Two rides in one post and spring really arrived today!

Wow, what a perfect spring day today.  First day in I am not sure how long with no base layer, no booties, toe warmers, or skull cap needed.  Short fingered gloves too.  I guess I was pretty happy with the spring weather.  Flowers are starting as well, although I did not stop for any pictures.  I had a nice late afternoon ride yesterday as well, although the skies were very grey and the roads had just dried up after a couple of days of rain.  I just did some hill riding close to the house yesterday from around 3 to 5 - late afternoon.  I spent much of the day successfully working with the Italian bureaucracy getting my permanent residence status started.  I emailed the application with scans of all the required information this morning before the ride.  But yesterday was the really successful day.  A super helpful person made it really quite easy, not typical for here.

A few favorite roads today - Via Carota on the way to Osteria Nuova from Ponte a Ema.  The climb to Dudda, then La Panca, with the excellent descent to Strada.  The last favorite road was the super fun ride to San Polo, then up and over to Grassina.  What a pleasure to have the opportunity to ride here almost every day.  Today's ride:  81.0 k in 3:36 with 1218 meters of climbing.  Yesterday:  42.5 k in 2:15 with 974 meters climbed.  Ciao.

This villa on the hill with the green fields made me stop here for

some pictures.  It is just after Burchio almost to the top of the short

climb after the town on the way to Incisa.

Looking back toward Burchio almost done with the little climb

as you leave town.

Looking to the east just after passing through Burchio.

Ponte agli Stoli from just after the water bottle fill up.  What 

a beautiful day.