Day 14: Alba to Asti

I traveled west from Alba over the same route as Day 13, but after 10 km, turned northwest to reach Bra. I made the extra trip as I was hoping to visit Slow Food and its international headquarters. The morning was overcast and the weather looked a bit ominous. As I reached Bra, the skies let loose. What followed was the most intense rain of the trip so far, accompanied by lots of lightning and thunder. What to do? Coffee, biscotti, and some journal writing was on tap for me. After about an hour, the weather was beginning to let up. I knew I had about 70 km to go to get to Asti, with few places to find refuge in between. I went for it and, thankfully, the weather never reached the ferocity of Bra. Most of the ride was, again, through vineyards. I had lunch in Canale and made haste to Asti.

In Asti, I stayed at the Hotel Cavour (30 euro/night; no breakfast), which is right next to the train station. It was a two star hotel and had really nice rooms. I watched the Giro for a bit on TV and then explored the town and had a panini at a local bar... gelato as well.

Summary: 80 km (50 miles); a wet ride but nice, rolling rides through a rich agriculture centre