August 6, 2025
Reflections
Introduction
It’s now been seven weeks since we returned, and we’ve been talking about the trip every single day. So, before it gets away from me and fades into the background and daily routines creep back and take over, I had better record some of our trip reflections. Not an easy task, but an important one.
Before I begin, we both concur that this cycle tour is likely the best we have ever experienced. But maybe we should rephrase that and say it was extraordinary. To call it the best seems unjust, because we have been on many incredible bike tours over the decades and, naturally, the freshest experience jumps into first place. The reality is that what we see and how we respond to experiences evolves throughout one’s life, so assigning a rank is a moot point. More importantly, we're still cycle touring after all these years, and cycling continues to enliven and amaze us; it brings us joy, and our love for the sport deepens with every tour.
For us, travelling on two wheels opens doors to laughter and smiles. It’s rich in physical and psychological rewards and unexpected connections with strangers from all walks of life. It etches shared experiences into our memory banks that we will be talking about forever. And, let’s not poo-poo how these shared two-wheeled experiences strengthen our souls and our relationship. Is it any wonder we keep coming back for more? I think not.
I realize that as time progresses and we absorb all that we experienced on this tour, I am becoming long in the tooth. So, to make this easier and save your precious time, I've decided to create a table of contents. Feel free to jump to your preferred topic or pour yourself a drink and slog through the whole thing.
Table of Contents
Where to Go When to Go Accommodation, Oh My
Training, Oh Yes Technology: Devices People Along the Way
Food Matters Elevation Mixed Travel Modes
Fun Along the Way Plants and Animals Roads and Trails
Events Along the Way Traffic and Tourists
Where to Go?
We settled on a 2025 visit to the Dolomites in the fall of 2024 after reading other thrilling adventures here on CB. In doing so, it would fulfill a dream to see this area up close. And, I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the fact that Keith Classen asked us each time we visited, "Have you ridden the Stelvio?" We'd sheepishly reply, "No, Keith. We haven't ridden the Stelvio". He kindly loaned us their Tobacco map of the area last fall, just to add to the persuasion. What excited us at the time, and what sealed the deal, was the prospect of riding the famed Passo Stelvio and learning that the Sella Ronda car-free day coincided with our travel dates.
Keith's paper map was a good introduction to the lay of the land, but the nitty-gritty details only came to light when I started looking at electronic maps. I've used many mapping tools over the years, but the one I was drawn to this time was the cycle.travel routing tool. After listening to Richard Fairhurst (an original creator at OpenStreetMap) on the Spokesmen podcast, I put my faith in his brilliant algorithm and did all the route planning on the cycle.travel website. The route was magnificent and navigation, when it really mattered, was more successful and stress-free than it's ever been.
👉🏻 In 1980 I cycled near, but not through, the Dolomites, on my Apollo Prestige 10-speed. I wrote in my journal that I'd be back one day.
✴️ Tip: Cycle.Travel is a 'pay what you want' or not at all.. as in, a free app.
When to Go?
After the 'where' came the 'when'. The high mountains in northern Italy can receive significant dumps of snow in May, so we didn't want to start too soon, nor too late when we'd be roasting by the end of the tour. We settled on five weeks from the 3rd week in May to the last week in June. With those dates in mind, I watched and waited for decent flights and, in November, managed to snap up good-quality Vancouver to Venice flights with British Airways.
👉🏻 I wouldn’t change a thing: mid-late May to late June.
Accommodation, Oh My!
Choosing daily destinations and deciding where to spend additional nights was time-consuming, but by February, the route was set and I was ready to begin looking for accommodation. Was I ever in for a surprise! Not only were there very few places available, but those that were available had premium prices attached to them. It gave me a sense of urgency to pre-book our stays, something we've typically avoided when possible.
Booking.com was the primary app I used for my research; I also used local tourism websites. From there, I looked up the business websites and booked directly whenever possible. In the end, I pre-booked 3/4 of the trip at cancellable rates and left the last six days unplanned so we could decide where, when and how to spend the last week.
