+ Week The European Chronicles

[Chickenstrip]

Amazing!
My friends give Milan a bad rep, saying it's too industrial. I've been to Rome, Florence and the Tuscan countryside ... this what they're comparing Milan to - kinda ridiculous. Anyway, I have a place in my heart for industrial cities, being a Steel City boy.
Milan is on my list of cities to include in a future Tour de Europa.

 

[Chickenstrip]

Speaking of size: The Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Morningside Heights, NYC, is purported to be the "6th largest church by area", according to Wikipedia. It is large, but you wouldn't guess it to be the 6th largest. Obviously, it's not nearly as elaborate as il Duomo. Personally, the only thing memorable about it for me is that they have cool art exhibitions in the huge nave.

Cathedral of St. John the Divine - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[kickstandsup]

Amazing!
My friends give Milan a bad rep, saying it's too industrial. I've been to Rome, Florence and the Tuscan countryside ... this what they're comparing Milan to - kinda ridiculous. Anyway, I have a place in my heart for industrial cities, being a Steel City boy.
Milan is on my list of cities to include in a future Tour de Europa.

Hmmm...I would not characterize Milan as industrial at all. Many parks and green spaces, more retail oriented, with a fashion district. Lots to see...

Castello Sforzesco, built in the 15th century by the Duke of Milan, Francesco Sforza.

Even the refrigerators have style...

On to the fashion district

You didn't think I'd be taking pictures of clothes, did you?

Memories...

Caged Bull

Back at Milano Centrale having a spritz and an espresso before catching the train back to Varenna. We walked about 10 miles around Milano!

 

[kickstandsup]

A few other sightseeing highlights on my daughter's visit...

Took the ferry to Bellagio

Found this pristine Honda 350 Four

George, hey George, wait up!!!!

Waiting on the ferry was a whole gaggle of Morgans

Back in Perledo, found what looked like a very cool restaurant "at an historical and ancient building nestled in the ravine of Vezio," Crott del Pepott. And it was...

On to Castello di Vezio, built in the late 11th century, with a commanding view of the lake.

A great visit, taxi picked my daughter up a o'dark thirty for the train to Milano Centrale.

Next up...Formula 1, but not before Mia throws a hissy fit...

 

[klaviator]

I truly love the Alpine scenery, it is breathtaking. The jagged peaks juxtaposed with lush valleys. The ever present party at the top, the culture. It is grin-inducing and inspirational. And most of the riding I've done here has been absolutely fantastic.

But if I'm honest, constant switchbacks are not my favorite kind of riding; I like the road to be a bit more open.

I like roads with rhythm; switchbacks are all stop and go, no flow. Hard on the gas, hard on the brakes, throw her over; repeat. The joy becomes the view at the top, and to the extent you have time to see it, the view along the way. Ideally, I'd like a bit more journey, a bit less destination. Constant switchbacks are like a one note song...once the novelty wears off, it's boring.

Really, I'm more of a Spa Eau Rouge kinda guy than a Monaco Fairmont Hairpin aficionado. Which looks like more fun to you?

Interesting question. When I was younger I preferred medium to high speed curves but over the last few year I have started to prefer the really tight switchback riddled roads. But I have yet to find a road in the USA that has the kind of non stop switchbacks you have in Europe. I think a lot depends on the bike I am riding as well. While you consider your BMW800 to be a light weight bike, I consider it a heavy bike. I have a Versys 650 which I consider heavy, It's not fun on tight switchbacks. On the other hand my Kymco Like 150i and Kawasaki KLX250 are a blast on tight switchbacks. Someday I'd like to ride the Alps. When I do it will be on a lightweight bike.

One of my favorite roads has about 2.5 miles of tight and steep switch backs but thankfully not much traffic.

 

[kickstandsup]

klaviator Looking back, and with more experience now, not all the pass roads are constant switchbacks. Some combine those with "ridge runs," some valley transits before climbing again, and many have more "open" turns that have room for 2 vehicles.

