# Italy tour Day 2



## thebadger (Jul 27, 2002)

*Italy tour Day 1 (and Day 2)*

Merckxman's recent photos of the Lake Garda region motivated me enough to start posting pictures of my trip to northern Italy last May during the Giro. These pictures are from the day we arrived.

We started our tour in Bassano del Grappa in the Veneto region. Bassano is based very near the start of the Dolomites and in particular Monte Grappa, which was quite visible from our hotel.









Our first day in Italy we got out on the bikes for a short ride along the river valley. Since we were in the valley, there here hills flanking either side of the river.









This is the town of Valstagna. In the river was a whitewater rafting course









This was our turnaround point about 12 miles up the valley.









Rolling back into the town of Valstagna









Even though we were not yet in the Dolomites, the hillsides were still pretty impressive. You don't see these in the midwest.









Crossing over the old bridge back into Bassano, you had a nice view of the old part of town along the river.









Riding through the heart of Bassano. Brick roads, little shops, very cool.









The courtyard of our hotel in Bassano after the ride.


----------



## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

Man that looks nice.

Warm too.......


----------



## thebadger (Jul 27, 2002)

On day 2 of our trip we did a bit of a figure eight route that headed east and then west of Bassano.

The terrain around Bassano to the south is flat but east and west is rolling hills with a fair amount of vineyards. This photo is near the town of Crespana del Grappa.









A Mount Vernon looking building near Costelcucco.









We turned southward toward the hilltop town of Asolo. Naturally, there was a nice little climb up into town









Asolo was a cute little town with lots of little side streets.









The center of town in Asolo.









After leaving Asolo, we rode along some more flat terrain. This is an old mansion that was being turned into apartments.









A small chapel just outside the gates of the previous building.









Villa Barbero near Asolo









After looping back through Bassano, we headed for a westward loop through the hillside town of Valrovina. After climbing a good sized hill, we had a nice view back down towards Valrovina.









From our hilltop vantage point, there was a long twisting descent into Marostica. The town square of Marostica contains a giant chess board which you can see if you look closely.









The rest of the group headed back to Bassano after lunch but me and my friend tacked on some extra miles and went south toward the town of Citadella. Citadella is either a start or finish town of this year's Giro but we went there because is a completely walled city.









The walled entrance from the west side of Citadella









The center of Citadella









We missed a turn while leaving town and headed down this road with a cemetery at the end.









European cemeteries are much different in appearance than American cemeteries.


----------



## thebadger (Jul 27, 2002)

It was warm in Bassano. Not so much later in the trip which you will eventually see.


----------



## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

is this a tour? I hope you snuck onto the velodrome in Bassano


----------



## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

Mt. Vernon? those are all prob Palladios...


----------



## Henry Chinaski (Feb 3, 2004)

Great pics. I gotta get back over there with my bike.


----------



## thebadger (Jul 27, 2002)

The velodrome was not far from the hotel but our time in Bassano was short. On the way back from the bike shop we walked past the street sign pointing towards the velodrome but we needed to be back for dinner and didn't have time to explore. It was raining after dinner so we couldn't explore much then.


----------



## thebadger (Jul 27, 2002)

The Mount Vernon comment was not meant in a terribly serious way in terms of architectural influences. 

That Palladio dude has a booming architectural business in that area. He must be a real up and comer in the architectural world


----------



## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

thebadger said:


> The velodrome was not far from the hotel but our time in Bassano was short. On the way back from the bike shop we walked past the street sign pointing towards the velodrome but we needed to be back for dinner and didn't have time to explore. It was raining after dinner so we couldn't explore much then.




not the Belvedere by chance? not much to see at that velodrome... concrete with lights, with some covered stands and lots of signage. there are (were?) one or two bike shops fairly close on the same street


----------



## thebadger (Jul 27, 2002)

Belvedere is a hotel, right. No, we were at Villa Ca'Sette.


----------



## bigpinkt (Jul 20, 2006)

Great timing, keep them coming. 

I will be there in May, booking my hotel right now. Any good restaurant suggestions? Did you ride down to Aslo from Bolzano?


----------



## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

yup... on the main drag (can't remember name) near the road to the velodrome.


----------



## merckxman (Jan 23, 2002)

*Monte Grappa*

I hope you had an opportunity to climb Monte Grappa, a 16.7 mile climb. The memorial at the top to WWI dead is incredible.


