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May 8, 2023

Cortina to Pieve to Calalzo to Pieve to WTFAI to Pieve to Vittorio

Today our plan was to get up early and be packed and ready to go by 7.30. The hotels we’ve stayed in so far put have all put on a decent breakfast, and The Olimpic is no exception. A big bowl of muesli, a ham and cheese crusty roll and 2 chocolate croissants later I haul my overly expanded belly onto the bike ready for our last day in the Dolomites.

It should be a pretty cruisey morning as we still have a lot of height to drop although there are a few bumps along the way. It’s also raining steadily. Cortina is shrouded in mist and it’s still unseasonably cold so we stop around the corner to have another coffee. Sensibly no more pastries for me.

It should be bike paths most of the day but early on the path is closed due to repair works and we’re diverted onto a temporary path that is muddy and wet. I really should have mudguards as my bags, bike and me are covered in a white sticky sludge and John won’t ride within 5 metres because of the spray.

Back on the path proper we make good progress until the obvious ramifications of my breakfast take effect. The path is high above a small village, so I divert down for a pit stop and a sneaky macchiato. John keeps riding and I’ll pick him up on the path by the next town. What could possibly go wrong? We’re following a steep sided valley that goes south. As long as I turn right not left ( Hungarian right) I should be OK. I retraced my steps up to the path, checked my little picture of Harry on the right of my handlebar and headed downhill. By the next village I was still alone so I kept rolling along. The path was obvious and the signs of the Munich Venice path popped up frequently so I was on track. But then they suddenly stopped and I could see a bigger town further down the valley.

Instead of looking at my map, I relied on my gut instinct, the same gut instinct that has failed me repeatedly my whole life when it comes to direction. I ended up on a busy road hurtling over a bridge and I was heading north not south! Still convinced I was on track I ploughed on with blind faith until my phone rang. John had also got lost way back and rather controversially stopped and looked at his map. He was now back on the route some 6 kilometres away from me. He is cold and starving as I seem to have all our emergency provisions (ie chocolate croissants cheese and crackers). He has 5 Werthers and half a salami stick he found in his pack.

To cut a long story even longer, whilst I was chatting to him on the phone and reluctantly looking at my mapping app a lovely lady came to my rescue. Not wishing to ride back over the same busy bridge she pointed out a bright yellow house just down the road that had a bike path behind it. “Take it for 4 kilometres and turn right just past the cemetery “ she said in fairly good English. “Mille Grazia “I said in a Hungaro -Italian accent.

I spent the next half hour traipsing up the hill behind the yellow house looking for a non existent path before giving up and riding back over the bridge.

Back at Pieve de Cadore I finally negotiate a 16 pronged roundabout to get to a bike path and fly down a beautifully resurfaced road with new hot mix. I suspect the Giro D’Italia is coming through soon.

Some 2 hours later I find a bedraggled looking John and apologise profusely and throw him a couple of ham and cheese rolls I picked up along the way. I profess to this being a turning point in my directional ineptitude. I’m going to seek professional help when I get home, Im going to download every tracking app possible and I’m going to concentrate more than I ever have. The BCCC will see a new me!

And there’s a bedraggled John cursing in the distance.

Meanwhile the rain keeps falling but we plough on determined to get to Vittorio Veneto before nightfall. It’s stunning scenery below the mist with massive rock faces either side of us as we drop further down the valley. It is again a brilliant days riding.

We follow a canal for a while, pass some lakes and climb up and over a line of hills before flying down into Vittorio Veneto. It’s been a big day! I’ve spent the last hour dreaming of a big bowl of pasta, a glass of red and a hot shower, not necessarily in that order.

We kept ignoring the ‘closed path’ signs

The long range solo breakaway with dreams of the Maglia Rosa.

Vittorio Veneto is a really old town, with a walled old city. We find our Pensione Caterina just by the centre run by an enthusiastic couple who take one look at us and thrust a beer in our hands. They also recommend a small restaurant nearby and book it for us. It is brilliant! Two glasses of red later and I think John’s forgiven me!

I’m thinking Cherie and I might do a combined Xmas present for each other this year.

Showing John my new found directional competence I lead us the 150 metres home (with 2 tricky bends) without a hitch and flop into bed. It has been a memorable day.

Today's ride: 105 km (65 miles)
Total: 1,101 km (684 miles)

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