The publication last year of Isola Press’s Ride Bike! chronicling Jobst Brandt’s influence on cycling culture had me vowing a summer outing in the same spirit as his, namely a fast and light ride in Europe on dirt and tarmac tracks seeking some of the most Homeric Continental cols.
Seems like it was uphill all day, intermittent hike a bike way into the mountains, towns receding below. Went to one of the cool Spomeniks and then this old guy came out with a bottle of some kind of wicked alcohol and talked our ears off, we didn’t understand a word of what he said but he was very kindly and hammered and I drank some too.