing in the Scuola di Musica at 4.30 as we walked through the town before having out first cold beer. The Opera is NOT cancelled tonight (as previously thought – it was cancelled on 27^th ‘cos of rain - and Nikki said it NEVER rained): we are going at 8.30 ready for a 9pm start. Picked up the tickets already and we can’t wait.

Debbie and Rob before the start of Rigoletto (by Verdi)

The performance was a real delight with a very clean and tight band and excellent singers. Two intervals but NO interval drinks so they were quick enough to change/modify the set and then we got on with it. Some pics of the opera place from the inside but, obviously, none during the actual music (at least not from us, anyway!). Afterwards we all spilled onto the streets – the caribinieri stopped all the traffic (still going full tilt at 12.30) so we could get to a bar for a nightcap with Joanne (also all going full tilt when we left at 1.30am). 

Sfesteria (the opera arena) after the performance. we
sat just to the left of the arch at the top in the level just
above the 'posh' seats and had a MUCH better view than them.

At the end of the opera we took our time leaving and seized the opportunity to go and look at the  orchestra pit. All the music stands had clothes pegs (to stop music from blowing around as it was nicely breezy) and the conductor had used a miniature score but never seemed to ever look at it during the performance....he looked about 12 tho' and was very busy and excited. The orchestra quite often ignored him, but only Debbie, Rob and Joanne (and the players, of course) noticed that....the conductor himself certainly didn't: tee-hee-hee!
Tomorrow will be a lazy day with no biking and we'll try to have a good look around the town of Macerata where we are staying for tomorrow and Monday. Back on the bike heading for Napoli on Tuesday.

Fri 29th Montecatini terne (near Florence) DAY 6

An exciting day in some ways and also quite uneventful. We decided to go very much cross-country today and that meant not many actual miles (223) but a lot of hours (about 9!) riding. We motorway'd round Genova having decided cities and towns were boring and quite scary for riding (too fast basically). After negotiating the way round Genova we headed up into the mountains and 'did' three passes of about 2,000 metres each. This might seem nothing but it was a day of end-to-end hairpin bends (er...probably about 200 in each pass) and having to deal with both very steep uphill and down hill versions. We had some stunning views and scenery but it was just too dangerous to stop and take photos. The roads were narrow and one had to be VERY careful to leave enough room for on-coming traffic most of whom needed the whole road to cope with their speed - mostly extremely fast.

Debbie and bike - on top of the world

We did manage to stop a couple of times and once it was possible to take this pic which looks rather ordinary although we were on top of the whole world.

We do have a couple of great moments from today. It seems that in Italy there are about as many two wheeled vehicles as four and at every traffic light about 8-14 bikes get ready for the 'who-can-reach-the-other-side-first' competition. This is NOT restricted to the two wheelers, however, but is ALWAYS won by them.....well.....except us on at least a couple of occasions. There is a really great sound when the lights go green of all the aforementioned two-wheelers gunning their engines. To me it is better then the start of Richard Strauss's 'Don Juan' but Debbie thinks it sounds like 'Night on a Bare Mountain' by Mussorgsky. If you don't know what I'm saying then get onto Spoitify and check it out!

Riding a motorbike in Italy seems to me to be one big competition.... at every possible stage, be it in the mountains round hairpin bends or first thing in the morning after a meagre Italian breakfast, trying to get out of the town and into the mountains one has to be the fastest, bravest and, most of all, FIRST and in FRONT.
To the right a pic by Debbie of US in full swing - today we hardly had any straighter roads than this and mostly MUCH more bendy - none were wider - and one had to be really mindful there'd likely be a very fast person coming round the bend on the wrong side of the road!


We touched down a few times today on very tight corners but only the centre-standf and not the exhaust pipes! I hope you can just about see Debbie and me in the wing mirror (bottom right of last pic!)
Looking forward to meeting Joanne in Macerata tomorrow but we KNOW our Rigoletto performance has been cancelled 'cos of rubbish weather so we're hoping to eat ourselves silly instead. Long journey cross country so I hope we make it in time.

