Sunday, September 3. How could I have missed lunch?

Poggibonsi

I wake just before 4:00. The church bells ring 4 times at 4:00. Then once at 4:30. I lie in bed and listen to the this pattern of bells until at 6:00 Paul says, "Il, are you awake?" I answer, "yes," and we talk until daylight. We each shower and head downstairs for breakfast.

I see the other members of the trip. The room seems to be divided into a boys' half and a girls' half, just like the Jr. high dances you see on TV. Paul and I don't disrupt the established pattern.

Breakfast consists of fruits, pastries, bread, and cheese. There's also a guy making coffee beverages to order.

After a while, our trip leaders arrive. Claire is an American woman and looks to be in her early 30's. Nello is an ageless Italian guy (he could be anywhere between 25 and 50) that seems quite shy.

After breakfast, we get our bikes. There is much confusion because the bikes didn't come with a list of who gets what bike, and there doesn't seem to be enough small bikes to go around. I get one the right size because I'm one of only two that requested a road bike.

On the road

We ride to Monteriggioni, an old fortress from the times of city-states when the Florentines and the Sienese were fighting. Along the way, I see little lizards sunning themselves on the pavement. They dart off into the cover of grass as my bicycle approaches. This can't be too far from paradise.

Once in Monteriggioni, we rest and snack. We also walk around on the cobblestone streets and admire the old architecture. This is very different from the way we ride back home. It's a lot less strenuous and a lot more fun.

As we continue on, David and I don't stop where everyone else stops for lunch. Next time, listen closely to the instructions about meals. I arrive at Villa Cinnena (our destination where we'll be spending the night) about 15 minutes ahead of David.

They bring out plates loaded with sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. While I'm busy with the bread, David takes a bite of the tomatoes and says, "it's good". I take a bite myself and decide that he's grossly undersold the food. They're the most incredible tomatoes I've ever tasted. They're wonderfully flavorful, even more so than those out of a garden at home. The mozzarella is tender and equally wonderful.

After our lunch, David and I sit next to the pool and talk. I pass out between sentences. I guess I'm more tired than I thought.

Eventually, the rest of the group gets to the villa. They had quite a bit more than a light snack. This is the last time I miss lunch

Some of the people decide to swim in the pool. The water is too cold for my taste, and I don't join in. In talking to some of the people, I discover that three of them (Liz, Janet, and Lora) didn't get their luggage. Maybe I upset the luggage karma when mine was the first one at the carousel.

The dinner at the villa is a feast with more courses than I've ever eaten before. I want to move here and eat like this for the rest of my life. With each course, Nello pours a different wine while explaining how the wine is made and when the grapes are picked and a whole bunch of other stuff I can't possibly recall any more.

At one point, David give Cindy a lengthy thesis on gear ratios and ends up with a "engineer nerd" reputation for the rest of the trip.

After dinner, I have 2 shots of grappa while talking to the others. I'm overcome with exhaustion and collapse on my bed at 11:00. I sleep soundly until 8:00.

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