Today was the 3rd day of my road to HiveFest.
For those who missed my previous posts, I began a 1500km motorbike to HiveFest from Cluny (France) to Split (Croatia) to attend HiveFest.
I left the rainy mountains far behind and embarked on a scenic and eventful journey towards Trieste.
First, I want to extend a big thank you to 
In a comment on my previous post, he shared his clever idea of using a service station hand dryer to dry out your gear after being drenched by the rain.
I took it a step further and used my hotel room's hair dryer on my soaked boots and gloves. This hack worked wonders, giving me dry and comfortable gear for the next leg of my journey.
PS: I even attempted to dry my socks too but stopped swiftly as the room quickly filled with an unpleasant smell! ;)
Although the sky was still covered with the remnants of the previous day's storm and despite the mixed weather, I took the gamble of dressing more lightly. It must be said that when we left, it was already quite warm. Bet won as I was blessed with a big blue sky and sunshine by the time I arrived in Trieste.
But let's go back to the beginning. Once again, what a day it turned out to be!
My initial goal was to ride from Lake Garda where I stopped yesterday to Trieste, passing through the enchanting cities of Verona, Vicenza, Padua, then Venice.
However, the journey wasn’t without its challenges. My GPS had a bit of a meltdown, recalculating the route and adding an extra 60 kilometers to my ride after I took a wrong turn.
As you can see on my travel summary below, I didn't take the shortest path:
Surprisingly, this detour turned out to be exactly what I needed! I found myself on a free highway (which allowed me to keep my promise not to take toll roads), engaging my brain in "cruise control" mode, and relaxing to some good music. It was unexpectedly quite soothing.
However, feeling adventurous, I decided to outsmart the GPS by exiting the highway and taking a shortcut. This move proved to be the highlight of my day. I rode several dozen kilometers along the beautiful winding roads adjacent to the Adige River.
The solitude and beauty of the path, devoid of any traffic, provided pure riding pleasure.
The journey became even more enjoyable when I found myself sharing the road with two Hungarian bikers. We had a fantastic time riding together, exchanging nods and smiles before arriving in Trieste.
As the day progressed, the scenery along the Adriatic coast towards Trieste was spectacular. I was like an oldish child, all excited to see the sea. What's more, I arrived just at the golden hour... you know, that time of day when the colors are at their most beautiful.
The stunning views made the ride all the more memorable.
Today was a successful and invigorating day. Tomorrow, I’m thrilled to head towards Rijeka and then Zadar, riding along the Croatian coast after crossing Slovenia. Something tells me it’s going to be an absolute blast.
Thank you for following along on this journey. Stay tuned for more adventures on my road to HiveFest!
Ride on!
