Misadventures in Italy

[heatherp]

Saw one of those lilac monsters in Duc city two weeks ago with a sold tag on it.    Not my cup of tea.  You can get burnt orange too.    I didn't mind the metallic red one though.

[Spider]

I thought pearl white was the new yellow.

you shut your filthy mouth, scoundrel!

[Betty]

So, not a big fan of the pearl white Spider?

Well it does look pretty ordinary in photos and a bit ostentatious up close maybe a little euro-wanky for some tastes.

[Betty]

But wait, there's more ...


PART 7

So we spent the next week back in Lucca (just outside Pisa) where we were around familiar faces and some English speakers. A convalescing hospital escapee is not the same as a tourist so our final week in Italy was a pretty low key affair. Joe and the guys continued to help us out where they could including hosting us for a couple of dinners, organising accommodation, providing us with a local SIM card for the phone and helping Julie with her blood tests.

But the biggy was Joe driving us back to Bologna so we could see the factory and museum … Joe’s 2 year old daughter had affectionately named Julie ‘Granny’ but nothing was going to stop her hobbling her way around the factory floor and museum. We first stopped at the ‘factory outlet’ just up the road. Next time we will remember our passport for duty free shopping … the prices are cheaper there than the small shop at the end of the museum just remember they are slightly discounted Ducati prices so don’t expect any real bargains.

We quite enjoyed the short walk around the factory (no photos) which is quite clearly a place that has been cobbled together over the decades. The assembly is still done by hand and they seem to make quite a big deal about the number of females on staff … I reckon smaller hands would be a big advantage. Basically one person is responsible for the assembly of an entire bike … not only does this give the workers more variety it also allows them to take some ownership of the final product.

We saw a couple of Streetfighters enter the Dyno booth while we were there as this is the final test procedure before they are packaged up for shipping â€" the old guys seemed a bit smoother on these poor bikes than the youngens … and then they go and rev-limit your bike during run-in . We were surprisingly happy about the factory tour â€" I mean it is just a factory/assembly-line right? â€" but it would have been so much cooler if we had have been able to it a little earlier when we would have been able to see the ‘old-style’ Monsters coming along the production line.

Then it was on to the museum … a brief rundown is not likely to spoil any future visit you may have in mind (especially as I have since heard that they will be re-building the factory and (bigger) museum a little further down the road. The foyer has a couple of the more recent models on display while we were there this included a Streetfighter and a Desmocedici. The hall leading into the museum had a few Ducati artefacts/curios in cabinets such as cameras, typewriters and radios … and then all the bikes.

It starts with the Cucciolo and comes right through to the modern day. Perhaps unsurprisingly the focus is on the racing bikes from the early stuff to the modern WSBK and MotoGP bikes with a section dedicated to each. We were given a brief run-down by our guide before being left to wander/wonder and take a photo or two (hundred). Not being mechanically inclined (and with a pretty limited knowledge of the old bikes or the racing scene) my observations were pretty much limited to “ooh, look at the pretty bikes”. If you want to know more you may just have to take a visit yourself.

Like all museums it is difficult to be all things to all people when you have such limited space â€" and dare I say it â€" a limited stock of bikes to choose from. But the bikes on display are immaculately presented. I understand that the early (bike producing years) of Ducati were filled with some pretty bespoke machines and there have been some unique bikes produced. But there were no scooters on display and a section dedicated to the Apollo … a bit more attention to their most recent saviour (the Monster!) would have been nice for us. But I suppose the image is all about racing so it is fair that that is where the focus lies.

Funniest part of the tour was when the guide (whose father’s race bike is on display) started giving the safety apparel speech and about how dangerous it was back when her dad was racing and talking about injuries. Julie couldn’t help herself, exclaiming “like this” as she showed off her recent belly re-structure … this only reinforced how revered the girls seem to be at Ducati. It turns out that the accident site was only about 4km from the factory … so we had almost made it a week or so earlier.


... stayed tuned for the last boring instalment ...

[Betty]

OK my indoor photo skills are even more ordinary than my ... ahh .. who am I kiddin' they aren't skills at all.




Heather you have already met Joe who is a Pom and doesn't count, but what about Livio Lodi!!! Like I have said before location on the temperature scale is up to you, but as the Curator of the Ducati Museum he does have other things going for him.




Where it all started ... the Cucciolo




Where they have really made their name ... WSBK dominance




And MotoGP bikes as far as the eye can see

[NFG]

Awesome story so far.  Very much looking forward to the next one, shame it's the last. 

[Betty]

Awesome story so far.  Very much looking forward to the next one, shame it's the last. 

