Narbonne to Colera - Day 104

Date: November 30th, 2009
Distance: 126km
Country: Spain
Song of the Day: Free Life - Dan Wilson

Well, when I picked the spot last night, I did forget about one thing. Wind. I woke up to quite a tempest this morning. It really hasn't been this windy since I was in Iceland. I had to keep the tent staked down while I was rolling it up. The wind did do one good thing though, my tent was bone dry as I put it away. Still I was up with the sun. Not that I could really see the sunrise because of the clouds.

Most of the morning was pretty boring. I did get to see the Pyrenees in the distance though. Covered in snow. I was glad I decided to take the coastal route. By the late afternoon I was once again riding along the rugged Mediterranean coastline. The little towns in the area were really quite reminiscent of the Cinque Terre. The same pastel buildings. the same terraced vineyards. The road was a bit more cyclist friendly though. I really liked the town of Collioure, with its two fortresses overlooking the harbor.

The last climb out of Cerbere was pretty brutal though. It had also started to rain. Plus the sun had set and it was starting to get dark. So not the most pleasant ride in the world. Still, at the top was the sign I was waiting for, España. Yeah! Country 11. Final stop on my European tour.

My next task was to find somewhere to sleep. The area wasn't really all that suited to camping though. Not a lot of level ground. I asked about camping and there was nothing in the first town. I was heading to the next town which did have a camping site when a thunderstorm blew in. I decided that it was time to get in doors.

There was a handy city information sign which listed a place nearby as a "Hostal". It turns out the place was not quite what I expected. Really it was just a hotel. Originally I was going to go somewhere else but the owner lowered his price. It was still a little more than I wanted to spend, but boy it was nice. Plus it is out of the rain, with a place to charge my stuff and free internet. With a warm bed, I have no complaints.

Now I just have two days to get down to Barcelona. Spend a few days there and then head down to Valencia.

-Dravis

Montpellier to Narbonne - Day 103

Date: November 29th, 2009
Distance: 123km
Country: France
Song of the Day: Starlight - Muse

When I got on the road today, it seemed like it was going to be a pretty easy day. I guess I was wrong though. I started getting a nasty crosswind. It was really pushing me about. This persisted for most of the day when it wasn't being a nasty headwind. Still the landscapes were a bit more diverse today. Not that much to say about it though. It was another case of putting more miles behind me.

I wasn't really sure what I was going to do once I got to Narbonne though. I almost stopped and pitched my tent in an overgrown field before I got to Narbonne. Grabbed some dinner and wi-fi at a McDonnald's, then headed out of the city. I was hoping to find a farmhouse to ask if I could pitch my tent. All the houses seemed clumped into little villages though. This left the surrounding area with no one around. So who do you ask? I did find a little dirt road that led to a bluff over highway. It wasn't a perfect spot, but I felt pretty good about it. Plus if the owner came by to bug me, that would answer the who question. Then i could just ask permission to camp, and practice my french a bit. So I just pitched my tent. I was glad I did because before I was finished it had started to rain. By the time it was really pouring I was snug and warm inside.

-Dravis

Arles to Montpellier - Day 102

Date: November 28th, 2009
Distance: 93km
Country: France
Song of the Day: Master Fade - Andrew Bird

Well, the patch on my tube didn't hold. I should say it had a very slow leak. By the time I got up in the morning it was pretty well flat again. I could have kept going with it for a while, but I really didn't want to spend all my time pumping that thing up. So I replaced it with a new tube. I must remember patch kits are only for getting to the next town. I know other people like them, but for me patches seem like more trouble than they are worth most of the time.

So it was another late start to the day. I was hitting a slight headwind too, so that didn't help any. It didn't slow me down that much, but just sapped all my strength. The countryside was boring as well. Flat farm fields or vineyards. Nothing really to look at. Today just seemed like a grind getting from one place to another. I couldn't help thinking that I had left my office job to get away from the grind. Now I was off on this adventure doing the same thing. Just putting more miles behind me. Oh well.

I did get to Montpellier before dark though. Checked into the hostel and decided to continue my boring life. It was time to do some laundry. I found a place just up the street from the hostel that was entirely automated. There wasn't anyone around. This turned out to be a bad idea. First the laundry soap dispenser didn't work. That cost me 1 euro. Then the first dryer I tried didn't work. That cost me another 3 euro. When I got done it was only about 15 minutes to closing time so I figured I would wait for the person who would come and close up. Then I would demand my money back. I was wrong. The door was on a timer. As the clock struck, click, the latch released and closed the door. It was all run by machines! Argh. You have won this day Automatons. Word to the wise though, if you see a laundry place, and no on is there, flee. Otherwise the machines will get you.

Back at the hostel I wanted to get some internet and plan my route and post a little. This wasn't quite as easily done as I thought. It turns out that their wi-fi doesn't actually hand out DHCP addresses. (I don't know why anyone would set it up this way...) So I had to set the wi-fi address and DNS and gateway myself. It took a little while to figure out how to get Ubuntu to do it, but when it worked I felt very good. (For the non-geeks out there, solving little problems like this is the reason we think computers are fun.) So on the day machines 1 me 1. Lets call it a draw.

-Dravis

Marseilles to Arles - Day 101

Date: November 27th, 2009
Distance: 106km
Country: France
Song of the Day: Early Morning Rain - Gordon Lightfoot

I did get up late. I only got back and into bed at around 3:00 AM. So I slept in until just before 8:00. Four and a half ours of sleep. Yee-haw. I made it a point to get a big breakfast anyway. That didn't really help my time situation, though. Still, I got on the road by about 10:00.

It was raining as I left, which was a bit disappointing. It really wasn't coming down that hard though. Not much I could do anyway, so I just rode off into it.

Marseilles is a strange city. It has something of an old beauty to it, but at the same time it has a dirty industrial core. I got to see it all riding out of the city along the water. The old port filled with sailboats and the new port filled with steel cargo ships.

By the time I got out of the city it had stopped raining and I was heading up into the hills. The surrounding areas are very dry. White rock cliffs and scrub land mostly. After the hills it was pretty much a straight shot to Arles. I did get a nail through my back tire though. Why is it always the back tire? I had a couple of spare tubes, but I decided to try and patch the tire. This actually worked for once. With the tube repaired I was back on my way.

I had originally wanted to go all the way to Montpellier, but that was a longshot. With the late start I knew it wasn't going to happen. So just outside of Arles I was looking for somewhere to pitch my tent when I saw a sign for a campsite. I figured it would be closed, but I thought I would check it out anyway. When I got closer there was a light on. Sure enough it was open. With a nice place to pitch my tent, I had a little food and went to bed.

-Dravis

Marseilles - Day 100

Date: November 25, 2009
Distance: None (27km around the city, though.)
Country: France
Song of the Day: Thank You - Led Zeppelin

Well it turns out sleeping in a bed with some dude I had just met wasn't all that weird. I slept well. No wrestling with the covers. No accidental spooning. It all worked out well. We did get rousted out by the manager who was telling us it was checkout time.

John and I headed back to the hostel to see if they had rooms. Nope, but they did know of another place that did. It was about 7km away though. I was going to head over there right away, but John needed to do some stuff online first. So we hung out at the hostel for a bit. We also saw Julian again. She was coming to Thanksgiving with us. We were all going to head off and do other things, but we made plans to meet up later. John had to see a doctor and get some cash. He ran off to check the ATM, but I didn't see him after that. John, if you are out there, best of luck man!

Me, I went across town and checked in at the hostel. Not the best one I have ever been to. But it was a place to stash my stuff. With that done I decided to see the town. Actually, I really wanted to see the Chataeu D'If. This was featured in the the book The Count of Monte-Cristo. One of my favorite books. The island/prison itself isn't all that impressive. It isn't a huge prison set high on a cliff. It is just a little fortress on a rocky island just outside of the harbor. Still, it was cool to see. And it reminded me of how much I liked the book.

So I next set off around the city too look for it, but in French. I am really trying to learn French and I figured I could also start trying to read. That might help me understand the language more. We will see. I went to three stores before I found the book. So 7 euro later I had the book. This may be one of the dumber things I have purchased on the trip. I don't know really when I am going to read it. Nor do I actually read French. Hell, I had a hard enough time explaining what I wanted to the shop keepers. Plus it is something water sensitive that I will be carrying around. Still, if it works, it would be great for two reasons. I have always wanted to read books in their original language. Second, I will actually know French. At least a little bit.

