Day 12 Naples - Vesuvius back 56 km

Early out, immediately on the bike and off through the big city. And not just any big city, one with really heavy traffic. I have to act myself together a bit so that I don't throw all consideration overboard. But I like the traffic, it is mostly just chaotic and not fast. Right-of-way rules? Two lanes or three lanes, footpath, bike lane, it doesn't matter, the main thing is to get ahead, that's the mentality here. If you wait at an entrance until there is no traffic, you are probably waiting a very long time. Well, in the old town there are now and then still bike lanes, but they are the longer way. If you want to drive more directly out of the old town you have to go through a longer tunnel (2 or 3 lanes, I'm not sure) where overtaking is prohibited and 20 km/h is supposed to prevail, so I drive 25 km/h and am overtaken by everyone, including buses (very close). The suburbs are even more chaotic and not quite as fancy. In addition, the app does not have the latest one-way traffic in the portfolio. It is then quite tricky to find the right way. However, no one complains if you drive the wrong way down a one-way street. Okay, no one brakes either. The horn is honked if you want to overtake in a narrow street, very obliging. And the cobblestone streets, they are fierce here. At some point I was finally at the ascent to Vesuvius. One more time over a busy road, then left and suddenly quiet. Very good road and hardly any traffic. GLORIOUS! Before me were 900 meters of altitude on about 12 km. I had fancy on this, the weather ideal, sun, not too warm, hardly any wind. So go, they serpentines up, always higher. The view of Naples became more and more unobstructed, unfortunately it was a bit hazy. The vegetation changed abruptly. Previously (just a few years ago) I had extreme fear of heights with associated panic attacks, yet I'm always up the mountains (driving up, I love that, alone with myself and the pulse), down was the difficult for me. Today, while driving up, I again had a queasy feeling as I looked from higher and higher into the Gulf of Naples. But it was probably more the fear of fear or panic attacks than really fear of heights. I dealt with it and became aware of it. Mindfulness is the key word and continued the way up. Without luggage it's not that strenuous, in fact I made good progress. Even with photo breaks, I arrived at the top within an hour. Nice and comfortable. Unfortunately, I could not go all the way up to the crater rim. There was an entrance area (10 €) and unfortunately they told me that I was not allowed through with bike. I also did not want to make with my bike shoes the last 200 meters of altitude to the crater rim, so I turned around and enjoyed the ride down (the video is here!). Shortly I considered to drive to Pompei, however, that is tomorrow on the route and so i am in the connection slowly back to Naples. In between still a coffee and a pizza. The whole tour is a torture for body and material. The more adverse it is, the better it is. To the body or knee, now have the angle of the bicycle shoe of the aching knee very idiosyncratically adjusted. But it seems to work, hopefully also tomorrow. To the material, rather accidentally I noticed the breakage of the front carrier (photo). Shear forces are the most violent and the keyword here, fortunately I had no more bags for the front. When that happened, no idea, I guess when the bike fell over me once, but can no longer reconstruct. But I had already installed the cable ties in advance, when mounting the carrier. Have I already mentioned that with me no new installations fall off the wall? It's the same with the bike. And admittedly it happened to me on my tour in France that a luggage carrier has loosened and fell backwards and thus acted as an anchor. That was very scary. That was the 2nd luggage carrier that went during that tour. Well experiences. Today i went to a small tool store along the way (the first was once again closed, thanks Internet) and bought me new (more) cable ties to secure the carrier even better. Because the carrier is very useful to attach the bag and solar cell i have let it on the bike. Think that will work, if there are problems, i`ll remove it. In the tool store I had again such a great situation, no word understood yet laughed heartily. Conclusion, the potholes in Italy are there so that you do not fall asleep while driving or immediately wakes up again. In this sense, I should go to sleep and please Mr. Putin, end this war.

P.S.: Does not work today with upload pictures, therefore only the most necessary. Also about the architecture of Naples I wanted to swagger in this regard, but....... I do then when I sometime with my wife here again make vacation (O-tone: "Not again Italy"). So it could take a little while.

the serpentines are in the video

so nice

broken

one-way thing

i love the architecture