I sunburned my ears yesterday. Otherwise I’m intact. Today, the Passo Gavia, was easy compared to that ride. The first hour and a half were a breeze. There is this sport people do here, which is like roller-skiing. They have wheels on skis, and they carry ski poles, and they power up the mountain. They do this very scantily clad. Tiny short-shorts for both women and men, no shirt for the guys, just a sports bra for the girls, and knee socks for both. A sexy little outfit. Not exactly my style but they wear it well.

We stopped on our way out for bananas. Good biking food. My animal today was a gentle little dog with droopy ears waiting for its owner outside the market. After an hour and a half of mostly flat riding we took a banana break, then started our climb. I would simply define it as “not being as hard as yesterday.” The Passo Gavia was quieter, less traversed than other roads, which was a welcome experience. As I went up the mountain I could listen to the streams of melted snow roaring down around me. Once in a while a cyclist passed. I even got a “Ciao Bella!” from a group of Italians. Poor Gabriel never gets the shout-outs that I do.

It took us 3 hours and 45 minutes (give or take) to get to the top. Hot chocolate and another banana, and a package of cookies I had lifted from the hotel breakfast buffet that morning. Then down for a long, long time. The descent down the other side was treacherous. Steep, badly paved, and a sharp drop-off on the right side down the mountain. No guard rail, nothing. Thank God there was very little traffic because I was riding right in the middle of the road thinking: “Sorry any cars behind me–you can just wait. There is no way I’m riding on this shoulder.” I couldn’t even look at the shoulder, the drop-off freaked me out so much. Also the road was really narrow, one lane with hairpin turns. That was a Never Again ride. After some time, the road flattened out and it got fun and easy. 5 hours on the bike though and I was ready to get to our hotel. All I was thinking about for the last hour was spaghetti bolognese.

Gabriel pulled over into a town, Edolo, and suddenly said: “We’re taking a bus the rest of the way.” (The rest of the way? Aren’t we there?!) Fine. No, we had ridden for 6 hours but still had 30 kilometers (half uphill) to go. We ate a snack at a cafe that had a hole in the ground for a toilet and no water to wash your hands. Not to be a princess but I was getting cranky. The sun was blazing hot in the valley and I already knew I hadn’t drunk enough water that day. Gabriel: “I know you didn’t. I watched your bottles.” (Helpful, thanks.) We found our way to the bus station. I was really really hot and just wanted to take a shower more than anything I’ve ever wanted. We talked to an old couple while we were waiting for the bus. The husband used to cycle himself and he excitedly told us about the climbs he had done in the area until the bus came. The bus driver let us bring the bikes right on with us, I’m not sure if that was regulation but maybe he took pity.

This town is very pretty, very old. We ate salad and pasta and steak and gelato and grappa for dinner and got pretty giddy.Gabriel entertained me with a very funny running commentary about the tables around us. Our hotel room is the first one that has air conditioning but I kept complaining it was too hot–I couldn’t sleep. Gabriel said: “Its 21 degrees in here, how can you be hot?” He always talks in Celsius, like I know what the hell that means. Talk English, Foreign-Man! This morning I woke up and I was cold, of course. Cos that’s how it goes. My body is tired but my mind is clear. I’m not overthinking anything at least. Everything is simple right now.