Riva - Trento - The Grand Tour - 2023

June 6, 2023

Riva - Trento

Today is a big day. The start will be getting our bikes up the flight of cellar stairs. Our host, a man of slight build, is there and ready to help, I just stay out of the way. With the combined effort of the two men, our bikes are soon back on the street. When we say goodbye I am surprised when our host gives Janos a big hug! I expected he would have been put out by the trouble with our bikes. He was indeed the kindest and sweetest host you can imagine.

When we arrived in Riva it was a Sunday and the path along the lake was crowded but I am pretty sure that it will be calmer today. No, it's still full of all kinds of cyclists and walkers. It's just a few kilometers, though.

I have not been looking forward to the climb away from the lake. It starts abruptly on a narrow road in town. I am not so worried about the gradient as I am about the cars passing me. Near the bottom, but it is already steep, there is a traffic light regulating one-way traffic. Ugh, we get red and I know I won't be able to get started again. I charge through and Janos follows me. We are lucky and not confronted with oncoming cars. Then it is just a grind to the top.

We retrace our steps to Mori and then are back on the Adige Bike Path. It is stunning with bright sun and blue skies now.

I will be the 450th bicycle passing here so far today.

The Adige is probably so brown from the past rains - or maybe it's always so brown?

We are pedaling blithely along, maybe 20 km more to Trento, when a passing cyclist calls 'hey'. It's Scott! He and Rachael got to Trento yesterday and today he's doing an out-and-back ride while Rachael goes on a hike. What a great surprise that he meets us on the road! When we made our plans sometime in January, it seemed unlikely that everything would really pan out. And here we are and here are the Andersons! We don't get to see Rachael until later, wonderful to see each other again after our days together in Burgundy in May 2022..

We get to our room, clean up and go out for a walk from our very centrally located B&B. We don't have to go far to see a lot. We start in the Piazza Duomo and don't get much further.

We don't get any pictures of the four of us when we go out to dinner, but we will get another chance over the coming days. Dinner at Il Cappello is excellent, not just the food but the company. Happy end to an eventful day.

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Today's ride: 48 km (30 miles)
Total: 1,210 km (751 miles)

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ann and steve maher-wearyEnjoy your time together, what fun!
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10 months ago

Rachael AndersonGreat photos!
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10 months ago