tim
Moderator
Reged: 06/18/03
Posts: 6123
Loc: Vélo, Virginia, Vitet
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U.S. Air direct from Philly to Venice arrived an hour early Friday morning. The flight was a breeze, or to be more exact, a tailwind.
Took the train into Venice today from Castlefrance at a cost of ten dollars round trip, great trains in Italy these days. Walking around the city on this perfect late summer day, I am reminded why I love this city so much. Although not as crowded when I was here in the spring rains four years ago, there are still lots and lots of folks enjoying Venice today.
We're headed in to the Dolomites Monday. I rode my bike 40 miles yesterday to loosen my legs and have never had both cars and huge trucks drive so close to me in my life. I must say I'm looking forward to the quieter(if incredibly steeper) roads in the mountains.
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JoshA
Reged: 08/28/05
Posts: 2273
Loc: Virginia
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Italian drivers scare me regardless of transportation mode. I like Venezia as well because transportation is more civilized. Enjoy your Giro, tim, and stay safe.
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JEK
Moderator
Reged: 01/20/04
Posts: 10998
Loc: Northern Virginia
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Quote:
. . . have never had both cars and huge trucks drive so close to me in my life . . . .
Hmm. I'm thinking of the ride from Gd. Fond to Toiny and questioning that fact . . .
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Carnaval 2009: Mardi 24 Février 2009!!!!
JEK
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tim
Moderator
Reged: 06/18/03
Posts: 6123
Loc: Vélo, Virginia, Vitet
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C'est vrai, I promise.
Today's weather was so perfect that we couldn't have ordered a better or clearer day if mother nature had given us a menu. Our route was around the mountains near Asiago, and the traffic wasn't as bad as in the Castlefranco area. The people are friendlier as well as we've moved away from the city. We've been climbing around 5,000 feet per day so far, but the climbs in these mountains should not be measured in kilometers or miles, but in hours. I'm a little fatigued and looking forward to tonight's feast and wine. I've never before experienced the regional white wine but have quickly developed a fondness for it.
Northern Italy appears to be a most prosperous area with well kept homes and yards everywhere one looks. Poverty seems not to exist in the areas we've visited to date. The views from the mountains are nothing short of magnificent. We see the occasional critter, notably today a caterpillar who was going faster uphill than was I(just kidding).
Most of the riders in this group are stronger(not to mention younger) than I am, but I've been doing okay so far. One poor lady has been struggling already and pushing her bike up the hills. That's not a good sign this early in the trip. Tomorrow's another day in the saddle.
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The best moderation is the least moderation.
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JEK
Moderator
Reged: 01/20/04
Posts: 10998
Loc: Northern Virginia
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Quote:
One poor lady has been struggling already and pushing her bike up the hills.
I can identify with her after pushing my way up hills in pursuit of you on SBH :-)
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Carnaval 2009: Mardi 24 Février 2009!!!!
JEK
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Mike R
Reged: 05/26/03
Posts: 15959
Loc: Stinson Lake - New Hampshire
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thanks for that Tim...its a whole different set of circumstances at elevation eh??....welcome to my world....best of luck to you...breath deep
Edited by Mike R (09/05/06 01:17 PM)
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Dennis
Reged: 04/05/04
Posts: 3204
Loc: Chicago
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Quote:
I rode my bike 40 miles yesterday to loosen my legs.
Geeze, do I feel like a wuss when my ass hurts after about 5 miles!
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JEK
Moderator
Reged: 01/20/04
Posts: 10998
Loc: Northern Virginia
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Quote:
Quote:
I rode my bike 40 miles yesterday to loosen my legs.
Geeze, do I feel like a wuss when my ass hurts after about 5 miles!
Check his full schedule and prepare to feel really inadequate :-)
Tour
I think it is about 100,000 feet of climbing in two weeks.
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Carnaval 2009: Mardi 24 Février 2009!!!!
JEK
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tim
Moderator
Reged: 06/18/03
Posts: 6123
Loc: Vélo, Virginia, Vitet
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Two days ago we rode from Asiago to Levico Terme, a resort village around a lake. On the way we biked two hours to go one kilometer. While on one side of a gorge, our tour leader pointed to a village on the other side of the gorge at about our same elevation and about one kilometer distant. We took 20 minutes to descend to the bottom of the gorge and an hour forty minutes to ascend the other side.
Yesterday was a tough day to reach Cles, all sixes - six hours in the saddle, 6600 feet of climbing, and 66 miles. We got lost along the way, stopped to ask directions, and only later realized the individual we asked was probably a patient on the campus of a mental institute. Memories of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. I feel sorry for one of our riders who appears to be in over her head, but I marvel at her ingenuity. She ran out of gas on yesterday's ride but managed to locate a train station to take the train to our current location of Cles. Most of us are taking today to rest our legs and butts for the big climbing to come.
I've never seen so many apples in my life as there are in this region. It was funny to see a sign at one of the large orchards advertising, "Red and Golden Delicous Apples." Is this American name a universal for that type of apple? And another question, how do they pick the apples all the way at the top of those flimsy trees? The terrain here is much too hilly for any kind of ladder I can conceive.
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Peter_NJ
Reged: 12/19/02
Posts: 1014
Loc: The Beach
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Tim,this is a long shot,but the lady in over her head,isnt named Pat from NJ is it?? Have a great rest of your trp.
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tim
Moderator
Reged: 06/18/03
Posts: 6123
Loc: Vélo, Virginia, Vitet
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Peter,
She's not named Pat unless she's biking incognito. She's now discovered that if she leaves two hours before everyone else in the mornings and takes the shortest routes that she can bike to our day's destinations. That means she ends up riding all day alone each day. I have great admiration for her courage and determination to finish the trip with us.
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The best moderation is the least moderation.
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tim
Moderator
Reged: 06/18/03
Posts: 6123
Loc: Vélo, Virginia, Vitet
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Last Saturday as we headed from Cles to Suisi Allo Scillar, we were planning on going through the middle of the large city of Bolzano, always a tricky feat on a bicycle. Luckily for us we discovered the most amazing bike path that allowed a safe bypass of the entire urban area. We must have followed it for at least 15 miles, miles which featured numerous bike only bridges across the river as well as bike only tunnels, some of which were several hundred feet long. We encountered hundreds of cyclists of all types and ages, so the path must be used by thousands daily.
At some point Saturday we crossed an imaginary line between Italian cultured Italy and German cultured Italy. I know this because at our destination, German was the language of choice for both people and road signs, and there were more dogs staying at our hotel than people.
Sunday was a day of 7,000 feet of climbing up to Passo Pordoi. Everybody that owned a motorcycle was racing(literally) up and down the mountain roads. Since we didn't see bodies being carried off by the truckload, one can only conclude the motorcyclists were all amazingly skilled and lucky. Their noise, high speed and passing other vehicles in the face of oncoming traffic made it impossible to relax and enjoy the ride - even on this, another one of our days of perfect weather. The scenery in this part of the world is so spectacular as to make even beautiful St. Barth pale by comparison.
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