Sheep, cows and horses, oh my! The perils of mountain biking in Abruzzo

Ovindoli biking, Abruzzo

My older son plays Varsity tennis each fall and is often traveling around Italy for matches on weekends.

My younger son and I often use this as an excuse for a solo escape to the little town in the mountains of Abruzzo for some fall foliage and mountain biking.

This year was no exception.

Earlier this month, we enjoyed a weekend escape to Ovindoli, Abruzzo – east of Rome – where we were hoping for a full weekend of mountain biking.

Sadly, the weather didn’t agree with us on Saturday, but on Sunday the rain broke and we were able to enjoy the mountain biking we city dwellers always crave. It was still a bit early in the season for the stunning autumn colors, but we enjoyed our dose of fresh mountain air and exercise.

Ovindoli biking, Abruzzo

Also great – as city dwellers used to the constant peril of cars and motorcycles – that the biggest threat we faced on our mountain trails was dodging around sheep, cows and horses.

They did their best to defend their territory, but we were determined to get around them any way we could to enjoy the trails.

My son would love to bike in Rome, but I just won’t agree to him risking his life alongside dangerous Roman traffic, but in Abruzzo he can pedal to his heart’s content.

Ovindoli biking, Abruzzo

This is also a beloved escape for me. I’m a city dweller at heart, but how I love to escape to the slower pace of mountain village life (Saturday night at 9:00  in ‘downtown Ovindoli’ when we open our windows to hear … absolute silence), fresh mountain air, and lots of muscle-straining exercise.

Soon enough, the snow will fall and we’ll be making our way back to Abruzzo to hit the ski slopes, but I’m always glad to get back to enjoy that crisp mountain air and some enjoyable mountain biking through the autumn foliage.

See  you on the bike trails!

  Ovindoli biking, Abruzzo
Ovindoli biking, Abruzzo

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