Grado my last day in Italy

After my day in Venice, I woke this morning feeling more tired and wiped out than almost any day yet on my journey. All of that walking really took it out of me. I got off to a slow start, lingering over breakfast, feeling a bit lethargic, without any real plan or goals for the day other than the usual ..... to head east. My room was at a vacation spot, kind of like a mini Club Med. They had activities with dancing and games for all of the hotel and associated campground. There were lots of families.

 I think I was subconsciously feeling sad knowing I would be leaving Italy soon. And Venice is a tough act to follow!

I had left Venice by boat to the east and was now on a "Lido"; a long sandy thin island not unlike the Cape in Mass. or the barrier islands along the NJ or Carolina shore. 

I had forgotten to recharge my iPad/camera so I didn't take many pictures.

The mid day ride on a nice bike path ....

The beach all along the ride.

The afternoon bike path ........

I gained some momentum as the day went on and by late afternoon had to make a decision that woul set the tone for the next few days. To continue on ..... following the train line along the sliver of coast that was still Italy to Treviso, the last city before leaving Italy ..... or to ride south to Grado an old fishing village, turned beach resort on a peninsula across the water from Treviso and take a boat across to Treviso the next day.

Where I sat at the fork in the road to make my decision .....

I took the risk of being able to find a room in the coastal resort town of Grado and headed to the coast. I really liked the idea of the system of numerous boats the hop along the coast ..... Being on the water and entering the cities and towns from the water.

 At first it looked to be a big mistake when the first 2 hotels in Grado were booked. But I persisted and finally found a great place at a reasonable rate (50 uro) with breakfast. It was a friendly and really nice place with many families on vacation and a 5 minute bike to the center of the action. I had a nice dinner and watched all of the vacation activity in the very lively busy resort beach town, with live bands playing in the plaza and people, mostly young enjoying their vacation. 

There were many Austrians and Germans and an arcade, miniature golf ....... but no cars and many many bicycles. It was my kind of town.

Venice continued ..... In 2 parts

The main squares and along the waterfront were very crowded but my favorite places were some of the deserted back alleys that were out of the sun, cool and I had a ball exploring on foot. And my family will be glad to hear I must have walked 10 miles and it didn't feel too bad. With a lot of stretching and walking quickly my legs didn't go numb.

I will wait for the romantic gondola ride for when I visit with Sarah my sweetheart.

I saw these guys and new immediately they were Americans. The division 1 BB team from IUPUI .... Look it up, they made the NCAA tournament in 2003 and are a great bunch of guys having the time of their life in Venice.

...... and on the boat trip out of the city to a Treporti a resort beach town on a barrier island to the east. I met the coolest dude ever who was cycling down to the seaside to see his girlfriend He was from the Dolomites, Alps along the Austrian border. He has ridden all over Europe and even parts of Asia in the summer. In winter he is a ski instructor.

A really nice guy he rode with me for 2 boats and helped me navigate the 3 different boats I needed to take to get out of the city and to where I was going. And he recommended the great place I stayed at tonight.

But enough for now ....... needless to say this day was one of the best days of the trip and I am so glad I took the day to see and explore Venice ..... like Bilbao it is somewhere I will definitely return .....

Alan Ross as I imagine him sailing into Venice some day alongside a huge floating hotel.

Venice .... Unbelievable

My hotel in Treviso was really nice and lingering over their great breakfast I caught up on some emails and my blog.

The view from my room down a side alley.

My room .....  a typical inexpensive nice but spartan single European room.

I made relaxed tour of Treviso one of my favorite small cities. They call it the "little Venice".

..... the small side plaza where my room was located, and the restaurant where I had a delicious dinner.

Following some recommendations I made the decision to take a train into Venice, rather than spend most of the cycling........ the main city is really a series of islands and access by bicycle was not said to be a pleasant ride. While the trains ran every half hour and it was only a 45 minute trip.

There were already a lot of foreign tourists.

The train put me on the main island on the edge of the city. With big crowds, very small sidewalks a lot of steps, no roads and not another bicycle in sight, I saw immediately it was no place for Hellen my bike. I went a short distance to one of the main ferry and boat taxi hubs and paid 5 uro to have her locked up for the day. And I took the first of what was to be about 6 boat rides that day.

AND I SAW VENICE FOR THE FIRST TIME ......... ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE

From here on only a few comments just some of the many photos I took ....... I just wandered around all day and rode inexpensive municipal boats taking pictures and eating. I did buy one t-shirt to honor my favorite country on the trip.

A century ride to Treviso

It had been a beautiful night sleeping out. There was a strong cool breeze from the south most of the night and the one time i woke up a beautiful star show and at dawn the haze from the day before was gone. I had piled up so much loose hay on the ground figuring that during the night it would get packed down and at least I would have half the night in comfort, but I woke in total comfort.

