If you would like to see details about our journey, check out our itinerary and our bike route.
Spa day!
First, we had to get through a few hours of heat on the bikes, but the ride was flat and we made good time to our thermal spa hotel in Montegrotto, just outside Padua. Our room was ready when we arrived. We check right in and showered.
By 14:00, we were wandering down the hall looking for the thermal pools. A staff person found us and handed us off to the guy in charge of the pool, he led us to the woman who dispensed towels and sold us swim caps (mandatory in the pools), she pointed the way through the spa to the poolside bistro where we bought drinks and snacks, and finally, we made our way to lounge chairs on the pool deck. For a couple of hours, we dipped in the pools (warm, not hot), lounged, drank, read, dozed.
About 16:00, we showered in the spa and dragged ourselves back to our room.
By 17:00, we were back in the spa, sitting on a heated bench, waiting for our couple's massage. An hour later, limp and relaxed, we put our hotel-supplied robes and slippers back on and waddled back to our room, where we took another shower. (I think that puts us at three showers in as many hours.)
Next, we changed into nice clothes for dinner. We had booked our meal at the hotel, not knowing that the day we were there was Italy's biggest summer festival, Ferragosto, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. A couple of days ago, we got a message from the hotel telling us they would be celebrating with a gala called Italy on a Plate, with tables set up around the pools, live music, and a 7-course tasting menu of regional Italian dishes. We were encouraged to dress up and wear something yellow.
We were seated at a table next to the pool, handed glasses of sparkling wine and a bag of bread and crackers, and the music and fun began.
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| Welcome water in a park. Our navigation app shows the locations of potable public water on our routes. Sometimes the faucets are old, covered with cobwebs, and not exactly what we trust. But this one was new and the water was pristine and cold. |
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| A rousing song and dance by ladies wearing yellow flower hats kicked off the party by the pool in the evening. |
