Alison and Alison and the art of re-tyrement

Distance 14.78 miles Ascent 775 ft The Daily Blog cultural special We had the morning at leisure to see Montepulciano. We visited the Cathedral, wandered around the shops and took in the atmosphere. First stop today was Pienza. A UNESCO World Heritage sight for the most ideal renaissance style town. It is also famous for…

Distance 45 miles Ascent 3,475 feet ( Yes, you read that correctly) We were up early, ready for a long day ahead. We had a number of big climbs today. It should be impossible to lose the route half way up a rural hill climb, but we did just that. We realised we were off…

Distance 66 miles by train Cycling 6 miles Ascent 625 ft Alison promised an easy day today. We had booked our bikes onto the train to Orvieto. Lovely. Getting on a train is a palaver with bikes and panniers. Getting off the train is pandemonium. Particularly when the doors don’t open and a fellow passenger…

No cycling Walking 8 miles Having arrived in Rome we were keen to get our Testamonia (Latin) or Testamoniums (English). I am sure someone will help us out with the correct grammar. How to jump the queues at St Peter’s? Walk or cycle a few hundred miles, wave a Credenziale at every official you meet…

Distance 19 miles We had just the 16 miles to do to take as into the centre of Rome. We took it easy as we thought we would be there for lunch. We revisited the Basilica in Ariccia in the hope of another stamp for our Credenziales. It was a busy day in the church.…

Cycling 22 miles Ascent l576ft We managed to escape and cycled a couple of miles in the wrong direction with Kevin and Wendy arguing. The issue was resolved through family therapy and both remained compatible for the rest of the journey. We climbed and climbed. It was hot and we leaked from every pore. Where…

Cycling distance 26 miles Car 80 miles When we said we would never do the tunnels again, we meant by bike of course. Doing them in the back of an X-type Jaguar puts a fresh perspective on the ride. I had left this bag in the hotel in Gaeta. Retrieval involved intricate negotiations with Sara…

Distance 40 miles Ascent 912 ft gain Temperature 79 degrees We look forward to the day when everything works out as planned. First stop was the Cathedral – it didn’t open until 10.30am so a delayed start to the day. Visited the Cathedral but no stamp for our Credenziale. Charlie recommended the route today. She…

Cycling distance. 38.18 miles Ascent 1437 ft Walking 9 miles Another beautiful start to the day. Clear blue skies, a freshness in the air and full of possibilities. We decided to leave our bikes behind and take a stroll up to see the Basilica. We did not consult our executive travel team. Big mistake. After…

Distance 49 miles Ascent 1500 ft The mystery is solved. I awoke this morning to a text from O2 welcoming me to Italy. That explains the difficulty with routing. Where have we been for the last two weeks? It is not good enough. We have no idea. We elderly elite athletes need accurate information. No…