When the air is out and all planning is flat

At breakfast, we want to book tomorrow's tour to Monte Baldo. There are only fixed ticket times for mountain bikers. Unfortunately, we are disappointed to find that there are no more mountain trips available on Wednesday morning. So we have to come up with an alternative later in the evening. However, since the sun is shining from a blue sky at least over the southern half of Lake Garda, we don't let that spoil our mood and happily pack our backpacks.

When we take the bikes out of the car, we are once again delayed. Christian's front wheel is flat! Fortunately, there is a spare tube in his bike's "first aid kit". So it only takes about fifteen minutes and his bike is ready for today's tour again.

Already at the first - albeit moderate - uphill stretches, we notice that it was a wise decision to plan an easy tour for today. After all, we are not so well prepared for several days of touring and many meters of altitude this year.

So we ride down to the center of Bardolino, where the start of our tour is. Even in the early morning hours, there is already a lot of tourist activity, so we often have to zigzag on the bike paths. However, the further we got from the main road, the quieter and sleepier the streets became. We pass vineyards again and again. We can't resist and have to nibble on some grapes. They taste best when picked fresh from the vine! There are also smaller olive groves that provide variety. We cross many small, sleepy-looking villages. In every other one, you can buy wine, cheese, or olive oil directly from the producer. The highest point of our route offers a great view over olive groves, vineyards, and lush meadows to Garda.

From now on, we only ride downhill to Garda. On the promenade, we dive into the hustle and bustle of summer vacationers. Looking back to the north confirms our decision to avoid this side of the lake and the mountains there today. The clouds are getting bigger and more threatening. We look for a small, not too crowded spot on the beach and cool off with a short swim. The dark thunderstorm clouds that are now approaching here also drive us away from the beach.

Today we find some time to jump into our pool. The water was much colder than in the lake. But the storm quickly puts an end to the fun here too.

We have also chosen a new tour for tomorrow. Ambitious in terms of length and altitude meters! Therefore, as always, the last action of the day:

Brush your teeth, pee, and off to bed!