👉🏻 Pre-booking worked well because we didn't need to, or want to, change any of the bookings. Did I need to pre-book? In a few cases, yes, but we often received a nicer room than I had pre-booked, perhaps because they were not already booked.
👉🏻 I liked the freedom to choose the final week's route on-the-fly and book the accommodation based on those decisions.
✴️ If you are looking for accommodation and it seems nothing is available, this is likely the reason: the Dolomites are very popular, and the only time the businesses get any rest or renovate is between seasons. That's when they close down.
Training, Oh Yes!
Training for cycle trips is something we established on our very first tour in 1986, down the Pacific Coast to San Francisco. Simply put, being fit allows us to enjoy the ride right from the get-go. We are fortunate to live where we can ride through the winter, so desire and motivation to train are usually the only limitations.
This year, I created a laddered training plan and put it on the fridge door. Training had started on January 2, but it wasn't until February that I had the brainwave to make a training plan. In essence, my assignment was 3 rides per week (indoor on Rouvy or outdoor), starting at 25k and increasing to 80k after 13 weeks. Critical to its success were 'active rest' phases to allow my body to adapt to the increased workload. In addition to riding, I went to the gym and did strength-oriented yoga classes three times per week.
| Heart | 1 | Comment | 0 | Link |
👉🏻 How did it work? I'd do it all again. I stuck to the plan as much as possible and made up for it when I didn’t.
👉🏻 David had eye surgery at the end of February and was sidelined for seven weeks, so I trained solo a fair bit. His recovery went well, and he had just enough time to continue training up to our departure date
✴️ Training pays huge dividends if you can manage to fit it in. Ahhh, the sweet rewards!
Technology: Apps
This year, when the urgency to pre-book accommodations arose, I realized I had to amp up my planning toolkit. A respected tech friend recommended the Tripit app (you can read about its security here). If you use booking.com, Tripit is slick: you can populate your itinerary by emailing your confirmation number to Tripit. Or, if you prefer, you can enter your booking details manually. Pretty simple. Once there, all the bells and whistles kick in automatically. I was impressed, so every booking went into Tripit, even if it was temporary. I could easily see where I needed to fill in gaps or where I needed to cancel a booking. The app keeps track of it all and has a slick but simple layout that is shockingly user-friendly. Its free version is feature-rich and, to top it off, it’s shareable.
👉🏻I shared the itinerary with David so he could easily find a phone number, pinpoint the location of our accommodation, see flight details, etc.. It wasn't all on my shoulders!
✴️ Tripit is a fantastic app. Say goodbye to Excel spreadsheets and iCalendar.
Technology: Devices
Oh, how travel has changed! Gone are the days when we were off-the-grid on a cycle tour. Like, when we accessed the internet in a smoky, dark cavern once or twice per tour, when we lined up at the PTT to wait for an operator to put a phone call through on our behalf and when we bought a 1:200,000 Michelin map every four days because that's how long it took to ride off the map. Whenever our route crossed a map crease, we called it a Crease Day: we had to re-fold the map, against its will.
Now, we have toys that do things for us we had no idea we needed. Toys like Apple Airtags, cadence sensors, cycle computers, GoPro cameras, iPhones and iPads. And, don’t forget the heart rate sensor. These really have changed cycling and cycle touring, for the better, I’d say.
Before buying the Wahoo Roam V2 GPS unit, I ignored the routing on my Wahoo Bolt and just used it for tracking rides, times, pace, etc. The routing screen was too small to read at a glance, and I had no desire for the unit to tell me when to turn. No, I much preferred to rely on my intuition and sense of direction, after having a good look at the map in the morning and occasionally en route. I like to reserve space for spontaneity and my innate curiosity, which feeds my sense of adventure.
