November 27th & 28th

After strolling through the narrow streets of Tivoli yesterday, since it was Sunday, that became my "cultural visits" day, I followed the crowds and visited the Villa d'Este and its gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wow !

Today, it's a very short drive to Rome, where I'm meeting Sebastiano for the next 2 evenings. Short but intense, with heavy traffic and sometimes narrow roads. I was concentrating on keeping my line as straight as possible, often glancing in my rear-view mirror to anticipate overtaking buses and trucks... It was hot, but I'm in one piece!

Arriving in the center of Rome, as on my last visit, I was overwhelmed, even submerged, by so much beauty. See Rome and die, they say. I can see why ! I zigzagged for a while, and couldn't even hear the traffic any more, as my brain was so busy admiring all these beautiful stones and multi-layered views of such ancient monuments.

On the way to my B&B, as I was pedaling at a slow pace, Mick, an Australian from Melbourne accompanied by his wife Sue and on his way to the Vatican, called out to me in English. He takes a look at my bike, and makes a few comments. He knows his stuff ! He tells me about his project to cycle from Melbourne to Perth. What followed was a fiery discussion that was hard to put down, such was the current between us. I've got his number, and the vibes have been so positive that I might just add Melbourne and the east coast of Australia to my bucket list... This is exactly the kind of encounter that brings life and joy to my trip. Thank you Mick and Sue !!!

Now looking forward to meet Sebatiano and enjoy romanian foood in the Trastevere neighborhood :-)

Rieti to Fondi