A traveller's saga

Italy on bike - from Venice to Rome in 3 weeks

2008-04-16T08:39:33+02:00

Hello...I'm quite new with blogs, and english is not my native language, sorry for the mistakes. Anyway if you want to make a similar trip, may find this useful.
I will try to describe my 3 weeks bike trip around Italy, more exactly from Venice to Rome...and even more south of Rome, around to Anzio.
Here's the rough route on the map:

First a few words about me. My name is Borda D. Adrian, I live in Reghin - Romania, I'm a painter, can see my works on my site www.beautiful4est.com

this was the painting that gived me the money for the trip

I never did before a bike trip like this, I had no idea what to expect from it...I just wanted to see Italy, I had no money to stay at hotels, not even in campings....just from time to tome to make a shower and charge the batteries for my foto camera
I had a verry small summer tent for 2 persons. I knew is hard to find a camping place in Italy, and is pretty illegal to camp in the green space...but well, I took the risk. A camping day with your own tent is around 12 euros, more than one day money for food.
I left Romania around the date of 15 april I went until near Venice with the bus. I took my bike and the 20 kilo bag. Around 2 kilos of food - polen, honey and proteins for bodybuilders. In rest clothes, the tent, sleeping bag, just the absolutely necesarry. The weight of the bike is around 18 kg, not a very good bike, I had big problems with the breaks, but I didn't had problems because of that, I had a very slow speed, I belive less than 10 km/hour, because I was quite heavy, and I spend around 10 hours/day pedaling.
In 3 weeks I lost 7 kilos
The cost was around 400 euros in Italy, without transport from home, just food and camping.
So...I went alone, I find no friends to join me, and that was perfect for me, I prefer to travel alone, is a huge amount of energy spend with inutil discussions, small fights for minor problems and all sort of bullshit. I wanted to make this trip as a pillgrinage, to clean my mind, 2 weeks of solitude, but it became a 3 weeks one because I lost one bus. Will talk about it a little bit later.
Why this itinerary? Well...it wasn't a fixed one. I knew I need to see Venice, and I had a romanian friend who worked there and who could host me in the first 2 days. I took the bus from a small transport romanian line, who went from Reghin to Napoli, so the idea was to follow the approximate route of the bus, to go from Venice to south, in case that something happens to be able to return home with the same car next week. I could had been robbed and left without anything, money, bike, so at least I can stay near the return access.
I did a small 2 hours trip with the same bike,( was a new one, brought just 2 weeks before) and a small lagguage to see if I can make it. The test was good, but when I get down from the bus and put everything on the bike, I realised is much more heavy than on the test drive Everything just fall apart, was a potential disaster. I need to make around 10 kilometers from the bus station to my friend's house in Mogliano Veneto, a small town near Venice, but I bearely make it.
But he was a good scout and gived me some briliant ideas how to put everything, and how to make the knots. You must understand, I had everything very primitive..no special bike bags

The red bike on the right was mine, not the dinosaur, yet I belive mine wasn't much better
In the first day I visited Venice. I tool the train, and I stood around 5-6 hours. I was deeply impressed, was the best part of my trip. Maybe because was the first day impact, my mind was amazed by everything, was a completly different atmosphere from what I experience at home. I huge flow of tourists of all colours, a lot of very beautiful girls, everywhere shops with handmade stuff, a lot of lovely masks that I simply adore, was as a dream. I want on small streets also, they are very narrow and empty, a huge contrast from the big traffic of the big touristic attractions.
Oh, I have no words to describe the multitude of vibrant sensations...and again, I was lucky that I was alone and I shouldn't lost my self in thoughts, all ideas, to give attention to the other and this type of stuff just aware to what is around, what I perceive.
A few fotos from Venice:

I made a lot of fotos, just scanning everything. Then, the train back home to Mogliano Veneto.
next day, in the morning, I put everything on the bike and I started. Now was much better, I ballanced well the weight and I had no more problems. The landscape is very beautiful and the land flat, perfect for cycling. I took the ferryboat between small island around Venice. I went on small roads, avoiting traffic.
Soon after I started I seen on an intersection coming to my direction this strange old man, with a flag...it took me a few seconds to digerate the image and to realise what was written "World Wide Walk". I returned and salute him,and had a 5 minutes conversation. I was glad that I did that, was a good impulse for the entire trip..I don't know his age, but he started around 2 years ago from Ireland with 20 kilo bag on his back, just as heavy as mine...damn!
Here is his site http://www.world-wide-walk.com

I Just visited his site, he made until now a total of 4,044 kms (2516 miles) !
He's in Slovenia now, he told me that he need to work a little bit to make some money for the rest of the trip.
Good luck Stephen!
I had the luck to meet in the first hour 2 guardian angels who decided the rest of the trip
2 boys vho took also a small bike tour around Venice. They were italians, working in Padova to a particle accelerator. Unfortunatelly just one of them speak english, but I had a very interesting conversation with him, I'm deeply interested in cuantic physics. I had no idea yet what would be the exact rute, but he put the finger on the interesting spots on the map. He also gived me a discount ticket on the ferry. A wonderful person, thank you!

I start numbering the days from the first bike day

Day 1 route: Mogliano Veneto-Mestre-VENETIA-Lido-Albertoni-Pellestrina-Chioggia
The first night was on a very remote part of the Laguna Veneto, near Chioggia. I choose a prefect place like from other planet, with concrete buildings, I belive from the time of the second wold war.

Was quite freaky the first night in the tent, with the strange terrain, a lot of weird sounds, that I was not used with, small animals birds and insects. I also had quite a severe sunburn on my arms...I needed to avoid strong sunlight all the trip after

Day 2 on the bike I took a ferry from Chioggia and vent to Sottomarina-Brondole-Loreo-Mesolle-Lido di Pomposa.

Day 3 - Porto Garibaldi-Lido di Spina-Marina Romea-RAVENNA-Savio-Lido di Classe-Lido di Savio-Milano Maritima-Cervia-Cesenatico around where I put the tent.

Day 4- Cesenatico-Gatteo-Bellaria-Iges Marina-RIMINI-SAN MARINO.
Was a hard day. I had find a nice camping in San Marino, I stood there 2 nights.
Day 5 -San Marino a great place, it took me an entire day to visit the city.

Day 6 -in the morning I Returned to Rimini and took the train to Bologna. I had some good friends there, I knew them from Greece, where I was volunteer in the summer of 2005.
If you want to protect turtles on a wonderful island, here's their link www.kateliosgroup.org

Day 7 - Bologna tour... is really nice city, is a lot to see. Interesting buildings, lots of markets, many students, young people. The best part was..well..just see the fotos

Day 8 - in the morning I went to the train station and went to Florence. But in the morning..Sunday morning, nothing open, I realised that I have a flat tyre. I had all the tools except the pomp A potential disaster. My hosts were sleeping, once I closed the door I was alone in the open field
I arrived to Florence,not a very nive view in the train station, a lot of potential thiefs, a lot of gipsies.
All day Florence tour, and in the evening I left the city to find a camping place. Was hard to find, I needed to go more than 15 km, and yet was near a village.

A beautiful "wallpaper" projected shadows on my tent wall

Day 9 - I wake up and return to Florence. I visited a few monuments, and then on the road again.
Florence - Lastra - Empoli - Ponte a Eisa - San Miniato - Pondetera- Cascina- PISA -Marina di Pisa - Tirrenia - LIVORNO - Gabbro - Castiglioncello - Rosignano - Cecina - Marina di Cecina around where I put the tent for the 9th night.

Day 10 - Bolgheri - Castagneto - Sassetta - Suvereto - Follonica - Pian d'alma - Marina di Groseto - GROSSETO - Magliano in Toscana
around where I put the tent.

Day 11 - Magliano in Toscana -Montalto di Castro - Tarquinia around where I put the tent.

Day 12 - Civitavecchia - S.Marinella - Roma - I was exausted, I found a camping at the entrance of the city and I stood there for 2 nights.

photo of the day: just look around her nose =))

Day 13 - Rome tour.

