Day 9 - Desenzano to Talgate - ride total 639 k, 4,542m

Our ride started with a short diversion down to Lake Garde waterfront to see the Boats before we then headed up a hill behind the town and on our way for the day. Again the ride was through a similar mix of farmland/orchards/vineyards as per previous although today we did have a little bit of undulating hill country to ride through.

We encountered more industry around some of the towns athough that sector too, like the residential appears to be in decline with not only mid 20th century factories sitting vacant but so too some factories that may only be 20 - 30 years old and even one new build that clearly had been stopped well vefore completion and now sitting half finished with a for sale sign on the fence.

Just before lunchtime we came across another bike packer going our way and after our mutual exchange of Bon Journo - in our best Italian and then our best attempt at asking where are you going again in our best Italian - someone said "do you speak English" and of course we all could especially when Herb (the other cyclist) was also from Victoria Aus.

It was so near lunch that I suggested we stop for lunch, which we did and had a good chat over lunch with where Herb was from, when he started (two weeks ago), where he has been, where is he going, what else has he done etc. etc. etc, - It;s not hard for us cycling blokes to strike upa a conversation with a complete stranger...

The rain didn't clear overnight so we began with our raincoats on, then after a couple hours off they came then after another couple of hours on they went! It wasn't heavy rain mostly and was about 20 degrees so not a problem.

We stopped for a drink at a bar (three fantas) and once the 5 people there learnt what we were doing they were amazed, the real estate lady from next door spoke good English and we had a good old chat - the people have been very friendly right through and the Bar Manager here plaig bowl of potatoe chips on our table. Which reminds me of yesterday when we stopped at a fruit shop to buy some fresh summer fruit - there the women came out with three bottles of cold water - gratis!

I was lead navigator today (we take day about) and it involved lots of turns with very few long stretches of 3 or more km's - it did mean I had to focus all day and have my wits about me. Interestingly at one point our route had us head off the seal onto a shingle track that turned in to a grass track that turned in to grass that ran slap bang onto a railway line (not one of the high speed ones). Across the line was a vineyard and a grass strip between the vines that I could see lead to a road so off we went and our journey carried on.

Today we pulled up right outside our accommodation with the Garmin beeping us the "Course Complete" message.

When we stopped Stephen checked his rear wheel and found three spokes had broken! Fortunately there is a bike shop here in Talgate so after he cleaned all the mud off the bike off he went to the bike shop to see if he could get it fixed (which fortunately he was able to do). After I'd cleaned the mud off my bike I thought I'd visit the bike shop to get a replacement chain for my now shorter than original chain. Good idea, however the shop didn't have one. So when I got back I gave it another oil and will look to replacing it before the big hill climb in a few days time.








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