Thurs 28th Savonna DAY 5

For the first time I have ever opened my Macbook there was not a single iota of a wi-fi signal - completely cut off and barren: lovely. So this is posted on Friday evening in Montecatini near Florence - home of FAST wi-fi and very nice Italian beer! Debbie is asleep in the foyer (beside me) as it is the only place we can attach to the world.

We left Tarascon quite early having got the Italian man out of bed who had parked the bike in. He was apologetic but we’d obviously woken him from slumber. Breakfast was outside in the courtyard today and a bit like the pic of Rob blogging but on the other side of the building.

Lunch at the side of the road.

Our journey today took us through Provence. Lavendar fields, sunflowers and avenues of plane trees – quite chilly actually in the morning and on the bike. Today was meant to be a great ‘bikers’ route and we were not disappointed with not only sweeping bends but quite a lot of up and down too. We virtually had the road to ourselves in the mountains and only the odd slow Renault (!) to overtake. There were a couple of great towns nestled in the mountains with tiny streets and bustling activity. Stopped for a coffee in one of these – left everything on the bike and sat opposite in the warm sunshine.

Bigger version of the little path that SatNav led us through 

Savonna - our beds and washing - Spartan but just great! No
towels so we used our sheets and had to make our own beds.

Lunch today was at the side of the road just outside Draguignan, before Grasse (the start of the ‘Napoleon Route…er… famous for bikers – twisty-turny-fun) – 2 salads from LeClerc and multi-fruit-juice and fork provided. We then flew down the motorway past Nice and into Italy along with all the crazies in the world! Got to Savona and filled up. Rob went in to test his Italian (and to pay) and a very, very sun-tanned woman helped and helped with directions….Rob thought he understood but we ended up getting out the SatNav and punched in the address. WELL! Our lovely 

little SatNav must’ve been feeling fed up at 

not having been consulted enough and so it directed us up from the coast through smaller and smaller roads – oh yes, they were tarmac BUT for about 2miles only enough room for my bike but there were bicycle passing places IF you had two bicycles trying to pass each other. At one hairpin bend (going very much up hill) I had to do a three-point-turn to be able to get round the bend. All much more of a PATH then a road even tho’ there were only bits that were actually earth.

We stopped and Deb took this picture (above) but the road had at least tripled in size by this stage – neither of us dared to go back. Got to our Youth Hostel – lovely chap greeted us and looked as if he’d been waiting all day for us to come. At this stage (6.30pm) there is not a soul here and it has about 200 beds but we went to the ‘restaurant’, a 400m walk down the hill. We didn’t think there’d be anything there as we are in the middle of no-where but had excellent pizzas, huge beers, a bottle of dry Prosecco and a very good salad to boot. The other three inhabitants of this massive Youth Hostel building are cooking their meal outside our window as I write this!

We asked for a room with a view - everything else was crap
but the view was amazing. Actually everything was perfect...

 Here's the beautiful view of Savona from our bedroom window and we’re looking forward to more Italy tomorrow.

Weds 27th Tarascon DAY 3

We went to Avignon today giving ourselves a rest from biking - took the bus (50mins) and came back by train (12mins)... no comment but the bus driver tried hard to get us there quickly.

Avignon was great. We were told by our Hotel that the festival was over yesterday and we'd missed everything but this was far from correct. There were 5 stages in one theatre with 5 shows a day on each one. Every cast member was out and about shoving leaflets into would-be punters hands and singing/acting small previews of what they were going to do later! Early shows were family oriented - later ones definitely needed baby-sitters for under 16s!

Rob at (NOT sur) la Pont dAvignon

We went to the Pont, of course....but neither of us realised that no-one had bothered to finish it! We found all the proper information later but won't bore any of you with THAT!