But then, the Roam V2 came into my life. I'd loaded the GPX files from cycle.travel onto our devices in one fell swoop, about 20 files altogether. The coloured maps were easy to read, and I loved being able to zoom in and out with one click of a button when navigating complicated sections. And, while I enjoy some spontaneity, that goes right out the window when it comes to climbing. Climbing is a mind game, and I want and need to know what I'm about to tackle. The Roam V2 automatically takes care of it, with a screen showing the stats and a graph of the upcoming climb. One glance at that screen and then I usually switch back to the map view where the coloured routing chevrons display the severity of the grades: green, yellow, orange and red. When the ride is finished, everything uploads automatically to Element, Strava and RidewithGPS.
👉🏻 Wahoo Roam V2 and I are good friends now (but we know who's boss).
👉🏻 The rechargeable battery in the Wahoo Roam runs easily for a full day and more, so there's no need for a separate battery charger.
✴️ Tip: We both used the Wahoo Roam GPS, so we were seeing the same thing and using the same reference points to describe our location and find our way. It's oh-so-helpful when discussing directions.
✴️ Multi-cable charging blocks are a blessing.
People Along the Way
A highlight of our travels has always been meeting people along the way. When we are not riding, we're usually seeking a service or some information from locals, and those interactions add so much enjoyment to the trip. This is just a sampling, and I don't mean to diminish in any way those not mentioned, but these hosts were outstanding. If you'd like to meet them, why not book a night with them?
Anneliese - Santo Stefano. We arrived at our destination B&B, La Valdella, in Santo Stefano before the posted arrival time, as was often the case. I had contacted Anneliese to ask for an early arrival, and she had obliged by meeting us at her gorgeous B&B overlooking the DOC Prosecco hills. We took a seat in the shade under the pergola, and before we had taken off our helmets, she offered us a prosecco tasting and snacks. Out came the bottles, wine glasses, cheeses, sausage and rolls, and she proceeded to explain Prosecco and the Prosecco region to us. The vineyards, draped in little green pearls that spilled down the hill before us, belonged to her family. Breakfast was superb, served by the nicest people on the planet. It was a luxurious two days we'll never forget.
Anna in Feltre. Anna, the host and owner of Corte Garibaldi is a bright young, hard-working entrepreneur who, along with her younger brother, has renovated and opened their 4-room B&B. The quality of construction and decor exudes beauty, simplicity and warmth, while respecting tradition. Anna provided us with everything to make our stay memorable and comfortable, and we loved learning about their journey of bringing their dream to life. The breakfast?? Excellent.
Manfred in Corvara in Badia. Manfred, the owner and host of Garni La Tranquillitè, is another hard-working host. He and his family operate the hotel, which was first built in 1962 and renovated in in 2012, azthgouth it looked as though the renovations were completed last year. Everything is modern and top quality here. Manfred is a kind, personable host, ready to help out and to give advice on any subject you'd care to engage him on. He sincerely cared that we were enjoying ourselves. Mom, who had started the business, was in charge of the cleaning and judging from her cheery greeting each morning, was very pleased we were staying there. A delicious, full breakfast buffet is offered in their cute Tyrolian breakfast room.
Stefano in Bormio. The Eden Hotel was one of the hotels that gave us an upgraded room -- to a beautiful luxury suite. Aside from that perk, the staff here were great, and Stefano, the desk guy, was so much fun. He had a cute laugh and multitasked with a smile while juggling customers' needs. The Trans Alp riders were staying here, so the hotel was crawling with lycra-clad riders and their $$$ bikes (laundry hung from every balcony). Stefano bent over backwards when I asked for help making a reservation for our bikes on the bus from Tirano to Aprica. It ended up being a lengthy challenge, but one he was profoundly pleased to do for us. I am pretty sure he gave us the Trans Alp deal on the room, too. Just a genuinely lovely and authentic guy. The breakfasts were exquisite here, and the outside barman was a hoot. All in all, such a memorable stay.
