Horrendous storms overnight. The tent faired better than the basha but it was soaked through, as were our towels and any other sundries left on our makeshift washing line.
Clear skies this morning but still cold. I walked to the coop in time for it opening at 8.15. The sign on the main street said 6 degrees, but it was a relatively toasty 8 degrees as i walked back half an hour later. The coop in Canazei is lovely. Just the right size to stock all you need. I crossed everything off our short list, including a couple of fresh chocolate croissants and a nice bottle of lagrein, then walked back to find Louby packing away our home. It's her job now. I cram everything into the panniers any way they'll fit. If the lids close, with me sat on them if necessary, then mission accomplished. Louby has a finely honed, methodical technique that works far better.
We showered and dried ourselves, as best we could with wet towels, then hit the road.
Quick loop around the dolomites before leaving. Clear skies and dry roads, but still cool. 6.5 degrees at top of the sella pass was as bad as it got. The temperature climbed to a lofty 18 degrees in the lower towns and villages.
We took in the sella, gardena, valparola, campolongo and finally looped back over the gardena. Louby finally got to see the dolomites in clear weather and i got to play on dry roads, so we could both leave happy.
Stopped at selva gardena for a hot drink and to layer up. I had a double espresso and loobs had a hot chocolate. Both were very welcome. The waitress was a chatty thing from malcesine. She told us that a lot of Brits get married in the castle overlooking the lake. No, we didn't.
Stopped just before bolzano to fill up the fuel bottle and top up the bike. The entire stretch from selva to bolzano (s242 and s12) is amazing. It follows the river along a narrow gorge. Loobs found some cheap and tasty paninis in the bar next to the garage so we sat outside with the map while we refueled. The plan was to head over the Stelvio pass towards Switzerland but we were both finding the heat of the lower ground quite appealing. I'd had my fun on the roads today and Louby has been a good girl, so we agreed to head back to lake Garda. We could either be over Stelvio into bormio or at the campsite on Garda for 4.30pm. Only one of those choices would guarantee us hot sunshine and allow us to dry our wet clothes and tent, so there was no objection from either party.
Satnav took us down the s45b. It didn't look the most direct, but it was if we wanted to avoid motorway so we stuck with it. A fine road and we shaved a good 10 minutes off our eta.
Stopped at lidl in torbole for essentials then checked in at the usual campsite. By 5.30pm we had the tent up, clean washing on the line and were enjoying a blazing evening sun, cold fizz, fresh strawberries and a paddle in shorts and a dainty little summer frock.
Louby turned in for a nap while i got busy on a bottle of red and a hot stove. We've both been craving gnocchi since my rather delicious meal that first night in Canazei. Unfortunately the coop in Canazei, despite earlier praise, had let me down and I'd bought gnocchi shaped pasta rather than the soft plump fresh gnocchi that we both craved. That's what happens when i go shopping in the early hours without my glasses. It was good, but left us wanting.
Quick cuddle on the beach before bed and a last glance over the lake at the twinkly lights on the opposite shore. We'll be back, although unlike this unplanned return visit, we'll probably have to leave it longer than 2 days next time.
158 miles
Clear skies this morning but still cold. I walked to the coop in time for it opening at 8.15. The sign on the main street said 6 degrees, but it was a relatively toasty 8 degrees as i walked back half an hour later. The coop in Canazei is lovely. Just the right size to stock all you need. I crossed everything off our short list, including a couple of fresh chocolate croissants and a nice bottle of lagrein, then walked back to find Louby packing away our home. It's her job now. I cram everything into the panniers any way they'll fit. If the lids close, with me sat on them if necessary, then mission accomplished. Louby has a finely honed, methodical technique that works far better.
We showered and dried ourselves, as best we could with wet towels, then hit the road.
Quick loop around the dolomites before leaving. Clear skies and dry roads, but still cool. 6.5 degrees at top of the sella pass was as bad as it got. The temperature climbed to a lofty 18 degrees in the lower towns and villages.
We took in the sella, gardena, valparola, campolongo and finally looped back over the gardena. Louby finally got to see the dolomites in clear weather and i got to play on dry roads, so we could both leave happy.
Stopped at selva gardena for a hot drink and to layer up. I had a double espresso and loobs had a hot chocolate. Both were very welcome. The waitress was a chatty thing from malcesine. She told us that a lot of Brits get married in the castle overlooking the lake. No, we didn't.
Stopped just before bolzano to fill up the fuel bottle and top up the bike. The entire stretch from selva to bolzano (s242 and s12) is amazing. It follows the river along a narrow gorge. Loobs found some cheap and tasty paninis in the bar next to the garage so we sat outside with the map while we refueled. The plan was to head over the Stelvio pass towards Switzerland but we were both finding the heat of the lower ground quite appealing. I'd had my fun on the roads today and Louby has been a good girl, so we agreed to head back to lake Garda. We could either be over Stelvio into bormio or at the campsite on Garda for 4.30pm. Only one of those choices would guarantee us hot sunshine and allow us to dry our wet clothes and tent, so there was no objection from either party.
Satnav took us down the s45b. It didn't look the most direct, but it was if we wanted to avoid motorway so we stuck with it. A fine road and we shaved a good 10 minutes off our eta.
Stopped at lidl in torbole for essentials then checked in at the usual campsite. By 5.30pm we had the tent up, clean washing on the line and were enjoying a blazing evening sun, cold fizz, fresh strawberries and a paddle in shorts and a dainty little summer frock.
Louby turned in for a nap while i got busy on a bottle of red and a hot stove. We've both been craving gnocchi since my rather delicious meal that first night in Canazei. Unfortunately the coop in Canazei, despite earlier praise, had let me down and I'd bought gnocchi shaped pasta rather than the soft plump fresh gnocchi that we both craved. That's what happens when i go shopping in the early hours without my glasses. It was good, but left us wanting.
Quick cuddle on the beach before bed and a last glance over the lake at the twinkly lights on the opposite shore. We'll be back, although unlike this unplanned return visit, we'll probably have to leave it longer than 2 days next time.
158 miles
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