Parc national du Mercantour, France
Sospel
Roubion, in the Mercantour
It was rainy but the Cians Camping, in Bueil was very nice
Peone, in the Mercantour
Saint-Martin d’Entraunes, in the Mercantour
The Mercantour did not disappoint
Motorcycle paradise
I slept with the sound of the cowbells last night, in the Rifugio Jumarre
2 days - 600 km
Italy
Puy village
Colle delle Finestre
Gorgeous Lake Orta
Lake Iseo
My friend Myriam is a wonderful guide for this scenic part of Italy
Passo Gavia
Passo dello Stelvio
Passo dello Stelvio, on the other side
3 passes and 3 countries in 3 hours! Italy 🇮🇹, Austria 🇦🇹, Switzerland🇨🇭 Stelvio, Umbrail, Reshen
Campanile di Curon Venosta Vecchia. The village was lost when a dam was built to generate electricity.
Brescia was much more beautiful than what I'd imagined
Impressive Roman heritage
3 days - 1600 km
Slovenia
Monte Mangart (2677 m)
Clear and to the point 🙂
Naravni
Beautiful Ljubljana, but so crowded!
First time that I see a floating court
2 days - 600 km
Bosnia and Herzegovina
The arched Old Bridge that spans the Neretva at the town’s heart, has been meticulously reconstructed following destruction in the Croat–Bosniak conflict
Incredible jumper!
Life is good
The cave at the bottom of a 250 m cliff hosts the spring of the Buna river, while the white building is the Tekija (Dervish House), from the 15th century.
This morning was an adventure! For me, an adventure is a memorable, unexpected experience involving obstacles, surprises (good or bad), and the thrill of discovery mixed with a healthy dose of fear of the unknown.
My adventure began on a path through a lunar landscape, where I walked for a solid hour without seeing another soul. Reassured only by the blue line of my GPS, despite the barely-there trail, I was surprised to stumble upon a rustic farm. Suddenly, a German shepherd appeared, followed by a smaller, yappier dog. Everyone warns that sheepdogs, not bears or wolves, are the real danger in these parts, fiercely guarding their flocks. And unfortunately, the path ran close to their property. A third dog, a mastiff, joined the noisy duo, his bark no less intimidating despite his apparent age.
Then, the most unexpected sight: two little girls in bright clothes emerged from the stable, followed by their mother and, later, their grandmother in traditional dress. We exchanged greetings, and I hoped they’d call back their dogs. No such luck. So, with my aggressive, barking escort surrounding me, I slowly made my way past the barn.
Twenty minutes later, I understood why this path was so deserted: it ended abruptly at a large hole. A U-turn was necessary, and dreading a repeat encounter with the dogs, I opted for a faint, alternative path, hoping it wasn't also a dead end. This small worry, born from isolation and the unknown, is what transforms an ordinary walk into an “adventure” in my mind.
I'm glad that these 3 dogs did not attack me
Incredible geology
Montenegro
What an entrance into Montenegro! The area of the Durmitor National Park is really spectacular.
I loved riding this incredible road that goes through the tunnels on the top right corner
Lake Piva
Each region has its own way of forming straw haystack. Some hold it with a wood stake in the center, here with ropes held by stones.
If rocks like horizontal stripes in Bosnia, Montenegro prefers them verticals :)
Sentinels to the gates in the background
A night with the sheep
Right from the start I was really impressed by the Montenegro sceneries. Then it got even better, riding on a panoramic road not knowing where to look to not miss anything. At the end of the afternoon I’m entering the Durmitor national park. It’s so gorgeous that I’m tempted to stay around for the night but I’ve not much to eat and rain is coming. I continue for a while, hoping to go down in elevation (1800m) for a warmer night. That’s when I see a couple of very old cabins on a side trail. I go check them out for a photo opportunity.
That’s when I see someone coming out of what I thought was an abandoned cabin. I meet Daniela, a shepherd. She knows just a few words of English but enough for me to understand that she offers me to stay here tonight. It’s such a beautiful site, why not!
Daniela lives in very primitive conditions but has a bit of electricity thanks to solar panels. She lives here alone, without a car or cell service. She offers me a a Turkish café and a glass of grappa (she doesn’t drink) and then shows me around.
Life has a very different pace here. We’re waiting for the 3 cows to come back from the pass a few km away. She makes sure they’re OK with a pair of old binoculars. When they arrive, slowly, they join their calves in a small cabin and get milked.
The sheep come and go, with the dog around. The chickens keep trying to get into the cabin.
She shows me the cabin where I’ll sleep with an inclined floor and half destroyed “beds”. Still, one seems good enough and will be fine with my sleeping bag. Without running water I don’t imagine that any of it has been cleaned recently.
The sheep get by themselves into a small fenced area where they will spend the night. There are wolves around and they need to be protected. When they come, the dog raise the alarm and Daniela make the wolves go away with firecrackers (it’s a National Park so no guns, even to just scare them).
