Wednesday, October 6, 2021: Cycling the Pista at San Vito
By Yves Galindo
At noon our trip to the Pista had begun. School had finished early and all our students were proudly wearing their CCI sportswear. We were all ready for an amazing trip along the Adriatic Sea on Europe’s longest paved bike path. When we arrived in San Vito, we got to select our bikes and get sized for our helmets. Then the moment of truth came. We cycled on to the Pista. The light blue colour of the sea started to blend in with the dark blue sky as we rode further along the path. Personally, I really enjoyed the trip. Many of us had lots of fun doing exercise and socialising with others while we rode our bikes. The view was very enjoyable and was one of the prettiest seas I have ever seen. The sea was very calm since there were no waves. The plants alongside the Pista framed the beauty of the Adriatic Sea so well, blue and green. As we started getting to the eight-kilometer mark we stopped to take a photo of the group. Suddenly, on our way back from that mark, a torrent of rain suddenly fell on us. It’s true that the sea can change moods so suddenly. The rain really gave the ride a different feel and gave us both perspectives of the Adriatic Sea. The gentle rain suddenly turned ominous, making the cycling more challenging and difficult. I can still remember the force of the rain shower on us as we rode against it. My leg muscles strained to keep on pedaling and the instincts in my head telling me to get out of the rain. Later, the rain tapered off in time for us to return our bikes and reward ourselves with a gelato, compliments of the D’Alessandros. Amazingly enough the ice cream did a great job of brightening up our spirits. Overall, it was an amazing, challenging ride along the coast and I’m glad we got to experience such an amazing adventure.