Silandro to Merano 25 miles

So, I learned that my German is not so bad.  . . I remember what’s important.  “Nach ein mal Radler, bitte.”  Or give me another Radler!  For you real beer drinkers this might be a terrible thought, but a Radler is a cold beer mixed with seven up.  On a hot day when you are really thirsty, there is nothing better.

I also learned that putting my handle bars up a little higher has kept me from having numb hands.  I’m going to reset my bike at home as soon as I get there!  Numbness in my hands has always been a problem on long rides, but not one problem here.  Lesson learned.

I also re-learned to pack more lightly.  I used to be so good at that, but fell down on this trip.  We are in bike clothes all day and only wear regular clothes a couple hours each night.  I could have easily left at home some of these things. 

NOTE TO SELF:  Get it together for the next trip.

All three of us said that this was the most beautiful bike ride of our lives.  I can’t even begin to describe it, but the whole day was spent beside a roaring glacier fed river on one side and apple orchards filled with apples looking beyond ready to pick.  Castles lined the route and majestic mopuntains.  Silandro is 1500 feet higher in elevation than Merano and we LOVED the bike ride down.  The final stretch was a seven-hairpin-turn (and I do mean hair pin turns) route that must have fallen several hundred feet in elevation from the top to the bottom.  I wanted to pick up my feet and hold them out like little kids do, but was afraid of falling!  I wish I could have gotten a picture that would truly show you what I mean, but I couldn't.  You've got to trust me on this, IT WAS FUN FUN FUN.

Merano is a resort town.  Can’t wait to get cleaned up to explore it.  The climate is supposed to be so great here that it is one of the few cities in Italy with palm trees!   Imagine that.  It is a spa town, too.  

OKAY - time for the truth.  We made the bike trip, 25 miles or so, had a great time, found our hotel, got cleaned up and walked into the city center of Merano.  Obviously lots of money in this town and a great shopping street.  we had a drink, a pizza and walked home.  We are TIRED, so I am sitting in this nice little hotel, posting this blog, will meet for dinner at 7 and probably go to bed.  It was such a great day and I am looking foward to several more before this trip ends.

As we were drinking a coke in a town called Naturna I turned to my two friends and said "How did we deserve this life?!"  Life is good.  I hope I remember this when things get tough.  

Points of interest:

gasoline  $9.00 a gallon regular

coffee (no refills)  $4.26

beer  $5.00