I'll try to remember to post up the last instalment tonight but I don't think anybody could really stand much more of my crapping on. After that if anybody wants me to elaborate any further just let me know ... like I said it turned into a bit of travel diary with a leaning towards the Ducati side of things ... and although it may not seem like it I tried to keep it brief.

[Betty]

What you have all been waiting for ... the end ...


PART 8

Once the factory and museum visit was out of the way it made it a bit easier to start thinking about home … and there is only so much you can do when you have had your guts cut open - getting anything out of the travel insurance company was becoming increasingly difficult however. We only found out we were going home at 2:00am (local time) on Friday morning and it was not until then that we knew we had to be at Pisa airport by 9:00am. Talk about cutting it fine … but apparently the insurance company had sorted everything out.

We were held up in security for a while â€" if you are going to take the advice of the check-in staff (to take something you planned to check-in as hand luggage) just remember what is in the bag before you agree. Then the plane was late and delayed by about an hour. When we arrived in Rome all of our baggage did not! We only had about half an hour to file our claim for lost baggage and get from the domestic to the international terminal and then on the plane to Dubai … a nice low, stress way to end the trip.

Once at the international terminal we still had to sort out some administrative issues and pay some fees (twice … and in a different location of course), then Julie was told that she couldn’t fly without a Doctor’s certificate. So much for the insurance company sorting everything out! We managed to negotiate our way onto the plane before a nervous break-down and we were on our way home.

Next tip for the weary traveller is to ask for a wheelchair at airports, not only does it give you priority access onto the plane you are also given your own wheelchair pusher who guides you through terminals, security, customs, etc. Although I was able to negotiate a business class return for Julie it was not all good. Firstly I was stuck with the rest of the cattle without my usual miniature travelling companion so was bunched in by hulking snorers and secondly once you (or somebody) has flown business class you will never want to go back and join the plebs.

Our lost luggage (predominantly riding gear) arrived about a week later and about two months later Julie was back on the bike. As I type she is starting to get her riding mojo back, so things are looking up. Once we had the chance to settle in at home and look through the photos we realised we did have a good trip despite the little … umm …hiccup. It was definitely the trip of a lifetime but not for all the reasons we expected.

We have since decided that we need to make a return visit as we have some unfinished business … it could also truthfully be said that Julie has left a little piece of herself in Italy. The questions that remain are do we want to ride there again. Understandably Julie is not keen and I am in two minds (better than the usual three I suppose) which to a normal person would probably indicate riding over there again is a bad idea â€" maybe we can just settle for some track days next time!

If you are still with me at this point I thank you for joining us on our little adventure, hope I didn’t bore you too much. But if you want to know any more feel free to ask.

[Betty]

Some more photos of course ...




Heather I don't think this counts because he should be Swiss




Maybe the Carabinieri ... apparently they are employed for their looks




Julie obvioulsy doesn't mind a rock hard Italian bum either




Cliched tourist shot to finish off

[Spider]

thanks for that! and definitely ride....I mean we see idiots do that lane change crap in Melbourne....could happen anywhere!

[Betty]

There will always be the nagging doubt of bad memories plus you have to also contend with somebody elses bike and riding on the wrong side of the road.

Each of which can be overcome but together ... doubt is not a good thing ... Italian roads aren't for the timid.

[FIFO]

Thanks Betty all very good.
You get an A  for that.
Try a little harder on the girly photos next time you will be up for an
A+

[heatherp]

RobS he was on holiday with his wife - I don't think girly pics were an option.  Julie looks like she was enjoying herself though.

Trip home sounds like a bit of a horror. 

Think you have to go back now you know how the system works it should go much smoother (yeah right)

Is there some smaller (quieter) towns in Italy where you could ride without the dramas you speak of that would help build the confidence again.  I hate riding in the cities here let alone bigger cities overseas and being on the wrong side of the road!!

[Betty]

Is there some smaller (quieter) towns in Italy where you could ride without the dramas you speak of that would help build the confidence again.  I hate riding in the cities here let alone bigger cities overseas and being on the wrong side of the road!!

Well that was basically how it was meant to be ... the trip on the autostrade was just to get into Bologna to get to the factory. But in reality you can't really avoid traffic in Italy and all the other road users (where ever you go) are consistently inconsistent. The speeds may vary but this was actually quite a low speed incident by the time contact was made. Trust (whether it be blind or otherwise) is a big part of riding I reckon so there is a big psychological barrier to overcome.

In Australia it is a bit easier you just have to look out for old folks wearing hats, volvos, taxis, qld plated vehicles, doof-doof hoons in their wrxs or pretend evos, girls texting, white van drivers, 4WDs ... umm, OK I see your point Spider

[loony888]

qld plated vehicles?
oh yes, hogging the right make the beast with two backsing lane! yes?

paul.