Gordon: While I do not share her enthusiasm for vast expanses of tedious sand, Ruth loves a beach. So it was with some excitement that Ruth approached the coast near Massa to find ... that someone owns the beach. We cycled for a number of kilometres...
Ruth: Ah, we are entering in Tuscany where almost all the Italian Movies we have ever watched were filmed. A land that is always bathed in the pre sunset light, and where everyone owns a villa. Then why are my hands and feet numb and why can't I see the road. We had...
53km and 850 meters of climbing ( for those in Victoria that's 2.5 Malahats )Gord: Today we left the rice paddies of the Po valley and climbed into the Appennine mountains towards Tuscany. Like the meseta on the Camino many pilgrims skip the Po valley....
I think we might actually make it to Rome. The signs are certainly indicating that we are going the right way. Perhaps the oldest surviving road sign, however is the on on the Cathedral in Fidenza. A statue of Simon Peter faces Rome holding an inscription that says,...
Ruth: 85 km with the additional 10 added in.Crossing the Po RiverThe very very flat Po Valley.My needs are simple and, I suspect, not that different from other pilgrims on the Via Francigena or any pilgrimage route. At the end of a long hot day there needs to be a...
One thousand year old crucifix in the Cathedral in Vercelli.In preparation for this trip Gord and I started watching the popular Italian sitcom, Che Dio Ci Aiuti ( God Help Us) on line to improve our Italian. It takes place in a convent that has fallen on tough...
Ruth: The Aosta valley is a beautiful, lush area ringed by some of the highest peaks in the Alps. It is also a bilingual area where greetings are done simultaneously in Italian and French. Cycling down out of Aosta was a treat, with castles on almost every...
Ruth: It was time for a rest day and Aosta is a perfect place to spend it. We are staying at the lovely Narbussion B&B with our own 17th century studio suite right in the historic core of Aosta. The courtyard comes equipped with cats and much...
29km & 1700 meters of climbing. The road was well graded although it averaged 10% in the last 10 km. The traffic was not a problem and it was lovely when we parted company with the main road which goes through a tunnel to Italy. This was the biggest climb I have...
Montbovon - Lausanne 78km no trains no buses just pedalling.Ruth: Today was all about closing the gap and returning to Lausanne where we stopped last year. It was a strange feeling arriving at the lake and heading away from Rome, but we are making sure that...
Spiez to Montbovon: 82 km Ruth: We had a beautiful but long ride today. I decided to take a train over the pass cutting 17 km and 350 meters of steep climbing. We are now relaxing at a beautiful farm that breeds Bernese mountain dogs. One of them has befriended us and...
Brienzwiler to Spiez: 42 kmThis was supposed to be our easy ride, but the Lakes Route 9 chose the very scenic but cliff climbing route rather than the flat side of the lake to Interlaken. Legend has it that when the clouds move into the mountains and threaten rain,...