All the group got in today and we all had lunch and met everyone. This will be a good group to be around. We went out to our first ride which is a spin to make sure bikes are fitted and working properly. The sun was out and it looked like we were going to beat the rain and thunderstorms. I had a mechanical today as my seat post kept sliding down. We stopped and adjusted three separate times, By the end I looked like a clown riding a kids bike LOL. As we were climbing the storm moved in off the ocean and started dumping rain, hence no photos. I never even finished the climb as they had everyone start heading back down. At that point we just loaded my bike in the van to head back picking up a few along the way. Tomorrow will be a better day. Sorry so short but my day ended pretty quickly. Till tomorrow!!
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Today I left Bologna and took the train to the starting point of the Bike Across Italy Tour. Train ride was uneventful except I almost slept through my stop LOL. I have included a picture of the view from my hotel room window. The view is of the Adriatic Sea but it appears we will have rain, thuder storms, and wind for the first five or six days, Hopefully the rain will be spotty. Tomorrow we get fitted for our bikes and take a quick ride then the real fun will start on Friday as we head for Urbino Italy. This view alone was worth the trip, Talk to you tomorrow1 Thanks for reading,
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Today was my only full day to see the sites of Bologna. This is a beautiful city. All the pictures were take at or around the city center. The city center is usually the main square and anchored by a basilica or government buildings,. The city center is surrounded by neighborhoods and shops, It is usually a very congested area as many people still live there. Many centuries ago people walked everywhere so important places needed to be close for everyone. The pictures below is considered a small basilica but this one is in the city center, There were numerous basilicas in Bologna.
Bologna was also known for the number of towers in the city. At one point there were 108 of these towers. The towers were mostly put up by individuals or families to how their wealth and status in the community during the medieval times, The most famous of the towers is “The Two Towers of Bologna. They were used for defense and signaling and used to be guarding the ancient entrance into the city.
The oldest continuous operated university and the first degree rewarding institution in the world is located in Bologna. Founded in 1088 by a organised guild of students, The picture below shows some of the crests that mark the university. There are multiple sections of this wall all with different crests.
Travel day to Pesaro tomorrow to start the tour on Thursday. The vacation is over now the fun begins. Thanks for checking the blog out.
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Welcome back everyone, hope this finds you will. This tour we will start at the eastern coast of Italy, the Adriatic Sea and go to the western coast of Italy, the Mediterranean Sea. This tour will go over 400 miles in 10 days and will mostly be climbing, Our rewards will be the beautiful scenery, great food, and the descents after climbing.
Before we start our tour in Pesaro I am spending a few days in Bologna. Bologna is a Medieval town that goes back to the the 14th century. They are becoming to be known as city with spectacular food. I am staying at a hotel called the Corona d, Oro. The hotel is part of an old palace from the 14th century. It is very beautiful and located at the city center where these building are around the same time period. I have attached a copy of the hotel lobby and the small elevator which is common in these buildings.
After I checked and went and had dinner. I had the traditional Caprese salad with a handmade and hand rolled pasta with basil, tomatoes and ricotta cheese. It was so delicious.
Till tomorrow, we go to the city center !!
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Today we travel on the ancient canals from Bruges to the North Sea. We will be riding in the Netherlands to reach the North Sea. This is an easy flat 37 miles. The scenery was spectacular. We actually went -1% below sea level crossing underneath a bridge into the Netherlands. The Netherlands is also a beautiful country. We made it to the North Sea then headed back to Bruges and we stopped at a windmill to check it out. You know it wasn’t working…no wind 😉 We made it back safely then went out for our celebratory dinner,
Final Thoughts
Every day I could not believe that I was actually doing one of the things I have always wanted to do and that is ride my bike in Belgium. Belgium is a cycling mecca not only for racers but the everyday citizen. People ride their bikes all over the country including Luxemburg and the Netherlands. This part of Europe cycling is a way of life. Bike paths all over the city and country, vehicles yield to bicycles, and everybody has one. Public transportation is also very good with busses and the rail system. The tour guides have become my friends and my riding partners were awesome. Worth every penny and every mile.
I have learned on this trip is do the things you want to do since tomorrow is never guaranteed, I know overused term. You grow as a person with life experiences being outside your comfort zone. This trip has truly changed the way I think about things. I did not stream any shows, watch news, nothing, just my music. Enjoying moments and small pleasures that you would have never felt or done if you had chosen “not now”.
Thanks for reading my friends I hope you enjoyed, Join me in Italy in September. Chow!!
O
P.S. They still haven’t found my bike in the Frankfurt airport.
