Motor Road Trip through Italy`s West Coast - Part 1

Hello there Steemers!

I just came back home from a two week long trip through this beautiful country, called Italy.
I wanted to do this trip with a good friend of mine, both on our own motorcycle. We thought that with the beginning of Spring was the perfect time of the year to travel through Italy, and usually it is. In fact, before starting our trip we had two full weeks of perfect weather, which felt more like summer than spring really.
But our trip had to be uniek, and so was the weather forecast for the coming two weeks: clouds covering the entire peninsula with lots of rain coming up!

Fresh and clean at the beginning of our trip :)

So what would end up in an almost 2.400km trip started from the city of Piacenza, our hometown. Our first stop would have been in Chiavari, at the other side of these beautiful hills which separate us.While the end goal was to reach the ruins of Pompei, and take the boot to Sardegna. Once in Sardegna to cross its entire west coast, from south to north, and take the boot back to the main land at Livorno, and from there drive back home crossing the Cisa (a very well known bikers hot spot, beautiful and challenging road through the hills).

So,... Following the river Trebbia we started our climb up the hills, which on the motorcycle really is great fun, even if this time we had to be very cautious as the first rain was already falling down on our heads.

Our first pausa caffe` was in Marsaglia, a very well known little town for its Calin di Maggio, a town feast which happens every year the night which will bring into the first of May. It is a particular feast, as most villagers welcomes the visiting crowd lead by the local singers with home made goodies and home made wine!

Luckily after the coffee the rain stopped for the day, and we were even blessed with a little sunshine until we reached Chiavari.

After a couple of nice days in Chiavari visiting some friends, we mounted on our bikes again, this time to leave this well-known area for some less familiar ground. Climbing up and down the hills we left Liguria behind us, passing through La Spezia, Massa Carrara and Viareggio, arriving at our second destination: Pisa.

Typical view of Liguria,... I really love this region, in particular Le Cinque Terre!

Leaving the Hills behind us we arrived in the plateau, where the bad weather was waiting only for us,...again! This is from Massa.

Finally Pisa it is!

No! I didn't made the picture leaning on the tower,... C`mon! Half the world has a picture like that by now! ;)

From a bikers prospective we had the time of our lives cruising on the hills and were now plunged into flat ground trying to avoid the many busses overloaded with tourists. So after a quick stop in Pisa we took off towards Volterra, rolling over the smooth and easy Tuscan hills!

All wet ... poor darlings XD

Welcome to Volterra!

I love these old Medievale towns, even more when on top of a big hill! Its pretty easy to imagine how life once was...

With some old Etrusco ruins just outside the old walls.

and an old De Medici fortress,...

Which believe it or not is a functioning State Prison today! With its own theater company!!!

These old towns very often have cool museums as well. I cant really explain why,... but I like torture museums hahaha.
Please, have a seat!!!

... you can also shop in some of those. This one is a cute Valentines present for just 99$ ! It can also be used to rasp cheese!!!

Volterra is just one of the hundreds of old town which you can find in Italy! They are all a little the same, but then again, are always different! I know that I just can have enough of them, and so I try to visit as many as I can,... here follows Pittigliano!

Pittigliano is a town located not far from the Lake Bolsena. It has this awesome feat that it was built on this very high cliff. But they weren't the first to have chosen this place, again some Etrusco ruins are nearby!

Pretty cool dont you think? But would you believe me that there is an even better one not far?
Its always close to the lake Bolsena,... and this one has become my favourite! It is called The Dying Town, as the rocks are slowly giving away, crumbling slowly but surly! Its real name is Civica Di Bagnoregio

this might as well be used for a movie! Incredible view!!!

At this stage we were already 5 days on the road but we traveled already through Emilia Romagna, Liguria and the whole of Toscana reaching into Lazio, where our capital Rome lays as well. I think we did 650km roughly at this point, this is roughly the route we took. We never took the highway as it is no fun, always looking for the most panoramic and challenging roads instead, while the screenshot shows the fastest way.

See you hopefully on part 2 of the trip! ;)

Ciao

Milo