So it’s Tuscany-Trail halftime – that’s how it was when I started writing this. Meanwhile my Tuscany adventure is over. After several incidents and mishaps I quit (more about that later). Anyway, I made almost 400km – from Massa to Vinci to Firenze to Siena to Pienza to somewhere at the foot of that big mountain (a dead volcano it is btw), where my chain broke and I fell and hurt my shoulder … back to Pienza to Montepulciano (I took the trail way to end in style) to the train station and back to Massa.

At first I was disappointed that I didn’t make it to the end but then, given all those little obstacles, I am a bit proud anyway (more about that later as well).

But first things first.

Day One – Massa to Vinci (112km)

It was such big fun to start the Tuscany Trail with more than 700 other riders from all over the world at early 8am from the Piazza in Massa! We flew along the suburbs of Massa up to the first steep ascent. I took it quite slow to save energy for later and saw that many others were doing the same. Frequently I stopped to catch my breath while taking in the beautiful landscape of Tuscany. After about 50km or so I met the same groups of riders over and over again, due to our similar speed. Most fun was the group of fellas from Colombia, they had music on their bikes, a drone, they kept waiting for me, and later in one of these pittoresque Tuscan villages, flagged me down to recommend the local Gelateria (if one of you guys is reading this, please drop me a line, I want to know what happened to you). I also met Tomek from Poland, Porfirio and Veronica from Brasil and three supernice guys from Italy, whom I rode the last bit to Vinci with. Turned out I had wrongly booked a place for July, not June, so they offered to let me sleep in their rented apartment, which was luckily enough the very place where I had made the wrong reservation. The host had one last room available. Two of the guys organised food and vino, we sat outside the house and talked, about music and politics and cycling. One of them asked the most essential question: “Why do you cycle?” Watch this space because the answer is worth another posting. Anyway, in hindsight I can say that this first evening was the best of my Tuscany Trail adventure. I tend to say that most people like us, who cycle a lot, who love cycling, who find peace while riding are sort of cut from the same cloth and get along very well. And so we did and all had a good nights sleep.

Actually I had planned to make it till Firenze on the first day, but that would have been impossible due to the trails, many not so easily to master for me and my bicycle.

Day Two – Vinci to Firenze (60km)

The next morning I woke up a bit discouraged already. I felt I had bitten of more than I could chew. The Tuscan landscape in morning light was lovely, peaceful and seemingly tame plus the breakfast plus company was just great – anyway I felt doubts coming up.

Around Vinci the trail led through a little jungle, then up some stairs, through a village and further uphill along Leonardo da Vinci’s birthplace – where a noisy car race was held. Further uphill along pretty poppy fields and olive groves up the mountain where the arduous part began. For kilometres nothing but stony trails, dried riverbeds and steep ascents and descents. I had to push my bike – a lot. It was beautiful but exhausting. On the way down I was held up by the Italian civil guarda, who were excercising and I had to wait, which took me quite some time. At the foot of the mountain I discovered that the track I was supposed to take was closed and I didn’t know the alternative (turned out later that apparently an alternative route had been posted on Facebook), so I took the road to Firenze and thus left the given track. I was so exhausted and annoyed, I just wanted to reach Firenze and a place to shower, eat and rest. While pushing my bike over those stony paths I had been mad, cursing … and at the same time telling myself, that the road would be better after the next corner, that I could do this, etc. I played motivational songs in my head (like Snow Patrol’s “Chocolate”) and distracted myself while marvelling at the pretty landscape, birds, lizards and little snakes … but I was exhausted all the same. I wanted to ride my bike, not push it. So I was just plain relieved when I arrived at the hotel – and disheartened, too.

More to follow soon. I’m still travelling, typing this on my iPad. I will add ‘some’ photos at the end of pt 2.,  but I wanted to write this down while it’s still bright and alive in my memories. So stay tuned …