Finding Places to Escape the Rain | Bikepacking Italy

Finding Places to Escape the Rain | Bikepacking Italy

With the weather taking a turn for the worse our batteries dying and our food bags nearly empty we took a chance on the only open hotel in the area despite its questionable signage in remote location I really hope it exists the remote Retreat turned out to be the

Life’s work of the pharmacist from the nearest Village and we had it all to Ourselves Goodbye beautiful hotel the next morning we continued our track over the mountains of the Italian island of Sardinia We had no idea before we picked this route that it happens to be a very popular motorcycle loop it’s just like we’re in a motorcycle theme park or something and no one told us suckers We’ve been eating our lunch in this little park and all of a sudden a man appeared over that railing and said a bunch of things I think an Italian or start inian um but one of the words was Veno and we were like we don’t speak

Italian he was like Veno so Chris just followed him somewhere I don’t know where the person who offered a fly I think he uh makes his own was uncorking a CK to to share some with a friend who only comes to visit every now and then

And wanted to pour us a glass that’s so nice we’ve reached the bottom how’s that wine treat you now all these little hearts have love sayings on them okay so your thing says go up that Central Sardinia is a Blue Zone which means a high percentage of people

Live to a healthy 100 years old diet and tight-knit communities play A Part as does the fact that there’s hardly any flat ground to be found hiking up and down these Hills is just a part of daily life here we are bike touring Sardinia You did it Yeah we just heard a roll of thunder as we approach the top of this climb uh and there’s this Stone Building without a door that we get to check out now stay out of the rain for at least a second it smells bad Quite those are suddenly big raindrops and they’re getting bigger that open I don’t know can we just lift up one of The yeah we are Crazy go faster Fountain of Kaku We’re getting rain on again yeah but maybe at the bus stop it’s the train station and it’s actually looks like an actual train stop Maybe maybe there’s something There not much there’s more of an overhang if we want to just duck under the under the railing yeah we opened that gate and came through well where are you hiding those pistachio cookies there’s three I know so it’s hard to share remember when we were laughing about the

Weather forecast and how it said 80% chance of rain at like 3 and then 0% chance of rain at 4 and then 80% chance of rain at like 5 well nailed it down for a minute before we go back up cool Bridge okay now we go up forever yep ta Oh Cool whoa look at this wow wow what to fast yeah too Fast one of the challenges of bike touring in Italy is the afternoon break don’t get us wrong taking a giant break in the middle of the day is definitely our Jam but the timing of things makes it hard to make last minute decisions on food and camping many places of business

Including markets and restaurants and hotels close between 12 and 5 or 6 or 7 or even 8:00 p.m. if we don’t carry a full day of food up these steep hills we’re left scrambling to find a market and a place to sleep before dark market

And or hotel or both and we learned that the hotels in the interior of the island aren’t really set up for walking in May is that a pizza track that’s opening no maybe I don’t know how what is what is open apto aperto aperto apto is it open aperto seven seven okay theer

Okay look at you cycling this impossible Hill um see this guy is pointing to the convenience store which we passed twice because it didn’t have a sign pizza oh Pizza Pizza okay when we finally found it we were able to pick up enough food for dinner at Camp Goodbye we’ve got like 2 hours before it gets dark so hopefully we can find a single flat piece of of ground in these Mountains got to carry that speed oh a man no oh my God my legs are like what Again They float if I help them look it’s floating I think it’s time to eat them what are you doing I’m looking at the fun we’re going to have tomorrow and the fun we had today can you tell me about tomorrow tomorrow 3,000 ft of climbing over 54 K 55

Km we did 3,300 today over 40 something over 40 even and we have more kilometers so we’re going to do and we’re doing 300 feet less we drop 5,000 feet tomorrow that’ll be fun about 3,000 of that in one go cool see you tomorrow

So much rain.

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Titanium Cooking Pot: Vargo BOT: https://bit.ly/45CwDsr
—-We never thought we’d get so excited about a cooking pot. It doubles as 1 L water storage with a secure screw on lid (making dinner water math easier), can be strapped on the down tube (or fits in an Arundel Looney Bin), and the lid flips over to become a cooking pot. We recommend getting the cozy!

Peak Designs Out Front Bike Mount: https://peak-design.pxf.io/GmKMdn
—-Why did we waste so much of our lives with Quadlock!?

Peak Designs Phone Cases: https://peak-design.pxf.io/g1OxXg
—-Needed for the Peak Designs mount, but also just nice cases.

Stem Bag: Swift Industries Sidekick: https://bit.ly/3VpOBuC
—-Doesn’t suck like other stem pouches we’ve tried.

Handlebar Bag: Swift Industries Paloma: https://bit.ly/3VoWi4a
—-Hillary’s favorite handlebar bag right now.

Ultralight Down Quilt: Katabatic Palisade 30*: https://bit.ly/40T1ezr
—–Y’all, this is the comfiest sleeping bag.

#travel #biketour #bikepacking #cycletouring #cycling #gravelbike #slowtravel #bikecamping #bicyclecamping