With my sightseeing trip done, I had some running around to do. First a quick shower. Next, a stop at the store for some potatoes and yams. Then it was over to Andrew's place. Of course I ran out of minutes on my phone, so I couldn't call anyone to let them know I had arrived. So this took another 20 minutes while I ran around trying to find a place to buy minutes. So it was fifteen to eight before I got inside. Fortunately dinner was still in the process of being made. So I hadn't missed it.

The hosts were Andrew and his two roommates David and Mohamed. Most of the people there were Americans who were teaching english in Marseilles. There were also a few people from france, a girl from the Czech republic, and a guy from Canada. Oh, plus Julian and I. Mohamed had the most interesting nationality. He was of Lebonese ancestry, but born in Africa and had a British Pasport. So there was quite a diverse gaggle of people there.

I really can't say enough about what a fun time it was though. The food was great. Especially considering that the I don't think anyone there had actually prepared a Thanksgiving meal before. Because there was only one tiny stove/oven, the food came out in waves, I was eating off a paper plate with a plastic fork, and the turkey was really three chickens, but it was still amazing. It all tasted great and I really haven't been full like that in quite a while. That is part of the point of thanksgiving right? All finished off with a round or two of pie. Mmmmm. I can't ask for anything more.

Plus the conversation was great. You really do meet all sorts of amazing people while out traveling. They tend to be, obviously, more worldly than the average. So the conversation ranged among all sorts of topics. It was funny. It was serious. It was wonderful. I stayed up until 2:30 in the morning with everyone. It wasn't the same as being back home. Still, it did feel like Thanksgiving, which I am grateful for. I can't express how much having a little American tradition on the road mean to me. So to Andrew, Mohamed and David, thanks for having me over. To Grace and Jessica thanks for coordinating the food preparation. To everyone who was there, thanks. It really was a fantastic time. Keep in touch.

-Dravis

St. Tropez to Marseilles - Day 99

Date: November 25th, 2009
Distance: 160km
Country: France
Song of the Day: Lighting the Way - Superdrag

I woke up and went to pay for the camping. They wanted 20 euro! I guess this is their cheapest rate is for a camper with elecricity and two people. I tried to bargain with the lady because I was just one person in a little tent. I didn't even stay in one of the sites because they were all gravel. Instead I pitched my tent in a spot of weeds and grass in between sites. Nope, their system only allows for that as their minimum price. Instead the lady just let me go. She said not to worry about it. Very cool.

The rest of the day was pretty much just long. It was dark long before I got to Marseilles. I almost pitched up in the woods along the road. But I really wanted to get into Marseilles. Actually I was hoping to find other Americans to celebrate Thanksgiving with. I love Thanksgiving. It is the only purely American holiday. Plus it is all about eating good food and hanging out with good people.

So I kept going. Getting into town was hell though. It was up and over this giant plateau. Just a grind up hill. That did mean that the last jog into town was all downhill. I was just flying down the crooked road in the dark. Sheer drops on one side. I was very glad that I had new batteries in my light. It wasn't scary, just a lot of fun. It did take me a bit to find where the hostel was. When I got there though, bad news, they were all booked up. Crap.

I was about to leave with this nice girl Julian, who was staying there, offered me a bit of food. She figured that she couldn't send me away without having something to eat after biking all day. How sweet is that? Well we ended up talking for a couple of while. It turns out she is a volunteer in Morocco. So I told her all about my plans for getting down there.

Before too long we also started talking with two other American guys. Both from around Seattle. Small world, huh? One of the guys, Andrew, was working in Marseilles as an english teacher. He wasn't actually staying at the hostel, but had when he first arrived. So now he would just come back to hang out with some of his friends who worked there. We ended up talking about Thanksgiving and he ended up inviting us all over to his place. Sweet! I am really excited. I didn't want to miss Thanksgiving. So at least I had one thing accomplished

The next thing I had to do was get a place to stay. It turns out the other guy, John, also needed a place to stay. So we decided to set off together and find a cheep place to crash for the night. Neither of us minded sharing a room at a hostel so we figured one room for two people would work. We found a low cost hotel near the train station. Now this place was a dump. Not like the place in Allassio where it was antiquated and quint. This place was just lame. Also there was only one bed. I think both John and I were thinking a room for two people would have two beds. We were wrong.

At least we had a place to stay. Now both of us wanted something to eat. There was a pizza/sandwich/kebab shop down the street that was open. We had some "sandwiches" which consisted of a hamburger patty and lettuce and tomatoes and fries in demi-baguette. Good food. The conversations was interesting... The proprietor was Algerian. He had some things to say about Israel. But overall was very nice.

From there John and I headed back to the hotel to go to bed. Now, I should remind you that I wasn't really expecting to be sleeping with anyone when I woke up in the morning. I was hoping, of course, but that fantasy had involved an attractive girl who had invited me to stay on her 80 meter super yacht. Well, that wasn't what happened. Instead I ended up in bed with a guy I had only met hours before. Such if life though, right? Actually, that is sort of what traveling is about. Getting something unexpected. Not bad, just something I hadn't foreseen. So life is fun.

-Dravis

Nice to St. Tropez - Day 98

Date: November 24th, 2009
Distance: 143km
Country: France
Song of the Day: The Sun in St. Tropez - Actionslacks.

Had a hell of a time trying to get ready in the morning. I keep thinking I will get up earlier than I do, and get ready faster that I can. Instead I ended up talking for a bit with a new guy who had showed up. He was the drummer for a band called Blue Embrace.

Oh well, but I wanted to get on my way as it was going to be a full day. I was traveling through basically the heart of the French Riviera. Going through a few famous coastal towns along the way.

The first on the list was Cannes. This town actually seemed... dead. It wasn't that there were no people on the streets. It was just that everything was very quiet. The beach was lined with miles of hotels and it looked like every one of them was just about empty or closed. Really weird. I can only think that it must be a crowded nightmare during the summer months.

From there I started getting into a little more rugged coastline. I mean, it was pretty if you are into that whole brick red stone cliffs with gorgeous blue waves crashing against them in the sun thing. Me, I thought it was awesome. I wish I had gone faster but I kept stopping to take pictures of the next beautiful thing. Like hillsides covered in monolithic spires of red rocks. Just amazing. Oh, and there were tons of other bikers along that section. I can see why. If you want to bike a wonderful section of the Mediterranean coast I would suggest from Theoule-sur-mer to St. Raphael.

I did get to St. Tropez just as the sun was setting. The sunset over the bay was spectacular. The city itself seemed a bit boring and way too touristy though. All I saw was the harbor crammed with big ugly yachts. Not that I am complaining about being there. I just though the earlier stuff along the coast was much more impressive than an overpriced town. Still, the sunset was very pretty.

Before I left the city the clouds had started to roll in, and with the sun gone the sky became black. My poor headlight went from dim to absolutely dead. So no help there. At least my tail light was working. So I just kept going out to the campsite in the dark. I was glad I checked ahead as to which one was open. I passed a huge number that were closed. It would have been a real pain to check them all in the dark. I got in and pitched my tent.

The next thing to do was get some food. I had run out along the road and was starving. The first problem was that the only food around was in Ramatuelle. So I biked up there. That was the second problem. The town was on TOP of a hill. The third problem, and this was the big one, when I got there, no supermarket. What? That is what I came for. The one tabac in town was just about to close, but they let me get some batteries for my headlight. I felt much better after that.

They also recommended a supermarket in another town about 9 klicks away. I almost went, but I thought better of it. I was dying of hunger, and I didn't want to go all that way and find it was closed. Instead I had a nice dinner at an Italian restaurant and stole some wi-fi while eating. Then it was back to the campsite to shower and sleep.

-Dravis

Alassio to Nice - Day 97

Date: November 23rd, 2009
Distance: 128km
Country: France
Song of the Day: Private Helicopter - Harvey Danger

Today was kind of exciting. I was finally leaving Italy. Not that my time there has been bad, but I was ready for a change. Of course I did still have about 60km of Italy to go through. Still, I was feeling good, rolling right along. I was so happy to see that sign upon entering France. I started listening to an audio tutorial for the French language. So hopefully I can pick something up. I think it will be important for West Africa.

