If you would like to see details about our journey, check out our itinerary and our bike route.
It was pouring when I woke up about 6:00, and still pouring when breakfast service started at 8:00. Our weather app predicted the storm would end about 11:00. Ken didn’t wake up until 8:30–a first for him, I think. Our room and bed were so comfortable and quiet. When we finally went down to breakfast around 9:00, our host said we could stay until the rain quit, we didn’t have to check out at the usual 10:00. We thought we would take her up on that offer.
The storm lifted early and we were on the road by 10:15, coasting down the steep hill back to Vittorio Veneto, where we turned on to the road for Asolo (where my hiking boots are made).
This was one of our longer days, back to climbing as we pushed farther into the Venetian Prealps. The rain held off and it was cooler, and the route took us on small roads through vineyards and orchards, on and off gravel bike paths. We had one big climb in the middle of the day, up and over a pass into the next valley.
We let our host in Asolo know we would be late, owing to the rain and late start. When we got to Asolo, in front of the address where we were staying according to Ride with GPS and Google maps and Apple Maps, there was no villa. We contacted our host, who gave us some vague directions, and we spent a half hour wandering around before we finally found the place.
It was all worth it. The villa itself was still under renovation. Our room was in what was originally servant quarters, beautifully restored and very comfortable.
Pierce, our host, is from Long Island. He and his wife are partners with a few others owning the villa. They have lived in Italy for over four years and have two small daughters. We talked for a long time: politics, world travel, finance, economics. Before we knew it, it was 18:30 and Ken and I needed to get to the showers. Pierce had made reservations for us at his favorite osteria, up the hill in the center of the old city.
We had time to hike partway up to the old fortress above the town, and back down to the main square, before settling in at the crowded and noisy eatery on a side street. The food was good, simple, traditional for this region. We ordered gnocchi with prosciutto and cheese, spaghetti with duck ragù, and a pork dish that turned out to be a whole ham shank roasted until it fell off the bone, plus polenta. No, we could not eat it all. We have definitely left the coast and are on the edge of Tyrolean cuisine.
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| We always (almost) end up on gravel roads and tracks for part of the day. This one was in good shape and was fun to ride. |
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| We passed what appeared to be summer homes and parks and camping areas, with small boats, canoes, and kayaks. |
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| Asolo is another town popular with cyclists. |
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| Though not nearly as crowded as some of the more well-known cities we have been in, the squares and restaurants were busy with tourists--mostly Italian, German, and French, but we did hear some English. |
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| When the pavement ends...you just keep going. |
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| All day, we saw frescoes on houses, churches, all types of buildings. Some were old and faded and chipped, some were new and vibrant. The banner at the bottom of this one says something about family and typical domestic life. |
