A Motorbike Ride to Chiavenna

Where are we going today? The main stop is the Crotto Quartino, where we'll stuff ourselves with typical products from the Valtellina and Valchiavenna. Secondly, if the weather allows, we'll visit the famous Acqua Fraggia waterfalls at Piuro.

What could be better than waking up at dawn on a Sunday to go for a motorbike ride? A good feast at the crotto. We set off at 8.30 a.m. and meet up in Lissone. DIRECTION: Chiavenna-Piuro

The weather is fantastic and the trip goes smoothly all the way to our destination; a bit too much traffic on the road, but on such a lovely day that's understandable. The shortest and easiest route from Lissone is to take the SS36 or Viale Zara (the one of the ladies of the night, to be clear) and carry on until you reach Chiavenna, smooth as oil. We exit at Bellano and follow the lakeside road to Piuro; the road is very evocative, thanks to the succession of characterful little villages, and full of medium-difficulty bends, not to be tackled on flat tyres… Like the PD… OTHERWISE YOU LOSE THE GROUP After admiring the lakeside and after having got on the nerves of the other bikers, who have to wait for me every other minute because of my photographs, we carry on until Piona (the town of the famous abbey) and finally Colico, where we rejoin the SS36 and head straight on to Chiavenna.

Once in the town centre you come to a kind of roundabout. Here you need to take the road towards St. Moritz. Follow this until you reach Prosto-Piuro, where you'll find the famous waterfalls on the left-hand side of the road. The crotto where we stuffed ourselves with typical Valtellina products is also worth mentioning: CROTTO QUARTINO 23020 Santa Croce di Piuro (So) tel. 034335305 I recommend it to everyone for its quality and honest prices: a rare thing these days… The place is very simple, and if you're lucky enough to get a nice day you can eat outdoors at big stone tables. The feeling is one of total freedom; the food is served in the shade of century-old plants by very friendly and pretty young waitresses. RECOMMENDED BY TEK'S RED GUIDE