12 May 2019: Urbino to Sassoferanto (Mileage: 32/62)

Notice that 1st sawtooth on the left? That turned out to be sharp descent into a ravine and even sharper assent up the other side.

Overnight rain stopped about 4 am, but was forecast to resume by 11 am. We decided to start earlier than usual to reduce our exposure. While threatening, rain lead off for our entire ride. Our maps.me route was flawless. We stopped in a small cafe and were advised (below) that we were on the best route for bikes.

Our Route Advisor. 

We selected the hotel due to a good rating and their location right on our route. It was easy to locate. We stopped at a grocery about 1 km before the hotel, stocked up on fruit and a good local wine, checked in, then walked 400 meters (so said our hostess) to lunch. Looking forward to some pasta or pizza for dinner. As of 6:30 pm, still no rain. I guess the rain gods do not use the iPhone app.
     
Leaving Urbino. Delightful town, well worth a visit.

Rough Road. At least this wasn't a patches-on-patches section. Summer heat vaporizes the oil leaving rough aggregate and cracks on the surface. Rough roads are more impactful on small diameter and narrow tires. 

The fortification on the hill was visible for miles.


Clever way to hide a tank.

Pack of Puppies win Dogs of the Day. We were both chased by a pack of puppies. They were being watched by a not so friendly German Shepherd. 

Classic Fiat 500. Not quite as old as the Fiat seen yesterday, a tiny, '50s era shiny black sedan driven by an elderly man dressed in a trim matching black suit. 

Raffaello Residence Hotel. Probably 100-years old, our room is quite large with sofa, 10-foot ceilings, crown moldings, and an incredibly complicated shower. We are 1st floor, right and back corner.

Perfecto. Le Logge was perfect. The pizza maker studied under a recognized master in Napoli. He learned well. He prepared a crust seconds, not minutes, added toppings and finished it in minutes in his wood-fired oven. Superb.

Worth stopping for in Sassoferanto.

Our host and pizza master
Our reward, deserved or not.

He insisted that we take this loaf, baked in his oven. Slices of this dense, rustic bread are served with their pasta dishes. I will be carrying it over the Pennines tomorrow.

Dog of the Day # 4. Our for a casual Sunday evening, this well dressed Italian man and his wife would not leave home without their dog, dressed smartly in matching black. The couple, dog, and pizza master were clearly old friends. Now that's civilized.









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