Photo 0: Iseo Lake
Photo 1: The path
And here I am, ready for this new cycling adventure, after all these months of total closure, the Giro dei Laghi of the Italian pre-Alps. I’m leaving, without Mariacristina, with the 7:52 train to Verona. I also try this adventure, for which I have always been very reluctant, that is to reach the starting point, loading the bicycle, with the train.
Photo 2: In train
I have never considered this experience because of the difficulties that many have encountered. In fact, the journey is absolutely not comfortable. I’m standing on the train to Verona. There is nowhere to put the bicycles, I stand holding the bicycle in the entrance door
Photo 3: fields of poppi
Here I am in Desenzano, unloading the bike and equipping it with all the various gadgets for photos, videos and navigation. I bought an appendix to apply to the handlebar, so all the instruments have their precise place and the handlebar remains free for its original function, for hands! The day is good, a warm spring warmth, in the background I see the well-known Lake Garda, which remains only the starting point, but not the object of the trip. I hope in my heart, that the journey is one of scenic and cultural discovery. I have not made a precise program, I am starting all in all a little adventure, only the rough lines, then I expect, as always in the trips made, that inspiration will arrive, always keeping my eyes and mind attentive. I chose Cycle travel to map out the route, and I must say that the one drawn up for the day was a real positive surprise.
Photo 4: bridge on Chiese river (Pontenove- Brescia) with chapel dedicated to St. John Nepomuceno
Practically from Lake Garda to Lake Iseo without ever entering a busy road, all secondary roads, with country lanes, or paths even to be paved. Basically I always traveled in protection and quiet, whistling and singing. Pass through the hills of Brescia, after Desenzano, full of poppies in the moving wheat and forests of acacias and other trees that closed in a tunnel on the route. Fun, fun, fun.
Photo 5: Pope Paul VI’s Square-BresciaPhoto 6: Pope Paul VI’s Square-Brescia Photo 7: the old cathedral - Brescia Photo 8: Loggia square Photo 9: Loggia square Photo 10: Capitolum, roman temple Photo 11: The roman theater
Arrival in Brescia and here lunch in the center, in Piazza Paolo VI and then visit the city, for what can be such a short visit, with due homage to the fallen in Piazza della Loggia, whose 47th anniversary will be celebrated tomorrow. Visited, the Old Cathedral, Piazza della Loggia, the remains of Roman Brescia, with the theater and the Capitolum Temple.
Photo 12: Monte Isola on Iseo Lake Photo 13: Saint Paul island on Iseo lake
I resume the road towards Lake Iseo still following country lanes within the region of Franciacorta, the famous wine. I arrive in the town of Iseo, clearly on Lake Iseo and from here I proceed to nearby Sulzano, from where I take the boat to Monte Isola, which I had already visited with Cristina a few years ago. Monte Isola is located in the center of Lake Iseo, and is the largest lake island in Italy, for someone even in Europe, but only if we consider southern Europe and central continental Europe, in Finland and in Russia there are some larger lake islands.
Photo 14: Saint Paul island on Iseo lake
Arrival at the Foresta hotel, welcoming with a good restaurant with typical lake dishes. I observe the island of San Paolo, owned by the Beretta family, those of arms, and try to imagine The Floating piers, Christo’s artistic installation, which consisted of a network of floating piers 3 kilometers long and 16 meters wide, open to the public and put in place between Sulzano, Montisola and the island of San Paolo, between June and July 2016. It was practically possible to walk on water and 1,500,000 people did so in 16 days. You can imagine that at that time Monte Isola was not very quiet, people flocked 24 hours a day to walk on the water. The New York Times considered it one of the most significant works of art of 2016.
Photo 15: Oldofredi’s castle
Since I am not tired and the 70 km traveled by bicycle still does not seem enough to me, after a shower I go out for a 2 hour walk and go up to Monte Isola. To get to the Sanctuary, located on the top of the island, there are 400 meters in altitude. I reach the fortress of the Oldofredi, a castle that completely dominates the west bank of the lake, which already existed in the 9th century, was destroyed by Frederick Barbarossa in 1161 and rebuilt, with the 4 current towers, in the 13th century.
Photo 16: Coregone, fish dish (Coregonus lavaretus)
Dinner based on whitefish, fish from the lake, and then sunset over the lake, even if clearly you can’t see the sun go down, as the lake is completely surrounded by very high mountains. Tomorrow from Lake Iseo towards Lake Endine to then reach Bergamo.
Photo 17: Iseo lake
bellissimo post. Ciao!
from Chittagong city , Bangladesh 
