I was awake before the alarm went off this morning. So laying there seemed like sleeping in. Eventually I had to open the sleeping bag and crawl out into the morning chill. The heavy dew had stuck the popular fluff down which was nice as there was a lot of it.
The road down to Rome from Taglicozza was 133 kms with 1469 meters of climbing. The total climb doesn’t sound like much but the first 10 kms had 750 meters. So it was a steep climb to the top. I was determined to get over that climb early in the day. The views were just incredible. Little villages perched on impossible cliffs, green valleys, olive groves, and lots of vine yards.
I was riding by myself this morning as I had gotten away early. It was so nice just gliding along without a care in the world. I was almost sorry when the lunch spot came up at the 58 kms mark. It kind of spoiled the moment. The lunch spot was about half way up this really steep climb, overlooking this huge reservoir. It was so beautiful.After lunch the remaining climb seemed impossibly steep with a full stomach. I was gasping by the time I made the summit. I cruised along for another 30 kms before I caught up with a large group of riders who were coming out of a Gelatto shop. They were all following Franc who has a programmed GPS.
It looked like a good group to follow. There were still 43 kms to go and a lot of turns. So I got in line and followed them in. It isn’t very much fun riding in a line but the road was rough and the traffic was getting worse the closer we got to Rome. It was a quick ride which took about 90 minutes and would have taken me close to 2.5 hours with all the navigating.
Here we are on the out skirts of Rome with 2 days off. Tomorrow I will catch a train into Rome to see the sites.
3 comments:
Terry, enjoy your two days in Rome. I would think that GPS would be an invaluable tool over there, when the villages are so close together (reference your picture of the blue directional signs). Keep up the good work!!
You're so Continental! Sounds like a really fun trip. We were in Rome for a day last summer before our anniversary cruise. Wandering the streets of Rome, smoking a Cuban cigar, and seeing the sights and sounds and smells was a real treat. Enjoy it!
Tom
A GPS could be very inexpensive to purchase over there but that may take away the adventure of finishing a day's ride to the right place. MS Rona ride is next weekend and I'm not prepared for it. One 65 km ride is all I have done for training.
Oh look another hill....
Don
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