Italy

May 17: to Ippocampo, 114 Km

A quick tour of Bari was rewarding, especially the church of San Nicola. Threading our way through the maze of lanes in the old town was pleasantly cool, despite the already hot and humid day.  The streets were crowded with shops and shoppers providing a compelling impression of an urban Italian city. Ready at last, we headed north looking for the coast highway SS16. This turned out to be surprisingly difficult. We ended up on a major highway for several kilometers until eventually by hunt and peck we stumbled onto the coast road.

SS16 starts out relatively pleasant with nice views of the ocean intermixed with resorts and restaurants, but after Giovinazzo the road gets crowded and the surroundings industrial. All the way to Barletta the road passes through a large industrial zone with heavy traffic, and no place to buy food or drink. We very much regretted our failure to stop for more food in Bari before we left, especially as our stomachs rumbled along with the steady truck traffic.

At Barletta the land gives over to more pleasant agricultural production. The people have divided the land into small plots, each intensively farmed for onions and tomatoes. The land is perfectly flat but we did have to ride into a stiff wind. I expected a north wind to bring cooler dry air. The air was cool, but the humidity was stifling and the bugs pervasive.

 

By the time we reached Ippocampo about 6:30 I was about as miserable as I've ever been after a day of cycling. (I would find a new lower limit the next day.) We had been looking for lodging since Barletta but had not found anything. The few resorts we passed were still closed, waiting for the summer season. Hungry, thirsty, and tired we pedalled into a gas station looking for water and some calories. On a whim I asked the attendant if he knew of any place to stay. Amazingly, he did. He phoned a friend, who drove out and guided us to the one resort in the town that was open. It turns out that the Belgian air force was staying in a resort here while they help NATO bomb Kosovo and Serbia. The resort, African Beach, was more expensive than I would like, but it was clean and we had a very nice dinner in the only restaurant open.

Ippocampo is a large resort community with a really astounding number of resort rooms, restaurants, pizzaria, fast food restaurants, and trinket shops. All, apparently closed except African Beach. The front desk staff was very friendly, as well they might be. Maria and Gloria seemed to be having a great time with a resort full of young and handsome Belgian air force personnel! As we left they were busy planning a bicycle outing to a nearby beach.

May 18: to Termoli, 122 Km

We sought small country roads for our route to Termoli. From Ippocampo we rode almost to Manfredonia, then Stazioni di Candelaro, then Rignano, then Stazioni di San Marco in Lamis, then Apricena, then Poggio Imperiale, then highway S89 to Iipalta, and finally the S16 to Termoli. The terrain if completely flat until just before Termoli the road climbs a few just noticeable hills. The route cuts across the spur of the Italian boot.

Somehow Bob managed to celebrate his birthday on the road this morning. During a rest break he found a cake and some bourbon, can you believe it. We ate as much cake as we could and had a small toast of the bourbon, saving the rest for the evening. I suppose the Itlalians observing this small ritual considered it a rather strange diet for cyclists.

This was one of the worst cycling days I've ever had. Most of the way we travelled along with a steady stream of traffic, surprising for the agricultural area we were traversing. It's not hot but very humid. Everything feels clammy and damp, the sky is heavily overcast but it doesn't rain. The sky is filled with small bugs and some not so small. The small bugs get into everything, behind the sunglasses, up the nose, in the eyes. They stick to the sunscreen on my legs so the front of my lower legs were covered with tiny black bugs. A large bug got into my helmet and bit me. My clothes are soaked with sweat and coated with tiny bugs.

Finally, Termoli, the end of a long and tiring day. Pension Valle Ida costs us 90,000 L for a double.

May 19: to Ortona, 83 Km

A better day of cycling today. We continued following the S16 north along the coast all day so we had an easy time finding the route. The traffic was at times pretty heavy, but the road surface was good with a good shoulder most of the time. The sky was overcast with a strong head wind, the north wind finally blowing in some cooler drier air. Still, the stiff winds made the 83 Km seem long.

