Saturday, September 27, 2008
September 23rd, Urbino to Frontone, 47k
Our intention this a.m. was to wake up at 6 a.m. But we were so cozy in our sleeping bags that we did not leave until 9, instead of 8 a.m. We boiled 4 eggs for breakfast on our alcohol stove and had it with bread and anchovy spread and of course, with hot tea. Today we are trying to get to Gubbio, 45k to the south. We set our goals on the town of Cagli. The weather started off cloudy and cool and we were cold in our long descents. The road flattened and narrowed as we entered Furlo, a national forest area with steep gorges and an ancient Roman tunnel to go through. We stop for coffee past the tunnel in an area where Mussolini used to do the same (La Golena at Gola di Furlo=, for its beauty. Elaine gets her phone card stuck in the phone booth and has to call on the baristas to bail her out to no avail. Mauny and tools to the rescue! After Cagli, we stop at the side of the road to eat p&j sandwiches and press on after that. When we reached Frontone, a town before we are to make a major ascent into the national forest (with no towns en route), the weatherman, Mauny notices a huge thunderhead and believes it would not be best to press on. We stop in a lovely little 2-star hotel in Frontone for the night. After checking in, we go for a little walk in the town and then return to the room. Mauny is an accurate weatherman as we do have showers that would have been treacherous conditions for us had we pressed on. Our room opens onto the roof and we handwash clothes and cook in the bathroom. We do have coffee in the restaurant as well as apertifs of limoncello after dinner. Hey you have to have some class. 55Euros for the hotel is a bargain in these parts. That is about 75 dollars. Elaine makes many calls to Servas to continue cutting our expenses while experiencing Italy with the locals.
September 22nd: Urbino, 10k
We wake up to no rain and wet clothes on the line. But the sun is peeking out. Mauny is out of clean clothes and borrows one of Elaines shirts. Our breakfast is hot tea and a new creation that Elaine wants to market...peanut butter and nutella sandwiches...but perhaps will inject them into a croissant.
We have a steep descent and then a short ascent into Urbino. We lock the bike, while everyone is in awe of our mode of transport. We visit the big Cathedral, the palace of the Ducale, and the National Gallery. Murals are on display from the 15th and 16th century with other paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries. The city is a true gem.
We spend two hours at the Internet cafe, buy some groceries for tomorrows ride. We ride back to the campground which is on top of hill, from which you can see the walled city of Urbino. You can hear the church bells ring from our site. That night we have mashed potatoes with salami. We will have to decleanse ourselves upon our return to the states. Each night seems filled with checking maps, guidebooks, and listings of Servas hosts. No time for luxury reading.
We have a steep descent and then a short ascent into Urbino. We lock the bike, while everyone is in awe of our mode of transport. We visit the big Cathedral, the palace of the Ducale, and the National Gallery. Murals are on display from the 15th and 16th century with other paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries. The city is a true gem.
We spend two hours at the Internet cafe, buy some groceries for tomorrows ride. We ride back to the campground which is on top of hill, from which you can see the walled city of Urbino. You can hear the church bells ring from our site. That night we have mashed potatoes with salami. We will have to decleanse ourselves upon our return to the states. Each night seems filled with checking maps, guidebooks, and listings of Servas hosts. No time for luxury reading.
Sunday, September 9th: Into the hills from Catolica, 49.7 km
We woke up at 7:30 and as directed by our hosts, we ate in the hotel restaurant. It seems that they have some type of arrangement for such things for their guests. Fantastic chocolate croissants. It is hard to imagine, that just a week ago, we were bailing water out of our tent and now we are getting first class treatment. After loading our bikes, we knocked on our hosts door and they came down to the garage and then outside to take many photos prior to departure. We wished we could have stayed longer, but we must move on, especially when the skies are kind. We are proud to have been Georgias first Servas guests.
