The next stage of our trip started with a cycleway along an old railway line. This was a smooth ride along asphalt right next to the sea. Unfortunately it only lasted for about six kilometres; then it was an uphill climb from sea level to a pass about 500 metres above sea level, before dropping back down to the coast. My front brake started to make a nasty noise on the way down the hill, so after a quick stop at a bike shop for some new brake pads we were on our way again. We have found bike shops very easy to find in Italy and despite the language barrier they have always been very friendly and helpful.
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| Italian countryside - our road passed just below the peak at the back |
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| Lunch stop! |
That evening, we realised we hadn't yet had any tiramasu while we were in Italy. We couldn't find it in our neighbourhood so we had to settle for panna cotta and tart. We never did end up having tiramasu, so will just have to save it for next time.
The next day we learnt that Google is definitely smarter than we are. First up, I decided a country road looked like a better option than the way Google Maps suggested. This ended in us both pushing our bikes up a very steep one way section of road. I guess country roads aren't graded quite the same.
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| One more tunnel = one less hill! |
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| Pushing up the hill |
Google schooled us again later that day when we couldn't work out why it was suggesting a detour - so we decided to ignore it. We found ourselves at a dead end due to a recent landslide and again pushing our bikes up a steep walking path to get back on track. I guess someone at Google knows what they're doing.
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| Campsite overlooking the sea |
The next day we had planned one of our biggest day so far (93km) and would also be crossing over 1000km for our trip. We were travelling along a coastal highway and had stunning views most of the way.
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| 1000km! (We also took a selfie but our vanity precludes it from making the blog) |
Our last day of cycling in Italy would take us along a 26km stretch coastal cycleway and then through Monaco and France. It was great to get off the road and mix in with the locals out for their exercise. We met a very friendly British man on the cycleway, Charlie (who was based in Monaco and out for a causal 130km ride), who was kind enough to shout us one last Italian coffee.
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| Ciao Italy |
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| Bonjour France |
We had a great time in Italy. It was filled with friendly people, great coffee, awesome food and a real range of stunning locations. We are so lucky to have the opportunity to be on this trip - we are getting fit, experiencing new food and places, and even learning some new things on the way. I hope we can return to Italy some day - even if it is just for one more Napoli pizza!
- Sarah
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