You might have noticed that the chronology of this blog changed yesterday. I decided that writing about dinner caused us to stay up too late.
Last night we had a wine tasting party. It started at Happy Hour when the hotel served us a sparkling wine similar to prosecco but produced in this region instead of the Veneto region of Italy. We were not sophisticated enough to tell the difference. It was nice, though, to drink it in one of the hotel’s outdoor terraces.
After Happy Hour, we assembled in a covered area for dinner and more wine tasting. Hotel Ristorante Giardino is known for its food and wine. We can attest to the quality of their meals. For a first course Ann and I had grilled eggplant that was wrapped around really tasty ricotta cheese and covered by a slightly sweet brown sauce. For a main dish, I had baked rabbit while Ann had lasagna. We were served both white and red wine. Between our main course and dessert, we had a lecture on how to taste wine. The hotel’s owner gave the demonstration in Italian while his Canadian-born wife and Italian-born son interpreted for us. We tried two reds during the talk. Then we had cake with crumbled macaroons on top.
We got to bed pretty late.
Breakfast this morning was at 7:00. The good food continued. For the first time on this tour, we had fresh fruit – melon, pineapple, apples, grapes and cherries just picked from the hotel’s trees. Mixed with home-made yogurt, this was a real treat. We also had several pastries and cakes that were made by the pastry chef. Cereals, breads and excellent coffee rounded out the meal.
I started the day’s ride a little after 8:00. I was the last to leave. Ann had Ron and Ellen Cohen as passengers in our car.
The ride had lots of short climbs until the last long one. There were some steep pitches. I managed to use all of my low gears and spent several walls in my lowest. The weather was very warm and sunny. We didn’t have as much ridge riding as in previous days but we still had outstanding views.
I managed to pass most of the group – some on the climbs and some when they were stopped at the side of the road making sure that they made the right turn. I stopped at a supermarket in Gallo where I bought an apple and a liter of water for .81 Euros. I ate the apple right away and poured the water into my water bottles. I had finished 1 1/2 bottles and needed a refill.
When I left Gallo, I encountered the longest climb of the trip so far. It was 6 miles with 1300 feet of elevation gain. There were a few steep pitches, but most of the climb was gradual – similar to riding up the lower part of Mt Diablo.
When I went over the top of the climb and started down the other side of the ridge, I got a wonderful view of Urbino.
I continued down the hill after taking a photo and calling Ann to wait for me to go to lunch. Then I climbed into Urbino and pedaled on very rough cobblestones to our hotel.
Here is a link to today's route.
After I cleaned up, Ann and I walked over to the nearby piazza and had lunch at an outdoor cafe. She had a Greek salad while I had lasagna. Prices here are much cheaper than in the other towns on our route. It might be because of the large student population. Urbino has the largest private university in Italy and the students outnumber the locals.
Ann and I went shopping for fruit after resting in the hotel for a while. I soon petered out after we had gelato and went back to the hotel for a nap. It didn’t happen because the air conditioner kept turning on and waking me up. It’s off now and the window is open to let in the breeze. We can hear the birds singing, too.
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