{"id":6679,"date":"2012-07-23T15:00:13","date_gmt":"2012-07-23T19:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tourdebocrie.com\/?p=6679"},"modified":"2015-07-02T15:15:28","modified_gmt":"2015-07-02T19:15:28","slug":"day-57-sunday-july-22-lucca-to-firenze-italy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tourdebocrie.com\/?p=6679","title":{"rendered":"Day 57, Sunday, July 22 – Lucca to Firenze, Italy"},"content":{"rendered":"

We awoke to a spectacular morning, \"\"<\/a>though only a degree lower on the thermometer from yesterday, the 71 degrees was refreshingly crisp and the sun served only to accentuate the billowing white clouds.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We rolled up and down the hillsides filled with grapevines and Christmas trees\"\"<\/a>with more riders on the roads\"\"<\/a> and mountains in the distance.\"\"<\/a>It is tough to describe in words or pictures, but there was a fabulous sense of romance\"\"<\/a> and renaissance in the villages\"\"<\/a> and countryside we rode, as if we’d gone back in time.<\/p>\n

At 9:00, someone flipped the wind on full blast<\/em><\/strong> in our face. \"\"<\/a> Several times we almost came to a stand still and struggled to move forward in the force of the wind. \u00a0The scenery was still spectacular,\"\"<\/a> just a little tougher to enjoy or take pictures without stopping. \u00a0And of course, there was a grueling climb\"\"<\/a> or two\"\"<\/a>to keep us grounded,<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> but the scenery won.\"\"<\/a>Not sure if the wind caused the incredible sky,\"\"<\/a> or the clouds the wind, \"\"<\/a>either way it was mesmerizing.\"\"<\/a> We kept waiting for either the wind or us <\/em>to change directions. \u00a0With a little direction help for some cyclists,\"\"<\/a> a long two and a half hours later a bend in the road provided us just enough change to almost to enjoy a push. \u00a0As a sidenote, these cyclist offered to lead us to the correct road, which we declined.<\/p>\n

Today offered us some of the most awesome \"\"<\/a>50 miles of countryside\"\"<\/a> we have seen\"\"<\/a>even the ditches had a certain appeal.,\u00a0\"\"<\/a>And then we came to the river that borders the city of Firenze\/Florence,\"\"<\/a> Amazing!\"\"<\/a>We were a bit tired to tour after our ride, but knew we would make up for it on our day off tomorrow. \u00a0We watched the mobs of people from our window\"\"<\/a>before we headed out for dinner.<\/p>\n

Maurizia from Lavagna had told us Tuscany was know for it’s fish and beef (and wine, of course); so we set out to find the perfect steak. \u00a0Our hotel recommended a place<\/a>\"\"<\/a> around the corner\u00a0(from experience, not a good idea) where we enjoyed one of the best if not the best<\/em> steak we’ve ever had. \u00a0Our stroll back from dinner included beautiful music\"\"<\/a> and carousels,<\/p>\n

\"\"Truly Magical!\n\t\t