Anyway, getting to France wasn't really the end of my problems though. I had a climb ahead of me to get to Monaco. Yep, that will make country ten if you are counting. (I am counting the Vatican as one. My blog, my rules.) Anyway, I wonder how many people reading this have ever been there? For me, I wasn't all that impressed. It just looked like another city crammed into a steep valley. I couldn't stay for long anyway. It was getting dark and I need to get a place to stay. I just took a couple pictures and rolled on.

Then there was a second climb out of Monaco that was worse than the way in. On the other hand, I did get to enter France twice in one day. I can't imagine many people reading this have done that. Still it was quite a climb. The little town of Eze lies in its very name. It is perched at the top of that pass. Argh. At least that meant the last couple of miles down to Nice were amazingly fast.

When I got into Nice it took me about an hour to actually find the hostel I was supposed to stay at. When I got there it was closed. Lame. So I went to the next one on my list. I was getting better as that one only took me half an hour to find. It wasn't really a hostel so much as a hotel. But it was cheap, I was tired and needed to sleep somewhere. In the room with me was a Czech guy. We got to talking for a while and tried to scrape up some internet connection together. The connection there was terrible, I got mine to work once. Oh well, at least that meant I couldn't waste time and just went to bed.

-Dravis

Genoa to Alassio - Day 96

Date: November 22nd, 2009
Distance: 117km
Country: Italy
Song of the Day: Rebels - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Woke up to rain, but this cleared off pretty early in the ride. Soon I was enjoying a wonderful little ride on along the coast of Italy. The terrain has leveled off a bit. Yeah, there are hills, but they are reasonable. So today was just about putting more miles behind me.

I had wanted to get to Andora, but I did get a late start. While the sun was setting the sea was turned that beautiful blue color that you get from glaciers. Here it was in waves crashing on the beach. I tried to get a picture of it, but none of them really came out with the same brilliant colors that I was seeing.

I looked around for a campsite as it got dark, but nothing was open. I even asked a guy packing up his RV, but he didn't know of anything left along the coast that was open. So I ended up riding along this winding coast road in the dark looking for a place to stop. If I could have found a place to pitch a tent along the road, I would have. But it was cliffs (or slopes) on either side, one up, one down. I did find a nice little one star hotel. Not bad actually. Sure, it was a bit funky, but it was clean and the proprietors were quite nice.

-Dravis

Riomaggiore to Genoa - Day 95

Date: November 21st, 2009
Distance: 128km
Country: Italy
Song of the Day: Say it Ain't So - Weezer

I have never had a day that was more beautiful and miserable. The roads I was on were hell. An hour or two of steep climbs, then ten minutes of descent. All day long. This is one of the first hills I was climbing. That is a hell of an angle to be going at. I was in 1-1 most of the day.

I can't complain that much. The scenery was beautiful. Right along the coast above the Cinque Terre on the Ligurian coast. It was quite pretty, and sunny to boot. At least when there was a view. Most of the day was either in the trees or going so slowly that I was just staring at the road ahead. Still, I did get to see this little guy from staring at the road.

The roads would wind there way up into the mountains only to dive back down into the next town. Which begs the question, why go up in the first place? I still haven't figured that one out. Or, if the road engineers are bent on going up, why not choose a shallower angle? I know it must have been great for all the guys on the tiny road bikes going by swish-swish-swish. For me on my fat heavy touring cycle, it wasn't that fun.

I have also learned to love tunnels. In most cases that means you have reached the top and can begin zooming down again. I like that much better.

Ended the day like I began it, climbing. The hostel in Genoa is at the top of the hill. Figures...

-Dravis.

Riomaggiano - Day 94

Date: November 20th, 2009
Distance: None
Country: Italy
Song of the Day: Pachuca Sunrise - Minus the Bear

In the morning Claudine, the girl who is staying with me in the "hostel", and I walked along the path between the villages in the Cinque Terre. The views along the coast were fantastic. The five towns really are cute. Crowded into little coves along the coast. Each pastel colored building is practically on top of the next. The hillsides were very cool too. Terraces of olive groves or vineyards. The best part, there wasn't a cloud in site. It made for quite a pleasant morning.

We only made it as far as Vernazza though. I think that really is the most pretty of the villages. This is the one with a fort and tower protecting a tiny harbor. Claudine and I grabbed some lunch and ate it on the piazza overlooking the marina. The sun was shining and the foccacia was great.

We decided to take the train to the next town though. My right knee has been bugging me a bit since I left Pisa. So I am trying to take it easy. (I need my knees for the rest of the trip.) I think Claudine was also tired, and a bit sore from lugging around this giant suitcase she has. Plus the trip between Vernazza and Montorosso is supposed to be hell. So we took the train. We had to wait for about an hour though. So we spent the time hanging out on some rocks watching some locals fish. We were trying to figure out what they were doing. One guy was fishing, and would catch a little fish, then use that as bait for something bigger. I am still not sure what though.

Montorosso is interesting, but is the flattest and also most "developed" of the towns. It was smaller, but looked very much like the other coastal resort towns I have been through. Hotels and restaurants along the beach. Of course, this means it had a beach. The other towns had marinas. I suppose that you could swim there. But I think the locals would look at you funny.

Me, I decided that I wanted to go swimming. I should have thought ahead and brought my trunks and a towel, but I didn't. So first I had to go back to get all my stuff. Claudine left to go out to another town called Portofino. I took the first train back to Riomaggiano, changed, missed one train by seconds, and caught another back to Montorosso. It was just before 4:00 when I got to the beach. The sun had set on half the beach. I ran out (to the sunny half), dropped my clothes and ran into the water. Okay, I walked into the water. (The beach isn't soft sand, it is pebbles and very small rocks.) The water was actually pretty good. It wasn't very warm. It was more like the lake back home in the first days of summer. Cool, but not cold. Swam around the little swimming area there for a bit. Enjoying the setting sun while floating in the Mediterranean. I think this is the first sea I have been in. Done, two oceans, lots of lakes, ponds, rivers and streams before. Never a sea. So I can sign that one off my list.

From there I dried off and ran to catch the train again. I was hoping to spend a bit more time in Vernazza, then take the trail up to a great view of Corniglia. The sun was right behind it in the morning. I figured that it would be perfect just before sunset. These plans were dashed by the magic that is the Italian rail system. I missed the first one by a minute. Then the next three were "delayed". By delayed, I mean they never arrived. Finally a forth train showed up an hour later.

It wasn't all bad. I got to watch the sun set in Montorosso. This really was spectacular. The light was still hitting the water making it sparkle all sorts of amazing blue colors. The sky to the west was orange and red. I was just standing outside the train station listening to the waves crash on the beach. I would recommend that you all do this. Actually, tonight after you read this (or maybe tomorrow if it is dark already) take a few minutes, walk outside onto your porch, the terrace, a balcony, or the limb of a tree and watch the sunset. Sunsets happen every day, and you don't have to be halfway around the world to enjoy it. It is something simple, but sometimes it is good to remember the common things are still beautiful and wonderful.

Anyway, when I finally did get on a train, it didn't go to Vernazza, like they said. It did at least stop at Riomaggiano, so I could get back to my room. I took a quick shower and couldn't find a good place in Riomaggiano. Instead I walked back over to Manarola. There was a cute little gelateria and bar (great combination, huh?) that was open. I had one of the best panninis of my life. Oh, and I couldn't leave without some gelato. So I walked back along Via dell'Amore in the dark eating gelato. This was great. The stars were out. Lights set into the cliffs were making the waves sparkle. The moon was slung low in the sky casting a bit of light across the sea. Ahhhhh. So pretty.

-Dravis

Lucca to Riomaggiano - Day 93

Date: November 19th, 2009
Distance: 110km
Country: Italy
Song of the Day: Perfect Disguise - Modest Mouse

I got up bright and early. The first thing I wanted to do was to check out the town walls. I got on my bike and did a lap. The walls, in there current state, probably date from the 1600s, i.e. the age of cannons. They are done in the same style as most of the star forts that you see. Wide earthworks faced with brick. Bastions that stick out to give covering fire. So the walls are newer and much wider that medieval walls, like in York. I assume that the current walls were actually built over older walls through several centuries. What exists now really is a star for but on a massive scale. These days the walls are a circular public park. People stroll, bike or roller blade along. Neat stuff.