Having said that, many are simply constant switchback climbs and those are my least favorite for 2 reasons. First, just stop and go like I've mentioned and second, the traffic is always unpredictable. Splugen was perhaps the worst, which is what caused me to write the above. There are trucks, buses, etc on this 2-way road, never enough room for both to pass. Causes a bit of a cluster which, to me, is not a lot of fun on a Moto. If there was no traffic, fine, just a challenging road. With traffic, a bit of a PITA.

Despite that...I can't wait to go back this summer... ;)

 

[kickstandsup]

The plan after my daughter left and my wife arrived, was to do loop rides from Casa Olea. Mia, however, was having none of it.

I went to check Mia's tire pressures and noticed a puddle of fluid on the right side of the front wheel...brake fluid or fork oil? Fork oil. Fair amount has leaked out, the tell tale ring was visible on the fork tube. Time to hunt down a dealer.

Turns out there's a BMW Motorrad dealer in Lecco, at the southern end of Lago di Como, about 20 miles away. Call them up and, thankfully, someone speaks English. My original goal was to see if they had the fork seals and oil in stock (doubtful) so I only had to ride the bike there once for repair. Swapping emails turned out to be the easiest way to communicate, Google Translate is your friend; they could get the parts in 3-4 days, but were booked for service until the end of the following week (I was warned about this apparently Europe-wide problem by Stefan). They also really wanted to see the bike first. I rode down that afternoon for them to take a look.

Their head mechanic found a vertical scratch on the fork tube and recommended replacement, otherwise it would likely cause the new seal to leak as well. Scratch was pretty deep and a few inches long, something must have lodged in the seal and scratched the tube. Because this is year one of what will hopefully be (at least) nine more, I decided to follow his recommendation, as well as replace the left fork seal and oil at the same time. Parts were ordered, and the repair scheduled for the following week. I'd just have to leave my wife lounging by the pool or exploring Varenna while I spent the day at the dealer. ;)

I limited my riding until then. I did, however, order up some neoprene fork gaiters for my wife to bring with...hopefully, that will help prevent future problems.

Fast forward to the next week, a quick ride south brings me to the dealer.

This dealer is BMW Motorrad, BMW car, Mini and Land Rover/Jaguar, so there's plenty of eye candy to while away the time. They even have an iPace as a courtesy car; smart, get people experience with an electric.

Plenty of old school too

The new R9T/5 is very tasty in this color combo...

Nice service area where the lifts are inset into the floor so they're flush when down.

The service entrance

Nice long lunch hour...Italy

While I'm waiting, the head mechanic (on the right in the photo below) offers me coffee from his own personal Moka Pot, freshly brewed, none of that fancy machine-made coffee for him. Along with that comes homemade pastry baked by the woman (center below) behind the service counter. Could not have been more pleasant, fun and engaging, and Mia is now once again pass-ready! Hopefully, for many more years to come.

The Lecco BMW Motorrad Team

 

[Chickenstrip]

Ya know, those little gator thingies create stiction!

 

[kickstandsup]

Ya know, those little gator thingies create stiction!

Normally, but these are the special Ohlins TTX technology neoprene gators, all for $15... ;)

BTW, touch wood, they are still going strong today, and I also put a set on Ginger...

 

[FLrider]

Going down memory lane with your RR! Last time i saw the Duomo in Milan was 1980 and the building was pitch black. To see it restored and cleaned is amazing.
Friends of us had a hotel near Malcesine on lake Garda and it was…. a small castle. It since has been converted back into a private home afaik..

 

[kickstandsup]

Going down memory lane with your RR! Last time i saw the Duomo in Milan was 1980 and the building was pitch black. To see it restored and cleaned is amazing.
Friends of us had a hotel near Malcesine on lake Garda and it was…. a small castle. It since has been converted back into a private home afaik..

I've found it easy to find small, interesting hotels in/around the Alps. Lots of multi-generational family owned places, with very personalized service. The half board option is usually a good deal, with the on premises restaurants quite good. Booking.com is your friend.

