Day 54 – Mandello del Lario Italy

Day 54

Localita Malnago Italy – Poschiavo Switzerland – Mandello del Lario Italy

The day started off gray and drizzling. I checked the weather this morning and it’s supposed to rain for the next 4 days in the Swiss Alps. I also checked the weather report for Cannes France it’s supposed to be sunny and beautiful for the foreseeable future.

Naturally I headed for the Swiss Alps. I do have a new 100% waterproof rain suit now so I should stay dry even if I am miserable and maybe the weathermen will get it wrong again.

I made my northwest of Lake Como in a light rain when I was passing through some unremarkable small town in traffic across from a gas station when the car in front of me slowed down. I wasn’t close to the car and just applied the brakes as I’ve down thousands of times on this trip and the front wheel immediately locked and the front end tucked and before I could think “huh, what” I had done a face plant on the street. Apparently some truck had dropped a load of gas or oil or something on the street because as I picked the bike up my boots were slipping and sliding on the street.

Most of the damage was to my pride but I did manage to break off the rear brake peg and scratch up the bar end of the right handle bar. I also managed to rip a hole in the right sleeve of new rain-suit. 9000 miles of assorted hooliganism and I do face plant going 10 miles an hour. Doh!

Undaunted I continued on and made my way into Switzerland where the rain steadily increased as I made my way higher into the mountains. I was passing through the town of Poschiavo when I approached a set of tram tracks at an acute angle “Hmmm, this could be tricky” Booom and down I go “Ah shucks not again” (paraphrasing) I thought as I tumbled down the street. Well in truth only the lower half of me was tumbling down the street the upper half was tumbling down the sidewalk. No I didn’t get severed in half! It would be quite a trick to be writing this after being severed in half.

Lets just say this took care of any pride I might have had remaining. It also put about a dozen new holes in my rain-suit and added yet more character to my right bar end and gave me a few bruises that I didn’t have this morning. Luckily I had already broken off the rear peg lever so I didn’t have to worry about that anymore.

I continued on for about another 10 kilometers but weather just kept getting worse and I was going so slowly I was even holding up the cars (oh the shame). It’s pretty apparent that I’m not meant to enjoy the Alps on this trip or maybe I angered the Moto gods yesterday at the Guzzi factory.

Deciding that cowardice was the better part of valor I set the GPS for Cannes and tucked tail and ran back to Italy.

As soon as I crossed back into Italy the rain stopped and the roads dried out. Now I’m not saying this just happened because I turned around but I do believe in signs. The “Twisty Road” signs are my favorite.

Since I was going back the way I had come I decided to stop by the Guzzi factory and beg forgiveness for my transgressions to the Moto gods.

When I got to the Guzzi factory there was a French Guzzi riding couple already there paying their respects. I told them of my tale of woe and they aided in performing my act of contrition by holding the camera. Ah humility it’s good for the soul.

The Guzzi couple Jean & Evelyn Pochez assured me that the weather was going to be great in Switzerland tomorrow and they also gave me their mandatory Swiss highway sticker for the bike. Well with a promise of good weather and a free ticket to ride I may be trying my luck in the Alps again tomorrow. So pray for me (I’m still accepting donations of lawyers, guns, and money btw).

Jean and Evelyn and I all decided to have dinner together and they’ve told me of a Guzzi gathering happening in central France this coming weekend so I’m really looking forward to that (assuming the Moto gods have forgiven my transgressions).

BTW, if you hear anyone in your town advocating for light rail you have my permission to smack em in the snout.

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