The ride today is throught the hill towns in Le Marche. This is what we came for. Windy roads through fields of of olive, apple, plum trees and grapevines. Our goal is the jewel of Umbria...Urbino. It is about 5:30 when we arrive in the outskirts. We see in our guide book that there is a campground outside of Urbino...but will it be open? We took a chance, after a hard climb, it was hard to give up what we had gained. We screamed down a steep descent, only to find ourselves having to climb up the steepest part of our trip so far...and were so glad to see the doors to the campground open! We camped here for two nights, so that we could spend a full day in Urbino. We had showers on and off, but no worres with our new rainproof tent. We made soup, with tuna and cheese sandwiches, took hot showers and hung some clothing out to dry. However, it rained during the night and the clothes would have to go into plastic bags for our next leg of the trip.
The ride today is throught the hill towns in Le Marche. This is what we came for. Windy roads through fields of of olive, apple, plum trees and grapevines. Our goal is the jewel of Umbria...Urbino. It is about 5:30 when we arrive in the outskirts. We see in our guide book that there is a campground outside of Urbino...but will it be open? We took a chance, after a hard climb, it was hard to give up what we had gained. We screamed down a steep descent, only to find ourselves having to climb up the steepest part of our trip so far...and were so glad to see the doors to the campground open! We camped here for two nights, so that we could spend a full day in Urbino. We had showers on and off, but no worres with our new rainproof tent. We made soup, with tuna and cheese sandwiches, took hot showers and hung some clothing out to dry. However, it rained during the night and the clothes would have to go into plastic bags for our next leg of the trip.
Sat., September 20th, On the "Panoramica" - 35 km
This morning we said goodbye to our lovely Servas host in Verseba outside of Rimini (home of Fellini, by the way). Our goal today is to take our fully loaded tandem on the train south from Rimini to Pesaro and then ride north along what is called the Panoramica a cliffside ride along the Adriatic.
We are forewarned that we must carry our bike up and down steps at the train station (the number of these steps at each station will be different). Then we must quickly decide which end of the train has the bicycle loading car. All of our years of lifting weights (and doing aerobics paid off) as we were able to accomplish both. Fortunately we poised the bike away from pedestrian traffic on the platform - midway, and Elaine ran ahead of Mauny to direct him to the proper car to store our bike. No car was marked so we chose our own. Getting the bike up the three stairs with a narrow door on the train was the most challenging aspect of this journey. However, in the end, we had the whole car to ourselves and no conductor even checked our tickets. Then we had to hurriedly get the bike off the train, before it left for the next stop after Pesaro. Our hearts were pumping.
Finally in Pesaro and after some discussions with a charismatic taxi driver (we think), we made our way to the entrance of the Panoramica. About mid-way we stopped at a recommended restaurant (La Rupe) with a view in a tiny old town on a hill. In addition to eating lunch there, we walked around the town and took some pictures. The sun was breaking through clouds at last.
Then we rode on to Cattolica where we were going to stay with another Servas host for the night. After meandering around a couple seaside towns, we found our way to Cattolica.
Our host told us she lived in a hotel (Hotel Kurstaal). We were pleasantly surprised at our wonderful accomodations. They live in a penthouse at the top of a seemingly very high end hotel. We were given our own two rooms with a bath (and kitchen if we so chose to use it). We had a wonderful view of the plaza where a military band played later in the evening and we watched a fountain dance to music being played on the square. We were actually greeted by the mother of our host, who showed us the garage where we could store our bike and then took us our room and told us that our host, Georgia Galanti, a graphic artist, would be arriving around 6:30 and we would have dinner at 7:00. Georgia arrived as expected, and tooke us for a walk around the pristine town and then to her parents home (the penthouse) for dinner. Apparently, Georgia is working on a home now in the Panaramica and these are her digs in the interim. Her husband is an actor, but was travelling. She had a very charming 6 year old son, appropriately named Leonardo. After a lovely dinner prepared by Sandra, at the end of which we had homemade limencello in frozen ice cups (I must buy some before leaving Italy--Sandra has provided the recipe), Sandra and Georgia went to an art opening in another town. The opening was for a touring theatre troupe and Georgia had created all the promo for it. Because we were leaving early in the morning, we could not go. You just cannot do anything. So Mauny and I retired to our room and watched TV.
