The great bike tour Day 18: tunnels are horror - Lago di Garlate

The two Dutch women say "tunnels are horror", who invited me for a coffee this morning from their "fantastic German coffee machine", a small coffee filter that is supported by three small plastic legs, which can be clipped onto the rim of a cup - weighing only 8 grams!

The ferry in Menaggio only takes passengers, no bikes. They send me to Cadenabbia, but I have a connection to Bellagio there. The French Ferrari driver is having trouble with his car, and the blonde woman in the passenger seat - who has seen better days - takes it in stride. In Bellagio, a young policewoman immediately approaches me, telling me to push my bike here - I need to get out of here.

As a cyclist, you also have to ride a section of a four-lane expressway without a shoulder on the outside of the eastern branch of Lario. The alternative is hundreds of meters of ascent through the Grigna. That's why I think it's smart to ride on the inside of the eastern branch. Once you have overcome the steep slope just after Bellagio, it is really beautiful. There is not much traffic on the small side road, and many drivers even greet me friendly with their horns, wave at me, or give me a thumbs up.

Somewhere on the beach, I take a lunch break, I'm hungry again. When I look at the navigation system, I wonder why the road simply ends on the map. Shortly after, I find out why: I have to go through a 2200m long tunnel. I take off my sunglasses and ride into the black hole feeling like a small wasp, wearing black pants and a neon yellow top, trying to signal: Car/truck/motorcycle drivers, be careful, I don't want to stick to your windshield!

To reassure myself, I encounter several cyclists coming towards me, including road cyclists in dark clothes without lights. Well, if they can survive, I don't have to worry so much…

After the first tunnel, there is another one immediately, this one is only 1590m long. It's going better, but I'm pretty exhausted afterwards and glad that the last campsite for the next few days is not far away.

https://www.komoot.de/tour/763761184?ref=itd

Rivabella campsite south of Lecco, ??