A trip cut short, changed plans, cold and unstable weather for the mountains.
I havent been documenting the trip on dialy basis (as I usually do on longer trips) so I lost count of all the details. Many pictures therefore left unknown (location wise), but the beauty of Italy (which is my favorite country for riding in Europe) can never be lost.
Also Strava manage to lost this part around Venice, which I have ridden.
Inital plan was ride accross Italy, then climb over the alps, maybe through Aosta and go to Chamonix (if the weather prevails, which did not :)
So I changed plans mid ride, from warm and mosquios infested Italy continued into France, where I encountered very cold weather (too cold for comfort).
I was carrying additional bag with mountaineering stuff (boots, crampsons, ice axe) which I did not use in the end.
The end journey took about 10 days (give or take).
Soča river
San Giorgio di Nogaro town hall
The Livenza is a river in the Italian provinces of Pordenone, Treviso and Venice. It runs into the Mediterranean sea.
Mediteranian see close to Venice. Not much to be desired if I have to be honest. Water is murky (from sand). I have already been here several times as its a good spot for the night stay on my way across Italy.
Santuario della Madonna Nera. The sanctuary of the Black Madonna of the Sacred Mount of Viggiano is the regional sanctuary of Basilicata.
Italian arhitecture. Dirty but I love it.
Vicolo Chiesa, Veneto, Italy
Monument to the Fallen in War
Bastione San Paolo. Fortress in Treviso, Italy.
More photos of Treviso next.
Porta Santi Quaranta is one of the three gates of the sixteenth-century walls of Treviso.
Catholic church in Santa Cristina, Italy
Some rich people's house. Not really my style but I had to take a photo.
Marco Pantani, the famous Italian cyclist, winner of many world's races.
The basilica of San Pancrazio, Verona, Italy
Verona. I have alredy been here several times and I cannot believe how beautiful it it. There any many Italian towns, but this is my favorite currently. Note that I havent been sounth of Venice yet :)
Verona is big so you have a lot to explore if you come here.
Piazza Brà, the largest and most open square in Verona.
Castelvecchio Museum is a castle in Verona, northern Italy. Most important military construction of Scaliger dynasty that ruled the city in the Middle Ages.
Church of Saint Mary Maggiore
Open fields next to Lago di Garda
Church of Santa Maria Nascente in Brescia
The Arch of Porta Nuova is a monumental arched city gate, built in the eighteenth century
Riding into Milan
Milano center looks quite modern. Personally I like it, but its a huge town and it takes like 50km of cycling to pass through the city, starting from the outskirts.
Tomba di Manzoni cemetary in Milan
Sanctuary of the Virgin by Caravaggio
The collegiate church of Santa Maria Assunta is the main place of Catholic worship in Chivasso, in the province of Turin
More photos of Turin
Getting closer to France. This is the valley leading from Susa to Oulx towns. I have spend the night here as I remembered there is one shelter on the way, although not the most hidden (still in the middle of the town pretty with lost of houses around), but I didnt care as usual.
Climb starts towards France border.
A fortress named Forte di Exilles, very close to the road. I wanted to go there and seeit in person but as I usual just cycle and have no time for such itineraries, sometimes later I regret this.
Very quite tunner road only for cyclist (thank good) because the main road if full of trucks going into France. Also this part iof proteced from the headwind (which was blowing quite a lot from the saddle). No wonder I froze my ass that day climbing over the pass (which is not that tall actually ) but the temperatures were close to 5 °C at the top, before I started to descend on the France side in to Briancon.
Climbing out of Briancon the next day.
Col de Vars, one of the least exiting mountain passes ever :)
Here I made a turn towards small town of Jausiers where my Warmshowers hosts Hélène et François were waiting for me.
Next day climbing over another smallish pass to go back to Italy, because the weather is good in north of Italy, warm and sunny (with a taste of mosquitos).
I completely gave up on France because its too cold and weather is too unstable.
Trash for some people, beauty for me. Although photos can never present really life impression.
Foggy Italy. I decided to visit town of Cuneo (where I havent been before) and later Asti, but both of them have dissapointed me in the end, they dont posses the beauty like the northern towns of Verona, Padova ..etc
This contry side didnt dissapoint and it was real pleasure riding though this small lovely town, often situated on the top of small hills.
Church of Saint Vincent Martyr on the top of such small town
Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Casale Monferrato
Ended up sleeping one night next to the river, which is always welcome!
Morning beauty
Last day, riding towards Milano where I took the train back to Slovenia to skip this Italy part I have already ridden few times.
Aosta and mountains can be seen in the background, much more in real life than on my photos.
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