From there it was a bit of an uphill ride out of Lucca. After that it was along the coast. This was flat, and it was great to see the Mediterranean again. This will be my guide for the rest of my tour through Europe. I can only describe the day as gorgeous. The sun was out and shining. No wind. The area was all built up though, so good views of the beach were sparse. Still it was a nice way to ride. I did see a ton of other Italian cyclists in full gear riding along. Apparently I wasn't the only one to be enjoying the weather.

Things did start to get hilly again around Le Spezia. The last couple of miles into Riomaggiano were slow. I just slogged up that last hill. Then I went through a tunnel to the Cinque Terre side and it was wonderful. The road runs along the edge of the cliffs. The view down is amazing. Plus the sun was just setting and some low clouds or mist had started to form on the horizon. I couldn't tell were the sea ended and the sky began. Oh, and it was downhill. That made it better just flying down the road.

As I got to Riomaggiano I started to worry that I hadn't actually booked the hostel for the night. I thought it might be closed. That turned out to be no concern at all. When I got to the hostel I wanted to stay at, it turns out it wasn't really a hostel. It was just a regular hotel. The owner however did "know a guy". So one call later I am staying in a dormatory room on the top floor of a little house. The guy told me he "wasn't paying the tax" so I couldn't say I was staying there. Apparently tax dodging is still a favorite hobby around here.

I was a little depressed that no one else was there. I was hoping for more people to hang out with. About 20 minutes after I got in though, another guest showed up. Her name was Claudine, and she was from Australia, so that actually worked out well. Now I had someone to hang out with and chat with over dinner. I keep saying I like hostels for all the people you meet. I would recommend it for anyone, old or young. It is cheap and a great way to meet other travelers.

-Dravis

Florence to Lucca - Day 92

Date: November 18th, 2009
Distance: 134km
Country: Italy
Song of the Day: Goin' Out - Superdrag

Left Florence today. It felt good to be back on the road. The road out was pretty easy for the first 20km as well. Right along the Arno river. Flat, with no wind, so I was making good time. There was one minor problem though. I kept along the north side of the river. This turned out to be a bad plan as the main highway is along the south side. After Signa the terrain on the north side gets significantly more hilly. So I was going up and over these big hills and I could look down and see cars cruising along the flat road on the other side. Argh. Eventually I did make it across and the road was much flatter. I liked the scenery from that angle better. Still big hills to the north of the Arno, but I could glide by on level ground. I even saw this cool tower way up on the cliff. So the road to Pisa was pretty easy.

Yep, went to Pisa. Yep, they have a funny tower there. I was actually kind of impressed by it. It does have a significant lean to it. The lean is almost graceful though. Not so far as to be scary, but just enough to make it unique. So it is neat to look at. I also think it is probably one of the few engineering failures that has become a tourist attraction. Yes, I did get a couple of pictures. Including this one that everyone takes. Har-har.

From there I headed up to Lucca. I rolled into town and through the town walls. Pretty cool. The hostel I was going to stay at was closed though. Crap. I was hoping someone was just on a dinner break, but no. Maybe it is closed for the season, or maybe it was just one day. Either way, I needed to find somewhere else to stay. There was another place that wasn't exactly a hostel but it did have dormitory style sleeping, as in cheap. But I couldn't exactly remember the name or the location. I knew it was outside the walls on the west side and the symbol was a lion. I was hoping someone would know. No one I asked did though. Finally a found a couple of women working late. Their shop said something about "Internet Point" so I figured that I would ask. They didn't know. But they let me look it up, sure enough Hotel Leone de Santa Anna, just down the street.

When I got there the lady running the place had a bit of a Basil Fawlty attitude. She seemed a bit annoyed that I would want a place to sleep. (And it wasn't even late.) I did get a bed in their dorm room, but no one else was there. Oh well. At least I had a cheap room all to myself. Oh, and they had internet. There was a code and it took me an hour to figure out that the "|" that was written on the card was actually "I". So I updated my blog, watched a movie on my 'puter and went to bed.

-Dravis

Florence - Day 91

Date: November 17th, 2009
Distance: None
Country: Italy
Song of the Day: The Debt Collectors - Ben Lee

Got up early and headed out to the Academy Gallery. This is where Michelangelo's David resides. It was 10 euro to get in, but it was one great statue. Sadly, it was one great statue. The rest of the museum was kind of lame. They had some other half finished Michelangelo sculptures. Really, they are a bit boring though. There are also some paintings and other stuff, but nothing to get really excited over.

So I finished the museum and went back to the hostel for the second walking tour. This would cover the other side of the rivier. That was a lot of fun. From there Emory and I went and got some lunch and hit the Uffizi. Now that is a hell of a museum. I even liked the layout. It starts with the older paintings which are flat and boring. Then it goes through Botticcelli, Leonardo, Micalangelo and Raphael. The main corredors are also lined with ancient roman statues. I liked it a lot. It gave a good impression of the evolution of paining.

After dinner I hung out with the same group and the previous night and we played some dice game. Hostels are fun and a great place to meet people.

-Dravis

Florence - Day 90

Date: November 16th, 2009
Distance: None
Country: Italy
Song of the Day: Forgive and Forget - The Get Up Kids

Woke up and had myself some free breakfast at the hostel. Very yummy. Went on the walking tour around the city that the hostel puts on. That was very nice. It gave me a pretty good grounding as to what the city was about.

After that I headed to the other side of the river. I didn't actually know what I was doing. I ended up at this park with a great view over the whole city.

Then I headed back to climb up the dome at the cathedral. It is actually two domes, one inner and one outer. All done in brick as well. That makes it darn impressive to me. The cost to climb the dome was 8 euro. Yeesh. Sometimes you just have to eat that cost and head up the stairs. There is no elevator by the way. I found it no problem to climb all the steps. I did have to stop occasionally as the people ahead of me had stopped and were huffing and puffing. From the top the view was wonderful. I stayed up for an hour and a half or so watching the sun set. Very pretty.

Then in was back to the hostel for more free food. Dinner this time. I also hung out with a couple of people in my room. Claire and Ned from Australia and Emory from New Zealand.

-Dravis

Siena to Florence - Day 89

Date: November 15th, 2009
Distance: 70km
Country: Italy
Song of the Day: Love is a Long Road - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Today I rode through the Chianti hills. It is beautiful country, but let me reiterate that it is hills. Just up and down a lot. The whole day was slow, slow, slow, slow, slow, INCREDIBLY FAST, slow, slow... I do like screaming down those hills, but the roads are very curvy. You have to be on your game. The turns are pretty tight sometimes, so not wiping out around the corners is a big plus.

It was a short day, so I got into Florence before sunset. Checked into the hostel and then went for a little walk. It was nice, but I have gotten fairly used to the cramped Italian cities. So it didn't seem like anything special. I had wanted to go to the Duomo and climb up Brunelleschi's dome. It is supposed to be amazing at sunset. When I got there, the cathedral was open, but the dome was closed though. I will have to do that tomorrow. That will be good, as it turns out that basically all the museums are closed on Monday.

Oh, I should mention that it is Sunday. Walking around the city I could smell all the cooking. It made me miss Sunday dinners with my folks back home. Probably because I am hungry all the time. My mom makes lots of wonderful meals, especially in the fall. I also miss just sitting around talking with the family. Come to think of it, I sort of miss just sitting. For this trip I am always doing something, or going somewhere. There is always something that needs to happen. I don't really have any time just to relax. Not that I want to head home now, but you do miss certain things when you are on the road. When I get back I am looking forward to a nice big Sunday dinner with the family.

-Dravis

Balsena to Siena - Day 88

Date: November 14th, 2009
Distance: 123km
Country: Italy
Song of the Day: We Never Change - Coldplay

Today wasn't all that exciting. Just more miles behind me. I did stop at a little farmers market and bought a pear. Yum. I like going to those little markets. The food is cheap and good. Lots of hills, though. Still, I was still making good time. I was getting about 20km an hour before I hit Siena. I even got to town before 4:00 PM, about an hour before sunset.

Siena was very pretty. It is this old town set on top of a hill. Actually, if I had to describe it, I would say it is like Venice on a hill. There are just tiny street and houses crowded together and stacked on top of each other. Now I would imagine that it would get boring after a day or so. For the hour or so that I rode through town, it was nice.

I stayed at a camping site just north of town. Cooked dinner in the dark on my stove. Got a shower and hopped into bed. As I was falling asleep I looked at the time, 8:15PM. Oh... I thought it was much later. I guess that is what I get for having my schedule determined so much by the sun.

