Monday Morning Coffee

By Billy Rainford

What time is it? Heck, what DAY is it?! This Monday Morning Coffee is coming to you from one of the nicest places in the world – Cinque Terra, Italy. No, if I’m being honest, I’d never really heard of it either, but take my word for it, it’s amazing. More exactly, we’re staying in a small seaside village called Portvenere. You have to catch a ferry or train to get to the 5 towns that make up the Cinque Terra area. Each town is hanging off the edge of a mountain overlooking the ocean. It’s really supposed to be something…we haven’t gone yet.

Check out this Getty Images photo of Cinque Terra from the Lonely Planet website. Pretty cool.

How about this for a story? Team Canada Manager, Kourtney Lloyd, is going to love this one. I once went to the wrong airport to catch a non-existent flight up to Cycle North in Prince George.

We flew into Milan on Saturday morning. The flight was OK, but at least it was on time. We headed over to the rental car area to pick up our car for our 10-day adventure in Italy. Guess what? There are two airports in the greater Milan area and we were at the other one. Really? So, you won’t honour this reservation, you’re telling me? That’s correct, sir.

Fortunately, they had a car we could take at the last moment – a Toyota Yaris Hybrid. You heard me. And this complaint is coming from a guy who drives a minivan regularly!

I share this embarrassing screw up so that others won’t feel as dumb when they make their next goof-up. I’m providing a self-esteem boost service, is what I’m doing.

Anyway, this Morning Coffee has got to be more of a road trip pictorial than a moto-informed article.

That’s Milan from the air on our approach…to the other airport!

We headed east to Lido Di Jesolo on the Venetian Riviera. It’s a cool little beach area across the water from the city of Venice.

We woke up to a pretty cool team time trial race called the 6X Andrea sponsored by Pinarello. The guy waving to the crowd got introduced and all I could catch were the words “multi-time Tour de France” and teammate of “Marco Pantani.” The crowd went nuts and so did the rest of his team. Anyone recognize him?

The overnight thunderstorm made riding pretty sketchy for the early, fast teams.

Luckily, he just slid along the wet pavement and wasn’t hurt.

His team slowed down but it was a rider on a completely different team who gave him the most help.

I was told there were no ‘real pro teams’ racing that day. I can’t even imagine riders at the next level!

The first time you do a drafting race, you can’t understand why riders are going so slowly so you blast off the front and leave them all behind…or so you think. Drafting works, people.

Not really sure what’s going on here.

Fast old guy just chilling as he pulls the rest of his team down the main straight.

You ever heard a group of carbon disc wheels go past? It’s awesome!

Warming up in the Sprinter.

Now THAT’S some ‘bike porn,’ right there!

Going 45kph just sitting there!

I looked around until I found a Scott Foil.

I just like taking pictures of people taking pictures.

Clearly a future Italian champion.

You get to the front, then you move over and start again from the back.

I have no idea who won or anything, I was just happy to be taking photos of things going past me quickly. Oh, and I’m sorry if you’re not a bike race fan.

After the bike race, we hopped on the small ferry and headed over to Venice, which only took 30 minutes.

Gondola parking.

Can someone explain why we don’t all just call places what the locals call them???

The last time I was in Venice, I was 9.

It’s nice to find a quiet little hidden gem like Venice…

The problem is real. REALLY real!

There’s no shortage of things to practice your ‘artsy’ shots on.

I call this one, “Two Gondolas that Pass in the Afternoon.” See what I did there?

I sat in this tricky corner spot until I got a shot of a gondolier doing this ‘off the wall’ move.

I also like shots of laundry against old walls.

Apparently, these things are all the rage in the irritating street sales ranks this summer.

This guy was actually ready for anything!

Clothes pegs.

The pizza is fresh in Italy.

Captain Stubing taking the Pacific Princess back to sea.

Not everyone was there to enjoy the artwork.

But you can only take so much of the crowds and all the walking. I’m happy to be back in a nice quiet seaside town.

OK, OK, you probably didn’t click Direct Motocross to look at vacation photos…or maybe you did. It probably got you through a nice cup of coffee, at least. We’ve got one more day of leisure and then we’ll meet up with the Team Canada crew and get to work shooting motocross-related subjects.