We are forewarned that we must carry our bike up and down steps at the train station (the number of these steps at each station will be different). Then we must quickly decide which end of the train has the bicycle loading car. All of our years of lifting weights (and doing aerobics paid off) as we were able to accomplish both. Fortunately we poised the bike away from pedestrian traffic on the platform - midway, and Elaine ran ahead of Mauny to direct him to the proper car to store our bike. No car was marked so we chose our own. Getting the bike up the three stairs with a narrow door on the train was the most challenging aspect of this journey. However, in the end, we had the whole car to ourselves and no conductor even checked our tickets. Then we had to hurriedly get the bike off the train, before it left for the next stop after Pesaro. Our hearts were pumping.
Finally in Pesaro and after some discussions with a charismatic taxi driver (we think), we made our way to the entrance of the Panoramica. About mid-way we stopped at a recommended restaurant (La Rupe) with a view in a tiny old town on a hill. In addition to eating lunch there, we walked around the town and took some pictures. The sun was breaking through clouds at last.
Then we rode on to Cattolica where we were going to stay with another Servas host for the night. After meandering around a couple seaside towns, we found our way to Cattolica.
Our host told us she lived in a hotel (Hotel Kurstaal). We were pleasantly surprised at our wonderful accomodations. They live in a penthouse at the top of a seemingly very high end hotel. We were given our own two rooms with a bath (and kitchen if we so chose to use it). We had a wonderful view of the plaza where a military band played later in the evening and we watched a fountain dance to music being played on the square. We were actually greeted by the mother of our host, who showed us the garage where we could store our bike and then took us our room and told us that our host, Georgia Galanti, a graphic artist, would be arriving around 6:30 and we would have dinner at 7:00. Georgia arrived as expected, and tooke us for a walk around the pristine town and then to her parents home (the penthouse) for dinner. Apparently, Georgia is working on a home now in the Panaramica and these are her digs in the interim. Her husband is an actor, but was travelling. She had a very charming 6 year old son, appropriately named Leonardo. After a lovely dinner prepared by Sandra, at the end of which we had homemade limencello in frozen ice cups (I must buy some before leaving Italy--Sandra has provided the recipe), Sandra and Georgia went to an art opening in another town. The opening was for a touring theatre troupe and Georgia had created all the promo for it. Because we were leaving early in the morning, we could not go. You just cannot do anything. So Mauny and I retired to our room and watched TV.
Monday, September 22, 2008
We are in Urbino! Our first true hill town
We have made it to the hill town Urbino. What an adventure this has been. But, let us step back in time:
Last Sunday, 9-14, we were still huddled insinde our leaky tent bailing out water continuously. I succeeded getting money out of the last ATM in Sottomarina. Weather is what we would call a tempest! Supposed to get better tomorrow. I cleaned the bike form the sand, and rust formed on the chain. The rest of the time we read, and sit at the local restaurant sipping "cafe Americano con latte caldo". The papers are full of pictures, and headline about this severe storm with flooded streets all over Italy, but not a mention of two poor cyclists from America shivering in their tent...
Monday, 9-15-08: Sottomarina to Mesola, 104 km
We never planned to ride this long, but with our Micheline map we were forced to ride almost half the distance trying to find our way. Here is the rule: the Micheline map has selected towns listed on it. Not one of the towns they selcted to indicate on the map corrolates to the road signs - not even one! So, each time we are at an intersection, nothing makes sense. On the other hand, the Italian road signs do not indicate distances from and to. This makes it difficult to throw in a wild guess. As the day goes by, we realze that we need to ask as many people as possible who look at us puzzled as we mispronounce the names of their towns. Anyway, if not for our desire for a true adventure, we would have booked a guided tour...
