Last Day of Cycling (for this trip)

I hadn’t intended stopping at Rome – originally I’d planned to keep going south if I could, possibly going as far as Sicily but ……

When I planned my departure date it was taking into account trying to get the maximum 3 month stay in Europe – I’d already used up a week when skiing in France earlier in the year – so to get the full 3 months if I needed it, gave me a departure date of 7th of August.

This, I reckoned, would also give me the best weather as I’m travelling south and it has – despite a couple of soakings I’ve been very lucky weatherwise – and maybe just a little too good a couple of days ago.

What I stupidly didn’t take into account was the shorter days – but even if I had I don’t think I would have changed my dates.

I enjoy travelling by myself – I do like going on holiday with friends and family too – but travelling by myself I can pick and choose where and when I go, what distance I’ll cover (or not as the case may be), what I’m going to see, etc. When I’m at home I enjoy going out but also enjoy my own company, a set of knitting needles and a log fire.

The night before I set off for Lucca I pitched my tent at a campsite not far from the Med. It had been a good but long day and I didn’t have the tent up until 8pm – and it was dark. The campsite was barely a quarter full; I was the only tent – most folks were either in campervans or the wee holiday home and despite the nice warm evening they were all sitting indoors – it just felt a bit lonely a night or 2 like this would be fine but I didn’t fancy lots of nights sitting in the dark with my wee tent and decided that Rome seemed to be a good place to stop for this trip.

So 2 days ago I set off from the campsite for the last 26 miles or so for Rome. Initially coming down the left side of Laga Bracciano and stopping at the really pretty town of Anguillara Sabazia at the south end of the lake.

Stopped just outside of Rome near to the Tiver River just as the heavens opened, so take shelter in a wee cafe. €7 for a good plate of ravioli and when I asked for the bill it came with this –

There was a cycle path following the Tiver until I had to leave it to find my accomodation – traffic in Rome was chaotic, as expected, but seems to work and I got to my accommodation without too much difficulty. Unfortunately nowhere close by that I was comfortable leaving Phil the bike so he has been parked about 4km away at some bicycle parking.

Very sad but I got up early to retrieve Phil to take him on a photo shoot – I was hoping to beat the crowds at The Trevi Fountain but even before 8am it was busy and same at Saint Peter’s Bascillica.

Returned Phil to his parking spot – must be getting more used to Italian drivers and enjoyed the bike ride, with no incident which is just as well as realised that I hadn’t used my helmet and it was in the hostel.

So the tracker is switched off just now. I might take a wee bike ride to the coast before I come home but not decided yet as there is so much to do in Rome.

Over the next few day’s I’ll try and fill in the blanks, including London, cycling to Lucca and a wee trip to Pisa.