Into Venice, at Last

The final 60 km.

When we look in the mirror in the morning, we look as exhausted as we feel. Body done. Mind done. We can’t even remember simple things like our room number.

We often think back to the E5 hike and are convinced it felt less exhausting than this.

The last stage is physically draining – tired legs, burning saddle pain, every pedal stroke hurts. But what really makes it miserable is the route: busy main roads, trucks passing with centimeters to spare, terrible bike paths, traffic lights. Progress is slow.

As if that weren’t enough, D gets a flat tire. Later, when a fallen tree blocks the bike path and we push the bikes around it, I scrape my calf bloody on the pedal.

First relief: the town sign for Mestre.

What I didn’t see coming was that it’s another 45 minutes from there to Venice.

We finally arrive, completely spent. Take a photo. Then all we want is the train station, food, and home.

At McDonald’s we spend 45€ and order what feels like everything on the menu. Slowly, things improve. A quick wash, fresh clothes – and we realize just how exhausted we really are.

Italian train stations reveal the platform only 30 minutes before departure. We wait in the hall. Platform 6 appears. We haul the bikes there because the elevators are blocked by seniors with suitcases.

Then a cyclist next to us starts carrying his tandem back down. I think: he must be on our train. We check again – platform change. So we carry everything down and back up again. We didn’t need that.

We’ve been longing for the return journey: comfortable seats, air conditioning, barrier-free access – all promised by ÖBB.

What we get is an ancient train. No AC. It’s a thousand degrees inside. Three narrow steps to get in. The “bike compartment” is just a container inside the train.

LOL. Seven long hours ahead.

We arrive at D’s place around midnight. It’s been one of the hardest things we did - but a great story. During breakfast the next morning, we already discuss what we can do next.