So, we ride the Po valley with bike paths on and off. It is flat, fast and a marvelous view. We had an adventure finding how to get on a ramp leading to a big bridge across the Po. We finally passed over this giant river, and onto another smaller Po. The weather was threatening but we were spared any rain.
As we crossed a small river, just before the town of Loreo, Elaine sees a helmeted guy in a church yard. She tells me he must be looking for a bathroom. As we round the curve we see against the wall at the side of the road a sight we never expected to ever see: a red tandem, Santana no else twing a BOB trailer. A lady was standing next to it, and we stopped in awe. The guy returned form the church yard, and we all started laughing. How incredible could this be? We met Elizabeth from Austria, and Peter from Switzerland. Both about our age, and travelling along the Po Valley all the way from their home country. We were going in opposite directions, they from Ferrera to Venice, us from Venice to Ravenna. There was a nice country-side restaurant next to the churck, and we sat down for a drink and a long friendly chat. This so far is a big highlight for us!
We parted company after posing for photos. Our quest for easy navigation continued with our inadequate map, and the enigmatic towns. It was getting late in the afternoon, and we realized we were going to have to be creative. There were no hotels, no campground - nothing in this area with only a small rural towns. Suddenly, at about 7:30 Mauny spots what looked like a playground, and a picnic area with tables, chairs, and swings. There was a building suggesting a restaurant, but no, it is a small airport. It looked quiet, but two cars were parked in front of the building. Elaine knocked on the door, and two ladies with a young boy came out. Elaine asked if we could camp there. They saied it was. We started pitching our tent, and suddenly one of the ladies came and said we could sleep inside the restaurant, because it was supposed to rain that night. We asked about the morning, all in broken Italian, Spanish, French, and some English. We understood that this is a private airport that was not going to be used for several days. They gave us keys to the restaurant so we could lock ourselves in, and said we could leave the back door unlocked after we left. This was an experience of hospitality at its best! We slept while it rained outside ( We still had our leaky tent, and it would not be fun to have to bail it again).
Tuesday, 9-16-08: On to Marina di Ravenna, 88 km - Surprise no. 3!
We had a good wake up at our little airport dwelling. We didn't mention the friendly, and playful kitten the kept us company through the night. Acutally, we wanted to get it inside, but didn't want to break its habbits in case it was being trained not to enter. So we cuddled, and played but put it outside for the night.
The good news is: no rain! On this ride we are still on flat terrain cruising at 20-25 kph with occasional head wind. We pass a couple of charming towns such as Porto Garibaldi, and Comancchio. Both having a small canal - a slice of Venice, and a busy town center. The new shocking surprise it that most campgrounds closed on the day we departed Sottomarina. This wasn't mentioned clearly in our guidebook. We are now in late afternoon after crossing by ferry into Marina di Ravena to discover that we are tired, and are forced to either continue into Ravenna risking getting lost and riding in the dark. So, we check into a nice hotel at 100 Euros! We start doing the math with our fingers in total shock. We couldn't afford this situation on an ongoing basis. We must find as many SERVAS hosts as possible, and verify that there are some campgrounds open thorughout the year, somewhere in Italy. We had a good hot shower, and cooked a meal inside the hotel (this is something we had mastered many years ago while travelling in Mexico.
Wednesday 9-17-08, 10.2 km - Marina di Ravenna to the City of Ravenna
Up early at our 100 Euro Riviera Hotel. We eat the included breakfast, and pack our panniers for a short ride into town. The bike was stored for the night in the hotel garage, so we pull it out, install the panniers on, and off we go. This session with the panniers takes up to an hour each day when we fold camp regardless whether we camp, or stay at a house or hotel.