Day 14 - I wake up in the morning to take the bus back home. I went into the big bus station, I didn't find my bus. I took a public phone card with my last money and I call the bus driver. He told me that is just living the city, and cannot return, will meet next week
Nightmare begin. In full daylight. I gad less than one euro in my poket. Very few food, I took some to have on the bus, on the way back home. And around 3 euro credit on my phone card. I took a call home to send me 100 euro, to have some money until I can return. Unfortunately next day was 1 May, a hollyday, everything was closed. I started to go south, I planned to go to Napoli and take the bus from there.
I put the tent somewhere at south of Rome. As always, almost impossible to find a camping place..just look at the foto

I was protected by spines, the road, a small one was just a few step away.

Day -15- Lido di Pini - Anzio - Nettuno - LATINA - and went somewhere in sputh of Latina, some villages.
Was getting dark and everywhere was cultivated fieds, nowhere to put the tent, just farms. I had no money, nothing.
I seen a small school and I enter to take water.
Was dry.
I seen in a near garden a woman looking at me. I went to her and I asked in Italian if she can give me some water. She took the bottle, went into the house and return with it. Another woman and a child went out to see me. I get up on the bike, but as I went away, I hear them speaking in romanian. For the first time I was really glad to hear my language again. I returned and salute, strt talking. I told them my story, they invited me in the house, gived me some food. Very warm people, a divorced woman with her child, and another romanian workers, hired by an italian farmer. They had their own house there. Was getting dark, I told them that I need to go to find a place to sleep. I went, but was already night, and all around was just farms, ust culltivated land. Was really emberresing, but I returned. They wellcome me and gived me a place to sleep, again food, shower...I needed this in the middle of the nightmare
I made a crayon portrait to the boy. They were simple country people, amusing they never meet before an romanian who went to Italy just to visit, everyone is going to work.
They convinced me to give up the idea to visit Napoli. It was much too dangerous, just mafia, thiefs, gipsies, shutting all over, they would't go there for nothing in the world. I was quite close, around 60 km away, but I decided that'd safer to return to Rome. As much you go south is worst and worst.

Day 16 - Waked up thanking for hospitality, and just biking around, very nice

I get the money with Western Union from an office into a small village near Sezze, then more North...Ninfa - where can find one of the most beautiful gardens in the world. I had luck again there, was closed, well, they were waiting for a school group but didn't allowed single persons to enter.
I was walking around to take a look inside, or even to find a nice camping place, was a beautiful area, and a guide from the garden came after me, and told me that I can enter now. I escused, the entrance was anyway to expensive - around 8 euro, but he told me that is my lucky day, is for free for me
Is a real paradise, after venice was the second most impressive place in Italy. Very peaceful, green, sufculent, full of life. It charged my batteries.

Then Cori - funny story now, but quite scarry then
Again I was lost...The map wasn't very good. I seen a city on a big hill, with forests around...possible camping place.
I went, took a 10 minutes tour of the citty, was hellish to go up there, really high, but no camping place on the way. So I went in the back of the city, to the hills, I entered in the forrest, not far away from city. I entered a dry walley, just stones and bushes, and find a flat place, again a challenge place, I'm sorry that I don't have fotos. Was dark already when I finished putting the tent.
As I started to put my bags inside the tend I find that around was full of bullet cases..haha, was a hunting place...and the hunting places are where animals are.
With that idea in mind I went to sleep, but in less than 20 minutes I heard a big animal walking around in the bushes. I belive I was as the kids from the "The Blair Witch Project" all white and shaking, I went out of the tent, packing all I belive in less than 3 minutes the tent and everything was at his place and I was on the way to road
Was cool, I had no light, and flying with no breaks on the steap hills below Cori.

I find a camping place between olive threes near the road. I wak up in the midle of the night all wet. Was raining, and my tent had a big hole above, not quite waterproof.

Day 17 - Cisterna di Latina - Genzano - Rome, and again in the camping. The weather was getting rainy, I rented a tent from camping, to half price if I want to share it with another person, a big tent, with bed, was perfect. And was at the same price as in my own tent on their ground. Weird politics...

