June 10 - Saturday+
Happy Anniversary mom and dad!
We slept like babies. What a treat to sleep in a bed, on real pillows, clean sheets, bathroom right in our room and breakfast was included! It came with a traditional European breakfast: cappucino, croissant, nutella and packaged "toast" which I describe as a large flat crouton. We weren't exactly sure how to eat it but I put honey on it and crunched away. The hosts brought us both cappucino - so good. Jon gave it a try but decided it wasn't for him - not a problem, I drank his too!
I went out to take pictures earlier in the morning and spotted a large weekend market in the piazza we had seen on our arrival. Jon and I went after breakfast. It was another beautiful sunny day in Italy. It was as if the market was a magnet as people were converging from all directions. There were very few cars, everyone was walking. The market was more of a flea market with lots of clothing and household items. Jon and I picked up a couple of shirts two for five Euro what a deal! The shirts were in a pile on a table so I just dug right in with the rest of the ladies. Everyone seemed to be familiar with or know everyone else.
Note:
After walking around the market we went to the grocery store for lunch and some staples - cookies, vegetables, bread, jam and then to send a couple emails before returning to our room. The rest of the afternoon was spent updating our journal entries, organizing our photos and tuning up the bikes.
My back tire is a tiny bit bent but still totally ride - able after Jon tweaked the breakpads a bit. I have my granny gear back (not really sure what Jon did to make that happen). Jon needed some work on his bike as well. It's all technical bike stuff that Jon has been able to simplify down to "the cable needed to be adjusted". The good news is: Jon was able to fix everything! OK, it's true, I wouldn't have even known where to begin with fixing the bikes but I am really good at holding the bike steady, turning the pedal with one hand while changing gears with the other and other important ancillary stuff like that. Jon says that the problems with my bike are a result of me being "too rough with your bike, Sherry". I'm sure my family are nodding their heads in agreement. It probably also has something to do with the fact that the bike had fallen over three times while fully loaded. The first time it was in Tarquinia outside the Pizzaria. It was really windy outside and the wind just knocked the bike right over. The second time was in Tuscania also a windy day and I don't think I had my bike at a good angle. Jon doesn't know about the second time. I was walking away from the bike down some stairs planning to follow Jon around a corner when I heard the crash. I went running up the stairs the right the bike before Jon "caught" me. I think that second time is the cause of the third fall when I was going up hill and found out my granny gear didn't work and fell over into a shallow ditch. Thank goodness I wasn't clipped in (Note to mom and dad: I'm fine, we're fine, everything is just fine!). Today was definitely a working day off. We took a little break for gelato for Jon and caffeine for me and did a little people watching as the core of the town turned into the place where everyone went for their Saturday evening stroll. Everyone looked fabulous as only the Italiens can - they have this innate sense of fashion that is enviable. You can imagine that Jon and I stuck out like a sore thumb with our wicking, quick drying, incredibly functional wardrobe. Let me tell you, my sensible travel skirt, Chaco sandals (which also double as shower shoes) and my least-bicycling-looking bicycle shirt left me feeling fashionabley inferior to say the least.
We had dinner at the same restaurant as yesterday and of course what day in Italy would be complete without gelato. Back to the room for some BBC and World Cup updates before hitting the sack. The weather is suppose to be good tomorrow. We saw some postcards in the information kiosk of this town with the most incredible ruins and found out that it was in the same direction we are headed. Tomorrow we'll make our way to Bagnoregio. Not sure how to pronounce it but hopefully we'll find out before we leave. We're really enjoying our time in Italy.
Just to clarify it's Viterbo, we think we may have miss spelled it in a previous entry.