Arrived in Ravenna at about 11:00 am to find that the hostel we were going to check into was closed. You see, in Italy most businesses are closed in mid day. Luckily they allowed us to lock our bike in their storgae bin, so that we could walk around town. Ravenna is famouse for its mosaics. Today we are only seeking information regarding where to find good maps, and a rainproof tent. We also acquired information about storing bikes, and internet access. Today ended with information about everything, a purchase of groceries for the next two days. We chacked in, brought the panniers to the third floor where we stayed, and after a shower and dinner, we were in bed.
Thursday, 9-18-08. Zero Km, A Day in the City of Ravenna
We woke up early so that we could visit the museums, and cathedrals with enough time to find maps, and the most important item - a good tent.
Even though Ravenna is a city of cyclists, we decided to do it on foot. We would only walk about 6-8 km, and it would free us from the bike for the day. We visited many fine sites with unbelievable moasaics such as we have never seen before. When we publish pictures after our return, it will become obvious why Ravenna is such a unique town. However, besides the historical sites, we marvelled at the people who ride bikes all over town. There were dressed up ladies riding with high heels, old men going about their business, and grandmothers carrying their granchildren in baskets. Many people do business with store owners without even getting off their bikes! Oh, and we found a tent! Alas, it is bigger than what we hoped for ( 4 people) adding close to 10 lbs to our total load. The good thing is that the poles have shorter links, so that it packs better on our rear saddle. We also found good maps that were recommended to us by our first SERVAS hosts. We have accomplished the most improtant things we set out to do to make our trip more comfortable. We set up our new tent at the hostel's back yard, and I cut out the tub of our leaky tent, discarding the top. This tub would become our bicycle cover for those rainy days. Leaving the bike uncovered proved to be a bad thing. It is in pretty bad shape after a rainy ride as it is, and needs a wiping, and lubricating.
At the hostel, two cyclists from Holand checked in. They rode all the way form Holand along the Rhine, and were enroute to Rome. So far the long distance cyclists we have been meeting were headed to Rome...
Friday, 9-19-08: Ravenna to Rimini - 62 km. A Crappy Rainy Day!
We awoke to a clooudy day with rain in them. We decided to leave no matter what. The reason was that we had made arrangements to visit with a SERVAS host just north of Rimini, and we didn't want to miss our date. As we were packing the bike the rain started. First a drizzle, and then steady rain. We rode a few km to Basilica di S. Apollinare in Classe. We had to get on the main highway for a few kms, but soon we spotted a small and pleasant road to Classe, and arrived at the Basilica. From then on, we kept riding carefully, dodging pot holes, and bad spots. This is when we got our first flat. The rain took a pause, thankfully, just long enough for me to change the tube. We came upon the beautiful coastal town of Casenatico, with its decorated fishing boats, and a nice harbor scene. We stopped for pictures, and a cup of hot coffee. Our rain gear works fine, but it doesn't protect our feet. We called our SERVAS host, Mariolena to let here know we were expected to arrive at her house at 4 pm. We are a bit better at second guessing our Micheline map, and have managed to "outsmart" it on a few occasions...our new maps do not include this area. We arrived at Viserba (just a bit north of Rimini), and knocked on our host's door at around 5pm. We trully felt thankful that our host, Mariolena let two wet cyclists stay the night at her lovely house. We had a tasty Italian dinner, with soup, pasta, and cheese. We drank wine, and herbal tea, and had very interesting conversations. Mariolena is a fine artist who loves watercolors, and has been a photographer for many years. She has exhibited in galleries, and we enjoyed here photo books. We slept like babies!
Last Sunday, 9-14, we were still huddled insinde our leaky tent bailing out water continuously. I succeeded getting money out of the last ATM in Sottomarina. Weather is what we would call a tempest! Supposed to get better tomorrow. I cleaned the bike form the sand, and rust formed on the chain. The rest of the time we read, and sit at the local restaurant sipping "cafe Americano con latte caldo". The papers are full of pictures, and headline about this severe storm with flooded streets all over Italy, but not a mention of two poor cyclists from America shivering in their tent...
