Unlike lemming day, there were no queues at the Slovenian border but we both got a stamp in our passports with mine getting an especially long look. Which actually made me recall that this time round I haven't been checked to see if I have explosives/drugs/firearms on me!...guess they must have already sorted out their quota of granny aged people before I arrived!
Like Venice, Grado was very marshy and just like Venice as a result was a great hiding place against marauding hordes or escaping religious torment.
Having lived near The Wash in Lincolnshire, UK we were very used to the raised roads with dydke/ditch on either side, but the long raised causeway from Grado to Aquilea with water on both sides was unexpected and a treat.
Grado is now very very touristy and although there were possible Roman ruins to see we didn't stop.
Aquilea was brilliant...fantastic well preserved ceramic tiled floors and plenty to see all within a small area. 
While going around the displays we saw that some cheeky monkey had done a bit of reverse graffiti!:
The lowlight of the trip was me leaving my phone behind at the souvenir shop. I was being served by a lady who continued chatting to her colleague while dealing with me and I distracted myself by looking at my sister and rolling my eyes! I realised about 20 minutes later and panicking hot footed it back to recover it ...phew! I suspect the lady kept chatting and didn't see it for quite a while!
There are many many tunnels along the roads in this part of Italy and in fact a bike ride through the city of Trento gets very complicated for cyclists. But for tunnels out in country there is usually an opt out "old road" ...for cyclists only really and not very well maintained but much safer than the tunnel!
at the base of the climb through to Croce d'Aune the back way...I didn't do it this time!
The lowlight of the trip was me leaving my phone behind at the souvenir shop. I was being served by a lady who continued chatting to her colleague while dealing with me and I distracted myself by looking at my sister and rolling my eyes! I realised about 20 minutes later and panicking hot footed it back to recover it ...phew! I suspect the lady kept chatting and didn't see it for quite a while!
And that was the end of the Croatia side trip. It was to be the first of 2 side trips but with the rolling transport strikes in UK, particularly targeting the weekend of my planned visit there, I have opted to cancel...the uncertainty, plus the possibility of getting stranded/having to queue for ever made made the decision very easy.
Soooo..back to Mellame...to jigsaws and bike riding
THE worst of the 3 rickety bridges I force myself across...this one has to be crossed to get to a rather gnarly climb up to Incino...a road closed to cars on account of the large rock that protrudes out allowing only the tiniest of vehicle through. However roadworks still abound before you get to it and I wasn't allowed through... By not getting through to the climb I had to go back the way I came and so crossed the bridge 1 more time! You can see from the pix that some of the planks are raised which naturally means some are not giving a very bumpy ride. At least now they are all intact which they weren't a few years ago.....
Global warming =less rain/snow over winter which has resulted in pleas for conservation of water. Of all the years I've been coming here, these walls have never been above water.
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| One of many garden decorations..so easy to do, simple and effective |
Today I'm off on a 4-6 day bike packing adventure..1 days each at Levico Terme, Salorno, then 2 days at Bressanone. It's not a *real* adventure since most of it is on a bike path but riding with a loaded up bike for the first time will be a challenge. I have an escape plan if it all gets too much or if the weather gods are unhappy since it's also on a train line. But first I have to navigate my way successfully through Trento avoiding all tunnels!
More anon!
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