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FEELING LIKE A CONQUEROR, HAVING MADE IT TO THE BERNADIA, SUCH A MEANINGFUL LOCATION |
Taking part to the "Friendship Gathering", the historical Motorcycle Gathering dedicated to PEACE, on top of the Bernadia Mountain, a place touched by the war in the past.
East Northern Italy, Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Carnia Alps.
[County of Udine]
20.02.2022
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| THE BERNADIA MOUNTAIN IS RELATIVELY NEAR TO MY HOME: I CAN SEE IT FROM MY WINDOW!!! BUT THE ROAD TO REACH IT, CALLED "VIA USEUNT" IS FAMOUSLY FEARED, FOR BEING DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS. |
Since 1973, every third Sunday of February, thousands of bikers from all over the region meet on top of the Bernadia Mountain (886 meters above sea level), to celebrate friendship, peace and togetherness and to greet the beginning of the season of motorcycling tours.
Facing the rigid cold of the Northern Eastern Italy winter and riding the challenging road that leads up to the top and then descends down to the feet of this symbolic Mountain, bold two wheelers of all ages have the chance to enjoy here one of the most emotionally charged events for the bikers' world of this area.
In 2020, the 47th edition of this reunion had taken place just before the popping up of the pandemic, and registered a record-breaking participation.
For this year 2022, the official gathering in his traditional version, as organised by the biker club "Associazione Motociclistica Friulana", had formally been canceled, like it was the year before, due to the restrictions of the international situation of the health emergency.
And yet, in the morning of Sunday 22nd of February, a meaningful number of relentless riders got up and choose to keep their vision alive and, in an inexorably chill but sunny weather, made it happen anyway: without the need of public announcements in the social networks, an underground movement of centaurs from all over, moving in small groups, in pair or even individually, steadily pointed to the direction of their beloved goal, to honour it, once again, and simply reunited together in a quiet, joyous energizing party that lasted till the evening.
And... I was part of it! YEAH! Joining the pack for the second Sunday in a row, I dared to accomplish this unique challenge for the first time, and to undertake the route that climbs the mountain, called Useunt Street, also known as "Strada del Monte Bernadia", starting from his southern part, then reaching the top, where some monuments tell the history of this controversial place, and I eventually became part of that silent but intense and involving "ghost meeting". I spent unforgettable hours with my biker friends and with my boy friend, since he too had joined, and he too was there for the first time!
After a day of exchanging with others, breathing the fresh mountain air and experiencing that significant gathering I had always only heard of, the time of descending came: we did it as the tradition wants, that is through the northern part of the Via Useunt, which is even more rough, even more filled with bends and serpentines, and permanently lying in the shadow. It connects to the road SR646, and this one finally leads to the starting point, at the feet of the mountain.
NEXT YEAR, 2023, IT WILL BE 50 YEARS SINCE THE GATHERING BEGAN AND I MAKE A COMMITMENT TO MYSELF: I'LL BE THERE!!!
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| THE PACK PISTONS AND... I'M DEFINITELY PART OF IT NOW! |
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| THE MILITARY FORTRESS ON THE TOP OF THE BERNADIA MOUNTAIN IS AN ARMY POST OF 1910, WITH 4 CANNONS OF 149MM: THEY WERE USED TO GUARD THE 'TORRE' RIVER, ALONG THE LINE TO THE FORMER AUSTRO HUNGARIAN BORDERLINE. |
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| TO THE EXTREME LEFT, THE MONUMENT 'SACELLO FARO JULIA': A CHAPEL HOSTING THE RESTS OF 6 SOLDIERS FALLEN DURING WW1 |
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| THE OTHER PERSPECTIVE! I USUALLY WATCH THE BERNADIA FROM MY HOUSE, AND NOW HERE I AM, ATTEMPTING TO SPOT MY HOUSE FROM THE BERNADIA... |
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| WE WERE THE VERY FIRST ONES TO ARRIVE TO THE TOP... |
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| ...AND WE WERE WELL-EQUIPPED FOR A TIPICAL FRIULIAN BREAKFAST! |
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| AS THE DAY WENT ON, MORE AND MORE RIDERS KEPT ON JOINING THE PARTY... |
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| ...AND FILLING THE EMBLEMATIC SQUARE |
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| A STOP-OVER IN THE TOWN OF TARCENTO, JUST AT THE FEET OF THE MOUNTAIN, BEFORE GOING HOME. |
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| FOR BOTH OF US, IT WAS THE FIRST TIME ON THE BERNADIA MOTO GATHERING! |
