Esfuerzo plano vs deformación plana

At the mindfulness session

Image left: Lake Garda This image: Pisoni winery

View over Mezzacorona

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ITALIA! GUIDE: VENICE AND THE VENETO 2015 95

View over Merano

Kara knew exactly what she was talking about, and had a pretty exciting itinerary lined up for us

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the owner of Kara Mia Adventures, a company that offers guided bike tours in various parts of Italy, all of which include gorgeous hotels and fabulous food at local trattorie and agriturismi.

With years of bike tour experience, Kara knew exactly what she was talking about, and had a pretty exciting itinerary lined up for us. Our first carefully selected hotel was the stylish Hotel Santori; crisp, clean and sports oriented, it was full of bikers, hikers and windsurfers – the area is known for its strong winds, which make it a water sport hotspot. Its laid back vibe made it a great place to start the tour and mingle with the other tour-goers. Some had lots of biking experience, others little, so I didn’t feel too out of place – I’m not exactly what you would call a fitness fanatic. The first night we were shuttled up to an agriturismo in the mountains. Pasta with local olives, delicious pork and rabbit, as well as sinful crème caramel and potent limoncello. That evening we practically rolled back down the mountain and into our comfortable beds for a peaceful night’s sleep.

A MINDFUL BEGINNING

The following day we were given the opportunity to take part in a short hike and a spot of meditation and ‘mindfulness’, defined as the ability to find one’s channels for pleasure. As I sat on the grass with my eyes closed, listening to the gentle sounds of birds and insects around me (and probably on me too, but I was too chilled out to really care), I wasn’t sure if I managed to achieve this state of ‘mindfulness’, but I definitely felt thoroughly relaxed. The outstanding views from our meditation position were surely enough to make even the biggest city fan up sticks and settle for a life in the enchanting countryside.

Tuesday was when the real cycling began. I knew it had to start at some point. Fortunately, most of the cycling over the whole trip was done on the safe cycle paths, piste ciclabili in Italian. Any riding that we did on roads was normally brief, and luckily, in the heavily Germanic-influenced Alto Adige province (where around two thirds of the population speak German as their first language), drivers are very respectful of cyclists, even ones who crawl uphill – I am, of course, talking

about myself here. I was left red-faced on more than one occasion, both due to the few uphill stints that pushed my unfit limbs to the limit, and the fact that I was always the last to reach the top. Cringe.

We had the pleasure of cycling alongside the Sarca river, surrounded by dazzling mountains splashed in sunshine. Passing the quaint villages of Arco and Dro, we meandered our way through the blissfully quiet countryside to the Pisoni winery. Here, you’ll witness a true passion for winemaking and be met by some very hospitable staff who don’t speak much English, but do insist you try their delicious wine and grappa. Following this lunch break, the next part of our journey was a little more of a struggle, as a lunch lull kicked in. However, the crisp mountain air and striking views succeeded in waking us up.

An incredible meal at Ai Spazzi Restaurant awaited us that evening, and as we coasted up the mountainside in a tram, we marvelled at the tranquillity of Mezzocorona and its surroundings; this well-known wine growing area is often described as the ‘most beautiful wine garden of Europe’. As well as the scrumptious food – a common theme throughout the entire tour – a highlight of the evening was without doubt the 10 litre jug of juniper grappa presented to us at the end of the meal. Again, we all slept pretty well that night…

After our night at the Albergo Caffè Centrale in Mezzocorona, we once again set off for our next charming destination. The next hotel I was really looking forward to as, in reality, Schloss Korb Hotel wasn’t so much a hotel, but an actual castle. How wonderful it was to rest my tired body in this true of oasis of tranquillity, complete with every home comfort and the fluffiest bath robes and slippers. With the sweet smell of the countless roses and intensely beautiful views of the Überetsch valley, I could have stayed there for a month. A lot of tour group bonding was done in the grand dining room that evening, as we tucked into our sumptuous dinner, which consisted of succulent swordfish and the most incredible salad buffet I have ever witnessed. Needless to say, we felt like kings.

Lake Garda from Torbole

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96 ITALIA! GUIDE: VENICE AND THE VENETO 2015

D I S C O V E R I TA L I A !

Relaxing at Lake Garda

Another pause for photos