Sweet solo Easter ride into the Mugello

Happy Easter!  This morning Emily and I went into the centro to witness the big celebration for Easter at the Duomo.  Emily has seen this a few times before, but it was my first and probably last time.  It was really neat, but the whole piazza was completely full of people.  We had a pretty good spot to watch, but that meant being totally hemmed in with people touching you from all sides.  This is not my most comfortable situation, but I hung in there with little problem. After the fireworks had finished and the parade to leave the square started, I tried to leave the square.  Not an easy thing to do, and I had to change direction a few times.  People still everywhere, and I was certainly not comfortable in this situation.  I only had about 5 minutes when I really wanted out, and eventually got out.   After getting home, I quickly suited up to get out for a ride.  The weather was pretty perfect, and I decided to go into the Mugello, on a ride I had not done in a while.  I climbed Via Bolognese to Pratolino then turned off to climb toward Monte Senario.  I turned left to take the tiny road through Casellina and Villiano to the west side of Bivigliano, then totally enjoyed the dry road descent to Vaglia.  A crank from Vaglia to Scarperia, then a very nice road up and down and up and down through San Agata to Galliano.  A left after Galliano, to the road to Frati Ai Bosco.  This is a great road and I really enjoyed it today.  A little water break in San Piero a Sieve, then over to Borgo San Lorenzo, then up the climb to Croce alle Vetta.  A great climb, but my energy level was not at peak performance today.  I still got up there pretty fast and enjoyed it.  The descent from Olmo though Caldine and Pian de Mugnone takes me back to Firenze and home. After many rides with clients and friends, it was nice to be out on a solo ride.   Check out Via Bolognese, Pratolino, Bivigliano, Vaglia, San Agata, Galliano, Borgo San Lorenzo, Croce alle Vetta, Firenze on Strava.com! It's a 81.1 km ride I did on Sunday, April 20, 2014. The beautiful road above Pratolino. A view toward Passo Giogo from the approach to San Agata. A pretty, apparently abandoned farm building just below Bivigliano.