So this won’t be a
usual blog entry about seeing a particular place, just one that covers a number
of things that go on when you’re travelling, like today, a rain day.
Rain days are a consideration when motorcycling and in
particular this rain day here in Sestri Levante where there is an Orange Level Thunderstorm
warning, not translated to English but it must be bad right? As I sit here
writing this I realize OH YEAH! It’s bad, but we are safe and dry.
Paying attention to weather forecasts is an important part
of adventure riding. When we travelled based on a fixed schedule and we had to
be back at work then you would ride in some bad weather, or if it crops up
during a day then you obviously deal with it, but when it is this pronounced
then you respect it.
Yesterday was a great ride back about 130 kms from Lucca to
Sestri Levante and we took the back roads. It was busy being a Saturday in
Italy all the bicyclists (would be Giro d’Italia participants) are on the back-roads on every pass you are on. And then there is weekend traffic. When we
got off the bike yesterday, checked in and lying on the beach both of us got
talking about the same thing, and it’s funny that it came up.
We talked about all the sensory inputs that are involved for
both rider and pillion passenger when motorcycling and in particular on a day
like yesterday. First off there are all the driver controls that need to be
coordinated, right foot – rear brake, left foot – gear shift, left hand –clutch,
right hand - throttle input and front brake input. Then there is bike velocity,
terrain conditions, traction and lean, translating road signs or instructions, appropriate
gear selections for these conditions, and then in Italy a myriad of hazard
inputs from foot traffic, bicyclists, from both aggressive and elderly car drivers,
some who want to beat you, some who don’t see you and then yesterday a last
second cat that ran out, I backed off the throttle just enough that it made it
past the front tire before being run over. Sandra never saw the cat, but
thought I had backed off because I saw a car she didn’t. Oh yes, and then there
is navigation with the GPS. This was a particular route I wanted to ride so I
had programmed it and it gives me the graphic view, a written sub-instruction
and a voice command. Many times I just listen to the voice command, and because
the GPS is in my general field of vision, when I get a split second it gets consulted
to confirm. Sometimes I will be to spend an additional split second consulting
the graphics for the next bit of road.
And that’s where we must all sit back and respect the capacity
our minds and our senses bring to the table when travelling and in particular driving. Since I
was in high school I learned that I did best at anything on a good night’s
sleep. Sounds simple and it is. And I promise to respect it and the amazing skill level of my partner.
So as I write this as well it’s been nice to get email from
several of our friends, (as I type), we have met on the road this year and last. Must be
raining all over Europe today! LOL.
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