----------



## thebadger (Jul 27, 2002)

*Not from Bolzano*



bigpinkt said:


> I will be there in May, booking my hotel right now. Any good restaurant suggestions? Did you ride down to Aslo from Bolzano?


You will be in Bassano in May? Are you staying in that area or moving around? 

Asolo was part of a figure eight loop that the group did out of Bassano. This is the basic route... http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=e...=45.796973,11.78833&spn=0.152715,0.31929&z=12

As noted in the report, however, after lunch in Marostica my friend and I went off on our own down to Citadella. You will probably have to zoom out a little and scroll down to find Citadella to the south of Bassano

Sorry, I don't have any restaurant suggestions.


----------



## thebadger (Jul 27, 2002)

No Monte Grappa unfortunately. Our time there was brief before moving northward. I definitely would have like to ride Monte Grappa. 

I will just have to do it next time... right


----------



## bigpinkt (Jul 20, 2006)

thebadger said:


> You will be in Bassano in May? Are you staying in that area or moving around?
> 
> Asolo was part of a figure eight loop that the group did out of Bassano. This is the basic route... http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=e...=45.796973,11.78833&spn=0.152715,0.31929&z=12
> 
> ...


Ooops, I mixed up the towns again. I will be slightly north in Bolzano, about an hour north of Bassano. I looks like I will only be there for a few days. I will be in Vienna, then flying down to the Bergamo airport, I figured that I would go to Balzano for a few days as I really want to climb the Stelvio, the Gavia, and visit Asolo....then down to Bologna for a race, then to Rome to visit some family, and home.


----------



## thebadger (Jul 27, 2002)

bigpinkt said:


> Ooops, I mixed up the towns again. I will be slightly north in Bolzano, about an hour north of Bassano. I looks like I will only be there for a few days. I will be in Vienna, then flying down to the Bergamo airport, I figured that I would go to Balzano for a few days as I really want to climb the Stelvio, the Gavia, and visit Asolo....then down to Bologna for a race, then to Rome to visit some family, and home.


A heads up, Bassano/Asolo is more like 2 hrs from Bolzano. ~150km. Don't want you caught off guard.

We didn't get to do the Gavia from the famous side but the most of the 'bad' side were still very nice. The lower km's were only average.

The Stelvio... amazing climb. I hope you are going in late May. Early May could be touch and go whether it will be open. The same with the Gavia.

What are your plans for riding the Stelvio and Gavia? Different days? Doing the famous sides of both mountains in one day is not really possible.


----------



## merckxman (Jan 23, 2002)

Hopefully you will have a chance to re-visit. Here's an aerial view of the memorial. Keep in mind that those buildings off to the right are not small....



thebadger said:


> No Monte Grappa unfortunately. Our time there was brief before moving northward. I definitely would have like to ride Monte Grappa.
> 
> I will just have to do it next time... right


----------



## bigpinkt (Jul 20, 2006)

thebadger said:


> A heads up, Bassano/Asolo is more like 2 hrs from Bolzano. ~150km. Don't want you caught off guard.
> 
> We didn't get to do the Gavia from the famous side but the most of the 'bad' side were still very nice. The lower km's were only average.
> 
> ...


Unfortunately I will be there April 28th...As long as it is clear then I am OK, I have all the right gear for a super cold ride but would not want to decent the Stelvio or Gavia in the snow/rain. I plan on the Stelvio and if I am motivated the Mortirolo combo (Wife picks me up on the south side) first day. That would be about 11k feet of climbing. Gavia the 2nd. Then drive down to Asolo on the way south to Bologna. If the weather is really bad then will ditch the Dolomites all together and head to Tuscany. I have ridden much of Italy and France but for some reason I haven't spent much time in the Dolomites, I hope the weather cooperates.


----------



## MTT (Oct 14, 2005)

Nice shots, looks warm. What are those wires hanging down into the river? Are they level gauges? I need to get there, as I am Italian, but I have never been..............MTT


----------



## thebadger (Jul 27, 2002)

*kayak course*



MTT said:


> Nice shots, looks warm. What are those wires hanging down into the river? Are they level gauges? I need to get there, as I am Italian, but I have never been..............MTT


The wires extending outward from the wall are holding the vertical red and green(?) poles that the kayakers use for a rafting course.


----------



## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

Nice. I love the Italian lakes. :thumbsup:


----------