-Dravis

Rome to Balsena - Day 87

Date: November 13th, 2009
Distance: 121km
Country: Italy
Song of the Day: Footsteps - Pearl Jam

Left the hostel late. I didn't really feel like rushing out the door. I should have, but I was feeling lazy. After three nights of knowing where I was going to sleep, I didn't want to get back on the road. Getting out of the city was amazingly easy though. I only had one hiccup when I went over the pedestrian bridge across the Tiber instead of the car bridge. Once I had that sorted out, it was a straight shot up the Via Cassie.

The morning and early afternoon was gorgeous as well. The sun was out and shining. I even took my shirt off to get a little sun. (If I am going to Africa I wouldn't mind a bit of a tan...) In fact, I don't know that it rained at all when I was in Rome. The forecast was for rain each day. Instead it was sunny every day. Again, I don't know to what I owe the wonderful weather, but I am glad it is there. In the early afternoon it did start to cloud up, and i put my shirt back on. Still, no rain, though.

The sun did go down as I left the town of Viterbo. So I had to go the next 30 klicks in the dark. I was hoping to get a camping site around Lake Balsena. They were all closed. No one was even around to bargan with. I did hit upon a good idea though. Some of the agritourism sites were also camping spots. Since this is like a B&B, I assumed someone lived there all year. Eventually, I was right. The second one I tried was open and would let me camp. There was no bathroom or shower, but that was fine with me. I just needed a place to pitch my tent. It feels good to be in the tent again.

-Dravis

Rome - Day 86

Date: November 12th, 2009
Distance: None
Country: Italy
Song of the Day: Wheels - Foo Fighters

Today was actually kind of a boring day for being in Rome. My sightseeing partner Zoe had taken off to Barcelona, so it was just me. I first went over to the Victor Emmanuel monument. I had wanted to see Mamertine prison. When I got there though it was closed for repairs. So I climbed up to the Altare della Patria and then got lost trying to get out of the Victor Emmanuel monument.

From that point I headed over to see my buddy Giordano Bruno. There is a statue of him in Rome. He was a former catholic priest who was burned at the stake (in the same square where the statue now resides) for his beliefs. The most noted was his belief that the earth went around the sun. This is the reason he is often revered as a martyr for science. The history seems to indicate that he was executed more for his heretical beliefs, like the plurality of worlds and pantheism. He also believed that Jesus was created by God (made not begotten). That brings into doubt the idea of the holy trinity. My thoughts are that he is much more a martyr for free thought and expression. I am also glad that I have the freedom to think (and publish) all my crazy thoughts without having to fear being burned alive.

From there I headed over to Trastevere. I guess this used to be a seedy part of Rome. It still has the tiny streets, but didn't seem too seedy. It did seem a lot less touristy though. So that was a nice change. I walked along the Tiber up to the Vatican again. I wanted to send a post card. Then I headed back to the hostel. On the way I hit two more tour stops. The first was the Castle of St. Angelo. I guess it was origanally built as a tomb for Hadrian. Later it was rebuilt and served as a fortress for the pope. In fact there is still and above ground walkway that leads to it directly from the Vatican. I also saw the Spanish Steps. This one wasn't all that impressive. Or maybe I missed something. To me it looked like a staircase with hundreds of tourists crouded around.

Back at the hostle I just did some boring preparation stuff. Laundry was the first thing on my list. After that I spent most of the evening online trying to figure out my path. I think I am going to take two days going to Siena. After Siena I will head to Florence and spend two nights there. Then a day to go through Pisa and stay in Lucca. I really want to bike around their town walls. (I guess they were used as a car race track! So they must be pretty good.) After that I want to spend a couple of days going through the Cinque Terre. Then Genoa and back into France. Whew. I still think I can hit Spain by December. I may have to take a train if I want to make it to Morocco for Christmas. But that is cool. I am looking forward to getting to Africa.

-Dravis

Rome - Day 85

Date: November 11th, 2009
Distance: None
Country: Italy
Song of the Day: Epitaph - King Crimson

Today I got both of my Zunes all charged up and working. So Zoe and I headed off to the Vatican. I got to experience Rome's subway on the way over.

Outside of the Vatican are the same kind of hawkers and "tour guides" as the old part of Rome. We tried to avoid them as best we could. We found our way to St. Peter's square. Really, it isn't a square at all. It is a giant oval. Bernini's colonnade was pretty cool. In the center is another one of those Egyptian obelisks. (Rome is full of these.) It is the heart of Christianity is a pagan relic. The little cross on top is supposed to make it okay I guess...

Oh, and there is also St. Peter's Basilica. It does look quite grand from the outside. Inside is a whole new level though. It is mostly done in baroque styling. So it is very ornamented. Also, not like many of the other gothic cathedrals I have become accustomed too. It is also huge, but somehow doesn't feel that way. I guess even today it is one of the larger (if not the largest) Christian churches in the world. One other thing I noticed was that it had almost no stained glass. I guess they wanted the natural light to show off the decoration. I should also mention the dome. It really is quite a masterpiece. Really the cherry on top of the whole thing. Catholic or not, it is still an impressive building. Also the Rick Steves audio guides were still a big help in explaining what was going on.

From there Zoe and I stepped out of Vatican City for lunch. We found a good buffet place nearby. All you can eat was great. I hadn't been really "full" since I got to Rome. So I was happy to tuck in and put some food away. Plus the food was great. My favorite part was the cheesy pasta and the little caramelized onions. Mmmm.

Then it was off to the Vatican museum. Wow was that expensive. It was 14 to get in. If you just have a day, I would say skip it. The Sistine Chapel was cool, but not worth 14. There was lots of other stuff to see however. The Vatican Museum has an impressive collection of middle easter artwork. They had Egyptian and Assyrian works. Then there were the Raphael rooms, with more frescoes. Several rooms of statues. One of them had a copy (if a bit smaller) of the dome of the Pantheon. More re-use of ancient ideas. There was also a wing of modern Christian art. I would skip this. (The reason that we revere Raphael and Michelangelo is that over the centuries their work was a cut above the rest. Time has separated the wheat from the chaff, as it were. The modern stuff hasn't had time for the good things to come to the top.) This was all to get ready for the main show.

The Sistine Chapel. Yes, it is amazing. Take your time and just take it all in. Actually, pictures have probably given you a pretty good image of what it looks like. It really is fun to look up and watch the story of creation unfold. Then at the end of the room is the Last Judgement. It is a much darker work, but I think I liked it even more. The paintings do give away Michaelangelo's past as a scluptor. The way the human figures are twisted and contorted to show action is wonderful.

After leaving the Sistine Chapel we couldn't seen anything else. The museum was closing. So Zoe and I headed out to the Piazza del Popolo. From there we wandered down the Via del Corso. It was a nice walk, but I was glad not to give a hoot about fashion. The shops along the way looked quite expensive. Still it was a nice walk.

It made me realize that Rome is almost the opposite of Venice. Rome is huge and sprawling. Venice is contained and its size hasn't changed much in 500 years. Venice is quiet and car free. Rome is noisy and jammed with cars and scooters. Venice is defined by the water. Rome has walled off and basically ignores the river. I won't say one is better than the other, they are just different.

After the walk we headed by the Colosseum to see it at night and then back to the hostel. Zoe went of to get ready for her flight. I ended up having dinner at the hostel with a girl from New Zealand. I guess she works as a lawyer for the Maori. It was interesting talking about how Americans and Kiwis have treated their native peoples. We also talked about how people could keep their culture in a modern society. Not an easy task.

-Dravis

Rome - Day 84

Date: November 10th, 2009
Distance: None
Country: Italy
Song of the Day: Open Sky - Edentree

Woke up and got a few things ready. I downloaded some Rick Steves audio tours. I was going to put them on my two Zunes, but only one was charged. Zoe and I were going to see the Colosseum, so I guess we would have to share.

Getting to the Colosseum wasn't hard. It was a bit interesting though. The area surrounding it is filled with ruins. All sorts of ancient roman sites. Some excavated and just left without much explanation. It seems so out of place to have ruins in the middle of a major city. That is Rome, I guess. My American eyes aren't used to something that is ten times older than my country.

Outside the Colosseum you can find people hawking just about everything. Men dressed as centurions prowl around looking to take a picture with you. Others sell trinkets and baubles. The most annoying are probably the guys trying to be your tour guide. My suggestion is to get in line as quickly as possible. Once there, the price was 12 euro. So, damn expensive.

