geeteetravels

Udine to Trieste

This ride was much more pleasant than the last one. The first half of the 75 kms was mostly on bike paths, a little gravel, but at least off the busy highway. The second half was more on the highway but there were decent shoulders so we felt comfortable. The day was still warm but a good breeze kept us cool and we found la mare again so that also helped. The last 10kms or so along the coast were very scenic with villas, castles and the view of Trieste to enjoy. I was trying to take photos from my rear office but il capitano was noticing my distraction as the power would cut in and out.

Our accomodation is a 5th floor apartment with a small elevator so we had to unload everything and haul the bike up by hand. Just what you want to do after a long day of riding.

After settling in, our first item was to find the TIM store as we are burning through our Canadian international cell data plan at an alarming rate. We have gone the TIM route before but not for a couple years as we had a decent rate and avoided the trouble of a new foreign number but it’s just not working this time. We were successful so will have a new number on one phone for the rest of the vacation and will just do this from the get go next time.

We partook in the traditional passegiatta or late afternoon/evening stroll and an aperitivo before dinner to get an initial look at the city. This is a very grand looking city, not the usual Italian style, because for a long time, from 1382 and up until the end of WW1 in 1918 it was part of the Austrian/Hapsburg empire so looks more like Vienna than any Italian city we’ve visited with opulent looking piazzas and palazzos everywhere.. The Venetians had control briefly a couple of times in this period but predominantly it belonged to the Austrian empire. The history is actually very interesting and more complicated than we will go into here.

The next day we took a boat ride back to where we had ridden the day before to the Castello Miramare. This castle was built in the 1860’s by Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian who was a naval commander and the brother of Franz Joseph the Hapsburg Emperor of the time. He wanted a grand home looking on the sea for himself and his new wife Charlotte to enjoy. He had a passion for plants and trees so included elaborate gardens which we were able to walk around, as well as see inside the castle. It was an interesting and beautiful place to explore. We had to make a run for it to escape a sudden thunderstorm and pile onto a bus with way too many other people, something we wouldn’t have done a year ago (covid).

An interesting bit of history, Maximilian was appointed as emperor of Mexico just after the castle was completed and moved there with Charlotte. After only a couple of years there was rebellion against the monarchists and Max was arrested and eventually executed in Mexico at the age of only 34. Charlotte returned to Europe broken hearted and never returned to Miramare. Maximilian’s nephew was Archduke Franz Ferdinand who was assassinated in Serbia in 1914 (after the Austrians annexed Serbia in 1908) which was the beginning of World War I and the beginning of the end of the Austro-Hungarian/Hapsburg domination. Trieste was occupied by the Germans from 1943-45 and then briefly by the Yugoslavs before eventually returning to Italian control in 1954. Even now we saw signs about a free Trieste and our host also said there are many who would prefer not to be in Italy. This part of Europe has seen its fair share of war and political unrest and soon we will be heading into Slovenia and Croatia where recent devastating wars have taken place only 30 years ago. We are fortunate to be living where we are.

The following day we walked up the hill to the Castle of San Giusto and were rewarded with a spectacular view of the city and out to the ocean. The museum was well done with many English explanations about the history of the castle, about Trieste, about the Romans and a history of weaponry. Later we explored the various piazzas, cathedrals, a famous cafe (San Marco) frequented by James Joyce as well as the Molo Audace, a long pedestrian pier that juts out into the Adriatic. The pier was named Audace after the Italian warship that first docked here to claim Trieste in November of 1918 at the end of WW1. So much history!

Overall we found Trieste to be a very interesting and welcoming city and a place we could have stayed much longer. It had great restaurants and pedestrian areas and a beautiful seafront, complete with a huge sailing ship seized from a russian oligarch by the Italian Guardia di Finanza.

The immense WW1 memorial and gravesite where over 100K soldiers are buried

Tags: 2023, Adriatic North

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Categories 2023

Jesolo to Udine

14 Jun

The ride from Jesolo to Udine was our first big one of the trip and we didn’t find it easy but we conquered it anyway. 87 km with the full paniers in 29 degree weather. Fortunately it was relatively flat but unfortunately much of the ride was on the highway so not as relaxing and we were less able to enjoy the surroundings. We were spoiled last year in France riding predominantly on cycle paths.

Udine (pronounced oodinay, emphasis on the oo) is the second largest city of the Fruili region of Italy, located up against the Italian alps. It reminds me of Torino with the mountains just outside of the city. We were quite tired after our ride yesterday and enjoyed a wee bit of a sleep in to recover but then headed into the old centre to explore.

