Last night we decided to check out the Restaurant at the next-door hotel but when we walked by there we couldn't see any welcoming signs so carried on back up. To Brisighella Centro. As we walked up past the public park we saw a caffe on the corner which we had seen earlier but, what we had not seen earlier was a restaurant tucked away at the side of it. We went in to the restaurant and asked to see that menu to see if it was the sort of place we were looking for. Usually they have the menu displayed out front but this one didn't. Since the menu looked good we decided to eat there and were glad that we did.
For starters we decided to share an antipasti platter - the 'Speciale' version which we could see two girls tucking into. What a platter! It had Bruschetta, cheese, pickled artichokes and a selection of thinly sliced meats and salami. Also served with it was a basket full of small puffed bread pieces and a bowl containing creme fraiche and a jam like conserve. Had we known how big this was going to be we would probably have had just that and a dessert. As it was we shared a salsiccia pizza which was also well presented. To wash it down, a bottle of Nebbiolo for a change.
This morning we had to be on the move a little earlier as we had to have our baggage out by 8:15am and had to catch the train from Brisghella to Borgo San Lorenzo at 8:31. After breakfast we were there in plenty of time waiting with the others in our group. We actually had a choice between trains at 7:30am, 8:31am, or 12:30pm. The 7:30 one was a bit too early, and if we had taken the 12:30pm we may just as well have taken it all the way to Florence as it would have us riding in the real heat of the day. There were at least 8 bikes to load from our group, and there were already some bikes on the train so it was a bit of a crush but eventually we were all on board. This particular train is a bit of a 'milk run' and stops at seven other stations before reaching Borgo San Lorenzo. The whole purpose of the train section is to cut out some very grueling stuff through the top of the Apennines. Garth and I had driven something like this on our way from Siena to Rimini but we had not ambition to cycle it and certainly not on these bikes.
Arriving in Borgo San Lorenzo we lost no time in getting on the road and found our way too the route without any problems. After departing the village of Poggiolo Saliole we got to the first of the day's two real climbs. This one was 1.5km in length and very steep. We rode probably the first 200 metres before having to get off and walk. And walk, and stop for breath, and walk, and stop for breath - you get the picture. Along the way we were passed first by the Belgian couple, although they walked in several places too, and then the Swiss couple on their electric-assist bikes.
After a lot of sweat and toil we reached the top and there was a lovely downhill for a while where passed the electric bike couple. Hooray for gravity!
A couple of kilometres after reaching the bottom we were into the second climb of the day. However, this one was quite a gentle gradient by comparison and we were able to ride the whole 3km without any problems.
After getting to the top of this second climb we had quite a lot of mostly downhill heading through Fiesole and San Domenica into Florence. Onthe way down we were treated to some splendid high-altitude views over Florence. We missed a turn at one stage but were able to figure out where we were and how to get back to our proper route. Of course modern technology came to the rescue here as Garth used his iPhone to pinpoint our actual location and then we were able to plot a course on to where we should be. A little while after that we found that we were the first of our group to arrive at the hotel. After checking in we had to prepare the bikes for pick up. For us this was removing our pedals, removing our bottle cages, and Garth removing his saddle.
After cooling off in the room for a little while we showered and went out to find a light lunch. After a quick look around the area (actually not too quick as it was quite warm), we just went to a Pasticcheria right across the road from the end of the street that the hotel is on. After that we had a look to see what else might be of interest in the area, as the hotel is way down in the eastern end of Florence and quite a walk from most of the places of interest. We found a Self-serve Lavanderia (Laundromat) so went back to the hotel to take in some clothes to wash and dry. What a pleasant? way to spend 90 minutes.
We are hoping to dine locally tonight but will have to see what is on offer.
