Birthday climb - Monte Scenario

As you can tell from the title, today is my birthday.  I am 59 and feeling really strong and great.  The move to Italy has been really good for me, as I have lost around 15 pounds, and ride most days.  How lucky I am.  Emily and I went into town this morning and enjoyed hot chocolate at Rivoire, then went by the Biblioteca at San Lorenzo to see 3 books from the late 1400's that Lorenzo de Medici had made for his daughters.  They are really cool, and the history is fun to check out.  I have been thinking about a "man purse" or as Jerry Seinfeld would say a "European carry-all" for a while, as I would not be stuffing pockets full of stuff and it would be easier to carry things.  On the way back, I decided to spend some of the money my Mother is sending me and bought a man purse.  I really like it, although, I have to admit it feels a little "gay" to me. I know it is not correct to describe it that way, but I am just being honest.

The weather this morning was raining, alternately hard and lightly.  By the time we returned to the apartment, it had cleared, so I checked out the weather forecasts, and they had changed to predict scattered thundershowers for the afternoon, so after some lunch, I took off for a reasonably quick ride.  When I started I had a different ride in mind, but as I climbed the difficult part of Via Bolognese up past Montorsoli, I was feeling really good with the climbing, and decided to continue the climb to the very top of the hill at Monte Scenario.  It is around a 3000 vertical climb in a little under 12 miles, so it is quite fun and a challenge.  The view at the top is really awesome, and there is a monastery / church which has been operating continuously for over 600 years.  I descended a different route, ending up with a figure 8 of sorts.  Check out the details at the Garmin link.  Ciao, ciao.

Birthday climb - Monte Scenario by ridingwithcosimo at Garmin Connect - Details

The happy birthday boy at Rivoire - candle in my svolia, and cioccolatta calda con panna awaiting.

One of the books from the 1400's at Biblioteca San Lorenzo.

The road climbing from Pratolino.

Climbing on the road from the junction toward Monte Scenario.

The final climb to Monte Scenario.

The very last push with Monte Scenario monastery ahead.