Going ON the Pont dAvignon was quite expensive so we didn't but, instead, had a very good menu for lunch instead. Actually you can see the bridge much better from a distance and from above in the Dom's gardens. Also PA and Stu might go there in Sept so they can tell us if it was worth it!

Avignon is a really pretty place with lovely streets to stroll along and interesting stuff to go and see. There was the Palais du Papes which was HUGE and next to it one of the darkest churches we've ever been in right next to the Palais.

Defence d'Afficher....er...NOT!

Apart from the actors etc handing out leaflets there was the most amazing wall posting we've ever seen. No-where was left untouched and just to the left of this pic was a bloodly great sign that said DEFENCE D'AFFICHER....which wasn't actually covered but had been completely ignored - wonderful.

We had lunch in the bistro on the left hand side of this road (see below) - no traffic in the traditional sense but lots of bands and a particularly funny one-man-band who was covered in all his instruments (banjo, trumpet and whistle-thing as well as voice, and then above (played with his feet via strings and levers) cymbal, hi-hat and cowbell. He also had a bicycle bell and a few other sound FX. His songs ranged from French stuff to 'Has anybody seen my girl?' and 'Waltzing Matilda' with French verses but English chorusses: crazy but hilarious and we had him right the way through lunch over on the right hand side of the road.

Plane trees and great lunch place too (one-man-band to the left)

Les Halles in Tarascon - lovely cool place to wander

We wandered about lots and then got the train (perfectly on time) back to Tarascon. Rob then cleaned lots of mud and filth off the bike ready for the next three days of travelling - much to the amusement of the hotel manager who said he thought it might help me to sleep better tonight. Tarascon is really pretty (..if a little Tramp-ridden) but with pleasant cafes and places to eat. We did think we might look at the Castle but Avignon was much too much fun so we didn't make it. These are some of the Tarascon streets - we're just gonna go out and get a beer or two before having a rest before supper!

Thought I'd do today's blog BEFORE going out as last night's was done this morning - great meal and wine was not conducive to coherent blogging!

Off to Italy tomorrow! We should go through the 1000mile mark before lunch!

Tues 26th Tarascon DAY 3

Today has been a quite relaxed one with only 247 miles covered down the West side of the Rhone. Stunning views and great sweeping bends to glide around. We did a bit of motorway round Lyon and managed to avoid rain but the joy of all today was riding through all the Cotes du Rhone vineyards with all their names in huge white letters painted on concrete slabs high up on the slopes. We also rode through avenues of trees which were cool as well as very pretty.

Tree avenues in the Rhone valley

Stopped for lunch at a really down-and-out cafe on the side of the road. Wasn't too bad but be promised that the evening would have to be really splendid to compensate. From after lunch (sorry.....I mean l'apres midi, of course) there was a lot of traffic including huge lorries going top speed. WE are the very slowest motorbike in France including the little mosquito-like ones that zoom past at full speed in the traffic in towns. Gotta be careful 'cos the arrive before you hear them: all ridden by young French boys certainment.

We arrived in Tarascon where it just started to spit with rain. The previous town was really pretty and we wished that we were staying there but we went over the bridge (over the Rhone) and were confronted by the Castle and huge Church. Tomorrow were off to Avignon - mainly to stand on the bridge - and then we're coming back here to visit the Castle. Our hotel is basic but they are mega-friendly and our evening meal was amazing at the Restaurant du Chateau. We sat outside in the warm S. France air and had a really civilised meal with a demi-carafe of wine EACH and 3 courses!

Just before arriving in Tarascon (which is south of Avignon, if you are looking on a map) we stopped for a Panache in Viviers but the town was SO very pretty that we went for a walk.

Debbie in Viviers - quite a steep hill tho'

At last our first washed-out clothes have dried on our travelling clothes line and the second lot stretches between the lights above the bed! The room cleaners will be impressed.

