Tuscany & Abruzzo loop (2015)
This itinerary realised a long-standing ambition to return to summertime Tuscany on two wheels. With a garage including Vespa and Ducati at home, I decided to push the boat out by renting a BMW R nineT.
With zero luggage capacity we also rented a little Fiat Panda (more on that in a moment) to carry our bags and based ourselves from Chiusi in Tuscany for a bit before moving south to Santo Stefano di Sessanio in Abruzzo.
From these locations we made various day trips - I’d often be up at dawn for a blast around empty roads and then we’d both be back out in the afternoon for a mountain walk or visit to a nearby village.
The narrow Beemer pillion seat proved hair-raising for Hannah but as a monoposto it was great for blatting around the countryside.
Highlight of the trip however was driving that little Fiat roller skate on mountain roads, proving the adage that a slow thing driven fast trumps a fast driven slow.
