Wednesday 2nd October Latisana to Treviso. A Change of Landscape to Treviso, City of Canals and Mansions.

October 2, 2019

October 2 Wednesday.

Latisana to Treviso. A Change of Landscape to Treviso, City of Canals and Mansions.

Treviso is a city we have often remembered from past travels. We made a brief afternoon pause there while travelling north in our lime green Ford Escort van in 1976. We now feel it’s time for a return visit, especially since it will enable us to cycle easily (not perhaps a term to use lightly about Italian roads) into Mestre.

We’ve been spotting a small brown cycle sign for the Venezia- Munich Route and at times our path follows or crosses it. There is also a Romea Strata which keeps turning up as well. (An ancient pilgrim way). Presumably this leads, like all roads, to Rome. Anyway these offer the strong temptation of future cycle trips in Italy.

Today we head out of Latisana in a generally westerly direction on the Sp42. It’s not too busy and has some long straights. When we reach the turnoff to Caorle- the sky is lightening, the temperature climbing- should we head for the beach? No - we plug on, though the sky soon darkens and there’s a flurry of rain. It doesn’t come to much, though we do put our lights on.

At this point we meet a couple of touring cyclists. We chat - and they are so nice we wish we had more than a few minutes on a busyish road. They are from Munich, though katerina is Swiss, from Bern. We don’t learn his name but he is tall and has a dry sense of humour. Anyway, they need a map, so Ann gives them our, by now, slightly tatty one, which will guide them to Trieste. Before we part, Katerina grabs the loose strap of my helmet and tells me, in the nicest possible way, that I should tighten it. She apologises - she’s a teacher, she says, and is programmed to advise. We part, they go east, we go west.

Before lunch we decide to make a run for St Dona di Piave on the long straight Sp54- surely a Roman road. It’s quite busy and had no shoulder but the traffic is mainly cars. Alongside the road are recently ploughed fields of wonderfully black soil - the close view from the Brooks saddle. At St Dona we lunch on seats in a brutalist, but not unfriendly feeling, shopping centre. We check out a place to stay in Treviso and head on our way.

Suddenly it’s all change. The autumn sun appears in full force, and the landscape becomes prosperous looking with impressive mansions and tidy vineyards and farms at regular intervals. I recall reading Greg McGee’s recent novel, ‘The Antipodeans’ which is set around Treviso. The narrative describes wartime events and rugby, both with a New Zealand connection. I haven’t spotted any rugby posts yet, but there are war memorials.

We are heading for Monastier di Treviso in order to go in to Treviso on the SP60, which will lead directly to our accommodation, and it’s a beautiful ride. Mid afternoon autumnal sun, woods, vineyards, open fields, beautiful houses and frequent small towns. We enter Treviso’s suburbs and find our BnB in a quiet suburban street where Paola greets us.

Paola gives us a welcoming cup of tea and suggests ‘Trattoria Basso’ down the road for dinner. After a short rest and recuperation, this is where we go. At the waiter’s suggestion we opt for the Prima patti- ham and a superb mushroom tart. Our main is sliced fillet on raddichio- a slightly bitter red cabbage like vegetable. The cooking of the fillet is judged to perfection. We try a local Cabernet- we’ve been cycling through acres of the grapes for days- and it’s very passable.

The walk back under the stars is refreshingly cool and we decide that we’ll take a day to reacquaint ourselves with Treviso.

Today's ride: 72 km (45 miles)
Total: 2,792 km (1,734 miles)

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