Grumpy Old Men On Bikes

We are in Florence and here is a picture of my machine.  If that doesn't help you get the song connection there is no hope for you.  Our ride today took us up to the Piazzale Michelangelo, from where there are suberb views across the city, then down and across the Ponte Vecchio into the heart of Florence.   Sounds fantastic doesn't it?  The trouble is that the place is rammed with tourists and people trying to relieve them of as many euros as possible.  I sat and minded about £75,000 worth of bikes while the rest of the group wandered around, gawping at old shit and paying ten quid for an ice cream. We don't actually stay in Florence, but a few miles further on in Signa.  Bike Adventures hotels are usually pretty good and we have done well for nice places, but our 'hotel' tonight is in another league.  We are staying in a 17th century villa and basically have the run of the place.  Tonight we are going to dress up and re-enact...

I have been literally inundated with a request for an update on our little jaunt around Tuscany.  We have now completed 4 days with some tough hills, some glorious scenery and evenings spent enjoying excellent food and cheap vino.  Each day there is a choice of a shorter easier day (I do these) and a longer hillier version (the Chard Massive do these).  The weather has been poor by Tuscan standards, but by the standards of anyone who lives in the UK it has been lurvely.  Today was a 'wet' day......a few spots of rain and the occasional wet road. Tomorrow we go through Florence and we can't decide whether to visit all the splendid ancient buildings or sit by the river drinking beer.  It will be interesting to see which way we decide to go ;-)

Well, here we are in Pisa.  I have seen the tower many times before but am always surprised just how leany it is.  Our group of seven arrived on 3 different flights but we have now all hooked up and put our bikes together.  Between us there is some pretty fancy kit and I could see everyone taking quick furtive glances at the other bikes as they were put together..... anyone who has ever used a public urinal will know the glance I am talking about! We are now setting about boosting the price of Peroni shares and waiting for restaurants to open.  Being Italy, this will occur about 5 hours after a sensible bedtime!  By that time Peroni stock will be worth more than Apple and tomorrow's cycling might be a bit of a problem.  Bugger!

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into Facebook! So, your intrepid hero returned from Australia and sat around for 8 weeks picking flaking skin off his nose and watching all that fitness ooze out of his legs onto the carpet.   I had high hopes for lots of Spring cycling but these were thwarted by global warming which, unaccountably, seems to make it much COLDER.  The brief appearance of summer a couple of weeks ago helped, but my ambassadorial robes, which arrived a month ago, have only had a few outings and I have mostly just been eating the Ferrero Rocher and watching my waistline expand.  What I need is a bit of sun and, as you can see from the photo, some exercise! As luck would have it, I have a little cycling 'mini-break' that fits the bill perfectly....on Saturday I am off to Pisa for a week of cycling in Tuscany.  This is real 'cycling for softies' stuff with a support van to carry the crap, nice comfy hotels and none of...