The Colosseum itself is spectacular, though. Most of what is left is the brick and concrete structure. The steps and white marble facing are mostly gone. In many ways it is like a dinosaur where all that is left are the bones. If you step back you can almost imagine what it was like, though. Thousands of riotous fans in a beautiful white marble building watching blood sports. As an engineering feat it is fairly impressive. You can see why mastering the arch was one of the major successes of ancient Rome.

The Rick Steves audio guide was also helpful in painting a full pictures. It was a bit odd since there was only one Zune for Zoe and I. She described walking around and listening to it as a three legged race. The guide did point out a lot of cool features. It also Pointed out a great view over the Forum starting with the ruins of the Temple of Venus and Rome. There was also a sort of museum on the upper floors. This gave a bit more information on the workings of the Colosseum. In addition they had objects found during the excavations. These included dice and sewing needles. It did a lot to complete the picture of what seeing the gladiatorial games would have been like.

From there we grabbed a bit of lunch, and then headed back to the Forum. I had noticed the ticket was good for the Colosseum, Forum, and Palatine Hill. It was also good for two days. So the 12 euro price wasn't that bad afterall.

Unlike the single monolith that is the Colosseum, the Forum is a collection of buildings. Each has its own history and timeline. Together they formed the core of the Roman empire. The Via Sacra. The Temple of Vesta. The senate house. One of the most impressive things was probably the Basilica of Constantine. This was a building used as a court and gathering place for lawyers. Let me tell you, it was huge. There are only three side arches left, but them must be about 100 feet tall. This would be mirrored by three more on the opposite side. The center would then have been covered with taller arches. If you lived in a hut at the time it must have been awe inspiring. They also had a good example of how the ground level changed and how things were reused. The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina was reused to house a church that is built almost 10 feet higher.

From there Zoe and I wandered up to the Palatine hill. I wish I had a bit more explanation of what all the ruins were. Still, I am fascinated by ruins. It was just wonderful to see them right before sunset. The whole area seemed to glow with orange and reds.

From there Zoe and I wandered down to the Pantheon. This would sort of complete the ancient Rome part of the tour. What a place it is, though. Really, the dome is the reason to see it. Just staring up at the concrete dome with its beautiful and simple coffering, the oculus right in the center is wonderful. I wanted to just lay on my back on the floor and stare at it for a while. I didn't think the security people would appreciate that though. It was cool to watch the blue sky darken until it was almost black as the sun set.

The building does have its modern uses though. Rome is full of things built on and reappropreated. I guess it was made into a church in the 7th century. That is what has generally saved it from desctruction over the years, and is still used as a church. It is also the final resting place for artists (Raphael) and kings (Victor Emmanuel II). These functions seem almost at odds with what is, at its heart, a Pagan temple. The area below the dome is also decorrated oddly as well. In some areas the original walls have been faced with marble and guilding. In others are the original roman brickwork is visable. This would have also been faced with marble, but that was presumably looted over the years. Still, I think the best part is the simple and elegant concrete dome.

From there Zoe and I wandered over to Piazza Nouvona to meet up with her friend Nick. I guess he is doing his last semester in Rome. We found a nice little restaraunt with slow service. At least the food was good, and we weren't really in any rush. Just sat around talking for a while. After dinner, Zoe and I bid farewell to Nick and then headed off through the city again.

We ended up at the Trevi Fountain. I found it interesting that half dome of the fountain looks exactly like what is left of the Temple of Venus and Rome. The city is full of re-use. Pagan temples were rebuilt or reappropriated as churches. Marble from the Colosseum was used to build medieval churches. Even ideas, like the cross-hatched half dome of a ruined temple was recast in the Trevi fountain. After that though (and a gelato), it was time to get some sleep.

-Dravis

Terni to Rome - Day 83

Date: November 9th, 2009
Distance: 113km (before my odometer broke)
Country: Italy
Song of the Day: Baba O'Reily - The Who

Woke up and got ready. Father Windel came down to wake me up. He had even prepared some breakfast. He had to go out for a bit and attend the flock as it were. Father Mario came in and gave me a bit of a local breakfast pizza. It was soft flat bread with oil and rosemary. Very good.

I got all ready and headed out the door. I said a big thank you to father Mario. Father Windel saw me off, and almost in passing mentioned they had the body of St. Valentine. What? I knew the name of the church, but (in the U.S.) you just don't expect them to have relics from the early Christian martyrs. It turns out he was working in Terni before being crucified near Rome. His body was returned at some point and still resides there.

To the Padres in Basilica di San Valentino, thank you. I can't imagine a more true expression of the Christian spirit then to bring in a stranger and feed him and provide sanctuary. It meant a lot. I wish you all the best. Plus, I can't help but marvel at all the wondrous places this journey has brought me to. I don't think either group expected that I would be staying there, but I hope that it was as great an experience for you as it was for me.

When I got on the road it was a pretty easy jaunt out of town. Then I got to the base of a big hill. At the top was a little town of Narni. This is one of those cute little hill towns. The hill was pretty brutal though. Once I had reached the top of the hill disaster struck. Flat tire. More than that, the actual tire was shot. It turns out I had worn through my sidewall, and that is where the puncture was. I knew the tread was wearing thin, and the sidewall had started to fray. I was just hoping it would make it to Rome. Nope.

Instead I had to walk the bike back down the hill about 4 klicks. Then I got a new tire and tube. Once everything was switched out I had to head back up the damn hill again. Trust me, it was much less amusing the second time.

Things did start going better with the new tire though. The road ran along the top of the hills for a while. Then down into the valley below. That was great. I just love flying down those little country roads. It is exciting. It is fast. Plus the scenery goes by fast enough you just don't get board with it.

The road ran along the valley for a bit. Then it began to climb again. At the top I ended up in what seemed like classic Italian countryside. Fields and vineyards on steep slopes. Small cottages and manor farms surrounded by the almost Dr. Seuss like umbrella pines. Very cool.

The only bad part was the roads. They were pitted and rough. In some spots it looked as if they had been patched and re-patched dozens of times. It was worse than Mercer street. (Have they fixed that yet?)

I was still pushing pretty fast to get to Rome before it was too dark. Well I didn't really make it. I ended up screaming down toward Rome in the dark. The highway did get pretty busy too. So I was being passed by big trucks without much clearance. I am still glad I have the lights.

Here is some advice for anyone who wants to tour. (Mom, don't read this part. You are still reading...) Be sure you are comfortable riding with cars. It is just going to be a fact of life on any extended bicycle tour. Sure in some areas there will be a nice big shoulder or a off street bike path. In places like Italy you are just going to have to accept riding very close to fast moving traffic. If you can't be less than a foot from a huge truck when it is dark, you might rethink your method of travel.

I did get into the city and started playing more destination golf. I knew the place I wanted to stay was close to Termini station. So I just sought directions there. Eventually it worked out. I did have one more incident right before I got to the hostel. I was riding along a road with tram tracks. Well I ended up trapping my front wheel in the tracks and crashing. Since then my odometer hasn't worked. I don't know if it is something simple or if I somehow snapped the wire. I will have to try and fix that.

When I got to the hostel I hadn't made a reservation, as I never quite know when I will be there. The Beehive had one final bed in there dorm remaining. Perfect. It is a really nice place too. Thanks to Jonn-E for the recommendation.

I got some pizza and milk for dinner. Then headed down to the main room of the little hostel. I ended up meeting two women who were also traveling after being laid off. Jean had been teaching message therapy in Florida. Zoe was working and teaching at a science museum in California. They were a lot of fun to talk to. Jean was leaving for Paris the next morning, but Zoe and I made plans to see the Colosseum the next day.

-Dravis

Perugia to Terni - Day 82

Date: November 8th, 2009
Distance: 108km (+12km by car)
Country: Italy
Song of the Day: When the Levee Breaks - Led Zeppelin

Woke up early and tried to get out of the city as soon as possible. This was a disaster. It took about an hour to find the right way out of the city. What a pain. I hate getting into and out of cities. Perugia isn't even a big city. The next town I was going to was just not listed on any of the signs.

Finally when I found it I got onto a path that was along a ridge line. So it was a lot of up and down. I had wanted to go along the valley below next to the train tracks. I figured that would be much more level. I just couln't figure out a way down. I didn't want to get stuck halfway down. So I kept going.

