Countries visited: Italy
Cycled mileage in July: 1,729.8km
Cycled mileage per country: 1,729.8km Italy
Total cycled mileage incl. July: 54,193.8km
July mileage not cycled 102.2km (walking, car, train)
Days per country: 31d - Italy
Days cycling: 24d
Technical failures: 1 Puncture
Link to this month's route
After eventful days exploring stunning places like Siena, Perugia, Florence, San Marino and Rimini we had finished the month of June in Ravenna.
The month of July was kicked off with a pleasant ride through the Padan Plains towards Ferrara, the self-proclaimed city of bicycles. And a good start into the next month it was. Halfway to our destination we stopped in a bar to energize ourselves with some cappuccino. When we wanted to pay it turned out someone had anonymously paid our bill. Thank you! The remaining kilometres to Ferrara were rather relaxed. After all the hills and mountains in the last weeks today's route was pan-flat. Even the sweltering heat couldn't do much to slow us down. In the afternoon we reached a community-run camping ground just outside the city walls and called it a day. Given the awful heat we decided to postpone all sightseeing to tomorrow and to just put in a lazy evening.
 |
| Arriving in Ferrara |
The next morning we got up early and cycled into the town centre. Ferrara is almost completely encircled by its Renaissance city walls which have been converted into sort of a city park with an extensive network of cycle paths. We started our sightseeing with a visit to the Este Castle, a proper moated medieval castle that was once used by the ruling Este family. Further stops included the Gothic cathedral, the Palazzo dei Diamanti with its unique facade and the maze of small alleys in the old town. Around lunchtime the heat became too much and we returned to the shady camping ground. We were lounging around our tent when Paolo invited us to come over for a coffee. Soon we found ourselves chatting with Paolo and his partner Tiziana. Paolo had been an avid cyclist for years and now he had taken Tiziana on her very first bicycle holiday from their home near Milan to Ferrara. For the best part of the afternoon we kept chatting. Later we were joined by Simone, a student on his first bicycle holiday from Tuscany to Vienna. In the early evening our new Italian friends headed into town for dinner while we elected for cooking our meal on the camping ground. We prepared Ferrara's signature dish - Cappellacci di Zucca, sort of ravioli with a butternut squash filling.
 |
| Este Castle |
 |
| Palazzo dei Diamanti |
 |
| Old town |
 |
| Dinner |
There had been a fair bit of rain during the night and so we waited for our stuff to dry and got a rather late start the next morning. Thanks to the rain it was a bit cooler for the first half of the day and we made good progress. The route was also really beautiful. First we were following cycle trails along some rivers and later we continued along a former railway track that had been converted into a cycle trail. In the early afternoon we reached Modena. The temperature was back to sweltering heat and last night's rain now only meant increased humidity. It required quite some willpower to do a bit of sightseeing in the heat instead of just sitting down in a cafe and enjoying some gelato. Basically we did both. We explored the main sights including the UNESCO inscribed cathedral, the stunning Piazza Grande, the town hall and of course the Ducal Palace. Afterwards we treated ourselves to some excellent lemon Granita (Sicilian slush ice). From the old town we continued another eight kilometres westwards where there was a camping area. En route we did our shopping and settled for some of Modena's most famous specialities: Tortellini and Tortelloni. Both pasta variations filled with meat or cheese.
