Jenny & Ahmed's Cycling Adventure

Paths 2 The Soul - Episode 009

From Bolzano to Trento (17 to 20 April 2025)

Countries Visited :

Bolzano, Stefano & Trento: music, sharing and transitions...

Sad to leave Hanna & Jonas, we will then live three days out of time at Stefano’s, with collective cooking, inspiring encounters, and intimate concerts. Then comes Easter Sunday, the goodbyes, the road to Trento… and a new warm hospitality at Dario’s. An episode of connections, emotions and transitions.

Farniente in Bolzano with Stefano & Co - Day 01

A day of gratitude, music, and urban magic...

What a night! Finally a real one, in a real bed. We wake up at 6:30 as usual, but this time, rested. The day before, we had repacked our bags as best we could, set aside our dirty laundry, and fixed our mission of the day: laundry. We share a quick coffee with Hanna and Jonas, who are soon heading off on their own little cycling adventure in Italy, one year after their return. A beautiful couple, and we hope to see them again someday, maybe on the road, who knows 🥰 Rain starts falling just as we’re equipping our bikes in the street. Once ready, we walk to the laundromat, located in the basement of the shopping center “The Twenty.” We sneak in discreetly with our bikes through the parking entrance, then down to level -1. Once the machine is running, we settle in a corner to work on our media. And then, a little miracle. A couple asks Jenny for information about a shop. They talk, she shares our project, and they spontaneously offer us 20 euros. At first, Jenny hesitates, feeling awkward. But they gently insist, and ask a simple question: “Do you have money?” Truth is, our daily budget is tiny, and any support is, of course, welcome. Accepting this help also means learning to receive the generosity of others. We exchange contact details and take a photo together. Jenny is deeply moved. Then, while we’re drying our laundry, the security guards come by and don’t want us hanging around too long before leaving. Meanwhile, Stefano, our host in Bolzano for the evening, contacts us: we can come earlier if we want. With this rainy weather, it’s a blessing. At Stefano’s, in a beautiful historic neighborhood of Bolzano, the atmosphere is warm from the moment we arrive. Old churches, tempting storefronts, hand-painted signs, lively alleyways. We carry our things up to the 3rd floor. Anne, another traveler, is already there. Stefano welcomes us with a generosity and simplicity that are disarming. Surprise: he gives us his own bed and will sleep on the floor in the same room. We settle in, then he heads off to practice his oboe for the Easter concert. A magical moment: he plays Morricone, beautifully. Ahmed, passionate, talks with him at length about Ennio. Then we all prepare lunch together: green salad, tomatoes, carrots, mozzarella, and pasta with a little homemade sauce. At Stefano’s, everyone pitches in, the vibe is organized but relaxed. He hosts travelers through Coachsurfing, Warmshowers, HomeExchange... a true crossroads of encounters. After the meal, Anne steps out, and we share a coffee and an Italian pastry with Stefano. Then Ahmed rests while Jenny explores the neighborhood, does a bit of shopping, and makes a call to her family. Back home, Jenny prepares a chocolate cake, following Stefano’s strict electrical rules (don’t overload the circuits). Ahmed looks into a few small repair jobs in the apartment. Stefano, already in the kitchen, prepares the evening vegetables, while Jenny whips up the vinaigrette for a potato salad. At 6:30 p.m., our little team is ready to head out to the concert of Philipp Tutzer, a bassoonist and friend of Stefano’s. Destination: Mariaheim, a place filled with history. Located in the Europa-Novacella district, this vineyard estate was acquired by the Abbey of Novacella between 1623 and 1638. In 1640, it became a religious residence under the name “Mariaheim,” dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The site still preserves remarkable architectural elements, and some vineyards remain active. Since 1977, Mariaheim has been a German-speaking cultural center hosting concerts, social events, and other activities. The atmosphere is intimate, wisteria climbs the facades, and the restored interior has retained its authenticity. The concert is almost private, among close friends. Philipp Tutzer, bassoonist, introduces each piece with anecdotes and sometimes plays accompanied on piano. The acoustics are incredible, and the setting transports us beyond time. After the concert, Stefano greets everyone quickly, he knows them all, and they all know him. We take the bus back. Once at home, everyone helps finish preparing dinner. The table is once again beautiful, Anne returns with an excellent bottle of wine. We feel at home, like with old friends. We dine at length, chat, share, and enjoy the chocolate cake. Then, gently, we all drift toward sleep. It’s 11:30 p.m. At Stefano’s, time seems to stand still. It’s a rare place, full of simple and genuine humanity. Grazie Mille Stefano 💚🤍❤️

Want to see Jenny preparing the chocolate cake? Clik the video here below 👇

Farniente in Bolzano with Stefano & Co – Day 02
Conversations, cooking, and human connections...

