Switzerland by Daniele Somenzi

Switzerland The first time I went to Switzerland was in 1982; I was shocked by the dream we long for in Italy, that is, how all of us would like the belpaese to be; unfortunately, though, such great order and cleanliness is found in regions like Trentino or Valle d'Aosta. Giorgio and I were on two wheels for this first encounter with Switzerland, me aboard the legendary first moped of my life, a Garelli VIP 4 with gears, fifty cc, and Giorgio on a Malaguti Fifty 50. Between my legs, held upright, I carried the Canadian tent we used on campsites as our night-time accommodation. We entered from Germany near Zurich, and as we made our way in we moved away from the city towards the greenery and the St Gotthard Pass, which takes you very high up; our fifty-cc bikes struggled, we both stayed in second gear for a long time. It was September and it was starting to get chilly too.

But the landscapes are very beautiful; then all of a sudden the descent begins, and the Italian canton too; in Bellinzona we slept, after doing about 400 km. Unfortunately the Italian border gets ever closer. Our mopeds behaved splendidly, and luckily we never got caught in the rain. bye