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Today we are leaving Oudenaardne and traveling to Brune. This small town is called the Venice of Belgium. It has many gothic style buildings and it’s like stepping back in time. It has become one of the leading tourists stops in this part of Europe. We get on the road and our first loop is a climb that is part of the Tour of Flanders with part of the climb being at 20% pitch. It was so hard that you were afraid of tipping over, and yes, it’s all on cobblestones. Cobblestones are the most difficult road surface to ride.
After the loop we headed toward Brune, but our guides had a very special stop for us. Nothing was said in the information guide, so we had no clue. We rode up to The Flanders Field American Cemetery. This sacred piece of ground is American soil. The King of Belgium was so moved by the courage of the American soldier he gave them a resting spot since many could not come home. In 1923 the U.S. government actually paid for families to see their fallen family members. To this day Belgium residents adopt a soldier and keep his burial place clean and well taken care of. In fact, the Belgiums celebrate the U.S. Memorial Day. This cemetery is immaculate with staff on hand. I was so touched and moved to be in these men’s presence. Freedom is not free.
Nothing needs to be said,,,,
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Today we left Mechelen and went to Oudenaarde which will be a ride of 60 miles. We are going from the flats back into hilly country on this ride. Again we will use the beautiful bike path system and we will also be on gravel and cobble roads today. I learned today the buses really don’t like to stop. They slow down and you better speed up. I saw a close up of the front grill of a bus as it sort of slowed down. It was a close call. What’s strange is the cyclist has the right away and drivers respect this law. It has been very safe riding here. We have ridden in towns and cities all through this trip and have felt very safe….but not around busses 😉 The Belgium’s are passionate about their cycling whether it is road, cyclocross, mountain. The highlight of the day was seeing the Tour of Flanders museum, I was in heaven. The first Tour of Flanders was in May of 1913. It was stopped during WWI but started again and even raced during WWII. This is the race of the nation, thousands come out and watch the race regardless of the weather. It was a long and hard day, this was our most amount of miles so far. Some how I hurt my ankle so it was a little bit harder. Didn’t go to dinner with the crew as I needed to rest and ice the ankle so I can ride tomorrow. We had 15 miles left after lunch and they asked me if wanted to ride in the van and I said “no way in hell am I not finishing this ride today”, I can be a bit stubborn. The group I am with are awesome people, they love cycling and just very enjoyable to be around. Enjoy the pics and thanks for reading.
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Today we leave Leuven and go Mechelen 46 miles. The terrain is flatter and we will be on bike paths along canals and riversides. Belgium has a very good bike path system that can take you all over the country and they are well maintained. Leuven is known for its bell tower, it blends Flemish character and unique architecture. The purpose of bell towers were to communicate. They had different ring sequences for different things. They could also see fire in the town or enemies coming towards the town.
The bell tower has 47 different bells of different sizes and tones, A bell can be rung as a clapper which is when the ball in the bell strikes the side or a striker in which has a small hammer looking device attached to the bell that strikes the bell on the outside, There is no elevator but we had to climb over 500 stairs to get to the top. Please enjoy the pictures of the bell tower it was impressive. It was another beautiful day of riding.
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Today we leave Dinant and head to Leuven, We are leaving the French speaking region and going in the the Danish speaking region and the signs will also change. We also go into the Flanders the Flemish region of Belgium. Flanders is known for the horrific battles of WWI. In the world of cycling they are known for “The Spring Classics”. They are very long one day racers and cobblestones are involved in different areas of a race course which have been there for a very long time. For instance the Tour of Flanders is 245 km or 152 mi, Besides the terrain there is also the weather, Since it is spring you can clear, cloudy, rain, or snow, or a combination of all of them. Riding on cobbles which we have during this tour is riding on big hand size rocks with cement or dirt to keep them in place. When they get wet it could be like riding on ice they are so slick. To ride them is hard on the bike and especially the rider. We will be following Meuse River. Leuven is a small town and has a beautiful town center building. It was a beautiful awesome ride today. I have attached photos, please enjoy.
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Today we traveled from La Roche to Dinant which is 52 miles. It will be another tough day on the bike as we are still in the hills. We started out in the Ardenne Forest and went through beautiful farmland. We take the back roads as there is less traffic and we see more of Belgium. The town in Dinant is a very old town. There is a fortress there which goes back to the 1500’s. It is located on top of a hill that overlooks the river and town. They have cannon placements that can protect the city. The Germans took over the fort in both the world wars. The town is really cool and the views are awesome. Please see attached photos:
