Aquileia to Monfalcone - Kim and Glory - Europe - CycleBlaze

May 15, 2023

Aquileia to Monfalcone

With the weather forecast being good today, I wanted to hit the road as the ride today is along the sea and had I stayed an extra day to sightsee a little more efficiently, I'd be back in crappy weather.  So off I went.

The bike route heads to the city of Grado.  When you look at the map, it's just a narrow strip.  Should be interesting.  And it was!  Just enough of a "road" for traffic and then I had a separate bike path separate from the cars.  As I approached, I could smell the sea.  Awwwww, heaven!  It was such a nice ride.  However, I kept looking for crocodiles even though I am pretty sure there are none.  Then again, I didn't expect to see flamingos either. 😂 After spending time touring in Africa last year (see previous blog) it's as if my mind still thinks I'm there.  The same thing happened to me after I spent a winter touring in Florida.  My next trip, I kept looking for alligators.  

My ride started off on a bright note today
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Nope, no crocodiles down there
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I can live with this view as I bike along the causeway
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Grado is a popular beach town, but I was just happy to follow the bike path and enjoy a sunny day.  I stopped at a EuroSpar and bought some food and had a little break.  I bought some milk advertised that it had extra protein.  I took one swallow and quickly spit it back in the bottle.  I thought that maybe it was bad.  I then asked a lady sitting nearby what the bottle said and she told me that I had bought "sour" milk and don't worry, it's good for me.  I forced myself to drink a bit more of it but threw most of it away.  The perils of not being Italian speaking (or reading).

The canals in Grado
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I did not take the direct route today, but it was a fantastic ride including through a couple of reserves.  My favorite section was a bike path elevated above the road and it followed the sea.  There were other cyclists out, so sometimes, if I overlapped with them, I just waited a few minutes so I felt like I was on the path by myself without other people encroaching on my view of the trail ahead.  😂 I loved hearing all the birds chirping and a few times I caught a whiff of a fragrant smell as I passed through a section of flowering trees.  I got to the end of the path where there is a restaurant/hotel and pulled out my chair and enjoyed a nice break and lunch.   The sun shining on me, a pleasant breeze blowing, and a nice view of a marshy/water area.  

If I'm going to wait for cyclists to get ahead of me, may as well take a picture of this flowering tree while I'm waiting
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Definitely in my happy place!
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Rachel and Patrick HugensEnjoy those bikepaths!
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1 year ago
Probably one of the favorites routes I have ever ridden. Right along the Adriatic Sea
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The fragrant flowering trees
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My route today. I also got a kick out of me being the blue dot in the very corner of the land. What can I say, I am easily amused.
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After lunch, the "trail" headed north again.  I was a bit worried at first as I hit large patches of water on the trail and lots of mud which I can confirm was very slippery.  I ended up pedaling on the grassy weeds along side of it.  Last thing I need to do is fall over in this mud.  Thankfully that didn't last too long as it was hard work.  I eventually rejoined some very quiet country roads that were paved.  Had to get on the highway a bit before turning off again and heading south.  North, south, north south, as I said, not the most direct route.  I missed a turn and rode almost a mile down the road when a big reservoir came into view with a bit of a bench.  Seems like a good place to take a quick break.  Checked my phone.  Oops, I'm on a trail that ends at the sea.  Time to backtrack.

Looks okay
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Okay, maybe not quite okay
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And at this point I am not amused 😂
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These pink flowers were scattered about. How pretty!
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The color of the water and I'm just crossing a canal/river
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Looks nice. Too bad it's not the road I'm supposed to be on.
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I guess if I'm going to go down the wrong road, this isn't a bad consolation prize
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See that dark cloud to the left? It's headed my way!
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Headed back and was trying to look at a screenshot of the Eurovelo 8 route I took.  It clearly showed I should head south to the water again, but google maps was looking like there was no way through.  A)  Google maps can't be trusted so I checked the more preferred map planner Komoot.  It didn't look good either.  A bit disappointed, but I'd be more upset if I had to backtrack again, so I went ahead and followed the route suggestions they gave.  I saw rain clouds in the distance and though of my friends Rachel and Patrick who were likely getting the rain I had yesterday today.  Then I noticed the clouds were moving my way.

I was planning to go to a campground about 8 miles further down the road, but then it started raining.  I took cover under an awning and waited a while debating what to do.  I was in the town of Monfalcone, but all the hotels were expensive.  In the end, that it was I opted to do and called it a day.  I've been wet enough on this trip already.  

What a glorious day of biking it was!  That'll change again tomorrow.  Rain and wind warnings are back for the next couple of days.

My hotel is next to a shipyard. Everybody and their brother and their brother's uncle rides their bike!
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Today's ride: 31 miles (50 km)
Total: 201 miles (323 km)

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