Final Ride – Saludecio
Woke up this morning feeling the
effects of yesterday’s hill climb and the accumulation of the week’s
riding. Neither of us have done this
much riding since we were in our twenties. As a result, we chose the shortest ride of the day – 53 km
to the hill town of Saludecio (yes, it seems all the towns are on the top of
hills). The other choice was 99 km
to Urbano. The week’s riding has definitely
provided us with newfound strength and a ton of confidence but I think we were
okay with the short hop and look forward to a few days rest.
The ride was great. Just enough hill climbing (700 meters
of elevation change) to make it interesting, the down hills exhilarating, and
the vistas most memorable. Most of
the farms have half their crops in and the fields have been turned and readied
for fall planting. When we do stop
along the way the silence is almost eerie. You can almost feel the slow pace of farming life. The farmhouses appear to be all cut
from the same clothe – a combination of beige brick and stone.
 |
Admiring his Bike after another uphill climb. |
When we reached Saludecio it
seemed like we were the only ones there.
One café was open and soon we had the two baristas on the hop. Enjoyed our Latte’s (no cappuccinos
today) in an outside courtyard overlooking the valley.
 |
Entering Saludecio. |
The downhill run was the usual
blast and back to the hotel we rolled.
Always back for lunch at 2 pm.
This time our group was the first to arrive and we had first crack at
the buffet and tables by the pool.
We returned our bikes to the
rental shop. I loved my bike. I took pictures of it when we
parted. I felt like I was leaving
an old friend. You have to have a
lot of confidence in your bike when you let it freewheel you at 65 km down a
mountain road. I don’t think I’ll
ever ride as nice a bike again. An
Italian made “De Rosa King 3”.
They told me if I lost it I would have to pay $3000 Euros. I don’t think I can afford that expense
but I know I will now buy a road bike and clip in shoes. Yes, I may even wear the spandex under
shorts, over. Hopefully no one I know will have to
experience seeing that. You would
think I would have lost weight over this week. I guess I have been balancing the calorie burns with the
buffet table. Deborah of course is
slimmer than even normal.
 |
The De Rosa King |
Dinner tonight will be quiet
compared to last night. The hotel
had formal seating for all the guests at poolside rather than in the common
dining hall. Each country was
recognized. Canada first due to
the greatest numbers. The DJ
played Oh Canada and we all sang our hearts out. The U.S. was next, followed by Great Britain, Germany,
Italy, Switzerland and Austria. We
had a served four-course meal with champagne, red and white wine and cocktails
if you chose. A mostly naked Brazilian
Dancer and Fabio the Flame Thrower/Eater/Dancer entertained us. The hotel staff and owner serenaded the
group and dancing to midnight followed.
Deborah might have been the most energetic dancer of us all.
Check out in the morning and then
train to Siena for a two-night stay before beginning the trekking to
Montepulciano, through Tuscany.
 |
End of Bike Week! |
Ciao! (for a few days)
