My way through Italy and the donation for ‘Doctors without borders’

I’m really happy about this great article in our local newspaper “Trostberger Tagblatt”.

Just because of your help the online donation site collected 125,- € and a donation box in our “Trostberger Weltladen” (a small shop for fairtade and organic goods run by volunteers) was ‘fed’ with also 125,- € by our costumers – absolutely fabulous!

The online donation site is open till end of July for your help 😉

Thanks a lot for your support to help people in need!!!

(Trostberger Tagblatt, 14.07.2018)

Home is where the lake is!

Cycling day 19/84 km ~ From Kiefersfelden along the Chiemsee back home

After a wonderful evening I thought this could be a relaxing night – but it wasn’t…Next to the campingsite you can lend a small building for parties, mostly done by companies. And so it happened also this evening.

They chatted so loud that one earplug wasn’t enough (I do so to here the alarmclock) – this went on till 2:45 h am – but than they put on the music machine till 3:30 h so even the second earplug didn’t work to give me a little sleep. Doesn’t bother because at this time the trains began to run – so in the end I had about 3 hours of sleep and more than 80 km to do to reach the wedding party of a good friend…

Along the river Inn

That part was a little bit boring but okay – you’re just running along the Inn with autopilot…

Finally I’ve reached Neubeuern where you leave the Inn cyclepath following a very small path – just to show you how well maintained the OpenCycleMap is… 😁

After some hilly up and downs I reached my home lake – Chiemsee!

The birdwatch tower at Prien

In the area of Breitbrunn

At the harbour of Gstadt

Here I’ve enjoyed my last journey lunch and arrived happily again at home – healthy and wellbeing.

This was a really great trip lasting 3 weeks and 1.160 km – I’d like to thank you for following me on this trip via my blog – next year perhaps in France again!

And also a big thank you for those of you who gave – or will give the next days – some money to my donation site for ‘Doctors without borders’!

Michael 😁🚲☀🏕

Along the river Inn to Kiefersfelden/Germany

Cycling day 18/93 km ~ From Innsbruck/Austria to Kiefersfelden/Germany

This morning I left my comfortable singleroom in the youthhostel in Innsbruck and continued on the cyclepath Innradweg with great weather.

Waiting for the forecasted big clouds it was a nice trip as I had just to cycle, no cultural highlights to be visited.

After midday – as usual – the black clouds crossed the mountains into the valley I was cycling in – but they were very friendly to me – and didn’t start crying 😁

As I was travelling along the river my toughts were wandering through these 3 weeks – and slowly I realised that – I’ll be home again tomorrow!!!

I haven’t got a feeling like this, it’s really unusual for me to enjoy the holiday till the last day – hopefully. 😀 These were really 3 great weeks and nearly everything went like I planned it in advance – cool!

As another positive surprise I came along a small lake I passed two years ago on my way to Rome – and also this time there was a swan family with some youngsters…

So approaching my last overnight stay – a campingsite next to a wakeboard area in Kiefersfelden – I came along Kufstein were the Ritterspiele take place – this is for you Christian D. 😎

The castle of Kufstein

Nice campingsite at the wakeboard center

So tomorrow will be my last cyclingday – hopefully with a little bit of sun… 😁

‘Féte de la musique’ in Innsbruck

Cycling day 17/45 km ~ From Bolzano/Italy to Innsbruck/Austria

Yesterday night was not a silent one – we had to open the windows in the youthhostel as we were 4 guys and it had 30 C…as the hostel is situated next to a big street to the station it was very noisy.

I’ve had cancelled the night in the hostel in Innsbruck a few days ago – but laying in bed nearly around midnight I checked again the weatherforecast – so there should be rain and thunderstorms today. In the end I re-booked the room as it was the last – and tonight I’m very happy… 😁

But let’s start from the beginning…I took the train this morning for Brennero and after 11/2 h I arrived at the pass easily.

Brennero Pass

Along the old road to Innsbruck

In my opinion it was okay to downhill the old road to the pass – but I wouldn’t recommend it to cycle upwards – take the train! There is no cyclepath and the cars and trucks go sometimes really quick around the serpentines.

Finally I entered the ancient town of Innsbruck and it was great to explore it – with sunshine.

The ‘Goldene Dachl’ (Golden Roof)

I checked in to the youthhostel which is situated at the river Inn – so you can reach it safe and easy on a cyclepath along the waterway.

Let’s go into the street – I hopped on the Bus ‘O’ (brings you directly into the center in about 15 minutes) and found a cool restaurant, Gelaterie and – the ‘Féte de la musique’. To improve the friendship of Tyrol and France there were young musicians and everybody had fun…

So this was a great day and coincidentally with french music – as I’m already thinking about the next year’s journey…perhaps the EuroVelo 17 ‘Rhone’. This brings you from Switzerland to the Camargue/FraNd nce – and I’m sure it’s also a cool trip!

Through the valley of Adige

Cycling day 16/105 km ~ From Loppio to Bolzano

Today was a big cycling day – since a longer period. In the morning I’ve had a chat with a young couple from Zurich/Switzerland. They were on their way to Venice and noticed that they’re too fast…So we talked about cycling tours through Europe and I gave them a copy of the EuroVelo map. They looked interested – perhaps we’ll meet somewhere in Europe again.

Trento

I jumped on my recumbent-bike and started to pedal the known cyclepath – and with a fantastic weather.

