22-07-2015     Sulmona → Teramo,   138 km

Well, I decide I'll take up the challenge, and see how far north I can get in four or five days, then to see how many more days I'll need to get to the Colle dell'Agnello. Which means I'll have to skip my number one challenge: Piazzale de Blockhaus.
Will I regret this when I'm eighty?   I don't think I will.)
Instead my plan is to make a big step – taking into account the Gran Sasso range that I have to cross some way or other – and reach Teramo. When I leave I have another key (mis)adventure. They gave me a ring with three keys: of my room, of the back door, and of the garden gate. They asked me to leave the ring on the kitchen table. I check my room, check it again, think everything is in order to close the back door. So I do. And then the garden door is closed. Of course! I did it myself! Stupid!!

	A moment before another stupidity with keys		Roccacasale seen from highway S17
	Roccacasale seen from same highway		Busy highway S17 still

Fortunately I have a note with the phone number, so within ten minutes I'm released. By now I know my way (a bit) in Sulmona, so the way to the north is easily found. I retrace the last eight km of three days ago to Pratola Peligna, again with the sun from the right, but by far not so scorching as then. Prato Peligna is surrounded by highways, highways much frequented by trucks, alas (and every truck may be my end, as I know from the T10 near Bonifacio in 2015), but the mountains in the east are nice, and on the even roads I can make a good speed. To save some energy and time I decide to skip a possibility to avoid the S5 for ten km. During the last part, along the river Tirino, I can already perceive Ofena, the village I had in mind for my first break (after more than 40 km!) lying a bit higher against the mountain side.

	Ofena from afar		Ofena from close by
	View from Ofena		Ofena behind me

So a small part of the elevation gain is already attained when I reach this village, with quite a steep (and warm!) last km, at the stroke of eleven. Which is good! Ofena is not as fully equipped with shops and restaurants as I had expected (I buy my fruits at a mobile shop), and only after some asking do I find a bar (and some shade!).   It's quite a disorganized bar, with a barman that's easily distracted, but it's friendly (and cheap: € 4,- or so for cappu, coca and cakes). I exchange my sleeveless shirt for a normal t-shirt and apply the appropriate amount of sun cream before I set off for the climb of the day. It's a great climb, with high rocks close by and high up, yellow broom everywhere (indeed the color of the Apennines in July), and reasonable grades. Yes, it's pure paradise to ride up 18 km through a deserted area (the road passes through just two small villages) till Castel del Monte.

	Relatively quiet,		relatively easy,
	absolutely yellow		ride up
	In front of		and inside Castel del Monte

I have a short stop there at the central fountain – with nice cool water – already at an altitude of 1350 m, and a short encounter with three locals in cycling attire. As usual they give quite accurate route info: another 5 km up to 1600 m. Only their warnings as to the exertion are a bit exaggerated, I think. When Castel del Monte is out of view I get into quite a barren landscape, grass, small/sparse bushes, and rock. And a high rocky mountain (Monte Prena?) seemingly close by. The summit even has a name: Valico di Capo la Serra.

	View back/down to Castel del Monte		Up into rougher regions
	One of the peaks around the Gran Sasso		Nice mountain road!

Gorgeous Apennines!!

	Doesn't that look like Il Corne Grande?		Mission accomplished
	Start of a short		descent
	Right unto		and along a mountain range

From there only a short descent, and after a turn to the right, I ride straight unto a mountain range, and notice a positively inclined road along it to the right (which is my direction). On this part in about three km I get even higher than 1600 m, right on the provincial border L'Aquila - Pescara (I learn at home). Not much later I pass (and so: ignore) a forbidden-for-cyclists sign. Why only for (motor-)cyclists? Well, I guess it's because of the risk of caduta massi, but then, will a car roof offer enough protection against these?

A new province

Second part of the descent

OOPS!!

WOWW!!

Stop for birra

and terrazza panoramica

Apart from me there's hardly any traffic, and I ignore the urge to stop and make photographs. Right after the junction where I take the left road to Isola del Gran Sasso, I'm unpleasantly surprised with another climb of some two km, after which I'm again above 1200 m but after this short exercise slowly but irrevocably a long descent sets in, a descent I interrupt in Castelli for a late lunch with a panini and cold a birra on a terraza panoramica. It's past 4 p.m. and it's another 35 to 40 km to Teramo, with obviously another cresta in between (how high?). And I don't have a bed yet . . . .   First I descend further to the S491 with signs for Roseto degli Abruzzi, a town on the Adriatic coast! This road still goes down, slightly, so I can keep a high speed, and hope to be 'in' before 6:30 p.m. Then I have to decide: follow the main route to Teramo, probably involving less climbing, or opt for the shorter/harder alternative, via Miona, which I can already see quite high up. I'll decide for the latter. I creep up to Miona, but I'm in a cheering mood too quickly: After Miona the road goes up another 3 km (from the valley of the Vomano the net gain is 350 m).

	Vomano river		High up: Miona
	Miona closer by		View back from (around) Miona

And then down to Teramo, where indeed I arrive shortly before 6:30 p.m. No tourist information. Information from locals does not lead to the bed & breakfast that's supposed to be there (and which eventually I do spot, only to find the door closed and no answer to my phone calls). Plan B is to find a gelateria with wifi (and ice cream, of course ;-). And with my super convenient Motorola (thx daughters!) I manage to book a bed in hotel Michelangelo. The hotel is hard to find! After asking twice I come to within viewing neighborhood, but there are so many roads, flyovers, viaducts around it, and nobody seems to know which road to take (one woman even tells me the hotel is closed, and indeed the outlook from outside is that it is not very well-maintained). Finally, after a short STEEP section I arrive at the desired destination. By then it's close to eight already. And it's still very warm (well, the last hour caused some stress, and stress causes . . . ).   A friendly older man checks me in (taking in my passport :-( )   From the flat screen tv on the wall the images of another (terrorist?) attack are hurled into the room. At a MacDonalds restaurant in Monaco. In France again?? No, in Germany this time: "Monaco" is Italian for "München". With all my bags I find my way to a room of which two months later all impressions have dissipated from my memory.

Teramo!

Searching for accommodation in Teramo

Hotel Michelangelo surrounded by flyovers

bistecca di tonno

It's almost dark when I walk to the restaurant "Perla Negra" that seems to be almost connected to the hotel, but for which I have to walk around, first down, then up, partly along what feels like a motor way. Awkward! It's a restaurant with only seafood. And hardly any guests. Awkward too: More than half of the dishes/ingredients on the menu I don't find in my language guide. I can have some spaghetti with only tomatoes (which is fine) and safely continue with bistecca di tonno, which turns out to be the most delicious dish I'll ever eat these holidays! And the glass of red wine is offered me by the manager! Okay, the destination for today is reached. And how about tomorrow? Well, why worry about tomorrow!