London to Rome

Spending your 57th birthday cycling into Rome after 30 days of pedalling 1947.5 miles from London is perhaps not typical behaviour, but I’m feeling rather pleased with myself (also completely knackered!) It was ‘only’ 31 miles today but the legs had 4 last hill batterings. Katie was still concerned about the state of her bike chain so flew past everyone up the steepest hill - I think a few egos were damaged! I spent the first half of the ride promising myself that I would never again do a group ride into a city but then we got onto a bike path and it became much more enjoyable. When we got to the hotel, there was fizz to celebrate the end of the trip before the fun job of bike packing. After a quick clean up for me, Bob the bike is festering filthy in his bag, we set off to find food. The hotel is in Trastevere, a neighbourhood with beautiful buildings, bustling streets and numerous places to eat and drink. Donkey Punch is a build your own sandwich shop that Alison recommended from a p...

Penultimate day of the trip and I am psychologically and physically kaput! It was a long, hot, tough day and the potholed Italian road surfaces and terrible drivers are now as I remember them from my last Italian bike trip. It has been a very pleasant surprise to have been in Italy this long and not have been aggressively overtaken until today, but I suppose we are now on the outskirts of the capital city. There was still plenty of climbing to finish off my knackered legs and the awful road surfaces made the rest of my poor body take it turns to complain. There were also some beautiful views and the selfie whilst riding a bike skills are improving! Katie and I were decidedly hangry by the time we got to lunch at 54 miles, but another huge mound of pizza sorted us out and we headed off to finish the ride. Unfortunately Katie’s bike chain decided it didn’t like the granny gear and came off twice as she started a steep climb. The first time resulted in a slow motion topple sideways and he...

Tuscany is stunning but today was a brutal day on the bike. My legs really know that they have spent a month on a bike. It was Katie’s toughest day on a bike but she did so well (with hardly any moaning!) My colleagues took some lovely photos which I have shamelessly pinched, I was too busy sweating and swearing… Katie and I managed a few sweaty photos.. My low point of the day was a descent down a rutted road when every part of my body screamed stop, but we made it to the hotel in the middle of nowhere. Sovana appears to be populated by puddytats which made Katie very happy. The group dinner was going to be far too late for us so we found a pizzeria to refill the empty tummies and I’m currently happily horizontal on a very comfy bed. Tomorrow is another tough day but I’m nearly there…

Big story of the day was Katie’s first Passo/Col and she actually enjoyed it! I attempted to take a selfie on the way up the climb… Second attempt was slightly more successful… This photo of the descent through a beautiful forest needs pine needle smellovision, the scent was amazing. We were now in Tuscany which means wooded hills, expensive houses with cypress lined long drives, hilltop towns and knackered legs. Lunch was an enormous plate of pasta in an Osteria, very yummy and my legs needed food, but my tummy just can’t do this level of carbs at lunchtime. Obviously the road went upwards straight after lunch. Katie’s pasta fuelled young legs were zooming along with my semi empty, complaining and exhausted tree trunks pootling slowly behind. The hotel was of course at the top of a hill with the town looming above us for the last few miles. The ascent was via hairpin bends and actually not as steep as it looked and Cortona is a stunning town. After a brief walkies, a relaxed glass of ...