Garry McGivern Travelsonabike2 is cycle touring in Italy on Saturday, 28th-September-2013. Innsbruck, Austria to Valdaora, Italy. 78 miles. Nice early start this morning or as early as it gets these days! This sciatica has become a real problem now! Everything is such an effort, and it seems to take me forever to get going! But at least I was on the road by 7.30 am, ready for my climb up the Brenner Pass.
Cycling out of Innsbruck was relatively easy, and I was soon heading up the Brenner Pass, which, to my surprise, wasn’t as difficult as I’d thought! Yes, it was tough going, especially the last three miles or so! When it became steeper, I picked up a strong headwind. But I think the ride into Innsbruck on Thursday was harder! It might have been a more leisurely ride today as there wasn’t the traffic thundering past me. This road was so much quieter! Most of the traffic, especially lorries, used the motorway, which twisted its way up the mountain on tall pylons.
Once at the top, it was a bit of a letdown! As are so many border crossings across the world! There was no sign saying I was at the top of the Brenner Pass. The only sign was the standard EU national border sign, next to some new giant shopping outlet! I always like to take photos with these signs, especially when they say how high the pass is!
Going down the other side of the pass into Italy was good. It was on a cycle path, which ran on an old disused railway line. It might not have been the most direct route down, but at least it was relaxing, and I was able to take in the spectacular scenery. I continued to remain on cycle paths for the rest of the day, following the river Eisack.
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