April 10, 2015
Siena And Onward: 14km before Siena to Somewhere (lost).
I really needed the early stop yesterday and good night sleep. In a hostel there's too much distractions to go to bed early.
Well rested, it is a glorious spring morning. cloudless blues sky contrast with green of the tall Lombardy popular. There's birdsong so numerous and great ambiance as I breakfast on cornflakes from the hostel, then sit writing my notes, neglected yesterday because of tiredness.
I am on the road at ten, or shortly thereabouts; sweeping down for a few kilometres, over a bridge, left and up a hard drag. This is the Tuscany hills after all. And approaching Siena at eleven, it's no surprises to find a city perched on a hilltop with a steady ascent to the centre.
I cycle through a gateway in the old town wall, continuing along a narrow street until a bakery, which is what I'm looking for, as it is time for second breakfast and a slice of pizza is perfect. But other than this, there isn't much else to see, apart from if you're into churches, one I see a brown sign for.
I return back through the gateway and following the street round, find a bank where I withdraw some cash. While I look at the paper-slip and place the bank notes in my wallet, a young man askes where and how far I've cycled; many Italian verbs are similar in Spanish and he speaks clear and simply, making himself easy to follow. Two thousand kilometres, I reply in Spanish and add, from Ireland.
Before leaving I amble up a pathway where I see other tourists walking, and pass through a gateway in a thick wall, into what looks to be a Roman Amphitheater.
So the real reason for coming to Siena is to look around and hopefully eat and fulfil necessities. On the way out of town I pull into a supermarket and am glad to find alcohol for the camping stove therein.
My road out soon leads to a big roundabout and not many options, as south, the way I intend, is autostrada with usual no cycling, scooters, slow vehicle signboard. But there is a small road up from the roadabout; it climbs and passes through a hamlet on the hilltop, where half the houses are derelict; after which, the asphalt reverts to white consolidated quarry-blinding. It leads across rolling green farmland. I am on this road or similar roads for the rest of the afternoon, passing through more quaint places, too small to register on my map of the whole of Italy. Although lost, there is one town on most signs at crosses which I head for, in the direction of Arezzo.
Late on I'm continually climbing with pine forest to the side, toward somewhere called "Monte Lucia", until I turn in an unused track and find a level place big enough for my tent and do necessary clearing of twigs and cones.
Today's ride: 55 km (34 miles)
Total: 2,356 km (1,463 miles)
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