Biking - Day 5

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Originally uploaded by pdbreen.

Today is another transfer day - leaving the spa to arrive at another agritourismo by days end. It's also the longest ride of the trip at about 75km (about 47 miles). But, first a return to the wonderful breakfast buffet at the spa. No chocolate croissants! Jennifer keeps checking in with the kitchen and just minutes before we need to leave for the daily briefing, a waitress brings out several piping hot croissants fresh from the oven. Even better than yesterday!
A long gradual uphill in the early morning is rewarded by an incredible ride in the late morning - a long stretch of winding road that is mostly downhill. Traffic on all the roads throughout the trip has been very light (VBT did a good job scouting places to ride) which meant that it was possible to get moving pretty darn fast on this stretch of road for a good long while. This is another stretch of road it would be fun to do over and over again.
After some coffee in another Tuscan hill town, we continue on for a few more miles before stopping for lunch at the Tuscan equivalent of a "biker bar" - only all the bikes were pedal powered. Lunch was simple, but quite good (possibly enhanced by hnuger) and the wine was quite good - though none of us can recall the name.
All through lunch, the sky threatens rain, but it holds off and we all leave for gelato in a town a few miles away. Although each day is somewhat similar to the day before and each of the towns we visit somewhat similar to one we've been through before, the repetition is in no way boring or dull - its a routine that would be easy to follow for weeks on end!
Back on the bikes for the last bit of the ride to the hotel. The finish was tough - a bit of a headwind followed by an uphill just prior to the hotel entrance. Everyone was thoroughly exhausted when we reached the hotel.