And today they became Centurions…103 miles!!
The mornings start always the same way. Breakfast and cleaning bikes - getting ready for the ride. With a 100-mile ride ahead of them, they decided to start at 8.30 am. They are being coy about who left behind their water bottle (my guess is Richard S, of course!) and 8.30am soon became 8.50am! A flat start was followed by a long hill. At the top they were rewarded with a 9th Century Borgias’ Castle. To remind you, the Borgias became prominent in ecclesiastical and political affairs in the 15th and 16th centuries, producing two popes: Alfons de Borja, who ruled as Pope Callixtus III during 1455–1458, and Rodrigo Lanzol Borgia, as Pope Alexander VI, during 1492–1503. Especially during the reign of Alexander VI, they were suspected of many crimes, including adultery, incest, theft, bribery, and murder (especially murder by arsenic poisoning). So our trio of cycling Centurions will have fit right in!!
With the temperature rising, the team rode until 2pm before stopping at a transport café for something to eat. Better than expected pizza and gelato went down very well. They even filled water bottles with iced water. Big lunch for a big day and a tiring morning of adultery, incest, theft etc!
The ride nearly ended when Richard W narrowly avoided a head on collision when one of the many poor drivers turned in front of him. Sharp breaking avoided the car but not before Richard and bike parted company. Still a few grazes was the worst that happened, fortunately. The ride was completed into a strong headwind and the first “100 miles in a day” for the trip was successfully completed. Paul will have needed a double-dose of his Coco by Chanel this evening!'
The penthouse for the night has a kitchen bigger than the one at Le Fat Poodle and stunning views to an expansive sea! Dinner was a great reviver in a small delicatessen with fabulous food. A mixed fish and vegetable starter was followed by steak and pasta dishes. All washed down with local Ciro wine, that ancient vine mentioned yesterday. The tiramisu was helped along with a Jefferson Amaro, a dessert wine named not after the framer of the US Constitution but a captain who shipwrecked…perhaps tomorrow’s delight for our three Borgias!
Me, I’m going to Valbella this evening with Ann and friends to have some delicious Southern Italy cuisine in empathy with the team! Unlikely to be quite such good value knowing Valbella!
Data: 103 miles (165km), elevation 3,514ft (1,065km). Cumulative: 1,306 miles (2,089km), elevation 70,476ft (21,712m).