Bella Italia Stage 5

Neirone to Lizza (Levanto)

Strava: 84.7 km, 1,132m, 4:45

I woke up early this morning and counted six bells from the nearby church. While they were ringing the rain started up. It rained and rained, but we finally got up and had a good breakfast at 8. We decided to wait until 10 as the rain was stopping. We said goodbye and walked up the driveway. At the top, I mounted up and the rain began again immediately.

We blasted down and the rain let off briefly then went big again. We took two gravel detours, one with super slippery exciting rocks we had to very carefully walk up. By the time we got to the bottom of all this we were soaked, dirty and happy.

The rain let up for a while and we stopped for drinks at a seaside town. Around 50 km we decided to head up the first big climb and stop at a restaurant partway for lunch. It was hot climbing but then the rain started up again for real. We sheltered for a while under a cliff, then went on. The restaurant was closed, no surprise so we had to continue. There was a long, super fast, incredibly wet descent, wettest I’ve been for quite a while.

Then, just as the sun was coming out we saw an open restaurant, very friendly and welcoming. Lunch was meat lasagna but they made me some spaghetti pomodoro, with a bunch of other snacks and drinks, just great.

We only had another 20 km with lots more descending. Soon we hit the seaside, at the north end of the famous Cinque Terre area. We descended super steeply, to the actual sea. But the track was wrong and there was no way to proceed. But there was an elevator up a few stories to what looked like a train track. A big sign said no bikes which we conveniently ignored. The elevator held two people and bikes. Daniel and Wytze went up first and yelled down, “Bikes are forbidden” so we knew it was fine and went up.

We emerged onto a bike path on an old train track. The sign said 5 km to our destination town of Levanto. It was gorgeous, 90% in tunnels with occasional amazing views of the sea. Soon we were there and realized we had somehow skipped a 500m climb called for by our route! We went to the beach and the water felt great. Daniel and Wytze swam for a while, Andrew patched a tube, then it was 5 pm and time to move on to town. At the bar, each drink came with a significant side dish which was nice. While relaxing a new plan was made: buy dinner foods in town and cook in our apartment, saving an extra 190m climb.

We got sparkling white wine, red wine, pasta, salad, nuts, olives and a bunch more and somehow fit it all in. I rode off with a big slab of parmesan cheese in my jersey pocket and other foods stashed everywhere. The three km ride up was crazy steep, up to 20% grade, but of course we did it. We found the apartment and were let in. It’s spacious and modern in an old village, high above Levanto. Showers first, clothes in the washer, then make dinner.

It was so cozy and nice, toasting with Italian sparkling wine, eating lots and telling stories of crazy bike adventures. I feel like we’re really in the life now. My body has adapted and my legs are getting strong. We laughed when the rain started blasting down so hard it was loud. Tomorrow’s forecast is for ☀️ but you never know.