We woke up this morning and once more there wasn't a cloud in the sky. This weather cannot go on forever and we are so grateful for every beautiful day. We cruised down for breakfast, which was adequate, not over the top, although the cappuccinos were excellent. Then the CN zipped us out of town and back on the Claudia Augusta.
Our hotel in Trento. The location was excellent, the room was spacious and the beds were great. There was traffic noise at night, but that is why I brought earplugs.
The Cesare Battisti memorial as seen from the bike path. After reading his story in the castle prison I spent some time reading about him last night. He was hanged in 1916 as an Austrian traitor and became an Italian hero. It is a very interesting and tragic story.
What a national treasure this bike path is. It is a fantastic surface, the views are unbelievable and it is so well marked navigation isn't an issue. Don't dare look confused at any point either, or an incredibly kind Italian will give you all kinds of advice. Twice today it was the sweetest elderly men and it was just so kind of them. The first man actually reversed direction and came back to set us straight. The CN had it all figured out but there was no need to tell our helper that! The second man gave us clear directions in Italian and was as cute as could be. The third time we got advice the biker spoke fluent English and stopped us just as Keith was turning us around to, well, turn us around. People are just so thoughtful.
This route is so beautiful. See what I mean about not a cloud in the sky? We are so lucky.
I could hardly believe how amazing it was. We are doing it backwards in a sense, so constantly gaining elevation, and if it was this fantastic going north, I can imagine how much fun heading south would be...a gradual downhill pull. You would feel like a winged fairy on your bike.
Then, to make a good day even better, what should appear at precisely the right spot? Coffee and strudel. It would have been unconscionable not to stop and indulge. The CN had gelato with his strudel and was a happy, happy man.
This picture is a bit blurry but that is what happens when Keith takes pictures while riding. I can't believe he can do that, but he hasn't dropped the camera yet.
Loved the name. I had already headed down...I didn't consult, I just went for it. We think alike about this sort of happy encounter so I figured I wasn't going to have to come back up for a discussion and I was right.
Happy wife, happy life! This place was packed with bikes of every description and equipped with tools and air for any problems. There were road bikes, mountain bikes, e-bikes, kids bikes, touring bikes (us) and bikes towing babies in strollers. Awesome spot.
There was even a children's playground and no worries, they had tables there too, so you could enjoy your beer, Campari Sprritzer or crisp white while the kids roared around the playground or mini mountain bike park on their bikes. I kid you not. Biking here is huge. It was also the first outdoor patio in Europe where we didn't see a single smoker.
We carried on. The weekend warriors were out in full force and Lycra. Families with the kids, elderly (meaning older than us) on e-bikes, and lots of people walking too. It was such a happy place to be.
See, even the spandex set was smiling today. Of course they were going downhill and downwind, on very light bicycles, so they had a very good reason to smile.
We stopped for lunch at a picnic table. I am at a loss for superlatives about a bike route that actually has signs to tell you how far to the next picnic table. I kid you not. After a delicious lunch I started to doze off on the bench while Keith did a little accommodation searching. Something disturbed me and I opened my eyes and thought always remember this moment...always. I was dozing in Italy, in the sunshine, under an olive tree, between an apple orchard and a vineyard.
After lunch it was just more glorious riding, with the unexpected sight of the day. The CN tried, but we couldn't get a good picture. There was an enormous facility surrounded by a high wooden fence. We could hear the motorbikes, and every few seconds one would pop up above the fence, over some jump. There was also a go-kart track and a race car track. It was fascinating.. so many ways to have fun. The go-karts were scary fast. We will stick to slow travel.
Fellow slow travellers relaxing under an overpass.
This little guy was having so much fun. How does he do that?? His Mom spoke English, and we were chatting when some of the Tour de France crowd went by. She cracked me up...they didn't slow down for a second, or small children, and she said "The mens, they buy silly bikes and then they think they are very important."
We stopped on our way into Bolzano and had two lovely encounters, one with a sweet elderly Italian man with an equally elderly bicycle, and one with a road bike type with carbon fibre everything. Both were just so great. We have had a walk around Bolzano, an old friend, and a great deal of red wine. We are heading out for dinner and I have pasta on my mind. Ciao!
Back from an amazing meal. Here is the Relive: https://www.relive.cc/view/1231533413 I just told the lovely man at the front desk that I think I will go home for Christmas. He assured me the weather is always like this.
Today's ride: 68 km (42 miles) Total: 2,390 km (1,484 miles)
