We left Caldaro on Wednesday and rode to Trento, through more vineyards, apple orchards, and asparagus fields. The bike path we've been following all this time is fabulous: good pavement, bike-only tunnels, good signage, no cars, some walkers and runners, and many many bicyclists. Most are spinning along faster than we are, but there are plenty of slowpokes too. Here's Dan gazing over his domain:
And a handsome sign to remind us that we are pedaling in some jurisdiction of Trento:
I'm still working on pronouncing "ciclabile" without tripping over my tongue.
In Trento, we had a guided tour of some sights, including the former home of the prince-bishops who ruled the area
and the cathedral, where the Council of Trent opened in 1545. It was the Catholic Church's answer to Martin Luther, and over the next 18 years the convening bishops re-confirmed the fundamental tenets of the Church. There's obviously much more to say about the Council, but there are much better sources than this little travelogue. (It did seem ironic that as our guide was giving us a summary history of the Protestant heresy, the formally-robed priests were preparing for Mass.)
On Thursday we left Trento and rode to Torbole, on the north shore of the very large Lake Garda. The combination of riding without a guide and a small construction detour resulted in our getting a bit lost, but cellphones and local resources helped. By now it was hot (like ~30C/85F), in contrast to the chill when we started riding on Sunday (~4C/39F). Some of us appreciated riding in the van over the pass.
At Torbole, the wind was brisk on the lake, apparently very much as usual. We saw windsurfers ripping along to rival those at Crissy Field or Hood River. Of course one can rent sails and boards
and some people even have places to sleep on the beach.
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