Italy Trip - Day 7: Vinci to Barga

The day started off with a nice and peaceful ride on a gravel bike path along the river. It started out a bit cloudy and humid, but soon the weather would clear up nicely. I have to admit that while this was a peaceful ride, the bike did not have much shock absorption, and by day 3 of cycling, certain parts were more sore than others. The bike gel cushion that I brought with me provided some relief, but hardly eliminated too much discomfort. Many people in my group wore padded shorts, and I think I ought to try this out.

We stopped at a local coffee shop, and instead of my usual order of cappuccino, I decided to try something completely new. The second item on the menu, whatever that is. It was Cafe Corretto. I did not realize what it is until the barista asked me what liquor I wanted with it... Yeah, apparently it is a shot of espresso with a little bit of liquor. It actually tasted pretty good. Italians like their alcohol, that's for sure!

After a short break we continued, and soon we approached another old bridge, this time 1000 years old! Can you believe that something built so long ago is still standing? How did they do it without all equipment we have now? Mystery of engineering.

We had an amazing lunch right across from this bridge. In Italy, I decided to fully experience their cuisine and eat a little bit of everything. It turned out that mostly I would eat pizza, cold cuts and pasta.

After lunch we proceeded, and as we gained a bit of elevation, the views opened up like this below.

We checked in yet another hotel, this time with a spectacular view.

Again, without a bug screen. Ugh...

After a nice shower and some rest on the rooftop of the hotel (the promised "hot tub" turned out to be inflatable pools), we went to the town. Our guide showed us around and introduced us to some historical places. As I found out, Barga is called "the most Scottish town in Italy", because of its terrain being similar and some history. Here is a local library with some Scottish features, guess which ones?

One of the historical sites was Duomo di San Cristoforo or simply San Cristoforo Cathedral.

The church was started built in the 11th century, but was not completed until the 16th. It is made of white marble, something that is so expensive in the US, there was supposedly very cheap due to local resources that we would see in the next few days. Inside, the church is truly grand.

Located on top of the hill, the Cathedral offers really nice views, especially at sunset.

After the sunset, we went to what was described as "the most favorite dinner" place with a great host. Indeed, food, the amount of it and wine exceeded our expectations. For only €18 we got unlimited red wine, the taste of which cannot be described, insane number of platters (3 different quiches, several salads, at least 7 or 8 different varieties of meats, cheese, herring, the list continues... I don't think I ate so much in the past. By the way, this all was followed by dessert... Needless to say, I have not lost weight, even with cycling every day. In fact, I have successfully gained some... Ugh... Time to think about going back to the gym...