Monday, 9-15-08: Sottomarina to Mesola, 104 km
We never planned to ride this long, but with our Micheline map we were forced to ride almost half the distance trying to find our way. Here is the rule: the Micheline map has selected towns listed on it. Not one of the towns they selcted to indicate on the map corrolates to the road signs - not even one! So, each time we are at an intersection, nothing makes sense. On the other hand, the Italian road signs do not indicate distances from and to. This makes it difficult to throw in a wild guess. As the day goes by, we realze that we need to ask as many people as possible who look at us puzzled as we mispronounce the names of their towns. Anyway, if not for our desire for a true adventure, we would have booked a guided tour...
So, we ride the Po valley with bike paths on and off. It is flat, fast and a marvelous view. We had an adventure finding how to get on a ramp leading to a big bridge across the Po. We finally passed over this giant river, and onto another smaller Po. The weather was threatening but we were spared any rain.
As we crossed a small river, just before the town of Loreo, Elaine sees a helmeted guy in a church yard. She tells me he must be looking for a bathroom. As we round the curve we see against the wall at the side of the road a sight we never expected to ever see: a red tandem, Santana no else twing a BOB trailer. A lady was standing next to it, and we stopped in awe. The guy returned form the church yard, and we all started laughing. How incredible could this be? We met Elizabeth from Austria, and Peter from Switzerland. Both about our age, and travelling along the Po Valley all the way from their home country. We were going in opposite directions, they from Ferrera to Venice, us from Venice to Ravenna. There was a nice country-side restaurant next to the churck, and we sat down for a drink and a long friendly chat. This so far is a big highlight for us!
We parted company after posing for photos. Our quest for easy navigation continued with our inadequate map, and the enigmatic towns. It was getting late in the afternoon, and we realized we were going to have to be creative. There were no hotels, no campground - nothing in this area with only a small rural towns. Suddenly, at about 7:30 Mauny spots what looked like a playground, and a picnic area with tables, chairs, and swings. There was a building suggesting a restaurant, but no, it is a small airport. It looked quiet, but two cars were parked in front of the building. Elaine knocked on the door, and two ladies with a young boy came out. Elaine asked if we could camp there. They saied it was. We started pitching our tent, and suddenly one of the ladies came and said we could sleep inside the restaurant, because it was supposed to rain that night. We asked about the morning, all in broken Italian, Spanish, French, and some English. We understood that this is a private airport that was not going to be used for several days. They gave us keys to the restaurant so we could lock ourselves in, and said we could leave the back door unlocked after we left. This was an experience of hospitality at its best! We slept while it rained outside ( We still had our leaky tent, and it would not be fun to have to bail it again).
Tuesday, 9-16-08: On to Marina di Ravenna, 88 km - Surprise no. 3!
We had a good wake up at our little airport dwelling. We didn't mention the friendly, and playful kitten the kept us company through the night. Acutally, we wanted to get it inside, but didn't want to break its habbits in case it was being trained not to enter. So we cuddled, and played but put it outside for the night.
The good news is: no rain! On this ride we are still on flat terrain cruising at 20-25 kph with occasional head wind. We pass a couple of charming towns such as Porto Garibaldi, and Comancchio. Both having a small canal - a slice of Venice, and a busy town center. The new shocking surprise it that most campgrounds closed on the day we departed Sottomarina. This wasn't mentioned clearly in our guidebook. We are now in late afternoon after crossing by ferry into Marina di Ravena to discover that we are tired, and are forced to either continue into Ravenna risking getting lost and riding in the dark. So, we check into a nice hotel at 100 Euros! We start doing the math with our fingers in total shock. We couldn't afford this situation on an ongoing basis. We must find as many SERVAS hosts as possible, and verify that there are some campgrounds open thorughout the year, somewhere in Italy. We had a good hot shower, and cooked a meal inside the hotel (this is something we had mastered many years ago while travelling in Mexico.
