Nice tour with Sue, Bob, Catherine, and Larry.

Nice tour today with 4 people, 2 from the Denver area, and two from the Portland area.  They have been friends for years and met up here in Italy for a couple of weeks together.  I knew Sue around 37 years ago when she dated one of my first post-College roommates.  She has stayed in touch with some of my college friends through the years whom she met through my old roommate.  I think I have only seen her a couple of times in the last 37 plus years.  She contacted me after talking with one of my college friends for information about Florence and to set up a bike tour.  We had dinner last night, and I took the four of them out on a tour today.

None of them were real cyclists, but all worked hard, and really enjoyed their day on the bike.  We had a decision point when we had to decide to stay close in or go on a longer loop.  They unanimously choose the longer loop, and although they were pretty much done when we were finished, they all were happy with the choice.  We rode through the Cascine to the back way to Signa, then up and over Grilliao and stopped in La Luna at a bar that has recently opened there for a very nice cafe and pastry.  We continued down to Ginestra then up the gradual valley to Cerbia.  From there, it was up to Chiesa Nuova, and by the top, they had pretty much had enough.  We all stayed together pretty well to get back into town and back to the shop and home.  Here are the garmin details.

Signa, Grilliao, Cerbia, Scandicci with Sue, Bob, Larry, and Catherine by ridingwithcosimo at Garmin Connect - Details

Sue, the group organizer and my old friend, on the way to Signa.

Catherine and Larry on the way to Signa.

Bob and Larry almost at the top of the first climb.

The crew at the fountain in Cerbia before the last climb.

Larry decided this was a good spot for group photos.  I think 

he was right - pretty spot that framed the photo.  We ended

 up taking probably 10 photos with different cameras and 

people in the pictures.

A scenic shot at the start of the descent toward Scandicci that

Bob asked me to take.