Modern Vespa

If so, is it worth riding?
It sure LOOKS amazing!

Does look choice! But also seems to be carrying a lot of traffic...

Looks similar to the Stelvio Pass in Italy.


Transfăgărășan

I've done the Transfagarasan (7C) + Transalpina (67C) lap a few times (both of which are doable in a single day.) It's definitely worthwhile, but you have to be careful to avoid it on weekends in the summer, when the traffic slows to a crawl. Especially on the Transfagarasan.

The Transalpina is more refined and has more 'stuff' at the top, and arguably better views. The Transfagarasan feels more like a brutal communist take on a mountain pass, put there more for military purposes than anything else -- which, of course, it was.

A fair deal further south there's a new road in Albania connecting Skoder with the Montenegrin border, doing a hundred hairpins all through a valley in the so-called "Accursed" mountain range. This fresh hunk of pavement wins the award, I think, for finest scootering road in the Balkans.

Looks fantastic, what a blast. Are the roads in as good condition as they look? Over here, the last few years the roads have become noticeably worse.

20+ years ago, Romanian roads were in spectacularly bad shape. A flood of EU money made short work of that and now they're mostly decent, with more and more pristine stretches. Albania's still have a long way to go, especially when you go off the beaten path, but here and there you get these perfectly surfaced racetracks (like that route through the Accursed mountains, or the coastal road further south that heads down to Dhermi Beach etc.) Montenegro's also seen a fair deal of EU money upgrade their major roads to be acceptable.

If there's one constant for the whole region is that the roads are unpredictable and inconsistent, but generally improving across the board. Except for Hungary, where the roads (apart from the highway network) seem to be getting worse.

Wow. Just..wow.

Our chums over at the Vespa Club of Romania (Hi, Cristi!) put together a great video of some of it, from their semi-annual Three Castle Ride tour.

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Looks absolutely fantastic.

Interesting... you know you're not in Italy when only one out of that whole group is not wearing gloves.

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"We were wrong, this is better than the Stelvio! THIS is the best road in the World!"

Great video.
Sadly, they didn't add a map of the route

Here's the route from the last edition of it. It's not too ambitious a run, really.

One thing that suffers with a large group is how the route generally has to stick to main roads. Transylvania's got plenty of amazing back-and-beyond roads winding through long-forgotten villages. You see fortified churches, wandering sheep, and folks sometimes still wearing traditional peasant garb (and not for tourists.) It's the best part of the region IMHO.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/YSTP2Mn26F5DuV89A

https://www.instagram.com/p/CwPVSq7NUcz/

Sounds great Sean!

We may have hit a snag ... the road is still closed due to SNOW, but they're hoping it will be open the "earliest date ever" for Spring.

Things in life I didn't learn at skol:

1. How to reed or rite Romanian or was that "citeste si scrie"

2. To find & keep writing to a penpal who would be happy to assist in organising buying & stripping an Italjet Formula so I can get the bits I need & put them in my suitcase as they're RARE in Australia!

https://www.olx.ro/d/oferta/scuter-italjet-firma-italieneasca-IDjohLw.html

Oh yeah, I seem to remember the Transfagarasan opens in late June, and closes sometime in October. Something to do with avalanche risks.

The Transalpina, despite being higher, opens in mid to late May, usually.

Well, I have driven it!

Pretty please May I drive?

How do I turn OFF all those safety features?
Yes, I Will use the flappy-paddles