The final preparations for the trip have been a series of stresses: the stress of fitting the bikes in the boxes, fitting our panniers and gear in the suitcases, finding a large enough taxi at 1:00AM for a 4:30AM departure, and checking-in at the airport. We got lucky at the check-in counter and the agent let us check in a fifth item at no charge (I’d heard of exorbanant unwarranted charges for bikes at the whim of the agents, but this guy was aware of the rules).

More than 24 hours later on the ground in Trieste, we found a Mercedes wagon taxi that we loaded to the gills, and after unpacking at the hotel, the bikes arrived in good shape.. The TSA unpacked Susana’s, and bent the rear rack mount when they repacked it, but it bent back and it’s a piece that isn’t structural.

The bikes are assembled and now very little stands between our bike tires and the pavement. We begin tomorrow morning.

  Prologue