Asti – La Morra 45.69km 🚴♀️ 2.48.45 ⏱15.3km/hr ⬆️ 505m (Suuz 598m) ⬇️ 255m 🌡33
So we woke up knowing we wouldn’t have a long day on the bike. The air outside was pretty humid and warm. We had breakfast together with Jan and Karin, which included homemade chocolate 🍫 and orange 🍊 cake, yummy! We packed four heavy bags onto our bikes again because the parents return to Holland ☹️. We hugged and said goodbye and bumped down the gravelly road. After the first few kilometres we knew it was going to be a difficult day. Legs 🦵🏼are tired, we are tired 💤, and it was just too hot and humid. We were Balkan sweating again. Together with sun lotion 🧴this makes us the untouchables.
After 16km we stopped at a grocery store in Castagnole delle Lanze to buy some food and a cold drink. We decided to have another look at the route to skip whatever we could to make it a little easier. So it was bye bye to Neive and Barolo for now and hello to a ridiculous climb into some village where they were having a community party 🎉 around a church ⛪️. Since we were not invited and not properly dressed we just moved on. It was a nice road and we cycled along all these fruit trees. Apples 🍎, pears 🍐, peaches 🍑, it was real fun. At some point we spotted three Italian road cyclists 🚴♂️🚴🚴 by the side of the road, they had found a wild apricot tree and were just snacking away on the fresh apricots. This landscape is so rich!
It was getting hotter and hotter ☀️ so we had to stop several times just to be out of the sun for a few minutes. During one of these breaks Suuz had installed herself under a tree to drink and eat something. Until she heard something large move behind her in the bushes. She turned around and saw something big, hairy and wet crawling towards her, so she quickly jumped to her feet. She was right though, this cute (but big) marmot was eating it’s way through some grass 🌱and flowers 🌺.
After this exciting adventure we cycled through more farmland before we hit some busier traffic in Alba. We did find a good bike path next to the road so it went pretty smooth. After Alba we looked up to a number of high hills and tried to guess which one would be the La Morra hill. Well it turned out to be the highest one 😓. It was about a 6km climb with some really steep parts. The sun was burning, it was so hot, we were dripping, we had to stop a few times because Suuz didn’t feel well. The heat was getting to us. The view made up for the effort, at least partly. All we wanted was to be at the hotel and jump into the promised pool 🏊♀️. They saved the steepest part for last.
Nearly at the top we made a short stop on the first flattish part we could find to catch our breath. We were only just standing there, actually Suuz printed her butt next to a car 🚗, before we saw Lotte and Lars running down the road towards us. Our welcome committee made us forget the pain but made us more aware of our absolute grossness. This was later confirmed by the great host of the hotel 🏨who was quick to offer us a fresh cold glass of water 💧with ice ❄️and kindly suggested we take a shower 🚿. Well we took his advice and used the outdoor shower before jumping into one of the better pools we have had until now. It was big enough and most importantly it was cold, just the way we like it.
After a proper indoor shower 🚿with soap and some good scrubbing 🧼we walked to a restaurant where we met Lotte and Lars again for lunch. The food was great and it was just really nice to see them again. Mas enjoyed a parmigiana di melanzane 🍆 and Suuz had a burger 🍔with the beautiful Piedmont beef 🥩.
With happy bellies we took a ride through the region and Lotte and Lars showed us all the great wineries, villages and vineyards. The landscape is absolutely breathtaking. Hills and hills covered in the green leafy 🍃branches of grapes 🍇, all in perfect rows waving across the hills. Sadly enough we both were not really able to do a lot of walking and for sure no climbing of stairs, but we got a great tour and we just need to come back to see more.
Back at the hotel we continued our card game ♦️, which is going to be a game without end, shared a bottle of wine 🍷and some snacks and just enjoyed being there. Around eight o’clock we walked to a restaurant nearby and had another great meal with very tasty wine including a lovely Barolo 🍷. Mas was delighted because she got to enjoy her favorite stuffed zucchini flowers again! Another awesome night it was.
Missing the picture of the great marmot……….
Hi Jeroen! Als het goed is staat er een filmpje van de marmot in, kan je die afspelen?