This morning we decided to go for a leisurely walk toward the small village of Pognana Lario.
The walk is very pleasant with beautiful gardens
and picturesque views along Lake Como.
We stopped at Peppos Bar where one can enjoy great views and coffee in an authentic Italian setting.
The meeting
Whilst enjoying our beverage - 4 cyclists stopped by for coffee and gelato (ice cream). My husband and I played a guessing game - but decided that they could be from anywhere in Europe. It was easier to ask them. Jan was very friendly and as soon as we asked, where he was from - he joined us for a chat while enjoying his coffee. Soon the others joined us as well.
The stories
The 4 cyclist are from the Czech Republic. They began their journey close to Prague. There destination is Monaco. In the prior 3 years, they have cycled to:
- Barcelona, Spain
- Split, Croatia and
- San Mareno
Cycling with friends is certainly an active way to discover new places. With this way of traveling they remain in top condition, see many countries and at a low cost. What an adventure! (This is not for everyone however).
Now here they are in Pognana Lario en route to Como. From here they will head south to Genoa, then along the coast to Monaco.
For this cycling adventure - they made their plans but they have learnt to expect the unexpected. They meet interesting people on their way and sleep in unplanned locations. It is call "wild camping". They travel light. They sleep on inflatable beds under the stars. There is no camp fire. They enjoy simple meals from supermarkets and cafes. Jan explained that sleep comes easily after a day of cycling - an average of 150 km. Sleep is more pleasant when a location can be found near water - a lake or sea.
If they cannot see the stars due to extreme bad weather - there is always a solution. Once they took cover at an old farm. There are still kind people willing to help - 4 cycling young men on an adventure. Their average age is 24.
Has there been any trouble?
It all sounds great. However, life has its ups and down and surely this adventure must have its share.
I recall these stories:
Jan shared that once they found themselves on a highway in France. That is highly dangerous, not allowed and is certainly not safe. They immediately left by climbing over nearby fences. The place they entered looked odd and overgrown. It was an abandoned prison.
No harm done or experienced.Here in the mountainous regions of Italy the roads are narrow - cars swerve around “blind” corners. It seems so risky.
According to Matej, drivers are used to and expect cyclists. They all agreed it is not as scary as it seems.
Clearly these cyclist were not novices before they started this journey. They've competed locally in cycling matches.Last year, Jan's bicycle tyre got stuck between tram tracks in Geneva. He fell off his bicycle but was not badly hurt.
Thank goodness.The maximum number of punctured tires has been 13 in 1 annual trip.
Not bad at all for 4 cyclists.
Their names
Thus far I have only mentioned the names, Jan and Matěj. You guessed it - 3 of the cyclists were called Jan and 1 was called Matej. Jan is not the most popular name in Czechia - it is just coincidence.
The stories were fun to hear from the cyclist but their adventure must continue. They had ground to cover - literally. They are off to Como.
It was nice to meet the cyclist. They are on their adventure and we are on ours. We continued our walk.
I asked permission to use the photos of the cyclists. I told them that I would blog about our meeting on the Hive blockchain. I am hoping that they will share their stories here soon - after seeing my post.
All photos are my own