A Magnificent Saturday ride!

Drafting behind two italians riding side by side for the first 18 miles.....wonderful

Them not minding it one bit, even better.

A one hour climb up the mountain to Enego....easier than two days ago

The world's best cappucino at the very top....yes, priceless!

As they say in cycling, I had "legs" today. Was very strong. Like the final day of ragbrai. Strong all the way home, for 60 miles.

I left at 7 am this morning, and quickly met two cyclists who came from behind me riding side by side. They were not doing a punishing pace, maybe 16 to 18 mph. I fell in and they recognised me by beginning to point out holes in the pavement and grates, which is polite when someone is drafting. I hung with them all the way to the end of the road, up the river valley. At the end I thanked them profusely for the pull and they said but I now must come to Enego, which was a 1 hour climb (for me). I said yes, I was going, but that I was very slow and wanted to say thanks now. I followed them a few 100 meters while we both ate our bananas and they took off. I figured that their pace that morning prior to the mountain was just for fun, as no one who looks like do, in their matching club kits rides that slowly and climbs that fast. And therein lies the difference between the usa and here. Some days the italians just like to relax on a bike, and then use their energy for the mountain. In the states people go as fast as they can, almost all the time.

I had the done the Enego clinb two days ago and it was definitely easier today. The weather was cooler and I was, perhaps, 5 to 10 percent faster. As I neared the top, after 16 hairpin turns (Grappa has about 30), I saw my two friends coming down. Based on the time it takes to pause per un caffe, I figure they beat me by 15 minutes.
As I rounded the final corner into town I saw my favourite bar and stopped.

A cappucino never tastes so good as when you have just spent an hour slogging up a mountain!

Enego is a beautiful mountaintop town, and in this northern region, so close to the Swiss border, resembles a cross between an Italian town and a Swiss resort. It is charming.

Having savored my cappucino I put on my windbreaker and began my half hour decent, which was pretty good as these roads are wider than Grappa's.
Just when I approached the turnoff back home, at the foot of the climb I saw a man in his 60's and two very pretty and fit (and very well outfitted --this is Italy) girls/women, looking to be about 20.

The part of the road we were about to ride on is for bikes only, with no cars, and very narrow, more of a paved path, so I figured it would be a good thing to follow them as traffic coming the opposite way would see the 4 of us, more so than me alone. (Ok, and the view from behind wasn't bad either. Dad (grandpa? Uncle?) Was booking it at 18 to 20 and they were right there, as was I. I drafted them halfway down the river road until they stopped for a caffe and I continued solo all the way home, finishing stronger at the finish than at the start.

Finishing up my pbj and chips on the patio looking up at Mt Grappa. Hard to beat this.