Yesterday near the end of the day as I was riding I met 2 Canadians Ivars and Kim. They had just stopped at the top of a hill and I as usual fired 100 questions, Where? Why? How? How long? How far? Your bikes? Your gears? You know the usual stuff.
As I left Kim reminded me the second campsite was the one to go to. I did think for a moment they would be going to the 1st campsite. That thought lingered only a millisecond, they were Canadian, renowned for their amenable disposition, they wouldn’t give me a bum steer from only 5 mins of meeting.
I eventually got to the campsite, pitched tent and relaxed. To my relief Kim and Ivars came in soon after, their route had sent them down some pretty muddy paths.
After cleaning up and getting sorted Ivars asked if I would like to join them and discuss trips etc. I readily agreed. We spent an hour or so talking. I’m so jealous of some of the routes they have taken and Ivars pictures are a class way above my scattergun approach. What a joy to sit down and talk. Thanks Ivers and Kim for a great evening. 😃
As I packed up in the morning Kim and Ivars were leaving at the same time, sorry no pictures.
My route to Pisa went up and up for the first hour, cream croissants, other patisseries and double espresso fuelled my way. At one of the cafes the guys, never seen a woman in those type of cafes yet, said I had to miss an extended bridge and use another route. I heeded their warning and was rewarded by a spectacular route which at one point turned into a serious off road mountain bike route necessitating walking and carrying. A local showed me the way at a couple of points as I was hesitating, he wavered away the Do Not Pass Here sign. All was good and the final steep switchback road was a full test on my brakes.
The rest of the route was flat as a pancake. But it got me to Pisa.
A Couple of Days Ride Outta....... 