 |
| Rails to trails! |
 |
| Modena Cathedral |
 |
| Ducal Palace |
The next morning we got an early start to escape the heat. According to our maps there was a bike path to Parma and we were looking forward to a relaxed ride. How wrong we were. For most of the way we were following a super busy main road with a small bumpy pedestrian way that had been re-labelled as a bike lane. There was no shade and the heat together with the noise and the fumes from an infinite number of trucks and cars were turning the ride into an utterly unpleasant experience. Luckily it was only about 50 kilometres to Parma and by early afternoon we reached town. Unfortunately there was no camping ground nearby and no Warmshowers hosts (a hospitality network for touring cyclists) had accepted our requests. Instead we had settled for pretty much the only hostel in town. We continued to our accommodation right away and dumped our stuff in our room. After a shower and a short break we headed back into the old town for a bit of sightseeing. Exploring a town without the bike is always such a relief! We started with the Romanesque Cathedral with an adjacent baptistery. Equally impressive was the Palazzo della Pilotta despite the substantial damage it suffered in WW2. The rest of the afternoon we just wandered aimlessly through the old town and admired the amazing selection of local specialities in the numerous delicatessens. Invariably we entered one of the shops and bought some Prosciutto di Parma (cured ham), some Parmigiano Reggiano ('Parmesan' cheese) and a bottle of Lambrusco wine for dinner. We also got a much-needed haircut. The cheapest barber shop we could find was run by an Asian family. There was a young girl at the reception who spoke Italian but no English. She translated whatever she thought was our request to the young man who gave us the haircut and who apparently spoke neither Italian nor English. The result could have been worse.
Finally we retreated into our hostel and indulged in the treats we had bought earlier.
 |
| Modena Cathedral |
 |
| Old town |
 |
| One of countless delicatessens |
 |
| Local specialities |
We got another early start the next morning. Right after leaving Parma we turned into a quiet cycle way along a river. The air was still comparably cool and we made good progress. Unfortunately the bugs were already out in full force. There were swarms of tiny flies along the river and again and again we would cycle straight through one of those swarms. By the time we reached a village and stopped for a second breakfast we were covered with dead flies. Disgusting! When we continued the bugs had finally disappeared. The cycle way we were following led through more and more remote areas and ultimately we came to a section that was blocked by some fallen trees. Still we made good progress and by 11.30am we were only 10 kilometres from Cremona. Suddenly we saw a touring cyclist stopped in the shade of some trees next to the road. We stopped as well and so we met French cyclist Nico. There is always a lot of stories, experiences and recommendations to be exchanged when you meet fellow touring cyclists. We kept chatting and chatting and by the time we said farewell it was almost 4.30pm. Half an hour later we reached Cremona. We bought some bread and cheese and had a late lunch in a city park. From there we continued to a municipality-run camping ground nearby. We checked in, set up our tent and then returned into town for some sightseeing. Cremona is best known for the production of violins and the instruments of Antonio Stradivari in particular. But Cremona also features a picturesque old town with a beautiful Romanesque-Gothic cathedral and baptistery. After our evening stroll through the old town we returned to the camping and called it a day.
 |
| Fallen trees on the way to Cremona |
 |
| Finally there! |
 |
| Covered in dead flies |
 |
| Cremona Cathedral |
 |
| Historic centre |
The next morning our route continued along the rivers and again we were struggling with the myriad of bugs. We were still following official bike trails but at some point the way was fully overgrown with brambles. We turned back and it took us a while to find a way out of the area. Again and again our navigation system led us onto private roads most of which were dead ends anyway. Eventually we were back on track and on a better maintained section of the bike trail. We were invited to stay with Warmshowers-host Sandro in Piacenza but he would be working until 5pm. Our original plan had been to faff about on the way into town but the closer we got to Piacenza, the more clouds appeared. In fact the forecast was for thunderstorms. We sped up and reached Piacenza just after 1pm. Our new plan was to just spend the afternoon in a cafe. At first it was still sunny, though, and we put in some sightseeing. The Romanesque cathedral was quite worthwhile. Strangely enough the cathedral was not on the town's main square. Instead the Gothic Palazzo Comunale (town hall) was the centrepiece of the main square Piazza Cavalli.
