From Barcelona to Tehran: Day 19

Day 19: Boring at the Beginning, Stunning at the End; From Pisa to Frinze in Italy

May 18, 2012; Distance covered today: 86 Km; Total: 1345 Km

The first couple of hours outside Pisa was boring, and tiring. I rode through low-class, ugly neighborhoods where the streets had lots of pot holes and traffic, but early in the afternoon, I found myself in a beautiful countryside with amazing scenery—endlessly hilly though. 

The Road got Beautiful in the Afternoon

I stopped at Adolfo's restaurant for a break. He and his staff were awesome and very warm. His place is called"Bar Collo"

At first, I decided to go to Frinze only because I wanted to be a little far from the cost and the beaches, but when I got there, I saw a truly amazing city. There was a river in the middle of the town and some hills. The old town was full of statues and wonderful old buildings. I was in awe. 

The River in Frinze

I went to the only campground in town which was only three Km from the old town. I checked in and met a couple from Holland who were cycling opposite my direction. Later in the evening, another couple, this time from Quebec, arrived. They had started from Athens and were heading to the North Cap in Norway. They gave me a map of Greece. 

At six o’clock in the morning, I left the campground for the town to see the statues again. There was no one , no tourist in the early morning, so I had a good chance to take some photos. I went back to the campground, packed up, had breakfast, and left at 11. The couple from Holland were very unlucky because the lady’s purse was stolen in the washroom of the campground!! She had to call her bank and cancel her cards. Later on, they were cool and were on their way to enjoy the rest of their trip. 

The Town

View of the Town