Italy - we're back!

Blog Italy- we’re back!. Written on: 27-8-2023

Overview day 268 - 284

28 July - 13 August 2023

766

Km’s Cycled

3460

Altimeters

10

Stages

2

Defects

Italy part 2 - We're back!

We liked the climb over the Alps. It was not too bad, because it went easier than expected. But what we certainly didn’t expect were the first 300Km after the Alps. The north of Italy is a true cycling Valhalla. Long-distance bike paths have been built that make every cyclist’s dream come true. No cars, wonderfully wide, picnic areas and coffee shops along the way, well maintained, in short: kilometers and kilometers of cycling pleasure!

We cycle out of the Alps, or rather: roll out, because the path is gently going downhill. The sun is shining, we are on perfect bike paths, the coffee is affordable again, we are so happy to be back in Italy!

Venice

And because things are going so well, we have plenty of time to make a “detour” again. Venice was not planned, but now is. We set course East. Venice, here we come!

After a few hundred kilometers it is over with the perfect cycle paths. The last 50Km is like “usual”. Cycle paths appear as suddenly as they disappear and one has to watch out for tree roots that grow through the asphalt, manhole covers that show above the road surface and cracks in the road. It is a matter of paying more attention and cycling less fast. In Venice you are not allowed to cycle anyway, we are mainly on the boat there.

Venice overrated?

If you ask Rob, Venice is heavily overvalued and mostly hyped by the masses. Yes, it is nice that you can go everywhere with a boat, but the water has also caused a lot of decay. Buildings have been affected by the ravages of time and that process has been accelerated by rising sea levels. Just outside Venice, as is the case with so many large cities, you will find heavily impoverished suburbs. A side of Venice that is carefully concealed from mass tourism. You have to get through it by bike.

Isabelle sees it less negative about the city. Despite the fact that it is a somewhat busy, it is a wonderful city to wander through. Each street leads to a beautiful canal with bridges and the rich history is reflected in the charming facades, doorposts and beautiful ornaments that can be found on the houses. In addition, Venice has several islands where you can go by boat (which function as busses). These islands all have their own character. You can discover the tranquility of island life, where people know each other and the doors are open. Add to that brightly colored houses, fishing boats and a beautiful view of the sea and the city of Venice, and you have a charming and interesting city.

Free advice

Tip: For public transport (the boats) you can buy a day ticket for 24 hours at a vending machine. This allows you to use the boats that sail through the city (free city tour) as much as you want and to all the separate islands. This allows you to see the city from the water, without having to play the tourist in a gondola for 80 euros per 30 minutes.

Another Tip: Coffee in Venice is best served at a Bacaro. A small cafe where the coffee is still affordable. Bacaros can be found all over Venice.

Tensioned spokes

After two nights in Venice we cycle back to the mainland of Italy. However, before we look for a place for that night, we stop at the bicycle repair shop (again).

It started with a irregular creaking sound that came and went. Over time, the sound did not go away anymore. Then it started to creak louder and there were several squeaking sounds, as if a cricket was stuck somewhere (it was, by the way, but that wasn’t the cause of the squeak). After a long search, it turned out to be the spokes of Rob’s bicycle. A quick Google search and we knew what to do: tighten the spokes. But without a spoke tensioner that can be a difficult job. So to the bicycle repair shop for a new tool. With perfectly tensioned spokes we were able to quickly continue our journey.

Welcome to my Garden

We signed up with a platform called ‘Welcome to my Garden’. It is a variant on Warm-Showers, only people don’t open up their house, but their garden. We like to use that towards our Work-Away. One time we don’t really speak to the people themselves. They come to say hi and then disappear again. But next time we use welcome to my garden it’s completely different. We can set up the tent in the shed instead of the garden as bad weather is predicted for the night. We don’t have to cook food because there is enough. It’s a bit difficult to communicate, but we’re having a great evening!

San Marino

We follow the Adriatic coast further south. It is flat so we continue to make many kilometers. We are going fast and that is why we ask if we can start at the Work-Away two days earlier. Which is no problem. However, our new home for the next few days is in the mountains, near San Marino, so the last few days it’s climbing again.

We make a stopover to visit San Marino for a day. For the first time since long we have to push our bikes up an asphalt road. We knew that San Marino is a big rock, but the roads could be made less steep in our opinion. But we come up and the campsite has a lovely swimming pool!

Early birds

The next morning we decide to go to San Marino early (by bus) so we can beat the crowds. Unfortunately, we are so early that we are also ahead of all opening hours. But it is nice that we can walk through an (almost) empty city. In the end we walk through San Marino a few times, because it is even smaller than we thought. Nevertheless, a beautiful town with a few nice viewpoints. On August 13 we cycle to our Work-Away. We’re going to watch someone’s house for a while and take care of the animals; two dogs, two cats and 20 chickens. The first week we have plenty of time to get used to the animals, and animals to us, and then we are on our own for a week.

We don’t know exactly what our journey will look like after that, but we will stay in Italy for the time being.