Shortly after we finished sightseeing the rain started and we found shelter in a cafe. We stayed there until the rain stopped and until it was time to continue to Sandro. He lived a bit outside the town centre in a condominium. We parked our bikes in the cellar and were then treated to some cold beers. It was quite an interesting evening. Sandro didn't speak much English and we obviously didn't speak much Italian. Still we kept chatting and chatting until late. Sandro also told us about a nice cycling route to Genoa. Originally our plan had been to cycle through the Padan Plains via Pavia to Asti and take a train from there to Genoa and back. When we went to bed we were still unsure whether to stick to our plan or whether to go with Sandro's suggestion.
 |
| Palazzo Comunale in Piacenza |
 |
| With our host Sandro |
Sandro had already left for work when we woke up the next morning. While we prepared our breakfast we once more discussed the topic of how to get to Genoa. In the end we settled for Sandro's suggestion. We got a rather late start and for the first few kilometres the route meant rather stressful cycling along a main road. Sandro had mentioned a cycle track but apparently we had taken a wrong turn at some point. We passed one last bigger town and after that the road was much quieter just like Sandro had described it. We were now following the Trebbia River which made for a nice backdrop. The scenery became more rugged the further we got. When we passed the small town of Bobbio the riverbed was incredibly wide. In fact the erosion of the riverbed had been so bad that the medieval Ponte Gobbo had to be extended again and again over the course of the centuries. Due to its uneven and archaic appearance it is dubbed 'Devil's Bridge' or 'Hunchback Bridge'. After Bobbio we continued a bit further until we found a camping site near the village of Ottone and called it a day.
 |
| Ponte Gobbo |
 |
| Following the Val Trebbia |
After the sunny weather the day before it was rather cloudy the next morning. The forecast was for thunderstorms later in the afternoon. There were only about 70 kilometres left to Genoa and most of them were downhill. We were hoping to get there before the rain would start. The riding was rather uneventful and the closer we got to Genoa the more traffic there was. Also the clouds looked increasingly frightening. When we reached the outskirts of town we heard the first thunder soon followed by the first raindrops. We stopped at a sport shop hoping the rain shower would quickly pass. Also Dominik urgently needed a new tyre. The last two days he had basically ridden on the anti-puncture belt of his rear tyre as there was nothing left of the tread. We did find a new tyre in the shop and by the time we were back on the road the rain had actually stopped. Unfortunately not for very long. On the last four kilometres to the hostel we got drenched. Eventually we reached our accommodation, checked in, complained about the mould in our room, got upgraded to a more spacious and renovated room and called it a day.
 |
| On the way to Genoa |
The next day was reserved for sightseeing. There was so much to see in Genoa, we will let the pictures speak for themselves. Other than doing sightseeing we also managed to change Dominik's rear tyre. And – of course – to eat yet another pizza!
 |
| Genoa old town |
 |
| Cathedral |
 |
| Historic city gates |
 |
| Christopher Columbus House |
 |
| The famous lighthouse |
After all the sightseeing the day before we felt like we needed another day off but instead we decided to carry on to Asti. We had had some discussions whether to cycle there from Genoa or whether to take a train. After crossing the Apennines six times already Simon refused to cross them once again by bike and so we elected for a train to Asti. The ticket wasn't all too expensive but getting our heavy bikes to the platform was a real struggle. Just when we had lifted them up the stairs a change of platform was announced and we had to start all over again. In the early afternoon we arrived in Asti. We had a second breakfast at the railway station and then we walked the bikes through the small old town. Compared to Genoa there wasn't all that much to see and after one hour or so we hit the road. We had found a camping ground about 20 kilometres out of town and in a convenient location to visit the famous Langhe wine-growing region. We got to the camping just after 6pm, set up the tent, prepared dinner and called it a day.