Lots of places offer the "single zimmer," not a configuration you see here in the states. Cheaper, and perfectly adequate when you're alone.

And every place is Moto friendly. The ski area hotels often have underground parking.

 

[FLrider]

While traveling solo in France one year, I always found a small hotel room just about everywhere as most places have a closet sized room tucked away somewhere… 😁 This was in the days before the innerwebz…😉

 

[kickstandsup]

While we're talking hotels, there are two "Moto specific" hotel associations that I'm aware of:

Motorbike holidays with MoHo - Motorrad Hotels

Motorcycle holiday with excellent services and information in Austria, Italy and Germany. Book your motorcycle hotel now!

www.moho.info

Motorcycle hotels all over Europe

www.tourenfahrer-hotels.de

I have not yet stayed at any, but think I will try this summer. One of them could be a fun place to "hang" for a few days and do loop rides.

And the "wellness center" at many of the Alps hotels is really terrific after a day of riding. Shower, steam, sauna, whirlpool, cocktail, dinner...ahhhhhhhhhhhh

 

[kickstandsup]

With Mia temporarily on injured reserve and awaiting parts, I discovered that Formula 1 was at Monza that weekend...and Friday practice tickets were available and not that expensive.

Monza, built in 1922, is the world's third purpose-built racetrack, located in a park just north of Milan and two stops on the train south from Varenna. A fast, flowing circuit, shaped like your right foot including the ankle. Because of the long straight, F1 cars run a "low downforce" aero package to increase top speed; that also makes them a handful thru the turns, especially the last sweeping right hander: the Parabolica.


The Parabolica is an important turn, really two turns because of the shape, perhaps the most important on the circuit. Its long sweeping arc, curling around your toes, leads to the long straight. Get it right and it sets your speed for the straight, get it wrong and you either end up in the gravel or get blown by on that same straight. I set up there for a series of short videos and to watch the different solutions to the same problem.

First off, let me say that I no longer follow F1 with any regularity. I did up thru about the 90s, but all the downforce made the cars and racing less interesting to me; less passing, less driver involvement. Guess you could say I'm an ex-fan, but how could I miss this opportunity?

Every good trip in Italy must start with a good cappuccino.

At the Varenna station, I met two Canadians also heading for practice; their Ferrari shirts gave it away. Friends from Toronto, they were at Spa for the last race, and are doing Monza this weekend; they follow the circus around as time permits. Nice guys both, one even has a Ducati Monster 821, made the train time go by in a flash. Well signed directions lead you to a shuttle bus to the circuit, and a long walk thru the park puts you at the entrance.

As you can see, there's some rain. Mostly intermittent, but too wet for slicks until the very end of the session. Fine with me, the cars move around more in the wet.

Here's the entrance to the Parabolica:

 

[kickstandsup]

Further around the turn. This is the first time I've heard a modern F1 car live. Many have this slightly odd "whirl" sound as the reach the top of the rev range...the video does not capture it well, but you can hear it slightly at the end of this one. Also a faint wiff of exotic fuel, a bit like the Moto 3 bikes, but not as strong. Sadly, the smell-o-vision on my phone was disengaged...

Before I left, I walked thru the F1 "Fan Zone." There were two booths that had crowds: the F1 simulators and the IQUOS e-cigarette booth. Both populated by Generation Z.

When we toured the Ferrari museum September 2018, I did one of the simulators...pure video game with three screens and zero tactile feedback. Really brought home to me how much we (maybe only me?) rely on physical feedback to control a vehicle. Perhaps good for learning a track, but certainly not for control, at least in my limited experience. As for the e-cigarettes, sad, really, and shows the overwhelming power of marketing. Mission Winnow my ass.

Any who, a Ferrari under glass, showing the complex aero solutions

If it begins with cappuccino, it must end with gelato

And Casa Olea, still under guard

 

[FLrider]

This season Ferrari is doing well again. It’s been a long time coming and the last race was a nail biter till the end…
Being Dutch I am a Max Verstappen fan as he is the first Dutch world champion, controversy’s aside.. Monza is a great track with a lot of history.

