2019: Italy/Tuscany & Umbria

Fregene is the closest town north of Fiumicino Airport. The ride down the coast was busy in spots, lots of vehicle traffic, with occasional views of the the Tyrrhenian Sea, part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy. It is named for the Tyrrhenian people, identified since the 6th century BCE with Etruscans of Italy. Historically the Roman aristocracy built summer villas along this coast, from Civitavecchia to Napoli (Naples). Numerous apartment/condo complexes line major stretches of the coast, with many in questionable condition. I had a slight headwind, but it was mostly flat with a few short climbs. The ride, with a stop for coffee, was 4 hours. I checked into ITACA Bed & Breakfast, had another coffee, explored the coast, ate lunch, packed my bike (hope it's under 50#), showered, and will enjoy the sea view and mid-60s temps for one more day. I tried to check in for my flight, but the Delta ticket number and booking number does not work with th...

After the Umbria and Tuscany hills, I needed some rest, so a lazy day exploring Civitavecchiai is perfect. Only 25 miles tomorrow. I have the entire B & B, really a large flat, to myself until this afternoon when other guests are expected. I was able to locate cleaning supplies, an old rag, and bucket to thoroughly clean the dirt, grit, mud, road tar, and oil off of my bike and trailer. I trued both wheels, adjusted the brakes (probably worn out from braking on the steep downhills), then cleaned and adjusted the chain. I visited the Archeological Museum with displays from the 1st century to Middle Ages. Most of the relics were found when excavating for new buildings or when recovering from heavy WWII bombing. Civitavecchiai is the major deep water port on Italy's west coast, so it was strategically important throughout history. I considered cycling out to the Taurine Baths, an a archeological site on top of a hill about 6 miles from Civitavecchia's town center. Also k...

Christopher booked an 8:00 am train to Sienna, so we set alarms for 6:45, packed, and rode together the 2.5 miles to the train station. He’s been an excellent touring companion and will be missed as I cycle south towards Rome’s Termini Airport. I targeted Civitavecchia, about 55 miles south according to maps.me. The maps.me routing has generally been excellent, over good but less traveled roads and lanes, but I got a surprise today. The Italians have located a number of major industrial facilities along the sea coast. As I was riding into a headwind or side wind most of the day, the lanes with wind breaks were welcome. Then I was routed suspiciously into a large farm yard. A single-lane gravel track exited, at first adjacent to the rail line. Rather than taking a major highway with a great surface, and lots of traffic heading for the Autostrada, it devolved into about 5 miles of single-track gravel and dirt road, generally the portion between the edge of a field and the fence w...