 |
| Asti |
We got a super early start the next morning and hit the road just after 7am. We left all our stuff on the camping ground and set off to a 100 kilometres-long loop through the Langhe region. The area is famous for wines and cycling through the vineyards was just magic. After 1.5 hours on the bikes we reached the first famous village – Barbaresco, famed for the homonymous red wine. We stopped for a few pictures and then pushed on to Alba. Another of those big names even though Alba is probably better known for white truffles than for wine. Apart from culinary fame there is also a picturesque historic quarter in Alba, most notably the Romanesque Duomo of San Lorenzo and the medieval Palazzo Comunale. From Alba we cycled back into the endless vineyards and eventually reached Barolo. The picture-perfect village is home to the famous Barolo wine, considered one of Italy's greatest wines. Of course we couldn't resist to buy a bottle! Our route led us further up into the vineyards through La Morra from where there was a fabulous panoramic view. La Morra also marked the turning point of our loop. The way back to the camping wasn't as enjoyable as the way to La Morra. In the late afternoon we were back and cooked up some delicious fresh pasta to go with our expensive Barolo wine.
 |
| Early morning in the Langhe |
 |
| Barbaresco village |
 |
| Old town of Alba |
 |
| Duomo of San Lorenzo |
 |
| Barolo village |
 |
| A bottle of the all famous wine |
The wine didn't help with getting an early start but we didn't do too bad. From the vineyards of the Langhe our way led us straight into the fertile plains of the river Po. Vercelli is considered the centre of rice production in Italy and in fact we were cycling through endless rice paddies on our way there. While the rice paddies were beautiful to look at they also meant crazy humidity and myriads of mosquitoes. In the afternoon we reached a small village near Vercelli where our next Warmshowers host lived. We met Giuseppe in front of his brand new house. Apparently some last details were unfinished and they hadn't moved in yet. He offered us to sleep inside the house and we happily accepted. Giuseppe was in a bit of a hurry but we agreed to meet for dinner and in the meantime he dropped us at the local swimming pool where we spent the rest of the afternoon. Later we went out for a pizza together. The pizza was delicious but the mosquitoes on the way back from the restaurant were insane! Even in South-East Asia they hadn't been that bad.
 |
| Rice paddies everywhere |
 |
| With our host Giuseppe |
 |
| Delicious pizzas! |
We wanted to get an early start the next morning but when we loaded the bikes it turned out Dominik's new rear tyre was flat. Probably we should have invested some more money... While we fixed the puncture Giuseppe arrived and we had breakfast together. A bit later than expected we left and soon we were back in an ocean of lush green rice paddies. The flat terrain lasted for the first half of the day but then we reached the foothills of the Alps. We hadn't even planned to go that far into the mountains. Then we had found out that Edoardo lives near Biella halfway to the French border and so we had changed our plans. We had last met Edoardo in Bishkek in 2018 when we were all waiting for our Iranian and Turkmen visas. He had finished his journey in May 2019 and we were keen to find out how his travels had gone. So we slogged up to Biella, had a lunch break there and then slogged further up the mountains to the small village of Pollone. In the late afternoon we arrived. From that point on it was chatting, and chatting and chatting until after dinner. Later we cycled to friends of Edoardo and chatted a bit more. The forecast had been for rain but the weather hadn't looked that threatening. We had even thought about camping in the garden of Edoardo's parents. Luckily we didn't stick to that idea. On the way back from Edoardo's friends we were drenched in a first rain shower and basically it kept raining for the rest of the night.
 |
| Endless rice paddies |
 |
| Dinner with Edoardo |
When we woke up the next morning it was still raining. It was still raining after breakfast and it also continued after lunch. Only at 2pm the rain stopped and we finally hit the road. Tiziana and Paolo, the Italian cyclists we had met in Ferrara, had invited us to stay with them in Somma Lombardo near Milan and they were expecting our arrival. We were convinced there would be more rain on the way to Tiziana and Paolo but actually it stayed dry and back in the plains even the sun came out. Most of the way was downhill and we were making good progress. Despite the late start we got to Somma Lombardo in the early evening. We had a great dinner with our friends, chatting about how their journey from Ferrara back home had been and about our own experiences. With our tummies full of delicious food we went to bed rather early. The last days had been physically draining and we happily accepted the invitation to take a break tomorrow.
