Ponte nelle Alpi

June 3, 2025

We awoke to yet another day of good weather. Anna was ready for us in the downstairs breakfast room at 8:00am. She’s such a cheerful host and as bright as a button. If only we could have her serve us breakfast every day! We chatted about our day yesterday and how much we have enjoyed Feltre. She told us that the brewery we visited is the largest in Italy. Boy, did we come to the right place. We found it interesting when Anna explained that Canadian news doesn’t get through here. She was aware of the tariffs imposed by the US, but less so the friction between Canada and the US administration. We are each in our own news bubbles, so we filled her in on some high level issues that our country is experiencing at the moment. We also noticed that Canadian maple syrup was offered on the buffet table which Anna said is very hard to source here. It’s the sum of those little touches that make the difference ❤️. We gave our thumbs up 👍 in appreciation.

Pink roses, a little worse for wear from rains last week, holding their own on Anna’s utility shed.

All fed and rested, ready for another day.

We said our goodbyes, then walked the bikes out the arched courtyard entance and straight into the weekly street market. These markets are such a lifeblood for these European towns, serving not only as an opportunity to shop for groceries, household goods or clothing but, importantly, a chance to socialize. It’s like the social glue that holds communities together, something not to under-estimate. I couldn’t pass up the fresh produce vendors when I saw the bright red grape tomatoes and cherries. I picked up an assortment for a snack along the way.

Decisions, decisions. It all looks so good, including the fresh fennel and purple radicchio.

Town centre bridge, Feltre. We watched six baby ducklings try their darndest to jump a steep weir to join their Mom, all to no avail after at least five minutes.

Tiny ferns protruding from the ancient city walls.

Then, we pushed off, riding through the tunnel and out the other side to begin our route to Ponte delle Alpi, about 50k to the east. The route today proved to be yet another interesting and fun way to explore the countryside and avoid the main east-west connector road. The bucolic, relaxed roads we enjoyed today were just a blink away from the main road, where drivers were more interested in getting to their destinations quickly.

Those clouds were no worry for most of the day.

One of about ten cattle egrets that were sifting through the freshly cut grasses. It’s a wonder they didn’t get run over by the tractor.

Today felt like the equivalent of the slow food movement, only the biking version. Cruising through a farmer’s fields or through a tiny village has a way of inviting wonder into your life. Slow cycling, yes indeed.

City hall, small town along the way with a huge central piazza.

For the most part the roads were nicely paved and smooth as a baby’s bottom. Sometimes, they were no more that 4’ wide, enough for a typical small vehicle. They hadn’t been dug up to access underground services so they were in very fine shape. Other sections were gravel, over a firm substrate. If it had rained, we’d avoid these to keep the drivetrains clean, but today it was fine to ride them.

Large fields like this are being planted with corn. The ratio of soil to rocks is stunning, for this gardener, anyway. Clay must truly have high value for growing corn.

Signs for various bikeways dotted the roadways and trails.

The water draining into this ancient trough was cold an crystal clear. On a hot day, it would come in handy.

The Piave made several appearances today.

The power of the river at this small dam was palpable!

Eventually, we made our way to Belluno, a city of substantial size, along the mighty Piave River.

We had our eyes set on finding a bench or a comfy spot to nosh on our tomatoes and cherries and, while the city seemed very quiet, we didn’t find a suitable spot. It really is a beautiful city and worth taking some time here, but our destination is a little further beyond it, so we carried on.

Our route took us along a cycle path out of Belluno and before long, we found a spot to rest and have our snacks. It didn’t last more than ten minutes, though. The thunder started to rumble and within seconds, the raindrops started falling. They were large droplets so we were getting drenched just digging our rainjackets out of our panniers. We scooted off along the trail and quickly came upon a forested area where the rain could not penetrate the canopy. We waited there for about five minutes and then decided to make the dash to our accommodation in Ponte nelle Alpi.

It was our first rainstorm and wow, it was a doozy. I had donned my 7Mesh jacket and pulled the hood over my helmet. David had pulled in a light windjacket. By the time we pulled up to the door of the hotel, we were drenched. Well, one of us was drenched. We were invited inside and given the key to our room. Bikes had to wait outside until then storm abated.

We cleaned up, dried off and hung out our wet gear. Over the next couple of hours, the clouds cleared a bit and the sun made an appearance. We thought we’d try a pizzeria for dinner, but as we exitted the hotel, we heard an enormous crack from the mountains and the rain started again. We did a quick about-face and took a seat in the hotel’s restaurant. Dinner tonight was insalata mist and pasta dishes. Service was odd, as the elderly proprietor was our waiter and he kept getting waylaid, pouring himself glasses of Prosecco and socializing with friends in the bar. Our meals were nothing remarkable, but still delicious. And best of all, our room was just steps away.

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Today's ride: 47 km (29 miles)
Total: 426 km (265 miles)

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Jacquie GaudetSometimes proximity is the overwhelming factor in choice of restaurant. I think we’re eating next door again!
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1 week ago

Rich FrasierTo Jacquie GaudetAgreed. There’s a lot to be said for proximity when you’re on a bike tour.
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1 week ago

Anne AnastasiouAnother great summary of your day and video. Thanks D&A xx
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1 week ago

Patty BarronGreat to have your new efficient rain gear & hopefully won’t have too many occasions to put it to the test.
Both Heather & I agreed at yoga today that following along on your rides is so much fun! Ride on in good spirits!
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1 week ago