50cc to Assisi: The Blog Posts

In the summer of 2024 I spent a month travelling on my 50cc moped on a somewhat winding route from Leicestershire to Assisi, a journey of about 1,450 miles. I packed a tent, spare clothes, a few essentials (and a few non-essentials, it turned out) and mostly slept rough on roadsides and in the woods as well as staying at a few monastic communities. Here's the story: jump in anywhere and use the "older post" and "newer post" links at the bottom of the page to journey with me ...

Preparation ...

Stage 1: From Home to Dover

Stage 2: From Dunkirk to Châtillon-sur-Seine

Stage 3: From Châtillon-sur-Seine to Taizé

Stage 4: From Taizé to the Great St Bernard's Pass

Stage 5: From the Great St Bernard's Pass to Baggiovara

Stage 6: From Baggiovara to Assisi

Stage 7: From Assisi to Home

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The Plan

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Assisi and back on a 50cc moped. About two months on the road and around 5000km of travel. Detouring a lot, stopping everywhere, probably getting lost from time to time. Camping, bunking up in monasteries, sleeping rough under the stars. Praying. That, in short, is the plan. Sometime in the second half of June I'll be setting off on this quixotic pilgrimage. I've been granted three months of sabbatical leave by Launde Abbey, and I want to use the time to do something both restorative and stretching. At some point, riding my little moped back and forth around the Leicestershire countryside, the idea sprang into my mind: wouldn't it be great to ride right across Europe? So the sabbatical plan formed, and I'm in the final weeks of preparation. Mind you, to call it a 'plan' is a little bit misleading. I've got a bike, a destination, and a rough idea of the route I want to take. I've got no fixed timetable, no accommodation booked, no definite itinerary ...
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The Plan (Revised)

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So here's the new plan. First, the things I can't do. You can only buy a scooter if you have Italian residency. Scooters can be hired, but only for local use. Because of my sleep disorder I've been advised against driving cars. And although I briefly toyed with the idea of becoming a walking pilgrim - you know, a proper pilgrim! - I've not come prepared for that, don't have the gear, and there's a heatwave here in Italy ... just doesn't seem wise. So, phase one: buses and trains to Florence, where I can stay in a Florentine convent, and then train to Assisi to stay with the local community of Bose and complete the outward journey. Phase two: I don't have a realistic and life-giving way of making the pilgrimage back (unless I want to spend days as a bored train-riding pilgrim) so I'm going to get a flight back from Assisi. Phase three: fix up my other 50cc scooter (more about Stella later ...) and make a UK based 50cc pilgrimage - praying ...
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RIP Rocinante

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Salvatore climbs back into the cab of his recovery truck to take Rocinante on her last journey. I spoke with three mechanics this morning, and they all agreed on three things. First, Rocinante's engine was almost certainly damaged beyond repair. Second, a repair or replacement would be extremely costly. Third, they were so backed up with work she wouldn't even get the work done for two or three weeks. From all three I learned a new word: autodemolizioni . Basically the Italian word for scrapyard. So I spent a long, hot and slightly dispiriting afternoon with Autodemolizioni Longagnani in Baggiovara going through the lengthy paperwork involved in scrapping a foreign vehicle, then picking up the bike. I am now a pilgrim on foot. One more night at the hotel then ... well, then whatever comes next. ///spelled.chills.cape
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