9/18/09 Cortina to Belluno

Another cloudy morning. This morning we had to ride to make it to our next hotel. It started again with a serious climb up to passo di Giau and then for the hardy ride up to passo Duran. The climb to passo di Giau was a bit of a grunt and like yesterday at Tre Cime the summit was in a fog that added an eerie feel to the descent into the farms. The fog cleared but it was still very overcast and threatened rain all day. John, Jocelyn, and myself braved the Duran and it was worth the ride. It’s why I came to Italy. To climb up these narrow roads that wind through the hillside villages, to ride until I’m exhausted and content. Jocelyn and I left John at la Valle and stopped for lunch before heading into Belluno. The accommodations were great and there was a bit of a departure from routine and that was the hotel did not have a restaurant and so we were on our own for dinner. Patti, Ross, Craig and I had a nice “authentic” Italian meal of pasta and pizza with gelato for desert.