There were again about 30 C and I needed about 8 l of water…plus coffee and beer 😁

Having lunch around 2 pm after 74 km were quite okay so I arrived at 5 pm at the Youthhostel Bolzano – really nice as I knew already from previous stays.

Bolzano

Bolzano

Having a Veggie Burger and a craft beer at the famous ‘Batzenhäusl Biergarten’ was a cool end for this day. And the ticket for tomorrow to go to Brennero Pass is already in my pocket…

The big boat trip

Cycling day 15/11 km ~ From Torri del Benacco to Torbole and up to Loppio

You have read correctly – 11 km were just on bike computer today. This comes as my plan A was to cycle all the way from Torri del Benacco to Torbole – but some cyclists told me not to do so as it was really dangerous.

Torbole

So I checked out the timetable of the boats and there was a ferry departing at 11:17 h – arriving at Torbole at 13:20 h.

Malcesine

So I had a fantastic journey over the lake accompanied by sunny weather and marvellous views.

After my arrival at Torbole I enjoyed the beach and had than to cycle up to the pass – behind this there is again the Agriturismo in Loppio – with a pool!

Tomorrow will be a real cycling day – there are about 95 km to do to Bolzano where I’ve booked already a bed in the youthhostel.

Jumping from Maderno to Torri del Benacco by boat

Cycling day 14/25 km ~ From Manerba via Maderno to Torri del Benacco

I left this morning my sunplace of Camping San Biagio on some smaller roads and headed towards Saló.

Wonderful ancient town which would be great to visit again. Finally I reached the ferry to Torri del Benacco which takes you only 30 minutes and 8,-€ to cross the lake.

So I found a campingsite next to the street with a beach and put up my tent. Afterwards I’ve made a scenic walk through the woods up in the hills over Torri – nobody there!

After that walk you need definitely a bath in the lake and in the evening I went out with a guy from Germany who is cycling in the mountains around the Lago di Garda.

On the campingsite ‘San Biagio’ alla Manerba

Cycling day 13/51 km ~ From Lazise to San Biagio

After this cool evening yesterday I’ve decided to set my alarmclock 1 h later – this was not really a good idea. But I’m on holiday…

I tried to find a small road but this wasn’t so easy.

I cycled along Lago di Garda on the BicItalia 1 – but this was only in the beginning a good idea because the path went off the beaten track

So my next stop was Desenzano with its ancient harbour and I had lunch there.

After that break I continued to Sirmione – it was so crowded that you weren’t allowed to go inside the ancient town. But it’s absolutely worth a visit, you can walk around the island or jump into the crowd and enjoy fanatic ice-cream or other delicious food.

Now came the hard work to do – riding along the big roads with no cyclepaths…but I’ve got to say that the drivers overtook me carefully – and we are not in the highseason. In the end I arrived at the campingsite which was my big second aim as we’ve got pictures of that place at work and I always wanted to go there.

It is called San Biagio next to Manerba and is really beautiful. It has a small island you can visit (with an excellent stone beach) and there is a a mountain with a ruine. Next to it you can walk to a viewpoint – and it’s marvellous!

So at this campingsite I’ve got my second day-off and used it for the walk and a day on the beach – we had 30 degrees – great! 😁

Let’s go to Lago di Garda

Cycling day 12/67 km ~ From Loppio to Lazise/Lago di Garda

In the morning we were lucky again because of the fine weather – what a difference to my trip last year…

So I left the valley were Loppio is situated and continued to follow the cyclepath of the river Adige. The temperature climbed to 32 degrees but the landscape was outstanding.

After the lunch I had to leave the valley and cross some hills – and in a very small village I just stopped to refill water so an old man started a conversation where I come from and where to I’d like to go.

In the end I sat in the living room of Romeo and Julia (their real names as they promised me – brother and sister) and we drank a glass of homemade white wine. He visited Munich 50 years ago to watch the Olympics…

So finally after some serpentines downhill later you could experience the difference between the countryside and the lago – a big difference of money…

My first stop was in Bardolino and it was great to have done the second aim – Lago di Garda.

It was so crowded that I couldn’t realise how it would be like here in the high season.

I continued to Lazise and put up my tent at the Camping municipal which is okay for 19,- €. But don’t expect the quality of a small Agriturismo – worlds are lying between them.

You have a nice strip of stone beach and the water was refreshing – cool! 😁

In the evening I went out to explore the old town and it was full of life – and you can meet also nurses from your hood…

From the top of Valsugana down to the valley of Adige

Cycling day 11/85 km ~ From Roncegno to Loppio

After having enjoyed the great breakfast which was included in the room of the Agriturismo Montibeller I left the small town and continued to cycle in the valley of Valsugana which I already knew from my trip two years ago.

Having fantastic weather it was great to follow the Via Julia Augusta. I thought I just would have to cycle downhill to Trento – but that was completely wrong as you’ve had to go uphill as the valley was very near.

I’ve also cycled along the Lago di Caldonazzo which was outstanding.

Finally I came down to Trento where I had lunch in the central park. There I had the idea to come back one day and attend an language school – would be great to study in the country of the language you want to learn.

Cycling along the wide valley of Adige was a little bit boring – and very hot. But of course better than rain 😀

I’ve tried to have a look to the ancient town of Rovereto but the traffic was so dangerous that I decided to continue my ride to the campingsite in Loppio – which has a pool and a coffee machine 😁