Foul Weather Ahead
Time to Reflect
of the day’ s cycle started with an 8km downhill, which cheered me up considerably, and then the scenery became absolutely breathtaking.
I spent the next days cycling through spectacular scenery towards Pisa. I walked up the most horrendous hills and survived the unexpected 33-degree heat wave, but I met other cyclists along the way, and stopped for espressos, water and beer in tiny villages. I cycled through magnificent wine farms – and sometimes illegally picked handfuls of delicious grapes – and I
stopped to take in the scenery and photographed everything in sight, which amounted to 2000 images in a week! I knocked many more times on private residence doors to ask for directions, and became really good at interpreting Italian directions. Then I spent my afternoons and evenings exploring the towns on foot, tasting wine and eating the most delicious food.
Foul Weather Ahead
The last night, upon my arrival in Volterra, the weather turned. It poured with rain throughout the night, but I woke up to an overcast but dry sky. Luggage man Alessandro offered to drive me to Pisa, but I decided I couldn’ t end the journey in a luggage van, so I checked four weather apps and all suggested it would remain dry until 12 noon. If I left early, I’ d easily get to
Pisa – a 54km downhill route – before 12, so I took a chance and decided to race the rain.
Well, never trust a weather app! For five of the six-hour journey it poured with rain. It was relentless! I took shelter under trees and a bus shelter during the really hectic downpours, because I’ d cycle for 2km and give up because I couldn’ t see through the pelting rain. Realising it wasn’ t going to ease up, and that I had to be in Pisa by 3pm to hand my bike back, I decided to put my head down and just cycle. I got lost, did a few U-turns, cursed and spoke nicely to myself. It stopped raining when I reached the Pontedera train station, where I decided I had to put the bike and myself on a train. That was another challenge, but I made it to Pisa at 3pm, where a very relieved Alessandro warmly welcomed me!
Time to Reflect
Would I do a solo, self-guided trip again? Absolutely! It gave me the freedom to cycle at my own pace and stop whenever and wherever I wanted to, and I felt totally safe on my own. I never felt lonely. I also came across many other women travelling or cycling on their own, and often we’ d have a drink or meal together, chat and then continue with our own itineraries. It was a perfect experience!
If you’ re interested in a self-guided Tuscan experience of your own, check out www. cyclomundo. com or www. verde-natura. it.
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