3 days, 3 client tours..

A couple of days, a couple of tours.  On Friday, I had a Florence by Bike Chianti tour to Villa le Corti and back.  A very nice Finnish couple who were reasonably strong cyclists.  They did not have to walk the bikes at all up the difficult switchbacks climbing from Galluzzo, which is the challenging part of this tour.  After a nice tour, tasting, and "light lunch" (which the couple were amazed at how much food is in a light lunch here) we returned to Firenze.  They decided to go a little longer, which I offered, as we were pretty fast for a tour group.  We returned though Luiano then Galluzzo, Cinque Vie and finishing through the Centro.  Nice tour!

Yesterday, I had a van supported tour with a nice family from the Chicago suburbs.  A family of 5 with the youngest, a girl, at 10, then two boys 14 and 16.  I selected a route that I thought would work for the youngest, and it ended up fine.  We picked them up at Castello del Nero in Tavernelle, then drove to La Romita and rode out the beautiful ridge to San Pancrazio.  From there, we descended to Ponte Rotto, and Sarah and Josh, the two youngest, got into the van.  Paul, Laura, and Nicco continued on the valley road to Sambuca, where Laura opted for the van.  Paul, Nicco, and I rode around 2/3 the way up the hill to San Donato, where both Paul and Nicco suddenly had had enough.  It was quite warm yesterday with the high in Florence around 95.  We loaded all the bikes on the van, and drove to Radda, where we enjoyed some of the good spring water in the fountain there, then had an excellent downhill ride to Lucarelli, where we loaded all the bikes back on the van and had paninis at the bar there.  Back to the hotel to drop them off, then back to Florence to drop the bikes back at Florence by Bike.  Long, but good day, in particular as I had 45 minutes after I arrived home to shower and get ready to go out to a party.

This morning, I was to meet a couple from the 4 seasons at 9, but plans changed around 11:30 last night, when the 4 seasons called Marika from Florence by Bike.  I was asleep when she sent me a message, so I showed up at FBB this morning at 9.  All will work out, as I will return at 2pm and take them on a tour for 2-1/2 hours.  I absolutely have to be home by 5, as tonight Viola is having the end of the year ballet performance, and the ballet school has a nice theatre in town, Teatro Verdi, for the show and Viola is so excited she could burst.  Not something for a grandparent (nonno pidge) to miss, as it is the primary reason we are here.  I will get paid the same, so it all works out.  We will be starting in 90 plus degree weather, but when you are moving on a bike you can create your own breeze.

Our tour guide at Villa le Corti, Patricia, and the couple from 

Finland, whose names I could not pronounce and quickly forgot,

at one of the wine cellars at Villa le Corti.