Up and at em…I think I went to bed at about 9pm last night…nice early night. I had the entire 8 bunk room at the hostel to myself…was kind of cool, but the hostel is this massive, grand old building, so I felt kind of spooky being there all alone!
I started finally cutting through the northern part of Tuscany. It was grey…there was a constant drizzle that never seemed to get you wet, but was always there…heavy fog…and bare trees. Smoke billowed from the chimneys of most houses…the smell of winter was strong…wood fires and rain…
The ride wasn’t long today, but felt difficult. My body felt cold, stiff, and resistant. But I was excited to get to Florence…so I just focused on pedalling…a little bit at a time.
My mind wandered terribly. That’s the thing about cycling…you have a lot of time with yourself…you and your thought – and that can be a terribly place sometimes. Too much time to reflect…
I arrived to Florence at about 3pm…made good time today. I checked into my hostel which is not bad as far as hostels concerned. 18 euros a night and they have a pretty nice indoor swimming pool, sauna, and steam room….aaahhhh yeah…I spent a good time in there today resting my weary body.
I had a wander through the Christmas markets…had sausage, beer, mulled wine, and some christmas sweets.
I love Florence. It’s a beautiful city. The energy of the place now is crazy as it’s a public holiday and everyone is out enjoying the crisp, cold air and keeping their hands warm with hot street food.
I bumped into Jen, one of the American backpackers that I met in Riomaggiore. She and I, and a few other backpackers that are staying at the hostel wiled away the hours this evening sharing travelling stories and planning our days for tomorrow.
I’m not sure what I will get up to, but I will explore town a bit and possibly have a look at a museum or two…we’ll see. The one thing I am certain of is that I definitely will have a swim in the morning!
88km Bicycled Today
2989km to Date
