June 25, 2024
To Ferrara
It was another short mileage day, planned in the event I took an early lunch at AlpINN before leaving Brunico. As I’d deep sixed my lunch plans, I took my time leaving Brunico. The Am Schloss Guest House had great rooms and a wonderful terrace but no breakfast offerings. I moseyed over to a little bakery/food shop across the way for breakfast supplies and spent a couple of hours lounging in the room and trying to catch up a bit on the journal until check-out time.
Vivien George was parked in a locked garage up the hill, so around ten I moved to the terrace to wait for the garage to be opened. And who should I run into but three other cyclists also getting ready to head out on the Pustertal Cycle Path. Bob was the first out on the terrace, a Dutchman living in Trieste. He had lots of good info on cycling around Cividale del Friuli, where I’ll be staying next week. We were soon joined on the terrace by his two cycling mates, Cornock and Kess, an unlikely pair of tandem riders. As we freed out bikes and readied to set out, Kess suggested we stop for a cappuccino before going our separate ways. We decamped to a nearby café where we told tall tales and laughed – an excellent start to the day.
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After a nice leisurely start to the day, I got on the bike and continued east along the Reinz toward Ferrara. The first bit was on a well-packed gravel road that wound along the river, through the woods, and under ski gondolas. The sunny morning had become overcast and storm clouds soon began to form in the distance. I felt a few sprinkles, then drizzle and eventually was forced to don my rain coat and put away the electronics. The rain increased as I climbed to the small town of Valdaora di Sotto seeking refuge and warmth, ideally a restaurant and a hot lunch. What I found was a group of cyclists sheltering from the rain under a large tent in the center of town. I was getting hungry but had forgotten to stock up on provisions - Google maps indicated the closest restaurant was a pizza place was in the nearby town of Valdaora di Mezzo.
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It took only five minutes of me standing under the tent chilled, hungry, and waiting for the rain to stop before I decided to brave the elements and seek a hot meal in Valdaora di Mezzo, less than two miles away. There was more climbing to get out of Valdaora di Sotto, but I was soon on the flats and rolling into Valdaora di Mezzo. As I pulled over at a small shelter near a park to get directions to the pizza joint I noticed a food stand across the street with an adjacent tent and picnic tables. I abandoned my quest for pizza and ordered a grilled brat from Scharsch’s mini-grill. It definitely hit the spot, reminding me of Iowa cookouts. By the time I wiped the last bit of mustard off my hands, the rain had stopped and the skies were clearing. It was time to move on.
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The returning sun made me giddy – I stopped at a chapel just outside of town and soaked in the sunshine while snapping away on the Lumix. The raincoat was stowed and I coasted back down the hill to rejoin the Reinz. A stretch of gravel took me along the south edge of Lago di Valdaora and after a few more miles, I left the Pustertal Cycle Route and turned south for Ferrara and Lago di Braises.
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5 months ago
I had considered visiting Lago di Braies on my 2021 trip through the Dolomites, but somehow fell short of time and energy. To ensure it would not happen this time, I wanted to book one or two nights lodging near the lake, thinking I could do a unloaded ride to the lake and/or maybe do a little hiking. The only available lodging close to the lake was one night in a guest house in Ferrara, about 3.5 miles from the lake.
It was a short up and down ride to Ferrara, a small village with a few restaurants and, it turns out, regular bus service to and from the lake. The guest house was locked up when I arrived, so thoughts of dropping off the panniers and heading to the lake were put on hold while I nursed a fanta at a nearby restaurant. By the time I checked in, the wind had picked up considerably and I’d lost all motivation for an afternoon visit to the lake. I settled into my room, enjoyed the marvelous view from my balcony and did some more journaling before dinner. The meal was so-so, but was more than compensated by the slow walk back to the inn under the peaks of the Dolomites. Lago di Braies will have to wait another day.
Today's ride: 16 miles (26 km)
Total: 1,491 miles (2,400 km)
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