After a second restorative night, this time in a large shared room, we wake up to the scent of real Italian coffee, carefully prepared by Stefano. This morning, he’s heading out to visit his mother, who is 99 years old. Meanwhile, we stay with Anne. She wanted to show Jenny her project for a collective housing initiative focused on renovating homes in the village of Collesano, Sicily. While we sip our tea, she opens her laptop and shares her documents, plans, and photos. The conversation flows naturally around their vision: an international, community-based project, deeply rooted in ecology and human connection. Jenny is deeply moved by this approach, which resonates strongly with her own sensibilities: architecture, collectivity, rebuilding, sustainable futures. When Stefano returns, Anne enthusiastically presents everything again. While Jenny prepares a carrot salad and the homemade quenelles (prepared by Stefano and his sister) are heating up, the atmosphere is joyful. Stefano, always teasing, jokes about our now “famous” carrot salad, which he finds uninteresting, and it becomes a running joke. Everything happens together, naturally, in a gentle but well-paced coordination, just like our host. Lunch is warm and shared, and we set the table with eight hands. Anne leaves soon after to catch her Blablacar, not without promising to see each other again, in Sicily or elsewhere. The afternoon is dedicated to shopping and preparing dinner. Tonight, we’re cooking Egyptian food, and a new Warmshowers guest, Robert, is joining us. Jenny bakes another cake, works on her journal, and edits the blog launch video. Ahmed handles the tahini sauce, then prepares Egyptian fouls (slow-cooked fava beans) and oven-roasted potatoes (Batatés Harrah). Stefano heads into town, then returns later with Robert. He’s Estonian, and although an experienced bikepacker, this is his very first solo trip (he usually travels with his wife), and he says it’s a much more mentally intense experience. Dinner is a success. We send pictures to Anne, as promised. We finish the meal with two desserts: strawberries à la Stefano, drizzled with a homemade lemon-cinnamon syrup and topped with whipped cream, and Jenny’s orange cake. The conversation flows easily, filled with laughter, travel stories, and discoveries: we learn that Estonian is a gender-neutral language, that Estonia is one of the most atheist countries in the world… and that Robert’s wife, an architect, is currently designing the Estonian pavilion for the Architecture Biennale! They’ve already toured Georgia by bike, with their own little tricks, like stopping dead when shepherd dogs charge at you. Ahmed and Stefano record a snippet of Ennio Morricone to send to the family in Belgium. The evening ends with a small digestif. Robert hits the road tomorrow. As for us, we feel so good here that we ask Stefano if we can stay a little longer. At his place, everything flows so naturally: the hospitality, the music, the conversations, the shared living. And that is truly precious.
Ancora una volta, Grazie Mille Stefano 💚🤍❤️

Want to see Stefano's special surprise for Géraldine, Estelle, Sofiane & Renée?

Clik the video here below 👇

Farniente in Bolzano with Stefano & Co - Day 03

From shakshuka to the botanical garden, one last day in Bolzano...