Day 18 19 20 - Rome, Rome and again Rome. And rain, a lot of bat weather.

Day 21 I went to another camping, I took a room this time with the last money. It was at the same price as the tent, was a sort of hostel. I meet 2 very funny and nice canadiands. They were on a Europe tour, I had a lot of talk with them, they just finished Philosophy. Very open minded, I had a great time with them.

Day 22 - I took the bus back home. Again my belowed romanians. Just workers, and our worst music the entire 2 days way back home.

I will revise the blog, need to add many details and fotos, is late now, will post the blog and go to sleep.
If you want to make a similar trip, and you belive I can help you can write me.
Cheers all!

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Volunteer in Greece: protecting marine turtles !

2005-12-27T14:35:03+01:00

Hello my friends,
I have no idea where this blog is gonna go, but in time I want to post some interesting ideas I will have, and fotos from places I seen.
I'm a painter- can see my site- http://www.beautiful4est.com , so I'm free as a birth, always searching for the red pill, ready to explore, amazing my mind with a different perspective of the rabbit's magic hole, wondering how deep it is.

This is me, with my very often misunderstood favorite smile position.

Here the saga begin: Switzerland where I was au-pair for a month. Was a nice start, but taking care of childrens is as traumatic for me as fot kids

And finally...Greece
I was volunteer for 3 months in "THE KATELIOS GROUP
for the Research and Protection of Marine and Terrestrial Life" can see more on the site http://www.kateliosgroup.org/

On the ferry, going to the island. A jaw dropping image.

An personage in my trip is Charlotte a crazy english girl born in the same day as me, just a few hours difference, who was turn into five stars gold traveller after reading the Alchemist. Can see her blog at: http://www.twentysix.blog.co.uk ... We have a lot in common, the same stars guide our steps. She want to make a 2 years trip around the world, with a big one year stop in India. Is a big temptation to follow her steps.

Back now to Kefalonia, here are a few nice fotos:

The Crusoe escape episode. Not my best idea, but a very funny one. A craft boat made of dump materials.

the very short floating moment

A nesting turtle.

Comparing the tatoo from Clara's arm with what I see in the water.

Aaron and me under the umbrella.

A sweet foto with the volunteers painting stones.

Ha ha...Clara, me (middle)and Barbora. A difficult task for my 2 fagile wings to make me fly.

a nesting turtle

The good bye fire...nice but sad when someone leave the group.

The hijackers. The best way to travel...

beauty mask

The birth of Venus

don't know why, but I find this foto quite funny

Ha Ha a spaish dude dreaming. So cute

Katie with a Titanic feeling

Paradise or something like it?

this is Pinu, a spanish biologist, with a smile that olny a corpse can give to him.
He is one of my soulmates that I find there. Nuts...

A view from the highest pick from the island. Can see the entire island from that point, and in not a small one.

A star fish in good hands

My genesis, a commission painting.

Painting our museum.

On the ferry again.

Saana - Made in Finland. The greenest girl I had ever seen. A little bit exagerated sometime, but a good example if we want to keep our planet blue. For example she does not eat imported food. Ten points !

A horror panorama from out hotel in Athens. I hope they will never hear about Kefalonia...No more comment.

Me in the middle of the tourist invasion on the Acropole.

Back to Romania - the Bucegi mountains.

I made around 3 000 fotos in the 3 months as long as I was in Greece. There is so much more, an impossible choice to make a short story. Now feel sick when I look at them, I just want to return there. Is not easy to work as a volunteer there, but I say that it worth 100%

See more fotos

Brian - USA

Clara shopping

Gabor - Hungary

Katie - UK

Mars- New Zealand

Saana- Finland

Aaron, his hockey sack, and his tent USA

Aaron's tent " class="middle" border="0">

In the morning, after a night patrol I saw Aaron's magic tent, small as a shell on his back, with one hand who had no place inside halter outsite - an hilarious image that made me laugh for half hour.

Emily -England

Pinu, David - Spain & me

Barbara - Canada, Katie & Saana

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