Emily was babysitting all day, and I had a slow start, as I consumed a little too much wine at a beautiful event at San Marco last night. It was a benefit for a great organization here called "Friends of Florence", which raises money to restore and preserve some of the great art here. What an amazing event / dinner in the old refectory of the monastery. Wonderful food, and people refilling your wine glass all the time. Anyway, a little extra wine for me and I was slow getting started. I also cleaned the apartment, and ended up getting out around 12:30 and had to be back by 3 to get ready to pick up Viola at school.
When we stayed in the Altrano all the time, I often did this ride as a short alternative. I climbed past Piazzale Michaelangelo, then up to Poggio Imperiale, then descended to Galluzzo. From Galluzzo, I climbed the old road to Pozzolatico, steep but beautiful and very quiet, then continued up to Impruneta. I turned right before Impruneta and climbed to Bagnolo then descended to Tavernuzze. From Tavernuzze, a few kilometers up the road I turned right to climb past San Andrea to the road just outside of Spedelatto, turning right there and continuing through Chiesa Nuova to the turn at the top of a hill for a rarely used descent into Scandicci. I haven't been down this road in a while, and it was a blast. From Scandicci, home on the viales.
A really fun ride and good to be on some of the roads for the first time in a month or two. The climb up through San Andrea is particularly beautiful, and the road is quiet, but steep in places. Fun 2 plus hours. 28.6 miles in 2:15 rolling time for an average speed of 12.7 mph with 2315 vertical feet climbed at an average temperature of 54. Kind of balmy, but with the breeze involved in moving not yet really warm. Ciao!
A view across the valley from before Bagnolo.
A view from the area of Bagnolo across the valley.
A villa on the old road to Pozzolatico.
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