A good effort – Tuesday 7 May

A good effort – Tuesday 7 May

Today we did very well, leaving early at around 8 and arriving just after 1 pm, after doing about 80 km. The weather was perfect for cycling, being in the high teens all day. The only blemish on the day is that we are both getting sore throats.

The cycling was mostly alongside busy roads, so not that pleasant. However it did not feel overly dangerous – the Italian drivers tend to give cyclists enough space on the road. We were mostly on SP (provincial) roads. They tend to have large traffic circles at all the intersections. Kris stopped every now and then at one of these to check we were still going in the right direction on his phone (using HereWeGo app).

One moment we would be passing through light industrial areas, the next through green countryside and then through small towns with a church and a town square at their centre and ochre coloured buildings.

The biggest town along the way was Brescia, a little over halfway in our journey. It had some impressive old buildings and gorgeous squares. We had a break for some water and gummi bears for energy.

The last 8 km or so, down to lake del Garda had some nice long downhill runs.

We were delighted when we rode into Desenzano, the town on the lake where we are staying, as it is really beautiful. It is a tourist town, full of hotels and restaurants. Not too busy at the moment as it is off season. This is the best hotel of our trip so far. It is in the old town and a friendly receptionist was there to greet us and help us store our bikes. They are locked away in a wine store!

Desenzano street
Desenzano waterfront scene

We enjoyed walking around in the evening. We had a picnic on a bench at the waterfront and then went and had two Apperol Spritzes at a little bar across from the Cathedral. These seemed to cure the sore throats and I fell asleep quickly and easily for the first time on the trip!

Outlook from our Desenzano picnic
Apperol Spritz and complimentary snack

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