Udine isn’t a large city and the historic centre is very compact with most sights very close together, so nice of those ancient planners to think of our needs as tourists. In the central square, Piazza di Libertà there are 2 beautiful old loggia or open air structures in Baroque and Venetian styles as well as a tower clock complete with bell ringers. Above this is the Udine castello where museums and an art gallery showcase the history and culture of Udine. The section about the Friulian aspect of the reunification of Italy was unfortunately completely in Italian so our understanding was limited but there were many interesting artifacts. The art gallery was well done with many subtitled videos and English explanations. The gallery featured artists from this area of Italy going back to the 14th century. One who is particularly famous here is Giambattista Tiepolo who moved here from Venice in the early 18th century and remained for the rest of his life resulting in many churches and palaces in Udine with his works. Another piazza close by is the Piazza Matteotti where we sat and enjoyed a coffee. This is a notable piazza with beautifully restored old buildings/facades, a wonderful place to sit and do some people watching. I think this piazza is right up there on our list of memorable piazza’s with Sienna and Lucca.

On our second day here we continued with finding more of Tiepolo’s art work in various cathedrals, not too hard, they really liked the guy and his son who often helped his papa. The works are beautiful for sure. We also learned a bit about another famous Udiner? Tina Modotti who was a photographer born here in the late 19th century, moved to the US and then to Mexico where she photographed the people and became involved politically as an activist for social change along with other artists such as Frida Kahlo and Rivera Diego. Unfortunately the Modotti gallery here was temporarily closed so we weren’t able to actually see her work but discovered an interesting story.

Each of the 3 evenings we spent here it poured rain in the evening as we were returning to the hotel. The other excellent feature in the old city is the many porticoes to walk under to get out of the sun and the rain which we definitely put to good use. Again such smart city planners and they are beautiful to boot.

The last evening we ate at a charming Osteria right beside a canal and decided to eat outside to enjoy the ambiance. However it did again start to rain quite violently so made for an interesting dining experience.

Tags: 2023, Adriatic North

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Categories 2023

Mestre to Jesolo

11 Jun

Our first real ride was a short one from Mestre to Jesolo, along the shoreline east of Venice, to where Jesolo sits at the far end of the lido. It was nice to start off gently as we’re not used to having the heavy packs on the bike. It was also very flat and a lovely day. We saw lots of aquatic bird life on the way including flamingos in the Venice lagoon. We had no bike or other problems except getting a bit lost once we arrived in Jesolo as we attempted to go to the beach before going to the accommodations and were off the planned course. We actually never made it to the beach as we ended up on the wrong side of a canal, couldn’t find a bridge, and decided to retreat and call it a day.

Our accommodation for the next 2 nights is a unique one. It is an agriturismo or a farm B&B. We’ve stayed in these before, often they are on vineyards. This one is an ostrich farm! We went out to the ostrich pens, they have 29. They also run a restaurant here where they serve alternative meats such as ostrich meat and eggs but also donkey. Apparently these are higher in protein, lower in fat and more eco friendly than beef, pork and chicken. Ostrich eggs are very large, the equivalent of 24 chicken eggs. However they don’t lay as many and only at certain times of the year. We opted not to eat here though and instead looked for more typical italian fare. We did go have a look at the birds (struzzi in Italian), they are very interesting up close.

The other interesting thing about this agriturismo (called Antiche Mura or ancient wall) is that it is beside an archeological site where there are only a few walls remaining of a 9th century cathedral, hence the name.

The lido is primarily a beachy place; it looks a lot like the Italian and French riviera with lots of ritzy hotels and beaches covered with rental chairs and parasols. We took the short ride to the beach today and sat there for a short time on the small public area. Going to the beach with the bike is not the most convenient as you have to have your cycling gear on, bathing suit underneath, bring alternate footwear, towel, hat, etc then store/lock the bike and carry helmets/tech gadgets, bags, shoes/socks to where you’re sitting. Once your’re done you have to get rid of all the sand, re-dress in the bike gear and shoes with a wet swimsuit on…(it’s worth it-GG) can you tell this isn’t my favourite way to do the beach? We did treat ourselves to gelato at the end though.

Leaving our nice hotel and onward to Jesolo

Tags: 2023, Adriatic North

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Categories 2023

Our Start in Venezia/Mestre

9 Jun

We had a relatively uneventful trip from Calgary through Gatwick to Venice. It’s always nice to see the bike come on to the luggage carousel without damage. We chose to stay in Mestre rather than Venice as it’s less crowded and close to the airport, important considerations when travelling with a big bike.

We spent our first day here walking around Venice, ony a short bus ride from Mestre. We followed a self guided walking tour via an app called GPSmycity which is quite good. You go at your own pace and delve deeper when you want to. We have both been to Venice a few times now but still are impressed by this unique city where there are only boats and walkers, no cars or bikes. It makes strolling along the narrow streets very relaxing except for the fact that it’s like being in a maze and easy to get lost.

We chose to focus on a cathedral other than St. Mark’s: Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari. This cathedral is much less visited by tourists, no line ups, yet equally impressive as it contains famous works of art by Titian in particular, and others such as Bellini and Vivarini. Most notable of these works is Titian’s Assumption of the Madonna which is a large painting at the high altar that was considered very innovative for it’s time in the 16th century due to the emotions displayed by the characters. The painting has had to be moved several times during various wars including the 1st and 2nd World Wars to keep it safe. The cathedral is also where Titian was buried after he died of the plague at age 90 in 1576 and there is a large 19th century monument erected in his honour. Otherwise we wandered through the city, some very crowded areas around St.Mark’s square, and admired the shops with the venetian masks as well as the very shishi designer shops. The gondolas and other service boats (police, ambulance, garbage, taxis) used along the canals are so intriguing to watch, such an interesting way of life.

The next day we built the bike in the morning then went out for an afternoon test ride. On the advice of an architect friend we rode to the Villa Foscari (also called La Malcontenta) which is one of many Palladio Villas in the Veneto area. Andrea Palladio was a famous renaissance architect from the 16th century who was known for his country houses and villas mostly but also designed palaces and churches. These 24 villas are all Unesco World Heritage sites and are found all over the Veneto area, most of them around Vicenza. His works are considered quintessential high renaissance works displaying calm and harmony.

Mestre appears quite bike friendly with many cycle paths to ride on. Our old bike is working well and ready for a big tour over the next 6 weeks, hopefully also its operators are up for the challenge.

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Categories 2023

Let’s Do This But Bigger

6 Jun

Yay! In a few hours we go to the airport and start a new cycling adventure. While in the past we have gone for as long as 3 and a half weeks, this will be 6 weeks. It comes courtesy of Tara’s almost retirement giving us the latitude to go for longer.

This will be a four country tour – Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, and then a couple of days with Erika in England on the way home. We fly in to Venice while actually staying in Mestre just on the mainland. The routes go clockwise and sticking mostly to the coast and going as far south as Split. From there we take a ferry back to Italy at Ancona and proceed north up the coast to Mestre again. I am a bit nervous because there are so many hotel bookings and anything could throw us off schedule. However we are mostly staying 2-3 nights at a time so there is some flexibility in case we lose a day and have to catch up. Not so easy on a bike as opposed to a car though!

Here is the overall route, starting at Mestre and going east

Tags: 2023, Adriatic North

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Categories 2023, Annual Start Posts

Retour à Bordeaux

20 Sep

The last ride of the tour is always filled with mixed feelings. Sadness that all good things must end, anticipation of going home, newly developed memories… And of course – there are always more Chateaux to see.

Fall is in the air (8 degrees overnight) so we lingered over breakfast chatting with our most gracious and kind hosts. Back on the road it was an easy ride to Bordeaux passing over some of the roads we had been on coming north. Not much new and notable except an open water swimming race on the outskirts of Bordeaux, and a very easy transition into the city on separated bike paths.

After hanging about on the busy Bordeaux waterfront, people watching and cooling our feet in the miroir d’eau we rode the final kilometer. We were welcomed back to the B&B where we began by our genial host, and where our bike case was waiting for us, a very comfortable lodging. Bordeaux seemed to be quite alive with people for a Sunday evening and we had no problem finding an open restaurant, in this case Moroccan for a couscous and tagine (and Moroccan wine).

Our final day in Bordeaux was spent disassembling our vélo and repacking for a train/plane trip home. We also managed to visit a few more sites in the city including the Musée des Beaux-Arts and some more églises. It is easier to absorb the city and it’s attractions when you are not jet lagged, maybe something to consider for future trips.

Nous espérons un bon voyage à Calgary et d’autres voyages dans les années à venir.

Well deserved ice-cream beside the big muddy Garonne river

Tags: 2022, Aquitaine

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Categories 2022

Saint-Estèphe

17 Sep

The ride to Saint-Estèphe was a pleasant one through vineyards, past many beautiful chateaux and on small quiet roads. It wasn’t that far either, only about 40kms. When we first started out from Castelnau it appeared to be very smokey but it was also due to fog. Once we had ridden about 20 minutes it lifted completely, the sky was clear again. We learned that the wildfire was now under control.

We made a side trip to Fort Médoc on the west side of the estuary. We visited the corresponding citadel opposite this one on the east bank a few weeks ago in Blaye. Both forts were designed by the famous military engineer Vauban on the orders of King Louis XIV. These two forts and a third, Fort Pâté in the middle of the estuary on a small island, were described as the “bolt” to protect France from enemy attackers sailing from the Atlantic towards Bordeaux. They needed the fort in the middle because of the limited range of their artillery.

The rest of the ride was spent admiring the chateaux and gardens along the way. I thought it was interesting that the château gardens we saw appeared lush and green yet there has been a drought this year. A few of our hosts have talked about not being able to water their gardens yet here they were clearly watering regularly. What happened to Liberty, Equality and Fraternity? There is clearly much profit in the wine business. (It turns out that the Medoc region has not had it as bad and does not have restrictions).

The next two days after wonderful petit déjeuners on the rooftop terrace we followed routes through the region to look at many different chateaux. The rides took us again on quiet little roads through vineyards and small villages. It is a bit hillier in here but still quite easy compared to some other places we have cycled. Also the weather has quite suddenly become fall like and cooler so perfect for cycling.

We can’t really visit the chateaux and do tasting when riding, we need our wits about us. The roads are fairly quiet but still some cars and many tractors around. It is harvest time so lots of activity and grape pickers. We have now seen many of the automated grape picking machines, very interesting to watch. They still require many grape pickers though. The older vines are too fragile and don’t recover as well from the automated pickers so harvest must be done by hand. We have seen huge numbers of what appears to be foreign workers speaking Spanish and other languages here to pick grapes. The are living in trailers and tent villages set up in empty fields or other spaces.

Although we have enjoyed this area of the Médoc peninsula very much it isn’t quite geared for travel by bicycle. It is a predominantly rural area so there are less businesses catering to tourists such as restaurants and hotels. We have struggled a bit with getting evening meals so have mostly resorted to buying prepared meals and heating them up where we are staying, and having a nice bottle of the local wine of course. Our hosts Eva and Bernard are very friendly and encouraged us to use their kitchen to prepare our food, so not much trouble getting nourished.

Stocking up with lunch on a smoky and foggy morning

Tags: 2022, Aquitaine

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Categories 2022

Castelnau du Medoc

14 Sep

Orange route is actual, blue were plan A and plan B. The big orange smudge is a 🔥

The ride today turned into somewhat of an adventure. We started late as we were sending Erika back to Bordeaux for her flight home and she didn’t leave until noon. We started with another ferry ride back over to Cap Ferret and onto the velodyssey route again. About 20 kms in we started to notice a big smoke plume ahead, something George had noticed the day before but didn’t think too much about. At 30kms we hit the first road block, spoke with the Gendarmes and were advised to go north around the wildfire. We got to the next town and again we were stopped by a road closure and had to head farther north to circumvent the trouble spot. This time we didn’t get stopped, we got through to our next destination but rode an extra 20kms in +30 degrees, arriving about 6pm rather than 4pm. This is one disadvantage to cycle touring, it’s not always easy to add on extra mileage. It was a bit smokey along the road but not too bad.

We got into our room and cleaned up then headed out to forage for food. It turns out that this is another “not happening place” with little to offer for restaurants that were still open. It was a Tuesday and usually it’s just Sunday and Monday that are a problem but here it includes Tuesday. We found one place, a Japanese sushi place and we had to convince them to sell us some takeout food as he was strapped being the only open food establishment in town. Perhaps travelling in the shoulder season in small places isn’t wise. The sushi was good though.

The next day we decided to relax in the morning after our stressful day yesterday. The air was smokey, felt like home for the last few summers. In the afternoon we rode east, away from the fire and the forest, toward the Margaux vineyard area. We saw many beautiful chateaux and stopped at one for a tour in English. It was interesting to learn about the the different types of grapes, the barrels, the wine making process and finally tasting a few different ones. We had room for one demi bottle in the rack pack to accompany our supper.

