This morning I was surprised to wake as late as 07:40. I was first at breakfast at 08:10. A table was laid for me, and a larger table for 7. So I wasn’t the only guest after all. The elderly woman was serving breakfast, and offered me coffee, Italian style or latte. I took the latte, without thinking. Breakfast here was OK, but not outstanding. At checkout I learned that it was not even included. He said he would charge me cinquanta instead of quaranta otto, OK? Sure, the brekky was well worth €2.
Day 22, Monday, Colle Santa Lucia
Breakfast at BnB Casa Rossa was in the living room, on a table laid for 3 people, next to the grand piano. Very nice house. The other 2 people, a young couple from a village near Modena, showed up soon after. They had good English. No prosciutto, so I had to make do with cherry jam on my rolls, but it was good cherry jam! Apparently they don’t have good internet in the village near Modena either. Even Italy doesn’t seem to have good internet in out-of-the-way places.
Then I set off for nearby Strigno, since it was the starting point for today’s planned ride to the ski resort of Cortina D’Ampezzo. Doubtless the name was the inspiration for the Ford Cortina of yesteryear. I set Zumo for Castello, to force him to use the minor road toward Agordo that featured in the map of best motorcycling roads in the Dolomites (and also, not coincidentally, in another site listing the most dangerous roads in Europe).
Day 21, Sunday, Telve
Brekky in the Hotel Villa Luigia was the best yet in Italy. They had prosciutto cotto, fresh warm rolls, cereal, muesli, yoghurt, fruit, cakes, and I was offered an omelette too. While checking out, I gave them an explanation of why the light switch in my room was faulty, and the corresponding Google translation into Italian. It was a 3 switch setup, with a switch at each side of the bed, plus the door. Eight combinations. The light would work only when the door switch was down, so the opposite pole in the switch was broken. Pointing to their Booking.com rating of 9.2, I said I would rate it undici (11) if I could. The elderly man, presumably the owner, beamed, and offered me an espresso for the road. I thankfully declined, I’m trying to avoid coffee in the mornings now.
Day 20, Saturday, Rimini
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.