The route passes through mostly rural areas and occasional beach resorts. After Vesto we encountered a few hills with several short but steep climbs. From Torino di Sangra Marina the S16 is a designated scenic highway as it passes through mostly rural areas sporting occasional views of the Adriatic sea. It seems that during the summer the tourist flock to the area to enjoy the beaches and resorts.

In Ortona we found the Hotel Moderno, which may have been moderno in the 60's. We have found very few people who speak English compared to my experience further north. Still, it's always possible to communicate basic needs so it doesn't present much of a problem. My bicycle Roadboy attracts as much attention as ever. Some people can't resist waving or calling out as I pass, others are more shy but if I wave they inevitably wave back very enthusiastically. Sometimes Roadboy even creates traffic jobs as people slow their cars to get a good look. Fortunately, no actual accidents so far, just a few screeching tires and close encounters of the fender bender kind.

The rural roads and coastal views made for a nice day of cycling today, much deserved in my opinion after yesterday.

May 20: to San Benedetto, 97 Km

Today was a great day of cycling, easy flat land, no wind, the left over cool and dry air from yesterdays north wind. From Francaville all the way to San Benedetto we rode through heavily developed tourist areas. The highway or frontage road is lined with restaurants and hotels on the land side, beach umbrellas and snack bars on the ocean side. 68 Km of solid, unbroken, unrelieved, resort development.

From Tortoreto Lido to Martinsicuro they have made a bicycle path between the sidewalk and the road. It wasn't a lonely country bicycle experience, but it was fun nevertheless. Finding places to snack, get drinks, eat lunch present the novel difficulty of choosing from the multiple options. Every 100 meters if you weren't careful, you'd run into a snack bar or fruit stand.

Of course, we found the inevitable McDonalds, where we couldn't resist stopping for an American style milkshake. Pedalling behind Bob I noticed his pace pick up a bit, clearly, he had spotted the McDonalds sign before I did. But, now equally motivated we both ended the race for milkshakes about even, hungry, thirsty, and ready to enjoy a little Americana on the road.

May 21: to Macerata, 81 Km

We left about 7:30 am for another day on the S16 heading north. The traffic was heavy as we cruised through mostly suburban development. Sometimes we could enjoy nice views of the blue Adriatic but for most of the way, the highway is just far enough from the beach to allow development on both sides of the road, obscuring any views of the ocean.

We got to Civitanova by about 10:30am but had trouble find the N 485 highway to Macerata. I was looking forward to this day because with the N485 we head away from the ocean, into the mountains, leaving Abruzzo and entering La Marche. It was nice to be leaving the heavy humid lowland air for the trees and streams and peaks of the mountains. The road rises gently until about 3 Km from Macerata, where it climbs very steeply to the city. Naturally, trying to force my tired legs up the last couple hundred meters the air and trees and streams of the mountains didn't seem so great! The traffic was pretty heavy and sometimes very fast. It was a little frightening but we made it without any serious risks. For the most part, the Italian drivers have been very considerate.

A rest stop for snacks left RoadBoy in an odd spot, appearing to need gas. Actually, someone once asked me if my bicycle required fuel. I responded affirmatively and pointed to my mouth as the the entry port.

Macerata itself is a wonderful little medieval town that appears to be largely undiscovered. It has only three or four hotels and a very few tourist trinket shops. The buildings are all well preserved with people still living in and using them. The people are friendly and open to visitors, without the thick protective cover that most people living in a major tourist attraction must create to cope with the gawking sightseers. A few sidewalk cafes but not the plethora found in more popular tourist spots. We found a very nice little hotel with pleasant breakfast. All in all, highly recommended.

 

It was an interesting experience to cycle around the Macerata with RoadBoy. The streets are narrow and clogged with traffic. Going around the traffic circle outside the main gate required careful navigation and attention to the traffic flow. Fortunately, none of the distracted drives hit me or any other vehicle. Fortunately, the inevitable town square was a real treat. Safe for both pedestrians and cyclists.