One of the nice things about sleeping out, is that you go to bed early and wake up with the sun, thus getting an early start to the day. I woke to a beautiful sunrise and because I had escaped to the south west of the city the night before, I set off back east through Verona. 

If nothing else I wanted to see what was so special about Verona that every room in town was booked at 180 to 200 uro ..... 3 or 4 times the normal rate for a room.

The city was dead this early on a Saturday and I had breakfast at a Mc Donald's the only place open where I could get some protein or more than just coffee and a croissant. 

I think this was either Romeo or Juliet's house, but they too were still asleep.

...... the old Roman theater where the opera was held........

........my McDonalds .........

The plaza with out door dining, packed with people the night before...... all now sleeping in ....

I

Leaving Verona ..... not all that impressed .....

Feeling well rested and with an early start I headed east and by 10 AM made it to Soave an old walled city up on a hill. There were 2 really very helpful and nice ladies who set me up with some good maps and convinced me to take some time to explore their walled cities castle.

I took their advice and was not disappointed and even paid the 6 uro to go inside. I couldn't take photos inside but it was restored to how they lived in the 8th century.

...... I could climb all over and up into the highest tower .....

....... the vineyards and manor below ..... I would recommend Suave any day over Verona, and will now always look for wine in the USA from Suave.

I continued on my way and without any climbing, a nice breeze from the south and the mountains visible to the north .......

...... and I made iit to Vicenza for lunch.

.... At this point with a good 50 miles by lunch I started to set my sights on Treviso which would set me up to get into Venice on Sunday.

I took more main roads .... more like riding route 7 in the Berkshires rather than my norm on smaller less direct roads. There were pretty good shoulders and I saw many other cyclists on this Saturday afternoon.

...... and there was often a nice bike path as I blew through some small villages.

...... and getting into a rhythm, feeling good and not finding much life to make me want to stop in Citadella or Castel Flranco two other nice but uninspiring walled cities, I moved on.

........ and about 7:00 I arrived in Treviso. It was my kind of town, medium in size with a lot of life on the streets, several busy plazas and young people and families out and about, shopping, just hanging out and older guys just out cruising about on their bikes. 

When the day was done I checked my cyclometer and I had logged my first century of the journey ..... 103  miles. Not bad for an old guy of 63 on a heavy touring bike (with fenders) and all the gear needed for 50 days on the road (all of about 12 pounds). 

I credit the achievement of doing a century ride to having gotten a great nights sleep in the hay and something that is not my strong suit ...... getting up and out of bed early and not dilly dallying with 3 cups of coffee at breakfast.  For me it was another Buddhist example of how sometimes adversity or our enemies are there to show us or to teach us something, and that we should be thankful for adversity or our enemies when we encounter them.

I easily found a nice little hotel and had a great dinner and a much needed shower before going to bed exhausted but happy.

A relaxed day to Verona .... with a unwelcome surprise ending

After the harrowing afternoon ride into Montova the first thing I did after sleeping late was to visit the Information office to get some route advice. They advised and told me about a bike path north to Largo di Garda a big lake backing up to the mountains and then west to Verona. 

Although this was a longer route to Verona the bike path with no traffic and not having to think about my route almost all day sounded great. Beside the lakes that back up to the northern Alps were said to be beautiful.

So after a few departing pictures of Montova ......

...... the view from my window ....

The entrance and sign for my Hotel

I set off for a relaxing day .... and it was relaxing, with the biggest danger being from oncoming cyclists ...

..... whole families and lots of tourists...

The whole way along the path we followed a Flume  which was a controlled river or a huge irrigation ditch.

..... the spot where I had my picnic lunch .....

The whole thing was an incredible plumbers engineering delight, with side channels taking water away and gates and spillways.

I kept following it upstream until the source .....

..... first this ..... and then the lake .....

...... not much of a beach, but beautiful with mountains off in the distance on this hazy day.

After a quick swim to cool off the ride east to Verona was an easy 25 miles. With some more beautiful vineyards.

........ and grapes.......

Because of the swim, photos and my generally relaxed state of mind I rolled into Verona a little late about 7 and hungry. Having had no trouble, easily finding a nice modestly priced room ever since entering Italy, I decided to have dinner and enlist the help of the waitress and dinner staff, something that usually worked well when the tourist office was closed.

What a surprise to find that the entire town was booked solid. We called around everywhere and nothing. Verona it turns out is the 3rd biggest tourist city in Italy.

Desperate as it got dark I rode out toward the periferal highway where there were some big hotels. Still nothing ...... it was all because of the opera.

Finally out of options I went back to an old stand-by I found a hay-bale and unrolled my sleeping bag.

The hay was plentiful, soft, warm and dry ........ And I slept like a baby !!!

Never a dull moment and just when you relax, .......