Cortina - Limping Into Cortina - Poking Around Europe 5.0 - CycleBlaze

September 14, 2018

Cortina - Limping Into Cortina

Pieve di Cadore to Cortina

It has been quite a day. The ride from Pieve di Cadore to Cortina was a short one and a gradual climb on a converted rail trail. There was some drama about 3 km from the end that had us limping to the finish, but more on that later. 

We had a tardy start to the day.  We knew it was a short day and we lingered over breakfast and felt very relaxed. It was a little overcast when we started, but very warm. The bike path was unbelievable. Why, oh why can’t we do this in Canada?  The entire path (except where there had been a massive slide) was paved and was converted from a now unused rail line. I lost count at around five or six tunnels. It was so well maintained and so beautiful. The Dolomites were showing off this morning. I imagine they do that most days. 

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Multiple places for cyclists to stop for coffee and goodies on the way.
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Oh those Dolomites. The CN is happy 😃.
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We loved the tunnels. All are lit, fairly short except one and so much fun.
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Isn’t this absolutely awesome?
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So now I shall bore you with pictures. It is such a beautiful part of the world. We just rode and stared and snapped photos and were perfectly happy. 

We liked this house.
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We loved the colour of the water here.
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Sheesh! The eyelashes!
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Beautiful village in a beautiful part of the world.
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Oh those Dolomites.
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Aren’t they gorgeous?
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We stopped at one of the bike cafes for some lunch and a break. This one had stunning views and pink bicycles to entice you off the path. We had spaghetti. We are in Italy 👍. 

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Our lunch spot. We sat in the sun on the patio.
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Our view at lunch.
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Just an amazing part of the world.
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Shortly after lunch we ran into a stop over for a ride over four days from Munich to Venice along this bike path. We stopped and chatted, helped ourselves to free cake and goodies and had an awesome time. There are 500 participants...455 men and 45 women. Interesting little statistic that one. Maybe it is because they average 190 km a day?

Looking down from the bike path.
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So much fun and everyone was so welcoming.
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They said help yourself and we did.
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They said there were 45 women but I didn’t see any.
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Hmmmmm. Could there be some weather coming? It had been so warm and sunny up to this point.
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We just felt so relaxed as we cycled along. We were rerouted where there had been a massive slide in the spring. We ran into a group of the ride participants. Road bikes aren’t designed for detours through gravel and there was flat repair going on. It had also started to rain, because there is a universal law that says though shan’t have a flat tire where it is straightforward.  We had a hilarious conversation with these young and very fit guys. 

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Here is where the slide wiped out the bike path.
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So we decided to bail to the highway.
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Then the drama. We were on the highway for a couple of km to avoid more of the slide detour. Keith stopped to take a picture, so I stopped right behind him. It was a tight situation, and the highway had just been resurfaced. I was stopped, both feet on the ground, but then moved further to the right to get out of the way of traffic.  It was a busy spot...bikes in both directions, cars and trucks. I failed to notice the 10 cm drop from the new surface to the old, and did a gentle swan dive towards a retaining wall on my right. I was at a dead stop...we are talking a sit down, not a fall really, but at that precise point the retaining wall was broken, jagged and sharp. A few cm either way and I might have had a bruise at worst,  but nothing more. Unfortunately with the jagged rock I  got one of those gashes that isn’t good. A freak accident our kids would say, and it really was. We dug out the first aid kit and doctored me up, but the band aids weren’t doing the job. We still had about 3 km to go, so Dr. CN dug out the electrical tape, and that was brilliant. 

A brilliant job by Dr. CN!!
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Steve Miller/GrampiesWow, where did he get fancy green tape?

Blood stain on carefree cycling sock is a tear jerker?

Did you truly fall left, toward traffic? Does not jive with injured right leg? Surely the drop from new to old surface was down to the right?

Steve
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6 years ago
Kathleen ClassenTo Steve Miller/GrampiesEeeeek! Edit coming right up. Thank goodness you noticed that. It was a lousy spot for a photo, so much going on. If I had fallen into the traffic...well, let’s not think about!
Kathleen
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6 years ago

Keith checked in and I took a taxi to emergency. Seven stitches and I am almost as good as new. I found it somewhat hilarious that both cab drivers spoke excellent English and the doctor not a word. The cab rides were also more expensive than the medical attention. 30 euro round trip for the cabs, 23 euro to get put back together. 

I am coping by drinking red wine and eating pasta and milking it for all it is worth. Tomorrow we had planned a rest day and so it has worked out well. I just feel a bit stupid about the whole thing. Calamity Kathleen should be my new nickname. 

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Today's ride: 36 km (22 miles)
Total: 947 km (588 miles)

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Comment on this entry Comment 11
Steve Miller/GrampiesOuch , there was really no need to do that. Your blog is entertaining enough without the extra drama.
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6 years ago
Helen StarkOh dear. Glad it wasn't worse.
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6 years ago
Tricia GrahamThank goodness it wasn't one of those loose gravel incidents. Sounds exactly what happened to me when Ibroke my ankle
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6 years ago
Kathleen ClassenThank goodness it wasn’t worse. The really dumb thing is that a few cm either way and there wouldn’t have been a problem. Oh well, this morning it feels pretty good, I can bend my knee a full 90 degrees and I will be able to bike. Just not today. It is beautiful and sunny here, a bit of a surprise and we are going to explore Cortina.
Kathleen
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6 years ago
Kathleen ClassenTo Helen StarkA friend has suggested to Keith that I wear full hockey gear for the rest of the tour hehe. That would save me from such incidents 😀. It feels pretty good this morning and we are going to explore Cortina...on foot.
Kathleen
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6 years ago
Kathleen ClassenTo Steve Miller/GrampiesKeith really had me laughing this morning. I really am serious about being directionally challenged. He told me to tell you I don’t even know my left from my right so I just took a guess. That is a bit of an exaggeration but it is why he does all the navigating. Thank goodness you noticed though! Thanks again 👍.
Kathleen
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6 years ago
Scott AndersonTo Kathleen ClassenRachael keeps commenting on all the ways you and she sound alike, and here’s another one - she is challenged by the left/right concept also. It’s pretty random which way she will look when a call out for her to look in a direction, so I often call out ‘No, your other left’.

I’m so sorry about your mishap, and am glad it wasn’t worse. Good job falling away from the line of traffic! Always carry electrical tape - that’s my motto. Works on lacerations, or broken car bumpers.
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6 years ago
Jacquie GaudetTo Scott AndersonI'm left-right challenged too; drives Al crazy but I've always been that way. I have no trouble with navigation but communicating directions is tricky! Anyone who tells me to "turn left" has to allow time for me to think about which way is left.

I'm wondering if Kathleen is just injury-prone?
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6 years ago
Scott AndersonTo Jacquie GaudetJust taking a scientific survey, Jacquie and Kathleen - are either of you left handed?
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6 years ago
Jacquie GaudetNot me. Extremely right-hand dominant.
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6 years ago
Keith ClassenTo Scott AndersonRight handed!
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6 years ago