Brenner

On my train back to Innsbruck I had plenty of time to reflect on the bike trip.
As the adrenaline wore off, the exhaustion was catching up with me. It was mixed with pride - we did what we set out to do, we cycled from the Austrian Alps to the Adriatic Sea in just five days, covering more than 500 km. However, for the next time - if vacation days allow - I would take some extra days, to have some time in the afternoon or evening to relax, to read a book and to be able to explore left or right of the road (we had to skip several waterfalls and lakes that might have been worth a visit). Maybe there would then be less to boast about, but at least it would feel more like a vacation. We already joked that considering our pace and daily efforts, we actually need another holiday just to recover from the trip. The statistic was created thanks to the data from Giacomo's watch and gives an impression of our efforts, explaining my exhaustion.

In the end, all my stressing regarding the preparation had paid off - I hadn't forgotten anything important at home or was caught off-guard by anything. There were a few items of clothing I didn't need but they were mostly cold-weather gear, so it was not due to a miscalculation on my side that I had brought them, but rather luck in weather. I was especially glad about one item, that I had packed and never needed: the first aid kit.

But apart from gear, I was also content with the deliberate choice of the route: I had wanted a route that was not too far away, rich in variety and not too difficult to ride. And we had had it all: the valleys of Salzburg, the Carinthian countryside, the pine forests of the train line, the lowlands of Italy and finally the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It was a memorable trip and I hadn't wished to be anywhere else.

I especially enjoyed riding the old train line, though maybe I also just remember a romanticized version, because when I had a look at the photos at home it didn't look so impressive. It might have also been Giacomo, who made this leg of the journey so memorable for me, as it allowed us to ride next to each other (as opposed to the other parts, where we had to ride one after the other because of the oncoming traffic) - it amplified the feeling of companionship, of experiencing it together. Overall, I was pleased with our "social experiment": after all, we hadn't seen each other since our youth exchange back in 2019 where we met each other, so undertaking such an adventure was quite a dare. While we kept in contact via messenger and snail mail and know each other's inner life, dreams and insecurities, being in such trying circumstances as a bike trip - with exhaustion, hunger, constant "togetherness" and facing potential conflicts about decision making and leadership - is a challenge, but we passed.Read more