 |
| On the way to Somma Lombardo |
 |
| Visiting Tiziana and Paolo |
We slept in the next day but eventually we got up and had breakfast with our hosts. We chatted a bit more and then Tiziana left for work. She would only return in the evening. Paolo was working in the garden and we tried to catch up on some admin stuff. In the afternoon Paolo and Tiziana's son Antonio took us out to a trip around beautiful Lago Maggiore. It's always a great opportunity to go somewhere with a local as they will know the places that are not overrun with tourists. We finished the trip with a visit to a cafe of one of Paolo's friends before we returned to Somma Lombardo. There would be barbecue with our host's families in the evening and soon the preparations started and the first guests arrived. The parents didn't speak much English and again we regretted we didn't speak better Italian. Instead we had some interesting conversations with Tiziana's and Paolo's sons. Well after midnight we went to bed. What a nice day it had been!
 |
| At Lago Maggiore with Paolo and Antonio |
 |
 |
 |
Obviously we didn't get an early start and by the time we had finished breakfast it was already 10.30am. We were invited to stay for lunch but we figured we should better get going as we were supposed to meet a friend in Bergamo the next day. Still a solid 150 kilometres to get there and too much distance for a start after lunch. Ultimately we hit the road around 11.30am. We followed Paolo's route suggestion and after some relaxed kilometres mostly along cycle trails we reached Varese Lake and soon after the homonymous town. There wasn't a whole lot to see and so we pushed on after a quick lunch break. After Varese the traffic became more dense and there were no bike trails any more. It became a rather unpleasant afternoon and we felt relieved when we finally reached the town of Como on the shores of the namesake lake. We treated ourselves to a second lunch and then we explored the old town of Como. Quite a picturesque place with some interesting churches and medieval piazzas but it was unfortunately overrun with tourists. After Como there was one more steep climb to get to our camping ground and we were knackered by the time we got there.
 |
| First glimpse of Lake Como |
 |
| Como town |
 |
| Cathedral |
The next morning we got an early start. It was only about 60 kilometres to get to Bergamo but the forecast was for thunderstorms in the afternoon and we were hoping to get there before the rain started. The road was super narrow with lots of trucks. At least it was much flatter than the day before. At 2pm we reached the outskirts of Bergamo. We checked our emails once more but unfortunately no Warmshowers-host had accepted out request for accommodation. Also there were no camping grounds and so we reluctantly settled for a room rented out by the municipality. Not a great deal as the location was far outside the city centre. Also they charged us for parking our bikes in an unsecured yard. 'Che Cazzo' as the old Italian saying goes! We dumped our bags in the room, took a shower and in fact there was a short but intense thunderstorm while we were inside. By the time we set off to meet with Guido the rain had stopped and the sun was back out. We had never met Guido in person but he had been following our Instagram account for a while and had invited us to meet for dinner and drinks should we pass through Bergamo. So here we were! It was a very enjoyable evening. We strolled through the old town together and then shared some beers and pizzas in sort of an open-air bar and restaurant on the old city walls. We stayed out until well after midnight.
 |
| Exploring the old town of Bergamo with Guido |
 |
| View from the old city walls |
 |
| Selfie with Guido |
 |
| Pizza - of course! |
Unsurprisingly we slept in the next morning. Eventually we hit the road. We had another friend to meet with in Brescia, about 75 kilometres from Bergamo. We had last seen Matteo in Bangkok more than two years ago when we were all cycling through Asia. He was now back in his home town Brescia and had found us a place to sleep in the garden of his friends Rossella and Marco. The way to Brescia was just as unpleasant as the way to Bergamo had been. Too much traffic and too little space on the road. Only the last few kilometres were a bit nicer to cycle. In the late afternoon we reached town. We met with Rossella and Marco, pitched our tent in their garden and then chatted for a while. It turned out Matteo wouldn't find the time to come over that day but he would join in for breakfast the next morning. There was a wedding of a friend the next day and now Matteo and our hosts were all busy preparing the party. We used the evening to cycle into the old town. To our surprise one of the central squares was cordoned off for a live concert later that night. There wasn't much sense in sightseeing so we just found ourselves a nice pizzeria instead. After dinner we returned to our hosts' place and retired into our tent.