 

 

 

May 22: to Fabriano, 79 Km

Getting out of Macerata was difficult, an omen of things to come. Admittedly we're trying for an odd route. The road signs keep pointing us to the autostrada, instead we want the S361 to San Severino. Finally, we found our way to Villa Potenza down a delightful but chilly hill to the Potenza river below Macerata. The traffic was heavy during the mid morning rush but thinned as we turned up the Potenza river valley. The broad Potenza river valley rises gently to San Severino passing through beautiful countryside dotted with classic old farm houses. The traffic was steady but not oppressive and the rising road was very gentle so we could maintain 20 Km per hour without wearing ourselves out. San Severino looks from below to be a lovely little Italian hill town but need to push on and don't feel like making the steep climb up to visit the spot.

After San Severino the valley narrows but the road stays relatively flat. It was a real pleasure, cruising along this scenic drive on a beautiful day blooming with spring sights and scents. At Castelraimondo we turned onto the N256 for Matelica. The road steepens a little but not too bad. We were still making good time, averaging nearly 20 Km per hour. From Matelica we have a fast steep descent down to Borgo Tufico.

We had looked for a small road to Fabriano that takes off at Cerreto d'Esi before reaching Borgo Tufico. The map shows a tertiary road following a small river up to Fabriano but nobody seemed to be able to show us the way. Finally, we got what appeared to be authoritative advice, only to get lost in some road construction. We decided that the road construction was messing up the local routes and that the heavy S76 traffic was flowing onto our small tertiary road.

So, taking a moment to compose ourselves, we waited for a break in the traffic and launched ourselves into the melee. For the next 10 Km we shared the shoulderless potted gravel sprinkled road with speeding cars and trucks. None of the drivers appeared eager to slow for a couple cyclists and the steady oncoming traffic prevented vehicles from moving over to give us room. Nerves rather frayed we finally rolled into Fabriano having experienced in one day both the best and the worst of cycling Italy.

Fabriano doesn't have many hotels, especially of the small albergo type we prefer. Eventually we settle for the Hotel Aristo at 140,000 L for a double. Fabriano has a lot of industry in the south and east. A small old town section is receiving some much needed attention for repair and restoration, but the terrible access to the town will keep Fabriano off my cycling list for some time to come. The day was overcast most of the day but didn't rain.

May 23/24: to Gubbio, 79 Km

This was an easy day turned moderately difficult by an inaccurate map. We left the hotel about 8 am after a small rather forgetable continental breakfast. We headed west out of Fabriano on the road to Sassoferrato. After about 8 Km we headed toward the town of Siglio on small roads. The sky was overcast and cool, but no rain. After a kilometer we reached Bastia and the pavement ended. No problem, a little gravel road won't be bad and the weather is nice and dry, no mud holes or slippery surfaces. Besides, the pavement will return soon.

We should have turned back. Soon the road got steep, too steep to pedal so we walked. We stubbornly pushed on, walking up a sometimes very steep and rocky dirt road for maybe 5-6 kilometers. Finally, we topped out on a foggy pass where we found a sign welcoming us to the Parque Cucco. The wind was howling over the pass, making it difficult to even walk the last 100 meters.

Bundling up as best we could we started the long long fast ride down to Sigilio. The road warning signs tell it all, steep incline, slippery roads, rain and snow! Fortunately, the pavement returned. Almost frozen, we stopped for lunch next to the busy S3 highway to warm up and study the map for an alternative with less traffic. We tried to take the small road to Branca but lost it after a couple kilometers. So, back to the S3 and eventually the S219 to Branca. Finally, a couple kilometers past Branca we found a small frontage road that parallels the S219 to Gubbio.

Gubbio is a spectacular renaissance Italian hilltown that attracts tourists by the thousands. We found a double for 90,000 L at the Grotto della Angela. To welcome us the sun came out for the first time in seven days. Gubbio has a festive air about it. Most all the windows in the old quarter have red banners hanging from them, and flower pots at the sill.

We're having a much needed rest day in Gubbio. It's a good choice. The whole towns seems like a museum. Except for the TV antennas and I suppose the improved sanitation, Gubbio looks like the middle ages were just yesterday. There are numerous meandering streets to enjoy exploring, wonderful romanesque churches, and stunning palaces. Restaurants are a little expensive and lodging a little tight, but Gubbio is well worth the visit.

May 25/26: to Urbino, 65 Km

We got off to an early start this morning at 7 am. It's a wonderful morning, the sky is clear and the air cold. Some fresh fruit and bread and we're off for Urbino. About 2 Km out of Gubbio we find the N452 headed for Cagli. It's a rather steep climb up to a tunnel where we expect to find a bypass road.

When we get to the tunnel we can see the by pass road on the other side of a fence and across a small ditch. It's not entirely clear that we can get to the bypass road. Eventually we find a part of the fence that only needs a little help to come down so we can get over and across the ditch. The road then climbs very steeply for a few hundred meters, then turns down. After passing several farms the road finally joins the regular highway, pavement, traffic, a shoulder, and everything. Actually, we can now see that the main road goes downhill through the tunnel and would have been very fast and relatively safe. We could have saver considerable effort by sticking to the main road and avoided a good scare from a dog.

At Cagli we stopped for lunch in the crowded town square. It was given over almost entirely to car parking. Entering the town had been more promissing, we passed a stunning tower, probably left over from the old city walss. It was very well preserved, even the moat was still visible.

It's a pleasant downhill ride, not steep, till the N452 joins the N3 at Pontericciola. The N3 is a major highway, but we found the old highway running alongside. We rode on the old highway for 23 Km, all the way to Acqualagna, all downhill, and almost no traffic. It was like a bike path, our biggest problem was staying warm. We passed through Cantriano and Cagli, both interesting towns but we didn't take time to see very much. Cagli had a wonderful old tower, a massively built thing, probably part of the old city wall. It was very well preserved or restored, even the roof was intact.

In Acqualagna we reluctantly left the old N3 highway and headed over the mountains to Fermignano. It's a steep climb that took us about 3/4 hours. In Fermignano we met an American cyclist from Ohio. Dr. Robert had just left Urbino with a custom bike and all the best gear. He is a very nice guy who manages to fit in a week of cycling every year to a busy schedule.

The map showed a tertiary road from Fermignano to Urbino that looked attractive, it turned out to be a big mistake. It does go to Urbino but it's extremely difficult. We started climbing directly out of Fermignano, very steep, then steeper. We alternated riding and walking till we finally got to the top, just to drop back down to almost the level of the main highway, then up again, even more steeply. We sweated our way up again to a sign that showed the city limits of Urbino and still the road climbed. On and on. Implausibly, the road also had considerable traffic going who knows where. Why weren't they using the main highway? We couldn't guess but we were both almost shattered by the time we struggled into Urbino.

Finally, we entered the city gate and saw our steepest climb yet. Urbino is built on two hills, surrounded by a city wall. Our entrance brought us up between the two hills, at an intersection that split the two hills, each with it's own road rising up to the top. These roads were very steep, but climb them we must to the tourist info office. At the tourist office we got a map and found that the first hotel we wanted to try was at the top of, you guessed it, the other hill. Housing was scarce, but we managed to find the pleasant Pensione Fosca at 65,000 L for a double.

Urbino is smaller than Gubbio, and dirtier. It's has a university so the town is filled with young people and has a energetic brilliance to it. In the evening the central intersection is filled with people, drinking, talking, eating. It was one of the best places for people watching that we've seen.

We spent May 26 in Urbino resting and enjoying the city. I very much enjoyed the Palazzo Ducal with it's refined renaissance beauty. It's famous for it's wood work, art that lives up to even stimulated expectations. The Duomo was closed. Our second night they had a political rally in the town, free music and some speech making. It was more like a street party than anything else.

Even with the party and politicing it was possible to enjoy the stunning views and relaxed urban lifestyle of Urbino. The view from the edge of the city was stunning and well worth an evening stroll away from the energy of Urbino's downtown.

May 27: to Ravenna, 136 Km

We get an early start on a long day, leaving Urbino at 7:30am for a cold downhill ride on the S423 toward Pasaro. Almost no traffic on a Sunday morning. We started seeing cyclists coming up the hill, first a trickle, then a flood. Hundreds of them, all kinds. Young studs hammering the climb, team cyclists pacing each other, young couples enjoying the morning, older bicyclers chatting and pedalling. Many waved, some just starred at RoadBoy.

Not far out of Pasaro we turned off to Tavulia. A short and steep climb up to the small town, then another long downhill stretch to the coast. We hit the coast about 10 am at Cattolica. From Cattolica we started north on a coastal frontage road that parallels the S16. This stretch of the Adriatic has been heavily developed for beach resorts. Resorts crowd the beach from Cattolica to Ravenna, perhaps 80 Km. Every available space has been developed. The land side has one restaurant/hotel/bar/trinket shop after another. The ocean side has a nice beach, filled to capacity at every square meter with lounge chairs and umbrellas. The occasional snack bar breaks up the colorful umbrellas, color matched for each fee area.

 

The cycling is easy. It's flat and much of the way has a bicycle path available, next to the road. Our greatest danger comes from wandering tourists who may step into our path. RoadBoy's forward chain ring gear would do some serious damage if I collided with a pedestrian. While not as pleasant as the old highway next to the N3, the occasional swim suit model keeps it interesting and it's fun to ride by gawking at the tourists gawking at RoadBoy. With the plethora of snack shops we can at least stop for a snack whenever we want, but it is difficult to find a place for a picnic lunch. Finally, a city park provides just the right place, a bench, some shade, and the inevitable audience for RoadBoy.

We enter Ravenna tired but not overly, considering the 136 Km day. Ravenna is smaller than I expected. Most of the buildings are rather modern but overall the city has a great deal of charm.  I especially enjoyed the central square and the surrounding pedestrian zone. Many people use bicycles to get to work in the area, it was great fun to join in the cycle traffic.

May 28: to Lido de Pomposa, 53 Km

In the morning we spent some time riding about Ravenna. We especially enjoyed San Viele. The mosaics have a special simplicity and the church building itself a unique Visigothic mix of Roman and Orthodox styles. We also visited the tomb of Theodoric, the Visigothic emperor of the western empire. The unique hexagonal shape and robust style has a special attraction. Somehow it's military inspired simplicity and refinement makes a very positive impression. The grounds keeper took a special interest in RoadBoy.

Sightseeing in Ravenna delayed our departure till noon. Instead of the busy S309 we sought the frontage road along the coast. A un-bridged canal comes right up into Ravenna so we had to make sure we found the north side of the canal. This was reasonably straightforward but the road to Porto Corsini passes through a busy noisy, smelly, ugly industrial area with oil refineries and other manufacturing activities. At Porto Corsini we finally reached a resort area with a bicycle path, low density housing on the west, a greenbelt on the east.

After Casal Borsetti we had to ride on the S309 for perhaps 10 Km. The traffic was intense but some construction caused the delays and bunching of the vehicles. So, we'd wait for a gap and ride while vehicles on our side of the road waited for those on the other side to have a turn using the one lane road.

 

 

It wasn't all congested and developed, we did pass through some agrecultural land, very flat and boring, but easy cycling. My Missouri partner seemed to throughly enjoy the flat river bottoms and increasingly humid air.

 

 

At Porto Baribaldi we returned to the frontage road system, cycling through a relatively quiet resort area to Lido di Pomposa where we found a camp ground. This part of the day covers plasant developed areas with the by now ubiquitous umbrellas and snack bars. It's a nice camp ground, pretty typical of Italian resort camping. That means, lots of Germans. In fact, the evening entertainment turned out to be in German. Part of the entertainment appeared to have included a comedian. He would talk and talk in what to us was incomprehensible German, and at random points the crowd would erupt in laughter. It seemed to us the comedian was quite funny and we couldn't help but laugh too. Funny that.!

May 29/30: to Padowa, 119 Km

We left about 6:30am for a day that would test our route finding skills. The land around Venezia is flat and agricultural with many tertiary roads suitable for cycling. The main difficulty arises from the several large canals cut the land and have only a few places to cross.

We came across several signs asking us to degrade someone named Joelle. We never found out what she did to deserve degrading and fortunately we never met her so didn't have to decide if we would follow the instructions. I hope she is OK and perhaps the degrading has stopped.

We started out on the frontage road to Bosco Mesola, almost no traffic, cool, flat, and scenic. A short 2 Km on the S309 brought us to Mesola where we turned off on a road south of the canal Po di Goro. We followed this road to Ariano where we crossed the canal on the S495, taking this highway to Adria. The S495 has little traffic, a smooth new surface, and an adequate shoulder.

At Adria we had to take the S516 which is crowded with traffic and has no shoulder, but it's one of the few places to cross the Adige River. Just over the river we switched back to a tertiary road going to Rottanova, Agne, Arre, Bovolenta, Casalserugo, Salboro, to Padowa. Overall the cycling was pretty good, mostly very light traffic and almost perfectly flat. Nevertheless, we were pretty tired by the time we rolled into Padowa.

Many people use Padowa as a base from which to either visit Venezia or stage into the crowded canal city the next day. We couldn't find any vacant room at any hotel with less than four stars. But, our luck held because we were able to get the last two beds at the youth hostel. Padowa has a large hostel with adequate facilities.

On May 30 Bob took a day trip to Venezia while I toured around Padowa. Venice made a big impression Napoleon and Bob, not to mention countless others from the beginning of the sublime republic. Bob came back raving about the stunning exit from the Venice train station to the Canal Grande.

Padowa has a famous university, Galileo taught here for a time. It was inspiring to walk in the streets frequented by Galileo and wonder at the slow progress of human understanding. In his honor I dropped two rocks of different weight, just to make sure the still fall at the same speed.

Still, Padowa had a bittersweet feeling because it also represented the end of our cycle trip. We had come over 1500 Km in a little more than three weeks. We'd cycled on cold and hot, wet and dry, busy and lonely roads. We met lots of people, some rude, most very nice and gracious. We ate good and bad food, drank warm water and refreshing ice cold fruit juice. We sweated up steep mountains, and blissfully coasted down the other side, having started at sea level and returned to it numerous times.

My favorite part? It's hard to say, but I seem to enjoy the second week the best. By that time my body had completely adjusted to cycling and I could just enjoy the easy routine of riding and eating and sleeping. During the first week my body still needed to grow and during the last week it's hard to not think about the coming end of another adventure.

May 31: to Home

Well, not exactly home for both of us. We got up early in the morning to catch a train to Milan and from there to Brig Switzerland. Not all trains in Italy accommodate bicycles, but the train schedule shows the trains that have space for bicycles. The trains that take bicycles tend to have slower schedules and connections can involve long waits. So, we're planning on an all day trip to Brig.

Everything went smoothly. We arrived in Milan at the appointed time, found the platform for the train to Domodossola. Domodossola is the last town in Italy before crossing the Swiss border. Usually I have to go to Domodossola and then change to a Swiss train for the short ride into Brig. This isn't a problem as most every Swiss train can accommodate bicycles and trains run between Brig and Domodossola frequently.

We arrived in Brig in early afternoon, time enough to find a hotel and visit my friends. It was nice to see friendly faces.

This was our last night as a team. On June 1, Bob went on to Geneva for a flight home on June 3. I stayed in Brig to visit with friends for a little longer, then go to visit some friends in Lausanne. Later I'll meet my wife for some sightseeing. So, finally, it was the end of the trip, time to plan for next years adventure.