Because of all the trouble we had finding a meal yesterday we decided to play it safe and buy some prepared food from the grocery store and eat at the auberge in the garden. It was a quiet and pleasant evening.

Ready to go our separate ways ; a short but fun visit from Erika

Tags: 2022, Aquitaine

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Categories 2022

Arcachon

12 Sep

We left early from Hourtin as we had 80kms to do and make it to the ferry over to Arcachon by 3:30pm as we were meeting Erika around 5pm. She flew to Bordeaux from London today then took the train to Arcachon.

The ride followed the Velodyssey Atlantic for most of the way except the first 15 kms or so, but still a cycle track. The first 12 were on an old train bed turned bike path so was boringly straight and monotonous. By the end of this bit we both felt we had seen enough of these man-made row planted forests. We are lucky to have natural forests at home. Following that bit we were still in the forest but it was rolling and curvy often with intersecting paths that led from/to the ocean and sand dunes. At times the paths are pretty bumpy thanks to the tree roots so we had to keep the speed down a bit.

Anyway we made it to the ferry with almost an hour to spare which was good as it took time to figure out the tickets. This is a small boat, no cars but bikes are ok though not free, the tandem cost extra and we had to unload the panniers so it could be hoisted onto the boat.

The ride over across the basin gave us a great view of the Dune de Pilat, a giant sand dune that we will visit while here, as well as the city and coast.

We found our property rental quite easily and gained entry. It’s a small apartment right on the water and very central. Next we went to the train station and met Erika who we will spend a few days with. She will be helpful as my personal interpreter.

The next morning we took a boat tour of the basin where we learned about oyster farming as well as looking at the coastal areas and some of the fancy homes on the water. It was a nice way to spend a few hours on a beautiful morning.

We spent a couple of hours on the beach close by. We did a bit of “wave walking” and sat in what little shade we could find. We haven’t much for beach equipment, like parasols, just some multipurpose cotton towels, hats and sunscreen.

Late in the afternoon we did our evening promenade in the “winter village”. This is an exclusive area in Arcachon elevated above the city and basin lined with elaborate Belle Epoch style homes. Apparently they were built in the late 19th/early 20th centuries for wealthy families and their servants to live during the winter months while recuperating from tuberculosis.

The next morning we rented a single bike and the 3 of us rode south of Arcachon to the Dune du Pilat, a huge sand dune area about 10 kms away. Erika wasn’t keen to ride the single bike so she went on the tandem with her dad and I rode the rental “comfort” bike. The sand dune was an amazing sight, as big as any we had seen before when crossing the Sahara desert. The view from the top of the Dune was spectacular! The day was quite hot, about 37 degrees, but a bit cloudy so that helped.

We had dinner that evening at a Bretagne creperie. We all had a sarrasin crêpe with cidre, very satisfying.

Leaving our campsite, sunscreening for the day

Tags: 2022, Aquitaine

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Categories 2022

Hourtin

9 Sep

Our ride from Royan to Hourtin started with a short ferry ride across the Gironde Estuary to Verdon on this big peninsula between the Atlantic and the estuary. The Velodyssey #1 route runs right down the coast here and into Spain, which is what we are currently following. It is easy cycling I must say, hardly any climbing, which I don’t mind when we are carrying all our gear and food/water for the day.

Most of the route today was through forested areas and some right against the Atlantic ocean. There are lots of sand dune areas and again huge beaches. Today was blustery and the water was wild with big waves. No swimmers seen but there were a few brave souls out kite surfing. A lot of the forests here are not natural, instead they have been planted in rows, quite funny looking. We have seen a few deer but nothing else. I don’t think there are bears here thankfully. We also see old bomb shelters and bunkers along the coast from WW2, more reminders of difficult times. It does put the Ukraine/Russia conflict into perspective.

We are staying in a campground on Lac de Carcans-Hourtin for a couple of nights in a cute little camping cottage. This is the largest fresh water lake in France but not that big by Canadian standards. We had hoped to hope to do a little paddleboarding or some other lake activity but the weather didn’t co-operate. Instead we had another rest day and just wandered around the port and the town a bit. We saw some people kite surfing on the lake and some others learning some trick wakeboarding in a small pond being pulled by a mechanical tow rope.

It looks like better weather for the next several days as we head south to Archachon to meet Erika who is flying from London to meet us for a few days.