202507 Italian Adventure

The Australian Winter is one we seek to escape each year. Either hitch the van and head north or book a flight someplace for hiking, cycling or both.

This year we chose Italy simply because:

a. we had booked ourselves onto the Bike Odyssey Venetians cycling trip in October; and

b. we found a few self-guided rides we liked in Italy; and

c. researched a town called "Bolzano" touted as the "cycling capital of Italy";

Our Italy leg consists of landing in Milan, train to Bolzano, cycle to Venice, train back to Lake Garda, cycle around Lake Garda, ferry back to Nago Torbole, train to Venice.

And then our Bike Odyssey Venetians cycling adventure begins with a ferry ride across to Piran and then daily hops all the way down to Dubrovnik. Theresa and I then stay in Dubrovnik for another 2 weeks before heading home.

Contents

On the way and Milan

Bolzano

Bolzano and the Mountains

Bolzano Cycling

Cycling Bolzano to Venice

Venice for the day

Cycling around Lake Garda

Nago-Torbole

Venetians

Dubrovnik

Retrace our steps to Brisbane

We decided to try QATAR airways based on recommendations from friends and also the Brisbane-Doha-Milan journey was easier than offered by SAL.

The QATAR airways experience was sensational. Superb service at BNE, the Q-suites fabulous, spacious lounges, interesting shopping experience in Doha. Highly recommended.

We had three days in Milan to recover from our trip. Stayed at Hotel Glam directly across from the "stationaze" as we needed to use the train for our next leg. Bike bags and roller cases need special attention when determining how to transit.

I booked the high speed train from Milan to Bolzano with a change in Verona. I researched whether they could take bicycles and as long as in bike bags "no problemo", seemed "perfecto". NOT SO.

There is no luggage compartment of any size despite showing on the train. Fortunately the conductor found us two spare seats into which to place the bikes. But we would need to move them if others had booked and hopped on the train.

Otherwise we could not travel as the wheelchair section was full.

A "little stressful". The conductor provided some great advice. Take the "regionale" service as they have bike carriages with lots of space. So cancelled our high speed train bookings. And rebooked "regionale". Much slower. Lots of space. And about 25% of the price!!!!

We met lots of other "bikers" on the train. Cyclists are the same the world over. One point with Italian trains if you're taking bicycles. Take the "Regionale" trains as they have bike carriages, lots of space. The high speed trains do NOT HAVE SPACE.

Highlights of Bolzano:

• our AirBnB was directly across the river from the town with a great view from the 7th floor. Fortunately the lift was big enough to accomodate the bikes.

• the open air fresh food markets except on a Sunday

• the plethora of restaurants

• the cycling tracks, hundreds and hundreds of kilometres

• the respect motorists show to cyclists

• the Italians, so friendly, wonderful people

• our use of very basic Italian taken graciously and giving us advice on pronunciation and words. Loving it.

• the wine. the food.

• able to cook Italian recipes at our AirBnB

A man from another era

Over 5300 years ago, Ötzi was crossing Tisenjoch/Giogo di Tisa in the Schnalstal/Val Senales Valley, South Tyrol, where he was murdered and preserved naturally in the ice.

He is therefore older than the Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge and the result of a series of highly improbable coincidences. Ötzi lived during the Copper Age, a period of the late Neolithic. He was still using stone tools but owned an innovative and very valuable copper axe. The skill of extracting and processing metal had recently arrived in Europe from Asia Minor. The advent of copper marked the beginning of the Bronze Age.

And yes, we got some work done too. The apartment had high speed internet. We allocated work days as needed. We are so blessed. Australia is 8 hours ahead so easy to schedule tele-conferences as needed.

We braved driving in Italy.

They are actually very respectful drivers. Maybe it's just Rome where they are crazy! Decided to head up into the mountains and used Google AI to recommend a 1 day road trip. Bolzano - Passo Costalunga - Pordoi Pass (lunch at the top) then retraced our steps to Lake Carezza.

The number of cyclists heading up into the passes was incredible. Motor vehicles so patient and giving lots of room.

There are literally dozens of cycling routes from Bolzano. A myriad of cycling paths. Road cycling, MTB, gravel, touring, Bolzano has everything a cyclist desires. Motorists amazingly respectful of cyclists. A pleasure to share the roads.

BUT one ride in particular just captivated Theresa and I. It was a ride on a cycleway for the majority and then back roads through vineyards. Consistent climbing there and back. Spectacular views and a great training ride for us both in preparation for our next weeks of cycling and then Venetians.

More to come. The reverse ride.

A collage of Bolzano cycling adventures.

We spent 3 weeks in Bolzano. Departed on our self-guided tour from Bolzano to Venice on the 21st August. Organised by Euro-Bike.