ITALY

              Travel               

Total kilometers biked: 550 km

Days biked: 4 days

Road conditions: sealed, smooth

Weather: hot and humid, afternoon thunderstorms

Food & Water:
Food: Easily accessible and great.  We are grateful to Ramona and her family for everything, including the wonderful food.

Water: potable water fountains in most every small town/village

Sleeping:
Camping in wild: 75% of time while biking

Campgrounds: got caught in Milan at night and slept in a hostel, also stayed about a week in Lecco with friends

Alternate transportation: took a train to Zug to visit friends in Unterageri, also rented a car with friends from Ireland to drive out to the Dolomites to climb

Maps Used: AAA road map and photocopied pages of an Italian road atlas from a friend

Highlights: biking around Lake Lecco and pulling off the side of the road to jump off cliffs into the lake, visiting Ramona & her family, climbing in the Dolomites, climbing at Val de Mello, climbing at Grinetta, Cortanova, fireworks near Varenna.

Experiences:  storm came in over the back side of mountain we were climbing, not much notice, decent thunder/lightning and hail storm, simul-climbed lots