26 July 2025 (overcast with rain, sunny, warm afternoon) 74km

Woke numerous times during the night, but always fell back to sleep. Mostly it was the rain on the tent.

Before bed we'd decided that if the weather was good, we'd head for Slovenia and if not, toward Venice. When I woke and it was daylight, I once again heard the rain and thought, "We'll be stuck here today." 

When we eventually opened our eyes, it was 7.30 am. The latest we've stayed in our sleeping bags. As we sat there contemplating what to do, "Nessie" sprung a leak on one of her top seams. Not massive, but water was running onto the inner.

The mountains starting to emerge from the mist.

Packed up our stuff and took it over to the bikes, which were parked under cover of the cafe/bar. Inside for a coffee and to work out our route and to wait for the rain to stop. 

Eventually it ceased, but the mist was low, the mountains were covered and it didn't look like we'd be able to go anywhere. About 9.30am we got a sodden "Nessie" folded away.

I asked the guy on reception if we could buy a big rubbish bag to put over the leak tonight, (for if it rains). He gave me one. 

We can totally understand why she's leaking as we've had so much rain over the last week and tents can only withstand so much, unless they are serious outfits that can withstand anything thrown at them. 

We left camp at 11.30am, on the main road and into town. It was so busy, and all headed in our direction. It was like everyone had driven to Tre Cime di Lavaredo yesterday and were all leaving today.

Another thing not in our favour, was the fact that it is Saturday, which means we have to pick up food for two days.

There were supermarkets in the different directions we were thinking of, so not all our shopping had to be done at breakfast time. 

Breakfast and lunch purchased, we cycled to the local footy pitch, where we sat in the stands with a fantastic view of Auronzo and its lake.

Not a bad location for a footy pitch. Not a bad place for breakfast either come to that.

Decided over breakfast, we were headed South. We are both over the miserable weather. Never fun when you're camping.

We still want to do Slovenia, but the weather for the next four days is awful, so we'll dip down south and then do a loop back as it's looking better from Wednesday. 

Cycled out of town on probably the busiest main road we've had on the trip. Took shelter from a squall that came through and then carried on. 

The first hour and a half to Calalzo di Cadore was on this awful main road, which we couldn't believe was part of the Munich to Venice cycle route. Some of the drivers made it downright dangerous and it was a relief to get off it for a 15 minute reprieve through Lozzo di Cadore.

It takes a lot of concentration to cycle a busy road and the noise is also overwhelming.

From Calalzo di Cadore, we started following bike route 14 and this is where the day picked up. We got some fantastic trails and back roads and the threat of rain disappeared.

We got some crazy hairpins (downhill thankfully) through very old, authentic Italian villages who were not bothered about the tourist at all. Not picture postcard stuff but still with their own charm.

We were cycling through one of these in the middle of nowhere villages and out the back of one house, the whole extended family sat at the table with carafes of chilled wine and food up the centre of the table. Just a glimpse of local life as we rolled past.

Just around the bend, we came to a big orange fence across the road and a sign which we assumed said “road closed”, quite unnecessarily.

I'm a donkey on the edge, and I'm just gonna ride!

A quick look at Mapy showed no other option except the motorway, unless we backtracked massively.

There was a small gap at the side, so we decided to chance it.  It was a big descent, so we really hoped like hell it wasn't an impassable washout.

Then we came up on the remnants of a slip and a bit of foliage still on the road, but easy enough to pass by bike. So we had this whole downhill section to ourselves which we relished after the busy roads when we first started out.

At the bottom of this hill at 2.30pm, we spotted the perfect place for lunch in the village of Perarolo di Cadore. A shaded dry bench seat for us, and a place to dry out Nessie. We started by hanging her up under a sort of carport, but as we ate lunch, the sun came out so we spread her out on a dry patch of concrete.

As we ate, another couple of bikepackers rolled up. We asked if they'd also come down the closed road, but they hadn't. I don't know what road they went on but the girl said it was very scary. She also looked gutted that we'd got through so we didn't query them too much more about their route and instead chatted about their tent, which they were also drying out.

Then we set off again on route 14 as it wound it's way through a gorge.

A lot of these villages lost the through traffic years ago and I don't know how people survive here, although we did see a lot of industry all along the gorge and valley that we rode this afternoon. 

For f's sake station, the station you go to when you've had enough of living in these out of the way villages.

Saw one young lad, standing around outside on his own, looking lost.

Nothing to do in his village except wait around to marry your sister, if your cousin hasn't got there first.

This was lovely riding and with just enough short climbs to keep us busy.

Generally though, we were able to enjoy the day and take in the beautiful surroundings.

Riding on through the gorge and valley, still snapping away and gradually eating through the 70kms we needed to do to get to our campsite.

Pulled into Longeron to the supermarket to pick up dinner and all our food for tomorrow. 

Then we were into our final stage. Off the main road since the early stages, we'd enjoyed car free riding nearly all day on the cycle paths.

We were riding past a lot of free camp opportunities now and were contemplating setting up, but we really need to catch up with the blog, so we continued as we needed WiFi.

Arrived in Farra d'Alpago, our camp for the night to find a full on crowd of a few thousand, down by the lakefront, right by the camp, listening to a music event. It was chaotic. Music was good, but loud. 

It was from there things went downhill. Checked in to find a price of Euro 42 and they had no wifi. No other camp within twenty kms.

We asked about when the music would stop as we'd been kept awake earlier on the trip from a village music festival. They told us it would be finished by 9pm at the latest. 

Wrong....definitely wrong.

You lying robbing bastards. 

As we'd arrived late, we set up and ate late and soon it was 10pm. Lying in bed you could literally hear them gradually turning up the sound bit by bit.

Concert finished at 1.56am. Then at 3.08am when I got up to go to the loos, the bloody Dutchies in the next tent thought it was okay to be having a normal daylight volume conversation. 

In New Plymouth we have realistic finishing times for concerts outdoors and for the most part, it works. Rules are put in place to ensure the majority adhere to keeping life moving, safely and with regard to others.

Music festivals over here are a great idea, but their time restraints are way too lenient.