Anna in Levico Terme. Another day, another Anna. When we met this Anna at Garni Tuttotondo, we were nearing desiccation and in desperate need of a drink. I blurted out something to the effect that we needed water... now, and she quickly did an about-face and came out with a tray of refreshments for us, told us to take our time and see her when we were ready. We sat in the shade overlooking the entire Valsugana Valley until we felt human again. Anna has a beautiful smile that is unforgettable and makes you immediately feel welcome and at home. She is another young, hard-working host who makes her work at the family-owned B&B appear effortless. The facility is stunning, the breakfast superb, and with Anna looking after us, we were completely spoiled.
👉🏻 I seek accommodation where we will have interactions with hosts and avoid self-check-in for the most part. It's been well worth it.
Food Matters
I have fond memories of our early tours where we would down a six-pack of Budweiser and a pound of tortilla chips on arrival in the campground. After that, we'd clean up and make a spaghetti dinner. We had no sense of exercise nutrition at that point and were pretty depleted at the end of the day. But it was fun.
Fast forward to today, when we are more tuned in to our nutritional needs, and our appreciation of good food has gone up considerably. A full and varied breakfast truly makes a difference to how we ride, so that's why I seek it out and we take full advantage of the first meal of the day. Lunch is more hit and miss. Neither of us likes to eat a meal mid-ride, so we go easy on the quantity and quality of food eaten midday.
Dinner is a highlight, however, and we're not often disappointed, especially in Italy. The freshness of the ingredients, the reverence and respect for food and for sharing time with others over a drink or a meal is the norm in Italy. We love to eat good food, but what I tell my friends who enjoy the food photos is that we eat standard Italian menu offerings. Quality over quantity.Every day, normal food in Italy is upscale eating here in Canada.
We were in two distinct regions on this trip, and their cuisine was also distinct: one was Italian and the other was more Germanic. No surprise here, but we enjoyed the Italian cuisine the most. We had some incredible steak dinners, and any seafood we had was delicious. The ensalada mistas were very fresh, and the simple oil and balsamic vinegar as a dressing suited us. Pasta dishes, the primi piatti, were simple and delicious. David particularly liked the venison ragu, and I liked the pasta cacio è pepe (cheese and pepper). As for pizza, it was good, but it just can't compete with pizza in Naples. We've been spoiled. Dessert was either affogato or strudel. Both were top-notch.
👉🏻 The quality was uniformly good to excellent. The prices are also high, but in the same range as restaurants in Victoria, with some exceptions. Pizza is less expensive in Italy than at home, and dare I say, better quality? Drinks are also cheaper.
👉🏻 Starting with fresh, top-quality ingredients is the key to delicious and healthy food. Italian cooking exemplifies this. It's good fuel for cycling, too.
✴️ Tip: if you go, plan to bring some top-quality olive oil home as a souvenir. You won't regret it. A 500mL tin travels well in checked luggage.
Elevation: Why we do it
I recall a trip in the Vercors, many moons ago, when I was struggling up a long-ish grade on my fully loaded Cannondale (we camped back then), and I thought to myself, I’d never be able to ride in the Alps. There’s no way I’d be able to ride the famous roads of the Tour de France, I remember thinking.
So, what happened? Fast forward to 2015, and I was chatting with a friend who had spent considerable time on the very mountains that seemed out of reach to me. I asked him what the Mt. Ventoux climb was like, and he told me it’s much easier to ride Mt. Ventoux than to live a life and never find out. OK, thanks, Dr. Dave. Mt. Ventoux it is!
That experience changed cycle touring forever. Was it hard? Oh, yes. But, what a rush it was to stand on the summit looking out across France, then to sail down to Bedoin where we had started. It was life-changing, and it changed my outlook on what’s possible and, consequently, how and where we have toured since then. We have bagged many significant cols (a saddle between two peaks or ridges) over the years. Every one of them, a treat.
