#1 Jounal -  Bicycle Touring in Europe of 4,684.1 Km   Page 3

Day 31: September, 13 Flims - Bludenz, Austria     Distance: 102.9 Km

We left the camping at Flims around 10:00 am on a cloudy and slightly chilly day and passed the Alpine city of Chur. Soon we reached Lichtenstein, a small gem of a country tucked into the mountains between Switzerland and Austria. We saw very green alpine landscapes with many vineyards, wineries and small alpine villages. Then we reached the town of Fieldkirch, followed by Bludenz in Austria.

This night we stayed in a small hotel in the Alpine Town Bludenz.  Bludenz is a quiet but charming village right on the western tip of the Vorarlberg region of Austria.

Day 32: September, 14 Bludenz - St. Anton  (Sankt Anton am Arlberg)     Distance: 42.5 Km

We left the hotel at about 10:00 am in Bludenz and took a really scenic and scenic road which skirted the banks of the Inn river. The Inn is the longest river of (510 km) having the biggest volume of river in the Alps and flows from Switzerland through Austria and Germany.

It is a haven for kayaking and canoeing and we saw several of them paddling the rapids as well. Always pedaling with the presence of the beautiful river and the surrounding landscapes, we had arrived in St. Christopher.

Then the road climbs up to the mountain reaching the last stage of the day arriving at a premier ski resort at the cute little St Anton (Sankt Anton am Arlberg) located in the Tyrolean Alps in Austria. After having found a place to sleep which was a wooden chalet style guesthouse which was very pretty due to its construction typical of mountain environments.

Day 33: September, 15  St. Anton (Sankt Anton am Arlberg) - Igls     Distance: 115.1 Km

We left the guest house in St Anton around 10:00am and the road we cycled was mostly downhill and after awhile became flat in the valley bottom with the wind at our backs we cycled 100km in 5 hours 2 mins, thanks to the wind! Arrived on the last stop of the day at another cute, resort-based village of Igls just after Innsbruck, Austria.

Again this evening another chalet-style hotel in Igls, a ski lodge town.

Day 34: September, 16  Igls - Bolzano     Distance: 118.2 Km

We left Chalet in Iglis around 11:00 am and today the weather changed, becoming very sunny all day as we climbed up hills to the Brenner Pass. It is an easy and nice mountain pass at an elevation of 1370 m which connects the border between Italy and Austria. Then we rode down to Bolzano, a city situated in the Trentino–Alto Adige region of northern Italy. Bolzano is a wonderful town have a very german feel with beerhalls and german style mountain houses with many of the residents speaking fluent german.

Also this evening another hotel but in Italy in Bolzano. The road was smooth and downhill through beautiful valleys.

Day 35: September, 17 Bolzano - Bassano del Grappa     Distance: 119.9 Km

We left our hotel in Bolzano at about 11:00 am and took the state road passing through Bolzano, Trento and the last stop of the day Bassano del Grappa in Provincia di Vicenza in the Veneto region. It had been a day with easy and flat roads. We saw many vineyards and views of the Adige River.

We stayed at a small Hotel and we walked around the town of Bassano del Grappa and in the centre of town  we saw  the Ponte Vecchio or Ponte degli Alpini, a  beautiful historical wooden bridge over the River Brenta.

Day 36: September, 18 Bassano del Grappa - Portogruaro     Distance: 128.2 Km

This morning we woke up with a fairly hot and sunny day when we left the hotel in Bassano del Grappa. Today was also a simple ride with more or less the same panoramic views passing through the localities of Bassone, Montebelluna, Oderza and the last stage of the day in Portogruaro.

The city of Portogruaro is also called the little Venice (it is located about 70 from Venice) which is located along the Lemene river. The historic centre is cratered by numerous canals, two old renovated mills, bridges, arcades and similar buildings that make it similar to Venice as well as being located in the hinterland but in a Venetian style. Very, very beautiful! After a short visit we found a campsite outside Portogruaro where we spent the night and it rained during the night.

Today we witnessed a car accident beside us as a car came speeding up to pass another car that widened out so as to pass us, such that the first car that passed us was hit in the rear by the second car passing us. Then the car striking the first car passing us “hit the gas” and took off but then later returned to the accident scene.

Day 37: September, 19  Portogruaro - Muggio - Outside Trieste campsite    Ditance 109.7 Km

Today we woke up at 11:45 am from the Portogruaro campsite with a cool temperature and a cloudy sky and it didn't rain during the day.  Today we cycled on the state road passing through the towns of Cervignano, Monfalcone, Trieste and the last stop of the day was in San Bartolomeo.

This evening we camped at the San Bartolomeo - Muggio - Outside Trieste campsite

Day 40: September, 22  Pula (ferry to Mali Losinj) to Zadar - Pirovac   Ditance 55.9 Km

This morning we woke up with a sunny day, we left the hotel in Pula and cycled to the port of Pula and we boarded the ferry that connects ferry port Mali Losinj on the island of Losinj for a brief stop, and then we sailed on to the port of Zadar on the Croatian mainland of the Dalmatian coast.

It hadn't been a long voyage with a duration of about 5 hours.

Arrive on the Dalmatian coast again on the saddle of our bicycles and among the magnificent coastal road where there was no shortage of fabulous panoramic views of the sea and also views of untouched vegetation until you reach the coastal town Pirovac. This evening we camped in a nice campsite in Miran Pirovac by the sea.

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