October 12th, Radda in Chianti to Florence, 56k

Taday we had left St. Gimignano before getting here. Another gorgeous day and another beautiful route through the Chianti region of Tuscany. Before departing we had coffee at a cafe in Radda. A German couple stopped on bikes and asked us about the tandem (they had one too). This ended up being a delightful and long conversation for which they joined us at our table. Such are the joys of being on the road and making yourself available to rub elbows. We departed later than hoped, but arrived in Florence in time to enjoy a wonderful descent from Chianti, around a beautiful botanical garden and down a windy street into our campground, the Michelangelo campground. The campground is perched high on a cliff overlooking the Arno river and a stunning view of all of Florence. It has great amenities, including very hot showers, a bar and cafe, internet access, store, bus and foot access to town, etc. We also got assigned a tiny spot in an area all to ourselves. It is quite cozy. Thus is the end to the riding part of our trip to Italy. Stay tuned as we explore on foot, Florence, Lucca, and Cinque Terre.