Pleasant journey in the best weather by van via highway. That this was a good idea was shown later. Unfortunately, there was no time to visit all the beautiful museums of Ferari, Maserati, Moto Guzzi or Ducati on the way.

So in the late afternoon we reach the starting point of the ACT: Bertinoro. A typical small mountain village on the edge of the Po Valley. With our side mirrors folded in, we feel our way through the narrow streets to the hotel.

Length: 220 Km
Difficulty: easy
Offroad part: 60%
The first day is the "offroad day"! The descent from Bertinoro offers a splendid view of the Adriatic coast and narrow asphalt roads that lead us in a few kilometers to the fast tracks of the Savio Valley. We cross dense forests and roads on top of rolling hills of Emilia-Romagna until we go south, crossing a strip of Tuscany to reach the mountains of the Apennines of the region Marche.

Suddenly opening panoramas and paved roads similar to those with natural background characterize this first day of the trip.
Towards the end of the first day we reach region Umbria with passages through typical villages of central Italy. The ground of the road is usually very good, unless the whole path is shifted by a landslide...!

Length: 260 Km
Difficulty: easy-medium
Off-road percentage: 55%
We start in the Pieve die Rose area in region Umbria. Monte Nerone and Monte Cartria - the two major peaks of the stage - are again in the region Marches. After crossing the forest above Città di Castello, it quickly rises above 1000 meters and reaches Monte Nerone (1500 meters), from which you can enjoy a magnificent view of the central Apennines and from which you can observe the other peak of the day: Monte Catria at 1700 m.

The descent that brings us to Scheggia to Gubbio - again in region Umbria, is a beautiful asphalt ribbon full of fun and after the town of Gubbio, you reach Passignano sul Trasimento on simple dirt roads: the arrival at sunset is pure poetry, as the red sun reflects on the lake.

Length: 195 Km
Difficulty: Easy
Offroad percentage: 50%
After starting from Lago Trasimeno in Umbria, we later cross the hills of Tuscany and its Garvel roads to Badiaccia. We cross the plain of the Chiana Valley on small roads that lead us to the foot of the Pirme Hills after 30 km. From here we go up and down the hills of the beautiful Val d'Orcia (UNESCO World Heritage Site).

We pass characteristic small towns and villages known throughout the world for their wines and their beauty: Montepulciano, San Qurico d'Orcia, Bagno and Vignioni with its thermal water place are just some examples. Through the typical white roads of region Tuscany, we drive north of Monte Amiata and head southeast to reach again in region  Umbria, Orvieto with its majestic cathedral and your famous "Fountain of St. Patrick". The landscape and the soil of the roads in the last part of the stage are quite different: forests and a more compact soil become again the protagonists.

Length: 235 Km
Difficulty: Medium +
Offroad percentage: 50%
A day full of woods and mountains through region Umbria that end up over 1000 meters high.
In the morning still in Orvieto, after Corbara Lake, the first offroad sections begin with a good ground but with some points in the isido-like rock. We pass through beautiful forests that are never dense and plateaus with very fun and flowing roads.

After San Gemini, the landscape and the terrain change: we enter the most mountainous area of the day. In the last 155km we cross some peaks with important climbs and descents: Monte Birbone (1250mt), Monte Metano (1100mt) and Monte Peritone (1200mt). The descent from Peritone takes us directly to Leonessa in Lazio: a small town at the foot of Monte Terminillo (2200mt).

But shortly before the end of the tour, I had such an unfortunate fall that I broke my left ankle. But that was not yet obvious at the time. Only - shifting gears was hardly possible under pain.

Length: 250 Km
Difficulty: Easy
Off-road percentage: 35
Abruzzo: wild plateaus and beautiful sea.
From Leonessa in region Lazio, we take the first 15 km offroad towards the southeast and then return to the winding SR471 road, which takes us towards Abruzzo via Colle dei Calassi and the small town of Posta. We continue on busy small roads and through small villages characteristic of this area of Italy and after Pizzoli an offroad section with 12 hairpin bends leads us to a plateau at 1200 meters above sea level inside the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park (it is forbidden to leave the roads).

The descent from Monte Stabiata takes us through Paganica, where you can still see the traces of the strong earthquake that hit this region in 2006. Passing Colle Biffone, after Pescomaggiore, we arrive in the picturesque Santo Stefano di Sessanio and just before we see the Rocca Calsascio, which we will soon touch on the next stretch on the outskirts of Calascio. The last 120 kilometers of the stage consist of countless curves. After the Lanciano Pass (1500 m) we cross the Maiella Natural Park and reach the Lanciano Valley. The destination of our journey is the picturesque Costa dei Trabocchi with its typical 17th century fishing machines. Attached fish restaurants on the piles invite you to dine.

Well - that's how it should have been. But because of my mishap with my left foot, proper driving was hardly possible - certainly not offroad! So we take the easiest way to the coast and to Fosscesia.

Of necessity we drive via highway to spare my foot as much as possible - just shiftless - back to the starting point, to Bertinoro.

For the final journey home, I was now very happy to be allowed to sit in the van, with my leg elevated to a higher position.

A visit at home to a local hospital the following day, then finally showed that the ankle was actually broken. Despite good Enduro boots! Until I could use the foot again correctly and also pain-free, should pass in half a year...

But had that diminished the value of the experience? No - I would like to repeat the trip - it was so great.