The Wrong Way Round 2008 - Complete Part 6
Italy
If you aint read the previous posts, then they cover France, Andorra and Spain and are all below. Click the ‘Photos’ button for loads of photos of the trip.
Ok….. Italy……
Crossed the so called border - one side of a tunnel was France came out the otherside and it was Italy. Quite funny as entering the tunnel the roadsigns etc in French the other end its all in Italian.
Ahhhhh Italy feel sooooo happy at reaching this point. Out of all the countries this place has to be my fave and as a bonus at least I can just about hold a conversation (even if it is bad and lacking grammer!)
Followed the coast road through Sanremo, Savona through to Genova. This road has to go down as another great road. Constant tunnels and then bridges over amazing valleys. Then turn right and views of the Med sea.
Was going to head into Genova, but again decided it was a big city free trip, so starte heading up Italy to Alessandria on more great roads 
Picked up the A21 to take me to Piacenza and Brescia. This was an ok autostrada to make up a bit of ground. Decided some oil was needed…. bike info says I need 15/50 oil, wouldnt you just know it the best I could find was 10/50, so got a litre of that and had to pay…..wait for it…… €19!!!! Even more pisssed as only needed a few ‘egg cups’ fulll of oil in the end to bring up the level 
Now that was an expensive litre of oil - even more so as I saw the same a few days later for about €8!!! so even more
Had a chat with an Italian biker just west of Verona who was on his way back from Algeria on a GS after 15 days in the dessert. The bike had took a total battering, and looked soooo weather beaten. While chatting noticed a fairing screw had come away and took some of the plastic with it
Now that needs a bit of gaffa tape on it until I can sort it out - no idea where that happened!
Started heading North from Verona and dropped off onto the ‘coast’ road of Lago di Garda. Was good riding up at the side of the lake, but was a little bit misty. Stopped off a few times to take in the views and take photos.
Continued up on the A22/S12 through Rovereto, Trento to get to Balzano. The road up to Balzano slowly winds its way up into the Dolomite hills. Some cracking views of the peaks covered in snow in the morning mist.
Eventually turned off towards ValGardena on the S242 - now this road Ive been on several times before and its fun in a car, so was looking forward to the ride up into the valley.
Having a break before the twisties of the S242
The mist now gone and another warm sunny day looked to be on the cards
What a road the S242 is, twisting through little collections of buildings built into the hillside. Slowly climbing up through every turn. Finally reach Ortisa and through to St Cristina. Now climbed into the hills still with some snow on the ground……
Bottom of the Sassslong ski run (skied down there in Feb!)
Continued up twisting and climbing all the way. Rode on through to Selva Gardena with a very big smile on my face as this was another waypoint of the trip. Parked up and had a walk about taking photos and smiling even more
Loads more photos of this area in the PHOTOS section. So go for it and click ‘Photos’ to see them
Decided quite quickly that Id be staying round here for some time