This Saturday starts like every other at Stefano’s, with a good strong coffee lovingly prepared in his Italian moka pot. But today, a little morning bonus, Robert, our temporary roommate, remembered an idea from the day before and cooks us a shakshuka for breakfast. A few ingredients are missing, but the result is seriously delicious, and Jenny is won over. As always at Stefano’s, the table is beautifully set by multiple hands, in a lovely collective atmosphere. We share this final moment, the four of us, before Robert hits the road to Venice. As for us, we head off with Stefano to Merano to visit the botanical garden, a trip proposed the day before. Before leaving, Ahmed tries a few more small repairs in the apartment, and Robert shares some tips, as a good engineer, he knows his way around electrics. These last three days, a beautiful chemistry has formed between the four of us (and also with Anne). Amazing when you think we didn’t know each other 48 hours earlier. We take the train with Stefano, Robert leaves on his own. On the train we chat, Ahmed even downloads Fante and Hamsun on Stefano’s Kindle. Then a tiny but packed bus takes us to the entrance of the botanical garden. The ticket is a little dent in our budget, but we decide it’s worth it. We start with the forest zone and the vivarium, then climb up toward Palm Beach, while waiting for today’s two guests, Bacha, a close friend of Stefano, and her mother. We meet them at the aviary, and we click right away. Bacha is in her second year in Bolzano, and they see each other regularly. Her mother, more reserved in English but adorable and funny, rounds out this small, unusual group. We explore hundreds of flowers, collections of lemon and orange trees, koi ponds and tadpoles. The hanging platform, designed by a renowned architect, offers a stunning view. A football match is happening nearby, while we admire the plants, the supporters sing and drum non-stop for 90 minutes. We also discover a very original mosaic recreation of the Dolomites made from stones, with labelled peaks, as well as a water play area with mills and sluices… Stefano and Jenny play there like two kids. Around 5:30 p.m., we leave the girls to continue exploring the city and return to Bolzano with Stefano. This evening, two new couchsurfers are arriving, Lucas and Miguel. Jenny goes out to get a green salad (because here, mixed salad seems mandatory at every meal: lettuce, tomato, mozzarella, carrots…), while Stefano starts cooking. He improvises a menu using leftovers: homemade dumpling broth with gnocchi and ravioli, a lasagna from his mother’s freezer, and some steamed chard with vinaigrette. Jenny prepares the vinaigrette and the big salad. Lucas and Miguel arrive around 8 p.m. They’re Spanish-speaking, Stefano manages, Jenny and Ahmed too, so we switch between Spanish, English, Italian… as always here, hospitality goes beyond language. We sit down to eat, and everything is once again delicious. The meal is simple but plentiful, warm, and we finish almost every dish. After dinner, the conversation starts up again, music, travel, Arabic languages… until we feel fatigue creeping in. Stefano has to get up early, he’s playing at Easter mass tomorrow. Everyone takes a turn in the bathroom, then the three of us settle into our room for one last night, with a hint of nostalgia. Just before drifting off to sleep… a jingle at the lock, Lucas fiddling with the key. A little night adventure? Sai cosa ne pensiamo, vero Stefano? 💚🤍❤️

Easter Sunday, goodbye Stefano, Ciao Bolzano, hello Trento...

Bolzano → Trento – 64 km 🚴

It’s Easter Sunday, and we stayed because we really wanted to be there to see Stefano play at the mass, with the orchestra and choir. He’s clearly become much more than just a host in a few days, a true friend. In the morning, he had told us he’d be very busy, but he still offers us one last coffee, as generous as ever. He prepares some for Lucas and Miguel too. Then everyone goes their separate ways, Stefano to the church, where he’s playing for a mass broadcast on TV and radio. As for us, we pack our panniers and leave the apartment around 9:30 to make sure we don’t miss anything. We settle into the church and watch the end of rehearsals. The acoustics are splendid, the atmosphere solemn. The mass is in Italian and German. Around 11:15, Stefano gestures to us to slip out before the crowd exits. We head back to his place, bring down the bikes, and load everything. And just before stepping outside... Bam, Stefano reappears. Hugs are exchanged. These are real goodbyes, with contained emotion. We ride off, but Bolzano and Stefano remain deeply etched in our hearts. We take the road to Trento, the same path as seven days earlier: Via Claudia Augusta, blooming apple trees, mountains, river. The road slopes gently downward, but a headwind picks up and sticks with us all the way. During a break, we meet a man and his father. A spontaneous chat, exchanges about our project. The grandson is a champion open water swimmer. But it’s Easter Sunday, and of course, everything is closed. No shops, few restaurants. We eventually spot a very “family” place, perfect for cyclists. We order two sandwiches, a small fries, and help ourselves to some sauces. Jenny thinks of her family and the egg hunt. A little wave of nostalgia. Ahmed gets a second sandwich, Jenny goes for a walnut and date tart. We set off again, slowed by a wind that keeps growing stronger. On the way, we meet Roberta, who worked in Belgium and speaks French. Smiling, full of energy, one of those encounters that instantly brighten your day. But as we approach Trento, the mood shifts. It feels denser, rougher. We pass through the suburbs, more working-class. The city centre surprises us with its contrast: visibly drunk people, others in a state of wandering. We find our peace in front of number 11, Dario’s place. He comes out to greet us. Tall, lean, open face, and he speaks perfect French. We store the bikes in a ground floor room. He’s alone for now, his kids are grown, and his wife is off on a cycling trip with a friend. His home is warm and a little unconventional. Dario makes us soup in the pressure cooker, simple but delicious: fava beans, lentils, half blended, sprinkled with parmigiano and a drizzle of olive oil… then a mountain of crêpes he made himself. At the table, we discover one of his books... because Dario is a passionate ultra-trail runner. Quite the character. He runs, writes, and lives for the mountains. Especially the Dolomites, which he deeply cherishes. He tells us about his work with people in social reintegration, and about his wife, a mediator. Bike touring isn’t his passion, but he did it for her, out of love and to share the experience. We talk over herbal tea. It’s late, almost 11 p.m. Time to sleep, full, touched, at peace. We’ll fill in the guestbook tomorrow morning.

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Jenny & Ahmed