I rode to Rimini today, along the autostrada. I chose it because it is the last town on the coast before the autostrada turns inland towards Bologna.
On the road leaving Amalfi, going east against the rising sun, and on the seaward side, I often could not see at all. On the left hand bends especially, to my right there was the wall and the abyss beyond, and on the left was oncoming traffic I couldn’t see. I tried to steer into the centre of the vague silhouette of the car in front, hoping he could see. Fortunately, after a few kilometres I turned inland and climbed the escarpment , and over the top, toward Naples.
I’m not sure how Zumo got me to the A30 through all this. I remember the back streets of Naples, two children begging in rags…..
On this winding road with short straights, descending into Naples, there was a slow car in front of me (mostly, slow cars were Fiat 500s) and a car behind me wanting to go faster. Going into a short straight, I thought that if I accelerated hard, passed the Fiat, braked hard, I would make it round the next corner. If something came round the corner I would cope somehow. In the second it took to have that thought, the car behind had passed both me and the Fiat. That’s what it’s like here, many drivers more aggressive and alert for possibilities than the average motorcyclist.
On the autostradas there are servizios at roughly 50km intervals, most with an Autogrill. This time I got excellent value from my billet, collected near Naples and surrendered near Rimini 700km away. The toll was €51.60.
