They Just Keep Coming

Yep, some of the things we’ve been experiencing lately, continued to appear today…they just kept comin’!

First were the hills. They kept on comin’! We went up and up and up again today. Long climbs, not mega steep, but long and constant. The gears got a workout on the uphill and the brakes got an ultra workout on the downhill. Sometimes I think I prefer the ups to the downs. The ups are hard, but the downs can be scary when they’re as steep as they were today. I just hoped the brakes worked and that I didn’t tip over the handlebars, I seemed to be pointing downwards so much on the incline!

Next were the views. They kept coming too and were grand. We could look out across the hills again, down into towns and, as we reached our destination, up at towns on cliff tops again. The climbing is so worth it, when we get to feast our eyes on the scenery. We had a cold start today, but then the sun came out and it was nice and warm, so it was terrific, riding along on fairly quiet roads, in the warmer air, looking around at the scenery. Splendid.

Then there were the little towns. We had them again today too. One in particular,  Baschi, was like something from an Italian storybook. The streets were more like paths, they were so narrow. They were cobbled and lined with houses, with small balconies and flower pots on the windowsills and railings. These streets were super steep, so we tilted our way down the cobbles, looking around us at that quaint and charming little town. The view of the town from below, was equally amazing, with it perched high up on the hill.

We stopped in the small town of Attigliano for elevenses today and sat in the sun, beside another monument.

As we approached our destination, near the cliff top town of Orte, we came down another hill, looked up and had a spectacular view of the medieval town on the cliff. The hill, the view and the town, all blended together for another splendid moment.

We rode 58km, we could have kept riding, because we arrived in Orte shortly after lunch, but had pre booked a room, so had to stop. We’re doing some town hopping again, because of some limited accommodation options, and with the days being shorter now, we don’t want to get caught on the busy roads in the dark, so if it means an earlier than usual finish, then we’ll opt for that, rather than take our chances. It was a really nice ride today, it was super to have the warm sun, which even made the downhills less freezing. For the first time in ages, we were taking layers off, rather than putting them on. So with the sun, the little towns, and the views that were the prize for our climbing, it was a fun and enjoyable day on wheels. We have rain and storms forecast for the next couple of days, so we’ll be getting soggy tomorrow, as we try and make some more distance in our journey south. We know there are hills involved tomorrow too, some biggies, but we’ll manage them, if they’re part of a three course feast like we had today, with the towns and the views served up too. Let’s have a look at the menu!…