June 22, 2024
To Bolzano
A spectacular day. Overnight rains cleared the air, leaving blue skies, moderate temperatures and low humidity. Perfect conditions for continuing my trip up the Adige River to Bolzano. I was very excited to get started so I left without a real breakfast - my lodging offered only a coffee machine and a couple of pre-packaged pastries. I downed two espressos, one pastry and was off – planning to stop at the Bicigrill about eighteen miles up the road.
The ride was everything I’d hoped when planning this section of the tour – cycling along an excellent path under blue skies surrounded by mountains. Added bonuses were terraced hillsides dotted with small villages and rows of fruit trees lining the trail, mostly apples as far as I could tell. I stopped often for pictures, intent on making up for the last few hazy days.
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The overnight rains did more than give me a glorious cycling day, they also added to the volume of water churning in the Adige River – it was high, muddy and fast moving. In fact, it had risen so much that a large section of the cycle path was closed. I met Terry and Diane at the barrier entering San Michele all'Adige – an Aussie couple heading toward Trento. We had quite a lovely chat and then I took off, following the yellow detour markers as it led me away from the river and onto a small road that wound through miles of vineyards. I’m not sure what I may have missed on the cycle path, but the detour route was the best stretch of the day.
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The detour ended at at Salorno sulla Strada del Vino, the next bridge upriver from San Michele. I took another detour into town for lunch, a pretty mediocre tomato and mozzarella on stale bread that soothed my hunger pangs. Then it was back on the road – twenty more miles to Bolzano. As I pedaled along, enjoying the fine surface and glorious scenery, I started to wish for curves, terrain, and pass-through towns. The afternoon heat must have awakened the masochist in me.
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The route into Bolzano was a breeze – another city with an extensive biking infrastructure, and one that has seen significant upgrades since I last visited in 2021. I’d booked a room in what was essentially a dormitory/hostel just two blocks off the bike path, a small room with a single bed but sufficient for my needs. I cleaned up, rested up, and dined on Indian food. I retreated to my small room, fully satisfied with both my meal and an extraordinary day of cycling.
Today's ride: 42 miles (68 km)
Total: 1,423 miles (2,290 km)
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And to let you know I've changed the beginning of our tour through France (en route to Spain) based on your & TA's enthusiasm for the route through Rocamadour. Instead of catching a train to Orleans from Paris, we are now catching a train to Souillac and then cycling your route in reverse to Bordeaux :-)
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Wishing you many more days like you had today!
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