Biking the coast

New pictures! Reverse chronological order.

On the northern side of the Sorrento peninsula. The Amalfi Coast is on the other side.

Most of the coast looked like this.

This was one of my favorite places on the coast. Very tranquil, little castle, beautiful sea.

Blue Crush on the shore near Civitavecchia.

The road flattens out after the hills of Tuscany.

I arrived in Atrani, a small town on the Amalfi coast a couple days ago at exactly noon. Five minutes later some more interns from Spannocchia showed up on their way from Napoli. Pretty remarkable timing considering that we had decided to meet in a town none of us had been to at an arbitrary time a week earlier, and hadn't talked at all since. The bike ride ended up being about 300 miles, and totally fantastic. I left Spannocchia last Monday in the afternoon after the heat cooled down and rode about 50 km through the hills of Tuscany. It was the hardest days, partially because of the hills and partially because I was sad to be leaving the farm. The ride started to level out towards evening and I got very excited about biking. I ended up sleeping next to a nice basil field outside of Grosseto. Tuesday I rode another 15 km into Grosseto, then 10 km out looking for the route south, but ended up having to turn around when all the coastal roads dead ended. Rather than take the superstrade (fast road), I hopped on a train and went to Civitavecchia, about 100km south on the coast. I grabbed a bite to eat and left south. The riding for the next few days was unbelievable, spectacular views of the Mediterranean and surrounding cliffs. I stayed in campsites along the way and went about 100km a day. I woke up early each morning (pre-7) and started riding quickly to avoid the heat, then took a 4 hour siesta from 11 to 3 to eat, nap and stay cool. The afternoon rides tended to be a bit better and more energized, and at times I really got rolling. Friday I rode along the coast near Napoli, which was the most stressful part of the trip, especially because of the cobblestone roads. It was still gorgeous, though. I slept on the tip of the Amalfi peninsula that night, then rode the last 40km into Atrani that morning. This ride was definitely one of the top two or three adventures I've ever had. I can't post pictures now, but will when I have a better internet spot. Now I'm relaxing with friends near Amalfi, making delicious meals and enjoying the beach. Next week, I'm off to Calabria. Ciao!