I start the day in a really chilled fashion. Awake ages before Andy, I roll out the yoga mat and do a few sun salutations whilst the kettle boils for coffee. Then I’m sat admiring the view and listening to the birds and insects going about their business as the campsite wakes up. It’s so peaceful and chilled. Why don’t I do this more often? Just sit. And listen. In the moment.
I find myself thinking I should make the effort for a few minutes more often and convince myself that’s what I’m doing….then pick up my phone and write this📱. PUT IT DOWN!
Anyway, the moment whilst lovely is short lived and Andy awakes, ready for our first Tuscan cycling adventure. I have the same pre ride nerves as usual. Eat porridge and do appropriate pre ride faff including stuffing my pockets with snackage.
After our gravel adventures in France, Andy had prepared a ride on his laptop yesterday so we downloaded it to our bike computers to just follow the instructions. Easy. Then we’re off.
As the campsite is on top of a hill, the first couple of miles were my kind of riding. Downhill on a road with sweeping bends. This is boding well I think. Then we turn left and the fun begins….
Beautiful countryside views, meandering through a vineyard. Up and down and round and about. Spectacular. Only wishing I wasn’t on my road bike. Another great opportunity for Andy to learn that his legs can also do walking 🚶♀️😁!
Finally we reach a farm building that I’ve convinced myself means a road only to be confronted by more gravel and a sign that confirms otherwise. Oops 😬, looks like we’re on the wrong sort of bike. Thank goodness for all that route planning!
So we carry on walking, then riding a bit, then walking when it gets a bit hairy again e.g. 18% slope downhill on non-grippy gravel. Then there’s a railway – civilisation? A station? Surely that means tarmac? Nope, our route suggests that we try and cross the river….
We eventually head up hill to a road for a short while then spend a long time on strada bianche. They sound beautiful and are described as compacted gravel (that’ll be ok 👌) but the ones we were on weren’t too compacted and looked a dirty grey colour to me. After a few near misses and tears, we finally make it onto tarmac and head into Sienna. By this time my porridge had long worn off and Andy’s breakfast of champions (snacking meat and Haribo) was long gone and we arrived in the medieval city as the restaurants were stopping their lunch service. Awesome!
So what do you do in a medieval city with narrow cobbled streets and stairs? Google pizza, take your death trap cleated shoes off and walk in your socks, with your bike on your shoulder til you find your food.
Refuelled with pasta and gallons of fluid later, we head back to the road, a real road, for the ride home. Really pretty but by this time, I’m pooped. From the emotion, the hard work and the heat. And the last bit at least is mostly up hill. Nevertheless, we make it home in reasonable time.
45 of the 73 miles Andy had planned for the day achieved…..maybe he can do the outstanding miles on his own tomorrow!
Meanderings in Merfyn 