Project 99 — Italy test ride

Months earlier we had been busy sourcing the right kit. Which bikes were right for us, which panniers, which tent, which camp kitchen? Weight had to be right, yet everything had to survive real use. We researched and compared in detail; we went to bike shows and outdoor fairs. Slide talks from bike travellers and long conversations about experience, tips and tricks became our hobby. We took our time and bought piece by piece — only when we were truly convinced. Trust in your gear, we would learn later, matters as much as trust in your travel partner.

Rain in Ticino and on the road

Properly equipped, we set off. The sun smiled at us and we joked about whether we should leave the rain gear at home. Luckily it was only a joke. On our first evening in Ticino a few drops surprised us. Tired from the first impressions, we crawled into our brand-new sleeping bags. What woke us in the night sounded like a waterfall: it poured all night. The wind howled, thunder rolled, and sleep was gone. But the tent stayed dry. Good choice! At dawn the campsite manager appeared at the door and said we had to move the tent — the lake was flooding and water had reached some pitches. We packed fast and headed further south. From then on rain was our constant companion. We only guessed at Lake Orta through the murk; Piedmont looked different from GEO at home; the rice fields of northern Italy gurgled away. We pedalled and hoped for better weather every day. Only our shells were wet — everything underneath and everything in the bags stayed dry. Investing in 100 % waterproof gear had paid off. But the rain wore on the mood. We had imagined June in Italy differently. Then, once we climbed another hill, we saw the sea — and the sun. The Italian Riviera was in sight.

Levanto and Cinque Terre

The first thing we treated ourselves to was the most colourful gelato we could find. Holiday mood kicked in. Grinning, we headed for the Cinque Terre. In Levanto, the northern gateway, we found a nice campsite and settled in. We stayed several days, soaked up warmth and enjoyed dry shoes again. Every night: pasta, wine, and southern atmosphere. The villages of the Cinque Terre are reachable only by train or on foot. At 29° in the sunshine, GEO magazine suddenly made sense again. After we had sampled the gelaterias and walked the villages, we prepared to ride north. That morning the first drops fell again. We could hardly believe it.

Return — and train to Lucerne

We slogged via Parma and endless wet kilometres to Lake Garda. After a few sunny days we continued through South Tyrol, over Reschen Pass, into Switzerland and the Engadin. In Scuol everything was grey-on-grey — or wet-on-wet. We had planned to go home via Flüela, Davos, Disentis and Oberalp. Enough was enough: we decided Swiss Federal Railways would take us and our bikes dry and safe back to Lucerne.

Balance — and what came next

Our summer 1999 balance: 1,200 bike kilometres, two weeks of rain, one week of sun, one flat tyre as the only bike issue, and two happy riders. We liked travelling this way so much that while drying and cleaning wet gear we already started planning more. Contact with local people, slow forward motion, enjoying nature, noticing scents — we wanted more. And so, on 30 April 2000, we would leave Switzerland for a year or longer. We would give notice on our flats, take our own tent and trusty bikes, and go. We wanted to experience other worlds and ourselves — and take time for it. First goal: the US West Coast, Los Angeles to Vancouver along the Pacific. Then a few months in Australia. After that Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia. We were looking forward to it — fingers crossed for less rain!