After 4 days of Tuscan cycling we have arrived in our most exotic hotel accommodation yet. The dimly lit resident’s lounge of the town centre SAN NICCOLO Hotel is a frescoed delight. We are, after all, now closing on Michelangelo country.
All of our accommodation has been fabulous and, sometimes, fabulously cheap. The price being one of the pleasures of cycling through the vineyards and olive groves of Tuscany at the end of the season.
Most days we pedal around 50km and on our most strenuous day we managed 1,200m of ascent. The hills hold no fears for electric legs but Sally and I remain firmly rooted in the age of steam. For us the hills of Tuscany mean sweat and toil as electric legs and electric lungs pass effortlessly by with the merest hum betraying their pedal pushing assistant. We catch them up at the hill crests where they wait patiently enjoying the autumn colours in the Tuscan landscape.
Lunch is usually in a medieval town centre preceded by some interminable battle with Italian one way systems and mischievous signposting. Asking for directions, as we did disastrously last night, usually leads to a long and unplanned descent down steep, cobbled streets and then a long climb back up to find we were in the right place to start with.
We are cycling through Chianti Country and the route is punctuated by expansive vineries and invitations to taste their ware. A fine bottle of Chianti accompanied last night’s meal and I am sure there will be more to follow tonight.
