The first day of the module tour 2023 takes us from Bolzano to Levico. The day actually went as planned... Until the exit from the hotel garage

But then we took off, Bolzano behind us, the hilly landscape with switchbacks in front of us. The weather played along, but not the Ducati of a tour member. The search for a gas station turned out to be more difficult than expected, but coffee stops were found all the more frequently.

Good morning all from the wonderfull Hotel du Lac in Levico Terme.  Unfortunately, the promised "great lake view" from our hotelroom/terrace, wasn´t there this morning. Due to heavy rain warnings, Christian (our morning tourguide) had to delay the Tour start with 1 hour. At 10,00 am sharp, we left the Lake Levico and headed for Trento in dry weather. We passed the city in western direction and had our first coffee stop at the Castle Toblino. There, Christian repaired Michael´s front tyre.  With a little delay again, we continued our ride to Lago di Molveno, where we made our group photo of the day.

In Mezzo Lombardo, it was time for a picnic, well prepared by Daniel, Gerard and Stefan.

It was a pity that our highlight of the day, the San Romedio Sanctuary, was cancelled due to the weather  delay.  Part of the group liked to do an extra Pass with Noel (tourguide in the afternoon), to Penegal (1737 m). We had another coffee stop there with a spectacular view on Bolzano and the Lago di Caldero (Kalterer See).

Via Mendola Pass, we started our way back to the Hotel Post Gries in Bolzano.

It was another fantastic and a completely dry ride today, even with sunshine and great temperatures in the afternoon. Also dinner was lovely, like usual. 

On the third day of the tour, the participants have already familiarized themselves with their motorcycles. This allowed us to glide effortlessly and confidently through the curves of the road. There was no need to worry about "way of right" or "right of way" today. The streets were so deserted as if we had them all to ourselves. Mark had the pleasure of riding behind Stefan's Harley E-Glide today. His personal highlight was watching the sparks fly off the Harley on the Lavaze Pass. Even in the snow, the machine was still able to create sparks that hit Mark's visor.

The final day of the tour has arrived, for both the tour guides as well as the guests from Germany and the USA. It will also be the last time the group will change bikes, guides and van guys who are in charge for the delicious picnic. After a late but delicious dinner at Hotel Parc du Lac in Levico Terme, Michael S. and Mark will be in charge. The last daily briefing started at 21:30, everyone was a bit exhausted and had an after-dinner dip. But the beautifully executed flipcharts drew the attention of the attendees.

After breakfast the bikes were packed and the group headed to Bolzano, where we first made a photo stop next to the foot of the Pergine Vasulgana hill, the castle where we had a round tour a day before. We continued to Lago di Santa Colomba, but before we arrived for the photo stop at this cute little lake, we lost Michael from the USA again. Oops…! But this time three other guest got lost too. It took a few minutes to get picked up by the other Michael. So much confusion, don’t blame us The others already went for a coffee in Albiano. The sun was shining, the coffee was delicious, the group was complete again, the setting was perfect! We hit the road to Mezzolombardo for the picnic. Just before arriving we made a small toilet stop at an gelateria for mouth-watering Italian icecreams. Who would ever expect we would still be hungry?! Just 10 minutes later Henning and Trummy welcomed us with an non-alcoholic welcome cocktail at the picnic, exactly what we needed. The table was filled with local appetizers, snacks, salads and desserts. No expense has been spared for the Grande Finale.

Last but not least it was Mark’s turn to do the Daily briefing. Noël would eventually start the last part on the Harley Davidson E-Glide, which has traumatized him during the garage training. Mark put his mind at eaze and we were ready to go. Except Noël, the group drove the pass next to the picnic location up and down, to hit some more switchbacks. In the valley the team was complete and continued to the artificial lake and dam of Lago di Santa Giustina. Just before arriving we lost Michael…

…again…

At this occasion the group headed to the next village to have a beautiful view over the lake and hoping for a coffee break while the tourguide in charge hit some beautiful sweepers before finding Michael. Luckily Michael has been found, but unfortunately the cafes were closed. A free ride was suggested on the Passo delle Palade. Upon arrival, Noël was moved to tears. Not only by the driving wind in his face, but also by pure emotion. The so called Angstgegner, the Harley, has thrilled him so much he fell in love with the bike! 

Bei dieser Gelegenheit machte sich die Gruppe auf den Weg ins nächste Dorf, um einen schönen Blick über den See zu haben, und hoffte auf eine Kaffeepause, während der verantwortliche Reiseleiter einige schöne Kehrmaschinen traf, bevor er Michael fand. Zum Glück wurde Michael gefunden, aber leider waren die Cafés geschlossen. Auf dem Passo delle Palade wurde eine freie Fahrt vorgeschlagen. Bei der Ankunft war Noël zu Tränen gerührt. Nicht nur durch den Fahrtwind in seinem Gesicht, sondern auch durch pure Emotion. Der sogenannte Angstgegner, die Harley, hat ihn so begeistert, dass er sich in das Bike verliebt hat!

After the Passo delle Palade, the before-last highlight was the Via del Vino, South Tyrols wine road through the vineyards and small villages with its narrow and twisty roads. Lots of apple trees are blooming at the moment and caused hay fever for some people, but it was definitely worth it. Upon arrival, the picnic guides arranged a big boot beer at the hotel. This epic journey has come to an end and we’re happy all of us made it safe and sound!