A taste for travel

Two Italian H.O.G. members found that a tour of southern Europe on their Heritage Classic^® was the perfect way to indulge their passion for fine food and wine

Antonio Perrone and Pamela Pascuzzo live in Lecce, a splendid historic Italian city full of rich Baroque architecture. It sits at the southernmost tip of the Apulia region, in Salento – a strip of land between the Ionian and Adriatic seas that yields an abundance of excellent food, wine and local produce.

After a few years on an Iron 883™, for some time now the pair have been riding the roads of southern Italy on a Harley-Davidson^® that’s special both in name and nature. “I knew what I wanted,” says Antonio. “I liked the Heritage Classic^®, and I searched for one for a couple of years before I found the 1995 model I have now. Without modifying it too much, I set it up so it would be comfortable even on long rides, with quick-release accessories: a windshield, backrest pad, saddlebag and luggage rack turn it into a smaller, lighter touring bike. This way, I can enjoy it stripped down on the streets around my home – I can rediscover its original beauty between road trips.”

After a couple of tours of Sicily and a short trip to Tuscany, Pamela and Antonio had got to know their Softail^® well. They felt at home on it and decided to tackle a long journey, heading north in search of fresh scenery, scents and flavours. For them, every choice, starting with their motorcycle and their clothes – they have a penchant for H-D^® Genuine MotorClothes^® and memorabilia – is above all a question of style and character. “We’ve done long trips around the Balkans and the United States with rental touring bikes. We prefer a lighter, more agile Harley^®, even if it means sacrificing a few creature comforts. Last year, in order to satisfy the pent-up wanderlust built up over months of enforced seclusion, we needed something a bit more challenging than the usual weekend ride out to the country…”

A life member of the Harley Owners Group^®, Antonio works as a sommelier in a major hotel in Lecce, and loves sharing his expertise with others. He has an extensive knowledge of French wines and was keen to visit some of the country’s renowned vineyards and wineries for himself. Pamela shares Antonio’s passion for twin-cylinder American bikes, but more than anything she loves good food, and she’s an accomplished cook. She goes to great lengths to find the right ingredients and the most effective cooking techniques. Pamela’s desire to deepen her knowledge of French cuisine, and to enjoy excellent food and traditional specialties in the very places they come from, exercised an irresistible appeal.

So, the idea took shape of combining an avid interest in food and wine with the rhythmic roar of the most sensual twin-cylinder engine in the world. “We set off at the end of August with a single goal: the French border. After a strategic stopover in Milan, with an obligatory veal Milanese, we continued towards the Mont Blanc tunnel, arriving the following evening in Burgundy. This is a splendid region and home not only to great wines but also unforgettable landscapes. Between old casks, tasting sessions, medieval villages and every imaginable kind of market, the rhythm of the Harley engine set the tempo as we passed grand-sounding road signs like Pouilly-Fuissé, Chassagne-Montrachet and Vosne-Romanée: legendary places in the worldwide wine industry.

“Having said goodbye to Dijon and its incredible mustards, we enjoyed a couple of days of dolce far niente in Auxerre and Chablis before tackling the long ride across France to the Atlantic…” The next two days were devoted to the Loire and its iconic castles: Chambord, Chenonceau and Villandry are essential viewing to understand the spirit of this region. The climate was kind to them from the start, and the ocean appeared in all its splendid calm at Piriac-sur-Mer, the first stop of five wonderful days spent in Brittany. These landscapes are a must for every motorcycle tourist: photographing your bike against the backdrop of distinctive lighthouses is a reward that’s worth every inch of the long roads you must take to reach them.

“There are some stops we particularly recommend”, say Antonio and Pamela. “The Petit Minou, Saint-Mathieu and Kermorvan lighthouses are unmissable. After enjoying some delicious seafood and observing the ritual of throwing the shells over the sea wall in Cancale, the oyster capital of the world, we visited the Celtic citadel of Locronan and skirted around Mont-Saint-Michel.” From there, the focus shifted to Normandy: three days spent taking in the drama of Omaha Beach, with visits to the D-Day Museum in Arromanches-Les-Bains and the Normandy American Cemetery. The couple’s journey continued with a further strategic stop in Reims, in the heart of the Champagne region, before crossing into Germany. Antonio wanted to compare two legendary methods of white wine making: “The smoothness of the elegant French nectars triggered an irresistible desire to compare them with the minerality of the whites in the Moselle Valley, so our itinerary took shape: three days in Trier, Saarland, Wiesbaden and Nuremberg.” At this point, in a move that was anything but unintentional, our heroes made a stop in Villach, Austria. “The timing was too good to resist: the siren call of European Bike Week^®, even in a reduced edition, had been unconsciously drawing us in. That unmistakable roar had come from Lake Faak, where two more days passed quickly and serenely among steins of beer, a few test rides and lots of smiles…”

After another relaxing stopover and more tastings in South Tyrol, the two finally turned homewards. Back in Lecce, the tripometer on their trusty Heritage Classic read 7,420km. The bike hadn’t missed a beat, thanks to careful maintenance and a thorough check-up before their departure. Five countries crossed; 24 full tanks of fuel consumed; and all in temperatures ranging from seven to 40 degrees Celsius. “After the multitude of emotions we experienced, one was strongest of all,” say the couple: “the desire to hit the road again the moment we reached home!” ■

---

Tags: