Is it cold and wet or just me

I am up with the crack of dawn as the camp is on a trail.  I pack in the rain then ride.  After 10 miles I find bike path with a snow shed covering part of it and hang out there.  Stopping just makes me cold so I push on.  I see lighter sky ahead through the rain.  The rain stops but I am not catching up to the lighter sky.  Then I see blue sky.  Only another hour of riding I find a bit of sun light.  I find some trail side tables and dry the tent and gear.  I push on and fnd there is camping in the area.  Working the various campgrounds down the road I find one for 9 Euros compared to the 21 the first camp wanted.  Setup camp early and start to read.  I wake for a late diner and then more sleep.

Lago di Caldonzzo

5/13/12

49.7 miles, 6:09 minutes moving, Max Speed 24.6, Moving Average 8.1, 

 Stop Time 10.02, Overall Average Speed 3.1,   Start 6::00 and 15:30  Accent 1528 Feet  Sunny warm day with a bit of wind.

Love & Kisses

Steve

Will they let me go

So after the long night ride I am ready to go at 9:30.  At the entrance I need to take a number.  There incoming numbers and outgoing numbers and other numbers I am not sure about.  They call out the numbers in Italian which are not high in my vocabulary.  In short I have my passport and out the gate at 11:00.  I work my way around the canals and arrive to see the ferry just leaving after a quick 20 miles.  Another is in just an hour.  I am riding the line of Islands that line the lagoon Venice is in.   Catching ferries from one to the next.  At Venice the place is not bike friendly so I move on.  Do not go on the Gondola ride with the bike.  I do not care what the rumors are.  The bike and I are just friends.  With camping over priced I decide to head for the hills.  As dark is upon me I am at the last city at the base of the mountains.  I head up into the hills place here is for caravans only.  I see lights of a thunderstorm in the hills.  A the first drops of rain start to fall I spot a trail I might camp on.  I spend to much time checking out the area so that five minutes earlier I would not be in my tent soaked from the rain.

Rosolina Mare

5/12/12

83.5 miles, 8:41 minutes moving, Max Speed 23.5, Moving Average 9.6, 

 Stop Time 3:48, Overall Average Speed 6.7,   Start 09::30 and 00:30  Accent 1034 Feet  Sunny warm day till the rain.

Love & kisses

Steve

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GPS helps

I started late as I was finishing the blog with some picture and such. Nice ride across the marshes turned farm land. I took the recommend ride around a large lake. Then started north and wanted to make good time as it was flat farm land. I tried using the GPS to optimize the route. It came up with 25 mile route to a town to the north I made it in 11 miles. Tried it again and it gave 14 mile route which I made in 7. I think it is set on wandering mode. As evening is coming on The GPS shows bike routes out to and up the coast that will take me near camping. Near night fall the GPS is directing me across a virtual bridge. There are no bridges in the region. I cannot stop or I will be drained as the marsh comes alive. Glad I have my yellow fever shot. I bike the seven miles back to the nearest town and then need to find bridges north that are not on the Freeway that does not allow bikes. I slowly find a route north and to a campground at 12:30 at night. The security takes my passport and takes me a quarter mile across the campground to a spot to camp. Ten minutes later I am in my ten asleep.

 5/11/12
112 miles, 10:07 minutes moving, Max Speed 24.7, Moving Average 11.1, Stop Time 3:02, Overall Average Speed 8.5, Start 11:0 and 00:30 Accent 1114 Feet Sunny warm day in the 80ies

Love & Kisses
Steve

Adriatic Sea

Today I am cruising the Adriatic Sea looking at beaches being prepared for the on slot of tourist.  There is line after line of umbrella stands.  Volley ball to rope courses.  Of coarse it is hard to see the sea past the endless hotels.  Rivers kept sending me inland looking for a bridge.  It is easy riding and stop 6 at a youth hostel.  This is my first solid roof to sleep under with power and the Internet.  At dinner the waiter was sad when all I order was gorgonzola omelet.  When the omelet was finished and I ask for pasta then the treats showed up as the omelet was just a starter.  Life is good.  You can eat croissants and loose weight.
Ravenna Youth Hostel

5/10/12

42.0 Miles, 4.33 minutes moving, Max Speed 19.0,  Moving Average 9.2,  Stop Time 4:04, Overall Average Speed 4.9,   Start 9:30 and 18:00  Accent 197 Feet  Sunny warm day in the 80ies

Love & Kisses

Steve

Add another country to the list

With the padre waving me goodbye I was headed into town.  Off for food and the WC as the church missed them.  I head down the valley and to the Adriatic Sea.  It has been only three nights without a shower.  Stop to do a little bike maintenance as the day is nice.  The road I am on does not seem to go always down hill as the river below does.  When I find an internet connection I see that I am only 5 miles from San Mario.  I decide to leave Italy.  I pass the cable car ride to the top and ride to the very top.  Great views and then head out as it is filled with tourist shops.  The ride down is great.  Missed the camp ground that I was directed to so I head to the sea.  There is a camping by the sea and a shower.

Bellairia

5/9/12

57.0 Miles, 5:57 minutes moving, Max Speed 35:0,  Moving Average 9.6, 

 Stop Time 6:32, Overall Average Speed 4.6, Start 8:30 and 20:30 Accent 2376 Feet  Sunny warm day in the 80ies

Love & Kisses

Steve

The gods can be kind

Get an early start to the day with cool mist in the valley.  I can see house across the valley from my camping spot.  It is up hill first thing and my legs prefer a slower warm up.  When the sun finally hits me I stop to eat and soak in the heat.  Then there is more to climb.  There are just hills today. I stopped at an old picnic area to dry the gear from the early morning start. Find a nice café for lunch and tell them I am a vegetarian.  They bring me pasta, and then there is salad with quiche, chips and spinach pastry as sides.  It is a good place to let the cook choose.  Then there were a few more hills.  I spotted a good place to camp, but it sounded like a kennel near by.  I went on and it was a kennel, so I headed down to a town that listed a campground on the map.  Could not see any sign of a camp ground when I got to the town.  I asked and was told there was no campground.  The maps around town showed the town had a camp ground.  I ask again and this shop owner confirmed that there was no campground.  But then then suggested going up the hill and pointed to the pilgrimage sign.  I went up the hill and there was a church with no one around.  I looked around and saw no signs.  As the church has a little influence in the area I decide not to pitch my tent in the church yard.  As I was leaving a padre was heading out to his car and called me over.  He indicated in good Italian I should camp in the church yard.  It was a very quiet place and I thanked the right gods. 

Badia Tedalda church yard

5/8/12

40.5 Miles, 6:30 Moving Time, Max Speed 34.0,  Moving Average 6.2,  Stop Time 6:34, Overall Average Speed 4.6,   Start 6:30 and 20:30  Accent 3784 Feet  Light rain in the morning with thunder head clouds all day.

Love & Kisses

Steve

Yes, you can dry out riding the bike

Morning brings only light rain.  As there are no faculties I pack wet and find the toilet in town.  A little food and I am off to Cortona.  I do not run up to the town as I was there last year.  I follow a bike path I know of up the valley to Arezzo.  Stopped on the path and spent abit of time drying gear.  See some of the walled old city.  As evening sets in I head to the hills and near dark I find a good spot to wild camp.  As there are thorn bushes everywhere so I sleep on a Boulder.  In the middle of the night my bag falls off the rock, then my pillow, after that I fall of the boulder.onto the bike.  As I get out of the mess I wake up and find I am still on the boulder, but the other things have fallen.  I go back to sleep and will get them in the morning.

Wild Camping near Chiaveretto

5/7/12

55.2 Miles, 6:56 Moving Time, Max Speed 34.2 ?,  Moving Average ?,  Stop Time 8:11, Overall Average Speed ?,   Accent 1198 Feet  Light rain in the morning with thunder head clouds all day.

Love & Kisses

Steve

Weather turned a bit

The rain started before sunrise.  I should have covered the saddle.  Pack during a break in the rain.  After a quick meal in town I climb out of this old volcano.  Yes the lakes in this region are in old volcanoes.  Just a few light rain showers as I work my way through the hills.  Avoid some heavy rain in a bus shelter.  Find lunch at 5 and the rain has picked up.  Only twenty miles to the lago were there is a camp ground.  In the driving rain I push on.  Drivers hurry past to get their cars out of the rain.  They do try to wash the mud off me that the car before sprayed me with.  I find a caravan parking area and take high ground which is a few inches above the rest of the parking area that is a lagoon.  An hour later I have most of the water off me and the gear.  Part of the sleeping bag got wet, so it was cool damp night.  But for some reason I fell asleep quickly.  You should feel sorry for me as I am biking in Tuscany

Lago di Castogione

5/6/12

56.8 Miles, 7:18 Moving Time, Max Speed 34.2,  Moving Average 7.8,  Stop Time 4:39, Overall Average Speed 4.7,   Accent 3665 Feet  Rain and more rain, buckets of rain

Love & Kisses

Steve

Slow day

I spent the morning on the internet updating blog and providing ideas for the well that is acting up.  A few mile into town to get the first meal of the day.  Then the hill climb from the lago.  Today I cannot climb hills and am at almost crawling up the hill.  Not eating right and dehydration maybe the problem.  I push on slowly.  A trio of dogs approach me as I climb slowly with one little one trained on my ankle.  It moves around for a good rear approach.  As soon as I hope off the bike the spell is broken and he moves on.  Next lago there is a camp that I would have stopped at but it is a naturalist camp.  Where guy how may have looked good in there Speedos 30 years ago are net even wearing them.  This is not the crowd to watch playing volleyball.  Also you need to be a member and For some reason I never joined.  Climbing up from this Lago Vico is another crawl.  I make it to Viterbo and realize that it is Saturday and I must buy food for tomorrow, also it 10 more mile to find nearest camping at Lago Di Bolsena.  The water has helped and I can make better speed which is good as it late evening leaving Viterbo.  I make it to camp after dark with only one near miss with a car head on.

5/5/12

54.7 Miles, ? minutes moving, Max Speed 33.7,  Moving Average 7.7,  Stop Time 3:00 Minutes, Overall Average Speed 5.1,   Start 11:00 End 22:00  Accent 3763 Feet  Sunny warm day

Love & Kisses

Steve

As I can't think of anything else to go I go to Rome

After repacking all my gear I am off at around nine.  I have steering again.   I start looking for internet and have no luck finding a open network.   After a croissant and pizza I am off on the narrow highway with high guardrails.  The speed of the cars is only 70k because in Italy they follow all road rules.  For biking this is not Holland.  Heading off on side roads looking for a bit less traffic I find a café with WiFi.  This leads to finding that the well at my house is having issues.  So I could use a good person with a well.  So I end up back on the highway working my way into Rome.  I am in luck where I exit the highway I find a bike path that leads to the center of town.  Stop for a quick picture of the coliseum and then head for the river.  Once I figure out how to get down to the river 50ft bellow I am on a nice bike path.  When the bike path ends I have reached my goal of 30 miles for the first day.  Only 34 miles later I find a campground on the edge of Lago Di Bracciano

5/4/12

64.5 Miles, 7:11 minutes moving, Max Speed 28.9,  Moving Average 9.0,  Stop Time 3:40 Minutes, Overall Average Speed 5.9,   Start 9:00 End 20:00  Accent 1895 Feet  Sunny warm day

Love & Kisses
Steve

And then..

Just a little assembly required

In London my two hour layover quickly passes and I am off to Rome.  Here I find sleep option unavailable with the two year old working on expanding her lung capacity as her brother covered his ears.  Where is the duct tape when you need it,  In Rome airport I find my panniers, and wait by the door for oversized luggage I was directed to.  After a good while someone goes through the door and I ask about the bike.  He sends me to the other end of the luggage area where I find my bike outside a different door.  After loosing an hour waiting for luggage it only takes me an hour to get the bike reassembled and I am off.  The bike is not handling well as there is to much weight in the front bags as they were packed for the plane travel,  I need to wrestle the handle bars to keep the bike straight.  This is lots of fun as I ride with the good Italian traffic as I see no bike route.  The highway has double guard rails to ensure that I will not go over the guardrail if I am hit.  As I ride I am not sure of where I am staying or going.  Then I see a sign for camping, and head down that highway.  Glad that they don't cover any extra ground with pavement as the cars work there way around me, Needed to put on a headlight as my tail light was only covering my ass.    End up at the coast with no sign of a campground.  Went to the GPS which froze up calculating the way to the nearest campground after a few reboots it is working again.  The guy at the campground tells me to camp to the right as the Poles are on the left are quite loud.  I collapse into my tent for sleep.  I awake to sing near by in the middle of the night.  They cannot keep me up for long.

Flumcino
5/3/12

10.5 Miles, 58 minutes moving, Max Speed 23,  Moving Average 10.6,  Stop Time 20 Minutes, Overall Average Speed 7.5,   Start 20:30 End 21:00  Accent 110 Feet  Clear with a cool sea breeze.

Love & kisses
Steve

A Perfect start

Perfect start

I am not running late and the plane leaves on time.  Nothing so far appears forgotten.  I have an empty seat between me and a Belgium girl for the long flight to London.  I am exhausted from lack of sleep as I tried to get everything done. Like moving all my stuff into storage,  I only sleep for half the trip

5/2/12

Denver

I headed to underground which required carrying the bike box and gear three blocks and not setting it down in the water as it was rain hard.  No problems with taking the bike on the underground.  At the airport the bike and gear weigh out at 53.1 kg or 116.8 lb.  Back in Denver US Custom pulled me over searching all my gear by hand.  They only found one wine bottle out of three that I did not declare.  I am glad I did not do my laundry at Aine’s.  Last adventure was me getting off at the wrong bus stop to meet my ride up the mountain.   This just required me hoping another bus to the main terminal a good bit late.

10/6/10

Total mileage for the trip was 6884.2 miles 11014.8 (More rain leaving London) 

Love & kisses

Steve

Bayswater

It was a days of threes.  I biked over to Baywater to find a hostel.  Third hostel had a room.  Then the third bike shop had a bike box for me.  Tour the Science museum and found how the British tried to shoot down the Russian Sputnik.  Taking apart the bike one of the peddles would not come off.  I ended up carrying the bike frame three blocks to the hardware store to buy a wrench which would work as mine bent.  `1`

10/5/10

35.6 miles 6.01 hr / max speed 32.2 / avg moving speed 5.9 / stopped time 6:04 / 653 ft total ascent. (Cloudy with a bit of rain) 

Love & kisses

Steve

Wanstean

I wonder about London seeing a few sights.  Then back to Aine’s.

10/4/10

37.8 miles 4:36 hr / max speed 21.8 / avg moving speed 7.6 / stopped time 2:41 / 592 ft total ascent. (Cloudy with a bit of rain) 

Love & kisses

Steve

Wanstean

I followed the canal into London.  Stayed with Aine in London and caught up with her and her family.

10/3/10

19.1 miles 2.54 hr / max speed 20.7 / avg moving speed 6.6 / stopped time 3.56 / 482 ft total ascent. (Cloudy with a bit of rain) 

Love & kisses

Steve

Chesthunt

I headed south towards London through a few hills.  Following bike routes I found along the way.  Hostel in Harlow was booked to a group so I pushed on to Chesthunt and found a open hostel.

10/2/10

53.4 miles 5:50 hr / max speed 33.5 / avg moving speed 9.1 / stopped time 3.45 / 1857 ft total ascent. (Cloudy with a bit of rain) 

Love & kisses

Steve

Cambridge

No running with fish and no sticky fish

Great sunrise as I headed on to the Fins.  Cathedral at King’s Lynn has a bit of the water problem over the years.   After a quick tour of King’s Lynn, I headed for Cambridge on a train.   Nice ride around Cambridge in the rain.  I found a nice campground outside of town.

10/1/10

62.1 miles 6:49 hr / max speed 26.0 / avg moving speed 9.1 / stopped time 4:14 / 1347 ft total ascent. (More rain in England what a surprise) 

Love & kisses

Steve