The last day of cycling

Am lying in bed late at night having had a huge day today. So tired will have to post in the morning.

Well what a day it was. Everyone up early for the most challenging of all our rides.

We cycled into Lucca and out the other side and headed for a little town called Buti. It was quite flat for a considerable way so I didn’t turn on my power.

It was a great ride and another beautiful day. We started to climb up into Buti so went to turn on my power and nothing happened. No power.

Kept cycling and had a terrible thought that I wouldn’t have power all day.

The climb started and Nick, one of the support team came up and rode beside me with his hand on my back giving me a boost up the hill.

It was so lovely of him to help me as the e-bike is a bit heavier than the other bikes so it was a bit of a slog up the hill.

Am proud to say I made it to Buti very red in the face but I did it. Apparently on an e-bike if you don’t turn it on it goes into shut down mode after a certain time and that is what happened.

We stopped in Buti for coffee and there was something happening there presumably over the weekend as all the doors in the town had blue rosette sort of things on their doors and in the town piazza they were setting up a huge stage. It was suggested it was for the local football (soccer) team celebrations which happens in each town.

We will never know as we headed out of town after our coffees.

This is where the hard bit started. We cycled 10kms up the side of the mountain with switchbacks and steep climbs all the way to the top. Thank goodness my bike was working.

You can see in the photo above the tower at the top of the mountain. That is were we were cycling to.

Even with a e-bike it was quite gruelling but I made it. I think the worst bit is that the constant riding in the saddle I had an extremely sore bum and bits!

yes that is were we came from!

Came around the corner at the top and there was a cafe/restaurant which we rested outside in the shade until everyone had caught up and were at the top. Only to be told we had another 2kms to the very top.

After sufficient cooling down and regrouping we set off for the top.

And then the best bit! 9 kms of all downhill, quite steep and lots of hairpin bends. I loved it. Going fast downhill is my favourite part of any ride.

It was a very quick trip to the bottom of the hill and then a few more kilometres ride back into Lucca and out the other side to a lovely little restaurant on the side of the road but when you got inside you could have been in another world. Beautiful setting under the trees in a garden.

My beautiful bike.

After lunch we then rode about 500m down the road for the obligatory gelato and then back to Lucca where we handed our bikes back.

It was quite sad to do that as it meant the end was coming to a wonderful week.

A few of us went and had an Aperol while waiting for our transport back to the villa.

As it was the last night we were having a big farewell dinner out at a restaurant so had a little while before we left to relax, start and pack and wonder how I had more things to fit in my suitcase than when I started out a week ago???

We all got quite dressed up and had Prosecco on the lawn before a group photo and off to the restaurant.

It was a local Trattoria that had been in the same family for 300 years and the food was fabulous.

One of the dishes was amazing. They wheeled it out on a trolley and it was a massive wheel of Pecorino cheese that the top had been cut off and a bit scooped out and they put all the pasta in this and just tossed it and tossed it and then served it. It was absolutely divine.

It was such a lovely night and have met so many wonderful people it will be very hard to say goodbye today.

Later on I will post the rides we did everyday.

So it is breakfast and off to the next destination

Goodbye from Lucca.

Caio