Wednesday 9-17-08, 10.2 km - Marina di Ravenna to the City of Ravenna
Up early at our 100 Euro Riviera Hotel. We eat the included breakfast, and pack our panniers for a short ride into town. The bike was stored for the night in the hotel garage, so we pull it out, install the panniers on, and off we go. This session with the panniers takes up to an hour each day when we fold camp regardless whether we camp, or stay at a house or hotel.
Arrived in Ravenna at about 11:00 am to find that the hostel we were going to check into was closed. You see, in Italy most businesses are closed in mid day. Luckily they allowed us to lock our bike in their storgae bin, so that we could walk around town. Ravenna is famouse for its mosaics. Today we are only seeking information regarding where to find good maps, and a rainproof tent. We also acquired information about storing bikes, and internet access. Today ended with information about everything, a purchase of groceries for the next two days. We chacked in, brought the panniers to the third floor where we stayed, and after a shower and dinner, we were in bed.
Thursday, 9-18-08. Zero Km, A Day in the City of Ravenna
We woke up early so that we could visit the museums, and cathedrals with enough time to find maps, and the most important item - a good tent.
Even though Ravenna is a city of cyclists, we decided to do it on foot. We would only walk about 6-8 km, and it would free us from the bike for the day. We visited many fine sites with unbelievable moasaics such as we have never seen before. When we publish pictures after our return, it will become obvious why Ravenna is such a unique town. However, besides the historical sites, we marvelled at the people who ride bikes all over town. There were dressed up ladies riding with high heels, old men going about their business, and grandmothers carrying their granchildren in baskets. Many people do business with store owners without even getting off their bikes! Oh, and we found a tent! Alas, it is bigger than what we hoped for ( 4 people) adding close to 10 lbs to our total load. The good thing is that the poles have shorter links, so that it packs better on our rear saddle. We also found good maps that were recommended to us by our first SERVAS hosts. We have accomplished the most improtant things we set out to do to make our trip more comfortable. We set up our new tent at the hostel's back yard, and I cut out the tub of our leaky tent, discarding the top. This tub would become our bicycle cover for those rainy days. Leaving the bike uncovered proved to be a bad thing. It is in pretty bad shape after a rainy ride as it is, and needs a wiping, and lubricating.
At the hostel, two cyclists from Holand checked in. They rode all the way form Holand along the Rhine, and were enroute to Rome. So far the long distance cyclists we have been meeting were headed to Rome...
Friday, 9-19-08: Ravenna to Rimini - 62 km. A Crappy Rainy Day!
We awoke to a clooudy day with rain in them. We decided to leave no matter what. The reason was that we had made arrangements to visit with a SERVAS host just north of Rimini, and we didn't want to miss our date. As we were packing the bike the rain started. First a drizzle, and then steady rain. We rode a few km to Basilica di S. Apollinare in Classe. We had to get on the main highway for a few kms, but soon we spotted a small and pleasant road to Classe, and arrived at the Basilica. From then on, we kept riding carefully, dodging pot holes, and bad spots. This is when we got our first flat. The rain took a pause, thankfully, just long enough for me to change the tube. We came upon the beautiful coastal town of Casenatico, with its decorated fishing boats, and a nice harbor scene. We stopped for pictures, and a cup of hot coffee. Our rain gear works fine, but it doesn't protect our feet. We called our SERVAS host, Mariolena to let here know we were expected to arrive at her house at 4 pm. We are a bit better at second guessing our Micheline map, and have managed to "outsmart" it on a few occasions...our new maps do not include this area. We arrived at Viserba (just a bit north of Rimini), and knocked on our host's door at around 5pm. We trully felt thankful that our host, Mariolena let two wet cyclists stay the night at her lovely house. We had a tasty Italian dinner, with soup, pasta, and cheese. We drank wine, and herbal tea, and had very interesting conversations. Mariolena is a fine artist who loves watercolors, and has been a photographer for many years. She has exhibited in galleries, and we enjoyed here photo books. We slept like babies!
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