Riding Day 2: Main Roads to Ravenna
We knew we had to do better today than we did yesterday. So, we started with a plan of staying closer together, and making decisions where to go together when the roads dropped from sight as it were. Unfortunately, we couldn’t even get to our first road since this was “Primo Maggio” – the Italian’s Labor Day – and there was a big race going on all the roads we wanted to go on. We eventually found a road that they let us “share” with the runners, but then we go to a rotunda and we had to choose which of the UNMARKED streets might be the one we had on our maps. I chose the wrong one, and we ended up on a 4 lane highway. Marzia saw this and jumped over to the other road (which was about 1 or 2 Km on the right of the highway). I didn’t see her do that, and since I always listen to music when I ride (except in towns, and in heavy traffic areas). However, every so often I would see a car that looked like the one she rented ahead of me, pulling out in front of me – I thought she wanted to stay on the highway for some reason. So… I stayed on the high way until Argenta. There was an excellent shoulder on the road, but the ride was a bit boring.
We were fortunate to find a “in square” celebration going on for the holiday, so we stopped to regroup, rest a bit, and get some gelati. I continue to be envious of how rich in cycling and the choice of using bikes for transportation that Italy is. Family after family were in the square with their bikes, or with their bikes nearby. I also learned that the really GOOD gelati can be found where they post a sign “arte di genali” – which basically means that it is made their by hand (which is not the case for many gelaterias).
We continued to opt for the “main road” instead of my circuitous route through the many unmarked back roads. It wasn’t bad, as I realized after we stopped, that many of the “little towns” I wanted to go through were really not towns at all, and just localities on the map. Hence, I really didn’t and shouldn’t try to stay exclusively on the back roads. It was really not going to be possible.
My last rest before Ravenna came at a little café/bar next to the train station, near the center of town. This was a classic setting of guys playing cards outside in front of the café, others just sitting and talking or reading papers. I got a small glass of wine and found a chair where I could I lift up my feet and rest for a while. I ended up taking a nap, and that was indeed what I needed most. When I woke up, to an arriving train, two more Italian guys took the other two seats near me. We struck up a conversation, and it was very satisfying, they only had to repeat 2 or 3 things for me. In fact after we were talking for about 10 minutes, one of them asked if I lived close by. WOW. That was a compliment on my Italian I wasn’t expecting.
After arriving in Ravenna, I found it of the type I like the most – old architecture, old cobblestone streets, lots of people walking around, bikes everywhere, statues, piazzas, museums, gardens, etc. There are also many narrow and interesting ways to get from one side of the center to another. I took my time and “tooled around” the city. It is by far my favorite thing to do when in Italia – to tour the city on bike, slowly and without being in a hurry – to really get a feel for the personality of the city. As strange as it sounds, with my artificial hip, it's easier and less painful for me to ride than to walk, and since there are already so many bikes, I don't stand out as "unusual" or an annoyance. This accordian player and his son were just one of the many nice encounters while doing my little "giro di citta'".
Although I still did 85 km I’m lucky this day was flat like yesterday, since I still feel sick. There is not question about it, if I don’t feel better tomorrow… actually if I don’t feel STRONG tomorrow, I won’t make the first set of mountain passes. I’m going to try and load up carbs tonight if my stomach stops whatever its doing to make me feel sick.