The European Chronicles 2023

February 16, 2023

The European Chronicles 2023 - Prologue

Corsica, Sardinia And The French Alps

A swirl of water, beaches, mountains and great roads.

Plus, there will be ferries!

Corsica, in particular, is supposed to be great riding. The late John Hermann in his fifth and, sadly, final edition of Motorcycle Journeys Through The Alps & Beyond had this to say:

Corsica should be on every motorcyclist's must-do list.

Little more than 150 kilometers north to south, and 80 kilometers wide, it's packed with high rugged mountains - even some skiing - and gorges and canyons and passes with enough tight, twisty roads to exhaust the most ardent enthusiast. It takes a week of all-day riding to cover the roads.

I'm planning 10 days. I'd also be remiss not to mention how much inspiration and practical help John's work has provided...it is the go-to reference for anyone who wants to ride the Alps. Well researched and organized; the man also liked a good hotel and restaurant. 😎. He died this past September at the age of 92. John Hermann Obituary

I could happily spend the rest of my days riding in his million mile tracks.

That said, Mr. Hermann was not a particular fan of Sardinia: Visible from the south of Corsica, Sardinia is not nearly as rugged, and doesn't make the cut.

I'm going to see for myself; planning to ferry over from Corsica and spend a week to 10 days on Sardinia. Really, how bad could it be with roads like this:

I know from past experience that Mr. Hermann likes things very tight and twisty; some Sardinian sweepers should be a nice respite. From there, I'll ferry back to southern France, probably Toulon, and work my way north through the French Alps for a couple of weeks. My "taste" of them last year left me wanting more. You can see why...

Maybe I'll even run into more pass photographers. 😎. I've certainly got many, many more French cols to explore. And a quick right turn takes you into the Italian Alps, you know, just in case...😂

One thing I've gradually embraced post-retirement is the concept of "slow travel," giving myself time to soak up what each location has to offer. That, and the "no plan, plan," have really changed how I approach each day. What I've done is "pinned" interesting hotels/points of interest in general areas on TomTom's MyDrive portal, then each day I can plan something fun at a moment's notice, especially with MyDrive already highlighting the good roads in green.

I also really like staying 2-3 days in one place; gives me the chance to do a loop ride and/or see the town. That's the "plan."

Mia's going to need some service this year: tires and brake fluid change at the dealer, oil and filter I'll do at Stefan's. I'm on an "every other year to the dealer" schedule; that way I don't have to worry about changing tires mid-trip, and a ride to the dealer the day after I arrive at Stefan's is a low stress way to put the inevitable jet lag in the rearview mirror. Throwing away a bit of tire mileage is worth the peace of mind to me. The BMW dealer is a quick 20 minute blast up the autobahn from Stefan's, plus there are Louis and Polo Moto-candystores on the way back. 😎. You never know what kind of forbidden fruit last minute kit you might need/want/have to have...

When last we saw Mia:

This year's trip is somewhat earlier, I'm heading to Frankfurt 21 May. A bit of a crap shoot if the passes are open then, but I'll likely head to Genoa, Italy the quick way to catch the overnight ferry to Bastia, Corsica. Cabins are available, we'll see what that's like!

Both Corsica and Sardinia can get quite hot, so those will be first up. Somewhere around 15 June, I'll ferry from Porto Torres, Sardinia to Toulon, France on another overnight crossing, and begin riding the French Alps south to north. All the passes should be open by then. Plan to arrive back at Stefan's 7 July; fly home 9 July. Seven weeks total. Unfortunately, a solo trip; in deference to GK's medical needs, Krisanne and I are doing "separate but (not really) equal" trips right now. She's headed to Costa Rica late March for a yoga retreat. Our life is ruled by a 10 pound Idi Amin. 😂. Happily.

Can't wait to get back!

I'll leave you with an eclectic license plate collage of some bikes at Stefan's. The owners, as you might imagine, are just as diverse. Makes for interesting conversation.