👉🏻 Riding the Stelvio (north to south) was an experience of a lifetime. Very tough, but oh, so worth it.
👉🏻 We may have to return to the Dolomites for another Sella Ronda ride. It’s one that I need to experience and David would ride it again in a heartbeat.
✴️ If col bagging is something you want to experience, mountain gearing and good brakes are essential, and after that, the key is to go slow. You can always get off and rest.
Mixed Modes of Travel
Our folding bikes have small 20” wheels and can be taken on the buses and regional trains in Europe. So, naturally, we use public transit whenever we need to scoot along or to traverse less desirable terrain (usually flatlands). It’s cheap, it’s accessible, and it’s simple. On this trip, we used the bus, which turned out to be a 9-passenger van, to get us over a pass that we didn’t feel like riding in the midday heat.
This is our 25th year touring on Bike Friday New World Tourists. They replaced our Cannondales, back when the airlines began charging to carry them as special luggage. Sadly, the baggage handlers showed zero regard, in our experience. Watching them throw heavy suitcases onto our boxed bikes on the luggage trolley was painful, as it was when they tore my saddle off its rails the one time we bagged them (the airline’s recommendation).
Regarding public transportation, the only time our bikes have been refused was when the bus, another 9-seater van, was already packed to the gills with passengers. Otherwise, these bikes have given us the freedom to move about on our tours. We have even had hoteliers bend their rules and allow us to take our bikes into the small hotel rooms once they saw our bikes.
👉🏻 Bike Friday bikes provide us with options while travelling. The only downside is that you do need to have good mechanical know-how and skills.
✴️ I noticed that BA removed the checked bag fee for YVR to LHR this year. Seems the tide is turning?
Pacing the Itinerary
I had included several multi-day stays in our itinerary, knowing we were heading into some big mountains on this trip. Two-nighters allowed time to explore, either on foot, bike, bus or train, take gondolas to the high meadows, and enjoy our time in this gorgeous region. The longest stay was Corvara, which required a minimum of four nights and, as it turned out, was an excellent layover. We also spent two nights at the start and end of the trip, which allowed David time to unpack and pack the bikes, time for us to see the Giro d’Italia in Treviso and time to visit Venice.
👉🏻 I wouldn’t change a thing and will include multi-day stays in future trips.
✴️ I recommend taking the extra days to fully experience the Dolomites. Get off the bike, ride the gondolas and take in the scenery, the food at the refugios and the mountain and valley vistas.
✴️ If you go, consider taking in some museums. They are world-class. Stop, look and learn as you travel.
| Heart | 3 | Comment | 0 | Link |
Weather
We were prepared for bad weather going in to this trip, both in mindset and our gear. Mountain weather can be notoriously bad and can turn a trip on its head in an instant. In the weeks leading up to our departure, we heard first and second-hand accounts of a recent near-death and a fatal incident in the Dolomites, so we were well warned. We knew to be wary and respect the weather. It's another reason to include extra days throughout the itinerary.
We watched the weather closely as our departure day approached. It was wet, but the forecast was for a clearing to begin on the day we arrived in Venice. Thankfully, we only experienced three rain showers and a couple of sprinkles on this tour, and we only had to ride in one drenching downpour for a mere ten minutes. Yes, we were lucky.
👉🏻 Our new 7-Mesh rain jackets will go with us on any tours in the future. They exceeded all expectations, keeping us warm and dry when needed, which was mostly during our training rides here in Victoria. They proved to be good value, albeit very pricey.
| Heart | 2 | Comment | 0 | Link |
History
I am not a student of history and, regrettably, not so well-read on the subject, either. But that’s not to say my curiosity isn’t there. I knew about Monte Grappa and the massive ossuary at the summit, having learned about it while exploring the summits of the Giro d’Italia. This certainly motivated me to include it on this tour. And, I have also been intrigued by movies and books about the Second World War for quite some time. What I didn’t anticipate were the memorials and reminders of both wars we would encounter throughout this trip. These mountains have seen fierce battles, and tens of thousands of lives have been lost here. It is truly sobering and, given the state of world affairs, it borders on chilling. Never a truer word was spoken than ‘history repeats itself’. We must all beware the lessons of the past, lest the atrocities be repeated.
