Motorcycle tour of Sicily (to the boot of Europe)

Day 2 (Through Marche / Umbria)

Length: 310 km

The second day takes us through small, sleepy Tuscan villages and a golden-yellow landscape. Wisps of morning mist drift up the conical mountain slopes. Everywhere you look, the famous cypress avenues wind harmoniously through the picture-perfect scenery. There are no typical tourist attractions here; the landscape itself is the highlight. One sign that you've left Tuscany is Lake Trasimeno. It's not deep (max. 7 m) but quite large. What immediately catches the eye is the reed belt and the many birds, be it herons or swans. From a parking bay, you can overlook the lake before the road winds down to its shores. The next 100 km are characterized by heavier traffic. We reach a larger town, where we turn off and head into the mountains. Although the slopes are wooded and there aren't any spectacular views, it's a welcome relief to drive through here in the midday heat. In summer, it's a popular hiking area and day-trip destination. Although a pizzeria at the edge of town beckons, we drive 40 km further into Umbria, the gateway to the Sibillini Alps National Park. A panoramic road quickly climbs to an altitude of over 1500 m. From there, the road descends gently, revealing the vast expanse of the Piano Grande plateau. We stop frequently for photos.