 

[kickstandsup]

This season Ferrari is doing well again. It’s been a long time coming and the last race was a nail biter till the end…
Being Dutch I am a Max Verstappen fan as he is the first Dutch world champion, controversy’s aside.. Monza is a great track with a lot of history.

We had a great time touring the museum back in 2018.

Good to see them in the fight!

 

[kickstandsup]

My wife arrived late Sunday afternoon after a post-Customs train station sprint that allowed her to juuuuuussssstttt watch her train pull out of the station... The next train was a cocktail hour away, but eventually made its way to Varenna. Molto bene!

Wine, food and sleep; Monday was explore Varenna a piedi.

As always, she brought the sunshine with her...

Her summary: "When are we moving?"

 

[kickstandsup]

The Three Pass Boogie

Boogie Oogie Oogie

Mia delivers! Maloja Pass, Abula Pass, Julier Pass (and then Maloja again) all in Switzerland, with a swing through St. Moritz.

You can see the Maloja climb here:

And a shameful screen grab of Maloja Pass from above:

Cappuccini and cake at the top, along with wonderful conversation with the couple on the Multistrada. He had rented a bike in Calgary, Canada and toured Banff and Lake Louise...was shocked by how much "nothing" there was. When you're used to a party at the top of every pass, and a restaurant serving gourmet cuisine, yup, I could see that nothing is shocking. You know my vote...

And a tasty R10

I love civilization...😂

The Maloja Palace, on the outskirts of St. Moritz, is a four star hotel only open December to March. Opened in July 1884, and at the time, the largest and most modern hotel in the Alps.

We skipped the St. Moritz casino; roll past the Silvaplanersee and turn left for Abula Pass. Much of Abula and Julier are above the tree line, with spectacular landscape.

 

[kickstandsup]

Lunch here:

A fabulous vegetarian soup, with this view:

The owner could not have been nicer, and was having a bit of fun with my wife. She pays with a credit card (I love being a kept man), he puts it in the machine and then holds it up in front of her face telling her to look into the camera and smile so the payment will be accepted...


Saddle up...

At the top of Julier Pass are two very interesting structures:

Hazard a guess?

It's a theater!!! And it will be dismantled in 2020, no idea if that actually happened.

The Origen Cultural Festival is known for its unusual venues. A medieval castle, a converted barn, temporary structures on mountain passes, artificial lakes and village squares are all settings for the performances of the music and dance theatre founded in Riom in 2005. Today, it is one of the largest cultural institutions in the canton of Grisons.The theatre has now acquired a new location: a 30-metre-high gleaming red tower in the rocky landscape of the Julier Pass, 2,300 metres above sea level. The structure, which cost more than SFr 2 million and was financed largely by donations, was planned as a temporary object and will be dismantled in 2020. Since the site lies outside the permitted building area, the tower was allowed only on condition that it would be provisional. Giovanni Netzer, the founder and artistic director of the theatre, describes his building as a "built stage set, erected to house performances and subsequently to be removed". The theologian and theatrical scholar developed his idea for the playhouse on the basis of 80 models and sketches, and the engineer Walter Bieler implemented this vision within a few months.

A fun ride; Mia performed flawlessly, thanks Lecco Motorrad! I really like this bike, it has been a great tool for the environment. We will, however, have to find some way to lower the passenger pegs a bit to accommodate my wife's knees.

"Do you want to stop?"
"No, I'm good."
"Would you like to stop now?"
"No, I'm fine."
"How about a stop?"
"No, I'm ok, we can keep going."
"How are you feeling?"
"I can't move my legs, just ride back to Casa Olea and I'll fall off the bike."

Maybe we should stop more.

Our route:

Update:

Hopefully these will help the knee situation. Having them delivered to Stefan's, too late for this year, but there's always next...😁.

They worked perfectly, she said "I cannot believe how much difference these make!"