First long-distance stage of the Basel to Palermo motorcycle expedition: 342 km from Basel to Lugano across the Swiss plateau and into the Alpine foothills.
The first leg is behind me: Basel to Lugano.
It was one of those days that reminds you quickly what this kind of journey actually demands. Long hours in the saddle, heat building steadily, and a route that, on paper, looked cleaner than it turned out to be in reality.
Navigation was the weak point today. Strevo.io, which I set up to guide me along more adventurous tracks, struggled in Switzerland. Several routes led onto paths that were simply not legal to ride, others ended abruptly in dead ends. What’s designed to feel like exploration can quickly turn into friction when you’re forced to constantly reassess, backtrack, and improvise.
Lesson one: “adventure mode” needs calibration. Tomorrow, I dial it back.
The Gotthard Pass forced the next compromise. Still closed. The alternative would have meant a multi-hour detour, so for the first time, I broke the rule: no highways. I took the tunnel. Not scenic, not part of the original idea, but pragmatic. Crossing the Alps sometimes isn’t about purity, it’s about progression.
Arrival in Lugano came with that familiar mix: fatigue, relief, and a quiet sense of forward motion. The lake, the warmer air, the shift in atmosphere—it already feels like a different chapter.
Now: first night at the campsite. Gear unpacked, bike cooling down, body catching up.
Tomorrow, adjustments begin.