 |
| Caffeine fix after a short night |
 |
| Pizza in Brescia |
After a good night's sleep we woke up rather late the next morning. We started packing up the bikes and just when we were ready Matteo arrived. There were so many stories to be told and experiences to be shared. The breakfast left us barely enough time. Around noon we all had to get going. Rossella, Marco and Matteo to get to their friend's wedding and ourselves to get to Lake Garda. But first we cycled back into the old town of Brescia to do the sightseeing we couldn't do last night. We had both been in Brescia before but still it was nice to walk our bikes through the historic centre. From Brescia we continued towards Lake Garda. A rather dull ride of about 35 kilometres. Due to the late start it was already late afternoon when we arrived. We went to a camping ground that had been recommended by Matteo, pitched our tent and called it a day.
 |
| With Matteo, Rossella and Marco (left to right) |
 |
| Piazza in Brescia |
The next morning we decided to take a day off. And basically we didn't do anything. We strolled along the lake shore, went for a swim and chatted with a German camper who was intrigued with our journey. He invited us for a beer and later donated us a solar-powered battery pack. When we returned to our pitch we found a dog had peed on our tent in our absence. The doors hadn't been fully closed due to the heat and so urine and the stench were just everywhere. Disgusting!
In the evening Matteo came over. Last night's wedding party had finished on one of the camping grounds nearby and so he was in the area. He told us that the newly-weds and some friends would have dinner in an adjacent restaurant and invited us to join. It was a nice evening with excellent pizza. Unfortunately the restaurant was so noisy we could barely chat with Matteo.
 |
| Lake Garda |
 |
The next morning we got an early start. We were planning to continue towards Verona. For the first half of the day we were riding along Lake Garda until Sirmione, sort of a peninsula on the southern shore of the lake. It. Was. So. Touristy. The peninsula is super narrow with only one access road and the cars were queuing for about 5 kilometres to get as close as possible to the village on the tip of the peninsula. It was insane. We cycled past the traffic jam but were still put off by the crowds. After some very brief sightseeing we continued towards Verona. The traffic got more and more intense the further we got and it was seriously unpleasant. When we saw signs for a camping ground about 10 kilometres before town we decided to call it a day. For the rest of the afternoon we did some soul-searching and elected for skipping Verona altogether. We had both been there before and after the tourist crowds earlier today we found we couldn't be bothered to expose ourselves to yet more crowds. Instead we decided to back-track for some kilometres and then turn south to Mantova the next day.
 |
| Sirmione |
We got an early start and hit the road by 8am. Soon we left the busy main road and for the rest of the day we followed much smaller roads with little to no traffic. In the afternoon we found a camping ground outside town, dumped our stuff and cycled on to Mantova for some sightseeing. In fact there were almost no tourists and we had a pleasant evening strolling around the piazzas in the historic centre. Just before sunset we returned to the camping ground. The mosquitoes were really bad and after dinner we soon fled into our tent.
 |
| Mantova |
After another early start the next morning we cycled straight east thus staying in the rural area south of the Milan – Venice highway. It was a rather uneventful day cycling through tiny villages and endless fields. We took so many breaks in the sweltering heat that it took us ten hours to do a mere 75 kilometres.
 |
| Cycling along secondary roads |
The next day was equally hot and we had another early start. We were planning to get to Vicenza. A ride of about 80 kilometres and across some steep-ish hills. The first half of the day was quite pleasant. We were following some cycle trails and the temperatures were still sort of cool. Well before noon we reached the medieval village Soave, famed for the homonymous white wine. The setting between endless vineyards was quite stunning as was the old town. We briefly stopped for a cappuccino as it was a bit too early for a wine-tasting. After Soave the first rolling hills started and the midday heat set in. The route was still nice but we couldn't really enjoy it in the scorching sun. Eventually we had finished the last steep uphill and the remaining way into Vicenza was all downhill. It was quite late already and so we decided to skip the sightseeing today and rather push on to the camping ground immediately.
