A chaotic 100+ mile loop through Northern Italy

A “casual” 100+ mile loop through Northern Italy sounded like a great idea at breakfast. Eight hours later, I was questioning all my life choices.
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I left Bergamo early, cruised down to Lago d’Iseo feeling like a pro, climbed a few “gentle” hills (lies), went up the Stelvino for fun(?)… and then promptly got lost somewhere that might have been someone’s driveway.
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Oh, and because I travel light and plan poorly, I did the whole thing on flat pedals wearing Vans. No clips. No power transfer. Just vibes.
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My nutrition strategy was mostly Haribo and optimism — until I hit that special kind of bonk where your brain starts buffering. Thankfully, Italy runs on gelato, and one perfectly timed scoop saved my life.
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Eventually I rolled past the San Pellegrino plant (very fitting since I was basically sparkling water at that point) and made it back to Bergamo in a glorious mix of euphoria and regret.
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Also yes, I brought my Leica M6. Because obviously, what’s better than carrying a heavy film camera on an eight-hour ride?
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Probably the most beautiful ride of my life. Definitely one of the dumbest ideas I’ll do again.