I ended up in Marsciano looking for the route to Todi. While asking people where to go, one nice guy named Giuseppe offered to give me a ride. He was heading that direction anyway. So I got 12 more kilometers in a car. Which was nice because it had started raining a bit. He dropped me off about 5 klicks out of town, and by that time the rain had stopped.

Sadly when I got to Todi the rain came back with a vengeance. First, a thunderstorm blew over. I sheltered under the awning for a gas station for a bit. When the rain let up a bit (but didn't stop) I started going again. Before long I was just soaked.

This is when I made a big mistake. I started going down a big hill that was supposed to lead to the next big town, Terni. Sadly this just led down to the Autostradt, a freeway where bikes can't go. Urg. So I had to push my bike back up this huge hill with 15% grades.

Back at the top, I kept going. The road eventually crossed the freeway again. My path became tiny, and I wasn't sure if I was going the right direction. At this point the second thunderstorm blew over. Then it started hailing. Hail! So I was soaked, cold, miserable and I didn't even know if I was going the right way.

I did finally get on the right highway to Terni. About 45 minutes before dark I passed an abandoned farmhouse and almost stopped to spend the night. But it was still light out and I wanted to keep going. I wasn't sure if I was going to regret that decision though.

I did get into Terni just after dark, so I felt pretty good. I hadn't checked if there was a hostel in town though. I asked around but no one seemed to know. Finally this group told me to go to "San Valentino". I figured there would be some kind of church run hostel.

When I got there, well no. I started talking with father Mario. Sadly I don't speak Italian very well. I think father Mario speaks Italian and French. Soon after Father Windel came up and helped sort me out. He invited me inside and made me some tea. He also started calling around to find somewhere I could stay. I thought it was local hostels, but it turns out it was other churches. He was trying to get me a bed in the preist's residence. When I told him I had a sleeping bag, he said that I was welcome to stay with them at Basilica di San Valanteno. How neat is that.

They didn't have a bed, but since I was contemplating sleeping in an abandoned farmhouse that didn't really matter. A roof to keep me out of the rain was all I needed. I did get a place to sleep and a hot shower. (It turns out there was a homeless shelter of the same name nearby. But that wasn't really a hostel.)

Father Windel even made me some dinner. We also sat around and talked for a while about my journey. He asked if I was a pilgrim. I couldn't exactly say yes to that, because I am not motivated to see any religious sites. Still, it is at least partially a spiritual journey. We also talked about his life and his own travels. I guess he was a priest for several years in Kiwait. We had a great time talking, even after I mentioned that I wasn't actually Catholic. We also ended up discussing various religions topics, like the amusing idea of the "one true bible". After that he even let me use their internet for a bit before going to bed.

-Dravis

Urbina to Perugia - Day 81

Date: November 7th, 2009
Distance: 108km
Country: Italy
Song of the Day: Airplane - Ellen Says No

Got up early and had a large breakfast. If I am going to pay for it, I am sure going to eat. Plus as you must all know by now, I sure eat a lot on the road.

So off I rode, still heading south. More hills today. I spent most of the morning climbing. Oh, and there was also a nasty headwind coming through this gap in the hills that the road went through. So it was tough going the whole time.

The terrain was interesting though. There were lots of bridges and tunnels. One time I went through one tunnel to go over a bridge, then back through another tunnel. Plus there were a bunch of neat little towns up in the hills. Plus great big rock formations. Jonn-E would have loved it. Still the steeps climbs and the headwind was just taking all my energy.

Going slow just means you have more time to observe it. It really gave me a sense of why Italy was a bunch of city states for a long time. Nobody wanted to cross the hills. "Lets get those guys! Oh, wait? Over that rage of hills? Nevermind. I would rather drink wine. Lets hire the Swiss to kill them. They are used to hills."

I finally went through the last tunnel (1200m), then it was all down hill. What a change. I ended up screaming down hills. After spending the morning climbing that felt good. I ended up in the little valley for a town called Gubbino. But on the other side of the valley I was in for another climb. I ended up drinking the full camelbak of water and then some.

Just outside of Perugia the terrain started going down again. I could see a storm front hitting the next hill over. I wanted to avoid the rain, and if I was fast enough it would just miss me. Well, I did get hit with a bit of the rain, but I was able to skirt the worst of it. I was a bit worried that I would slide out on one of the sharp corners, though. So I wasn't going quite full bore. Still, I was keeping up with traffic for the most part. It was weird to have cars pass you only to be stopped by the next car 50m ahead. What was the point of that? I didn't mind that much though. I didn't really want a car on my tail if I did skid out.

I finally got into the valley just before sunset. All I had to do was find the hostel I was going to stay at. Well, I have learned that there are two kinds of towns in Italy. Those built on hills, and those built in valleys. Turns out, Perugia was one of those built on a hill. So I was in for one more climb. Once I got to the top it still took me a little while to find the place. It wasn't that obvious, but with the help of lots of strangers I was able to get there.

Remember, if you are touring, don't be afraid to ask lots of people for directions. Sometimes it is a bit like playing golf. You don't need the first person to get you there. You just need them to get you on the right path. Then the next person will get you a little closer. If you repeat this enough you should get to the location eventually. I have gotten pretty good at understanding directions in Italian by this point.

I checked into the hostel and then went out to get some food. I had been having a hankering for some soup. So I got some supplies. A carton of Bolognese sauce and a can of mixed vegetables. Plus some milk. I think all told it was about 2 euro. I cooked it up back at the hostel. Not to bad.

-Dravis

Ravena to Urbania - Day 80

Date: November 6th, 2009
Distance: 164km
Country: Italy
Song of the Day: Coney Island - Death Cab for Cutie

Today was my last day along the Adriatic coast. I am kind of glad of this. Not that it is bad. Just that there really isn't much going on. It really must be a pretty happening place in the summer though. There are tons of hotels and camping sites all down the coast. In a way it reminds me of the beaches along the easter seaboard. But all the camping sites are closed and the hotels are shuttered. Frankly, it just looks dead.

So I got down to Remeni and started heading due south. This is where I started running into hills. Big, steep ones too. So I just muscled through until sunset. The sky was pretty clear so the sunset over the hills was quite impressive.

I was going to stay in Urbino, but I was about 30km out when the sun went down. I just figured that I would go for a bit and ask to camp in a field. This wasn't as easy as I thought. A lot of the homes were clustered around the small towns. So not really a field that you could stay in. (I think it would be a little odd to ask someone if you could camp in their front yard...) Out of town a lot of the houses were behind big gates. Others didn't have any lights on.

I did ask one family, but I don't think they got my idea. They kept telling me about a camping site down the road 12km. I didn't have the italian to tell them I wanted to stay over in their feild. So I just kept going. I almost wild camped in a field. But the spot was too close to the road. I just didn't feel right about it. So I moved on.

I actually ended up passing Urbino without finding the place I wanted to stay. I didn't know what to do, so I kept going. Just before midnight I saw a bed and breakfast place with the lights on. They were kind enough to take in some crazy cyclist at 11:30 at night. Still, I am not doing a great job of keeping to my budget. Ah well. Sometimes I just have to sit back and remember that somone else is paying for my trip.

-Dravis

Chioggia to Ravenna - Day 79

Date: November 5th, 2009
Distance: 107.5km (in 5:10!)
Country: Italy
Song of the Day: Rearviewmirror - Pearl Jam

Today was much better. Left early and got onto the road. There was a bit of rain in the morning, but it only lasted 15 minutes. It wasn't that cold either. By the afternoon it had cleared off and was rather sunny.

I was making great time as well. The fixes to my bike have been a great improvement. I need to remember to get on a regular cleaning schedule...

Still on the same highway for most of the day. But the farther out I got the fewer trucks. So it was actually pleasant. Plus the last 20 kilometers I took a side route closer to the coast. I still couldn't see the sea from there either though. So I took a side path and got to see the Mediterranean for the first time. (I did see the Lagoon in Venice, but that doesn't really count. You can't say you saw a city because you had a layover at the airport.)

I even got into Ravenna at 4:30 PM. Plenty of time to spare. All the campings along the coast were closed. So I found a nice hostel in town. I even had a chance to fix the limits on my rear derailer. While I was at it I straigtened out my front derailer as well. So my bike is running great.

