Day 17 - A Rainy Day!

Today’s stats:

56 miles and 5 hours in the saddle - well that feels better than yesterday’s record of 6 hours and 40 minutes - ouch!

First experience of getting absolutely saturated whilst cycling.

First thunder storm, luckily just arrived at hotel when it began - some things do go our way!

First set of random ruins! 

Well, firstly we had a vastly improved day today, with less time in the saddle and arriving at our destination in good time so we could get all the chores done and then enjoy a well deserved drink and meal together. Tonight we seem to be in a very posh hotel and have had a delicious and rather romantic dinner for two! I was forced to start with a Prosecco as we cycled past many prosecco vineyards today. I mean it would be rude not to try the local produce!

After a very heavy night’s sleep - we were both pretty exhausted yesterday - we set off from Sabrina’s very warm hospitality (our B and B) and found our cycle lane from last night - looked very different in the daylight! Travelling about 5 km before coming off the cycle path to face a 6km climb, sounds bad but actually it was a charming road, with easy gradient and wide sweeping bends. We also came upon some ancient ruins in the form of part of a bridge called the, ’La Tagliata della Scala.’ It is always wonderful just coming upon things!

Unfortunately after this the weather deteriorated and it tipped down. Impossible not to get cold and somewhat fed up as the rain soaks you to the core. We strove on and found a good bar/cafe pit stop, where I changed my entire wardrobe! HOO dried out his passport and maps which seemed to have absorbed water whilst in his handle bar bag - covered in a shower cap for rain protection! Maybe something a little more robust is required.

Dishevelled after complete change of clothes and towel dry!

Finally the weather cleared and the forbidding mountain faces disappeared and before we knew it we were in wine country, with miles of vineyards all around.

Staying mostly on main roads today, the traffic  is somewhat hairy but at least we have sign posts and HOO can find us on the map! It also means that we make some progress and before we knew it and after negotiating our way around the rush hour traffic in Conegliano, we were at our hotel, just before a huge thunderstorm- with few dry clothes or clean clothes left we were greatly relieved to get through the doors of the hotel just in time.

We have washed a whole load of kit, eaten like kings, and are now off to slumber land to refresh our tired bodies and be ready for whatever tomorrow brings!  

Not many photos again as so busy pedalling in determination to get to our destination in good time, we hardly paused for breath. We did have some excellent pit stops though - and one very thick hot chocolate - HOO thought it was disgusting but drank it, I ate mine with a spoon and found it more of a pudding experience and rather edible!

More tomorrow, we send our love from Italy! P and J XX