I was reluctantly considering eating an energy bar, when she invites me to share her simple diner! Looked like a soup of warm milk with pieces of the bread she bakes inside. Sure beats what I have and could not be more fresh! She is very interesting, too bad that we can’t communicate more easily.
All right, time to count the sheep.
That's her whole "house"...
...and the inside of it
Daniela milking the cows after the calves got their share
Basic accommodation but what a view!
Sheep getting inside the fence, as they seem to know that they need protection
Diving into the clouds
I wish I could say that the night was wonderful, surrounded by beautiful mountains and sweet animals but it was not
The sheep next door had tons of stuff to say, the bed was more inclined that I thought, and worse, the cows startled me in the middle of the night by thumping the cabin’s walls. Daniela had warned me about it so I was not scared to feel the whole cabin shaking. Finally, way too early, a big storm came with thunderstorms at very, very close range and heavy rain.
I felt very blessed to be under a roof rather than in my tent! Without internet there was no way to know how long it may last so I just stayed in my bed.
When the rain pauses a bit I come out, I’ve seen Daniela much earlier taking care of stuff under the rain. When she sees me she invites me for breakfast. It’s ground meat with eggs from her chickens, her bread and, luxury, a tomato. She heard on her radio that the rain would last for several days and offers to stay longer. While tempting, the road is calling so I say goodbye. Her last heartwarming gesture is that she gives me a great sandwich she prepared for me!!
Back to the plains
I have to abandon the beautiful mountains of Montenegro, so soon after discovering them The forecast is rain for a week there and rains sucks on a motorcycle and for taking pictures as well. So I’m heading to the coast where less rain is expected.
Beautiful sites nonetheless around the Lake Skadar, the biggest in the Balkans. It’s really a gorgeous place especially from the mountain road on its south side.
View on Shkodra Lake
The beautiful Ulcinj and its fortress
Ulcinj, beach side
Bar, is another beautiful city with a fortress
View on Shkodra Lake from the North side
The picture is bad because it was raining but the view on Kotor from that viewpoint at 1400m of elevation is really breathtaking 🤩 Highly recommended. Of course the visit of the old town is worth it as well.
Kotor
Perast
Croatia
View on the amazing Dubrovnik
Sveti Jure is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 1.750m and the road leading to it offers a breathtaking panorama of the mountains stretching down to the seashore and islands of Croatia
The midway observatory with a glass floor is impressive as well
Nice spot for the night
No doubt that the Croatian coast is superb in was too busy and touristy in this period
Senj harbor
Encounters when exploring the local trails
Motovun
Dolomites, Italy
We’ve met with Miriam again to finally visit the Dolomites as we stayed West of it last time (Stelvio and other passes). This mountain range is stunning and there are less people this week 🙂.
Lago Di Pieve Di Cadore
From top to bottom, it looks like different worlds to me
Enjoying the Dolomites so much! Pass after pass on the twistiest roads
Softness and sharpness in display
The coming storm adds drama to the sky
Nice sunset for the end of our day, after being rained on for a couple of hours
Trouble
On my return journey to France, deep in the Italian countryside before Torino, disaster struck. My engine sputtered and died, spewing oil from a cracked valve cover over the cam chain area. The chain, likely due to a faulty tensioner, had jumped. I was in serious trouble.
Twelve years ago, I'd encountered Miriam during her epic motorcycle trip from Patagonia to Alaska on an aging BMW GS. We'd bonded over the shared experience of mechanical mishaps in foreign lands, the vulnerability of being stranded on the side of the road with a broken bike and nowhere to turn. Miriam, with her big heart and understanding of my predicament, immediately offered assistance. She borrowed a van from a friend and drove a grueling six hours round trip to retrieve me and my stricken motorcycle.
Before Miriam arrived, I pushed my bike two kilometers to the village center, seeking some food and drinks while I waited. That evening, a local gathering of American motorcycle enthusiasts was taking place. My battered KTM, a stark contrast to the gleaming Harleys, stood out like a sore thumb. However, my American license plate seemed to break the ice and gain me some unexpected camaraderie.
Twelve years ago, it was I who had been the benefactor, helping Miriam when she arrived in San Francisco with a broken-down BMW. I connected her with my friend Rick, who generously provided parts and expertise to get her back on the road. Now, the roles were reversed. Miriam, my gracious host, introduced me to her network of friends and skilled mechanics. Delio, the kind soul who lent the van, offered to transport my bike to Jacky, a seasoned mechanic with a lifetime of experience.
Jacky immediately began assessing the damage. The next day, unfortunately, the news was grim. The engine was beyond repair. My options were stark: sell the bike for parts or embark on a challenging search for a used engine. It was the end of this awesome (so far) journey.
Adversity turning again into a good story
Delio (white hair) provided the van and offer to bring the bike to Jacky who was an excellent pro mechanic his whole life
