To Verona

May 20, 2023

We have to be out of our apartment by ten, and of course we honor the requirement. We would have in any case, but especially today because we still feel so grateful that they let us check in yesterday at 10:30 yesterday morning. When we leave the cleaning lady is already Ain the job, working on the room next door to ours.

We can’t check in to our apartment in Verona until 2:30 and won’t need anything like four and a half hours to cover the flat (of course) 33 miles between here and there. We’ll just plan on putting in the extra time somewhere, maybe by having lunch when we get there.

When we get on the street though it’s pretty clear where we should put the extra time in: right here, before leaving town. It’s raining, and hard enough that neither of us wants to bike in it. Grateful that Montagnana’s arcades are keeping us mostly dry, we log a half mile getting to the first appealing cafe we come to, lock our bikes up, and for the next hour and a half I nurse my americano, nip at a small tuna and olive sandwich and work on the blog while Rachael obsesses over weather reports and checks out train schedules.

Sheltered in the dry embrace of the Monte de Pieta Palace.

It’s nearing noon when we make our move. We’ve consulted the train options and concluded that none of them really work out that well unless it’s a real emergency, and in the meantime the rain has all but ceased for the moment and it looks like with luck we could have about three hours of dry or minimally wet weather to work with so we wrap things up at the cafe, reload our bikes, break out the pannier covers as our talisman to ward off the rains, and exit town stage left via the Legnago Gate.

Being a reasonable smart and by now well experienced guy, I’m not at all tempted to stop for a photo anywhere, not even once. I’m just efficiently covering the miles, trying to keep dry, and keeping the peace.

We’ve just passed the village of Arcole, a spot that tempts me to stop just this one time for a snap of its unusual white campanile but wisely bury the impulse when we come to the short bridge over the Arcole, a stream that looks as much like a small canal as a natural waterway. It’s a narrow single lane bridge but there’s no traffic on the quiet road so I just take the lane but Rachael takes the wide but rougher sidewalk.

Immediately on the opposite side of the bridge is an obelisk, apparently referencing Napoleon from the looks of the oversized letter N on its face, and once again I’m tempted to stop but keep going. Until I hear Rachael hollering at me. She’s down, felled by the lip of the road as she was merging back on to it from the sidewalk.

It’s not good, but could have been much worse. The road’s empty, the bike’s fine, and it looks like the bodily injuries are limited to an ugly looking gash to her right knee. Fortunately (or wisely, more actually), Rachael’s carrying a first aid kit with all the right stuff - a quarto bandage, tape, and antiseptic. We tape her up and gingerly start up again, biking slowly for awhile to make sure she’s fine.

And as long as we were stopped for this anyway, I pulled out the camera for a few very quick shots. Later I’ll read up on what the story is here and learn that this bridge over the Arcole (or the one that was here two centuries ago more likely) is noteworthy in military history. It’s here that a young Napoleon Bonaparte (only 27 years old at the time) outmaneuvered the Austrian army with its superior numbers in the Battle of Arcole, defeating the enemy and defending his positions in nearby Verona. The birth of a legend.

The mighty Arcole. I wonder if it was a more impressive channel in Napoleon’s day.

A pause for emergency services at a famous location.

A look across at Arcole, where there’s a museum dedicated to the battle.

An engraving of young Napoléon leading his forces across the Bridge of Arcole.

An oil of the same scene, Bonaparte au Pont d’Arcole, by Antoine-Jean Gros.

And then it’s back to just riding to beat the rain, stopping only once for a much needed service break. Toward the end of the ride the skies start looking quite grim and we’re on a busy, unpleasant road so we really lay down the hammer to bring us to town just as a few light showers break out.

Looking grayer. Nice that Rachael’s got her GoPro workin’ so we can remember what it looked like.

Service break, time enough for a single snap of the hills to the north. The Dolomites must be just behind, if we could see them.

Still dry. The pannier covers have done their magic again and held off the rains just long enough.

Video sound track: Impromptu, by Stephanie Talllini

Verona is a complete madhouse when we bike in, with intense crowds like we’d expect to see in places like Venice or Florence. It makes a poor first impression, and a tense one as we work our way slowly through the crowd, dismounting when that’s the best choice. It’s especially unnerving when a couple of young women on a scooter come racing toward us through the crowd, nervously shouting Attention, Attention! as they barely needle between us and the nearest pedestrians.

We arrive at our apartment safe and dry, and our host Dario (one of the 3 Amici that run three suites here) greets us and orients us to our amazingly spacious apartment. It even comes with two complete bathrooms - his and hers showers!

For dinner we venture out for the four minute walk to a fish restaurant Rachael’s scouted out for us. Grilled vegetables and a perfectly prepared large dorade for two quickly disappear before we think to get a photograph, but we remember in time to show off the delicious semifreddo log cabin that follows.

Heart

Comment

Link

Ride stats today: 34 miles, 600’; for the tour: 1,290 miles, 60,600’

Today's ride: 34 miles (55 km)
Total: 1,290 miles (2,076 km)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	12
Comment on this entry	Comment	9

Suzanne GibsonRachael, sorry to hear about your knee injury! Hope it's nothing serious. See ya soon!
Reply to this comment
1 year ago

Susan CarpenterYou really were racing to beat the rain!
Reply to this comment
1 year ago

Steve Miller/GrampiesHope Rachael's knee is not too stiff/sore for the next few days. Watch out for those small level changes, they can be brutal.
Reply to this comment
1 year ago

David MathersTake care Rachael. Hope everything is fine in the morning! The dinner sounds like it was a winner 🥇
Reply to this comment
1 year ago

Rachael AndersonTo David MathersIt’s doing fine as long as I keep it covered. I did a 12 mile hike yesterday with no issues.
Reply to this comment
1 year ago

Bruce LellmanSorry about the injury, Rachael. Sometimes it's the small stuff that takes a person down. I know.

I'm sure you will heal well and quickly.
Reply to this comment
1 year ago

Rachel and Patrick HugensRachael hope all is well now and healing.
Reply to this comment
1 year ago

Rachael AndersonTo Rachel and Patrick HugensI’m doing fine. I’ve taken 2 long hikes and a very hilly loaded bike ride.
Reply to this comment
1 year ago

Rachael AndersonTo Bruce LellmanIt’s doing fine.
Reply to this comment
1 year ago