I was thinking of continuing along the coast for a bit, but I don't see the point. There really isn't anything to see. The roads don't go that close to the shore here. So I think I will head overland and try to get through Umbria down to Rome. Should be interesting with all the hills.

-Dravis

P.S.: Thanks to Jonn-E for suggestions from his recent trip to Italy. Also, because he mentioned some things from Venice that were too late. I am going to try and announce as far in advance as I can my plans so people can suggest things before I get there.

Venice to Chioggia - Day 78

Date: November 4th, 2009
Distance: 91km
Country: Italy
Song of the Day: November Rain - Guns 'n Roses

Miserable day. Rain was just so damn cold my hands were numb. When I was in Iceland, one of the Canadian bikers was going to give me some thick rubber gloves. I wish I had those today. Just awful.

The only good part was I did replace my read derailer hanger before I left. So my derailer was hanging straight now. Much better. (I still forgot to re-adjust the limits, so the shifting was off. But it didn't rub and have nearly as much friction.) Plus I cleaned off the crud on the gears. So I was going much easier and faster than before.

The highway I was on was terrible as well. There was a shoulder, but it was a busy highway with lots of trucks. Not really that dangerous but with the rain and crap being sprayed up by them it just wasn't in any way pleasant.

When I got into Chioggia it was full of camping sites. They were all closed though. I wandered around in the rain for an hour looking for something that was open. Nothing. Finally I got to a pension a booked myself a room. Another 40€. Italy has been expensive. Urgh.

-Dravis

Venice - Day 77

Date: November 3rd, 2009
Distance: 12km
Country: Italy
Song of the Day: Stork & Owl - TV on the Radio

Woke up and went to get some supplies, as in food. It was raining just a bit when I left the hotel I was at. By the time I left, it had stopped.

So I headed out down the road to the camping site I was going to stay at the night before. My first experience with Italian roads was a bit unnerving frankly. In town (Mestre, just outside of Venice) it wasn't so bad. But getting onto the highway was pretty hairy. There was no shoulder and big trucks were passing right by me. Then there was construction on one side, so there was even less space. I was only comforted by an old guy (with no helmet) going the same way I was. He didn't seem to notice all the cars going by. The vehicles also did slow down a lot in areas where it was tight. So after a bit I got the idea that this was normal and I wasn't going to be killed.

When I got into the camping it was actually going to be more expensive to pitch a tent then to rent a bunk in one of their cabins. I don't know how that works out, but okay I got a bunk. It was just in a mobile home style trailer, still it was inside and there was a bathroom. Plus I wasn't intending to stay inside.

I caught the next bus into the city. I still just had my shorts on. The German guy next to me said that I was being optimistic about the weather, which I thought was amusing. It turned out to be right, though. By the time I got into Venice the sun started coming out.

Now Venice is a maze of little streets bordered by buildings and canals. Frankly I was almost surprised by how much land there was, though. I know most of the city was just built on wood pilings in the water. So to have things like piazzas and trees is a bit like putting them on a boat. (Or maybe like having a swimming pool on a cruise ship.) In any case, you could often walk for hundreds of meters without seeing a canal.

Still, you just can't design a city like that. It is just so amazing to walk around and see how it evolved. For instance, some of the bridges were at an angle when crossing a canal. The streets on either side didn't line up, so they just built an angled bridge. In other places I saw a bridge with steps leading down to two small passage ways on one side. Or (private) passage ways connecting two buildings on opposite sides of a canal. I can't imagine doing any surveying work in the city. The difference between private and public spaces must just be a mess.

It is also probably the least bike friendly city I have been too. This is why I didn't bring my bike into the city. Still it was a big difference from the other city of canals, Amsterdam. Where Amsterdam was a city on land that canals were carved through it, Venice was water with stuff built there. The canals could be almost as small as some of the streets. So all of the canals are crossed with arched bridges that have to be tall and short. So they have steps. Just not a good place for a bike. Which is okay, they would really be out of place in Venice. Instead goods get around the city on boats. It was funny to see mail delivered by some dude in a boat.

I really can't describe the city effectively though. Even with pictures, I just don't think it gives the impression that you get from just being there. Plus I still don't think I got enough pictures. It is just a cool place.

I even managed to get through it without a map. (They wanted 2€ for a stupid map.) So I figured I couldn't get too lost in the city. It isn't that big, plus it has definite boarders. I really didn't know where I was going anyway. I just walked around until I found something cool. I got around just fine.

By the time I got to the Rialto the sky was almost clear. When I got to Piazza San Marco it was bright and sunny. For a day that I thought was going to be raining the whole time, I was so glad it wasn't. I would like to credit divine favor the generally pleasant weather on my tour, but that would incline you to believe that I somehow deserve divine favor.

In the piazza I went to see two things that I wasn't sure about when I got there. The first was the Basilica di San Marco. On the outside it is covered in mosaics. Some of which I think are done in gold leaf. I just thought that if it was on the outside, the inside would be a bit boring. Frankly, I have been to a lot of cathedrals in Europe. But I went anyway. Boy was I wrong. Inside was even more magnificent than the outside. The walls and ceilings were covered in even more gold mosaics. Just cool to be there.

The second place was the Doge's palace. It was 12€ to get in. I actually walked out after seeing the price.When I took one last look and saw the courtyard, I reconsidered. I am glad I did. It was actually worth it, something I didn't expect. The places you can visit are amazing. They start with simpler rooms and work their way up. So the Doge's apartments are actually kind of plain. From there it moves to the council chambers. Imagine rooms where every surface is covered with paintings and art? The rooms keep getting bigger as well. When you get to the largest room it is about the size of an Olympic swimming pool with the ceiling covered in paintings. Frankly I wanted to pull out a pillow in lay on the floor for a while.

Now, I should tell you that there are winged lions all over the palace. Right away I picked up on the fact that this was the symbol for St. Mark the evangelist. I felt pretty good about remembering this. (More weird useless knowledge stuffed into my brain somewhere.) It turns out that St. Mark is sort of the patron saint for the city. So the lion was in many of the paintings (when the city wasn't being represented by a beautiful woman.)

Oh, and they had an amazing armory. They had swords from a three hundred year period. Crossbows most of which had a rack and pinion style crank to cock the thing. The quivers of bolts were cool too. I guess the arrow head was made flat and then the base was bent into a cone to fit it onto the shaft. Oh, and they had an amazing variety of halberds and pole axes. Some which had a crescent shaped fork on top instead of a spike. Plus flamberge, glaives, and corsicans... I could really go on about this. I took as many pictures as I could until they asked me to stop. (I don't see why. It isn't like a painting where the flash will damage it.) In the last room of the armory they had guns of various kinds. Mostly wheel-lock. There was one neat piece, it was a sword-gun. I walked through twice.

The only slightly disappointing part of the tour was the prisons. Yes, I got to walk over the Bridge of Sighs. But there prisons weren't well described like the rest of the palace. It was just a bunch of rooms with no explanations. Iron bars, yep. Bare stone cell, yep. But no history on what it was or who would have been put there. Still the whole thing was worth it, and I stayed until they kicked me out.

Then I grabbed a bit of dinner at a restaurant. I know, it was expensive. Still I felt like I really wouldn't have had the whole Venice experience without at least one sit down meal. So I had a lovely little dinner of tortellini e prosciutto.

After dinner I took one last walk around the city. There were still shops open which amazed me. (Most of Europe seems to close shop by 8:00 PM.) Other shops were closed by had their lights on. Some were peddling food or tourist trinkets. There were two other major categories for the shops though. It looks like Venice is a major center for glass work. (Actually I leaned that work was done in the nearby town of Mirano.) It also has a huge number of mask shops. The masks seemed almost as much a symbol for the city as the gondolas. (I didn't take a gondola ride, actually. I figured as a single guy that would be about as sad as going out to dinner by yourself on St. Valentine's day.)

It was then why I realized why the city was so romantic. First there are all these little shops along the tiny streets. You could, if you were with someone, just stroll around in the evening, hand in hand, along all the little avenues. Looking in the shop windows you could buy presents for that special someone. The second reason is that there are no cars. It is quiet and calm. After dark it is just a perfect place for a quiet conversation or to listen to your own thoughts. So if you a) want to spend money and b) you want a girl to fall in love with you, I suggest Venice.

Since I didn't want to do either I took the bus back out of town and went to bed.

-Dravis