Croatia, here we come!

2 days ago
4 min read

Tuesday, 10th June, 2 AM. The alarm went off, just to remind me that the restless and sleepless night was thankfully over. I woke up effortlessly. Quick pit stop, shower, and coffee. I checked (for the 100th time) all papers, kissed Jennifer goodbye, and walked to the garage.

The Glide was there, waiting. Refueled and packed, it was like it had had a sleepless night too in anticipation of what was to come. The drive to the ferry was chill. Boarding was pretty straightforward. Once boarded, I proceeded to the lounge, and we all met there—12 La Valette adventurers. The air was electric. Everyone was excited and looking forward to this road trip.

Once we arrived in Sicily, we had time to visit Route 115 (amazing shop) before meeting up with our buddies from the Etna Chapter early in the afternoon. We rode together toward Palermo port, over 50 bikes.

We took the night ferry to Naples. On Wednesday morning, we disembarked from the ferry, and the real driving had to start. We had over 500 km to ride on the first day, and we needed to meet our friends from the Riccione Chapter. The heat didn’t help, but we all gladly made our way to the destination. Once we reached the dealership in Riccione, we had time to do some shopping and relax with a cold drink. From there, we left and went to the hotel, which was opposite the amazing beach in Riccione.

In the evening, we were invited to dinner. Good vibes, new friends, ice-cold beer :) ... and most importantly, we took the opportunity to make La Valette’s Malta presence felt internationally.

Thursday, we drove some 450 km with the Etna Chapter up to Trieste. There, we had an amazing lunch and split routes. Our Italian friends continued driving toward Croatia, while we had other plans. We needed to drive, see, live, and explore more.

We took off toward Udine. Our leaders (Sandro Anastasi and Kevin Caruana) had booked lodging in Udine. Thumbs up, they managed to find a piece of paradise. An agriturismo in a valley with vineyards, etc. Our options were soon very clear. We stocked up on some goodies, had a quick shower, and spent the evening laughing, drinking, and nibbling in the patio, immersed in nature.

Friday was one hell of a day. We drove from Udine to Slovenia and down to Croatia. Amazing driving day. We stopped at Lake Bled for a quick lunch and continued our drive toward Croatia. We arrived at our hotel in the early afternoon, around 5 PM. Check-in, shower, and off we went to the rally to meet our other La Valette buddies who had taken a different itinerary to the event.

This was my first rally, and I have to admit I was extremely curious. I was immediately impressed by the number of bikes around. Wow! What a vibe. Food, live music, merchandise, parts, new bikes, test drives... and thousands of Harley lovers!

The weekend flew by like a dream, and on Sunday, 15th June, we parted ways and took the road back to continue our road trip. We left Medulin and drove along the Croatian coast. OMG! What a drive! Left bends, right bends, good rhythm... I was actually hoping that Kevin would tell us to drive back and redo the road. Amazing. Unfortunately, I had to settle for a cold beer by the sea... (not bad at all :) ). After a 550 km drive, we ended up in Split. Found the hotel, and Sandro handled check-in. Unfortunately, Jalal was failing to control the puppy he was carrying with him. Its barks were extremely disruptive :)

After checking in, quick shower, and off to a lido close by. We had a couple of beers, ordered some pizzas, and ended the evening with a stroll along the promenade.

Monday was another epic day. Leaving Croatia for a short trip through Bosnia and into Montenegro. Handling border control is always a hassle, especially with the soaring temperatures, but the driving and the scenery made it all worth the while.

I was extremely positively impressed by Montenegro. Nature has truly gifted this country. We had an amazing lunch, which got extended due to rain. Following that, we drove a 34 km pass down a mountain. Niceeee! Finding the lodging proved to be a bit of a challenge. But we love challenges, don't we? :) We spent the evening next to a fire, drinking, nibbling, and laughing like there was no tomorrow.

The plan for Tuesday was to drive into Albania to reach the Durrës port. I personally wasn’t impressed by Albania. We drove through a lot of traffic and bad road conditions. Thank God we reached the port in the evening and got the night ferry to Bari as planned.

Wednesday was the last day, and we had to drive the longest distance from the port of Bari to the port of Pozzallo (about 700 km). We drove steadily. Scorching heat, heavy rain with hail... all in the same day. Just one constant—La Valette kept on going.

We arrived at Pozzallo slightly ahead of schedule and found time to go to McDonald's for a snack. We were all very satisfied. We had made it—4,000 km later.

The trip on the ferry was uneventful.

a big shout out goes to Sandro and Kevin for all the efforts, organisation and patience they gave. These experiences build bonds which will last over time. That's the way to go La Valette!