 |
| Approaching Soave |
 |
| Soave wine for dinner |
The next day was a day off but we still got an early start to explore Vicenza before the heat would be too bad. It was quite nice to see the old town early in the morning before the tourist crowds arrived. We admired the Palladian Basilica, the Piazza dei Signori and the Teatro Olimpico, a theatre that was built in 1580 and that is still in use today! When the heat became unbearable we returned to the camping. There was a swimming pool and spa nearby and we had thought about going there during the hottest hours. It turned out we didn't have to. In the afternoon the wind picked up and a mild thunderstorm started. The temperatures plummeted and we happily saved the money for the spa.
 |
| Early morning in Vicenza |
 |
| Palladian Basilica |
 |
| Piazza dei Signori |
 |
| Teatro Olimpico |
The next morning it was back to sunny and we had yet another early start. Next on was Padua, only about 40 kilometres away. By the time we got there new clouds had appeared and the temperature was actually quite pleasant for some exploring. We strolled around the pedestrianized old town for a while, visited the Palazzo del Bò, seat of the university, the Duomo and found ourselves at the Palazzo del Ragione. The palazzo is sort of a medieval shopping mall and divides the fruit market and the vegetable market. We couldn't resist, sat down at a bar and ordered white wine and tramezzini (sandwiches).
In the late afternoon we continued from the historic city centre to the outskirts where we paid a visit to the Basilica di Sant'Antonio. The basilica is the burial place of Anthony of Padua and an important pilgrimage site since the middle ages. The relics chapel is actually a real stunner – unfortunately it was forbidden to take pictures...
The forecast was for thunderstorms and heavy rain during the night and for most of the next day. We had elected for hiding out indoors and had found a cheap hotel nearby. In the late afternoon we arrived, checked in and dumped our stuff in the room. We went to a supermarket in the vicinity and just when we left the shop the rain started. The rain continued throughout the night and for most of the next day. We stayed inside and got some admin stuff done.
 |
| Palazzo del Ragione |
 |
| Fruit market |
 |
| Palazzo del Bò |
 |
| Basilica di Sant'Antonio |
The next morning the weather was back to sunny. Venice was only 30 kilometres away but again it was one of the places that we both had visited before. Tired of tourism we had decided to rather avoid Venice and to cycle a detour along the Alps. The next two days went by rather uneventfully. It was a nice landscape but there was also a lot of traffic and we didn't enjoy it all that much. In the afternoon of the second day we reached Udine. Often considered a miniature Venice we found it to be a quite fascinating place. Particularly interesting was the Piazza della Libertà, an unusual mixture of Venetian architecture, Roman and Greek influences.
 |
| Piazza della Libertà in Udine |
 |
The weather forecast was for another scorcher the next day. We wanted an early start but faffed about until almost 10am. Eventually we left Udine and tackled the way to Trieste. Most of the route was rather uneventful cycling along main roads. At least there were cycle paths for some stretches. In the early afternoon we reached the foothills of the Karst mountains around Trieste. There was a bit of an uphill with some stunning views and then we rolled down into town. We had long been looking forward to reach Trieste as it is the home of our dear friend Elisabetta. An avid traveller for decades she is still exploring the world with her signature red suitcase. In 2016 and again in 2018 we had been lucky enough to meet her in Tajikistan and now she had invited us to visit her in her home town Trieste. It was so exciting to see her again. We dumped our stuff in her flat, took a shower and then we chatted, chatted and chatted. Later in the evening she took us out to an Osmiza. Osmizas are sort of temporary restaurants in which wine makers are allowed to sell their wine and other home-made products tax-free for a couple of weeks each year. A century-old tradition that is still alive today. What a great evening and also a suitable finale for the month of July
 |
| On the way to Trieste |
 |
| Visiting an Osmiza... |
 |
| ...together with our dear friend Elisabetta |
