Rome [4-6] - The Adige

The second part of my journey was very tiring and sluggish, but my buttocks and legs got used to the strain and so it went quite well.

Day 4 - 82 km - Day of construction sites and night in a tent

The route initially led from Klausen to Bolzano. Along the way, I met the first other long-distance cyclist, who was traveling from Rome to Munich. The brief conversation was a pleasant encounter.

Arriving in Bolzano, the Eisack River meets the Adige. From there, the cycle path became a dedicated cycle path along the embankment. After a lovely picnic lunch in the sunshine, I continued south. Farmers were working amidst the numerous orchards, and I somehow had the feeling it was cycle path renovation day. I encountered five construction sites that day.

In the evening, I planned to camp in the wild. I wanted to stay near Trento for a short time but still far enough away from the dog walkers and towns. As the sun disappeared behind the mountains, I saw my chance to sleep in a field just below the causeway, behind some bushes. The tent was quickly pitched, and I was already in my sleeping bag by 6 p.m.

Day 5 - 107 km - Lake Garda

The night was quiet except for the fact that when I moved noisily in my sleeping bag, the tent was suddenly illuminated. Presumably, this was caused by a curious passerby who heard me. In the morning, it took about an hour to pack everything up.

After 20 km I reached Trento and enjoyed a hot chocolate and a croissant in a bar for breakfast. Afterwards, I had to go shopping. The supermarket had large windows so I could keep an eye on my bicycle, and there were students collecting donations.

By lunchtime, I had already covered 65 km and taken the turnoff to Lake Garda shortly after Rovereto. There are several bars right on the bike path for all the cyclists, which makes breaks really relaxing. After lunch, the headwind returned, and the closer I got to the end of the valley, the thicker and lower the cloud cover became.

In Lazise I reached the foggy and cold Lake Garda. I had planned to spend the night at one of the large campsites, but they're only closed in February. So I had to find accommodation again, but at least I had a good pizza for dinner.

Day 6 - 35 km - Return journey

The morning was difficult for me. First, the weather wasn't great. You couldn't even see the church steeple or the next hill. Second, my clothes hadn't dried overnight after my attempt at washing them and were still damp and wet. Third, the weather forecast wasn't good news either. After today's 18 degrees, the weather was supposed to drop to 5 degrees with rain for the entire next week. That would mean snow in the mountains outside Florence, and my gear wasn't suitable for that.

After deciding to stop cycling, I packed my bags and headed for Verona. After a difficult search for a ticket, I took the train directly back to Munich. It was a strange feeling to relive the daily stages in reverse, hour by hour, but it also brought back some wonderful memories. I found myself standing in front of my house again in the dark.

Conclusion - provisional end

Even though the weather has thwarted my plans, I intend to finish the tour (when it gets a bit warmer). I'll take the train to Verona and continue from where I left off.

Overall, it was a beautiful tour, even though parts of the route were very tough. Crossing the entire Alps, however, is still a fantastic feeling.

🖼️

All photos from the trip can be found here: pixel.sebastianwieser.de/bastis-welt

In my next blog post, I'll discuss the status of my planned Pan-American Highway trip. Subscribe to be notified immediately.