Quick beautiful afternoon ride on a perfect January afternoon.

Happy birthday to my wonderful daughter, Kate.  We met this morning after she dropped Viola off to go to the Firenze equivalent of "Cosco" for businesses, of which she is a member.  She was shopping for supplies for Vittorio's birthday party tomorrow (his birthday was yesterday).  I went along to help and Emily and I have decided to buy a TV, and Kate had a flyer showing great prices on the TV's at this place, Metro.  We ended up with a 32" LG, LED, which I have hooked up and am getting Italian channels now.  I need a different adapter to use it for the movies on the computer, which is the primary reason we bought the TV.  Anyway, we met Kate at the car with a couple of brioches and a doughnut with a candle in it and sang happy birthday.  It was fun.

After returning from the shopping experience, Kate went to have lunch with some friends, and Emily and I took care of Torrio, who stayed with us.  We bought him a basketball hoop and basketball for his birthday yesterday, and have it set up in our apartment.  He enjoyed that, played with the toys we have here and watched movies with Emily.  We also had the chords for our rolling shades replaced on 3 of the 5 shades, which has been a process to get accomplished for me.  Anyway, I just wade through, speak Italian to the best of my ability, and somehow things eventually get done.

The weather really turned nice, and I got out for a very quick ride.  I did a pretty standard short ride for me, riding up Via Bolognese to the turn off in San Bartolo.  I really like the road over to Cercina and the church above Cercina, where the descent starts.  I did the descent option #2 today, which I have not done in a while.  It was fun.  At the bottom, I cut over above the Careggi complex, then did my new cut off around the Meyer complex to the back way to Piazza Georgini, then home.  Really fun but short ride.  Super nice weather.  14.2 miles in 1:10 for an average speed of 12.1 with 1581 vertical feet climbed at an average temperature of 58 - Wow!

Pian de San Bartolo, Cercina, Careggi, Firenze by ridingwithcosimo at Garmin Connect - Details

I have taken many pictures of this little stretch of road on the 

way to Cercina.  It just looks beautiful to me.

I like the view of this villa on the way to Cercina.

At the start of the descent from the church, you ride through

this beautiful olive grove.