471km down 4802 Left to Go
Hello Everyone, I received this image from a good friend of mine, Abbott from Montana. I don’t know what the hell he is trying to say do you?
I should have explained this trip earlier, so here goes: it's split into three parts, all roughly equal. Starting in southern Italy, I'll bike daily to Bologna, then rest while visiting friends. Next, I'll head northeast over the Dolomites to Salzburg, Austria. A bus now transports bikes around a train tunnel due to repairs. Then, I'll visit friends in Germany, continue through France to Roscoff, and take a ferry to Plymouth. My wife, Devon, will meet me there and lighten my load as I continue to bike solo north to John o' Groats. We'll visit friends en route.
Since my last update, I've tackled two rides. The first was a breezy 88 km cruise from Turi to Andria—just fantastic roads, weather and just the right amount of hills for some high speed fun. The second, a 77 km wrestle with the elements from Andria to Foggia. Started in light rain, aiming for a breakfast break and hoping the rain would stop and nailed it. But then, at 50 km, the rain came down, and I was in a 15 mph wind tunnel. Just when I thought it couldn't get worse, the dog chase scene began—four canines hot on my heels, one big guy aiming for my ankles. Managed to steer him off into the ditch and tall grass, but the others kept me peddling like a maniac. They kicked my ass!
My existing rain gloves are bulky, hard to put on and weigh to much”NOT TAKEN UM”, instead I found a fantastic replacement, DELI GLOOVES, they kept my fingers warm and didnt rip though they got a bit damp from perspiration. So far so good!
After surviving the ride, I stumbled into my apartment, dumped my drenched gear, and staggered to the shower. The shower door, clearly conspiring against me, wouldn't open wide enough for a mouse let alone me. I sent a "WTH?" pic to the host with “am I missing something here” only to find out the door swings both ways. Apparently, I was too pooped to grasp Shower Doors 101!
So here is an unedited video, I just don’t have the time,”LUNCH WITH JIM”. It was made on the exhilarating ride from Turi to Andria.
Tomorrow I am headed to Termoli. An 85km ride with 1.5 inches of rain expected with low winds. Should be a fun ride, I can’t wait. I consider wind way worse than rain, so tomorrow is a one day window without head winds. I’m hoping this won’t last but it isn’t looking good.
Thanks for sticking with me, everyone! Since the comment section was down on the last post, I'd love to hear your thoughts on both this one and the previous one. All you have to do is click on the “no comments” below if you’re the first to comment. So hopefully you can now share your comments below—I can't wait to dive into it with you!"
Enjoy,
Jim