It’s a funny feeling that I’m starting to have after setting up our bikes for the day and taking the first few pedal strokes. It’s a feeling I recognize, but it’s out of place. I feel like I’m at home. It’s a bit hard to describe, but I guess it’s the same feeling that people who travel full-time in RVs must have when they sit at the wheel, but only more compact! I like it because, even though I’m at home, the scenery and the people around us are constantly changing.
Today we will cycle into Trieste, after a peaceful night camping outside the spa island of Grado at a quiet campground completely surrounded by water. I’m realizing that I’m more excited about seeing Trieste than Florence or Venice, in part because it’s supposed to be one of the most underrated Italian cities. No one thinks to go there, and yet, they say it has a space that rivals St. Mark’s square for it’s beauty. Venice was indeed beautiful, but the hordes of tourists are just not our thing.
I know the feeling you describe. At some point on every bike trip we’ve taken, as we settle onto the saddles in the morning, Anne and I will say to each other, “Home again, home again. . . ” Such a good feeling.