Vietri sul Mare: via Potenza

June 5, 2019

As I said yesterday, we’ve been here before. Then, we were also here on the way to catch a train to the west coast. That time though we biked from Venosa up to Rionero in Vulture, a village a bit higher up. There’s a small two car local train that runs between Melfi and Potenza and stops in Rionero, and from there we transferred to the train we’ll catch today. Today, the plan is to bike all the way to Potenza and catch the train there.

I’ve wanted to come back here ever since our first visit and bike all the way to Potenza. The train ride was beautiful, and for much of the way we paralleled an empty rural road that looked perfect for cycling. The plan for today then is to bike up to Rionero, pick up that road of my memory, and ride the ridges to Potenza. It’s not a long distance, but will be plenty challenging because the terrain here is very convoluted and wrinkled.

We get an early start, rolling out just after eight - an almost unheard of early departure for Team Anderson. We’re in a bit of a time box, because the train we hope to catch leaves Potenza at 1:30. If we miss that one, we’ll have to wait four hours for the next one and won’t reach Salerno until 7:30, with still a short ride from there to our room at Vietri sul Mare.

Here’s a somewhat sanitized preview - Rachael’s GoPro battery unfortunately died before we got to the really ‘good’ stuff.

The ride begins with about a ten mile ride up to the level of the train line. It’s slow going, and a bit frustrating if you’re in a hurry. After a few miles of climbing we reach the top of a ridge, and can see Rionero not far off. Unfortunately, it’s atop a second ridge; and first we have to lose everything we’ve gained and do it all over again, on a three mile seven per-center.

We’re both relieved that my health seems just fine today - we’d been anxious about this, and had as a backup plan just catching the train at Rionero like we did last time. Instead though, it’s Rachael’s turn to struggle with the climbs. I think it always throws her off a bit when I’m feeling well and can stay ahead of her on a climb. If she’s working to keep up with me, something’s obviously not right!

Not so pleasant for her, but for me it means I’ve got time to stop for a few photographs along the way up. It’s really a beautiful morning, and we get amazing views of Monte Vulture. If we ever do make it back here some year, I’d really like to make a loop around this little mountain. It looks like a perfect day ride.

Image not found :( — On the climb to Rionero in Vulture. It’s a beautiful climb, with fine views of the mountain.

Once we finally top off by the railway line, we turn off onto the quiet road I’ve remembered all these years from the earlier tour. It’s just as I remembered - quiet, scenic, a lovely cycling road. Today, it’s made even better by a herd of goats walking our way, the lead dog eyeing us carefully as we approach each other.

Timewise, we’re doing just OK. We need to average 8.5 mph if we’re going to catch the first train. We’re a bit behind that at 8.3 because of all the climbing so far, but we quickly start making time once we’re on top.

Actually, it’s not quite the road I remember. Where did all these windmills come from?

I don’t think I could ever tire of this scene.

A last look at Vulture, for this tour at least. Maybe some year we’ll come back and circle it.

I’m not sure what that town is on the next ridge to the east - Forenza possibly.

The train line is a good navigational guide for us. We’re trying to stay close to it, as the presumed easiest traverse of these hills.

We enjoy about an hour riding like this, fairly gently rolling over low ridges and generally following the train right of way. This is all very good for our average speed, and we’re up to about a 9 mph average (yes, I know - smoking. You try biking in hilly terrain like this while 72!), and with Potenza only ten miles away we’re well positioned to make the train.

Then though, things more or less start falling apart. First, we make the wrong navigational decision somewhere around San Giorgio and end up on an awful road - busy, shoulderless, and under some sort of maintenance project that narrows the effective width of the lane and includes barriers that prevent cars and trucks from pulling around us into the oncoming lane to pass us. They’re frustrated by us, and regularly express this with their horns. This fortunately only lasts for about a mile and a half when we come to the first exit, but it’s plenty bad enough. Plus, some sort of small beetle is swarming, and for about a mile we’re biking through a cloud with our teeth clenched. At one point I look down and see I’ve got about twenty passengers riding on my sleeves and shorts.

We survive that, but now we’re off our planned route and need to come up with an alternate, in a hurry. In quite hilly terrain, where a wrong decision can land you at the bottom of a 15% grade if you choose unwisely. We do pretty well all in all, and when Potenza finally comes into sight we feel good about our chances. It’s still only about 45 minutes from departure, and town is only a mile or two off. We’re going to make it!

Another hill town I’m unsure of. Avigliano, I think.

The final miles leading up to Potenza are a navigational challenge. Our original plan would have taken us higher up, on the opposite side of that ridge. We’re off that route though and now are just trying to find the fastest and easiest way to town.

Potenza, at last. With still almost an hour before departure, we’re looking good. What could go wrong?

We don’t make it. Potenza is the worst city to cycle into we have ever experienced, I believe. It is truly awful. The snarls at horribly congested traffic circles are hard to imagine. You can’t get into them, and once you’re in you can’t change lanes to get to the right exit. Nightmarish, stressful, and scary. Imagine how bad it could be, and then imagine it’s ten times worse than that. One of our regrets is that Rachael’s GoPro battery died before we reached the city, so we can’t show you the evidence. Trust us though - I’d you’re tempted to bike to Potenza, don’t.

Throw in the impossible navigation problems that added four miles of nightmarish urban hell and five hundred unplanned feet of climbing to what we had counted on, and our chance to make the train evaporates. Miraculously we both arrive at the station unscathed, at 1:32. I check in at the ticket office, the agent winces and points out the sound of the just-departing train. With the next one not departing for four hours, we settle in for a slow afternoon. First we head to the nearest restaurant (we’re both starving as well as strung out) where we linger over a nice meal for almost two hours, and then return to the station.

Documenting a few of the less interesting hours of our life on the road.

So, that’s the drama for the day. We make the later train, have a relaxing two hour ride to Salerno, and then a not too stressful three mile ride to Vietri sul Mare after we arrive. We’ll be here for three nights, exploring the eastern, quieter end of the crazy Amalfi Coast.

The train is listed as accepting bikes, but in fact there are no provisions for them. It was a relief when the conductor indicated we could just lean them against the baggage rack.

In Vietri, waiting for our host to arrive and let us in. We think we’re really going to like this place.

We barely have enough energy to go downstairs to the restaurant next door. We’re the only diners, and the streets are very quiet - except for the noise of the soccer game the staff are watching on a tiny cellphone.

Heart

Comment

Link

Ride stats today: 45 miles, 4,400’; for the tour, 2,207 miles, 137,400’

Today's ride: 45 miles (72 km)
Total: 2,207 miles (3,552 km)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	9
Comment on this entry	Comment	4

Jen RahnWas that sheep herder really talking on a cell phone?

Part of me is surprised by this and part of me thinks it must be a totally normal thing ...

Sorry about the stressful ride through Potenza. Glad you were able to get food and relax before you got on the train.
Reply to this comment
5 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Jen RahnThat surprised me too, but it must really help with such an isolated job. I was even more surprised though that he was speaking in some African language.
Reply to this comment
5 years ago

Jen RahnVery interesting! If only motorists knew what fine details of life they miss when they speed by a scene like this.

Awesome that you had this experience before entering the car-centric stretch going into the city.
Reply to this comment
5 years ago

Bruce LellmanI like the drama of your story, Scott. It kept me on the edge of my seat. When Andrea and I do cycle trips we never even try to get to a certain place by a certain time, unless we have four hours to kill when we get there.
Reply to this comment
5 years ago