👉🏻 Slow travel can also be thoughtful travel that expands your understanding of the world.
| Heart | 2 | Comment | 0 | Link |
Fun: Planned and Unplanned
When I plan our trips, I always search for special events that might coincide with our dates. Unfortunately, the concert season starts about the time we leave, so I usually strike out on that front. That's when I delve in and learn more about the places we plan to visit and make plans.
This year, planned events included two mountain days and a wine tasting. We enjoyed the winery tour and tasting at PDC Winery in the heart of the Prosecco Hills during our stay at Santo Stefano. Next up was the Sella Ronda car-free day, and third was our ride up the Stelvio Pass. All three were highlights of the trip.
As for unplanned fun, we discovered that the Giro d’Italia would be starting Stage 6 in Treviso on the first day of our tour. What a thrill it was to be in Treviso and see the riders up close, then watch them promenade out of town.
In Bormio, we discovered that the town was hosting the 7-day TransAlp endurance cycling event. Bormio was decked out in Giro's pink decorations from hosting the race a couple of weeks prior and, with uber-fit cyclists traipsing about, it made for a fun cycling atmosphere.
The Lumen Museum of Mountain Photography on top of the Kronplatz was also unplanned. We'd learned about it while waiting at a bus stop on our way to Bruneck. It blew our minds and gave me a deep appreciation of the bright and creative minds behind the displays.
The UCI Mountain Bike World Series World Cup race was a complete surprise, adding pizzazz to our ride in Val di Sole. Seeing a Canadian jersey whip past us as we cruised down the bike path beside the Noce river was our first clue that something was 'up'. Moments later, we stood and watched talented cyclists fly through the air on the last jump of the downhill course, right in front of the grandstands.
👉🏻 Travel rewards us in so many ways. If you remain curious and allow events to unfold, it has a way of rewarding you with experiences that exceed all expectations. This trip was full of those rewards.
Plants and Animals
We get a kick out of seeing animals on our tours. Like, the cow we watched running downhill with gay abandon across a meadow on the Alpe di Suisi, its tail waving in the air like it had just won the lottery. Then there was the marmot that did a long down-dog stretch from its crevice in the rock wall near Turn 11 on the Passo Stelvio. It played chase with its friends for a few minutes while we stood there, watching in awe. Seeing the family of coffee-coloured Haflinger horses with their silky white manes and tails in the alpine meadow above Colfosco was magical. One of the mares nursed her foal while the other foals played. Then there was the huge jack rabbit that dashed out of the field, just ahead of me on a steep downhill near Suisi. It was travelling just as fast as I was, about 45 km/h, but took the high road when the road forked ahead. It continued running down the middle of the road until it disappeared into the forest. Snakes don't usually count as a highlight, but we did encounter several basking in the sun in the middle of the road. And finally, we were serenaded most days by birds, with the cuckoo birds and chiffchaffs taking up most of the bandwidth.
And then there were the flowers. This year's flower sightings were off the charts. In the Alpe di Siusi alone, there was hectare upon hectare of wildflowers, including buttercups, dandelions, daisies, globe flowers, pasque flowers, orchids, gentian, alpine clover, geum, rhododendron and much, much more. It is a heavenly scene with the Dolomite peaks in the background.
👉🏻 My top sightings of this trip? The Haflinger horses, the marmots and the globe and pasque flowers.
✴️ If you go to the Dolomites and you like alpine flowers, try to visit in May/June when they are at their best.
| Heart | 4 | Comment | 0 | Link |
Route: Bikeways, Roadways and other Surfaces
We have cycled many different areas of Italy over the years, including Sardinia and Sicily. The north is well known as the wealthy area of Italy, as compared to the south, and the quality of the roads mirrors this. I chose the 'paved only' filter when planning the route in cycle.travel, and it did an excellent job because we rode almost entirely on good road surfaces. Amazing.
