May 10: Scansano to Hotel Le Guardiole (Capalbio)

Another day of beauty! The sky is awash in blue with not even a whisper of white from a cloud. The air is full of that sweet scent from the flowering shrubs and trees. The birds once again have started their chorus and the wind is slowly providing that backdrop of harmony. Mother Nature is pulling out all the stops on this day!

The terrain now is starting to slowly level out as the group rides toward the sea. The Tyrrhenian Sea lies just down the other side of that hillside. But of course, there must be an uphill to get the blood flowing and the heart pumping. The climb to Scansano is not difficult -- the incline gradual -- the twists and turns manageable with no one being so severe that a brake is needed. The road just snakes its way up and up and up until finally entering through the city gates and into the town. A turn here, another one there and the ride now turns downhill on a "rolling road" for over eleven kilometers!

Once out of the city the countryside is full of vineyards, olive groves, wheat fields, and that ever beautiful wild growing poppy fields and yellow meadows. The rainbows of Nature abound on either side of the road. The road -- of which has zero traffic and generally a smooth surface. All one has to do is pedal and dream!! Mother Nature's spa is at work every pedal stroke!

Then out of no where appears Fattoria Le Guardiole, an old restored country estate. This is to be our home for two nights!! Near by is the town of Capalbio, a medieval city nestled into the countryside. Every inch of it within the city walls dates back to that time period; narrow winding streets and alleys lead to apartments tucked into the stone walls. Old wooden doors mark the spot where at one time it was the entrance to a stable, but now a restored home. Stairs lead straight up the the top of the protecting city wall passing doorways leading off to residences now considered ideal for a "home in Tuscany". The city is rich in history and the perfect place to settle into a Tuscan dinner.