Sirmione to Bardolino: Dawdling along and a happy meeting with a friend
We said right from our very first bike tour that when we were somewhere we really enjoyed we would take our time, and we are really enjoying Lago di Garda. We were here last year, in Sirmione, but not on the bikes. We are getting a much better look and feel for it this year. We were able to cycle the lakefront all the way from Sirmione to Garda, weaving around all the other users of the shared path. It was a great ride.
We had the full ten jammer breakfast at our hotel in Sirmione, the Hotel du Parc. It was a great place to stay. We headed out to meet my good friend Anne and her sister in law Irene in Pescheria del Garda. We were meeting her at a restaurant...imagine my surprise when we were rolling along lakeside and there she was on the sidewalk, waving. It was so much fun.
After saying goodbye to Anne and Irene who have one more day in Borghetto before heading to Venice, we continued meandering down the lake with no clear destination. We were really, really enjoying everything there was to see. What a beautiful part of the world this is.
There is no danger we will lose any weight in Italy. In addition to the aperitif before lunch with Anne and Irene we had gelato twice...actually Keith had it three times, but who is counting? Over one of those amazing gelato creations you get in Europe we made the decision to stay in Bardolino. We decided to book a room, stash the bags and continue to explore by bike, but with a little less luggage. It was a good decision as we were not so wide and a little more nimble as we wove up and down ancient streets and along the lakefront. After Garda today we were briefly on the road. Keith told me to remember that Italian drivers hate cyclists. That is what the Italian front desk clerk, who likes to cycle, told us this morning. Yikes! He was serious too. We were fine though. Most of the drivers were great, but the road was very narrow and busy. We zipped off at the first opportunity.
We have had another delicious Italian dinner tonight...five courses and we are going to bed feeling very full. If I understand the CN correctly we will be leaving the lake tomorrow and starting north on the Claudia Augusta. We are looking forward to it. It was last year's goal and we are finally here. At the wrong end of course...we were planning to ride down from Innsbruck, not up from Bardolino but we like to ride up rivers too it seems, so we will be fine.
Today's ride: 44 km (27 miles) Total: 2,156 km (1,339 miles)
