If you would like to see details about our journey, check out our itinerary and our bike route.
Everywhere we went, people fed us!
The morning started out smoothly. We left the apartment at 9:00, it was sunny and in the mid-80s Fahrenheit, the bikes worked perfectly (other than a little brake squealing, which is normal with new pads and will settle down eventually). We did have to walk the first mile or so straight uphill, but that is not unusual (for us) in this part of Italy.
We had a beautiful route up through the Umbrian countryside, with a mix of orchards, vineyards, small roads and lanes, small highways, a short stretch on an agricultural access trail. We rode past and through several fortified medieval villages, including Viterbo and Nepi. A guy picking mirabella (little yellow plums) on the side of the road flagged us down and handed us a bag of sweet, juicy fruit.
In Mazzano Romano, we noticed cars pulling into the bakery Forno Capuani, so we did too. The owner, Roberto, came out to see our bikes. He spoke just a little English, and I managed (surprisingly) to understand a lot of what he was saying in Italian and even communicate a little of my own ideas in Italian. He wanted to know how we feel about Trump, and he wanted us to know how much our president's policies and attitude affect the EU and the people there. He expressed his concern for the threat to bella democrazia. We talked about the need for world peace, he explained to me the meanings of the images on the 20 euro note (bridges signifying connections between different peoples and ideologies, windows illustrating how people can see through differences). Roberto gave me a tour of his spotless workroom, introducing his daughter and son-in-law, the bakers. He gave us cookies fresh from the oven, hugged us, and sent us off with a wish for peace and understanding. What an experience.
The ride was a little challenging, especially when the heat index on our bikes spiked up to 107 and 108 degrees. But we only had about 25 miles to cover, and every few miles brought a unique experience.
We got to Civita Castellana a little before 14:00, sat outside on the shady patio of Ristorante Mignolo and drank cold water and ate salad and bruschetta until our room in the tower was ready for check-in. After showers--always the first thing we want when we get off the bikes--we spent an hour resting in the cool room (Italians are slowly adopting AC, and this was one of the few accommodations we have booked that has a unit) and then headed out to explore the little town.
Unfortunately, the main piazza, just around the corner from our room, was throbbing with head-banger music from an outdoor club, making it impossible to enjoy any of the restaurants there. (We have found this in a few towns on our travels. This type of club and overwhelming music attracts large crowds of younger people drinking heavily, smoking. It's the type of tourist orientation that we find discouraging.) The restaurant we had chosen on Google, just off the main square, was closed. So we headed back to the restaurant we had found on our way into town, Mignolo, and had a fantastic meal inside with AC, no music, and small groups of friends and families chatting around us.
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| View of Umbria just as we were leaving Sacrofano. |
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| Viterbo. |
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| Porta (doorway) into Neri. |
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| Old road in Neri. |
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| First view of Civita Castellana. |
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| Ken and Roberto in front of Roberto's bakery. |
