Quick ride combined with a great marketing opportunity.

I had a busy day with errands, and was up early to finish my renewal of my permesso de soggiorno with the questura.  It went quite smoothly, and hopefully Emily's experience will be similar on Wednesday when she tries to finish hers.  When we were there a week ago, they said she would need some different paperwork that they never mentioned to me.  It seems that some of the things that are asked for are very dependent on whom you talk to and when.  I decided to simply go for it this morning, and it went fine.  After returning from the questura, I took the bus with the Nonna cart to do a reasonable sized shopping at the COOP while Emily went to a different office to get a physical card for her codice fiscale, just another piece in the puzzle here.  After returning from the COOP, I had a registered letter to pick up, which required a bus ride up the hill to a place called Lastra, which went quite well and smoothly.  After returning from that errand, I was free to do a ride.

A new friend, who was introduced to us last month through Weekapaug family / friends, had given me the name of a place and a friend of hers who owned it on the way to Fiesole.  Nancy sent her friend, the owner of Pensione Bencista, an email as an introduction.  Last summer, I spent a fair amount of time passing out flyer's at hotels, and my conclusion was that unless you had an introduction or contact, they were simply filed in the waste basket.  So, with an introduction, I had emailed the Pensione, and had a contact to take the flyer's and cards to.  It is right on one of my favorite short rides, so I combined a ride with the marketing errand.  The place is spectacular.  In a magnificent setting, with wonderful views, it is a great contact.  It has around 40 rooms, and the contact, Beatrice, will keep the flyer's and cards on hand and put a link on their website to my website for people who want a cycling tour.  Perfect.

I rode up through Piazza della Cure, one of the back ways to San Domenico, and turned off for Maiano, stopping at the Pensione to talk and drop the materials.  I continued descending through Maiano to the start of the Vincigliata climb.  I climbed past Vincigliata, then hooked up with the Fiesole road, descending back into town.  Black clouds were gathering, and it looked like rain, but I was home first.  Nice ride and an exciting marketing connection.  Summary is 13.6 miles in 1:15 rolling time for an average speed of 10.9 mph with 1780 vertical feet of climbing at an average temperature of 67 degrees.  Ciao.

A short ride combined with some marketing ... nice. by ridingwithcosimo at Garmin Connect - Details

Just after San Domenico, I noticed the wisteria are finally in bloom 

and decided to take some pictures of it on the ride.

A wisteria pyramid right at the turn off toward Maiano.

I stopped at Pensione Bencista to drop some marketing materials, 

after an introduction from Nancy West, whom we met last month

while she was visiting Florence.  The terrace with wisteria in full bloom 

was simply spectacular.