Gemona del Friuli – Udine

On our next to last day of cycling, we had planned on a later start since we only have 40 km to ride. However, there was a group of 30 cyclists staying at our hotel, and we wanted to be in front of them vs having to pass or get caught up in their bubble. Thus we hit the road before 9 AM.

The weather was cooler, and a bit cloudy compared to the last few days. But it was dry and that is what matters. We found ourselves zig zagging along through small Italian villages and farm fields on mostly side roads today. I didn’t film as much on the 360 video camera today as the zig-zagging single lane roads made it challenging to get the camera out. You had to pay attention to the pot holes, single lane roads, cars and the navigation app. Look away for 2 seconds and you are in the bushes or hit by a car.

Still it was another enjoyable day. We limited our stops today as there were just not that many options. Lots of small Italian villages, but few restaurants to stop at.

We stopped for protein bar snacks at a local park just before Udine, and then headed into the city to see the castle in the heart of town.

The hilltop castle sports a 360 view of the city and region and we sat up there for a while taking a few pics and enjoying the views.

We headed back to check into our hotel and stow the bikes. Italy seems to practice the afternoon siesta similar to Spain where shops close from 1-3 or so. Given we were hungry we decided to find a local restaurant and get our lunch/dinner before they closed. We found a local place that had excellent reviews and we enjoyed a delightful lunch with Antipasta and a Ravioli dish. I failed to snap a pic of the Antipasta plate but it was filled with meats, cheeses and olives. It was SO yummy.

The Resturartuars were so gracious, and husband a wife team who took great care of us amidst a busy house full of locals. This was our first true authentic Italian meal and it was amazing.

Belly’s full we walked back to the city center to stroll the streets that were much quieter now. We went back to the city center area and snapped a few more photos with fewer people in them and then headed back to the hotel for the evening.

Tomorrow is our last cycling day before we have a few days to wrap up our trip in Trieste before heading back home via Frankfurt. We have so enjoyed this journey. We have seen and done so many things it’s difficult to remember it all. This travel journal will be our main tool to help us recall the amazing sights of this trip. Thanks for following along and sending your encouragement and comments. It’s been fun to share this with you.