The bikeways in the Dolomites and nearby regions are well established and are mostly in excellent condition. Add to this the brilliant engineering of major traffic corridors: freeways are elevated to keep high-volume traffic from the valleys, and they run right through the mountains, so you're not even aware of them. All in all, it makes the bikeways here a dream to ride. They connect towns and cities and generally have services along the way. They don't dump you on dead-end tracks or leave you high and dry. Top marks.
Of all the bikeways we cycled, I found the Adige, between Bolzano and Lana/Merano where it runs between the river and the apple orchards to be somewhat boring. Another path, this one not functional really, was between Edolo and Ossana. We were much happier riding on the highway. Other than that, we were often surprised to find bikeways where we didn't expect them. And, the bike paths were well-designed and maintained, and marked for easy navigation.
We did ride some gravel bikeways, but these were well-packed and safe to ride. No problems here, but if the trail had been crowded, it might be a different story.
We have ridden for so long in so many different road conditions before bikelanes even became a thing, that I'm not drawn to most bikeways and, unless traffic is really bad, we're not too fussed on the roadways. But this region's trails and networks really turned my head!
👉🏻 Cycle.travel was an experiment this year. In my estimation, it proved itself and I'll use it again for route planning.
✴️ If you think you might want to visit this area or the adjacent areas of northern Italy and you're needing a nudge, I hope you will give it a try.
Traffic and Tourists
We didn't encounter any sections of overly busy traffic that made us feel uncomfortable, and that's saying something, for a 5-week tour. Drivers were respectful.
Since we were on cycle paths that are super popular in summer, I thought we would encounter many more cycle tourists, especially e-bikes, than we did. And, I'm thankful for that. These folks are not particularly skilled, and we often need to pass them anyway. Luckily, we had most of the bike paths to ourselves as well.
The one area that irritates cyclists, in general, is climbing the Stelvio. The mental focus of the upper portion of the pass is intense, and this is where the noise of the motos becomes annoying for any cyclist. We were pre-warned about this, so it was expected. I found the groups of 6-8 riders to be particularly distracting. In general, they rode responsibly, except for one moto that accelerated towards us after taking a hairpin turn and came far too close for comfort. There was little traffic to speak of on the downhill to Bormio and my only comment here is that the traffic went too slow. We waited for them to get ahead so we could coast freely downhill.
As for tourists, we only saw them in a few spots. On our first visit to Bassano del Grappa, we noticed a lot of tourists. It was early season, and it made the place feel summery, and it gave the town a fun vibe. On our return, it was remarkably quiet, not what we expected at all. It was very nice to see it this way, too. The next place we noticed international tourists was in Ortesei. This town has been discovered and is a very popular destination. We were happy not to be staying there but just passing through to catch a gondola. And, surprisingly, we saw a glut of stunned tourists catching buses in Tirano. We had been alone in the mountains for so long, it was rather entertaining to watch them staggering around the station, looking stunned. Maybe they'd been on a long bus trip? The last place we expected a lot of tourists was in Venice. Yes, there were plenty of 'us' at the train station and at St. Mark's Square vaporetto station, but in general, we did not get caught up in any moving rivers of people, and we quite enjoyed Venice.
👉🏻 Dates and locations really do make a difference to your holiday. We will stick with our spring trips and continue exploring the small villages. It's a perk of retirement, and that's not lost on us!
✴️ Over-tourism is real, and at the same time, it can be overblown by the media. Our mantra is to travel respectfully and responsibly and be considerate of locals.
And that, folks, is a wrap! Till next year, stay well and keep moving.
Anne
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 6 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 5 |
12 hours ago
10 hours ago
7 hours ago
6 hours ago
6 hours ago