Day 18: Friday, 27 May 1983

Start: Hotel Morelle, Russi, Italy

End: Hotel, Medicina, Italy

Weather cold and misty in the morning, so I spent a couple of hours working on Bob and gear. Packed up some food for lunch. Cleared up enough to hit the road, but even with my "good" new map I soon got lost. The ride was lovely, but the meandering cost me some forward progress.

As I pass through the towns, everyone is friendly and amazed at my bike and gear. They're all very familiar with racing, but loaded touring seems to be a new concept around here. Whenever I pause to figure out where I am, they cheerfully attempt to ascertain where I'm from, where I've been, and where I'm going. Hey, I'm trying to ascertain the same thing! Even if no one speaks English, we usually manage to get the message across. 

For awhile an Italian lad of about ten pedals along beside me. He keeps pointing at me and repeating "Tedesco, tedesco." I figure he must think I'm German, so I try to convince him otherwise, but he continues to point and say the same thing. Maybe he's trying to tell me I'm on the road to Germany. Or maybe he wants to ride with me to Germany. Or maybe I'm already in Germany, but I can't be that far off course.

At one point, totally lost, I stop at a farmhouse to ask directions and I'm invited in to join the family for lunch. I guess I don't care if I find my road or not. If the weather would cooperate, this would be a perfect ride.

If the weather would cooperate. 

Intermittent showers turned into a steady downpour. I found a warm place to drink a cup of tea and wait out the worst of it. Eventually I geared up in full Gore-Tex, in case it continued, and got back on the road, pedaling cautiously. The rain continued without any sign of letting up. In Medicina I called it quits, a bare 38 km from Russi, although I had wandered around an extra 12 km or more trying to find my way. 

It's one thing to vow to wait for suitable conditions and ride sensibly, but -- at this rate -- avoiding inclement weather means not riding at all. Tomorrow I will get up early and ride all day no matter what the weather. Dress for it and go.

Conditions 

Distance: 50 km, including wandering while lost 

Weather: Cold and misty in the morning, then showers changing to steady rain 

Road: Smooth and nice 

Traffic: Light 

Terrain: Flat 

Mechanical: A-OK 

Physical: Feeling good, ankle healing