Gardameer

Rooi roete vir Maandag / Red route for today, Monday

Die twee vriendelike manne wat my vir koffie uitgenooi het / The two friendly gents that invited me for coffee.

Naby Monfalcone / Near Monfalcone

Gardameer / Lake Garda

Torbole, Gardameer

Ek is terug in Afrika.

Of so het dit altans vir my vandag, Maandag, gevoel.

In Trieste is ek deur wildvreemdes vir koffie uitgenooi, soos in Soedan.

Toe ek petrol ingegooi het, het die vulstasie personeel byna tou gestaan om my te help. Soos in Afrika.

Toe ek eenkeer wou petrol ingooi na 360 km se ry, was die vulstasie leeg! Geen petrol. Soos in Gondar, Ethiopië.

Dit was ‘n goeie dag. Op pad na Trieste om my nuwe simkaart te gaan haal, het ek die afrit na Trieste gemis en digby die Sloweniëgrens gaan draai. Die onbeplande pad was ‘n juweel: Met ‘n small, slingerende bergpaadjie is ek af tot op seevlak. Die uitsig was ‘n kopfoto. En die beste: Met die onbeplande pad het ek reg in DHL vasgery! (Net jammer my ou selfoon se battery het gister met die laai ingegee. Nou sit ek nog steeds sonder kommunikasie).

Ek wou by Venisië ‘n draai gaan maak het, maar die moeder van alle verkeersopeenhopings het my gou van plan laat verander. Ek is nou in Torbole aan die Gardameer. Die pad tot hier was prentjieboekmooi. Kan julle jul dit voorstel? Regs van my hoë berge met nog ‘n klein bietjie sneeu op die pieke. Links van my ‘n meer, so blou soos die hemel, en dikwels raak die oorkantste oewer oor die horsion weg.

Torbole het nie ‘n selfoonwinkel nie, en nêrens kry ek internet nie. Almal sê toe vir my die pad al langs die meer na Riva toe is so mooi en daar is internet én ‘n selfoonwinkel. Die paadjie, 4 km tot daar, is werklik mooi. Daar is ook ‘n selfoonwinkel, net jammer dit is Maandae (vandag) toe. Niemand daar het van enige internet geweet nie. So, ek het ‘n 8 km stap gehad en sit nog steeds sonder ‘n selfoonbattery en die berig gaan heel moontlik vanaand nie gestuur word nie.

Heel moontlik is ek Dinsdagaand al in Oostenryk.

Groete!

Torbole, Lake Garda

I am back in Africa.

That is how today felt like.

In Trieste strangers invited me for coffee. Like in Sudan.

Once while filling up, the staff at the filling station all wanted to help and to fill up the bike and everyone asked about the tour. Like in Africa.

And once, after 360 km, I tried to fill up at a filling station. It was dry. No petrol. Like in Gondar, Ethiopia.

It was a lovely day. I enjoyed the riding.

On my way to Trieste to pick up the new sim card from South Africa I missed the exit to Trieste. Just before the border to Slovenian I found a small road going to Trieste. What a luck! That was the most beautiful mountain road, narrow, lot of hairpin bends and the most stunning view on the Med! And the best, that road took me directly to DHL! But I am still without cell phone. The battery of my old cell phone just died while charging.

I planned a quick stop in Venice, but the mother of all traffic jams changed my plans quickly. I am in Torbole at Lake Garda right now. The scenery is indescribable. Beautiful. Try and imagine the following: To my right high mountains with still a bit of snow on the summit. To my left a lake blue as the heaven and beautiful. Now and then the distant shore becomes invisible.

There is no cell phone shop in Torbole, also no internet café. But there is a narrow track on the shore leading to Riva, where all these shops are. Everyone assured me that I would be helped there. I decided to walk the 4 km to Riva for a bit of exercise. I found the cell phone shop but it is closed on Mondays. Internet café? Blank faces and eyes. Back to Torbole per pedes. I had a beautiful 8 km walk but still no cell phone battery, and most probably this report will not be sent tonight, Monday night.

I should be in Austria tomorrow night, Tuesday night.

Regards!