May 6, 2023
The Big Plan
Today's the Day
After months of preparation, we are on our way to Italy for another adventure on our Bike Fridays. We have lost count of how many cycle tours we have been on but we think this might be #17. The rewards are just so rich that we will continue doing it as long as we have the good fortune and ability.
Children Get Older, Dogs do Too
As usual, leaving our sweet little Jack Russell is a concern. She is now 13 yrs old and has many established routines and habits. It seemed only right to have someone come and stay with her, so that’s what we are doing. We used Trusted Housesitters to find a pet sitter. Tashi took to him right away on her first meet and greet yesterday and today, she was nonplussed with Liam at her side as we said our goodbyes.
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The Knee Bone’s Connected to the Shin Bone
We have been telling friends we are cycling in Puglia but it will be much more than Puglia. That name just happens to be the most familiar of the southern Italy provinces. A much better way of explaining where we are headed has been the anatomic description, which goes like this: we are starting about half way down the shin and will cycle down towards the forefoot but before reaching the toe, we cross the arch and ride down to the tip of the heel. From there we cycle up the back of the boot and around the spur, at which point we return to the shin, where it all began.
Where we are Really Going
Now that you are oriented to the general vicinity, here is where we are really going to ride. We start in Campania (Naples) and cycle down the west coast, entering Basilicata along the way. Then we head east through the mountains of Basilicata all the way to Puglia, which lies along the eastern flank of the boot. We will ride to the most southerly point in Puglia and then head up the east coast till we are roughly even with Naples. From there we head west and return to Naples. Altogether we are expecting about 1700km over a span of 35 days.
Here is the map version of the planned route. Speaking of planning, this is the most carefully planned itinerary we have ever had. We usually pre-book the first and the last night then book accommodation day-by-day. This gives us the freedom to go whichever way we choose and make up the tour as we go. We always have a general idea of where we will go, but leave room for unexpected surprises.
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1 year ago
1 year ago
This year, the planning took a turn when I came to the realization that a) the arch of the boot can not be traversed on 2 wheels and b) the remote places we would be travelling through in order to traverse the arch do not offer accommodation for travellers. Nada...nowhere to stay a long the routes I had chosen in Basilicata. At least, that is what I concluded as I scoured the internet for hours on end. It’s not that they were ‘foooly booked’. Nope. Nowhere for a visitor to lay their head.
It remains a mystery. Maybe there are actually places to stay but it was a risk we did not wish to entertain. That was when my planning went into overdrive and I began plotting out our daily routes. I left some wiggle room in the Puglia segment for us to pick and choose our routes and destinations. For this section, we will book as we go. So, what you see in this map is pretty much, but not exactly, how the tour will roll out. Time will tell how well I did in planning the route.
Bike Friday’s
This past winter, David sourced new Bike Friday frames and all the necessary parts and set about assembling two spanking new Bike Friday's. This means that our old Friday NWT’S can retire after 22 years of active duty. bike Friday built our new frames based on our road bike dimensions so these new bikes fit us like gloves. We have trained on them and are now looking forward to loading them up with our panniers to explore the land of pizza and limoncello.
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1 year ago
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Check, Check... and Check
The final days of prep for such a tour are a whirlwind as we make lists, both on paper and in our heads. Crossing them off, crumbling them up and tossing them in the recycle bin gives great satisfaction. One thing we don’t make lists for though is our clothes as it’s a very small list: two bike shorts, three jerseys, two pairs of cycle gloves, three t-shirts, two pairs of shorts, one wind jacket, one light rain jacket, lightweight booties, socks and underwear and a laundry bag with soap. Throw in the chamois butter, sunscreen, shampoo, tooth brush and toothpaste, a pair of sandals and the charging cables and all that remains is the rear panniers, which will also travel in the carry on luggage.
First Things First
We usually fly out the day we leave home, by this year is a little different. As the travel industry recovers from covid, travel plans can be snagged by inadequate staffing to bad weather to mechanical issues. Or, how about this one? A baggage cart driver drove into the side of the plane and damaged it! Truly, too many things can get in the way so to be sure we are on that plane when it lifts off tomorrow, we have booked into a hotel not far from YVR. It feels surreal but we are all set and ready for takeoff. Tomorrow, all we have to do is shuttle to the airport and breathe in the airport air. And hope that baggage cart driver has been re-assigned. Maybe then, it will soak in and feel real.
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1 year ago
1 year ago
Happy cycling!
Liz R
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