Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/EJFWEjVwQSyM2LvE6
My warm showers hosts in Switzerland suggested a route through part of the Italian Alps that took me thru the Dolomites, which are even more dramatic and beautiful than the Swiss Alps that I rode thru. This route involved seven mountain passes including the iconic Stelvio pass, which is mostly ridden by serious road bicyclists wearing spandex. I observed that most of the men on road bikes who passed me on the way up had their arms and legs shaved. Meanwhile, I was plodding along up the 40 hairpin turns to the top with my bicycle loaded with all my stuff. The views from the tops of these mountain passes were spectacular, and I would usually lock my bicycle and hide my stuff somewhere to go for a hike further up a nearby mountain.
In Switzerland and Italy you are often served a shot glass of water along with an espresso, which I had been confidently dumping into the espresso. I figured it was provided in order to cool it down so that you can drink it immediately, to dilute it, and to increase the volume of the drink. After receiving funny looks from a barista, I asked about its purpose and was told that it’s actually meant to be sipped before the espresso in order to clear your palette.
