Motorcycle Explorer February 2015 Issue 4 | Page 55

As the wonderful SS13 road snaked alongside the valley of the River Fella it dawned on me that
this was not fog but smoke. Somewhere, out of sight, one of the mountains was on fire. The
helicopter that hovered up from the valley bellow had been sucking up the chill mountain water
with a massive dangly hose that would make even the most generously endowed porn star feel
inadequate. Above us another helicopter disappeared over the craggy peaks with a massive
tarpaulin bucket full of river water to douse the fire. I admired the skill of these pilots, flying in
three dimensions and hovering while their cargo load changes massively in a matter of seconds.
Top job.
Pressing on for the Austrian border near Tarvisio, you couldn’t help but notice that the Italians
who live in this area – the Friuli –¬ behave more like Austrians or Swiss. Crews pick up litter from
the roadside and the area looks spic, span and typically Alpine. Not all of Italy is this tidy.