Bike has now had two nights in a garage - and another tonight - and it is behaving itself well but must be a little cross by being overtaken by everything else.

Debbie map reads and I just go where she tells me - the deal seems to be that if she does that then I can swoop around the occasional corner and then leave a few miles for her to recover before having a bit of fun at the next good bend. That said we STILL get overtaken just after one of the aforementioned corners having been followed by an impatient biker (and quite a number of cars too) who has to get somewhere before anyone else in the world.

Mon 25th - DAY 2

Outside Hotel Touring (Reims) - ready to go

 Left Reims at about 10.50am after a great (but none-the-less French) breakfast and then a look around the Cathedral. Rode down a motorway (YUK) to get out of Reims and then found our 'biker' route with cool bends and rode through the proper Champagne vineyards and saw many famous names. Went via Troyes and then through Dijon on our way to Sens sur Siene but it poured with rain and we got soaked - not really as we just made it into a lovely lunchtime bistro for lunch but we had to spend loads of time waiting for the rain to stop. It did momentarily but there were quite a few times in the afternoon where we couldn't really see where we were going and had to stop once to blow the water out of a spark plug; bike was complaining lots and stuttering. T'was fine after that but there was a point where we had to follow in the wake of a truck to be able to keep tyre touching tarmac! There were some fantastic bends to ride and any of you bike riders would have been jealous at not being here to follow us round them.

Very wet bike - poor thing

Our B n B is run by an English couple - this a 'biker' friendly establishment even tho' neither of them ride anything. They cooked dinner so we had proper Kir as aperitif and then salad followed by chicken wrapped in bacon. 3 cheeses and then chocolate mousse: all jolly French and tasty. Lots of wine and good conversation with the other guests two policemen intending to bike the perimeter of France!

Bike is parked inside tonight but is sharing it's accomodation with the chickens - hope they don't roost on the handlebars and poo all over the speedo!

SUN 24th - DAY 1

Well! I just tried to start doing the blog and the wi-fi connection at Hotel Touring tried to make me do it in FRENCH! After all that work on Italian I had (sort-of) forgotten that one had to traverse France to get to Italy and that, in doing so, one has to communicate too. Anyway my French seems to have evaporated.

Pic of Debbie and how they tie the bikes down in the ferry.

We've arrived at Hotel Touring and the first thing is our Hotel is only open because WE are here. Monsieur Touring (the bloke who runs the Hotel) is trying to have a few days off to fix his old Volvo... he's kept open so We can stay here.....so Debbie creates our first crisis by breaking her back-rest on the bike and M. Touring goes and makes a make-shift bit to fix it in between polishing his right wing. Er... oops... they've voted again since I last looked. We were/are very grateful and he's very chuffed with himself.

We left Bedfield at 4.15am (ever so slightly en-retard)  but even so got to Dover shivering with cold and we were grateful for Costa coffees and friendly quasi-Cockney waitresses. The crossing was uneventful apart from a little girl being sick all over her Dad right next to us - Rob was asleep but Debbie recounted in technicolor. We rode about 386miles today which seems not-very-much for the 12-or-so hours between home and here, but we ONLY went scenic routes - lots of great bends and views and Debbie was not-a-bit scared: Rob'll try harder tomorrow tho'. 'Moules marinieres' for lunch and then a silly huge meal tonite for our 29th Anniversary: Kir royales etc. We are going to go into Reims Cathedral in the morning which we briefly visited tonight.

Pic of Debbie with Monsieur Touring - bike-back-rest-restorer.

Early to bed 'cos of Puffin Ensemble and last night had only 3 hours sleep... both nearly dropped off the bike on various beautiful French bends today but, thankfully, not at the same time.
Tra-la-la... just sort of cough on the 'r' and it'll sound a bit French.

PS - I'm asking anyone who has done a blog before.....Is this the kind of thing a blog should be, or am I pitching badly?   XXX