We have followed a dedicated bike path steadily up a valley bringing us to an alpine village of Chiusa. Sunny today and a Sunday so there were a lot of bikes out on the path, speed merchants and family groups and some on touring bikes like us. We thought last nights campsite was one of the best ever, right in the village, attached to the hotel/restaurant and full of calm Dutch and Germans. Then a brass band concert started up in the village square just as we were settling to sleep, 9pm, I know but we get tired on all this fresh air and exercise. Well they were good players, but I would have preferred the extra sleep time really. It may be linked to us feeling a bit more weary today, so down time now for the rest of the day enjoying the alpine scenery.

We passed through Bolzano at coffee time, another town from 2 years ago.

But this time we turned up the narrow valley towards the Dolomites and the Brenner. Motorway, railway and A road all compete for space with the bike path in the narrow gorge just beyond Bolzano. In places the bike path is on disused sections of the railway (bypassed with new tunnels). But by Chiusa the valley opens out a bit, and lovely green alps with high villages hang above our heads.

Track of the day:
Extraordinary by Clean Bandit.
It’s been the soundtrack to the trip really as I have heard it many times and again this morning when we stopped in Bolzano for coffee. Not a favourite but that is the random nature of this list.