BAC Piedmont - 2014
May 28 - Fossano Loop
The breakfast buffet is very good at Palazzo Righini as I expected from a first-class hotel. We had fresh fruit, good breads and eggs to order. The excellent coffee comes in small cups. If you like coffee as much as I do, you have to keep ordering. The wait staff is very efficient, though.
I was considering staying off of my bicycle today because of lingering saddle sores. (Note to self: when you rent a bike, bring your own saddle). Other riders were looking at a shorter route than the planned one. I decided to join them. Our usual Bay Area group of Sandy Emerson, Margie Kirk, Jackie Arnett, Deb Richerson and I was joined by Vicki and John Beland. We managed to follow the planned route out of town and through the countryside until we broke from Vicki and John at the 16km mark. They were taking the long route. You can see from the photo that the skies were clear and the terrain was flat.
After our turn for the shorter route, our first order of business was to find a bar that served hot chocolate and pastries. We were on a tertiary road with small villages, so our task was difficult. We saw the greater part of the small village of Montanera until we were directed by one of the locals to a gas station next to the busy highway that paralleled our route. It served good hot chocolate, cappuccino and pastries.
Back on the road again, we followed the signs to Trinità and then Bene Vagienna to get back onto the original route. We stopped several times to make sure we were going the right direction and we had to backtrack very few times.
We made it back to the hotel a little past 1:00. Julie and Tom Leever were sitting at one of the tables on the patio with Ron Guidotti having just ordered lunch. I joined them. Soon Jackie Arnett, Margie Kirk, Bo Newsom, Tim Presar and Wes and Cornie Garbee arrived. We moved tables together and had a good meal. I had spaghetti pomodora. It was really good with fresh cherry tomatoes.
Later, Tim and I strolled down the street to see what was in the sports store thinking that I might buy a cycling jersey. The store was closed for lunch. Looking in the window, we saw no cycling clothes. It was a runners' store. We walked a few short blocks and had some gelato. Then we walked back to the hotel.
The weather continued to be nice and sunny. The temperature was in the high 60s and lower 70s.
After Happy Hour, Vickie, John, Sandy, Tim and I had dinner at Da Pier Antica Osteria. Our multi-course meal was wonderful. We elected to have the chef's choice menu where we didn't have to make any selections. We let our waiter select the good Barbarossa wine, too. I wish that I could describe each course, but after all of the wine I can't. This will be a repeat visit if I am ever here again.
Here is today's ride: